(DONE) Ep. 1 - The Red Wastes [Miko]

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Panting, wheezing, the young woman almost fell to her knees. Endless miles of scrub, sandstone and sand stretched out, barren brown and blue the only sight on the horizon. Hair a half-braided mess, long strands of black falling over her face and shoulders in disheveled strands, Sarita warily looked around. No man or woman pursued her, and she couldn't hear anymore the sound of cars.

In fact, she couldn't hear anything, save for the hiss of the summery landscape and the patter of a roadrunner's feet. The busker looked around, numbly trying to process what had happened — she was panting harshly, her forehead dripping with sweat. It was the height of the day, and the noontime sun was beating down mercilessly.

She had been running from a truck stop, that much she knew. Behind her had been a smartass rig jockey, swinging around a tire iron and threatening to beat her face in. All she had done was comment on his taste in women, and how not to address Sarita if he was remotely interested in her. A slap on the ass was not a friendly way of saying "hello", and she had chewed him out in that grease trap of a pit stop.

And now, here she was, debating her wisdom in life and considering her pick of gas places. Of course she would forget to bring extra gas, knowing how dangerous it was to be alone in the desert; she was miles outside of Jasper. The closest settlement she could think of were a handful of ghost towns, and of course, the city of Las Vegas.

Turning in a circle, the woman beginning to regain control of herself, Sarita breathlessly uttered the only thing she could think of:

"Fucking hell."

Not the most ladylike thing to say, but at least it was fitting. There was nothing but heat and dust as far as the eye could see; Sarita held a hand over her head to squint past the shimmering waves. She honestly didn't know how long she had been running, and the sun was cooking her brain in its own fluids. Where on Earth had she come from?

---

Hours later, and after much hapless wandering, Sarita came to rest in the shadow of a large formation. Leaning against the ancient stone, the material streaked with all sorts of ruddy-red and honey-yellow hues, the woman's eyes closed as she sighed deeply. She had found no indication that she was close to any road — there were no landmarks, and the scrub was thick and prickly in many places. Her red skirt was already torn, and the edges of her wine-coloured shirt had suffered similarly. Evening would come in the next couple of hours; though she welcomed the relief from the heat, Sarita knew the dangers of the dark.

Where there was shadow and unseen corners, there were predators both human and non-human. People lived out here, strange and dysfunctional as they might be, and many of them were not friendly. Adding in the snakes, scorpions and spiders that could cut a life short if one wasn't careful....

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Miko was never listening to Bulkhead ever again. Or Ratchet. Or Jack, or Raf, or anyone who had the stupid gall to suggest a field trip could be fun. She suspected (suspiciously so!) that the only reason they told her to go on this stupid day trip was to get her away from the base for a day. As if that would stop her. She spent the night there when she could get away with it, much to Ratchet's chagrin. Prime wisely left the room when that debate opened.

Back home, field trips had at least been kind of fun. They'd gotten to walk around temples and really pretty zen gardens. Not that Miko was the kind of chick to be crazy over some flowers and decorative sand. But at least it was more interesting then dirt. Oh wait, no, not dirt. "Residual boulders." Like she cared about some stupid rocks that had been around for all of ever. They were rocks!

Granted, if Bulkhead or even Wheeljack was with her out here in the park, she'd probably find some measure of enjoyment. As it was, the small portion of her class (whom she didn't even like) were all bumbling around the touristy building and gaping over the "majestic" emptiness that was scrub brush and, oh hey, more rocks. Miko was having none of it. First of all, she was hot and gritty already and the black umbrella she'd brought with her (decorated with sugar skulls because those were cool) only did so much to block the sun. The tops of her ears were feeling crispy...

Sighing to herself, she crossed her arms and grumped in general at the teachers and the stupid students. Anyone who tried to strike up a conversation with her was met with an irritated look that shut down any attempts at communication. She was having none of it! At this point, the boredom was so bad, she was hoping for anything to distract. Even a nasty Con.

....Ok, maybe I'm not that bored. But that would sure liven up the place. Although, the more she thought about it, gaze distant on the slope leading down into a maze of nothing, the worse she sort of felt. She could only imagine what one Decepticreep could do in the middle of a class full of students. She didn't hate the other kids, she just found them all to be so dull it was nearly painful.

Then she saw a shimmer as the clouds parted to let the full brunt of sun shine down on the valley. Off in the distance, some ways from the tourist trap, there was something shining oh so brightly in the rocks. It wasn't glass. That much she could tell. It was a constant shine, winking out in the far and away, not a spy glass from some bird watcher or whatever it was dudes liked to look at in the desert.

What if it's energon?? Oh man, this could totally make up for the crap timing in the tunnels. Bulk and them couldn't stay mad at me if I found a energon deposit! They'd be happy and I wouldn't get serious side-eye from everyone. She wiggled in place at the very thought. But how to get to there? The shiny whatever it was laid some ways out there and she doubted the teachers would really let her go running out there away from the tour...

Wait, the tour! Miko, you're a genius. She's just go on the hike with them, and when they got suitably close enough, she'd just meander off to go take a small look. This was cake. She'd outran Cons before. Ditching a class full of stressed teachers would be totally doable. She'd just pop over, take a look, and then zip back. How could you lose the tourist station up on the small hill? It was right there.

Plan forming in her mind, she gladly vaulted in line with her fellow students much to the surprise of nearly everyone. Her messenger bag didn't even feel that heavy as she hiked down the slope and off into the well trod paths. Actually, if she let herself admit it, the trip wasn't that bad. Ok, so the whole nature schtick was kind of stupid but it did beat sitting inside a classroom all day. And sometimes even the base got kind of dull when all everyone wanted to do was sit around and rest.

A few hours into the hike they were taking a break near a group of large rocks, "residual boulders" and having lunch. Miko wasn't interested in scarfing down the few chips and sandwich she'd thrown in the pack. She was more excited by the prospect of the nearness of the mystery shine in the distance. They were so close! Kinda. As she perched on top of the boulder, she frowned at their hiking trail. It wasn't going anywhere near there. No path was. Well, no matter. She'd just remedy that with a little offroading. Bulk did it all the time. But how to get away from the class?

Smirking to herself, Miko slid down off the rock and landed right beside some blond haired chick who she thought had a name like Stacy or Sarah. She'd never really talked to the girl before but her plan hinged on them wearing the same color of clothing. Which, the girl noticed with a wrinkle of her nose. Great, one of those types. But Miko didn't let the 'tude turn her away. Instead she smiled real big and offered her umbrella.

"You're neck is turning really red. I thought you could use this before you get a bad burn." Before the gal could get a word in edgewise, Miko continued, "My uncle got a bad sunburn once and got these giant blisters that scarred his back. Looked like ugly craters. They oozed for a really long time."

Five minutes later, as the class shuffled off after the tour guide, Miko was hiding behind the boulder watching the near copy of her follow, her head hidden by the black curtain of the parasol. Pfft, too easy. She would be missed but another blond girl in a class full of blond girls named Sarah? Or Stacy? Nope, that'd take some time to figure out.

With pep in her step, Miko started out across the desert toward the rocks and the shining.

Hours later, as the dark was closing in, she was regretting many things, including not bringing a compass or having the foresight to keep the tourist trap in view. Because she was thoroughly, worriedly lost.

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She ended up resting longer than she thought. Leaning against the stone, her mouth cotton-dry and her legs weary, the cooler temperature of the formation was...blissful. In fact, the act of sitting gave her some sort of buzz, her head swimming pleasantly as cicadas (?) buzzed the afternoon away.

But she couldn't stay in that shadow forever. She had to keep moving, had to keep looking for some kind of road. Water, shelter and food were also going to be a priority; it was highly likely now she'd spend the night out there. A safe place to sleep, high up from rattlesnakes and other such things, was key.

Slowly, carefully and with great reluctance, Sarita stood up. She cracked her back and groaned a little, stiff from such a hard surface. Her car cushions were almost like rock, but still a great deal softer; she wasn't of the ability to rest comfortably against any kind of surface. The thought of her myriad sheets, all glossy and paired with soft, hand-made quilts she that still smelt of home and better things.... Sarita couldn't help but sigh sadly. She was feeling homesick, of all things, for a car.

Focus, Sarita!

And focus she did, schooling her face into a steely expression. Turning around a couple of times, the girl looked to the slowly-falling sun, instantly recognizing the direction as "east". That meant north was in front of her, and now that she could focus, she recalled that she'd been moving in a westerly direction. There were bits of broken scrub behind her, and she recognized it from where she had walked to find shelter. She could always go back the way she came, but her brain was blanking on the features she had passed by on her way to the giant rock. Sarita had been so tired from all her running, her brain hadn't worked for hours.

North it is, then.

---

She thought she was hallucinating when she saw the figure on the horizon. The busker stopped in her tracks, and she had to blink and rub at her eyes a couple of times to make sure. The sun was turning red, the sky a vibrant pink-purple, and the terrain had turned only wilder. Who on Earth would be out here so close to dark, and out walking alone?

Tweaker. Convict. Lost hiker.

Sarita wasn't going to take any chances. Ducking down speedily, the woman stealth-crawled into a small bush, trying to make as little noise as possible. After a quick glance around for any sort of hazard, Sarita pressed herself to the dirt and roots, lying as still as possible in the patch of dry brush. Breathing quiet, muscles tensed, her eyes warily watched as the shadow came closer. The stranger would be on her in about two minutes, tops.

One-twenty, one-nineteen, one-eighteen, one-seventeen.... Come on, come on, just walk the other way....

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Miko didn't get scared. Ok, maybe she got really worried about some things in her life (like being shot at and nearly squished by a Decepticon drone) but she was never scared! Wreckers didn't get scared and that's exactly what she wanted to be. So getting lost in a desert? Pfft, this was just annoying. And not worrisome at all. Nope.

Which was why she surely wasn't compulsively chewing on her lower lip as she trekked in large, overlapping circles, trying to orient herself in the scrub brush landscape. How could she have lost the little tourist trap on the small hill? It had been right there behind her the whole time. But from down in the trails, things seemed a lot different and directions were sort of weird. Maybe it was the heat. Stupid. She should have kept the umbrella.

Worrying over her lower lip, she dug into her messenger bag for her phone. This was pointless. She'd just call for help and get someone out here to pick her up. Even if she had to admit that she'd made a mistake. Again. Ugh.

Unfortunately, her phone wasn't in the best shape. That bad moment in the tunnels had damaged the piece of equipment. She frowned at the cracks marring the glass. She could have gotten a new phone but this one had such sentimental value to it. She'd taken pics of Cons and had many of Bulk on here. This phone had been through a lot with her! Had saved her butt a few times too.

"Come on, phone. You're supposed to save me again. I thought we were a team!" She poked at the buttons but the screen twitched once and froze. So lost in her musings over the phone, that she completely missed the human nearby she was about to step on.

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Up until the figure spoke, Sarita had been ready to pounce. Mental defenses went up like barricades, the woman preparing herself for a bloody confrontation or worse. She couldn't assume it was a lost hiker; there were too many wackos, sick fucks and other backwater hicks wandering the desert, just waiting for new prey. Like a lioness waiting for a wandering buffalo, her fingers flexed, and she went through the checklist of every self-defense move she knew —

It was a kid. A girl, sounding no older than fourteen or fifteen. Sarita's mind blanked for a moment, her aggressive thought process screeching to a mad halt. Could still be a dealer — but she's just a kid — you can't seriously think about jumping a kid, you aren't crazy —

She almost stood up, but then realized that moving too quickly would startle the girl. No, she had to give children the benefit of a doubt; there were a lot of runaways on the streets. Too many kids out there were victimized enough by those prowling the unguarded places, the wilder spaces. Sarita had seen kids Miko's age and younger, some as young as ten or nine, be beaten senseless or left for dead in the gutter. I am not a brute; she might just be lost, like me.

Very, very slowly, Sarita emerged from the bushes. Her black hair, full of messy braids, was tangled with twigs; the front of her shirt was covered in dust. Clearing her throat politely (but quietly), she straightened herself out, and tried to brush herself off. An awkward slant to her voice, her expression equally so but concerned, the busker said, "Ah, pardon me...are you lost, young lady?"

She'd probably lose her shit for a moment at the random appearance of a woman from a bush, but Sarita could talk her down. She didn't want money, or anything else from this girl; if the kid was lost, she needed to find civilization. From what Sarita could see in the dusk, the tween was clean-looking and healthy, meaning she couldn't have been out there for long.

Glancing at the glint of hot pink in the child's hands, Sarita added, "There are no bars out here. We're too far from any signal towers." She loosened her posture a bit more, holding up unfurled palms in a universal gesture of peace.

"And I'm not here to jump you, honest. I, um, lost something in this bush."

Good enough.

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Miko wasn't exactly an outdoor person. Sure, she liked spending time outside...when she was blowing things up. She wasn't as bad as Raf. He was terrible outside and seemed loss when there wasn't a computer in his hands. Jack was probably the better of the three for outdoor survival. He actually read about that kind of stuff, probably to impress a certain redhead in town. But Miko, well, she only wanted to be outside when they were kicking Con butt or finding Energon deposits. Not "appreciating nature" because she was fairly sure nature was trying to kill her right now.

With the firm belief that Mother Nature was actually trying to get to her, she expected a coyote to pop out of the bushes. Not a person. Not a woman, and that was even weirder really. The young girl started with a small cry and stepped back, phone hugged to her chest while her mind tried to catch up with current events.

Just a woman. Just a woman...wait, why is there a lady out here?

"And I'm not here to jump you, honest. I, um, lost something in this bush."

Well there you go. Wait, that doesn't make any sense.
Oh, it doesn't? You got lost looking for a shiny rock.
Shut up, brain. I was trying to help out.

Was the first signs of insanity talking to yourself? Miko was sure she was heading in that direction. Blowing a low breath out, the girl stood up straighter and eyed the woman. Seemed normal as one could get...for a bush person. And she did point out something Miko hadn't thought of about her phone.

"Ah crap, I forgot about the bars." Maybe her phone wasn't busted after all. They were just literally in the middle of nowhere with crap service. She looked around them with a new outlook on the area. There were tall monoliths off in the distance and fairly sizable rocks. Maybe those were blocking the signal? What if she climbed one...

"Thanks, um..." Nope, hadn't caught a name yet. "...you. I got lost from my field trip. But at least this isn't as boring as having to listen to the guide talk about the rock cycle..." No, not as boring, but definitely not fun being stuck out in the middle of a dry, what could be hostile environment.

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Sarita nodded. "I'm lost too," she said, attempting to find some common ground with her girl. She suppressed the tiny voice in her brain that yelled Don't say anything! as loudly as it could — this was a kid. Not a dealer, not the creep from a truck stop, a kid. She looked healthy and had a phone, which was a far cry from any street child that Sarita had known. Then again, she could have stolen it.

Cautiously stepping forward — both from her own hesitation and an attempt not to scare Miko — Sarita said, "I'm...Rita. Just Rita. I parked my car because I was almost out of gas and I was trying to find a gas station. Not the smartest thing to be driving out around the back roads with a low tank."

She shrugged helplessly. She didn't show any indication she was lying, and in truth, she wasn't — she was just...selectively omitting parts. It was kind of embarrassing, having run in a random direction from a crazy trucker instead of to her car, and it wasn't something the girl needed to know. The woman gave Miko a thoughtful look, then glanced over at the setting sun.

"You shouldn't be alone out here, sweetheart," said Sarita, allowing just a hint of a comforting tone to edge into her voice. She wanted to be approachable, not condescending; she may have not been dealing with a street kid, but there was also a chance Miko was a runaway. The thought had only crossed Sarita's mind, and if it was true, her heart felt a little pang for the girl. Too many kids went through a "rebellious phase" without any guidance, any sort of understanding or secure figure, and ended up wandering because they didn't know what else to do. "I'm heading roughly north, which means we'll either find a rail track or a road eventually. It's entirely your choice, but you may want to come with me."

She gave another quick look around, eyeing every rock and plant suspiciously — a survival-born habit. Between words, her eyes would dart from side to side and up and down, consciously aware of the shadowy environment around the two. She was still focused enough to carry a conversation, though; she continued with, "Other than animals like wildcats and coyotes, drug dealers will sometimes come out here at night. People transporting other sorts of illegal goods, too; women and girls are especially at risk with these types. Once we find a road, I can help you find a stop or something to grab a bite, and we can call whomever you need to call."

At least she (roughly) knew where she had left her Sedan. A towing company or taxi service could probably help her backtrack and find her car; the keys still jangled in Sarita's left pocket.

"Again, this is entirely your choice. Don't be scared of me, hun."

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"Is that why you were in the bush?" Miko quirked and eyebrow and leaned her head back. To be fair, she would probably had hit the dirt if some random stranger had just walked out of nowhere in the middle of...well, nowhere. Possibly. Depended on the stranger.

What the lady said made sense. Even if she was a stranger, she didn't look like she was a deranged desert person. Was that even a thing? Miko felt like she'd heard about that somewhere but couldn't remember exactly what the term was. Oh well, not important and if it was, she'd remember it later. She shrugged and pointed to the rocks.

"Do you know how far it is to anything? Because I was thinking...I could just climb up there and see if I get a signal." Of course, 'up there' was fairly far away and that wasn't counting climbing up to 'there.' But she'd been on top of plateau's before. It was work but she was agile!

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"Is that why you were in the bush?"

"I was trying to find something I dropped," Sarita replied dryly. There was the temptation to add further snark, but it wouldn't get her anywhere in the current situation. Kids were fickle. "I only have so much light left to look with."

Glancing over at the great, towering monoliths that were silhouetted against the sky, Sarita said, "I'm not quite sure where we are. There's not much trash or signs of people around, so we must be quite a ways out from civilization. You could try climbing, miss, but those rocks are awfully steep, and you have no immediate medical attention if you fall. If you didn't outright kill yourself, you'd have a long, agonizing wait to bleed out, combined with almost all of your bones broken."

The last part was said with a hint of distaste, and a look that suggested grim familiarity. Climbing up high was a smart move to avoid dangers on the ground, but one had to be...careful. Sarita had known those who had taken shelter in a tree or another natural perch, only to kill themselves from the trauma of hitting the ground. If they didn't....

She shook her head a little, reeling away from a mental image she didn't care to revisit. Looking back over at Miko, she said, "My plan is to pick a direction and keep going. I know I'm headed north, and the way I figure it, going north means that I'll hit something eventually. You were heading roughly south, so I'm willing to bet that, if we go in that direction, we'll get back to wherever you came from."

There was a moment of silence.

"...You did come from something like a gas stop, right?"

[Deleted]

"I'm not quite sure where we are. There's not much trash or signs of people around, so we must be quite a ways out from civilization. You could try climbing, miss, but those rocks are awfully steep, and you have no immediate medical attention if you fall. If you didn't outright kill yourself, you'd have a long, agonizing wait to bleed out, combined with almost all of your bones broken."

Miko looked up from the phone she'd been mildly shaking, trying to get some form of life in the stupid electronic. "Huh? Oh! Um, I got this. I climb all the time." She couldn't say what she climbed or how she knew that falling was the very least thing to worry about. There was one thing to be said about spending all her time around mass metal objects that could ground you into paste with one 'oopsy.' Climbing rocks didn't seem that challenging in retrospect.

"I won't even climb the tallest one. Don't need to. Just need to get above the valley." She sighed and put the phone back into a pocket before adjusting her messenger bag. "And I came from some touristy thing. I got sidetracked and lost the group." It was as close to the truth as she was going to get.

"I'm Miko."

[Deleted]

"Well, if you're intent on climbing them, we should look to see if there's a natural path up first," said Sarita. "It'll save you time and energy." When the girl introduced herself, the busker gave a frown, but quickly changed it to a smile; she wasn't going to panic the girl. If she had gotten lost from a national park, then the boundaries of such might not be immediately noticeable to them, and they might pass by a chance at getting spotted entirely.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miko," said Sarita. She began to walk towards the rising pillars of ancient rock, taking the lead ahead of Miko. "Are you visiting family or on a holiday? I can't help but notice that you sound like you're from one of the Asian countries. Indonesia, if I might ask...?"

She hoped she didn't sound rude. Small talk would help pass the time, and keep the girl from focusing too much on the oncoming dark. Sarita would make that her job; she was already back to scanning every bush and rock they passed by. The shadows lengthened and mixed with the inky darkness, the purples of the sunset fading into a deep black-blue. Stars had begun to speckle the sky, far more numerous than they would appear in a city like Vegas.

If times were better, she might have stopped to stargaze. She already recognized familiar sights like the Big and Little Dipper, forever pouring and scooping into the galaxies of the firmament. Unfortunately, she wasn't in such times, and she could have sworn she just heard something moving to the left of them. A coyote yipped nearby, far too close for comfort.

Hope the kid's not afraid of the dark....

[Deleted]

Was that a dog? Wait, dogs don't howl do they?

Miko hadn't been around a dog since she was a kid. Her mother's younger brother had a yappy, prissy little dog with a curly tail and a downright evil disposition. Miko used to make a game of trying to get as close to her uncle as she could before the pet noticed and chased her away with a fury only smaller dogs could possess. It had been fun until the thing had chomped down on her ankle. Her mom hadn't been too happy about that. Thinking about home made something flutter in Miko's belly.

"Tokyo, actually. I'm an exchange student. Never believe what the brochures tell you." Shoving aside fond memories of home, she set her sights on the looming monolith and noticed, with some minor surprise, that the sun was starting to set. Made sense. They'd arrived around noon and she'd spent a fair deal of time sneaking off.

If she were inclined to believe that she was wrong in this instance, she'd say she had this coming. However, since her actions had pure intent behind them, Miko felt she should get a mulligan on this one. She'd been trying to look out for the Bots! Not get lost in the middle of nowhere. And it wasn't like she had to worry, right? People got lost all the time! No big deal. This was a modern age.

She glanced over at the woman by her side and actually took in the small details. Messy hair, boho outfit, and dark complexion. Definitely not your average tourist. "You passing through?"

[Deleted]

"Indeed," said Sarita. "I've come to Nevada to work during the warmer seasons. I was on my way back to a hotel near Jasper...and well, back roads, everything I was speaking about before. I hope we can find a town or something before tomorrow; I have to go paint a fence in the afternoon."

Tokyo. Hm. She certainly was a long way from home. "Do you like it here, in America?" Sarita asked, trying to keep the conversation light and continuous. "We must seem...rather odd. Bombastic, outgoing, fervently patriotic — don't believe everything you see about us smashing our flag into other peoples' faces. Some of us are like that, but not everybody."

The busker chuckled, the sound like one an aristocrat at a party would make. Even in the dark, despite cautious movements made to avoid tripping over rocks and other things, Sarita tried to carry herself with a dignified grace. Every movement would be made as a lioness might, long and sweeping steps carrying her across the desert like she owned it; her constantly-searching eyes and slight slouch gave a predatory air. She was like a lioness, stalking through unknown territory, looking at everything with both wariness and hunger.

Despite looking ready to pounce on the next thing that popped out, she flashed Miko a polite smile.

"Have you been here long?"

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Miko didn't miss the way the woman was avidly keeping eye on the surroundings. And didn't find that a stupid idea at all. The night was pressing in faster, in the shadow of the plateaus looming over them, the valley was suddenly looking even more alien and unsafe. As cool as it was to watch the sky wheel above them in a showy sprinkle of flickering lights, it wasn't cool to hear the wildlife come alive and begin their loud calls.

"I've haven't even been here a year. This town is dull. I always thought the midwest would be exciting. Jasper is just a blip on the radar without anything cool. I used to read about all the dives along route 66. Thought I'd see drive-ins and diners from the fifties with Elvis themes. Instead I got a suburbia and dirt." She thought about her misfortune and how it had inadvertently led to meeting the coolest dude she'd ever met. "But it has its perks. I guess I don't mind it so much now."

She walked on in silence a moment, watching the desert around them for anything useful. Like a large stick or a random length of metal laying around. Video games did that, why not real life?

"Why do you travel around?"

[Deleted]

"Oh, Jasper has its sights," said Sarita. "There's the nearby racetrack, and I'm not talking about the illegal circuit — they hold rallies and motorcycle races there. There's also the geode deposit on the far side of town, by one of the bigger formations, and Plug N' Play is one of the biggest video game stores out in the sticks...."

She paused.

"...Though, I suppose you're right. It's a small town, and small towns aren't exactly the busiest of places. You should be wary of any dives, though; folk on the road aren't always the nicest. I actually did some work and stayed at those places, if you're curious to know more."

It might have been giving away too much to mention her previous employment, but on the other hand, she knew when to limit the extent of her information. Miko could ask her innocent questions, and Sarita would know when to casually deflect with a non-incriminating answer. She had to be sharp, though; Miko struck her more and more as the runaway type. Losing her tourist group might have been her way out of whatever situation she was possibly running from.

I've been at this too long.

"Why do I travel?" Sarita asked, giving Miko a curious look. "It's to make good money, Miss Miko. There are many good opportunities on the road, and I have a place to go back to — " In a manner of speaking " — when all is said and done. I enjoy my work, and I have learned many things from it."