"We do what we came here to do and that's surveillance," Tinker said, his voice low and firm. It was a different type of authority than what Hammerhand used yet had a similar effect. "We get as much information as possible and report to the Beast."
"I can probably make a run inside," Jessica13 said and looked at the two men.
"What do you mean?" Windchime asked and she could already see Tinker shaking his head.
"If I go in, I can see what kind of defenses they have set up. With the coloring on Mini and a few alterations, I could make myself look like a peddler, there to sell goods and spread news of the Outside. Folks like that are generally welcome and more likely than not to have people share what they know."
"What would you peddle?" the older Knight asked reluctantly.
"We brought supplies, didn't we? I could take in some parts we don't really need, see if anyone’s interested enough to buy but keep the prices too high for them to actually take them while I keep them talking."
Even though she couldn't see their faces, she could tell that neither was convinced.
"How do you think you can do that?" Tinker asked.
She shrugged. "The peddlers were the only connection to the Outside I had at Sanctuary, and although I didn’t see all that many, I learned what they were like and how they talked when they were around. There’s nothing much to it except talking fast, not saying much, and letting the others try to one-up me with one of their own stories, right? Besides, it would let me keep hold of my own mech while I mingle at the same time."
Tinker looked at Windchime. "I guess it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to get a view of what's going on inside the town."
"It would be the worst thing," his teammate protested. "We can’t let her step into the maws of the fucking wolf without backup."
"You're my backup," Jessica13 said. "I can ping you two easily enough on the comms and run quicker than either of you if I get into trouble. I'll be fine."
The older man sighed and shook his head. "I don't like it but the lass has a point. If there was ever a chance for us to get in there, it's with her."
Windchime still didn't appear very happy about the prospect but he seemed ready to admit that they didn't have much in the way of choices at this juncture. Jessica13 circled the town to gain some idea where the people would be and where she needed to be if she wanted to get inside without attracting too much attention.
When she eventually left the other two in their position to watch what she was doing, she made a couple of rounds near the edges of the town and scavenged smaller pieces of cloth, which she tied together in the same kind of cloak she had seen Athena wearing. The Cinders had worn something similar, and now that she thought about it, she actually remembered a handful of peddlers using the same thing as a way to keep them hidden over longer distances.
It wasn't a perfect disguise, but after she’d mussed some of the paint on the Minato and draped the new cloak from the shoulders, it was about as good as it would get without her actually wandering the wilderness for dozens of years to acquire the authentic look of a peddler.
The goods they had decided they were willing it possibly part with had been put on her back so there was no further reason for delay. Her heart pounded hard in her chest as she began to consider the peril she was putting herself in. She almost changed her mind but after a resolute admonition to quit being a coward, Jessica13 stepped into the town.
"I detect an increased heart rate as well as rapid breathing, wide eyes, and a dilation of the pupils, which indicate a higher than usual amount of adrenaline in your bloodstream," Mini pointed out as they moved deeper into the town. "These are all indications that you are experiencing fear. Is that correct?"
"Well, I am heading into a town where people are getting locked in buildings and burnt," she replied but tried not to let her nervousness show. "I would say that is as good a reason as any to feel fear, wouldn't you?"
"I do not suggest that fear is an illogical response to your current situation," he replied, still as calm as ever. "I merely point out that the symptoms you are feeling are quite natural and justified in your current situation and should be embraced instead of repressed. Given that you are in a mech and cannot be seen, hiding the physical symptoms of your current stress would not matter but perhaps the auditory symptoms would be best kept under control should you encounter and interact with other humans?"
"That…is a good point, thank you, Mini," she said and took a deep breath in an effort to calm herself.
"There is no need to thank me as my survival depends on your own," he pointed out logically. They were literally in this together.
The outer area of the town seemed almost abandoned as most of the folks living there were either inside their homes or in other sections. She had not registered how large the place was when studying it from afar, and now that she was inside, it was hard to ignore how sprawling it was.
As she pushed further in toward the center, people began to wander the streets in greater numbers. Those who noticed her paid her little mind and it appeared mechs coming and going weren’t that rare a sight. Children stood in groups and a couple clutched large balls made from rubber and wrapped in leather. One tossed the toy he held to another who caught it in a desultory way but made no effort to throw
