Stranded

Chapter 1

The three suns rose high into the sky inflicting their heat upon the inhabitants. It was a new day in Old Ratchet, the sector of the engineers at the very bottom of the great Sky City. Steam powered vehicles as well as hover ones raced over head creating rapid shadows, one of the garages lights flicked on announcing they were open for business. A roaring black motorcycle came to a standstill outside next to an old rusty truck. She cut the engine and dismounted kicking up dust as she did. She pulled off her helmet and rested her helmet on the handlebars.
An elder gentleman was just pulling up the shutters to the garages entrance, "Sahara you're early!" he exclaimed.
"Better than being late," she smiled and lit a cigarette.
"I thought you were quitting?" he asked looking back at her.
"I was, but I don't need to worry about that now with this new mechanic heart," she said walking past him to the retina scanner. "I am clocked in."
"You know you can't always rely on the machinery to keep you alive," he said walking closer to her.
"I have a full guarantee this will keep me alive for centuries," she replied.
"I hope you're right," he said pulling a few blankets off a few cars.
"You still haven't fixed that hover car yet!" she exclaimed placing her things in her locker.
"I haven't got around to it yet. I'll pay you double if you get it done today," he said.
"Are you messing with me?" she asked taking a puff from her cigarette.
"No I am being serious. Perhaps you could convince the owner to stop burning the engine out," he replied.
"I don't know, he hasn't listened to you what makes you think he will listen to me," she said.
"Because you're good with your words," he answered ascending the steps to his office.
"Right I'll take a look," she said lifting up the bonnet of the car, "damn this is a mess." Music suddenly erupted in the garage breaking the silence. Sahara began to nod her head to it. She reached for her cleaning tools and cleaned the oil off. "That's better, oh the owner is not going to like the price I'mma give him, this is going to take so much work," she ran a hand over her head.
"Is it fixable?" Eldrik called to her.
"Yes, but phone him and tell him his car won't be out here for a week," she said.
"Okay, I also need you to take a look at the machine that came in last week too some of the bits inside its chest are a little fiddly and with my shaky hands I can't handle it," he said.
"Okay, how is your robot coming along?" she asked.
"Yeah not bad, just programming seems to be a slight problem," he said.
"Why?" she asked leaning over the bonnet of the car to clean further back.
"I'm not sure whether the man I bought it off of removed the protection virus from it's previous owner," he replied.
"What?!" she exclaimed banging her head on the hood. "You bought a dodgy robot?"
"No, he guaranteed me there was no problems with it," he said.
"Sounds like you have one. Give it to me and I'll run it back to him on my lunch break today," she said.
"No it's okay," he replied descending the steps to her.
"I'll take a look at it later instead then," she replied.
"You maybe able to improve it," he said.
"I still don't understand why you have so much faith in me," she laughed stubbing her cigarette out on the table next to her.
"Because you're the best engineer I've had working for me in a long time," he replied taking her ash tray away.