Service Repair (Deimos)
Rain fell steadily over the broken stretch of downtown Detroit asphalt. Collar up, head down, shoulders hunched, the diminutive Sumerian goddess walked quickly through the downpour. It was 7:32 p.m. on a Wednesday evening, and there were few businesses open. Already, the streets had started to take on that seedy feel -- the feeling that never could quite be replicated in sunlight. Young men and women without dire financial concern found it deliciously dangerous -- at least on the weekends. But the ones who lived in the area were less charmed.
"Hey, little lady," a rough voice called from her left. But when Nanshe lifted her head and cast sharp eyes toward the man across the street, the figure of the man disappeared back into the shadow of the alleyway where he'd been standing. Nanshe continued on, unhindered.
There was a purpose tonight for the dark-haired deity to be on this particular street. It was true that she was avoiding - for the moment - the inevitable reunion with her brother, her friends, and the rest of those who would have missed her. But what she was not doing was avoiding her duties. Just a few blocks up, the 1.5-second dual flashes of red marked her destination. A broke-down Chevy Caprice, circa 1984, offered protection from the rain for two screaming little boys in the back seat and a very upset young woman gripping the steering wheel in the front.
The doors were locked. Good. The hood was up, and the woman had clearly had the good sense to push her car under a street light. Smart, smart, smart. So when Nanshe approached the driver's side window, she was sure to do it so that the young mother saw her every step of the way. A delicate knock, a few exchanged words, and Nanshe had reassured the woman, made the boys curious enough to want to stop screaming and clamor into the front seat for a better look at her, and gotten herself approved for a quick look under the hood.
The streetlamp helped, but the trouble was a broken timing belt. And by the smell of the engine, Nanshe guessed it had broken while the woman was driving. This was not great news. So engrossed in the mess, Nanshe didn't notice someone approaching from behind her. Her hands were carefully slipping out bits of broken belt and she didn't want to burn herself while she was doing it.