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Description

Something grey and fuzzy on a nearby table caught Calima's attention – items like this were the reason she did the initial quick scan – and she weaved her way towards it, dodging junk that was stacked on the floor, people standing in the walkway and some poorly positioned tables. She noticed someone else ahead of her was targeting the same table, so she tried moving quicker, but was thwarted by a fat bloke bending over to examine something, shoving his great behind into the walkway in the process.

"Move it, lard ball," Calima muttered under her breath - any louder and the petite Calima risked becoming a casualty of the temper of the aforementioned mass of flesh.

Finally, able to get around the... round, she headed for the table again, checking to see if the competing customer was after the same prize. Fortunately he was not, and the prize, a robotic pet, still stood there, head drooped forlornly. The other fellow was more interested in an early model net gateway sitting further along the old tressle table on which it sat. The other customers and browsers at the table seemed ready to move on.

Calima lifted the dirty robopet from the far side of the table, struggling a little with its weight. It was roughly as heavy as a real animal of that size. When working, these robopet ponies stood about knee high, but this one was static, limp, its head hanging. Turning it over, studying it for damage, Calima considered whether to replace it on the table, or part with some milyun. It's integral cameras and microphones would do what she needed, and just maybe she would be able to interface the project to it.

What was the project? It was a compact, industrial quality, class two artificial intelligence module that had arrived by mail, addressed to her. The only information she had on its origin was the name "Mitzi" written on it, within a heart. As far as she knew, her Mitzi was still operating several solar systems away, and used a significant array of modules in the makeup of her AI system.

The toy pony had a grey coat and multicolored mane, tail and eyes, heavy in the mid blues and reds. Styled after an old cartoon, the little mechanical pony had charm. Apart from its hair accessories, it seemed to be complete, but more than likely had a terminally dead battery, and was probably damaged internally, like many other things in the surplus market. After all, much of what was for sale here was salvaged from garbage.

(edit - regenerated the artwork)

Description

Something grey and fuzzy on a nearby table caught Calima's attention – items like this were the reason she did the initial quick scan – and she weaved her way towards it, dodging junk that was stacked on the floor, people standing in the walkway and some poorly positioned tables. She noticed someone else ahead of her was targeting the same table, so she tried moving quicker, but was thwarted by a fat bloke bending over to examine something, shoving his great behind into the walkway in the process.

"Move it, lard ball," Calima muttered under her breath - any louder and the petite Calima risked becoming a casualty of the temper of the aforementioned mass of flesh.

Finally, able to get around the... round, she headed for the table again, checking to see if the competing customer was after the same prize. Fortunately he was not, and the prize, a robotic pet, still stood there, head drooped forlornly. The other fellow was more interested in an early model net gateway sitting further along the old tressle table on which it sat. The other customers and browsers at the table seemed ready to move on.

Calima lifted the dirty robopet from the far side of the table, struggling a little with its weight. It was roughly as heavy as a real animal of that size. When working, these robopet ponies stood about knee high, but this one was static, limp, its head hanging. Turning it over, studying it for damage, Calima considered whether to replace it on the table, or part with some milyun. It's integral cameras and microphones would do what she needed, and just maybe she would be able to interface the project to it.

What was the project? It was a compact, industrial quality, class two artificial intelligence module that had arrived by mail, addressed to her. The only information she had on its origin was the name "Mitzi" written on it, within a heart. As far as she knew, her Mitzi was still operating several solar systems away, and used a significant array of modules in the makeup of her AI system.

The toy pony had a grey coat and multicolored mane, tail and eyes, heavy in the mid blues and reds. Styled after an old cartoon, the little mechanical pony had charm. Apart from its hair accessories, it seemed to be complete, but more than likely had a terminally dead battery, and was probably damaged internally, like many other things in the surplus market. After all, much of what was for sale here was salvaged from garbage.

(edit - regenerated the artwork)