Forethought

Who: Doc and Ivan
Where: Washington Street
When: mid-afternoon

Sure, the rules had changed. The man who obeyed them, though, hadn't. He was still practical, a tactician who knew the value of preparation. These days it was simply a different sort of preparing Doc was learning to do. Aside from his visit to Eva, Doc had been a home body ever since he'd become solid again; spending long hours musing on the best way to adapt to the new aspect of his job.

He couldn't take direct action any more, that had been made abundantly clear. And he still had a job to do. But without the options he was so used to, he knew that he'd need to be more prepared for any and all eventualities he might find. The key, he'd decided after too many cups of coffee and cigarettes, was information. It was in no short supply in this digital age, after all. Doc was just a man who'd gotten to used to trusting his gut instead of the facts.

But that had to change, if nothing else did. He needed to immerse himself in the facts, to learn every nuance of the world power balance; the players, their factions, their motives. The more he knew, after all, the more ready he'd be when the ephemeral feeling welled up inside of him again.

All of that led to this precise moment in an otherwise unremarkable day. The town had a slow bustle to it, a gradual ebb of life returning to the streets as Doc left a local computer store behind with a bag dangling from one hand. Inside was a PDA, advanced enough to nearly be a computer, and hopefully Doc's first step in organizing himself. He had plans for it, a dearth of news stories and intelligence to read through, and maybe even some help to beg from the familiar that was bound to his children. With Teddybear's aid, he could sift through the fluff ten times faster than on his own, but the being was fickle at times and possessed of motivations all it's own. So while Doc wouldn't expect a refusal, he'd still forge ahead on his own until help presented itself.

Lingering outside the shop, he went into the familiar motions of patting himself down for a cigarette and lighting up, then headed off along the sidewalk. There were other errands to run, groceries to buy eventually, but for now it seemed like a short stroll was in order. It'd give him a chance to check out the local repairs, and maybe even snag another coffee if he happened past one of the cafes nearby.