Red Case, Blue Case

Switchboard
3rd quarter, 2018
Hong Kong, HK, China
Xiong sighs and hits a button on the phone. "Quartermaster Yeung, please." 
"Transferring," announces the switchboard. 
""Quartermaster Yeung is unavailable. This is Xia from Medical; how may I help you?"" 
"What happened this time?" 
""There was a BuenaKai attack?"" 
"Is Nang still arriving in an hour?" 
""Blue tablet or red?" 
"Red tablet, 949240." 
"Uh, okay, [Officer Lo] should be here... tomorrow. The typhoon's gotten worse and they've diverted all air traffic to Vladivostok." 
"Can you find MaintainMe? It's on the second homescreen. I'd like to know if my tablet's ready." 
"Sure thing." 
"You don't have a spare?" asks the shadow. 
"It would be with Nang, and my spare backup is with Miss Yeung." 
"Oh." 
"Marshal? Maintenance's logged it as 'complete'. Would you like someone to send it up?"
"That's fine, thank you for you help."
"You're welcome, have a nice day." 
The line disconnects. 
Xiong hits the button again. "Shatterbucks, please." 
"Transferring," announces the switchboard. 
"Would you like tea or coffee?" 
"Either is fine--" 
"Shatterbucks, this is Liong speaking!"
"Good morning, Jihu-tech, this is Xiong-" 
"How was your tea?" 
"It never made it." 
"What Heaven I am /so sorry--Eli!" 
"Jihu-tech, it's fine, I'm coming by on my way to Maintenance. I'd like a second cup for my shadow." 
"Green, milk, sugar ...?" 
"Just milk please," answers the shadow. 
"You won't even have to step in the cafeteria." 
"Thank you, Jihu-tech. We'll arrive soon." 
The line disconnects. 
"If only you didn't have a tablet during your break," jokes the shadow. 
"This is my break." 
.
A coffee slinger quivers outside the cafeteria with two travel mugs and a plate of warm, gooey--"Cookies?" she meeps. 
"Thank you," replies Xiong. 
The shadow nods. 
"We're really sorry," squeaks the coffee slinger. 
"It's fine. Have a nice day." The coffee slinger bows and scurries away. 
.
"Xiong Li-hua, one tablet?" 
"Right, yes," says the rabbit on the workbench, "just a minute." 
A bzzt, a whiff of smoke, and a defeated-sounding smoke alarm groans. 
"Sorry about that," says the rabbit. 
A tech in PPDC blue and grease hops from under the table. "What can I help you with?" 
"Tablet, Xiong?" 
"Right, yes." The tech wanders around, suddenly gets an idea, and materializes it from a shelf. "Here you are."
Xiong tucks it away. 
Up goes the rabbit; the tech pokes at the screen beneath and hands Xiong a stylus. "Just sign on the line, please. All the software's up to date, no viruses, you're good until the next patch." 
"Any idea when that may be?
The tech shrugs. "Tuesday? I'll send someone up." "Thank you very much, have a good day." "You're welcome, you too... Wu, have you seen my socket wrench...?"
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