He glances at the reds. "We're going to go inside and talk. Would you like to come in as well, or would you rather wait it out out here -"

"- we are fine here sir," one says from where they're huddled around the heater.

"Mmhmm." He wants to know their names but if he asks now they'll be terrified. He can probably look it up from public records later. He sets down a package of sandwiches. He looks back at green self-confessed thief. "Aitim Neli."

"Oh I never did think up a plausible name—Sadde Woods," she says, not translating her last name. Then looks at the reds. "Is it likely that there might be other reds in the same situation as you?"

"...probably ma'am."

She turns to look at Aitim. "Mr. Neli, I think I should go help the other reds inexplicably quickly before I talk to you in private."

" - it's not clear to me what avenues of assistance are available to you but large-scale theft of heaters and blankets seems much less useful and much more illegal than, say, clearing the road enough to get them home or to the nearest tunnel. It's also not clear to me how you mean to find them but where work permits were issued yesterday might be a good place to start."

"—helpful and good ideas, thank you. Do you have good ways to go home or to the nearest tunnel if the roads are cleared, will your trucks and whatnot actually work in this temperature?" she asks the reds.

".....we could put the heater on the engine ma'am."

"Yeah but then I will still have to technically-not-steal heaters for other reds—unless I could use this heater here and then bring it to the other trucks..."

"You can't touch it if they have."

"You have no idea how little I care about this world's purity intuitions, but okay, which do you think is better, stealing lots of heaters so they can use their trucks to get home or using the single heater in every one?"

"Theft under sixty ni is a misdemeanor; gross and willful pollution violations are a capital offense."

Probably once upon a time she would've smiled.

"And I'm sure I don't want the government to attempt to kill me, it will be so unpleasant for everyone involved. I will steal some heaters and clear some roads. I asked them to not tell people about everything inexplicable about this night, do you suppose I could ask you the same?"

"I will eagerly await your return for an explanation and spread no bizarre rumors while you are out rescuing."

"Thank you. Do you happen to have the locations where work permits were issued yesterday memorised?"

"Inconveniently I don't. I could pull them up for you but I will confess myself curious if you have access anyway."

"I could get access anyway but the way to do it is by using up a somewhat approximately scarce resource and I'd rather not spend it right now if I could help it."

He pulls out his pocket everything, types some things, lists some addresses.

"Thank you." She turns to the reds. "Do you have suspicions about other addresses that could have reds?"

"...my everything's out of charge -"

"Would you be able to access whatever it is from mine or should I go find a charger?"

"A charger would be better ma'am."

"I'll go get one, alright?"

"Is this by petty larceny again?"