Old custom. Most people in the world now used dry scrub or didn’t bother. The rain came almost every day, and everyone got caught out in it. To deliberately wet yourself was something that had come to be seen as wasteful and strange, but here in the fortress they all did.
They had the hydro power to run the desals, and the scrub was made from throwaway elements, so why not? Jess rinsed her hair out again, and stood for another moment, letting the hot water relax her muscles. It was one of the marks of Interforce, that neatly cropped, clean shaven look that was a long ago holdover from the national forces they’d all descended from.
She got out and shut the water down, then toweled herself dry and made her way thorugh the main chamber to the dressing station, popping it open and taking out a set of underwear and putting them on. Then she opened the second part of her cabinet and removed a drop suit, slipping into it and snapping the catches on.
Unlike the jumpsuit they all typically wore in the facility, this was different. It was far heavier and had lightweight body armor built into it protecting her most vital areas. There were integrated comms and leads for the carrier systems and buckles and clips for her weapons.
She picked up her boots and carried them to the workstation, leaning a finger on the comms. “Dev?”
“Yes.” The answer came back immediately.
“Ready?” Jess asked.
“Yes.”
“C’mon in here.” Jess released the button and sat down to pull her boots on. A moment later the inner door opened and her tech entered. She briefly scanned her slight form, noting she had found and put on the carrier ops rig and was holding her own boots in her hand. “Sit.”
Dev did, putting down one boot and putting on the other.
“You sleep okay?” Jess asked. “I can imagine most of this is pretty strange.”
Dev glanced up at her. “Really well, thank you.” She said. “It’s very comfortable.” She put on her other boot. “I really like the wet thing. It makes my skin feel good.”
“The shower?” Jess smiled briefly. “Yeah, I like it too.” She stood up, and after Dev did also, she scrutinized the bio alt’s gear with a critical eye. “They give you programming for this?” She pointed at the suit.
“Yes.” Dev said. “But also, there are some things that are left to natural sense.” She said. “Like putting underwear on, and that sort of thing. We don’t need programming for that.”
Jess started chuckling. “You are really different from the rest of the bio’s we have here.” She admitted. “Are there many like you topside?”
Dev straightened her cuff a little. “I’m the only one they’ve produced in my set so far.” She said. “So I guess no.”
“Ah.” Jess pulled her hair back in a tail and quickly braided it, then tucked it into her collar. “So you’re one of a kind, eh?”
“Yes.”
Well, that was interesting. Jess climbed the steps up to her weapons locker. “Let me just get rigged, and we’ll grab some chow.” She opened up the case and took out the stun knives, sliding them into their sheaths and added her sidearm into it’s holster.
Her heavy weapons were in the carrier, but she took the time to clip on a utility flash and a multitool then she trotted down the steps and waved Dev towards the door. “Let’s go, kid.” She said. “Time to make the doughnuts.”
Dev followed her willingly, but had a slightly perplexed expression on her face. “What’s a doughnut?” She asked. “And how do you make them?”
“They’re mythological.” Jess said.
“Oh.”
**
Dev had to stop a moment just to stare when they entered the carrier hanger. It was a huge cavern, larger than any space she’d ever seen inside before, and it was full of parked vehicles, most huddling in the dark.
Three were lit, however, and several bio alt mechanics were moving around them with pads and tools. Jess headed towards the one furthest on the left and she quickly trotted to catch up with her as Elaine and Jason split off and went to their own crafts.
Overhead were giant panels in the roof, on tracks that apparently opened to let the carriers out. The whole place smelled of organics and synth oil, and echoed with the sounds of latches engaging and bangs of tools.
Dev’s eyes took in the carrier Jess was nearing. Her programming kicked in, and the outline of the squat, powerful vehicle hit familiar chords as information about it poured in. The outside color was mottled gray, except for the identification code stenciled outside the hatch, and Jess’s last name printed underneath it.
Jess palmed the hatch lock and ducked inside as it opened and Dev followed her, trying to take everything in as quickly as she could.
Programming gave her the inside before she saw it, and she nodded as she moved past the strapped down bucket seat Jess would ride in and went up into the nose of the carrier, where a second station was waiting for her.
The inside of the carrier was packed with gear. Mostly electronic, monitoring and scanning systems, gyros, and positioning rigs. To one side a rack was lashed that held long muzzled laser rifles and one heavy projectile cannon, and the drop pack with it’s jet systems.
Dev went to the pilot’s seat and settled into it, feeling the gimbals shift as it took her weight. She took a breath and looked around at the console, comforted when a mental image of the sim settled over the reality of the controls and they started making sense to her.
“Run the checklist.” Jess’s voice was cool and a little distracted.
“Yes.” Dev flexed her hands, and settled back into the seat, waiting a moment until the programming kicked in and her fingers reached out to start the sequence. ‘Systems coming live.” She warned, as the console came to life and in rapid succession, the equipment packs to her right and left followed.
Jess slowly sat down and watched in bemusement as the carrier came alive around her, as the slim hand of the bio alt went through touches and settings as though she’d done it many times before.
Dev activated the leads and hooked them into her suit, sliding the comm rig over her head and tucking the ear cups into place. She flicked her eyes to the registration number and then keyed in a command. “Carrier BR27006 systems check.”
“Stand by.” A mechanical voice answered. “Stand by BR27006.”
“Standing by.” Dev said. She looked at the console readouts, and pulled a pad over, keying in the various settings and supplies they reported. She saw an incoming request, and reviewed it. “They are asking to setup an intercom.”
“Go ahead.” Jess said. “That’s Jason. It’s so we can talk to each other.”
“Intercom set to channel 4500, sideband 2.” Dev spoke into the comms. “Read back?”
“Confirmed.” A male voice answered. “Channel 4500, sideband 2. Brent out.”
Jess quickly checked the heavy arms, then she reached over and punched the door seal, closing out the sounds of the carrier bay. At once, the internal sounds of the vehicle, the click and whir of the life support, and the low hum of the pre start engines became obvious.
She could see Dev making adjustments, and she pulled her own pad over, and scanned the system readouts. After a moment, she looked at the back of the pilot’s chair and let out a small, surprised breath. “Damn.”
“BR27006, systems check complete.” A voice called quietly in Dev’s ear. “Stand by for switch to internal systems.”
“Standing by.” Dev watched the readouts, as the umbilicals were removed and they were on internal power. She could see the spool ups for the two big engines and the launch jets and she triggered the restraint system that closed around her holding her snugly to her seat.
Her feet in the boots found the side jet controls, the chair gimbal moving to adjust for her height. Now that the internal systems were online, whispered voices started in her ear as systems came up to flight ready and reported to her. “I think we’re set.” She reported to Jess. “Everything’s online and green.”