Partners

Jess let herself be distracted. “What is that?” She pointed at it.

“It’s a book.” Dev said, with a touch of hesitation. “You have them here, right?”

“We have them, but.. they’re on plas.” Jess peered at it. “Can I see it?”

Dev passed it over to her. “One of my teachers gave it to me.”

Jess put her pad down and touched the book, opening it and running her fingertips over it. The pages were thin, and an odd scent came off them as she peered at the writing. It was, as Dev had said, too dim to really read it, but she could make sense of the words if she concentrated on them.

Dev sat quietly, watching her. Jess’s head was bent over the book as it was cradled in her hands, one elbow leaning on the chair arm with her legs tucked up half under her.

The brown sigils were very visible on her arms, but now that Dev could see all of her, she could see the scars there too scattered over her skin and she thought about how much all of that must have hurt.

Jess was tall, and she had long bones. She had wide shoulders but you could see a lot of her skeleton under her skin though there tough sinew there too. There was one long scar from her right knee to her ankle on the inside of her leg that made Dev grimace just to see it.

She had gotten badly hurt only once. She’d been in the null grav gym and there had been a malfunction, and she’d fallen two stories on top of one of the agility systems and broken her leg.

The pain had been incredible. She’d been very glad she’d passed out and woken up in the medical center, her leg already set and muzzy with painkilling drugs. “I’ve read it a hundred times.” Dev said, into the silence that had built around them. “I find something new every time.”

Jess looked up from the book and smiled. “I haven’t read one of these since I was very small.” She handed the book back. “And I’ve never read this one.” She glanced at the cover. “Lord of the Rings.”

“Would you like to borrow it?” Dev asked. “It’s really a good story.”

“Later.” Jess agreed. “I’d love to.” She shifted and reached for the pad, halting in midmotion and closing her eyes, then opening them and exhaling. “Don’t think I’m going to get a chance to read it in the next couple days.” She lifted the pad and triggered it. “Here’s the deal.”

Dev put the book down and leaned on the arm of the lounge she was on, studying the pad. After a moment though, she looked up at Jess’s face, surprised to see some tension there. One long hand was tangled in her hair holding her head up, as the other tapped the pad, and there was an awkwardness about her posture.

“So, this is what we’re gonna do, if the intel comes back.” Jess said. “This is the edge of the Greenland islands. That’s’ where the fishing fleets work out of.”

“I see.” Dev murmured.

“Tough place, but.. “ Jess tapped the screen. “I’ve got some remote family here, and we can cross over into enemy territory here, in this little group where they all trade together.”

Dev nodded. “How does that assist us?”

“These boats, they trade with the bad guys.” Jess drew a line on the screen. “I’m going to get taken onboard as a mate, and get into the lab that way, when they go to trade fish to them.”

Dev considered that. “I see.”

“What I’ll need you to do is hide out there, and keep com open, then come get my ass out of there after I finish the job.” Jess said. “Got it?”

“What are you going to do?”

“Depends.” Jess said. “If I can steal the tech, I will. If not, I’ll destroy it.” She studied the pad, and then looked up her pilot. “I’d rather steal it. Then we get the benefit.”

“This sounds difficult.” Dev commented. “What if they find out who you are? Will they be angry?” She watched Jess shift a little; setting the pad down and leaning back in the chair, as the warm, purple light bathed her.

“Chances are, they will find out, and sure, they’ll be angry.” Jess said. “That’s part of the game.” She studied her pilot. Dev was stretched out on the couch, but there was a furrow in her brow and she looked a little perturbed. “But the goal is to get this job done. It’s important to us, because if they take this technology forward, they could start reclaiming land and that means these skirmishes we do might turn into something a lot bloodier.”

Dev’s head cocked to one side a bit.

“There aren’t enough of us left to have a war, Dev.” Jess said, after a long silence between them. “But livable land means more people and more resources, and then they will have enough bodies to have a war with and we won’t.”

“This is going to sound kind of foolish.. or maybe ignorant.” Dev said, slowly. “But wouldn’t it be more productive to cooperate and assist everyone in making progress?”

Jess smiled faintly. “Yes, it would” She said. “But that’s not how we’re wired, Dev. “

“I see.” The bio alt considered the statement. “I will do my best to assist in the plan and achieve good results then.” She said. “I hope you will achieve your goals safely.”

Jess sighed. “Yeah, me too.” She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. “We’ll have to do some trading in the islands and I’ll need to put together a cover.” She mused. “And make sure we can cover up that necklace of yours. That won’t work out there.”

‘Are there bio alts on the outside?” Dev asked.

Jess shook her head. “In the citadels, and in the admin centers, yes. But not in the outlands. They don’t even know what a bio alt is. I said cover it so they don’t cut your head off and try to steal it.”

Dev’s pale eyes widened.

Jess chuckled wryly. “Don’t worry. They can’t break into a carrier. Yet.” She leaned back again, the pain having subsided into a mere dull throb again. “I think this is going to work, Dev. We’ve never hit them this way before, and I’ve got a lot of chances to back out if it looks like it’s going to crash and burn.”

“Have you ever done that?”

Jess looked over to find those interesting green eyes watching her, the faintest of smiles on Dev’s face. “Done what, back out?”

“Yes.”

“No.” Jess grinned, rakishly.

“I didn’t think so.” Dev grinned back. “I’ll do my best to take care of your ass, then.”

They both chuckled, and their eyes met, and after a moment, Jess looked down at her pad, and smiled. “I definitely feel safer now.”

**

Dev entered the gym feeling happy. The big facility was nearly empty, and she went over to the changing area, finding the cabinet with her name on it and changing into the short jumper and shoes she found inside.

She wasn’t really sure why she was happy, but the rad session had been enjoyable, and she’d appreciated the fact that Jess had stopped to let her see the plan and talk to her about it. It was very different than the rescue, and it had a lot of sneaky bits to it she found really interesting.

Jess had a clever mind. She reminded Dev just a little of some of her favorite teachers in the crèche, who were always pushing her to look at things from different angles, so she could make good choices and not stick to one data source.

Jess seemed to like angles, too, and when she was being extra clever, she tended to smile a lot.

She liked that smile. Dev closed the cabinet and entered the exercise area, remembering what that looked like and feeling her face echo it as she crossed into the big space and paused to study it.

The gym was multi leveled, and had different sections intended for different purposes, including a climbing obstacle course, a running space, a load bearing area and, to her surprise since she hadn’t seen it when Jess showed her the gym, a huge tank of water.

As she watched, a tall man she didn’t know went over to the tank, and jumped into it, disappearing and then surfacing and starting to move along the top of the water using his arms and legs. “Wow.” Dev muttered to herself. “What’s that all about?”

“Huh?”

Dev turned to find Brent there, his body covered in sweat and a towel wrapped around his neck. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.” She pointed at the tank.

Brent looked. “Oh. The pool” He said. “Yeah, it’s all right. If you like that sorta thing.” He regarded the man in the tank. “I’m not much for swimming I sink like a rock.” He glanced at her. “You?”

Dev shook her head. “I’ve never done anything like that. Water was very precious in the crèche.”

“Huh.” The tech grunted. “You should ask Jess to teach you. She’s a fish. She and some of the others go down into the tunnels and swim in the ocean down there. Crazy nuts.”

Dev sorted through that. “I might ask.” She said. “I like the shower thing in our quarters.” She said. “Jess mentioned something about the water in the bottom of the citadel – she took me out to see the ocean before and I can’t really imagine going into that. It looked dangerous.”

Brent snorted. “It is dangerous but what the hell difference does that make to us? “ He said. “Everything we do is dangerous. Hell, Jess threw an antipersonnel mine in the damn hallway this morning. If it’d been keyed wrong, we’d all be dead.”

“The purple thing?”

Brent nodded. “Keyed to our scan. But they get it wrong sometimes.” He explained. “That’s why it killed those goons. They aren’t us.”

Us. Dev thought about that word. “Yes.” She said. “I’m glad it worked out.”

Brent continued on his way to the changing room, and Dev turned and headed into the gym, looking around at the different things she could choose to do. She was drawn towards the tank, though, and she walked over to it, kneeling at the side of it and putting her hand into the water curiously. The man who had been in it was gone, and now the surface was still, and quiet.

It was pleasant. Neither warm nor cold, and she tried to imagine being completely immersed in it.

She couldn’t, but she really wanted to, so without any further thought she jumped into the pool headfirst.

It was, without doubt, the weirdest feeling she’d ever had, as the water closed over her and she was caught in a swirl of it surrounding her, pushing and bubbling around her as she popped to the surface, her head breaking out of the liquid as she instinctively took a breath.

So weird. So strange. Instinctively, Dev moved her arms as she started sinking under again, pushing against the water to keep her head up in the air. She could feel the resistance against her motion, and she cupped her hands, moving her legs as well.

Experimentally, she stopped moving. Sure enough, she immediately sank under the surface; glad she’d taken a breath before her head went under. She opened her eyes, and felt the water sting against them, but also found to her delight that she could see after a fashion.

Then her chest started hurting, so she pushed with her hands again, and got back to the surface of the water, spluttering a little and shaking her head as she blinked the water out of her eyes.

“Hey!” Brent rushed over. “Are you nuts?” He went to his knees at the edge of the tank and held his hand out. “Here! Grab on!”

“I’m all right.” Dev waved her hands around to keep afloat. “I just wanted to see what this was like.” She pushed the water away from her and moved over to where Brent was kneeling. “It’s nice.”

“You are crazy.” Brent said. “They picked the right one of you to match with Jess. She’s crazy too.” He sat down on the concrete floor as Dev got close enough to grab the edge of the tank. “You coulda hit your head and drowned.”

Dev put both hands on the edge of the tank, holding herself still as her body drifted in the water. It reminded her a little of being in null grav, but it felt completely different and of course it was a lot wetter. “Well, you said it didn’t really matter, didn’t you?” She said. “That we all do dangerous things all the time?” She looked up at him and grinned.

With a shake of his head, Brent stood up. “Well, be careful. Last thing we need is for one of us to go and get hurt. There aren’t many of us left.” He studied her for a moment more, and then he retreated back toward the dressing room, his head still shaking gently as he walked.

Us. Dev exhaled slowly. It seemed that Brent, at least, had decided to accept her presence and that felt very nice. She was glad. She released the edge of the tank and moved her hands around again, leaning forward and stroking forward in a somewhat awkward motion.

It did move her, though, and she kept at it for a few minutes, until she became a little more accustomed to it, edging forward not exactly gracefully but at least with some good effect.

The water itself felt wonderful. She could feel it moving against her skin, and it smelled like the shower did, rich and wet and interesting. With a good deal of effort, she finally reached the far end of the tank, and discovered it wasn’t as deep there and she could actually stand with her feet on the bottom and have her head stick up from the surface.

That was even better. She could fully appreciate the nice way the pressure of the water moved against her without having to worry about inadvertently breathing in the liquid. She knew the man who she’d seen in the tank was doing something different, and decided she would look up this whole swimming thing when she got back to her quarters to see if the systems had any information on it.

She bobbed there for a minute or so more, then she found the steps that led out of the tank and climbed up them, emerging up onto the concrete and feeling an immediate chill as the air hit her. She heard footsteps approaching and turned, to find Sandy and her partner Todd approaching. “Hello.”

Sandy ignored her and just walked past. Todd gave her a brief nod, lifting one hand in a faint wave as he followed her.

Dev regarded them in mild curiosity.

“Don’t pay any attention to her.”

Dev turned to find Jason standing there. “Oh, hello.” She said. “I wasn’t really.”

The tall, muscular agent had just finished his exercise, and he, like Brent had been, was covered in sweat. “Jess around?”

Dev shook her head.

Jason studied her. “What the hell happened to you?”

“I jumped in there.” Dev pointed at the tank. “I liked it.” She ran her fingers through her wet hair. “I think I should probably go put on a dry shirt though and continue my work.” She gently circled him and headed for the dressing space.

“Hey.” Jason jogged after her and caught up. “So what kind of gym work do you do up in space?”

“Well.” Dev took a towel from a shelf as they passed and dried her face off with it. “It’s not like this. You do running, or walking, jumping, picking things up.. things like that, but they adjust the grav so it’s harder.”

“Huh?” Jason frowned. “What do you mean?”

They were passing the sets of pull up bars and hanging swings and Dev paused, then she went over to the bars and glanced up at them, drying her hands and putting the towel down. “Like this.” She jumped a little, and caught the bar, adjusting her hold and then pausing a moment before she pulled herself up so that her chin was even with the bar.

“Okay, so we do that too.” Jason had his arms folded, and was watching her.

“Then we do this.” Dev hoisted herself up, pressing her body up over the bar, and then carefully lifting herself up into a handstand. She held the position briefly, and then she let her body fall over, swinging under the bar and then releasing it as she came up again, turning in mid air and catching it again and pressing herself back up into a handstand.

“Ah.” Jason muttered.

Dev lowered herself until her shoulders touched the bar, then pushed herself back up again. Then she fell forward again, releasing the bar and landing neatly with both feet planted. “But they change the grav, so sometimes you’re normal, like now, and sometimes you go up to two, or three, or when they want to really work you very hard, to four G’s.”

Jason stared at her. “Are you kidding me? He finally asked. “They work you under 4 g’s? “

“Not that much, it’s too hard.” Dev admitted. “And not what I just did. You can get really hurt. But just walking around, and sometimes carrying things.”

“Holy shit.”

Dev wasn’t sure what to make of that reaction. “Mostly it’s 2 g.” She said. “It makes gym shorter too. I’m going to have to work hard here to match what I did in the crèche.” She made a little face. “The last gym I did before I came here was the hardest. They had me to a whole round in 3g’s and I was really tired when I was finished.”

“Holy shit.”

Dev managed a brief grin. “Excuse me.” She turned and headed into the changing area, going over to her little cubicle and stripping quickly out of the wet exercise suit so she could exchange it for a dry one. She toweled off her skin and changed, and then she headed back out into the gym to find some good work to do.

**

Jess studied the met data, bracing one arm against the console as she overlaid her situational map over it. Two tightly lined whorls intersected their flight plan and she grimaced, moving the met prediction ahead until they cleared. “Well. Shit.”

“What’s that, Drake?” The meteorological officer glanced at her.

“Fucking storms biting my ass again.” Jess sighed. “Are they getting worse or is it just my natural pessimism rearing its head?”

The met officer came around the desk and studied her plotting. “Has been bad up there this year.” He agreed. “I was just talking to Mort earlier over lunch and he said the same thing you just did, storms are getting worse and more often.”

“Mm.” Jess coded the data to her pad and straightened up cautiously. “Well, puts me on ice for a few days. We can’t fly into that.”

“Yeah? I heard your hotshot new pilot could fly that shuttle to the moon and back.” The man said. “That’s the rumor, anyway, from the mechs.”

“Yeah?” Jess regarded him.

“Heard them talking in the mess.” The man said. “They saw the mission logs from your last run and there’s a lot of lip flapping on it.”

“Dev did a kickass job.” Jess said. “Surprised the hell out of me, as much as anyone else. “

“That make you nervous?” The met officer asked. “Maybe they can replace you with a sim slot?”

Jess studied him.

“Just a thought.”

Jess smiled briefly. “Who knows?” She picked up the pad and gave him a brief wave. “Later.”

“Later.”

Jess left the met office and walked along the hall, trying not to acknowledge how much a sense of relief she was feeling at having to postpone the mission for a few days. She considered that as she walked, reasoning that it probably was good because it gave her back a chance to heal up a little, and she could make sure all the repairs were done to the shuttle.

Two good reasons. She nodded to herself. Perfectly legit reasons. Nothing to do with any reluctance on her part to go back out in the field.

Nothing like that at all. She had no control over the weather, after all, now did she? Besides, it would give her time to work on her cover, and get her plan all nice and settled before she and Dev went haring off into the wild outside.

That was Fate talking, she was sure of it. She’d been doing this long enough to know that when all the odds started stacking up against you, that was the world warning you that you were pointing in the wrong direction and ignoring that never led to good things.

Last time she’d done it, had been her last mission with Joshua. Her gut instinct had been humming like crazy on that one but she just hadn’t had the guts to stand up and say so, and scrub the mission. Not with Bricker’s strident insistence on the importance of the raid, and her own arrogance and ego shoving aside her doubts.

Stupid. Very stupid of her. Jess exhaled. Stupid with a trending to deadly.

“Drake.”

Jess turned and waited, as Alexander Bain appeared from nowhere and caught up to her. “Sir.” She greeted him quietly. “I was just in met.” She added, unobtrusively scanning the area for listening ears.

“Not good, I take it?, hm,?” Bain studied her.

“Looks like plus 2 days to go.” Jess said. “There are two tornadic mega storms coming over between now and then.” She paused, and waited, watching those cold gray eyes dissect her.

“Hmm. That’s bad.” Bain said. “However, on the positive side, you will be present for the incoming ceremony tomorrow night. “ He added, “So not all is negative. I very much wanted you and your new colleague to be there when this new class comes in. This scientific raid can wait the few days – in fact, if it solidifies their findings, better for us.”

Jess nodded, feeling a sense of relief shiver through her muscles. “Let them get the bugs out before we steal it.” She suggested.

“Exactly.” The old man smiled briefly. “And perhaps it will keep the enemy off our doorstep.” Bain frowned. “Shocking, they made it past all the scans isn’t it?” He watched her intently.

‘Very shocking.” Jess agreed. “They must have gotten very lucky.”

“Hm.”

Jess’s lips twitched, and she quickly scanned the hallway again, finding it still empty. “Or someone wasn’t watching.”

“Hm.”

“Or someone was deliberately keeping quiet.”

Bain leaned against the wall, his spare frame barely seeming to cast a shadow. “Does it seem likely to you that they could have gotten in here with no warning, and no storm to cover their tracks?”

“No.”

“And yet it seems that the logs for the hour preceding their arrival have somehow become lost, making it impossible for us to ascertain exactly what we knew, when we knew it.”

Jess stared at him, her body stiffening. “That doesn’t happen without leaving fingerprints somewhere.” She finally said.

“Hm.” Bain tilted his head slightly. “Troubling times, Agent Drake.” He unfolded his arms and straightened up. “And quite dangerous, perhaps, to those of interest.” He added. “So keep an eye on your new colleague, hmm? I wouldn’t want anything untoward to happen to that charming girl.”

“I will.” Jess said, in a quiet tone. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to her either.” She added. “She’s all right.”

“Yes.” Bains’ eyes met hers, and he smiled, just a little. “And I will keep my eye on her creator. Though I am sure he would be extremely irritated to hear me say that”

“He’s a pretty good shot.” Jess commented. “He took out two of those guys.”

“Dan Kurok has quite a number of unusual skills.” Bain agreed wryly. “Pity we need to get him back to the station before they blow up the citadel trying to find him, hmm?.” He pushed off the wall. “A good day to you, Drake. “

“Sir.”

He glanced back at her. “Do remember to keep your options open.”

Jess watched him go, as she replayed his words in her head. Then she frowned, and turned on her heel, heading across the hallway towards the gym.

Part 7

Dev rubbed herself dry with the towel, and was headed towards her locker when she heard Jess’s voice nearby.

A moment later, the tall agent stuck her head around the corner of the changing area, and then entered. “There you are.” She addressed Dev. “How’d the gym go.”

“Very nice.” Dev said. She removed her jumpsuit from the locker and stepped into it. “The stations are really good, and I jumped into the big wet thing.”

Jess studied her. “The pool?”

“Yes.” Dev ruffled her hair dry. “I really liked that.” She said. “But I think I have to work out that whole swimming thing since my head kept going under and it was all a bit difficult.

Jess put her hands on her hips.

Dev stopped her motion, seeing the look on Jess’s face. “Is there something incorrect?”

“Ever occur to you that jumping in water and not knowing how to swim is a bad idea?” Jess asked.

Dev considered the question, as she put the towel in the container and ran her fingers through her hair to order it. “No.” She finally concluded. “How would I know how if I didn’t try it?”

Jess nodded. “Okay.” She looked around. “Glad you liked the gym.” She exhaled a little. “I have to start getting back in here regularily now that med cleared me.” Her voice sounded regretful. “But listen, it looks like we’ve got a few days break due to met. “

Dev closed her locker. “Okay.” She said. “Is there something else we need to do?”

“C’mon” Jess started walking towards the door, and Dev followed her unquestioningly. They exited the gym and walked through the central corridor. “Tomorrow night we’ll have to go to the induction of the new class.”

“Okay.”

“And the party afterwards.” Jess said.

Dev walked along at her side in silence for a few strides. “What’s a party?”

Jess rubbed the bridge of her nose. “It’s when everyone gets together in one room and drinks themselves stupid while eating bad seaweed crackers and mushroom dip.”

Dev digested this thoughtfully. “Is this a good thing or a bad thing?” She finally asked, as they headed down the long corridor towards the carrier hanger. “You sound like it’s a bad thing.”

Jess chuckled dryly. “I’m just not a party animal.” She admitted. “You saw the crowd in the bar when we got back from the rescue. More of the same of that.” She palmed open the door to the hangar and motioned Dev to go in.

They walked inside, finding the hangar relatively quiet. “Want to check out the body job.” Jess said. “Always pays to put an eyeball on it.”

Dev decided just to follow along, since neither remark made any sense to her. She stuck by Jess’s side as they walked between the parked vehicles, moving towards the rear where the tech station was. The tall ceiling was shrouded in darkness, the roof overhead firmly shut.

There were a lot of techs moving around. They gave her and Jess brief glances, then went back to their tasks, which made Dev feel pretty good. She liked being treated casually. ‘Do you have to go to the party?”

Jess sighed. “Yes and no.” She responded. “Its expected. So we go, but … “ She paused, and fell silent. “Maybe it was Josh dragging me to all of them I don’t know.” She led the way around a tool bay and ducked under the fuel piping. “Doesn’t matter.”

Here, close to where they were rebuilding what was apparently their carrier, the smells were sharp and the mist in the air made Dev’s eyes water. She forgot all about the party when she saw the framework of the big craft under the lights, scoured clean of all the battle damage. “Wow.”

“Stripped her down to bare.” Jess agreed. “Ugly thing, isn’t it?”

“I don’t’ think so, no.” Dev edged around to get a better look. Without it’s skin on, you could see all the systems and gyros that made the carrier function and she stared in rapt fascination, feeling a strong surge of programming tickling her. “This is very interesting.”

A man in a scuffed and stained orange jumpsuit came around the side of the carrier. “What was that?” He sidled over to Dev. “Were you saying you were interested?”

“Very.” Dev agreed.

Jess rolled her eyes. “Oh no.” She sighed. “Now you’re in for it.”

“Shut up, Drake.” The tech motioned Dev closer. “Finally, one of you appreciates my work.” He focused his attention on the tech. “My name’s Clint.” He said. “We almost met the other day when you brought this baby back here.”

“Dev.” Dev smiled at him, a genuine and appreciative grin. “Are you building it all up from scratch? It looks much better already.”

Clint returned the smile. “Let me give you a tour.” He steered her towards the stripped down rig. “Beat it, Drake. I know you just think of this as your damned bus.”

Jess felt a sudden rush of anger that really surprised her. She surged after them and only just kept herself from slamming Clint in the back, pulling back at such a last minute that Clint sensed it, and half turned, his eyes going a little wider in alarm.

He looked at her face, and then he stepped away from Dev and put both his hands up, palms outward. “Sorry. Over the top. Didn’t mean to piss you off.”

Dev had turned too, and she instinctively did the opposite. She moved a little closer and looked up at Jess with a slightly concerned expression, one hand lifting up and touching Jess on the arm. “Is there something wrong?”

Jess felt a flush rising to her face, and she was glad of the glaring lights that obscured it. “No.” She said. “I just don’t appreciate being told off.”

Clint let his hands slowly lower. “Sorry, Jess.’ He said. “I really was just razzing you.”

Jess felt her body relax, aware that her muscles had tightened into a pre fight posture, her fingers twitching a bit at her sides. “It’s okay.” She said, briefly. “But you know, maybe I want to see the damn old thing too.”

“Hey, no problem!” Clint smiled again. “C”mon.” He turned and led them under the carrier, it’s stark structure now so very evident. “You really porched it this time. We had to rebuild half the front end…”

Jess ducked under one of the steel ribs and followed him and after a brief pause, Dev joined her. ‘Sorry about that.” Jess muttered. “He just bites my shorts sometimes.”

Dev reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose, giving Jess a sideways glance.

“Just a saying.” Jess felt herself relax a little more, appreciating the humor. “He’s never been near my shorts.”

“So anyway.” Clint said, oblivious of the whispers. “Since we had to rebuild this old sucker from the frame I decided to put in a whole new scan package, and that newfangled targeting system they just released down in the lab.”

“Oh yeah?” Jess investigated the item. “I saw a squirt on that.”

Dev poked her head inside the frame and took in the details avidly, setting aside her concern over Jess’s reaction a moment ago. Her companion now seemed to be over the anger, and Dev was glad because she could see that it had frightened Clint.

Just like the security men had been frightened. Dev peeked over and watched Jess as she listened to Clint’s explanation of the new targeting system. She was relaxed and interested now, her hands running over the device.

Doctor Dan had told her she could trust Jess. Dev thought about that. She trusted Doctor Dan. So it must be all right. She put a hand on the curved nose, obviously new, and could see through the lines and gears the now empty spot her chair would rest in.

At least for her, it must be all right.

“Dev?”

Dev removed her head from the wiring and moved around the forward struts. “Yes?”

“Here’s the mod chamber.” Jess pointed to a door behind the dock. “You said you wanted to get some time in there sometime.”

“You mod?” Clint kept a wary eye on Jess, but circled back around to where Dev was standing. “You wouldn’t be interested in being a part of the assembly would you?”

“Yes.” Dev said, instantly. She could feel the programming bubbling up, as she ran her eyes over the internal systems and their internal schematics flashed behind her eyes. “I would really like that.”

“You would?” Jess was watching her in some bemusement.

Dev nodded. “It’s in my programming.” She explained. “How to run all the things inside, and fix them when they break. It would be great to touch and work with them firsthand.”

Clint clasped his hands dramatically to his chest. “I’m in love.”

Jess rolled her eyes.

Dev grinned, a little uncertainly. “Is that good or bad?”

“Seriously.” Clint smiled back at her. “It’s really great when one of you all take a true interest in the old buses. We work hard to keep them flying.”

“And we take them out and wreck them.” But Jess’s voice was mild and indulgent. “Be careful, Clint. She kicked my ass as a pilot her first run. She’ll take your job away if you don’t watch out.”

“I didn’t kick you.” Dev objected. “I would never do that.”

“I saw the log.” Clint said. “So they figured out how to make the real deal, huh? Crazy.” He studied Dev with curious eyes. “Oh well. At least they made her cute.”

Dev gave him a slightly startled look.

‘Yes, they did.” Jess found herself agreeing, somewhat to her own surprise, enhanced when she caught Dev blushing at the words.

That made her blush, suddenly, the unfamiliar sensation making her swallow. “Hey.” She redirected all the attention to the carrier. “So what’s the deal with the engines.”

Clint hesitated, then he cleared his throat and went with the subject change, moving around to the far side of the carrier where the huge engines were cradled, waiting for installation into the frame. “Y’know I heard rumors we were getting some new gear, but I don’t know if the new stuff’ll hold up like these babies did.”

“They.. um..” Dev felt a little confused, and a little lightheaded, but she wasn’t sure why. “They had a lot of power.” She rallied on. “More than the sims. I was surprised.”

Clint beamed, fully restored to good humor. “Why thank you, kind lady.” He made a half bow. “I tuned them myself. Let me take the cover off the cowling here and show you some of the tunings.” He pulled a tool from his coveralls and started wrenching the engine cover, turning his back to them.

Jess tilted her head and regarded her companion. Dev was studying the ground, a faint smile on her face, and after a second, she looked up and met Jess’s eyes.

For a moment, the hangar faded out a little and then they both looked away and Dev was shaking her head a little as she stepped forward and joined Clint at the side of the engine.

Jess put her hand on one of the bare struts and just stood there watching. She was aware, vaguely that something a little odd was going on, but she wasn’t sure what it was, so she leaned against the carrier and listened to Clint’s monologue as Dev circled the engine and peered inside, the bright lights of the work bay gilding her pale hair.

Slowly her mind returned to the plan, and she straightened carefully, moving past the carrier and approaching the engine. “Clint, the old man wants me to buzz out probably plus 2. This thing going to be ready?”

Clint looked up at her. “Plus 2?” He exhaled, and looked around. “Crap, Jess. Most of my mechs are working on the retaining wall at the bay. We gotta get that done before tomorrow night.”

Jess lifted both hands slightly and let them drop. “Not my schedule.”

“No, I know.” The master mechanic sighed. “Well, Dev, you up to help out for real? I could use a pair of hands.”

“Yes.” Dev said. “That would be excellent.”

“We’ll do our best.” Clint said. “but Jess, I’m not guaranteeing anything. You may need to take a loaner if you have to go out plus 2.”

Jess frowned. The last thing she wanted to do was go out with a strange vehicle. It wasn’t as if Clint’s team didn’t take equal care of them, but you spent a lot of time learning the quirks of what you were… Her thoughts stopped, and she focused on Dev.

Dev, who had stepped into this carrier for the first time, and flown it with no familiarity at all. “We’ll cope.” Jess said. “I’d rather have ours, but Dev can handle it.”

Dev looked up and grinned at her over the top of the engine, a smudge of silicone grease on her nose. “Thank you.” She said. “I am not sure that’s really true, but I’m glad you think so.”

“Ah, and modest as well.” Clint leaned next to her and pointed out a bit of machinery. “See that? Regs say the noz has to be ten inches, but I found a way to put a throttle inside there that really boosts the exhaust.”

“Oh yes!” Dev straightened, holding her hands up as though they were around throttles. “I remember that, how much faster it seemed when I was changing direction, and heading up.”

“Yeah, I can still feel it.” Jess rubbed her own shoulder. “Knocked my ass out of my chair twice.”

Clint chuckled.

“I did?” Dev seemed amazed. “Really?”

“My fault. Forgot to tighten my harness.” Jess eased over and peered inside the engine. The internal mechanics of the technology she’d mastered never really much interested her. She knew how it all worked, of course. Every agent did, it was part of the training. You never knew when you might get caught outside and need to make repairs, for example.

But still. That’s what the techs were for, after all, to pilot the carriers, sure, but also to know how they worked, and be up on all the systems so they could keep everything moving at the rate the agents needed to get their goals met.

And Dev, apparently, was going to be one of those kind of techs who slobbered over the gears. Jess gave her pilot a tolerant look, as she dug into a gyro.

Without warning, Dev hopped up onto the engine and lowered herself head down into the inside of the big blast chamber, both arms braced on either side easily bearing her weight.

Clint gave her a surprised look, then cocked his head and glanced over at Jess. “Drake.” His face scrunched into a wry grin. “I think you may have gotten more than you bargained for in this new driver of yours.”

Jess gave him a wry look of agreement. “Had occurred to me.”

“Is that the plasma ignitor?” Dev asked, lowering herself a little more. “Wow. I didn’t know it looked like that.”

Jess walked over and poked her head inside the engine.

“Yes, that’s it.” Clint agreed, directing his hand flash over the object. “It’s one of the few things on the old crate that’s direct drive. That cabling system routes right into the throttles. Real old school.”

“Wow.” Dev pulled herself up and sprawled over the top of the engine, flexing her fingers a little. “I didn’t know that.”

“Wow.” Jess echoed. “I didn’t know that either.”

“Hey Jess.” Clint lowered his voice. “Are you going to trial that new weapons rig? The one they hook up to your head?”

Jess looked quickly around, but they were alone. She gave Clint a warning glare.

“Everyone knows.” He interpreted the look. “You know how this place is. I heard it in the lunchroom last week.”

Jess did know. She exhaled. “Not until they get the bugs out of it.” She said. “Since you heard that, you heard about what it did to Don”

Clint frowned, and nodded. Dev remained quiet, looking from one of them to the other.

“Not the way I’d choose to go.” Jess said with a note of finality.

“Gotcha.” Clint said. “So, anyway, once we get these chambers in here rebuilt, we can remount the engines.”

“I would love to help.” Dev reiterated. “This is great.”

Clint smiled. “You want to help too, Jess?” He asked.

“No.” Jess patted the engine. “I’m going to go run the tactics boards and see what’s out there. Catch up with you later, Dev.”

“Okay.”

Jess gave a light wave, and walked off, wondering why in the world she suddenly had an urge to learn about plasma injection.

And get her hands dirty.

**

It was late by the time Dev got back to her quarters, her head buzzing with all the stimulation from the day and her hands and arms covered in silica gel.

She’d had so much fun with Clint. He had the same enthusiasm for the machinery as she did and it was really enjoyable sharing that while at the same time getting important things done to get their carrier back together.

She’d learned a lot from him, too. Pieces and bits that programming left out, and additional understanding that let her put parts of what she had together better. All good, and they’d made some progress on the engines, too.

She went into the sanitary unit, and once inside stripped out of her jumpsuit. Clint had suggested she ask for the kind of work coverall he used, which had more pockets in better places for all the adjustment tools and was a tougher fabric.

Dev flexed her hands, noting she’d gotten a few cuts and scuffs on them from the work, but the discomfort wasn’t significant and she divested herself of her underclothes and started the water running.

She had to laugh a bit. Everywhere her jumpsuit wasn’t, she was covered in dirt and grunge, and it was very nice to get under the warm water and scrub. She had no idea in the world what she would have done up in the crèche. The amount of rad it would have taken to get this off her skin – boy that would have hurt.

This was much nicer. She happily squeezed some of the .. yes, Jess had said it was soap – onto the cloth and rubbed it all over her, then washed her hair and stood for a minute just letting the shower thrum against her skin.

She felt her stomach growl, and shut the water off, stepping out and grabbing a towel to dry herself off with. Then she paused and considered how natural it was starting to feel to be here, which in itself didn’t seem natural because she’d only been here a few days.

But she did feel that way. She put her suit and underthings into the laundry basket and wrapped the towel around her, walking out into the room and crossing to her uniform case. She opened it and then paused, faced with a small surprise.

Along with the standard jumpsuits and her pilot ones, now there were a few others, one in a deep blue and another in purple that seemed very casual. She pulled aside the regular ones exposing the blue one and touched the fabric, which was very soft.

“Hm.” Dev put on a pair of dry underclothes and studied the blue suit, liking the feel against her skin very much. “Wonder where this came from?” Was it another thing from Bain, she pondered. Or maybe just something that came as part of her job? Maybe it was something she would need on the mission.

Of course. Dev took out one of her regular off duty suits and slipped into it, fastening the catches and transferring her insignia to the collar. She went back into the sanitary unit and picked up her comb, raking it through her hair to order it.

She was just finishing when she heard the inner door open, feeling a funny little prickle down her spine as she looked in the mirror and Jess appeared in it, leaning against the edge of the entrance. “Hello.”

“Finished wrenching for the day?” Jess inquired.

Dev turned and put the comb down. “Yes. I really liked it.” She admitted. “Is that wrong?” She watched Jess’s face, noting anew it’s distinctive shape and the piercing quality of her eyes. “I didn’t meant to be incorrect.”

“You weren’t.” Jess’s eyes shifted and met hers. “You’re a tech. Some techs just want to drive and do mods. Some like to wrench. It’s all right.” She said. “Want to do dinner? I got stuck in comp pulling tracking data. I just got back.”

“Me too.” Dev said. “I’d love to go. It’s been a long time since breakfast.”

“It has. C”mon.” Jess turned and led the way through her quarters to the outer door, which she palmed open. “Any good news on the old bus?”

“Yes.” Dev said. “I think we did good work today. “

They walked along the corridor, which seemed a lot busier than Dev remembered it. There were a lot of people clustered in groups and passing them.

“Peh.” Jess angled towards the wall to avoid a group of talking men. “Mess is going to be a damn circus.”

“What’s a circus?” Dev asked promptly. “I”ve never heard of that.”

“What’s a circus.” Jess mused, as they turned down the hall and paused, spotting a big crowd outside the mess hall. “In the old days, they used to travel around and put up tents, where you could go to see performing animals, and clowns, and trapeze artists.” She glanced at Dev, who was staring at her in fascinated incomprehension. “I”ll show you on scan later.”

They squeezed past the crowd and entered the mess, only to pull up short again. Every table was taken, and more had been shoved in until it was packed with bodies.

“Oh no.” Jess turned and went over to the food service are. “I vote we get a bag meal and go sit on the porch.”

“Okay.” Dev went right along with it, having no real desire to squeeze in with the crowd. She took the wrapped package the Ceebee handed her and followed Jess out the door again, pressing back against the wall as a half dozen men in fancy looking suits pushed past them.

She saw Jess’s eyes narrow, but the agent merely edged past them and headed down to the lifts. Dev kept close after her, and shortly they were going down to the lower corridors. When the lift stopped and they stepped out, they were alone.

“What a nuthouse.” Jess grumbled. “I hate these damned ceremonies. Everyone and their mother’s asshole shows up for them.” She strode down the hall and the air got damp and salty as they made their way to the lock and went inside. “Weather’s broken for a while. We can get some air.”

Dev waited, holding her package, as the lock cycled and the outer door opened, giving them access to the small platform overlooking the sea.

Unlike the previous time, the winds were quiet and the sea below them was only rustling with a dim roar, not the fierce crashing Dev had heard the last time Jess had brought her here. She sat down on the bench next to the agent and started unwrapping her meal.

The air smelled wet and salty, but she liked it. She could almost feel the rasp of the air against her skin as a physical thing, and as she took in a lungful of air, it occurred to her that the real thing felt very different than the manufactured air she’d become used to in the crèche.

That never smelled like anything. This she could taste on her tongue and as she took a bite of the roll that was in the package it enhanced the flavor of it. She peered at the item curiously as she chewed. “This is interesting.” She said, after a minute.

“Seaweed roll.” Jess answered, a little indistinctly due to her mouthful. She swallowed and regarded hers. “They take the little stuff they catch in the seine nets – the krill and tiny shrimps and all, and mix it with some water grain and wrap it in leaf weed.”

“I like it.”

“Me too.” Jess smiled briefly. “But you seem to like everything.”

Dev leaned back against the wall, extending her legs out and crossing them at the ankles. “Well.” She chewed thoughtfully. “Nothings really been bad yet. I like some things more than other things, but I haven’t gotten anything yet that made me just stop.”

“Did you up there?” Jess leaned her elbows on her knees, her back to sore to press against the wall.

“Yes.” Her companion said. “There was a kind of fruit once, and I just got a smell of it and it made me sick.”

“Huh.”

“They stopped making the fruit.” Dev continued. “They tried all that stuff on us.”

Jess’s jaws moved stolidly, ingesting the roll. The pain was killing her appetite but she knew she had to get something inside her before she took more drugs for it. She’d found that out the hard way. And she did like the things, the spicy taste and crunch of the grains appealed to her.

Maybe a good night’s sleep would help. She finished the first roll and took out the second one. There was also some rice cakes inside, and a tube of water and at the bottom a piece of sweet dough to finish with.

Common. She’d had many of these meals usually out on assignment, or waiting for insertion, but occasionally in the heat of ops they’d get them delivered to the comm center too. Not fancy, but it kept you going.

She glanced at Dev, who was busy consuming everything in her box with a studious seriousness that almost made Jess laugh. They had both fallen silent, but she was surprised to realize it was a comfortable silence, requiring no chatter between them.

She liked that. Jess herself wasn’t much of a talker, and it seemed her new pilot wasn’t either which seemed to her to be another good sign. In the dim outside solar powered light that lit the platform, Dev was cast in low color shadows, her pale hair contrasting with the darkness of her suit and she appeared relaxed, looking around as she chewed with a contented expression.

Jess went back to her own meal trying to ignore the once again throbbing ache in her back, trying to remember just how much of the painkiller she had left in her quarters. Maybe she could take some and just sack out….

The touch on her arm nearly made her jump out of her skin. “Urf!”

“Wow. Sorry about that.” Dev withdrew her hand. “I didn’t mean to alarm you, I just wanted to ask you a question.”

Jess turned the seaweed roll around in her fingers for a moment, then she glanced sideways at Dev. “Go ahead and ask.” She said. “But be careful about grabbing me. Sometimes I don’t think first and I could hit you without meaning to.”

“Okay.” Dev was studying her with a serious expression. “Is there something disturbing you?”

Jess was caught by utter surprise at the question. “Me?”

Dev looked around the small platform, then back at her. “Yes.”

‘Why?” Jess heard a sharp note enter her voice, not entirely intended.

Undisturbed, Dev merely looked at her. “Since this morning, after the attack it seemed to be you were.” She said. “I didn’t mean to offend you by asking.”

Jess studied those open and guileless eyes, hearing the polite concern in Dev’s voice and not detecting any hidden meaning behind the words. “I’m not offended.” She said, gruffly. “I said you could ask me things, didn’t I?”

‘Yes.” Dev smiled. “You did.”

There was an odd sense of conflict in her. Jess found herself teetering between brushing Dev off, and confiding in her and she wasn’t entirely sure why. It was a strange feeling, new and confusing.

“I hope it wasn’t something I did that disturbed you.” Dev spoke up again, a faint hesitance in her voice.

All at once, Jess decided. “Nah.” She shook her head. “You’ve only done good stuff, Dev. I slammed my back against a door handle this morning right where I got hurt the last time and it’s bothering me, that’s all.”

Dev looked relieved, and yet, still concerned. “I’m sorry you got hurt. Are you going to med?”

“No.” Jess shook her head. “It’s not that bad. Just annoying and med tends to make big deals out of nothing.”

The bio alt nodded. “I never liked going either. “ She confided. “You never knew what they’d do to you and then..” She paused. “Well, you never wanted them to think you were really hurt or really sick.”

Jess looked at her, head tilted slightly in question.

Dev glanced aside. “Not much use for damaged products.”

Jess blinked. “What?”

Dev looked embarrassed. “We’re not actually people. Not legally.” She clarified. “So if you were really damaged they’d just scratch you and start over.” She glanced up at Jess, who was sitting there, roll forgotten in her hand, her jaw a little dropped. “So that’s why we like to find a place to do good work.” She concluded softly. “Kind of makes it safer.”

Jess reached out and put her hand on Dev’s shoulder. “You’re as much a person here as I am.” She said. “So don’t worry about them trying to scratch you as long as I’m around.”

It was hard to say, really, which one of them was more surprised to hear her say that. Certainly Jess herself was a little amazed and more than a touch confused as to where it had come from. She barely knew Dev, really.

And yet, it was true. Whether it was that she felt sorry for the kid, or that she felt responsible for her wasn’t really important.

“Thank you.” Dev said, after a moment. “So that’s why I asked if you were upset, and I was hoping it wasn’t at me.” She gravely studied Jess’s face. “And I’m very sorry you don’t feel well. I hope it gets better soon.”

Jess relaxed. She lowered her hand to her knee and settled slowly back against the wall, not bothering to hide a grimace now. “I’m sure it will be.” She sighed. “Never get stabbed in the back, Dev. It takes forever to heal and hurts like hell.”

Dev watched the sharp profile across from her, wondering if it was a trick of the half light or if Jess really looked for a moment as sad as those words sounded. Then her companion shifted a little and the impression was gone.

“Okay.” Dev went back to scavenging her box. “I’ll try to remember that.” She added. “It’s too bad you don’t have null grav here. That’s where I went when I hurt my leg in training. It made it feel better.”

Jess thought about that. “Well.” She finished her roll and dug out the sweet cake. “No, we don’t have null gravity here, but you know, water’s almost as good.”

Dev immediately looked interested. “Like the shower?”

“No.” Jess shook her head. “The gym pool maybe. It’s going to be too rough to go surf the caverns tonight.” She glanced up , to where clouds were now skudding over them, and the corresponding wind was picking up. “Want to join me later?”

“In the pool?” Dev asked.

Jess nodded. “I forgot the pool’s pretty good for therapy. Gets the G’s off you.”

“Yes, absolutely.” Dev’s eyes brightened. “Maybe you can show me how to swim. I didn’t have a lot of success with that.” She finished her tube of water and folded everything up, putting it back into the container neatly.

“What the hell made you just jump in?” Jess asked.

“I just wanted to feel what it was like.” Her companion said. “I never had any programming at all about that so I thought the fastest way for me to learn about it was to just do it.” She added. “It’s like that sometimes for us. You find a hole, and you want to fill it in.”

Jess considered that. “Interesting philosophy.” She admitted.

Dev smiled. She set the package down and got up, walking over to the edge of the platform and putting her hands on the railing.

The wind was coming up, and it was a little exciting to her to be facing into it, feeling the pressure of it against her skin as it blew her hair back and made her blink.

It felt a little wild and unpredictable. Dev decided she really liked that, as she watched the ruffled white capped darkness of the sea below them, lit by the lower outside lights of the citadel. She could hear the thunder of the surf below, and after a second, as though in counterpoint, thunder from above in the thick layer of clouds over head.

“Don’t get any ideas.” Jess placed her hands on the steel rail next to Dev’s. “Jumping in that would be a fast lesson but very very short.”

Dev chuckled a little. “We’re curious, but not generally self destructive.” She commented. “I know the difference.” She studied the view, and exhaled. “This is so amazing though. It’s like looking out at the stars in the crèche but better. So unlimited.”

Jess leaned on the rail and pondered that, watching Dev out of the corner of her eye as the spray dusted her skin. “Unlimited?”

Dev nodded, pointing out at the horizon. “It goes on a long way but you can tell that. The stars – you can’t really tell how far back they go so this gives you a better look at something big.” She clarified. “It seems more real.”

“It also gets you wet.” Jess wiped a bit of spray from her face. “I’m guessing space doesn’t do that.”

Dev held her hand out and watched her skin get coated. “No. You can’t touch space.” She said. “And it can’t touch you. Not like this.”

The air of the world filled her lungs, so much thicker and more vibrant than what she’d been used to and she could feel the salt on her lips and smell the pungent scent of the water. “It makes me feel all over.”

“You like that.” Jess commented.

Dev turned to look at her, with a smile. “Very much. Don’t you?”

Jess smiled in return, looking down at her folded hands on the rail. Then she glanced off across the horizon. “I might learn to.” She said. “C’mon. Let’s go back inside before the storm hits.” She turned and picked up her bundle, keying the airlock with her free hand. “See what other trouble we can get into tonight.”

**

She was going to learn how to swim. Dev felt a bit like bouncing around her quarters, as she waited for Jess to finish her discussion outside.

The halls had started to finally empty out as they walked back but Stephen Bock had caught up with them just outside the operations center and Dev had quickly realized he wanted a private talk with Jess.

In the creche, she’d gotten that a lot Proctors and other instructors always wanted to talk outside their earshot, as though bio alts really didn’t know what was going on.

Dev found that a little funny. New proctors always acted like they were dumb, and though some sets certainly weren’t that sharp, most had average intelligence and knew what was going on around them.

Others, like Dev, were just as intelligent as the teachers instructing them and it was usually a funny moment when the newbies figured it all out.

LIke spelling words they didn’t think the bio alts would understand. LIke they were children or something.

She remembered one of them, a woman who had just come to the creche from one of the science stations. She was teaching a class in how plants grew, and thought she had to explain to them what a pea was

What a pea was. Like they didn’t live on a biologic test station, and had been fed every single variety of pea the ag group could come up with in hopes of developing something they could use downside.

Dev had stood up and recited the entire phylum of them, in alphabetical order. She could still hear her class laughing, there in her head and see the discomfited look on the teacher’s face as she was force to just stand there and listen.

She chuckled, now, and went over to the dispenser for a bottle of water to sip but paused when she saw a light sedately flashing on her pad.

Curious, she went over and sat down, pulling the pad over and keying it on. To her bemused surprise, she found she had a message waiting.

A message? Who would be sending her a message? She touched the surface of the pad and the message opened up.

Dev -

Thanks for your help today! I really appreciated the extra hands! Hope you can come back soon and we can really get into the engines!

Clint.

Dev sat back and folded her arms over her chest, rereading the message a few times. It didn’t seem to really have a purpose, after all, Clint had said the same thing before she’d left that day, So why had he sent it?

Just to be polite? Dev keyed the screen and the data input came up. She replied to the message, deciding a polite gesture certainly warranted an equally polite response.

Hello Clint -

You are most welcome. I am glad we had good results. I look forward to helping again.

Dev

Dev regarded the message, and then sent it, with a little smile. “That’s nice.” She said. “He’s an interesting person.”

Another natural born who treated her almost like one of his own kind.

The inner door popped open and Jess trudged in, rolling her eyes and dropping down into one of the chairs near Dev’s workspace. “What a shoebox full of buttcracks this is sometimes.” She announced, propping her elbow on the chair arm and letting her head rest against her hand.

Dev stopped in mid motion and stared at her, then went immediately back to the pad and started typing on it then stopped again and looked at Jess. “How do you spell that second thing?” She asked, hesitantly. “I think I can guess what a shoebox is.”

Jess chuckled wryly. “Stupid Stephen was trying to convince me to do the intake speech tomorrow night.” She said. “I told him that was his job. I don’t know what got into him.”

Dev folded her hands on the desk. “So, he wanted you to talk to everyone?”

Jess nodded.

The bio alt considered this. “You have a very nice voice.” She concluded. “I’m sure the new people would enjoy it.”

Jess stared at her with her head cocked just slightly to one side. “What?”

“All of those people who are just getting here.” Dev said. “I’m sure it will seem very strange to them, so wouldn’t it be great for them to have someone as experienced and nice as you welcome them?” She watched Jess’s eyes open up a little wider. “I would have liked that.”

“Rather than having someone beheaded as your welcome?” Jess demurred. “Yeah, I guess.” She muttered, her brows contracting. “What the hell would I say.. wait a minute. Did you call me nice?”

“Yes.”

“Me? Nice?” Jess sat up a little.

“Yes.” Dev smiled at the look on her companions face. It was a mixture of embarrassment and uncertainty and she found it sort of endearing. “You’ve been very nice to me, and I wanted to say thank you for that.”

Jess blushed visibly, which was very interesting. “Just trying to help” She muttered, then got up. “Let’s do this pool thing.” She brusquely indicated the door. “Maybe it’ll make my back chill out and I can get a decent night’s sleep.”

“Okay.” Dev got up and joined her and they headed for the door. She was a little puzzled though, since she’d never quite experienced such a discomfited reaction to a compliment before. She reviewed what she’d said, a few times, and decided she couldn’t detect any particular reason her words should have caused Jess distress.

They walked through the central hall now almost peaceful, the few people going in the opposite direction mostly ignoring them. Jess glanced to either side as they turned the corner to the rec area, and cleared her throat “Ops agents aren’t supposed to be nice.”

“Not even to the people they work with?” Dev asked. “Why?”

“Because we’re assholes.”

Dev frowned. ‘Here we go with that ass stuff again.” She sighed. “I think I have to ask Doctor Dan if he has a translation for all of this. I’m not sure why you all find people’s behinds so interesting.”

“Heh heh.” That put a grudging smile on Jess’s face. “We’re just typically nasty tempered people.” She clarified. “You saw us in the bar. We’d go at each other’s throats if house rules let us.”

Dev kept up pace next to her. “Well, okay.” She said. “But Jess, you have been nice to me. Not nasty at all.” She protested. “You’ve been nicer to me than anyone else I’ve ever met.”

Jess remained silent, as they entered the gym.

At this late hour, it was almost empty. There were a few people in the weight bearing area, and one on a treadmill but the rest of the huge space was quiet, and the lights had been dimmed a bit in response to that.

They walked together into the changing room. Jess went to what was, apparently, her locker and opened it, studying the contents with a dour glare.

Dev decided remaining quiet was probably the best thing to do. She opened her locker, then paused.

After a brief moment, they both looked up at each other at the same time.

Jess came over and sat down on the bench next to Dev’s locker, her exercise gear in her hand. “Sorry.” She said. “I think we’re nasty to each other because we know it’s pointless to make friends. You just lose them. After a while of that, you just walk around the pain.”

Dev sat down next to her. “I understand.” She said. “Sometimes it was like that in the creche. You never wanted to get too close to anyone because they could get assigned at any time and you’d never see them again.”

Jess nodded. “Yeah.”

Dev looked down at her hands, clenched a little on her workout suit. “Well.” She said. “You know, I’m your pilot, so maybe it’ll be that whatever happens will happen to both of us at the same time.” She glanced up, getting caught by Jess’s intent gaze at close quarters. “So maybe its okay to be nice to me.”

After a brief, still second Jess relaxed a bit, her face easing into a faint smile. “I’m nice to you because I like you.” She said. “I don’t like a lot of people.”

Dev felt an unusual heat on her skin, and knew it was her turn to blush. “Thanks.” She said. “I like you too.”

Jess’s smile became more pronounced. “So let’s go swimming.” She said, getting up. “Don’t pay attention to the crap I say, Dev. Sometimes I just talk out my... “ She paused, and laughed. “Sometimes I say things just to hear myself talking.”

Somehow, Dev thought, as she changed into her workout suit and followed Jess into the big open space. Somehow, she didn’t really think that was true. She thought Jess said exactly what she felt.

At least, she certainly hoped so.

“Okay.” Jess led the way around to the shallow end of the pool and stepped into it. The brief exercise clothes just outlined her tall form, and she paused for a minute and let her hand down to test the temperature. “Ah.” She sounded surprised.

“What’s wrong?” Dev stepped in next to her. “Oh. It’s warmer than it was earlier.”

“Yeees.” Jess seemed pleased. She splashed into the water and then dropped into it onto her back, making a wave swirl out from her all over the tank. “Oh, I like this.”

Dev followed more slowly. She took the time to enjoy the feeling of the water buoying her, it’s warmth immediately penetrating her and easing muscles just a little sore from her earlier exercise. “That feels very nice.”

Jess had gone to the edge of the pool and was leaning against it, her eyes half closed. “It sure does.” She agreed. “Damn, I’d forgotten what that felt like.”

Dev made her way through the water over to her side. “Why is it warm now?”

Jess exhaled. “I don’t care.” She shifted her shoulders and let her head drop back. “Just feels good.”

It did. Dev flexed her hands, breathing in the smell of the water. The sound of the treadmill had faded, and now only the clank from the weight bearing space was audible, along with the hum and low buzz that was the air handlers high over head.

“Okay.” Jess reluctantly opened her eyes. “So here we are, in the pool.” She pushed away from the side. “What did you do when you jumped in?”

“Just this.” Dev made a paddling motion with her hands.

“Natural instinct.” Jess looked approving. “Babies do that, when you drop them in the water.”

“You drop babies in the water?” Dev’s eyebrows went up.

“Just a saying.” Jess launched herself forward. “Watch.”

Dev did, avidly. Jess lifted her arms up and put them forward, pulling back against the water and making her go forward. She was also kicking her feet.

“Ow.” Jess stopped after a few strokes. “Damn it.” She rolled over onto her back and used her legs to move her back to where Dev was, keeping her hands folded on her stomach. “Fucking shoulder.”

“It must hurt a lot.” Dev said, with sympathy.

Jess came to a halt next to her. “Driving me crazy.” She admitted. “Okay, now you try.”

Dev thought about what she’d just seen her companion do, and made a picture in her head about it, running through the motions in her imagination before she took a deep breath and presented herself to the water.

At the first stroke, her head went under. Dev only just kept herself from sucking in a breath in surprise, moving her other arm forward and exhaling as her head broke the surface again.

“Whoa whoa... “ Jess’s voice echoed behind her.

Dev’s head went under again, and then she suddenly felt hands on her hauling her up to the surface. She spluttered as she came up again, shaking the hair out of her eyes as Jess came around in front of her and grabbed her other arm just above the elbow. “Wow.”

“Stop.” Jess was trying not to laugh. “You’re sinking like a damned rock.”

Dev stopped moving, blinking the water out of her eyes. “That’s why I stuck to the paddling.” She explained. “If I stopped moving I went under.” She could feel the grip on her, warm and sure, but not uncomfortable.

“So I see.” Jess pushed her gently backwards until they were shallow enough for Dev to stand. “Okay.” She released the bio alt, rubbing the tips of her fingers together as she remembered the strength she’d felt under the soft skin.

Interesting.

“You were doing this?” Dev leaned forward a little, and moved her arms in a swimming motion. “Right?” She peered at Jess, droplets of water dripping off the tip of her nose. “It looked so easy when you did it.”

“Right.” Jess motioned her sideways. ‘“Let me hold on to you and you can practice it here where it’s harder to drown.” She gave Dev a quick smile. “It looked easy for me because I’ve been doing it all my life.”

That sounded like a very good idea. Dev leaned forward again and Jess moved closer, putting a hand under her belly and another on her thigh. For a moment, Dev completely lost track of what she was doing as her body reacted then the water hit her in the face and she forced her arms into motion.

“That’s it.” Jess commented. “Over your... yeah. Cup your hands, don’t slap the water.”

Dev did her best with the unfamiliar moves, then as she did as Jess suggested and cupped her hands, she felt the strong pull against the water. Then a sudden tickle of programming clicked in and it went from awkward to familiar in the space of a breath.

Strange, and then not. A familiar sensation to her but usually not this visceral.

She started kicking her feet in the same rhythm, and after a minute of that, she felt Jess’s hold shift, from her stomach to her back, the long fingers tangling themselves in her light covering and holding her up.

“I’m gonna let you go.” Jess said. “Just keep that up... that’s right.”

Then the grip was gone, and she was moving forward in the water, this time without the odd and jerky lack of coordination that had shoved her head under the surface previously.

“Turn your head on every other stroke and breathe.” Jess called out, surprisingly close by. She was swimming alongside her, and every time Dev did turn to that side, she took a breath and saw her companion do the same.

There was a memory there. She realized it wasn’t really programming, it was something else. Something dimmer and less certain, a flash of a mental picture that brighter and colder and had a lot more noise.

A thundering rush, and laughter.

Then it was gone, and it was just her, and Jess, and the big empty space again.

They reached the end of the tank at about the same time, and she grabbed the edge and held on, the bottom far below her feet. “Wow.” She spluttered. “I didn’t sink.”

“Nice.” Jess complimented her. “You keep this up you might not drown if we get dumped out of the carrier one of these trips”

Dev wiped the water out of her eyes with one hand. “Does that happen often?”

“It happens.” Jess was also holding on, moving her other arm around carefully. “Huh.” She looked a little relieved. “Water’s helping loosen it up” She turned around. “Below my shoulderblade, you see any bumps there?”

Dev moved aside the fabric and studied her companions back. “Here, you mean?” She touched a red, raw looking area.

“Yeah.”

Dev gently stroked the area with her fingertips. “I don’t... no I think it’s just the scar.” She said. “No bumps.”

Jess was regarding the skin on her arm with a bemused expression. “No bumps, huh?” She turned. “Well, good.” She pointed back in the other direction. “Let’s try another lap. We’ll have you communing with the fishes yet.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Ahheh.” Jess chuckled. “We’ll have to find out.”

**

Jess sat down on her bed, the cool air brushing against her bare shoulders. Her skin felt a little waterlogged, and the soft sheets felt good as she slowly lowered herself down onto her back. “Man, I’m tired.” She spoke casually to the ceiling. “But that was a pretty damn good time.”

It was mid first watch, late and quiet in the citadel and the halls they’d walked back through had been blessedly free of random intruders. Jess exhaled, running her mind over the hours spent in the pool, hearing again the laughter echoing in her ears.

She smiled. Her body was slowly relaxing, and every breath she took made that more profound. She let her eyes close and spread her arms out carefully, feeling a residual ache but nothing like the sharp pain she’d experienced all day. “Ahhh.”

Then her comm buzzed. Jess groaned and turned her head towards it, seeing the flashing light that indicated not an internal call, but one from outside. “Huh.” She levered herself up and went to the workspace, coming around the table and sitting down in the chair as she touched the console. “Drake.”

The screen came on, and after a fuzzy moment, cleared and she was looking into a pair of eyes the same color as hers, framed in a male face with a neatly trimmed dark beard. “Hello, Jess. Sorry. I know its late there.”

Jess leaned forward. “It’s all right, Jimmy. What’s up?” She responded, watching her brother’s face intently. Several years her senior, he’d finally worked his way into a decent position at one of the processing centers and gotten married. Managed to spawn two kids, one little girl and one tow headed boy who was, Jess remembered, around five.

Around five.

“Just wanted to let you know about Tayler.” Jimmy said. “He went through the battery last week. They called us today. He’s in. They’ll take him next month.”

Jess exhaled a little. “Generation 12, huh?”

“Yep.” Her brother studied her. “The old family curse.”

Jess wasn’t really sure how to answer that. She knew she had nothing to do with Tayler’s scores, but there was always a bittersweetness to it hearing that another family member had tested in. They’d had at least one and occasionally more in each generation, the one prior to Jess’s father’s had sent three, and Jess had an uncle serving up in the Arctic somewhere.

It was what it was “If I’m still around when he inducts, I’ll keep an eye on him.” Jess said. “You can give him my comm if he wants to talk about it, later.”

“Thanks.” Her brother managed a brief smile. “At least you know you don’t have to donate those eggs to keep the line going, right.”

“Huh.” Jess snorted wryly. “Yeah. Like that would happen.” She glanced to one side, then looked back at the screen. “How’s Mari?”

Jim shrugged. “Took it hard. But she knew who she was marrying.” He concluded. “At least she knows Jimmy’s going to be set and get schooled. More than most do.” He said. “Peg’s going to be pretty smart, we think. Maybe go into science” He added. “She tested that way.”

“Good to hear.” Jess said. “How’s mom?”

“Running for chamber councillor.” Jim said, with a wry look. “She’s probably going to bunk in with one of those other polits. Said she was tired of looking at 2D pictures on the wall and talking to dad’s old boots.”

“Don’t blame her.”

“Me either.” Her brother assented. “Matter of fact, she boxed up a lot of his stuff. “He glanced at Jess, with an apologetic expression “I told her to send them to you, not dump em. Figured maybe you’d at least like to look through em.”

Jess gazed somberly at him. “Thanks, Jimmy. Appreciate the thought.” She said. “There’s still a couple of old goats in service around here that would probably like to take a look too.”

JIm smiled. “Anyway, it’s late. I’m surprised I caught you there. Things okay?”

Jess thought about her recent past. “Same as usual.” She responded. “We’ve got induction tomorrow night, we’re all around.”

“Gotcha.” Jimmy nodded. “Have fun.”

“Thanks you too. Give my regards to Mari and the kids.” Jess leaned back, as she watched her brother lift his hand in goodbye, and cut the signal off. She pondered the dark screen for a few minutes, thinking.

Jimmy was the only one who took pains to keep in touch. Her other brother, Jake... she wasn’t even sure where he was most of the time. Never had any ambition, the last time she’d seen him he was a raker on the coast, and apparently content to stay that way.

When she reached field retirement age, if she did, she’d have the option to take a permanent admin assignment and get married, and have kids.

Jess chuckled wryly at her faint reflection in the screen. She didn’t see any of that happening, even if she somehow survived her active phase, but now, with Bain’s attention she might possibly end up running something if she did. That would be all right. She could picture herself in Bricker’s position, with a lot more savvy and a lot less jackasswardness.

And no Sandy kissing her ass or anything else.

Jess got up and went back to the bed, considering her next day’s schedule. The halls would be nuts, so maybe she’d show Dev the caverns. Maybe they’d end up in the pool at night again. She got under the covers and stretched out feeling a vague sense of content that was for her quite rare.

She heard the faint sound of movement from next door and turned her head towards the inner portal that separated her quarter’s from Dev’s, imagining her pilot rattling around in the big space, probably settling down in bed much like she was.

She was really starting to like Dev. Aside from her unexpectedly significant skills as a bus driver, she had a gentle and appealing personality that was completely unlike anyone Jess had ever worked with before. Most agents, and even techs were intolerantly aggressive and ego driven herself included.

Dev was neither. She had a dry yet pronounced sense of humor, didn’t take herself seriously, and her bright and impish smile made it almost impossible to stay in a bad mood around her.

She liked spending time around her. Jess thought about that for a minute. With Joshua, it hadn’t quite been like that. It was more like she didn’t mind spending time with him. He had been someone she could casually play a board game with, or have a drink while they talked about work.

He hadn’t sought out her presence, she hadn’t done the same for him. They were compatible in the sense that they could easily mesh on the job and she wasn’t irritated by him most of the time but Jess knew the feeling was completely different than how she felt about Dev.

She wanted to be in Dev’s space. She’d almost stopped thinking of her as a bio alt.

Jess studied the ceiling intently. Was she moving towards a place where she might consider trusting Dev? Was the fact that the bio alt had no choice in any of this making her feel sorry for her? Making her want to protect her? Was it’ Jess’s innate sense of honor making a surprising appearance?

“Huh.” She let out a small grunt. “I have no real fucking clue what it is but I like it.” She put the thoughts aside, and closed her eyes, rolling over onto her side and tugging the covers snug around her, glad for once to surrender to sleep.

**

Dev sat herself down on the mat that was in her relaxation area and crossed her legs up under her, leaning her elbows on her knees as she regarded the dimly lit space.

Her body was very tired. After the long session in the gym, and the long session in the pool doing all those unfamiliar things she felt pleasantly exhausted and she was looking forward to the big comfortable bed downstairs. But first, she wanted to sit and think for a few minutes.

This was something she’d never been able to do. She’d never really had the choice of where to go and what to do, except for those few minutes between class and meals, and lab and sleep.

Now, here in her quarters she could choose to do downstairs and go to sleep, or sit here and think, or read a page of her book, or even go into the other side of her two level space and run a sim if she wanted to.

The freedom was almost intoxicating.

So though she was tired, she had climbed up into her relaxation area and now she was sitting here on the cushy meditation pad enjoying a bit of peace and quiet just because she could.

She was pretty sure no other bio alts got to do this. The ones in the creche - certainly not. The ones here in Interforce? She’d heard two of the mechs talking when she was working with Clint. They’d discussed eating in the common room, and their sleep bunks in a communal room together and what would happen if they were late getting to work.

They hadn’t sounded really unhappy, more typical griping she remembered from the creche but they weren’t treated as natural born. They didn’t have what she did. Dev looked around her space pensively. Here she had the same as any other person in the ops group, an insanity of riches to one of her kind.

So. She figured she had to do a really, really excellent job here at Interforce because she didn’t want to go back to being treated like the mechs were. Dev felt a little uncomfortable with that, but she also knew it was true.

She’d gotten a taste for what it was like being a natural born, and she liked it. Was that what Doctor Dan was trying to warn her about, that night? Maybe it was. But she knew she didn’t want to go back to the creche, or even to be reassigned to a lesser job here.

She wanted this. She wanted to be not only a tech, but the best one here, to do excellent things for Jess, and have Jess come to trust her to do the right thing at the right time and make them both successful. She felt it as a fire in her gut, and it was new and strange, but good.

With a nod, she stretched herself out, and lay down on her back, looking up at the rock ceiling with its inset speckles of crystal that were evident in the low, blue light.

They were almost like stars. Dev felt her body relax, and she was able to let go that determination and think about her day, especially the lessons she’d learned in the pool.

That had been fun. A lot of fun. Not only had she gotten a pretty good idea of how to swim, she’d spent hours with Jess and they chased up and down the tank so many times she could still hear the splash of the water and Jess’s low laughter.

When they’d left the gym, it had been completely empty and they’d changed together in a comfortably casual silence before leaving the space and making their way through the quiet halls back to their quarters but not without a detour to the mess hall for a snack.

Just a fish roll and a cup of kack but it really hit the spot after all the activity, and especially more so because of the relaxed companionship as they sat in the mess just like any other agent and tech pair. Just like Elaine and Tucker, who gave them a casual wave as they passed through.

Jess. Dev called up a picture in her mind of her next door neighbor. She smiled as she thought about her, aware of a warm, happy emotion that caused. She thought maybe the pool had done Jess’s shoulder some good too, because she seemed in less discomfort when they finished, and her mood had improved as the night went on.

All good.

Dev let her thoughts drift a little. Then she let her eyes open, and sat up, getting to her feet and walking down the steps to the main part of the room. She was already in her sleepware, and she went to her bed and got under the covers, wondering what the next day would have in store for them.

She hoped it wouldn’t start like the previous day had.

**

For the first time in a while, Jess woke normally, at her own time. There was no strident alarm, and no soft bong of her timer, just a slow fade from sleep into awareness that left her blinking into the dim light, her body curled into comfort under the covers.

She glanced at the chrono and relaxed, seeing a respectable time before morning that let her stay where she was, and enjoy the moment instead of bouncing out of bed and bolting for the shower as sometimes she had to when she forgot to set the alarm.

She rolled over and stretched her body out, flexing her hands and sighing as she settled into comfortable position on her back. The room was still mostly dark, the lights embedded in the walls just faintly lit to match what was going on outside.

There was no real beating that circadian rhythm. Jess folded her hands over her stomach. Not that they hadn’t tried, and not that she couldn’t rig her own for a short while, especially when inserted. But she’d been born in this zone and given it’s preference her body stuck to it.

That turned her mind to Dev. What zone did your body think it was in when you were born on station, whirling around the planet all day long? Did they even have the same rhythms she and the rest of them did?

Dev seemed content to wake and sleep when told to, so maybe they’d done something to her that let her adjust without complaint. Or maybe she really did have to adjust, but just didn’t bitch about it.

Jess considered that last thought had it’s merits. Dev wasn’t a complainer. Part of that she knew was built in because she was a bio alt and part she suspected was just how Dev was. At least, she hoped so because it was something she really appreciated in a p..

Jess paused and exhaled. In a pilot? Sure. She’d told Dev point blank that’s all she wanted her to be, just a bus driver, hadn’t she? Well that was good. Dev had turned out to be an unexpectedly good bus driver so far, so they both should be very happy.

She didn’t want a partner. Certainly not a bio alt partner she knew very little about. Jess frowned, the words sounding metallic and false in her own mental ears because she suspected it wasn’t really all that true after the last couple of days.

It just hurt though, thinking of Joshua and that last bitter laughter. She felt embarrassed that she’d been taken like that, even though everyone else had too. She didn’t want to risk that happening again, and suffer the shame and the... grief... of knowing you were so horribly wrong about someone.

It was just too hard. Her stomach felt sick just thinking about it. Wasn’t it safer and easier for both her and Dev if she just kept her at arms length? What if the bio alt funked out at something, and had to be kicked back to serving breadsticks or something. Wouldn’t it be easier on her if she...

Jess pinched the bridge of her nose. Who in the hell did she think she was fooling? Here she was laying her arguing with her conscience when her ears were already cocked to listen for the first sounds of stirring from beyond that inner door.

There was part of her that wanted that friendship, no matter what her ego said about it. She wasn’t really a natural loner and never had been, enjoying the companionship of first her classmates, and then her fellow agents. Even when she disagreed with them, she liked being part of this closed, eclectic brotherhood.

Well. Jess tapped her navel with the edges of her thumbs. Maybe Dev just wasn’t structured for it. She seemed very friendly, but reserved so maybe she really didn’t have a choice after all and she’d have to deal with however it was the bio alt was programmed to relate to her.

That made her feel better. Jess stretched again, and then pulled the covers aside and got up, passing through her workspace as the lights reacted to her presence and brightened. She keyed the dispenser to provide some kack and touched the ops console com, nodding a little as the overhead speaker started to echo softly with the current ops chatter.

Nothing sounded out of place. Unlike the previous day, she could only hear standard reports, and the shipcom to two carriers that were on patrol.

Taking no chances. Especially since they had the induction tonight, and that meant a lot of dignitaries and newcomers around. Her com chimed, and she sat down, and keyed it. “Drake.”

“Jess, it’s Stephen.” Bock answered. “Listen, I know you really don’t want to hear me bugging you again about that speech but I really wish..”

“Okay.” Jess propped her chin on her fist. “I’ll do it.”

“Sorry, got a call. Anyway I really wi... wait. What?” Stephen said. “What did you just say?”

“I said I’ll do it.” Jess said. “Anything to keep you off my back.”

Stephen was silent for a minute. “Really?”

“Really.” Jess said. “Anyway, Dev thinks I”m so nice I should greet all the newbies so they feel at home.”

Another long moment of silence. “What??” Stephen repeated, more loudly and disbelievingly.

Jess heard a soft tap on her outer door. “Gotta go.” She cut the line off and went to the door, checking the sensor, a little surprised to see it was her pilot. She palmed it open. “Hey there.”

“Hello.” Dev had her arms full. “If you thought the mess was crazy last night you should see it this morning. I grabbed what I could. Want some?”

Jess smiled, and stepped back. “Absolutely. C’mon in.” She clapped Dev on the back as she followed her over to her workspace. “Can’t think of a better way to start the morning.”

Dev looked up from putting down her burden, cocking her head slightly as she regarded Jess with a faintly questioning look.

The agent winked at her, and grinned. “It’s gonna be an interesting day.”

Part 8

Dev regarded her reflection in the mirror, reaching up to adjust her uniform collar a little. She’d found this new one in her quarters and Jess had told her it was what she was to wear to the induction and then, to the party afterward.

It was more formal looking, and less comfortable. The fabric was heavier, and thicker and it had a lot of silver threads on it making sedate designs along the front of the jacket. She straightened up a little, pulling the sleeves a bit straighter and moving her head as the high collar tickled her neck.

The uniform was a sleeveless jumpsuit and this jacket that fit over it, and though it wasn’t entirely easy to move around in it, she sort of liked it. She studied her pale hair, caught back in a knot at the back of her head and nodded in satisfaction.

Her insignia were on the collar, and she touched it. There was also a metal bar on her chest that had her name engraved on it, a glitter of silver and black, the NM-DEV-1 crisp and clear.

Interesting. She’d never been labeled with her designation like that before. But natural born here did it. Maybe to point out how individual they really were?

She went over and sat down to pull her boots on. This pair were mid height, and shinier than her regular ones, and she fastened them as the inner door slid open.

“Ah.” Jess entered, fastening the collar on her own uniform. “I see you’re all set.”

“Yes.” Dev stood up. “That looks really nice on you.” She complimented Jess.

Jess stopped in mid step. “What?” She looked down at herself. “This?”

Dev took a step back and regarded her. “Well, that is what you are wearing.” She said. “So yes, that.” She watched the other woman’s eyes open wider, unsure really of why. The uniform outlined Jess’s tall body really well, and her dark hair was loose, framing her face. “Why is my saying that so surprising to you? Is it incorrect?”

Jess’s face wrinkled up in sort of a confused grin. “No, it’s... um.” She let her hands drop. “People don’t say stuff like that to me.” She said. “Usually.” She added in a low mutter.

It was Dev’s turn to be confused. “Why not?” She asked. “You’re very attractive. Why wouldn’t people tell you that?” She cocked her head to one side as she watched Jess blush. “In the creche, it was always okay to tell others compliments of that kind.”

“Um.” Jess reached up and rubbed her face. “Thank you.” She said. “It’s fine. Sorry I’m acting like a nitwit. It’s been a long time since.. “ She paused. “Anyway, if you’re ready, let’s go. We’ll meet the rest of the ops group near the big lift.”

“I’m ready.” Dev said. “Lead on.”

Jess turned and complied. They walked together through her quarters, and out into the hallway, which was now, thankfully, quiet and empty. “Everyone’s up there.” Jess commented. “We’re always the last ones to go.”

“Why?”

“Hm.” Jess studied the ground as they walked over it. “Tradition, mostly I guess. Everyone goes up in order of their... hm. Well, their ultimate importance I guess to Interforce.”

“I see.”

“So either you can figure we’re the most or least important.” Jess went on, in a droll tone. She scanned through out of the ops area and they were in the main halls, the sound of their boots echoing softly in the silence. “I like to flatter myself in thinking the latter.”

Dev was pretty sure that was the real truth anyway. She followed Jess as they turned the corner and then crossed the big rotunda and then entered a long hall. Ahead, she could hear low voices, and as they reached the curve in the hall and went through it, she saw a group of people standing next to one of the big lifts.

It was the other agents and techs, she realized as they got closer. They were standing together and as they approached, the voices stilled. Everyone was dressed like she and Jess were, and there were, she counted, sixteen of them including them both.

“About time.” Sandy snarked at Jess. “You stop to blow Bain or something?”

Jess ignored her. “We ready to go up?” She asked Jason. “Someone check in?”

“Almost.” Jason said. “They said give it five. Trying to get everyone seated.”

A moment later, the light on one side of the lift went on, bathing them in a gentle green glow. “Here we go.” Jason said. “Brent, hit the lock, wouldja?”

Brent, standing next to the doors, complied. He stepped back as the big portals opened, revealing a square, utilitarian gray box.

Everyone fell silent. It was awkward, and uncomfortable, and Dev felt like taking a step back from the crowd as they shifted a little. She could sense anger around her, and quite a few of the eyes watching Jess weren’t friendly. It was hard to tell though, what exactly the problem was.

After all, Jess was just standing there next to her, with no particular expression on her face, her hands clasped behind her back. She glanced at Dev, a look of droll amusement appearing as she scanned the crowd, and rolled her eyes a little.

Interesting, but extremely confusing.

Then Jason stepped back and to one side and cocked his head at Jess. “Go on, number one.” He said, in an almost anticlimactic way, waving her forward with a casual motion “Clear a path, people.”

The discomfort increased, but reluctantly, people moved aside as Jess started forward, some with resigned expressions, some with approving ones, some just angry.

“C’mon.” Jess indicated that Dev was to follow.

Dev didn’t need to be asked more than once. She stuck to Jess’s back as they made their way through the small crowd, and followed her into the lift, their boots making a faintly hollow ring as they crossed the metal floor.

Jess moved to the back of it, but kept facing the wall. She stopped next to it and waited, as the rest of the group came in after her filing in with a scuffle of boots and meant to be overheard whispers. She put her hands behind her back again and braced her legs, ignoring it all.

Dev stood quietly next to her, realizing none of the rest of the people in the lift had come even with them. She wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but she could tell there were a lot of mad people, and that something Jess had done had displeased them.

She looked up at Jess’ s profile, outlined in the harsh white light from the ceiling. There was no emotion there, she merely watched the surface of the wall as they traveled upwards. After a moment, Jess looked at her, and slowly winked.

Dev muffled a smile, putting her own hands behind her and waiting herself in silence.

The elevator reached it’s destination, and the doors in front of Jess slowly opened. They now faced into the huge space, which was filled with people, all looking at them, all in the same complete silence.

Dev didn’t know where to look first. Near where they were were line upon line of bio alts, all in their jumpsuits in various colors. In front of them were natural born, but also in the same kind of jumpsuits and in front of them were techs, and then the admin people.

Near the front she saw Alexander Bain, and standing next to him, to her surprise and pleasure, Doctor Dan. On a low platform at the very end of the space were a big group of people in different clothes.

Some, she recognized. They were from the creche. Some she didn’t, and there were twelve people there in dark gray jumpsuits with either black or green sleeves. She figured those must be the new agents and their techs.

Jess started forward, and motioned her to follow.

Dev took a deep breath and did, as they started out and walked down the steps from the lift and into a long, stone aisle that went down the middle of the huge space. Their boots made a surprisingly loud sound that echoed a little, a discordantly disorganized noise since they were all walking at their own pace and not in step with each other.

Outside a storm was going on, and there were lightning bursts and thunder all visible through the transparent walls and roof. It was an eerie counterpoint to the silence of the crowd as they all watched Jess lead the rest of the operations agents and techs through them.

Dev could see the new comers watching them now and she straightened up, setting aside her discomfort, and the strangeness of the surroundings. She matched her steps to Jess’s as they walked along the aisles, past the bio alts, and the workers, the techs and the administrators as that weird silence beat against them.

Jess walked up the steps to where Bain was standing, coming to a halt next to him and Doctor Dan, as Stephen Bock came up on the other side. She waited for Dev to come up next to her then she turned to face the low platform, letting her arms relax at her sides.

The rest of the ops agents and their partners filed in behind them and as they did, Dev sorted through the positions of the crowd, and the layers of emotion and got a sense of why so many people were glaring at her. She was aware enough of the politics of humanity to understand there was status involved here, and that was always a little uncomfortable.

It had been in the creche. She’d gone through that sense of discomfort when she’d been singled out in any way for praise, and faced the envy of her creche mates. There was that sort of thing here. Jess had been singled out, and people were mad because it wasn’t them.

Got it. Dev felt a sense of satisfaction, and now she put the issue aside and exhaled in contentment, glad she was standing where she was.

Bain caught her eye and smiled at her. Dev smiled back, then caught Doctor Dan watching her with a proud grin. She wasn’t really sure why he was, but it felt good anyway and she stood there quietly at Jess’s side, her arms at her sides and her head held high.

Bain waited for a moment more for everything to settle, then he strolled over to the steps and mounted them, arriving at a podium planted on the edge. “Well then, people.” He rested his hands on the edge of the podium. “Here we are.”

He paused, but no one said a word, nor did he seem to expect them to. “I’m quite glad to welcome all of you here.” He gestured at the crowd. “And to welcome our newcomers too.” He indicated the platform. “I know we’ve had some difficulties lately, but I think now we’re on the right track, and headed in a better direction.”

Doctor Dan cleared his throat gently, and visibly suppressed a smile.

Bain raised an eyebrow at him. “At any rate, I’m glad you are all here, and now I will turn this over to our new senior operations agent, Jess Drake.” He stared pointedly at Jess. “Agent Drake?”

Dev felt Jess take a deep breath next to her, and she gave her a smile of encouragement as she walked forward and then up the steps to where Bain was standing.

She could see all the newcomers watching her and she suspected if she turned around she would see all the other people watching her too, but Jess merely exchanged nods and places with Bain, leaning against the podium for a long, silent moment.

“So it’s a time of new beginnings.” Jess said, after that pause. Her voice, low and vibrant, rolled through the chamber and echoed softly. “I’ve learned the hard way not to live in the past, and you all shouldn’t either.” She eyed the newcomers. “Don’t look back at where you came from, or who you left behind because every day means something different here.”

Bain had stepped to one side, and now he nodded silently.

Jess paused. “If there’s anyone here who should be tradition bound, it should be me.” She went on. “I’m the eleventh generation of Drakes who’ve worn this uniform and my brother Jimmy called me last night to tell me my nephew’s the twelfth.”

The newcomers exchanged glances. Jess studied them. “But I figured out recently tradition buys you nothing.” She said. “So do yourselves a favor and keep your eyes open to all the possibilities out there.” Briefly, she studied the young faces focused on her. “That’s all I have to say. Welcome.”

With that, she turned and walked back down to where Dev was, coming to stand next to her and folding her hands in front of her as she stared pointedly at Bain.

“Excellent.” Bain didn’t miss a beat. “Instead of the long winded blather you’d have gotten from others, we can now perform the induction and start the celebration. Thank you, Drake.”

“Sir.” Jess pronounced, putting just the slightest drawl on it. She gave Dev a sideways glance, one eyebrow lifting.

Dev grinned at her and carefully imitated her earlier wink.

**

The party was loud. Dev kept close by Jess’s hip as they squeezed their way through the room, towards a place where people were getting drinks. The big space had been rearranged, the podium and platform removed and tables full of food were now appearing on the fringes.

Jess got to the bar and leaned an arm on it. “Gimme a grain straight up and.. “ She turned to Dev. “What’s your poison?”

Dev’s brows creased. “No, wait.” She held up a hand as Jess started to explain. “Does that mean, what do I want to drink?”

“Yeah.”

Dev considered. “Do they have the stuff we had at dinner?”

“And a beer.” Jess told the man behind the bar, a bio alt who was staring at Dev intently. “Hey!”

The bio alt jerked and reached for the drinks. “My apologies, agent.” He handed Jess a glass and then offered Dev another , taller one.

“Thank you.” Dev took the glass. She looked around. “Wow.”

“Freaking mess.” Jess muttered. “C’mon.” She eased past a group of engineers and techs and found an open spot near one wall. “Glad that’s over with.”

“Are you?” Dev leaned against the wall next to her, watching the crowd go by. “I thought you did great.”

“Dev.” Jess half turned and looked at her. “C’mon. Those things are supposed to be an hour long with six pages of notes. I blew them off and everyone knows it.”

Dev studied the crowd. “They all don’t look unhappy.” She said. “And I heard people saying they were really relieved not to have to listen to... um.” She paused. “To all the bullshit?” She pronounced the last word carefully. “I think that’s what they said.”

Jess chuckled wryly. “They didn’t, did they?”

“Yes. What’s bullshit?”

“Ah.” Her companion leaned against the wall next to her. “Its the excrement from a four legged, hoofed cud chewing mammal that no longer exists.” She replied. “The male of the species.”

Dev looked at her, then she took a sip of her beer and merely shook her head.

“Let’s hang out here for a little while.” Jess said. “See who comes over and starts trying to suck up to me.” She regarded the crowd with an ironic eye. “See if any of the new bio’s has the guts to come talk to you.”

“Agent?” A soft voice interrupted them. “May I take your jacket?”

Jess turned to find a server there, a young bio alt almost her height, with curly red hair “Sure.” She put her drink down on the small table next to them and undid the catches on her jacket, stripping out of it and handing it to him. “Dev?”

Dev had already put her drink down. “Is this usual?” She undid her jacket, as the bio alt patiently waited. “Thank you very much, Ayebe.” She handed him the fabric, receiving a real, though brief smile from him in return. “Have you been downworld long?”

“Six months.” Ayebe said. “It’s a tough adjustment.”

“To some things, yes.” Dev agreed, picking up her glass. “This.” She lifted it.

“Yes.” He chuckled. “I will have your garments sent back to your quarters.” He gave Jess a nod of respect, then he went on to the next group.

“You know him?” Jess asked, casually.

“That Ayebe?” Dev pondered the question. “I know his set.” She explained. “I trained with a group of them doing rec in the creche. I don’t think I know that specific Ayebe though.”

“They all have the same name? I’ve heard them called all sorts of stuff here.”

“They’re all Ayebes. A-B.” Dev pronounced the letters separately. “I think he’s an A-B-800 Instance 6. But they get nicknames sometimes.”

“Oh.” Jess said. “You don’t have that problem.”

“No. I’m the only NM-Dev.” Dev agreed.

“One of a kind.”

“Yes.” Dev said. “So it seems.”

“I like that about you.” Jess told her, noting the faint blush that was visible despite the low lights.

“There you are.” Jason appeared next to them, with Brent and Elaine in tow. “Nice speech.” He gave Dev a brief smile. “Short and sweet. Half the citadel wants to kill you the other half wants to kiss you.”

“Which half are you?” Dev asked, unexpectedly.

Jason paused in mid breath, and stared at her. “What?”

Jess started chuckling. “Which half are you?” She asked Dev, then paused, looking embarrassed as the conversation seemed to fade out for a second and a bubble of intensity formed around the two of them.

“Well, I definitely don’t want to kill you.” Dev said, after just a little too long a moment, as their eyes met.

“Anyway.” Jason apparently caught his breath and plowed ahead. “Bain’s happy. No one else matters.” He clapped Jess on the shoulder. “Sandy decided to take a bottle to her quarters and get drunk so you don’t have to worry about her jackass tongue tonight. Ready to dance?”

Jess was still looking at Dev’s face. “Sure.” She muttered. “I’m ready for anything.”

“Great.” Jason turned and stood on his toes. “Hey, they finally got the grub out. I’ll grab some. Brent, stay here.”

Brent took up a spot against the wall next to Dev, folding his muscular arms over his chest and watching the crowd with a skeptical frown.

Dev leaned next to him, sipping her beer. After a minute she turned and looked at Jess, and smiled, getting a smile back as Jess lifted her mug and both eyebrows at her.

**

“Here you go.” Jess took a seat on the ledge next to Dev, handing her a plate of assorted goodies and then setting her cup down.

Jason and Elaine, and Brent and Tucker were ranged on either side of them, holding an informal court as a long parade of people came up to say hello.

Dev was happy to sit quietly and watch, kept well supplied with treats from Jess’s frequent escapes through the crowd. They were on one end of the big room, in the curve, with the transparent panels providing a colorful backdrop as the storm continued to rage.

She had her legs pulled up crossed under her, with a plate balanced on one knee, and was fully occupied in listening to Jess talk to the other agents as she kept an eye on people approaching from her peripheral vision.

There was a lot of conflicting emotion going on. But Jess seemed to be in a pretty good mood, so she supposed the party was going well.

The food was good, and she was enjoying it. She and Brent had traded fish rolls, since he preferred the ones with the crunchy seaweed in them and she liked the other kind, and she had spent some time talking to him about the work she was doing on the carrier.

He liked that sort of thing too, so now he was explaining about how he tweaked the engine tork on his carrier and she was wondering if she could try doing that on hers. On theirs, she mentally corrected herself, since the carrier really was assigned to Jess.

Jess was sitting side by side with her, and their shoulders were pressed against each other. Since their shoulders were both bare, it was a warm and pleasant sensation she was very much enjoying just as she had enjoyed their banter earlier.

It made her feel good, to think that Jess was beginning to trust her a little, enough to joke around. Dev knew that was rare, both between bio alts and definitely between bios and natural born but she liked it. She thought about what she’d asked Jason, and then what Jess had asked her, and it made her smile.

Of course she didn’t want to kill Jess. Dev munched her fishroll, stealing a glance at her companion’s profile. Of course, she really didn’t have any idea what kissing her would be like. It was an intellectual question since she’d never kissed anyone, but she supposed it would be all right.

“Ah, here they come.” Jason nudged Jess. “The kids finally scraped up the guts to come meet you.”

“Would you stop it?” Jess growled. “I’ve got enough crap to deal with.”

“C’mon Jess. Enjoy it for a change.” Jason waved the newcomers forward. “You earned the bump. No one gave it to you.” He said. “Screw that bitch Sandy and her buddies. They’re just farting jealousy in three colors.”

Jess regarded the new agents and their partners dourly. They all seemed ridiculously young to her, all slim and leanly muscled, with short cropped hair and cleanshaven faces.

Of the agents, four were men, and two were women. All of the techs were men, but that wasn’t unusual. Two of the male agents had dark hair, two had light, and both women had brown hair and looked like each other.

Very average.

The tallest of the men came forward. His name plate said Arias, M and he had a quiet self possession. “Agent Drake, I just wanted to compliment you on your speech.”

Jess eyed him wryly. “Yeah?” She said. “If you blinked, you missed it.” She said. “Maybe I’ll get lucky and they won’t ask me again.”

“Remember when Bricker did it last year?” Jason said. “Kept us standing there for an hour and a half. Bastard.”

“Well, if that’s the case, I’m glad I inducted today.” Arias half turned. “This is my partner Chester.” He motioned forward a tech standing just behind him. “He’s a west coaster.”

“Hey there, Chester.” Jason lifted his glass. “So am I. “ He said. “Rainer Islander.”

Chester produced a grin. “My uncle lives there. He likes it.”

“This is Elaine Cruz, and her partner Tucker.” Jason went on. “This is my partner, Brent.” He paused, then glanced at Jess, raising one eyebrow.

For a moment, Jess stared back at him impassively, then she looked at the new agent. “I guess you already know who I am.” She remarked. “This is my partner Dev.” She tilted her head in Dev’s direction. Then she went back to munching on a seaweed fish wrap.

Dev looked over at her with a startled expression. Then she recovered, and smiled. “Hello.” She greeted the agent. “Nice to meet you.” She added. “Welcome to the citadel.”

“Mike.” The agent stuck a hand out and smiled when Dev shook it. Then he turned and motioned the other new agents forward.

Dev took the opportunity of the distraction to look back over at Jess, who, after a moment, lifted her eyes to meet hers. After a brief moment, Jess shrugged a little. “Hell.” She said. “I can’t go on calling you my bus driver if you keep saying nice things about me now can I?”

Dev smiled happily. “Thank you. Now I really do feel like I belong here.” She responded in an undertone, as the other new agents came up in front of them. She turned to face them, finding herself looking at one of the new female agents. “Hello.”

“You’re the bio alt?” The woman asked.

“Yes.” Dev responded cordially. “NM-Dev-1.” She added, taking a quick sideways look as she felt Jess shift, and became aware that her companion’s attitude had shifted, from casual to alert, her pale blue eyes fixed on the newcomer. “Is that a good or bad thing for you?”

The woman seemed caught offguard. “Um.. “ She lifted her hands a bit and let the drop. “I don’t know, really. We just heard about it when we were heading out here.” She said. “I’m April.” She said, belatedly extending her hand. “Did you say... Dev?”

“Dev.” Dev confirmed, shaking her hand. “Welcome.” She felt Jess relax and turn her attention back to her plate, which was nearly empty.

“So is it true you got all your stuff in a week?” The brown haired man next to her asked. “I’m Doug.” He added. “April’s mule.”

“Doug.” The woman gave him a look.

Jess gave them both an approving look, but didn’t interrupt.

“That’s not exactly true.” Dev said. “I had my basic instruction starting when I was five, and went to advanced school when I was twelve. So I’ve been learning a long time. I did get a big dose of programming before I came here, but that was mostly all the tech stuff I needed to do my job.”

“Not so different from us.” April said.

“No, not at all.” Jess said. “I didn’t think a bio alt would work, but Dev proved me wrong.” She said, in a matter of fact tone. “Uncomfortable as that is for all of us. It is, what it is.”

“I don’t think I’ve proved that yet.” Dev objected. “I’ve only done one mission with you.”

“Did you know they’ve been playing the recorder file of that one mission in the rec center for the last two days?” Jess asked, her brows lifting.

Dev blinked. “No, I didn’t.” She responded honestly. “Why would they do that?”

“And she’s modest too.” Jess addressed the assembled agents, who chuckled softly. “That’s what I meant about going with change. I thought this was going to be crap. I was wrong.” She regarded Dev. “Who knows? Maybe we won’t need a thirteenth generation of Drakes doing this.”

“You really want that?” Mike asked. “It was my ticket to school. Rest of my family harvests grubs and half of them can’t read.”

“Mine too.” Jess agreed. “The ones who don’t get taken to Interforce, that is. I’ve got a brother raking weed, and another doing recap for the processing station downhill.” She extended her arms, and the light hit them, showing the burned in sigils. “But every dot’s a dead body on these.”

A silence fell, and the new agents exchanged glances.

Jess turned her arms over, since the sigils went around in a band. “Clear means stalemate. Green means we won. Red means they won. “ She looked dispassionately at her skin. “Yellow diamond means I ended up in med.”

Dev examined her companions arms intently, since some of this code was new to her.

“Maybe it would be better to have them do it.” Jess said, after she let the silence go on for a moment. “Most of us don’t survive to forty.”

“Wow.” Mike finally said.

“Don’t tell ya that stuff so much in field school, huh?” Jason smiled thinly “They didn’t when I went through.” He hopped off the ledge and stretched his arm out next to Jess’s. Despite his greater height, their fingertips matched, though the burned sigils only went halfway down his arms just past his elbows.

Elaine circled to come up on his other side, showing her own. “People will talk crap here.” She said to the newcomers. “But this tells the real story.”

Dev watched intently, seeing the young faces that surrounded them absorbing the information. She felt that they were a little ambivalent about her, but that was okay. She hadn’t gotten the outright antagonism she’d sensed from Sandy and her partner, or the two other older agents she hadn’t been introduced to.

She reached over and touched Jess’s arm, running her fingers over one of the more intricate sigils, which also had a prominent yellow mark on it. To her surprise, she watched goosebumps rise behind her fingers and she looked up, to find Jess watching her. “Was that a bad trip to med?”

“Broke my back.” Jess said. “So yeah.” She looked down at the mark, which bore six green roundels. “They kept me in a fuser for a week, and then in a pin rack for two more. I’d rather have died.”

Dev grimaced. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t.”

The sound of clapping drew all of their attention. “Enough war stories, people.” Bain was standing nearby “Go dance and have fun for a change. Tomorrow’s soon enough to be serious.” He waved them all towards the lit, open area, and as he did, music started playing.

Jess made no move to stand. Jason and Elaine exchanged glances, and then Jason held his hand out. “Shall we? Show the kids how it’s done?”

“You’re on.” Elaine said, and they walked through the crowd as others moved along as well, and the music picked up in both pace and loudness. “Cmon, kids.”

The newcomers shuffled, and then trailed after them, as the lights went down to a lower dimness, and that only let the lightning overhead become more prominent.

Jess and Dev were left at the ledge, everyone else obeying Bain’s orders.

Jess turned her head and studied her companion. “Do you dance?”

Dev tore her eyes from the dance floor and returned the regard. “I have absolutely no idea what that is.” She responded. “It looks like they’re walking across a very hot floor with no shoes on.”

Jess laughed gently. “Yeah, I’m not much for it either.” She admitted. “I’m too self conscious, I think.” She said. “I’m always aware of how stupid I look flopping around like a fish out of water there.”

Dev studied her. “Are you a fish out of water here?” She asked. “You seem different than the rest of them.”

Jess looked up, with a startled expression. “I belong here.” She stated flatly. “Are you saying I don’t?”

Oh no. Dev felt immediate distress. “I’m sorry.” She said. “I didn’t mean to be incorrect.” She slid off the ledge and faced Jess, her brow creased. “I’m very sorry.”

Jess responded to the near panic in her voice, her anger dissolving as she put her hand on Dev’s shoulder. “Hey. Take it easy.” She said. “It was just a weird question, that’s all.”

Dev studied her with a worried expression. “Its just that you’ve been so.. “ She paused, unsure of whether to continue. “I don’t want you to be angry. I meant that in a good way.”

Jess leaned on her elbows, clasping her hands together. It was almost dark in the room, save the dance lights, and it gave her an illusion of privacy. “Maybe I have always been a little weird.” She admitted. “No matter how much history my family has of this.”

“You’re not weird.” Dev said, automatically. “You just see so much more than they do. They’re so... um.. “ She paused again. “Not as deep as you are.”

Oh. Jess sorted through that, detecting that it was, in fact, something positive. “Sorry I freaked you out.”

“Excuse me?”

Jess chuckled wryly. “You hit a sensitive spot of mine.” She admitted, in low tone. “I’ve always been a rebel. They all know it. That’s why so many of them are pis... are mad that I got senior.”

“Oh.” Dev slowly eased herself back up onto the ledge, her heartbeat starting to settle.

“I’ve never done things... the right way.” Jess went on. “I always did what I thought was best, not what I was told. I’ve been in trouble more times than.. “ She sighed. “I embarrassed the hell out of my father. He was such a regulation stickler.” She paused. “He told me I should change my name so he didn’t have to hear it from everyone when I screwed up.”

Dev put a hand on her arm. “I’m sorry.” She said. “I really didn’t meant to upset you.”

“I know.” Her companion pulled one long leg up and wrapped her arms around it. “No way for you to know about all that stuff. We’ve only known each other for what... three days? Four?” She looked sideways at Dev. “It’s fine, Dev. Its a good question, and I don’t mind talking to you about it.”

Dev nodded, and kicked her heels against the ledge a couple times. “To tell the truth.” She said, after a long pause. “I think I know I’m different too.” She said. “Maybe it’s because I’m a dev model. But I was always really aware of being... I think you called it a one off.”

“Good or bad?” Jess asked.

The bio alt thought about that for a long time in silence. “When I became aware of it.. I guess I was around ten or so, it was a really lonely thing to think about.” She said. “None of us has any family. But at least everyone else had their set mates and I remember being at a celebration.. sort of like this.” She indicated the room. “And I realized I was the only one of my kind there who was alone.”

“Mm.” Jess grunted softly, deep in her throat.

“It was uncomfortable.”

“I bet.” Jess looked around the room, watching all the moving bodies and hearing the laughter and music. Then she turned her head back towards Dev. “Wanna go steal a tray of brownies and go for a swim?”

Dev looked back at her and grinned. Then she indicated the room. “This is all a little much for me.” She admitted. “I’m not used to it.”

“Don’t need to tell me twice.” Jess slid off the ledge and waited for Dev to join her. Then she put her hand on Dev’s back and guided her towards one of the walls. “I know a secret way.” She announced. “And it passes right by the prep area for the kitchen.”

They left the noise and the celebration behind them, as Jess scanned open an unmarked black door and they passed through into a bare, utilitarian hallway and as the door closed, it cut off all the clamor like a knife.

“Oh.” Dev looked behind them, as silence took the place of the chaos.

“Soundproof door.” Jess remarked, leading the way to an equally unmarked lift door, which accepted her palm scan without complaint. “Not many people know about this back route.” She waited for the lift to open, then stepped inside. After Dev joined her, she keyed a command on the inside panel and the door slid shut.

It opened again, at the lower level, but inside the medical area. Jess strolled through the pristine halls, keeping her eyes forward and not looking into the exam rooms on either side. She debated telling Dev why she knew the back way, then decided against it.

Hopefully, she would never have to witness the situation that elevator was there for.

**

The gym was silent and half dark, and the water was again soothingly warm. Jess carefully spread her arms out along the tank wall, just relaxing in the liquid and glad of the relative quiet around her.

Relative, because Dev was paddling around idly, practicing her swimming.

Jess watched her unobtrusively. Despite her concentration, she could sense her pool mate was distracted, the expression on the bio alt’s face thoughtful and somewhat withdrawn. She wondered if Dev was still worried about upsetting her. “Hey.”

Dev looked up. “Yes?”

“C’mere.” Jess crooked a finger at her.

Obediently, the bio alt swam in her direction, her body already moving with burgeoning assurance through the water. “Damn.” Jess sighed. “I sure wish I could learn that fast.”

“What?” Dev reached her and grabbed the edge of the wall, since the bottom was below her reach.

“You’re already picking up swimming.” Jess remarked. “I said I wish I could learn like that.” She lamented. “And that wasn’t anything that was programmed, was it? That’s how you learn?”

Dev paused in the water, her eyes going a little unfocused. “I never really thought about that.” She said. “But I guess it is. We’re conditioned to learn. It’s good when you have programming for something, but sometimes you don’t and you need to be able to do it anyway.”

“Like what you did in the carrier, evading the bad guys.”

“Yes.”

“I’d say that’s a damn good thing.” Jess said. She moved along the wall, bumping Dev a little until they were shallow enough for her to stand. “Thanks for indulging me in being an anti social sourpuss.”

That made Dev smile. “The party was okay.” She said. “But I think it is going to take me a while to get used to things like that. When we had them in the creche, there wasn’t any drinks involved and no.. uh... dancing.”

“Probably why they didn’t call it a party.”

“Yes, that’s true.” Dev agreed. “It was always called a gather, or a gathering. We did get treats sometimes though. Candy balls, or a bit of cake.”

“You like that stuff.”

Dev nodded, visibly more cheerful. “They told us it wasn’t good for us, but yes, I do.” She said. “I think you do too.”

Jess licked her lips. “The whole tray of brownies clue you in to that?” She laughed. “I’ll probably be sick tomorrow from it but I don’t care. It was worth it.” She paused. “Another one of my faults. I live for the moment.” Her eyes went to Dev’s face, watching the subtle tension relax.

Ah. That made her feel better. “I think the kids took to you all right.” She said. “Better than I thought.”

Dev considered that. “I don’t think they made up their minds yet.” She said. “They seemed to want to be friendly though. “

“They did.” Jess said. “Jason was right. I pissed off half the room and at least didn’t alienate the other half.” She turned and leaned against the wall, stretching her shoulder out. “But at least they got to meet you and interact before some of the other assholes got to them over breakfast.”

Dev leaned her back against the tank wall and folded her arms over her chest. “I don’t think Jason was in the part that wanted to kill you, by the way.” She remarked.

Jess half turned and regarded her. “No, and you either apparently.”

Dev hesitated, then turned her head and met Jess’s eyes, a very faint smile appearing on her face. “You didn’t really think I would be, did you?”

“No.” Jess managed a small smile of her own. “I’m not the most social person out there but I didn’t figure you hated me.”

“I don’t” Dev said. “I like you very much.” She paused and thought. “I did wonder, though, what it would be like to kiss you.” She added, in a mild tone.

Jess blinked. “You did?”

“Yes.”

Live in the moment, isn’t that what she said she did? Jess did not stop to think, even for a second. “Okay.” She turned and leaned over, tilting her head slightly to one side and kissing Dev on the lips, completely unprepared for the jolt in her guts and the instant and powerfully sensual wash that sent tingles to every inch of her body.

She meant it to only last a second but it went on longer than that, until a door slammed in the distance, and she drew back, to find Dev staring at her, eyes round and astonished. “Uh.” Jess croaked out, then fell silent

“That.” Dev finally said, on an unsteady breath. “Was not at all what I expected.”

Jess was finding it a little hard to catch her own breath. “Me either” She eventually muttered. “What in the hell did I just do?”

Dev rubbed her eyes with one hand “Well if you don’t know, I definitely don’t.” She muffled a short laugh. “But wow did that ever surprise me.”

Jess folded her arms over her chest and rested her head back against the wall of the tank, feeling the unsteady race of her heartbeat thundering in her ears. “Me too.” She murmured. “Me too.”

They looked at each other. Another door slammed in the distance, and Jess looked up over the edge of the tank, and then back at Dev. “Not sure what’s going on. Maybe we should get out.”

“Okay.” Dev said. “Maybe we should.”

They were both silent for a moment more, then Jess started laughing, shaking her head and plowing through the water towards the steps. Dev let herself sink down into the water and swam after her, using the casual motion to give her time to stop...

Shaking? Dev flexed her hands as she got to the shallow end and could walk the rest of the way. Stop something.

**

Dev closed her locker, aware of Jess’s closing presence behind her. She turned just as the taller woman arrived and smiled. “That was nice.” She said.

“It was.” Jess agreed. “C’mon back to my place. We’ll share a cup of grog.”

Dev nodded, happy to deposit her damp towel into the dispenser with Jess’s and follow along. She found herself still thinking about the kissing thing. That had been *very* interesting. She hadn’t expected it to feel like it had and if she concentrated she could still sort of feel how it felt on her lips.

“Dev?”

“Huh?” Dev jerked a little, looking up to find Jess looking at her in bemusement. “Um.. sorry.”

“You okay?”

Was she? Dev wasn’t entirely sure what she was at the moment. “I think so.” She said. “Maybe I’m just a little tired.” She suggested. “That was a long session in the gym today.”

“Yeah, it was.” Jess agreed, with a sigh. “Reminded me again of how little time I’ve been spending in there lately.” She rubbed her bare arms with her hands. “Too much time spent in med instead.”

“Is your back all right?” Dev asked.

“Yeah. It’s okay.” Her companion twisted her body a little. “Just out of condition a little. Wish they had a pill or an instant program for that, I’ll tell ya.”

Dev smiled. “Me too.” She admitted. “It’s a lot of hard work.” She looked around at the empty halls. “Is the party still going on?”

Jess had been watching the ground as she walked. “Huh?” She cocked her head. “Oh. Yeah. Right. The party.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I don’t care. Maybe. You want to go back to it?” She looked at Dev who was shaking her head side to side definitively. “Right. I should check met, I guess... see when that window’s going to happen... how’s the carrier?”

Dev blinked at the onslaught of rambling details. “Ah.” She sorted through them. “We did some very good work today and Clint was going to finish the engines tonight. I think it will be ready for tomorrow at some time.”

“Great.” They reached Jess’s quarters and she scanned in and they walked inside. Jess halted after a few steps and stood still, sweeping her eyes around the room. “Hold it.”

Dev stopped and waited.

After a minute, Jess relaxed. “Ah. They just brought the jackets back.” She pointed at the chair, where two sets of them were draped. She walked over to them and lifted hers, then handed Dev the other one. “Might as well get out of your monkey suit.”

Dev looked at the jacket, then at her.

“Just a saying.” Jess tossed her jacket back over the chair back, stepping over to where Dev was standing and reaching out to gently ruffle her hair. “You don’t look like a monkey.” She said. “Go on and change and then we’ll sit down and have a glass of mead together.”

She watched Dev smile, then turn and walk over to the door, pausing to let it open and then going through, noting consciously the clean lines of Dev’s body and how well proportioned she was. Then she took in a breath and released it, going over to her uniform cabinet and opening it.

She put the jacket away and unsealed the catches on her sleeveless jumpsuit, peeling it off her body and setting it onto it’s holder. Then she paused and regarded her reflection in the mirror mounted in the back of the cabinet, scowling a little at what she saw.

Then that made her frown, and shake her head, as she grabbed a set of shorts and a tank and put them on. What the hell did she care what she looked like? It mattered only in the field sometimes, and then she had her clothes on and looked all right.

Outsiders didn’t see the scars. Hell, most insiders never saw them.

She went to the sanitary unit and ran a brush through her hair, which was almost dry after her swim. She met the somber regard of her own eyes in the smaller mirror, her thoughts going back to the pool.

Going back to that kiss.

Damn she’d enjoyed that. Jess stared at her reflection. She closed her eyes as she felt the sensation again, the faint, surprised reaction from Dev, and then, unmistakably, her response. Hard to say really which one of them was the more freaked out.

Might have been her. Dev seemed surprised and interested, but that was all. Did bio alts kiss up on station? Or anywhere? Jess was a little bemused to find herself very much wondering about that. Did she want to kiss Dev again?

Hm.

Did Dev want to kiss her again? Probably not. She probably was sitting down in her workspace right now and keying it up on her pad to find out what it all was about.

With a sigh, she turned and went back into her main area, just as the inner door opened and Dev came in, holding a box. “What’s that?”

“I was kind of hoping you’d tell me.” Dev came over and set the box down. She was also in shorts and a tank, and barefoot. “I found it in my space.”

Jess examined it thoughtfully. “It’s one of the boxes our nav modules come in.” She evaluated. “I’m guessing no one sent you a nav module.” She gently opened the box, tipping the top back and exposing the contents. She and Dev peered inside, almost bumping their heads together.

For a moment they regarded the contents in mutual silence. Then Jess reached in and picked up a sample, bringing it out and into the light. “Ah.”

“What are those?” Dev asked.

“Seashells.” Jess responded. She handed over the specimen, an oblong item with a tan and orange pattern on it. “NM-Dev-1, I think you have an admirer.” She wasn’t sure if she should be amused or pissed off. To have someone send this sort of crap to an ops tech....

“This is interesting.” Dev was turning the shell over in her fingers. “What does it mean?”

Well, most techs were men. Jess eyed her new partner. Most of them weren’t charming young women. “It means someone likes you, and sent you that because they thought you would like it, and by extension like them.” She pronounced. “It’s a present.”

Dev’s brow creased. She tilted her head and looked at Jess, visibly deeply confused.

Jess went to her small cabinet and took the mead and glasses out. She crooked a finger at Dev and then went to the steps up to her relaxation area, climbing up them and entering the quiet space.

Dev followed her, carrying the box.

Jess filled the glasses and put the bottle down on the small, low table, then sat down on the comfortable couch and waited for Dev to join her before she handed over her glass. “Here.”

“Thank you.” Dev leaned back and seemed to relax. “Could you explain this present thing?” She indicated the box. “I don’t really understand it.”

Jess took a long swallow of her mead, and let it slide down her throat into her gut first. “Well.” She said. “Um...” She looked sideways at Dev. “What do bio alts do when they like someone?”

Dev had to really think about that, so she took her time and did. What was Jess actually asking her? She cast her mind back over her life in the creche, and tried to imagine just giving something to someone to make them like her. Would she do that? Had she? “What exactly do you mean by like?” She finally asked.

Jess’s lips twitched. “Didn’t you have any friends up there? People you hung out with? That you wanted to do something for, just because?”

Dev stared into the glass she was holding between her hands, her eyes a little unfocused. Then she took a sip. “I don’t think I did.” She said, after a long pause. “I had daymeal sometimes with Gigi.” She said. “And we talked about things but I never wanted to do anything for her except maybe hold the disposal door open when she had to put her tray in.”

“That’s really not what I meant.”

“No I didn’t think so.” Dev said. “Oh, wait.” She said. “Is it like... I was in the mess this morning, and when I saw all the people, I thought about how you wouldn’t like it so I thought it would be nice if I brought you something?”

“Well...” Jess made a face. “Sort of.”

“Is it like this?” Dev held up her glass. “You do nice things for me.” She looked up at Jess, with a serious expression. “Do you do that because you like me?”

It was almost a disruptive honesty. Jess bit her tongue as she had the oddest sensation of momentarily losing control over her body and quite possibly her mind at the same time. “I.. um.” She felt warmth come over her and realized she was blushing.

What the hell? “Sure.. I mean, yes.” She regained control over her ability to communicate somewhat. “I think you’re.. um.” Jess found those curious and interested green eyes studying her. “Hey you’re my partner. I’m supposed to do stuff for you.”

Dev studied her glass again, a faint, wistful smile appearing on her face. “Oh.” She murmured. “Well, I’m glad about that.” She said. “But I was sort of hoping maybe you were being nice just because.” She took a sip, holding the snifter between her hands. “That would be an interesting thing to experience.”

Jess was caught flatfooted again. She had no idea what to say to that, or what to do about the sort of forlorn expression on the bio alts face. It made her stop and think again. “I’m.. um.. not really.. “ She paused. “ I w..want to be nice to you.” She stuttered a bit. “I don’t have to be. I don’t want you to think I do things because I..” She let the words trail off, not really sure what she was trying to say.

“Because you want me to like you?” Dev offered, softly. “You don’t have to. I do like you. I like you just because, and it made me feel good to bring you stuff from the mess.” She said. “So I think I get that now.”

“Oh.” Jess felt intense relief. “Good.”

“But it really doesn’t explain this.” Dev put the glass down, and picked up the box of shells. “Why would someone send these to me? I don’t know anyone else here but you.”

“Oh.” Jess set her glass down next to Dev’s and took the box. “I think Clint sent these to you.” She said. “I think he wants to get to know you better.”

“Ah.”

“Back in the day.” Jess was very glad they’d jumped subjects. “When someone was interested in someone else, and wanted to get to know them better, they sent them a nice present. Usually flowers.”

“We had those at the creche.” Dev said. “But no one was allowed to send them to anyone.”

“These are the new flowers.” Jess held up the shell. “So Clint’s saying he’s interested in getting to know you.”

Dev leaned back on the couch and folded her hands in her lap, regarding her companion thoughtfully. “Wouldn’t it be more productive for him just to ask me?”

Jess shrugged. “Do you want him to?”

“No.”

“Oh.” Jess put the box down.

“I think he’s pleasant and funny but I don’t want to get to know him any better.” Dev clarified. “I enjoy working with him, but I don’t think I would enjoy doing this with him.” She picked up her glass, and drank from it. “So what do you think I should do about these... um.. “ She picked up one of the shells and examined it curiously. “things?”

“I’ll take care of it.” Jess offered, in a quiet tone. “Don’t worry about it, Dev.”

“Thanks.” The bio alt smiled at her. “That’s very nice of you.”

Jess found herself smiling back. She picked her glass up and looked at it. “Do you like doing this?” She indicated it.

“I like spending time with you.” Dev said. “You make me feel human.”

Disruptive honesty. Jess felt her jaw drop a little, as she tried to process that with sufficient intent to come up with a response that was other than a splutter. She looked at her companion, feeling just a little short of breath, feeling her eyes blink repeatedly.

“Are you all right?” Dev asked, after a long moment. “You seem to be in some discomfort. Was that incorrect for me to say?”

“No.” Jess put her glass down and reached over to put her hand on Dev’s shoulder. “I think it was a huge damn compliment. Probably more than you know.” She felt the weird tension she’d been feeling relax and she smiled. “You make me feel human, too.”

Dev studied her for a minute, then smiled back.

“So.” Jess released her, and leaned back. “Let’s find something less weird to talk about.”

“Okay. Could you tell me about this mission thing?” Dev amiably went with the subject change. “Where are we going? What’s it going to be like?”

Jess picked up a control on the table and pointed it at a screen embedded in the wall. “Lemme show ya.” She said. “I don’t usually ask people up here to see my etchings, y’know.”

“Oh. Well, thanks.” Dev slid a little closer, as the screen lit. “Thats very nice of you.”

“When you see how bad I etch, you’ll change your mind.”

**

Dev hadn’t changed her mind. She had completely enjoyed seeing Jess’s sketches of the places they would be going, and even more, she’d enjoyed hearing Jess talk about them.

Now she was in her bed, curled up under the covers and in a state of almost profound bemusement. She felt strange, and warm, and like she wanted to giggle and she really didn’t know why, except that she was having a hard time thinking of anything except for Jess.

Well, she supposed that was natural. A lot of things had happened to them today, from their rough and ready meal in the morning, to the ceremony, to the party, to swimming to... well, the whole kissing thing, and then the mead and all that.

Tomorrow night they would finally go on their mission. Jess had told her they would spend several days on it, and might even have to sleep in the carrier while it was going on.

She found that thought very interesting.

Jess had also told her they would pass through at least one of the big strongholds where many people lived, and get a chance to see what that was like, and then go to a very remote place where she would meet with the fishermen she wanted to travel to the bad guys with.

It all sounded good. The mission itself, and the danger she thought Jess was trying to make small still worried her a lot, but the parts around it were getting her excited, and she had to admit she was looking forward to getting in the carrier and going off to do it.

It would take a lot of really hard work to get the carrier ready in time, but she was confident they could do it.

That made her think about Clint. She wondered about that box of shells. It was hard to decide if that was a good thing he’d done or not a good thing, though she thought maybe he thought it was good. He seemed like a nice person, and she didn’t think he was trying to get something from her, but Jess seemed to think maybe he was.

She wasn’t sure what the something was. Jess had gotten all flustered again when she’d asked, there at the end after they’d found themselves talking about it again so she’d just dropped the subject.

She thought it was really cute when Jess got like that. There was something really sweet and nice about it, since usually Jess was so strong and self possessed. It would be excellent of course, if she knew why simple straightforward questions seemed to evoke that, but she supposed eventually she’d figure it out.

Dev curled her arms around her pillow and exhaled in contentment. It had been such a good day. She was trying really to decide which had been the best part of it - Jess saying they were partners, or that kissing thing.

She was so proud about being a partner. She’d looked the word up when she’d finally left Jess’s quarters and found the description to be very good. It said Jess wanted to continue working with her, and maybe, it meant Jess was starting to trust her in a way she hadn’t really expected since she didn’t actually think she’d done much to earn that trust yet.

So that was excellent.

But, now, that kissing thing.

That was pretty interesting too. Dev had, of course, had her basic biology class and she knew all about that. They’d studied the science of reproduction - though it wasn’t anything any of them would ever expect to know in person since they did things to them to make them not have babies. So there was no point in the rest of it, according to the lessons.

She remembered talking after class, and everyone wondering what the big deal was and why the natural born were so fixated about it.

What she hadn’t known was what it would be like, and how interesting it made her body feel. She hadn’t felt like that during the class, nor after, but if she closed her eyes and thought about it now, about that touch on her lips, she felt that feeling again, and she really liked it.

She had wanted to ask Jess if they could try that again, but it had gotten really late, and she could see Jess was tired. So she saved that for another day, and she figured maybe they could talk about it on the flight.

Jess had said there would be a market in the stronghold they’d visit. Dev closed her eyes and smiled. That would be interesting and she was looking forward to it.

Maybe she’d be able to find Jess a present.

**

It turned out, the next morning, that Dev ended up handling the Clint issue herself anyway. After a very early breakfast she’d gone to the carrier bay, and got to work right off helping get her vehicle ready. She was inside the carrier, lying on the floor with her head inside a console when she heard steps on the ladder and peeked out to see Clint enter.

He came right over and sat down on the floor next to her, crossing his legs and resting his elbows on his knees. “Hi.”

“Hello.” Dev shifted so her head was in view. “Good morning.”

“Listen, I have something to explain to you.” Clint said. “I did something but I dind’t really think it through, so I wanted to apologize.”

Ah. Interesting. “Do you mean the box?” Dev inquired.

Clint nodded, blushing a little. “I just thought it would be something you’d like.” He said. “I didn’t think about how new you were, or that.. um.... I mean maybe it wasn’t something you were used to.”

“Because I’m a bio alt?”’

“Uh.. something like that.”

Dev considered. “I’m not. I had no idea what that was. Jess had to explain it to me.” She admitted, watching his face tense into a grimace at her partner’s name.

Her partner’s name. That threw Dev right off her intent and she had to wrestle her attention back with a surprising amount of effort. “I thought the shells were really interesting. I would like to know more about them, but you don’t have to send me things to prompt me to talk to you.”

Clint blushed a deeper shade of red.

“I’m not really comfortable with all that yet. “ Dev explained in a serious tone. “I got a lot of programming about tech and this.” She pointed at the console. “But not very much about how to deal with natural born people.”

“Ah.” Clint cleared his throat. ‘Well, sure. That makes a lot of sense.” He said. “Was Jess pissed off?”

Pissed off. Pissed off. “Was she angry?” Dev hazarded. “No, I don’t think so.” She shook her head. “She didn’t sound angry. She said she would talk to you about it.”

Clint went a little pale now. “Okay, well, I guess I should get back to work. Anyway.. ah.. thanks for understanding. Maybe we can just talk sometimes.”

“Clint?” Dev edged a little further out. “May I ask you a question?”

“Uh. Sure.”

“Why are you so afraid of Jess?”

Clint stared at her for a long, long moment “Yeah I guess they didn’t tell you that much about things, huh?” He said. “Just don’t get on her bad side. That’s all I’ll say.” He got up and dusted his coveralls off. “Maybe you should get your ..uh.. whatever those people are to fill you in a little. “

“I think that’s a good idea.”

Clint froze, then whirled, as a figure entered the carrier. “Hey! Who the hell are you coming in here?” He put himself between the figure and Dev.

“Doctor Dan!” Dev crawled out from her position and sat up. “It’s okay, Clint. This is Doctor Dan. He brought me here from the creche.”

“Sorry.” Clint edged around the newly installed gunner’s couch and got to the door. “Talk to you later, Dev.” He scrambled down the steps, leaving them quickly behind.

Dev started to get up, but then sat back down when Doctor Dan waved her back, coming over to sit down on the deck next to her. “Good morning, Dev. Did you like the party last night?”

“It was okay.” Dev said. “It was a little strange for me. But it was all right.”

“It’s a lot to get used to.” Doctor Dan agreed. He was dressed in a plain, dark jumpsuit, with no markings or insignia at all. It contrasted with his pale hair and he seemed comfortable in it. “There were a lot of things going on last night. I wanted to know if you needed me to explain anything to you.”

“I think it was okay.” Dev said. “But I would like you to explain to me about kissing.”

Doctor Dan blinked, his eyes going a little wider. “About what?” He asked, in a very startled tone.

“Kissing.” Dev repeated. “I know what we got in school, but I think they left out some details.”

The scientist laughed gently, lifting one hand to cover his eyes. “I’m sorry, Dev.” He said. “I never anticipated having to discuss this particular subject with one of you.” He looked at her. “In fact, a very dear friend of mine would be laughing so hard we couldn’t hear ourselves think if he’d been here for it.”

‘I”m sorry.” Dev said. “Was it incorrect to ask?”

“No.” Doctor Dan leaned against the console, extending his legs across the carrier deck. ‘It’s never wrong to ask questions, Dev. Even if it’s uncomfortable for someone to answer them.” He folded his hands together. “Are you asking me this because you want to try it, or because you have?”

“I have.” Dev said. “I mean, I did. One time.” She clarified.

“And you want to do it again.” This wasn’t quite a question, and Doctor Dan was giving her one of his sweet, gentle smiles.

“Yes.” Dev smiled back at him. “I really liked it.”

Doctor Dan sighed. “Where do I start.” He muttered to himself. “I think we need to talk more than once about this, Dev, and I know you have a mission you’re going on this afternoon.” He said. “So let me ask you this first, was it that gentlemen who just left that you.. ah.. kissed?”

“No.” Dev said in a mild tone. “It was Jess.”

Doctor Dan studied her for a long moment in utter silence. “I see.” He finally said, slowly. “Did she ask you to do this, Dev?”

Dev shook her head. “No, I asked her.” She replied. “I wondered what it would be like, and said that, and she said okay and kissed me. I liked it.” She wasn’t really sure how Doctor Dan felt about it all, he was acting a little funny, and now, something else must have happened because he was trying hard not to laugh. “Was it incorrect?”

Doctor Dan rubbed his face. “No.” He said. “It’s not incorrect... well, not in that sense, Dev.” He said. “There are rules... oh, well, not really rules more customs .. “ he said. “That natural born people here know they are not supposed to make biological alternatives do things like that when they don’t want to.”

“I wanted to.”

“Yes, I understand.” Doctor Dan’s eyes were now gravely twinkling. “You asked her to do that.”

“Yes.” Dev said, in a positive tone.

Her mentor was quiet for a little bit. “It’s not unknown, in this service, for people who are working very closely together to want to do things like that.” He said. “The most important thing is, that it be something that both people want to do, and not feel like they have to do. You understand me, Dev?”

Dev nodded. “I do.” She said. “I remember what happened with TeeJay in the creche.”

Doctor Dan’s lips compressed, and he nodded. “That is what I mean. I don’t want you to get into a situation where something bad happens and you are unhappy.”

“Okay.” Dev said. “It was only a kiss.”

“Yes.” Doctor Dan smiled at her again. “But the way it works, Dev, is that you start by kissing, and then that feels good, so you want to do other things.”

“What other things?”

“Things like touching, and giving pleasure.” Doctor Dan said. “It feels so good you don’t want to stop and it can be very attention consuming and emotional.”

“Oh.” Dev said. “Thats very interesting.” She paused thoughtfully. “Does Jess know about all of this? She seemed to know about kissing.”

“I’m sure she does.” Her mentor said dryly. “But I think you should wait to talk to her about it until after your mission. I know you’ll both be very busy.” He glanced up as loud noises started outside the carrier. “And I think there’s some work needing to be done here.”

“Yes.” Dev said. “We have to get the hull sealed.” She explained. “Thank you for explaining that, Doctor Dan. But.. “ She hesitated. “It’s a correct thing, isn’t it?”

Doctor Dan looked at that young, innocent face, now smudged a little with silicon grease, and smiled. “To be honest, Dev, if you were in one of the regular bio alt positions, or in the creche, it would be incorrect.” He said, straightforwardly. “Mostly to protect you.”

She nodded.

“But you’re not.” He said, quietly. “You’re in a role that makes you the equal of all the natural born humans around you. I think you know that.”

She nodded again.

“So, along with the responsibility of performing that role with excellence, you also have to take on the burden of relating to them as though you were one of them.” Doctor Dan said. “That’s a difficult thing, because they don’t all see it that way.”

“No.”

“But Jesslyn Drake does.” He said. “So no, Dev, it’s not incorrect for you in this case, but please be careful. I would hate to see you become unhappy because of all of this.”

Dev wasn’t sure how kissing could make her unhappy, but she accepted Doctor Dan’s words at face value. “I will be careful.” She said. “Especially on the mission. Kissing seems to make Jess very distracted. I wouldn’t want to do that and end up with less than excellent results.”

Doctor Dan started laughing again. “Oh Dev.” He shook his head, still chuckling. “Ah, to be young and facing life for the first time again.”

Dev chuckled herself, a little, more because her mentor was than because she understood the joke. “This is such an excellent position. I’m so glad you picked me for it, Doctor Dan.”

Kurok let his chuckles wind down, and then he patted her leg. “Go and do well. We can talk more about this when you get back. Okay?”

“Okay.” Dev watched him stand up. “Thanks again Doctor Dan.”

He winked at her and then went to the carrier door, giving it an affectionate slap before he disappeared down the stairs leaving Dev alone inside.

Whew. That was a lot to think about. Dev squirmed back under the console and picked up her adjustment tool. But in the meantime, there was a lot of work to do, and she decided to set aside the thoughts and get down to it.

**

Jess assembled her mission information package and sat down at her workspace to go over it. Met had finally cleared them, and she spread out the maps, laying out the routes she wanted to take and reviewing the contacts.

A small folder was set to one side that had their false credentials in it. Jess paused a moment and opened it, sorting through the scan cards and traveling passports with her and Dev’s holos in them.

She studied Dev’s. They’d assigned her a fake name of Devlin Marks, using the standard theory that one’s own first name should be used whenever possible since it reduced the amount of gotchas in any situation. Her own this time was Jessie Arnula.

Not really one she favored, but what the hell. Jess set the creds aside and poured over the latest intelligence, checking her chrono then reaching over to tap the comms. “Hey Dev?”

After a second and a short crackling noise, her pilot answered. “Hello!”

“How’s it going?”

“Very well.” Dev said. “The interior systems are complete. They are putting the outer skin on presently.”

“Great.” Jess smiled. “Good job.”

Dev’s smile could clearly be heard over the com. “Thank you.” She said. “I will be asking for the comp synch soon.” She said. “And run engine tests.”

“Great.” Jess repeated. “Keep me looped.”

“Um. Okay.” Dev said, and signed off.

Jess chuckled and shook her head, going back to studying her metrics. It was a relatively straightforward plan. They’d pull in to Cape Quebec and pick up outsider supplies, then stop at Interforce’s North Station and get the latest met as well as any last minute intel.

Then a hop to the outlands. Dev would need to park the bus likely in an ice cave, and they would have to hike in to the fishing village. “Supply?” Jess pressed a com button. “Drake.” She said, when it answered. “Leaving plus four I need two arctic kits in my bus.”

“Got it.” A voice responded, and clicked off.

Jess whistled under her breath, then paused, wondering why she was so damned happy. Hadn’t she been the one who’d been finding any excuse not to leave just two days ago? Now she felt nothing but anticipation and confidence, and she was human and self knowing enough to stop and wonder why.

Maybe the induction the previous night had helped. Even the grudging acceptance of her new position was bracing, and she’d gone from feeling like something of a failure to being in a place where she was ready to envision success.

It felt good. Jess studied her hands. She felt good today. She picked up the communications folder and studied the inside of it, seeing the brief acknowledgement from North Station, and the latest overhead sat map of the ice flows.

It would be a cold mission. Jess made a note to get them both some warm undergarments in Cape Quebec, more than the light synth ones they issued here.

A light knock at her door made her look up. “Come.”

The door opened, and Alex Bain entered. Jess was caught by surprise, and she half stood as he sauntered over and sat down in one of the chairs across from her desk. “Sir.”

“Sit, Drake.” He waved at her. “This is an informal meeting.”

Jess sat. To have Bain call you in, that they’d come to understand was normal. Even to have him call you to ops command? Normal, though creepy. To get a visit in your quarters? “What can I do for you?”

Bain studied her intently. “I have some information I wanted to pass along to you before you depart.” He said. “Where is your charming new colleague?”

“Fixing the bus.” Jess said. “At this point it wouldn’t surprise me if she could knit one from scratch.”

A smile crossed Bains long, craggy face. “You have developed a.. hm.. strong appreciation.. for this bio alt.”

Jess hesitated, then she nodded. “I like her.”

Bain nodded back. “We have just received confirmation that we still have a leak inside.” He said. “That is the main reason I am here, in your bedroom, telling you and not in the operations center.”

“Damn.”

“Hm.” Bain nodded again. “That is what was behind the attack on Dr. Kurok. Word had gotten to the other side of his .. hm.. success with your new pilot.”

“Partner.” Jess corrected him quiet.

“Indeed?” Bain’s eyes twinkled. “That would dismay our friends all the more, I believe. But it surprises me, hmm? You were so adamantly against it.”

Jess looked at her hands, folded together on the table. “It surprises me too.” She admitted. “I never got to say it, but thanks.” She looked up at him. “Glad I bumped into you on the top of that rampway.”

A completely different smile appeared on his face. “It was my great pleasure.”

They were both silent for a few moments. “We have to find this person.” Bain finally said. “I’ve had security go over every single record a half dozen times. They have found, ah, nothing.”

“We have to trap them.” Jess said. “You won’t find anything, and the fact that what they sent over was broadly known information should tell you something. Our last run, when no one really knew what the plan was, didn’t get leaked.”

Bain nodded thoughtfully. “That ah, had occurred to me.”

“So.” Jess said. “There are two major bits of information I let slide for this mission. One, that I was stopping at Quebec, and two, that I would report in at North before I went on. The rest of the gig.. the only person I told that to was Dev.”

“I see.”

Jess picked up a bit of plasfilm and handed it to him. “That’s who I told what.” She said. “So let’s see what happens when I get to both places.”

Bain slowly smiled at her.

“Now, they can do one of two things.” Jess said. “They can try to stop me before I get there, or they can wait until I get there, and trap me. They tried option 2 already once. Didn’t work out so well for them.”

“No it didn’t.” Bain agreed.

“Letting me get close last time didn’t work out so well either.” Jess said. “So I’m hoping they think I’m dangerous enough to want them to stop me ahead of time, and if they do, then maybe we’ll know who it is.”

“Hm.” The old man grunted. “But you will be careful, won’t you, Drake? I would hate for anything permanent to happen to you, or to that charming young lady.”

Jess smiled. “Dev is safe with me.”

“Hm. And on the mission as well.” Bain stood up. “Very well. Keep me advised.” He offered his hand. “Good luck, Drake. Glad you rose to the challenge.”

Jess shook his hand, and then he was gone, the door sliding shut behind him. She leaned back in her chair and nodded to herself. She figured if she pulled this off, there was a decent chance Bain would kick Stephen into Brickers job, and her into Stephens.

She had almost two sleeves. She’d busted her ass. She had more brains than anyone else in the bunch here, and damn it, she’d earned the chance.

Damn right she had. Jess gathered her documentation together, and packed it up into her flight kit. Then she got up and headed for the door, figuring maybe they could use another set of hands on the carrier to get it flight ready.

She grinned wryly. Or at least, Dev could.

Part 9

Dev ducked back into her quarters, half out of breath as she let the door close and took a moment to sit down and think about what she needed to do next.

She’d just taken the carrier through it’s flight certification, a first for her, and she was very pleased when the check out pilot had signed her off after a single round of tests.

Very good. Even though the pilot had been grumpy, and seemed not to like her. He’d muttered something about barbie dolls, which she had no idea of the meaning of, and finally just keyed in his okay and told her to land.

She had, and then gotten Jess’s call to get herself ready, and now here she was. The problem was, she really wasn’t entirely sure what she was supposed to be doing besides getting into her pilot’s jumpsuit and collect her helmet.

A shower seemed appropriate, though, so she hauled herself to her feet and slipped into the wet room, shucking out of her work coverall and into the warm stream of water, it’s pulsing pressure feeling very good against her skin as she washed the dust and grime off it.

The soap smelled nice and felt even better, and she gladly scrubbed her hair to rid it of both silcon and sweat. She let the hot water pound against her for a minute, then she shut it off and shook herself hard sending droplets against the wall with tiny little spitting sounds. “Ahh.”

Then she picked up a folded towel and started drying herself off, wrapping the towel around her and tucking the end in as Jess had taught her before she ran her comb through her hair.

“Hey!” Jess’s voice echoed as the inner door opened. “Dev?”

“In here.” Dev called out. “I was just taking a shower.” She was glad she’d finally gotten the word for it in her mental storage, and could now call it by it’s proper name. She glanced to her left as Jess poked her head in and gave her companion a smile. “Hello.”

Jess was in the simple undergarment she wore under her heavy jumpsuit. It was a mild gray in color and hugged her body. “We’ll have to pack a kit.” She said. “A lot more stuff than the last time.”

“I thought that was possibly so.” Dev turned. “I just wanted to get clean first.”

“So I see.” Jess grinned. “Carrier all done?”

“Yes.” Dev nodded positively. “All ready to go.” She followed Jess out into the larger part of her space. “Do you know a person named Davis?”

“Ahhugh.” Jess stopped and turned, regarding her wryly. “Johnson Davis? Crotchety old bastard who doesn’t have a good word to say for anyone and looks like he sleeps in his clothes?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” Jess indicated the pack that had come in box Bain had sent. “That’s what you use for the kit.”

“He was the one who did the flight check on the carrier with me. He seemed to be in some kind of discomfort.” Dev reported. “So I was wondering.”

“He’s an asshole.” Jess wandered over to cabinet and studied the corner of it.

“Um. Okay.” Dev got into a pair of underwraps, then a twin of the suit Jess was wearing that felt nice and soft against her skin. “Does he feel uncomfortable about my being a bio alt?”

“No. He just hates women. He probably isn’t even aware you’re a bio alt.” Jess told her. “He’s the one thing Sandy and I agree on.”

“Oh.” Dev eyed her. “I see.”

“So here.” Jess started pointing. “You’ll need the jacket, a couple of extra undersuits, and one of those colored jumps like that blue one. We don’t wear blacks in places like Cape Quebec.”

“Okay.” Dev neatly folded the items and fit them into the pack. “Why not?”

“Hm.” Jess held a hand up. “Okay, let’s sit down a minute and talk about being outside.” She motioned towards the chairs. Dev detoured over to her drink dispenser and got out two containers, then came over and handed Jess one before they both sat down.

“Thanks.” Jess studied the container, before she opened it and took a sip. “So you decided you like this stuff?” She held up the kack.

“Yes, it seems so.” Dev smiled. “It’s a little fizzy, and that’s very interesting to my tongue.”

“Aha.” Jess cleared her throat a little. “Okay, so - the deal is this. When we’re here, we’re just who we are. You got that right?”

After a brief hesitation, Dev nodded. “I think so.”

“When we’re out there, most of the time we don’t want to be who we really are.” Jess said. “It’s not always safe.”

Dev’s eyes lit up a little. “Oh. You mean we’ll be undercover.” She pronounced the word carefully. “Pretending to be someone else, correct?”

Jess looked surprised. “Right.” She said. “Did they give you programming about that?”

“Yes.” Dev said. “That came in the job programming. Not specific things, but the need to do that.” She explained. “And how to hide and all that. I know the programmers and Doctor Dan were concerned because we do have this.” She touched her neck. “And that’s hard to hide.”

“Turtlenecks for you.” Jess smiled, then muffled a chuckle at the look of mild bewilderment on her partner’s face. Partner. Jess sighed internally. Didn’t I say I wasn’t going to do that again? So why did I? “It’s a shirt that has a high collar.” She explained. “You just have to remember not to take your clothes off outside.”

“Okay.” Dev amiably agreed. “I won’t.” She paused. “Well, not unless you tell me to.”

Jess shot her a quick look, and swore she saw a twinkle in those green eyes. “Riiiiight.” She drawled. “I’ll have to remember that.” She waited, but the bio alt’s expression remained mild and inquisitive. “Anyway, we usually put together a cover before we leave, and we get credentials issued to us that match that. Hang on.” She got up and went into her quarters.

“Hang on to what?” Dev wondered to herself. “Hang on to the chair?” She peered around. “To the cup?” She sat back as Jess returned, carrying a folder in her hands. “Hang on to you?”

Jess paused in mid step. “What?”

“Sorry.” Dev took a sip from her container. “I was just thinking about something.”

Jess sat down, leaning on one arm of the chair. “Okay.” She handed Dev a set of cards, and a holder. “This is yours.”

Dev accepted them, putting down her container and studying the materials. She blinked, when she realized the first set of cards was a citizens credentials, with her picture on it and an unfamiliar name. “This is very interesting.”

“Yeah, not bad.” Jess was sorting through hers. “So, when we go into Quebec let me do the talking.” She said. “The names they issued us are close enough to our own that it would be hard to slip up, but think about the name they gave you so you respond to it if anyone asks you about the card.”

“Right.” Dev agreed. “What’s yours” She peered at Jess’s card. “Oh, okay. I see.”

“When we get to the North Station, you just be yourself.” Jess said. “But in the outlands - don’t let on to anyone that you’re not a... what did you call us?”

“Natural born.” Dev said. “But they won’t call it that will they? So I’ll just be a regular person.”

Jess smiled a little. “Yes.” She paused. “Why natural born?”

“Well, because you are.” Dev said. “Born naturally.”

Jess considered that. “And you aren’t?”

“No. They make us up in test tubes.” Dev responded, with a brief grin. “The scientists, like Doctor Dan, select the genes and mix us up and then give us a little zap to get the division started. Then they put us in a shell, and once we outgrow that, into an incubator. Then they hatch us.”

Jess stared at her, blinking. “Are you messing with me?” She asked, after a brief silence.

“Messing.” Her pilot mused. “Is that like... are you asking me if I’m making a joke?” She watched Jess nod hesitantly. “No,, that’s really how they do it. So .. that’s why we call you natural born.”

‘All righty then.” Jess got up. “Lets get packed and get going. We’ve got a long trip ahead of us.” She toasted Dev with her drink. “Stick some of these and some crackers in your kit if you want - always good to have some extra with us.”

“Okay.” Dev got up and retrieved her pack, making sure everything was neatly tucked inside it, and taking Jess’s suggestion she added a few bottles of kack and several packets of the seaweed crackers. She also tucked a spare pare of underwraps inside, and a set of her sleeping clothes since she remembered Jess saying they would be gone for days.

Then, after a pause, she put her book inside the pack too. She sealed everything up, and went to the cabinet to take down her flight suit and get into it. It made her a little excited, feeling the heavier fabric close around her as she arranged the clips and feeds she would hook into the carrier.

She put her boots on, straightening up just as Jess poked her head in the door, her body encased in it’s familiar black semi armor. “Ready?” She asked the agent.

“Ready.” Jess said. “Grab your pack and let’s go to the hangar.”

Dev emptied her container, then she went back and picked up her pack, slinging it onto her back and adjust the straps. She ran her fingers through her hair, now mostly dry, and went into Jess’s quarters to find her seating her sidearm into it’s holster, her hair pulled back into a tail.

Jess shouldered her own pack and they exited their quarters, emerging into the random traffic of the after lunchtime shift change. They attracted some looks, Dev realized, people who caught their flight suits and possibly wondered were they were going.

People did, sometimes. She remembered the whispered speculation in the creche when sets were being sent on assignment, and her last talk like that with Gigi when she wondered if she would ever go.

Now, Dev had to laugh to herself, or maybe at herself for that. She certainly had gotten an assignment hadn’t she? They didn’t stop to talk to anyone, and in a few minutes they were at the hangar, moving across the vast open space towards the landing pad their carrier was sitting on.

Right where she left it. Dev noted. There were six or so bio alts scrambling around the outside, and the hatch was open, last minute details being taken care of as their launch time neared. The carrier was surrounded by faint wisps of offgassing and Dev could feel a distinct thrill as she took in the vehicles powerful outline.

“Looks good.” Jess said. “Nice work.”

Dev smiled. “I just did a small part.” She demurred. “There were many people working on it.”

They cleared around the last work pedestal and approached the pad. “Well.” Jess paused, studying the side. “The mech team thought you did a good enough job to put your name on it. Good sign.” She pointed at the side of the carrier, where Dev’s name had been stenciled right under hers.

“Oh!” Dev’s eyes widened. She slowed long enough to study the letters as they walked up the ramp, dodging an exiting bio alt who was carrying a calibration rig. “I didn’t expect that.”

“I figured once word got around they might.” Jess went into the carrier without explaining that cryptic remark, but Dev lingered a moment to let her eyes trace over the blocky, capital letter DEV inked on the metal side. Not her designation, just the short name and she found herself grinning just to see it.

“Looks good huh?” Clint ducked under the engine pod, wiping his hands on a rag. “They just finished. Hope you leave it in one piece long enough for the paint to dry.”

Dev made a face. “I’ll try.” She said. “I know we caused a lot of hard work.”

“You did some yourself.” Clint said. “Good luck, Dev. Bring her back in one piece and you all in it.”

“Thank you.” Dev gave him a smile. “I”ll do my best.” She patted the side of the ship and ducked inside, only just avoiding crashing headlong into Jess. “Oh!”

“Sorry.” Jess backed up. “C’mon in. I like the new chair.” She let Dev enter then she went over and sealed the hatch. “Once you get everything squared away, lets get clearance and get out of the bathtub.”

Dev strapped her pack down next to her station and sat down in the pilots chair, strenuously resisting asking Jess what a bathtub was. She checked her initial settings, then she started up the comp and began her preflight checks.

Of course, she’d done all that before the certification lift, but her programming told her in no uncertain terms that they had to be done every single time and she could feel the stress on that which indicated to her that this was an important thing.

She listened to Jess rattling around behind her, getting her own pack lashed down, arranging her hold down straps, and checking the weapons and drop kit.

Dev settled the comm set on her head and slipped the earpiece in, hearing the low murmur of ops traffic on the link as she brought the nav comp online. “BR27006, comm check.”

“Stand by 27006.” Ops came back quickly.

“Standing by.” Dev lit up the engine systems board and started running the checks on the new systems, pleased with the response to her test signals.

“27006, Central ops, register comm check, clear channel.”

Dev tuned in the channel a little, her sensitive ears hearing the digital shaping as it evened out. “Central ops, BR27006 reads clear channel, good comm check.” She locked the signal in and released a test squirt, then studied the engine status and the readouts from the navigation comp. “Systems coming online.” She warned Jess.

“I hear em.” Jess grunted. “Give me power please.”

Dev opened the power channel to the weapons systems, her eyes flicking to her boards as the carrier drew current from their umbilical to soak the batteries. She checked the multiple fuel cells, and nodded at the full charge, reaching over to pretune the internal generator that would take over once they were disconnected from the base.

“They asking for a route?” Jess called from the back.

Dev regarded the comp. “No, they aren’t. Just standing by.” She said. “Everything ‘s online. Should I ask for flight clearance?”

“Hang on.” Jess settled into her bucket seat, locking the restraint straps around her and feeling the gently snug against her body to hold her down. They had a fast release plate positioned over her chest, and a single slap could get her out of them because you just never knew what was going to happen even in flight.

She tested the new chair, feeling it solid and easily swiveled, and she pulled down her targetting comps, pleased with the feel of the new surface under her. The chair was decently padded, and she reached behind her back, pushing the pads experimentally. “Hey.”

“Yes?” Dev turned around in her seat.

“They put extra pillows in this thing?” Jess watched her pilot blush slightly. “Hm?”

“Not exactly.” Dev said. “I asked them to add a little bit of support for your back.” She admitted. “I thought you would like that.”

Jess studied her, caught between embarrassment and pleasure. “Do you have any idea how much crap I’m going to have to take for that from the rest of the agents?”

“No, I don’t.” Dev said. “I didn’t consider them when I asked.” She frowned. “Why would they care what your chair was like?”

“Hm.” Did she care if they cared? Jess wriggled a little and felt the comfort of the extra support on either side of her spine, and at the base. It felt good, and she decided she really didn’t care if they cared. “I dunno.” She said. “It’s great, thanks Dev.”

Dev smiled, and turned back around. “All systems are online and ready.” She fastened her own restraints, taking a peek at Jess in the small strip of mirror above her console. She could see the little grin on her face as she regarded the chair and she grinned herself, glad she’d asked for that small comfort.

The bio alt doing the chair, one of the craftsman BeeAre set had listened seriously to her, and done what she’d asked without question, showing her a personal level of respect that was both surprising and gratifying. It was a small thing, but she was now very glad she’d done it.

“Okay, tell them to crack open the top.” Jess said, as she leaned back in her surprisingly comfortable seat. “Let’s get this party started.”

“BR27006 to pad support, please undock umbilicals.” Dev spoke into her mic, catching sight of two bio alts ducking under the engine pod in response. She poised her fingers over the power grid, and as they unlocked the port and removed it, she activated the internal power feed and brought them online. “Internal systems green, please clear for lift.”

“Pad control, we’re clear, BR27006. Good mission.”

“Thank you, pad control.” Dev changed channels. “Central operations, BR27006 requesting flight access please.”

Jess chuckled from behind her.

Overhead, she heard the big doors start to open and a moment later, she heard the clearance come back into her ear. “BR27006 acknowledge. Lifting.” Dev spooled up the engines and engaged the bottom jets, taking them up towards the opening roof with steady confidence.

It was a rare moment of no rain. Dev took the carrier up into the clear air, and did a circle, scanning the horizon before she settled with the carrier’s nose pointed to the north. She keyed in the coordinates Jess had given her for Quebec City, and checked her consoles one more time. “Ready?”

“Go go gadget.” Jess said. “Keep your eyes out for bad guys. I may fall asleep here in my comfy chair.”

Dev smiled, and engaged the main engines, heading them off into this new adventure.

**

Cape Quebec wasn’t that far, Dev discovered. She spotted the cliff face full of lights ahead of them as her nav station beeped, and she adjusted her speed lower. “That’s it?”

“That’s it.” Jess agreed, putting her hand on the back of Dev’s chair and peering through the sectioned windows. “Okay we can’t valet park this bus, so you’re going to have to land on the plateau there, see the opening?”

“Yes.” Dev said. “Go down in there?”

“Yeah.” Jess returned to her seat and locked her restraints. “There’s an old stairway cut into the rock. It’s a hike, but the carrier’ll be hidden and they won’t see what direction we came from.”

It all sounded quite mysterious. Dev angled the carrier towards the cliff wall, and cut the mains, using the landing jets to gently lower the carrier past the crevice. It was all shadows and gray stone, with water drizzling off the edges and making a constant rattle and thunder past them as she found a bit of higher stone and set the vehicle down onto it. “Okay?”

“Great.” Jess stood up and hit a set of switches. “We’ll blend in here.” She started getting out of her armored suit. “Now we need to change into civs.”

Dev finished shutting down the engines and as she did, and their distinctive whine faded, she could hear the rain falling on the carrier’s roof, and the drum of the water on the ground outside.

Outside. Aside from her brief movement from the shuttle to the citadel and her visits to the ledge, this would be her first big exposure to outside, and Dev found herself a little unsettled over it. Dr. Dan had talked to her about it - about being outside under that vast, gray sky but talking about it and doing it were two very different things.

"You okay?" Jess was apparently watching her.

"Yes." Dev opened her pack and removed the blue jumpsuit, unsnapping the catches on her flight suit. "I was just wondering what it was like to be on the ground outside."

Jess paused as she fastened the neck on her civs, They were rust and gold, flashier than the ones Dev was donning. "Oh that's right. You came from outer space. I forgot."

Dev smiled as she finished fastening her suit. She picked up the jacket Bain had sent her and held it, not entirely sure what should happen next. Jess seemed to be sorting through some things so she put the jacket back down and went to the dispenser and took out a small bottle of water.

"Run an external scan, willya?" Jess asked. "Doesn't pay to take a chance."

Glad of something to do, Dev went back to her station and sat down. She opened the water and took a sip, then put the bottle in it's gimbaled holder ad activated the scan. She set the routine running, observing the results and glancing outside the carrier window to match the terrain with the scan.

It was rocky outside, and dark with clouds and rain. The carrier was settled between a half dozen large boulders and she had slid it just under a slight ledge which protected it somewhat. The area around them was clear of any life at all - only rocks and rubble were around them with some small patches of moss being the only hint of color.

"Clear?"

"Yes." Dev responded. "Nothing for 500 meters at least."

"Good." Jess finished tucking various things in her pockets. She walked over and picked up her own jacket. "Okay. Now we climb up the steps to a path I know, and that will take us to one of the outer entrances of the city. You need to stay close with me, and for now, don't talk unless you have to. We're just here to shop, we're a couple of bored techs on a day holiday from the Rocky Mountain generating center. Got it?"

"Got it." Dev rummaged in her memory for details about the generating center which she'd had some basic programming on. Science and research were done there, she knew, along with it's primary responsibility of creating and storing hydro power in massive sealed batteries.

Was it a target, she wondered. Like the facility they themselves were trying to breach?

"C'mon.". Jess shrugged into her jacket and fastened a colorful patch on the outside. She waited for Dev to mimic her then attached a similar one on her sleeve. "There. Now you work for Energine.". She patted Dev on the shoulder and went to the door. "I'm keying this so only the two of us can get back in. Anyone else tries it"ll blow a hole the size of the docking cavern."

"I see." Dev said. "This stop here - it's to obtain supplies?"

Jess hit the door release and the hatch thumped open, admitting a gust of cold, wet air. "Yeah. Some outside gear I need for the ice fields and to get current gossip. The intel we get in the citadel sometimes isn't really current - not to mention it' could be planted. I like to listen to whats going on before I do an insertion." Another mistake on her last mission. She'd let Josh talk her into skipping the recon.

She pulled her jacket hood up and fastened the neck cover then eased down the unfolded steel steps and got her boots on the wet rock before she motioned Dev forward. Though her head was well covered by the fabric the half frozen rain pelted her face and she blinked a little at the harshness of it. “Ugh.”

Dev spent a moment absorbing the experience. She could feel the half rain, half ice drops pelting the surface of the fabric encasing her, and she made a mental note to go back and thank Alexander Bain for providing the jacket to her. She lifted a hand and pulled the glove off it, feeling the sting of the rain and the chill before she put it back on. “That's interesting.”

Jess eyed her. “Not interesting enough to stay out in it. Let's go.” She circled the carrier and climbed up a small rise towards the cliff walls, pausing to turn and look back at the vehicle. “Nice.” She complimented Dev. “That new mottled skin really works.”

Now that the hatch was closed, you would be hard pressed to identify the carrier against its landscape. The outer shell had taken on the tones of the surrounding rock, blending the metal until it was almost invisible.

“Yes.” Dev agreed. “Clint was really happy with how it turned out. It's a new thing. He said it would help us hide against the clouds, too.”

“If we want to hide.” Jess turned and started away from the small ledge they'd parked on. “Quebec's a mix these days. Used to just be a supply depot, since theyve got a decent harbor, but they finally dug out the cliff and fixed the roofs of all those old buildings and people drifted in from the outlands.”

“I see.” Dev was keeping up with her companions long strides with a bit of difficulty. The uneven ground was new to her, and she was having some trouble keeping her balance on it. “What do they do there?” She asked, more to keep Jess talking since she'd studied the records in comp on the place when Jess had told her they were going there.

“Fish mostly.” Jess promptly supplied. “They've got enough coastline to harvest weed, but they're big on shallow water shellfish too.” She licked her lips thoughtfully. “Be glad to introduce you to those. Since they got enough people around, they've got markets and grub too.”

Shellfish. Shell, and fish? “Do they have anything to do with that gift from Clint?” Dev hazarded.

“No.” Jess chuckled. “Well, actually.. “ She pondered. “Sort of I guess. They do get tiny crabs out of some of those shells and use em in stews. But the ones he sent, those didn't have any crabs in em. They just wash up near the bsae of our cliff.”

“I see.” Dev had found her balance now, and she was beginning to enjoy the tramp across the rocks. Jess was leading the way across a barren stretch of bare granite towards a wall, and already she could see even through the rain a narrow uneven set of steps cut into the face of it. It angled up the rock wall to an outcropping above and she couldn't see past that.

It seemed very desolate where they were. She couldn't hear anything besides the far off sound of the surf and the rumble of thunder over their heads and her face was starting to feel very cold where the rain was hitting it.

She blinked a little, as she followed Jess up a slope and across a long stretch of loose, crunchy sounding small rocks that led up to the base of the wall. There were big rocks all around them, and she peered upward as a scattering of tiny stones rattled off the cliff and fell around them. “Did those rocks come from up there?”

“Yeah.” Jess wound her way through them. “That's why we park here. People with sense stay far the hell away.” She pointed at a long rusted sign tacked tot he stone, a pictograph of a crudely drawn slope and what were supposed to be boulders. “It's a rock fall zone.”

“I see.” Dev regarded the wall. “So one of those could fall down right now?”