The Universe, 3031

[Charles Maxwell]

Simultaneously...

Site 187
Outskirts of Gellen's Heights
Sheratan, Tikonov Free Republic
April 11, 3031 (Monday)
______________________________________________

Abruptly, the video screen went dark, leaving us in the silent gloom of my office. I could see Curie still staring at the blank display, a myriad of emotions slowly withdrawing back into her soul like a tide receding. At length, she turned her back to Donovan and me, pivoting my office chair to face the spherical desk lamp behind her. Its warm, soft glow spilled around her still form, her shoulders rigid, her head bowed low as if she carried the weight of the universe on her conscience. There was a certain stillness in the office, a silence that echoed more loudly than any spoken word.

"You OK?" I prompted, looking toward her with concern as Captain Donovan packed up his black box equipment.

Curie remained motionless for a moment, then gave a slight nod of her head, her emotions concealed behind the mask of her stoicism.

"Fine," she said. I felt as though the brevity and hollowness of her words belied the depth of her hurt.

I sighed, leaning back in my chair as Donovan went about his business. Then, I noticed it. An almost imperceptible rising and falling of Curie's shoulders. I could see her hands clasped tightly in her lap, knuckles white from the effort of holding herself together, the waves of emotions threatening to breach the dam she had hastily constructed.

"Marcus, give us a second, will you?"

"Sure," Donovan answered nonchalantly, stepping outside the door and closing it with a heavy thud behind him. The silence that followed was deafening.

Moving slowly, I got up from my chair and walked around the desk to where Curie sat. To my surprise, the stillness of her body belied the streams of tears trickling down her cheeks and onto the otherwise unblemished white of her collar. She was weeping silently, the sound almost lost to the hum of office equipment, save for an occasional sniffle. The Riemann matrix was now clutched so tightly in her left hand that its edges dug into her skin, creating small rivulets of red that stood in stark contrast to the icy sheen of her flesh.

"Curie..." I began, finding myself at a loss for words. What could I say? What could anyone say at a moment like this? How could I even begin to understand the pain and betrayal of being rejected by one's own creator?

"Hey," I tried again, kneeling down and whispering. "You don't have to do this alone."

Her tear-filled eyes slowly rose to meet mine, a world of sorrow swirling in the depths of her gaze. For a brief moment, I felt as though I was looking directly into the heart of that betrayal, feeling the sting as if it were my own.

"You're not alone," I reiterated. "And you never will be."

I paused, swallowing hard as I held her gaze with my own, feeling an unexpected lump in my throat. A moment of silence passed.

"Promise?" she asked in a husky, tear-choked voice. 

"It's a promise," I managed to croak out, the weight of those words echoing loudly in the office.

At that, Curie abruptly threw her arms around me, the dam of emotion finally breaking. A single choked sob echoed through the office as she buried her face in my shirt, her body trembling with the weight of her pain. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close, offering what little comfort I could as we weathered the storm of her grief together.

As we sat there, the cold sterility of the office melted away, replaced by an intimacy borne out of shared pain and understanding. It was a moment where rank and protocol held no sway, a silent accord between two beings navigating through the maelstrom of life.

"It's a promise," I repeated.

[Steve Jenkins]

MEANWHILE......

I was in the Auto Pool working on my Corvega, well I was trying to anyway, but ever since it had went through the GORILLA ARMS WASH last year it hadnt worked right, it was constantly having short circuts and other Things that made it drive weird, I even had went out on a date with Jing Li in it after I had got the smell of old mold and dirty soap out with an assload of air fresheners, we had just turned onto Hepberly when all of the sudden the car shorted out and the car Alarm turned on and announced WARNING WARNING YOU HAVE STOLEN THIS CAR and then next thing I Knew the car had shifted up into Park and was sliding sideways and we wrecked through a mailbox and a Porta Potty and a Taxi Stand, luckily we had ended up Wrecking into the side of the bar we were trying to go to, but we had to get it Towed back to the base.

Anyway I was trying to do a bunch of electronic Things with it when all of the sudden I heard "SHIZUI TAEKWONDO JHZUIZUI AKA STEPHEN TYCHOMIDOS JENKINS HOW YOU SO BUSY WITH MECHANICS YOU FORGET YOUR AUNT BAOLIM YOU HATE MECHANICS!!!!" The voice was SO loud and made me SO scared I smashed my head into the Transmission and I heard the airbags deplode and then I heard Jing Li scream and get BLASTED into the back seat on account of their Force, I rolled out from under the Corvega and Aunt Baolim and my Uncle Zhangwo were stood there, they must of been here to rent the bar!!

"OH MY GOD Aunt Baolim and Uncle Zhangwo I didnt know you were here already, where are Liukang Raiden and Johnny???" I Yelled, then I gave Aunt Baolim a hug and me and Uncle Zhangwo did a honor nod at each other, it was a thing on Kuuzu, then Aunt Baolim said "They not here." "OH OK" I said back, "WELL I have a Surprise for you, lets go up to the bar and then I will show you your surprise."

Then I Grabbed the key to the ambulance and I told Aunt Baolim and Uncle Zhangwo to strap in, I wanted to give them a Show, and then I Ambulanced them over to the other side of SITE 187 where the old Bar was, we pulled up and I cut off the lights and sirens, then I Let them out and I showed them what I had did.

AUNT BAOLIM'S GRILL MASTER'S DELIGHT said the giant neon sign on top of the bar, Aunt Baolim and Uncle Zhangwo seemed really Impressed and Uncle Zhangwo said "Wow Steve, you have done Honor by us, I am impressed." Then I said "WELLLLLLLLLL, thats not all" and then I broke into the Bar on account of I didnt have the key with me and I cut on the light switch for the neon, then I came back out and I said "LOOK!!!" But Aunt Baolim and Uncle Zhangwo didnt seem too impressed, they were making sad/confused faces and then I looked up and I saw what they had been looking at.

AUNT BAOLIM'S GRILL  AS S DELIGHT

"Oh....oops...sorry Aunt Baolim, it must be all the Rodents" I said, then Aunt Baolim looked at me and she said "RODENTS YOU SAY NOTHING ABOUT RODENTS WHEN I ASK YOU ON THE PHONE" but then I Sad "That's on account of you asked me about Rats and I said I didnt see any of them when I was there!!" Then Aunt Baolim said "YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN" "I'M SORRY!!!" I Yelled, "I just wanted to do something special for your Business Idea!!!" 

"CALM DOWN SHIZUI" Said Uncle Zhangwo "You did good job making threats of all those Lawsuits so we dont have to get food license, insurance license, liquor license, health and safety license, worker license, maybe you ask your mercenary friends for some mustard gas or something so we make rid of rats." I made a Confused face and I said "Um I dont think CPT Maxwell keeps Chemical Weapons in stock but I bet Dr. Sammy could make some if you want." Then Aunt Baolim nodded and she said "We go look inside now"

SO we went inside and oh my the smell, it was so bad, part stale beer, part moldy mystery and then Uncle Zhangwo said "What on earth died in here????" I cut on the inside lights so we can see but then I Screamed on account of there were just sparks spraying out of all the places where the light bulbs would of been!!! "AHHHHHHH!!!" I hollered and I cut the lights back off, then I looked around like a maniac to see around the room to see if any more electricity was going to come out and elctrofry us to Death.

"You should ask your electrician for a Refund" Said Aunt Baolim. But then I did a smile and I said "WELL thats the Genius of the situation, I never paid him." Then I tapped the side of my head to make my point.

[Idris Nasir]

Mad Igor's Armory House
Gellen's Heights, Sheratan
Tikonov Free Republic
_____________________________________________________

The medium recoilless rifle I tested was heavy and full of power. I like the weight, the cold metal... the power was there. I pointed it into the shooting lane and pulled the trigger. The rocket flew out and a huge force hit me in the shoulder. The paper target was hit and shattered into pieces, scattered everywhere. I grinned. It was a good weapon.

Nick was nearby and needed to try out the new laser pistol that replaced one that exploded during our last mission. As he fired, its bright light flashed. The shots crackled through the air and hit their targets. He smiled happily.

“Idris, this gun, it’s fantastic!” he said when the smoke cleared.

I nodded and was busy admiring my favorite weapon. “Yes, I saw your clusters, much denser than before. Good aim."

Captain Maxwell was on the other side with his Hawk Eagle. The shop had just repaired it and he was checking it out. Many deafening shots echoed throughout the huge hall. This pistol had a powerful shot.

I loaded another rocket into the recoilless rifle. I wanted to make sure it worked well since it needed to fit my battle armor. As I took aim and pulled the trigger, the force hit my shoulder again. The second dummy target exploded in shreds, just as satisfying as the first. My smile grew wider. Yes, a good weapon. I wanted to change a lot about it, but it was a good weapon.

Nick continued to fire, his face glowing with laser light, until the battery died. With a quick wave of his hand, he quickly ejected the used energy cell and charged a new one. A few more tests, a few more injections, and he was done.

"How is it working?" I asked, looking at his cooling gun.

“Like a dream,” he said, handing it to me. It was lighter than I thought. Weight toward the barrel. The grip was strong. I nodded in agreement. Nick then added: “Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a remote detonator like the last one. I need to find someone to make it.”

Meanwhile, Captain Maxwell stepped back, narrowing his eyes and examining his Hawk Eagle. Then he swore. "Damn! I just paid for this weapon to be repaired and it went off the rails again." I frowned at the shiny weapon in his hand.

“Let me take a look,” I told him, holding out my hands. He grumbled something under his breath and reluctantly passed it on.

The gun was heavy for a pistol and its worn metal had been used for years. I tilted it and examined it, as Charles had done, then turned it over in my hands, paying attention to the handle and trigger.

“Ah,” I muttered when I discovered the problem. The pin was misaligned and prevented the carriage from aligning properly. I explained this to Captain Maxwell, who was understandably upset.

"After so many years of fighting, you'd think these things would be held to a higher standard," he grumbled. “By this point I’ll have better luck with a hammer and nail.”

I grinned at him and turned the gun over in my hands. "You can try, captain. But perhaps I can come up with a better plan. You know, Nick and I were discussing the same thing. We at Aegis have a lot of knowledge and experience in such things. Your wife has excellent technical knowledge. Nick knows a lot about computers. Levi and me? We are craftsmen and inventors. So why not put all our minds together and create a research group? We could create a weapon that never jams or misfires."

The captain looked at the Hawk Eagle in my hands and then back at me. I could tell he was interested, but as always, he was cautious.

"Research division? He scratched his chin and thought. “This could cost us a lot. And we are not swimming in C-Bills.”

Nick shrugged and looked at his laser, which he wanted to modify. “Think about it, captain. How much do you spend on repairing and replacing faulty equipment? Weapons, 'Mech components, vehicle parts. All? Plus downtime waiting for repairs or replacement. A research unit could potentially reduce these. Not to mention... if something really good gets invented, we might as well patent it. Sell it."

“Think of all the breakthroughs we've made using only the tools we have at our disposal,” I added. “Imagine what we could achieve with adequate funding and time.”

Captain Maxwell placed the Hawk Eagle in his range holster and began slowly pacing. He crossed his arms. “Well, we don't have the resources for dedicated full-time scientists. But your idea deserves attention, and I think it's worth a try. I am OK to approve it under certain conditions.”

Nick and I waited impatiently for the captain to continue. Maxwell looked us in the eyes and nodded to make sure he was understood. This was to be expected. The captain always made sure that the plans were correct for the larger plan for Aegis Division.

“First of all,” he began. “The research department should not interfere with your normal duties. Do you understand? We are a mercenary unit, not a scientific laboratory. Our number one goal remains to fulfill our contracts and comply with them."

“Secondly,” he shifted his weight from one leg to the other and addressed us sternly, “you have to work with the resources that you have. I will provide you with a work space and the necessary materials. In turn, you should contact me if you need anything purchased. If there's an unauthorized purchase, I'll stop the process so quickly it'll make your head spin, got it?"

We both nodded again, recognizing the firmness and justice in his voice.

“Yes, captain,” Nick and I said at the same time.

“Third,” he continued, uncrossing his arms and pointing at both of us, “When we achieve something truly powerful or innovative, we don’t sell it. First we use it to enhance our outfit. Our needs come before everyone else. Clear?"

Nick, being the rebel he is, raised an eyebrow but nodded silently. I myself nodded firmly: “Yes, captain.”

“Fourth: we will have a contract soon. You will manage this program aboard the Strumfänger on our way to our next mission. I will ensure that the engineer allocates sufficient laboratory space in the hold for your projects. This is the best we can do without compromising our ability to fulfill the contract.” When he finished speaking, he picked up his Hawk Eagle again, then cleared the magazine to fix the stuck bolt.

“Got it, captain,” Nick said firmly. He was already thinking about how to make the most of this space. I saw it in his eyes.

“Finally,” the Captain continued, his tone softening slightly, “I would like you to include Curie in the pilot project if she wishes to join. She has a sharp mind and needs something to do other than wander the base. Keep in mind this may be good for her. Keep her distracted from...everything else."

I looked at Nick, and he responded with a look that somehow expressed surprise or doubt. The captain saw us look at each other.

"There is a problem?" he asked, finally cracking open the jammed gun with a loud click.

Nick quickly shook his head. “No problem, captain. Curie is smart. Really smart. She could help. But... do we want her around guns now?"

The captain glanced at Nick, his eyes narrowing slightly before he began to put the parts of his weapon away. “This project is not limited to weapons. Science, medicine and even cooking; if an idea makes sense, I want it to be explored. We need every advantage we can get to stay on top. Curie can certainly contribute in these areas. She is not a fragile vase. She is made of stronger stuff than you think."

“I can confirm that,” I agreed, nodding in agreement. “With the right guidance, she will be a valuable asset.”

Nick looked a little skeptical, but decided not to argue further. Instead, he nodded in agreement. "Yes, agreed."

“Then it’s decided,” said Captain Maxwell, closing the box with the weapon parts in it. His tone was final. “Nick, as soon as we get back to base, start working on a proposal for this new research department. Idris, I want you to help him.:

“Yes, captain,” I answered with a respectful nod. When I took another look at Nick's new laser, Captain Maxwell's Hawk Eagle, and my recoilless rifle, I realized we already had our first projects. I was looking forward to it.

[Levi Wright]

Aunt Baolim's Grill Ass Delight

Site 187
Sheratan, Tikonov Free Republic
April 12, 3031 (Tuesday)
______________________________________________

After work I saw the bar on the base lit up for the first time. The light streaming out the windows seemed weirdly dim, and as I got closer I saw why - instead of normal lamps or ceiling lights, there were just a bunch of flashlights propped up on tables and hanging from the ceiling.

 

Nobody answered when I knocked on the door, so I went inside. A tall Chinese lady was mopping the floor really angrily. "Aunt Baolim?" I said.

 

Baolim said "I am not your aunt! Why are you here, the bar is not open!"

 

"Sorry," I said, "I heard from Steve that you'd just rented the bar, and I thought you might be hiring, so I brought my sisters' resumes."

 

Baolim said "this is a family business. We want to hire, we hire the nephews and cousins."

 

"Weeeell," I said, hoping I'd think of the rest of the sentence in time for it to not be weird. I really needed to make this work. "Steve, your nephew, is sort of like a brother to me - he was the only friend I had when I moved to Sheratan. So my sisters would be like your nephew's cousins, right?"

 

Baolim said, "No." She mopped some more, and I stood in the doorway, because X and Genny really needed jobs on Sheratan but I was scared to talk to Baolim when she seemed so angry. Baolim noticed me hovering and sighed. "We're not be open for a long time. Bar is terrible - rats, bad lights, dirty. Your company is bad landlord."

 

"I'm really sorry about that - the base got attacked by terrorists and we kinda fell behind on keeping things up," I said. Baolim looked unimpressed. "Is there anything I could do to convince you to give my sisters a chance? There's just two of them, Genny makes amazing cakes and can cook all sorts of other things too, and my other sister X could probably learn to do just about anything else you needed. They're on Oberon and I won't be able to keep paying off the gang that's after them if I get fired and the spaceport won't let me buy them tickets to come here unless they have job offers."

 

Steve's aunt Baolim frowned at me, and frowned at the dirty floor, wrung the mop out with the bucket wringer thingey and thwapped the moppy part down on the floor really hard. "Why I hire girls who's brother get fired?"

 

"Because I could fix the electricity for you?" I said. "I'll do it in my off hours for free, I'll even work overnight if I have to."

 

"You are electrician? You did this?" Baolim said, pointing at an exploded pendant light with her mop handle. "No wonder they fire you."

 

"No, that was some guy Steve found, and they didn't fire me, the boss is just mad because I didn't know what spare parts a spaceship needs. But I'm really good with electrical stuff that doesn't go flying through space, ask anyone! Steve will vouch for me!"

 

"If you know my nephew so well," Baolim said, narrowing her eyes at me, "do you eat drugs and party bags with him?"

 

"No, m'am," I said. "Also Steve doesn't do those things anymore, Curie helped him quit and he's been clean for two weeks, I think he's really serious this time."

 

"I believe when I see it." Baolim propped the mop against a wall and dumped the mop water down the bar's sink. It spiraled down the drain in a really slow whirlpool - she might need a plumber, too. "You fix the Ass sign. I talk to Zhangwo and Shizui and think about the rest."

 

"Thank you so much! I won't let you down, I promise." I ran outside to get started, and realized the bar's sign was really high up, and ran back inside. "I'll be right back, I just need to go get a ladder!"

[Alyssa Maxwell]

Site 187
Outskirts of Gellen's Heights
Sheratan, Tikonov Free Republic
April 14, 3031 (Thursday)
______________________________________________

Following a raucous "movie night and slumber party" involving several of the base's staff including Mallory, Levi, and me, and waking up to find the bathroom of the quarters we'd used for the event already appropriated, Curie and I returned to the on-base residence Charles and I shared to get cleaned up. I glanced into the bedroom, noting that he was still fast asleep, sprawled out on the bed like a starfish, snoring gently. The sight made me smile, but I quickly led Curie into the bathroom before he could be disturbed.

She looked at her toothbrush. "Two minutes brushing," she stated flatly, the words punctuated by the cap of the toothpaste popping open.

"Right you are," I smiled, retrieving my own toiletries and walking to the kitchen sink to begin my morning ritual. To my surprise, a few minutes later, I heard the shower turn on in the bathroom. I walked over, knocked on the door, and cracked it open slightly. Peering inside, I saw her undressing and preparing to step into the shower stall.

"Curie," I called out softly, "You need any help in there?"

"No," she replied simply, pulling her top off and then taking hold of the end of her scarf. She paused, gazing silently at me. I registered the exchange as a nudge for privacy. While she may have been entirely unbothered by undressing in front of me, when it came to removing that scarf, even for a moment, she preferred solitude. 

I nodded, closing the door behind me, leaving her to her own devices. I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table, trying to ignore the strange sense of familiarity that settled over me. I was almost certain I knew exactly what Curie's showering routine would look like, even though I'd never actually witnessed it. As the minutes rolled on, I found myself mapping out in my mind every single movement she likely made - from the way she washed her hair to the order in which she soaped up her limbs. It was an uncanny awareness that came from my synced memories with her.

As I sipped my coffee, I burrowed deep into some new technical journals that had arrived on my datapad, esoteric texts about the latest electronic warfare tactics. Eventually, the shower turned off, a long silence ensuing, during which, I heard Charles stirring.

The bathroom door clicked open. What transpired next was entirely unexpected.

"Holy!" I heard Charles exclaim, and I turned to see him frozen in his tracks. There, standing in the doorway to the bathroom, entirely nude, was Curie. Charles looked as though he'd been slapped across the face with a fish, his mouth hanging open and eyes wide. Curie, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by his reaction.

"No towels," she stated flatly, her lips twitching into a tiny frown. Her water-slicked skin shimmered in the faint hallway light. She arched an eyebrow at Charles, who was still stuck at the threshold of the bathroom looking shell-shocked.

"Uh...I...um...we—," he stuttered, eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape. With a chuckle, I rose from my chair to intervene.

"Alright, Captain, no need for a system overload here," I joked, gently shoving Charles aside and striding over to Curie. There, I pulled a fluffy bathrobe and a set of towels from the nearby linen closet. Draping one around her, I steered her back toward the bathroom.

Charles muttered an apology, his face redder than an overheated 'Mech in the midst of battle. I smirked at his discomfort and sent him a playful wink before closing the bathroom door behind Curie. It seemed we still had more work to do regarding personal boundaries.

"RIght, um, so that just happened," Charles eventually managed, scrubbing a hand over his reddened face. He adjusted the collar of his t-shirt, clearing his throat several times before eventually pouring himself a cup of coffee. "And here I thought giving the briefing was going to be the most interesting part of my day."

I caught his eye, the corner of my mouth rising in amusement, "Well, you should have been at the sleepover," I quipped, holding up my lime-green fingernails as evidence. "Your physician decided to take direction from her about nail painting, and now, well, behold the masterpiece." I waved my fingernails in front of his eyes before standing up.

Charles choked on his coffee, his eyes wide as they darted over my technicolor talons. "Damn, Alyssa," he coughed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. His chuckling followed me into the kitchen, where I began to prepare breakfast. Though I didn't cook often, I wanted to give Curie a taste of a 'normal' morning outside of the infirmary. Pancakes, eggs, and bacon seemed to fit that bill.

"So, you moving her in here while we're away or something?" Charles asked, leaning against the doorway, his mug cradled in his hands. I glanced over my shoulder at him, cracking an egg with a flourish before shrugging.

"Away?" a soft voice interjected.

We both turned to see Curie standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with confusion and concern. Clad in the fluffy white bathrobe, her hair was still damp from the shower, and her arms were crossed apprehensively across her chest.

“We've got a job,” Charles explained, turning toward her. "Two months, at least. A month out and a month back."

"Oh, I see," she responded. "I didn't...I wasn't...aware."

"Hey, now," I added, setting down the spatula and walking over to her. "This doesn't change anything. You're still part of this unit. You can help hold down the fort until we get back. The team will look after you."

"And I'll make sure that ridiculous physician of ours doesn't paint anyone else's nails," Charles added, raising his coffee mug in mock toast. His eyes sparkled with humor, the earlier tension seemingly dissolved.

"No," Curie replied flatly.

We both froze, our eyes turning to her simultaneously. "No?" Charles inquired, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"I...want...to...accompany you." The words were out of her mouth before we could react. Her expression was intense, her voice firm.

"But, Curie..." I began, only to be interrupted.

"I am...not...helpless. I am...capable. I do not want...to be left behind." The clarity and comprehensiveness of her statement must have required a Herculean effort on her part. She stood her ground, her face flushed and utterly defiant as she spoke.

There was an awkward silence as Charles and I were taken aback. 

Charles was the first to break it, setting his coffee mug down with a thud. "Curie, I know you're capable. But this isn't about your abilities." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he often did when under stress. "It's a risky job. We'll be in the line of fire. I already put you in harm's way once before, and the consequences were...catastrophic."

I watched Charles, his eyes filled with concern and perhaps a hint of trauma. He was right, of course. The danger was real, and the memory of Curie's shooting still hung over us like a specter. But she didn't back down.

"I. Am. Not. Afraid," she stated, each word punctuated like a drumbeat. Her blue eyes gleamed with determination. Never had we seen her so fiery, so assertive. "I can help."

I found myself torn between the maternal instinct to protect her and my deep respect for her strength and resilience. But in the end, it was her decision, and she had made it clear. 

For a moment, Charles simply looked at her as if trying to gauge her conviction. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he rose from his chair and walked over to her. He rested his hands on her shoulders, looked her in the eyes, and gave her a firm nod.

"Alright," Charles sighed. "You're in. Medical assistant and science advisor. I'll have Mallory get you kitted out."

I watched as he walked away, his tall features disappearing into the bathroom, a heavy silence lingering in his wake. As I heard the sound of his electric razor starting up, I turned to Curie, who was still standing rigidly, her eyes staring straight ahead. It seemed as if she were processing what had just happened. 

I, too, found my mind grappling with the reality of the situation. This was it. Curie was going into the fray.

[Charles Maxwell]

Site 187
Outskirts of Gellen's Heights
Sheratan, Tikonov Free Republic
April 14, 3031 (Thursday)
______________________________________________

No sooner had I turned on the lights in the briefing auditorium than a familiar, clipped voice called my name.

"Captain Maxwell," it echoed through the empty room, bouncing off the high walls. It was Marcus Donovan. I turned around to see him silhouetted against the red glow of the emergency exit sign, his military uniform immaculate and creaseless.

"Donovan," I replied with surprise. "Didn't expect you'd be darkening my doorstep today. Once wasn't enough?"

"Never enough in our line of work, is it?" Captain Donovan frowned and came forward, boots echoing against the auditorium floor. He paused just before the dais, looking up at the projection screen.

"It came to our attention that you've got a contract out to Concord," he continued, casting a glance at me as he pulled out a data slate. He began scrolling through it with his thumb. 

"Did it now?" I asked, leaning against the lectern. "How on earth could the Crayven Corporation know about something I haven't even told my staff yet?" I raised an eyebrow and cast the captain a sardonic smile. Donovan didn't share the humor. 

"Well, Captain," he began, not looking up from his data slate, "we prefer to keep an eye on people in our circle of trust. We've found it tends to minimize unexpected...complications. No offense intended, I assure you." He looked up, his dark eyes boring into mine, unblinking.

"None taken," I replied with a shrug, pushing myself off from the lectern to stroll down the steps to the auditorium floor. I stopped when I reached Donovan, crossing my arms over my chest and matching the captain's icy stare with my own cool gaze. 

"But you'll forgive me if I find the breadth of your knowledge a bit unnerving," I added.

"Most do," Donovan replied with the barest hint of a smirk.

"At any rate," I continued, gesturing toward the front row of benches, "your intelligence is correct. We've got a gig out at Concord. Support op. Seems the Andurien Seccession has made folks a bit grabby. FWL government's trying to make sure that the Concord system stays solidly under their control. Seemed like easy pay, so we took the contract. What's your interest in it?"

As Donovan and I sat down, he leaned on his forearms and steepled his fingers, his furrowed brows indicating that he was readying himself to get to the point. 

"We have a lead in our mutual investigation," he began, emphasizing 'our' with a glance at me. "Specifically, in the Stewart system."

"Stewart?" I repeated, a frown creasing my forehead. "That's two jumps from Concord. What's that got to do with our contract?" 

Donovan paused for a moment, his gaze shifting away to some point beyond the far wall of the auditorium. When he returned his attention to me, his features held a shadow of concern that hadn't been there before.

"Based on our interview with Curie, along with some secondary intelligence we obtained separately, we believe Man-TLE is responsible for what happened to Kathryn Franklin," he explained. "And we're fairly certain they're using Stewart as a staging area for their operations."

"Man-TLE?" I echoed, my mind scrambling to piece together the information. "You're telling me that the manufacturer of those shitty True Life Experiences - the ones with the drugs - is suddenly in the business of buying humans and drilling hardware into their heads? Is that what you're getting at?"

I could see the weight in Donovan’s eyes as he nodded, confirming what I’d felt to be an impossible leap. “That’s what the evidence is leading us to believe, Captain. From what we've pieced together, a man who we only know as 'Asmodeus' is the field operator responsible for...procurement. It appears he reports directly to Raoul Duke.”

I swore under my breath as I soaked in the severity of the situation. "Procurement. That's a real diplomatic way of saying 'abduction and mutilation,'" I snapped. "And you're sure this 'Asmodeus' and Man-TLE are connected?"

Captain Donovan nodded. "Indeed. The first piece of the puzzle came together when Curie was able to articulate that Asmodeus intended to run a 'test TLE' on Ms. Franklin and that he was doing so ahead of reporting back to someone by the name of 'Raoul.' The second piece of the puzzle came together while I was investigating the Canopian Pleasure Circus. Are you familiar with Duke Eric Dresari?"

"Dresari..." I muttered, running a hand through my hair. "Yeah. Friend of Steve Jenkins. Arranged for a bunch of the crew to go up to the circus, all expenses paid. Are you telling me he's connected to this?"

"Indirectly," Captain Donovan answered, his tone grave. "He apparently ran afoul of some Marik cocaine dealers. The weekend your crew was at the circus, Dresari was abducted by them and sold to Asmodeus for a considerable sum. Several of your crew were able to effectuate his escape before the handover could be completed."

"I heard about the fiasco with Dresari. My people didn't mention anything about Man-TLE, though," I replied, furrowing my brow. I didn't bother asking how Donovan knew about our visit to the Bacchanal. The answer to that had been implied at the outset of our discussion.

The captain shrugged faintly. "It's possible even Dresari had no idea what he was up against. I only discovered the connection upon investigating the private lounge where he'd been held and finding a ledger note belonging to the drug dealers. It directly implicated Man-TLE in the transaction."

"Son of a bitch," I swore, my gaze hardening. "So, what is it you want us to do on Stewart? I assume you didn't come all this way to tell me the bedtime story."

"Correct," Donovan answered, handing me the data slate. On the screen was a detailed document titled 'Operation Ascendant.' "We want to take advantage of your proximity to Stewart to assist in the investigation and compartmentalization of any potential Crayven Corporation assets that may have been exfiltrated by Man-TLE during the hospital incident."

"Explain," I demanded, scanning the document. It was filled with technical jargon and code names that were meaningless without context.

"We've received certain...insights...that a Man-TLE facility exists there somewhere in the city of Glencoe. We believe this facility is connected to the operations performed on Ms. Franklin. We need you to infiltrate it, extract any data or hardware belonging to our company, and destroy the rest," Donovan explained. "Discretely."

"Why are you asking us to do it? The Crayven Corporation isn't exactly short on manpower or resources," I pointed out, not quite able to grasp the reason behind the request. 

Donovan shifted uncomfortably in his seat, a tiny crack showing in his otherwise icy demeanor. "The Corporation needs to keep its hands clean when it comes to this situation. It's highly likely that Man-TLE saw and may have even appropriated the Mark 3 when they were in Ms. Franklin's hospital room. We need to know what they saw and what they took. We cannot afford to have our technologies or our name associated with whatever Man-TLE is doing. Our investors would string us up by our entrails if that came to light."

I leaned back in my chair, doing my best to process the gravity of the situation. It was one thing to be engaged in the regular mercenary bustle - skirmishes on distant planets and corporate espionage were all part and parcel. But there was something...ominous...about this proposal.

"Glencoe is an enormous metropolis. If the Crayven Corporation suddenly raided a business there, it would raise too many questions." Donovan continued, his face hardened as if bracing for a fight. "You folks at Aegis Division have the plausibility of being there for unrelated reasons, which gives us a degree of deniability in case things go sideways."

I paused, studying Donovan's stony visage. "And what's in it for us?"

Donovan hesitated for a moment, his gaze wavering slightly, but then steadied with a deep sigh. "Answers, Captain Maxwell. As long as the situation isn't contained nor the truth fully understood, Curie is at risk. The perpetrators may come looking for her. We will commit to sharing any information we uncover about the incident."

I mulled on that for a moment, biting down hard on the inside of my cheek. It was a hazardous proposition, no two ways about it, but there was a truth to Donovan's words that I couldn't ignore. "Answers are great, Marcus, but they don't pay the bills. I'm gonna need more than that for the level of risk you're laying on my crew's shoulders."

"I understand, Captain," Donovan replied, nodding solemnly. "The Corporation is...prepared to offer your team a generous stipend for your efforts, including an advance payment, hazard pay, and full coverage of any repair and transport expenses. I will even make the Dreams of Avarice available to you as a support vessel, should it be necessary. Plus, we'll throw in a few choice pieces from our warehouses; some hardware you might find helpful."

His words hung heavy in the air, casting a shadow of unease that seemed to darken the room. I felt a chill creep up my spine.

"Alright," I found myself saying, a hard knot forming in my stomach as I took in the serious gravity of the captain's request. "Send me the paperwork."

[Orlex Jaeger]

Site 187
Outskirts of Gellen's Heights
Sheratan, Tikonov Free Republic
April 14, 3031 (Thursday)
______________________________________________

I approached the briefing auditorium at a brisk pace, I was in no particular hurry but unless I was intentionally taking my time I always tended to walk quickly and my long strides meant it often seemed like I was in a hurry. I held a datapad clutched casually to one side as I slipped past the few interspersed base personnel mingling through the corridors, this particular region of the base wouldn't be busy until closer to the actual briefing in just under an hour. We had a new mission, a pretty straightforward one too, simple search and destroy on a Free Worlds League planet known as Concord. Apparently the Lyrans had thought the League was too busy with their Andurien Crisis to be bothered about some inhospitable border world with only a moderate output of raw materials and products and for the most part they were right. The Lyrans and some mercenaries got planet side without much trouble but then stirred up more of a hornet's nest than they bargained for with the local defenders, got pushed back but apparently not completely. The League couldn't be bothered to mobilize any of their own units but apparently were willing to pay top dollar for a mercenary outfit to go clean up the mess, typical League fare to be honest but I hadn't had any dealings with the League in years, aside from my Merlin refit, and I didn't think Aegis had either.

Not that there was any reason to suspect anything was awry with the contract, but the pay was phenomenal, closer to something you'd expect the Kell Hounds or Wolf's Dragoons to command, and the job had seemed almost too easy on first inspection. Closer inspection revealed that a significant portion of that pay was actually tied up in transportation costs, fees that the Free Worlds League had agreed to fully cover and thus were listed as part of the contract payment. Curiously the contract was listed as a Planetary Assault type contract with a Guerilla Warfare sub-type, meaning they were expecting more of a running battle with hit-and-run tactics as opposed to a standup brawl as was more typical for defending against raiding parties. That was intriguing but we never got a direct answer for this choice, although both Charles and I suspected it might have more to do with the inhospitable environment and relatively unique underground habitation centers spread across the planet leading to more dispersed engagement zones and less of an ability to simply hide out somewhere on the surface.

Arriving at the auditorium I pushed through doors and noted the lights were already on and, as expected, Captain Charles Maxwell was standing near the main lectern/podium a thoughtful look on his face. As I approached that thoughtful expression resolved into a pensive one and I sought to break the ice immediately, as if it had to do with the mission I'd rather get it out in the open when we still had a bit of time to discuss it.

"What's on your mind Captain? Looking pretty serious this morning," I queried.

"With good reason Commander," replied Charles with an almost grim nod, "Donovan paid us another visit."

"When?" I asked, genuinely confused as I looked around at the empty room.

"Just now, you must have passed him in the hallway on your way here," answered Charles.

"Strange, I passed a couple of base personnel but I didn't notice Donovan. I would have said Hi if I had," I offered with a shrug before continuing, "So what brought him by? I was under the impression Crayven's direct interest with Curie was finished now that their interview was completed."

"Yeah, well it wasn't about her directly this time, but it does involve her and what happened to her," began Maxwell with a sigh.

Charles proceeded to bring me up to speed on what he knew so far of Crayven's investigation, Man-TLE's involvement, and the new development of a potential hideout/facility a galactic stone throw away from our upcoming contract, as well as Crayven's intention to get us discretely involved in "investigating" said facility "while we're in the neighbourhood".

Less than an hour later ...

As the last few members of Aegis Division's senior staff arrived for the briefing Charles fired up the tri-vid projector screen dominating the front of the auditorium, prompting the latecomers to hurry to their seats as the Aegis Division logo filled the screen. Stepping up to the podium I began our mission briefing for what was named "OP XII - Hinterland".

              Concord II circa 3025

"Concord II," I announced, advancing the presentation to show an orbital image of a blue and white orb that looked more like a frozen marble than a regular planet, "An icy little hell hole tucked away on the Marik-Steiner border and the site of our next contract."

Operation XII - Hinterland

Continuing on I advanced through the relevant information in the briefing file as I laid out the details of the upcoming contract, "Seems the Lyrans have taken an undo interest in this frozen world and its abundant natural resources, only readily available if you know how to get them out of the ice and can survive the bitter cold long enough to do so, and the League has decided that the world is worth saving but not worth mobilizing their military to do so. Apparently something to do with the all the trouble the Anduriens are still giving them, that and the Anduriens' little mini war with the Capellans. Our job is to reinforce the local defenders and hunt down a raiding party that either failed to retreat with their comrades or chose to stay behind and continue causing grief for the local defenders, assumedly in the hope of destabilizing them enough for a future raid to be more successful. We're going there to make sure that doesn't happen."

"These Lyrans are utilizing classic hit-and-run tactics common to most diversionary raids but their targets seem wide spread and diverse, no apparent pattern or tactics to them that the militia can figure out, leading them to believe these are meant purely to disrupt things as much as possible to prepare for another assault. Local parliament is convinced that another raid is forthcoming and are looking to reinforce the planet as quickly as possible, the local militia on the other hand have a different opinion. They feel these trespassers were left behind during the Lyran's hasty retreat from the world and that these random attacks are supply runs to keep them combat effective while they search for a way off world, inevitably they will have to come for the spaceports, likely the ones in Bascombe, and they are hoping that Aegis Division can get there soon enough to track these interlopers down and eliminate the threat before they can reach a major population center."

Captain Maxwell came forward now and I deftly slipped back and to the side so that he could continue the briefing, "In order to facilitate our earliest arrival the Silver Hawks Coalition, a small confederation of nearby border worlds within the greater Free Worlds League, has opted to pay full transport costs and arranged for us to effectively butt in line on any jumpship heading on our course within the League borders. This means we won't have to wait for the usual recharge time when chartering a single jumpship for the entire journey and will significantly cut down our travel times, with the Silver Hawks paying the costs for any merchants vessels we bump off the jumpships."

"Upon our arrival in system," continued Charles, "we'll rendezvous with the 20th Marik Militia, the local defenders, once planet side and decide the best course of action from there. We'll likely be working alongside the Martian Cuirassiers, a League-based mercenary command currently stationed on Concord for pirate hunting activities, to defend key objectives and to hunt down the Lyran raiders and eliminate the threat they pose. The unique challenges presented by Concord's frigid environments has led the majority of all major population centers on the planet to be located underground in extensive caverns and man-made caves protected by limited terraforming tech and supplemented by intentionally large volumes of "waste heat" generated by local industry. This means our rules of engagement are pretty open as there is very little on the surface we have to be wary of damaging, should that scenario change once on Concord expect the RoE to be updated accordingly, as always."

"Local defenders have confirmed that they have Assault BattleMechs and Heavy Aerospace Fighters deployed within their regiment, although exact specifics have not been relayed at this time. The Martian Cuirassiers on the other hand are a Battalion sized mercenary unit consisting primarily of Medium BattleMechs with Heavy conventional forces, some have accused them of being a Paper Tiger mercenary group but their track record, limited as it is, indicates they can still get the job done. We've been told to expect limited assistance from either group currently but they are mobilized to move on any larger conflict zones that may arise."

Advancing to another display, this one showing the limited information available on enemy forces, Charles explained, "Hostile forces are still largely unknown, they are not believed to have any dropships currently but this has not been confirmed. The only known unit to still be actively present on Concord II is a Lyran-hired mercenary company known as Trinity's Onyx Vagabonds. They are known to have a company of BattleMechs, several of which are rumoured to be in the Assault-class, along with a full squadron of Aerospace Fighters. A mix of support vehicles and infantry are also present but a specific breakdown of the Vagabonds' assets has not been procured, militia scouts are working to determine their current unit composition and we've been promised regular updates while enroute."

Returning to the image of the frozen world of Concord II Maxwell passed the briefing back to me as I stepped back to the front of the raised dais again, "There are 6 major landmasses on Concord II, the only one we are currently concerned with is Major Peel, home to the capital city of Bascombe, and located along the planet's equator. The weather on the planet is severe at the best of times and we are reportedly approaching the warm season, a time the locals refer to as "The Thaw". Unfortunately this means that the already unpredictable snowstorms and blizzards are now going to be kicked into overdrive as the planet's high axial tilt does funky stuff with their weather. While the potential for warmer weather exists, if we stayed on planet for at least another month or so after our arrival, the norm is still freezing cold winds now with a random chance of getting up to three feet of snow, instead of just one or two, inside of an hour. As such, additional gear requisition has been approved for all personnel to ensure we have the appropriate gear available in the event we need to perform any extra-vehicular activities and for any down time we may have between activities once planet side. I know we 'mech jockeys like to pilot in as little as possible, given the fusion powered ovens we fondly know as a 'mech cockpit, but it might be a good idea to pack an actual shirt and pants for this one."

"Lance assignments will be given on arrival in the Concord system after receiving our latest intel and marching orders. In order to facilitate ease of communication and avoid any confusion from the late assignments we will be returning to the use of personal callsigns throughout the OP, and likely moving forward. I'd suggest brushing up on those if required, anyone looking to update their personal callsign can see myself or Captain Maxwell after this briefing."

"Are there any questions?" I asked, opening the floor to those assembled.

[Idris Nasir]

Site 187
Outskirts of Gellen's Heights
Sheratan, Tikonov Free Republic
April 14, 3031 (Thursday)
______________________________________________

I looked in the briefing projection with some concern. Hunting operations, security, usualy not too much of a problem. We did these things often in FWLM. But in a planet such as this with so much natural hazards, unfamiliar terrain? It raised such a risk profile to a higher level, especially against entrenched enemy or enemy who had time to learn environment strategy in ways we had not.

Another worry was my armor. I built it as item of personal interest when I was not working on the repairs for this and that. Almost all testing was on Sheratan or other places where climate was not a concern. But , now we were to be taking our machines into extreme climate that could immediately injure or kill and I had not before subjected the armor to this kind of weather to see what it would do, if it would do anything. Too many shades of gray.

I raise my hand. "Yes, Technician Nasir," Commander Jaeger responded.

"Commander, I worry about the things we do not know on this mission. For example: we have no data on how prototype power armor will handle the cold or a failure in the cold. Also, I worry this OpFor will have significant local knowledge advantage and will take advantage of blizzards, other things that prevent us from seeing the land."

"Certain points Idris," Commander Jaeger agreed. "What is the question?"

I shifted my foot as I fixed posture to parade rest. "Sir, my question is what intelligence assets shall we employ on this job so we have adequate aid to know the land and hazards it contains? We may need drones, weather radar, and such just to hold the intelligence edge against the Lyrans. Especially as they are known for their heavy handed approach to combat."

[Steve Jenkins]

MEANWHILE....

There was a huge Boom out of Sammy's kitchen and then Iheard Sammy screaming and doing all kinds of swears, then a bunch of yellow Gas came out from inside the door and I heard him holler "HOLY FUCK ITS A GAS" and he came running out, he was in his underwear for some reason and had big rubber boots and big rubber Gloves on. "OH hey Sammy is that the Mustard Gas for the mice problem at Aunt Baolim's Grill Ass place?"

"YEHA it is but I have had a Complication" Sammy explained, "The mustard gas reacted with my Meth Lab and now the kitchen is full of Methturd Gas, I can't go back inside there for a while so I Think Aunt Baolim might have to deal with her rodent problem for a while." I made an annoyed face and said "You should of told me your kitchen was going to Explode before I came all the way down here, Aunt Baolim is going to be mad that I didn't come back with what she had wanted." But THEN Sammy said "I think I have some Ether and some other Things in the building we can mix up that would get pretty chemically, do you still have all those cleaning supplies upstairs in your office???"

I thought about it for a second and then I said "Yeah I think so but I was using them to stuff a huge hole in my Sofa on account of I had a client up there one time, the lady with one butt, she fell through the Sofa and I almost had to sue myself for Damages on account of she wanted to file a personal injury because 1 of the couch springs poked her in her butt, but I gave her a discount on my Services so she didnt. I hadnt thought about that memory in a long Time and I did a smile.

"I'll go look upstairs for the Chemicals" I said, then I went up the stairs to my Office, I tried to open the door but it was locked, then I tried to get my keys out to unlock it but somehow my key clip snagged on my Underwear and so when I pulled out my key all of the sudden I had a HUGE front/wedgie and it made me do a screaming Yell, then I fell backwards and the Next thing I knew I was bumpinng and flipping down the old busted up wood stairs!!! "AGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" I Screamed, I kept flipping and banging and Crashing and then I whacked my head on something Hard and I.......blacked......out.................................

When I woke up later, I did not know how long it had been but I felt really Sundered, then I woke up and I realized I was in Medbay at SITE 187, Mallory was looking at me and I said "HOLY CRAP WHAT HAPPENED??" and Mallory said "You fell down the Stairs at Sammy's Surgery Shack, then you fell out the front door and then you got a Concussion on a Fire Hydrant, Sammy drove you back to SITE 1187 and now you are in the Infirmary with a concussion." I looked at him in Surprise and thought about what his words had meant, then I remembered the mustard gas!!! "MALLORY WHERE'S MY PHONE I NEED TO CALL SAMMY ABOUT THE GAS OR ELSE AUNT BAOLIM IS GONNA BE REALLY MAD AT ME" but then Mallory said "I have really bad News," then he stopped for a long time and was looking like he had spaced out, "DON'T KEEP ME WAITING TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG????" I Hollered. Then Mallory looked at me and said "Oh sorry you said Gas and then I remembered I had to pass gas, everything is better now." 

Then I realized that Mallory had laid some stink and I gagged a little bit, then Mallory said "Your phone is broken, it looked like you landed on it 1 time for every stair, I had to do surgery to get phone glass out of your butts and other Parts. Dont take off the Butt Bandage for at least 24 hours." "NEVER MIND THAT!!!" I Yelled, "I NEED TO USE YOUR PHONE!!" SO then Mallory went inside his office and he came back with the old Roto Phone with the broken number button so he also gave me a pen in case I had to hit the number that had went inside it. I pushed all the buttons to make it dial Sammy's phone number and I had to use the pen and almost get Electrouted a couple of times but then the call finally started Ringing.

RING RING

RING RING

RING RING

Went the phone, Then

"HI YOUVE REACHED SAMMY'S SURGERY SHACK HOME OF THE 15 MINUTE BUTT LIFT. I'M PROBABLY SURGERIZING SOMEONE RIGHT NOW SO WHEN YOU HEAR THE BEEP LEAVE ME A MESSAGE AND I'LL CALL YOU BACK UNLESS THIS IS A CALL FROM A PARTY TO A LAWSUIT, THEN DONT LEAVE ME A MESSAGE OK HERE COMES THE BEEP." Then there was all kinds of Quiet and I thought the call had hung up, but then I heard a LOUD Freight Train Horn, it was so loud it made the ear cover on the phone pop off so I had to put the guts of the phone on my ear, then I yelled "SAMMY!!! ARE YOU THERE??? YOU DROPPED ME OFF WITHOUT MY MUSTARD GAS!!!" I was Yelling on account of I hoped Sammy could hear me yelling on his Answering Machine and he would come answer. "SAMMY!! I NEED YOU TO" and then the answering meachine went BOOP ERROR NO TAPE LEFT and the call hung up.

"BALL DAMN IT!!!!" I Hollered, "I'M A SITTING DUCK IF AUNT BAOLIM" but thjen before I could say the rest of it a bunch of sirens started going off and yellow Spinny lights fell out of the ceiling and a Announcement blasted over the base speakers, "ATTENTION ATTENTION WE HAVE A CONTRACT PROCEED TO THE MEETING ROOM NOW"

OH NO we have a job right now???? I JUMPED up and I started to run out of the infirmary but Mallory stopped me and he said "STEVE where do you think youre going, you have a Concussion and a Butt Injury and also you have no Clothes" I Looked down and saw Mallory was of truth, I just had a hospital gown on which made me turn red with Shame, then I said "I HAVE TO GO ON THE MISSION, JUST GIVE ME MY PANTS!!!" Then Mallory said OK FIN but you have to wear this cone so you don't mess up your butt injury, then Mallory came back with my pants and one of those big plastic Cones you see on a dog that just got surgerized and now it's not supposed to lick its butt or something, that kind of cone, as soon as I put my pants on Mallory clipped the cone around my butt, "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SIT DOWN IN THIS THING???" Then Mallory looked at me and he said "WELL the Auditorium has a pretty high ceiling so I think you can probably just Stand."  Then I said OK FINE I gotta go and I Ran/Tripped/Stumbled down to the auditorium, lucky I got there just as CDR Orlex was starting to tell about how we were going to Concord to blow up Lyrans or something, it sounded like it would be a pretty good time, but then I saw a Problem......when I was looking at Orlex's briefs they said EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURE and I thought that sounded really uncomfortable but the problem was I didnt know if it would break any of HAGAKURE 2's weapons and so when Orlex asked "Are there any questions?" I Raised my hand but I did not stand up to solute this time on account of I was already standing and also the Cone was making it hard to do the right Pose.

"Yes Steve what is it?" Shot Orlex.

"SIRS I have a question" I Said, then Maxwell said "Yes yes what is it you need to Know steve?"

THEN I Said "CDR Orlex I have a question, these temperatures look pretty Extreme, are there any weapons that do not work good in the cold, I have never did a job in a world as cold as what that says it is anbd I dont want to get Sundered on account of my Guns stop working because theyre more froze up than a TV dinner SIR!!!"

[Jack Whitley]

Site 187
Outskirts of Gellen's Heights
Sheratan, Tikonov Free Republic
April 14, 3031 (Thursday)
______________________________________________

"Fuck, you wanna jam that needle in a little harder?" I winced, gritting my teeth as the Antiviral Series IV vaccination sunk deep into the muscle of my upper arm. Mallory chuckled, his eyes sparkling obnoxiously.

"Square your shoulders, darling," he joked with a nauseating grin. "I'll be sure to make a note of your sensitive skin in the file."

"Sensitive skin my ass," I grumbled, glancing over at his assistant, a weird girl that didn't talk and shadowed his every move like a pet. Currently sitting on a stool, nose-deep in some medical textbook shit, she was damn easy on the eyes. "Maybe she ought to do it next time."

"Oh really?" Mallory quirked a brow at me, casting a glance at her. He was all sass and wit, never missing a beat. "She almost broke a guy's wrist a couple weeks ago when he challenged her."

My face turned red from anger. I scowled at the remark, my fists itching to smack the smug look off his face. Instead, I twisted my mouth into a disdainful smirk and shot back, "Well, now. Isn't that a selling point? I like a woman with spark. Wonder if she puts up a good fight in the sack. She looks like a fun little thing."

On the sidelines, the girl continued her reading, not once acknowledging my remarks. Her face was an expressionless mask, and it irked me that she didn't respond.

The smarmy doctor frowned, yanking the needle out of my arm and pressing a piece of gauze against the puncture site. "Private Whitley," he said, his voice suddenly icy. "Curie isn't a toy. Nor is she your plaything."

I snorted at that, looking back at her, totally focused on her reading, not even glancing in our direction. “We’ll see about that,” I muttered under my breath, my expression holding a challenge. Mallory gave me a warning look before moving off to attend to another patient, some guy with wild hair yelling about a telephone.

With the obnoxious doctor temporarily out of the way, I decided to have another go at 'Curie,' I guess it was. Grinning again, I directed a comment at her. "Hey. You ever talk?"

Her blue eyes turned to meet mine, an intense look that seemed to slice right through me. For a moment, she just stared, her eyes steady and unblinking. Then, her lips parted. "I talk," she responded curtly, in a voice that was soft yet held a sharp edge.

"Okay," I chuckled sarcastically. "That's a start. Name's Jack."

Her sharp eyes studied me for a moment longer. "I know," she eventually answered, ignoring my introduction and simply staring at me like I had two heads.

"What kind of a name is 'Curie?'" I needled, trying to get any kind of rise out of her. Maybe she was slow. Or one of those high-class bitches that gets off to fucking with men.

"it's...mine," she replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. I  felt my blood pressure spike at her audacity, and I wondered if it would be more fun to wipe that aloof expression off her face than it would to try to win her. I knew one thing - I wasn't used to being dismissed so easily, especially not by some slip of a woman.

"Ah, I see," I drawled as I crossed my arms over my chest. "Someone's been doing her homework. But don't get too impressed about what you've heard, sweetheart. Rumors hardly do me justice."

"Rumors..." she parroted. She was a strange one, a weird, soft-spoken doll with a blank personality. "You are Jack," she said again. "Jack 'Wicked' Whitley."

I laughed, a harsh, echoing sound in the sterile infirmary. "Well, at least you've got the name right," I replied, leaning back and giving her a long, leering once-over with my eyes. A challenging smile formed on my lips as I continued, "But the 'Wicked' part might be a bit too much for you to handle."

"BALL DAMN IT!!!!" the other patient suddenly screamed, "I'M A SITTING DUCK IF AUNT BAOLIM..."

"...the fuck?" I blurted, looking over at the man who had just interrupted. He was a scrawny-looking Asian guy with out-of-control hair and no clothes on except for a hospital gown. Mallory was trying to get him to chill out, but the man seemed completely out of it. Just then, the intercom chimed, and I heard Charles Maxwell calling the base's staff to the briefing room. He might have given me a job, but I still hated that man's voice.

"OH NO, we have a job right now?" the Asian guy shouted, trying to flee the infirmary. I watched the sideshow, entertained.

"STEVE!" the doc argued, grabbing him by his hospital gown. "Where do you think you're going? You have a concussion, a butt injury, and no clothes."

"Concussion? Injuries? No clothes?" I quipped, a smirk spreading across my face. "Sounds like a fun night in the sack."

Mallory shot me an icy glare as he struggled to keep a frantic Steve contained. His struggle against the doc was impressive for a guy in his state but ultimately futile. "Quiet, Whitley." 

"I HAVE TO GO ON THE MISSION, JUST GIVE ME MY PANTS!" Steve argued.

"OK, fine," the doctor sighed. "You have to wear this cone so that you don't mess up your butt injury, though." At that, Aldon disappeared behind a curtain, turning back up a minute later with a pair of pants and one of those big plastic cones you see on a dog that just got its balls snipped.

As he pulled on his pants, Steve looked at the plastic funnel Mallory was securing to his buttocks with absolute horror. "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SIT DOWN IN THIS THING?"

I couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous sight unfolding before me. "That sounds like a 'you' problem," I jabbed, enjoying the spectacle. Never in my life would I have guessed that this was going to be my initiation into this motley crew.

"Well, the auditorium has a pretty high ceiling, so I think you can probably just stand," Doc Mallory offered with another smarmy grin.

"OK, fine, I gotta go!" Steve huffed, clearly frustrated but having no choice. He wobbled towards the door, his plastic cone bobbing awkwardly like a loose rocket fairing. The sight was so absurd that I could hardly believe that this Steve guy was trusted with anything other than safety scissors.

"Dumbass," I laughed, looking over at Curie, who had been quiet during the whole fiasco. She was watching Steve, a strange look of concern on her face. Then, she looked at me with a weird, analytical gaze that made me feel like I was under a microscope.

"What? Spit it out, doll," I snapped, a little irritated by her silence. 

Her lips quirked in an odd way before she spoke, "You make fun," she said in her simple words. "Steve, he's good."

I scoffed at her unelaborate statement. Hell, of course I was making fun of him. In this world, nice guys finished last. She should know that. "Good?" I laughed, a cold smile spreading across my face. "There's no such thing as 'good' in our line of work, sweetheart. Only useful."

Curie didn't flinch. Her face remained unreadable.

"Stop harassing my student, Whitley," Doctor Aldon suddenly commanded, his tone sharp as a blade as he stepped in between me and my interesting little puzzle. He was adjusting some syringes on a tray, but his green eyes were fixed on me behind those black-rimmed glasses of his. "Or I'll add a few extra rounds to your vaccination schedule. Since you love taking shots so much."

I raised an eyebrow, amused by his threat. "Try it, Doc. You'll find I'm not as easy to push around as your pet here." I jerked my thumb at Curie, who was looking at me with a mixture of curiosity and caution. 

Mallory's glare hardened. "Don't you have a briefing to attend?"

I scoffed, standing up and adjusting the black jacket of my uniform. "Oh, right. I wouldn't want to miss Storytime with the Captain," I fired back, my tone dripping with sarcasm. 

Pulling a pack of cigarettes out of my pocket, I decided to have a little more fun. "What's the deal with her anyway?" I asked, motioning toward Curie. "She talks like a child, walks like she's had one too many, and yet you let her fiddle with fucking needles."

"Go," Aldon instructed, giving me a last stern look, which I returned with a smile before I turned to leave.

As I sauntered down the hall, lighting up my smoke, I couldn't help but laugh my ass off at the odd pair. There was Mallory, the prim and proper doctor with his white coat and serious demeanor. Then, there was Curie, some kind of idiot savant who just happened to look good enough to eat. I took a deep drag of my cigarette, grinning. Aegis Division was an interesting crowd, alright. I made a mental note to keep my eye on them as I inhaled deeply from my cigarette, the smoky tendrils curling into the stale base's air.

I reached the briefing room, a huge auditorium that looked more like it should be hosting burlesque shows than a serious discussion about how to wage war. I entered through the back, my eyes pausing for a moment on the massive projection screen at the head of the room. Maxwell and Jaeger were already well into their spiel, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes as I slipped unnoticed into one of the back seats.

Maxwell was a tower of a man, his voice echoing with authority. Still, to me, he sounded like a holo-novelist trying too hard to emulate some heroic avenger in one of those cheesy Periphery serials. Jaeger, on the other hand, was a stark contrast - the very picture of stoic military discipline, his chiseled, scarred face as steely and unyielding as the hard metal of that damn arm of his. His voice was gravelly and firm, and his words were full of the kind of jargon someone can only accumulate after a lifetime on the battlefield.

I flicked the cigarette onto the floor and crushed it out, listening to them drone on with their scripted speeches and tactic discussions as I studied the rest of the colorful muppets in the room. There was Alyssa, petite and curvaceous, her eyes sparkling with intelligence - not my usual type, but there was something captivating about her. A sense of humor or her air of self-assuredness, the type you only get when you're used to having the upper hand in a room full of testosterone-filled men.

Next to her was Schuster. I remembered him from our failure on Nirasaki. Precise little bastard he was, always quick with his words and quicker still with his actions. Something about how he carried himself reminded me of those high-strung, pampered nobles from Tharkad - all sophistication and superiority. His German accent grated my nerves; brought back memories I'd rather keep buried.

Beside him was the guy I was told was some kind of quartermaster, Levi Wright. Scrappy little man, looked like he was more at ease behind a spreadsheet than at the controls of a 'Mech. His eyes glanced at Schuster every now and then - their secret little looks were enough to make a man vomit.

To Levi's left half-stood, half-sat Steve, the ridiculous "butt cone" around attached to his ass making him look like he was about to fall off the bench at any moment. I've seen some unstable characters in my time, but this one took the cake. The way his eyes darted around the room as if he were seeing ghosts was both pitiful and unsettling. I stifled a laugh and continued my scan of the room.

Across the row was Nasir, seated to the extreme right of a couple of other MechWarriors and people from the technical corps. I had seen his type before, always in the thick of things, grease-stained, gruff, and grumbling. Not a lot to say about him since the bulk of his personality looked like it was closed in behind walls of hyper-masculine stoicism that probably compensated for something.

Eventually, Maxwell and Jaeger finished their spiels and opened the floor to questions. I had none, but my hand shot up anyway. Maxwell nodded in my direction, "Whitley, go ahead." I stood, locking eyes with Charles, a confident smirk curving my lips.

"I just wanted to be crystal clear on one thing - looks like you folks are running quite the charity here. I like to pick who's on my six, and it sure as hell ain't gonna be Butt Cone over there. I hope what you're trying to tell us is that we are gonna choose our lances when we get to Concord."