“Hey Sam! Done your oil change then?” Molly asked when I met her at the edge of the parking lot sans tote bag of fluids.
“Fucking yes, the last flush this morning was clean.” I answered with a grin.
“Hell yeah.” She responded with a grin of her own as we walked through the cars, aiming for the beep of her civic unlocking. “Now let’s do an escort mission!”
She laughed at my expression. “Don’t worry its nothing that bad, but Alica is probably gonna bend your ear on the ride though.”
When we got down to the Artifact Engineering area we found Alica waiting for us with a large tool bag beside her on one of the benches, engrossed in some rapid-fire text exchange she interrupted to greet us with a smile.
“Hi you two!” She said while standing up and slinging the back over her shoulder in one motion. S “I haven’t seen you for a bit Sam, you should come by and visit more often.”
“Sure, no showing me gross stuff though.”
“Aw, but it’s cool!” She answered disappointed. On our walk to the parking garage, she started updating me on something about the guesses she had as to the manufacturing processes involved in some internal component of mine. She went so fast that I kind of lost track of what exactly, I think it was something to do with my power generation though.
I was distracted from her explanation when we walked past the usual CRD car, still with the dent in the hood. I think Molly noticed as she chuckled interrupting Alica before she could leap into another topic. “They have a new hood in next week, so our little indiscretion will be hidden soon.”
“Not taking it this time?”
“Nope, the containment truck is what we use for pretty much every artifact pick up.” She said while pointing at the large truck with a crudely shaped box on the back I had seen a few times, before fishing in her backpack and emerging with a key for it. “We didn’t need it when went to Guelph but had we known they had something for us, official policy would say we should have gone with it and an artifact engineer.”
As we piled into the truck, I elected to take a back seat with the reasoning that it wasn’t a crew cab and I was much smaller than either of them, I made an observation as I clicked the seat belt on. “I guess we aren’t trying to be scary this time.”
“Hmm?” Molly prompted while messing with the position of the driver’s seat.
“We didn’t go for our guns.” I elaborated while dropping my backpack into the space behind her seat.
“Yeah, this is public interaction stuff and in theory, neither of us is entirely unarmed ever.” She said with a shrug. “We do still want to project a ‘we are the good guys and aren’t worried about you’ impression when it’s not actually a confrontational incident. You worried about it? We could still go back for em.”
“Nah, that’s fine I was more curious.” I answered while buckling up, then changed the subject. “Do we know anything about what we are going to pick up?”
I was mostly aware of what we would be doing as Molly had described pickups a few times and had me work through some documentation last night, I suspect she had just finished writing it in the moments before it arrived from the typos I encountered with some regularity.
We were mostly there to help the Artifact Engineer as they attempted to determine any dangers the Artifact might represent, and once deemed safe or an appropriate protective procedure was created we would then see if we could bring it back on the same trip or if a bigger transport would be needed. Sometimes insurance agents would be involved, as a few companies were starting to offer coverage for clash-induced losses but that was random. We apparently had a budget set aside for compensation when insurance didn’t cover it, but Molly had said we wouldn’t be having to figure that bit out.
“Well, we believe it’s something associated to the clash you were changed in, hence why I’m on duty for this one.” Alica started rather than letting Molly answer. “Beyond that, it’s supposed to be the size of a washing machine and ‘looks complex’ according to the person who reported it.”
“Neat, how far away is it?” I asked realizing I hadn’t been told when I agreed to come.
“Like forty minutes.” Molly answered as we pulled out of the parking spot, having already linked her phone to the infotainment system for navigation. “Nice and close as these things go.”
Molly was right that Alica would talk a lot, but unlike the journey to the parking garage, she spent surprisingly little of our drive talking about work. I instead heard all about the birds she had seen in Costa Rica last year, even showing me pictures she had taken, or she was talking about her dog or her kid, etc. Honestly, it was kinda nice just to hear about mundane topics, some of which I could even contribute to.
We arrived at an anonymous building with a low-budget sign indicating the business was called ‘Dynamic Performance’ with a checkered flag behind the text. it was a moderate-size single-floor factory near a small town that didn’t have a sign on the approach we took, so the whole thing was kind of forgettable. The place looked to be a bit on the worn side, the brown paint peeling off the corrugated parts of the walls, and while there were a couple of older cars in the lot that looked fairly customized the rest were varying age commuters.
We were met by a short round guy at the door, although that was still a relative description as he still towered above me, he introduced himself as Enzo and that he was the owner of the business. He rattled off a few things about his products while he guided us into the warehouse area past a large open area full of machines and materials, I never really was that much into cars, so I mostly just looked around and let it wash over me.
“We only discovered this the other day.” He explained finally being on topic as we entered the small warehouse at the back of the building. “It had been a returned order that had been lurking for months while we waited for another person who wanted that exact combination of headers.” He continued while bringing us to the very back corner as far from either the sliding garage door on the wall or doorway we entered through, pausing to slide a cart covered in cardboard boxes out of the way.
“Then we got a request for something custom, and we thought it might be perfect so we go back to pull it out. And well, you can see it wasn’t what we were expecting.” He said gesturing at the opened wooden crate with its lid jammed in beside it against the wall. In the space between the self above and the edge of the wooden crate, you could just about see some large piece of machinery that didn’t look like anything that had been in the rest of the building.
Alica nodded at it and then asked if there was an area where we could do initial paperwork before she could examine it, Enzo brought us to his office a small and densely packed room full of filing cabinets with a worn cheap desk at its center with an older computer atop it. What followed was an inordinately long period of Alica asking questions while checking in boxes on a sheet, it was mostly about what they had done or discovered after the artifact was found. There was a long section about if anyone had seen any medical incidents that could potentially be related to the artifact, this ended up taking the most time since Alica did one on one talks with every employee present while we waited outside Enzo’s office as he stood looking annoyed.
Satisfied with her documentation, Alica returned to the warehouse before pulling a case containing a small quadrotor drone that she then piloted into space under the shelf and had it hover at various points over the crate while she looked at the screen on the controller. Once it returned, she glanced up at us. “I think it’s probably safe enough, but I’m going to toss a few sensors on it that will start screaming if something changes. Then we can get it out from under that shelf to take a look.”
She had interrupted a frivolous conversation Molly and I had been having clothes, specifically talking about stuff I couldn’t wear and what they felt like it if Molly had experience. It was kinda a weird topic, and it may have made me a bit jelly about the options other people had, but I was mostly happy enough with how my wardrobe was turning out.
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When Alica hopped onto the small forklift in the corner of the warehouse, I learned she was legitimately forklift certified. “Too bad gentlemen she already has a husband.” Molly joked to a couple of onlookers while Alica was pulling the box out, they looked a bit confused, so I guess they weren’t exactly as online as a couple of university students.
“I have no idea what this actually is.” Alica commented once we got a good look at the machine. It had clearly been packed to go somewhere in the other dimension as it was strapped down to the pallet the box was built onto with shaped wooden supports and plastic straps to hold it firm.
It was vaguely shaped like an oversize transmission housing, a rough cone with a circular protrusion instead of a tip that was covered in small pipes, cables, and what looked like power connectors. There wasn’t any input or output shaft in their place the large end had a huge hole with darkness visible within after we pulled the black plastic cap off for a peek inside, then the other just had this small hose connector behind another cap.
Something about it was familiar, but I couldn’t place it.
Hey Lilly, could you look at this?
She walked up onto my shoulder, and I looked at the device for a moment as I stood tilting my head back and forth while trying to understand what it was that I recognized, it was niggling at the back of my mind for some reason like it should have been really obvious. My rumination was interrupted by Lilly tapping my cheek, when I glanced at her she mimed eating at me.
“Oh, I know what it is!” I called excitedly, then guiltily smiled when I realized I had interrupted the other three talking.
Alica looked at me expectantly and made a go-on gesture. “It’s a fuel converter! I have a smaller one that enables my diet, basically throw stuff that burns in one end and out comes a consistent fuel.” I explained then glanced it over again. “I don’t know if it's missing any parts that matter though.”
She looked at it for a few moments before nodding. “Huh, I guess it does kinda look like something on your scans. Anything dangerous about it you would know?”
“Shouldn’t be I don’t think since I have one running a lot of the time inside of me, but that might just mean it’s not dangerous to me.” She nodded, then made a quick note on one of the sheets on her clipboard.
After Enzo signed a few pages confirming the handover of the artifact and that there would be someone by to discuss a reward/compensation, Alica brought the converter out to the truck where we strapped the pallet down to the otherwise empty inside of the box on the back. Alica tossed her tool bag into an external storage box on the doors then we got back in for the ride back, while we watched employees filing out to the cars in the parking lot to head home after the work day.
“You know this means your team has a difficult question now right.” I commented to Alica as we pulled away, causing her to look back at my grin.
“What do you mean?”
“Well that thing has a possibly magic crystal or two in it and it doesn’t involve opening me up to look at it, now you just gotta decide if it’s worth risking breaking it to find it.” Her eyes widened and she immediately started to pull out her phone.
“Peter? Meeting ASAP forty-ish from now… no, not that… yes it’s probably safe… Peter! Magic! Yes, Sam said it would… Perfect, see you then.” She turned to grin back at me. “I think the magic bit, might override the other concerns.”
The ride back was quieter as Alica seemed too buzzed to do anything but spend most of it texting, presumably about whatever they were going to do with the converter. I had my own distraction thanks to Anna messaging me though.
AceWombat: You free tomorrow after class?
IndustrialCat: Sure
AceWombat: Good, my paper is due at midnight tonight
AceWombat: Dinner out tomorrow?
IndustrialCat: Sounds good!
AceWombat: Bring stuff for overnight
AceWombat: You’re not going home
IndustrialCat: lmao, sure
AceWombat: Let me try to make a reservation then I will let you know where
----------------------------------------
I decided to be what I think probably counts as conservative when dressing for our date, a long dark purple skirt, grey stockings, heeled boots, and a light grey collared sleeveless shirt that left just a sliver of my belly visible. I think it looked nice in the mirror, so I hoped Anna would agree.
She met me on campus this time and had a quite different style to her usual casual wear. A loose dress shirt with the collar popped, crisp black pants, and her heavy boots - even her hair was combed straight rather than its usual mess.
Umph, it looked good on her, particularly with the wide grin she had as she saw me hop off my bus.
She talked about where we were going on the bus, but I was only half paying attention while snuggling up under her arm. I think she had perfume or something on too, but I couldn’t place what it.
When we got to the Italian place, I learned she had placed a reservation at one of the side booths. After I sat, she slid in beside me. “Are you expecting other people?” I asked curiously after we ordered drinks, uncertain what her intent was.
“Nope.” She said grinning while glancing around a bit suspiciously.
“Then why?” I prompted with a somewhat confused smile.
Rather than answer she leaned over to kiss me, I was still confused but I was hardly going to refuse. I felt her right arm slip behind my back to wrap around me before starting to slide down. Then her hand went into the hem of my skirt working its way under my clothes startling me, then she started stroking her fingers through the actuators of my hip. I started making a sound around the kiss as I almost pulled back unconsciously, but she used her left hand to pull my head closer.
A few moments later she pulled her head back even while continuing with her hand under my panties, my head dropped onto her arm while I tried to avoid making any sounds. “Always wanted to try something like this.” She whispered in my ear with a mischievous tone to her voice as my hands curled and uncurled in my lap. “I’m good now though, so I’ll stop.”
I jerked my head to shake it in a no against her should not daring to open my mouth. Fuck it’s probably not a good idea to, but it felt so good and I loved how assertive she was being. She paused, her breath hitching clearly considering what to do.
“Are you sure?” She asked uncertainly while starting to pull back, I suddenly grabbed her arm to stop it from going anywhere and nodded aggressively against her arm. “Well, when you put it that way.” She said her voice taking on a kind of confidence I wasn’t used to at all but couldn’t get enough of, I released her hand as she started moving her fingers again.
She relented when her food got to us, I managed to eat what I brought with only mildly shaky hands. We talked about schoolwork over the meal, which is hardly a great date conversation, but I couldn’t really manage to form anything coherent on any other topic. She seemed to be enjoying either the conversation or more likely how I was acting towards her, so I don’t think it ended up being an issue.
She got a desert and somehow managed to eat the small slice of cake smoothly while exploring in my panties with her other hand. I just kinda hugged her burying my head under her shoulder without saying anything, even when the waiter was by for the bill and small talk which Anna somehow held up despite being distracted.
She firmly guided me back to her place and the times when I glanced up at her on the bus, she had a very self-satisfied smirk. Which only served to make me steam up and hide my face against her, fuck why did she have to look so hot like that? After we reached her room, I just sat on the bed, having tossed my handbag into her chair, steaming with my face in my hands unable to form a coherent sentence I would let myself say.
“You know you have adorable reactions to being teased too.” She said cheekily while dropping next to me. “And for supposedly not having the ability to feel arousal, you were quite into that.”
“I don’t even know anymore.” I squeaked. ”What if someone I knew saw me like that.”
“You woulda been fine. Why you were the perfect lady whenever anyone went by.” She teased.
I had? I could only remember the waiter, there had been other people around us too? Oh shit, it was a restaurant at peak time, of course there had to have been!
“Mind you I am pretty sure anyone who knew you would say you looked far too serene if anything.” She continued over my mounting internal horror.
“Where did my innocent Anna go?” I moaned. “Before a hint of skin would break you and now you’ll do that to me in a restaurant. A nice restaurant!”
She laughed guiltily. “I hope you’re not upset, I didn’t really think you would actually let me. I was just going to tease you for a second and stop but…” She cleared her throat. “I got into my fantasy too much.”
“Fuck just don’t do it around people I know, but it felt too nice to say you can’t.” I groaned while hiding my face. “God, I think I’m a pervert, I like compromising myself to you regardless of where we are and now I am giving you permission to finger fuck me in public.”
Anna started squeaking next to me. “No way, there’s no fucking way.” She said when she recovered. “You don’t have to indulge me like that, I went way over the line tonight.”
“Anna, I apparently want almost literally anything you can do to me.” I said looking at her tears in my eyes, the admission liberating and painful. “Just don’t abuse the privilege please.”
She sat there staring in shock at me for a long moment. “Fuck I wouldn’t.” She said after a moment, then reached a hand up to caress my face. “I love you too much for that, I swear that’s the worst fantasy I’ve had about doing to you.” She had tears in her own eyes, then pulled me into a hug.
“Why am I both relieved and disappointed to hear that?” I mumbled into her. “What the fucks wrong with me.”
She giggled. “Being really into me I think, maybe more than a little hint of sub if you get what I mean.”
I nodded and we sat there in a hug for a while as my thoughts spun.
“Hey Anna?” I prompted eventually.
“Yeah?”
“This might be the crudest thing I have said in my life, but can I just bury my head in your crotch for a while, so I have something else to think about?”
She giggled. “I can’t say no to that offer...”
I was already undoing her pants as she was answering.