A sea of fluffy clouds wafted lazily across the sky as the last beams of blue sunlight faded from below. Dark clouds boiled up like a distant mountain range on the horizon as rain prepared to fall. Dark spires poked up from the city below riddled with small twinkling lights like stars. Atuli sat on the edge of her enclosed balcony and watched the clouds roll across the sky below her.
She felt so serene in her room as she looked out into the open sky. The gentle tick of the mechanical clock on her bedside table was the only sound, the rushing wind blocked out by thick glass. The last blue rays of light from the second sun faded away and night began in earnest. She slid off the balcony and flicked the winch to close the shutter. The shutter wheel squeaked as it spun closed and darkness slowly enshrouded Atuli as she walked barefoot across the cold floor.
Just before the darkness became pitch her foot hit the filament network ebbed into the floor. Blue light blossomed like flowers under her feet as she walked across the room. Light spread like vines over the floor, running up the walls and across the ceiling filling the room with bright light.
She made her bed as the blue light filled the room like water. Time to start the day, or night, as it were. The white light plate in the center of the ceiling blinked on and she made her way over to the closet to start putting on her suit. A white shirt, black jacket and pants, black tie, and finished off with duel brown holsters. The fabric stiffened slightly as if freshly dry cleaned as she touched it. Ether ran into the hair-thin filament fibers woven into the cloth almost without a trace. These fibers were too small to be powered directly, but instead passively absorbed excess ether to create a small energy field. The field increased durability of the cloth and increased heatsink for ether equipment by spreading out the area of effect.
Atuli pressed her hand against the pressure plate on the wall while she slipped on her shoes. The spool charged almost immediately and clicked when it was full. A slat in the wall clicked and slid away to reveal her pride. Two sleek Krait pistols, one black the other white with a gold ring triggers and heatsink vanes. All officers were issued one standard filament weapon for use during service hours, usually an Adder or a Sting pistol. Atuli was a weapons specialist, meriting her the more specialized set up. She disassembled her pistols in the bright light to carefully inspect the filaments and coolant for any hint of wear or corrosion, then reassembling and holstering them.
With the important part done, she gathered the rest of her equipment and stocked her belt with her badge and utilities. After fitting in her earpieces, she smacked the light off when she was done and walked across the room. The light slowly faded from the filament as she stood in front of the mirror on the back of her door. Her blue eyes sparkled with yellow bursts around the iris as she held her own gaze in the darkening room.
The clock slowly clicked the seconds away to a final snap for the hour. Time to go to work. She opened the door to the expectant face of Alek, her partner. White filaments in the ceiling illuminated Alek in the hallway as he had his hand raised to knock on her door. The standard Adder service pistol gleamed at his hip, narrow barrel for a focused blast, and his uniform still held its’ creases. The sleeves of his uniform were shortened slightly so he had better access to his hidden brawling knuckles, small metal plates pulled over his hands. His face was impassive as he returned to the ready position. Green thread pulsed along the edges of his suit as he calmly stood in the soft white light. Thin black Naturas armor covered parts of his face and neck to cover heat erosion cracks in his skin.
“Captain.” Alek said with a salute.
“Alek, you thought I’d be late?” Atuli asked returning the salute.
“I was beginning to wonder when the first second passed.” Alek said stepping to the side.
“Sarcasm doesn’t suit you, Alek.” Atuli said as she stepped out into the hall.
“True.” Alek said as he fell in beside her. They entered the elevator at the end of the long hall and stood at attention as the door closed.
“Think we’ll make it all the way down?” Atuli asked.
“Statistically…” Alek began, but the elevator dinged before he could say any more.
“Typical.” Atuli sighed. “I shouldn’t tempt fate like that.”
“Agreed,” Alek said. Atuli scowled at him as he ignored her and backed against the wall.
Atuli fixed her face as the doors began to open and more people entered. She clenched her jaw when a tall white haired man with large Terven arm augments ducked under the doorframe. Pistons hissed as the man spread his chest and scanned the elevators occupants and locked on Atuli as a crooked smile spread across his mangled jaw.
“Bright-Eyes.” The man said as red ether leaked into cracks on his face.
“Kyser.” Atuli said without returning his gaze. Kyser shouldered his way through the other officers to stand in front of her.
“Ready for another night in the belly of the beast?” Kyser asked puffing out his chest in front of Atuli’s face. Filaments glowed through his uniform as they shifted under the stress.
“It’s just another shift.” Atuli said as she stared through him. He wanted her to look at him. She wouldn’t. The elevator doors opened and more people packed into the already cramped space.
“Of course m’lady, just a shift.” Kyser said stepping closer as the filaments in his arms glowed with a menacing red as he flexed the fibers in his arms. “Watching us maggots flounder in the muck. Wouldn’t feel right without a blue blood to look down on us.”
Atuli said nothing as she waited for the elevator to finally hit the last level. She did however, keep her arms slack and ready to draw. Just in case. Red ether was known for its’ strength, not speed. She could put a hole in his face faster than he could move.
Kyser’s suit flexed dangerously and red light bled through the fabric as the filaments in his arms swelled with ether. The elevator doors opened suddenly and Atuli’s fingers twitched. The other officers all hurried out of the elevator, away from them. Alex brushed past her and out the door. Atuli saw that he had his knuckles out. Vigilant as always. Atuli remained stationary with Kyser blocking her until the doors began to close.
“Just you and me little girl.” Kyser growled and slammed a fist over Atuli’s head as he towered over her.
“Anytime, little boy.” Atuli said calmly looking up as the doors almost shut. The veins in the whites of Kysers’ eyes bulged slightly and the gaps in his teeth seemed to widen as he clenched his jaw.
There was a flash of yellow light and a hand shot between the doors just before they closed. Gears whined as the heavy doors were forced open and a tall dark haired woman appeared in the opening. Yellow trails faded away from her collar as ether trailed out of her suit.
“Atuli! What are you doing? Move it!” Colonel Adeyln said jabbing a thumb behind her and almost poking Alek in the eye as he looked over her shoulder.
“Yes, Colonel!” Atuli said with a salute as Kyser leapt to the side.
Atuli skipped thought the janky door after the colonel as she felt Kyser glaring daggers at her back. She ran her fingers through her bright red hair making sure that her middle finger was quite visible. She heard a snarl just before it was cut off by the closing doors followed closely by a loud bang. Only when Atuli passed Alek did he push the knuckles back under his sleeves.
Atuli and Alek followed Adelyn through the throng of officers as they switched shifts. They tagged out and tagged in with the usual manner. Tired. The staffing was getting thinner and thinner these days. More and more dissent and destruction was really hitting them where it hurt. Too many problems and not enough people to fix them.
Adelyn had a brisk pace with her braid swishing back and forth. Her dark blue coat had short tails and extra fastenings with a plume around the collar to show her rank. She had on a loose tie that flapped under her arm as she walked. The coil that tied off her hair left yellow streaks in the air as her hair swished around. Most notable to Atuli was the dual-filament Xeder gun-blade bouncing on her hip.
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Depending on where she put her hands, Adelyn’s gun-blade could operate with a single filament in the gun, the blade, or both. She could flip switch to double up on one for extra power. The design was seamless and neither weapon suffered from the hybrid frame. No matter how many times she saw the weapon it drew her eye as she fawned over it. She wanted one so badly! The elegant design of Orichalcum melding with the filament fibers directly for maximum power efficiency. The mystical metal was more effective than a heat sink five times its’ weight. The barrel craftsmanship was masterful and the polish of the blade! It was like looking in a mirror!
“You’re drooling.” Alek nudged her.
“Mmph.” Atuli mumbled as she wiped her mouth. Her sleeve came up dry and she glared at Alekt who avoided her gaze as they entered the briefing room.
“Everyone present?” Adelyn called as took her place at the and slapped down her board. “Good.” She said as she cast a glance behind her. Everyone else had somehow beaten them here. Adelyn flicked her fingers and brought up a news feed on the visual panel. Great big headlines and alerts filled the holographic screen along with multiple pictures of an explosion from different angles.
“The resistance launched an attack on an oil distillery earlier today and made off with filament fibers due for the Ashanti Corporation. The corps and brass would really like to get those back. They are highly efficient filaments that we believe they will move and weaponize elsewhere at a later date to cause more headaches. We’ll have our hands full with any giants that pop up, but keep your ears open tonight for anything you may overhear. Relay anything suspicious up the line, but don’t act without cause. We are heavy support, not detectives, and mark my words there will be something for us to do today! Regular teams, regular deployment. Protect the citizens, make it home. Dismissed!” Adelyn said to the squads. The officers shouted their assent and rose from their seats, filing out of the room with a little banter. “Half a mo’.” Adelyn added grabbing Atuli as she walked by.
Adelyn moved took them into the corner and pulled Atuli close and spoke in a hushed voice. “Keep your helmet on, you hear?”
“Ma’am?” Atuli asked confused.
“Lady Laskaris called me again…” Adelyn began.
“I’m sorry.” Atuli said with a grimace.
“She said something about attending a social function.” Adelyn said waving her hand in the air. “I don’t really understand her half the time.”
“Is there any overtime available?” Atuli asked hopefully.
“This may come as a surprise to you, but your mother can do math.” Adelyn said unimpressed. “She knows you’re almost out of hours. She made it quite clear what she thinks of me for ‘getting between you two’.”
“I’m really sorry.” Atuli said again as she clutched her arm.
“Hey, she can call me everyday if it means I get to have a splash of blue in my squads, and a supercharged one at that.” Adelyn said putting a hand on Atuli’s shoulder. “Now suit up. I only told you so you wouldn’t be surprised when you get back. Be careful out there. I’ll call you for any giants that rear their heads, but in the mean time, you and Alek don’t exactly blend in.”
Atuli nodded and headed for the armory with her shoulders a little slumped. Adelyn watched her go and pointed at her, looking meaningfully at Alek who was waiting close by. He nodded and followed Atuli.
Adelyn sighed. Those two balanced each other out nicely. The fiery Atuli and the stoic Alek, offense and defense in spades. They were the best team she had, even if they were the most complicated. Her earpiece buzzed and she wrinkled her nose, eerily accurate. “Colonel Adelyn Micarel.” It. Never. Ends.
By the time Alek and Atuli reached the armory, a crowd had already gathered in front of the deployment board. Atuli briefly skimmed the board from the back of the crowd.
“One thirty-six and one thirty-seven.” She said to Alek who nodded. He hadn’t even bothered to look, Atuli always found them first. Atuli slapped her face a few times before stepping towards the blast doors of the armory.
An alarm sounded and Atuli slid back a little as air blasted through the automatic doors. The imbalance of pressure that could knock one over if the were unprepared. Alek, unaffected by the sudden rush of air, walked right through. Atuli held in her earpieces and drafted behind him as he broke the wind.
The clamor of metal and the blast of thrusters superseded the rush of damp wind almost immediately as they entered the armory. Atuli walked carefully as Squires landed and took off with carefully calculated thruster blasts. There was enough barely enough space to land even smaller Squires let alone the large ones. If they weren’t staggered correctly they would get real cramped real fast.
A jumbled mess of cables and filaments covered the floor outside the pedestrian walkway between the bays and the back wall. Ether canisters rattled in cages secured against the back wall to keep from rolling around as the floor shook. Racks upon racks of varying armors hung from the ceiling to be lowered when in use. Different arrays of weapons and equipment hung from the ceiling, deactivated, but ready for use. Sparks flew in little clouds as engineers worked on the frames of Squires, the personal armored suits of Preservers. Every frame was uniquely outfitted with a patchwork of armors from a variety of different models to better suit the pilot.
After ducking and weaving around overhead arms and hoses, Atuli made it to her bay where her engineer was still working. Even without the bay numbers all she would have to do was look for the rare pink ether signature reflecting off the west cement. Hovering hunks of metal and tools were also a dead giveaway.
“Heffia!” Atuli shouted over the roar of a nearby Squire taking off.
“Captain Laskaris!” Heffia cried and threw up her hands in surprise. A large wrench flew through the air and all the tools clattered to the ground and Heffia jumped in surprise as the wrench sparked across the ground.
“See you outside.” Atuli yelled to Alek who nodded.
“I’ll find the team, frequency 0032.” Alek said tapping his earpiece.
Atuli nodded as Heffia chased the dancing tool across the floor. Atuli grabbed her helmet and tweaked the fastener as she started her physical inspection of the Squire. There wasn’t much chance something had gotten by Heffia, but it was still a good habit to have. Plus, Heffia would get upset if no one was able to witness her work and one must never anger their mechanic.
Atuli’s Squire was on the small side, fitted with lighter armor and less power cells than the rest. Heavens knew she didn't need extra power, her single cell would scarcely drain at all. Sleek and slender armor plates fitted with formed fibers woven with filaments for freedom of movement and efficiency. The armor was lighter because Atuli’s shields would be more than enough protection and any more metal would simply be extra weight. One heavy duty filament was all Atuli needed to power her squire. The single power cell of the highest grade was part of the flight reactor only to create stability and reduce variability in thrust. The hunch back housed the main dual thrusters for fast stable flight necessary to traverse the levels of the city quickly. Small adjustable fins adorned the space around the thrusters for precise adjustments. A bump between the thrusters protected a deflector shield generator. Digitigrade legs with extra thrusters on her lower back aided maneuverability on the ground and in the air. A heavy piercing rifle was housed on the shoulder and a large ether cannon on the other. Twin heavy pistols were fashioned into the thighs for close quarters. The whole ensemble was a custom job, a marvel of engineering. She broke it regularly.
Heffia held up the wrench triumphantly as Atuli finished her check and slipped the helmet over her head and twisted the knob. There was a slight hiss followed by silence as the visor went airtight. The clear visor lit up with a light blue overlay to run diagnostics and sound slowly came back as soon as the filament in the rim touched her cheek. Flashes of light from the outside were instantly reduced as the visor recognized her and sank into her presets. A voice crackled over the short range communicator.
“Everything is ready Ma’am!” Heffia went smacking the side of her own helmet with a confident thumbs up. “Squire is primed for suit up. Let me know how it handles, I changed the output of the shielding on the outer plates. That’s the lightest Tsulink shield I could find, if it still overheats I may go for medium Terven or Xeder heavies instead. Less durable, but less excess heat. You might end up with more armor than shield soon.”
“I see, thank you Heffia.” Atuli said as she stepped into the Squire. Her helmet slid into the socket with a click and her hud flickered as it connected to the outside of the armor. A model of the Squire spun slowly in the corner as the suit synced with her helmet. The metal couplings slid together down her spine as she twisted her limbs back and forth to get them to sit right in the clamps. The hand extensions in the forearms of the squire wrapped her fingers with metal rings and bands to mimic the most delicate of movements. Small bumps connected to each of her fingertips for input commands. The cool metal was almost instantly warm as the web of filaments in the Squire connected to the ether in her uniform. Two heavy filaments pressed against her triceps and ether flowed freely from Atuli’s skin. The generator hummed with her ether supply as heavy energy shielding shimmered across the outside of her Squire.
“Be careful ma’am.” Heffia said as she smashed the button to raise the launch shielding.
“I’ll try to go easy on it.” Atuli said as she blasted off the bay and into the open air.
“You always say that.” Heffia muttered as she watched the blue trail of ether fade as Atuli flew away. “But blue ether is too powerful, let alone with a super charge. That circuit is more resistor than filament…”
“Master! Replacement coils!” An engineer ran up with spare filaments.
“Master! I have some extra plates!” Another called behind a cart piled high with metal.
“Heffia! I have spare couplings!” The engineer from the next bay over poked his head around the wall.
“‘Tanks’, add em to da pile. Ah’ll tear it apart ina bit.” Heffia said pointing to a heap of busted coils and torn fibers. “See if we got any spare frames, scraps’ll do. Go help da boys in squad 4, dere’ frames wen’ tru a grindeh. Ah’ need ta rustle up sumtin before dey get back.” She added and pulled out a small snack bag and put a breadstick between her teeth. She flared her nostrils in Atuli’s general direction. “Bleedin me dry that one.”
A clatter from multiple heavy metal plates hitting the ground cut through the cacophony of sound. “An’ somebody help out Dorri, ‘e’s in over ‘is ‘ead.” Heffia yelled over her shoulder before pulling up her gloves and swan diving into the pile of scrap.