Chapter 30 “This is going to feel a little weird.”

They went back through the room with the odd chairs. Virgil asked her to pull any data and working parts she could, then hurried out. She thought it for John’s benefit, till she saw the chairs. Each adorned with an amputated arm and pipboy.

Searing heat from the laser blasts had turned the inner workings of the chairs to slag. The head piece had been cut free. Time and radiation had destroyed the rest. She started pulling data from the pipboys in turn, while rummaging through the cupboards.

She found two cases. Inside lay some sort of rolled plastic mat, precision tools, and a headset. Rosie figured they were repair or testing kits, so took them both.

Rosie found the quiet after the storm of violence all the more deafening. She practically ran up the ramp towards the light. A few keystrokes and John’s passphrase shut the blast door.

“Quit squirming.” Virgil complained as he glued the cuts on John’s face, while Rosie bandaged his arm. “Don’t worry kid.” Virgil stepped back and lit a cigarette. “You’re still pretty. Few days on radaway and you’ll be fine.” He looked to Rosie and gave her a reassuring nod.

“One last push and we’re home, ok?” Rosie could see how tired and pale he looked.

“I’m alright.” John forced a smile for her benefit. “Fed and fight…” He turned and dry heaved.

“We need to go.” Rosie turned to Virgil, seeing him pulling something from the pack. Right away it looked different, deep black fabric, so dark it seemed to drink in the light around it.

“The way I see it, those damn things on your arm make you a target.” Virgil hung his head for a moment, before unfurling the dark material. “You may as well enjoy the fringe benefits.”

Rosie took the strange fabric, unfolding it into an oversized person shape. Legs, arms, full face hood, at least three times her size. It looked too big even for John. “Trace your finger down the spine.” She did, seeing a faint green line of hexagonal light follow, before the fabric separated.

She helped John into the suit first, connecting it to his pipboy. She pulled the hood up and stepped back as the fabric meshed back together without a trace of a seam. “This is going to feel a little weird.” Virgil had a spark in his eye. Rosie knew the look of pride in one’s creation. Slowly, the suit began to shrink. Soon it had shaped itself around John. Boots for feet, gloved hands, all from to the oversized shape.

“Carbon fibre nanotube and ballistic fibre weave. Non Newtonian magnetorheological gel lining. Bulletproof, flame and rad resistant, impervious to stabs and cuts.” Virgil lit a cigarette as John paced back and forth. Rosie tried to follow Virgil’s explanation, while hurriedly and awkwardly peeling off her stealth suit. The stolen suit looked like jeans and a jacket in comparison.

“Absorbs ninety nine point six percent of the visible light spectrum. Invisible to thermal optics, bots and electronic surveillance. High efficiency stealth coating. Mimetic texturing. Enhanced strength and speed.” Virgil smiled as she stepped out into the light, walking like a shadow freed from its owner. “And of course, neuro morphological plasticity.”

“Yeah, you got to have neuro...what exactly?” Rosie joked, but had no idea what he said.

“Give me your hand.” Virgil took her hand and positioned it in front of her face with the fingers spread. “Now, picture yourself swimming.” Somehow Virgil read her sceptical look through the black mask. “Trust me.” Rosie knew he meant it as an expression, but it helped her see she did trust him. It surprised and shamed her for judging him.

Rosie stood, picturing herself swimming. She felt the gel lining of the suit shift around her arm. The material between the fingers began to shift, filling the space with a thin membrane. A similar process lengthened the front of the boots with a split length of material.

“It’ll get quicker the more you practise.” Virgil took a small black tube from the pack, twisting the top. Gas hissed out as he drew the contents up. A fusion core and primer, instead of dull yellow, a vivid blue. “This’ll help too, there’s four of them.” Virgil put the tube back. “I’d prefer it if you let me hold on to them. I’ll prep the transfer procedure.” Rosie got the sense she wasn’t the only one haunted by the memory of the pain.

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“Sounds good. Thank…” Rosie trailed off as Virgil raised his hand.

“Don’t thank me Red, way I see it, this stuff is yours anyway.” Virgil hoisted the pack up, strapping it tight.

“Here.” Rosie held out the neatly folded stealth suit. “Sorry I stole it.”

“Can’t steal from a thief kid.” Virgil looked at his reflection in the orange visor. “I killed a man to get that suit.” He lit a cigarette, turning away as he did. “I say man, more like a boy. Not much younger than you. A boy caught up in a war he didn’t understand and wanted no part of.” Virgil turned back to her, the repeating history keenly felt. “You keep it, keep it all. Use it to do some good.”

“I…” She glanced to John, who gave her a nod. “We promise.”

Water dripping echoed in the drained launch tube. “Stand by the missile, close as you can get.” Virgil shouted as he pulled the maintenance hatch shut. John and Rosie pressed their backs against the missile. Virgil began priming the hydraulic aperture above, the only thing holding back all that water.

“Wait!” Rosie yelled. “I’m faster.” She stepped forward to take Virgil’s place. She looked up at the steel aperture, water already seeping through and hit the button. Even in the slowed time, the water moved fast. A solid sheet falling into the launch tube, spreading into a dome as it hit the pointed nose of the missile.

Rosie’s speed did nothing to lessen the punch of the water hitting her. The force knocked her back. For a moment she feared being pinned and pummelled by the deluge. Until a broad arm smashed through the wall of water. She gripped his arm tight and he pulled her through.

Time snapped back as water thundered down. The roar soon became deafening, growing louder the more water cascaded in. And then, like someone turned the water off, everything went quiet. Rosie let go of the railing, pushing up and ascending through the water.

The Shadow suit let her slice through the water. The webbed gloves scooped away. The finned feet gave her kicks more power. Even the texture of the suit seemed to shift to reduce drag.

Within minutes Rosie breached the surface, drawing a deep breath of fresh air. John surfaced in front of her, followed by Virgil shortly after.

Rosie got to her feet at the shore, seeing how much the water had dropped. She traced her finger across her head and peeled back the hood. She heard a coded whistle and responded with the all clear.

Brandon and Matt emerged from cover and helped get John to the makeshift camp. Charlie had a med station set up, Paul had something stewing over the fire. She helped get John out of his Shadow suit and gave Charlie room to work.

“Matt, get that pump running.” Charlie called over her shoulder, sending Matt running to the water’s edge. “Sorry kiddo, got to put you through de-con.” Charlie forced a smile for John’s benefit and Paul got him up.

Matt turned the hose on John, blasting him with water. Charlie scrubbed his skin raw with a long brush. Paul, being of similar build, kept John standing. Taking a fair amount of punishment from the hose himself.

Rosie changed into her blacks, strapping a fresh iv bag of radaway to her arm. She checked on John, keeping her distance as Charlie dressed his cuts. “Rosie.” Brandon held a steaming mug of coffee up and nodded to the empty seat by the fire.

“I want you to know,” Brandon offered Virgil a cigarette, lighting it for him. “The order I gave threatening your people was a bluff. I’d never give that order and if I did no one I trained would follow it.”

“I know.” Virgil took a long drag, letting the curiosity build. “If you had a dozen men, you’d have shown me a dozen men.”

“You’re right, I would have.” Brandon hid a grin by sipping his coffee.

“What now?” Rosie asked, trying to hide how drained she felt, exhausted from being on edge for so long.

“We found the door. I’ll tip my contact in the Brotherhood and we’ll proceed as planned.” Brandon stared into the flames. Rosie saw the wheels turning behind his eyes.

“Bold strategy.” Virgil stood flicking his cigarette into the fire. “Let’s hope it goes the way you think.”

“If you know the enemy as you know yourself...” Brandon trailed off, distracted by the endgame playing out in his head.

“You need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” Virgil finished the quote. “If this goes bad, a hundred battles will be just the start.” Virgil offered his hand and Brandon shook it. Neither fully trusted the other, yet trusted they wanted the same thing.

“Don’t you think you should rest?” Rosie failed to hide the wobble in her step as Virgil readied to leave. “Eat something at least?” Rosie felt everyone staring at her, surprised by the concern.

“Relax Red, I’m alright.” Virgil tried to brush off her concern, but both knew the toll events had taken. “I'm good.” He put a hand on Rosie’s shoulder. “Come by the shop in a few days.” He left, grateful to be back in the forest.

“I’ve sent word to Beverly, she’s expecting you two. You’re going to stay a few days and rest.” Brandon didn’t ask, Rosie wanted to argue but already felt the Radaway sapping her resolve.

“Fine.” She sat back, hiding her relief.

“Is there anything I need to know?” Brandon needed to know if anything could affect the plan.

“No.” She answered, trying to avoid further questions.

“Is there anything you want to talk about?” Brandon’s tone softened, his concerns shifting to her and John.

“No.” Rosie didn’t feel ready to talk about the horrors she’d seen. Terrifying not because of the differences between them, but the similarities.