Despite her military background Lorelei hadn’t ever seen a human armored personnel carrier before, and was blatantly surprised to find a large hunk of metal on treads waiting for them. Standing about four meters tall, and ten meters wide, the main chassis was built to take an immeasurable amount of punishment. The outer hull was covered in scars, dents, and scratches that were badly painted over with red and black checkered camouflage paint.
On the roof was a single mounted canopy, designed to fit an anti-personal cannon, but the weapon had been removed and replaced with a solid armored glass cover. She supposed it would offer one of the vehicles occupants an observational view of their surroundings during transit.
Laying on the forward prow of the tank, the driver was waiting for them. He wore a flak armored vest loosely over a dull storm grey uniform, and a gas mask over his face. An older spiked helmet was leisurely hanging on the side from his belt, and a myriad of patches were stitched on the right sleeve of his uniform.
“Why doesn’t it hover?” Lorelei asked the driver in confusion.
“What? You mean anti-grav panels? Sorry Succubus girl, nothing fancy like that here.” His voice was charming beneath the mask.
“This looks like a garbage truck,” Monica cut in, not impressed by the state of things.
“She may look ugly, but old Jessie here has never let me down, and I trust nothing else to take a ride outside.”
Lorelei sighed to herself, feeling the weight of her chest pressing firmly against the armored bodice of her war-gear. The tacsuit clung tightly to her skin, filling into every groove and crevice, leaving little to the imagination without her armor. The pauldrons made her shoulders seem broader, and there were no ceramic plates covering her buttocks, which she couldn’t tell if that was a deliberate oversight, or not. She supposed it would be easier not having to sit down with two curved plates on her bottom cheeks, but still, it made her feel weird…insecure.
Next to her, Monica looked unprotected by comparison. Her own gear was nothing like the standard, or even upgraded, protective suits the standard army used. It was very clear by the way the non-students prepared themselves that they all had very liberal-minded ideas on what counted for adequate protection.
Then again, having better maneuverability, or less weight to carry, had its benefits as well. Lorelei knew that from experience.
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Lorelei found herself lost in thought, not impressed by the crew, or the vehicle about to carry them beyond the wall. Just about everyone was there, except for a couple key characters.
Konrad was late, so too was Marci, and her boy-toy.
It did surprise her that Theo was late as well, him being the most excited for this trip made her think he would be the first to arrive.
Just as her mind started to wander about him, Lorelei caught sight of Theo at the edge of her periphery. Theo had chosen a wide arch around the warehouse to find their staging area, and he seemed to pick up the pace upon noticing them.
He looked good in armor and uniform.
Carrying a small duffel back over his shoulder, he was distracted by the APC.
Without even realizing it, Lorelei had taken several steps toward him. Both of them froze, looking at each other in the middle of the warehouse.
“Sup, Lori?” Theo smiled, setting his duffel bag down next to him.
Lorelei felt a little awkward, but not completely overwhelmed. She definitely felt just in control enough not to run away.
“Hey!” She grabbed her tail, noticing how it was lashing to the side. “Its good to see you. You excited to…get out there…” She suddenly realized she didn’t know what to say. “You—you good to get goin?”
If Theo noticed her awkward stammer, he pretended not to notice. “Oh you bet, but are you ok with going back out there again?”
Lorelei wasn’t, but she shoved that thought deep down. “Don’t worry, you can count on me! I’ll make sure to keep you safe…”
“Oh really?” Theo chuckled.
What did I just say? Lorelei’s face was frozen in a quivering smile, as Theo picked up his duffel bag and strode to her side. “So where’s the big guy?” He asked, clearly referring to Konrad.
Lorelei twirled around, and walked beside him to the Narcis. “Not sure, Mike and Marci aren’t here yet either.”
“I’ve noticed,” the sound of someone tripping over something far behind them, followed by a loud bout of swearing made them both chuckle. “Never mind, they must’ve just gotten here. There probably hungover from last night.”
“Those two,” Lorelei rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, those two.”
Without even realizing it, Lorelei noticed her hand felt abnormally warmer than before. At some point during their brief conversation, while walking toward the vehicle, her hand had found his.
What!!!
“I didn’t realize you were always so friendly,” Theo teased her. “But you can let go of my hand now.”
Lorelei shot her hand back to scratch at the back of her neck. “Sorry—sorry.”
What the hell is wrong with me!
Everything else that happened over the next several minutes; Konrad’s arrival, Mike and Marci’s arguments, even Theo’s questions about the trip, hardly registered. Lorelei’s mind had dissolved into a whirlpool of embarrassment, and she could hardly think about anything other than the feeling of Theo’s hand holding hers.
Before she even knew it Lorelei had taken a seat aboard the Narcis, and even as the main gates for the exterior wall loomed, her mind was someplace else entirely.