Existential Threat: Chapter 3 Part 2 of 2 (Patreon)

“It’s kind of, familiar? I’ve been in the net more than I’ve been in the real I think at this point. I’ve been in so many games based in space, with zero-g, like I don’t feel that even the net can make it one hundred percent like the real thing, but its close enough to give me reference points to work from,” she said. “Overall I like it, though not for the space part, but the people, it is nice to be around people that are motivated everyday, that are kind and working together. We all know that no matter what jobs we do, we’re helping one another and part of a larger whole. I got the moniker Iron Admiral for being cold on the battlefield, for not reacting to every small change, staying focused on the whole picture. I had a hard time with any of the guilds because people wanted to be in the limelight. The Legionnaires don’t care about the accolades.” She shook her head.

“At the end of it all everyone congratulates one another because it is a team effort to get out there and win. From the engineers that build the ships, to the pilots, the communications officers, the captains, those helping out with the repairs.”

The promenade got larger and several food places populated the sides, as the noise grew some and the number of people grew.

“I don’t have to chase people, they’re willing to lose their bots, their ships, they trust one another and me. Together we can accomplish incredible things. It’s made the training battles a lot harder,” She faked a grimace.

“Kim Jung-Su and Diego giving you a run for your money?”

“Jun-Su is close to me in fighting style, problem is that he knows my play book off by heart and he’s working to build out counters for it, so I have to build out more for him. It has made things much more interesting. Diego tries to act like he is running by the seat of his pants and has no plan, but he’s getting the instinctual level where one can feel what the fleet is doing around him and read the others. Though he’s best with smaller units instead of a full fleet. He and his captains are much wilder than Jung-Su’s. How are your training fights?”

Luke finished off the last of his smoothie, locking the spout closed. “The fights are turning into a slog, even if one side gets the advantage early on, there’s no guarantee they’re going to win through. With just a small group we can get stuck in like a damn tick and hold things down. The training and the new gear has changed up the tactics.” Luke spotted a raised hand, he nodded to Moose and raising his in acknowledgement. Moose went back to drinking from his mug, the rest of One-Echo squad around the table.

“Just found my weirdos,” He slipped a hand around her back. “What time are you off today?”

“It might be a late one, message you?”

“Okay,” Luke smiled and hugged her.

“Have fun repairing Sphere World Two,” She said, as they released.

“Feels like we’re wasting time, when we all know the real work is out there.”

“Got to do our part,” Dana shrugged.

“Turning into a full-time job,” Luke growled.

“Nearly there now, see you later,” She waved goodbye.

Luke grumbled and waved, his smile creeping back up, before he turned into the collection of tables, moving for where Fin and the others were waiting.

Fin lifted his eyes and waved his fingers, resting his head back on his palm, the screen flickering under his other hand as he returned his gaze to it. He’d cleaned up, no longer in a utilitarian coverall, wearing the same green as Luke, he was slumped over the screen but took up more of the table, he’d packed on muscle with the hours in the suit, workouts and a steady stream of food. He’d even styled his hair, leaving it longer on the top. He’d split his time assisting Stuart and Brad running Orion Belt Enterprises and being part of the squad.

Jynx turned her head to look over her shoulder, flicking her purple, black and green braid out the way making eye contact, sharing a head tilt before returning back to her breakfast. She too had grown, the features of her face had hardened with loss and growing up fast, turning her from girl to woman, she no longer tried to hide her pain behind false laughs and smiles, a reserved somberness to her, similar to Shiro. She was more straightforward and professional. I just hope she has space for herself and life outside of Sphere World and Orion. Though if he was being truthful to himself, they were all the same, putting in long hours of work, the hours they weren’t actively working, they were talking about it and with others who worked on it too. It dominated their lives.

Shiro had his back to Luke, looking back and raising his hand before continuing his breakfast, shifting to the side on the bench, making more room between him and Jynx.

“Cheers,” Luke sat down as Moose drank from his still steaming mug, his eyes in that half asleep-half, don’t-fucking-talk-to-me-till-I’ve-had-this-coffee mode. His hair was a scraggly mess atop his head even with the sides cleaned up. He made his coveralls somehow look trashy even though he was less slumped than Fin. The stare, the way his eyes moved, taking in everything in a glance, Luke finally understood it, seeing it in the eyes of the others, in the mirror. It was the eyes of veteran, someone that unconsciously did a hundred small things, ready for the next moment to turn to absolute crap.

Luke spotted some bacon and bread on Fin’s tray.

“You going to finish that?”

“All yours,” Fin nudged it with his elbow, dropping his other hand to the screen, using both to type on the projected keyboard.

Luke polished off the meal finished with Shiro and Jynx, Shiro stretched and breathed in as Jynx quietly drank her tea.

Shiro exhaled, Luke swore he could see vapor coming out.

“Mornin’ boss,” He drawled. He was still thin, but Luke had seen him in the sparring rooms, weight rarely meant anything in a fight between people, only warships.

“You replace your mouth and stomach with dura-steel?” Luke asked.

Moose grinned, a slow thing. “Just don’t have the patience for it to cool.”

“I think he’s just doing his best Dragon impression,” Shiro said, his smile, half closing his eyes as Luke chuckled, Jynx let out a low snort and Moose mock-scowled.

“What’s on the docket, more rip out and repairs?” Jynx asked, her cup still between her hands, elbows on the table, sipping slowly.

“Yeah, getting a few of the new repairbots,” Luke said.

“About time, fleet’s had them for what, two months now?” Shiro asked.

“About that,” Luke shrugged.

“Gotta give the voyeurs something to watch,” Fin said with heavy side-eye.

Luke pulled out his screen and put it on the table, showing a spinning blueprint of the vehicle.

“Repair-bot’s got wheels on the up and down side, electromagnets keep it adhered to one surface, wheels move it, thrusters to orientate in low-g.” He pressed a button boxes opened on the front and back of the vehicle, two arms pushing out from the sides. “The arms can articulate back forward and around, work the front or back as if they’re the same.”

“Are those human arms?” Moose asked.

“They’re using the arms from the bots, that way people can use their hands instinctively and easier than having to just knock things around with the attached repair tools,” Luke said.

“So, same old rip out more servers from SW-two, repair what we can, mark what we can’t.”

“You got it,” Luke said.

“Been three months, how long till its done?” Shiro asked.

“Another two weeks until we can get the station back up to eighty percent, things should get much quicker once they install Sally into it,” Fin said.

“Two separate Sally’s that could be weird.” Shiro said.

“They’ll share a data connection so information from one will transmit to the other so that they’ll mirror one another without being the same. So it’ll feel like they’re the same Sally,” Jynx shrugged.

They tested it out in the new dark systems. Luke thought as he finished off the last of Fin’s breakfast.

“Coolio,” Shiro leaned on his elbows, resting one hand on another.

“There a reason they’re being all super squirrel secret about it?” Shiro asked, letting his gaze rest on Fin and Jynx longer. “Never heard nothing about a repair bot before.”

“Its not meant to be super squirrel secret, it is just that there are so many projects going on that Minnie and her team are churning out things, testing them, changing them and doing them again that its faster just to have people play with them, see what works and doesn’t than try to make a manual everytime,” Fin leaned forward with a ‘I know something you don’t’ look. “Though I can tell you that some of the stuff they’re coming up with is just straight up bad ass. Well, if it works.”

“Kind of a key part ain’t it?” Jynx raised an eyebrow.

Fin shrugged with his palms up.

“Why repair rollers though?” Moose asked.

“I’d guess because of the bots getting thrown around in the old space battles,” Shiro said when no one was forthcoming. “Kind of hard to fix a reactor when the ships doing high-g maneuvers. With these stuck to a wall, they can keep working even as the ship is doing crazy manouvers.”

“They cost just a little less than a bot to build, plus are better suited to carry parts,” Fin said.

“Wonder if they’ll use it to heal us, as well?” Shiro asked.

“Or give the lil guy a machine gun and blast through ships,” Moose said.

Luke’s screen beeped, he grabbed it, and stood. “I dunno about machine guns and heals, but I do know we need to get a move on to be on time.”

There were grumbles and nods as they pushed back chairs and headed for the recyclers and then the net rooms.

“Hey Luke, I gotta be off at four, I’m giving Kira a break and watching Maddox.”

“Remember chocolate and teaching him bad words is the way to be the cool aunt,” Shiro said.

Jynx rolled her eyes, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards.

“Yeah that should be fine,” Luke said.