Heated Gear
Fun-Sized Murder
It was the dead of winter as snow blew off Sophia's shoulder gear. A group of polyps creped to one of the Imulsion pipes, that slowly fueled the assault derrick, they started scratching at the pipeline, Sophia toke her Hammerburst II and took pot shots at the polyps.
Sophia placed the Hammerburst II into the snow as steam wisped off the heated barrel. Sophia had been on post duty all night, as the sun spread it's warmth across the horizon, she slowly drifted into sleep.
Sophia jerked upward as she gripped her gun. Above her was George, one of the very young, but talented snipers, as is usual in islanders. He carried his Longshot with the grace as if carrying his legacy. Sophia snapped out of startled and into her usual self. She padded him on the shoulder as she walked to the Derrick. As she climbed the derrick's side latter she remembered her father's knife, she franticly padded her armor not thinking right, but then she remembered it was at her left thigh. With a short sigh she boarded the derrick, dragged herself to the bunks, and fell asleep.
Sophia awoke around mid-afternoon, as the derrick was traveling south through the snowfields. As she got ready she heard the King-raven 'chirping' in the distance. Sophia got to the control room at a faster the groggy rate, as the KR's pilot communicated over the radio.
"This is KR-Seven four, are we safe to dock?"
"KR-Seven four, Docking Permitted." Said Larry, he loved his Derrick as most derrick drivers did, but he was never known for socializing.
Sophia was giddy on the inside, but hid it well behind a stern face to not show the rest of the team. The KR landed on the heli-pad that was modified onto the derrick. Two men and one woman got off before the pilot, named Chris; Sophia met his gaze as the same though brushed across them. They were struck with the warmth of each other back when they had gotten back from the pendulum war back before the E-day. As most of the team didn't think a pilot would have an interesting story to tell none of the other mates bothered him as he walked to Sophia.
They held their hands together a strolled to the bunks as they sat on Sophia's bunk which they often shared, they started talking about the mission Chris had just returned from. But the unfortunate reality was present when Larry called over the comms; he seemed worried, as he never was.
As Sophia, Chris, George, and the other five other gears came into the now crowded control room. Outside the front window was a barricade, but it wasn't COG. It was clear by the rummaging behind the holes in the sheet metal that the barricade could be stranded, but the boomshot multi-turret suggested Locust.
George staring at the barricade remembered his parents being slaughtered and his little sister being dragged to the hollow. He swung his lancer into his arms and headed out the door, as he said,
"I'll lead the welcoming party."
Larry turned to see George walk out of the control room.
"Okay, Sophia, Varner, go with George." Said Larry.
Sophia swung around her Hammerburst II, as Varner did with his Lancer. Before they left Sophia, and Chris locked eyes this lingered a few second before they kissed, and she left.