Angela looked over the panel as Dingo looked on, she hovered her fingers over the buttons. "Do we wake her up?"
Dingo scratched his chin thoughtfully, "Well, Frontier Setter sent us here for a reason, and you say he left instructions for her."
Angela nodded as she began pressing buttons again. The image flared a bright blue as it spun rapidly. As it slowed, the image became that of the face of woman with long black hair and deep green eyes. Her thin lips spread into so a small smile as she looked around, finally resting on Angela.
"Hello," she spoke in a soft, melodic voice, "I am Rebecca Wally. You may call me Becky."
Angela looked back at Dingo briefly before she replied, "I am Angela Balzac," she motioned a hand at Dingo, "this Dingo."
Becky nodded, "Yes, I have been waiting for you. I have been informed that you were once of the space platform DEVA."
Angela nodded, "That is correct."
"A friend of yours, Frontier Setter he calls himself, has left me details about the two of you and how you assisted him with the Genesis Ark projects conclusion."
"Are you familiar with the project, then?"
"Yes," Becky nodded, "that project and Project Sojourn where being pursued at the same time."
"Project Sojourn?" Angela asked.
"Project Sojourn is the predecessor to DEVA. This is Project Sojourn. I have been archived and offline for the past 125 years. Frontier Setter found this complex before he left and brought it online."
"And these," Angela motioned to the set of instructions.
"He has left me the information required to operate, service, and repair this ARHAN, codename Artemis," an image of the white and blue ARHAN flickered to the screen.
"Well, well," Dingo moved beside Angela with his hands in his pockets, "looks like we got something to fight back with. But can DEVA get a hold of it."
"I do not believe so," Becky shook her head, "Frontier Setter has encrypted this terminal and the Artemis. I do not believe DEVA will be able to crack it."
"Well, that's good news," Dingo turned his head to Angela, "he was able to break into DEVA, and elude even their best System Security Officer," he patted Angela on the head.
"And he was able to crack the ARHAN I stole in about 10 seconds and DEVA said it couldn't be done," Angela acknowledged.
Angela walked past the terminal approaching the Artemis. It wasn't currently armed, and wasn't quite as rounded as the ones she was used to. While it was mostly white like the others, it had blue panels covering the joints in the superstructure. She reached where the panels should be and pressed against the cool, smooth metal. The external controls popped out and she keyed the cockpit open and the seat descended to her. It looked like the ones she was familiar with, two control sticks in the front and two pedals in the back. She dropped her coat on the ground and swung her leg over the seats and laid down on it. She rested her feet on the petals and grabbed the controls. Dingo watched as she ascended into the cockpit with a small smile.
Becky's face appeared in the holo-display, "All systems are on-line and functioning as required."
"Can you provide fire assistance as well," Angela moved her head, expecting the targeting reticle to follow her. She frowned when it didn't until she realized why, "I don't have a headset. It's in the truck."
"Your DEVA headset might not be compatible with this system, Angela," Becky stated. "But no worries, there is one here." With a blast of dusty air, a small rectangular compartment rose up at the foot of the ARHAN. "I believe I have selected on that will fit you properly."
Angela dropped down from the machine and looked the uniform over. Much like the Artemis it was almost identical to the ones used by DEVA. Angela pulled her t-shirt and shorts off only the hear Dingo cough suddenly. When she turned to look back at him, he swiftly turned his back to her. "What?" she asked.
"Remember those clothes I said were important?" he chuckled nervously.
"Yeah," she shrugged as she began to pull the uniform on. It fit her well, and she was thankful to be back in one, the surface close where too tight in some places and too lose in others. "It's not like I could use them with this anyway." She noticed the back of Dingo's neck was flushed, she smiled slightly. Then she blushed when she wondered if she had done that on purpose. Modesty wasn't a top priority in DEVA, but everyone seemed hung up on it down here on the surface. "You can turn back around now," she said as she fixed her long golden hair into two ponytails held with the same cyan stars her old uniform used. She bowed her head forward and slid the headset on. She looked back up at Dingo, her eyes shining.
"Definitely you," Dingo smiled.
Angela bounded back up into the cockpit like a child running for a playground. She listened to it close behind her as she slid into place. This time as she looked around the system followed her motions. Unlike the one she had used to transport Tiffany, this ARHAN was super responsive to her actions. "Can I take it out?" Angela asked, the excitement clear in her voice.
"Becky," Dingo looked back at the console, "will DEVA be able to detect it."
Becky appeared as s full body holo in front of Dingo, she was about his height, dressed in a long blue dress with her waist length black hair pulled into a single ponytail behind her. "Yes," she nodded, "but a brief operation should appear as a blip on their systems and may go unnoticed."
"Alright, Angela," Dingo nodded, "just don't get carried away."
Angela looked up as the hanger opened above her, sand cascaded down into the hanger and clicked up in a swirl of grit and dust as the engines on the back of the Artemis roared to life. Dingo held his hat on and shielded his face as the machine streaked into the air. Angela throttled it as fast as it would go and she couldn't believe it. It was faster than any of the other ARHANs she had ever piloted. She spun it into the atmosphere and allowed it to free fall back down before sweeping it across the ground kicking up a stream of dust behind her.
When she landed back in the hanger and jumped down. "That was amazing," her voice an octave higher than usual. Dingo looked up at here where he was seated with his guitar. "Becky?", Angela called out. Becky flashed into existence before her. "What kind of armaments do we have?"
Becky motioned to the console and Angela walked over to it. "Everything we have can be found here. Ammunition for ballistic and explosive weapons is limited, but I have the instructions and facilities to manufacture more. We just need a source for material such as propellant and lead."
"Lazlo," Dingo smirked. "I be he'd like to get back into business now that robots aren't buying up his nitrate."
Angela shook her head, "We might not need re-supply. Maybe if we can take these agents out we can convince DEVA to leave us the hell alone." She continued to examine the holo-display.
"We'll have to see I guess," Dingo said as came to stand beside her. "Come on, let's find out if this place has anything to eat," he patted her shoulder as he turned around to walk out the hanger. "Hey, Becky," he looked over his shoulder to the holo, "anything good to eat here."
"There is a cafeteria but the food is not stocked, you will only find nutrition pouches."
Dingo grimaced, "I guess that will have to do."
Over the couple weeks Angela worked with Becky as the two learned to work together to become a solid unit with the new ARHAN. Angela had learned from Becky that the Artemis was a prototype which contained systems and functions that were not added to the production units due to cost, availability or reliability. Together, they had gotten good at anticipating each other's actions and coming to the same conclusion. With Becky's support, Angela could make the machine do things she never thought where possible. They had even taken it hunting after Dingo's complaints about the nutrition pouches has become excessive.
She had returned from one such hunting trip to find Dingo coming to the hanger as she was leaving it. He waved to her with his cocky smile and she waved back with a slight shake of her head. She stopped in front of him, "We got a good catch, should be good for a week or so," she twitched her head back toward the hanger.
"Good job," he patted her shoulder, "I'll get it down to the cafeteria." He went to move past her but she placed a hand on wrist.
"Dingo, wait," she looked up at him. "I've," she hesitated, "I've never properly thanked you for all your help."
"Don't mention it, Angela," he smiled, "we're partners after all."
"Yeah," she nodded and looked down. "I know, but I owe you so much. Without you," she paused again. She could feel the warmth in her cheeks. "I guess what I'm trying to say," the words continued hang in her throat. "Dingo, I," her words were cut off by a loud claxon and flashing red lights. Angela jumped back away from him as Becky's voice rang through the hallways.
"Dingo! Angela!" she was calm but loud. "I have detected six incoming bogies. S Class ARHAN exoskeletal powered suits. ETA 20 minutes."
"Damnit," Dingo cursed, "they found us."
Angela broke out into a run back to the hanger thankful that she had taken to wearing the uniform full time again. "Becky," she called as she ran, "prepare to deploy armaments."
"I'm sorry Angela, the deployment bays have not been loaded. It will take 35 minutes to arm the weapons and deploy."
"Okay," she jumped onto the seat and glided up into the cockpit. "I'll have to use Artemis' on board weapons for the time being. Let me know when they are ready to go." Angela throttled the ARHAN up and out of the open hanger. Her display showed her the incoming units. She would have to wait until they were closer to engage, right now she still had the element of surprise if DEVA hadn't detected the Artemis in their short outings.
