February 31st, 2558
Sydney
Australia, Earth
World Square
I feel like a damn bull in a china shop
Every time Sarah Palmer went out in public, she found herself thinking that at least once, at some point or another. Right now, the fact that she was getting simultaneously jabbed by multiple pedestrians' elbows, probably had something to do with it.
Sarah was attempting to make her way down the escalator smoothly, and without incident, but within the first few seconds, it became blatantly obvious that wasn't going to be happening. On a weekend day like today, the moving staircase was already filled to near capacity with both Sydney locals and visitors of every stripe. That made it a pretty cramped and crowded environment for anybody- let alone someone as large and tall as a Spartan.
A random elbow briefly jabbed her left side.
" Oh, my mistake-"
The speaker- a suited, 30's ish man with a briefcase in one hand- turned to address his unintended elbow strike target, but when he spotted Sarah, the chap's eyes shot wide open.
" ..."
Turning her attention that way, Sarah put on a poker face.
On the Infinity, or among the rest of the Spartan 4s, situations like this virtually never happened. After all, Infinity didn't have escalators- and even if there were any, there was enough discipline left in the UNSC to generally keep everyone from log jamming them like this.
"Ahem-my mistake. " The suit managed to finish, overcoming the momentary shock with remarkable alacrity. " Didn't know you were there, Miss. "
" That's fine. " Sarah looked straight ahead again. " Don't mention it. "
Well, she'd been used as a pinball again, it seemed.
Out here, on the town and among the masses on a weekend when the locals' favorite pastime was to mob the nearest mall, Sarah's strikingly...athletic physique was a blatantly obvious contrast with the everyday-sized folks that were surrounding her.
To begin with, her towering height of over 6ft put Sarah an easy minimum of a head taller than virtually everybody else- 9 out of 10 of everybody she'd ever seen around here, or had gotten anywhere near to so up till now, had only come up to her chin, and none of them were tall enough to fully look her in the eyes. The shortest of them- ie, the children- were so outmatched by her in terms of height, she genuinely thought she would trip over them.
On top of that, there was her build. As an ODST, Sarah had already been pretty buff, but between the Spartan IV augmentations, its training pipeline ( that had been undeniably tailor-made to emulate the one followed by the original Spartans of Ancient Greece ), and its accompanying workout regimen, Sarah had wound thoroughly muscled enough to look like she could swagger into a Crossfit competition and take on all comers. Indeed, every time she saw someone else's arms- no matter how fit they were- she was instantly reminded that her own muscles were either larger, more finely sculpted, or both.
Judging by the nervous glances more than a few individuals had sent her way, the last of those was probably the truest. Sarah was wearing long sleeves at the moment, but they weren't loose enough to fully hide the outline of her triceps.
Or maybe it was how tall she was that had them all staring. Or both. Most likely ( yet again ), it was both.
Yeah, yeah, I know. For some reason, my arms seem to get bigger every time I come out of the gym. And I literally have to tip my head forward to speak to anyone.
Not that I've actually had a conversation with anyone around here
" Dang, she's tall ! "
From some way off, distant point...behind and to the right of Sarah, she overheard what was definitely the voice of an adolescent girl.
The speaker obviously thought she was being subtle in her observation- and given that she'd talked in barely above a whisper, that would probably have worked, especially with the constant, overlapping hbbbhbbaaa murmur of at least several hundred individuals all amassed into a concentrated area ( aka a crowded mall ) being as loud as it was. The World Square wasn't some country village by a lake with virtually nothing to do; it was a thrumming hive of potted plants, polished stainless steel, mulicolored tiles, and sparkling glass that was smackdab in the middle of a major Earth city, and that meant there were always crowds.
And crowds meant...all kinds of every one were in them. Including ones with no real skill in keeping their observations to themselves.
" Yeah...pretty swole too. "
As it turned out, the gawker wasn't alone either, whoever she was. One of her gal pals ( or, possibly sister ) was out here with her. Following the example of her companion, she was also doing a half baked job at being overt at commenting on someone.
But, the Spartan augmentations had done a lot more than simply make Sarah swole ( Not that she'd ever used such vocabulary personally, of course. It was the language of teenagers and nobody else ). Hearing the low spoken remarks was as easy as if they'd been screamed.
Ha, ha, ha. I hadn't noticed that about myself.
" I bet she's a CrossFit champion or something. ", estimated the first voice.
" Maybe- but how'd she get so tall ? "
" You say that because you're 4ft 5..."
Mentally rolling her eyes, the Spartan let the comments go by without giving a hint that she's caught them. Such things weren't quite at the level of getting a real reaction out of her, after all. It wasn't as if they were exaggerating, or spouting hyperbole, because there was simply no getting around the fact that she was a large woman, and tall to boot. Specifically, one who was larger and taller than not only them, but everyone else around here, male or female.
You could still learn some manners, you two, but I've actually been burned for real.
After another 10 or so more seconds, Sarah was ferried to the bottom of the escalator and stepped off it. The funneled crowd that'd been contained on the escalator now opened up, with virtually everyone seeming to drift away from Sarah automatically. The same thing happened with everybody heading toward the escalator too; they also proceeded to give her a noticeable margin, swerving off to the left or right with startled expressions-skyrocketing eyebrows, widening eyes- as soon as they saw her.
I might do the same- wait, no. I once fought a Chieftain. Because I thought it would be a good idea...
On the Infinity, or anywhere else on UNSC military property, the rank and file were definitely impressed by Spartans, but not over-awed by them. At least, not anymore. The days where the Spartan IIs ( and the virtually never seen Spartan IIIs ) had been the only ones around were long gone.
Now, 6ft+, buff-to-Adonis soldiers were numbering in the hundreds. The Spartan-IV program had gone a long way toward making the concept of a genetically engineered warrior more of a mainstream one, and the everyday Marine/Soldier/ Sailor/ Airman had more or less gotten used to the sight of someone who was over two meters tall, and frighteningly fit walking around/up to them. 20 years ago, they might not have been, but the IIs had never been more than a few dozen at most. With over 200 IVs in service these days, though, it was much more likely for any non-Spartan servicemember to encounter one.
But, for all the familiarity that the military had with living with Spartans, the civilian sector still wasn't so adjusted.
More colonies had survived the conflict with the Covenant than had been previously estimated, and between them and Earth, there will billions of folks who had never seen a Spartan of any class- and certainly not many out of armor. No matter how often any of them saw someone who was both tall and super fit, there wasn't any way to really replicate the physique of a Spartan without the augmentations. Even if you were buff enough, there was virtually no chance you'd be tall enough. And, up till now, Sarah hadn't seen any civvie who fit both bills.
The ones occupying the floor she'd disembarked onto certainly didn't. As she walked forward, Sarah was instantly aware of more than one look being aimed her way from a captivated onlookers, and from a variety of angles. Everyone behind her could very well be staring shamelessly, but the ones in front of and to the sides- the ones she could actually see- weren't being so bold. Once their eyes had flicked from the highest point of her to the lowest ( a considerable distance ), they tended to avert their gaze before Sarah met it.
Yeah, yeah, I know. Walking lampost coming though. Take a picture. It'll last longer.
On one hand, all the gawking, gaping, and general attention was beneath her. Yes, she was taller, bigger, and stronger than everybody else, and to an unnatural degree, but that came with the territory for being a Spartan. And, if she was also being honest with herself, being a Spartan was a pedigree that she wouldn't trade away even if she had the option. It gave her a purpose and direction in life, which were utterly priceless commodities. If being a towering giantess was what it took to be a Spartan ( the very best soldiers anybody could ever become, aside from the ODSTs, needless to say ), then Sarah had no objection to that.
On the other hand, though, she couldn't ignore a sense of...resentment, too. Getting oggled so openly ( though, thankfully not lustfully ) by the masses like this made Sarah think she was actually the propaganda piece that ONI ( being the snakes the grass that they were ) so often attempted to use Spartans for- a walking advertisement/display of martial might. Aside from their scheming machinations, though, the everyday person staring at her was no doubt thinking- on some level- of what she might do to them if she wanted to harm them. They were fearful of her. Somewhat. Which was utterly ludicrous-Sarah had risked her life to defend folks like these long before becoming a Spartan, and she continued to do so. She would die to keep them safe, but they didn't know what about her.
They saw a spectacle and an intimidating one at that.
I suppose it has it uses...but they're not the ones I want to scare stiff. Not much I can do about that, though
Compressing the brief flicker of annoyance, Sarah kept going. A set of the main automatic glass doors was directly ahead, with the rest of Sydney beyond them.
At that moment, her Chatter vibrated in her right hip pocket. Reaching in, she fished it out, and found she'd received a message.
A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth when she saw who it was from.
" You still coming? ", it said.
She promptly typed a response: " Yep. Count on it. "
" Don't be late, then. "
So demanding.
Shaking her brunette head, Sarah proceeded to go out through the doors, and back out onto the sidewalk. Instantly, she was met by the weather conditions-
- which was that it was raining. Pretty hard, too.
Hmm. And I left my umbrella back in Spartan Town.
Great. Well, a free shower, at least.
Well, that explained the surging crowds inside. Another problem with the outdoors; it was was outdoors.
Sarah set off down the sidewalk, blinking under the cascade of water. Pedestrians gave her plenty of space- as usual- as she walked along, listening to the pattering rhythm of raindrops striking the concrete and tarmac. Off to the right, the city's traffic-still out in abundance despite the adverse conditions- produced a symphony of growling engines, beeping horns, and the wrssh, wrsshh, wrshh of vehicle tires splashing through pooled water.
A few yards up ahead, at the corner, a municipal bus eased to a halt with a guttural hiss of brakes. Its doors folded open, and a handful of riders began to file off- some quickly, others slightly less so. A college-age woman who was ahead of Sarah on the sidewalk began the process of loading her bike onto the storage rack on the front.
In a fleeting moment, Sarah thought about how easy it would be for her to lift the bike with one hand. It was effortlessly within the strength envelope of a Spartan, but needless to say, there was no need to show it off right now.
When in Rome, as they say...
Combined, these were all some of the strongest reasons Sarah preferred cities. They were so lively, and active. There was always something going on in them, and all the hustle and bustle of a city as massive as Sydney was plenty of proof that the Covenant had failed in their asinine quest to eradicate her species.
Even the Opera House was still standing.
We still got problems- liberalism, Innsurectiontists, etc- but I'll take all of that to getting glassed.
The air was cooled now- reminding Sarah a tad of being put into cryo. Well, needless to say, it wasn't anywhere near as cold, but getting to sleep by getting frozen solid always did that to her. She couldn't help but think of it.
Getting her Chatter back out ( ignoring the rain, as the device was waterproof ), she sent the earlier texter another message:
" You still there ? "
A few seconds later:
" Yes. Found somewhere to take cover. Don't worry; I'll be around here a while "
The scent of wet concrete was everywhere, and Sarah liked that too. Everything about the city itself was appealing- even if it was essentially a gawking gallery for someone like her ( ie, a Spartan ).
Some things couldn't be helped, after all, both good and less so.
Hyde Park
15 minutes later
He was still here.
The rain was still falling, as Sarah reached her destination: a wooden gazebo surrounded by a field of ( now utterly soaked ) jade green grass.
The solitary structure was itself awash with rainwater, but with the way the gazebo's roof was a smoothly rounded dome that fitted flush with the pillars that held it up, the water flowed seamlessly down the sides and soaked itself into shallow troughs of dirt that ringed the gazebo's base.
No doubt the solitary man seated inside was thankful that he had it to keep the storm off him.
He'd clearly spotted Sarah approaching, if the slight, but the genuine smile he now had was any indicator. Not a stare, or a nervous, fixated look-
He was smiling at her. Looking at her with an expression of real expression, not a stunned one of apprehension, surprise, or nervousness.
Well, of course, he would.
" Where've you been, Sarah? ", Thomas Lasky called out from where he was sitting.
By way of response, Sarah held up what she'd been carrying all along- the entire reason she'd stopped at the World Center to begin with: a cardboard drinks carrier containing several malt drinks.
Lasky's grin didn't falter. " Hey, how did you know ?
" I didn't. But, I know you. ", Sarah replied, reaching the steps leading up into the gazebo, and climbing them in about a half second.
" Figured you'd want something more...down to Earth. Not any of the colonial brands. "
" Well, I don't get much shore leave. I wanted to spend it my way; this definitely fits in. "
" Drinking in the rain ? ". Reaching him, Sarah ( carefully ) set the case down beside Lasky, before setting herself down close to him too.
" There's clubs all over town perfect for top brass like you. "
The wooden bench made an audible creaking sound as it took her weight. If it hadn't been for how thick its legs looked, Sarah would've been cautious about using it. As a Spartan, she tipped the scales even out of armor- roughly 200 pounds of superdense muscle fiber, and ceramic reinforced bones.
Most things in the UNSC were now designed to be able to support that much weight, but needless to say, that's not where they were right now. But, then again, that was its own form of good.
" Drinking with you. "
" As opposed to the bigwigs at Bravo 6 ? I thought you'd stick by their side even after the meeting marathon. "
" Oh, I'd rather fight a Jiralhane Chieftain with a butterknife. "
Funny you should say so ! Really.
Lasky pulled out one of the bottles, and deftly flicked off its cap with practiced dexterity. " Truth be told- this is where I am better off. Here, with you."
" I was born into privilege. Went to a privileged school. Now I command the biggest ship in the entire Navy. My whole existence is one long train of fanciness. Its why I like getting out like this. "
" I think that's a creative way to say I have no class. ", Sarah admonished.
It seemed she'd caught him in a slip up, as he then blinked seconds before taking a sip of his drink. " Oh- wait a moment-"
"...Ok. What I meant to say was- "
Smirking, Sarah grabbed and then opened her own drink, relishing the moment.
Lasky was such a boy scout sometimes.
" I meant to say...you're like the...family restaurant that everyone likes when they're tired of dressing up to go that black tie one instead. "
Sarah raised a brow. " Tom, I think I am the first girl to be compared to a restaurant...and as a compliment. "
Lasky took cover by drinking a few sips, with a slightly sheepish shrug.
" Wasn't it ? ", he asked a few seconds later, after finishing.
" From you ? I'd say its the best I'll ever get, so I'll take it. ".
The verbal exchanges they had whenever and wherever they were alone together were one of the things Sarah liked the most about Lasky. It was one thing to engage in lockeroom talk with the other Spartans, or the occasional conversation with the rank and file while in the Infinity's mess halls, but nobody talked with her the way Lasky did- or vice versa.
It was a step above the complex reactionary zone to having the civvie masses, or even the rest of the UNSC outside the Spartans, staring and edging away from her.
He was at ease with her. He was completely at ease with her. And was only scratching the surface of their dynamic.
Lasky reached out a hand, and rested it on her thigh.
He squeezed it gently. The rock-solid muscle beneath hardly gave much, but the gesture sent a detectable tingle up Sarah's spine anyway.
" You're the best I'll ever get. ", the former Corbullo Academy cadet told her.
" How's that for a smooth compliment. "
I wouldn't want to lose this. Not ever. Not for anything.
Sarah looked down at where there his hand was resting. It wasn't so much of a difference in size compared to hers, but he couldn't bend a steel bar with those hands like she could with hers.
And she didn't care. Lasky was not weak in body, and his real strengths were the ones he had in leading the Infinity.
Again, though, that was neither here nor the present. Right now, they weren't on the Infinity. They were sitting beneath a wooden roof, with a unending cascade of rain pattering and tapping down on it. The air all around was nice and cool, with the aroma of soaked concrete and grass.
If Spartans were at home on the battlefield ( and they were, that was true ), then Sarah had already decided that she could say the same about surroundings like this.
With, most importantly of all, present company included.
" Yeah...I'd say that actually is pretty smooth. Even from you. "
" But, I think I can top it. "
She set her drink down.
In a fluid motion, without giving Lasky a chance to do or say anything, she leaned toward him, gently took his jawline in her right hand, and kissed him firmly on the mouth.
Even sitting down, there was a difference in their height to get past, but it wasn't so much that it got in the way. It was hardly an inconvenience.
Barely an issue.
Her left hand fell to one of Lasky's legs. She gripped it, carefully, while deepening and savoring the kiss for several more ( very ) worthwhile seconds, before slowly pulling back.
You've been showed up
Caught off guard, Lasky could only blink at first.
"..That was random. ", he finally remarked.
Then, he smiled in a way that offered zero objections to what had happened a half second ago.
" But in a good way. I think I'll stick around Infinity a tad longer. "
Triumphant, and not at all tired, Sarah grinned too.
It was moments like these that made waiting to get them worth it.
Absolutely worth it.