Here is chapter 10 of A Beautiful Thing! I apologize for the longer gap between chapters but I had some things I needed to get handled since my last update. The continued support for this story always leaves me humbled and the support many of you give other authors writing for this game we all enjoy makes me happy. The growing community around Cyberpunk 2077 is a great thing to see and I hope that continues. I wish you all the best, until next time!
END AUTHORS NOTE
TWO WEEKS LATER…
ALDECADO'S CAMP, RUINED TOWN OF WESTFIELD, NEAR PALO ARIZONA, MORNING
The rhythmic pops of fists on a punching bag gave an off tempo beat over the thumping music blaring from the garage adjoining a house in a state of slight disrepair. Whatever paint had once adorned the abode walls was peeled away by age, heat and desert storms. Many other buildings like it made up the abandoned town of Westfield along a long forgotten Arizona road. It had recently been remembered and Westfield had recently come under new management.
Aldecado vehicles occupied driveways, lots and the large trucks had been made into hastily arranged gates at the north entrance of the town. Many of the nomads were in the process of making homes into temporary residences for their stay in the area. Senteris and turrets had been established giving the clan security as they settled into their temporary homestead. The Basilisk tank was sitting in the center of the town under the overhang of an old CHOO2 station whose pumps were completely dry.
The town was a buzz of activity as the Aldecado's moved weapons and gear to vehicles. Engines rumbled as the chariots of war were arranged into position in the center of town. It was in this chaos that Judy walked with a crate of supplies back towards the house that she, V, Panam and a few other nomads had taken residence in. The town did not have enough houses for every couple or family group to have separate domiciles. This arrangement did not bother Judy, living in a tent for weeks, consistently on the move had worn on her. A private room with V, a kitchen and comfortable living space had greatly improved her mood.
She made her way past the assembling convoy of vehicles. Armored trucks and cars made up the main body while bikes were positioned in small groups along the side. Outriders for the raid to detect threats on the flanks is what Mitch had told Judy. At the head though was Panam's Thorton where the Aldecado's chief was busy preparing the heavy machine gun turret on the top. She gave Judy a wave as she passed by the truck. Judy smiled back unable to speak over the rumbling noises of engines as the nomads checked the vehicles. Panam was backlit by the rising sun as the queen of nomads prepped her steed for battle. Not a queen, a khan Judy thought to herself as she continued her walk.
She passed the front windows of the house she resided in and glanced at her reflection. Her white-grey tank top had seen better days, a few areas of threadbare cloth let her now heavily tanned skin show through. The overalls had been replaced by the baggy cargo pants and boots similar to V's. Her body had changed to in a few small ways since leaving NC. The hard life of nomad living had hardened her muscles, earned her a few small scars and she could see that she was leaner than before. Her hair's color had been fading and the natural dark brown almost black tone was appearing again at her roots. It was longer now and starting to grow back around the cyberware on the side of her head. The many tattoos she had were still bright and fresh, her dedication to keep her body art vibrante had never waned.
She took a second to study herself, an opportunity not commonly afford now. Gone was the Mox BD techie who spent her weekends in the dark of deep water or sheltered in her apartment working on robots or BD's for hobby and side cash. Judy felt conflicted as the new woman studied her back. A woman that now carried a weapon on her hip, one that had taken life. A woman that if she returned to NC would not be recognized as a native of the city but a nomad through and through. She smiled at that idea, somehow she felt this suited her better, the harsher but free life she now had with V.
She rounded into the garage where the rhythmic pops of fists on leather rang out with an increased tempo. Judy smiled as she watched V dance around the bag dodging fake strikes from her imagined opponent. Sweat had soaked her from head to foot, her drenched red hair stringy and workout clothes stuck to her like a second skin. A weight bench had a pile of improvised weights around it and the slick sweat made it clear V had been utilizing it not too long ago.
V had changed in the time since the Raffen attack as well. Her recovery was near complete and when she had gotten the clear from Cameron to resume exercises she had glowed. Judy woke up alone most days since then. V's dedication to kicking her own ass meant she rose with the sun, Judy did not.
The energy and glow that had drawn Judy to V the first time they met in Lizzie's had returned now. V's constant blank or sad expression had been replaced by a small smile which made Judy relieved. The mercenary's physique was returning as well, the once cut and athletic warrior was reforging herself. As to make the point Judy watched V deliver a roundhouse kick to the bag making it swing on its mounting that groaned with strain.
"You win?" Judy asked as she turned the music off prompting V to turn around.
"Not yet" V gasped between heavy breaths as she picked up a nearby bottle of water and flopped onto the weight bench "You could always join me"
"Naw, sweating like a joytoy in church is your thing" Judy grinned leaning on the garage wall.
"What happened to waking up to me everyday?" V teased, sipping the water as the engine's outside started shutting down.
"You wake up at gonk hours in the AM" Judy poked as she looked out at the nomad war band "falling asleep beside you every night, more my speed"
"Nova" V laughed as she dumped some water on her head. The water made her sigh as it cooled her off. V stood up and walked over to Judy who was looking out at the vehicles. She gently took Judy's chin with one hand and pulled her into a kiss. V giggled as Judy tensed at first but felt her relax into it. She blushed as V broke the embrace and gave her a wink.
"Now I won" V cooed, making Judy smile as she rolled her eyes and gave her a light push towards the door into the house.
"Come on champ, time for grub" Judy beamed pushing V along. The two entered the house, the usual noise of other residents not present as they were all working on their tasks from Panam. V had already finished preparing the Apollo bike she had been given back in NC. Judy had stayed up to get hers done, a natural night owl and besides she did her best work at night anyway.
Judy set the crate down on the table and started looking through the cabinets to find something for them to eat. V was curious what Judy had scavenged from the town and started rummaging in the crate. A few bottles of hair dye, a few electronics parts, a set of clippers and other items the girls needed.
"You feel any tingling this morning?" Judy asked her tone slightly worried as she pulled out a few synth breakfast burritos putting them in the microwave.
"Some, mostly around the processor" V shrugged as she rummaged in the crate "Seems like you managed to find the right colors" V smiled as she pulled out the bottles of hair dye.
"V, you're deflecting" Judy scolded, making V roll her eyes as she set the bottles down on the table.
"I'm not, I was being completely honest" V countered leaning back in her chair "one hundred percent, just around the box on my head" V gave her a sincere smile and held a hand over her heart "I promise"
Judy grinned accepting that V was being truthful. The microwave beeped that the food was ready. Judy set the plate down on the table with the burritos still steaming hot and sighed as she sat down.
"Never thought we would get more of these" Judy mumbled as she took a burrito with a small smile.
"Crappy breakfast burritos?" V asked, stuffing her mouth with the synthetic food.
"More quiet and simple moments" Judy smiled as she took a bite of her own breakfast. V paused and then returned the smile as she took one of Judy's hands giving it a squeeze. A silence settled between them as they ate, ignoring the sounds of the Aldecado's outside.
"Did Panam like your idea?" V inquired as she finished her meal. Judy nodded her mouth full of burrito.
"Yeah" Judy said proudly "said it was a fucking preem idea, got the BD rollers all set up. Nomad raid BD" Judy chuckled as she leaned in excitedly "all the emotions, noise, the adrenaline rush. Going to be a preem product, like action smut"
V nearly spit out her water at the phrase 'action smut' as she started laughing "Action smut, nova genre of BDs"
"Hey, I get to do what I love" Judy gushed "I haven't got to work with an new scrolls since NC"
"Ah, the struggles of a true artist" V teased as she grabbed the plate and took it over to the sink. Judy rolled her eyes as she looked out the window. The nomads were now winding down, the convoy ready to move. Her thoughts went to what she could do with the nomad scrolls, the way she could heighten emotions and feelings. She was deep in thought when V hugged her from behind.
"Ugh, V" Judy groaned as she felt the sweat soaked shirt press on her back and V's still stringy hair on her skin. V chuckled as she gave Judy a squeeze making her squirm attempting to get away. V let her go and Judy scowled as she looked at V. The techie's shirt was now damp with V's sweat and her skin glistened in areas as well. V smiled at the cute pouting face of her girlfriend making Judy's scowl deepen.
"Damn it" Judy grumbled at V as she wiped some sweat from her arm.
"Guess you will have to join me for a shower, got to save water after all" V grinned. Judy glared at her for a moment before standing up and grabbing the crate. She bumped her hip into V on her way towards the stairs.
"You planned that you gonk" Judy playfully chided as she went past V. She smiled as she followed after Judy. The two walked up the stairs that creaked with their age. The upstairs of the house was much like the first and exterior. Worn, dirty and needed some serious work to make it fully livable but for a few weeks it would work just fine. The bathroom was small with a simple shower stall and basic amenities for the residents. Judy grabbed a towel and whipped the rest of V's sweat from her arms.
"You gotta wash your hair before we dye it anyway" V giggled as Judy set the crate down on the counter.
"True" Judy replied, tossing her shirt onto the floor "how much water do we have for the day?"
"Enough to get started" V replied with a wink as she shut the door.
FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA, MID MORNING
Jason leaned against the garage wall as the mechanic slid out from under the truck on a mechanics dolly. He sat up and ran a rag across his forehead to get rid of the sweat there. Jason waited, his exterior expression one of stoic patience but a deep annoyance was bubbling under the surface. The mechanic brushed his hands on his overalls before grunting as he started rummaging in a tool chest.
"Your left front brake is caput, the hydraulic lines to it blew" the mechanic drawled as he stuffed a wad of synth tobacco into his lip. He offered the can to Jason who rankled at it waving the offer aside "You aint've set her up proper for the roads in these parts"
Jason and Sarah had been on the road for two weeks now, staying a day or two in major settlements to get supplies or information. So far their hunt was proving more challenging than Jason anticipated. Time was running against them to find the Aldecado's, they had a more solid lead but their competitor was a megacorp with influence and power in biblical proportions to the former soldier and rebellious net runner. Pushing the truck through roads less travelled to avoid patrols of people who would ask questions had strained their steed and now it had broken.
"Can you fix it?" Jason grumbled as he sipped on some water. The mechanic pondered it for a few moments before nodding as he grabbed the tool box and set it down next to the dolly.
"Yeah, I can patch it up" the mechanic agreed spitting a wad of brown salvia into the drain trough in the floor of the mechanic shop "be a few hours"
"Good" Jason responded with his tone giving finality to the statement. The mechanic nodded and flopped back down onto the dolly and rolled under the truck.
"So where ya from?" the man asked from under the truck.
"No where" Jason clipped as he watched the door to the shop.
"Come now, everyone's from somewheres" the mechanic answered, trying to make some conversation "headed somewhere south then, ya Texan?"
"I am not paying you to ask questions" Jason responded shutting the man down.
"Fine, fucking jackass" the man muttered to himself in spanish as he started taking the old brake lines out.
"I speak spanish to" Jason responded as he drained the last of the water bottle. The mechanic froze under the truck before laughing.
"Well, fuck me then" the mechanic said as he worked "I can wager a guess where you came from, Night City"
"How did you figure that one out?" Jason asked curiously as he looked to the mechanic who rolled out and handed him a small tracking device. The small box was barely bigger than a holo and had a few markings on it. Jason cracked it open and looked at the battery, japanese characters and Arasaka connectors.
"This here fucking thing" the mechanic said "saka unit, guess'in they tracking ya and only place they operate is NC. Probably because you are Militech"
"Guess you are not as dumb as you look" Jason chuckled taking the device and tossing it into a full oil pan frying the device "excuse me?"
"Saw ya dog tags" the mechanic said as he reached into his shirt and pulled out a similar set "Jacob Briggs, I was 3rd bat, Alpha motor company. You?"
"Logistics" Jason replied using the standard answer for black ops. Jacob raised an eyebrow before nodding in understanding.
"Explains few things" Jacob sighed as he sat back down on the dolly. Jason smiled for the first time and pulled out a roll of eddies setting it on the nearby work bench.
"Can I trust you?" Jason asked.
"Soldier to soldier, secrets ain't leaving this shop" Jacob replied crossing his heart. Jason studied him before deciding to extend trust to his fellow veteran.
"Don't poke around the truck, fix the brakes" Jason said tapping the eddies "for your timely work and discretion"
"You got it, not the first time I work with you types" Jacob chuckled "if ya looking for a bite, try Clancy's BBQ. It ain't Texas good but compared to NC, fucking leaps and bounds"
"Always did like a good pulled synthpork sandwich" Jason mused as he walked out of the shop to find Sarah in the waiting room for the shop.
She was curled up in a chair in a corner, her eyes on the door and headphones on. Jason could hear the muffled roars and riffs of Samurai's 'A like Supreme' at a soothing one hundred and ten decibels. Jason frowned slightly as he watched her for a second. Her eyes darted to every door and window, and he knew the hand he could not see was gripping her RT-46 revolver. She had not been trained to be on guard like this, evident from her complete lack of hearing at the moment. Trauma and NC life had taught her the hard way. Jason sighed as he put a hand on her shoulder.
Sarah reacted, snapping her eyes on to him as she pulled the revolver half way from the holster on her belt. Seeing that it was Jason she relaxed letting the weapon slide back into its home. She pushed the headphones back making her music clear to hear and the curls of her hair bounce.
"You are going to go deaf" Jason informed her to which she shrugged.
"Chrome ears are cheap enough" Sarah waved away as she stood up stretching with a yawn "So, truck fixed?"
"No, brake line broke" Jason grumbled "and he found an Arasaka tracker, it's gone now though"
"When you figure they slip that on us?" Sarah wondered as she followed Jason from the shop.
"My guess it was on there from before I got the truck from Militech" Jason shrugged "may not have even been pushing a signal but I scrapped it to be safe"
"Good, so what are we doing while we wait?" Sarah asked as she shut her headphones off.
"Some food sounded like a plan, the mechanic recommended a place called Clancy's BBQ" Jason responded, holding the door open for Sarah. She walked out and checked around quickly for anyone that looked dangerous.
Flagstaff was a city before the collapse and now had become more of a large town as people left or died decades ago. It still was a center of habitation before the more livable elevation graded down to the desert that made Arizona famous as a dead state. Not much was down there besides Phoenix and a few stubborn towns that were situated along major highways. They survived off nomad clans and shipping.
As such the town did have people in abundance but most of them were like the mechanic. Working people who's only concerns were making a living, keeping a roof overhead and food on their table. Jason and Sarah navigated through the town looking for the recommended restaurant. It wasn't hard to find, a big sign with a pig in overalls and a cowboy hat welcomed them with a wave as they entered the eatery. They found a booth where Jason could watch the main door and Sarah the opening into the kitchen. That vigilance had kept them from getting involved in some small conflicts during their journey which were best avoided to maintain anonymity.
"So have you given any thought to what you will say to her?" Sarah asked as she relaxed into the booth's soft seat.
"Hello?" Jason suggested making Sarah sigh as she pinched her nose.
"Jesus you are a dense gonk at times'' Sarah grumbled shaking her head "She does not even know you exist. Sure that shard from Vik will let her know you aren't lying but that isn't going to smooth things over preem like"
"What am I supposed to say? Hi, I am Jason your half-brother" Jason offered "It's not like I got a script for this"
"I know if I had a brother I didn't know about and he showed up on my doorstep I would have a lot of questions" Sarah informed him as she looked him in the eye "what are you going to tell her?"
"Everything"
"Really, everything?" Sarah chuckled as she leaned on her elbows "Look, Jason, I admire your honesty but can I make a suggestion?" Jason gestured for her to go on "You are not exactly…"
"Normal?" Jason guessed saying it with such lack of emotion that Sarah was stunned for a moment.
"I was going to say tactful but since you are as blunt as a hammer at times. Yes, normal works" Sarah rolled her eyes "go easy on her, it will be a lot to take in. She isn't some soldier, she is nerd like me"
"We get along well enough," Jason smiled, waving to the waitress to come over.
"You saved my life, you get a few bonus points for that" Sarah laughed softly as she forced the thoughts of her time with Raffen away. She desperately wished she could slam her headphones back on but the waitress speaking gave her pause.
"What will ya like?" she asked. Jason gestured to Sarah who blanked and stumbled over her words. The waitress turned her gaze to Jason and Sarah watched as the waitress let her eyes roam over the man before giving a coy smile.
"2 pulled synth-pork sandwiches. Tangy sauce, mac-n-cheese on the side with beans" Jason ordered for them both with a small smile. The waitress nodded as she flicked the order over to the kitchen.
"I'll get that right in for ya honey" the waitress smiled as she gave Jason a wink. Jason nodded and the waitress slowly walked away. Sarah looked at Jason with an annoyed look.
"What?" Jason asked with a shrug making Sarah groan as she put her head in her hand.
"You sure you aren't a really advanced robot?" She inquired, exacerbated.
"Yeah, you would have tried to hack me if I was" Jason deadpanned as he looked out the window as the roar of heavily modified and tuned engines drew his attention. Sarah went to retort holding a finger up before she laughed.
"Fair point" she giggled as she looked out the window following his gaze. Rumbling down the road was a collection of vehicles. Heavily modified for offroad travel, protection and speed they stalked down the street arriving outside a bar near the BBQ joint. Jason noted the clan markings with a slight sense of relief.
"Bakkers?" Sarah asked, studying the vehicles. The vehicles stopped and the passengers inside got out. They were clearly nomads, leather jackets with garish artwork and a tough guy attitude made them easy to pick out. Most of them had iron but left anything of serious weight in their vehicles.
"Yes" Jason confirmed as he turned back to the waitress who had brought their order. She set it down and the smell of fresh BBQ made both Sarah and Jason's stomachs grumble. Sarah dove into her meal, as Jason still watched the Bakker's as they headed into the bar.
"Find out what you can from them after we eat" Jason told Sarah as he dug into his own food.
"Should I use my feminie charms?" Sarah asked her face a mess of BBQ sauce from the sandwich.
ALDECADO'S CAMP, RUINED TOWN OF WESTFIELD, NEAR PALO ARIZONA, AFTERNOON
"V will be riding lead group with Hwangbo and Sam" Panam said as she stood at the table with the nomads going on the raid. V smiled as she turned to Hawngbo, a fellow merc from NC who she herself helped get out. He grinned as they fist bumped and looked as giddy as a kid in a candy store.
"I'm in the network van with Dakota and Carol" Judy spoke up as she indicated a location on the map of where they were going to hit the Biotechnica convoy "keep their comms gonked, ours preem and the BD's scrolling"
"Precisely" Panam smiled looking at Mitch "You and Vinny follow us in the Basilisk in case things get crazy, I want 3 escort vehicles with them at all times. The Basilisk is our strongest card, keep it in hand until we need it, if we even do"
"Sounds like a plan" Mitch grinned as he crushed out the butt of his cigarette. Panam looked around at the assembled nomads, about 30 of them were going on this raid.
"Remember, our goal is the CHOO2 tanker" Panam began "Outriders swing in, hit the enemy security with those sticky EMPS and take them out of play. Main vehicles box the tanker in, give them no room to move. Carol, you get the van in range so Dakota can hit the Trucks security soft and pop it open. Anna, you and Frank will take the tanker from the back of my truck"
The assembled Aldecado's nodded as Panam went over the plan one last time. She made sure to move the pieces on the map representing the various groups as she outlined it. V grinned, it had been a long time since she had done anything like this and a need for the rush had her bouncing on the balls of her feet. Judy eyed her worriedly but trusted V would be able to manage the trying task of not doing anything too crazy.
"Lastly, as few bodies as we can manage. Preferably none at all, deaths bring harder backlash. A tanker of CHOO2 is an insurance write off, dead employees are much more trouble for Biotechnica" Panam took a deep breath "any final questions?" Hearing none she stood up from the table "Well Aldecado's, time to ride!"
The assembled nomads cheered as they headed towards their various vehicles. V smiled as she grabbed Judy's hand and pulled her over. V was giddy with excitement that infected Judy as well making her smile.
"You ready for this Jude?" V yelled as the engines began roaring to life "time for some preem nomad shit"
"If you told me I was doing something like this weeks ago I would have said you were completely fucked in the head" Judy yelled back as dust kicked up from the Basilisk. V laughed as she pulled Judy in for a deep kiss. They embraced for a moment as the roar of engines gave a chorus to the rising excitement. Judy could feel her own heart beginning to race and V deepened the kiss for a moment before breaking away. The roar was now too loud to even shout over and V simply gave her one more peck on the cheek before heading to her bike group at the front.
Judy was smiling as she watched her girlfriend walk to the front of the column. V's red hair flared out like solar flare from the burning star in Judy's life. I loved dolls and actors Judy thought to herself as she watched V go of course I ended up with a warrior. Judy shook her head and ran over to the network van hoping in.
She slid the door shut the noise becoming lesser and the kicked up dust gone. Dakota handed her a headset which she promptly put on. Carol was smiling in the driver seat as Judy turned the set on.
"You ready for this city girl?" Carol asked as Judy checked the BD receiver she had rigged up in the truck, it was receiving all signals.
"She is a sister of the clan" Dakota said gripping Judy's shoulder "born ready"
Judy did not say anything but gave a thumbs up as she got into her zone. She monitored the feeds noting the readings coming back from the active scrolls. She could tell who, like her, was newer to this and veteran by the levels of emotional high they were experiencing.
"All vehicles, scouts have indicated the convoy passed our go line" Panam said over the comm network "Open the gates"
The large truck that served as the Aldecado's gate to their claimed town groaned as it moved, opening the road to the war party. Engines revved as dust swirled in the town. Judy's heart raced. Her leg bounced as she watched the readings spike. This is going to be one hell of a preem BD she grinned so much more than smut.
"V, lead the way!" Panam ordered and over the comms came a cheer. At the head of the column of war a bike's engine screamed as V raced off at the front of Aldecado's with the two riders of her group at her side. She had donned a helmet that bore the Samurai logo on the back with 'For Johnny' inscribed on one side. The thunder of the Aldecado's ragged behind her like a storm with her at the head. Panam followed behind her in her thornton the engine roaring its desire for speed.
Judy lurched as the van thundered off in the center of the column. Carol laughed as she floored the pedal distinctly reminding Judy of the one, and only, time she had let V drive her van. The vehicle bumped and jostled as they screamed across the desert. Judy spared a glance at the drone feed and the image made her pause.
Ten nomad vehicles strapped for war tore through the desert as the nine bikers weaved around and in front of them like dolphins along a ship. She grinned spotting V at the front of the column and she felt her heart skip a beat as she watched V pop the front wheel off the ground. V, don't be a gonk Judy scolded in her mind.
"Target one minute out, time to hit them Aldecados!" Panam shouted over the network. Dakota relaxed in her chair as Carol gripped the steering wheel.
"And here we go" Carol said quietly to herself as they broke over the top of a ridge, the target now cowering before the coming storm.
FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA, MID AFTERNOON
Jason pulled the truck around to the street behind the bar where the Bakkers had been staying. He put it in park and waited, tapping the fingers of his cybernetic arm on the steering wheel. He took a moment and held the hand up to his face. The silver metal he had hastily painted black making it less distinct and preventing Sarah from jokingly calling him 'Jason Silverhand'. The chrome had integrated perfectly with him and his existing implants. It still felt alien to him, like it was not truly his. I did not willingly give it up Jason grumbled in his thoughts that's why. He ran a system check to ensure the arm wouldn't give out under the stress 'The Juice' would put it under if he had to use the combat stim. His system ran the report and it came back that the arm was capable of sustaining the rigors of the combat drug. Viktor did not go cheap on the prothstetic and it showed.
Jason looked up as Sarah rounded the corner walking quickly to the truck. She quickly got inside slamming the door. She looked a bit flustered but her smile was one of success. Jason rolled the truck back onto the road and they made their way from town.
"Your feminine charms work?" Jason asked, teasing a bit.
"Naw, they must all be blind" Sarah chuckled "hacked their holo's instead. Got some useful stuff though"
Sarah flicked the information over to Jason who pulled it up as he focused on driving. He scrolled through it and smiled.
"Good work, now we know where they are" Jason said, pulling the truck off the main road and onto a side street with a sign indicating the town of Redtrails was twenty miles down it. Sarah beamed at Jason's praise as she went for the radio.
"It was easy, nomads can't encrypt a network for shit" Sarah laughed as she turned on the stereo system. Kerry's latest album began playing but she kept the volume down so they could talk.
"I expect their base of operations to be much more secure" Jason replied as he looked at the desert around them "if they have support from Arasaka then…"
"Jason, I dance around them like you kill people" Sarah retorted "Their mistake is using Arasaka tech at all"
"We don't have a full set up" Jason demurred looking over to Sarah. Sarah grumbled her disapproval as she took out a bag of candy and popped a piece in her mouth.
"Yeah, unfortunate" She mumbled looking over to him and offering the bag. Jason smiled and took one popping the sweet into his mouth.
"The drone?" Jason inquired thinking of ideas.
"Not strong enough if they have a full established network" Sarah sighed as she tucked the bag away "Guess we do this your way"
"It works" Jason stated flatly "have you on drone coverage will make it easier, you can give me surveillance"
"Should be able to remotely hack basic stuff, but digging into their encrypted stuff won't happen" Sarah agreed as she looked at the drone in the back. A standard Militech model that would serve them well "Always wanted to try one of those bad boys out"
"You are welcome" Jason chuckled gesturing to the port near the dashboard console "jack in and get synced"
The truck rumbled as he took it off road and slunk it down into a gully. He shut the engine down but left the electric on so Sarah could finish setting up. He hopped out and went to the back opening the cargo space. His kit was waiting for him and he grabbed the dark green uniform first pulling it on. The drone's compartment popped open and the RC vehicle buzzed out on its motors. Sarah hopped out of the truck and walked back to Jason, her curls bouncing with her excitement.
He finished zipping the uniform up as he looked at her. She had her left eye shut and the right open drawing a quizzical look from Jason.
"Old drone operator trick I read about, link the drones imaging to one optic and keep the other you" Sarah gestured to her shut eye as she opened it closed the other "No need to fall back from the drone's connection, just change eyes. Came from the ol'pirate eye patch myth"
"That has got to give you one hell of a headache" Jason replied as he pulled on the combat vest. Sarah shrugged, switching her eyes as the drone hovered just over her head. She picked up the Ajax rifle and handed it to him.
"So, we scope it out first then you go do your thing?" Sarah asked looking at the small cylinder holding it up to Jason with a curious glance. Jason took it and slotted it into place on the back of his vest.
"Yes" Jason confirmed as he plugged the Juice into the port on his neck.
"Supplemental OS?" Sarah pondered "you been holding out on me?"
"No, Militech high grade combat Stim. We called it Juice" Jason informed her as he holstered his pistol. His voice had become the flat almost robotic tone that he adopted when he was working. Sarah picked up the helmet and held it to him. Jason took the gear running a finger over the lens ensuring they were clean. He placed it over his head. It was black for a moment before the systems blinked on and he had a perfect view again. Sensor readings and data scrolled in small windows as he scanned around the area.
"Link the drones camera feed to me" Jason commanded Sarah, his voice now the demonic scrambled chorus that would have haunted Jorge if Jason had let him live.
"That is fucking terrfying" Sarah sighed as she set up the link. The window blinked to life on Jason's display.
"Cover me from above, be ready to get Oscar Mike and for an audible" Jason's voice came in clean over their internal comms.
"Uh, normal people speak?" Sarah chuckled as she got in the driver seat of the truck and the drone went skyward.
"Watch my back, be ready to move and I may make a mid op change" Jason sighed as he started off at a light jog to cover the few miles to Redtrails on foot. He checked the clock in his HUD, if he timed it right he would approach from the east, the sun set giving him additional cover.
"I feel like I am in a god damn spy movie or some preem action BD" Sarah gushed excitedly over the comms "I knew coming with you would be exciting"