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HTMLHEADTITLECut and Run Chapter 5/TITLE
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P align=centerChapter 5/P/B/FONT
P align=justifyThe blast was echoing around Elli Quinn's head as though Wagner
was on the job conducting a Timpani section inside her skull. While her ears
went about ringing, Elli's confusion was accentuated by the dolly bouncing off
her with enough force to loosen a couple of teeth before ricocheting onto the
lock wall. /P
P align=justifyElli shook her head and managed to find enough concentration to
search out the lock controls. She swung her fist at it wildly. Somehow she
managed to make contact. The lock door closed behind them with a metallic rasp
like the sword was being shoved back into the scabbard. /P
P align=justifyA muffled thump outside suggested another percussion grenade
had gone off just outside the door. /P
P align=justifyThe door finished closing with a gentle thud inside the
latching mechanism. /P
P align=justifySome protection provided but she still had plenty to do. The
fire storm was far from over yet. Elli caught the geek's floating body before he
did someone an injury and then she screwed herself around in space while she
fought his inertia. She was still struggling to bring his motion to heel when
Bruno floated onto her, adding his bulk to the geek. Between the two of them
their mass pinned her against the wall./P
P align=justifyAlmost panicked, Elli shoved the geek away from her with a
frantic - almost hysterical - heave. /P
P align=justifyHer breath came in laboured gasps, the effects of the blow
forgotten in the adrenalin rush since making the lock. IWhat the hell was
Bruno doing?/I She wondered. And then she knew. She could smell his problem
before she saw it and she knew with a sick certainty that Bruno was bleeding -
bad. Elli hadn't noticed that before, tangled up as she was in her own problems.
She had time to notice now though. The lack of focus in Bruno's expression
looked really nasty to Elli's mind and his breath was coming in ragged gasps.
Sweat beaded on his forehead. She craned her head and saw that all one side of
his body was bloody. /P
P align=justifyThe inner lock still hadn't opened, the thing was probably
struggling with pressure balance that they probably didn't need, and Bruno
needed the med kit fast. /PI
P align=justifyThe human body holds a lot of blood,/I Elli reminded herself.
IYou can make a real mess of your clothes with just a flesh wound. /IExcept
the bloom was spreading and there seemed no let up in the flow. Bloody globules
began beading on his shirt. If they got lose into the air then they were going
to have real problems. She had to get the blood flow stopped./P
P align=justifyWorse still was the pallor of his face beneath the sweat. That
suggested shock./P
P align=justify"Open the lock," Elli screamed into the nanonic microphone, not
bothering with the discipline of sub-vocalisation now. /P
P align=justifyNothing happened. /PI
P align=justifyThat'd be right, /IElli fumed, Itrapped in the damned
airlock all the way back to ground. /IShe seriously hated planets, but not
that bad. She hit the lock release again and waited for the iris to clear. /P
P align=justifyNothing happened the second time, so she cursed it again. /P
P align=justifyThen it decided to open - at last. /PI
P align=justifyHooray!/I She cheered inwardly. /P
P align=justifyThe lock shot aside with manic silicon zeal. Minor variations
in air pressure stabilised around Elli. Popping in her ears was a blessed relief
when she fell through the door. /P
P align=justifyAnother muffled explosion in the station was enough motivation
to keep moving. Elli tumbled through the lock into a barren compartment fitted
out with acceleration couches and portholes - but not much else. The décor was
taken from the silicon fibre and engineered functionality school of interior
design. /P
P align=justifyThankful for freefall, Elli pirouetted and began manhandling
Bruno through the lock, conscious always of the hidden trap of inertia,
especially after the beating she had already taken running through the station.
Her mind was busy cursing the station's lack of artificial gravity again. It
made no difference to her circumstances but it kept her mind from spiralling
into panic./P
P align=justify"Only a few minutes Elli," Miles transmitted into her ear. She
didn't have time to frame a reply./P
P align=justifyBruno floated like a dead whale, crashing against her shoulder
and thumping her against the bulkhead. IJust like last time./I /P
P align=justifyShe managed to get him into position, eventually./P
P align=justifyShe had much the same problem getting the geek through the lock
but she managed much better doing the task a second time, being more experienced
with the problems associated with manoeuvring a misshapen mass of uncontrolled
inertia. Elli left him floating in space. /P
P align=justifyThe dolly drifted into the shuttle, trailing behind Elli like
an obedient puppy, apparently incapable of thinking for herself in the aftermath
of the action throughout the flight from the station./P
P align=justifyElli shoved Bruno into an acceleration couch where he sprawled
drunkenly. She checked - he was still breathing, and then she fussed around
trying to staunch the flow of blood. And that was about as much first aid as she
had time to provide. /P
P align=justifyA wadded up clot of his shirt was the only thing at hand. IIt
had to do, /Ishe decided. IIt was time to focus on other matters./P/I
P align=justifyElli caught the geek before he crashed into something sharp.
"Give me a hand," she instructed the dolly. The woman seemed intent on staring
into space while doing nothing until she was galvanised into action by Elli's
bark. The woman shook herself like a wet dog, her eyes focussed and then she
floated deftly over to provide some help. /P
P align=justifyBetween them Elli and the dolly managed to lever the geek into
another acceleration couch. The guy was a lot heavier than he looked. IMore
muscular,/I Elli figured. When things going on around her became a little less
frantic she might indulge in a bit of aesthetic appreciation, but now was not
the time./P
P align=justifyThe dolly had a few smudges from brushing against the walls and
a couple of little scrapes on her back and under her ribs, but her skin was
almost entirely intact otherwise. ILucky bitch, /IElli judged./P
P align=justifyAnother small explosion rocked the shuttle. "We're going to
have to blast our way free of the station," Miles announced. "Local security
have locked up the flight control. Won't let us un-dock. Can't get permission to
uncouple. We're going to make a terrible mess leaving like that."/P
P align=justify"What's our status?" Elli asked. "We ready to launch?"/P
P align=justify"Yeah. Strap in. I'm busy arguing with local flight control.
Talk later."/P
P align=justifyAn alarm began screaming. /P
P align=justifyElli whipped around frantically, searching for the
acknowledgment and couldn't find it. The dolly showed no signs of knowing what
was happening. And then Elli realised that it was software, the read out was fed
direct into her ear-eye. She read the alarm notification. It just read 'ship's
system alert'. Security microwave laser had picked up a threat and advised Elli
to have a look see what it was about. It must have been a bad breach of their
security protocol for the ship's AI to use the audio alarm rather than a visual
cue. /P
P align=justifyElli tried a download but there was no more data available from
that source, she had to get logged into the ship's systems directly and Miles's
firewall was in the way./PI
P align=justifyThe geek, /IElli cursed silentlyBI. /BIt'll be the gear
in him that set it off, no fucking doubt about itB./B /IShe was prepared
to bet money on it./P
P align=justifyElli transferred her local pointer to the local ship dataweb,
and downloaded the shuttle security system controls through her ear-eye set. A
new set of interface data floated in her view-field; lased through her retina by
the cybernetic interface. Elli read through it hurriedly, searching for the
alarm condition among the menu of icons. And then it threw a text box into her
view. She read it quickly and shook her head for a moment not able to believe
what she was reading. It was the dolly who set off the alarm. The woman was full
of cybernetic interfaces. So was the geek for that matter and Elli had expected
that, but their microwave radar had identified all of his gear, typical of most
cyber-wage-slaves, but the dolly's… None of the gear in the dolly was on file.
/PI
P align=justifyNow what the hell was that all about?/I /P
P align=justifyElli swivelled for a hard look on the dolly, but she seemed to
be oblivious to the attention, staring into space as though she was in a world
of her own. IWorry about that later,/I Elli told herself. IThere are more
pressing concerns./P
P align=justifyLike getting the hell out of here./P/I
P align=justify"We gotta get into ship suits," Elli instructed. Bruno would be
OK. His gear was vacuum resistant, for long enough anyway. IProvided the hole
in it wasn't too big and… /IElli shook her head to reset her thinking.
IShit, what a mess! /P/I
P align=justifyThe geek would be…OK, maybe… She didn't have time to worry
about him either./P
P align=justifyThe security alarm flagged again, demanding to know if the
micro-interface gear embedded in the dolly's head was acceptable to Elli./PI
P align=justifyI can deal with that security shit later,/I Elli decided.
IThere were more important things to consider yet - like getting everyone
through the next few minutes in one piece./P/I
P align=justifyAnother explosion rocked the shuttle. They were getting closer.
/P
P align=justify"Status Admiral?" she queried./P
P align=justify"I mined the dock," Miles explained. "Percussion grenades, not
something big enough to do real damage. We're not under direct threat just
yet."/P
P align=justify"We got long?"/P
P align=justify"No, just hurry."/P
P align=justifyElli swung into action. Secured in a compartment by the lock
entrance was a collection of ship suits, layered fabric and polymer, able to
release and recycle perspiration into a thin sandwich layer, external surface
was a controlled albedo layer, able to radiate or insulate heat as required by
the in-built thermostatic control. The cabinet door sprang open of it's own
accord. Elli began rifling through the suits, sorting out the sizes. The dolly
was about her size, give or take a bit of localised development. The geek was
probably three or four sizes bigger, maybe more. There was nothing in there for
him - she knew that without looking. He was just going to have to take potluck
on that suit he was wearing. Problems with atmospheric control were pretty rare
anyway. /PI
P align=justifyShould be OK./P
P align=justifyMaybe…/P/I
P align=justifyElli pushed a ship suit at the dolly. It was about the right
general size. The dolly caught it from the air and began shoving her legs into
the suit. /P
P align=justify"Take those things off," Elli said and pointed at the dolly's
decorative flowers. "They'll get embossed into your skin by the suit when it
starts shrinking. Never get the marks off."/P
P align=justifyThe dolly nodded and began peeling her decorations off,
starting with the one over her pubes. Elli caught a glimpse of the girl through
the corner of her eye and shook her head, partially in disbelief. The woman's
body was so neatly packaged and artifical. IWas there no part of her that
wasn't modified for the job in some way? /IElli wondered. IEven after she's
filled with blow, the woman still looks like a little girl/I./P
P align=justifyWhile Elli made busy getting Bruno secured properly into the
acceleration couch; the dolly began wriggling into the suit and grimaced when it
contracted against her skin. Afterward she looked like someone had painted her
with mercury. She obviously knew the drill. She wasn't quick, but she was either
well informed, or brighter than was needed for the job she was expected to do.
/P
P align=justifyBefore she finished her preparations, Elli looked over Bruno
one more time, offering him a bubble helmet, just in case. He was in a bad way,
but functional enough to finish the ship suit load up, which was all software
based and that made life easier for him. He managed to fit the helmet ring to
the suit collar despite the palsy of his hands. "I'll be OK, Commander," he
wheezed. "You just get ready."/P
P align=justifyShe nodded. There were tears waiting to be shed and they
blurred her vision. That moment of lucidity must have really cost him. Fresh
sweat beaded his brow almost instantly./P
P align=justifyElli wasn't sure what to do about the geek. His clothes looked
like they might be made from an up-market chameleon layer, part vac-resistant
and part show. With Miles's warning about their disconnection still ringing in
her ear, she didn't have time to try to figure it out. She pulled the emergency
life support head set out of the acceleration couch and placed it over his head.
If the air gave out before she was in a position to get to him, it was probably
because she was dead anyway. It was the best she could do./P
P align=justifyThe dolly had fastened the flowers to the outside of the ship
suit. Elli thought that was comical and bit back a laugh that threatened to get
out of control./P
P align=justifyElli grabbed a suit of her own and began pulling it on, heaving
the thing over her thighs with an athletic wriggle. She shut the laser show down
and released the chain from around her neck. It floated into her hand and she
threw it into the cubicle where the suits had been. It entered the magnetic
field and fastened into place./P
P align=justifyAnother muffled thump sounded in the corridor outside their air
lock. IHope that was ours, /IElli wished. /P
P align=justifyBefore pulling the suit past her hips, she took the time to
inspect her skin for damage. She found a welter of little stone chip cuts.
INone of it's serious, /Ishe decided.I /IStreaks of blood scattered all
over. She pulled at her flesh at her waist for a bit struggling to see her back.
A lot of the blood was Bruno's, but not all of it. A fair amount of her own
blood was smeared over her skin./PI
P align=justifyGet the cosmetics done to cover any new scars when we get
through this lot/I, She decided and with that decision behind her she felt
able to shrug her arms and shoulders into the suit. Elli was instantly
uncomfortable where the catheter chaffed. The suit shrunk around her like
shrink-wrap packaging, spreading her discomfort around the rest of her body.
/P
P align=justifyAt least she wouldn't bloat in vacuum. It was small comfort.
The one good thing to come out of the suit's constraint was the restraint of her
breasts; until that moment they were seriously impeding the movement of her
arms./P
P align=justifyThe dolly had found her way into an acceleration couch and was
methodically unravelling the operating mechanisms. Elli frowned. The girl might
have been virtually useless during their flight through the station, but she was
no fool. From what she had seen of the dolly so far, Elli suspected the girl was
working things out from scratch. Elli watched the show for a moment, wondering
how bright the dolly was beneath that manufactured exterior. Real bright began
to seem a possibility, and Elli was all the more suspicious because of it./P
P align=justify"We secure back there yet?" Miles's voice invaded her ear. /P
P align=justify"Yeah, pretty much," Elli transmitted back. She was already
latching her collar ring ready for the addition of a bubble helmet at the first
sign of hull breach when the ship was rocked by a much larger blast. "What was
that?" she demanded./P
P align=justify"OK, we're out of time people, that one wasn't one of mine,"
Miles transmitted./P
P align=justify"When we get out of here I want to lock-'em down, the pair of
them," Elli iasked Miles through their cybernetic links. "There's something
wrong with both of them. We need to talk Admiral. If this job's turned to shit
like I figure it has, then we have worse trouble than a few nicks and bruises.
Nothing that went down out there was anything like the briefing. Not at all, and
I want to find out why and what that means for the immediate."/P
P align=justify"Yeah tell me about it," Miles's voice sounded rueful in her
ears./P
P align=justify"Those bastards meant real business back there." /P
P align=justify"No joke."/P
P align=justifyElli landed in the acceleration couch following a mid-air
pirouette and then pulled the restraints into position with practised ease./P
P align=justify"I want to know what happened during the time leading up to
this fiasco."/P
P align=justify"Yeah," Miles said. "Well we'll discuss that with our employer
when we get dirt side."/P
P align=justify"Miles I want that bastard's hide. OK? Promise me."/P
P align=justify"Strap in," he transmitted in return. "Big gees."/P
P align=justify"Promise me."/P
P align=justify"Yeah OK. Now strap in! Manoeuvring now. Gee warning. OK?"/P
P align=justify"How much?"/P
P align=justify"All she'll do. You got ten." /P
P align=justifyElli could felt the throb of the fusion drive beneath her butt,
felt it through the couch. IHe meant it, ten seconds./P/I
P align=justifyThey were suddenly free of the station's rotation. She craned
her neck to check on the dolly, only to find that she had completely secured
herself. Bruno was already secured; the geek was as well. They were all ready
for…/P
P align=justifySirens screamed./P
P align=justifyThe world got heavy again, real heavy, and real wobbly./P
P align=justifyOnce again Elli found reason to curse the lack of artificial
gravity./P/BODY/HTML
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HTMLHEADTITLECut and Run Chapter 5/TITLE
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P align=centerChapter 5/P/B/FONT
P align=justifyThe blast was echoing around Elli Quinn's head as though Wagner
was on the job conducting a Timpani section inside her skull. While her ears
went about ringing, Elli's confusion was accentuated by the dolly bouncing off
her with enough force to loosen a couple of teeth before ricocheting onto the
lock wall. /P
P align=justifyElli shook her head and managed to find enough concentration to
search out the lock controls. She swung her fist at it wildly. Somehow she
managed to make contact. The lock door closed behind them with a metallic rasp
like the sword was being shoved back into the scabbard. /P
P align=justifyA muffled thump outside suggested another percussion grenade
had gone off just outside the door. /P
P align=justifyThe door finished closing with a gentle thud inside the
latching mechanism. /P
P align=justifySome protection provided but she still had plenty to do. The
fire storm was far from over yet. Elli caught the geek's floating body before he
did someone an injury and then she screwed herself around in space while she
fought his inertia. She was still struggling to bring his motion to heel when
Bruno floated onto her, adding his bulk to the geek. Between the two of them
their mass pinned her against the wall./P
P align=justifyAlmost panicked, Elli shoved the geek away from her with a
frantic - almost hysterical - heave. /P
P align=justifyHer breath came in laboured gasps, the effects of the blow
forgotten in the adrenalin rush since making the lock. IWhat the hell was
Bruno doing?/I She wondered. And then she knew. She could smell his problem
before she saw it and she knew with a sick certainty that Bruno was bleeding -
bad. Elli hadn't noticed that before, tangled up as she was in her own problems.
She had time to notice now though. The lack of focus in Bruno's expression
looked really nasty to Elli's mind and his breath was coming in ragged gasps.
Sweat beaded on his forehead. She craned her head and saw that all one side of
his body was bloody. /P
P align=justifyThe inner lock still hadn't opened, the thing was probably
struggling with pressure balance that they probably didn't need, and Bruno
needed the med kit fast. /PI
P align=justifyThe human body holds a lot of blood,/I Elli reminded herself.
IYou can make a real mess of your clothes with just a flesh wound. /IExcept
the bloom was spreading and there seemed no let up in the flow. Bloody globules
began beading on his shirt. If they got lose into the air then they were going
to have real problems. She had to get the blood flow stopped./P
P align=justifyWorse still was the pallor of his face beneath the sweat. That
suggested shock./P
P align=justify"Open the lock," Elli screamed into the nanonic microphone, not
bothering with the discipline of sub-vocalisation now. /P
P align=justifyNothing happened. /PI
P align=justifyThat'd be right, /IElli fumed, Itrapped in the damned
airlock all the way back to ground. /IShe seriously hated planets, but not
that bad. She hit the lock release again and waited for the iris to clear. /P
P align=justifyNothing happened the second time, so she cursed it again. /P
P align=justifyThen it decided to open - at last. /PI
P align=justifyHooray!/I She cheered inwardly. /P
P align=justifyThe lock shot aside with manic silicon zeal. Minor variations
in air pressure stabilised around Elli. Popping in her ears was a blessed relief
when she fell through the door. /P
P align=justifyAnother muffled explosion in the station was enough motivation
to keep moving. Elli tumbled through the lock into a barren compartment fitted
out with acceleration couches and portholes - but not much else. The décor was
taken from the silicon fibre and engineered functionality school of interior
design. /P
P align=justifyThankful for freefall, Elli pirouetted and began manhandling
Bruno through the lock, conscious always of the hidden trap of inertia,
especially after the beating she had already taken running through the station.
Her mind was busy cursing the station's lack of artificial gravity again. It
made no difference to her circumstances but it kept her mind from spiralling
into panic./P
P align=justify"Only a few minutes Elli," Miles transmitted into her ear. She
didn't have time to frame a reply./P
P align=justifyBruno floated like a dead whale, crashing against her shoulder
and thumping her against the bulkhead. IJust like last time./I /P
P align=justifyShe managed to get him into position, eventually./P
P align=justifyShe had much the same problem getting the geek through the lock
but she managed much better doing the task a second time, being more experienced
with the problems associated with manoeuvring a misshapen mass of uncontrolled
inertia. Elli left him floating in space. /P
P align=justifyThe dolly drifted into the shuttle, trailing behind Elli like
an obedient puppy, apparently incapable of thinking for herself in the aftermath
of the action throughout the flight from the station./P
P align=justifyElli shoved Bruno into an acceleration couch where he sprawled
drunkenly. She checked - he was still breathing, and then she fussed around
trying to staunch the flow of blood. And that was about as much first aid as she
had time to provide. /P
P align=justifyA wadded up clot of his shirt was the only thing at hand. IIt
had to do, /Ishe decided. IIt was time to focus on other matters./P/I
P align=justifyElli caught the geek before he crashed into something sharp.
"Give me a hand," she instructed the dolly. The woman seemed intent on staring
into space while doing nothing until she was galvanised into action by Elli's
bark. The woman shook herself like a wet dog, her eyes focussed and then she
floated deftly over to provide some help. /P
P align=justifyBetween them Elli and the dolly managed to lever the geek into
another acceleration couch. The guy was a lot heavier than he looked. IMore
muscular,/I Elli figured. When things going on around her became a little less
frantic she might indulge in a bit of aesthetic appreciation, but now was not
the time./P
P align=justifyThe dolly had a few smudges from brushing against the walls and
a couple of little scrapes on her back and under her ribs, but her skin was
almost entirely intact otherwise. ILucky bitch, /IElli judged./P
P align=justifyAnother small explosion rocked the shuttle. "We're going to
have to blast our way free of the station," Miles announced. "Local security
have locked up the flight control. Won't let us un-dock. Can't get permission to
uncouple. We're going to make a terrible mess leaving like that."/P
P align=justify"What's our status?" Elli asked. "We ready to launch?"/P
P align=justify"Yeah. Strap in. I'm busy arguing with local flight control.
Talk later."/P
P align=justifyAn alarm began screaming. /P
P align=justifyElli whipped around frantically, searching for the
acknowledgment and couldn't find it. The dolly showed no signs of knowing what
was happening. And then Elli realised that it was software, the read out was fed
direct into her ear-eye. She read the alarm notification. It just read 'ship's
system alert'. Security microwave laser had picked up a threat and advised Elli
to have a look see what it was about. It must have been a bad breach of their
security protocol for the ship's AI to use the audio alarm rather than a visual
cue. /P
P align=justifyElli tried a download but there was no more data available from
that source, she had to get logged into the ship's systems directly and Miles's
firewall was in the way./PI
P align=justifyThe geek, /IElli cursed silentlyBI. /BIt'll be the gear
in him that set it off, no fucking doubt about itB./B /IShe was prepared
to bet money on it./P
P align=justifyElli transferred her local pointer to the local ship dataweb,
and downloaded the shuttle security system controls through her ear-eye set. A
new set of interface data floated in her view-field; lased through her retina by
the cybernetic interface. Elli read through it hurriedly, searching for the
alarm condition among the menu of icons. And then it threw a text box into her
view. She read it quickly and shook her head for a moment not able to believe
what she was reading. It was the dolly who set off the alarm. The woman was full
of cybernetic interfaces. So was the geek for that matter and Elli had expected
that, but their microwave radar had identified all of his gear, typical of most
cyber-wage-slaves, but the dolly's… None of the gear in the dolly was on file.
/PI
P align=justifyNow what the hell was that all about?/I /P
P align=justifyElli swivelled for a hard look on the dolly, but she seemed to
be oblivious to the attention, staring into space as though she was in a world
of her own. IWorry about that later,/I Elli told herself. IThere are more
pressing concerns./P
P align=justifyLike getting the hell out of here./P/I
P align=justify"We gotta get into ship suits," Elli instructed. Bruno would be
OK. His gear was vacuum resistant, for long enough anyway. IProvided the hole
in it wasn't too big and… /IElli shook her head to reset her thinking.
IShit, what a mess! /P/I
P align=justifyThe geek would be…OK, maybe… She didn't have time to worry
about him either./P
P align=justifyThe security alarm flagged again, demanding to know if the
micro-interface gear embedded in the dolly's head was acceptable to Elli./PI
P align=justifyI can deal with that security shit later,/I Elli decided.
IThere were more important things to consider yet - like getting everyone
through the next few minutes in one piece./P/I
P align=justifyAnother explosion rocked the shuttle. They were getting closer.
/P
P align=justify"Status Admiral?" she queried./P
P align=justify"I mined the dock," Miles explained. "Percussion grenades, not
something big enough to do real damage. We're not under direct threat just
yet."/P
P align=justify"We got long?"/P
P align=justify"No, just hurry."/P
P align=justifyElli swung into action. Secured in a compartment by the lock
entrance was a collection of ship suits, layered fabric and polymer, able to
release and recycle perspiration into a thin sandwich layer, external surface
was a controlled albedo layer, able to radiate or insulate heat as required by
the in-built thermostatic control. The cabinet door sprang open of it's own
accord. Elli began rifling through the suits, sorting out the sizes. The dolly
was about her size, give or take a bit of localised development. The geek was
probably three or four sizes bigger, maybe more. There was nothing in there for
him - she knew that without looking. He was just going to have to take potluck
on that suit he was wearing. Problems with atmospheric control were pretty rare
anyway. /PI
P align=justifyShould be OK./P
P align=justifyMaybe…/P/I
P align=justifyElli pushed a ship suit at the dolly. It was about the right
general size. The dolly caught it from the air and began shoving her legs into
the suit. /P
P align=justify"Take those things off," Elli said and pointed at the dolly's
decorative flowers. "They'll get embossed into your skin by the suit when it
starts shrinking. Never get the marks off."/P
P align=justifyThe dolly nodded and began peeling her decorations off,
starting with the one over her pubes. Elli caught a glimpse of the girl through
the corner of her eye and shook her head, partially in disbelief. The woman's
body was so neatly packaged and artifical. IWas there no part of her that
wasn't modified for the job in some way? /IElli wondered. IEven after she's
filled with blow, the woman still looks like a little girl/I./P
P align=justifyWhile Elli made busy getting Bruno secured properly into the
acceleration couch; the dolly began wriggling into the suit and grimaced when it
contracted against her skin. Afterward she looked like someone had painted her
with mercury. She obviously knew the drill. She wasn't quick, but she was either
well informed, or brighter than was needed for the job she was expected to do.
/P
P align=justifyBefore she finished her preparations, Elli looked over Bruno
one more time, offering him a bubble helmet, just in case. He was in a bad way,
but functional enough to finish the ship suit load up, which was all software
based and that made life easier for him. He managed to fit the helmet ring to
the suit collar despite the palsy of his hands. "I'll be OK, Commander," he
wheezed. "You just get ready."/P
P align=justifyShe nodded. There were tears waiting to be shed and they
blurred her vision. That moment of lucidity must have really cost him. Fresh
sweat beaded his brow almost instantly./P
P align=justifyElli wasn't sure what to do about the geek. His clothes looked
like they might be made from an up-market chameleon layer, part vac-resistant
and part show. With Miles's warning about their disconnection still ringing in
her ear, she didn't have time to try to figure it out. She pulled the emergency
life support head set out of the acceleration couch and placed it over his head.
If the air gave out before she was in a position to get to him, it was probably
because she was dead anyway. It was the best she could do./P
P align=justifyThe dolly had fastened the flowers to the outside of the ship
suit. Elli thought that was comical and bit back a laugh that threatened to get
out of control./P
P align=justifyElli grabbed a suit of her own and began pulling it on, heaving
the thing over her thighs with an athletic wriggle. She shut the laser show down
and released the chain from around her neck. It floated into her hand and she
threw it into the cubicle where the suits had been. It entered the magnetic
field and fastened into place./P
P align=justifyAnother muffled thump sounded in the corridor outside their air
lock. IHope that was ours, /IElli wished. /P
P align=justifyBefore pulling the suit past her hips, she took the time to
inspect her skin for damage. She found a welter of little stone chip cuts.
INone of it's serious, /Ishe decided.I /IStreaks of blood scattered all
over. She pulled at her flesh at her waist for a bit struggling to see her back.
A lot of the blood was Bruno's, but not all of it. A fair amount of her own
blood was smeared over her skin./PI
P align=justifyGet the cosmetics done to cover any new scars when we get
through this lot/I, She decided and with that decision behind her she felt
able to shrug her arms and shoulders into the suit. Elli was instantly
uncomfortable where the catheter chaffed. The suit shrunk around her like
shrink-wrap packaging, spreading her discomfort around the rest of her body.
/P
P align=justifyAt least she wouldn't bloat in vacuum. It was small comfort.
The one good thing to come out of the suit's constraint was the restraint of her
breasts; until that moment they were seriously impeding the movement of her
arms./P
P align=justifyThe dolly had found her way into an acceleration couch and was
methodically unravelling the operating mechanisms. Elli frowned. The girl might
have been virtually useless during their flight through the station, but she was
no fool. From what she had seen of the dolly so far, Elli suspected the girl was
working things out from scratch. Elli watched the show for a moment, wondering
how bright the dolly was beneath that manufactured exterior. Real bright began
to seem a possibility, and Elli was all the more suspicious because of it./P
P align=justify"We secure back there yet?" Miles's voice invaded her ear. /P
P align=justify"Yeah, pretty much," Elli transmitted back. She was already
latching her collar ring ready for the addition of a bubble helmet at the first
sign of hull breach when the ship was rocked by a much larger blast. "What was
that?" she demanded./P
P align=justify"OK, we're out of time people, that one wasn't one of mine,"
Miles transmitted./P
P align=justify"When we get out of here I want to lock-'em down, the pair of
them," Elli iasked Miles through their cybernetic links. "There's something
wrong with both of them. We need to talk Admiral. If this job's turned to shit
like I figure it has, then we have worse trouble than a few nicks and bruises.
Nothing that went down out there was anything like the briefing. Not at all, and
I want to find out why and what that means for the immediate."/P
P align=justify"Yeah tell me about it," Miles's voice sounded rueful in her
ears./P
P align=justify"Those bastards meant real business back there." /P
P align=justify"No joke."/P
P align=justifyElli landed in the acceleration couch following a mid-air
pirouette and then pulled the restraints into position with practised ease./P
P align=justify"I want to know what happened during the time leading up to
this fiasco."/P
P align=justify"Yeah," Miles said. "Well we'll discuss that with our employer
when we get dirt side."/P
P align=justify"Miles I want that bastard's hide. OK? Promise me."/P
P align=justify"Strap in," he transmitted in return. "Big gees."/P
P align=justify"Promise me."/P
P align=justify"Yeah OK. Now strap in! Manoeuvring now. Gee warning. OK?"/P
P align=justify"How much?"/P
P align=justify"All she'll do. You got ten." /P
P align=justifyElli could felt the throb of the fusion drive beneath her butt,
felt it through the couch. IHe meant it, ten seconds./P/I
P align=justifyThey were suddenly free of the station's rotation. She craned
her neck to check on the dolly, only to find that she had completely secured
herself. Bruno was already secured; the geek was as well. They were all ready
for…/P
P align=justifySirens screamed./P
P align=justifyThe world got heavy again, real heavy, and real wobbly./P
P align=justifyOnce again Elli found reason to curse the lack of artificial
gravity./P/BODY/HTML