On the High Frontier

1. A Simple In-and-Out (part 2/3)

Kimiko spends the time whilst James gets his breath back imagining all the things she can do to make him suffer. "Wonderful move, that slight hesitation as you landed was magnificent. What do you do for an encore?"

"Engineericide." Kimiko has already realised what happened, but looks back to confirm that the end of the belt had been caught in the closing door. Even if she can open it again that will let the guards through, and the material is stopping the lock properly engaging so they may be able to lever it open anyway given time. "Underwear feels odd under the sheath. Now shut up, I need to reconfigure Sayoko." The sheath component configuration can only be changed when it is relaxed. She pulls up the suit component panel, holds still, and waits.

"It's EX9." Does he ever shut up? Of course she knows which it is.

"Thank you ... trying to relax here." As the suit is synchronised to her nervous system it isn't just a case of the neutral pose, she has to lose the fight or flight tension, and that desire to kill James. The stress telltales at the component junctions settle and finally the selectors come live allowing her to clear the option. The balance of the sheath changes as the long ends of the belt discorporate and she can move again. With a reassuring click the door finally and hopefully permanently locks.

How is she doing? She hadn't exactly swapped the cylinders out, but she got the original and she has left the new one on the bench, hopefully they will be at least confused if not fooled. The maintenance hatch should have closed by now and the guards were busy with her and may not have noticed it.

This tube leads down to a processing and manufaturing unit, which is required to be an outer module with a void wall. Sayoko can handle the environment easily but the guards will require special equipment. However the atmosphere has minimal oxygen, to suppress fires, so she will pass out in two minutes unless she can secure a separate supply. At the bottom of the module is the void wall with external locks and escape. All she has to do is get there.

She grabs the ladder and starts down. "Would it be considered impertinent to ask what possessed you to visit the industrial zone in the middle of the night? I'm sure there are safer places to take a ramble." James was definitely waking up. "A little warning if you were planing on freelancing would be nice."

"What do you mean freelancing? Do we have a contract?" She didn't really have time for this, so she made her way down the ladder as James bitched.

"No. But I can't help notice I seem to be on speed dial when you have a problem."

"The client contacted me late. It was a rush job, and it looked like a simple in-and-out. So I just came with what I had."

"Well you managed the first half. Any thoughts on the second?"

"I'm working on it. At least I have what they want." She takes another look at the tube in her hands and notices that there is some scorching and discolouration around the connectors at one end. "Umm ... James, how would the discharge bloom affect a delicate piece of electronics that was being held in the hand?"

"I can think of more effective ways of disrupting things, but they do involve a lot of power and specialised equipment. Am I to take it that you have retrieved a rather interesting piece of slightly charred modern sculpture?"

"Look on the bright side. At least Cyrellian don't have it, and I left the dummy."

"Dummy? This sounds like a rather complex plan for short notice. What exactly are you meant to be doing?"

"Sneak in, swap one metal tube for another and sneak out. Jefftar wants their property back."

"Excuse me. You are assailing Cyrellian for Jefftar? You may not be aware of this, but last time I checked both were part of the Sanderheim Corporation."