Surface R: Reunion

Part 03.3

::THOMAS::

"Well, no, you're right." Lindsay gives me a sheepish smile. "he doesn't believe me so he's not happy about going. But I didn't have time to try and convince him. Plus, he didn't want to listen to me anyway."

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. Events of this day is making me age faster, damn it. "Great. So not only are we going to travel around alone up on hostile ground, we'll also be carting around a sullen, spoiled brat, who's going to fight us every step of the way, and never mind the fact we're trying to save his life. I'm thrilled. Thanks a lot."

"You don't want him to die, do you?" Nina asked with a level gaze.

I frowned at her, crossing my arms. "Don't give me that, Nina. You know that's not my point." I said.

Nina shakes her head and takes a contamination suit for Lindsay and starts to put it on. "This is for his own good, even if he doesn't believe that."

"Besides, he's been living in a machine for most of his life," Lindsay cuts in. "he's used to routine and order. This wouldn't go over well with him, even if he believed us. It'd be hard." Her face hardens. "another reason to hate what they've done to him."

I sighed, giving her that. "Yeah, I know." I grabbed my own suit and glanced at the other one that's left to the side, Lindsay is busy running Sean's machine and making sure her weird contraption is set up well. Nina is busy still getting into her own suit. "don't tell me I'm in charge of dressing Mr. Loveable here. I wouldn't be surprised if he had skin like ice; it'd match his charming personality after all."

Lindsay smiled. "I doubt it, Thomas. The temperature is kept as perfect and constant as possible for him—important as he is."

I grumbled, grudgingly helping Sean get into his suit first. There's a small bit of mechanical junk right around the chest area that's supposed to purify and renew the air inside the loose plastic. It has little tubes that connect it to the suit, but everything is completely air tight—of course. Strangely enough, the suits are not grey outfits typically worn by the Surface guards, but a clear vinyl plastic casing that have leather gloves and boots attached. They're built to step into, so the neck part is wider than the shoulders. A hood of the same plastic fits over the top and fastens securely to the rest. Once I wear mine myself, it feels like I've just been put into an extra-protective plastic sandwich bag. However, it's great for moving around.

"Are these the new models?" Nina asked. Her voice a little muffled but she doesn't look strange in the new suit at all. It's just like someone drew an outline around her. "I heard they weren't ready yet."

"Oh they're ready." Lindsay assures us. "I made sure of it before we went here. They could last for years up there, as long as the filter in front isn't damage."

I looked down at the mechanism and it did look sturdy enough. "How does it filter the air?"

"It does it inside the suit, so when the atmosphere comes in, it would be purified to oxygen." Lindsay explained.

"Oh wait, I almost forgot." Nina unzips the suit and rolled it down a bit, from her pocket she pulls out a piece of blue bandana I knew well.

Years ago, during those daycare days, Trey and I first got them as costume, or more like identification for this role play activity we did, about this tale about a blue ogre and a red ogre. Trey had the red bandana so he was the red ogre, and I was the blue ogre.