Rise

Chapter Nineteen: Working the Forge

It was easy enough finding the workshop among the grid work of tents as it was one of the only solid buildings in the camp and had a constant plume of smoke trailing from it’s chimney. 

Matt stepped into the thick haze inside the structure and couldn’t help but stifle a cough. The air was heavy, and tasted of ash and tar. It was nearly suffocating. He couldn’t imagine how anyone sane would volunteer to work in such conditions, but he assumed he’d get used to it eventually. 

“Hello?” he called out, but to no answer. The only sound was a periodic metallic grinding followed by a spray of sparks that caused the back wall to glow. He figured whoever was working definitely couldn’t hear him over that racket, so he figured he’d have to find them himself. 

Sidestepping racks of tools, metal bits, dismantled weapons and random items he couldn’t hope to name, he delved deeper into the mechanic’s grotto. The place was close enough to a cave, Matt figured, what with its dim lighting, and uneven edges all over the place.

Matt had expected more people to be working, and not just the one that was apparent. Who was this being that could manage all the gear of an army all on their own? Well, not on their own anymore, Matt thought to himself. 

After making his way through the aisles of stuff that made up the main portion of the shop, Matt entered a wide expanse, or at least wide in comparison to the former layout. The ceiling seemed higher without the metal racks sectioning it off and it was less stuffy with more space for the air to diffuse into. The east wall had many garage doors, some open some closed, and a couple trucks were parked inside the shop. Some had metal plates welded to hard-points most likely determined through combat experience, while others were yet to be retro-fitted. 

Crouching beside a truck that looked to be in the midst of receiving its upgrades was a person in heavy black coveralls, slick with grease up to the elbows. The man had a welder’s mask over his face, sparks washing over him as he attached the shiny new armour plating. 

“Sir?” Matt called out, standing at attention. There was no response. No head nod, no sound, nothing. The man continued his work, oblivious. 

“SIR!” Matt tried again, but still to no avail. He guessed he’d need another tactic.

Marching forwards, Matt grabbed the man by the shoulder before he began welding again, to both prevent a mistake, and harm to either him or the man. There was a muffled exclamation from under the mask, but the thick plastic made it unintelligible. Matt just stared into the tinted visor, unsure of how to proceed. 

Putting down his welding torch, the man rose, coming up to about Matt’s eyebrows. For some reason, Matt had expected the man to be tall and large, but this mechanic was small and petite. Can never trust your expectations, Matt thought. 

The man flipped up the mask and Matt was shocked to see the face of a woman staring back at him. A very comely woman to boot. She had red hair tied back in a tight bun, and incredibly bright green eyes that just didn’t seem to fit among all the blacks and grays of the shop. The freckles that dotted her cheeks 

“You alright, mate?”  the lady asked, probably due to the way Matt’s mouth was hanging open. 

Shaking himself from his daze, Matt formulated a response, “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m, uh, here for some shifts,” Smooth. Real smooth. 

“Right, right. You must be Harris then?”

“Yup, you got it. Matt Harris,”

“Stories say you got booked for insubordination. You’re not gonna be disobeying my orders now are ya?”