Partners

Parts 9 - 10

Partners

Part 9

Dev ducked back into her quarters, half out of breath as she let the door close and took a moment to sit down and think about what she needed to do next.

She’d just taken the carrier through it’s flight certification, a first for her, and she was very pleased when the check out pilot had signed her off after a single round of tests.

Very good. Even though the pilot had been grumpy, and seemed not to like her. He’d muttered something about barbie dolls, which she had no idea of the meaning of, and finally just keyed in his okay and told her to land.

She had, and then gotten Jess’s call to get herself ready, and now here she was. The problem was, she really wasn’t entirely sure what she was supposed to be doing besides getting into her pilot’s jumpsuit and collect her helmet.

A shower seemed appropriate, though, so she hauled herself to her feet and slipped into the wet room, shucking out of her work coverall and into the warm stream of water, it’s pulsing pressure feeling very good against her skin as she washed the dust and grime off it.

The soap smelled nice and felt even better, and she gladly scrubbed her hair to rid it of both silcon and sweat. She let the hot water pound against her for a minute, then she shut it off and shook herself hard sending droplets against the wall with tiny little spitting sounds. “Ahh.”

Then she picked up a folded towel and started drying herself off, wrapping the towel around her and tucking the end in as Jess had taught her before she ran her comb through her hair.

“Hey!” Jess’s voice echoed as the inner door opened. “Dev?”

“In here.” Dev called out. “I was just taking a shower.” She was glad she’d finally gotten the word for it in her mental storage, and could now call it by it’s proper name. She glanced to her left as Jess poked her head in and gave her companion a smile. “Hello.”

Jess was in the simple undergarment she wore under her heavy jumpsuit. It was a mild gray in color and hugged her body. “We’ll have to pack a kit.” She said. “A lot more stuff than the last time.”

“I thought that was possibly so.” Dev turned. “I just wanted to get clean first.”

“So I see.” Jess grinned. “Carrier all done?”

“Yes.” Dev nodded positively. “All ready to go.” She followed Jess out into the larger part of her space. “Do you know a person named Davis?”

“Ahhugh.” Jess stopped and turned, regarding her wryly. “Johnson Davis? Crotchety old bastard who doesn’t have a good word to say for anyone and looks like he sleeps in his clothes?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” Jess indicated the pack that had come in box Bain had sent. “That’s what you use for the kit.”

“He was the one who did the flight check on the carrier with me. He seemed to be in some kind of discomfort.” Dev reported. “So I was wondering.”

“He’s an asshole.” Jess wandered over to cabinet and studied the corner of it.

“Um. Okay.” Dev got into a pair of underwraps, then a twin of the suit Jess was wearing that felt nice and soft against her skin. “Does he feel uncomfortable about my being a bio alt?”

“No. He just hates women. He probably isn’t even aware you’re a bio alt.” Jess told her. “He’s the one thing Sandy and I agree on.”

“Oh.” Dev eyed her. “I see.”

“So here.” Jess started pointing. “You’ll need the jacket, a couple of extra undersuits, and one of those colored jumps like that blue one. We don’t wear blacks in places like Cape Quebec.”

“Okay.” Dev neatly folded the items and fit them into the pack. “Why not?”

“Hm.” Jess held a hand up. “Okay, let’s sit down a minute and talk about being outside.” She motioned towards the chairs. Dev detoured over to her drink dispenser and got out two containers, then came over and handed Jess one before they both sat down.

“Thanks.” Jess studied the container, before she opened it and took a sip. “So you decided you like this stuff?” She held up the kack.

“Yes, it seems so.” Dev smiled. “It’s a little fizzy, and that’s very interesting to my tongue.”

“Aha.” Jess cleared her throat a little. “Okay, so - the deal is this. When we’re here, we’re just who we are. You got that right?”

After a brief hesitation, Dev nodded. “I think so.”

“When we’re out there, most of the time we don’t want to be who we really are.” Jess said. “It’s not always safe.”

Dev’s eyes lit up a little. “Oh. You mean we’ll be undercover.” She pronounced the word carefully. “Pretending to be someone else, correct?”

Jess looked surprised. “Right.” She said. “Did they give you programming about that?”

“Yes.” Dev said. “That came in the job programming. Not specific things, but the need to do that.” She explained. “And how to hide and all that. I know the programmers and Doctor Dan were concerned because we do have this.” She touched her neck. “And that’s hard to hide.”

“Turtlenecks for you.” Jess smiled, then muffled a chuckle at the look of mild bewilderment on her partner’s face. Partner. Jess sighed internally. Didn’t I say I wasn’t going to do that again? So why did I? “It’s a shirt that has a high collar.” She explained. “You just have to remember not to take your clothes off outside.”

“Okay.” Dev amiably agreed. “I won’t.” She paused. “Well, not unless you tell me to.”

Jess shot her a quick look, and swore she saw a twinkle in those green eyes. “Riiiiight.” She drawled. “I’ll have to remember that.” She waited, but the bio alt’s expression remained mild and inquisitive. “Anyway, we usually put together a cover before we leave, and we get credentials issued to us that match that. Hang on.” She got up and went into her quarters.

“Hang on to what?” Dev wondered to herself. “Hang on to the chair?” She peered around. “To the cup?” She sat back as Jess returned, carrying a folder in her hands. “Hang on to you?”

Jess paused in mid step. “What?”

“Sorry.” Dev took a sip from her container. “I was just thinking about something.”

Jess sat down, leaning on one arm of the chair. “Okay.” She handed Dev a set of cards, and a holder. “This is yours.”

Dev accepted them, putting down her container and studying the materials. She blinked, when she realized the first set of cards was a citizens credentials, with her picture on it and an unfamiliar name. “This is very interesting.”

“Yeah, not bad.” Jess was sorting through hers. “So, when we go into Quebec let me do the talking.” She said. “The names they issued us are close enough to our own that it would be hard to slip up, but think about the name they gave you so you respond to it if anyone asks you about the card.”

“Right.” Dev agreed. “What’s yours” She peered at Jess’s card. “Oh, okay. I see.”

“When we get to the North Station, you just be yourself.” Jess said. “But in the outlands - don’t let on to anyone that you’re not a... what did you call us?”

“Natural born.” Dev said. “But they won’t call it that will they? So I’ll just be a regular person.”

Jess smiled a little. “Yes.” She paused. “Why natural born?”

“Well, because you are.” Dev said. “Born naturally.”

Jess considered that. “And you aren’t?”

“No. They make us up in test tubes.” Dev responded, with a brief grin. “The scientists, like Doctor Dan, select the genes and mix us up and then give us a little zap to get the division started. Then they put us in a shell, and once we outgrow that, into an incubator. Then they hatch us.”

Jess stared at her, blinking. “Are you messing with me?” She asked, after a brief silence.

“Messing.” Her pilot mused. “Is that like... are you asking me if I’m making a joke?” She watched Jess nod hesitantly. “No,, that’s really how they do it. So .. that’s why we call you natural born.”

‘All righty then.” Jess got up. “Lets get packed and get going. We’ve got a long trip ahead of us.” She toasted Dev with her drink. “Stick some of these and some crackers in your kit if you want - always good to have some extra with us.”

“Okay.” Dev got up and retrieved her pack, making sure everything was neatly tucked inside it, and taking Jess’s suggestion she added a few bottles of kack and several packets of the seaweed crackers. She also tucked a spare pare of underwraps inside, and a set of her sleeping clothes since she remembered Jess saying they would be gone for days.

Then, after a pause, she put her book inside the pack too. She sealed everything up, and went to the cabinet to take down her flight suit and get into it. It made her a little excited, feeling the heavier fabric close around her as she arranged the clips and feeds she would hook into the carrier.

She put her boots on, straightening up just as Jess poked her head in the door, her body encased in it’s familiar black semi armor. “Ready?” She asked the agent.

“Ready.” Jess said. “Grab your pack and let’s go to the hangar.”

Dev emptied her container, then she went back and picked up her pack, slinging it onto her back and adjust the straps. She ran her fingers through her hair, now mostly dry, and went into Jess’s quarters to find her seating her sidearm into it’s holster, her hair pulled back into a tail.

Jess shouldered her own pack and they exited their quarters, emerging into the random traffic of the after lunchtime shift change. They attracted some looks, Dev realized, people who caught their flight suits and possibly wondered were they were going.

People did, sometimes. She remembered the whispered speculation in the creche when sets were being sent on assignment, and her last talk like that with Gigi when she wondered if she would ever go.

Now, Dev had to laugh to herself, or maybe at herself for that. She certainly had gotten an assignment hadn’t she? They didn’t stop to talk to anyone, and in a few minutes they were at the hangar, moving across the vast open space towards the landing pad their carrier was sitting on.

Right where she left it. Dev noted. There were six or so bio alts scrambling around the outside, and the hatch was open, last minute details being taken care of as their launch time neared. The carrier was surrounded by faint wisps of offgassing and Dev could feel a distinct thrill as she took in the vehicles powerful outline.

“Looks good.” Jess said. “Nice work.”

Dev smiled. “I just did a small part.” She demurred. “There were many people working on it.”

They cleared around the last work pedestal and approached the pad. “Well.” Jess paused, studying the side. “The mech team thought you did a good enough job to put your name on it. Good sign.” She pointed at the side of the carrier, where Dev’s name had been stenciled right under hers.

“Oh!” Dev’s eyes widened. She slowed long enough to study the letters as they walked up the ramp, dodging an exiting bio alt who was carrying a calibration rig. “I didn’t expect that.”

“I figured once word got around they might.” Jess went into the carrier without explaining that cryptic remark, but Dev lingered a moment to let her eyes trace over the blocky, capital letter DEV inked on the metal side. Not her designation, just the short name and she found herself grinning just to see it.

“Looks good huh?” Clint ducked under the engine pod, wiping his hands on a rag. “They just finished. Hope you leave it in one piece long enough for the paint to dry.”

Dev made a face. “I’ll try.” She said. “I know we caused a lot of hard work.”

“You did some yourself.” Clint said. “Good luck, Dev. Bring her back in one piece and you all in it.”

“Thank you.” Dev gave him a smile. “I”ll do my best.” She patted the side of the ship and ducked inside, only just avoiding crashing headlong into Jess. “Oh!”

“Sorry.” Jess backed up. “C’mon in. I like the new chair.” She let Dev enter then she went over and sealed the hatch. “Once you get everything squared away, lets get clearance and get out of the bathtub.”

Dev strapped her pack down next to her station and sat down in the pilots chair, strenuously resisting asking Jess what a bathtub was. She checked her initial settings, then she started up the comp and began her preflight checks.

Of course, she’d done all that before the certification lift, but her programming told her in no uncertain terms that they had to be done every single time and she could feel the stress on that which indicated to her that this was an important thing.

She listened to Jess rattling around behind her, getting her own pack lashed down, arranging her hold down straps, and checking the weapons and drop kit.

Dev settled the comm set on her head and slipped the earpiece in, hearing the low murmur of ops traffic on the link as she brought the nav comp online. “BR27006, comm check.”

“Stand by 27006.” Ops came back quickly.

“Standing by.” Dev lit up the engine systems board and started running the checks on the new systems, pleased with the response to her test signals.

“27006, Central ops, register comm check, clear channel.”

Dev tuned in the channel a little, her sensitive ears hearing the digital shaping as it evened out. “Central ops, BR27006 reads clear channel, good comm check.” She locked the signal in and released a test squirt, then studied the engine status and the readouts from the navigation comp. “Systems coming online.” She warned Jess.

“I hear em.” Jess grunted. “Give me power please.”

Dev opened the power channel to the weapons systems, her eyes flicking to her boards as the carrier drew current from their umbilical to soak the batteries. She checked the multiple fuel cells, and nodded at the full charge, reaching over to pretune the internal generator that would take over once they were disconnected from the base.

“They asking for a route?” Jess called from the back.

Dev regarded the comp. “No, they aren’t. Just standing by.” She said. “Everything ‘s online. Should I ask for flight clearance?”

“Hang on.” Jess settled into her bucket seat, locking the restraint straps around her and feeling the gently snug against her body to hold her down. They had a fast release plate positioned over her chest, and a single slap could get her out of them because you just never knew what was going to happen even in flight.

She tested the new chair, feeling it solid and easily swiveled, and she pulled down her targetting comps, pleased with the feel of the new surface under her. The chair was decently padded, and she reached behind her back, pushing the pads experimentally. “Hey.”

“Yes?” Dev turned around in her seat.

“They put extra pillows in this thing?” Jess watched her pilot blush slightly. “Hm?”

“Not exactly.” Dev said. “I asked them to add a little bit of support for your back.” She admitted. “I thought you would like that.”

Jess studied her, caught between embarrassment and pleasure. “Do you have any idea how much crap I’m going to have to take for that from the rest of the agents?”

“No, I don’t.” Dev said. “I didn’t consider them when I asked.” She frowned. “Why would they care what your chair was like?”

“Hm.” Did she care if they cared? Jess wriggled a little and felt the comfort of the extra support on either side of her spine, and at the base. It felt good, and she decided she really didn’t care if they cared. “I dunno.” She said. “It’s great, thanks Dev.”

Dev smiled, and turned back around. “All systems are online and ready.” She fastened her own restraints, taking a peek at Jess in the small strip of mirror above her console. She could see the little grin on her face as she regarded the chair and she grinned herself, glad she’d asked for that small comfort.

The bio alt doing the chair, one of the craftsman BeeAre set had listened seriously to her, and done what she’d asked without question, showing her a personal level of respect that was both surprising and gratifying. It was a small thing, but she was now very glad she’d done it.

“Okay, tell them to crack open the top.” Jess said, as she leaned back in her surprisingly comfortable seat. “Let’s get this party started.”

“BR27006 to pad support, please undock umbilicals.” Dev spoke into her mic, catching sight of two bio alts ducking under the engine pod in response. She poised her fingers over the power grid, and as they unlocked the port and removed it, she activated the internal power feed and brought them online. “Internal systems green, please clear for lift.”

“Pad control, we’re clear, BR27006. Good mission.”

“Thank you, pad control.” Dev changed channels. “Central operations, BR27006 requesting flight access please.”

Jess chuckled from behind her.

Overhead, she heard the big doors start to open and a moment later, she heard the clearance come back into her ear. “BR27006 acknowledge. Lifting.” Dev spooled up the engines and engaged the bottom jets, taking them up towards the opening roof with steady confidence.

It was a rare moment of no rain. Dev took the carrier up into the clear air, and did a circle, scanning the horizon before she settled with the carrier’s nose pointed to the north. She keyed in the coordinates Jess had given her for Quebec City, and checked her consoles one more time. “Ready?”

“Go go gadget.” Jess said. “Keep your eyes out for bad guys. I may fall asleep here in my comfy chair.”

Dev smiled, and engaged the main engines, heading them off into this new adventure.

**

Cape Quebec wasn’t that far, Dev discovered. She spotted the cliff face full of lights ahead of them as her nav station beeped, and she adjusted her speed lower. “That’s it?”

“That’s it.” Jess agreed, putting her hand on the back of Dev’s chair and peering through the sectioned windows. “Okay we can’t valet park this bus, so you’re going to have to land on the plateau there, see the opening?”

“Yes.” Dev said. “Go down in there?”

“Yeah.” Jess returned to her seat and locked her restraints. “There’s an old stairway cut into the rock. It’s a hike, but the carrier’ll be hidden and they won’t see what direction we came from.”

It all sounded quite mysterious. Dev angled the carrier towards the cliff wall, and cut the mains, using the landing jets to gently lower the carrier past the crevice. It was all shadows and gray stone, with water drizzling off the edges and making a constant rattle and thunder past them as she found a bit of higher stone and set the vehicle down onto it. “Okay?”

“Great.” Jess stood up and hit a set of switches. “We’ll blend in here.” She started getting out of her armored suit. “Now we need to change into civs.”

Dev finished shutting down the engines and as she did, and their distinctive whine faded, she could hear the rain falling on the carrier’s roof, and the drum of the water on the ground outside.

Outside. Aside from her brief movement from the shuttle to the citadel and her visits to the ledge, this would be her first big exposure to outside, and Dev found herself a little unsettled over it. Dr. Dan had talked to her about it - about being outside under that vast, gray sky but talking about it and doing it were two very different things.

"You okay?" Jess was apparently watching her.

"Yes." Dev opened her pack and removed the blue jumpsuit, unsnapping the catches on her flight suit. "I was just wondering what it was like to be on the ground outside."

Jess paused as she fastened the neck on her civs, They were rust and gold, flashier than the ones Dev was donning. "Oh that's right. You came from outer space. I forgot."

Dev smiled as she finished fastening her suit. She picked up the jacket Bain had sent her and held it, not entirely sure what should happen next. Jess seemed to be sorting through some things so she put the jacket back down and went to the dispenser and took out a small bottle of water.

"Run an external scan, willya?" Jess asked. "Doesn't pay to take a chance."

Glad of something to do, Dev went back to her station and sat down. She opened the water and took a sip, then put the bottle in it's gimbaled holder ad activated the scan. She set the routine running, observing the results and glancing outside the carrier window to match the terrain with the scan.

It was rocky outside, and dark with clouds and rain. The carrier was settled between a half dozen large boulders and she had slid it just under a slight ledge which protected it somewhat. The area around them was clear of any life at all - only rocks and rubble were around them with some small patches of moss being the only hint of color.

"Clear?"

"Yes." Dev responded. "Nothing for 500 meters at least."

"Good." Jess finished tucking various things in her pockets. She walked over and picked up her own jacket. "Okay. Now we climb up the steps to a path I know, and that will take us to one of the outer entrances of the city. You need to stay close with me, and for now, don't talk unless you have to. We're just here to shop, we're a couple of bored techs on a day holiday from the Rocky Mountain generating center. Got it?"

"Got it." Dev rummaged in her memory for details about the generating center which she'd had some basic programming on. Science and research were done there, she knew, along with it's primary responsibility of creating and storing hydro power in massive sealed batteries.

Was it a target, she wondered. Like the facility they themselves were trying to breach?

"C'mon.". Jess shrugged into her jacket and fastened a colorful patch on the outside. She waited for Dev to mimic her then attached a similar one on her sleeve. "There. Now you work for Energine.". She patted Dev on the shoulder and went to the door. "I'm keying this so only the two of us can get back in. Anyone else tries it"ll blow a hole the size of the docking cavern."

"I see." Dev said. "This stop here - it's to obtain supplies?"

Jess hit the door release and the hatch thumped open, admitting a gust of cold, wet air. "Yeah. Some outside gear I need for the ice fields and to get current gossip. The intel we get in the citadel sometimes isn't really current - not to mention it' could be planted. I like to listen to whats going on before I do an insertion." Another mistake on her last mission. She'd let Josh talk her into skipping the recon.

She pulled her jacket hood up and fastened the neck cover then eased down the unfolded steel steps and got her boots on the wet rock before she motioned Dev forward. Though her head was well covered by the fabric the half frozen rain pelted her face and she blinked a little at the harshness of it. “Ugh.”

Dev spent a moment absorbing the experience. She could feel the half rain, half ice drops pelting the surface of the fabric encasing her, and she made a mental note to go back and thank Alexander Bain for providing the jacket to her. She lifted a hand and pulled the glove off it, feeling the sting of the rain and the chill before she put it back on. “That's interesting.”

Jess eyed her. “Not interesting enough to stay out in it. Let's go.” She circled the carrier and climbed up a small rise towards the cliff walls, pausing to turn and look back at the vehicle. “Nice.” She complimented Dev. “That new mottled skin really works.”

Now that the hatch was closed, you would be hard pressed to identify the carrier against its landscape. The outer shell had taken on the tones of the surrounding rock, blending the metal until it was almost invisible.

“Yes.” Dev agreed. “Clint was really happy with how it turned out. It's a new thing. He said it would help us hide against the clouds, too.”

“If we want to hide.” Jess turned and started away from the small ledge they'd parked on. “Quebec's a mix these days. Used to just be a supply depot, since theyve got a decent harbor, but they finally dug out the cliff and fixed the roofs of all those old buildings and people drifted in from the outlands.”

“I see.” Dev was keeping up with her companions long strides with a bit of difficulty. The uneven ground was new to her, and she was having some trouble keeping her balance on it. “What do they do there?” She asked, more to keep Jess talking since she'd studied the records in comp on the place when Jess had told her they were going there.

“Fish mostly.” Jess promptly supplied. “They've got enough coastline to harvest weed, but they're big on shallow water shellfish too.” She licked her lips thoughtfully. “Be glad to introduce you to those. Since they got enough people around, they've got markets and grub too.”

Shellfish. Shell, and fish? “Do they have anything to do with that gift from Clint?” Dev hazarded.

“No.” Jess chuckled. “Well, actually.. “ She pondered. “Sort of I guess. They do get tiny crabs out of some of those shells and use em in stews. But the ones he sent, those didn't have any crabs in em. They just wash up near the bsae of our cliff.”

“I see.” Dev had found her balance now, and she was beginning to enjoy the tramp across the rocks. Jess was leading the way across a barren stretch of bare granite towards a wall, and already she could see even through the rain a narrow uneven set of steps cut into the face of it. It angled up the rock wall to an outcropping above and she couldn't see past that.

It seemed very desolate where they were. She couldn't hear anything besides the far off sound of the surf and the rumble of thunder over their heads and her face was starting to feel very cold where the rain was hitting it.

She blinked a little, as she followed Jess up a slope and across a long stretch of loose, crunchy sounding small rocks that led up to the base of the wall. There were big rocks all around them, and she peered upward as a scattering of tiny stones rattled off the cliff and fell around them. “Did those rocks come from up there?”

“Yeah.” Jess wound her way through them. “That's why we park here. People with sense stay far the hell away.” She pointed at a long rusted sign tacked tot he stone, a pictograph of a crudely drawn slope and what were supposed to be boulders. “It's a rock fall zone.”

“I see.” Dev regarded the wall. “So one of those could fall down right now?”

“Sure.”

“I see.”

Jess half turned and grinned at her. “Closer to the cliff you are, safer it is. Dont' worry.”

“I' am not worried.” Dev kept at her heels, as they got to the base of the cliff and started up the stairs. They had been very crudely cut into the rock, and were in some places more suggestions than footholds. “If something unfortunate happens, at least I will have had lots of new experiences.”

The steps reminded her of the climbing exercises they'd done in the creche and she placed her boots with confidence, glad of her gloves as she gripped the rock edge they were climbing up. The coverings were dark gray and made of very tough fabric, thin enough for her to use her fingers well, but thick enough to keep her hands nice and warm.

It was interesting and exciting being here. She could feel all sorts of new sensations – the strain on her legs of climbing, the pelting rain, the roughness of the stone under her gloved fingertips. It was all new, and she focused on Jess's tall form, careful to step where she did once she'd moved on.

The rock smelled, she realized. It had a flat, dense scent a little like the walls in the citadel, but different. She could also smell the rain and she experimentally stuck her tongue out, catching some of the icy droplets and tasting them.

Interesting. She saw Jess slow up and halt ahead of her, and she paused, watching her companion closely. Jess moved again after a moment, but more slowly and she took one hand off the rock and let it rest against the pocket Dev knew she had her weapon in.

She decided to remain quiet, figuring Jess didn't need any distractions if there was something dangerous occurring. They were almost up near the little ledge, and she watched Jess pause again, one hand resting on the rocks and her head cocked to one side.

After a moment, the agent untied her hood and pushed it down, exposing her head to the rain but also exposing her ears which were, intrestingly to Dev, twitching visibly.

Then, after a moment of silence, Jess pulled her hood back up and continued on, climbing up over the edge of the crevice and then turning, offering Dev her hand.

Dev wasn't sure what that was about, but she reached up and clasped it, a bit surprised to find herself pulled up onto the ledge to stand next to her partner. “Thank you.”

“All quiet.” Jess released her then moved across the ledge to an uneven square hold in the side of the mountainside. She slipped inside, then activated a hand light and paused, before she continued forward. “Let's get outta the damn rain at least.”

Dev hadn't entirely minded the experience, but she found the cold a lot less inside the tunnel they were now in, and she pushed her hood back and wiped the rain off her face as she followed Jess in. “Very interesting.” She regarded the tunnel which was as crudely cut as the steps outside, taking off a glove and running her fingertips over the surface.

She could feel chisel marks on the stone. “Did you cut this wall?”

“Me?” Jess chuckled low and deep in her throat. “Hell no. They sent a team out here when Quebec started becoming a population center. Ten guys with plasma cutters. You see all that rubble at the base? That was from them. “

“I see.” Dev activated her own hand light, and examined the wall. It had interesting sparkles in it, not that different from the walls in the citadel. The floor was as uneven as the walls, and she focused the light there, avoiding the unexpected angular cracks and bumps as they walked along.

It was out of the wind here too, and warmer because of it. Dev ran her hand through her hair and noticed Jess was having to duck a little as she walked. “Is it a long way in here?”

“No.” Jess said. “Couple more minutes.”

And in a couple more minutes, in fact, they were moving from the narrow tunnel and squeezing through a crack in the rock so narrow Jess had to take off her coat to fit through, and Dev almost did. Then they were in a more regular hallway, with smooth walls, evenly spaced low lights and a faint look of dusty disuse.

“Emergency tunnel.” Jess shrugged back into her jacket and fastened it. “Place for them to run to.” She closed her hand light and stuck it in her pocket as she lead the way up a gently sloping floor. “Minute or so, and we'll be in the lower levels. “

“Okay.” Dev caught up and walked along at her side.

“Whatever you see, just keep your mouth shut.” Jess said. “It could be weird for you. There'll be other bio alts here, but it's not like in the citadel.”

Now, what did that mean? “Okay.” Dev agreed anyway. She saw Jess raise a hand a little, and she slowed, keeping behind her partner as the hallway they were in ended in a big, square opening and a murmur of sound reached her. They crossed another wide hallway that led off into dusty silence in both directions and then they were moving through a wide arched opening into a cavern filled with people.

Jess moderated her pace, turning her purposeful walk into a more casual stroll, sticking her hands in her jacket pockets and letting her head turn from side to side.

Dev copied her, glad she had a chance to absorb what she was seeing. Unlike the uniformity she was used to in both the creche and the citadel, the people and the sights were far more random here. There were people who looked like workers, but their overalls were patched and so worn and covered in dirt it was impossible to tell what color they were supposed to be.

Then there were other people, in skin tight suits carrying boxes with lights, and other people who were covered in strangely mottled garments and heavy boots.

The smell of the place was past her ability to self describe. It was a mixture of strong scents and musky tones , overlaid with the more familiar intensity of machine oil and salt she was becoming familiar with in her new home. A few people glanced at them, but then moved on, and she followed Jess along the perimter of the space towards a set of long, shallow stairs.

They passed a pair of men with scrubbers, removing a layer of oil from the floor and Dev felt a jerk of recognition as she took in their visible collars. Effens, her memory supplied, wearing roughly finished gray coveralls with dark maroon sleevs.

They dind't look up as she and Jess went past, their eyes firmly on their task as they patiently scoured the floor. Normal, she thougtt, having worked with a few of that set in the creche. They received a lot of programming for cleaning – it's what they did in the creche, in fact, specialists in maintenance.

Did Jess think she would find that strange? Dev pondered the thought.

They walked up the shallow stairs, moving into a more brightly lit space that suddenly, as they emerged at the top, also became a lot louder. Dev almost stopped walking as they turned a last corner, and she was looking at the inside of a large, high roofed cavern filled with..

Well, filled with everything. “Oh.”

Jess turned and peered at her, slowing and closing the distance between them. “This is the market.” She said. “Remember, we're just techs on holiday, looking to shop.”

“Okay.” Dev followed Jess's lead and unfastened her jacket, which had started to become very warm. She left it hanging open with it's hood pushed back, and followed her partner towards the ball of chaos ahead of them. The rock walls echoed back the sounds of all the people roaming from area to area, voices raised.

After a minute, it sorted itself out and her programming kicked in, and she knew what she was looking at much to her relief. This was a center where people came to offer up things they did and products they made for sale. There were dozens of rows of little rooms, made from what looked like stones cemented together.

Each room had some people inside it, and ledges on all four sides where they had things displayed. Some room had lots of other people on the outside looking at the things, some had few, but there seemed no reason behind what was next to what, or why some were popular and some weren't.

And the people. Dev had never seen this many people in one place, not in the creche, and not in the citadel, including at the party. There seemed an endless sea of them all dressed in widely varied combinations of clothing, strange things on their heads and a mixture of things on their feet that completely escaped any of her programming.

She really couldn't process it all. So she stuck at Jess's side, resisting the urge to latch onto her jacket as they started moving into the market area and into the surge of human traffic. She blinked her eyes a little, finding them watering slightly from the pungent smells.

“Crazy, huh?” Jess commented, as she sidestepped two men arguing loudly.

“Yes.” Dev said, in a positive tone.

“Everyone around brings their stuff here to sell.” Jeff confirmed Dev's programming. “You can get some interesting tirnkets here, see?” She detoured over to a stone house. She picked up one of the wares, a bit of stone that had been hollowed out to leave a small dishlike depression at the bottom. “You put scented oil in here, and light it. Makes a nice smell.”

Dev regarded it. Then she looked all around them, and back up at Jess, one of her pale eyebrows lifting a little. “Do they make them any larger?”

Jess grinned, and turned, finding the merchant watching them with wary politeness. “How much?” She indicated the trinket.

“Quarter credit, citizen.” The man replied promptly. “Third if you buy two.”

Jess dug in her pocket, pulling out a handful of something and singling out two bits of it to drop on the table. “Here.” She picked up a second and handed it ot Dev. “Keepsake.”

The merchant snapped up the glittering bits on the table and gave her a look of much greater respect. “Citizens.” He inclined his head in their direction. “Good market to you.”

Dev regarded the item with some bemusement.

“We can try it out later.” Jess winked at the merchant, then she bumped Dev with her shoulder and led the way further into the melee. “Most of the stuff is pretty useless.” She confided to Dev. “These guys just hope to pick up a credit or two to add to their allotment, maybe afford a bottle of grog once in a while.”

“What did you give him?” Dev asked curiously.

“Ah.” Jess dug in her pocket again, then held her hand up. “Turn your hand over.”

Dev did, only to find a scattering of brightly glinting bits landing in her palm. She studied them, discovering squares of yellow metal with numbers stamped on both sides.

“In places like this.” Jess had drawn her over into a corner. “You don't have scan cards. People dont' like to identify who they are or what they're buying.”

“I see.”

“So this is hard credit. The biggest one's a full cred, then there's a half, a third and a quarter. It's gold.” Jess added. “You know what that is?”

“Yes.” Dev looked at the squares in surprise. “I never expected to see it in this form. We used it all the time on logic boards in the creche.”

“Well, here you can trade it for stuff.” Jess closed her hand over the credits. “Put em in your pocket. Spend em if you want.” She paused, and her eyes flicked over Dev's shoulder. “But not right now. C'mere.” She moved closer and put her arms around Dev, turning her back on the crowd.

Dev hastily put the handful of metal into her pocket and hesitantly returned the contact, feeling the warmth of Jess's body as she pressed against it. She had no idea at all what was going on, but the sensation was very pleasant and she was halfway wishing they could try that kissing thing again after a long moment of it.

“Hold still.” Jess's voice breathed into her ear. “Look past my arm and tell me if a tall guy with blond hair and a scar 's gone by.”

It took a very long moment for Dev to sort that out and figure out what to do about it. She peeked past Jess's elbow, and saw three men strolling by, glancing slowly around them. One was, she noted, tall and scarred. “They're behind us.” She murmured back.

She could feel Jess breathing against her, and decided it was very nice. “Now they are past us, and going away.” She said, after a few more moments. When Jess didn't answer, she looked up, to find Jess looking back at her, with an expression that actually made her heart skip.

It skipped! Dev's eyes widened. What an incredibly odd sensation.

Then Jess sighed and released her. “Okay.” She took a step back and turned cautiously, watching the men's backs as they retreated. “I dont' think they saw me.” She eased out into the stream of people again. “Let's stay behind them, just in case.”

Dev's whole body was tingling, and she really didn't much care about the men. However, she followed along obediently. “Who were they?”

Jess chuckled without any real humor. “The bad guys.” She said. “Very interesting they ended up here, huh?”

“Very interesting.” Dev said, not entirely referring to the men. “Very interesting indeed.”

**

They lost sight of the men in the crowd a little while later. With so many people and so many distractions it wasn't that out of the question, but Jess was still annoyed with herself that she let them get away. “Damn it.”

Dev waited quietly nearby, as her partner quartered around four of the rooms there, letting her own eyes gently move from face to face as the crowd moved past her.

“Hey kid.”

It did not occur to Dev that someone was addressing her, until she felt a tug on her sleeve. She looked quickly to her right, to find a stocky man with thick silver hair next to her. “Yes?” She decided no response was probably more dangerous than following Jess's strict order to not speak.

His eyes were dark, and shrewd. “That coat ain't worth nothing. C'mere, lemme show you what I got.” He pointed to his little room, which had garments hanging everywhere around it.

Dev scanned the surrounding crowd, finding Jess at the next little room over, picking through some hats while she carefully watched the passers by. Since her partner was so close, she decided it would be all right to look at the garments, and therefore she followed the man over and listened to his pitch.

She knew what a pitch was. Her programming had given her enough background on the cities to get by with, and Dev herself wasn't nearly as naieve as she apparently appeared. There had been little markets in the creche, in fact, when they'd gotten a chance to get a few rare treats and she understood the concept even of bargaining.

This did not seem really the place to engage in that though. Dev studied the clothing, and reached up to touch a piece of it, a jacket made from a smooth, tough substance.

“Ah, like that one huh? Didn't figure you for shark though.” The man came over and lifted it down. “Nice hide.”

Shark. Dev glanced over at Jess, who was deep in discussion with the other vendor. With a faint shrug, she took off her issue jacket and tried on this other one, finding it surprisingly comfortable. Shark was a fish, she recalled. It felt very strange to be wearing the skin of an animal, but it felt a bit like heavy fabric and it didn't smell like fish.

“Looks good on you, kid.” The man said, watching her shrewdly. “Where ya from?”

Dev removed the jacket and donned her own. “How much cred is this?” She asked, deducing this would distract him from asking her more questions.

“Two cred.” The man said. “Dont' bother trying to bargain with me, kid. I can see how wet behind the ears you are.”

“All right, I won't.” Dev handed him back the coat. “Excuse me.”

“Wait.” The man looked very surprised. “Hold on, you don't want it?”

“Not for that amount.” Dev started to move off, angling her steps to end her up in the same room as Jess was. She could see the taller woman was concluding whatever her business was, and Dev wanted to be close by so they could move off to their next thing. Whatever that was.

“Wait, a cred and a half.” The man scurried after her. “C'mon, kid. You know you want it.”

Dev turned and faced him. “I have a one cred piece. If you would like that in exchange, that would be good. If not, then I have to be moving on.”

“Nah it's worth more than that.” He shook his head.

“All right, good bye then.” Dev turned and started walking again, seeing Jess putting something in a sack.

“Okay okay.” The man got in front of her again, holding the jacket out. “One cred.”

The motion caught Jess's eye, and Dev saw her wheel around and start towards them. “Okay.” She dug one of the bits of metal from her pocket and inspected it, then took the jacket from him and handed it over. “Thank you.”

“Highway robber.” The man grumbled, looking at the bit. “Why I should...”

“You should what, Roderick?” Jess had reached them and now she leaned her elbow on Dev's shoulder. “Are you giving my friend a hard time?”

Dev watched his face in fascination as it turned dead white under his beard and he backed away from them with some of the same look of fear as Clint had. “Not at all, Jess.” She told her partner. “I was just making a purchase from him.”

“No harm, no foul.” The man held his hands up. “What brings you here?” He asked, looking around quickly. “Havent' seen you in a while.”

“Let's go have a cup of kack and we can talk about it.” Jess moved forward, forcing him to retreat. “I had you on my list of people to chat with anyway.” She casually looked around. “Business looks slow right now.'

Roderick nodded briefly and turned, leading the way back into his room. “Digger, keep a look on the store.” He told a younger man standing there. “Me and the ladies have business.”

Digger smirked. “Sure.” He folded his arms over his faded and patched overalls and watched them go. “No problem.”

They followed the merchant into the back of the small room, then down an unexpected set of iron rail lined stairs that went down in a spiral under the floor. The sound from the market dimmed and then cut off, as they reached the bottom, and were inside a cramped, spare dwelling with a low ceiling and rough stone floors.

It was well used, and long lived in. There were shelves made from stones and old boards, and two corridors led off towards the back that were curtained off with carefully opened and cleaned sacks.

Roderick led them into a square common space with a table and four chairs. “Didn't know the kid was a friend of yours, Jess.” He pulled a chair back and sat down, placing his elbows on the table and folding his hands.

Jess took the seat facing him. “She's my partner.” She said briefly. “Give me the scoop. What's going on here. I saw Red Dog.” She glanced at Dev, who took the seat next to her. “I dont' think he saw me.”

He nodded. “I was surprised to see you. I heard about Wellington.”

Jess shrugged.

“There's a price on you.” Roderick said, after a bit of silence. “Ten thousand credits. Gold.” He cocked his head a little. “I sent that news in to base. So I'm really really surprised to see you here. I know you've got brass ones, but that ain't smart.”

Jess's face didn't so much as twitch. “I've got a job to do.” She said. “That what the Dog's doing here? Looking for me?”

“No.” Roderick shook his head. “He and Jersey are looking for dirt on some new project on our side.” He glanced around the space. “You hear anything? Some big thing, your way?”

Jess considered the question, giving a side glance at Dev before shaking her head. “Nothing I know of. You?”

Dev's face was a study in wry innocence. “I havent' heard of anything.” She said. “But I've only been here a few days.”

“Ah, new class. We heard they were in.” Roderick exhaled. “Well, I can say you sure pissed off a lot of people, Jess. You get the body count from that last run? Five hundred.” He eyed the agent. “Credits or not, if they catch you they're gonna splat you.”

“Five hundred for one?” Jess smiled thinly. “Guess the old man'll consider it a bargain.”

Roderick finally loosened up, chuckling a bit. “Maybe. But be careful. You get caught napping his ego won't think of it that way. You know how it is.” He shifted a bit, tapping his fingertips together. “Anyway, most of what we're hearing is the usual. Seen a few more of them sniffing round though.”

Jess nodded. Then she turned her head and regarded Dev. “What'd he scalp you for?”

Dev's brow hiked just slightly, as she gazed back at her partner.

“The jacket.” Jess pointed. “What'd it cost ya?”

“Oh.” Dev cleared her throat. “A credit.”

“Told you she chewed me down.” Roderick said. “She's a kid but not a stupid one. That's one of my best pieces she picked out.” He studied Dev “Where ya from? Waterside I'm guessing since you knew right off the skin.”

“She's a westcoaster.” Jess said. “Monteray headlands. So yeah, she knows the water.” She tapped her fingers on the table. “I need some ice boots, two pair. Who has em?”

Dev folded her hands quietly, and just listened. She made a mental note to check where Monteray was when she got back to the carrier, and somewhat irrelvantly wondered if it was a nice place. She knew the stark, scattered islands on the other side of the inland sea were supposed to be striking.

She'd seen pictures of a few of them.

“I'll send Digger. Petros had about a dozen pair, not sure what's left. He'll steal every last credit of yours if you try it though, he can spot one of us easy as sneezing.” Roderick stood up. “Be right back.”

Jess waited for him to leave, then she gave Dev a little smile, and pointed at the jacket, making a come hither gesture with her fingers. Once her partner had complied, she studied the garment, her brows lifting a little at the smooth, soft texture and the finely stitched patterns on it. “Nice.” She handed it back. “Find me one next?”

“Sure.” Dev grinned. “I was actually looking for one for you as I was concluding my deal.” She added. “I think I saw one on the other side of the little house.”

“Sale stall.” Jess said. “Rod's one of our outside agents.” She added, in a very low tone. “He gets paid to just sit and sell and watch.”

Dev nodded. “I remember from the class.” She fell silent as Roderick returned, dusting his hands off as he entered.

“All right, that's set but I gotta go back up stairs. People'll rob me blind otherwise, and we've got Festival coming. My wife wants a few things... can't afford to lose my stock.”

Jess and Dev stood up. “How's Karyn?” Jess asked. “She still working upstairs?”

“Got in with Maersk.” Roderick led them back to the stairs and started up them. “Got us a better slot after Festival, be something moving out of this place.”

“Nice.” Jess glanced around her as she climbed up the steps. “Maersk, huh? Maybe you'll end up riding one of their super c's. Bet the quarters are nicer than these are.”

Roderick chuckled dryly. “We all got our place.” He emerged into the store and looked around in a studied, casual way before he moved away from the top of the steps and let Jess come up after him. “So there ya are. See? I made a right bargain.” He added loudly, a trucelent note now back in his tone.

Jess strolled through the store, examining the wares. “Yah, well, we'll see.” She eased between the hanging garments, pausing between two racks to study the crowd. She was aware, suddenly, of a presence at her back, but after the first jolt she realized it was Dev, standing quietly behind her.

Very quietly. Jess looked over her shoulder, slightly amazed at the way her new partner blending into her surroundings, standing just so between the haphazardly hung clothing, only her pale eyes moving.

A sudden commotion distracted both of them, and Jess swiveled to face the sound, her hand dropping to her jacket pocket as her body stiffened in reaction. Ahead of them, in the open lane between the stall they were in and the one across, two men had grabbed a third, a tall lanky figure with, she realized, a bio alt collar.

“I told you not to touch me you freak!” One of the men yelled.

The bio alt hunched his shoulders, and remained silent, holding his hands up in surrender. “Sir, didn't mean to bump you.”

“You did it on purpose!” The man shoved him against the wall. “Probably going after my credits, huh freak?” He lifted a hand and balled it into a fist. “Were you?”

The bio alt cringed. “No sir.” He said. “I was just walking. I tripped.”

“Freak.” The man shoved him again, then walked off, shaking his head. “C'mon. Stinks around here. Place is full of these freaks these days.”

The merchant across the way came out of his stall. “Get out of here.” He yelled at the bio alt. “People'll think you belong to me. Move along!”

The bio alt moved away from the wall and hurried away, keeping his head down and by a jog in his stride, missing the kick aimed his way by the irate man. As he passed them he furtively looked their way, jerking his eyes back forward when they met Jess's.

Jess waited a moment, then she turned. Dev was still standing behind her, still with a mild, untroubled look on her face, still completely silent. “It's like that here.”

Dev tilted her head slightly. “Like what?”

“What they did.” Jess said. “A lot of people who don't have bios don't like them.”

“I see.” Dev pondered the scene. She saw the man from across the path come over and talk to Roderick, who half shrugged, and lifted his hands in a resigned gesture. “They don't like them, why?”

Jess exhaled. She was saved from an immediate answer by Roderick coming over to them.

“Ladies, you see anything else you want?” He asked, swinging around the shelves and pausing with his hand on one of the racks. “Day's not getting any younger and neither am I.”

“What was that all about?” Jess asked, jerking her head towards the spot where the altercation had taken place.

“What?” Roderick frowned. “Oh.you mean those guys?” He shrugged. “Usual crap. More of the hooty boys are getting the jelly bag brains and the city's started to put them to work places. Got a lot of oldtimers who don't like it.” He added. “But those guys? They're just a bad fight looking for a place to happen. Wasn't the bio, it woulda been Digger coming back with the boots.”

Jess stole a glance at Dev, surprised to find that same mild look on her face. “What do you think?” She found herself asking, her brain momentarily forgetting where she was. She held her breath for a second, wondering what her bio alt partner was going to say about that.

Could almost be anything. She hadn't really dialed in on Dev yet.

“What do I think?” Dev repeated. “I think that one right there would fit you.” She pointed at a long coat hanging behind Jess against the wall. “And it matches your eyes.”

Roderick chuckled low and deep in his throat He removed the jacket and took the hanger out, tossing it over to Jess. “Your friend's got some smarts, Jess. Didn't know they were sending them out of school with that these days.”

Jess accepted the diversion, shrugging off her jacket and slipping the new one on. She twitched the shoulders straight and found the sleeves long enough for her long arms. “Huh.” She fastened it, then turned, raising her arms and holding her hands out. “Not bad.”

The coat was actually quite attractive, Dev thought. It was far less bulky than the one they were issued, and the cut of it was flattering to Jess's tall figure. It was made of something like the same thing the one she'd bought was, and she thought Jess was pleased with it. “It's very nice.”

“All right.” Jess exchanged coats again. “What are you going to get out of me for it?” She asked Roderick. “You robber baron you.”

Roderick chuckled and held a hand up, looking casually all around him before he spoke “I'll bill the old man.” He said. “Digger'll drop the rest of it over with Jonton. I assume you're going to go eat there?”

Jess smiled.

“Robber baron? You call me that?” Roderick bawled. “Take it! Get out of here you wanton hussies!” He started forward, waving the hanger the coat had been hanging on. “Get out! Get out! Before I call the guard!”

“Watch it old man!” Jess yelled back. “Take your threats and shove em! Let's go, Dev.” She turned and walked out of the store, heading sharp right and then taking a left as she cleared the next stall over. She paused and got behind a column, leanng against it and looking at the sleeve of the jacket with complete absorption.

Dev stuck right with her, finding something in the booth to look at as Jess watched what was going on them intently. It was all extremely strange, and she wasn't comfortable at all with what was going on, but she examined the little pouches on display in front of her and kept herself relatively out of view.

“Okay.” Jess finally said, turning and putting a hand on her shoulder. “Good job, Dev.” She said, in a very low voice. “I know it's crazy here, but you'er doing a great.”

Dev smiled. “Thanks.” She whispered back. “It's very confusing.”

“I know.” Jess now clapped her on the back. “Let's go get something to eat. I bet you never tried hopping shrimp, now did you?”

Hopping shrimp. Dev had to admit the experience was overwhelming her programming. There were too many new experiences, and too much uncertainty for her to comfortably handle. “No.” She answered. “I know what a shrimp is. Why does it hop?”

“Ah.” Jess put a companionable arm over Dev's shoulder, and guided her along the path, towards another set of long, low steps. “Come with me, my friend. I will introduce you to my favorite meal and show you why they hop.”

“You meet the shrimp before you eat it?”

Jess chuckled. “I”ll have to take you shrimping sometime.” She said. “Maybe limpet collecting too.”

Dev eyed her.

“Maybe we can find some cockle stew.”

“I think I”m glad I brought that pack of crackers.” Dev commented mournfully. “I wouldn't know what to do with a cockle.”

Jess's sudden laughter drew stares, but they were moving up the steps before anyone could get too close a look or stop them and then they were gone, disappearing into the strident chaos of the wet market.

Behind them, a squad of bio alt cleaners tentatively emerged, looking cautiously around before they started sweeping half a day's debris from the floor

**

It turned out that hopping shrimp were a lot better than they initially sounded. Dev regarded the plate in front of her, a deep blue glazed platter covered in bright orange and pink animals curled in a half circle that smelled really really good.

They had cups of something sweet and fizzy in front of them, and the shrimps, and a flat cake that was rather seaweed like but had a drier, earthier taste.

“Now.” Jess picked up a shrimp. “First you rip the head off.”

Dev watched her with some bemusement. They were seated in a small alcove at the back of the eating place, amongst a few small alcoves that were tucked away out of sight, with a light gauze curtain around them and artfully placed strong lights on the curtains that made it impossible for anyone to see in, but for them to easily see out.

The man in charge of it had known Jess by sight and had seemed to be expecting her. He'd shuffled them quickly into their little hiding place, and shortly thereafter, the plates had arrived.

“Then you suck their heads out.”

Dev jerked, coming rapidly back into focus. “You what?”

Jess applied her lips to the back of the animal's head and inhaled, making an odd whistly sucking sound. “You suck their heads out.” She repeated. “Try it.”

Obediently, Dev picked up a shrimp and twisted it's head off, turning it around and inspecting the interior before she hesitantly put it to her lips and sucked at it. A small mass of spicy goo hit her tongue, and she mouthed it, analyzing the taste before she swallowed it. It was rich and full of flavor and the spices filled her throat in a surprisingly nice way. “Oh.”

“Oh good, or oh gross?” Jess asked, in an apparent good mood.

“That's excellent.” Dev responded. “I've never had anything like that before.” She peered inside the head.

“I knew I liked you for a reason.” Jess set the head down. “Okay, now on this part, you pull the legs and the shell off, like this.” She demonstrated. “And you eat this part inside.” She watched Dev, with a complete focus and seriousness that tickled the hell out of her, strip her first shrimp naked and bite into it, chewing it with intense thoughtfulness. “Well?”

Dev swallowed, and stared intently at her plate. “Can I eat this part too?” She picked up the shell.

“No.” Jess chuckled. “It's like chewing fingernails. Just eat the inside. So you like it?”

“Yes.” Dev said, positively. “Do we ever get this where we live?” She regretfully set the shell down and picked up another animal, ripping it's head off with more confidence.

“No.” Jess sighed. “They aren't found around our shoreline, and they wont' pay to have them brought in. The idea is we're self sufficient at home.” She started in on the rest of her plate. “Damn shame. But it's one of the nice things about going outside.”

Dev got through another couple of shrimp before she started conversing again. “You asked me before about the bio alts.”

Jess glanced up quickly. “Didn't mean to.”

“What were you expecting my reaction to be to that?” Dev asked. “Did you expect me to be upset?”

Jess chewed her shrimp, then took a sip of her drink. “I don't know what I expected. Yeah, maybe.” She said. “Were you?”

Dev's eyes met hers. “They teach us to expect that.” She said mildly. “To expect natural borns to treat us poorly. To make fun of us, to be mean to us, that sort of thing.” She sucked another shrimp head, her eyes widening a bit at the odd sound it made. “We know what we are, Jess.”

Jess sat quietly a moment, watching her. “Do you?” She mused. “I dont' think you're like that guy mopping the floor over there.” She indicated a lone figure, in the distance.

“I”m exactly like him.” Dev didn't sound at all upset about it. “Except I'm a different gene set, and I have different programming.” She watched her partner. “Why are you shaking your head?”

“You're not like him.” Jess repeated. “I've been working with bios since I got out of field school. I never met any one of them that was anything like you at all.” She nibbled a bit of her flat cake. “Is that why you were so surprised whe I was... um... nice.. .to you?”

“Yes because you don't have to be.” Dev said. “We know that. We just... take what we get, you know?”

Jess's face went still and serious for a moment, then she grinned a little. “Well, you got me.” She said. “And I don't buy that whole story so you'll have to deal with that.” Her eyes dropped to the table and she fiddled with a shrimp, then she looked back up to find Dev looking at her with a gentle, sweet smile on her face.

It made Jess blush. She felt uncharacteristically off balance and she she could have sworn all of a sudden her tongue felt fuzzy. “Anyway.” Her fingers pried the shrimp apart, and plucked the legs off. Then she looked back up. “Is that why you freaked out when you thought I was mad at you?”

Dev stopped in the act of sucking a head out. She put the item back down. “Yes. We never want to make our assignments mad. It means... they teach us that it means we're not doing a good job.”

“That's horsecrap.” Jess regained her equilibrium. “People sometimes just get mad.” She said. “It doesn't mean anything like that, at least not with me.” She took a swallow of her drink and glanced past the curtain, studying the passing crowd outside before she returned her attention to her table companion. “Okay?”

Dev reached over and touched her hand. “I”m very glad I got you, Jess.” She said, simply. “You're really special.”

Jess was caught in those eyes again, in the crystal clear warmth of them that made her feel shy and strangely unsure. She'd never really felt like this before and it confused her, a little.

Excited her, a little. Definitely it was distracting her more than a little and she almost missed the subtle shift in the lighting and the sound of approaching footsteps until it all penetrated her senses and she shifted, jerking her head towards the curtain. “Police. Just keep cool.”

Dev went back to quietly ingesting her shrimp, producing a mild look of inquiry when the curtain was jerked back, and revealed two men standing there in black suits with shiny black chestplates and helmets.

“ID.” The one in front said, extending his hand.

Jess produced hers and handed it over, and a moment later, Dev did the same.

The policeman flicked a scanner over both sets, and studied the results, then handed them back. “What's your business here?”

“Lunch and shopping.” Jess said, casually. She held up the neatly tied bundle that she'd made of her jacket, and pointed at the plates.

The man studied her, then studied Dev, who looked back at him with interest.

“Ladies.” The man gave them a half wave and moved away. “Enjoy your day.”

They went on to the next little alcove, and the curtain swung closed again, obscuring them. Jess waited for them to engage with their neighbors, before she removed a small box from her pocket and keyed it, directing it after the police and tapping a few entries.

Dev heard a very high pitched, very soft whine, and she watched with curiousity as Jess reviewed the results then put the box back into her pocket. “Is that a usual interview?”

“What, the cops?” Jess glanced after them, a faintly disapproving look on her face. “Eh. Looking for non citizens to bust. They attract em here, since the weather's such crap. They round them up and toss them back out into the scrub or ship em off to the edge to let them go forage there.”

Dev looked a bit confused. She picked up one of her few remaining shrimp and worked at it. “What is a non citizen?”

“Well.” Jess seemed glad of the distraction. “You get tested, right? Kids do, like I did. Either you get aptituded to a training school, or you test for brains, or some skill, or you don't” She took a long swallow of her drink. “Those that don't can't get citizen status. They get tossed into the outlands, and have to fend for themselves.”

Dev blinked. “That's very interesting.”

“If you can do something, you get cit status. Or.. “ She lifted a hand. “If your family is in service, like mine is, then everyone gets automatic cit status, and a minimum level job somewhere. Reward, I guess.” She ate her last shrimp, looking regretfully at the plate. “But the non cits try to sneak in anywhere they can, and beg or steal what they can to live off of. You get real tired of scraping lichen to eat and catching water bugs after a while.”

Dev tried to imagine that. It was hard for her to fathom, because in the creche everyone had their purpose, after all, they were made to be useful, weren't they? No one was left out, even if there was an 'out', there was always work, and a function for everyone and they were taken care of, fed, and housed as the valuable resources they knew themselves to be.

“I was glad, when I tested in.” Jess commented. “I didn't want to spend my life hauling nets, or supervising a power station at the waterline.”

Dev only just kept herself from reaching out to touch Jess's hand again. “But you do something very difficult.”

“I do... we do.” Jess smiled at her. “But on the flip side, we live in nice digs, and have creds to spend, and eat well. It's worth it.”

Dev looked at her identification, studying the picture, and the name, and the pretty, embossed emblem with a number that marked her as a citizen.

Interesting.

Except she wasn't. She wasn't even a non citizen. Beneath the neck on the rich blue jumpsuit she was wearing she had the same traced collar as the man she could just barely see washing the floor and she knew a moment of deep, disturbing confusion because she wasn't entirely sure of how she should feel about it all.

She was different. She was bio alt. She was hatched and raised in the creche to serve her assignment.

And yet. She looked up at Jess, who was busily pulling the legs off a shrimp. As if sensing the attention, Jess glanced up and met her eyes, tilting her head a little in question.

And yet.

More footsteps approached, and Jess grew wary, her body stiffening up and her balance shifting even in her seat so it was over the balls of her feet. “If I tell you to duck, you duck.” She reached out and picked up her glass, casually looking to her right as the curtain stirred and drew aside.

“Ah.” She grunted. “It's you.” She relaxed perceptibly.

“It's me, myself.” A short, dark haired and bearded man with a thickly muscled body sidled up to the table. “A gift for you, princess.” He put a bundle on the padded bench seat next to where Jess was sitting. “And who is your very pretty friend?” He waggled his bushy, thick eyebrows at Dev. “Much improvement over your last one, yes?”

Jess snorted slightly. “This is Dev.” She said. “Dev, this is Jonton, more commonly known as the Pirate of Quebec.” She gave the man a wry look. “Jonton's something of an old family friend, and this is his place as you probably guessed by the fact his name's on the sign outside.”

“Hello.” Dev responded. “It's very nice to meet you.”

The man smiled, showing a mouthful of teeth that were curiously decorated with tiny engravements. “It is my pleasure, Miss Dev.” He bowed. “Any friend of my old family friend here, is a friend of mine.” He turned back to Jess. “A very great improvement over this last one for sure.”

“Definitely” Jess agreed. “Smarter, has a lot more common sense, a better bus driver and much cuter on top of it.” She winked at Dev. “I got damn lucky.”

“So I hear.” Jonton leaned against the table. “Especially what I have heard lately of your luck.” He lowered his voice, touching her arm. “I am pleased to see you here in good health.”

Jess grinned briefly. “Thanks.” She touched the package. “This the boots? I'm glad they're done. I need to get clear of here. Too many eyes around.”

“It is. May you have good wearing of them.” He bowed again. “Till next time, princess! And again, so nice to meet you, Miss Dev.” He stepped back and then ducked out of the way, leaving the curtains to slowly swing back closed again.

They were both quiet for a moment. Then Dev gently cleared her throat. “What exactly is a pirate?”

Jess chuckled. “I'll tell you later, when we're back on the bus.” She studied her plate to make sure she'd consumed everything on it. “We need to get out of here before someone spots me and starts trouble.” She looked up at Dev. “You done?”

“Well, since you said not to eat the shells, I suppose I am.” Dev gazed mournfully at her plate. “They were excellent. Thank you very much for bringing me here.”

“It was my pleasure, Dev.” Jess said, her voice taking on a gentle tone. “I remember my first time in this place. My father brought me here after I graduated basic school. I thought the city was the coolest place on earth.” She tucked the jacket she'd gotten under her arm, and picked up the boots.

“May I take that?” Dev offered, pointing at the boots. “My jacket's smaller.”

“Your everything's smaller.” Jess handed the bundle over and they slid out from behind the table, pausing to let Jess study the outside space before she stepped through the curtain and held it for Dev. “To the left there, and down that ramp.”

Dev went as directed, and they slipped out of the wet market and started downward. Jontons place had been on the edge of the market, which was now becoming quiet as the merchants started packing up for the day. The market area was high ceilinged, and the sounds echoed, to the counterpoint of thunder rolling overhead.

Dev could smell the dampness, and the salt and fish tinged smell in the air as they edged past two men maneuvering a cart full of fish down the ramp beside them. She stuck close to Jess's side as they passed from the light of the cavern into the darkness of the tunnels, and after a few minutes walk, Jess paused to fasten her jacket.

So Dev did too. She put her bundles down and got herself sealed up, then picked the packages back up as Jess moved on. Niether of them spoke, and Dev could see the tension in her companions face as she scanned and rescanned the area.

It felt a little dangerous They walked to the base of the ramp and then Jess turned right and angled over across traffic to a side corridor that led to a set of stone steps. A group of bio alts came past them, easing to one side of the steps to get out of their way.

Dev recognized the set, but dimly, from much earlier memories when groups of bio alts would be loaded on shuttles, all of them happy, waving as they left to what they were sure would be good assignments.

They didn't look very happy now. Dev met the eyes of one of them, and he looked quickly away, hunching his shoulders. A Geebee, she remembered, but this one and his mates had scars on their faces, and threadbare coveralls – and one was missing fingers.

Dev exhaled a little, as she followed Jess down the steps and along the right hand side of a busy tunnel, now mostly workers were passing them, citizens in gray and green jumpsuits and men driving small electric cars. The two of them were mostly ignored, getting only brief, dismissed looks as they made their way downward.

“Here.” Jess pointed at a dark offshoot tunnel. She ducked inside and then her hand light appeared to light the way, as they went down another set of steps, these crooked and then under a crumbling arch, to another set of steps – these heading up.

Abruptly all the sound cut off, and as they climbed, Dev could hear a soft roaring sound. “Is that the sea?”

“Yes.” Jess was one step up from her, and she moved steadily upward. “And some rain. I can smell it.”

Dev sniffed, but there were so many smells around it was hard to tell which one Jess was talking about. She could smell a metallic, not quite pleasant tang coming from the rock they were walking over, and a tinny, dry smell she didn't recognize.

Far off, she caught a bit of what she thought was the ocean, that wash of salt and brine she remembered from the little outside balcony Jess had taken her to. The steps were getting narrower, and she shifted the package to her right hand, letting her left one rest against the wall.

The surface was interesting. It felt rough and cold against her skin, and a bit moist. It was irregular, and when she looked down, the steps were too.

They turned a corner and started up a more steep set of stairs, and now Dev could feel fresh air coming in and blowing against her face. She could hear the thunder, and was aware of a rich, wet smell. “Is that the rain?”

“Yeah, put your hood up.” Jess got hers fastened just as they reached a landing and were faced with a small opening.

Dev fastened the snaps on her hood and followed Jess out into a fierce downpour that pelted hard against her body and nearly knocked her backwards. She steadied herself against the rock face and blinked hard as water filled her eyes. “Wow.”

Jess turned and gripped her sleeve. “Careful. It's steep here.” She slowly worked her way down the rough cut steps they'd climbed up earlier, pressing herself hard against the cliff surface. It occurred to her that staying in the city might have been a wiser choice, but she'd started getting that itch between her shoulder blades and the last thing she wanted was a firefight in the middle of Quebec.

Probably end up with all of them in jail, those that didn't end up dead.

The storm suddenly cracked and thundered right over head, and with a yelp, she ducked as a landslide of sharp stones came cascading down on top of them. “C'mon!”

Dev scampered down after her, feeling sliding under her boots and an unsteadiness in her balance as the rock seemed to shiver under her. She half slid the last part to the bottom, then she joined Jess in a full out bolt for the carrier as a heavy rumble warned them of trouble coming down.

Rocks started to bounce past her, and she felt an impact on her back as they got to the bottom of the slope and then ran across the boulder strewn area in front of where they'd left the bus.

Jess looked behind her, and her eyes went wide. “Oh crap! Dev! Move it! Get to the bus!!! Move!!!”

Dev didn't bother looking. She bolted past her companion and triggered the hatch, ducking inside as Jess caught up to her and heading for her seat as a sound started coming around them that was louder than anything she'd heard in her life.

She heard the hatch seal behind her and got her harness in place as she was already reaching out to start up the engines and get the power systems up, her hands moving in programming boosted speed and precision she didn't have the luxury to think about.

“Better boost! We're gonna get creamed!” Jess bellowed, thumping into her own seat. “Or there isn't gonna be enough of this damn thing for Clint to.. ugh!”

“Hold on!” Dev didn't hesitate an instant. She kicked the landing jets in full force as soon as they spooled and took the carrier straight up for just long enough to clear the boulders before she cut in the mains, boosting clear of the ground as she heard the bump and clang of rocks hitting the outside of the hull.

No time even to put her headset on. She got away from the cliff at full speed for a minute, then she cut in the rear scan and the screens came alive with the sight of the entire face of the cliff sliding down and collapsing in a destructive rush that blasted over the tiny plateau they'd been parked on minutes before.

“Holy shit.” Jess stared at the screen.

Another crack of thunder and a blast of lightning rocked the carrier. Dev instinctively ducked and flinched as the forward screens whited out, then she adjusted the tint and cut in comp “We're getting weather warnings.” She said. “Too much interference.”

“Find a place to put her down.” Jess directed. “No one'll be out watching now anyway. Stupid god damned storms.” She pushed her hood back and raked the wet hair out of her eyes, as the carrier rocked back and forth between blasts of lightning.

Dev set up comp and searched the map ahead of them, spotting an overhang on the other side of the small valley they were currently coursing through. The carrier flashed over bare rock and dark pools of rain, the coated front window giving her a clear view of the sheets of water slamming against the carrier with intimidating force.

“Get her down.” Jess warned, as they both felt the engines hesitate.

Dev did, aiming for the overhang and slamming the landing jets on just as the mains cut out and they dropped hard. Lightning was striking all around them, multiple bolts coming on either side as she got the vehicle under the ledge and cut power just before a bolt hit them full on, making the power blank out completely for a few long seconds.

Then the batts came on and they were safe, the landing feet leveling the carrier as the storm came on in earnest. For a few minutes, the rumble and thump almost deafened them, but after that it steadied down to a dull roar and they both let out a breath of relief at the same time.

“I'll tell ya, Dev.” Jess let her body relax against her seat. “You really are worth your weight in gold credits.”

Dev turned her seat around, glancing down at herself, before she regarded her partner. “I think it's possible I might have to cash that in if I keep almost wrecking this transport.” She gave Jess a wry look. “That was really intimidating.”

Jess started unzipping her jacket. “It was.” She said. “But we made it. Now we just have to wait out the storm and then head off to North Station.” She stood up and hung her jacket on one of the hooks near the drop pack. “And hope no one's stupid enough to try and follow us in this.”

Dev undid her restraints and stood, getting out of her jacket as well. She hung it up next to Jess's and riffled her damp hair out. “So now we just wait?”

“Now we just wait.” Jess leaned against the drop suit, a faint smile appearing on her lips. “Of course, this could be the moment I tell you to take your clothes off.”

Dev met her eyes, and smiled. “Because we can wear our uniforms in the North place?”

“Well.” Jess pushed off from the suit and started unfastening the wrist catches on her jumpsuit “That too.”

**

 

Part 10

The storm was overwhelmingly violent. Dev had perched herself on the small ledge behind the drop suit with her back against the dispenser half hidden behind it. Overhead, she could hear the almost continual rumble of thunder, and the lightning strikes were going on around them in an eyeblinking barrage of cracks and blasts.

She and Jess were in their gray undersuits, the environmental systems in the carrier working well enough to keep the icy chill of the wind and weather from impacting them. It was comfortable and relaxed, Dev was reading a few pages of her book while Jess fiddled with one of the big blaster rifles.

She had halfway wanted Jess to tell her to take her clothes off. For a moment, she'd thought her partner was, but the fury of the storm had distracted both of them and Jess had seemed to turn a bit shy, her face twisting up into a wry grin as she folded her city suit and put it away.

That was all right, Dev decided. There was always time later to investigate the idea.

After a few minutes Jess set the rifle back into it's clamps and stood up, walking over and taking a seat next to her on the ledge. “Crazy out side, huh?” She braced her hands on the edge of the flat surface, her shoulder just brushing Dev's.

And then again, she'd been told there was no time like the present to do things. Dev peered at the big wraparound windows around her seat, which were solid gray with rain hitting them, only intermittently showing the blasts of lightning. “I've never seen anything like this, so yes, I believe it is.” She was glad to have the solid wall of the carrier behind her, instead of the glass.

Jess hitched herself back and leaned against the wall, folding her hands and letting them rest on her thighs. “Thats right, no storms in space.”

“Well.” Dev put her book down. “We do have storms, just not water ones.” She said. “We have sun storms and asteroid storms, and they're both pretty dangerous. I remember one of the asteroid ones when I was little that was so bad it knocked out power and grav.”

“Huh.”

“It was scary. We were all in class when it happened.” Dev went on. “All of a sudden we heard a loud noise, then it went dark, then we were all floating.”

Jess tried to imagine that, and really couldn't. “Wow.”

“It was really disconcerting.” Dev agreed. “Even the proctors were scared. You do go through training for emergencies but you don't expect one like that.”

Jess considered that in silence. “Space is kinda creepy.”

“It sometimes is.” Dev nodded. “Especially when they show you what explosive decompression does. No one makes airlock jokes after that.” She pulled her legs up crossed and leaned on them. “That's what they do to people who die upside.”

Jess made a face.

“Well, it's either that or put them in the solar furnace and you know, I think I'd prefer the spacing.” Dev remarked mildly. “I remember in basics class they told us in the long ago past they used to bury bodies in the ground. That sounded pretty crazy.”

“It was.” Jess admitted. “I guess we don't do any better, processing bodies and just dispersing them into the sea.” She said. “Gotta do something with all the mass, I guess and I always though it was sorta comforting to know you'd at least give a fish a meal.”

“I see.” Dev thought about that. “This is quite an unpleasant subject.” She said, finally. “Can you talk about fish instead? They live in the ocean?”

Jess chuckled wryly. “They do. They're the only thing that survived, after it all went bad. They learned to live on the venting algae, and we learned to live on them. That, and we learned to harvest the sea, to use the waves and the tides and the wind for power, and subsist on a lot less than we used to.”

Dev nodded. “I learned that in class too.” She said. “Except at the creche we used solar power for everything. They took us when we were kids up to the processing center to see the arrays. They were so pretty, all shining, and moving to follow the sun.”

Jess studied her hands. “I'd like to see the sun.” She remarked. “Maybe you could show me around up there someday.”

Dev made a picture in her head of that. She realized with some internal embarassment that while she'd love to show Jess the sun, she wasn't really happy about considering going back to the creche. She tried to imagine returning to her life of classes and sleep pods, and felt an intense sense of discomfort over it.

It was a strange feeling.

“Except I'm pretty sure you don't want to go back there.” Jess said after a few moments of silence. “Do ya?”

Dev smiled, and glanced at her. “No.” She admitted. “I was just thinking about that.” She shifted a little, to face Jess. “I dont' want to go back there. I like it here much better.” She looked at her partner, watching the interesting shadows the overhead lights were casting on her profile.

They made her a little mysterious looking. There were sharp planes to her face that seemed stark in the half lighting.

Jess reached over and gently touched the exposed collar on Dev's neck. “Do they ever take these off?”

Dev could feel that touch, and she swallowed the faint lump in her throat from it. “What do you mean?”

Jess ran her thumb over the metal, and felt the thin, flexible edge. “You said it was for programming. So when they're done with that, do they take them off? When you don't need it anymore?”

Dev remained absolutely still for a moment. “No.” She said, resisting the urge to move away from her partner's hand. “Because the other reason we have them is so they can put us down if they need to.”

Jess sat up and moved closer. “What?” She said, a sharp note in her voice. “What do you mean, put you down?”

The bio alt shrugged slightly. “Sometimes things happen. I mean, we are humans, after all. Even bio alts can end up doing bad things and like any other human they can get dangerous.” She put her hand out and touched Jess's knee. “Its like those gates in the citadel, isnt' it? That's to stop people when they do bad things.”

Jess exhaled. “Yes.” She admitted. “It doesn't happen often, but it has happened, when someone just went nuts or.. “ She shrugged. “I mean, we are dangerous.” She indicated herself. “I am. Any of the agents are. Hell, you saw what Bain did.”

“So, it's the same for us.” Dev said. “They put a code into a system, and it tells the programming interface to send a signal up into our brains and makes us.. well, it makes your heart stop.” She said. “And your breathing.” She watched Jess's face, seeing the emotion and tension cross it. “And trying to take it off would do the same thing.” She finished quietly.

Jess shifted her fingers from the collar down to Dev's shoulder. “That's why you don't like anyone touching it.”

“Yes.” Dev said. “But I don't mind if you do.”

“Why?”

“I trust you.”

Jess looked at her. “Well, NM-Dev-1, I'm sure glad you told me about that damn thing before I tried to get it off you.” She patted Dev's cheek. “I”ll keep my paws off it though. I don't want to freak you out.”

“You won't.”

“I won't?”

“No.” Dev reached up to touch Jess's hand. “I like when you touch me. It feels good.”

Jess felt a curious sensation steal over her and the sound of the storm outside faded as she focused on those pale, gentle eyes facing her. “I'm glad. Feels good to me too.” She murmured, letting her hand lay flat against Dev's cheek and feeling the shift under her fingertips as the bio alt smiled in response.

It did feel good. Seeing that smile felt good, and she felt herself smiling back, her skin feeling warm and sensitized as Dev's thumb gently stroked the back of her hand. “Yeah, I like that.” She stroked Dev's cheek. “Glad you do too.”

Dev's eyes were twinkling a little. “Oh, I do.”

What next? Jess felt a little short of breath. “Um... Want to try that kissing thing again?” She suggested hopefully, seeing the instant interest in the pale eyes watching her.

“Yes.” Dev responded positively. “I really would.”

It was crazy and insane and there was the storm and... Jess leaned over and tilted her head and their lips brushed. And who cared? She made a more solid contact and it grew into something sweet and familiar and she felt herself losing her balance and the next thing she knew they were tumbling together against the back wall of the carrier. “Oof.” She grunted, as her head hit the metal surface. “Ouch.”

Dev chuckled softly, and righted herself. “That was interesting.” She said, clearing her throat a little. “A bit easier in the water I think.” She shifted a little and laid down on her back, folding her hands over her stomach. “I do like it though.”

Jess slowly straightened, rolling onto her side and extending her legs out. It put her right next to Dev and she propped her head up on her hand and put her other one on Dev's arm. “Me too. C'mere.”

Dev rolled over to face her and they kissed again, this time in a somewhat safer position. She felt the good feeling start up again, and she touched Jess's face, feeling a little heat under her fingertips as Jess's hand came to rest on her hip. When they paused, she was short of breath and so was Jess, and they looked at each other at close distance.

Jess reached up and traced one of her cheekbones. “Ever done this before?”

Dev shook her head.

“They teach you about sex upstairs?”

Dev half shrugged. “They showed us a vid in health class.” She said. “It wasn't anything like this.” She said, quietly. “And they didn't say anything about what it would feel like.” She felt her heartbeat start to settle. “Maybe they should have.” She added, almost as an afterthought.

“Maybe.” Jess smiled a little. “Does it bother you?”

Dev sat there quietly for a little while, thinking about the question. “I don't think so.” She finally said. “I like how it feels. I just didn't expect it.”

“Expect... kissing? Or that you and I would .. or..” Jess fished a little. “We do this sometimes.” She added. “Ops teams, I mean. With each other.”

“That's what Doctor Dan said.” The bio alt said. “I asked him after we did it the first time and he told me that sometimes it happened, and about how it wasn't okay with us but that it was okay for me because I was doing this job.” She studied Jess thoughtfully. “But even if he hadn't said that I would still want to do it.” She admitted, with an almost bashful look.

Jess looked at her in some mild fascination. “Even if it was... what do you call it, incorrect?”

“Yes.” Dev smiled. “I told you that you were really attractive.” She said. “You really are, to me.”

Jess felt herself grin. “Likewise.” She admitted.

“So I would have broken that rule anyway.” Dev said. “Even if I'd known about it before.”

“Ahhh.... I knew I liked you.” Her partner's eyes twinkled gravely. “They call me a rogue, y'know. I don't always play by the rules, and that gets me in trouble sometimes.” She traced one of Dev's eyebrows. “I knew about the rule regarding bio alts.” She said. “but I had no intention of obeying it with you.”

Dev's head tilted a little. 'Really?”

“Unless you had a problem with it.” Jess concluded. “And I don't think you do.” She glanced up as the thunder overhead calmed, and the lightning strikes started to taper off. “We can talk about it when we get back to base. It's more comfortable in bed anyway.”

They both sat up and then regarded each other. Then Dev hopped off the ledge and shook herself a little, reaching for her flight suit and taking it down off the hook.

Jess reached around her, and then, unexpectedly, ducked her head and gave Dev another kiss. Then she took her own suit and winked, backing up and shaking the suit out in preparation to donning it. 'I'm glad you're okay with this. It's been a while for me... Joshua wasn't into girls.”

Dev felt quite flushed. It was an interesting feeling. “I see.” She got into her flight suit, and went over to the dispenser for a container of water. Her lips were still tingling, and she could taste Jess on them, a little.

Also very interesting. “Are you into boys?” She asked, glancing over her shoulder.

Jess blushed visibly. “Are you?” She turned the question back.

“I never really thought about it either way.” Dev answered straightforwardly. “Class made sex about as interesting as sweeping out the kitchen, so no one really talked about it much.” She hopped into her seat and started bringing systems online. “But I know one thing.”

“Yeah?” Jess gave herself a shake, and dropped into her chair.

Dev turned around and looked at her. “No one ever made me want to kiss them like that before.” She turned back around and started synching the comp, slowly bringing the power online and running checks to make sure the lightning strikes hadn't fried anything.

Jess slowly pulled her restraints around her and buckled them, her eyes fixed on the pilot's chair. “Well, we're even.” She finally said, as she clicked the catches in place and hit the toggle to retract them. “Because no one's ever made me want to say screw the mission, lets go find a cave somewhere before.”

Dev looked over her shoulder again, her pale eyebrows lifting, and then lowering in some confusion.

“Never mind.” Jess started laughing. “Boot the engines up.”

Dev focused her attention back on her job. The rain had lessened to a degree that she could, with some confidence, activate the landing jets again and ease out from under the ledge. It was hard to concentrate though, and she had to take a few long breaths and release them before she set her hands on the throttles and gently ignited the main engines. She could feel them rumble into life, a bit rough as she trimmed the power leads.

She sort of felt like that too, like there were things surging inside her that needed to be trimmed a little. Dev pulled her headset on and settled the ear cups, flicking through the settings and scanning the comp to make sure they hadn't gotten any messages relayed after the storm.

After a moment, her eyes flicked up to the mirror mounted over her position and she found Jess looking back at her in the reflection. Then she had to look forward, and inched the throttles to bring the carrier around the edge of the escarpment and back around in the other direction.

They would pass to the west of Quebec and then up into the northern archipelago to the North station. Dev had the coordinates locked in, and she let out one final deep breath before she nudged the throttles forward and focused in on her task.

Boy, it was hard. Dev took a drink from her container and put it back in it's swinging holder. She studied her consoles a couple of times, until her brain finally lurched out of it's bemusement and sharpened as the readings and panel displays triggered her programming in a somewhat belated manner.

She looked out the forward screens, seeing nothing much but gray sky and equally gray land. They were traveling over rock plateaus that were slick and wet with the falling rain, their tops scarred and shaped by the continual impact with the water.

After a few minutes traveling, Dev felt her shoulders relax and she was better able to focus. She ran through her checks and had the systems rescan for damages, her mind running over the readouts as she took in a weather report. The heavy clouds they'd huddled under had passed over, but she could see on the outscan there was another storm moving in.

Dutifully, she reported that to Jess, feeling a prickle between her shoulderblades as she heard the soft click and slither of her partner's restraints coming loose. She flexed her hands a trifle as Jess came to stand next to her, anticpating and getting the friendly pressure of a hand on her shoulder. “There.” She pointed at the outscan.

“I see.” Jess mused. “Damn it.” She looked at the powerful lines, the dark reds and oranges telling their own tales of the strong electrical forces buried inside them. “These storms are getting outrageous. We used to have two, three days between them. Now we're lucky if we go twelve or twenty hours.”

'Why is that?” Dev asked.

“No one really knows.” Jess leaned on the back of her chair. “We've lost so much damn science.” She grunted. “Huh. Well, we'll have to either make it a very short stop at North or find a place on the ice to hole up if that line comes in fast as it looks like.”

Dev's brows hiked up a little. “Hole up on the ice?” She inquired. “In the carrier?”

“Sure.” Jess glanced back over her shoulder. “I packed cold kits. Includes lined sleeping bags in case we get caught out.”

“I see.” Dev trimmed the carrier's flight, taking them around a tall peak in a gentle curve, very aware of the hand casually resting on her shoulder as Jess studied the comp.

Ahead of them she could see a long line of craggy bluffs, and the western edges of them had thick gray clouds draped over them. She checked her navigation readouts and let her elbow rest on her chair arm, feeling a bit of warmth through her pilots suit as she pressed against Jess's thigh. “Thirty minutes.”

“Mm.” Jess gave her shoulder a squeeze, then she retreated back to the back of the carrier, starting to rummage around in the equipment locker. “Once you get within ten, they'll contact you on sideband twelve.” She said. “Then ask you to switch to a mainline channel for traffic control.”

Dev peered at the empty sky. “Is it a busy place?”

“No.” Jess said. “They're just regulation sticklers. Just move to whatever channel they want, and let them call the numbers for you when you go in. They've got a carrier bay like we do, only smaller.”

“All right.” Dev said. “May I ask you something?”

Jess stopped rummaging. “What makes you think you have to ask permission?”

Dev cleared her throat. “I didn't mean to cause you discomfort.” She said. “I was just wondering if the people at the location we're traveling to know I'm a bio alt.”

Jess came back up to the front of the carrier. She leaned on the back of Dev's chair. “Why?”

Dev risked a glance up and almost didn't look back down at the console. “I just wondered. It's interesting to see how different people react.”

Jess looked thoughtfully through the rain lashed window. Would they know? Dev had only been at the citadel for a few days, and the stations were by tradition autonomous from each other. The less you knew about the structure of the organization, after all the less you could tell anyone about it.

Only the old man knew it all. “Unless Bain messaged them, they probably don't k now.” Jess admitted. “But your creds will tell them when you come into the complex. Does it bother you?”

Dev shook her head. “Does it bother you?” She again turned the question on Jess.

“No.” Her partner said. “But the Norther's are old fashioned. It might damn well bother them.” She smiled, in a not entirely nice way. “And that could be a lot of fun.”

“Fun?” Dev glanced up at her again.

“Fun.” Jess gently ruffled her hair, then she went back to her seat and dropped into it, extending her legs out and crossing them at the ankles. “Almost as fun as an ice cave might be.”

**

Dev wondered about the ice cave, as she piloted the carrier along it's assigned route towards the North station escarpment. She could already see it on the horizon, a lonely pinnacle of rock that was an island in the surrounding storm tossed seas. It was stark and forbidding, on the outside not really different from the citadel they'd come from but smaller, and more remote.

A soft chime sounded in her ear cup. “Approaching vehicle, identify.” The voice demanded, low, and with an interesting lilt to it.

“BR27006 approaching from the southwest.” Dev answered. “Requesting entry and landing.”

“Stand by.”

Dev kept the carrier on course, but slowed her engines a bit as she flicked off the auto nav and took possession of her throttles. She saw the alert on comp as they were scanned, imagining that she could feel the beam as it passed over them. She aknowledged the alert, and keyed in their ident beacon in response that would provide the encrypted codes to the stations comp.

“Probably keep us circling out here for an hour.” Jess was leaned back in her seat, her hands folded over her stomach and her eyes half closed.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Just jerks sometimes.” Jess said. “They're the furthest on the edge, makes them a little nuts.”

“I see.” Dev studied the readouts of their own scan, which was picking up transports closer in to the station, and the signatures of turbo generators near the bottom of the cliff. “Do they think we might hurt them?”

Jess shrugged. “Meh.” She wriggled into a slightly more comfortable spot on her surprisingly comfortable new seat. “Sometimes between stations there's a lot of ego. You know what that is?”

“Yes.” Dev said. She trimmed their angle of flight and slowed a little more, not wanting to approach too close or too fast before the station responded. She glanced at Jess in the mirror, wondering if it was just the reflection that made it seem that way or if Jess's legs were really that long.

“BR27006, ident confirmed. Please approach and switch comms to channel 23, sideband 5.”

“Ahahaha. We got lucky.” Jess said. “They don't have a prick on duty this time.”

Dev couldn't match her programmed definition of prick to anything applicable so she merely settled her ear cup and keyed the mic on. “North station, this is BR27006, acknowledge. Switching channels.” She made the adjustment and reaquired the station signal, then saw the landing beacon start to transmit and locked onto it.

So far so good. She ran a set of checks to make sure all the systems she'd need to land the carrier were functioning, and that they hadn't taken any damage during the storm. Everything seemed nominal, so she boosted up the speed a little and headed towards the gaping hole in the side of the pinnacle where the beacon was leading her. “The entrance isn't on top like ours.” She observed.

“No. No flat surface up there.” Jess agreed. “That's a natural cavern entrance they modified. Smaller, but at least the rain doesn't kick you in the ass when they open the doors like in ours.”

Ours.

Dev liked hearing that. Ours. We. Us. She descended to the level of the landing bay opening and centered her approach as the big doors started to open. She could see the pale blue light inside the cavern and she focused on the opening, where a dim blue tracer was indicating an in path.

She cut in the landing jets and put the engines in idle as she came into the cavern, seeing carrier landing pads below her not that different from the citadel's. “North landing control, this is BR27006, requesting pad assignment.” She cleared the entrance and let the carrier side to one side of it, putting solid rock at her back.

“You fly nice.” Jess observed. “You never bounce my kidneys.”

Dev flicked a glance in the mirror. “Thanks.” She said. “I think?”

“BR27006. Landing assignment D23.” The comm brought her attention back. “Stand by after landing for security scan. Remain sealed until notified.”

“Mph.” Jess snorted.

Dev located their assigned pad and gently lowered the carrier onto it, spooling down the main engines and cutting off the landing jets as the bottom skids touched and the carrier came to a halt. She secured the power systems and safed the weapons, glancing outside as she did so. “Oh.”

Jess lifted her head and peered out the windows. A ring of security guards were surrounding them, heavy rifles pointed at the carrier. “Ugh. Idiots.” She relaxed and let her eyes close again. “Just chill.”

“I'm pretty warm, thanks.” Dev sat back and loosened the chair restraints. She copied the logs to storage, and did the rest of her shutdown checklist, doing her best to ignore the ring of muzzles facing her outside. She saw a light come on and she studied it. “Jess, they are asking for a comp interface.”

“Yeah?” Jess released her restraints and got up, coming forward to lean on Dev's chair and peer at the board. “Anything in comp?”

“No. I hadn't even plotted our next destination. Just this one.” Dev said. “Some weather reports, is all.”

“You know how to set a trace?”

Dev smiled. “Yes.” She touched her keypads in a rapid sequence. “Let them in?”

“Yup.” Jess leaned further, watching as her partner set up the connection. She studied the screen as the North systems linked in, watching the request for information intently. “Want to know where we've been eh?” She glanced outside at the security guards. “Good thing we didn't take a joyride into the arctic first.”

After a moment, the connection shut down, and the audio came live in Dev's earpiece. “BR27006, you are cleared. Please prepare to egress.”

“Aw. Guess we told the truth.” Jess, said, with a mock pout. “Next time remind me to slip in a trip to space in there, see if they catch it.” She pushed herself upright, and went to the weapons rack, sliding her handgun into it's holster tucked under her arm and picking up the heavy blaster and seating it into the flexible web system that went down her right leg. “Let's go, partner.”

Dev had stood and made sure her insignia was straight, then she uncoupled her leads from the carrier and clipped the ends in place as she walked over to join Jess. She paused behind her as Jess also paused, her hands on the hatch controls. “I'm ready.”

“Don't let them freak you out.” Jess said. “Just ignore what they say if they start talking crap.”

Dev nodded, and then she twitched a little as Jess triggered the hatch and it popped outward with a thump and hiss. The ramp extended and they walked down it, just as two jumpsuited figures appeared from between two other carriers and approached them.

The security guards had withdrawn, save two that were stationed on either side of an inner door. Dev kept Jess's face in her peripheral vision, watching her reaction to gauge what was going on. She seemed relaxed though, so Dev relaxed and waited just behind her as the welcoming party approached.

It was two men, and the one in front was dressed as Jess was, the one behind him was in a standard jumpsuit in a dull orange color. Neither of them looked particularly friendly, but neither of them looked like they were about to start fighting with them either.

“Drake.” The man said, as they came up even with them.

“Hello, Sydney.” Jess drawled a little. “How are ya?”

'Very busy as always.” The man said. “What can we do for you?” He glanced past her and looked at Dev, then returned his eyes to Jess's. “We don't have much in the way of spare parts or supplies to offer.”

“Just looking for local info.” Jess said. “The bus just got overhauled. We don't need anything.” She half turned. “This is my new partner, Dev. Dev, this is Sydney Lang. He's the senior agent here at North.”

“Like you are in our place?” Dev asked, mildly, not missing the sudden jerk as the North agent focused on her. “How interesting. Nice to meet you.” She addressed Sydney, extending her hand out.

Warily he took it and pressed it, then released her, returning his attention immediately to Jess. “Did you get promoted? We hadn't heard.” His eyes shifted to her collar insignia. “Oh, yes, I see you have.” He extended his hand. “Congrats.” He indicated the waiting figure behind him. “Luke Turloute, my chief mechanic. In case you needed anything done to the carrier.”

Jess nodded at the man, who nodded back, but said nothing. “Shall we get a cup of kack and chat?” She suggested. “Don't want to take much of your time. The bus doesn't need anything, does it, Dev?”

“Everything is optimal.” Dev said. “We're fine.”

“Okay, certainly.” Lang's manner had changed completely. “Let's go to the my lounge. I'll ask Dom to join us. He was just assembling the daily recap.”

He turned and led the way to the inner door. It opened as he approached and Dev felt the familiar tickle of scan across her skin, noting that Jess's hands were clenching slightly at her sides as she passed through it. The hallway they emerged into was familiar looking, granite walls and the smooth cut floors, though a slightly lighter shade of gray.

Jess was on edge, it seemed. Her right hand was gently resting on the stock of the big blaster, a casual grip that wasn't entirely casual.

“So. When did you get promoted?” Sydney asked. “Really strange we didn't hear.”

Jess smiled with no humor evident. “Just recently. I did a long run on the dark side and did a bit of damage. Impressed someone I guess.” She said.

“Really. Last thing I heard you all were having serious problems there.” Lang lead them into a small lounge and the door shut behind them. He gestured to a drink dispenser then took one himself, and sat down in one of the chairs. “That's what I heard, anyway... matter of fact, I heard you almost got skunked.”

Jess took a drink and handed it to Dev, then took one for herself and perched on the arm of a second chair. “We're always in some kind of trouble, aren't we?” She asked. “We had some changes up top, and a new class come in. Nothing more than the usual.”

Sydney's eyes flicked to Dev, who had seated herself and was merely watching and listening. “I see.” He said. “So what can I tell you? Nothing new here but more and more storms.”

Jess nodded. “We noticed. I was just telling Dev here, that it seems they're coming in every half day. I can't remember a single day lately without one.”

“She doesn't know about storms?” He looked intently at her.

“She's spacer born.” Jess said, casually. “So no. But what I was really interested in is any word you have of snow pirates.” She added. “We got intel they've been infiltrated by the other side.”

Dev had to school her face quickly not to react, since certainly that bit of information was as much a surprised to her as it apparently was to Sydney Lang. His eyes opened wide and he put his drink down, straightening up in his chair as he looked at Jess.

“Snow pirates?” He said. “Are you kidding me? Those people havent' been seen in these parts in years. They're all dead, Jess. Where did you get that crazy idea from?”

Jess leaned back against the back of the chair. “Not according to the intel we got. We only thought they were gone. Two fishermen were found dead frozen in a berg with their gear stripped and a head cut in their chests not two weeks gone.”

Lang's jaw dropped.

The door opened and another man entered, this one in a tech jumpsuit. “Sydney, you called?” The man glanced warily at Jess and Dev, circling them to come up on the other side of Lang. “Hello, Jess.” He said. “Didn't know you were here.”

Lang shut his mouth with a click. “Sit down, Dom.” He said. “Jess is looking for intel on ice pirates.”

Dom chuckled as he sat down. “Want some on Santa Claus too? There are no ice pirates anymore.”

Dev studied the two of them. The newcomer was tall and very thin, and had brown hair and eyes, where Lang was more heavily built and shorter, with black hair and gray eyes. They were both older than Jess, and she got the impression that Lang was far from pleased about her partner's promotion.

Jess seemed to find that funny. Dev made a mental note to ask her why later.

“Apparently either that's not true, or someone's imitating them.” Lang said. “But that's news to us, isn't it?”

Dom snorted. “I'll say.” He folded his arms and looked at Jess. “Where'd you get that wild tale from?”

Jess smiled. “Can't share the source, sorry.” She said. “But anyway, me and Dev are going out to do a recon over the ice fields. See how true the story is.” She leaned on the arm of her chair. “So I was just wondering if you had any word of them.”

The tech focused suddenly on Dev. “Where in space?” He asked.

Dev studied Jess's face in her peripheral vision, but her partner seemed both relaxed and inclined to let her answer her own questions. “Biological Station 2.” She answered promptly. “I've just been downside a week. I'm still learning all the differences.”

Dom blinked. “You're the damned bio alt.”

Dev nodded. “Yes.” She agreed. “Biological Alternative set 0202-164812, instance NM-Dev-1. But please call me Dev.” She concluded. “It's short, and it's what they painted on the carrier.”

The two North agents stared at her as though she'd grown another head. “Are you kidding me?” Dom looked at Jess. “You really went along with this?”

“I did.” Jess appeared to be enjoying his consternation. “I had my doubts but Dev's grown on me.” Her eyes twinkled a little. “She's a kickass bus driver. Matter of fact, she helped put the damn thing back together after we blew apart Gibralter a couple days back.”

Dev produced a mild grin. “It was the least I could do.” She said. “Since I kinda banged it up doing that.”

“I thought that was just a crazy rumor.” Sydney finally spoke up. “Something I heard on the ops report. She's really a bio alt?” He stared openly at Dev. “She doesn't look like one. Not one I've ever seen anyway, and most of the sets cycle through here for ice experience.”

“I'm an experimental set.” Dev offered up her general statement. “Developmental. That's what the Dev stands for.”

Both North agents looked very uncomfortable. “Well” Sydney said. “No telling what comes out of Base 10.” He twitched a little. “I did see the report on Gibraltar. Bet you made some enemies with that one, Jess.”

“Bet I did.” Jess got up. “But, if you all have nothing to share, we'll be on our way. Can I get the latest met?” She looked at Dev, who had also stood and was watching her. “And you said you had a daily recap?”

Dom got up and went over to a console, sliding behind it and into the chair. “Sure.” He said. “We sent a team to do ice measurement a few weeks ago. Looks like some glaciations building up again. Maybe drop the water table a little. Give you guys at 10 back your beach.”

“That trick at Gibraltar give you your gold bars, Jess?” Sydney asked.

“That and a few other things.” Jess smoothly replied. “Bain appreciated the effort.”

“Bain?” Sydney and Dom both looked up at her in surprise. “How'd you get involved with him? I though he was busy in his fortress of solitude at Pichu.” Sydney said. “Haven't seen him in these parts in years. Is he at 10? What's up there?”

Jess shrugged. “Who can say what he's up to? He's the Old Man.” She said. “You'll have to ask him if you want to know. I'm not gonna speak for him that's for damn sure.” She held her hand out for the films Dom had retrieved. “Who knows? Maybe he'll drop by here next.” She winked at Sydney, who managed a sour smile in return. “Thanks. C'mon, Dev.”

“Nice to meet you.” Dev told the two men, then she turned and followed Jess out of the room, and back down the hallway towards the carrier bay. “That was interesting.”

Jess chuckled. “Yes it was.” She guided Dev back through the scan, and ducked past a team of bio alts who were in exposure suits with the helmets removed, their hair damp with sweat. They were standing around a big block of ice, and Jess paused as she was almost passed them and turned back. “Whatcha got there, boys?”

The bio alts looked at her warily. “Agent.” One said. “This is an ice sample.” He glanced at Dev. “Tech.”

Dev cocked her head and studied him. The group of bio alts were older, possibly twice her age, and she wasn't familiar with the set. Apparently, the bio alts weren't familiar with her either. “Hello.” She returned the greeting. “Why were you taking a sample of the ice?” She asked.

“We were told to.” The man said. “Do you require something?” He looked from one to the other. “We are assigned work.”

“Thanks.” Jess clapped her hand on Dev's arm. “We were just curious.” She nudged Dev ahead of her and they crossed the carrier deck and wound their way between the landing pads. “We can talk after takeoff.” She lowered her voice. “Not before.”

“All right.” Dev led the way onto the pad, surprising a bio alt technician who was examining part of their engine pod. “Is there something irregular?” Dev asked him.

He jerked, and turned. “Nothing.” He backed away. “Just looking at the new intakes.” He pointed at the front of the engine. “Never saw them before.” He was an engaging looking man, almost Jess's height with curly red hair and freckles.

“Decco!” A voice rang out. “What are you doing over there? Get back to work!”

The bio alt turned and rambled down the steps, ducking past a regenerator and disappeared into the shadows quickly.

“Hm.” Dev reached out and triggered the hatch, the scan tickling her palm. “That was also interesting, but in a different way.”

Jess chuckled under her breath. She followed Dev up into the carrier, slapping the door lock and just barely clearing the door before it sealed. She felt better, the moment it had. The itchy spot between her shoulderblades eased, and she could feel some of the tension come out of her as she unholstered her guns and put them back in their racks.

“Those men were not.. ah.” Dev sat down in her seat and started up her checks. “They were in some discomfort with us being there.”

“Oh yes.” Jess laughed and dropped into her chair. “Sydney hates my guts. He's at North because of me.” She said. “That's a long and sordid story I'll be glad to tell you after we get our asses out of here.” She swung her own console around and fed the films into it. “I loved doing that. Stuck up jacktard.”

“What's a jacktard?” Dev got her restraints on. “And.. what are ice pirates?”

“Hehehe. They're an old fisherman's tale, Dev. There is no such thing.”

Dev started up the power systems. “But you said there were.”

“I lied.” Jess cheerfully told her. “But I bet they now send out six teams to find the bastards because they think I know something they don't.”

Dev turned all the way around in her chair and peered at her partner. “Excuse me?”

Jess got up and came over, crouching down and resting her hands on Dev's knees. “What I was here for was to find out what they knew, and what they didn't.” She said, in a suddenly serious voice. “What I found out was, they don't have an ear inside Base 10. They didn't know about Bain, and they didn't know he offed Bricker. “

“But they did know about me.” Dev said, resisting the urge to get lost in those close by pretty eyes.

“They did know about you.” Jess said. “So their latest news is about a week or so back, right? They heard about Gibraltar because everyone on the damn planet's probably heard about that. We blew up half a mountain. But they didn't know the inside stuff they would know if they were in contact with anyone inside our base.” She reached up and put her fingertip on Dev's nose. “And that, is, interesting.”

“Hm.” Dev thought about that. “Should they know?”

“Something as big as Bain showing up? That's gold plated prime gossip, Dev.” Jess said. “The kind of thing the night ops revel in sharing in those little wee hours when it's just them, and the boards. You know what I mean?”

“Sort of. I know what gossip is.” The bio alt said. “We had to be really careful about that. If they caught you telling tales about people, you could get punished.” She watched Jess's expressive face react, her eyes narrowing and a bit of chill coming into her gaze. “So we used to find sneaky ways to talk about it that no one would figure out.” She smiled. “Some of us, anyway.”

“The smart ones.” Jess said, resting her elbows on Dev's thighs. “Right?”

Dev hesitated, then she smiled a little wryly. “I think so, yes. There were some of us there that understood more. Like me and Gigi.”

“Okay, so – it's the same with Interforce.” Jess said. “There are some really smart people around there, and some people not so smart. The not so smart ones we can use for our purposes. The smarter ones, it's harder.”

“Must be very hard with you then. You're very smart.” Dev let her hands drop and rest on Jess's arms. “That man, the other agent, was angry about you being senior. Why?”

“Ah.” Jess exhaled, and stood up. “Let's get on track and then we can talk about that.” She patted Dev's shoulder and went back to her seat, strapping herself in as she glanced at the console. She scanned the daily report, noting the unobvious gaps in it and shook her head. “Hope the met data's worth the plastic it was printed on.”

Dev settled her comms onto her ears and dialed in the landing channel. “BR270006 to control. Requesting lift.” She got her systems ready as she waited for the response to come back. As the silence went on, she glanced outside, half expecting the men with guns to be back surrounding them.

But the carrier bay was empty. “BR27006 to control, are you receiving this? We are requesting lift permission and egress.” Dev said, glancing into the reflector and seeing Jess watching her, a quietly alert look on her face.

“Give me juice.” Jess said.

“If I activate the weapons systems, they will detect that.” Dev said.

“I know.”

Dev ran her hands over the controls, bringing up the power to the engines, and then opening the links to the weapons system, lights and readouts coming online as she heard the hum rising on either side of her. She looked out the front screen again peering around to see if anyone was going to react to it.

After a moment, a crackle in her ear gave her the answer. “BR27006 you are cleared to lift. Outer doors are open.”

Jess chuckled behind her. “Jerks.”

“Would you really have shot something?” Dev ignited the landing jets and lifted off the pad.

“Yes, and they know it.” Jess responded. “Anyway. You have the coordinates up there? Lets get out in the white. With any luck, we'll run headlong into a storm and have to find a place to hide until it passes.”

“If we're lucky?” Dev glanced in the mirror, finding Jess smiling at her. “I see.” She rotated the carrier and moved towards the outer doors at a stately pace. “This should be interesting.”

**

The ice field astounded her. Dev saw the edge of it approaching as she came in low over the waves, feeling the tug of wind against the carrier's outer shell she had to compensate for. The water seemed very dark here, a deep almost black color under the gray skies that contrasted starkly against where they were heading

She glanced into the mirror. Jess was slumped in her seat, her eyes closed, and her body relaxed and after a moment, she realized her partner was sleeping. She had her hands resting on her thighs, and her chest was moving with a slow and steady motion.

Well, that was curious. Dev returned her attention to the screen, though she had the autonav on. She checked the chrono, and saw they still had two hours of flying left and decided to let Jess get some rest since she always seemed to have that just slightly drawn look Dev always associated to the programmers and the people who worked with Doctor Dan who had too much to do and too little time to do it in.

Doctor Dan himself looked tired sometimes, and Dev knew he worked very hard at the station doing all the calculations that made bio alts like her what they were. He took his work very seriously, and as far as any natural born cared about the results, she believed that he did care not only about his results but also about them.

He seemed a little sad sometimes, like Jess did. Dev knew Doctor Dan didn't seem to spend a lot of time with any of the other natural borns and she'd often seen him just quietly watching the stars in the small private lounge in the upper levels when she passed by there on her way back from classes down to the dorm.

He never seemed in discomfort, really. In her few, cherished classes with him he always seemed content, if very busy, but there was also a sense she had that there was something he often thought about that was sort of somber.

She had a feeling towards him that she didn't have for any of her other teachers. She'd talked about it to Gigi once, and Gigi had agreed in her serious, thoughtful way that while she liked her proctors, she wanted to always do especially well for Doctor Dan because she, too had this feeling inside towards him that she didn't have for the rest of them.

So there was that. But as Dev took another look at her mirror, and watched Jess sleep, she had a sense that in a way, she had different feeling in her for this new friend of hers that was a bit like the one she had for her favorite teacher. It was a funny sort of sensation in her chest, a fullness of the heart as she'd once heard the term.

She focused on the console. The scan had just retrieved some new data and she studied it, noting the meteorological component that seemed to indicate lines of strong thunderheads approaching from the west. That was interesting – she recalled the last couple of days and it seemed to her that storms did tend to approach from the west, and flow east. They'd followed one right into their last mission, in fact.

Why was that? Dev hadn't gotten much instruction on downside weather patterns, and she resolved to find some labs about them when they got back. Jess seemed to be concerned about the storms, so she decided to find out what she could about them so she could maybe provide some helpful information.

She checked the scan, which had come back empty of targets to it's terminus. The carrier had far more limited systems than either the station they'd just left, or the citadel they'd come from but still it surprised her to find the scope so empty of anything.

Ah well. She settled down to fly and monitor, letting the time pass as she studied the information the carrier's systems had on their destination. After a time, a very soft chime sounded, and she returned her attention to the screen.

The ice line was approaching, and Dev sat forward a little, looking out at it with great interest as they left the ruffled waters and skimmed over the white surface. It was not as flat as she'd thought from afar, it was full of folds and rises, and as she glanced down between them she saw bits of reflected blue in the hollows, a rich and bold color that surprised her.

It was pretty. It was also bright and she blinked a bit as her eyes refocused after so many hours of going over the dark sea. It reflected some of the wan, gray light up too, and she shaded the screens as she didn't want it to wake up Jess.

A quick glance behind her reassured her it hadn't. She checked her coordinates and resumed looking out the window, fascinated by the beautiful contrast of white, gray and blue. Far ahead of her, she could see a line of mountains, and she knew their course would take them up near them before they turned and went east.

She settled her ear cups on and turned on the outside sensors, sending the output to her panel so it wouldn't hit the inside speakers. At once she could hear wind outside buffeting the carrier, and beyond that, a soft, irregular crackling. It sounded odd and strange, and then a flicker of motion caught her immediate attention and she tracked to it, seeing a moving form cross the ice and disappear behind a big crack.

She inhaled slightly in surprise, not really sure of what she'd seen. It had been small, and fast, and she hoped the scan had caught it so she could show it to Jess later since she was confident her partner could identify it.

The wind started pushing against them a little harder. Dev took the throttles into her hands and curled her legs around the mounts of her chair, requesting another scan and looking to her left, seeing the already tightly clouded sky growing darker in that direction.

Reluctantly, she half turned, then she released the restraints and got up, crossing back into the back of the carrier quietly. “Jess?” She called softly. “Jess?”

Her partner's eyes remained closed. Dev eased up next to the gunner's chair and put a hand on Jess's shoulder, pressing it lightly. “Jess?”

For a moment there was no response, then she saw Jess's body take on tension and her eyes fluttered open to blink at her with some bewilderment. “The weather's getting worse. I thought you needed to look at it.” Dev said, in an apologetic tone. “Sorry about waking you.”

Jess raised her hand and rubbed her eyes. “I fell asleep?” She asked, in a disbelieving tone. “Are you kidding me?”

There didn't seem to be a reasonable answer to that, so Dev merely went over to the dispenser and retrieved a container, bringing it back over to her partner. “I think maybe you were tired?” She suggested, handing it over. “Nothing occurred of interest.”

Mechanically, Jess took it. “It's not that.” She looked bemused. “There's nothing I like better than a good catnap but I don't usually do it in the middle of a damn mission.” She opened the container. “Must be the fault of your extra comfy chair here.”

Dev smiled and went back to her seat, resuming her headset.

Jess sipped at her drink and studied the pale head just visible over the seat. She could still feel sleep's hold on her, faint wisps of some formless dream drifting out of her awareness as she took stock of her surroundings. Had she been that tired? She sighed, acknowledging the fact that her body still hadn't truly recovered yet. “How long was I out?”

Dev glanced behind her then looked back at the console. “I didn't notice when you went down.” She said. “But at least two hours.”

Went down. Jess wrinkled her nose at the statement, not entirely sure it was comfortable. What had been comfortable though, was the fact that she apparently without much conscious thought about it had determined that Dev was completely and honestly trustworthy in a way she hadn't really expected.

Maybe that had started when she'd unlocked the portal between their quarters. She'd been trained to such an instinctive degree that the sound of the door opening would wake her, as it always had when Josh had done it. She'd never slept in the carrier with him driving.

Never.

Now, this bio alt had been her bus driver for what... a week? And here she was going completely out without any care in the world apparently on her second flight with Dev. What the hell was that? Was she that convinced Dev was so totally on her side?

Really? What was her subconscious saying there? And more importantly, could she trust that? Could she trust her own judgement when she'd been so damn wrong about Josh? Jess studied the reflection she could see in that mirror up front, the pale eyes watching through the window, so intent, and so serious.

Was she just fooling herself? Or was having her tech be another woman changing the dynamic so much? Less competition? More? Different?

Dev looked up and their eyes met. Jess felt a sense of warmth spread across her chest and the uncertainty faded before the unambiguous steadfastness she saw in that expression. This was not a Josh. Jess smiled and watched Dev smile back. This was a construct that had been designed and developed to be able to be trusted. That's what the difference was. Josh – they only knew what he decided to reveal to them, and the background they were able to check.

Dev?

There was nothing they didn't know about her. Kurok had handed over her programming to them the day they'd gotten there, and she'd already leafed through it. Jess's shoulders relaxed, and she took a longer sip of the kack. Her falling asleep just proved it. She could think whatever she wanted but her instincts were bred in and bone deep and if her battered subconscious, which had kept her on a hair trigger since the ambush allowed her that level of trust then she had little choice but to accept it.

So now that she'd talked herself into believing what she really wanted to believe, it was time to get the hell up and work. She unlocked her restraints and stood, stretching her body out, aware at some level of an ironic understanding that there was something a little out of control going on with her.

It felt good. She'd always been attracted to risk and somehow, this new and uncertain change in her life was flushing out the recent dark memories in a surprising way. If she went back and tried to recapture her gloom of just the week prior, it felt old and faded.

She didn't want to feel old and faded anymore. Life had pitched her out back over the cliff edge. “So what do we have here.” Jess went over and leaned against Dev's console, peering not at the readouts but out the window. “Ah.” She studied the line of clouds racing towards them. “That's not good.”

“No.” Dev agreed. “I didn't think so, but I wanted to see what you said.” She trimmed the carrier's flight again, adjusting the side jets to compensate for the stiffening wind. “The autonav's having a problem keeping level.”

No, Jess could feel it in the shift and motion of the craft. “Get me a topographical.” She said. “Can you kick the speed up a little?”

“Yes.” Dev keyed the report back to Jess's station, and rocked her head from side to side to release a little of the stiffness from her concentration. She adjusted the throttles and keyed in the change to the autonav, inhaling in surprise when she felt Jess's hands come down on her shoulders and start to squeeze them.

It was warm and strange feeling and for a moment she went still and wasn't sure what to do.

“I”m not hurting you am I?” Jess asked. “You looked a little stiff.”

Dev thought about that. “What are you doing?”

“Giving you a massage.” Jess said, in a mild tone. “Usually it's supposed to relax you and make you feel better.”

“Oh.” Dev felt the squeezing pressure intensify and she focused on it, leting her head rest back against the back of her seat. The pressure worked the tension out of her neck, and she found the sensation really very nice. “I like that.”

Jess chuckled. “Paybacks for my cushy seat.” She said. “Besides you've been working here the whole afternoon while I sacked out.” She finished her massage and gave Dev a pat on the shoulder. “Let me go see if I can find a route for us that doesn't involve getting this thing blown ass over teakettle.”

Dev would have been content to have the squeezing go on longer, but she shifted a bit in her seat and retracted the restraints, the gimballed chair moving forward as she reached out to put her hands on the throttles and Jess retreated back to her station.

Of the last statement, she had to regretfully discard understanding most of it. She knew what a teakettle was, but that was about it and she seriously doubted actual tea had anything to do with what Jess was talking about. She considered the context, and decided it probably had something to do with the storm.

“All righty let's see what we got here.” Jess said, from her position. “Oh, Dev, Dev, Dev... this ain't good.” She sighed. “Damn it. I wanted to get past the big wild before we ran into that storm... son of a bitches in North skewed the data.”

“On purpose?” Dev felt a little shocked. “I thought they were on our side?”

Jess snorted. “They wouldn't deliberately send us into hell but if they could screw up my pitch or embarrass us they would. It's not about sides, Dev, it's about status.” She scanned the limited met they were getting from the carrier's sensors. “If I had to call for rescue? Get lost? Sure. They'd love it.”

“I'm not sure I understand.” Dev adjusted the trim again, then took the carrier off autonav as the buffeting became more pronounced. She could feel the engines struggling against the wind, and a fast look at the console made her eyebrows hike up. “We are in force 12 conditions.”

“So I feel.” Jess tapped at her pad. “Hang on, just keep her steady, Dev.”

What, again was she supposed to hang on to? Dev got her boots settled on the thruster pedals and studied her options, noting the winds were driving the carrier off it's course to the east. She altered the angle and tuned the jets, flying the craft off it's axis to counter the pressure.

Then something caught her attention. “Jess?”

“Hm?”

“It appears a large cone is coming towards us. It looks like it might b..” Dev stopped talking when Jess hit the back of her chair, thumping her forward and nearly sending her into the console. She worked hard to keep control over the carrier as Jess leaned next to her, looking out the front window. “Yes, there.”

Jess stared at the cone, then looked forward. “See those mountains?” She indicated the range they were heading for. “If you don't get to them before that cone catches us we're going to splat.” She pointed at the nearest of the cliffs. “If we can duck in there we might be okay.”

“I see.” Dev uncapped the triggers for the engine afterburners and adjusted the power to send all of it to the drive systems. “You might want to sit down.”

“I'm fine, g'wan.” Jess said.

Dev threw the throttles forward and hit the burners, dumping everything into the engines as a roar built around them and they slammed ahead at full speed. The force drove her back into her chair and detached Jess from the console, sending her partner tumbling back in a roll of long arms and legs.

“Okay, so maybe I wasn't.” Jess grabbed the base of her chair and hung on as the gravitational force increased against her, flattening her against the deck of the carrier as it picked up speed.

“Sorry about that.” Dev said.

“You did tell me to sit my ass down.” Jess agreed mournfully. “Let me know when it's safe to get up.”

Dev felt the air changing around them and she focused on the screen, checking the power levels and adding the side jets in a bit as she felt the carrier start to pitch. The outside sensors were bringing her the sound of the wind now and it was a rising roar.

Frightening. Dev saw the fold in the mountain that Jess had pointed out and she laid in a course directly for it, hearing thumps and bangs as debris started hitting the craft and she saw a huge chunk of ice flash past them from behind. “I would stay down there for now.” She advised Jess. “I'm not sure we're going to make it in time.”

Jess untangled herself from her chair and squirmed around to face forward, moving towards Dev with a powerful, sinuous motion. She ended up next to her boots, and wrapped her arms around Dev's seat base, turning over onto her back so she could watch the bio alt pilot. “In that case, we'll go to Hell together.”

The distraction was almost lethal. Dev yanked the steering back as the carrier almost turned on it's side, following her body motion as she found herself attracted to the tall form now practically hugging her feet. “Woah.” She muttered. “What's hell? Is that where we're heading?”

Jess snickered. “In ancient mythology, it was a place you went when you died if you were an amoral bum like me.”

Dev focused on holding the carrier steady, feeling it jerk through the air as it was buffeted from behind. “Is that sort of like the incinerator?” She asked, distracted. “Why would it matter … wait, what's a bum?”

Jess patted her calf, not helping matters any “Relax. We can talk about it later once you make it to that canyon and if we don't maybe you'll find out the hard way.” She took a tighter hold on the chair and relaxed otherwise, crossing her ankles as she looked up past Dev's knee at her face.

What a nice clean profile she had. “C'mon, Dev. I know you can do it.” She saw a faint line of color work it's way up the bio alt's neck, and a faint smile appear on her face. She took a hold with her free hand on the catch bar bolted to the console and reveled in the feeling of uncontrolled motion as the carrier was suddenly thrown sideways.

Dev was working hard. She could see the lines of fine tension in her body and the narrowing of her eyes as she leaned forward as if it would help them go faster. She had both throttles gripped in her left hand, and she was trimming the side jets with her right hand, and both boots were controlling the thrusters with a frantic intensity.

Jess could drive the carrier. She'd done it on more than one occasion, for a number of different reasons but watching Dev, she had to admit this was a kind of skill she really didn't have. Josh had always mocked her a little about that, and she'd always had the sense that he felt himself to be a more complete agent than she was.

“I'm going to have to go high G.” Dev said, apologetically. “Really, really hang on.”

Jess did, then her eyes nearly came out of her head as the carrier banked hard right and went on it's side and the only thing that kept her in place was her dual grip. She muffled a curse as her back protested, her recently healed injury sending a bolt of pain down her spine into her lower thighs.

Then she was slammed back to the ground and the craft arced upward, the g force holding her in place until Dev crested something, then dove down abruptly just as something hit the carrier with tremendous violence from behind. Then they righted just as abruptly, and the speed cut to almost nothing, the roar of the engines reducing to a low rumble.

Jess looked up. “Are we dead?”

Dev looked at her for a brief fraction of a second, then went back to her piloting. “I don't think so, since we're in the canyon.” She remarked. “Unless this is Hell. You'll have to tell me.”

Cautiously Jess rolled over and eased up to her knees, peering over the console top. They were between two rock walls, moving at just over idle, over a covering of ice covered in blue streaked crevices. It seemed very cold, and very desolate, but at the same time heartstoppingly welcome in it's shelter. “Good job.”

“We probably need to look at the back of the carrier.” Dev said, with a plaintive sigh. “I'm getting all kinds of damage alerts from there.”

“Okay.” Jess pointed at a looming darkness ahead and to their left. “We're going to have to squeeze through that pass there between the walls, then scoot into that cave.”

Dev regarded the gap. “Is that an ice cave?”

“Yes.” Jess chuckled. “It is. Are we at..” She inched over and studied the map. “Ah yes.” She nodded. “Real good work, Dev. Not only is that an ice cave, but it's one of our ice caves, and it's safe.” She paused. “I hope.”

“Me too.” Dev was nursing the engines. “Please hold on. We need to go sideways to get through there.”

“Tip right.” Jess felt the craft move and she let her body move with it, ending up wedged against Dev's chair with her ear just within reach. She blew in it and heard Dev laugh lightly as she got through the narrow spot and righted the attitude. Then they were sinking down and entering the cavern, a wide, open space that featured a floor of solid ice.

It was dark. Dev switched on the running lights and turned the carrrior around in a complete circle to give them a chance to see what else was inside. It seemed to be empty, but she spotted a ledge halfway in that was chipped clear of ice and was ringed with tech casements. “Oh.”

“Set er down.” Jess exhaled in relief, since a glimpse outside had shown her a heavy wall of snow falling. “We made it.” She pushed herself to her feet and went back into the back of the carrier, going right for her service locker and opening it. She removed a small bottle of painkillers and shook four of them into her hand, closing the bottle and putting it back.

Back in her seat, she swallowed the pills with a swig from her drink container and waited, feeling the gentle bump as the carrier seated itself on the pad and Dev cut the engines.

“Is there service tech here?” Dev was peering outside.

“Basic.” Jess confirmed. “And an emergency stock of food and water. This area isn't really owned by anyone, it's wild, and getting caught out is dangerous. We've got ten or so of these caverns scattered around up in the ice fields just in case.” She waited a minute for the pills to start kicking in then she got up and went to the equipment locker. “I”m going to check it out. Can't be too careful.”

Dev privately didn't think Jess was careful at all, but she nodded and released her straps, glad she'd been able to get them away from the cone. She joined Jess at the locker, and copied her in donning the heavy jacket and gloves. “How long will we stay here?”

“Long as we have to. Storm's got to go past, for one thing and you need to fix your burners, and.. “ Jess leaned against the locker and regarded her. “We can relax and talk about our plan.” She smiled faintly. “Or just talk.”

Dev felt a pleasant mixture of anticipation and confusion fill her belly. “Okay.” She said. “I like talking to you.” She leaned next to Jess and looked up at her. “Sorry the ride was so rough. Did it give you any discomfort?” She asked. “I thought I heard you.. um.. “ Yell? Scream? Grunt? “Make a noise before.” She concluded.

Jess's eyes dropped and then lifted again. “Bumped my back. Maybe you can look at it when we get back inside.”

“Of course.” Dev agreed gravely. “Maybe you can show me how to do that massage thing.”

“Of course.” Jess winked. “So let's go and get this over with so we can get all this personal investigation done all the sooner.” She turned and keyed the hatch open, nudging it all the way when it was reluctant to fully retract.

A blast of icy cold air hit them, and at once their breath became visible as the environment inside the craft released outside and crystalized on the edge of the door. “Brr.” Jess blinked her eyes. “Don't lick your lips, and keep your tongue away from any of the metal.”

With a cautious look, she stepped out and down onto the pad, since the small ramp didn't want to extend either. One look at the outside of the carrier explained why. “Wow.” She put her hands on her hips. 'What the hell hit us?”

Dev hopped out and joined her, eyes going wide at the dent in the side of the craft. “Oh no.” She said. 'We just fixed it!”

Jess draped her arm over her partner's shoulders. There was a long crumpled crease in the outer skin and part of the engine guard was completely missing. “Nothing we can't make better.” She said. “But it'll take a little while so it looks like we're stuck here for now. Interesting, huh?”

Jess released her and went over to the other side of the pad, down a set of steps that had been chiseled into the rock. She drew her blaster and started around in a circle, searching the shadows cast by the carrier's outside lights.

Dev watched her for a moment, then she stuck her hands in her pockets and wiggled her rapidly chilling nose. “Getting more interesting every minute, actually.” She remarked to herself. “But I better close that door or where to put my tongue is going to be a much bigger problem than it is right now.”

**

Jess got to the edge of the cavern in time to see the storm redouble, sending a mixture of heavy snow and ice pellets rattling against the stone all around her. She checked the entrance carefully though, finding nothing much to interest her save the fading light and the worsening weather.

Behind her she could hear the steady, light hammering as Dev banged the creases out of the carrier's alloy skin, and as the snow fell harder, and the wind started to whistle through the ice canyon she fell back, content that no one had used the place at least very recently.

As expected. There were a million slot canyons and a million caves and crevices in the wild ice, she knew about this one only because of it's mapped coordinates and the chances of someone happening on it by accident were extremely limited. She hadn't told anyone at Base 10 she was intending on landing here, except for Dev, and therefore she hadn't expected the information to have gotten out to anyone else.

It was bone chilling cold. Even with her heavy coat, and the thermal gloves on her hands she could feel herself shivering a little and she pulled her lined hood up, fastening the throat flap. She walked across the ice surface, her boots crunching and the tough steel spikes she'd extended on the bottoms preventing her from slipping.

She detoured around the edge of the cleared platform and unlatched the storage shed, the temperature making any automated system impossible to maintain. Instead, you had to know how to unlatch the catches, a metal puzzle system designed to frustrate anyone who didn't know the sequence to unfasten them.

This was her fifth or sixth time using the ice cave, so Jess was well aware of the puzzle's answer. She bumped the door open and pushed her way inside as it scraped to over the layer of ice on the floor. Inside were neatly packed and labled rations, spare parts, ammunition, and other supplies all quietly waiting for use. She made a mental note of the stock, then she backed out and closed the door, turning as she heard a thump and a latch coming home.

Dev had just re-seated the engine cowling and was stepping back to survey her work. She had her hood up and her collar sealed and now she tucked her hands back inside her gloves then tucked her hands under her arms.

Jess promptly trotted over. “How's it going?”

“I think that's all right now.” Dev said, her breath visible in a steady stream. “But I think I need to get warm before I start working on the back. My hands are really cold.”

Jess could see the blue tinge on the skin of her face. “More than your hands.” She triggered the carrier hatch. “Let's get some hot stuff in us.”

They got inside and Jess sealed the hatch, reaching over to her own console to start up the internal environmental systems. “Guess you didn't have cold like that up there, huh?”

Dev kept her arms wrapped around her, her entire body shivering. “Actually we did.” She said, after a moment to make sure her teeth weren't going to chatter. “Space is a lot colder than this, and you could feel it, through the airlock glass sometimes. But never for a long time.”

Jess walked over and opened her arms. “C'mere.” She folded Dev in them, pulling her close as she felt the shivers working through her body. “Let me give ya a hug. We'll put our thermal undersuits on before we go back out there again.” She rubbed Dev's back. “But it's getting dark outside, so we should set up camp in here anyway.”

Dev was finding this whole hug thing absolutely delightful. She was perfectly content to forgo the thermal undersuits, and the outside, and just remain encircled in Jess's arms, her shivers already abating. She feel warm blood surging to pretty much her entire body, as a matter of fact, and after a moment she gave a sigh of relief. “That feels excellent.”

It did, didn't it? Jess smiled, as the carrier internal systems warmed up and she had to reluctantly release her hold. She took a step back and started unfastening her jacket. She watched Dev take off her gloves and stick them into her jacket pockets, then undo the catches with slightly hesitant fingers.

As if she sensed the attention, the bio alt looked up. “All this clothing's a little strange.” She admitted. “It's kind of hard to move around in.”

“It is.” Jess stripped hers off and hung it up, then took Dev's. “It's always a pain in the ass operating up in the white. But here, there's no people to have to worry about watching you and the fields wide open, as they say.” She went over to the provision area, aware of Dev trailing along at her back.

She felt stiff from the cold. There was an ache in her bones that bothered her, and she looked forward to the warm beverage and a refresh of her painkillers. She set the dispenser cycling and stood waiting, her arms crossed, thinking over the next step in her plan.

Dev's hand touched her shoulderblade, and the plan evaporated effortlessly. She looked sideways and saw that her companion was watching the dispenser, but after a second, those light, clear eyes turned to her. “Can I interest you in a ration pack, some hot seaweed tea, and a nice bunk made out of survival bags?”

The bio alt considered that for a bit. “Yes.” She finally said. “That would be excellent.”

“C'mon.” Jess left the tea heating and went over to the storage locker, popping it open and sticking her head inside. As she'd asked, there were two ice kits in there and she turned and hit a latch to one side of the locker releasing a shelf that came down to cover the back section of the carrier.

It hooked into the other set of storage lockers, making a platform that was just large enough for two people to sleep on and it had a few inches of padding on the top. “Not as comfortable as our beds.' She turned and removed one of the kits, loosening the velcro straps and opening it up.

Inside was a sleeping bag, and survival tent. She left the tent alone and pulled out the bag, turning to spread it out over the platform.

Dev removed the second kit and did likewise, copying her. She smoothed down the surface of the bag and surveyed the platform. The soft plush of the bags and the snug space reminded her a little of her sleep pod in the creche, and that made her smile. “I like it.”

“You do?” Jess eyed her.

'Yes.”

“You're weird. I like that about you.” Jess went back and retrieved two ration packs, and pulled down another ledge between her seat and the dispenser at knee level to make a small table. She set down the packs, and retrieved the tea, and motioned Dev to join her on the floor.

It wasn't nearly as nice as lunch had been, but they shared the contents of the ration packs, and sipped their tea. Outside, the light faded completely, only the dim emergency led's of the carrier casting the faintest of glows against the windows. Jess adjusted the interior lights to match, and she leaned back against the lockers, extending her legs out and crossing them at the ankles. “So.”

Dev looked up from nibbling on her crackers. Despite the terrible weather outside, she found their present location actually sort of nice. It was quiet and warm in the carrier, and the cramped surroundings were familiar to her from station – making it seem more homelike than she'd felt in the citadel.

And, of course, it was nice having Jess there without even a hatch to separate them. Dev suspected the night would be interesting, and she was definitely looking forward to it. She took a sip of her seaweed tea, finding the taste mild and astringent and just a bit sweet.

“Not like real tea, huh?” Jess spoke, having been silent for a while apparently deep in thought.

“It's nice. Its like green tea.” Dev licked her lips. “It tastes like theres a little bit of honey in it”

Jess smiled. “A little.” She said. “Wish I could have brought that bottle of honey mead with us. Should have looked for some in Quebec.” She studied her glass. “So, from here we go find the fisherman's village.”

“You didn't give me coordinates for that.”

“It's on an iceberg.” Jess said. “It moves I know.. basically where it is but we'll have to land the carrier off one of the ice escarpments on the Greenland cliffs and then hike.”

“Hike.” Dev said. “That sounds like it might be difficult, if it's as cold as it was here today.”

Jess nodded. “We'll take ice axes. It wont' be easy, especially for my aching old bones.” She looked up as she felt a touch on her knee, and saw a look of concern on Dev's expressive face. “Cold's murder when you've been kicked around as much as I have.”

“I think you would like the sun.” Dev said. “There was a place in the creche where the ceiling wasn't all polarized, and you could feel how warm it was when the sun hit your skin. I remember I was up there after gym one day, and my shoulders really hurt. It felt so nice when the sun was on them.”

Jess released a sound somewhere between a groan and a sigh. “Warm would feel nice right now.” She admitted. “It's never really warm. Not outside, not up here in the wilds, not in the citadel. Only place I ever get warm is in bed.”

A little silence fell. Then Dev looked over at the padded platform, one eyebrow lifting as she turned her gaze back to Jess. “Would you like to get warm?”

The thought of climbing into the survival bag and having Dev next to her put a flush of another type across her skin. But at the same time, she suddenly felt a little shy. “We should get some sleep.” Jess said, after a pause. “It was a long day today, and tomorrow'll be worse. Those fishermen...they're long off kin of mine but that doesn't mean they'll cooperate with us.”

Dev packed up her rations and took the remains of Jess's. She put them in the trash container strapped to the edge of the carrier frame and turned, offering Jess a hand up. Her palm was gripped and she leaned back to brace herself against her partner's weight, tilting her head back as Jess got to her feet. “If we're staying here until the morning, we have good length time to get some rest.” She said. “And get warm.”

Jess undid the wrist catches on her suit and let them hang open, then loosened the seals at her throat. “I think that's a good idea.” She agreed quietly. “The boats go out at dawn, and come back in at dark. So we should leave before it gets light to catch them. It's not far from here.”

Dev tried to make a picture of that in her head as she took off her outer suit and it was difficult. There was a very tiny, very cramped sanitary unit in the carrier and she used it, wondering briefly how Jess or the muscular Jason managed. “This is a very restricted facility.” She commented when she rejoined Jess.

“Ugh.” Jess seemed to relax a little. “One of our biggest gripes about these old model carriers. Most of the guys just open the hatch and go freestyle.”

Unfortunately for Dev, she could make a picture of that in her head and she grimaced a little. “Unfortunate for anyone beneath you.”

Jess started laughing. “You're probably the only one in the corps right now who can fit in there without bending something. Enjoy it I guess. The newer model of this bus has a better internal arrangement.” She was in her gray undersuit and she removed her boots. “Let me suffer and get it over with. I end up with a lump on the top of my head or a bruise somewhere whenever I use it.”

Dev hopped up onto the sleeping platform and scooted back, laying down flat and evaluating the relative comfort of it. It wasn't was, as Jess had said, as comfortable as their beds in the citadel but it wasn't terribly uncomfortable, and she thought they could get a reasonable amount of rest on it.

Jess emerged, rubbing the top of her head and giving Dev a wry look. Then she joined her up on the platform, laying down next to her and dimming the overheads.

They both exhaled a little, and looked at each other.

Jess cleared her throat and pulled a control pad on an arm next to her over to review some information. She keyed in a few things, and then studied the results. “Want to make sure the sensors are reading right. Storm or no storm, wild or no wild, I want to know if anyone's trying to sneak up on us.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” Dev regarded her own data pad, which was displaying the technical information about the carrier, and it's internal systems. She could see the skin temperature reading, which made her shiver a little, and she was glad she'd connected the carrier up to the embedded power cell in the pad to make sure their internal heating systems would continue to cycle and not drain off their internal batteries all night.

Where did the pad get the power, she wondered? “Jess?”

“Huh?” Jess jumped a little. “What?”

Dev turned her head, surprised at the reaction. “I just wanted to ask you about the pad. I know we had a power lead, where does it come from?”

“Oh.” Jess scratched the bridge of her nose. “Um.. let me think.. here... there's some geothermal activity I think. They use temperature energy exchange to store in the embedded cells.” She clipped her pad to the locker wall and folded her hands over her stomach. “Damn useful.”

“Very.” Dev clipped her own pad down, then she let her head rest on the built in soft puffy area the survival bag used as a pillow. It was very basic, but she felt her body relax. 'Otherwise it would be really cold in here.”

“In the old days, they'd have burned trees for warmth.” Jess eased over onto her side and propped her head up as she regarded her partner. “I saw that once.”

Dev turned her head. “Really?”

“When I was little. They found some old, dried up driftwood on the beach near our house.” Jess said. “My father gathered it all up and set it on fire, and we sat around it and grilled some fish over it.”

Dev now turned onto her side, her face alight with fascination. “Really?”

Jess held her hand out in front of her. “Yeah. It was...” She rubbed her fingers together in memory. “It was warm and it had a good smell to it. I've always remembered that. It always... “ She hesitated. “It was kind of a link back to the past.” She let herself call up that image, the cool breeze off the water and the smell of salt and sand and the family all there.

Last time, really. She'd gone to basic camp five or six months later and they'd never managed to all get together again. But for that night, they'd enjoyed the moment and it had left her with a mental picture of melancholy happiness. “We cooked marshmallows.”

“What?” Dev reached over and touched her hand, clasping it gently.

“Marshmallows. It was a really old package, I guess my father had been hiding it for a very very long time or maybe... “ Jess chuckled. “Maybe he got it from someone but they were these puffy sweet things, like tiny pillows, and when you put them in the fire they got all brown on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside.”

Dev wasn't really sure what that would be like, but she could tell by the smile on Jess's face that it must have been good. “I've never had anything at all like that. It does sound interesting.”

Jess exhaled. “Anyway. So here's the thing with tomorrow.” She was aware of Dev's fingers, lightly clasped around hers. “I was going to leave you with the carrier, but I think it'll be better for me and safer for you if you come with me.”

“Okay.” Dev looked pleased.

“I just have to figure out what the hell I'm going to tell them you are. Spacer I guess, but why are you here?” Jess pondered.

“Well, you could tell them that I'm a scientist who wants to take sea measurements” Dev suggested, clearing her throat a little. “Maybe I'm looking for a new kind of fish.”

“Hm.”

“You could say I was from Bio Station Beta. They do all kinds of experiments there.” Dev warmed to her subject. “I remember we had one of the scientists come and give us a speech at the creche, about how we could be assigned there and help them find new ways to use the ocean, or breed special fish.”

“What about me?” Jess asked, an intrigued look on her face.

Dev studied her. “Do these people know who you are?”

“They know who I am, but not what I am. They're cousins of my mother's.” Jess said.

“So maybe the station hired you as a guide. They did that, when they came downside.” Dev said. “I remember Doctor Dan telling me about going downside with some people from the fabrication station and they hired some guides who took them someplace.”

Jeff smiled. “You know what, Dev?”

“What?”

“I think you've got a talent for fabrication.”

Dev considered that. “You mean lying?”

“No.” Jess squirmed a little closer, pulling the light cover from the bags over her and tossing the other end of it over Dev. “You make up good stories we can use in the field. That's a big plus.” She said. “Not everyone can do that. Josh couldn't. He had the imagination of a rock.”

Dev smiled, and felt a surge of happiness at the unexpected praise. “Thank you.” She squeezed Jess's hand and then released it, as she stretched out her body and put her head down on the raised, pillowish area. She watched her partner do the same, and then reach out and turn down the already dim lighting.

Beneath the light cover she was suddenly aware of the warmth coming from Jess's body and she felt her heart start to beat just a little bit faster. She had never been this close to another person for this length of time before, much less with the prospect of spending the night next to them.

It felt strange. She wondered if it was strange for Jess, but then, she figured, Jess had probably had many such experiences before.

Hadn't she? Dev had spent her entire life alone. “Jess?”

“Yes.” The taller's woman's voice came quietly through the gloom.

“Why is everyone so afraid of you?” Dev asked. “I don't understand.”

Jess exhaled. “I told you. Because I'm crazy.”

Dev rolled over an tucked her arm around the pillow area. “I don't think you're crazy. You don't act crazy, at least not like they taught us about.”

“No, well. Not crazy. Just...” Jess squirmed a little closer. “I don't have a conscience. I don't... it doesn't matter to me what I do to people.” She plucked a bit of the survival bag, making a soft sound. “So people are scared of me.. and the other ops agents I guess, because we can and will kill people just like that.”

Dev reached out again and put her hand on Jess's wrist. “Is that really true?”

“It's true.” The quiet response came back. “I've killed thousands of people in my career so far. They were either the enemy, or just people who got in my way when I was on a mission. I didn't care. I don't care. You saw Bain. That guy he blew away was his nephew. He didn't care.”

“But – even Clint was afraid. He isn't your enemy.”

“Ah.” Jess smiled and it was audible in her voice. “That's a different thing. He's known me a long time, and he knows I have a wicked temper. He's seen me lose it. I guess he thought I was in that space the other day.”

“Were you?”

Long silence, there in the dim light. Then Jess laughed very softly. “Maybe I was. I didn't like him messing with you.”

Dev remained quiet for a time absorbing that. “Me?”

“You.” Jess gave in to the craving and leaned forward, finding Dev's lips in the darkness without any trouble at all. “You're my partner. He thought I thought he was poaching.”

Dev was losing interest in the explanation. She was much more engaged with feeling the electric buzz in her guts at Jess's touch, and the sense of wanting that erupted in her. She felt Jess shift a little closer, and she mirrored the motion, her breathing going unsteady as their bodies pressed together and Jess's hand came to rest against her hip.

Oh. That felt so interesting.

“He thought I might hurt him because of that.” Jess broke off for a moment, watching Dev's eyes track to her. “Maybe I would have.”

“He didn't do anything besides work on the carrier with me.” Dev said. “I don't understand why you would be upset.”

The mixture of innocence and desire facing her was making Jess's breath come very short She kissed Dev again and felt the bio alt's hand touch her thigh, gently stroking it. That sent a rush of passion through her, and she welcomed the wash of energy, driving back both the aches and her fatigue.

It felt clean, and good.

“I didn't find him attractive at all.” Dev went on, pausing between kisses. “Not like you.”

Not like me. Jess felt a lightness in her heart she hadn't for a very very long time. Dev was so honest and open it made her a little giddy. “I dind't want him to mess with you because I felt the same way.” She admitted. “I think he knew that.”

Dev thought so too. But she wasn't very worried about it at the moment. She felt Jess's lips touch her neck, and then nibble softly at her earlobe and she was sure she wasn't worried about Clint, or the citadel, or the mission for that matter.

Doctor Dan had been right, of course. She wanted this feeling, and she wanted it to keep going just like he'd told her she would.

There was, however, one minor issue. “Jess?”

“Hm?” Jess shifted closer and ran her fingers thorugh Dev's hair. “Still got questions?”

Dev blinked at her. “Well, sort of.” She admitted. “We just got that one vid. I really don't have any idea what to do next.”

Jess's brows drew together and she paused, her thumb brushing Dev's cheekbone. “You'er not programmed for this?”

A faint smile appeared on the bio alt's face. “Jess.” She reached over and put her hand on Jess's chest. “They program our heads. They can't program our hearts.”

Hearts. Jess felt hers start to pound. “Ah.” She replied faintly. “This is a heart thing.”

They both regarded each other.

“I guess they just thought we'd figure it out.” Dev said, finally. “But I really don't know where to start.”

Jess exhaled, and closed her eyes. Then she opened them and gently drew Dev closer. “We'll figure it out.” She said. Then she looked briefly down at Dev's hand. “And you've already got a pretty good idea where to start.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

**

Continued in Part 11