would be
a problem,” Della said. “I have this white jacket, a heavy black
one, and a black chromatic one with buckles down the front.”
“Do any of them have
armour built in?” Aspen asked, taking the chromatic jacket from
Della. The heavy cloth base felt like it was rubberized, and it was
jet black beneath the chromium treatment, which was a layer of colour
that shifted as it moved. The label said ray refracting coating had
been applied.
“Well, no, none of
the jackets I did had an armour rating tag. I only checked a few
places though.”
Spin held the jacket up
to the light. “That’s okay, I think this looks right for me, and
I’ve seen this treatment before,” she said. “Some mercenaries
add it to their armour so they’re pretty much stun-proof and energy
weapons aren’t as effective. She put it on and liked the
significant weight it put on her shoulders, the cloth was so heavy it
felt like she was being held. Another tag on the inside boasted that
there were more layers available for installation and she hoped she
could find a place that still had them.
“It looks good on
you,” Mirra said.
“Okay, now I laughed
when I saw these too, but give it a minute,” Della said, reaching
down beside the bed. She yanked up a pair of black thigh-high boots
with thin, black armour plates along the front. Aspen laughed at them
as soon as she saw them, shaking her head. “No way!”
Mirra laughed as well,
crossing the room and touching them, looking like an entirely
different person in her fitted, glossy green jumpsuit. “Oh, no, you
have to wear these,” she said. “You’re a kick-ass lady, and
these are a kick-ass lady’s boots.”
“How do you even put
those on? It looks like they stand on their own,” she laughed.
Mirra pushed her onto
the bed and said; “You lay down.”
Della handed the right
one to Aspen, who pulled it up over the leg of her containment suit.
As soon as her foot was planted all the way inside, the boot
conformed to her leg, shortening so the top ended in the middle of
her thigh and hugged the rest of her leg. Her foot felt snugly
planted, as though the boot was already broken in just right. Without
a word, she pulled the other one on and smiled as she got to her
feet. “They feel too nice.”
“There are extra
straps here for something,” Della said, tugging at the inside of
the top of her boot.
Spin looked at them and
realized what they were for. “You can strap a gun holster or tool
pocket to the outside of each boot.”
“You’ve gotta keep
them now,” Mirra said, pulling her in front of the mirror. “You
look way too badass.”
Della ran her hand down
the front of Aspen’s consuit until it was open down to the naval.
“Better.”
Spin blushed and closed
it back up until it was still open a little, but modestly. “There.”
“What are your plans
for the ship?” Mirra asked.
“I don’t know if
I’m keeping it,” Aspen said. She was thankful her head was clear.
Trusting them aboard was a risk she started taking when she was still
half out of her mind. Trusting them with more information than she
had to was another kind of trust entirely. “The Fleet Feather is so
conspicuous, I don’t think I could go anywhere in the sector
without being recognized. Why do you ask?”
“I’ve been a ship
hand before,” Mirra said. “And I did time in a galley on an old
cargo hauler. I mean, I can’t fix your reactor, but I know how to
turn a wrench, and I’ll be running for a while anyway. That, and I
was wondering if we’re dressing you for a tea party – in which
case we have to start over – or if you’re planning to do more,
ahem, business. I mean, you took to kidnapping like a fish to water.”
“I’ve seen a few
from the other end,” Aspen explained.
“I’d sign up for
this ship,” Della added. “Even if you just need someone to keep
it clean.”
“We’ll see if I
still have a ship in a few days,” Aspen said. “But you’re
right,
a problem,” Della said. “I have this white jacket, a heavy black
one, and a black chromatic one with buckles down the front.”
“Do any of them have
armour built in?” Aspen asked, taking the chromatic jacket from
Della. The heavy cloth base felt like it was rubberized, and it was
jet black beneath the chromium treatment, which was a layer of colour
that shifted as it moved. The label said ray refracting coating had
been applied.
“Well, no, none of
the jackets I did had an armour rating tag. I only checked a few
places though.”
Spin held the jacket up
to the light. “That’s okay, I think this looks right for me, and
I’ve seen this treatment before,” she said. “Some mercenaries
add it to their armour so they’re pretty much stun-proof and energy
weapons aren’t as effective. She put it on and liked the
significant weight it put on her shoulders, the cloth was so heavy it
felt like she was being held. Another tag on the inside boasted that
there were more layers available for installation and she hoped she
could find a place that still had them.
“It looks good on
you,” Mirra said.
“Okay, now I laughed
when I saw these too, but give it a minute,” Della said, reaching
down beside the bed. She yanked up a pair of black thigh-high boots
with thin, black armour plates along the front. Aspen laughed at them
as soon as she saw them, shaking her head. “No way!”
Mirra laughed as well,
crossing the room and touching them, looking like an entirely
different person in her fitted, glossy green jumpsuit. “Oh, no, you
have to wear these,” she said. “You’re a kick-ass lady, and
these are a kick-ass lady’s boots.”
“How do you even put
those on? It looks like they stand on their own,” she laughed.
Mirra pushed her onto
the bed and said; “You lay down.”
Della handed the right
one to Aspen, who pulled it up over the leg of her containment suit.
As soon as her foot was planted all the way inside, the boot
conformed to her leg, shortening so the top ended in the middle of
her thigh and hugged the rest of her leg. Her foot felt snugly
planted, as though the boot was already broken in just right. Without
a word, she pulled the other one on and smiled as she got to her
feet. “They feel too nice.”
“There are extra
straps here for something,” Della said, tugging at the inside of
the top of her boot.
Spin looked at them and
realized what they were for. “You can strap a gun holster or tool
pocket to the outside of each boot.”
“You’ve gotta keep
them now,” Mirra said, pulling her in front of the mirror. “You
look way too badass.”
Della ran her hand down
the front of Aspen’s consuit until it was open down to the naval.
“Better.”
Spin blushed and closed
it back up until it was still open a little, but modestly. “There.”
“What are your plans
for the ship?” Mirra asked.
“I don’t know if
I’m keeping it,” Aspen said. She was thankful her head was clear.
Trusting them aboard was a risk she started taking when she was still
half out of her mind. Trusting them with more information than she
had to was another kind of trust entirely. “The Fleet Feather is so
conspicuous, I don’t think I could go anywhere in the sector
without being recognized. Why do you ask?”
“I’ve been a ship
hand before,” Mirra said. “And I did time in a galley on an old
cargo hauler. I mean, I can’t fix your reactor, but I know how to
turn a wrench, and I’ll be running for a while anyway. That, and I
was wondering if we’re dressing you for a tea party – in which
case we have to start over – or if you’re planning to do more,
ahem, business. I mean, you took to kidnapping like a fish to water.”
“I’ve seen a few
from the other end,” Aspen explained.
“I’d sign up for
this ship,” Della added. “Even if you just need someone to keep
it clean.”
“We’ll see if I
still have a ship in a few days,” Aspen said. “But you’re
right,
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