you will be doing the City a great favor if you do this. I would suggest just do it.”
“Jesus I don’t fucking believe this! Haven’t I already done enough for the City already? There has to be a way out of this shit!”
Doctor Palmer sustained a calm tone and said, “I don't know, Aurelia. Honestly my guess is that the Colonel will bump you up a rank if you go through with it. Just think of the pay increase! It’s not like this wouldn’t come without any benefit to you.”
Aurelia sat back down. “Doc thanks so much for the heads-up but I have to go. Jesus I don’t believe this shit.”
“No problem, take it easy and think it over. And be ready when the Colonel calls you. Bye guys.”
Aurelia and Julian simultaneously said, “Bye” into the wall console. Julian looked at Aurelia with a screwed up look on his face and said, “Are you gonna do it or no?”
Aurelia looked at her feet and without raising her head said, “I don’t know,” lay down on the couch again, sighed and then closed her eyes.
Six
Four days passed until Aurelia finally decided to go through with the sparring exercise with Kama. It took three urgent calls from Colonel Palmer and a personal visit to their Pod but in the end she consented. They guaranteed her a military promotion although Colonel Palmer stressed that it was off the record he even mentioned such. Promotions were supposed to be administered after a heroic event, not before.
All told it was still a strange way to get information from a military prisoner but Kama was not an average combatant. The Colonel added an additional ten thousand credit bonus for Aurelia and Julian but only after he felt that he was losing the bargain with her even though he really wasn’t. Aurelia was an excellent bluffer. Perhaps it was this instinct within that kept her alive against Kama and her deadly Coilgun just a few short weeks ago out there in the borderline forests.
She was told to report back to the Military Centre in 48 hours in full armor and to take the standardized regimen of vitamins and trace minerals the night before. She liked to throw in cayenne pills into the mix. The pepper helped flush out her lymph and dilate her blood vessels even if they did hurt her stomach a little.
Aurelia and Julian arrived back at the Centre and walked by the familiar stir-fry stand they passed a thousand times before. There was a strange and undefined comfort to be found as the cook clanged and sizzled with his wok. The sounds and smells of the food permeated the Centre’s lobby hall. Aurelia was not hungry though. She supposed that an order of lo mein noodles with sesame oil, garlic and white pepper would be an unwise choice so close to a physical workout. Was this an exercise? She thought as they walked to the elevator. Julian walked faster than Aurelia since she wore her full battlesuit while Julian was unencumbered in regular casual City clothes. She shouted to Julian who was about 10 meters ahead. “Hey slow down. You’re pissing me off.”
Julian spun around in an instant and paced back to her. “Sorry I was spacing out thinking about this shit. Hope you kick her ass.” He smiled slightly.
“Won’t be a problem. Even if she is a genetic freak or what the fuck ever she is. Mutant.” Aurelia stifled out a brief, evil chuckle, amused at herself. “She can smack me all day long and I’m not going to feel shit in this armor.” She extended her right hand forward as they walked. “But what about her armor! Fucking toy leather is all that getup is.” She wiggled her hands in front of her. “Wooooo. Badass Raider armor, I'm so scared. Well, she’s asking for it. Stupid idiot. Chosen my ass. I’ll show her chosen.”
Julian raised his eyebrows. “Damn you know something?”
“What?” Aurelia huffed out.
“I think you really need to do this. For you.”
“Yeah, I don’t know. What I do know is after I’m done smacking her silly I’m going to thank her for knocking me up a
“Jesus I don’t fucking believe this! Haven’t I already done enough for the City already? There has to be a way out of this shit!”
Doctor Palmer sustained a calm tone and said, “I don't know, Aurelia. Honestly my guess is that the Colonel will bump you up a rank if you go through with it. Just think of the pay increase! It’s not like this wouldn’t come without any benefit to you.”
Aurelia sat back down. “Doc thanks so much for the heads-up but I have to go. Jesus I don’t believe this shit.”
“No problem, take it easy and think it over. And be ready when the Colonel calls you. Bye guys.”
Aurelia and Julian simultaneously said, “Bye” into the wall console. Julian looked at Aurelia with a screwed up look on his face and said, “Are you gonna do it or no?”
Aurelia looked at her feet and without raising her head said, “I don’t know,” lay down on the couch again, sighed and then closed her eyes.
Six
Four days passed until Aurelia finally decided to go through with the sparring exercise with Kama. It took three urgent calls from Colonel Palmer and a personal visit to their Pod but in the end she consented. They guaranteed her a military promotion although Colonel Palmer stressed that it was off the record he even mentioned such. Promotions were supposed to be administered after a heroic event, not before.
All told it was still a strange way to get information from a military prisoner but Kama was not an average combatant. The Colonel added an additional ten thousand credit bonus for Aurelia and Julian but only after he felt that he was losing the bargain with her even though he really wasn’t. Aurelia was an excellent bluffer. Perhaps it was this instinct within that kept her alive against Kama and her deadly Coilgun just a few short weeks ago out there in the borderline forests.
She was told to report back to the Military Centre in 48 hours in full armor and to take the standardized regimen of vitamins and trace minerals the night before. She liked to throw in cayenne pills into the mix. The pepper helped flush out her lymph and dilate her blood vessels even if they did hurt her stomach a little.
Aurelia and Julian arrived back at the Centre and walked by the familiar stir-fry stand they passed a thousand times before. There was a strange and undefined comfort to be found as the cook clanged and sizzled with his wok. The sounds and smells of the food permeated the Centre’s lobby hall. Aurelia was not hungry though. She supposed that an order of lo mein noodles with sesame oil, garlic and white pepper would be an unwise choice so close to a physical workout. Was this an exercise? She thought as they walked to the elevator. Julian walked faster than Aurelia since she wore her full battlesuit while Julian was unencumbered in regular casual City clothes. She shouted to Julian who was about 10 meters ahead. “Hey slow down. You’re pissing me off.”
Julian spun around in an instant and paced back to her. “Sorry I was spacing out thinking about this shit. Hope you kick her ass.” He smiled slightly.
“Won’t be a problem. Even if she is a genetic freak or what the fuck ever she is. Mutant.” Aurelia stifled out a brief, evil chuckle, amused at herself. “She can smack me all day long and I’m not going to feel shit in this armor.” She extended her right hand forward as they walked. “But what about her armor! Fucking toy leather is all that getup is.” She wiggled her hands in front of her. “Wooooo. Badass Raider armor, I'm so scared. Well, she’s asking for it. Stupid idiot. Chosen my ass. I’ll show her chosen.”
Julian raised his eyebrows. “Damn you know something?”
“What?” Aurelia huffed out.
“I think you really need to do this. For you.”
“Yeah, I don’t know. What I do know is after I’m done smacking her silly I’m going to thank her for knocking me up a
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