Jethro Goes to War (Wandering Engineer Jethro's tale)

by Hechtl, Chris

  “Sounds simple enough. If there is a problem I'll holler.”

  “Shouldn't be, but there's always a first time,” the armorer sighed. “Just try to do it right the first time okay?” he asked plaintively, giving them all a look. “It ain't easy fitting you all, getting things sorted. It takes about a shift for each suit for what I've got in stores now. Maybe two if we've got issues. I ain't lying. And then it takes each of you about thirty hours to break it in till you're used to it and it's used to you.”

  “Yeah, okay,” Jethro nodded.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  “Done?” Chirby asked as Hurranna came out of the booth. She was still straightening her digicam BDU. She put her cover on, straightened the hem of her jacket and then nodded. “My turn?” Chirby asked, giving the panther a look.

  “Lets see how it goes with Paige,” Jethro said amused. He wasn't sure what the computer would think when all those limbs were mapped. He'd rather get the others done before it balked. He nodded to the chimp in the doorway.

  “Great. Least I don't have to strip for an audience,” she muttered.

  “What are you doing back here?” Chirby asked.

  “Suit wouldn't fit. It's for a chem. A male. So off we go,” she growled climbing into the booth.

  “Just strip, then follow the instructions,” Hurranna said. “Even you can figure it out,” Hurranna said with a smile. Paige snorted and closed the door.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  “All done?” the armorer asked as he came in wiping his hands on a rag fifteen minutes later.

  “Yeah. Chirby is the last that can fit,” Jethro nodded. “Hurranna did me,” he explained. He nodded to the lynx lounging in the corner with the others. “I was wondering how you’re going to handle our tails.” His lashed back and forth.

  “Seems like she doesn't have much of one,” the armorer said giving Hurranna a look. She growled a little.

  “Genetics,” Jethro replied. “I heard stories of some marines docking their tails and ears when they had to fit in human armor. I'd rather not do that. It's too useful.” He grimaced, touching his tail.

  “It is?” the armorer asked. Sergei's tail lashed out and grabbed the rag from the armorer's hands and then tossed it into the air. He caught it with the tail and then handed it back to him.

  “Oh.”

  “We also use it for balance when we're on all fours.”

  “All fours? All fours?!” The armorer shook his head. “No one told me about that,” he rubbed his brow, getting one of those headaches he dreaded.

  “It figures, left hand doesn't know what the right is doing,” Hurranna said amused and sympathetic. She dropped to all fours for a moment and stretched.

  “More likely a SNAFU,” the armorer snorted watching her for a moment and then looking away. “Situation normal...”

  “All fracked up, yeah we know,” Hurranna answered, rolling her eyes to the others as Chirby came out of the booth.

  “I was wondering, can you use the data the EVA techs got when they made our custom suits?” Jethro asked, logging Chirby's measurements.

  “The.. wait, you've had EVA training?” the armorer asked.

  “Yeah.” Jethro nodded. “It's part of boot actually.” He looked at the others. “Well, us and Alpha. Beta and Delta never got around to it apparently.”

  “Why didn't someone say something earlier?” the armorer demanded.

  “It's a prerequisite for armor. I thought you knew?” Jethro asked amused.

  “I didn't. Wait I did, I just forgot,” he sighed.

  Hurranna flicked her ears and smiled slightly to the others. Betty snorted.

  “Okay. That puts a different spin on things,” the armorer said after a moment. He rubbed his chin in deep thought. “Let me make a couple calls, see if I can get the files and convert them. Not all file types are golden but it might work. Save us the hassle of trying to set up a booth for them.” He waved to indicate Ox and Sergei.

  “Gee thanks,” Ox said picking at his ear with one finger. “I think.”

  “He's all heart,” Sergei said dryly.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Jethro tried not to grimace as he crossed his arms and watched the humans getting fitted. He glanced at Hurranna sitting on a tool chest and Chirby clicking his pincers together idly.

  “You know you can go about your duties,” the cranky armorer said. “Not clutter up my work shop and the morgue.”

  “These are our duties. We're here until we get our suits and the basic training in them. For the next two weeks or until it’s done. Which ever comes first.”

  “Why? Why me?” the armorer muttered shaking his head as he used a wrench to adjust a fitting on Mile's left arm. “Okay fine, you’re going to be here just stay out of my way.”

  “What are you doing?” Ox asked.

  “And be quiet.”

  “That's not going to work. We want to learn, we need to learn,” Jethro said ears forward. “All of us.”

  “Fine fine,” the balding armorer sighed. “I'm adjusting this here elbow joint since I can't seem to get it to change in the software.”

  “Oh.”

  “I think it's something on the servo board. Which is here.” He pointed to the gauntlet. “I'd look it over but I'm being pulled six ways to Sunday here. Every time I change one setting it knocks four or five others out of whack.”

  “You are chasing the bubble. I know the problem you are referring to. I'll take a look,” Ox said reaching for the gauntlet. The armorer turned to bat his hands away but the Tauren carefully picked up the gauntlet and then sat down in a corner. He pulled a jack cable out of his waist pocket and plugged himself into the device.

  “You've got tech training son?” the armorer asked.

  “He's a Tauren. They are born with it,” Sergei snorted. “They are practically born with a spanner in one hand and a keyboard in the other. I've got a few skills, but nothing like some of the others.” He shrugged. “Ox is more than a pretty face.”

  “He's not even that,” the armorer snorted a laugh. “Okay. Access the net in here. There is a manual. Use it.”

  “Already got it,” Jethro replied. “We've all had the basic manual for a week. We've passed the book tests at the end of it.”

  “So you know what a greave is?”

  “Armor paneling around the calf of a leg below a joint such as a knee,” Jethro answered immediately.

  “Ah,” the armorer nodded. “Codpiece?”

  Jethro snorted. “Protects the genital region of humanoids.”

  “And don't you forget it. It also protects the front of the hips from a hit. Lose your hips lose your legs.”

  “Okay. Pauldron, gauntlet, codpiece, greaves, but why are they named that? Why can't they name them for the parts they cover?” Hurranna asked, legs kicking back and forth.

  “Lets see,” the armorer tapped his chin with the wrench. “It's all named for armor the Terran knights wore before space flight,” he said after a moment.

  “Oh.”

  “Gotta name it something,” he shrugged. “It makes it easier to tell things apart.” He picked up a magnifier and strapped it on over his eyes. Apparently his implants could only zoom in so far. “Damn.” He pulled fine tools from his breast pocket and started to work. “Give me a sec here. Be quiet.”

  Jethro shot an amused look to the others then shook his head. After a minute the man looked up, pulling the magnifier up to his brow. He wiped his face and then took a drink from a canteen nearby.

  “That it?”

  “Yeah till I look at the gauntlet.”

  “Here,” Ox tossed it to him. He caught it and took a look. “Firmware chip is bad. You'll need a replacement or a repair.”

  “Replace. I keep the bad chips to take them apart to see what's broken. But I ain't had the time now.”

  “Why?”

  “Why not?” the armorer asked, giving the Tauren a look. “I want to know what gives in these beauties. What's stron
g, what's weak. What I need to watch out for.”

  “Good point,” the Tauren nodded. “Wisdom.” He looked to the others. “I was thinking about the problem of the armor. Could we combine the technology of the suits with the armor?”

  “Hmmm.”

  “Hard on the parts that don't bend. Exterior powered exoskeleton. Like the first ones. The first suits.”

  “Could work,” the armorer admitted, rubbing his chin. “Could work. I'll think about it.”

  “I can give you a preliminary design by tomorrow,” Ox said helpfully. “I've been working on it,” he admitted.

  “What that and the servo?” the armorer asked, pulling a new server board out of a bin.

  “I've had the idea on my mind for a while. I can multitask much better than you humans,” the Tauren said shrugging his massive shoulders. “I am also working on a new communication network protocol and a new scan method. I need to run some sims in a mainframe however. I don't like the power consumption ratio right now and the center of gravity is still a little too far backward in my case.”

  “Okay. Give me a copy of what you've got now. I'll look it over,” the armorer nodded impressed. “It'll have to be flexible.”

  “Yeah, I'd like to continue moving on all fours. It's useful,” Jethro said nodding. “I figured the tails would be covered in suit material.”

  “Probably. We could sheath the outer layer in a nanotube weave for extra protection if you want.”

  “More weight to lug around. If it's all the same to you we can get by,” Jethro said giving Sergei a challenging look.

  Sergei's ears went flat. After a moment he snorted and then shook his head. “I lose my tail I'm coming for you bub. That's all I got to say on the subject,” he growled stroking his tail. Jethro snorted, flicking his ears.

  “You're one of those fancy panthers? Assassins?” the armorer asked.

  “Yeah. Which was my other question...” Jethro said hopefully.

  “Can't do it,” the armorer sighed. “Don't get me wrong I didn't say I won't it's can't.” He grimaced sitting back on his haunches. “See, it's like this. We've got the basic armor specs. That's all we can make. Which means the gen one stuff, the stuff that came out long before the war. Marine corps standard. We don't have the specs for raider armor, let alone recon or elite cadre armor. Those are in a class all their own. Believe me, I wish we did.”

  “You are kidding me,” Ox said shaking his head. “I was wondering about the rear configuration.”

  “Yeah, it's gen one with some upgrades. We pushed it as far as we could with upgrades,” the armorer grimaced. “Problem is the gen two and up use micro fusion reactors or matter antimatter reactors. Them we don't have and can't build. Lock outs.”

  “Oh that well and truly sucks.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it,” the armorer sighed. “We can't do squat about much till the Admiral comes back. Any word on that?” he asked glancing around.

  “No,” Ox said sadly.

  His shoulders slumped for a moment and then straightened. “Well, I heard Prometheus is mothballed till he shows up again. Can't do anything without her replicators and power plant. Again, the damn lock outs. They worked out a fix for the escorts, but there isn't much point running them that way.”

  “Yeah, I can imagine.”

  “A buddy of mine said they're thinking about sending Hecate out to that empty system B452c to keep an eye out for more pirates. Or to Agnosta to hold their hands.”

  Jethro shot the others a look. “Seems like a smart thing to do. We've got Firefly here.”

  “And the other ships,” the armorer nodded back to them as he installed the chip. “You lot, I don't have a clue what we're going to do with you. The brass better figure out something or you'll scratch your asses bald from boredom.”

  Sergei froze in that very act and then hissed a chuckle. Jethro snorted explosively, ears flicking, eying the big Liger. “I thought we'd be on a ship or be posted somewhere.”

  “Word is we might be setting something up on Agnosta once things settle down. We'll have to haul in most of the gear since we can't make replicators,” the armorer said and then grimaced.

  “What else can't we make?” Hurranna asked.

  “You name it,” Ox said sighing. “Power plants, hyper drives, weapons, missiles, replicators, advanced armored plate, AI cores, and a couple other things we'd like to have.”

  “Okay, that sucks,” she grimaced. “Why the lock out?”

  “It's the Admiral. He's the key. Literally. See the old Federation set it up so only a flag officer has the key to that stuff. An engineer flag officer has most of the keys. It's to keep it out of the wrong hands like the pirates.”

  “Didn't stop the Horath did it?” Jethro growled.

  “You'd be surprised. A buddy of mine told me they're stripping everything they get their hands on tech wise. Which tells me they can't get around the lock outs either. A lot of their ships were held together with spit and hope. Don't get me started on their weapons. A few had hunting rifles of all things. Slug throwing gun powder things! On a ship!”

  “Ah.”

  “Also explains the raiding. At least part of it anyway. The rest,” he shook his head. “Some people were born bad.”

  “Yeah,” Ox grunted scowling. His eyes darkened. “We heard.”

  “Yeah, I suspect you did. At least some of it,” the armorer nodded. He picked up a servo motor and went over to the Tauren and handed it to him and a set of micro tools. “See what you can do with this since you’re not busy.”

  “Okay,” the Tauren nodded, getting to work.

  “So they want to send Hecate out to the empty system?” Hurranna asked. “Wouldn't it be better in Agnosta?”

  “You'd think that. They may go that route in the end. See Agnosta's a two point system though. Us and that empty system. That empty system... B45 something or other is a cross roads. About four points. One leads back to Horath space.”

  “Oh.”

  “The Admiral was planning on securing it. And a couple of other systems I guess. That way when the pirates jump in, they get a hot reception right from the get go,” the armorer growled.

  Sergei pounded one fist into his open hand. “I'm all for that,” he growled. The others looked over to him then nodded and added their growls of agreement as well.

  “Thought you would be,” the armorer said approvingly. He pulled out some rigging tape and some tea towels.

  “What's those for?” Hurranna asked, nodding her chin to the towels.

  “Padding,” he motioned to Miles. “Move like I told you.” The marine turned his body back and forth then rolled his neck and shoulders.

  “See, I put this powder on him earlier to see where he bumps stuff.” He helped Miles pull the torso off and showed them where the marine was bumping. “This here is a sharp point. It'll grind into his side if he twists the wrong way. Keep it up to long and it'll wear through the aketon, this here padded skin suit. That happens when you’re in vacuum or in a hostile atmo and you're toast.”

  “Oh.” They watched as the armorer rolled padding up and taped rigging tape to cover the spot. “It'll hold for now. I can fab up a foam insert later. The real solution is to do a complete rebuild of the armor. Scratch. But that takes months. I ain't got months. They want everyone outfitted right away.”

  “Ah.”

  “Skin suit and life support's good for about two days. But in combat that can change. The more you breath the faster you use up your carbon exchange filters. We've got spares though, which you can swap out.”

  He showed them several other tricks he had learned, then he hefted the torso and helped Miles back into it. “We've got a room back there that you go into to suit up. Stand in the center with your aketon on and a robot scans your ID then calls up the lockers with your armor and suits you up. Believe me it's a hell of a lot easier than trying to make these things so you can get in and out of them in the field.”

  “Um...”
<
br />   “What?” The armorer turned to Hurranna. “Don't like the idea of being a spam in the can for a month or two at a time? Get used to it honey, it's how the game is played around here.”

  “Oh. Crap,” she growled. She shook her head despairingly. “What'd I get myself into?”

  “First rule of the military. Never volunteer,” Chirby said with a chittering that served his species for a laugh.

  “Hush,” Sergei sighed, eyes closed. “Can't you see I'm sleeping over here?” Jethro snorted. Sergei's tail was twitching and he could see his fingers as well. By the looks of it the big Liger was actually using his HUD. Most likely to see something he wasn't supposed to, or hopefully, reading the manual.

  “Okay, See this here knock space?” The armorer pointed to a gap in the armor under the torso sides. “This here is empty for range of movement. Same for these big pauldrons. But I figured, why leave em empty?” he asked smiling.

  He hefted a couple ammo packs and a couple battery packs from behind a locker. Then he pulled out a life support block and an MRE cube. “See, your suit is pretty good, but if you’re going to go into the field, stuff these cubbies with stuff you'll need.” He showed them how to use the rigging tape to add the extra gear.

  “Don't get caught stuffing hooch or some contraband in there. You do you're on your own. And mind these charges. They're for the blow out panels for the extra ammo and battery packs in case they cook off.”

  “Just pull it out before you get into combat if you can. Trust me, the extra ammo is worth it. Power too. Never have enough ammo. Remember, you can't call for ammo and expect it right away. And it ain't no vid game where you just walk around and magically pick the stuff up.”

  “Yeah. Now I'm hearing you,” Sergei said nodding, eyes still closed. “I wonder if I can stick some demo in there?”

  “You get hit and it'll cook off. Same for the ammo,” the armorer said looking sheepish. “That's the other reason to unload it when you go feet dry. Stash it someplace safe and then come back for it when you can. You never know when you'll get a resupply so always use your ammo and power sparingly. It'll bite you in the ass if you don't.”

  “He's got a point,” Hurranna said, toeing the big Liger.