by Jessie Wolf
“Yes, sissy. We understand.” Fuyuko told the twins. “Now keep quite you two. I think that something’s up, and it has to do with what we found out this morning. Right sissy?”
“You got it in one, little sister.” Looking at the twins and her. “Now, have you talked to anyone else about what you have discovered?” When all three shake their heads no I breathe a sigh of relief. I need for the fact that their AIs are self-aware to be kept secret for a while longer. “Good, don’t tell anyone, and I mean anyone, until I say so, please. It’s for your own safety. Now come with mama and me.”
I lead them over to the field shower tent that was setup by the House support troop last night. Once there I find that it’s split into men on one side and women on the other. Heading inside I see that we have the women’s side all to ourselves. Grabbing a towel and bar of soap I head for the showers. On the way I deactivate my armor. When I turn to help mama and the girls I watch in amazement as what I had thought were still the bio-feedback suits just disappear the same way as my armor does.
“Dee De did their suits just act like our armor or have they become their armor?”
Do you want me lie or tell you the truth? (Dee De)
“Let me guess? The suits have become their armor and they only retained the coloration right?”
As usual you got it in one, kiddo. (Dee De)
“Thanks Dee De. Do you have any idea of how self-aware their AIs are?”
They’re the same as me or Charley are. (Dee De)
Not so sis. They only have a single AI. Also none of them are equipped with a COBRA. (Charley)
“So they don’t have the same level of combat reaction time as me?”
No. while they’re faster than regular Death Dealers they’re nowhere near as fast as we are. (Charley)
“So while my reflexes are faster than theirs, they’re still faster than the average Death Dealer?”
By an order of three times faster, but we are closer to double that. (Charley)
“Ok thanks, guys.”
I get your welcome from the two of them. “Um… mama, did you just deactivate your armor?”
When she realizes what she just did a look of pure shock crosses her face. “I think I did. Where does it go, Maiha?”
“From what I can tell it turns back into a nanites base and retreats into a space along our spine. Where it waits for us to reactivate it.”
“Sissy are we going to have the same problems you do with our AIs?” asked a very scared looking Nanami.
“No baby girl you won’t.”
“Why not?” I could tell Nanase was really concerned about this.
“Because none of your AIs have the COBRA programing. Your AIs are all pure Death Dealer. However yours are far more advanced because yours were programed by a Death Dealer AI and a COBRA AI. In short you’re faster than your normal Death Dealer. However Charley and Dee De felt that you would be better off without the COBRA programing allowing you to adapt to your new abilities over time instead of all at once like I and all secondary configuration Death Dealers must. Do you understand?”
It was mama who grasped the significance of what I just told them first. “So we have most of your abilities but none of your handicaps. So that’s what that read out meant when it came up in the dinner.”
“What read out mama?”
“Oh that was what had distracted me. I was just about to ask you a question about when do you plan to leave and head back to the estate. When all of a sudden, right before my eyes, a list of weapons and armor status followed by this voice in my head telling me what all of it meant. Oh and by the way that was quite a shock. For a minute there I had thought I had lost my mind. You could have told me our AIs would talk to us like that.” Oh boy was she hot under the collar over that.
Needing a few moments to think of an answer I step over into the showers and begin to wash my hair. After rinsing out the shampoo I look over at my family who had joined me. I had forgotten how much a simple thing like being able to shower away the days sweat and dirt of the daily life of a soldier. As I continue with this simple task I realize how much I miss this life. No worries over making payroll for my employees, no board of directors hounding me to increase profits, no political intrigue, just a plain simple life of three hot’s and a cot. Your meals may not always be hot and your cot may not always be a cot, but you were always fed and you got at least six hours of sleep a day.
“Maiha, what is on your mind, child?” I could tell by the sound or her voice mama was worried about me again.
“Sorry, mama. I was just remembering a simpler time in my life.”
“Back when all you had to worry about was chow call and where you could snag a few moments of undisturbed sleep maybe?” she asked of me with a smile.
“Yah, you could say that, mama.” Looking over at her and returning her smile. “As for telling you about your AIs well to tell you the truth I didn’t know if they would become fully self-aware.” With a very put upon sigh I told them all about the biggest secret of the Death Dealers. “You see ever since they were first conceived the Death Dealer AIs have been at best a combination of luck and science. You see as I was saying earlier only one if five becomes fully self-aware. Of those only one in every thirty ever reaches the level of the Omega/Assault class. Even fewer are the Black light class they are so rare that when they do come along they are immediately sent to Military Intelligence. The rest only act as a support pc for the upgrades most Death Dealers get when they enlist. What make Death Dealers so effective is not the AIs but their training in how to use their upgrades. That was why I told you all that we had a lot of training to do. I did not expect for your AIs to reach the level of awareness that they have.” When I finished I had also finished with my shower. So I stepped out and began to dry off. I was shortly joined by the rest of my family. Once we had taken care of the drying off and braiding our hair we reactivated our armor and head over to get something to eat.
After entering the make shift chow hall I lead them over the chow line. After getting our trays and going through the mess line I head back outside. With my family following me I head over to a small tree and set down on the ground and start to eat. As they join me on the ground Fuyuko asks me a question straight out of the civilian hand book. “Sissy, why aren’t there any tables to sit down at?”
I can’t help it. I start to laugh at her innocent question. Of all the questions I expected this was not one of them. Goddess how can one simple question bring so much happiness to my tired soul?
Chapter 11
Breakfast and a Walk
“Welcome to the glamorous life of the Death Dealer, little sister.” At her look of confusion I went on to explain. “I have eaten more than one meal sitting on the ground. Hell there’s been more than a few that I eat standing up in the rain. Yes, yes I know that they say you get three hot’s and a cot, but remember this one little fact. They never said that they’ll be all meals will be HOT or that your ‘cot’ is an actual cot. I have slept on the ground, the backend of a rolling transport, even in the cockpit of an APS, more than once.”
“Listen to your older sister closely, girls. She knows all too well the hardships of the soldier.” Mama put in before any of them could say a word. “Before she came to us as your sister she was one of the most feared and respected of the Death Dealers.” I could see the looks of respect come to their eyes as she spoke. “In the times of your grandparents she was the one called Death by both her enemies and friends. In the time of her own service to our Emperor she faced hardship and heart ache on more battle fields on more planets than she will ever admit to.”
When she finished all three of them looked at me in a far more different manner. Before there was always a little bit of childish disrespect of an older sibling. It was still there, but now it would compete with the realization that big sister was once a bad ass. “Hey what I can say, I was lucky. Remember that no matter how good you are there is always someone better. Your only hope is t
o be luckier than the next guy.” When they nodded their heads telling me that they understood I continued with my impromptu lesson in the life of a soldier. “The other thing to remember is to trust in your training. When all else fails trust in your training will open a way out for you. How I don’t know because I don’t know what you will be facing.” As they listened to what I was telling them I saw how each of them also talked with their AIs. That was something I had not expected when I began this. All I wanted to do was introduce them to a soldier’s life in a way that they could understand its hardships. Instead I was giving them the answers they would need to have a long life as a soldier.
I notice that we are about to have company so I changed the topic. “So mama, how do you like being the pilot for an APS?”
Looking over to where I was she just smiles and answers me. “To be honest, I love it. I never understood the love affair some of the House troops had with them until now that is. I never thought a one hundred ton war machine could make me feel the way he does.” I swear mama was blushing. The blush went all the way down to the color of her armor. Now if I didn’t know better I would swear that she gave her virginity to her suit. Then again she had taken a vow of chastity when she joined the Temple, and I know she hasn’t had a lover since then; but she might have had one before joining. Who knows, what I do know is she called her Highlander her life partner. Could it be? Na, impossible, no way, it couldn’t have happened. Could it? Her next words left me with no doubt as to how tight a bond she has with her suit. “Guardian truly is a gentleman in every way imaginable.”
“Um… mama are you telling us that you and your Suit had a love affair in the sexual sense?” Thank the Goddess it was Nanami who asked her, and not me.
“That young lady is none of your business. However I will answer your question. To put it bluntly he rocked my world.” The fact that mama had a sexual relationship with her Suit throws me for a loop. What she said next told me how. “Daughter dear why didn’t you tell me that our pilot suits gave our AP Suits access to those parts of our bodies? If I had known beforehand I would have been more prepared for it. As it was if Guardian had not been such a kind lover I might have hit the ejection button.”
“Mama, please believe me. I had no earthly idea that they could do that.”
“Do what, Maiha?” turning around I find Alice standing behind me.
“Um… well… um… It seems that my mama had a very unusual first time experience with her APS.” I tell. “Care to join us?”
“Sure, that sounds good. As far as your mama having an unusual first time experience with an APS in a bio-feedback suit. Let me guess what it was. Her Suit gave her a sexual experience when they first bonded. Am I right?” She was talking so fast that when she stopped it caught us all by surprise.
“Well yes he did, Alice. How would you know dear?” mama asked her.
“Oh that’s common knowledge among APS pilots.” Was her response.
“How come I didn’t know about it?”
“Maiha, you’re not a full time pilot are you?” when I nod my head yes to her question she explained her answer. “You never wore a bio-suit so you wouldn’t know that part of the hook-ups for female is to handle our monthly visitor. The down side to that is it also makes us extremely sensitive to certain… um…motions when operating an AP Suit. So to help with the buildup of sexual tension the Suits are programed to relieve it.”
Oh my GODDESS!!!! No wonder I was so horny last night. If just operating an AP Suit could give me that much sexual tension what would it have done to my sisters who have never been inside of one before? Looking over at my sisters I see that they had the same reactions and experience as what mama did. “Ok, now that the cat is out of the bag. Did the three of you have the same thing happen to you as well?” I need to confirm this now or we are going to have a problem later on. “It’s ok little sisters. I don’t think mama is going to be upset if you did. Right mama?” When she nodded her head yes they all blushed and said very quietly yes. “Well now that, that is out of the way. I want you all to remember that what happened is just a natural function of your bodies and their reaction to your AP Suits. Now that you know you’ll be better prepared for it next time.”
When my family all looked at me I quickly explained. “If you know how operating your Suits affect you then you will know what to expect. This way it won’t catch you off guard when it helps you out with it. Understand?”
It was like watching the lights come on in a darkroom. “Ok family of mine. It’s almost time for us to get ready to move out. Let’s go get our gear packed up. This way when Col. Fujiyama wants to rollout they won’t be waiting on us.” With that we cleaned up our mess trays and headed back over to where we had set our tents. Alice joined us as we broke down the tents and rolled up our sleeping bags. Once we had stored everything in our Suits we all met over by mama’s Highlander. As we waited for word to come down to mount up I went over basic road marching procedures. How to keep a certain distance from the person in front of them, about always watching their assigned area of coverage, all the little things that keep people safe in convoys.
A half hour latter a runner came by and told us to mount up. Giving mama and my sisters a hug and a kiss I headed over to Vicky. As I got ready to mount up Alice walked over to me. “Maiha, look I know that you are no ordinary teenager or for that matter APS pilot. Now I know that I’m not supposed to know, but I put a few things together. Please hear me out, I believe that you are some kind of new Death Dealer most likely a proto type. If I’m right about that just do me one favor because I know that you’re going to put yourself out in front of everyone else or try to. Be careful and don’t push yourself. I think that maybe I’m falling in love with you.”
Of all the things she could have said that was not something I was expecting. I tell you the hits just keep coming today. If I get one more surprise like this I’m going to pick up my ball and go home. I know that sounds childish of me, but I don’t know how many more I can handle. What I wouldn’t give for a fire fight right now. Right now I need to deal with this one before I can deal with anything else. Besides I am having some of the same feelings. “Alice, I know that we have only known each other for a short time, and I’m just barely legal, but while I do have feelings for you we need to take things slowly. However I will tell you this, and you must swear not tell a soul, yes I am a proto type of the new Death Dealers. Grandpa had to get special permission from the Emperor to even try what he did. If word of this got out to the other High Families until the right time it can cause us more problems than we can deal with right now. The technologies still haven’t been approved for use by the High Families. If they find out everything we do here can be swept under the rug and those greedy bastards who started this war will walk away scot free.”
I watch as a look of pure hate crosses her face. At first I thought it was for me. “I swear by all that is holy no one will learn your secret from me, Maiha. As far the rebels go. I will make no promises, but if they hurt you then all bets are off. They have already signed their own death warrants in my book.” At the blank look on my face she told me her reasons. “It is because of them that I’m an orphan. When they failed to protect the port city of Far Bay during the last attack by the Galmaxains my family was wiped out. I lost my parents, two brothers, and a baby sister. It was their orders that kept the PDF from supporting House Canfield. I want them to pay for what they did.”
“Then we’ll make them pay, but in a court of Law if possible. However if the fools want a fight then, we make them swim in their own blood. I promise you they won’t get away this time.”
“Thank you, Maiha. Now you need to mount up and so do I.” then she pulls me into a very tight hug followed by a kiss that curled my toes. Damn that girl can kiss, not to mention gets my blood boiling. I watch as she walks away from me. I can help but admire how her pilot’s suit just molds to her body making every curve stand out. If there is one thing that makes me want to make it t
hrough this it is the sight of her.
Ah shit! That twice be dammed behavioral programing is messing with my head again. I need to get my head in the game, and I need to do now. It is a good thing that the idiot who designed that program is dead. Because if he was still alive I would shove a block of high explosive so far up his ass that it would take a proctologist to defuse it.
With a shake of my head I climb up to the cockpit. As I climb inside Vicky turns on the lights and greets me. “Hi, Maiha. Are we going to be heading home today?”
“Yup, we sure are. I figure that we should be moving out in about a half hour or so.”
“Oh goodie. I want to see what my new home looks like.”
Oh boy I need to get her to calm down. “Um…Vicky we still need to travel through about ninety miles of unsecured territory with a whole bunch of people who want us dead. You remember that right?”
When she speaks this time it’s not with the voice of a seven year old, but of a well-seasoned war veteran. “I have already begun the startup sequence for our journey, pilot Maiha. All weapons report in at full capabilities. My power plant is operating at peak efficiency. My sensors currently show no enemy targets. Are you ready to begin final connection sequence, pilot Maiha?”
What the hell? Where did that come from? “Vicky are you feeling alright baby girl?”
(Giggle)”Yes, I just wanted to yank your chain a little bit. Did I get you?” (Giggle)
“Why you little stinker. For a minute there I thought you had gone and grew up on me there.”
(Giggle) “I just wanted to show you that I can be just as grown up as everyone else when I need to be. Now are you ready for final hook up?”
“Let me get my helmet on. Then we can get down to business.” With the practiced easy of years of experience I quickly don my helmet. After snapping the chin strap I step on to the control pad. Within seconds I feel Vicky’s control cables lock into each of the ports on my body. As they do I see and feel Vicky’s systems come fully on line. Each one brings a new sense of power with it. When the helmet connection is made my world explodes in a riot of color and sound. Last night none of this had happened. “Um…Vicky what’s going on here? Last night was nothing like this. Is there something different in the way we are connected?”
