Hot, it was so hot. There was not a single cloud in the sky and the sun was working more like an oven. The Roses were feeling pretty miserable within their combat carrier, floating out at sea. There had been no work for almost a month. Corporations and Governments were at a stand still, not much could be done. Kata had been gone for two weeks with Levan and Neutral organization.
"too... hot, I'm dying" Dakka fanned herself as she lay across the floor of the vehicle level. MooK dragged herself out of another car, empty on gas. MooK opened the door of the next car and started it up.
"a quarter of a tank, wont last long" MooK felt defeated. Every car she had gotten into was less than a quarter tank full. Breech was very good at keeping the fuel low on everything.
"hey MooK... do you think the Grim Reaper has a full tank? that is Breech's pride and joy"
"Even if it does, she wont open it"
"not... if I have something to say" Dakka attempted to stand up, her PP2000 wrapped in her chest holster, she was weak to the point she couldn't undo the holster. after a minor attempt to get her gun she gave up and slapped her hands on the floor.
"Oh... forget it" MooK just looked at Dakka as she lay there. Maybe if she talked to Breech she would let them in.
"i'll be right back Dakka, I'll see if she'll let us in" MooK made her way up to the main deck, passing Ratchet as she blew past with tools. The Combat carrier's prototype engine was out of proper operating range and had to be repaired. therefore the engines lack of power meant no conditioned air or refrigeration.
The main deck of the carrier was more active than expected. MooK watched as Eddge and Breech both practicing. Eddge was swinging around a sword that was bigger than any sword should be. odds were good that it was some form of Anti-Grinder weaponry. Breech on the other hand was operating a more tame weapon. A sniper rifle of respectable size.
"hey, Breech... uh... can me and Dakka get into one of your nice cars? this heat is killing us" Breech fired a shot off into the ocean, she rolled over and looked at MooK.
"yo MooK whats going on?" Breech took off her head gear and adjusted her bangs.
"uh... like I said, we want to get into one of your nice cars so we can escape this heat" Breech's smile faded a little, she loved her cars, so odds were she wasn't too excited at the idea of them being used this way.
"Dakka put you up to this didn't she..." she took a deep breath and let it out as a long, loud sigh.
"alright, c'mere I need your help" MooK knelt down next to breech and stood in front of a scope on a tripod.
"what's this?"
"that scope is for spotters, I need you to tell me the information that pops up, these new models are nicer than the old ones. MooK read off the information to Breech and she adjusted the scope on her rifle.
"what are you shooting at? I dont see anything" Breech fired a shot into the ocean.
"hit" said MooK reading off the information in the scope. Breech fired again.
"hit" Breech fired again.
"hit" Breech dumped the empty magazine. MooK saw a glint in the corner of her eye, a bullet was flipping end over end. Breech caught the round and loaded it into the breech. She fired again.
"miss"
"DAMMITALL" Breech leapt up and started jumping up and down. Eddge looked over and started to snicker. Breech pulled her sidearm and shot in the direction she missed.
"Breech! what's wrong?"
"I've been practicing that move forever, still can't get it right" Breech stopped to breath for a moment.
"hey... its hot out here... lets get down to the vehicle level and cool off, I know where we can relax and have a nice drink" Breech and MooK collected all the equipment and put it back in armory.
"hey Breech, what was out there you were shooting at?"
"the body of an old car thats no good to us. I put some targets on it for practice"
"how far out was it? I couldn't even see it"
"our scopes aren't powerful enough to see it, the targeting data in your scope could tell I hit it based on the chips in the targets themselves" Breech was playing with a handheld device.
"whats that?"
"this is important for all snipers, a record of every shot I've ever made. The guns I've used, the types of ammunition, the targets I've hit... the ones I've missed" she scrolled down the device and reviewed the information.
"its very nice to have nowadays, my cybernetics in my eyes and arms add lots of the information for me in real time" Breech said. MooK looked into Breech's eyes. They weren't natural looking anymore, they had a whole different feeling, an emptiness that had a wholeness to it. Black and vacant but still full of something MooK couldn't put her finger on.
They enter the vehicle level, it felt hotter there than anywhere else. Dakka was lingering over Breech's favorite car with a wrench in her hand. Breech pulled her sidearm.
"do it and you die bitch!" Dakka turned so slow you swear you could hear what sounded like rust grinding against rust.
"cold... air, its so close I can feel the back of my neck tingle" Breech holstered her gun and snatched the wrench away.
"funny you say that, considering theres a big hole in the back of your neck" She grabbed Dakka's arm and dragged her towards a box truck, MooK followed behind. Breech turned a valve on a hidden fuel cell in the truck and started it up after a few minutes the box started to get cold.
"what kind of truck is this?" MooK held her hands in front of a blower.
"a refrigerated truck for food transportation, and now its mine" Dakka looking high on the chill rocks her head around to look at Breech.
"I, as of this moment... love you Breech"
"that hits me where I live Dakka... for real" Dakka didnt care if there was sarcasm in Breech's line she was happy to be so cold. Breech opened a cooler full of drinks and passed them around. the three of them relaxed for about an hour before the fuel cell went dry. they stepped out just as the carrier engines came back up. the girls celebrated as Ratchet stepped in.
"we got power in here?" she said. Ratchet was buried head to toe in oil, carbon deposits, scratches, and burns. but she had a smile like she had just earned a gold medal.
"hell yeah we do, your awesome Ratchet" Dakka clapped as she walked towards the dirty mechanic. Ratchet exploded as unspent energy discharged from her body.
"that was the coolest thing evar! you guys should have seen it, those engines are a work of art I'm telling ya" she inhaled and held out her exhale as she spoke.
"it... was... sexay" she pulled out her pipe and lit up.
"now that the engines are back up we should our location and status" Breech said as she made for the tower. the computers were auto adjusting and recalibrating as they entered.
"looks like we've drifted quite a bit since we went down, no ships for thirty miles" the main phone started to ring and Dakka answered.
"yellow? Kata! we haven't heard from" Dakka stopped talking, whatever Kata was saying must have been urgent. Dakka looked excited they must have a mission waiting for them.
"hell yeah Kata thats great news, we're awaiting your return. what? no, c'mon you should know us better than that... yeah... yeah. by the way the carriers engines went down again... yeah... the great Ratchet saved our asses again with her kickass skills" MooK looked over at Ratchet who was standing proud, wearing the grease and grime as a reward for her work.
"alright, we'll be here... see ya" Dakka hung up and looked at the others.
"whats up? you looked kinda concerned" Breech said. Dakka walked to the intercom.
"attention Roses, Kata is on her way back. That means SUPER ULTRA CLEANUP-SO-WE-DONT-DIE-MODE... ACTIVATE" Dakka sped from the tower and started collecting dirty laundry from the floor as she went. MooK and the others started mopping the decks and sweeping the halls. garbage was sliding into bags while underwear was hunted down.
hours later they had cleaned every square inch of the combat carrier. All the Roses were cleaned up and ready for Kata's return. The pavelow could be seen floating over the setting sun. it landed on the deck of the carrier and Kata shuffled out, Levan right behind her.
The Roses stood at attention as Levan walked over.
"as you were lady's" she said. Levan was the most important member of Neutral organization, being the single political representative for all Neutrals. her usual bouncy and spunky self was acting quite tame at the moment.
"you girls are looking good you know. Kata, we'll talk later. you have your mission" Levan left with haste and Kata was looking smug.
"Breech" she said.
"yes ma'am" Breech replied as she stepped forward.
"I suggest you get to work training MooK, you two will be spearheading our next mission"
