Chapter One, Part Two
"Right, so." The woman with the short black hair and dark skin spoke, leaning against the foot of a mech as she looked Julie over. "This isn't much of a surprise, really. Big Red just finds people and hauls them over to join up. The Captain's going to be blowing a core, but it won't be at you, and they'll get over it soon enough, so don't worry about that." She held out her left hand. "Here, let me get your metrics so I can do what she's is always too busy to bother with and get you properly registered."
"I'm sorry?" Despite her confusion, Julie took the woman's hand, shivering as her skin suddenly tingled from an electrical pulse. "My metrics? I was... I was just trying to sign up as a repair technician."
"Well, as it happens, you can probably works on at least one mech here, once we get you set up. Got a nickname, callsign, something like that?" The goggles the woman wore shimmered with colors as her eyes flicked back and forth and her fingers twitched, apparently interacting with some manner of AR interface.
"Um. Not really? I guess there was the one job assignment clerk who called me Mirror because I was going to be a telescope tech-"
"Mirror it is, unless you've got some objection to it?" A pause, the eyes - a warm brown behind the goggles - briefly focused on her until she shook her head. "All right, Mirror, welcome to Blackthorn Squad as our newest rookie pilot. I'm getting you a berth and a bay assigned. You ever touched a mech before this?"
"Not really? I mean, I've done EVA suits for repair work during training..."
"Good enough, that means you won't panic from the enhancement systems. Here, take this." A data slate, nearly transparent save for where the edges dissolve into shimmering rainbows from refraction. "Until you get your kit, this is your nav around the ship, your key, and your ID card. Keep it on you. I've already set it to show you your berth. Any luggage you need retrieved from off-ship?"
"No, I- I planned to get on board if I could and send my fathers and my mom a message when the fleet left." The admission was sheepish, a recognition of the cowardice of it, not giving her family time to try to talk her into staying in the system and fulfilling her assigned role. Let the Job Office wonder if she had somehow been kidnapped, vanished without a trace otherwise, without any shame from being a deserter attached to her parents of siblings.
"Well, you're aboard! Congratulations on that, and don't worry - I think maybe one in five recruits doesn't show up completely packed and ready to ditch whatever rock or tin can they come from. Just follow the nav on your slate and get settled in. Official mess is at 1700, but you can hit the auto in the galley when you're hungry. Or," she paused as a hint of a smile crept across her face, "you can ask your nav for direction to the B-8 berth at 1800, and we can get to know each other. You might not really be Archon's type, if she even has such a thing, but I think you look kinda cute."
"I- Oh! I, um-"
"It's just an offer, Mirror, head to your berth and maybe think about it." She turned away, with a pause after a few steps to add, "Oh, my callsign is Mask, which I'm sure you picked up from Archon yelling for me, but when we're on the ship you can call me Melly." With that, she left Julie to feel the heat as it crept up her face, the slate clutched in one hand and her duffel in the other.
