“Hello, my dear. This holographic image is recorded earlier so that you can see me and I can retain some privacy for my clients. Not that it matters. I’ve already attained all of the scans that the feds released to Betta, and I’ve a general understanding of your anatomy. Let me first say that the Drafers did you a disservice. There is so much that can be done in this day and age to both regulate your body’s conflicted nature with style, and bring you comfort. Let’s start with your amphibious nature and your constant secretion of hormones.”
Jadis lowered the towel, studying the glint of scales across his chest. The second rack held what he could only compare to a wetsuit that Human swimmers might wear. The problem with most of them was that his lower half needed to breath and these would make it difficult with fur. His abdomen also needed a cooler temperature or he would get cramping that would lead to issues with his bowels.
“You’ll find that the material is like a wetsuit, but connect your cybernetics to the interface. You’ll notice the interweave is much like your coat. There is a nanite lining that can control oxygen flow, keep a set temperature within a centimeter of the fabric, and a host of other settings that you can make custom for your body type. It also can be set to expand or shrink to the size you desire.” Gabriel’s brows raised suggestively. “It also dries on command. You’ll no longer need to take your dips fully clothed. These will be your undergarment and act as a cover for your torso while still concealing all of your hidden beauty. Honey, this suit will even protect your from vacuum.”
Jadis snorted. “Hidden freakishness, more like.”
“Now we move on to the pants. These are far lighter than the heavy jeans you wore. You’ll find the material concealing and easier to move. With your new undergarments, you’ll never need to wear those bulky things again. The undergarment will keep your fur fresh and close to the skin. And honestly, babe, you really need to get that stuff trimmed. I can offer you the service, but Betta felt like you’d run away like ‘a cat tossed in a lake.’ Her words, not mine. Earthers, right?”
Betta was right again. Someone might have broken a few fingers if they tried. Jadis felt an odd pressure at the back of his neck. He tried to ignore it. Just another one of his many conflicting sensations playing with his mind, he guessed.
The third rack held a set of black boots on a stand. “These are Lyten boots. It’s odd that you didn’t have a pair. They will keep your feet aerated and work the same as the undergarments. They also have levels of comfort, tightness and fit. You can set these to your liking. Finally, if you move over to the desk you’ll find a packet. The crude water packs that you strap across your gills are unattractive and ineffective. Another hasty solution provided by your Drafer overlords.” Gabriel rolled her eyes. “Take one out and slide it on. Have a look in the mirror and take a few breaths.”
On the nightstand, near the bed, was indeed a packet with transparent tabs nearly the size of his water packs. He removed the adhesive on one side and placed it on a single gill. The feeling was immediate. Soothing and filled with oxygenated fluid that seeped into his flesh. Jadis quickly replaced the other side. His body relaxed, and his lungs halted their internal battle with his gills. For the first time, Jadis felt no discomfort in his breathing. When he looked in the mirror, his neck looked no different from any other human. The tabs somehow blended to his complexion, hiding the ridges of his gills.
The pressure at the back of his neck increased and he was overwhelmed with the sensation of someone watching through his eyes. Shaking his head, he tried to ignore the weird idea of someone in his head. He set his cybernetics to do a diagnostic scan in fifteen minutes.
“These packs were good for one week on a normal amphibian. I am not sure how they will work for you. They are manufactured in Alpha, but I happen to have a supplier and I’m certain she will be willing to deal with the great Jadis Ter.”
The image of Gabriel was languishing on the bed. “When you have your weapons again, you’ll note that you can configure your undergarment to conform to hold any gadget you deem necessary. Be forewarned, these suits were not made for serious battle. Damage to any of the subsystems could result in a malfunction that will render the suit inoperable. This is for safety reasons. They’d hardly make a suit that could roast you alive, now would they?”
“Alpha,” Jadis murmured while he dressed. He kept his head away from the bed where Gabriel was… exercising? “These outfits feel like they were made especially with me in mind.”
The woman on the bed ignored him, turning over onto her knees and moving one leg straight, moving back into position, and then straightening the other. “You know what I love about Betta’s Station, Jadis? It’s all the freaks, all the mutants, all the maladjusted, all the lost, and she gave us a home. Every time I walk out there, I see it, what she sees. Wait until she hears your story, and then it’ll all be over. You’ll be her greatest project.”
“What?”
“What?” his voice echoed back at him.
“That’s what you have to look out for when it comes to a woman like Betta, she’s always looking for the next orphan to save, because no one came to save her. No, she just got shipped off and handed this whole station. Her father died for this, you know? I doubt she even knows that he was the one that informed on her.”
“What?”
“What?”
“What?” It was more than an echo. It was feedback.
Stuffing the remaining packets into the pockets that appeared on the torso of his undergarment, Jadis rushed to the door, pushing it open.
He learned very quickly that his new attire did make it easier for him to move. He dove to the side just as the force-rifle in the hands of a tall Antogin blasted a hole in the door behind him. Instinctively, Jadis reached for his own pulse-pistol and found air. Once again, he cursed Betta, diving behind a couch. Another blast scorched a hole in the wall where he’d stood seconds ago.
Throwing the food that lined the buffet at the Antogin, it slowed for a moment and he had time to duck behind the sofa. “Can we talk about why you hate me so much?” Jadis called from his huddled position.
“Kill him!” That thought was loud and clear. His head ached with the pain that seared through his skull at the command.
At exiting the Blue Tavern, Teena helped steady Betta. “Turn around.”
Even though Teena was following her order, Betta felt that Teena was enjoying herself a little too much. Turning her backside to Teena, she attempted to ignore the personal security team that followed a few feet behind. Betta was certain that another attack was imminent, especially since the culprit that activated the virus was still onboard and the vessel that sent the long-range missiles was still unaccounted for. Another attack could be imminent.
The needle that entered her right buttock was sharp and angry, filling her with all of its rage as it tore into her flesh. The injection came next and, within seconds of standing upright, the fog in her head lifted. The rumbling in her belly even ceased, and she was happy for the release. It was never part of her plan to get sick. Just getting drunk and slipping under Jadis’s defenses enough to tag him was all that she hoped. More than a little embarrassed, she raked the back of her hand across her face.
Teena handed her a wet wipe from her utility belt.
Betta was feeling better, but the thought of another Polaris Sunset made her shudder. An electric cart arrived. Betta and Teena climbed aboard and the five other figures a few paces back found their own carts. They were underway seconds later.