Cath

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

“I long since gave up the idea of having muscles. My suit practically keeps me from falling to pieces.” Light warbled wistfully. “When I have to exercise, my suit just vibrates like crazy on the inside. Gets everything activated, and then I can feel exactly how old I am!” He turned it on again to demonstrate. The suit spasmed in all directions with a faint hum.

“It's particularly uncomfortable in this model. Reminds me of when that aid-stealing gangbanger tried to shake me down in that tavern on Gwurulch while you were off doing Abyss knows what.” He pointed to Senjen. “Her suit malfunctioned and it looked like she was dancing! Hilarious!” He enacted what might be the Human equivalent of bending double with laughter and slapping his ‘knees’. He then reached out and lightly felt for Jess’ face to see if she was laughing or not.

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

Light was splayed out in the middle of the command deck, tentacles stretching to click buttons, plug cables into ports and adjust control consoles when Jess entered.

“Tower this is callsign FGC-Five-Two requesting permission to launch.” He turned to her. “What? Oh yeah, knock yourself out.” He turned his attention back to his preparation work.

“FGC-Five-Two you are clear, good hunting.” Came the response.

“Alright, lets get this show on the road.” Light purred, firing the engines. The familiar roar reverberated through the cave interior, accompanied by vibrations that dislodged items from their flimsy mounts in the cockpit.

Light deftly lifted them up and out into traffic, punching it for orbit. Once they were in the jump lanes, he checked Jess’ co-ordinates before dialling in a hyperspace jump.

“Lets see what riches we can find, eh?” He giggled, slapping Jess’s shoulder.

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

It was strange to see a QV suit go so still. Normally, they rippled and bulged whether the occupant was asleep or awake, alive or dead. But Light’s desert red shell flattened to a near-perfect ellipsoid as he studied Jess.

“A game? Please don’t mistake my levity for frivolity. This ship survived its crew being infected by a flesh-eating bacteria and literally trying to dig their way out into space. It has debris from no less than three Revenue cutter wrecks embedded in the hull. It's a serious piece of machinery, for serious people. Now can we get set for launch?”

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

Light made a high pitched *weeeooooo* noise and took an appreciative look around the rockclad halls of his ship. “Who needs weapons and…lateral movement when you’ve got all this, huh? No offense, but my ship will work just fine.” He patted the closest wall.

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

“That is common. We’d advise easing into your new abilities, for the safety of those around you. By all means, use the facilities in this showroom. And rest assured - an armed courier will get your old body to the next stage in its lifecycle. Thank you for choosing Myrmidon; I look forward to hearing from you soon.” Ferrow bowed, indicating they were done talking.

“We could go to the park instead? Its on the way back, maybe we could eat before preparing for…you know…our journey.” Light offered.

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

Light tethered his old suit to the back of his Myrmidon rental for the journey back to the showroom - he couldn’t bear to slip out of it just yet. Once they were both ready, he bounced along like two marbles beside Senjen.

While his friend was signing on the dotted line, Light let himself be led to the QV area with Symphony-From-Stars-Eternal-Lasting.

“I had a great time last night. Sorry it was cut short.” She said once small talk was concluded.

“Me too. Sorry about all the wine.” Light looked bashful.

“So, what did you think?” She asked, colours screaming intrigue.

“It’s…amazing. I feel young again!”

“And yet…You won’t get one for yourself.” She concluded, reading him like a book.

“Its not that I don’t want to. Last night you made an old hand feel positive about life for the first time in a while. Its just a…bad time. I have work lined up soon though. If it goes well, who knows? I might have enough money to buy one without a loan!”

“Oh? Wow, that’s great. What will you be doing?” She floated close to him. Light paused, looking back to Senjen across the room as he got up to begin the transfer.

---

“Look at this tough guy!” Light exclaimed upon seeing the droid. He was clad in his old suit again. “Good luck, I’ll be here.”

He loomed over Senjen’s new body, gasping dramatically when he began to move.

“He’s alive! Senjen, can you hear me? How many phalanges am i holding up?” When he didn't answer immediately, Light slapped him hard around the face like QV did innocently to each other in a medical setting.

“Its customary to mark a fresh suit. Avoids bad luck, so they say. Would you like to do the honours?” Ferrow asked Light, proffering a wallet of temporary marker pens.

Light delicately sketched a pictogram of his name on Senjen’s upper arm. A pitch black horizontal rectangle at the bottom. A deep blue square pressed above it with three small curved lines packed together in the middle. Into the abyss in search of light.

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

Ordinarily, Ruk would have picked this flimsy evasion apart with a series if incisive questions coupled with her signature unblinking stare. But today she had other things on her mind, like trying not to throw up again.

“Oh, groovy. So are you having a joint funeral, separate or what? My calendar is looking pretty full, you know.” She tried to laugh but ended up with a hacking cough.

“I don’t know, something about debriefing with a field team from the middle of nowhere.”

“That sounds….Yeah. Good luck” Light trailed off, distracted by a return notice served by his suit.

“I’m going to change, then we should get a move on. Lots to do, money to make.” He extricated himself from the lawn chair and sloshed up the ramp to his quarters to prepare.

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

Light bobbed wisely. “Rather you than me. This new suit is great, I just…can’t part with that much money right now.”

Ruk grabbed the jug of water and poured the entire thing in and around her mouth with one swift motion. When Senjen left to go look inside, she pulled a compact syringe gun from her knapsack along with a shot of yellow gel. Shaking lightly, she loaded it up and pushed the contents into her arm. Light looked on curiously.

“Ah, yeah. That’s good.” She sniffed, smoothing down feathers as Senjen reemerged with more water for cleaning.

“So what’s the job?” She asked, sitting patiently as the Utaysi fussed about her.

“Again, we uh…we probably shouldn’t say.” Light countered tentatively.

“Come on! Put me out of my misery.” Ruk let loose a hoarse chuckle.

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

The plate of food entered Light’s suit with a satisfying *blump*. He devoured it in seconds, spitting the plate back out for Senjen to catch.

Normally he’d be delighted to have his hide scratched, but last night’s imbibement had left him with a touch of ‘hangxiety’ that made the prospect unpalatable.

He changed the subject. “I should return this suit. What are you thinking about a new suit for yourself?”

“Oh no. Work are calling me.” Ruk said, before throwing eggs back up onto the concrete underfoot.

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

Light awoke to the distant twang of string instruments. A floating weed adorned with detritus from the docking pan rustled underneath him.

Underneath him? Oh right. He was curled up on a lawn chair that creaked under his weight. The spiky branches poked through slats in the seat.
Smacking his chops together, he realised he was starving hungry and that he could smell kedgeree. He sat up.

Ruk sat stretched over the other lawn chair, snoring with beak wide open. She seemed to wake herself up with a start.

“I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus.” She moaned.

In front of them the dockyard was waking up; tenants went about their business without paying them any mind. Behind them yawned the cargo doors to his ship, from which Senjen was now speaking.

“I feel fine.” Light said, surprised.

“Must be this fancy suit. You didn't have to make us breakfast.”

“Yes he did. Gimme.” Ruk reached out without opening her eyes, feeling the air as if expecting to find food there.