Page 10 of Jump or Fall
“I have a suit that I use for testing. I want you to install the panels in my gauntlets as well.”
His face broke into a crooked smile. “Welcome to the resistance.”
Chapter 4
Mara
Work the following day was back to normal—no drop-ins from asshole nephews and no unexpected visits from Dawson. Her head still throbbed where she’d hit the floor; drinking hadn’t been the smartest choice after that.
Learning the cameras in her apartment building were fake had been unsettling, but the revelation that Dawson’s erratic schedule was intentional was even worse.
Years ago, she had asked him to let her know when to expect him, so that she could be prepared. The look he’d given her in response had made her think he might kill her on the spot.
“Are you hiding something from me, doll?”
The memory made her stomach twist. She shoved it into the dark corner of her mind where everything about him belonged and refocused on Gordon’s suit.
He had sent the modified enforcer suit specs to her secret tablet and also provided his measurements. But the next steps were tricky.
The stolen suit was in relatively good condition, but a few pieces were too small for him and he needed a custom Araflex layer. As Master Tailor, she had full access to the Armory, but she still needed to account for the excess use of materials and find a way to forge the inventory.
Purchasing them was out of the question. Dawson would see the history and know she’d bought pieces too big for herself.
At least, she already had a suit designated for testing, so she wouldn’t need to account for two suits’ worth of materials. It wasn’t uncommon for her to bring it home for after-hours work, so no one would question her walking out with a carrier.
Mara spun in her chair, trying to drum up ideas for her inventory problem. Maybe Gordon would have an idea. If he could get around biometrics, maybe he could forge numbers.
Getting nowhere, she decided to work on Jasper the Dickhead’s suit.
Inside the vault, she approached the roll of standard Araflex, selected the required amount, and watched as the sheet unrolled. Once cut, she prompted the system to dispense additional fabric for Gordon’s underlayer then discreetly stowed the excess under a cabinet.
Extra fabric was sometimes necessary, after all.
Moving to the storage section, she studied the inventory screens, noting a small hole at the back. She stood at an angle to block the camera and snapped a few photos before selecting the remaining items for Jasper’s suit.
Mara carried the materials to one of the joiners, a glass box big enough to fit the largest possible suit. Placing the Araflex in the holder, she let the robotic arms take over.
After sealing the joiner, she tapped the screen to cut and place the connectors into the Araflex. The flexible fabric was versatile, stiffening to provide augmented strength and protection from blades. The connectors were clips that held the ceramic plates in place and completed the link between the separate pieces.
She loved watching it work and inhaling the unique acrid scent created from fusing. It probably wasn’t good for her health, but nothing about her life was. Crafting armor was like water to her, a necessity.
With the connectors in place, she directed the joiner to hook up the plates and then ran diagnostics to ensure everything functioned properly.
Once the suit was complete, she removed it from the joiner and placed it in the fitting room closet, tagging it with Jasper’s name and a color-coded marker indicating it was a first draft. Enforcer suits rarely required revisions—there was nothing for the wearer to be picky about besides fit.
The thought of working with him during the fitting made her feel ill all over again.
She called Asher into her office.
Her apprentice was probably nineteen or twenty—about the age she had been when she started at Hyperion. Back then, Geller had been the Master Tailor, an old-fashioned man who preferred soft armor over advanced plate suits.
He’d probably have another heart attack if he could see the synth-minds at work.
Asher appeared in the doorway, tablet in hand. His short, curly brown hair framed a thin, freckled face.
“Yes, Mara?”
“I’d like you to complete the remainder of Jasper’s fittings. Will that be an issue?”
