Steal the Demon: A Science-Fiction Novella by Robert Roth (comprehension books .TXT) 📗

she couldn’t imagine. And it wasn’t like she hadn’t already tried the legitimate route. The Confederation hadn’t revoked her license, after all, and she’d applied for every pilot position she found on the job board. A mind-numbingly boring gig like piloting a ferry between Motherlode and the Ceres Orbitals would’ve been something, at least for a while. But she couldn’t even get hired for that. Not even the small-time, indie outfits would touch her. And it was far too late in the game to go full legit and pilot for the Confederation directly. Their pilots almost exclusively came right out of the CDF or the CSG. She definitely didn’t have the background for that.

She explored the retail concourse for a while before she finally spotted the Practical Utility shop. It was easy to miss among the cacophony of retail noise and visuals that assaulted shoppers. The shop’s exterior looked understated but expensive, eschewing the flashy holographics and sound-field broadcasts favored by its neighbors. Instead, it was artfully distressed in a muted palette that supposedly told potential shoppers the items inside were once-in-a-lifetime purchases that would last for as long as you needed them to. Kenji would’ve described stuff like that as heirloom quality–as in the kind of things you passed on to your descendants–and he would’ve hated the style. There was no flash.

Kimiko loved it, though. She’d always preferred substance over style, and often dreamed of having the creds to shop in places like that. The first thing she noticed as she walked into the shop was the smell. It had the scent of a brand new flight suit, or maybe the inside of a brand new cockpit, and instantly made her feel at home. Undoubtedly, the aroma had been meticulously crafted and refined to achieve that effect on her. The side walls were each lined with holo-displays showing the different flight and utility suits on offer. But the rotating display in the center of the small show floor was what caught her eye. She immediately recognized the new Kuījiǎ Adventure flight suit and helmet combo. Demonstrating the latest advancements in nano-tech, the suit was a sleek, black, body-hugging little number that managed top ratings as an enviro-suit on top of its standard body armor and defensive capabilities, as the company name implied.

“It’s rather striking, isn’t it?” asked the sales clerk, who’d managed to sneak up on her while she’d been gawking.

She glanced at them, then nodded. “It’s very nice, yeah. I’m looking for Marek?”

“Mx. Yanaka,” they replied. “Of course. Then you’re here to pick up your order? I trust everything will be to your liking. If you follow me, we can step back to the fitting area and make any last-minute adjustments.”

She was confused. “Adjustments?”

The clerk looked mildly embarrassed. “Gear such as this is custom programmed and fitted to the individual wearer, of course. The Kuījiǎ suit you ordered was made to the specifications your agent provided, so I imagine any adjustments will be minimal.”

They must’ve meant Paradox, of course. After he’d somehow divined her intent when she asked him to meet her here, he must also have planned for the new suit in advance, placing an order for something with her specs. She could hardly imagine where he’d managed to dig those up. It was hard for her not to feel a little coerced, but he was at least steering her into better gear and, hopefully, a new ship. Still, with the ticket to Davida, the Al-Zamani plans, the QED node, and the brand new, custom flight suit he was providing, she was definitely racking up the giri, like it or not. “Of course, my agent mentioned as much to me. Let’s try it on.”

The clerk led her to the back of the store, then through a subtly hidden hatch into a small, well-lit, mirrored, fitting room. Inside, hanging on a rack, was a limp, black, one-piece bodysuit along with a specialized chest harness and collar ring. “Here you are, Mx. Yanaka. Go ahead and try everything on. If you need any assistance, just ask the system to page me. And when you’re ready, let the system know to scan you for any adjustments you may need.”

She smiled but didn’t even look at them. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the flight suit. “I will. Thank you.”

The clerk closed the door behind her, leaving her alone. Looking over the suit, she marveled at the simplicity of the garment that hung before her, knowing the technological wonders hidden within it. While it didn’t look like much on the surface, it was light years ahead of the flight suit and jacket she usually wore.

After quickly stripping down to her undergear, she pulled the bodysuit from the rack and put it on, which involved stepping in through the neck hole. The suit accommodated her, stretching where necessary until she squeezed her legs in and could pull it up over her chest. The whole thing hugged her body like a second skin, and was lined with a material that felt so comfortable it was almost decadent. Next came the harness, which she slipped over her shoulders, then hooked together into a substantial clasp that sat just underneath her breasts. Then she wrapped the narrow collar ring around her neck and snapped it closed. Checking herself in the mirror, she saw only the tight, black bodysuit and slightly bulkier harness, and felt a little silly. But she knew the magic had yet to happen.

A small blue light was flashing in the center of the harness clasp. Kimiko reached up and pressed it, then felt a connection request between the suit and her P/N-interface. She accepted it, and a new menu blossomed to life at the edge of her vision. The suit menu. She selected Activate.

Inky blackness quickly spread from the harness, flowing out toward her hands and down toward her feet until it covered her completely. After just a few moments, it took the shape of the flight suit she’d seen in