The aircraft was touching down and the twin turbojets sent a massive wash whipping around the fuselage that immediately assaulted its passengers with a blast of kicked up sand once the door slid open. In preparation, Hazard had donned his bright colored helmet to make use of its drop-down ballistic visor. His pack was already strapped to his back, plasma gun replaced to hang by his hip.
Devin and Annika fared a little better once they pulled up the goggles and scarves of their desert gear. Hazard gestured them forth, Annika pushing forward, followed by Devin, then he jumped down himself. The trio rushed out of the buffeting jet wash and the ensuing dust devil that roiled around the vectored thrust. A few meters from the aircraft, the gusts had lessened and Hazard looked back to watch the vehicle take back to the blue skies in a wide arc, turning back to New Powys.
Hazard and his two charges were set down on the edge of a plateau looking over a vast wasteland to the east. It was mostly sand dunes, but crags still jutted out from the sands, some raising the desert ground only to give way to cliff faces and even chasms. The scorching hot landscape radiated heat though his boots, the noon sun beating down from above. Hazard had the cooling system in his armor to thank for some comfort in the situation, because he was aware just how long they would be trekking through the exhausting landscape ahead of them.
Without a word spoken, the trio began to move, venturing upon more gradual footing that would safely descend the plateau. Bodies weighed down with heavy rucks, their boots slammed hard into the rocky earth to keep their footing on the raised surfaces while dodging fissures that could catch a foot. A trip or a slip would lead to a fall that would topple them over the eroded path down to the ground thirty meters below.
Time passed few quickly in silence as the trio leveled out on the sands and continued to march eastward. Devin and Annika had left their masks on, but had to remove them as the heat started to get to them. Long sleeves and long legged trousers were taking their toll as sweat already began to mat the fringes of their hair.
Devin breathed heavily as he pulled out the translucent cube he had been playing music from on the flight over. Lights flashed from it and he read a digital display that materialized on its surface.
"Damn it. Today's weather: hot and sunny. The rest of the week is, you guessed it, hot and sunny." He spoke in a mocking impersonation of a weatherman. "Average temperature is three-hundred-twenty-one degrees Kelvin. In other words: fucking hot."
Hazard suddenly heard a buzzing and electronic chirping, even felt it as if it was coming from his head. Which it was, he realized. Annika and Devin were aware of something else as their earpiece radios gave off electronic rings.
"We have a call coming in from Sharp Edge," said Devin.
"Good day, wastelanders," a nonchalant, male voice greeted Hazard in his mind, not with the greatest of clarity, but he was impressed nonetheless. "This is Sharp Edge Control, requesting an update on the expedition progress."
Hazard had yet to be informed on how to reply, so Devin was the one to follow up. Unlike Hazard however, he and Annika were listening in on earpiece.
"Copy that control. We confirm our coordinates in Cortez Desert sector at latitude North forty-two degrees and twenty-six minutes, West one-five-one degrees and fifteen minutes, putting us a good fifteen clicks away from our destination. I estimate out arrival in two hours, two and a half tops. But if control feels like activating our nanotech mods, I think we can shave off an hour, an hour and a half. What do you say?"
"That's affirmative, Mr. Bennings," the operator said, somewhat mocking. "An essential part of this expedition is a practical test of your mods and their effects on the human body while under strenuous activity and function in adverse conditions. This transmission marks their activation to your contextual commands. Though keep in mind that from the moment you start using your mods we begin to receive the data Sharp Edge wants, so it's best if you to concentrate on your research into the varangel lizards and carkians. Just let the data accumulate passively."
"Don't forget about Miss Staley's botanical research into Vegas' desert flora," Devin smiled as he chided the operator, trying to divert the responsibility elsewhere.
"Of course we haven't forgotten. And while we're ahead, Annika, Sharp Edge personnel want to apologize that the conditions in which we've placed you do not accommodate the full range of utilities attributed to your mod. After all, we are aware of your varsity swim team record. Research in one of Vegas' aquatic sectors would have felt closer to home, more fulfilling, don't you think?
"Maybe next time," Annika giggled at the operator's sincere consideration. At the tone of conversation he heard, Hazard would venture a guess that they actually knew the man speaking on the other side of the transmission.
"And Haze, the comm link is functioning normally; pinging was immediate and pinpoint accurate, all connections are good which means there is no rejection, no immediate tissue buildup. Physician Dr. Zhou has given us the 'go' on activating the visual enhancements. We are engaging it now. You might be feeling an electrical pain behind your eyes, which is normal when the bioelectric load is ramped up."
That was an understatement that came too late. Lights flashed in Hazard's field of view, a sharp pain running through the back of his head to his eyes like a railroad spike driven in by a hammerblow. It hurt so bad that it made Hazard stagger and his vision flash red. Hazard managed to handle it quite well and did not cry out, but his pain must have been obvious as Annika and Devin turned to approach him with concern when they saw him sway unsteadily on his feet from the sensations. He waved them off to confirm that he was alright.
"Our military-type has upgrades of his own?" asked Devin, feigning incredulity. "Do share the details, control."
"It's a neural telecommunications implant, to say the least. The basics of the engineering is microreceiver exostructure in the the sulci of the the brain with an endostructure of mechano-carbon threads woven around the surrounding axons for packet routing. That's all I can really say about that. Anything further on the CommLink or his vision enhancement is classified and not disclosable at this time."
Devin scoffed the the rebuke. "So your clearance outranks ours?"
"It does, but not when it comes to your augmented systems. That falls to your physician. Which brings me back to you, Haze. The Doc might have mentioned that your implant does not have an output source. That, however, can be accomplished with the transmitters built into your helmet that we have routed to your CommLink. The headset is disabled, but the extendible mic under the left cheek is still operational. Use it to communicate with Sharp Edge if the need arises."
"Wow, what a stretch. A glorified replacement for a satellite radio." Devin tapped his own for emphasis. "I have a feeling that our Vegas Trooper just might be the third wheel on our bike."
"As simple as it might seem, Haze's mod is top of the line, right off the R&D prototype shelves. Sorry Agent, you won't be seeing any upgrades. Devin, you on the other hand are only level one on your leg enhancement." The operator laid him low on the practicality of their individual mods. "And you should not worry about Agent Hazard slowing you down. He's fully capable of carrying his own weight and more. What you should do is take it easy out in Cortez and conserve your energy so he won't have to carry your weight as well."
Devin chuckled. "Don't worry about it. Hey, put in a good word with the Doc to send for an upgrade canister, will you?"
"I'm sure that if this expedition goes well, the good doctor would be very much obliged."
"Thanks, control," said Devin, "and I promise to go easy on the grunt."
"Much appreciated," the operator replied. "Stay safe, you three. Until next time, this is Sharp Edge control signing off."
The line went quiet and Hazard's mind got the chance to clear itself and his vision finally stopped swimming around and focus. He resolved to get used to such a direct form of what was essentially telepathy. Dealing with psychics definitely felt more ... natural, in a way. This was, however, less unsettling to him.
"Are you okay, Haze?" Annika walked up to Hazard again, "If this is the first time working with augmentations, it really can drain your energy. Maybe you should down a meal? A candy bar?"
Hazard shook his head. He tightened the strap holding his plasma gun to his hip and hefted his ruck to reset the weight on his back, ready to double time it with the both of his charges.
Devin gave a wry smile. "I still say you got the raw deal. I mean, you could be packing their Combat Arms enhancement."
With that over, the trio continued forward, only faster this time. The dune they were ascending was probably impeding their speed, but Hazard was sure that whatever enhancements the Annika and Devin had they would become apparent once they would crest the incline. At this moment it time he had the initiative and chose to. . . . . . . . . .
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