Chapter Ten #2
I hope the Airbase side gets them today too. Donna says the ROTC from the high school are like Prospects for her. I don’t know if they do dishes, but they’ll love it if they do.
Cline sticks his head in then leans out again. I smile when Pres and Hud come in.
Asa is almost finished. My eyes bounce back to Hud and his intense stare. I’ve learned that it’s his normal look but those gray eyes are like silver or winter ice on a lake.
“I’m going to Alpha but will be back this afternoon. They’re sending a chopper and Tats will pick Alder up from there.” The hunky guy says.
I nod checking on my little VP. “I’ll see you when you get back. I saw your vet group friend in the dining room.”
He steps to the side so I have a clear view of Asa and Alder. “Mario starts here on Monday. He’s doing Flight Op Control.”
“That’s great. I’m glad he’ll be closer.” My eyes bounce to his then around the room.
Alder comes running our way. “Boss Hud, I go to Alpha.”
Hud bends for him while I watch the room. “Yeah, I just got it. Tats will pick you up there. I’ll get a ride back.”
“I finish. Ten-minute to chopper. Prometheus my K9 today. We meet at chopper pad one.” Alder runs back to Natalia.
Hud is smiling when he stands. “He’s older than me and still seven.”
I nod taking his hand. “Be safe.”
He smirks and I love to see amusement in there. “My Charlie’s Angel will find me.”
I push him away. “The whole mystery Angel thing is cute but I don’t know Charlie.”
He laughs. “Hud’s Angel doesn’t have the same ring. I’ll be back, beautiful Sophia.”
That’s one I love.
I watch him walk out behind Alder. I hope Havoc is outside the door, that was less than ten minutes.
Asa lays on his belly and slides off the table. I’m there before his feet hit the floor.
“Alpha-Bits to high.” He’s not a happy little VP.
I nod. “I got it from Mase earlier. Alpha-Bit Officers only leave if it’s necessary. All other Alpha-Bits are locked down to Clubs or ABSZ.”
He stomps his little foot. “I no time to this. Robot go to all Club next three week. Pres Alder say I virtual meet maintenance class. Prospect need hand-hold same to baby.”
I bite my tongue while nodding, then bend.
“Look at the Prospect.” I point and he’s over with the dish bot thing.
“I sent him the tutorial link in the chat and he’s already on the dish one.
Find the Prospect head or trainer and do it once per Club.
They’ll figure it out or ask a Bit in the Club for help. ”
“Yeah. You do camera. Boss Natalia have virtual room, we make robot tutor instruction to all Prospect trainer.”
I guess my day is camera man for the little VP. It could be worse.
§*§*§
Alpha Rising
Hud
The Club has an eight-foot wall around it with sensors at the corners that move when someone gets too close to the wall on the outside. They strike me as robot snipers as we walk to the lab that’s right behind the office building.
This Club has the original MC Badass Club attached on the other side of the newer building.
The Lead Protector, Clay, said it’s restored using pegs and the red dirt that’s common to the area.
They went out and dug it up to chink the side that’s not connected to the new building.
Using the old ways and materials got the Club back on the National Register of Historic Places.
It looks like it’s historical but choppers come and go and the building doesn’t sway or even seem to notice.
The Lab is deceiving when you walk in. It seems bigger than it looks from the chopper but the center has lifts so workstations raise up.
I guess for whatever Salaita’s ol’ lady is working on.
The woman is small with a big presence. I watch the little word game she plays with Alder about work that she has stacking up.
Her Lead, Peggy, is the same woman from the ship. I nod to her at the wall and back up so I’m in line with her and the K9’s.
“They do the game every time he shows,” she says softly.
I nod putting the gear box I was given at the chopper down. “Supposed to pick up my foot.”
She nods. “She was working on it or a foot. This is as close as I go in here.”
I nod and watch the smile Stella is wearing grow. She loves the little Pres. “Let me see them, Hud.”
It’s got to be in the gearbox. I lift it and bring it to them.
LP points to a low table. “My station.”
I walk five steps and put it on his station. He doesn’t need a stool to open it. I step back and almost laugh.
There are two tiny skeleton brace things. They go back and forth before I realize he made them for the babies so she doesn’t need walkers that take up space in her house or the daycare.
Moving back to the wall by the door I don’t get to hear the rest.
“Who got hurt?” Peggy asks in a whisper.
“No one. It’s for her boys instead of a walker. When they’re walking on their own, she can give one to Pres Aylen.” I keep my voice low.
She slaps a hand across her mouth before the laugh comes out. I look at my feet.
A few minutes go by and LP is running my way. “Doc Bean come five-minute.”
I nod but don’t get why he’s telling me. “Okay but why?”
He looks at me for a beat. “You robotic. All waterproof.”
Okay. “The doctor is bringing it to me?”
The LP looks like he’s annoyed with my question that is stopping him from seeing babies walk. “I go to see babies. Doc Bean come fit robotic, mark line to you leg.”
I nod. “The K9 is with you?”
“Daycare next door. Prometheus follow me.”
I look out the back door and see the one room building made of glass with kids and little Alpha-Bits in it.
When they all go out the back door, I watch until they’re in the next building or hut or whatever it is. Stella talks then all the women are laughing.
I hear the door and turn. “Doc Beans?”
He nods. “Bean. You’re Hud, you need your feet and Stella left them on her bench.” He turns around scanning the tables and points up. “This is the Bits station. Hers must be up there.”
I watch as he walks a few feet away and grabs a dark purple cable hanging from the ceiling and pushes the green button.
The low table lowers while high one comes down.
It’s not that high but looks as if it is.
The dark blue under it matches the wood planks of the real ceiling.
Four wooden pillars move down into a basement at the corners of the new station.
I look at Bean who is watching my reaction. “They’re not support structures?”
He smiles. “Wood around pistons. She has them lowering so they’re not in her way. This is the one she works on the most.”
I look at the tool boxes and what’s on the table. “I thought she was a doctor?”
“Stella is everything. She’d pass to be licensed but she doesn’t want to. She said I’m marking the bands where the line on your leg is if they respond right.”
I nod and walk onto the new station floor.
It’s the same as the other one but has grinders in different sizes on the wall, an acetylene tank and the normal welder gear, a vise on the table and Craftsman toolboxes that I bet are full, lined up behind the table.
I guess she is everything. I smile seeing two feet and the blue bands already attached. I’ll have a spare.
“She said they’re the same but completely waterproof. They’ll work the same as the one you had. I don’t know why that was said.”
I nod taking the foot out of his hand. “The attachments work different. The brace for the shower doesn’t need all muscle movement, it’s just to hold me up.”
He nods with a smile as he looks at the other foot. “What are the other attachments?”
“Spring that’s not the regulation thing I got; it’s for running but I can run in the robotic.
It’s lighter but looks weird. The flipper so I can swim.
It started as therapy but I enjoy it. This web is new.
I’m glad I got two.” I point to the arm and hand on the side of the table that’s a web like my new feet but it’s silver.
My shin and foot are black powder coated and brushed silver. “That’s flashy for me.”
He looks and smiles. “She’s unbelievable with this. A Mass MC Brother has like yours. He said they’re his favorite.”
“Both legs?” I ask.
“Yeah, above the knee but he got his from Mitch Baxter years ago. Her labs still make them for him. There’s a Brother at Colorado MC that goes up to Mass once a year on a circuit rotation. He said the chaos up there is best lived one week a year.”
I laugh and stop my jump shot movements. “I heard similar. I’ve never been but I was in Virginia for a year and spent furloughs there while I was in.”
He nods watching me work my foot in circles from the ankle. “Sawbones told me about you when you showed at Bravo. I worked his medic room for a day.”
I stand and walk in a box step. Badass is so good at covering their Brothers. “Thanks for doing that.” I switch to side to side and nod. “This one is working the same.”
I sit and he marks the band. I test the black one and he marks it. “I’ll find a…she has the box. It’s got your name on it.” He pulls a painted Badass box from the side of the last Craftsman tool box and puts it on the table.
“The shower brace will fit. I bet the other attachments will too.” I look in and smile.
Four rubber covered clamp holders are on the back wall, two on the sides and a square shaped rubber coated drawer pull to hold the spring on top.
The bottom is empty so it can stand up in the closet.
They think of everything if they think of one thing.
I see the retracted cord reel and shake my head.
I can just plug the box in. I bet the open space will be for the one Mucimi is fixing.
“The last box was military, like the K9 gear box. I like this one. It will hold them all without them getting wrecked when I’m moving around. ”
“Aww hell. Congrats Brother. I should have said that first. I met Sophie at the Club. She’s good people. Clay said she works the labs and knows a shit-ton about power.”