"I’m not rightly sure where he is," Tinker said. "He spent time with the Knights for a while but one day, he picked his mech up and was gone, out into the Wastelands. He’s likely dead since I haven't heard nor seen sign of him for the last ten years, give or take."
"I'll drink to the crazy bastard," Armstrong7 said, raised his cup, and downed what was left in it. She took another sip and focused on the burn to quell her emotions.
A short silence followed and desperate to fill it and distract herself from the rampant thoughts that bubbled below the surface, Jessica13 looked at the corner of the hangar where Hammerhand sat on the boot of his mech and toyed with something in his hands.
"Think we should get him a drink too?" she asked, her voice a little rough but easy enough to blame on the alcohol.
"Leave him be, little one," Tinker replied and placed a hand on her shoulder. "He needs him some time to think before we head out."
She nodded and glanced at the other side of the hangar, where a group of security guards entered, escorting what looked like the parts they needed.
"I guess that's our answer," Armstrong7 said with a chuckle. "You can take those to the other bunker and help them get started again in exchange for the pieces you offered."
Hammerhand stood quickly and strode to where they finished the last of their drinks. He took Armstrong7's hand and shook his firmly. They cut a fine figure, the two of them, and she wondered what things would be like if they ever fought side by side.
"Your help in this will not be forgotten, my friend," the Knights’ leader said softly.
The CO nodded firmly. "You know, the parts you're selling to us are worth a little more than what you're getting in return. I won't tell the admins, but if you need anything from us, you only need to say so."
"We have what we need as provided by God and Outside, friend," Hammerhand replied with a smile.
Jessica13 raised a hand and stepped forward. "Ah…excuse me?"
The two men turned to her.
"Was there something you wanted?" Hammerhand asked. He seemed a little confused but not disapproving.
"If you would like to stay with us, you'll always have a place here at Sanctuary, Jessie," Armstrong7 said, which she hadn’t expected at all. "I spoke to the admins about you, and they said that you would be welcomed with open arms. We would need you here, though. No more foolish runs Outside."
"You'll also have a place with the Knights," Hammerhand countered. "Tinker might not be the mechanic he once was, although he is still the best. You could do worse than learn the craft at his hand. You won't be as safe as you are here, of course."
"Your choice," Armstrong7 said and gave the other man a glance tinged with annoyance.
The thought of staying did appeal to a small part of her, but after what she’d heard and seen in this visit, she knew that was impossible. Her old CO seemed to want her back, but her suspicions wouldn’t subside. What was to stop him placing her under arrest when the Knights left? Maybe he did want her to stay and work with them, but it was unlikely that those in control would be willing to forgive and forget. He might not have the power to override their decisions.
Aside from that, she couldn't help but wonder what life had waiting for her out there. It was in her blood, as they had said, and as she looked at Mini who attempted to assist the bulletfoot to apply the paint, she couldn't help a small smile.
"I'm sorry, Armstrong7," she said. "But I need to go with the Knights. I can't explain it but I feel like I need to be Outside now."
The man chuckled and nodded. "I can't say I'm not disappointed, but I'm not surprised either. You could do worse than a group like the Knights Mechanica."
"I know," Jessica13 replied. "But, if I could, there is one thing I'd like to take as a memory of Sanctuary."
"Anything," he replied, then paused. "You know, within reason."
She looked around to the pile that had once been hers and located a sheet of light metal scrawled with faint red lettering. Live Free or Die Hard.
"I think I need a little more armor on the chest plate," she said and picked the sheet up.
"It's yours," Armstrong7 replied, although he looked a little confused as she headed to where Mini was still engaged with the frustrated bulletfoot. The CO glanced at Hammerhand. "She always was an odd one."
"Agreed," Hammerhand replied. "She has her father's spirit, though. And that'll take her anywhere she wants to go in the world."
Chapter Twenty
Jessica13 sighed, pulled herself up a little in the cockpit, and held herself firmly in place when Mini took control of the mech. It was slow work to climb the hill that might as well have been a dune given the sandy soil that covered it. The sun beat relentlessly on her back as it slid toward the west and she sweltered unbearably in the tight space. Not for the first time, she wished her precipitous escape from Sanctuary had been after she’d upgraded the cooling system, not before.
Sweat made her flight suit cling uncomfortably and the heat made the smell of used grease around her impossible to tolerate, even though it would have been easy to ignore under any other circumstance.
Despite her increasing discomfort, she still needed to stay focused on the task at hand and remain as close to the ground as possible so she wouldn’t sky-line herself at the top.
Thankfully, this wasn’t all that difficult to accomplish. There weren't many mechs that were able
