“You know, she made it seem a lot more exciting.” Winters commented dully as he activated the irrigation system on Veera’s plot.

‘I don’t see how you could possibly be complaining about something this simple. You didn’t even have to fetch any water today.’ Io retorted.

“Maybe if someone had let me sleep in a bit?” Winters countered pointedly. He had slept better than the previous night, but still not well. He could feel the sleep deficit building slowly but surely. Io had woken him again.

‘I don’t think you should be slipping into bad habits sir. We don’t have that luxury.’ Io appeared on his HUD to hammer the point home. She did look sorry though. Winters relented.

“I can’t stay mad at you for very long, can I? Just let me complain a bit, alright?”

‘I think I’ve had enough of that for one morning, but I suppose a bit more rest would help with these mild changes I’ve seen in your vitals. Shall we just take a nap perhaps? Assuming nothing has changed since last night I believe you and the scrawny one have compiled two days’ worth of food. Perhaps today would be a good time to catch up on rest and to determine if we have further need of the fabricator. The final item of clothing should be complete soon.’

“Sounds like a plan.” Winters said through a yawn, stretching his arms above his head. The day was overcast and cold, though inside his armor all that meant was that there would be less light than normal if he wanted to stretch out for a nap. The thought was all too compelling. Shutting off the water flow, Winters began checking once more for leaks or other structural issues. Satisfied that nothing was out of place, he headed back to his pod. Veering slightly to the right, Winters sat down on the gentle slope leading to the river. His entire body cried for rest and he was in no mood to deny himself. Even if it meant another round of bad dreams, the idea of laying down for a nap instead of spending his time upright in a locked suit of armor was far too appealing. Ensuring his armor was properly fastened, he splayed himself out in the short grass. “I guess wake me in a few hours Io?”

‘Of course sir, going to standby. Proximity sensors will remain powered and active.’

“Oh gods, what…what happened?!” Veera cried as she came upon the body. She couldn’t believe it, didn’t think it was possible, but there was no refuting what she saw before her. Winters was splayed out on the bank of the river, spread eagle, completely unmoving. Rushing to kneel at his side, Veera tried to stop the creeping panic from consuming her. “No…no you can’t die…not you too!” She admonished him with a terrified whisper. “You can’t!” With his armor on, she couldn’t even tell if he was breathing. Unsure what else to do she slammed her fists down on his chestplate and began to cry.

‘Oh this is just too much, even for this pair.’ Io grumbled to herself as she activated Winters’ HUD. ‘C’mon prince charming, rise and shine. Otherwise the princess is going to resort to kissing you.’ Winters had been slowly rising back into consciousness; body feeling refreshed and relaxed after a couple more hours of shut eye. At Io’s words though, his eyes flew open and he beheld the scene before him. He supposed he had to agree that it was all quite dramatic, though he still wasn’t sure exactly what was going on. He brought up his right hand and began scratching Veera behind the ears. Her body went shock still as she gasped and looked up at him. He took his helmet off with his other hand.

“Uh…hey there Veera. Everything alright?” That did it.

“You…you…you bastard!” She yelled hysterically at him. “I thought that you…aaagh!” She leapt up and growled at him. Winters, for his part, was shocked that ear scratches hadn’t been enough to calm her.

“I was just taking a nap Veera. What happened?” He asked with genuine confusion, raising himself into a sitting position.

“I thought you were dead!” She screeched. “You were just lying there not moving a muscle and I…I…oh my gods I don’t think I’ve ever been so embarrassed. Not even when I had to ask for food at the temple!” Veera brought a hand to her face and covered her eyes, wishing to all the gods that she’d just gone out and devoted an entire day to foraging. But no, she just had to check in on the human. Winters took the interlude as a chance to get back on his feet. It was difficult, but he managed not to laugh. Approaching Veera, he began lightly scratching her head again.

“Why are you doing that?!”

“Well, for one, I want you to calm down. I’m fine and it’s nice to know even all the way out here someone would cry for me if I didn’t make it.” He joked.

“You’re a jerk. Don’t even jest about that.” She pouted.

“I have something for you.”

“Not gonna work mister.”

“It’s clothes.” He replied with a self-satisfied grin.

“I just said that wouldn’t work.” Veera had relaxed a bit under his touch and he relented, but she was still making every effort to maintain a disgruntled glare.

“For you.” He finished simply. Veera stared at him, expression changing to one of surprise.

“What?”

“Tell you what, give me an hour or so and I’ll show you what I mean. Figured if I was making some for myself I could make some for you too right?”

“I…you didn’t have to.” Veera was clearly taken aback. Where would he have even gotten material for that? He hasn’t gone hunting yet and I don’t think he’s had any time to trade for them. And how would he even… “How do you know my size?” The accusatory glare was back.

“Io I am not taking the fall for you on this one.” Winters informed the VI as he took a step back, suddenly feeling like he was in very deep water. Io’s shimmering form appeared before them.

‘Oh very well, I suppose it was my doing. Veera, when we measured you for your translator I took a scan of your body. Exterior only, I promise. I have not shared that information with Russell. He ordered me to file it away actually. I figured that the information would be of use to us, or to you if for some reason you were injured.’ Io explained.

“Oh that was good Io, real good.” Winters muttered with a shake of his head.

“I can see right through you Io.” Veera crossed her arms over her chest.

‘Well, it was worth a shot.’ The VI commented with nonchalance. ‘And yes, of course you can. Humanity hasn’t invented solid state projections yet.’

“Oh my gods.” Winters and Veera replied in unison, Winters bringing a hand to his face. Veera began to chuckle though.

“I suppose if it was just you Io then it’s ok, one woman to another right?” She offered an olive branch.

‘That is quite kind of you Veera. I am happy that we can communicate like this now. Hopefully that will prevent this kind of situation from arising again.’

“Do you have anything like that about Russell?” Veera asked with intensity.

‘That and much, much more.’ Io replied with a triumphant smile.

“Ladies, right here!” Winters pointed at himself. “Veera, you just guaranteed I’m not making you any sort of HUD or visor that Io could use.”

“Aww.”

“As for you Io…oh I don’t know why I even bother. Life down here would suck without you two. Just don’t go conspiring behind my back all the time ok?” He raised his hands in defeat.

‘Why would I ever want to do that?’ Io replied with exaggerated innocence.

“I’m so in over my head.” The HEL Jumper just shook his head back and forth. Veera smiled to herself, her mood having improved considerably thanks to Io’s antics. She was now curious again about the garments Winters had mentioned.

“Russell, how did you find material for clothing?” She redirected the conversation.

“Used the grass.” He made a sweeping gesture with his hands.

“You made clothes out of grass?” She asked skeptically.

“In a manner of speaking. Remember when we talked about the periodic table and the elements?”

“Yes.”

“There was a lot of rearranging done at the atomic level. I think you’ll like it. But seriously though, do you think you can give me some privacy for…an hour or so? The under-suit of my armor is pretty good stuff, but there’s no way it doesn’t need to be washed after more than a week of constant use. Not to mention I could probably stand a wash myself.” He blushed. Veera immediately understood.

“Well, I don’t say I envy you, especially without fur.” Winters gave her an arch look. She ignored it and looked to the river, bidding him farewell with a wave. “I’ll be back in a bit then, and thanks for watering the field.”

“Not a problem. See you Veera.”

‘Feeling a bit more entertained now, sir?’

“I’ve had enough for a week, thank you kindly.” Winters informed her, moving back to the pod to review the situation. Everything of his was ready, and he figured his pod was the safest and most secure location for his armor anyway. The harness would also be useful in terms of keeping everything secure when not in use. Placing his helmet safely away, Winters began with his gloves and boots, leaving them open and unlatched to allow some airflow. “Not as bad as I thought it would be.” He observed, pleasantly surprised he wasn’t able to smell anything. He followed with the plating on his upper legs, upper arms, and abdomen, laying those flat on the floor of the pod. Finally, he removed his pauldrons and chestplate, leaning those against the back wall. All in all he was pleased with how little space he required. A cool breeze across his forearms and calves reminded him that he was now just clad in his under-suit, which he determined was in desperate need of a wash. Material science had advanced leaps and bounds since first contact, but eventually every garment became dirty with body oils and the other realities of being alive. At least there was minimal body odor. Small victories right? Shrugging, he grabbed his soap and headed for the river, making a mental note to ask Io if she knew of any alternate formulas that would allow better foaming in cold water.

“Yeah ok that’s…really cold!” Winters hissed through chattering teeth as he waded into the shallows. Remembering his training he focused on his breathing and eventually felt his body become acclimated enough to allow for a quick cleansing. Satisfied that he was mostly clean, he dunked his head once and retreated to the shoreline, drying himself with the small towel he’d created along with his sundries. The synthesized cloth wasn’t as absorbent as the real thing, but it served its purpose. He jogged back to his pod in order to encourage circulation. Once there he dressed himself, rolling his shoulders and shaking out his legs to get a feel for the fit. He replaced his earpiece. “These fit great Io, thank you.”

‘It was my pleasure sir.’

“So, you ready?”

‘Yes sir, I have transferred all primary and secondary functionality to portable hardware. Unfortunately I was only able to bring a limited selection of media with me.’

“I think we’ll both live, yeah? Shall we get you set up?”

‘Yes sir, I’m ready. Entering standby now.’ With Io prepared for a safe transfer, Winters opened the side compartment of his leg armor and removed the relevant hardware. He slipped it into an exterior pocket with ease, ensuring the flap closed tightly.

“Very clever Io, very clever.” He murmured, noticing the pocket was made of a denser and thicker material than the rest of the garment. It was yet another sign of her new self-preservation instincts. Winters performed the same procedure with the external power source, linking it to the wiring embedded in the pants. Finally he connected the whole system to the sensors in his shirt and settled his helmet’s detachable visor over the left side of his face. It was a slim piece of equipment that rested primarily on his ear while hooking around the left eye. It would be a step down from the customary view, but he was certain Io would be able to fit all necessary information and warnings on it. Satisfied that everything was in place, he pressed the activation button on the side of the visor. “Io, talk to me.”

‘Did you miss me sir?’ Her voice reached his ear as she appeared before him with a casual flick of her hair.

“Of course I did.” He laughed. “Everything feels good on my end, not to mention warm. You?”

‘A moment sir, running diagnostics.’ Io simulated a thinking posture, bringing a slim hand to her chin. ‘There are a few inefficiencies in the sensor suite that I will clean up. Nothing major sir, we are in the clear.’ She vanished, presumably to focus all attention on optimization. Shrugging, Winters figured all that was left to do was clean up the pod and wait for Veera’s return. Once all of his armor was safely stowed and the fabricator was shut down to conserve power, he began attaching his various effects to his new clothing. With pistol, knife, canteen and extra ammunition all in place, he eyed his melee weapons.

“Hey Io?”

‘Yes sir, is something amiss?’ She asked.

“Not exactly, no. I was just wondering what I’m supposed to do with my sword. I know the shield can rest here.” He hefted the weapon onto his back and felt it slide into place. It wasn’t as secure as with a mag-lock, but it would hold. That left his blade.

‘Ah, yes. That had occurred to me, but you did seem to enjoy the idea of a quiver on the back of the vest.’

“I still do. So, should I just carry this?”

‘For now sir. That or you could use your pistol and shield in tandem should you encounter a combat situation. Though that does bring up the prospect of running out of ammunition.’

“Exactly.” He affirmed in a worried tone. He supposed he’d just have to make do. Carrying the blade around wasn’t the worst thing in the world, especially if it meant temporary freedom from his armor.

‘I am sorry sir; I was not sure whether you would want to expend the extra time and power to create yet another sheath. The task is not so difficult in practice.’ Io looked a bit downcast on his visor’s display.

“I wouldn’t worry too much Io. I don’t think it’s a big deal in the end. How about we go see if we can get someone in the village to make one? We know they have craftsmen, and it might be useful to form a relationship with someone if we are to start hunting. I don’t know about you, but I don’t trust myself too much with leatherworking. They didn’t exactly spend a lot of time on that in basic.”

‘I have no hands, sir.’ Io replied seriously.

“No, no you do not.” Winters laughed heartily. “Well that settles it then. Maybe we can make a deal with some extra fish or something.”

‘It wouldn’t hurt to try sir.’

“So…I guess for now we just wait for Veera then?”

‘Indeed. I did save that book you were reading sir, would you like to continue with that?’

“That was very considerate of you Io. Thanks. I think I’ll take you up on that offer.” Winters sat against the pod, getting accustomed to the sensations of being outside his armor. He felt the earth give way ever so slightly as he sat, the cold metal of the pod slowly chilling the back of his head, a breeze from the north with an unseasonal cold broke over his face and hands. In his opinion it more than made up for the lack of protection. Just as he had been anxious to exit his pod upon arrival on Mara, he’d become antsy inside his suit after the many days and nights. To simply be without it was a small comfort itself. Reminding himself of what he’d read before, Winters heaved a contented sigh and continued, finding the adjustment to the visor to not be too strenuous. He slowly lost himself to time as the pages flipped by.

Veera had taken a few hours to scour the forest for useful items, not wanting to seem too eager and knowing that Winters would find some use for the time. She’d happened upon a few clusters of herbs and roots that she knew Thantis could make use of in the healing arts. He had given her a small satchel of tea and a written message to Gentia, informing her that Veera could help herself to a few somethings on his behalf from the temple. Veera had protested at first, but Thantis had demurred, insisting that at his advanced age he would soon have to find an apprentice and that training one would require plenty of supplies and herbs. When she finally returned home, Veera added more grain and vegetables to their small but stable food supply. The sight filled her with immense satisfaction, knowing that it wasn’t just thanks to Winters that they were eating better. Buoyed by those emotions, the trek back out to the pod had taken no time at all.

When Veera arrived, Winters appeared to be lost in thought. His head was slightly inclined, but otherwise he was peacefully still. Veera took her momentary advantage to soak in the scene she’d been imagining for almost a cycle now. Oh my gods…that’s him…that’s what he really…oh my gods yes! Veera knew she was behaving like a sixteen year old at her first harvest festival but she didn’t care. The human looked completely different, and yet frighteningly similar. On his feet was a simple pair of black footwear that looked well soled and durable, laced up and tied with some thin strands of material. Above that she noted loose fitting pants that were clearly designed with utility in mind. There were ample pockets and spaces along the waist for his various personal items. Next to him rested his melee weapons, along with a neatly folded vest that seemed just as utilitarian as his pants. As her eyes continued upward, however, she began to feel that coiling sensation again. It wound itself deliciously around her chest and the warmth she’d begun associating with Winters bled through her. I need to get my hands on that. Was her first thought. She allowed the initial infatuation to run its course before looking him over once more. He was wearing a form fitting white garment of some sort that sported his unique armor pattern. She thought it suited him even better this way. It looked impossibly thin for the climate, but she was sure there was some sort of human ‘magic’ involved; not that she was complaining. It left very little in question regarding his physique. Even in his seated position she was able to make out the lines of his forearms and biceps, his broad shoulders and chest, and even the outline of the muscles of his core. The warmth that spread through her began pooling somewhere around her navel as she continued to stare. So this is what lust feels like… He was truly unlike any male she’d ever seen, and she couldn’t deny what that xeno-factor was doing to her. Among the men of her village even the most well defined sported a hairy coat. There was no fur to dull or smooth the hard edges of Winters’ figure. Very little was left to her imagination. He might as well have been made of stone. Of the ever growing list of ‘un-Cauthan’ traits that Winters possessed, this had to be at the top. Unfortunately for her, observation time came to an end as Winters noticed her presence and waved with a subtle flick of his wrist. With a quick shake of her head she realized what exactly she’d been doing and thinking; then remembered that night, his tears, the recording, the pins and needles, the cool armor under her body…Get a hold of yourself Veera! She admonished herself with another shake, willing her legs to walk forward. He smiled at her as she stopped just short of him.

“Does this answer your question?” He asked with a knowing wink. It wasn’t too difficult to discern what the look on Veera’s face meant. Even with everything that had happened to him, there was no way he wasn’t going to feel good about causing that sort of reaction. Veera gulped.

“Uh…yes Russell, quite substantially in fact.” She couldn’t help the waving of her crown plumage that accompanied her reply. He smiled at her and took half a step closer.

“What, all this time and you’re just going to stand there?” He inquired.

‘Oh you are a cruel, cruel man.’ Io drawled. ‘Your scrawny girl is speechless.’ Indeed, Veera had remained silent, seemingly at war with herself. The battle was lost quickly.

“I think…I think I’ve wanted to do this from the moment I met you.” She whispered, bringing her right hand up to his chest and placing it over his beating heart. The humor in Winters’ eyes was immediately dispelled by her words. She looked up at him and hummed as the muscle thrummed rhythmically beneath her. “Hmm…it’s strong, like you.”

‘Did I say you were a cruel man? Cause she plays like a pro.’ Io couldn’t contain herself. Winters barely heard her. His throat had gone dry as the Gobi. He tried to swallow again before speaking.

“I…I hope it’s not a disappointment after all this time.” God that was lame. He could have kicked himself.

“No, not at all. Quite the opposite in fact.” Veera reassured him, sliding her hand over to his left shoulder and down his upper arm. The thin fabric did little to prevent their interaction. Finally she broke contact, but not before leaving a trail of small sparks along his skin. With the departure of the sensation, clarity returned and Winters was able to regain the ‘upper hand’.

“I have some for you as well. Would you like to take a look?”

“Of course Russell but…where is Io? Doesn’t she live in your armor?” Veera asked.

‘I am in his pants Veera.’ Io replied matter of factly. Winters immediately halted all movement, his back straight as an arrow.

“Oh my god Io, you did not just…” Winters brought a hand to his forehead, impressed and terrified of the monster he’d helped create.

‘What? Am I wrong?’ She feigned ignorance. Veera had both hands over her mouth, trying to fight off a wave of laughter. Winters ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

“No, I guess you’re not but…when you say it like that!”

‘Oh very well, you are no fun sir. Veera, my body, if you will, resides in one of the pockets on the exterior of Russell’s pants. My power source is on the other side. As you can tell, I am still perfectly capable of communicating with you, though we will not be able to do so using the projection technology from prior nights.’

“That’s alright Io. I think his appearance more than makes up for that inconvenience.” She waved her feathers at him for a brief moment. “You said you had something for me, too?”

“Yeah, of course. Was just about to grab it before our gutter mouth over here decided to have a bit of fun at my expense.” Winters patted his right pocket.

‘Oh that’s quite rich coming from you sir.’ Io replied with mock disdain. ‘I learned from the best.’ Winters sighed in defeat.

“I suppose I can’t argue with that one, being a HEL Jumper and all. Anyway, here you go Veera.” Winters turned back to her with a small bundle in his hands. As she took it from him, she immediately saw that it was two matching garments made of a soft woven material.

“Your forge never ceases to amaze me.” Veera said, running a finger over the fabric and examining the stitching. “Having something like this made in the village would be quite costly. It requires quite a bit of labor, not to mention waiting an entire season for the required crop to grow. I like the white on the collar very much.” She smiled at him.

“Here, I’ll take the other one. Go ahead and take a full look.” Winters encouraged her. Nodding, Veera took hold of the sweater dress by the shoulders and allowed it to unfold.

“You…you…” She looked at the dress, then back to him a couple times before fully constructing the sentence. She spoke in an awe-struck voice. “You gave me your symbol.”

“Uh…am I about to get another lesson in Cauthan intimacy and the myriad ways in which I’m terrible at it?” Winters asked with trepidation. “Because that’s what that sounds like.”

“No. No it’s just…well…maybe? Ah, how do I explain this? Tokens representing a mated pair are similar to the conventions of physicality.”

“You mean that there are none?”

“Almost none. I’ve never heard of anyone using an article of clothing to do such a thing, but that may also be because this sort of thing just isn’t possible for us.” She indicated the intricate pattern woven into the left side of the dress. “If I didn’t know any better I would say you were trying to get us noticed.” She commented off-handedly. Io began whistling a ‘it wasn’t me’ tune into their ears. Winters brought his hand to the back of his neck and looked at the sky. Veera looked at him with wide eyes. “You did?!”

“Well, we uh…we did figure that some people would notice, yes. But it wasn’t like you’re thinking!” Winters insisted quickly. “It was just meant to convey the message that we’re a team, that we look out for one another, you know? Nothing romantic!”

“I see.” Veera replied shortly, again not sure if that was the answer she wanted. “What is this then? I see you have it too?” She pointed to the Omega branch insignia. Winters nodded solemnly.

“That is the insignia of my division within the human military. We all wore uniforms with that patch.”

“You all…” Veera trailed off, realizing what he meant. Her eyes went wide. “Why…why would you give me this honor? I never met them and…”

‘Veera please, this was my idea.’ Io cut in softly, hoping to defuse the situation before the young Cauthan could read too far into things. ‘You have been instrumental in helping the Lieutenant here become acclimated to this world. I do not think any member of the crew would begrudge you that patch, not with all you’re doing to help make sure the Lancer is remembered and that its final crew member survives. Wouldn’t you agree sir?’

“I would.” Winters replied thickly, wondering what Jess would say about the whole situation. He knew Shifty and Dax would get a kick out of the whole idea of him becoming close with an alien maiden, but Jess, he wasn’t so sure. With a sigh, he contented himself with the thought that at the very least, she would be pleased that he was following her orders and doing everything within his power to not die.

“So this…” She ran her thumb over the insignia again. “This is a symbol of the human army?”

“Yes.”

Veera looked up at him with mischief in her eyes. “Antoth is going to have a cub!”