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From: "Stasya T. Canine" <stasyatk9SPAMUNDESIRED@juno.com>
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Subject: {ASSM} (new) BioMates - The Beginning - Final Exam (2/?) M-Wolfess military Scifi zoo (Stasya T. Canine)
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Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 21:10:05 -0500
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M-Wolfess military-scifi zoo nosex

Bio Mates - The Beginning
Chapter One - Final Exam
by: Stasya T. Canine

---

"All right, trainees.  This is where you find out if you can do your jobs
without getting killed."  I read the name tag on the man's shirt because I
wanted to remember who he was, for later.  Already, I didn't like the
sneer in his voice and I could tell from her tail that Sophia was getting
angry enough to say something.  He sneered and looked straight at us.  "I
wish I knew why you idiots put all your faith in a couple of *romance
writers* and made them the group leaders.  But, it was your decision to
make, not mine."

I stiffened and studied his body language.  Before I could say anything to
Sophia, he went on.  "This is an exact duplicate of BPHQ.  It has all the
defenses and all the security mechs HQ has.  The problem we've set up is
simple.  There's *one* safe area in the building, the commander's office. 
The group's job is to get as many of you there as possible.  Period. 
That's it.  It doesn't matter how much you think you know about the
emplacements.  Not all of them are going to be active and others are going
to be set up for delayed activation.  You're going to take casualties and
some of you are going to be 'killed'.  That's what those fancy suits are
for.  The defenses will be detuned and programmed for non-lethality.  Take
enough hits, or the right ones, and you'll be considered dead where you
stand."

He glanced down at his console.  "As soon as I enter the activation code,
you're on your own."  He looked at Sophia and me again.  His body language
shouted his contempt before he emphasized it by speaking.  "Should be a
cakewalk with the BP's beta command team in charge."

He started entering the code and I froze.  His hands were making the wrong
moves!  As he completed the sequence I unfroze and shouted.  "Sophia!  Get
the group to safety!  I'll try to deactivate the system!"

I lunged and as I did so Allen grinned at me.  "What's the matter,
*trainee* Larson?  Have a sudden attack of cowardliness?"

I shouldered him aside and tried to enter the override sequence.  No good.
 The laser started to cycle.  I had one chance.  The defenses were set for
'aim and fire', not 'fire and sweep'.  As the laser swung in my direction
I ducked, lunged to one side...  And screamed in pain as its first shot
hit my arm.  I juggled my hand laser to my other hand and fired at the
gimbals.  Metal splattered, but not soon enough.  I took more hits, this
time in my legs.  I clenched my teeth, fought off the dizziness and shock,
then leaned sideways for a clearer shot.  This time I was rewarded with an
explosion.  The laser froze in position and stopped firing.  I sighed with
relief as I rolled to one side, out of the line of fire.

I panted and let some of my anger show as I forced myself erect and turned
to confront Delagado.  "You idiot.  You entered the sequence that
activates the program used for testing combat suits.  Once we move out of
this room, we don't stand a chance.  You're in charge of programming,
*Mister* Allen Delagado.  Override the settings or we're all dead."

He started to say something, saw my look and decided to turn his attention
to the console.  "Stupid writers."  He was mumbling as he stabbed at the
keypad.   "Got no business in this job anyway.  Too scared to finish the
course and I'm going to enjoy telling the commander his favorite pet can't
handle the pressures of combat...   SHIT!"  He pounded on the console
before he tried again.  His shoulders started shaking as he turned back to
me.  "It doesn't work.  The override sequence doesn't work!"

I sighed.  "Mister Delagado.  I assume that since this is a training
facility, there are safety features HQ doesn't have."

He flinched.  "There are.  Unfortunately, the combat suit program only has
one abort code other than the programmer's abort.  Only senior command
teams know what it is--and we're sealed off until someone reaches the
commander's office.  They can see us, but they can't get any info in."

I winced as my strength ran out and I fell to the floor.  Before I could
say more Sophia arrived, quietly examined me and had one of the other BPs
slap a couple of field shots into me.  "Bad, Ted.  Those shots came close
to killing you.  We can stop the blood loss and counteract the shock. 
But..."

We looked at each other and I nodded sadly.  "Understood.  We're safe in
here but the system's set to test combat suits."  I let my contempt show. 
"Mister Delagado tells me only the senior command override might work at
this point.  It was the first thing I tried--before I took the hits.  One
other thing.  It's a small detail but it's important."  She nodded.  "I
noticed the entire system is set for 'aim-and-fire'."

Her head tilted slightly, seemingly casually, but it was her eyes that
told me how angry she was.  "Not much, is it?"  She raised her voice. 
"Team two.  Arrest Mister Delagado and don't let him near any of our
people or equipment.  If he argues, tell him that I'm looking for an
excuse to put him first in line when we leave."

She settled on her haunches and started entering commands into the
display.  Eventually she had a map of the building, along with a twisting
line that led from where we were to the commander's office.  There was
another line, flashing red, that led from outside the building to the
commander's office.

She looked up and then back at the display when one of the women asked a
question that showed how new she was.  "Why can't we stay here and wait to
be rescued?"

Sophia snorted softly.  "Are you considering that action or mentioning it
as a tactical option?"

"Mentioning it, Ma'am."

"Fair enough, then.  If we stay here, we guarantee Ted's death.  We don't
have the facilities to stabilize him for the time it would take rescuers
to reach us.  There's a small chance that by fighting our way to the safe
area, he'll still be alive when the medical team arrives."

"There's another reason, too."  She looked up and let her expression go
neutral.  "How do you feel about going into combat next to people who are
more concerned about their safety than they are about doing their job?"

She turned her gaze back to the display and studied it some more before
she looked at me.  "I hope they can see this.  'Feth and Lia are going to
be upset but I don't have a choice.  That red line represents the fastest
known route from the outside to the commander's office.  It's the one Lia
and 'Feth used when they were testing the defenses after we redeployed
them as part of his promotion to head of security."  She sighed.  "Forty
five minutes.  Nobody's done it faster.  I hope they have their combat
suits with them because I want them to start their way in--leading the
best medical evac team we have--as soon as they can."

The building shook slightly and she managed a chuckle.  "Now you know why
they're in charge.  They do a good job of anticipating Mr. Murphy.  'Feth
also likes things that go 'boom' and Lia isn't much better when she's in a
hurry."

I studied the other line.  I knew there was something I should be seeing
but I kept fading in and out.  One thing I 'knew', though.  "Sophia."  She
turned.  "I don't think I have forty five minutes."

She nodded.  "I don't, either.  That why I chose this route for the group.
 It has the fewest permanently emplaced weapons.  A lot of mechs--but
they're easier to kill and safer for us to face."

We looked at each other as she continued.  "I've decided I don't want to
outlive you.  We go this way, we have the best chance of getting the
others out of this mess, even though I don't expect us to make it all the
way."

I winced as the pain caught up with me again and then forced some words
out.  "No.  Don't waste yourself, Sophie.  You're too good and there will
be someone else you can team with."

"No."  She stood and touched her nose to mine.  "You, or nobody.  It's our
mess to clean up.  As much of it as we can before we die.  At least this
way our deaths mean something."

"You sure?"

She pulled back and just looked at me.  I sighed and turned my head to
study the others.  I made my decision and managed a salute in their
direction.  "We who are about to die..."  I returned my gaze to Sophia. 
"Orders?"

"We pump you full of pain killers and shock suppressors.  Likewise for me.
 Hell on our systems but we need the edge.  Before we leave I'm going to
brief everyone on where the fixed weapons are.  You and I get the tough
job.  You first, to draw the fire of the mechs.  I'll be right behind you
to kill them while they are shooting at you.  While we're doing that the
other structs kill the fixed defenses.  Everyone else secures the areas as
we move through and they make sure we leave nothing behind us to shoot our
backs."

"Injured fall back and do cleanup.  The dead, we leave for later.  We move
fast, and we don't slow down for anything.  You and I will do our best to
leave fire lanes for the others but if they have to, they shoot through
us.  If they don't, none of us have a chance.  All of you, if you have a
shot, take it even if it means injuries to one of us."

She sighed wearily.  "I don't like it but it's the only chance we have. 
We'll get you as close to safety as we can.  When Ted and I fall, good
luck."

She turned and locked eyes with each of the other trainees before turning
to team two.  "Stay here, and keep Mr. Delagado away from the controls. 
Use your own judgment if he tries anything.  That includes the use of
lethal force if you decide it's needed."

She glared at Allen then turned back to the display.  "Gather 'round for
the briefing, people.  We're moving as soon as I finish.  We have an
appointment to keep--in the commander's office."

* * *

As we approached our chosen exit I paused and shook my head.  Something
was bothering me.  I held up my hand in the halt signal.  Sophia joined me
and looked up.  I shook my head again.  "I'm thinking.  We've missed a
detail, I think."  I looked at the other people and as I looked at the
medical supplies, I had it.  "Of course!"

I gestured at the emergency supplies on the wall.  "The oxygen masks.  If
we use them we don't have to hyperventilate or worry about the combat
filters."  She nodded and I broke the case open.  I grimaced before
putting mine on.  "One more thing to screw up my system.  Not that it
matters at this point."  After I made sure both of our masks were secure I
entered the first digits of the security code that would open the door for
us.

I tossed a seat cushion through as the door opened.  As the lasers found
it I sprinted for the next door and fired my laser at the first mech as it
was turning in my direction.  Sophia was right behind me and her shots
finished the mech as I was keying the next door open.  Before the fixed
laser could reorient from the cushion the 'struct following her had
destroyed it.  As we lunged through the next door the other group members
were welding the remaining doors shut and destroying the defenses that
hadn't fired on us.

Things became a blur of noise, laser fire, rapidly punched keys and the
occasional scream as someone took a hit or burned themselves on hot metal.
 When my mask emptied I broke a supply cabinet and replaced both of our
masks before we entered the next room.

Forever, more burns, another keypad and I lunged through a door while
looking for the mech I knew would be there.  Sophia stumbled into me and
we fell across a desk.  I expected to die for that mistake but I cursed
her clumsiness anyway.

She responded with oaths of her own that detailed my own stupidities.

Both of us shut up at the same time.  We were alive and nothing was
shooting at us.  I raised my head and looked around.  It was the
commander's office.  "I don't believe we made it..."

The wall blew in.  My last thought was:  "I didn't know the system was
programmed to shoot through walls."

* * *

I came to, briefly, as somebody was dragging my now suited body into an
airlock.  I screamed in pain as whoever it was jammed my limbs into
positions they didn't want to be in.  Sophia was doing some pretty
impressive cursing that included my name and words that sounded like
'stupidity' and 'love' and 'don't' and a lot of other things I couldn't
make out.  I think I mumbled 'I love you, too' but I don't know if she
heard me.

---

Stasya T. Canine
March 24, 2005

-- 
Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights
reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
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