The Original

Personal Project

“The Armored Wonder is possibly the most confusing of the hero community. People don’t fully understand why there are only a few suits that really compete with high grade enhanced. They think that if you build one, building lots should be easy. It’s not.”

“For one, many super-tech suits cannot be effectively piloted by someone other than their builder, or the person the builder made it for. The suits are so custom they can’t be mass produced, or require a level of technopathic ability on top of creative genius. The Original armored hero, the first Tankman, was a prime example of this as only a very small handful of people ever managed to pilot that suit, at least two of them having their own.”

“Even the manufactured mecha-suits used by police and specialized military units require intensive training, with the drop-out rate for the training programs being almost prohibitively high, even for equipment that is not on par with a true, so called ‘Armored Wonder’. A bit like the Wish version of a power suit.

“It doesn’t help that most tech-oriented heroes are also really, really worried about people stealing their patents.”

Penny pulled into the storage facility, tapping in a code and swiping a card at the gate, guiding the new truck they’d picked up that morning into the back where RVs, cars, and trailers were parked. “This is mine.” She said to Solaris as they pulled up to the trailer furthest back.

The fifth wheel trailer was obviously fairly new, but in spite of that the paint was about half peeling off making it look far more decrepit than others around it. A mismatched door, painted a different color than the rest of the trailer, also suggested it had lived a short but rough life. It had several doors along the back half, suggesting that it was used to transport horses.

She parked next to it. "Come on in. I put a solar power system on the roof so it's pretty off grid." The interior was a surprisingly cozy, if tiny cabin with a small kitchenette, couch, and television. A bed was in the loft above the towing arm, and a door led into the back. "The rear half is basically the bathroom, a tack room, and what was meant to be a horse trailer, though it wasn't horses they were moving. The paint outside is wrecked because of whatever the things spit during the raid in which the trailer was seized." she admitted. "Bought it at a police auction."

“This is more spacious than it looks.” Solaris said, “and it has good bones, I bet you did get a good deal for it.” She tapped a finger on her chin, considering how to get it to the painter who had done the truck, so they would to match.

Penny led Elizabeth through the bathroom to the back revealing she'd pulled the walls between the 'stalls' out, with the tack room becoming a tool locker. In the middle of the large 'room' she’d created was a suit on a table, just enough room to move around it, a couple of work benches on either end. The suit was skeletal, with what looked like a long cannon with electronic parts on a shelf below the tabletop. "I need to start getting the armor together, but I've got an idea of how to work that. Just didn’t have time or money."

"The stall doors will let you get it out without disassembling the whole trailer. Very nice, a good choice." The Englishwoman said, tapping her finger on one of the plates, each tap a little firmer. "This is a very good metal, very strong, it looks like you have a good start on it, though it looks like there is a lot yet to do.”

"Well, the frame and its actuators, hydraulic and electric, are in place. I have the batteries to assemble into a pack stored in the other part of the trailer, so the big thing is sensors, weapons, and armor systems, some of which can be off the shelf. Ballistic cloth sandwiched between carbon fiber with heavier metal inserts for larger segments is my thought."

"Do you know good vendors for those things? I don’t mind helping with getting you put together. The chances of us having to fight side by side are higher than I'd like. Especially with you not equipped properly.”

"For some things, yeah. The thing here is the coil gun I built. It'll hopefully be the heavy gun. I can buy 40 mm launchers. Actually, I own a couple already, but I'd want to get specific models to gut." she explained. "I already retrofitted a 12 gauge to install, to use variable rounds as well." gesturing at a locked safe against the back wall next to the tool room door. "The really high-tech stuff I don't have access to, and not sure how to make the contacts, but the coil gun should be powerful enough to make even fairly tough opponents take notice. Then there's the fifty cal rifle the original suit was designed to use, and it'll still be able to handle. Even fairly sturdy heroes don't like dealing with the BMG."

“Perhaps before that we will run up to Kennecott, there may be some fun toys we can pick up there for you, assuming I can convince St. Nicks to allow it. And I should check in with them anyway. Or the Christmas Park Facility in Utah we did more vehicle development there though."

"Christmas Park does Research and Development on frames, though I don't know that they do a lot of weapons testing." Penny said. "I'm familiar with the program, in passing at least."

“Might be fun to swing by either way. Lord, so many places to see and catch up! It may take a couple of years just to do that much!”

"You were a busy girl in the past, and no reason to hurry." Penny said, leaning against a wall. ” I admit, I've been meaning to say this. Don't feel like you must get into the flow of things fast. You're already doing a lot, and that can stress you out more than you'd think, and with people like you, virtually indestructible by normal standards, that is about the only way to hurt yourselves. It's one of the reasons I supported the house buy so much, to get you some roots to build around, like Marcus said."

Solaris closed her eyes and leaned against the opposite wall; it took all her British reserve to not let the tears fall "You are not wrong. Keeping busy prevents me from thinking about things. I lost Wendy to cancer, not long before I was frozen. And now, almost everyone I knew is gone. Most of my friends, my parents, and my home. Hell, the world I knew is gone. I don't even know how to morn that. Inflation is a nightmare, but so much about this new world is better. Louder, and less intimate but better.”

"Unfortunately, I can't help with most of that." Penny admitted. "I can help you with what you want, or need, to do. Want to prepare for having a full-on super team? I can suggest other equipment and facilities you might need. Just want to be a world wandering adventure type? Again, I can make suggestions. But you don't have to pick now, unless you just like collecting toys which granted is fine too. I can likely get you a deal on an MRAP."

"I am British, collecting is a national hobby." Solaris said pushing her emotions down putting the pain in a neat little box and storing it for later. For now, I will just work on putting one foot in front of the other and see where that takes me. Adventure is bound to happen.

"Fair. Now how hard was it to not ask what's an MRAP is and where can we get one?"

“That was going to be my next question, Is it a tank? I rather like tanks.”

"Oh lord, I could totally entertain you with GOVplanet for days." She chuckled. "And it stands for Mine Resistant Armored Transport”. A truck designed to survive mines and IEDs. Afghanistan was more a game of infantry wandering around waiting for someone to pick a fight, then destroying them, than a conventional war by normal definition."

“There was another war in the middle east?” Solaris said unsurprised. “How involved in that mess was Toth? That was rather his stomping ground.”

Penny laughed. "Another war? The Middle East has been unstable for as long as I can remember, and well before that. We, the US, just got out of Afghanistan, and the bastards fell apart again in less than six months."

“Sounds about right.” Solaris said, India was a special kind of mess after they got their independence for a time, though that was not entirely their own fault with some things my own government did. A complete disaster all in all.”

“So, on a happier note, shall we get this trailer hooked up and home? It can be put next to the boat house, leaving it available for you to work on.

"Yeah, let's just get it done.”

A couple of days after the move to the big house, Marcus parked the old Grand Marquis on the street, checking his phone and messaging.

Nahoa Kim texted back. A few minutes later a Tall broad man with burnished skin and black hair walked out. He'd chosen to wear his good black slacks and a dark blue shirt, the short sleeves showed off his thick arms covered in tribal tattoos. "Man, that is a nice car. And what's with the suit?” His bud had been rather cagy on the phone, "Please tell me you aren't falling to the dark side dude."

"Only if the dark side means rich white women money." He laughed. "No, got hired by a white cape as a driver, Penny introduced me." He said, keeping details to a minimum. "The car is kind of a bonus, for running errands. I can borrow it sometimes, too. Figured I'd pick you up, get some dinner, and see if you wanted to make a couple of bucks for a few days’ work. Maybe longer, if Grandma is right."

"Cash is tight, always is, I'm happy to help her out, especially if Granny is making mung bean cake, or pho.” He grinned, it was stereotypical, but he loved food and had the metabolism to indulge.

"Oh, she's doing that and more. She got a job like mine, but the lady is getting lots of deliveries right now and Granny, you know she don't trust workmen not to get sticky fingers, right?"

He guided the car through the streets, heading for the midrange restaurant the two liked. Fortunately, the parking situation there wasn't horrible, so he could park relatively near it, just a couple of blocks.

Nahoa laughed. “Your gran doesn't trust anyone! It took what, a year for me to figure out she likes me?”

"Yeah, well, it's the glare. your mom probably does it too, ya know." He pulled into the parking garage, and set the alarm as they climbed out, walking out to the neighborhood street. "By the way, how's pre-law. As heavy weight as you thought?"

“Yeah, they are already pouring the homework on, and two of my three roomies are asshole dudebros. The third is just a man-whore with a goal of collecting as many ladies’ panties as he can. It is almost impossible to study there at all.”

"Man, that bites... I have people pushing me to do trade school. mechanic or something. I'm thinking about it, since this driving thing is kind of cool so maybe." He shrugged. "Maybe Ms. Summers will need someone else, she seems to do a lot of stuff."

The big Samoan man arched an eyebrow. "You are too smart to stay dumb. Trade school or college, you gotta do something to secure your future. Preferably something with good insurance with your hobbies."

"I think I have that covered right now... and don't start reading me the riot act. I've had enough crap over that for the last couple of days."

The big man shrugged. ordering his meal and leaning back in the stall. "So, what does Granny need me to do, move furniture?"

"A bit, but also keep eye on workmen along with me and her, assuming I'm not running some other errand. You're big, so it’s not likely someone's going to risk you also being short tempered, even if we both know you're not."

“No problem, though I doubt she needs a heavy. Your gran can be a scary lady. We going to head over after dinner?"

"That was my thought, I can show you around the place. I came down to get you cause I figure. I'm likely to end up in the Long Island subs, so might not get a chance at some of my favorite joints as often as I'd like, ya know?" Marcus frowned. Something was bothering him, but he couldn't put a finger on it. "So, other than crap roommates, is your class schedule okay? You able to rely on the subway or you still thinking about getting some sort of bike?"

“Yeah, keeping things with what my grants will cover, so got Three classes right now, plus one E-class, though they all believe in the power of homework. Did luck out and score nothing too early in the day.”

“I think that’s pretty much being a…” His blue aura surrounded him, senses he didn’t understand reacting before he was aware of the threat. He was impacted from behind, slamming into a wall.