Frostbite Echelon - Mighty Mice chapter I

I exhaled, my breath visible in the cool air. It was one of those crisp, cloudy days where snow falls lightly and sparse, and melts as it hits the ground. I pulled at my scarf, adjusting it not out of discomfort, but out of nervousness and boredom. I had been assigned to a new unit, far from the battles with Sangvis Ferri. Far from any battles, if rumor proved true.

I stood alone on the landing pad, waiting. I assumed someone would come outside to get me, or that someone else would arrive and give me orders. I desperately wished for the latter, this place was small. There couldn’t be enough rooms in the two structures that made up this facility. The larger, closest, and biggest of the two was locked, and I couldn’t speak for the second, which looked like it was probably a storage shed. I didn’t want to go nosing around too much.

I thought back to the last few days. The only thing of note was a session of... preventative maintenance. A cover, of course, they were probably installing some tracker, or installing some sort of invasive update while they were tinkering around inside my head. Whoever heard of giving a T-Doll “preventative maintenance”? We’re not automobiles, after all.
The distance growling of an approaching transport shook me from my thoughts. It’s camouflaged from slid through the sky, kicking snow against my face as is lowered onto the landing pad. I brought my arm up, my face pressing into the green canvas. I kept it there until the engines speed back up to full speed, and then slowly faded into the sky.

When I lowered my arm, two figures stood before me, one in the red and black of company officer, the other... aviators, a thick, minimalist working jacket, vintage camouflage sticking out from under it’s hem, and bell bottom jeans. There was a familiarity about this other T-Doll and her outdated style, perhaps she had served with one of my sisters in some distant conflict, who knows.

Both were female. The T-Doll, obviously, but the commander was too. A sight swirled around in the cold in front of me. At least the... perversive nature of the male commanders wouldn’t interfere with our operations... hopefully. I loosened my scarf and walked over to them, nervousness fluttering in my stomach. I stopped, and brought my hand up to my forehand, and my heals together with a click.

“T-Doll Hi-Power, reporting for duty, ma’am.”
This new commander raised her hand to reply to my salute, when a force crashed into my shoulder. I’m sure I heard gears and metal grinding against each other as the impact, and I was sure I had been shot. Before I had a chance to draw and return fire, the true culprit grabbed me and pulled me against her jacket, my beret sliding off the back of my head as my face was pulled into a mound of rough cloth over plush flesh.

“Well ain’t you prim and proper. I’m Mini Fourteen! We’re echelon mates!” The taller, better endowed rifle introduced as I tried my best to escape her grasp. The commander looked on, blushing and looking unsure of how to respond. I managed to pull me head free, nearly falling on my rear as I stumbled back. I scooped up my beret and returned it to it’s perch.

“That was not very... dignified, Miss Fourteen, and will all do respect, I would prefer it if you didn’t do that again. Certainly not with out asking first, at least.” I dusted off my jacket and adjusted my scarf once again. “Now, Commander, I wasn’t given a briefing before coming here.” I explained, this young, obviously inexperienced commander.

She cleared her throat, wiping her noise on one of her black, wool gloves. “That’s right, we’re forming a Support unit to help establish a Griffon and Kryuger presence in this sector.” She began. She sounded like she had a cold. “For the moment, it’s just the three of us. Let’s get everything established, and regroup in the control center... whenever we finish.” She sniffed, stepping past us.

She was halfway down the stairs that led to the large door of the main facility when Fourteen spoke up. “Ya gotta loosen up a bit, Hi-Power. Having the broomstick of formality stuck up your ass has gotta hurt after a while, don’t it?”
I have my ways, just as you have yours.” I shot her a glare, walking down after the commander. I was certain we, or our sisters, had fought together. Someplace warm, we’re short shorts were the norm. Beyond that, what mixed memories I have are too corrupted to access. The commander was trying to find the right keycard to open the door. As I made up to her, she found her quarry. The doors slid open slowly, with a piercing whine. I stepped in first, protectively, and found the master power control on the wall.

I grabbed the handle, and heaved it up. The base awoke from it slumber. The long fluorescents that stretched across the ceiling buzzed to life. The computers and controls that lined the walls began running through their routines, displaying the facility’s vital signs. The combat screen in the center of the room began sweeping over the surrounding terrain, holographic trees and mountains quickly passing by.

Perhaps most importantly, the heat came on. I rolled my beret up and stuffed it under one of my jacket’s epaulets as the commander passed by me to tinker with the various displays and computer screens. Two sets of sliding doors unlocked. One set, which marked for the commander’s quarters and the adjunct’s offices, wasn’t of any concern to me. As I considered that, it occurred to me that the roll of adjunct currently wasn’t filled, meaning our numbers would soon grow. That, or the rifle and I would soon have far more work to do.

What was of the upmost concern to me was our dorms. I paused at the door, my mind wandering to the other dorms I had seen, both first hand and through social media. I certainly doubted we would get some exquisite manor, or a warm, if fake, beachfront. I suspected it would be drab, grey, and devoid of any comfort.

Mini 14 stepped up behind me. “Ya gotta open it some time, hun.” She spoke up, nudging my shoulder. I gave a sigh of obvious annoyance, and pulled on the door’s electronic knob.