Transmissions || Dustin Bates

Carnivore

Two days after the whole incident with the hostile vessel, I stood looking over the training area where Diaz relentlessly drilled Brock on some of the newer tech from Thomson. Diaz was tough, but she showed that she cared, being gentle after she had knocked Brock on his ass.

"Come on, Brock. You can do it. Just concentrate." Her words were encouraging. I never heard that tone directed towards me, only the other three guys. She only spoke to me when she needed to. It was almost disappointing.

I found myself staring at her more and more, though every time she caught me, she asked me if I had a staring problem before scoffing at me and walking off. I got to the point where I just stayed out of her way. I brought this up with Ron and he said that she was trying to scare me, to assert dominance over me. I knew I wouldn't be good enough to overrule her or earn her respect.

"Brock! Again! Charge me!" She ordered, standing ready.

The man sighed, ruffling his brown hair before picking up the staff, swinging it around to activate it. The potential energy surged into sonic energy, preparing itself for the strike that should have kicked Diaz back eight feet into the wall. However, when he struck, he hit her staff, catching the corner of hers so she could levy it out and send it flying out of his hands at the same time when she dug the end under his feet to send him flying. He groaned as he landed from his trip at flying.

"You aren't getting it. Charge with a plan, not with a whim." She grabbed his hand and hoisted him up.

"But if I did everything with my own plan in mind, then there goes your job, Shay," he reminded her, earning a laugh. She clapped her hand on his shoulder.

"Take five, Brock. I have to deal with something real quick." She started jogging out of the room, Brock watching her go before going to grab his metal water bottle, taking a drink. I watched him a second longer before my attention was taken. "What do you want?" I spun around to see Shaylee standing a few feet away from me.

"Oh, I, uh, I need to make sure this prototype I have works, and I think the size is too small for one of the guys, so I was hoping you would try it for me." The words just spilled out of my mouth, not allowing a single breath in as I spoke. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"And what is it that it's too small for the guys but should hopefully work for me?" She moved closer to me.

"It's armor."

"Okay. Let's go. The lab, I suppose?" I didn't even need to answer. She was already walking down the hallway. I followed her into the lab, shutting the door behind me. I walked over to the table I had been working at and grabbed the suit, bringing it over to her. I moved the heavy black material that would go under the true body armor, handing her the pieces. She went to slide the breastplate over her head, only to discover it wouldn't work.

"No, no. It's too fitted for that. Here." I gently took it from her, undoing the straps and going around behind her.

"Of course it's fitted. That's why I didn't want a male Engineer. Why is everything always so fitted with men?" She sighed. I was mildly uncomfortable and worried about putting the armor on her, seeing as she was just wearing her shorts and a black sports bra.

"It's not that. You'll see why in a second. The guy's stuff will be just as fitted. This may even be a little loose on you. I didn't have your measurements and I can't seem to find many of Thomson's notes."

"Well, that's because I have them. We cleaned out her lab and hid all of her notes until we trusted the next Engineer enough to allow them to look through them. There are things in there about the four of us that only the five of us ever knew."