//------------------------------//
// Armour 
// Story: Mass Effect: Element of Kindness 
// by CommanderApplejack 
//------------------------------//




Chapter 162






Armour





Armour Storage. 69%


I need to be able to stop worrying about about taking a hit...

Her arms were tired as she dragged along Fluttershy once again, this time into the direction of the armour storage as she hoped to find something to wear in there. The room she entered had no door, only rows of what looked like lockers to her stretching a vast distance down the massive multi-floored chamber. Trying a few of the strange pads the showed a claw outline did not give results as they screens flashed red, stubbornly remaining closed.

"For f- Voice, how do you get these things open?!" Gilda exclaimed, punching one of the metal doors.

"You do not have the security clearance to open these lockers. Please contacts the head security officer to register yourself into the security database." the virtual intelligence answered, Gilda growled back at it in frustration.

"Now you listen to me carefully, there isn't a living thing left down here. Whoever told you to keep all these things locked is DEAD! There's no-one in that DAMNED security office to add me to that security roster!" she hissed. "I need your help here, can't you just open these things?"

The VI remained silent for a moment before speaking again. "Contacting mainframe, please stand by."

Slamming her fist into one of the lockers, Gilda leaned against it and slumped down. "Just open the damned door..."

"Receiving updated directives... completed." The VI spoke again. "The security network is isolated from the mainframe, it needs to be reconnected from the security office."

"And what good will that do for me?!" Gilda exclaimed, one of the lockers hissed and slid open. A rack coming forth, showing a heavy-looking set of armour, much bulkier than the simple iron chestplate she was hearing herself.

"Updated directives from the central node. The drones' directives cannot be changed now their network is isolated. Your assistance is required."

Gilda gently grabbed one of the pieces and looked at it. "Why? What would you need my help for?"

"The central node has withheld that information. Your assistance is required."

Knowing she wasn't going to get more out of the voice, Gilda grabbed a black, flexible but tough, undersuit from the rack and slipped into it. The suit closed tightly around herself after she got far enough into it, various attachment points visible on the suit. "Mind giving me a claw here? Some of these pieces are obvious but others not so much."

"That the first thing you ask of me after waking up?" Gilda jumped around, finding Fluttershy looking up at her. "Sweet Celestia I have a headache... You didn't drop me or anything?"

"No!" Gilda immediately exclaimed, looking away from Fluttershy guiltily. "Maybe once or twice."

"I'm going to assume you had a good reason for now," the pegasus grunted, trying to stand up but failing miserably. "You needed help with that armour?"

"I was just asking the voice in this device," Gilda tapped the machine projecting the hologram in front of her eyes, noticing something around her arm as she did so. A mesh had formed around her body, projecting where each plate of armour was supposed to go. "Whoa..."

"To the Intelligence in there, are you a VI or an AI?" Fluttershy asked, propping herself up against the wall of lockers.

"I am not allowed to communicate to you until it is determined you are not indoctrinated," it answered.

"I've purged indoctrination from the occasional individual, pretty sure it's not in my own mind," Fluttershy replied, "Gilda stop gawking and get that armour on."

That snapped the griffin out of her stupor, grabbing plates and matching them to the spots around her body that lit up. Unlike Fluttershy's armour that was slick and covered by her cloak, the suit Gilda was wearing was bulky, overlapping plates making sure virtually none of the undersuit was visible anymore.

"How did the old griffins fight in this stuff? I'm not sure how far I'll come with this kind of weight Fluttershy." Gilda said after securing the last piece of armour, her movements slowed down by the heavy plates. "Maybe I shou-"

The familiar hum of drones echoed through the armoury, making Gilda tense up and get Fluttershy's rifle ready. "I'm guessing that sound means trouble. VI, I know you can hear me, I'm guessing that suit is powered so be a dear and activate that thing's systems."

Fluttershy didn't get a verbal response but the lights on the armour got brighter and Gilda's movements easier. "I don't know what you two are talking about but whatever it is it helped." Grabbing the helmet, she placed it over her head. The armour sealed itself up, more symbols appearing on the heads up display for Gilda to look at if she'd have had the time. Four of the more bulky drones appeared in the hallway with readied cannons.

Gilda jumped right in front of Fluttershy as they fired at the two of them, taking three of the four shots straight to the chest. A bar in the top-middle of her visor went down over halfway, but remarkably the shots did not do a lot more than just move her back a little. "My turn."

Gilda grinned savagely under the helmet, raising the rifle and fired it in rapid succession. The recoil was practically gone as the armour compensated against the shocks. The rounds smashed against the first drone, taking down its shielding but bouncing off the armor belt.

"Gilda!" With a scream an blue wave of energy knocked back and disoriented the drones, Fluttershy stood on shaking legs with extended wings. "You don't have the ammo. We need to move!"

Gilda hesitated, wanting to engage the four drones further and see how far she could go in the new suit, but took Fluttershy's advice as she had to admit that there wasn't much ammunition left. Scooping up the pegasus, Gilda ran deeper into the armoury to get out of the sight of the drones.

"We need to take out those drones, find anything that can help us on that front?" Fluttershy asked, gritting her teeth as Gilda set her down.

"The security office, this VI thing wants me to reconnect networks or something like that," Gilda replied, listening carefully for the humming of the drones.

"The drones are rogues then? Fantastic." Fluttershy grumbled. "VI, would it be possible for me to reconnect the networks?"

"I am not allowed to communicate to you until it is determined you are not indoctrinated," the VI droned.

"I'm going to assume that's a no. Gilda, you need to get to that place as soon as possible and get these drones off our tails before we're swamped."

"You're making it sound as if we're splitting up." Gilda glanced over to Fluttershy as she switched out the rifle's thermal clip, finding that she only had nine shots left.

"We are. I can't shut the drones off and I'm slowing you down," Fluttershy argued, getting up was quickly becoming easier for her. "You're wasting time, get going."

"You want me to leave you?" Gilda asked astonished, Fluttershy grinned in response.

"I'm not a helpless foal, Gilda. If I were, I wouldn't be alive anymore. I'll keep my head down, get the job done." Fluttershy activated her stealth systems, fading away into nothingness before whispering into Gilda's ear. "If I'm capable I'll help from the shadows."