"Anyways you'll be meeting your new crew today" Jeremy said with a big smile, thank the heavens there were showers in the base, we slept over at Jeremy's house yesterday after all, if there weren't any then…
"Oh who are they anyways?" I asked out of curiosity as the of us walked and prepared to go to our dedicated quarters.
"Well you've probably met one of them often?"
Step Step Step Step
"Old Man Randy???"
"Who?" His voice raspy, his back slightly hunch, that's right. It was Old Man Randy.
"Uhm it's me Cael? we first met 12 months ago?"
"Cael. Cael.. Cael… nope doesn't ring a bell, hap's ya got the wrong Randy son?"
"Oh? it's Old Man Randy?" Eve said with a curious tone
"Hm? That voice…? AHhhh It's little Evelyn, we're on one team again eh?"
"Yeahhh, let's help each other like we used to~"
Pat Pat
Jeremy said as he patted my back, I felt slight depressed that he didn't remember me, but still one team again??? … Eh whatever.
"And the other one is…?"
"Ah hello…"
Shy, 100%, long green hair reaching her legs and rather big eyes and… 'melons' now obviously I am a gentleman so I won't be asking the system—
[Her sizes are—] before turning to [2]
FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
"My name's Amanda… I hope we get along…" fidgeting her fingers, not even daring to look me in the eye, bowing her head without daring to look up, wearing The Silentium issued cleaner uniform
Pat Pat "Well she's a newbie to, so Cael, you better get to know her—Cael? You good?" With a worried expression Jeremy shook me for a moment.
"It's nothing. I think the Pizza you made was bad, so my stomach hurted"
"Really? maybe you're lactose intolerant?" Eve asked curiously, at the same time Jeremy's eyes landed on my face for a split second, before turning into a laughter.
"Yeah right buddy, maybe you're just lactose intolerant." He said with a laugh, but it was obvious. He knew right?
[Yes] It went before turning to [1]
"…" Old man Randy and Amanda looked at me for a moment, Old Man Randy looked rather confused, on the other hand Amanda was still silently shivering out of anxiety.
"Anyways, since we just started. We'll probably do some simple maintenance work for today, tomorrow's when we'll actually do some more 'dangerous cleaning.' Also when we're with the other teams just call me Team Leader."
"Alright."
—
"Right so this one's a rather simple one truth to be told. it's classified as an Echo, Epsilon and Anchor. It's supposedly a type of plant remnant that's harmless, it's just that it grows continuously so we gotta trim it down"
Jeremy said as he handed us a pair rather big shears and pointed at a mulcher at the corner.
"Also change to lighter clothes, it's humid and the leaves stick to the clothes so it'll be thrown out after cleaning."
"R-r-r-r-r-right…." Amanda said as she took of her shirt while still stuttering, in a way it was just funny, a 180cm tall woman, who looks like she'd be extremely power—HOLY??? IS THAT A SIX PACK??? She's using a tank top and I can see her abs…
"Damn Amanda, you go to the gym?" Jeremy said with a whistle, and… Holy fuck…. those biceps man…
Glance
"…"
"Haha it's fine Caelll, you don't have to be buffed like Amanda rightt Amanda???" Eve said as she gave Amanda a big hug, I could hear Amanda going "Hyahhh!!—Please… don't touch me I'm ticklish…"
"Bah, Kids these days, those muscles would be gone when you get old enough." Old Man Randy said as he complained, yet he was already done, only using his pants, and… WHY DOES HE HAVE ABS TO?!?!?!
"Damn Old Man, not bad, but mine's better." Rustle Ah yes of course Jeremy also has abs… Am I the only one without them…
"Cheer up Cael, I also don't have any see~" Eve as she held my head and forced them to look at her stomach, well yes. she has no abs but her figure's nice and…
"You don't understand…."
"Did you say something?"
"Hah…. Kids.. c'mon let's get working."
—
"Man… this is just—HaH so tiring….—HaH" Sweat covered by forehead, my breathing ragged, the air was humid everything felt moist and hot,
"Andd doneeee~ Oh Cael? you're not even halfway done yet??"
"See I told you, kids these days don't have the guts back in my day we—"
"Alright Grandpa Randy… let's get you to bed…"
"…" Abs, Abs, Abs Abs everywhere…
"Alright let's take a short 15 minute break, also someone help me bring the mulcher"
"I-I-I-I-I I'm on it…" Amanda answered, still stuttering but hey, at least she's doing something—What?
"Hnnngh. Okay where should I bring it?" Somehow this 180cm tall giant woman just carried the entire Mulcher on her own on her shoulder mind you. HER FUCKING SHOULDER.
"…"
"Uhmmmm…. Wh-Wh-Why are you all looking at me like that???" SHE'S SO IGNORANT???
"Amanda, do you use roids?" Jeremy, deadpanned looking at her, at a glance one could see her biceps her calfs, her triceps all taking form and for some reason she's still lifting that damn mulcher.
"Roids-??? Ohh, you mean steroids? No, I just go to the gym daily"
"…"
"Genes." Eve muttered as she was staring at her own body before looking back at Amanda's.
"Let's just move it after our break…" Still Jeremy talking…
"Ah.. O-o-okay…."
THUD WHOOOSHHHH
"…" Our faces were covered in leaves.
"Ahhhhhh I'm Sorryyyyyyyy" Only Amanda's cries could be heard.
"Ugh… it's sticking on my tank top" Eve said sounding slightly annoyed as she tried to brush the leave away to no avail.
COUGH COUGH "FUCKING SCHEISSE IT GOT INTO MY MOUTH"
"Kids these days…"
"I'm sorry...."
"Alright alright, let's clean up now." Jeremy with his loud and commanding voice calming everyone as we tried to clean up as best as we can
—10 minutes later…
SOmehoW, AMaNDA had finished an entire section and was now helping Eve's, so had Old Man Randy, Jeremy while supervising had also finished one, my progress you ask? I wasn't even a quarter way there…
"Uhm i-i-i-if you like I could help you?" Amanda
"You don't get it…"
"A-a-a-ah? did I do something wrong???"
"That's not it…"
Amanda tilted her head, clearly confused, her long hair and assets bouncing as she tried to peek at my progress.
"…You're moving slower than a snail on a lazy Sunday." I muttered, frustrated at my own incompetence, like c'mon Cael you're teammates are already done yet you're still doing this…
"S-snail??" Amanda gasped, eyes wide, for a second she looked like she wondered if she had done anything wrong.
"I-I… I mean… uh…"
"Relax Cael," Eve said, brushing leaves off her tank top. "Everyone's got their own pace."
Old Man Randy snorted, dragging a particularly stubborn branch to the mulcher. "Back in my day, we'd finish this whole section before breakfast without whining."
Jeremy, grinning had a reply ready. "Yeah, but back then you didn't have a human mulcher lifting 80 kilos on her shoulder, so maybe cut him some slack."
Amanda froze, her biceps flexing unintentionally. "H-human… mulcher…?"
"Y-yeah…" I said, already knowing the look I was about to get.
Glance
"I guess you're helping me then?" I said, sighing.
"O-o-of course! I-I mean… I can…" Amanda nodded furiously, clearly eager to prove herself, as if lifting furniture and machinery all day was normal.
Ten minutes later, the area was almost spotless. Amanda had clearly gone way overboard, Jeremy and Randy had finished their sections, Eve was fanning herself with her hand and ne? I was still mid-bush, sweating like I'd run a marathon.
—
"Hm? We got another assignment." Jeremy out of no where said as we were resting in our quarters
"What assignment?"
"You know those blue algae's from How to train your dragon? yeah we're going to be cleaning their tanks and doing some daily maintenance. Shouldn't be too difficult yeah?"
"Yeah right Ama—" Eve was about to pat Amanda's back yet for some reason she completely froze, turning into a statue a complete statue.
"W-w-w-w-w-wait you mean underwater? diving???"
"Bah it'll be easy kid, you're strong as hell" Old Man Randy said as he went off to a short chuckle
"You can swim right?" Jeremy suddenly asks.
"…"
"You can swim right?" This time it was Eve who asked.
"…"
"Amanda?"
"I-I-I-I can't…"
"What?" At that moment perhaps every single one of us had the same thought as we muttered at the same time word. Even Old Man Randy was shocked.
"Wait why?"
"Well the doctor said I have something called LPR5 mutation" (Note: LPR5 mutation is a genetic condition that makes the bone 8x denser then usual, you can survive a car cash and the kind but will sink in wat)
"And that's?"
"My bones are 8 times denser than usual?"
"SO YOU'RE A LITERAL ROCK?!?!?"
"Eeeeekkkk!?!?!"
"Alright alright, procrastinate however you, the assignment isn't changing, let's get ready."
D-diving..."
"Kid, you're acting like we're sending you into a volcano," Old Man Randy grumbled.
"I'd rather go into a volcano..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Wait you're serious?" Eve asked.
Nod Nod
"Volcanoes don't have water."
"That is the worst reasoning I've ever heard," Jeremy said.
"I know..."
Somehow Amanda looked proud of that answer.
Jeremy sighed before tossing a folder onto the table.
"Containment Tank 14. Daily maintenance. Algae trimming. Water filtration check. Standard inspection route."
"Easy," Eve said.
"Easy," Randy agreed.
"Easy," Jeremy nodded.
Their gazes slowly turned toward Amanda.
"...Impossible."
The giant woman looked moments away from tears. Why was the strongest person in the room terrified of water? Actually no. Why was the strongest person in the room unable to swim? Life truly wasn't fair. No when has it ever been fair?
Twenty minutes later we found ourselves in the equipment room.
Rows of wetsuits.
Rows of LAMA helmets.
Rows of tanks.
I could feel myself slightly tensing up, Not enough for anyone else to notice. At least I hoped not, it had been a while yet. The memory was still fresh.
Cold water.
Darkness.
"Cael?"
"Hm?"
Eve tilted her head.
"You okay?"
I'm Fine."
"That's a lie."
"I'm okay."
"That's also a lie."
"..."
Why was she so good at this? Fortunately Jeremy interrupted before she could continue.
"Alright everyone. Suit up."
Amanda stared at the equipment. The equipment stared back. A battle between two natural enemies.
"Team Leader..."
"Yes?"
"If I sink..."
"You won't."
"If I sink..."
"You won't."
"If I sink..."
"AMANDA."
"Right..."
A pause.
"Can somebody tie a rope to me?"
"..." For a moment Jeremy seemed to actually consider such an option
"Actually that's not the worst idea," Jeremy admitted.
"HOW IS THAT A GOOD IDEA?!?!?!"
"Simple, if she panics we pull her back"
Can we even pull her back up? I didn't know.
"Team leader you're a geniussss" Her green eyes sparkled uncontrollably.
"I know"
"No he's not." Eve replied almost instantly
Snort "Back in my day if they couldn't swim we'd just throw 'em in" Old Man Randy… I'm pretty sure by today's standard that would be called.
"I-i-i-isn't that attempted murder…"
"It builts character"
"It builds trauma…"
—20 minutes later…
We had gotten into gear, LAMA helmets with black and yellow wetsuits. Eve said the air supply's enough for an hour, which should be easy. And this time Amanda wasn't charging in first, in fact she was the last. By a lot
Step
Pause
Step
Pause
Like a death row inmate being forced to the execution chamber, and eventually after what felt like a long time (because of Amanda) the containment tank was within view. A massive reinforced tank, blue light shimmered beneath the water.
It was beautiful, well except the fact that Amanda was slowly turning towards Jeremy right infront of me, breaking the immersion
"Team leader…"
"Yes?"
"Can I resign?"
"No"
"Can I faint?"
"No"
"Can I cry?"
"…I'll allow it."
"Evelyn…"
"Hold my hand…"
I can swear to god I could hear Eve about to laugh, but she was holding it in, "Okay~" She said as she held her hand, as we got into the hatch on top, as the algae themselves aren't inherently dangerous, nor do they need any specific environment it was safe.