"What has this got to do with me?" Nikki grumbled, staring at the shimmering silver fabric in her hands. "You're the General. You're the one running the world."
She looked up at A-01, who was waiting by the door with the patience of a statue.
"Why do I have to be there?" she argued, shaking the suit. "Can't I just be... here? Like a roommate?"
"Councilor Vane does not believe in roommates," A-01 stated flatly. "He believes in ownership. If you do not belong to me, he will assume you are available for acquisition. Do you wish to be acquired by Councilor Vane?"
Nikki shivered. She remembered Vane's face from the news feed, a man with too many teeth and eyes that looked like oil slicks.
"Point taken," she muttered.
She stepped into the bio-suit. It sealed around her with a familiar hiss, molding to her skin like mercury. She pulled her red hair out from the collar and took a deep breath.
"Fine. I'm ready."
The journey to the Diplomatic Hall was a study in contrasts.
