Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School

Sleep would not come as easily to me as it would with Thacea and the rest of my peers. All they had to do to retire for the night was to decide on which of the two soft, plush, magical mattresses they preferred before casually slipping under the covers to enjoy some much needed shuteye. Me on the other hand? Well, I was stuck with one of two choices: either sleep in the armor, or get my tent set up so I could sleep properly. The problem was, the latter option was going to take hours.

So as Thacea began her long drawn out beauty routines for the night, enjoying the supple warmth of our en suite bathroom, and the five-star hotel treatment that was the limitless supplies of amenity kits she used to care for her feathers; I was stuck unfurling and unfolding both the tent and the various kits necessary to get it up and running.

It was an ordered sort of chaos, something you’d expect from the deployment of a self-assembling deployable rapid assembly shelter (DRASH) before the designated engineering team or their engineer drones came in. However, whereas even the most under-strength units had the benefit of an extra pair of helping hands, I was stuck doing this solo, with nothing but my two hands and the power armor’s exoskeleton to compensate for my exhausted and worn-out muscles. The extra manipulator claw that extended from my backpack was nothing short of a godsend, aiding me at points where my arms found it particularly difficult to reach.

Indeed, this whole setup procedure really stretched the definition of what individual assembly meant.

I’d requisitioned a good section of the bottom floor for my base of operations. Thacea, to her credit, seemed understanding and very much tried her best to ignore the mess that was quickly taking hold of an otherwise well appointed room. Couches, armchairs, and a coffee table or two had been pushed aside so that I had ample space to work with.

The tent itself resembled the self-assembling rapid assembly shelters (DRASH) that had been popular during the third extrasolar wars. It consisted of a rectangular main frame, with an angled ‘roof’ that Thacea had mentioned reminded her of the working class homes commonplace within the Nexus. However, whereas the titular shelters my tent resembled were in fact self-assembling, the tent I’d been assigned was anything but.

Self-assembly was often reliable, yes, but failures did occur. Automated systems had a tendency to malfunction sometimes, and even after fully deployed, there was still a chance that something could go wrong. As a general rule of thumb, the IAS demanded that a majority of mission-sensitive equipment was to be simplified as best as possible. This was done all in an effort to lower the potential risks for a malfunction that would’ve necessitated complex, time consuming repairs or worse… replacement parts and supplies that simply could not be shipped.

It was an exercise in thinking outside the box for a majority of the logisticians who were used to the UN’s endlessly reliable supply chains. As a result, most of the advisors on the project were on loan from the UN’s Long Range Expeditionary Forces; the sole branch of the UN’s armed forces that were meant to go beyond the generally accepted sphere of expansion. They were meant to operate independently from UN supply lines for years on end, and so this necessitated the designing, planning, and implementation of novel solutions to what would otherwise be simple fixes offered by an unending stream of readily available supplies. The LREF’s logisticians and engineering corps were a godsend for the IAS, and for the planning of a mission of this caliber.

I had to thank them for creating everything that would ensure my long term survival here in the Nexus. However, I also had to remind myself to give them a piece of my mind when I got back home, because despite it supposedly being user friendly, it’d taken me nearly a full hour to get everything set up.

By that time, Thacea had found herself wrapped up in what I could only describe as a 10-piece set of fine silken and fur-lined robes and wraps. Each one looked comfier than the next, as they wrapped her arms, wings, waist, torso, legs, and tail independently of one another. Whilst she distinctly lacked hair, even her head feathers were wrapped up as well, reminding me of the stereotypical image of a spa-addicted suburbanite having just come off of a particularly overly complex spa treatment.

“I just wished to bid you a good night, Emma.” The princess spoke with a tired, composed coo. Both of her hands were wrapped around a steaming hot mug, the aromas from which were lost to the intense filtration efforts of my suit’s respirators.

“Ah, Thacea, you really didn’t need to do that.” I responded, raising a single arm behind my head as I instinctively went in to scratch behind my neck, only to have my gloved hand make contact with the upper part of my armored nape.

“Well I insist on it. After all, it’s the least I can do since I cannot offer you a cup of my night time tea.” She continued, hiding a yawn as she did so. “I shall retire for the night now. I suggest you do so as well, Emma. And please, try to relax for the night. Worrying now will only hinder the trials we will inevitably face in the morning.”

“Sure thing, princess. I’ll try my best.” I smiled back, as I entered the tent and began the slow, gradual process of mana extraction and desaturation within.

2 Hours Later

Dragon’s Heart Tower, Level 23, Residence 30. Local Time: 0200.

The removal of mana had taken longer than the anticipated one hour as outlined by the field operations manual. In fact, it’d taken about twice as long. A combination of one machine or another requiring constant re-calibration, and power fluctuation and cycling issues from the dual generator systems, caused a great number of unexpected delays to the actual operation of the mana extractors.

This culminated in the less than desirable effect of me being stuck in the air-locked section of the tent for over 2 hours. Watching, waiting, staring, and exhausted beyond all belief as all I could do was stare into a space that was slowly, but surely being drained of that invisible deadly killer that was mana. The air-locked section was just wide enough for me to turn around in, but that was about it. I couldn’t even sit in it.

Those two, drawn out hours were spent primarily rereading and rechecking the safety protocols for the tent, and punctuated by more than a dozen microsleeps that made me question everything about my life up to that point.

After the mana was fully drained however I was met with a completely empty, unappointed tent. A dull, nondescript, stark white interior reminded me of the interiors of biohazard containment popup shelters popularized during the late 23rd century’s outbreaks. Since most of the equipment and furnishings assigned to me were still outside in their own separate crate, it’d take another good hour if I intended on bringing them through the cargo airlock.

It was a task I just wasn’t up for.

I needed out now.

So, with little fanfare, but with all the checks necessary done to satiate the EVI, I emerged from my suit like a newly metamorphosed butterfly from the remains of its cocoon. The suit’s pneumatics whirred and hissed, as the back of the suit’s armor pieces moved apart to unlatch itself, followed by the exoskeleton which for all intents and purposes ejected me from the confines of my suit.

I practically leaped out of the still-standing, now completely lifeless hunk of synthetic weave, metal, and polymers, landing with a dull thud on the reinforced flooring of the tent.

Clad in my skintight undersuit as I was, I still felt as if it was a massive upgrade from the noticeably fake haptic feedback it gave me through the suit. Because now? I could feel the world around me again. The carefully designed, completely artificial surroundings of a bigger prison yes, but it was actual, honest to god tactile feedback all the same.

I sprawled out on the floor like an oversized cat, stretching and popping my aching joints as I lay there completely and utterly drained.

Staring back at the power armor, I could feel a strange disconnect now between it and myself.

So that’s what I look like. That’s how the world sees my face.

Those deep, existential, metaphysical thoughts however were short lived.

As even without the comforts of my assigned sleeping bag and the rest of the amenities I’d been provided, I passed out. Right then and there on the floor, at the metal-clad feet of the power armor.

Dragon’s Heart Tower, Level 23, Residence 30. Local Time: 0700.

They say that the more exhausted you are, the better your sleep.

Well fuck whoever said that.

Because they probably had a soft, plush, springy mattress to sleep on. Not the cold, hard floors of a tent designed almost exclusively to keep me alive and nothing else.

I woke up in a daze. In a pool of my own drool and with the worst case of bed hair in my life. I spent a good few minutes struggling to determine where I was and what I was doing before I accidentally bonked my head hard against the shins of the power armor while attempting to get up.

This prompted me to reorient myself, sitting cross-legged in front of the lifeless suit of armor that stared down at me in its resting, standby position.

I felt small from this vantage point. In fact, if Ilunor wasn’t such an obnoxious and objectively reprehensible asshole, I would’ve empathized with how he probably felt going up against this utter monster of a creature.

I didn’t know why I spent a lot of time in that position, maybe I was just savoring the few minutes I had before I had to voluntarily put on my oversized life support system again. Maybe it was just because I was savoring the feeling of my face not being smooshed up against the rebreather inside of the helmet.

Whatever it was, I knew that I was just burning daylight by just sitting there. So, without much in the way of fanciful self reflection, I got up to my feet and began running the appropriate diagnostics.

My undersuit, albeit skintight and resembling something of a wetsuit, was a technological marvel in and of itself. The active thermal insulation and environmental control systems needed to be recalibrated, cycled, and synced up with my suit before I got back in. Indeed, the whole suit needed a look over for any faults before I got the all-clear from the EVI to jump back inside. It took a little bit of finagling without a stool, or what the technical experts back at home called the height assistance device, for me to actually get inside. The suit was, however, designed with the ability for zero assistance entry. It was just a bit harder to do.

Using two of the barely visible internal support bars, I managed to worm my way back inside, and without any warning the whole thing sealed me in within a matter of seconds. I didn’t feel claustrophobic however, that mentality was practically drilled out of me during the months of grueling training.

With a few wriggles and some additional servo diagnostics, I was once again ready to enter the alien world I now called home.

Exiting the tent through the airlock, I was met with what felt like an entirely new room. The floor to ceiling windows that had been dark and muted at night now allowed for the morning skies to filter through. Its colored, stained glass, imprinting patterns on the floor were nothing short of an artistic masterclass in creativity.

Now this was what I expected out of a magic school.

It would’ve honestly impressed me as well if it wasn’t for the literal ticking time bomb still counting down somewhere in this castle.

“Ah, Emma, I was starting to get worried.” I heard a familiar voice chirp out.

The avian was already dressed and ready to go. Immaculate as ever as she smiled at me warmly.

“Morning, Thacea.” I managed out through a yawn. “Sleep well?”

“I…” The princess seemed conflicted in directly addressing that question, her eyes glancing back and forth between me, and the tent, generators and MREDDs behind me. “There were… a few aspects of this living arrangement I had to adapt to. Namely, the noise generated by those artificed constructs of yours.”

It was then that I realized a massive drawback I hadn’t even considered before.

The fucking noise these machines made.

If vacuums were bad enough, imagine something sucking out the essence of the air around you. I hadn’t even considered that as I raised both of my hands in a fit of apologetics. “Fuck, Thacea, I didn’t even consider that I’m so sorry-”

“It’s quite alright.” The princess dismissed my apologies with a wave of her feathered hand. “I took the liberty of encapsulating your area of the room in a noise dampening spell. It would be rather inconvenient to deal with the repercussions of keeping the entire tower awake at night.”

It was clear the princess had once more managed to cover for the unexpected shortcomings that came with my rather particular lifestyle. Something I honestly had to give her credit for.

“Thanks Thacea. Seriously, I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. Drawing more attention and making an entire tower of students absolutely pissed after just the first night isn’t ideal so, thank you.” I gave the princess a slight bow of appreciation before we both left the room together.

Upon entering the dorm proper, we were immediately faced with the likes of our male counterparts. Both Thalmin and Ilunor waited for us in the living room, ready to discuss our plan of action for the day.

“So.” Thalmin began. “Both Ilunor and I-” The mercenary prince nudging the diminutive lizard with his elbow. “-have agreed to discuss the matter of that monstrous noise from your room in a civil and mature manner.”

“Thacea, Emma.” The lupinor breathed in deeply, as if preempting a carefully thought out and worded speech… “How-”

“HOW DID YOU SURVIVE THE TAINT’S CONSUMPTION, EARTHREALMER?!” Ilunor suddenly shouted out, his eyes practically popping out of his skull as the anxiety and trepidation in his voice was as clear as day to everyone in the room.

“Excuse me-”

“Earthrealmer. I do not want to broach this issue in a manner that will trigger an aggressive response. I have made a pact with the mercenary prince that guarantees my safety from you should you act in aggression without proper instigation. Now, tell me, that noise last night. It was the tainted one’s consumption, yes? Did she attempt to eat you whole? Did her taint swallow you up only to spit you out because of your bizarre suit of armor? Tell me Earthrealmer, tell me, what was it like to claw yourself out of the gaping maws of taint’s unending thirst for the innocent?” The diminutive lizard laid it out bare for everyone to hear. Eliciting a series of growls and snarls from the likes of Thalmin who at this point was practically ready to claw out the lizard’s throat.

I sat there, blinking rapidly at the crazed lizard who sat with both of his feet tapping the floor beneath him in rapid succession. His tail swayed from side to side, swooshing and cutting through the air like an over-excitable dog.

I turned to Thacea to gauge her expression, this taint situation was very much a sticking point of hers after all. Her unamused and frankly annoyed expression said it all.

We locked eyes for a second, as if to decide who would be the one to tackle the Ilunor problem. Without much prompting, I decided to do the honors.

“Erm, thank you, Thalmin, for attempting to reign in the lizard.” I immediately circumvented Ilunor’s questions, deflating his ego for a few short moments as the lupinor could only sigh and nod.

“Apologies for letting this get out of hand, I wanted to address this in a manner more befitting of our stations but-”

“It’s alright, Thalmin. It’s alright.” I interjected, wanting to get this done and over with. Turning to Ilunor, I clasped both hands together in front of me, and addressed him using all my mental faculties to restrain myself from a verbal altercation this early in the morning. “To answer your question in one word: no. No, there was no taint consumption. No, there was no drama… well there was, but that’s beside the point. No one got hurt, and nothing happened.” I put my foot down both figuratively and literally.

This seemed to only peeve the lizard even moreso, but instead of allowing him to dominate the conversation, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

Deciding to expedite the situation, I stood up, grabbed Ilunor under both of his arms, and lifted him off to my room.

The lizard clearly hadn’t expected this, and for all intents and purposes was taking it surprisingly well as he hung limply from my firm, but gentle grip. In a matter of seconds we were all gathered in front of the tent, as I addressed Ilunor whilst still holding him like an oversized cat.

“That.” I pointed. “Was the thing that was causing all of the noise last night.” I stated in no uncertain terms.

“What… what is that-”

“Thought you’d never ask.” I once more cut off the lizard. “Remember how I told you I needed the suit to survive in this mana filled reality you call home? Well, this is just a bigger version of that. It allows me to convert a small patch of this hostile space into a little piece of home.”

I finally plopped the lizard down, the diminutive thing skittering around a bit, before turning around to face me with a cocked head. “I had just assumed that you’d just-”

“What? Live inside my suit for the entirety of the year?”

The lizard turned towards Thalmin, his eyes meeting the lupinor’s, which prompted the pair to lock eyes with me.

“We both theorized and assumed that was the case, yes.” Thalmin admitted abashedly.

This elicited a deep sigh from me, but nevertheless, I was glad to have gotten this over with. “Right so. Any more questions?”

The pair looked at one another again, before deciding on one to speak for the other.

“Whilst I do have more questions regarding these… artifices, and the nature of your… mana intolerance, I believe it is only fair that you ask us a question before we move forward, Emma.” Thalmin offered, very much attempting to correct for Ilunor’s lack of tact.

I wasn’t expecting that, but honestly, it was a nice change of pace. A litany of questions came to mind, all of which could be traced to the instigating factor behind this entire charade in the first place. This whole obsession with taint.

It was because of this that I almost broached the question publicly, and openly, formulating an entire line of questioning in my head… only to stop myself before I said anything at all.

My eyes caught sight of Thacea, and in that moment I understood how tactless it would have been to bring up something that was so clearly a sensitive topic whilst the others were around. It would’ve needlessly placed her at the center of attention again, something I definitely did not want.

That didn’t change the fact that I needed this piece of intel, however. I couldn’t move forward without addressing the whole taint situation. I couldn’t just walk around campus without knowing why Thacea was constantly being singled out. Especially when considering the fact that the entire day was more than likely going to involve some close cooperation between me and the princess.

It was a key piece of context to this whole world that I’d be lost without.

So it was time for me to fix my own FSI.

“Actually, I do.” I began, as I ushered the group towards the bedroom door. “However, I just need a few moments to deal with the tai- I mean, the tent.” I quickly corrected myself. “There’s a few things I need to get sorted before we leave so, if you guys could wait outside… but, erm, Thacea, I think I’m going to need a hand with this, if you could stay behind.” I gave my best attempt at having the best of both worlds, with both Thalmin and Ilunor confusingly returning to the living room, and me and Thacea backtracking to the tent.

With a slam of the door and a quick rush back towards the tent, I turned to face Thacea, who looked at me with a rather unamused expression.

“I know what you’re trying to do, Emma, and if I may be so brazen, I must say that your social subterfuge leaves a lot to be desired.” The princess complained.

I could only stand there with a dumb look plastered across my face, but braved through it regardless. “I’m not going to disagree with you there, princess.” I admitted, but soon shifted gears towards the elephant in the room. “So, I’m just going to ride this wave of social ineptitude towards my next port of call. Thacea, I didn’t want to broach this topic publicly with the rest of the guys, heck, I didn’t even want to bring it up when we were alone last night. It’s just something that I thought was rude to bring up or like really hurtful to talk about. But at this point I don’t think it would be in any of our best interests to keep my head in the sand.” I took a deep breath, trying my best to remain as tactful as I could. “Thacea… what is taint? And why does it seem to have such a strong social impact on how people perceive you?"

The princess’ reactions weren’t what I expected. Instead of the offended, flabbergasted look of a member of royalty confronted with some long standing drama, the expression plastered across Thacea’s face could only be described as mild and remorseful.

“I apologize for not explaining this earlier, Emma. I should’ve been more upfront with this aspect of myself that can be as hazardous as the common preconceptions make it out to be.” The avian began, which only prompted me to move in closer to place a hand on her shoulder.

“If it’s too difficult to talk about, we don't need to address it right now. It’s just… I didn’t know how else to properly approach this without it being too rude or a big thing or-”

“No, no. It’s alright Emma. It’s quite alright.” The princess attempted to reassure me. “You’re right. It’s something that needs to be addressed. Let’s not fly around the topic, shall we?”

I nodded once in response.

“What do you know of mana-fields?” The avian started off with a simple question.

“I know that humans lack it. I know that humans don’t have… whatever physiological prerequisites there are to generate it, and as a result, adverse effects occur when an unshielded human finds themselves in a mana-rich environment.” I began, stating the obvious and listing off the most relevant facts first.

“But do you know how a mana field is formed? Or how mana-fields are used to manipulate mana, and thus create magic?”

“I mean, the specifics? Not really.” I shrugged. “But that’s why we’re here right? To study it?” I offered.

“Allow me to expedite the process then.” Thacea began with a deep breath. “Mana fields are a natural extension of one’s soul. A projection of one’s very core into the ebb and flow of the mana around us. A mana-field is to the soul, what the heart is to the body. It is this mana field that allows for the manipulation of mana for the purposes of magic.”

“Taint… at its very core, is an affliction of one’s mana-field. More specifically, it’s the corruption of the fabric that ties one’s soul to the field it projects. To many, this distinction is irrelevant and interpretations instead simplify this malady as an outright corruption of one’s soul. In actuality however, the soul is anything but afflicted. This distinction however doesn’t stop prejudice as the effects of this taint are powerful enough to terrify even the most fervent of taint advocates. For you see… the corruption of one’s mana-field allows for novel, unconventional means of mana channeling and manipulation. This results in more powerful magics… but also less stable magics.” The princess paused, her feathers puffing up as her tone shifted to a deeper severity.“It is, as Ilunor puts it, a source of constant danger for myself, and those around me.”