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“However bad things get, we only have to hold on for about an hour,” Gage told her.
“How do you know?” she asked, lifting her eyes from the bow in her hands.
“Because even in a place this big, basic security won’t take more than an hour to reboot,” he said with a grin, giving one of the massive swords an experimental swing.
Something about the way he moved with it set off alarm bells. He looked… at home with it.
“What did you say you do for a living again?” she asked him.
“I didn’t,” he told her with a frown. “Is that what you want to get into right now?”
“Is it something… illegal?” she asked carefully.
“No,” he chuckled. “Definitely not.”
“Then I can wait,” she decided.
“Good,” he said. “I’m going to start fortifying the windows and doors. Want to help?”
“Sure,” she told him. “I’m pretty good with a hammer and nails.”
“Looks like we’re in luck,” he told her, pointing to a corner of the dining room.
What had looked like a case for silver and polish when the simulation was running was now clearly a metal toolbox.
She jogged over and grabbed it, and began sorting through.
“I’ll start scrapping wood for us to use,” he said.
By the time she had found a nice box of vynium nails and a gravity hammer, Gage was jogging back to her with an armful of boards.
“Where did you get those?” she asked.
“Other parts of the simulations,” he told her. “I figure they won’t mind if they can continue to brag that no one has ever died here.”
Naomi shivered and then grabbed a piece of wood from him.
“Sorry,” he said. “I guess our true colors come out in an emergency situation.”
“It looked like you really know how to use those swords,” she said carefully.
“If only you knew how to use a bow and arrow we’d be in business,” he joked.
“Archery was my favorite camp activity,” she said, feeling a little pleased to surprise him. “I was thinking yesterday that it was no accident that it was supposed to be today’s activity. I thought it was nice of Oberon to have us do something I’m good at. It didn’t occur to me you’d be in the same position.”
“I don’t often use swords at work,” he said.
“I don’t imagine you do,” she laughed, feeling a little silly. Just because he looked good with a sword didn’t mean he knew how to use it.
“I mainly carry a blaster and light blade,” he said, looking down at his hands. “But traditional swordplay was part of my training.”
“Training for what?” she asked.
“All Maltaffians take obligatory guard training when they come of age,” he told her.
“Ah,” she said, thinking that sounded familiar.
She knew that Maltaffian guards were considered to be some of the best in the galaxy. Even the basic training was probably pretty useful.
