Day Five

One hundred and three hours into their imprisonment, Jane Shepard was giving much less of a damn than she had been. Their rations were yet plentiful and their means of recycling air and water were doing fine...

But that MOTHER. FUCKING. HEAT...

At this point, gone was the sense of danger. Between their supplies and the facility's, nothing posed a threat to their lives. Instead, the insufferable temperature was more like a mosquito that could not be squished - incessant and obnoxious. The commander longed for a time when her skin did not feel like melting wax.

As someone who liked to keep an open mind, she settled on giving Jack's method a try. Ashley had already been converted, and so the four of them sat in front of the pair of fans; close enough for everyone to get some airflow, but far enough that they did not undermine the effort by sharing body heat. In spite of Jack's claims, there was, in fact, room for more than one per fan if they were willing to share. They had looked for additional fans but it would seem that Jack and Samara had found the only two.

Jane fanned herself with her shirt as the air rolled over her. She felt inclined to agree with the other women, this was more refreshing than setting her suit's climate control to minimum. It was still uncomfortably hot, but a tad less distracting now.

The four of them were arranged in a rough circle anterior of the fans to foster conversation. Ashley sat cross-legged. She was tinkering with the cryogenic ammunition mods she had brought along. They were designed to apply chilling effects to projectiles, so maybe with some toying they could harness that cooling power. Jack reclined and Samara sat with perfect posture. The two of them were conversing about the restrictions of the latter's code. It came as no surprise to Shepard that something as binding as a justicar's lifestyle did not appeal to the human. Even bending some rules, life at Grissom was almost too rigid for her.

"And you just trust that some rule book drawn up however many millennia ago is always going to have an answer for you?" Jack was inquiring.

"I have abided by its sutras for a great many years and only once encountered a situation where I was compelled down a path I could not follow. Fortunately, in that dark moment I had a dear friend to show me a better way." Samara smiled gratefully at Jane who returned the gesture.

"But you don't ever feel like it's overly restrictive? What's the point of following it anyway? Couldn't you live your life as justly as you liked without taking some lame chastity pledge?" Jack itched her right breast. She had done away with her shirt and bra a while ago, wanting to get all the relief she could, and knowing better than to think any of the others would be prudes about it.

"Firstly, the Code places no limitations on sexual conduct. It only establishes the consequences due to those that commit nonconsensual acts. Secondly, I do frequently find this life to be greatly restrictive, and that is precisely what assures me that swearing myself to the Code was the virtuous decision. The weight of my obligation and the abundance of the sutras provides clear courses of action - an absolute sense of right and wrong that cannot be corrupted by sentiment nor ambiguity."

"But it lacks discretion," Jack countered. "I don't care how many sutras there are, they can't possibly cover every situation. As a person, you should be able to make decisions for yourself. If you let a code do all the thinking, then you're like a robot; dependent on your programming to find a solution."

"Perhaps, but there is consistency in following a code." Samara shifted to cool the other side of her body. "People can make mistakes, act irrationally, become jaded. Adhering to a code tethers one's behaviour. It guides them in a single direction - constant and stable."

Back and forth they went, trading points on the Justicar Code and self-determination. Shepard was quietly listening along when Ashley leaned over.

"Would you mind holding this? I can't grip it and reach the part I need to." She was holding out one of the cryo mods she had been working on. It looked to the commander as though she was attempting to make her way through the outer components to the device responsible for freezing projectiles. Shepard complied, grabbing hold for Ashley to undo the bindings holding the superfluous pieces in place.

"Got it!" the lieutenant commander exclaimed as the components came free. "Now... let's give this a try..." She stood and walked away, leaving the others wondering what exactly she was trying.

The remaining three women carried on as they had been. Samara and Jack's conversation trailed off into silence and Shepard spaced out. The stillness was concluded by a chime from her omni-tool. It was a reminder to check in with the Normandy; whatever good that would do. Even so, Jane stood to head for her borrowed room. When they had learned they would be extending their stay there, they had tapped into the base's signal relay and now their communicators could reach beyond the walls after a detour through the communication centre.

Several minutes after her departure, Ashley returned. She did not say anything, but she looked rather excited and she was carrying a small drinking cup. Jack took note of this and asked her what was up with her.

Rather than answer, Ashley held out the cup. "Feel this." By the way she was tilting it, it was evident that she was referring to the liquid held in the cup. Jack did not hesitate to do so, and flinched after the sensation registered on her finger.

"Woah! That's cold," the biotic declared. She immediately moved to take a sip from the cup.

"No, don't!" Ashley yanked the cup away. Jack gave her a questioning look and she explained. "I used the cryo mod to cool a tub of water. It feels nice, but I'm not sure that it's safe to drink."

"Then what are we supposed to do with it?" Jack protested. It felt like teasing to give her a feel of something so delightfully cold only to take it away.

"I was thinking we could take turns in it. Chill in it like a cooler, you know?"

That almost sounded as good as drinking it.

"Have you tried it yet?" Jack asked.

"No, I was going to offer the commander the first turn, but it looks like she's busy so... Samara, would you like to give it a go?"

The justicar had been paying attention ever since she heard someone cry 'cold'. "What a generous offer. Yes, I'd like that." She kept her composure but the others could tell she was trying to hide her elation.

Jack shot Ashley a look. Why didn't you offer me first?

The lieutenant commander took Samara to her makeshift cooling tub and returned to the commons to try and reproduce her achievement with a second ammo mod. With just the two of them in the room, Ashley and Jack took the opportunity to each enjoy a fan for themselves.

Time passed, and on a whim, Ashley glanced up toward Jack and did a double take. Consciously or otherwise, as she laid on her back with the fan blowing up her form, one of the biotic's hands was playing gently over the one part of her that was not on full display. Ashley stared inconspicuously for a moment to verify what she was seeing and definitely not for any other reason.

Unsure how to react to such a situation, the lieutenant commander momentarily unlearned her maturity and resorted to juvenile mockery. "Are you enjoying yourself over there?"

Her fingers slowing to a halt, Jack's eyes opened and she rolled her head to look at Ashley. The biotic's expression was flat, but accompanied by the silent tension, it had a scornful feeling to it. "Why, are you hoping to get in on the action?"

Ashley had not known Jack for long - at least, not as long as others on the Normandy - but this was a side of her she had only heard about. Her first meeting with the other woman was after she had taken her position in Grissom academy. According to Shepard and others, this Jack was very different from the one first recruited against the Collectors. Accounts portrayed the old Jack as provocative, belligerent, and even nihilistic. That did not sound like the compassionate yet headstrong woman who instructed biotics.

Now, though, Ashley felt like she was seeing a side of Jack that was more reminiscent of her former self. The soldier wondered back and forth on whether she should meet this behaviour in kind, or with caution. Her indecision was arbitrated by her boredom.

"Are you offering?" she asked half-seriously.

Jack's mouth twitched with a smirk. Without a word, she got to her feet and circled behind Ashley before sitting down once more. The older woman felt arms snake under her own to wrap her torso. Ashley was pulled backward with Jack's legs on either side of her. She felt her ass trapped by Jack's thighs and the torso and breasts against her back. She had remained motionless and quiet at first because she was curious to see how Jack would react to her challenge. Now she continued because she wanted Jack to take the lead.

The biotic ran her hands over the other woman's shirt, occasionally playing with the hem and straps like she was about to take it off, but stopping short. Those hands markedly played clear of any places that would give Ashley any real satisfaction.

"You know, I get it: burying everything to maintain the perfect-soldier act," Jack whispered in her ear. The way her voice resonated enticingly had Ashley's heart beating harder with every pulse. "I've never played soldier myself, but I'm no stranger to living insincerely all because you feel that it's expected of you. So I'll tell you what..." She landed a long kiss on Ashley's trapezius and closed her fingers in a feather-light hold on the face of her briefs. "Between you and me, you don't have to pretend. Just tell me how you feel, or what you want..." she accentuated the words with a tap on Ashley's hooded clit, "and I'll give it to you."