Kendra slipped the darkened lenses down over her eyes, everything in the room took on a spectral appearance- darkened, yet highlighted along the edges by animations. Using the tack-ball mounted on a wristband (tactile feedback is so retro) she clicked on the message indicator floating off to her left. A large plant began to grow in front of her, the stem and vines twisting in a nearly hypnotic pattern, before shooting off a single carnation like flower from the top. The adults would dismiss it as one of her friends displaying their animation skills, but in fact the pattern held a code for those in the know. Now the trick was to to get out of her room and too the meeting place the vines to mapped to.
For this trick, she had set up a map of the halls, and taken notes on where people were likely to be and when. All she would need to do was take off her shoes to avoid squeaking on the linoleum floors, and follow the floating notes. In theory at least - people did have a tendency to be occasional move or break with routine. It went without a hitch this time.
Sidling up to the door, she gave a quick knock and broadcast the entry code. A bolt shifted, and it swung open reveal most of her co-conspirators were already there. Jeff of course cheated - he only called the meetings once he had found a good location, and thus was de facto always first. Heckoya's apartment block was quite close - she just had to climb out a window, repel to a roof six meters below, run across, roll down the awning, jump over the stairs, and a few other tricks that were by now boring for the dark skinned free-runner.
"How did you get here so quickly?"
"I just told my mom I was rehearsing for a play with friends. She practically forced me out of the apartment."
"Good story - but isn't she going to expect us to actually preform eventually?"
"If it comes to that, well we can use our interface. We're gonna have to use virtual sets due to lack of materials on hand -right? So if we got our lenses on, then then the text can just scroll past. give it a once through a day before so it isn't too obvious, and we good to go."
"We will now come to order," Jeff interrupted, serious as usual. At least a few of those involved took the planning as more of a thought experiment, but he was dead set on actually going on an expedition. That drive, combined with the notes from his father's notes from his time with the Wasteland Patrols made him the natural leader of the group. In a way, he was both the source of the greatest excitement, and the biggest kill-joy.
"Let us begin with a quick inventory - a trade group came through here earlier today, and I'd like to know if anyone has something new to contribute."
Jane Stood up - "Not from the caravan, but I've managed to dry and pack some more food - an extra meal for each of us I'd say. That puts us up to what - enough for three days, provided we don't scavenge anything?"
"Yes, I believe that is right. I'm still thinking of limiting the run to a 48 hour trip to Thompson - but it always pays to be prepared for whatever bat country can throw at you."
Kendra reached into one of her cargo pockets, and brought out her coup-de-gace. I managed to collect this from one of the traders, and a couple of ammo rockets."
"What is it?"
"A citizen weapon - a gyrojet pistol. Little explosive rockets about fifty-percent bigger than a double-A battery, and sized for their tiny little hands, so its easy to conceal."
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