starting over
Aggie was feeling some frustration that Suzanne's wardrobe contained nothing that either she or Rails would wear. "They're right about one thing, the rich sure are different."
Lori placed a hand on her shoulder briefly on her latest flyby. "It's not her clothes we need, I think. I say we go see Dr. Stormer."
Aggie stopped her wardrobe search for a moment. "How do you propose we do that? He's sequestered until PlanetFall with the rest of the government geeks."
Lori stopped, a frustrated look on her own face. "Why? Do they expect a cholera outbreak when we hit dry land?"
Aggie took Rails by both shoulders, something Lori hated. "Nobody knows what kind of viruses to expect when we hit Planet Blue. He's working on quarantine and release procedures with Jack Redstone."
Lori shook herself free. "Listen, cards on the table, ok? Everybody either hates the Gvot or knows someone who does. They wear odd clothing and their women are covered. We see it every day in the Hub. When Gvot women walk through the Hub, the crowd parts like the Red Sea." She softened a bit and stepped back into Aggie's personal space. "Gvot clothing is our passport to anywhere we need to go. Where I think we need to go is down that gangway out of the laundry room, because - I'll tell ya - I've never seen so many Gvot in one place. There's gotta be a Little Gvotia down that ramp."
Aggie laughed. "Take a look in the mirror. Do you realize how white you are? How blue are those eyes of yours? You're so naturally blonde I'm surprised the Swedes don't sue you for patent infringement!"
Lori stuck her tongue out. "What about you? You're ... I mean what are you? ... are you pinkish-brown? Ever hear of hair dye & makeup?"
Despite the to-ing & fro-ing, Aggie was taking the suggestion seriously. "If we wear the full headdress, we can wear the charcoal scrubs. A lot of Gvot women our age wear non-traditional clothes for work. Then we need a couple of black scarves & we're done except for eye makeup."
Lori was happy to be taken seriously. "And we're in Suzanne Devereaux's room. I wonder if she ever had a Goth phase?"
"Eyeshadow!" Aggie opened the top drawer of the dressing table. She browsed through for a moment. "She is so peaches-and cream, my god, she has a totally inflexible makeup plan."
Rails darted back into the closet and rummaged in what had come to be known as Suzanne's Toybox. "Tadaaaaaaaah!"
"What?"
Lori stood in the closet doorway, one in each hand.
Black eyemasks for bedroom fun.
Aggie grinned. "Great! Now all we need is the head-covering!"
Lori was on a roll. "The wool serape!"
Aggie moved towards the chest of drawers. "Found it! It's in one piece, looks like a pair of trousers, we just cut through the top!"
They set to work with what they had. Twenty minutes later, they looked "Gvot Plain", faces and hair hidden from view.
Aggie was satisfied. "Ok, we're good except for one thing. How the hell do we get out?"
Lori grinned, except Aggie couldn't see it. "Way ahead of you!" She pointed to the door. "If we get through there without being noticed, the rest of our disguise is how we move. It's what people see. Move quickly, no eye contact, get to the stairwell." She stopped dead.
Aggie rather rudely said "What?"
"It's amazing how much of you disappears with just a few small pieces of clothing strategically placed."
Aggie started to look down as if expecting a magical transformation. "My body's the same. Boy, it sure changes your perception, huh?"
Lori looked slightly sad. She smiled gamely. "At least the scrubs are kinda hot. Otherwise you're just another Gvot woman who got married."
Aggie took a step forward and kissed her. "I'd know you anywhere."
Lori grinned at last, back in the game. "Yeah, I'd know you too!"
"Okay, are we ready?" Aggie looked at Lori as if she knew.
"We are, yes, definitely, I'm psyched." Lori faked it until she made it.
Aggie opened the door and peered out. Ten metres down the hall was the stairwell door. "Ok, clear, let's go."
They exited quietly and moved down the hall a little faster than most Gvot women. Three metres from the panic bar Commander Erhard turned the corner, almost bumping into them, excused herself and kept going.
Inside the stairwell, Aggie & Rails shared a brief hug of celebration at having fooled Hilary Erhard.
As they began the long descent of the stairs, they were unaware Erhard had stopped in the hallway & looked back, a familiar scent in her nose.
Keenest sense there is, the olfactory system. Erhard was convinced she could detect the scents of Aggie and Rails.
Lori placed a hand on her shoulder briefly on her latest flyby. "It's not her clothes we need, I think. I say we go see Dr. Stormer."
Aggie stopped her wardrobe search for a moment. "How do you propose we do that? He's sequestered until PlanetFall with the rest of the government geeks."
Lori stopped, a frustrated look on her own face. "Why? Do they expect a cholera outbreak when we hit dry land?"
Aggie took Rails by both shoulders, something Lori hated. "Nobody knows what kind of viruses to expect when we hit Planet Blue. He's working on quarantine and release procedures with Jack Redstone."
Lori shook herself free. "Listen, cards on the table, ok? Everybody either hates the Gvot or knows someone who does. They wear odd clothing and their women are covered. We see it every day in the Hub. When Gvot women walk through the Hub, the crowd parts like the Red Sea." She softened a bit and stepped back into Aggie's personal space. "Gvot clothing is our passport to anywhere we need to go. Where I think we need to go is down that gangway out of the laundry room, because - I'll tell ya - I've never seen so many Gvot in one place. There's gotta be a Little Gvotia down that ramp."
Aggie laughed. "Take a look in the mirror. Do you realize how white you are? How blue are those eyes of yours? You're so naturally blonde I'm surprised the Swedes don't sue you for patent infringement!"
Lori stuck her tongue out. "What about you? You're ... I mean what are you? ... are you pinkish-brown? Ever hear of hair dye & makeup?"
Despite the to-ing & fro-ing, Aggie was taking the suggestion seriously. "If we wear the full headdress, we can wear the charcoal scrubs. A lot of Gvot women our age wear non-traditional clothes for work. Then we need a couple of black scarves & we're done except for eye makeup."
Lori was happy to be taken seriously. "And we're in Suzanne Devereaux's room. I wonder if she ever had a Goth phase?"
"Eyeshadow!" Aggie opened the top drawer of the dressing table. She browsed through for a moment. "She is so peaches-and cream, my god, she has a totally inflexible makeup plan."
Rails darted back into the closet and rummaged in what had come to be known as Suzanne's Toybox. "Tadaaaaaaaah!"
"What?"
Lori stood in the closet doorway, one in each hand.
Black eyemasks for bedroom fun.
Aggie grinned. "Great! Now all we need is the head-covering!"
Lori was on a roll. "The wool serape!"
Aggie moved towards the chest of drawers. "Found it! It's in one piece, looks like a pair of trousers, we just cut through the top!"
They set to work with what they had. Twenty minutes later, they looked "Gvot Plain", faces and hair hidden from view.
Aggie was satisfied. "Ok, we're good except for one thing. How the hell do we get out?"
Lori grinned, except Aggie couldn't see it. "Way ahead of you!" She pointed to the door. "If we get through there without being noticed, the rest of our disguise is how we move. It's what people see. Move quickly, no eye contact, get to the stairwell." She stopped dead.
Aggie rather rudely said "What?"
"It's amazing how much of you disappears with just a few small pieces of clothing strategically placed."
Aggie started to look down as if expecting a magical transformation. "My body's the same. Boy, it sure changes your perception, huh?"
Lori looked slightly sad. She smiled gamely. "At least the scrubs are kinda hot. Otherwise you're just another Gvot woman who got married."
Aggie took a step forward and kissed her. "I'd know you anywhere."
Lori grinned at last, back in the game. "Yeah, I'd know you too!"
"Okay, are we ready?" Aggie looked at Lori as if she knew.
"We are, yes, definitely, I'm psyched." Lori faked it until she made it.
Aggie opened the door and peered out. Ten metres down the hall was the stairwell door. "Ok, clear, let's go."
They exited quietly and moved down the hall a little faster than most Gvot women. Three metres from the panic bar Commander Erhard turned the corner, almost bumping into them, excused herself and kept going.
Inside the stairwell, Aggie & Rails shared a brief hug of celebration at having fooled Hilary Erhard.
As they began the long descent of the stairs, they were unaware Erhard had stopped in the hallway & looked back, a familiar scent in her nose.
Keenest sense there is, the olfactory system. Erhard was convinced she could detect the scents of Aggie and Rails.
