Chapter 88 - Preparations (1/2)
”I don't need this for assassinating someone. If I wanted something like that, I would have been given those combat suits directly by Winston. I don't need to make a custom one from you,” said Balthazar. ”I need something for everyday use under my uniform. Mostly on my hands and probably voice activated or something along with them being able to slide down by flexing by wrist.”
”Oh boy! You are regressing to ancient ages. Do you have a bunch of assassins' after you or what? Why do you need such crazy..,” started Ellie, but then realized halfway that it was probably why he was asking for such equipment.
At a military base, it would have thorough scrutiny of the people and any blasters or very long range weapons would be easily caught be the personnel there. So, the best option for an assassin would be to come in silently and kill his target at close range. So, he needed a few hidden cards to counter such attempts.
”Fine, I understand. I will start on in it. I believe you would be going back to join the force a couple of months later, right? By that time, I will have created a standard bunch of arsenal for the purpose you require,” she shouted energetically looking up at the ceiling with a face full of passion.
”The crazy one is also a daydreamer? I hope she is worth the trouble,” thought Balthazar as she looked at the woman whose mind was stuck in her own personal world. He coughed loudly to get her attention back to the real. ”I am going to be returning a couple of months later to the border, but I need these in a couple of days,” he said.
”A couple of days?”
”Yes, I have a few things to do in the Elysium region. So, it is best that I have something ready to use by that time. I hope you would impress me, by that time.”
”In a couple of days?”
”I am going out for something the day after tomorrow and would like to have at least something up my sleeve,” answered Balthazar.
”I have an idea for the material for a light thin blade for your use. To hide a weapon, we need the material to be quite tough at least half the cut-resistance as one I just showed you. It can be used to craft a full sleeved top in a day, but it wouldn't be able to be used for a long time. If it is a short trip, it would be fine. I can make something for your requirements by the next week,” suggested Ellie.
”I can do with it. I am not expecting much at that time and I would be wearing a combat suit during the excursion. Just provide me with something that could be worn on my arms. Don't need to cover the entire torso. It won't affect me as I will be using it only when I am out of the combat suit. Make it something that would be reaching from my wrist to my elbow like to sweat bands sportsman wear.”
”That can be done. Easy. I can install a few poison needles that would be coming out of it. They will definitely hinder someone attacking you. They can be made to activate by a keyword you can set on your wrist band. Choose a swear word you rarely use. It would quite effective,” said Ellie.
Balthazar's requirements were quite small, it wouldn't be a hard task for Ellie to do something like that. These tricks were used for centuries before them, but they became obsolete as many people began using combat suits and other protective equipment, if they were in genuine danger. Because of this, the assassins also had to develop similar weapons that have a bit more penetrative effect than needles. Such tricks were only valid when the target has no idea that he is being preyed by someone. The element of surprise is quite important in using these tricks.
”That sounds like a good idea, but I was hoping that you could get a blade or something into it. I would prefer to have a blade that I could use continuously,” suggested Balthazar. It is never an option to just have a surprise attack. A surprise attack almost never manages to completely solve a problem. One must always follow through and finish the task.
”A blade? That could also be done, but it would naturally be heavier than a needle and need some support which would be visible. We can use your wrist band to support it on one hand. That is the most, I can do in such a short time. The fabric I made was to be cut-resistant and insulating against heat. It doesn't have enough elastic modulus to be bearing a blade for long duration, the blade silhouette would become visible on your wrist without use of a support.”
”OK. A blade on one hand is enough, but could you make sure that I can take it into my hand with ease and use it like a knife,” asked Balthazar. If it would be something that would be another projectile or just a blade that would be stuck on the wrist band, it would be quite useless for his purposes.
”Yeah that would be how I would design it. You can take it by tomorrow night,” she agreed. ”I understood your requirement and have a few ideas in mind. Give me a week and I am sure you would be satisfied by my designs.”
”Impress me.”
”Put that one aside. You have not yet viewed any weapons, I have. Last time you just view the combat suits and not any of the other arsenal that we have available. Let me introduce a few to you,” sad Ellie as she led them to a crate in the room.
She began with a show of a variety of guns and grenades. Being a military man, he saw or heard most of the ones which she began to show, but a few still surprised him. There was a grenade that was even marked truth gas.
”What the hell does one need a truth gas grenade for?” asked Balthazar confused.
”It is an antiquity. I bet it the gas doesn't even work. The picobots in our blood prevents such old stuff from being effective. It was apparently used a couple of centuries ago in a political party and it led to a bunch of bureaucrats spill their secrets. It was before Winston's time, no one knows about it,” answered Ellie.