Circus Escape (2 page)

A shiver went down Nessie's spine as she entered the spider's lair. Her insides were a rolling mess of excitement and anticipation.

Nessie slowed her pace as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. There were spanners, containers of oil, dirty rags, nuts and bolts, screws and gears lying around on a side bench. Nessie resisted the urge to clean up and kept walking, her heart dictating a fast beat that she used all her self-control not to walk in time to.

Nessie ducked under some hanging chains that disappeared up into the dark ceiling. Empty pulleys hung down, waiting for the work to begin.

The air, stuffy and dry, made her breath short and quick, and the coolness sucked at her body heat. The only sounds were her shoes clicking on the concrete and the creaking of metal from the outside wind as it plummeted into the man-made construction. She stepped gracefully over a large oil spill that looked as if some machine had come to a ghastly fate while hanging from the ceiling.

An orange glow from burning oil lamps cast soft light around the back of the garage, metallic orange reflections causing Nessie to gasp at the mechanical beauty.

"Amazing." She stopped and looked at Sally Spider. "Wow."

Her eight legs, thin but strong, extended out from a round centred body. Each had two pivot points. An engineering breakthrough and she was looking at the design in the flesh, about to see how it worked, instead of discovering this in the magazines she subscribed too.

Nessie exhaled, expelling a lungful of air, and whistled. She stepped up to the closest leg, took off her glove, reached up as far as she could just below the first metal joint and ran her hand down the metal leg. Slowly. Her fingers glided over the smooth surface, sending shivers through her body.

Near the bottom of the leg, she could see compartments that had been built to hold what she assumed to be different weapons to use during the fights in the arena. She leaned in for a closer look, wondering what was concealed inside.
Snipping shearers, or a long saw, or a metal hammer
. She wanted to see this beauty in action.
Maybe some sort of venom to rust tight an opponent.

The legs ended in a streamlined point that would pack a nasty punch in a fight and could do some serious damage to a metal object. She traced the intricate design of a filigree pattern that had been designed into the metal.

Nessie looked at the body of the mecha. The spherical shape consisted of netted metal crisscrossed for added protection. Nessie couldn't see in through the fine mesh.
I bet this is for 360 degrees sight, just like a true spider
. She ran her hand over the new material. It felt inviting.

"So what do ya think?" asked Joy coming up behind Nessie.

Nessie jumped from the sound of Joy's voice. She'd been consumed by Sally's genius design and hadn't heard Joy's approach.

"You seem to be getting to know her," said Joy. She stood opposite Nessie. "Want to look inside?"

"Yes, please," said Nessie breathlessly.

Joy walked around to the back and pressed a button. The metal crisscrossed door slid to the side. "It's going to be a tight fit for two."

"I don't mind," said Nessie. She was getting inside Sally Spider, and she didn't mind being so close to Joy either. Nessie wanted to know more about Joy, just as much as she wanted to know more about Sally Spider.

"After you," said Joy.

Nessie lifted her skirt, revealing more of her black stockings than was acceptable in public and put one foot on the bottom edge of the door. She let go of her skirt, took hold of the door and hoisted herself in.

"Take a seat." Joy remained outside.

"The driver's seat?"

"Yeah, of course."

Overstimulated with excitement, Nessie just managed to keep herself from hyperventilating as she sat down in the soft leather. The seat seemed to respond to her body and mould to her shape, giving her maximum support.

"What do you think?" Joy squeezed into the tight space. The door slid closed with a hydraulic sigh. The console lit up with soft glowing blue lights.

Nessie stared out, seeing the garage clearly despite the low light.

"Pretty cool, uh?" Joy rested on the back of the seat, her oily scent adding to the head spin Nessie was already experiencing.

"Here. Let's wake her up." Joy leaned over Nessie's shoulder and punched in a sequence of coded symbols into the console. Sally shivered into life.

"Amazing." Nessie breathed out. She put her hands on the edge of the console, feeling the vibrations of Sally. The hum of her engine and the pulses of electricity transferred into Nessie and she wanted more.

"And she's only warming up," said Joy. "You should see her in action."

"I can't wait." Nessie felt Joy's breath on the side of her cheek. "Can you show me?"

"Tonight," said Joy. "We're under strict instructions not to take the mechas out. We don't want to ruin the initial suspense when they enter the arena."

"You have with me."

"Yeah, but you look like you're about to blow a fuse or two, so I think tonight you'll be plenty excited later."

"Please? Just a little something?" pressed Nessie. "A walk out in the arena, or let's go back down the main street." The excitement concentrated inside of her, heating her up and fuelling her hunger for these giant machines.

"Okay. I'll show you one more thing," Joy stretched in front of Nessie. Their shoulders pressed together in the confined space. Joy moved the lever changing the gears and flicked a few switches.

Nessie held her breath, not wanting to further stimulate her senses. But she caught a hint of strawberries in Joy's hair, and her heart skipped a beat.

"Hold on," warned Joy as she gripped the back of the driver's seat.

Sally began to move. The centre body where the women sat shifted backwards. Nessie grabbed the armrests.

"I should've made you strap in," said Joy, concern wrinkled on her forehead.

"No way." Nessie smiled. Her cheeks flushed. She gasped as the front two legs lifted effortlessly and bent to a strike position.

"So what would she do next?" asked Nessie.

"There's a few options. Ya gonna have to wait until tonight."

"I won't last that long."

"Yeah, ya will." Joy reached over and moved the levers. Sally returned to her resting position.

"Wow," exclaimed Nessie. "Is this your work?"

"Sort of." Joy locked down the console.

The lights faded inside the body of the spider, dampening Nessie's excitement.
I want this to go on forever
. She exhaled, trying to settle herself. "Well, what parts are yours?"

"I designed the legs."

"The rotating joints?"

Joy nodded.

Nessie whistled in amazement, even though that wasn't the sort of thing a lady would do. "Have you patented the design?"

"In the process." Joy fussed around the controls, making sure everything was in order.

"Tell me more. How did you overcome the friction? Does it over-lubricate? What if …"

Joy placed her finger on Nessie's lips, silencing her. "You're the only one over-lubricating here."

Nessie swallowed hard, trying to ignore the fire burning inside of her from Joy's touch. This woman knew her passions way too well for a stranger. Nessie struggled to keep herself behaving as a lady should.

Joy removed her finger from Nessie's lips. "I'll tell you more later. For now, I need to start getting ready for tonight. This is Sally's first fight in the arena, and I need to do a thorough systems diagnosis before the fights."

"I can help." Nessie found it hard to form the words. Her lips tingled from Joy's touch and buzzed with the extra energy.

"That would be great, but I don't need any help."

"Sure you do." Nessie persisted. She wasn't used to people telling her she couldn't do something. She did not always get her own way, but she usually did get what she wanted.

"I said no. I have my own routine that I do myself. Call it superstitious or crazy, but I do it alone before a match."

"But aren't the fights rigged?"

The stern stare Joy gave Nessie caused her mouth to clamp shut. "No, they aren't rigged. I have my routine to begin, and you will have to go and amuse yourself." Joy opened the door and fume-tainted air flowed in. Joy jumped down from the compartment, giving Nessie no option but to follow.

Nessie ignored Joy's offer to help her down and landed steady without even showing her legs. "Can I come here after the match?"

Joy's face softened. "I would like that. But only after the match. I have some serious work to do, and I can't be distracted."

"I understand." Nessie brushed down her skirt, straightening the material and, on the spur of the moment, leaned forward and kissed Joy on the lips, hard and fast. "Thank you for showing me Sally. It was brilliant."

Joy looked stunned. Her cheeks burned deep red.

"I will see you tonight." Nessie walked away, brushing her fingers along Sally's legs as she went.

*~*~*

She kissed me
. Joy couldn't believe it.
That's one confident woman
. She rolled her tongue over her lips, catching a hint of Nessie's saltiness and a hint of her cherry-flavoured lip balm.
How am I meant to concentrate now?

She watched Nessie walk outside.
Could I really have a relationship with her?
Joy wanted to go down that path – at least try. But she also knew that her lifestyle with the mechas meant she moved around space from moon to moon, occasionally stopping at a planet. Her life was on a ship. She might own the design of Sally, but her debt with the Mecha Arena Pty Ltd meant that she would be working for them for the rest of her life. That was the price she paid to be able to have the chance to be a mecha Operator. That she didn't regret. She'd enjoyed the last five years travelling around and seeing the sights, Operating the mechas and coming up with the design for Sally Spider, but it was at the cost of a personal relationship that caused disappointment to stir.

Best put her out of my mind
. Joy went over to the side bench and began searching through the mess, looking for her adjustable electric spanner, an oil container, and a multi-head screwdriver—the basic tools she would need for the final diagnostics. She slipped them into their correct pouches in her belt, the one she had made herself out of discarded leather pieces.

"Right, first things first." She forced the image of Nessie's swinging backside leaving the garage out of her mind with the promise to revisit that thought later after the fight. Joy inhaled the oil-scented air, allowing the gaseous fumes to enter deep into her lungs, and then slowly exhaled. Joy took another two breaths like this, bringing the mental list to the forefront of her mind. There was no room for error. Not tonight. Not for Sally's first fight.
She has to win. We have to win.
Sally was untried in the arena, and a win tonight would mean future winnings that would make a dent in her debt.

Joy entered the inside body of the Spider and began running a systems diagnostics. First, she made sure the weapons folded and unfolded from the hidden compartments in the legs without any problems. She wanted Cate Crab and Beli Beetle to be well and truly damaged tonight to show just how much more powerful her designing could be and to get one over their Operators. Then she moved onto the electronics, making sure it was running at optimal levels.

The diagnostics finished without any problems. Joy wiped down the inside, keeping everything free of oil. A hint of pomegranate made her pause, but she quickly pushed the thought of Nessie back into the depths of her mind.

"Well Sally girl, I hope you are ready to win tonight," said Joy as she patted the console. She jumped out and closed the door.

"Fat chance of that," said a voice.

Joy's nerves sparked shivers along her spine. She stepped away from Sally. She knew that voice very well. Too well.

"Sally's got no chance against my girl." Kris stood with her hands folded over her chest, leaning back against the bench. She wore leather pants, a wrench-style shirt and a brown leather corset decorated with buckles and chains. "With rotating leg joints like that, Sally's going to end up a body that's only fit for a scrap heap."

"Getting nervous about losing, are ya?" Joy stood tall.

"Not even close."

"Shouldn't ya be getting ready ya-self?" Joy didn't like being interrupted during this process. Kris would know this. A hot anger flowed in Joy's blood, and she struggled to keep herself calm. These pre-games were part of the fight.

"Oh, I'm ready baby, more than you could ever imagine." Kris walked up to Joy and they faced off, glaring at each other, ready to start a physical fight.

"Come on girls, put away your claws." Jim walked into the garage. The owner of the mecha circus came towards them, causing the women step away from each other. He stood tall over the two women.

"I hope you've come to tell Joy she's to throw the fight tonight," said Kris.

"Maybe I'm here to tell you to throw the fight," answered Jim, his hands on his wide hips.

Kris gasped. "You wouldn't."

Jim laughed at her discomfort.

Joy pressed her lips together; now was not the time to argue. Besides, she wanted to give Sally one last rubdown to make sure she was shining for her debut, but Jim and Kris were slowing her down.

"You girls can be so much fun," said Jim. He spat on the ground.

"Glad ya enjoying yourself," said Joy. "I've got work to finish if you want Sally to make a good first impression."

"I want you to throw the fight," said Jim abruptly.

Joy spun around and looked at him. "No."

Kris smirked at the news. "Oh, this day is getting better and better."

"Yes," said Jim.

"But that's stupid. Why would you …"

"Don't call me stupid. You do what you are told. I own Sally, and I own enough of you that if you want to Operate her in the future, you will lose tonight."

Joy's mouth dried. She tried to process what Jim was saying. This was ridiculous.
Stupid
.
Nuts
. She wanted to go out and show off her groundbreaking design, and she had someone in the crowd that would admire her work, and now … now … to throw the fight. The news punched her hard in the gut and a twisting pain rose up towards her throat. "I can't."