Fired

Later that day, Anna was fitted with her own wrist computer. She was then assigned a job as a delivery agent. Workshops constantly made tools and items on demand. They usually had so many quotas to fill that they had no time to make deliveries. There was one other delivery agent already. But, with the work to be done on Wolf's mech and the new upgrades for the humanoid mecha, there was a need to add an additional agent.

Anna's lack of technical knowledge was what made her the perfect candidate.

Over the next two weeks, she learned where every workshop was and knew where most parts needed to be delivered. The only things she couldn't deliver were moved by a crane that hung from the ceiling. It could literally pick up and drop off anywhere inside of the tiny city. Pieces that literally weighed a ton or more were a spectacle to see moving around overhead.

Anna also got to meet a lot of people and make new friends. She easily said hi to the same person several times a day. From one end of the city, she could see the wall on the opposite side. It wasn't unusual for Anna to go from one end to the other a few times in a day.

The time she spent working was enjoyable. She could visit the humanoid mech and actually see the progress they made as time went by. Wolf, however, was still covered and inaccessible to most, including Anna.

She knew the day would come, but she didn't know how soon. But this was the day.

"Anna, I need to speak to you for a moment." An officer waved her down. She was carrying several light loads that didn't require a personal vehicle for transport. She stopped and came closer. He had a bit of a scowl. "You're fired."

"Uh..." Anna's mouth hung open for a second. "Di-did I do something wrong?"

"No. You just aren't needed anymore. The loads have been getting smaller and lighter, right?" He looked at her questioningly. She nodded in response. "That's because the jobs are almost done. All that's left is light adjustments. You know, uh, tightening screws and bolts."

Anna didn't seem excited at all.

"Oh... I see. Can I finish up these three deliveries?"

"Nope. I got 'em." He held out a hand and motioned for her to give him the delivery bag. "You go straight over to Wolf. I was filled in on the delivery locations before I found you."

She lifted the bag strap over her shoulder and let it fall into her hands. She hesitated. It wasn't that she was afraid or felt resentment. It was just weird to finally feel like she belonged somewhere new and then be violently thrust out as if she were still some sort of stranger.

"Here..." She handed the bag to the officer.

"Thanks. Have a good day." He seemed unimpressed and almost burdened as he let out a massive sigh.

A tiny beep on Anna's wrist computer alerted her to an incoming message.

[I made sure that guy took over for you for the rest of the day because he is annoying.]

"Did he know you did that?" She whispered out loud, knowing that Wolf was listening.

*beep*

[No. I left a paper trail making it look like it was from above his direct boss, eliminating the need to question the decision.]

Anna turned toward her new destination and let out a smirk.

"You idiot. What did he do to annoy you, anyway?"

*beep*

[He liked to stay in one spot and he would tap a nearby pipe. The pipe had to have had a loose or exposed wire because it would ping on a phone line every time he tapped. It was like a horribly written morse code.]

Anna smirked and rolled her eyes as she picked up the pace to run toward Wolf's mech. She reached a security checkpoint and was let through. She saw two of the captains waiting in front of the hanger that Wolf was housed in.

"There you are. We were waiting for you to get here for the unveiling." One said. The other seemed to grumble under his breath. He didn't look excited to be here.

The first captain held up a hand and called out saying, "Go ahead." A couple of loud "clinks" sounded and the cloth cover fell straight down.

Anna wasn't sure what to expect but, not this. The basic form that it once was before Anna activated the werewolf protocol was no longer present. Joints were more obvious. There were more square shapes than before and the armor was more... human. In fact, It looked like a large remodel of the smaller humanoid units that carried Wolf and Anna to the rig. It was almost disappointing.

"Well?" The Captain asked. "What are you waiting for? Get in that cockpit and fire it up."

Anna reluctantly walked toward the nearby service elevator inside of the Hangar wall. She reached the level that had a catwalk over to the chest. As she got close, the cockpit looked relatively untouched with a few exceptions. She stepped in and took her place on the seat.

"A-a-a-a-are You-ou-uuu rea-re-ready-ee?"

"Wolf..." Anna spoke with concern. Wolf understood her concern and gave an answer on her wrist computer.

*Beep*

[Sorry, But I've made some improvements. They will want you to practice a little, first. Just follow instructions for now. Go ahead and start it up.]

'He says he made improvements, but it doesn't sound like it.' Anna thought to herself.

*Beep*

[Just trust me.] He responded to her thoughts.

With a sigh, she leaned back and waited for Wolf to insert the plugin into the back of her neck. She felt a twinge of pain for a slight moment, but it faded faster than it emerged. She felt the rush of information flooding her mind. New technology was introduced and a few new buttons to accommodate it.