It All Started With Magnets

.37.

Nearly an hour later

I wiped my sweaty palms on my dress pants. My laptop with the finished presentation was currently with Fist, who was the tech specialist and he had insisted he be the one to set everything up for me while the others locked down the building for the last time. I had sat out in my ship with him until the convention center was cleared to everyone's liking and posts were set up. Then I was brought in with the full military escort. The guys in their gear looked just as intimidating as Luke did, especially with the masks covering most of their faces. It felt really weird walking in and realizing that while the world leaders had personal guards, I was literally the only person there who had a full military escort with big rifles.

The only thing missing had been a bullet proof vest and a helmet but Hollister said that because they cleared the building, and it made Canada look bad on an international stage for not trusting anyone, so I didn't need the vest or helmet. I kept my shield port on though, it might have been alright to go without it, at least for the length of the presentation and the small question period afterwards. and I also I doubted anything would happen with the G25 in attendance but I didn't want to hazard any chances given the history, call me paranoid but it was what it was.

I had given the spare shield port I had made to Luke though, I still wanted the ship closed up properly and had shown him how to attach it and use it because him having access to the ship was important. Which had resulted in the others pretending to whine that they wanted one too. Which I had ignored. Whiny children didn't get what they wanted, but I did make a note to make more for them when I got a chance. I knew they were the best of the best but I liked the idea of the added security of the shields for them.

Once in the building, I was put in a room with two of the guys, Iris and Sarge, while Fist took my laptop to hook it up and make sure everything would work when I got on stage. I had been surprised that neither Iris or Sarge made any attempt at fooling around or even cracking jokes. They were silent, intimidating as hell, and fairly still with their hands on their rifles. It made sense but at the same time it was disconcerting to see the guys act so serious when all I had known was yelling phone calls that were filled with them cracking jokes.

Then Hollister and Lavoie, or rather Prime Minister Lavoie, had come in to thank me for coming and to check in on me. His eyes had been on my bruised shoulder the entire time and he had asked if I was alright. I just responded that Hollister beat me with the straightest face I could make. It had been worth it to see the nearly horrified look on his face and Hollister's 'I'm completely done' expression before I cracked and told him I was fine and that it was healing up well. Lavoie then asked if I would be covering it up and I shrugged and said I hadn't decided.

Which I hadn't. Cover it up or not, it didn't change the fact that it had happened and was one of the biggest reasons I would be heading back to Torin. Which Lavoie had asked me about, he hadn't been that impressed with it and had asked repeatedly how communications could be maintained with me and the ship gone and I told him that it was covered and to not worry about it. He hadn't seemed to like that answer but left anyway.

Now I was standing next to the large stage set up, rubbing my sweaty palms on my dress pants as Lavoie was finishing up addressing the assembly of world leaders, journalists, and what I was guessing were assistants. I was not nearly ready enough to get up there and deliver a world changing speech to over a hundred people. I almost wanted to throw up as I thought about it. I was not a public speaker, not in the least.

There was a strange waver in my vision and I frowned, looking down at my shield port. I checked it but they were still on. "What's wrong?" Luke asked it quickly and I pulled the port off my pocket.

"Shields are acting funny." I opened the backing and rotated the batteries with my thumb and the wavering stopped and that made me relax. "Bad connection is all, probably a little corrosion, will have to double check once we are back on the ship. Maybe switch the batteries out." I put the cover back on and attached it back to my pocket before giving him a smile. "We're all good." It had been a while since I switched out the batteries so it was probably due, that and checking for wear and corrosion was important.