Dust Devils - A Girls Und Panzer Story

Chapter 45

"Woah! I didn't expect you'd get us these kinds of tablets." Valarie noted.

"Mmmhmm! Only the best of the best for of all you. It sports Wi-Fi and cellular capabilities, 128 gigabytes of flash memory, a 1.2-megapixel front camera capable of 720p HD video...I'd go on but I'm no Steve Jobs."

"How much is this thing?"

"For that model? Nine hundred and twenty-nine dollars for each tablet."

"So...you have there in your wagon almost thirteen thousand dollars with of tablets?"

"Twelve thousand and seventy-seven dollars to be exact. And that, of course, is not taking into account the GPS devices, each costing one hundred and twenty dollars and I got twenty of them in the event you get more tanks."

"Trackers are that expensive?"

"They are if you want super-accurate data up to one meter."

"Geez..." Valarie uttered. The price of everything bewildered her. "So, what about the camo nets?"

"Here's the thing about those nets. You see, the tablets and trackers I got from shops here on the ship. As it turns out, there is no shop here that sells tankery equipment. Or military equipment in general. Hence, I don't have your nets. As such, I've placed an order for them."

"Cool, when can we expect them?"

"When we make port in Ireland, which is the upcoming Wednesday. I've arranged it for the nets to be ready for us."

"Thank you kindly for the new equipment. No doubt we'll use them extensively," Buchanan thanked. "Alright, everyone! Mount up! There's an access road we can use that'll take us right to the practice area. I'll catch up."

The team eagerly got into their vehicles. The garage was soon filled with the roars of numerous vehicles, the air being thick with the gas fumes. One by one, they departed the garage and drove toward the designated area. Buchanan lingered around for a moment. She wasn't alone in the garage. Waiting around for a moment, Redwood come down from the upper floor. It was just them.

"So," he began. "Anything noticeable?"

"I gotta say, lately I've got this metallic taste in my mouth like I'm chewing on pennies." Buchanan shared.

"That's a bit concerning."

"Oh not at all! I've looked that up and that's just the result of the hormones! Thinking about it, I've figured that I'm now three weeks pregnant. On the same site that told me about the hormones, it told me something else. Our child, which is right now just a bundle of cells, it's around the size of a pinhead."

Redwood hugged her from behind, affectionately wrapping his arms around her stomach. "Oh, I just can't wait for our first ultrasound. It's going to be an emotional experience for both of us. Would it be too early to speculate on your due date?"

"Um," Buchanan uttered. She entered into a phase of intense thinking. "Mmm, nine months from June roughly. So...March next year."

"God, I can't wait."

They shared a kiss.

"Now," Buchanan then said. "I got a practice to oversee. What will you be doing today?"

"Uh, not much honestly. With summer vacation in full swing, my workload has plummeted."

"Oh, how will you occupy your time without me?" Buchanan said in a tease.

Redwood chuckled. "Ah, I'll manage. Maybe I'll catch on on some shows I've been meaning to watch."

"Well, enjoy yourself," Buchanan said as she got into the DPV. "You know, I'm glad we got this thing," she said, playfully tapping the steering wheel. She then turned toward the Humvee and looked at it for a second. "Dunno what we'll do with that though. We'll find a purpose for it. Maybe."