“Can you just decide who I’m doing stuff with?” she asked. “Don’t I get a say?” There was a bit of attitude now, her courage returning. �...I mean, does it have to be one or the other? Why?” She looked at us, across at Lisa and round at me, half curious and half challenging.It was a fair point, I reflected.“Well ... no you’re right,” said Lisa with a laugh, quick and decisive as ever, “that’s so obvious. Paul and I were just being very stupid and possessive and jealous and, I don’t know,. A little disappointed that they couldn’t talk now, but understanding of the work Lauren had to get done, he agreed. ‘Expect me tomorrow Miss Lauren. I want the same treatment the little old man gets!’ Jake smiled broadly, showing his perfectly white straight teeth. ************************************************* By the time Lauren got home that night, she was beat. Closing had been rough because the store had been so busy earlier that she hadn’t had a chance to do a lot of prep-closing. The. It was late January 1944 and I had just been promoted to Captain in the US Army Air Force. Along with that promotion, I was awarded the command of my own crew. You see, until then I was a co-pilot in a B-17 bomber crew of the 92 nd Bomb Group stationed at Bovingdon Airfield, near Hertfordshire. From October of 1943, I flew 14 missions over Europe, sometimes barely able to return as our crew was so shot up by German fighters or flak bursts. I saw so many ways to die at 25,000. This makes the surgery less stress full for thefuture pilot and in some case actually quite pleasant," Brian explainedto me as he worked his controls."So what exactly are you going to her?" I asked.The brunette turned to address me. "She is going to have a number ofdifferent procedures which will allow her to link to her mech. She willhave a bio-mech links implanted into her body and also her body modifiedto fit into the mech.My name is Sara, by the way"I smiled back and introduced myself. I.