She needed to talk to her, but her stomach churned at the idea of broaching such a trivial subject with the Commander. But she rationalized. Morale would suffer if she didn’t. She knew they were in the middle of a war, but being stuck on a starship with no air conditioning was not going to be fun. She’d already noticed the bickering picking up between Gabby and Ken lately, and it wasn’t the usual flirty kind with the sexual undercurrents she was used to. They were actually being mean to each other.
“Commander, can I have a moment?” Traynor asked when Shepard finished reading her messages.
“What is it, Traynor?”
“It’s the issue with the environmental systems. EDI’s scans indicate that the condensor coils weren’t installed correctly during the retrofit and have become corroded as a result. We need new ones.”
“I’ll have to prioritize it. We’re on a schedule. It might be a little stuffy for a bit, but the rest of the systems are in working order. We’re all soldiers. We can endure a little heat until we have time to dock at the Citadel for the repairs. It’ll only be a few weeks, Specialist.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Samantha said, scowling down at her console when the Commander turned and headed into the lift.
She tapped at her console in irritation for a few minutes. It was too hot to think. Sure it was bearable, and there were ways to combat it, but the crew showers never got cool enough to really make a difference. Apparently, “cold” in there really meant “kind of warm”. She supposed it made sense. Most people wanted hot showers, and the hot showers had always been one of the best things about serving on the Normandy, but the hot wasn’t the issue lately. She wanted a damn cold shower. She wanted cold air.
Shepard’s ground crew didn’t seem to mind. They were used to being in temperature regulated body armor most of the time, and the environmental systems in the shuttles were still in working order, so they had nice cool air whenever they went on missions.
She needed to figure out a way to get Shepard’s attention over this issue before it was too late and the crew started boycotting clothing or defecting to Cerberus. She wasn’t sure which would be worse considering the body odor some of the crew had, but she had to admit she wouldn’t mind if Diana’s already skimpy wardrobe was reduced to a bra and panties. Still, she wasn’t sure if it was worth it.
She had an idea, but she would need some help. When she got off duty she went to the bridge.
“EDI, do you have a few moments? I need your help with something.”
“Yes, Samantha, what is it?”
Samantha eyed Joker. He lifted his hat off and swiped his fingers through his sweat-soaked hair and grumbled something about, “if I wanted to work in a sauna I’d have become a masseuse.”
“Yes, Shepard insists we can hold out for the parts for the environmental system. I’m not so sure. It’s only a matter of days before the crew becomes too irritable to work as a cohesive unit.”
“Hell yeah,” Joker said. “I’m melting up here. I’ve tried to tell her, too, but she just goes on about priorities and the Reapers. She’s always been a damn hardass. I respect her but she’s definitely got her blind spots. She thinks if she can handle it everyone else should just suck it up.”
“I have an idea,” she said. She spoke and EDI and Joker listened.
“Hah!” Joker said when she finished speaking. “Yeah that’d definitely get her attention. I say go for it.”
“EDI, can you run interference while we do this?”
“The environmental conditions don’t affect me, but I’ve been acutely aware of the change in Jeff’s mood since the cooling system malfunction began. It would definitely be worth the effort in order to see his mood improved, as well as the rest of the crew.” She shifted her shoulders back in an eerily human gesture that seemed out of place on her metallic body, then she smiled. “I’m in.”
“Great! Thank you EDI. I’ll get started right away.” Samantha walked back to her terminal and tapped a quick message. Now she just had to wait.
It wasn’t until the next evening that she got her reply.
“Traynor. I have some time for that game. Come on up when you’re off duty.”
“I’ll see you at nineteen-hundred, Commander,” Traynor replied. Finally, things were under way.
When she reached Shepard’s quarters she oohed and ahhed appreciatively at the comforts, making a point in particular to comment on the shower. She turned and batted her eyelashes at the other woman but Shepard seemed oblivious.
They started their chess game and bantered about pointless details, mostly involving their early years in the Alliance. As Shepard was setting up the board for their second game, Samantha casually began unfastening her uniform. She undid the snap on the side and unzipped the front to an almost obscenely low point between her breasts, then ran her fingers down her neck.
“Oh, it’s so hot. How do you deal with the heat, Commander?”
“You can call me Shepard when we’re off duty, Traynor. I won’t bite your head off,” Shepard said, actually seeming to smile a little bit. “And it might sound strange, but I actually like the heat. Ever since I was spaced. You’ve never known cold until you’ve been trapped out there with nothing but a slim barrier or high-tech fabric between you and nothing. On the plus side, the Normandy’s hot water system is the best. I like my showers hot. The hotter the better.”
“Oh,” Samantha said, understanding for the first time where the Commander’s blind spot might originate from. “Your shower is fantastic, by the way. What I wouldn’t give for a nice, hot shower. The water doesn’t get so hot, in the showers on the crew deck.”
“Sure, you’re welcome to it if you want,” Shepard said. “We can take a break for a little bit. There are towels in there.”
She happily strutted to the shower and hopped in, adjusting the dials to the coldest settings and enjoying how very cold the water got.
“Um, Shepard?” she called out. “The water isn’t getting hot.”
“What do you mean there’s no hot water?” Shepard said, incredulous. “There’s always hot water. It isn’t the damn water heater that’s on the fritz.”
She heard footsteps behind her and Shepard was standing in the doorway, extending an arm in beneath the stream of water.
“That’s ice cold,” Shepard said. “Is the hot turned on?”
Samantha nodded, feeling a little exposed, and a little turned on at the other woman’s close proximity to her naked body.
“Full blast,” she said, spitting water out in a short stream.
“Shit,” Shepard said. “EDI!” she said.
“Yes, Shepard?”
“Status on the water heater. Something seems to be malfunctioning.”
“Affirmative, Shepard. The water heater is indeed malfunctioning. The anodes are corroded and need to be replaced.”
“Traynor, schedule us for a stop at the Citadel ASAP. I need my hot water. And we might as well get those condensor coils replaced while we’re at it.”
“Aye aye, Commander,” Samantha said, secretly rejoicing. She turned off the water and grabbed a towel.
When she turned to head out of the bathroom she was startled to see Shepard still standing there.
“Um, what is it, Shepard?”
“Just wanted to turn up the heat a little to make up for your lack of a good, hot shower.” Shepard said.
Samantha gasped in surprise when Shepard tugged at her the front of the towel she had wrapped around her, pulling her into a very passionate kiss.
