My current color was light brown with blond and red highlights. It had taken me years to find the exact shades I liked and the profile was saved to my own cosmetics kit. Because of that, I’d been sporting nearly the same hair color for the entire time I’d been in the public eye.
I needed something that would blend in but also be completely different from my normal hair color. Black made my skin looked washed out and added several years to my age even before the makeup. I added strands of gray, aging me further. I turned my head, eyeing my reflection from multiple angles. This would work.
I removed the coloring wand from its dock and the mirror preview went translucent, so I could see my real hair color under the new color. I ran the wand over my hair from root to end, like I was brushing my hair. In the mirror, the section of hair under the wand turned black with gray strands, matching the preview.
I did my whole head, shaking my hair and repeating until no brown remained. I waved away the preview and checked my true reflection for any missed strands.
I didn’t look at all like myself, which was the point, but it was still weird. I put the coloring wand back where it belonged and tried not to stare at my reflection.
Next, I went through makeup options. I ended up with dull, sallow skin, dark circles under my eyes, and careful contouring that made my nose appear wider than it actually was. The woman staring out of the mirror looked overworked and at least a decade older than twenty-five.
I returned to the bedroom to get Ian’s opinion. He glanced up when I entered the room, then did a quick double take. He squinted and tilted his head to the side, as if that would help him see the truth through the changes.
“That’s impressive,” he said at last. “I wouldn’t have recognized you.”
“Your turn. I’m going to go brush up on deadly diseases and figure out if I have any clothes that scream MineCorp peon.”
“Good luck. I’ll meet you on the flight deck in an hour.”
Chapter 23
My only clothing option had been the pair of gray slacks and a white blouse I’d bought from Madame Blanchard in what felt like a lifetime ago. As expected, all of the clothes Ada had included were more practical than pretty. My shoe options had been the heels I’d worn with the gold dress or heavy combat boots. I’d opted for boots. It looked a little odd, but I didn’t relish running in bare feet again anytime soon.
When I entered the flight deck, Aoife was in the captain’s chair, and Alex and Ian were standing beside her. Ian had changed to dark brown hair, graying at the temples. He’d also given the stubble shadowing his jaw a salt-and-pepper coloring, giving him a more grizzled appearance.
Alex turned to glance at me. He pulled a blaster before frowning. “Bianca?”
“Yes. Did you think I was a stowaway?”
“The disguise is good,” he said.
Aoife spun around. “You were not kidding about the hair and makeup making a difference,” she agreed.
I moved closer to Ian, trying to get used to the new hair color. He’d also grown a paunch in the last hour. “Is that going to pass a scanner?” I asked with a glance at his newly enlarged belly.
“Of course,” he said. He patted his stomach proudly. “Nothing but too much beer and good food in here. And a blaster, a knife, and a small amount of explosives.”
It was my turn to frown. “Is that safe?”
“Safe enough,” was his entirely unsatisfactory answer. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.” It came out as more confident than I felt.
“Aoife is going to be the captain for this run. I’m the hired help and Alex is going to stay out of sight as our backup plan. We jump in, land, grab Ferdinand, and then make a break for the gate or the von Hasenberg system, depending on how things look.”
“We should discuss contingency plans,” I said. “What if we’re discovered or one of us gets caught?”
“If we get caught before we find Ferdinand, we’ll make a decision then as to whether we bail or keep looking. Afterward, our priority is to get both of you out. If Aoife has to leave before we’re out, she’ll try to go stealth and come back for us in twelve hours. Otherwise we’re on our own.”