CadetNewb
Well-Known Member
It was a dark and stormy night. Thunder flashed accross the sky, and the wind blew furiously. And then somebody tackled Aerin and took control of Dawn's weather system again. And all was well.
*****
DAWN STATION
SECTOR 10
OI MAIN OFFICE BUILDING
Cool, crisp Durandium was what this skyscraper was made out of. Its floors, ceilings, and even its windows out of a transparent variety of the metal. The armor grade material gave off a shining luster, but wasn't overbearing. Inside, it was Spartan in decoration, but not so that it was dull. No, instead, it all gave off a sense of intelligence. The Origin Industries logo could be found upon the surfaces, but didn't clutter and smother the place; the sweet green of the company contrasting against the steel like surface was in fact rather pleasing to the eye, and even lively in a professional manner so to speak. Of course, this all made the single, drab figure stand out even more from the sea of black and green suits as the young man entered.
The lobby receptionist politely looked at him from across the vast threshold between them; he'd have to make his way across that to reach her.
His commander had quite literally pulled him aside, shoved a datapad into his hands, and put him on the first shuttle to Dawn Station from Nepleslia. Now he found himself standing among a sea of Origin employees in full tactical gear and reeking of some of the worst stuff Nepleslia's streets had to offer. As he entered he found himself the subject the occasional glance or even a stare. For the most part though, they turned him up like a lump of plastic, and didn't pay him much attention despite how his garb differed. He didn't care either way, the air conditioning in the building made anything worth wild. When he finally reached the desk he waved the receptionist over, "Is there a meeting scheduled with a Paragon representative today?" he asked.
The brunette looked up from her volumetric console, and brushed the floating images aside so that there was nothing between them. Though she was not much older than him, her appearance made her look stern, with ebony rimmed glasses and hair tied up into a bun. But, that was as far as appearances went. "Hello Mr. Breckman, we've been expecting you." she spoke with a hint of glee. "Yes. You're due for a meeting in room 341-D." The Receptionist added on. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Uh, where exactly is room 30-41 ma'am?" he asked dumbfounded, glancing down a hallway.
The brunette softly chuckled before reaching behind her desk. Her hand pulled out a volumetric image, which she unraveled like a piece of paper. "Room 341-D is located here." she pointed out. "Its the fourth sub-building over, forty-first room on level three hundred." The Receptionist explained. "Don't worry, you won't get lost. Just follow the signs." she added with a knowing smile.
Jonsey nodded, "Thank you ma'am, oh! One more thing." He said while tugging something off his shoulder, he set an assault rifle on the desk. "Stash this somewhere would ya, I don't think it'd look good for OriSec for a merc to wonder around with an IBR."
It was now that she laughed, the tones like delicate china clinking together. Still, she took the rifle and looked at it. "You're free to go through Dawn Station with a maximum of one weapon on your body, be it a knife or bazooka, so long as the weapon in question is registered with security." She paused and looked at one of her many screens. "Which just happens to be the case!" The Receptionist spoke with obvious delight. Still, she didn't give the weapon back to him quite yet, and suddenly removed the magazine before eyeballing the munitions. Genuine curiosity could be heard in her delicate voice. "Interesting. Eight or maybe even nine milometer rounds."
The Receptionist finally handed him the rifle back, but kept the magazine, still intent on the ammunition it held. A fine finger gently pushed out a single round from the metal lips of the box, turning it so she could see the lettering at the base. "Very...interesting Mr. Breckman." The Receptionist's words were drawn out as she spoke, but then rapidly replaced the loose bullet. "Here you are. You best be on your way. Have a nice day!" she spoke with cheer.
Jonsey took the magazine back but pocketed it instead of reloading the IBR, he merely nodded to the receptionist before continuing on his way. There were indeed signs something which was a slight relief to contractor as he made his way deeper into the Origin office building.
It wasn't until Jonsey left the Lobby that the sheer scale of the building, and to an extent, the station, suggested by the numbers of the room became apparent. The Atrium was easily two kilometers in height, with the space he was now in being a small park, complete with ducks and geese. Children, who were most likely of the employees who worked here, ran through the trees or played on one of the playgrounds. There were even automated concession bots going about selling icecream to popcorn to candy.
And yes, The Receptionist was right. There were signs, though, the need for them was debatable; the massive structure was divided into five smaller buildings inside, with the park acting as a central hub connecting them all at the base. Finding an elevator in Sub-Building D wasn't going to be hard at all.
He eyed a sign pointing toward the lift he needed to get on, as he moved toward it however it filled to capacity, the doors closing just as he reached them. Uttering a quiet curse he soon found himself in a mob of black and green uniforms presumably all wanting to go to the same building. For the moment all they could is stand there and talk among themselves as the lift went through it's cycle to the top. All Jonsey could do was stand there, looking up at it.
The Paragon Employee didn't have to wait for long though; as soon as the previous lift departed, another one arrived. This of course, lampshaded a mystery; just why did they all cram into a single elevator when waiting a few extra seconds to get into a perfectly empty one? Before he could think of any possible explanation though, something tugged at his pants. "Hey, mister gray, did you see an elevator crammed full of people?" A five or six year old child asked him. "We're supposed to have a challenge where we stuff lots and lots of people into one and see if we can beat the record..."
He knelt down to look the small child in the eye, "How about you do me a favor and skip a round for this lift?" he asked nicely. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a few credits, "I'll even throw this in for ya."
Right at that point, the kid went wide eyed as he stepped back from the Paragon Employee, eyes darting across the uniform, settling on the dirt and grime, the rifle, and finally, the money. If a rational person thought of it, the sight of such a person offering a little kid money wasn't exactly the most wholesome. Needless to say, the kid ran away screaming. While covering his butt. And thus, he was once again found himself alone.
Standing back up he pocketed the money, muttering something about Neko and Yamatain children. He was obviously unaware of the demographics of the station though. Ignoring the stares as he stepped on the lift and punched in his floor, he moved to the back, leaning into the corner.
As the massive elevator ascended, Jonsey could see down below the same kid that made the scene. He was fist-bumping another kid his age before breaking up into laughter. He'd been Punked. Soon enough though, the children, the people in the park all became as ants, and then even smaller. The empty elevator, large enough to fit several cars, or even a tank, seemed all the more vast since he was alone. And then it made a 'ding' as he arrived at floor 300 of Sub-Building D. Now all he had to do was find room 41.
He stepped off the lift and glanced to the right and then to the left, small groups of two or three Origin employees and the occasional circle were scattered at either end of a long hallway. Breckman just started following the numbers.
Jonsey walked by and was walked by other Origin Employees as he continued down the hall. The occasional doors were open, or cracked open, revealing brief glimpses into their contents. Presentations regarding new products, risk assessments concerning the Mishhu War, a going away party were all among some of the things he could spot before passing by a few vending machines nearby some restrooms. One employee was getting a breakfast bear breakfast bar and choco-stix from the snack machine, while another started downing a drink. Neither noticed him as he went by; it was almost like he was a ghost in the way he strolled down the metal halls, practically ignored, yet looking in.
Soon enough though, he found it. Room 41 on Level 300 of Sub-Building D.
He rapped the door three times waiting for a response.
To which there was none. Still, the door was unlocked, and just waiting to be opened.
Sighing slightly he opened the door and stepped in glancing around the room.
Inside was a large rectangular table made primarily of what seemed to be glass and the occasional bit of metal. The chairs were much the same, and matched the general theme. On the far wall though, was a volumetric projection of the Origin Industries Logo aside the Paragon Initiative Logo. Yes, this was the right room. It just happened to be empty. "I was starting to worry you weren't going to show up." A rich, womanly voice called out from behind Jonsey.
His hand practically shot to were his sidearm would have been as he turned around, two weeks in an NMX infested sector of Funky City had left him very very jumpy. He scowled slightly at the individual behind him, "Didn't anyone ever tell you its a bad idea to sneak up behind someone?" he quipped.
But, there was nobody there. Just empty space, the door that was behind him now closed. Still, the voice came at him again, seemingly from in front of him. "Sneaking up behind someone? A bad idea?" She teased him. The bedside voice turned into an amused laugh. "Sorry, its a habit of mine." The person, whoever she was, paused, "Hmm...I'd expected someone to be a bit more...neat, but I guess we all make due nowadays. My name is Yuno. Yuno Fumihiko. I've been handling the recent major transactions between our companies?" A hand appeared out of nowhere, as though slipping through an invisible threshold.
Jonsey reached out and grasped the floating phantom limb and tugged forward experimentally.
The woman's four fingered hand clutched his firmly, giving him a single shake. Her deep voice however, sounded a little confused however. "Is there something wrong? You're looking at me very strangely, and your eyes aren't focusing properly on me either." Yuno asked.
He shrugged slightly, "I'm fresh outta a NMX combat zone, last time I ran into an invisible Neko she gibbed a buddy and nearly took my head off, so I'm a little jumpy at the moment ma'am" he said as he released the hand.
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear...OH!" The Neko exclaimed in surprise. As Jonsey blinked, a woman with long green hair tied into a French braid appeared as the station's volumetrics deactivated. And she was quite short. In fact, she was easily a little more than a full head shorter than the Paragon Contractor; her deep and luxurious voice was Very misleading as to her stature. The Neko swept a hand over her lap, getting rid of any wrinkles in the skirt of her uniform. "I'm sorry about that, I'm having trouble myself when it comes to relaxing." Yuno spoke, looking up at him. "What are we doing standing anyways? Please, take a seat."
He nodded, finding his way to the nearest chair and setting his rifle down on the table before finally settling into a seat, "Sorry about this getup, Paragon is stretched all over nowadays, when something like this pops up they usually just send one of us supply boys to take care of it." He said while settling back into the comfortable seat.
She offered him a seductive smile in reply. "Of course. We're all feeling the pressure these days." One of Yuno's arms reached out to grasp a pitcher of water from the smaller table nearby, next picking up a pair of paper cups from the accompanying stack. She filled his up and gave it to him first before giving herself any and taking a seat; he had taken a corner seat, and so Yuno ended up placing her sleek form at the head of the table. "So, what can I do for you?" She asked, reaching into her suit and pulling out a box of long, thin sticks dipped in chocolate.
He suddenly realized that she was one of the people at the vending machine as he passed by.
Shaking it off he set the cup off to the side, "We are interested in drawing up a general munitions, weapon, and equipment contract to cover any Origin ordinance we may need in the foreseeable future." He paused, taking a drink from the cup, "My bosses are also interested in obtaining a contract to acquire the Pawn type Destiny AI suite. A third interest is the acquisition of fifty Queen type Destiny AI suites. You see at the moment we are on a bit of a building spree." he finished.
"Oh? Only fifty?" she purred. The catlike grin on her lips was both enticing, and amused.
He merely quirked an eyebrow, "Has Origin heard of the D-1 Project?" he asked.
She slowly shook her head side to side. "I'm afraid not. Please, would you explain?" Yuno asked kindly.
He pulled out the datapad he'd been given before being shipped out of Funky City, syncing it up with the table's volumetric display he brought up an image of a very basic ship design. "This is the Dagger class guided missile destroyer, also know as the D-1 Project, Paragon intends to use the Queen suite on its own Daggers." Breckman finished.
Even though Yuno continued to give him a warm smile as he spoke, her green haired ears perked up slightly as she watched the information stream across the volumetric display. He had her attention. "And Paragon plans an initial run of fifty ships? I see." She paused and brought a fingertip to her lip in thought, eyes looking up at the ceiling. "I suppose that will be...five hundred thousand for the lot at ten thousand each." Yuno's eyes went back to settle on him. "Does this sound reasonable?" She asked him.
"Well its within the acceptable amount set by the brass, I suppose so." he responded, "And the munitions and Pawn systems?" he asked.
"Well, just what are you after when it comes to the PAWN suite?" Yuno questioned the young man. She leaned forward and rested her chin on steepled fingers, waiting for his response with an ever present smile.
He adjusted the display changing the image from a ship to a rather vicious looking flying machine, "We are looking to equip this gunship design with the PAWN along with a potential fighter and bomber design. These would be full blown production contracts." he said
.
"Ah. So you don't wish for a fixed number of them? I see." She drew back a little, and sipped from her cup of water. Yuno's eyes looked up from the cup at him however. The Neko spoke after taking it away from her lips. "How about production rights to the PAWN for a fixed amount of time?"
He reclined slightly, leaning back as far as the chair would allow. "What would be the price tag attached to such an arrangement?" he asked.
"Hmm..." she paused, humming to herself she continued to eye him.
"Off the top of my head, I believe fifteen million would be reasonable. Unlimited production rights for four years; I'm sure you can do plenty in that timespan, yes?"
"Indeed, and the munitions?" he asked, leaning forward in his chair.
Despite keeping a warm, pleasant expression, the Neko's ears suddenly perked up; something was exciting her. "Let me look at the list you've given me." Yuno smiled at him. She briefly closed her eyes, but peaked one open at him. "Don't do anything now." she spoke, before bringing her eyelid down again, pausing. "Lets see, lets see...I say twelve million for the munitions, weapons and parts." The neko flat out offered him.
Jonsey glanced back at the datapad, all the estimates were well below his spending ceiling something which he was relieved about, "It all looks good at my end, this should be everything we need, is there anything else Origin needs to know?" he asked.
When Yuno opened her eyes again, she didn't smile. In fact, she seemed a little angry. A little confused. Her luscious lips were now pressed thin into a slight frown. "What's up with you?" she bluntly asked him; her voice was still as full bodied as ever, but all allure was practically dropped.
He cocked his head slightly to the side, "What do you mean?" he asked.
"Really? That's all you're going to say?" Yuno snapped at him. She quickly stood up on her two feet and slammed both hands into the crystalline table; the entirety of it practically vibrated with the sheer force of the blow. Her small and lithe form belied the strength she had. She leaned forward, inadvertently allowing him to look down her front. "Most jerks I deal with are usually looking at my tits or ass, and I end up getting the same exact price I just got with you!" The green haired Neko exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at the man. "I can definitely tell you weren't doing either, so what gives?" Yuno fumed.
He was still calm at least on the outside, his hand had moved to his IBR's grip. He almost fell out of seat after she finished her outburst however, regaining a bit of composure he responded, "Because frankly ma'am anything with furry ears scares the shit out of me." He said matter of factly, "And its taking a lot of will power not to keep this here rifle leveled in your direction." he finished.
The young man's frankness caught her off guard; Yuno's jaw dropped as her ears twitched slightly. Even her tail was now perked up and out, looking confused itself, occasionally trembling left and right and even thoughtlessly lifting her skirt up. She eventually caught herself though, and took a hand to smooth her tail and skirt back down before taking a seat. Yuno wasn't even looking directly at him anymore, and instead settled for an invisible spot on the crystal table. Ears drooped, she gave him a one word reply. "Sorry."
He let go of his weapon and relaxed a bit, "Not your fault ma'am just tends to happen when the two biggest powers utilize your kin as combat troops and both want me dead" he laughed slightly. "Now you were saying you were overcharging for this?" he gestured toward the display.
She listened to him speak out in a rapid machinegun fire sentence and finally looked at him again with a grim smile. "Yeah...Look, you're a nice kid." She went on, "So I'll cut the price back. Ten-Mil for the PAWN rights for five years instead of four, and ten-mil again for the weapons and other bits and pieces." Yuno squirmed, settled into the seat a bit. It looked big, almost too big for her, giving her a small and vulnerable appearance. "I guess I'll also cut down the price for the QUEENs as well to around five hundred kay, alright?"
"So a grand total of twenty-million five-hundred thousand KS, that fits the bill perfectly, is there any information Origin requires?" he asked while pulling up credit account numbers on the data pad.
"Yeah. Pretty much." Yuno drawled in her deep tenor. She visibly eyeballed the rifle on the table though, and snorted. "Say, what were you going to do with that rifle without a magazine? One in the chamber's only enough if you're lucky you know." The Neko pointed out to him with a wry smile on her face.
Jonsey leaned forward and collected the rifle in his grip, he pulled the charging handle back and ejected the unfired casing, catching it with the same hand and putting it on the table. It had an orange tip.
"You're kidding." she spoke, puffing her lips out as she pouted. "That'd hurt like, a lot, but I think I might have still won out." She shook her head. "Forget it. So we're settled on the deal then?" Yuno asked him, recovering some of her composure.
"Now, now, I don't know about that, I'm no damn push over." Suddenly the deal didn't seem as important, the natural competitor in Breckman couldn't leave the Neko's line just sitting. "I've been in plenty of hand to hand and got the scars to prove it, I think it'd be closer then you think." he said laying down a challenge.
She chuckled fondly at the young man in front of her. "Whatever." Yuno spoke, waving it off with a tired smile. "That part of my life is supposed to be over anyways." She then adjusted the green jacket that went over her business dress and straightened up. "So, do we have a deal?" the Neko asked.
"Not until this is settled we don't!" he stated getting up from his seat, "It'll be fun, come on." He started to stand up and take off his web gear.
"Oh come on, that's absur - " Yuno suddenly flew through the air and landed on top of the man and toppled him to the ground; he was vulnerable from removing the harness, and both her legs were wrapped around his neck. He could feel her hands press against his, palm to palm, keeping them from reaching for anything to give him an edge; Jonsey couldn't even see a thing though. Her black skirt was over his head as well. "Fun for you, maybe. But what about me?" she asked him with a tempting voice. "Besides. Business? The deal?"
Jonsey's reply was somewhat muffled but the Neko would just be able to make out the word 'done' and possibly a few curses and something about black lace.
"Nyah-ah!~" She moaned. "Don't do that!" Yuno quickly scrabbled off the Paragon Mercenary and got to her feet. She stood back and brushed her skirt down, getting rid of wrinkles again. "Well, since the deal is good, go ahead and authorize it from your end, and I'll do the same here." she spoke in a business like tone. Despite that though, Yuno couldn't get rid of the embarrassed blush on her cheeks.
Keeping both eyes firmly locked on her he picked up the data pad and punched in the relevant information, a few seconds later everything came back as cleared. Keeping her in front of him he picked up his web gear and half stumbled out of the room saying something about a cold shower, completely forgetting his rifle and that single round on the table.
Yuno simply stood there embarrassed in her non-standard outfit, watching the man leave. When he was gone though, she exhaled. It was over. The Neko then noticed the rifle and stray round of ammunition. "Hey! You forgot your rifle!" She quickly picked it up and went after him, opening the door and running out.
He was long gone, having made a beeline for the nearest exit. With his present state of mind Jonsey wouldn't notice he was light his main weapon for some time, the only thing right now he was pursuing was a large bottle of hard liquor and a shower... a cold one at that.
She eyeballed the rifle in her hands. "Unless you're coming back...dibs.~"
When he arrived at his hotel room for the night he found a message, he'd be reassigned, liason to Origin Industries effective immediately. He was stuck on Dawn Station until further notice. It was after this that he realized he didn't have his rifle.
*****
DAWN STATION
SECTOR 10
OI MAIN OFFICE BUILDING
Cool, crisp Durandium was what this skyscraper was made out of. Its floors, ceilings, and even its windows out of a transparent variety of the metal. The armor grade material gave off a shining luster, but wasn't overbearing. Inside, it was Spartan in decoration, but not so that it was dull. No, instead, it all gave off a sense of intelligence. The Origin Industries logo could be found upon the surfaces, but didn't clutter and smother the place; the sweet green of the company contrasting against the steel like surface was in fact rather pleasing to the eye, and even lively in a professional manner so to speak. Of course, this all made the single, drab figure stand out even more from the sea of black and green suits as the young man entered.
The lobby receptionist politely looked at him from across the vast threshold between them; he'd have to make his way across that to reach her.
His commander had quite literally pulled him aside, shoved a datapad into his hands, and put him on the first shuttle to Dawn Station from Nepleslia. Now he found himself standing among a sea of Origin employees in full tactical gear and reeking of some of the worst stuff Nepleslia's streets had to offer. As he entered he found himself the subject the occasional glance or even a stare. For the most part though, they turned him up like a lump of plastic, and didn't pay him much attention despite how his garb differed. He didn't care either way, the air conditioning in the building made anything worth wild. When he finally reached the desk he waved the receptionist over, "Is there a meeting scheduled with a Paragon representative today?" he asked.
The brunette looked up from her volumetric console, and brushed the floating images aside so that there was nothing between them. Though she was not much older than him, her appearance made her look stern, with ebony rimmed glasses and hair tied up into a bun. But, that was as far as appearances went. "Hello Mr. Breckman, we've been expecting you." she spoke with a hint of glee. "Yes. You're due for a meeting in room 341-D." The Receptionist added on. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Uh, where exactly is room 30-41 ma'am?" he asked dumbfounded, glancing down a hallway.
The brunette softly chuckled before reaching behind her desk. Her hand pulled out a volumetric image, which she unraveled like a piece of paper. "Room 341-D is located here." she pointed out. "Its the fourth sub-building over, forty-first room on level three hundred." The Receptionist explained. "Don't worry, you won't get lost. Just follow the signs." she added with a knowing smile.
Jonsey nodded, "Thank you ma'am, oh! One more thing." He said while tugging something off his shoulder, he set an assault rifle on the desk. "Stash this somewhere would ya, I don't think it'd look good for OriSec for a merc to wonder around with an IBR."
It was now that she laughed, the tones like delicate china clinking together. Still, she took the rifle and looked at it. "You're free to go through Dawn Station with a maximum of one weapon on your body, be it a knife or bazooka, so long as the weapon in question is registered with security." She paused and looked at one of her many screens. "Which just happens to be the case!" The Receptionist spoke with obvious delight. Still, she didn't give the weapon back to him quite yet, and suddenly removed the magazine before eyeballing the munitions. Genuine curiosity could be heard in her delicate voice. "Interesting. Eight or maybe even nine milometer rounds."
The Receptionist finally handed him the rifle back, but kept the magazine, still intent on the ammunition it held. A fine finger gently pushed out a single round from the metal lips of the box, turning it so she could see the lettering at the base. "Very...interesting Mr. Breckman." The Receptionist's words were drawn out as she spoke, but then rapidly replaced the loose bullet. "Here you are. You best be on your way. Have a nice day!" she spoke with cheer.
Jonsey took the magazine back but pocketed it instead of reloading the IBR, he merely nodded to the receptionist before continuing on his way. There were indeed signs something which was a slight relief to contractor as he made his way deeper into the Origin office building.
It wasn't until Jonsey left the Lobby that the sheer scale of the building, and to an extent, the station, suggested by the numbers of the room became apparent. The Atrium was easily two kilometers in height, with the space he was now in being a small park, complete with ducks and geese. Children, who were most likely of the employees who worked here, ran through the trees or played on one of the playgrounds. There were even automated concession bots going about selling icecream to popcorn to candy.
And yes, The Receptionist was right. There were signs, though, the need for them was debatable; the massive structure was divided into five smaller buildings inside, with the park acting as a central hub connecting them all at the base. Finding an elevator in Sub-Building D wasn't going to be hard at all.
He eyed a sign pointing toward the lift he needed to get on, as he moved toward it however it filled to capacity, the doors closing just as he reached them. Uttering a quiet curse he soon found himself in a mob of black and green uniforms presumably all wanting to go to the same building. For the moment all they could is stand there and talk among themselves as the lift went through it's cycle to the top. All Jonsey could do was stand there, looking up at it.
The Paragon Employee didn't have to wait for long though; as soon as the previous lift departed, another one arrived. This of course, lampshaded a mystery; just why did they all cram into a single elevator when waiting a few extra seconds to get into a perfectly empty one? Before he could think of any possible explanation though, something tugged at his pants. "Hey, mister gray, did you see an elevator crammed full of people?" A five or six year old child asked him. "We're supposed to have a challenge where we stuff lots and lots of people into one and see if we can beat the record..."
He knelt down to look the small child in the eye, "How about you do me a favor and skip a round for this lift?" he asked nicely. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a few credits, "I'll even throw this in for ya."
Right at that point, the kid went wide eyed as he stepped back from the Paragon Employee, eyes darting across the uniform, settling on the dirt and grime, the rifle, and finally, the money. If a rational person thought of it, the sight of such a person offering a little kid money wasn't exactly the most wholesome. Needless to say, the kid ran away screaming. While covering his butt. And thus, he was once again found himself alone.
Standing back up he pocketed the money, muttering something about Neko and Yamatain children. He was obviously unaware of the demographics of the station though. Ignoring the stares as he stepped on the lift and punched in his floor, he moved to the back, leaning into the corner.
As the massive elevator ascended, Jonsey could see down below the same kid that made the scene. He was fist-bumping another kid his age before breaking up into laughter. He'd been Punked. Soon enough though, the children, the people in the park all became as ants, and then even smaller. The empty elevator, large enough to fit several cars, or even a tank, seemed all the more vast since he was alone. And then it made a 'ding' as he arrived at floor 300 of Sub-Building D. Now all he had to do was find room 41.
He stepped off the lift and glanced to the right and then to the left, small groups of two or three Origin employees and the occasional circle were scattered at either end of a long hallway. Breckman just started following the numbers.
Jonsey walked by and was walked by other Origin Employees as he continued down the hall. The occasional doors were open, or cracked open, revealing brief glimpses into their contents. Presentations regarding new products, risk assessments concerning the Mishhu War, a going away party were all among some of the things he could spot before passing by a few vending machines nearby some restrooms. One employee was getting a breakfast bear breakfast bar and choco-stix from the snack machine, while another started downing a drink. Neither noticed him as he went by; it was almost like he was a ghost in the way he strolled down the metal halls, practically ignored, yet looking in.
Soon enough though, he found it. Room 41 on Level 300 of Sub-Building D.
He rapped the door three times waiting for a response.
To which there was none. Still, the door was unlocked, and just waiting to be opened.
Sighing slightly he opened the door and stepped in glancing around the room.
Inside was a large rectangular table made primarily of what seemed to be glass and the occasional bit of metal. The chairs were much the same, and matched the general theme. On the far wall though, was a volumetric projection of the Origin Industries Logo aside the Paragon Initiative Logo. Yes, this was the right room. It just happened to be empty. "I was starting to worry you weren't going to show up." A rich, womanly voice called out from behind Jonsey.
His hand practically shot to were his sidearm would have been as he turned around, two weeks in an NMX infested sector of Funky City had left him very very jumpy. He scowled slightly at the individual behind him, "Didn't anyone ever tell you its a bad idea to sneak up behind someone?" he quipped.
But, there was nobody there. Just empty space, the door that was behind him now closed. Still, the voice came at him again, seemingly from in front of him. "Sneaking up behind someone? A bad idea?" She teased him. The bedside voice turned into an amused laugh. "Sorry, its a habit of mine." The person, whoever she was, paused, "Hmm...I'd expected someone to be a bit more...neat, but I guess we all make due nowadays. My name is Yuno. Yuno Fumihiko. I've been handling the recent major transactions between our companies?" A hand appeared out of nowhere, as though slipping through an invisible threshold.
Jonsey reached out and grasped the floating phantom limb and tugged forward experimentally.
The woman's four fingered hand clutched his firmly, giving him a single shake. Her deep voice however, sounded a little confused however. "Is there something wrong? You're looking at me very strangely, and your eyes aren't focusing properly on me either." Yuno asked.
He shrugged slightly, "I'm fresh outta a NMX combat zone, last time I ran into an invisible Neko she gibbed a buddy and nearly took my head off, so I'm a little jumpy at the moment ma'am" he said as he released the hand.
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear...OH!" The Neko exclaimed in surprise. As Jonsey blinked, a woman with long green hair tied into a French braid appeared as the station's volumetrics deactivated. And she was quite short. In fact, she was easily a little more than a full head shorter than the Paragon Contractor; her deep and luxurious voice was Very misleading as to her stature. The Neko swept a hand over her lap, getting rid of any wrinkles in the skirt of her uniform. "I'm sorry about that, I'm having trouble myself when it comes to relaxing." Yuno spoke, looking up at him. "What are we doing standing anyways? Please, take a seat."
He nodded, finding his way to the nearest chair and setting his rifle down on the table before finally settling into a seat, "Sorry about this getup, Paragon is stretched all over nowadays, when something like this pops up they usually just send one of us supply boys to take care of it." He said while settling back into the comfortable seat.
She offered him a seductive smile in reply. "Of course. We're all feeling the pressure these days." One of Yuno's arms reached out to grasp a pitcher of water from the smaller table nearby, next picking up a pair of paper cups from the accompanying stack. She filled his up and gave it to him first before giving herself any and taking a seat; he had taken a corner seat, and so Yuno ended up placing her sleek form at the head of the table. "So, what can I do for you?" She asked, reaching into her suit and pulling out a box of long, thin sticks dipped in chocolate.
He suddenly realized that she was one of the people at the vending machine as he passed by.
Shaking it off he set the cup off to the side, "We are interested in drawing up a general munitions, weapon, and equipment contract to cover any Origin ordinance we may need in the foreseeable future." He paused, taking a drink from the cup, "My bosses are also interested in obtaining a contract to acquire the Pawn type Destiny AI suite. A third interest is the acquisition of fifty Queen type Destiny AI suites. You see at the moment we are on a bit of a building spree." he finished.
"Oh? Only fifty?" she purred. The catlike grin on her lips was both enticing, and amused.
He merely quirked an eyebrow, "Has Origin heard of the D-1 Project?" he asked.
She slowly shook her head side to side. "I'm afraid not. Please, would you explain?" Yuno asked kindly.
He pulled out the datapad he'd been given before being shipped out of Funky City, syncing it up with the table's volumetric display he brought up an image of a very basic ship design. "This is the Dagger class guided missile destroyer, also know as the D-1 Project, Paragon intends to use the Queen suite on its own Daggers." Breckman finished.
Even though Yuno continued to give him a warm smile as he spoke, her green haired ears perked up slightly as she watched the information stream across the volumetric display. He had her attention. "And Paragon plans an initial run of fifty ships? I see." She paused and brought a fingertip to her lip in thought, eyes looking up at the ceiling. "I suppose that will be...five hundred thousand for the lot at ten thousand each." Yuno's eyes went back to settle on him. "Does this sound reasonable?" She asked him.
"Well its within the acceptable amount set by the brass, I suppose so." he responded, "And the munitions and Pawn systems?" he asked.
"Well, just what are you after when it comes to the PAWN suite?" Yuno questioned the young man. She leaned forward and rested her chin on steepled fingers, waiting for his response with an ever present smile.
He adjusted the display changing the image from a ship to a rather vicious looking flying machine, "We are looking to equip this gunship design with the PAWN along with a potential fighter and bomber design. These would be full blown production contracts." he said
.
"Ah. So you don't wish for a fixed number of them? I see." She drew back a little, and sipped from her cup of water. Yuno's eyes looked up from the cup at him however. The Neko spoke after taking it away from her lips. "How about production rights to the PAWN for a fixed amount of time?"
He reclined slightly, leaning back as far as the chair would allow. "What would be the price tag attached to such an arrangement?" he asked.
"Hmm..." she paused, humming to herself she continued to eye him.
"Off the top of my head, I believe fifteen million would be reasonable. Unlimited production rights for four years; I'm sure you can do plenty in that timespan, yes?"
"Indeed, and the munitions?" he asked, leaning forward in his chair.
Despite keeping a warm, pleasant expression, the Neko's ears suddenly perked up; something was exciting her. "Let me look at the list you've given me." Yuno smiled at him. She briefly closed her eyes, but peaked one open at him. "Don't do anything now." she spoke, before bringing her eyelid down again, pausing. "Lets see, lets see...I say twelve million for the munitions, weapons and parts." The neko flat out offered him.
Jonsey glanced back at the datapad, all the estimates were well below his spending ceiling something which he was relieved about, "It all looks good at my end, this should be everything we need, is there anything else Origin needs to know?" he asked.
When Yuno opened her eyes again, she didn't smile. In fact, she seemed a little angry. A little confused. Her luscious lips were now pressed thin into a slight frown. "What's up with you?" she bluntly asked him; her voice was still as full bodied as ever, but all allure was practically dropped.
He cocked his head slightly to the side, "What do you mean?" he asked.
"Really? That's all you're going to say?" Yuno snapped at him. She quickly stood up on her two feet and slammed both hands into the crystalline table; the entirety of it practically vibrated with the sheer force of the blow. Her small and lithe form belied the strength she had. She leaned forward, inadvertently allowing him to look down her front. "Most jerks I deal with are usually looking at my tits or ass, and I end up getting the same exact price I just got with you!" The green haired Neko exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at the man. "I can definitely tell you weren't doing either, so what gives?" Yuno fumed.
He was still calm at least on the outside, his hand had moved to his IBR's grip. He almost fell out of seat after she finished her outburst however, regaining a bit of composure he responded, "Because frankly ma'am anything with furry ears scares the shit out of me." He said matter of factly, "And its taking a lot of will power not to keep this here rifle leveled in your direction." he finished.
The young man's frankness caught her off guard; Yuno's jaw dropped as her ears twitched slightly. Even her tail was now perked up and out, looking confused itself, occasionally trembling left and right and even thoughtlessly lifting her skirt up. She eventually caught herself though, and took a hand to smooth her tail and skirt back down before taking a seat. Yuno wasn't even looking directly at him anymore, and instead settled for an invisible spot on the crystal table. Ears drooped, she gave him a one word reply. "Sorry."
He let go of his weapon and relaxed a bit, "Not your fault ma'am just tends to happen when the two biggest powers utilize your kin as combat troops and both want me dead" he laughed slightly. "Now you were saying you were overcharging for this?" he gestured toward the display.
She listened to him speak out in a rapid machinegun fire sentence and finally looked at him again with a grim smile. "Yeah...Look, you're a nice kid." She went on, "So I'll cut the price back. Ten-Mil for the PAWN rights for five years instead of four, and ten-mil again for the weapons and other bits and pieces." Yuno squirmed, settled into the seat a bit. It looked big, almost too big for her, giving her a small and vulnerable appearance. "I guess I'll also cut down the price for the QUEENs as well to around five hundred kay, alright?"
"So a grand total of twenty-million five-hundred thousand KS, that fits the bill perfectly, is there any information Origin requires?" he asked while pulling up credit account numbers on the data pad.
"Yeah. Pretty much." Yuno drawled in her deep tenor. She visibly eyeballed the rifle on the table though, and snorted. "Say, what were you going to do with that rifle without a magazine? One in the chamber's only enough if you're lucky you know." The Neko pointed out to him with a wry smile on her face.
Jonsey leaned forward and collected the rifle in his grip, he pulled the charging handle back and ejected the unfired casing, catching it with the same hand and putting it on the table. It had an orange tip.
"You're kidding." she spoke, puffing her lips out as she pouted. "That'd hurt like, a lot, but I think I might have still won out." She shook her head. "Forget it. So we're settled on the deal then?" Yuno asked him, recovering some of her composure.
"Now, now, I don't know about that, I'm no damn push over." Suddenly the deal didn't seem as important, the natural competitor in Breckman couldn't leave the Neko's line just sitting. "I've been in plenty of hand to hand and got the scars to prove it, I think it'd be closer then you think." he said laying down a challenge.
She chuckled fondly at the young man in front of her. "Whatever." Yuno spoke, waving it off with a tired smile. "That part of my life is supposed to be over anyways." She then adjusted the green jacket that went over her business dress and straightened up. "So, do we have a deal?" the Neko asked.
"Not until this is settled we don't!" he stated getting up from his seat, "It'll be fun, come on." He started to stand up and take off his web gear.
"Oh come on, that's absur - " Yuno suddenly flew through the air and landed on top of the man and toppled him to the ground; he was vulnerable from removing the harness, and both her legs were wrapped around his neck. He could feel her hands press against his, palm to palm, keeping them from reaching for anything to give him an edge; Jonsey couldn't even see a thing though. Her black skirt was over his head as well. "Fun for you, maybe. But what about me?" she asked him with a tempting voice. "Besides. Business? The deal?"
Jonsey's reply was somewhat muffled but the Neko would just be able to make out the word 'done' and possibly a few curses and something about black lace.
"Nyah-ah!~" She moaned. "Don't do that!" Yuno quickly scrabbled off the Paragon Mercenary and got to her feet. She stood back and brushed her skirt down, getting rid of wrinkles again. "Well, since the deal is good, go ahead and authorize it from your end, and I'll do the same here." she spoke in a business like tone. Despite that though, Yuno couldn't get rid of the embarrassed blush on her cheeks.
Keeping both eyes firmly locked on her he picked up the data pad and punched in the relevant information, a few seconds later everything came back as cleared. Keeping her in front of him he picked up his web gear and half stumbled out of the room saying something about a cold shower, completely forgetting his rifle and that single round on the table.
Yuno simply stood there embarrassed in her non-standard outfit, watching the man leave. When he was gone though, she exhaled. It was over. The Neko then noticed the rifle and stray round of ammunition. "Hey! You forgot your rifle!" She quickly picked it up and went after him, opening the door and running out.
He was long gone, having made a beeline for the nearest exit. With his present state of mind Jonsey wouldn't notice he was light his main weapon for some time, the only thing right now he was pursuing was a large bottle of hard liquor and a shower... a cold one at that.
She eyeballed the rifle in her hands. "Unless you're coming back...dibs.~"
When he arrived at his hotel room for the night he found a message, he'd be reassigned, liason to Origin Industries effective immediately. He was stuck on Dawn Station until further notice. It was after this that he realized he didn't have his rifle.
