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  • 📅 April 2024 is YE 46.3 in the RP.

RP Paid work

IQ

Well-Known Member
RP Date
YE 41
RP Location
Sirris VI, obsidian city
So - this was where this prodigal hacker lived. Q flicked the vapourizer in her hand, before the bottom of her ballistics mask slid open, pressing the mouthpiece to her lips. Taking a deep inhale, before billowing out a faint, sweet scent of cappucino and tobacco. Scraping her throat momentarily, the mask closed again via mental command and she slipped the vape back in her pocket. Pushing open the door and stepping into the complex. She glanced at the console to ring this Haisley person up, though felt hesitant to do such. Instead, adjusting her tie, she moved over to the door and hummed under her breath. "Eliza, if you please," she murmured under her breath. The AI chimed up as a holographic figure appeared on the palm of her hand, extended before the electronic lock. Walking through the door. A soft chiming resounded before the lock gave way due to the electronic override.

The mercenary adjusted her tie as she stepped into the elevator that jostled into motion, bringing her to the right floor. And once there, she navigated to Haisley's room. Buzzing her and hoping she was inside.

Almost as soon as the buzzer stopped ringing a voice spoke out of the intercom, male in tone with a rather posh accent about it. "Excuse me and good day, I am the automated door answering assisstant also known as the Doorman. Do you happen to have an appointment with my mistriss?" It asked, no outwardly visible signs anything had chanced, just the sound of a voice. Meanwhile inside the room, Haisely got a ping from within her MMO that her door had been buzzed, pausing for a moment she lifted the headset off her head and deployed her metal ears to listen in. The doorman would ultimately try to steer them away without giving away the fact she was inside and hopefully this person wasn't too stubborn, none the less she brought up her own program on a tablet to monitor the interaction between the two.

"I have no appointment, sir," Q answered in kind, folding her hands behind her back. An eyebrow arching under the ballistics mask as the AI tried to push her out. She let out a soft breath and once again murmured "Eliza," under her breath. Who reported back in with the knowledge of organic vital signs in the room. "Tell your mistress I have a business proposition," she eventually piped up again, straightening out her tie. "Quite a worthwhile one at that."

The Doorman paused as Haisely pushed a button on her device, now turning her full attention to the person outside the door. A business proposal? That was rare, especially given all the people with Geists around. “Very good Ma’am, and what further information have you about this job?” It asked as the little girl inside the room switched up the objective of her helper.

Q frowned, an annoyed 'tsk' under her breath before she spoke. "Something rather sensitive, something that requires a delicate hand. I'm willing to detail more when I meet your mistress in person." A soft, almost musical chuckle. "I'm fairly certain she is listening in - I promise, it'll be a handsome reward," she added, directing the latter to Haisley herself.

A soft humming came from within the room followed by a call for them to enter. “And make sure any recording devices you have are off if its that serious.” Haisely said smirking as she sat back waiting for this stranger. She’d taken The liberty of scanning the woman with the doorman, while it was only a basic device it hadn’t revealed anything to worry about for now. “Before you go getting ideas that I’m helping you, I want to know exactly what’s goin on here, I don’t deal in backstabbing unless the price is right.” The small girl said coolky.

As Q heard the call, she pushed the door open, gently pulling it shut behind her. Adjusting her tie and folding her hands behind her back as she remained standing just past the threshold of Haisley's door. "Liz, if you'd be so kind," she hummed under her breath as a miniature girl formed on her shoulder, before hopping off and dissipating in cybernetic splinters, beginning to do a wide search for any kind of listening device, cameras or the likes.

"There's no backstabbing," Q assured as Elizabeth swept the entire room. "Just a personal project the higher ups don't need to hear about just yet. Is Elizabeth allowed to disable the monitoring devices she comes across here?"

“The only devices in this room are my own and the only real monitor is the doorman.” Haisely replied, switching him off manually anyway, she wasn’t a fan of forced dhutdowns. The pink haired girl remained in her chair watching this newcomer intently, ordinarily she would’ve told them to get lost but the prospect of a job had piqed her a little more. “Why keep it secret.”

"Clearance issues, circumstantial evidence. Nothing enough to warrant a proper investigation. So, I need to explore less... Traditional tactics," rolling her shoulders, Q continued. "I've been looking into a suspected Crimson informant. I know he's meeting a big shot of theirs. The issue being that the law enforcement are too afraid to actually persue him." A soft shrug ensued. "The informant outranks about every single one of them. Even the military police doesn't want to touch it with a ten foot barge pole." The masked individual let out an annoyed sigh. "So, it comes down to me to prod and poke it. Or, rather, you. I need enough so I can predict their movements, access the informant's Geist, dig up anything and everything that might be of interest."

“Uh huh and what makes you think I deal in that kind of work, or even know what this crimson thing is?” She prodded back, wanting to see if this person had come here on a whim or if they had actually done their research. Though she was definitely curious about getting to prod a geist system.

"I think everyone knows about the big bad boogeyman, Crimson." Q answered simply, before shrugging. "And, I have my sources, I'm certain you're the best. If you're not, however," her hand moved up to the door again. "I'll see myself out, we never met and that's that, hm?"

“Well I’m not everyone and don’t know anything about Crimson, though I’d very much like to know who’s making me out to be some sort of hacker for hire. I deal in security testing. Officially.” The pink haired girl said, still wondering if it was a bad idea to get mixed up in this, she kbew this group had a history of young people getting kidnapped and she didn’t particularly desire to go missing just yet. “Since this is starting to sound more like a job, let me go get ready, grab a seat I’ll be back in a moment.” Haisely stated before hopping up and walking into her en-suite.

"Then you're blatantly ignorant, I take it?" Q quested, before scraping her throat. "I don't deal with giving names out. And I promise you the same," she added with a shrug. And as if she guessed the young woman's thoughts, Q added; "I also offer protection, lifetime garantuee," she stated, slowly moving to the sofa and slowly sitting down. Once again straightening out her tie.

“Sorry, didn’t know I could be ridiculed for staying away from typical bullshit so yes obviously I am that ignorant.” She shot back in an annoyed tone while she arranged her hair up into a large mohawk, before returning to the living area and sitting on a pillow stack. “I don’t take kindly to being insulted while you ask for my help, and I don’t need anyone’s protection I take care of myself.” The girls tone had shifted to a more defiant one and her eyes narrowed into cat slits as the cybernetic shifted into active mode.

”Now tell me exactly what it is you want me to do and give me any and sll information on the task.”

"So be it - though I warn you, Crimson is not to be trifled with, see it as a bonus to the job. I assure you, you wouldn't even notice," she retorted with a soft giggle, before settling back into the sofa. "I'm not asking you for help either - I'm offering a job. The former is desperation, the latter is, well. A mutually beneficial deal."

She propped one hand into her pocket, carding fingers through her honey blonde hair before speaking again. "Onto business then?" Pulling out her phone, she put it on the table. A holographic display popping up, featuring a picture of a well-aged, already greying man. "This is our double agent, Brook Fergusson, making these... Mutually beneficial deals with the enemy." The display flickered, swapping slowly through several photographs of the man interacting with the same woman. "That woman is his suspected contact with Crimson, I have neither a name for her or knowledge of their dealings, though I've come to lovingly dub her Bishop," she explained, shrugging at the name. "I can't find anything on Bishop, no actual names, no Geist uplink, so I'm pretty certain she's not a registered citizen of the NDC. But I don't need those, I'll get those names once I have Brook and Bishop. What I need you to do is infiltrate Brook's Geist and give me enough to establish the pattern of their meetings, or possibly just when they meet next. Does that sound achievable?"

“Tracking movements, prediction, cataloging and analysing. Sure that’s doable, the preblem is the Geist, sadly I haven’t been able to practice on any for fear of harming the volunteer.” Haisely said, blowing a loose strand of hair away before her hands swooped in and worked it into the mohawk that she now addorned. Her eyes looked over the hologram, committing the image to a temporary folder within their memory for her to recall later. “The other problem with these geists is that the user can detect anomalies where some firewalls cant, I’m not making any moves on this Brook until I’ve had a geist to tamper with, if these people are as scary as you say they are I’d rather not give them a reason to come looking for me.” The small girl was still propped on her pillows but with her new hair came a new attitude, she was professional and now inspecting the job from all angles.

"Hrmm," Q hummed under her breath, folding her arms as she pondered. "I don't care much for Brook's survival. He's secondary, good to have, but not critical. It's Bishop I have the most pressing questions for, knowing Brook's movements leads to her." She added, rubbing the chin of her mask momentarily. "I can get my hands on one, though," the blue eyes glanced up to look Haisley dead in the eyes. "Factory model, unused, though it's pretty dangerous to have one of those. When you're done with it, I can dispose of it if need be. I'd hate to incriminate you further, so I'm prepared to take extra measures to keep you anonymous. It's a sensitive task, that's why the offer of protection is still open." Slowly folding one leg over another, Q pressed the tips of her fingers together. Surprisingly slim and graceful digits, with beautifully manicured nails. An oddity for a mercenary like her, who no doubt got her hands dirty a lot.

"It's no personal favour. Moreso protecting investments. I'd hate to have someone as useful as you compromised."

“Well I’m flattered I’m so useful to you without ever having being hired by you. Long as your job doesn’t come back to me I don’t really care but you’ll be sorry if I lose my other contracts.” Haisely said thinking to herself. A factory model would be pretty useful too, so this was starting to sound like a better deal. “You won’t need to cover my tracks when i mess with his Geist just make sure they don’t get my name out of you or anyone else you hire ok?” She said, waiting for confirmation.

"You came as highly recommended," Q answered simply, with a casual shrug. "I don't deal in names, nor would I have anything to gain from incriminating you." Though ice-cold as she was, Q spoke up again. "Though, that goes both ways. We keep quiet about eachother. If I and I promise you I will, find out this job wasn't handled with the discretion I expect, well," the female glanced up to make eye contact with Haisley again. Those blue eyes behind the mask anything but dead serious. "You've become a loose end, I'm sure you realize I'm not one to leave loose ends."

“Yeah yeah, big tough assassin lady, I know the drill I was raised in this shit after all.” The pink haired girl semi jumped backwards, flopping into a pdifferent bean bag with hands behind her head. “You get me that factory model along with a list of info you want from this guy and I’ll see what I can do,

"I'm not trying to scare you," Q retorted with a soft shrug. "If anything, I'd promise you that you wouldn't feel a thing," the mercenary added matter-of-factly. "That seems doable. I want a written report, printed out on paper. So people can't check for your writing. I trust you know how to do protocol zero, I expect that as well." Q chuckled softly. "And you'd need to dump the file into one of my dead drops, sounds doable?"

“Long as I’m paid for it, yeah I can handle that.” The girl said easily, smugly eyeing Q.

"That does bring up the next point - payment," Q retorted with another soft giggle. "What's your rate?"

Haisely thought for a moment, she usually just took a percentage of the cut during her security testing jobs but this was different. “Well I do kind of want some new gear to mess around with, and a little more for the retirement fund would be nice.” The girl decided to go with tactic one, hinting at big ticket prices to see if they backed down, though somehow she doubted Q would be defeated so easily.

"I want numbers, or if it's regarding gear, serial codes," Q answered as she folded her arms, throwing Haisley a lazy look. "I can't drive bargains or accept fees if I don't have the details."

As expected she didn't back down at all. maybe this wasn't such a bad deal after all. "Well, a suit of Zytone combat armour would be rather nice, some of that local Revanant stuff too. And I want 400 000KS." Haisely spoke the last part with a slightly wavered tone, trying to keep her lip from quivering as she waited with baited breath to see if her price was too high. It would easily be her biggest pay out for a job ever but with all the extra danger Q spoke about she was hoping she could squeeze out some danger pay.

"A Zytone and Revenant set would be doable. Though, the flat 400k is a bit much for hazard pay considering," Q retorted. Seeing the shift in her attitude and hearing the tone in her voice. "Let's say 50K KS, since two full suits of PA is a nice payout in and of itself, no?"

"Well it was worth a shot. That's fine by me, but I don't need that protection either, not that I think two suits are better since they're just going to be ripped apart and tested on but I'd rather not have any constant visitors." The girl let out a sigh as her head dropped down to her chest in thought. "If there's nothing else to discuss then I'll start working, you'll have to give me a couple days with the factory model first after that shouldn't be any longer than another week and you'll have your geist files. Just to be clear does he have to be a thinking person after this or is vegetable good enough?"

"So be it," Q answered with a shrug. "Though it'd be annoying if you're killed. So take care not to." Q slowly pushed herself to her feet, straightening her tie out once more. Flicking out a small card, placing it on the table. A picture of a certain spot in town. An adress scribbled on the back. "You drop the report here, along with this picture. I'll pay the 50 KS up front and will deliver the two suits upon completion." A soft, thoughtful hum. "I'd rather have him be able to answer some questions - but if you have no choice, you do what's best."

“I haven’t been killed yet, and if you need him coherent I’ll just have to take the slightly slower approach. Expect the report by the end of next week as I said before.” Haisely took the card and pocketed it for later, it was time for her to get to work, she decided to work on her geist hack and test it out once the model arrived.

"That's perfect," Q answered with a soft nod. "I'll let myself out. Thank you and farewell," the mercenary stated before picking up the small display device she used, pocketing it again and getting up. Straightening her tie as she did. Without much else, she turned on her feet and left.

 
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