TIME:
2 HOURS LATER
I walk up to the kiosk, its screen turning on as I approach. I quickly log in and am greeted by the same pop up as before; I select the second option this time however.
CONTRACT LISTINGS
SELECT CONTRACT TYPE:
STORE SECURITY
INTRA-SYSTEM SPACESHIP ESCORT
INTER-SYSTEM VOIDSHIP ESCORT
SYSTEM PATROL
INVESTIGATION
YOU HAVE SELECTED STORE SECURITY, THERE ARE 11 AVAILABLE CONTRACTS WITHIN YOUR RATING RANGE.
I quickly scroll through the contract list and find one that looks interesting and paid well compared to the others.
GENERAL REQUEST: Store security for 'Dreylen Supplies.'
DETAILS: Your task is to guard and provide security to Draylen Supplies, a store located on Commercial level 2 at block 4P/0S [CLICK HERE FOR STATION MAP]. Appropriate use of force is expected and may affect your rating. You will work for a single week and may renew this contract if you and the client wish.
SALARY: 300Ʉ a day with a possibility for a bonus based on performance.
DO YOU WISH TO ACCEPT?
After reading the details one more time, I click accept and download the station map. Amber Station is arranged in 18 layers. Layers 1–3 are for intra-system spaceship docking ports, hosting a large share of cargo elevators that lead straight to the industrial floors. Layers 4–6 are industrial; the higher you go, the less likely you are to deal with raw, unrefined minerals. Following those, layers 7–9 are the residential quarters, with the lowest being the poor areas. The higher you go, the more influential the average person is in the system; access to layer nine is marked as restricted.
Layers 10–12 are commercial, with a shift in how the classes are positioned: the closer you are to the residential areas, the more luxurious the products. Finally, layers 13–18 are for void ships, mostly used by merchants who use Amber Station as a rest point before continuing their journey deeper into a trade spine called the Obsidian-New Terran Dash.
I feel like Amber station is lucky, it is fortunate enough to have three hyperlane entrances that are all somewhat important: ZZ-3, a somewhat stable hyperlane to the frontier system Zeta Zepharii; TP-2, a more stable route leading to an undeveloped system on the trade spine called Theta Psyche; and finally ORENTHIA-3, a hyperlane of average stability.
The latter leads to the Orenthia system, which houses a habitable planet and serves as a connection to the capital of the Obsidian Reclaimers via CARDAMOM-5. This last leg is an extremely long, 25-light-year jump that is highly unstable, requiring resequencing every four years on average.
I logged out of the terminal after reading everything I could without having to pay. I strutted out of the now slightly more populated Guild, noticing the gazes of more than a few people, most were lustful men but I did notice a woman joining the men in openly ogling my appearance. I try not to think about it—or how it makes me feel—as I walk out of the guild.
I decided to take a walk around this level and actually see what it has to offer. Nearby I had already spotted a few Freelance oriented businesses; I decided to try and find one that sold something padded.
"Hey Mom, do you have any suggestions for stores that sell some padded clothing that can go under my current outfit?"
"Yes Lilith, the store and corporation known as 'Titanio Protections' is reported to sell high quality armor of all types and sizes. It is located down the block to your right, though it looks similar to every other building so make sure to read the sign first."
I nod and head straight towards the establishment. Thanks to the empty streets it takes only a minute for me to arrive in front of a bastardized Runethariesque building. The pure white Titanio Protections sign clashes horribly with the black basalt. Luckily for my sanity I had already given up on hoping for something beautiful and accurate to be found on this level.
I walk through the double door, an electronic chime heralding my presence as I quietly shut them. I sigh under my breath as some bodybuilder fitted in a business suit that looked almost purposely too small approached.
"Welcome to Titanio Protections, how may I assist you today?"
I stared at him as I felt an inquisitive eye roam over me, it was at least better than the leers I received at the Freelance Guild.
I responded, "Hello I am looking for something padded that can help soften the blow of potentially getting shot. I would prefer it if it was graded to small calibers like those in pistols and was light weight and didn't get in the way."
"I see we do indeed sell something you are describing. However, if I may ask what you will be wearing it under, that will change what options I have available."
"It will be under what I am currently wearing."
"... I see, I should warn you the vest itself is not bulletproof," he answered slowly with a look of concerned confusion.
"That's fine this outfit is entirely bulletproof and is rated for up to .45 cal pistol."
"I will take your word on that and trust you are being truthful. May I know your budget and anything else you may want to purchase?"
"I can spare 20,000Ʉ on the armor. I was also wondering if you sold a refrigerated thermos that can go between 1 degree and 6 degrees Celsius?"
I saw him pull out a phone and start looking for something on it. He quickly looked up and nodded with a small smile.
"We indeed do have something that fits your specifications but the cost only includes the thermos and no batteries. I assume you would want it to last for 10 hours if so it will run you—with your armor and thermos included—23000Ʉ including system tax. Would you still be interested?"
I nod and almost immediately receive a notification on my banking app.
Titanio Protections wishes to deduct 23000 credits from your account.
19000Ʉ|Grade 3 Non-Newtonian integrated vest, 'Hetilian Kinetic Softener Self Repairing Vest'
1100Ʉ|Keiper Refrigerated Thermos™
1300Ʉ| Rechargeable Wired Keiper Thermos™ battery[10 Hour lifespan]
Do you agree to the transfer?
I hit the accept button and take a look at my remaining balance.
CREDIT BALANCE: 2381662Ʉ
SOVRA BALANCE: 0₴v
"Thank you for your patronage, now give me a moment to pack everything."
I nod and just look down at my balance with a frown. Treating Aria and getting the resources needed for the Hybridization costed nearly 500,000 credits. I can only thank Garnet station for being as remote as it was; that they even had some of the chemicals I required was only thanks to Temlic’s swift dealings and orders. Damn merchant might not be as average as I wish for him to be...
TIME:
1 DAY LATER
LOCATION:
MORNING CYCLE ON AMBER STATION
COMMERCIAL LEVEL 2
I knock on the glass door for Draylen Supplies tapping my foot impatiently. Despite me having arrived 15 minutes early I have been standing here occasionally knocking for 10 minutes. Eventually I hear a tired feminine voice from somewhere behind a shelf on the other side.
"Who is it? We open in like 5 more minutes, so you can wait."
"Lilith Runethari, your guard from the Freelance Guild, contract number A7n9Kp."
"... Oh shit give me a moment... I'm sorry, let me open this for you."
I nod curtly as a petite woman—wearing work clothes that are more utilitarian but still barely presentable—approaches the door as she inputs some keycode on her tablet. The door made a clicking sound and I quickly entered before another click signaled the door being locked again.
The woman looked up from her tablet and with tired eyes that indicated far too little sleep. She craned her neck a little further up to look up at me, her eyes briefly gazing over as she looked me in my eyes rather uncomfortably.
"Beautiful..." she muttered in a daze.
"Uh thanks, but I'm not exactly into... women?"
Cough hack cough
She suddenly started violently coughing causing me to freeze, eventually it morphed into a laugh, "Hahaha oh sorry didn't think before I talked, no worries I don't swing that direction either, Elis Draylen Co-owner of Draylen Supplies. I'd like to introduce you to my husband but he's currently ill with a severe case of the flu and so he’s staying at the hospital..."
I could see the worry on her face, but I decided to see what this new disease was; I might have to check if I’m vulnerable to it since it might be completely novel.
"I'm sorry for asking but what's 'the flu?'"
"Huh, you never heard of influenza?! Mother of our lord who did I hire... It's an infectious virus that causes coughing, fever, and general respiratory issues as old as can be; humanity still hasn't found a way to completely prevent it, lucky fatal cases are extremely rare."
"... Holy shit that's still a thing?! I would have thought it would have died out ages ago!" Completely caught off guard by the sudden reference to an extremely familiar disease I shouting something I probably shouldn't have.
'Lilith I'm going to calm you down before we make another lapse in judgement.'
'Its alright Mara, that just caught me off guard... Tharian cough is still a thing I see. I guess some remnants from us aren't completely gone.'
I take a thoughtful note before I realize she is giving me a weird look. Before I could talk she gave me a pitying look, "Where would you have been living if you didn't know the flu exists, the Lumen Ascendancy?"
I feel I have heard that earlier somewhere and quickly realize where with a brief help from Mara. "Uh... actually yes I was born in the Lumen Ascendancy, but that's in the past. Do you have any place you want me to stand in particular?"
I fake a look that implies some form of trauma. She froze for a moment seeing my fake display. I could tell she bought it based on her heart rate jumping a little.
"Oh I'm sorry, but yes can you stand by the door for the first few hours. We're not usually that busy, but most who wish to purchase supplies in bulk from us try to be here early. I just need you to make sure nobody tries to harass my clients while they wait. We've been having a lot of people being nuisances as of late..."
I nod, "Okay, I will try my best to prevent those types from causing too much harm."
"Thanks really. I know it's boring, but you can start to roam the store around afternoon; That's when the residential shoppers start showing up."
TIME:
7 HOURS LATER
I keep my eyes open and carefully observe a trio of obviously suspicious people enter the store. I also keep a second duo of clearly plain clothes security officers watching me and the trio. Why do I have an awful feeling that I will be caught up in an annoying situation?
The trio split up and I decided to follow a duo. They've been looking at me for a while, and frankly I have been feeling more than annoyed by this contract. It was all thanks to some rather haughty customers trying to cozy up to me and network, despite me telling them I was a guard for this store.
Just as I followed the duo into an empty aisle that most people ignored I heard someone rapidly turn into the aisle and start calmly walking towards me. Though he was anything but calm; as he approached I started to hear his thundering heart.
Suddenly just as he was a meter behind me he bolted towards me, swung an arm around my neck, and put what I presume is a gun to my head. And the moment afterwards I saw the other two idiots pull weapons and fire an echoing shot into the ceiling which thankfully didn't ricochet. I scrunched my face from the sudden loud noise, thankful my ears weren’t damaged.
"We have a hostage, and she's a business woman! Everyone leave the fucking store before we splatter her brains on the floor!"
I started to shake—obviously not from fear, but from what they just said. I felt my body shake as anger started to rise as they threatened to kill me. I wasn't angry because I was in shock; I was angry at being underestimated, even if unintentionally. Angry that they threatened to kill me over their fellow inferior humans not leaving a store. I was, however, more angry as I knew Mother is probably freaking out over their poor choice in words; that person has been through enough, and they just put salt on their healing wounds. These hostage takers were only able to take me hostage because I needed a reason to vent some stress legally. To be honest I thought they wouldn't actually be stupid enough to take me hostage. Let alone stupid enough to threaten to kill me over something so trivial.
I stopped shaking, however, as I realized I could do literally anything to these ignorant fools and nobody could complain. The idiot with one arm holding a gun to my head, and another on my neck to use me as a shield, as his two friends covered the opposite direction. That is to say my arms were completely free.
In a moment my hand was around my knife that nobody thought to check me for before taking me hostage. The next moment my left hand grabbed his wrist and forced it away from my head. Just as he fires a bullet in panic my knife stakes through his thigh cutting his hamstring.
I flip him over myself like a bag of dirty laundry and place my foot on his right shoulder and pull up with my arm still holding his wrist, attempting to dislocate it. A two seconds later I hear something tear and his arm flies off.
'Oops might have put the usual force I would on a Human Federation soldier...'
'Focus Lilith!'
I snap my head back as one of the wannabe hostage-takers turns around, thankfully he freezes at the sight of his friend's arm in my left hand. I quickly flipped my knife into a forward grip and threw it at him, watching it sink itself up to the hilt in his still shocked young 20 something year old face was truly cathartic.
I raise my foot to step on the throat of the first man to restrain him, when a bang that painfully resounds through the supply store and my waist rings out. I stumble as I am hit, slamming my foot down to catch myself.
Squelch
I grimace as a splattering sound could be heard, and though I am in pain from the impact of being shot in the waist—the bullet stopped at my dress shirt naturally—I almost instinctively look down to see the splattered head of the first man. A second shot echos through the store causing me to wince from the sound. I look back to see the third and final thug falling to the ground, the back of his head vented to the surrounding air.
"All in a day's work... cough ow." I try to joke to the stunned security guards, one of which is now pointing a gun at me. The attempt at humor just makes my waist hurt more... This wasn't nearly as relaxing as I thought it would be.