Zhong Yi turned the corner to avoid a barrage of bullets that were being shot at him by a group of security personnel. This information better be worth it, mused Zhong to himself as he unholstered his M-6 Carnifex from its holster. Zhong proceeded to fire of a few shots at the security personnel that was firing at him while he was still in cover. Zhong activated his ear piece communication device, "Pierce, where the hell are you ? I need an immediate evac," yelled Zhong Yi to the person that was in charge of his extraction. Finally Pierce replied Zhong while he was in the middle of returning fire to the security personnels that were inching closer to his position. "Hold on man, I'm getting shot at out here as well ! " exclaimed Pierce over the communicator. God damn it, mused Zhong at the current predicament that he and his team was in.
Zhong pressed his earpiece to contact another one of his team that was on the surface to ascertain her current status. "Shaundi, what's your situation at your end ?" asked Zhong as he fired another burst of shots back at the security personnels that were inching closer and closer. "I'm good boss, minimal resistance on my end. Making my way back to the extraction point." Zhong got back behind cover as one of the security personnel's shots hit his shields. "Belay that, Shaundi. I need you to help me take down some fuckers that are shooting at me," said Zhong to Shaundi. Zhong waited for Shaundi's reply, finally Shaundi replied, "I'm on my way boss."
Zhong fired another burst of fire to the enemy while he remained in cover. Zhong checked on his weapon's current thermal clip, there was only two more shots left in that current thermal clip and he had only two more thermal clip left. Zhong heard the intensity of gunfire increase and then it suddenly stopped. Zhong peered out of cover to see what had just happened. What he saw was Shaundi standing triumphant over a body of a dead security personnel. Zhong got out of cover and made his way over to Shaundi, "Nice job Shaundi, these fuckers never stood a chance." Shaundi smiled and confidently replied Zhong, "Of course they never stood a chance, they had to deal with me." Zhong chuckled slightly at Shaundi's comment. Zhong activated his earpiece, "Pierce, are you still there ?" asked Zhong. There was no reply, only static. "Pierce ?!" called Zhong again. Finally Pierce replied Zhong, "Yes I'm here, no need to shout man. I just had to turn off all communications to mask my second approach into the extraction point. You better hurry though, I think they will be coming back pretty soon." Zhong signaled Shaundi that it was time to leave.
Zhong and Shaundi made their way to the extraction point while under heavy fire from security personnel. Zhong and Shaundi would return fire to them whenever they got the chance to do so, taking down a few of the guards. When Zhong and Shaundi finally reached the extraction point, they were irritated to see that Pierce was not there to pick them up. "Where the hell is Pierce ?" asked Shaundi to Zhong while she fired her M-9 Tempest sub-machine gun towards the enemy. Zhong returned fire with a M-8 Avenger riffle to the enemy while he replied Shaundi, "I have no idea. But if we ever survive this, I'll probably give him a piece of my mind." Suddenly a purple coloured UT-Kodiak shuttle flew over the extraction zone and proceeded to fire its mass accelerator canons at the enemy's position, killing most if not all of them. Zhong's earpiece then came to life, " Anybody call for a pickup ?" said Pierce on the other end. Pierce then maneuvered the UT-Kodiak to land on the extraction zone to pick up both Zhong and Shaundi. Zhong and Shaundi immediately boarded the shuttle as soon as the shuttle's door swung open.
"That was close. Very close, " said Pierce to both Zhong and Shaundi as he inserted commands into the UT-Kodiak to climb out of the planet to rendezvous with the MSV Saint's Glory that was in orbit over the planet. "Let's not do that again," Zhong said to Pierce as he sat down in the co-pilot seat.
"What's on the datacard anyways ?" asked Shaundi as she sat down on one of the UT-Kodiak's benches. Zhong took out the datacard that was stored in one of his armor's compartment and scrutinized it. Zhong turned the co-pilot seat around to face Shaundi, "I bloody hope that is worth it. We nearly got killed out there to get this datacard," replied Zhong.
The purple colored UT-Kodiak entered the MSV Saint's Glory's hangar bay and then landed. The MSV Saint's Glory was a former System Alliance Cruiser which had served during the First Contact War. Zhong Yi salvaged the Saint's Glory from an Alliance scrap yard when the Saints were just starting up their operation. The Saint's Glory was the Saint's mobile base. The doors to the UT-Kodiak swung open and Zhong, Shaundi and Pierce stepped out of the shuttle which they managed to "requisition" from a rival private security company. Pierce turned around to look at the UT-Kodiak which he had dubbed as his "baby" , "Oh damn, look what they did too her ? It's going to take me the whole day to get those paint scratches painted over," said Pierce with a hint of sadness in his voice. Zhong patted Pierce on his back, "Suck it up Pierce. And I thought you loved working on your 'baby', " said Zhong jokingly to his good friend. Zhong and Shaundi then made their way to the Saint's Glory's elevator to take them up to the ship's tech bay. The last thing that Zhong saw before the doors to the elevator slid close, was that of Pierce making his way to the hangar bay's equipment lockers.
Zhong and Shaundi exited the elevator and proceeded to make their way to the ship's tech bay to decipher the data that was stored on the datacard they have just stole from New Dawn Pharmaceuticals. Zhong was rather perplexed, for an average looking pharmaceutical company, New Dawn Pharmaceuticals had military grade encryption on all of their data as well as well as heavily armed security personnel that could easily repel any pirate raid. Most of the clients that hire Zhong and his small private security and solution company the Saints, only hire them to go after small pirate gangs or to protect their cargo from pirates, steal information from corporate bases of little significance that were lightly defended or just hire them to provide private security for an event or an individual. This job was the first time in which Zhong and his crew had meet the most resistance since joining the private security and solution business.
Zhong and Shaundi both entered the tech bay once it's door slide open. The tech bay's light were all turned off and the only source of light seem to be coming from a single computer terminal that was located at the other end of the room. But even the light that was coming from the computer terminal was being blocked by a figure that was working on it.
"Why are all the lights off ?" asked Zhong while standing still as to not hit anything. "I like it like this, I can think better. Nothing to distract me," said the voice that was coming from the other end of the room. Zhong's eye which has already adapted to the room's dark surrounding due to ocular implants that he had installed in his eyes could see that Shaundi was just standing there with an irritated look on her face.
"Come on Kenzie, turn the lights on. We got something that we need you to look at," said Zhong to his tech expert Kenzie Kensington. "Can't you just come to me in the dark, I mean you have those ocular implants that let you see in the dark anyways. Might as well use it," replied Kenzie who was still busy at work at her computer terminal.
"Well I might be able to see in the dark, but Shaundi can't," explained Zhong to Kenzie who was still absorbed in her work. "Hey, a little offended over here," said Shaundi immediately after hearing Zhong's statement. "Sorry Shaundi," apologized Zhong immediately. Kenzie let out a huge sigh, "Fine, I'll turn on the lights. Computer, lights." The lights of the tech bay then came to life, revealing a messy tech bay which contained various different equipment that was strewn about on the floor as well as on the work benches. Zhong looked to Kenzie who had turned around to face both him and Shaundi, "Is this why you turned the lights off ?" asked Zhong while pointing to all the various equipment that were on the floor and the work benches.
"Hmm, probably," replied Kenzie as she went back to her work. Shaundi who was standing next to Zhong did not say a word, instead she just nodded her head disapprovingly at the tech experts' untidiness. "So what do you have for me ?" asked Kenzie while still glued to her computer terminal's walked over to Kenzie while trying his best not to step on any of the equipment that was strewn on the floor. Zhong handed Kenzie the datacard, which Kenzie took from him and inserted into her computer's data port.
"Quadruple level encryption protocols with replicating security algorithms. Impressive," thought Kenzie aloud. Zhong and Shaundi who were standing next to Kenzie looked at each other before Shaundi spoke, "Can you crack it?" asked Shaundi. Kenzie who was typing very fast replied Shaundi while she was still typing, " I just need to find the code which replicates the security algorithm and stop it before it replicates more complicated security algorithms and then I need to use a de-fragmentation protocol to break up the quadruple level encryption, or maybe I could use that new decryption protocol that I made," answered Kenzie in regards to Shaundi's question.
"Err, so is that a yes ?" asked a confused Shaundi to Kenzie. Kenzie who was busy typing away replied Shaundi, "Yes, I can crack it," replied Kenzie in plain simple English.
"How long do you need to decrypt the datacard Kenzie ?" asked Zhong to his eccentric tech specialist. Kenzie who was absorbed with her work did not turn around to answer Zhong or even stop what she was doing, "No too long more, " replied Kenzie. Zhong rubbed the back of his head upon hearing Kenzie's answer, " Got an estimate ?" asked Zhong to Kenzie, wanting a more definite answer. "Done," said Kenzie immediately after Zhong finished his question. Zhong was impressed by his tech specialist skills. Zhong knew that Kenzie was good, but never thought she was this good.
"So what's the information that was stored on the datacard?" asked Shaundi who leaned down to see the data that was on Kenzie's computer terminal. Kenzie entered a few commands into her terminal to bring up more information that was stored within the datacard. Zhong was also curious as to what information the datacard contained. Not too long ago, he, Shaundi and Pierce put theire lives on the line to get this datacard.
Kenzie finally turned around to face both Zhong and Shaundi to inform them what information the datacard held. "The information on the datacard was bank transfer records between New Dawn Pharmaceuticals and an unknown party that list itself only as C. Other than that, nothing." Zhong's face darkened, "This is what we risked our lives for ? A fucking bank transfer record ?" said Zhong angrily. Shaundi gently stroked Zhong's shoulder, "Calm down boss. No use getting upset." Zhong let out a huge sigh a frustration and proceeded to leave the tech bay.
"Where are you going boss ?" asked Shaundi to Zhong who was about to leave the tech bay. Without turning to face Shaundi, Zhong answered her, "I'm going to give a piece of my mind to the bloke who hired us."