Thievery is a Girl's Favorite Pastime
Nos Astra – Day Two:
"What do you mean I'm unemployable?" Jackson cried.
He sat across the desk from an imperious-looking asari in an unemployment bureau, hoping to find some temporary work until he had enough money to leave Illium.
"There's a mark on your record that indicates you as a high risk for employers," the asari explained. "I'm sorry, but we can't help you here. There may be some places that might employ you, but we won't accept responsibility for you."
"How do I even have a record? I've never been on this planet before."
"We transferred your records from Earth, negative mark and all," the asari explained.
Jackson sighed. "Do you have a list of employers that might take me in at least?" he asked.
"No. I do have a list of companies dealing in indentured servitude, though. You could go through them and your negative mark would be gone by the time your contract is over."
"No, thanks. That's not an option."
"Then I'm sorry, Mr. Carver, but we can't help you here," the asari said.
"Yeah, you said that already. Thanks anyways," Jackson replied.
He got up and left the bureau.
"Well, now what, Jackson?"
He headed to a taxi platform and went back to the apartment. Once there he made himself some food out of the provisions in the apartment.
"Let's see what they provided me. We have bacon, good. Eggs, cheese, milk … steak. Mmmmm, steak." He looked around the kitchen area seeing what cooking devices were provided. "C'mon, grill. Damn. No grill."
He grabbed the bacon and eggs to prepare them when he heard his front door hiss open.
He grabbed a kitchen knife and headed for the door. Before he reached it, though, he heard a familiar voice.
"Hello, Mr. Carver," a high voice said behind him.
Jackson spun to face the intruder, taking on a defensive posture with the knife extended in front of him. A salarian, wearing a tailored pant-suit, sat on one of the chairs in the living room.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I'm here to give you your first mission, Mr. Carver," the salarian answered, a female by the tone of her voice.
"A mission?" He lowered the knife and placed it on the counter.
"Yes. We brought you here for a reason. You'll work for us, conducting various covert missions, and in return, you get paid."
"By us, you mean the STG? I'm not a double agent."
The salarian laughed.
"I'm a member of an organization that doesn't answer to a governing body. Please, have a seat," she said.
He took a seat across from the salarian, who handed him a datapad.
"Ah, another datapad, wonderful."
"That datapad has all the information you need for your mission. We're starting you off simple."
"Gee, thanks," he said. "Why should I do this?"
"Money? Because your other choices are extremely limited? It's this, or disappear. We know you tried to find a job today. Know this, even companies dealing in indentured servitude won't touch you."
Jackson sighed and activated the datapad. Detailed schematics of a secure warehouse displayed on the screen along with a target.
"A theft job? You do realize what I did in the Alliance, I assume? Breaking and entering wasn't a skill-set I learned."
He placed the datapad on the counter.
"I won't do it. I'm not a thief," he said. He crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair, trying to look defiant.
"You don't have much of a choice. And as far as not being a thief, don't worry, you'll have help," the salarian informed him.
He continued to try and look defiant, though he could tell it wasn't working.
"Fine. What kind of help?" he asked.
"All of that is in the datapad. I'm sorry, Mr. Carver, but it's time for me to go."
The salarian got up and headed for the door.
"Wait!" Jackson called. "What's your name? What's the organization?"
"You don't need to know that, for now. We'll see how this mission goes first. Good luck, Mr. Carver."
The salarian left Jackson alone to study the datapad. He decided to finish preparing lunch before he sat down with it.
"All right, mysterious people. What exactly do you have in store for me?"
Night fell on Nos Astra as Jackson made his way to the secure warehouse. He would meet a professional thief the organization hired for this job there, and she would help him with the heist.
"All right, 2021, 2022, and here we are, 2023," Jackson said.
He looked around when he reached the warehouse, but he didn't see anyone waiting for him.
"Where are you?" he whispered.
He waited a few moments before going for his datapad. When he reached for it, however, it wasn't there.
"What the hell?"
He looked around, seeing if he dropped it, and that's when he heard a modulated voice giggling.
"You'd think they'd tell you more about me, since you'll be watching my back and all," the voice said from a nearby alleyway.
He followed the voice into the alley until he found the owner, a quarian wearing all black, including her visor. She sat on a crate and held his datapad, looking at her profile.
"They didn't get the hips right." She hopped off the crate and approached him, exaggerating the sway in her hips. "Too narrow."
Jackson watched her saunter by him. She brushed against him and placed his datapad back into his pocket.
"Lia'Orzh I presume," he greeted her.
She giggled, which sounded strangely sweet.
"So formal. Please, call me Lia." She grabbed his hand and led him further into the alley to a black skycar.
"Nice car," he said.
"It's an Elkoss Fury in Spectre black." She opened a side panel and removed a black weapons case, which she handed to him. "For you, but only because you're cute."
He placed the case on a nearby crate and opened it to reveal a sleek-looking black pistol with a suppressor. A pair of sunglasses also resided in the case. They were the same color as the pistol.
"An M-11; very nice," he observed.
"Actually, no. It's a new model, not even available on the market yet." She grabbed the pistol from his hands and faced him. "Let me introduce you to the M-12. As you noticed, it looks like the M-11. It has some upgrades though." She pointed to a switch at the top of the pistol. "This activates an enhanced scope with infrared, night vision, and software that points out vital areas based on species." She then pushed a button at the bottom of the muzzle, and a small box popped out. "This is a combination viridian laser, which is easier to see than your standard crimson laser, and a flashlight made to be used with those glasses in the case. It emits a specific light frequency so it can't be seen by anyone not using those glasses, even vorcha."
"Impressive. Where did you get it?" he asked.
She looked at him briefly before answering.
"I found it. Actually, I found two." She turned and pointed to one attached to her belt at the small of her back. "I made it so my visor can work like the glasses."
"And you're just giving this to me?"
"I was told to give you a weapon when you got here. I originally planned to give you an old M-3 Predator that I had lying around, but then I saw you, and decided you deserved something better."
"Thanks, I guess," he said.
He placed the pistol on his hip and put the glasses in one of his pockets. She took the case and placed it back in her car.
"My name's Jackson, by the way."
"I know, they told me that much at least." She spun toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning into him. "It's nice to meet you, Jackson Carver."
She went back to her car and started grabbing equipment.
"I have to admit," Jackson said. "You're not what I expected."
"Oh? How so?" Lia asked.
She approached him again, this time with various pieces of equipment attached to her suit.
"You're very friendly, and talkative. I expected some no-nonsense, grim person when I got here," he explained. "This is turning out to be somewhat fun."
"Good! Gotta have fun in this job."
She looked him over. He made sure he wore black as well so he hoped she was satisfied.
"You look ready to go. You remember your part?" she asked.
"I cover you and take possession of the item once you've gotten it," he said.
"Good. There are five guards in there. One watches the security feeds while the other four patrol the warehouse," she explained. "I prefer not to shoot anyone unless absolutely necessary."
"Works for me. I'm not exactly here because I want to be, but because I have no choice."
"Really?
"Yeah, long story. Point is, I don't feel like shooting people," Jackson said. His gaze fell and he stared at a blemish in the concrete near his feet.
"That's another story, isn't it?" she observed.
He didn't answer, instead turning his gaze to the warehouse. He felt a three-fingered hand placed on his back.
"If we do this right, we won't have to shoot anyone. Once we're inside, follow my lead, and they won't even know we're there." She stepped in front of him and faced him while bringing up her omni-tool to prepare it. "Here, let's sync our omni-tools. That way you can view the security feeds as well."
"Actually, I don't have one of those. Mine was taken," he said.
"Taken? How?"
"It's part of that long story I mentioned earlier."
"You'll have to tell it to me sometime. I don't have any spares on me so you'll need to trust and follow me closely. Understood?"
"Yeah," Jackson replied.
He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He looked at Lia, who still stood in front of him, watching him. He smiled at her.
"I'm ready to go when you are," he announced.
"Then let's get to work," she said.
The door hissed open and he followed Lia in. He turned on the light of his M-12 and then put the glasses on, marveling how the room seemed to light up, though only he and Lia could actually see the light.
"These things are cool," he whispered.
He heard a quiet giggle from Lia. She guided him through a labyrinth of crates and shelves through the warehouse floor. She stopped and indicated for him to be quiet. He heard footsteps approaching, and saw a beam of a light sweeping along some of the crates. Lia tugged at his arms, and she led him down another row to avoid the guard.
"How do you know where to go to avoid the security cameras?" he whispered when they got far enough away from the guard.
"My omni-tool is sending the feeds to my visor's heads-up display," she responded.
"Nice."
She continued to lead him until they arrived at a corridor. She hugged the wall and peered around the corner.
"All right, Jackson," Lia whispered. "There is a camera at the end of the corridor. I'm going to overload it and then we'll run for the lift. We need to be quick because a call will go out to the nearest guard to investigate."
He tapped her arm to indicate he was ready. She brought her omni-tool up in a dimmed setting and shortly after he heard the camera malfunction. She pulled him into the corridor with her and they both ran for the lift at the end. She used her omni-tool while they ran. She used it to call the elevator, which arrived by the time they got there.
"Good thing it was on the second floor," she whispered.
The doors opened just before they reached the lift, and they rushed inside. He saw a beam of light in the warehouse getting closer as one of the guards approached to investigate. The lift doors closed before the guard entered the corridor, though, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"You didn't think we'd actually get caught, did you?" Lia asked.
"I always get a little nervous at times like this. Happened to me on covert missions as an
N7 as well," he explained.
"Well, you can relax, dear. You're in good hands. I've never been caught."
"Forgive me if I remain a little on edge till we're done."
"Aww, you need to relax a little. This is fun." She bumped her hips into him, making him smile. "There, that's better."
They both ducked to the side when the doors opened, and peered out, using their weapons to light up the corridor.
"Good. No guards," she whispered.
"What about the camera?" he asked, pointing to a spot above the elevator.
"Just follow me. We don't need to go in its field-of-view."
Instead of going straight out, Lia left the elevator, heading to the right while hugging the wall. Jackson followed her. She stopped hugging the wall after a couple of meters. Doors lined the corridor they stood in. Most were minimum security, possibly offices of some sort. Lia ignored most of them, though, instead heading for a more secure-looking door at the end.
"Hold on, this'll take but a second," Lia said.
Her omni-tool flashed open and she started hacking the locking mechanism. He heard her humming the tune to an Expel 10 song as she worked. He continued to watch the corridor, pistol drawn but pointed at the ground as he backed up to Lia.
"Expel 10, huh?" he asked.
"They're a part of a playlist I usually have playing in my helmet while I work on my own," she explained.
The door hissed open and he followed her into the dark room.
"No alarms?" he asked.
"I disabled them with the door."
"Nice!"
She walked to a desk and felt around until he heard a click. A panel on the wall slid open to reveal a large vault.
"Watch the door," she commanded. "This could take a while."
He took up a position in the room where he could watch the door and Lia as well. He expected her to use her omni-tool again, but this time she used some sort of disc that she attached to the vault. The disc expanded and omni interfaces flashed open along the door of the vault. She manipulated the various interfaces that sprang up, once again humming as she worked. It took several minutes before he heard a loud, mechanical click and the vault door opened. Lia scanned through the contents of the vault until she found what she looked for.
"There you are," he heard her say.
An alarm went off when she took the item from the shelf.
"Shit! Pressure sensor!" she cried. "That wasn't in the vault schematics." She rushed out of the vault. "Time to go!"
Jackson rushed to the door and opened it enough to look outside.
"It's clear, for now!" he yelled to be heard above the alarm.
"We're not leaving that way! They'll block the exits!"
"Then how will we …"
Lia cut him short, handing him the item and giggling as she ran past. She ran for the large window of the office that overlooked the city and placed a small device on it. Before he could see what it was, though, a large turian forced open the door. The turian rushed toward Jackson, but he sidestepped the guard and grabbed the arm that held a pistol. He grunted as he twisted the turian's wrist, snapping it and causing the weapon to drop. The turian screamed, and the pain slowed his reaction time. He growled and took a swing at Jackson with boot knife in his good hand. Jackson avoided the knife and retaliated with a kick to the back of the knee, making the turian kneel. He turned and glared at Jackson, but the glare turned to confusion when he saw the sympathetic look Jackson gave him.
"I'm sorry," Jackson said. He ended the confrontation by bringing the grip of his pistol down on the back of the turian's head, just under the crests. The turian crumpled to the floor, unconscious.
"Do you always apologize to your opponents?" Lia asked.
"Only when they're just doing their job."
The window shattered, making him jump, and providing them a means of escape.
"How did it do that without an explosion?" he asked, accepting a rope from Lia.
"It vibrates at a frequency that shatters the glass," she explained as she tied her own rope to an anchor.
"You know? I'm starting to like you and all your handy toys." he said. He winked at her as they positioned themselves on the other side of the window.
"I have a lot more I'll have to show you sometime," she said. She laughed and started her descent down the side of the building.
He heard shouting from the corridor, and lights started turning on. He followed after Lia, sliding down the rope until he landed on the ground. Lia waited for him by the alley where she hid her car and beckoned him over. He followed her to her car and climbed in. They sped off, the rest of the guards not seeing them until all they could see were their tail lights.
"I'll drop you off at a taxi platform and there we'll part ways," Lia said.
"Thanks for the ride, Lia."
"No problem. I couldn't leave you there to be captured. I wouldn't have gotten paid otherwise."
He smiled and felt her place a hand on his.
"I hope we get to work together again. That was fun. Put in a good word for me," she said.
"Will do," Jackson replied.
Jackson reached his apartment to find his door unlocked and the alarm disabled. He could see lights on inside and smelled food being cooked. He pulled his new gun and quietly entered the apartment, hoping not to spook whoever trespassed in his apartment.
"Who's there!?" he called.
"Ah! Mr. Carver! You're home!" a familiar voice called from the kitchen.
He rushed to the kitchen to find the salarian agent he met earlier that morning in there cooking food.
"Please! Have something to eat. I'm sure you're hungry after that job."
"What the hell are you doing here!?"
"I'm here to debrief you and pick up the item. I also made some food for you."
He put the gun away, but eyed the salarian, making sure she didn't try something funny.
The salarian placed a plate of food in front of him. He took the food, some sort of dish made with noodles and steak that he wasn't familiar with. It tasted good, though.
"Contrary to what you may think, we're not your enemies. Our … measures to get you here were extreme, yes, but we needed to get you here in absolute secrecy."
"Right. And your first job for me was a theft job. Why should I trust people who sanction illegal actions?"
"Oh please, Mr. Carver. Some of your work in the N7 program wasn't exactly legal. Espionage, staging coups, you name it, you had a part in it. All we've done is privatize what you did for a mere pittance before."
"So you're a mercenary group?" Jackson asked.
"Nothing nearly so simple. Suffice it to say, we intend to employ you in what you do best, but paying you a lot more for it."
Jackson sighed and took another bite of his meal. "If this is going to be a regular occurrence, perhaps you can at least give me your name," he said.
The salarian looked at him a moment, as if deciding what to do, before she answered.
"I guess you've earned that much. My name is Shiova Guras. Don't ask for more, though. That's all you get."
"Shiova. That'll do."
"Good. I understand you have something for me," Shiova said.
Jackson dug into one of his pockets and handed the item to her. It looked like some sort of tiny circuit board.
"Thank you. And this is yours," she said and handed him a datapad.
"Another one?" Jackson asked. "You guys must provide a lot of business for this company."
Shiova laughed.
"You'll like this one. It has the info for your new bank account. This is the account we will use to pay you. We also took the liberty to transfer the credits from your old account into this one," she explained.
"Gee. Thanks," he said.
He accessed the datapad and just about spit out his food when he saw the figure.
"That's more than I make in a month!"
"I'm glad you're satisfied. I should inform you, though, that you cannot leave the planet without our permission at this point in our relationship. Even the smugglers can't take you."
"Our relationship? When do I get to take you to bed?" he asked.
Shiova scowled at him.
"Don't be crude, Mr. Carver."
He smiled, enjoying that he got under her skin.
"How did Miss Lia'Orzh work out?" she asked, changing the subject.
"She was very good. I recommend her for future ops," he said.
"Excellent! We will keep that in mind. It's been a pleasure, Mr. Carver. I will take my leave now and let you finish your food. I'll contact you again when we have a new job for you."
Shiova left the apartment. He finished the plate and changed out of his clothes afterwards.
Remember to ask her about that recipe.
He finished changing and went to the couch, ready to watch some vids and relax. He looked at the ferns before he turned on the vid screen.
"I should have asked you if the ferns are in on it," he said, imagining that Shiova, or someone, was listening in.
He turned on the vid screen, and once again was accosted by crazy, adult, asari cartoons.
He turned off the screen in response.
"You know what? I think I'll sleep in the bed this time."