PP: 508, we have a potential deal for you. The Mint and all of its contents, bar Penny Polendina, in exchange for passage and secrecy.
PP: Hello?
BW: I'm not sure if he's on right now. So we're just asking for this to be hush hush? Nothing else?
PP: It would be rude of us to ask more. He has more to gain from this arrangement or lack of arrangement than we do.
BW: The point of negotiations is to bid at both extremes until you both reach a price you're comfortable with.
PP: That makes negotiations sound long and bothersome, does it not? What is the point of long negotiations if both sides feel as if they could have gained more?
AS: Actually, both sides usually feel as if they played the other side for the sucker. And while I could ask for additional favors, unrestricted access to the Atlassian Archives is a dream come true.
PP: Welcome back 508. Are the terms to the deal agreeable?
AS: I see no issues with it. I do not believe either of you understand the value of having contraband information, or even the remaining rations in the Mint.
BW: Can I at least take 21 days worth of rations with me when we go to leave?
AS: 10.
PP: 18.
AS: 12.
BW: 16.
AS: 13.
BW: 14 and a portable server to take Penny in, final offer.
AS: Fine. Deal. I'll get a portable server over to you. You have a rucksack capable of carrying a 35-pound computer?
BW: Yeah, it should be able to.
PP: His bag should be capable of carrying approximately 140-pounds.
BW: How do you know this?
PP: I have been watching you for the last 16 days. I have also been making measurements and estimates of your gear, and your physical aptitude.
BW: Why am I finding out about this now?
PP: I told you day 3.
BW: No you didn't.
AS: No, she did. She just slipped it in the middle of a couple of sentences so you wouldn't notice. You know you've got a real tweaked AI, right?
BW: Those are words, but I don't think they mean what you think they mean.
AS: She ain't normal. There're definitely some screws loose.
PP: All of my screws are screwed in, and I am completely functional.
AS: It's honestly easier if I started from scratch and tried to build my own using the information from the archives then try to fix her. AI are pretty cool, even if the whole aura gimmick thing is a whole other layer. Just makes it too sloppy when coding.
PP: You understand computer code?
AS: Just enough to say "hello world" in machine code. I know a guy who knows a guy, who'd kill for these documents. They're under restricted access.
BW: So Salem already has the Atlassian Archives?
AS: Technically Watts does, but its like a couple thousand documents thick. Some documents are hundreds of pages long.
PP: Affirmative. The longest document is 1422 pages long, while the shortest one is only a third of the page.
BW: Still doesn't answer why you want them.
AS: Only he has access to them. Once he got his hands on them, he expunged them from every server on the network. So if anyone wants a copy of the Archives, you need to find a place that is offline, but confidential enough to store a copy of the archives. Information that would only be kept in the archives.
BW: Places like the Mint.
AS: Precisely. If I can get access to it, I suddenly have access to information that no one but a trusted hand of the queen herself has.
PP: I understand your position during the negotiation now. By being generous now, you are able to take full advantage of this information, and profit more in further negotiations.
AS: Yes, I just really want this info. So it's a deal then? I get the archives, and the two of you leave, and neither of us every mention the other to anyone else ever again?
PP: I believe that is a good deal. Dove?
BW: As long as he provides the materials we're lacking for transporting you safely, yes.
AS: As would be natural.
PP: Fantastic. When will we be expecting you?
AS: 2-3 days from now.
BW: Pardon?
AS: Yeah, the Mint is like a couple hundred miles out from the city. It'll take me awhile to get there, and some time to get the computer as well. So, it'll be a couple of days.
BW: Why didn't you start coming sooner?
AS: Since I'm obviously the "enemy", there wasn't a guaranteed chance that you two kingdomists would even deal with the "enemy".
PP: Kingdomist? What does that word mean? I have not heard it before.
BW: Because its not a real word.
AS: It's slang for people who still support the broken system of the four kingdoms instead of the reign under Salem. Also known as stupid people like Dove.
PP: That is rude. Why would you say that?
BW: Penny, its fine. Don't worry about it.
AS: Because the man literally has fits of anger due to his rampant paranoia and reluctance to eat.
PP: I see your argument, and now have difficulty in rebutting your statement.
AS: Anyways, I'll be heading over soon. Thanks for doing business, the 508 way!
BW: Penny?
PP: Yes Dove?
BW: Do we have a printer down here?
PP: Yes, we do, in the storage closet. How come?
BW: What if we printed off important information and kept it, meaning that we don't permanently lose info.
PP: The point of the archives is to store important information. If it was not deemed as important, they would not have kept it.
BW: I meant things like the locations of other bunkers, and maps.
PP: Oh, I understand now. The relevant important information out of the other important, but less relevant information. Yes, I can print it if you plug me in.
BW: Fantastic.
BW: Set to go?
PP: All plugged in and ready to print. Would you like to choose which documents to print?
BW: I think you can choose which ones you'd think be most important to our situation. I'm going to go sharpen my sword and see if I can't cobble together some more bullets.
PP: How come?
BW: Just in case he doesn't come alone.
PP: Understandable. Best of luck to you Dove.
BW: We totally could have left that hanging and had suspense for tomorrow, but now we don't. Thanks Penny.
PP: You are welcome Dove.
