Hat sighed as he switched off the connection and placed his commpad back on
the table. His roommate poked his head out of the kitchen, "So, what did she
say?" he asked.
"She's coming," Hat replied, leaning back far enough in his seat to see the
ceiling. "Tell me again that this is the right thing."
"It's not," his roommate called back, "But what can you do? They've backed you
into a corner."
"So I don't have a choice."
The roommate came over to the table and placed down a sandwich for himself
and Hat, then sat down, "Look, I don't know why you want so much reassurance
from me. You always let someone else make your decisions for you in tough
matters. This time, you let the company decide."
Hat sat back up and picked up his sandwich, "What else was I to do?"
"Oh no you don't," his roommate interrupted, "Don't come running to me for your
solutions. It's amazing you've gotten this far in life like this. How did you even
become a Raven anyway?"
"Shut up. I'm trying to come up with a solution to this."
"You're asking me to tell you a solution."
Hat slammed a fist onto the table, "I don't need this crap right now. If I don't come
up with something then a whole lot of people are going to die."
"Don't get mad with me," his roommate replied sternly, "Get mad at the other guy.
Whoever is forcing you into whatever it is you don't want to do."
"It doesn't even matter about all those people?"
"You're missing the point. I don't have the solution, but you're smart, you can
figure something out. Go do something to take your mind off the problem."
"Like what?"
Hat's roommate picked up the commpad and turned on the viewscreen on the
wall. On the screen appeared two ACs battling it out. His roommate shrugged
and suggested, "Go fight in the Arena."
Hat was about to reply when the commpad buzzed and the viewscreen switch
over to a guy in a t-shirt and shorts in an office, his feet placed up on the desk.
"Hey, hey," he said, a smug grin plastered on his face.
"What do you want?" Hat seethed.
"Just calling to make sure that everything is alright on your end. Our end has
been taken care of," the man replied, stretching out his arms. "I just need the
conformation from you."
"Yeah, she agreed to go," Hat said, turning away from the screen.
"Good to hear. Upon detonation you will be compensated ninety five thousand
credits and have Crest's eternal gratitude." Hat's roommate eyed the man on the
viewscreen and turned to look at Hat.
His teeth were clenched and his whole body was shaking, "Is that all?"
The man on the viewscreen grinned, "That's all. Good luck on your mission." The
roommate tapped the commpad and cut the communication. The viewscreen
turned back to ACs battling it out.
"Detonation?" he asked Hat. "And not that I usually really care, but I thought you
were working for Mirage."
"I'm going to the Arena. I'll be back for dinner," Hat declared as he stood up,
swiped his commpad and headed for the door. His roommate just sighed as he
watched him leave. Outside the door, Hat slammed his fist into the wall.
"Goddammit," he swore. He looked at the commpad and brought up a listing of
current Arena rankings. He was currently ranked at C-8. Tapping the name
above his brought up the profile of the pilot of the Overdrive, General Disorder.
Hat skimmed over the profile and specs as he rode the elevator down to the
garage level. The Overdrive was a tank AC loaded with heavy weapons. It
obviously relied on damage output to make up for accuracy and speed. He
tapped on the commpad to make the call and waited. It didn't take long for a
deep, gruff voice to answer.
"General Disorder here, what can I do for you?"
"This is Hat, ranked C-9, officially challenging you to an arena match."
The voice on the other end laughed, "Good, good. I accept. How is... 14:00 for
you? I do need some time to get ready and get down there."
"14:00 will be fine," Hat replied. "I'll see you then."
General Disorder laughed again, "See you then," and cut the connection. Hat
looked out the glass side of the elevator and out at the garage. A large teal-blue
and black bipedal AC was making its way towards the exit. Hat recognized it as
the Forbidden. It's pilot was ranked B-7 in the Arena and was known for being
one of the hardest working Ravens in the business.
The elevator reached the bottom of the garage and Hat stepped out and started
walking over to where he had parked his own AC, the Hanged Man. It was a
medium reverse-knee joint, painted red with yellow highlights. He had missile
racks on both shoulders and weapon arms. As he walked, Hat silently wondered
at his chances at defeating the Overdrive.
On his way over to the Arena, Hat got another call. "You're speaking to Hat," he
answered.
"Edward Raines," replied the voice on the other end, "I am the intercompany
coordinator here at Syzygy Laboratories."
"Syzygy Laboratories?" Hat repeated.
"Yes," came the confirmation, "We're owned by iCue Incorporated and currently
operating under a grant from Mirage to develop new AC technologies. I believe
you are the Raven hired by Mirage to deliver a package from GTI?"
"That would be me," he replied.
" Good. Now, the reason that I am calling you is because I've just received word
that the operation has been pushed back to tomorrow at 17:00 and I was asked
to inform you as such. I hope this won't be a problem."
"Listen here, Ed. I've been hired by Mirage," Hat told the man, "If they tell me the
time has changed, then the time has changed. You've wasted your time calling
me."
"Hear me out sir, please. If you wish to call Mirage to confirm, then by all means,
please do. But we have been contacted by GTI and asked that the time be
pushed back, as they may not have the package ready to go at the original
scheduled time. We understand that Mirage is in charge of hiring the escort, but
this is a courtesy call in order to inform you of the change."
"No need to get all huffy Eddie," Hat replied with a grin. "I'll go check with Mirage
and make sure they've given it the go ahead.
"Thank you, sir. A pleasure doing business with you," came the reply. There was
absolutely no pleasure in his voice. Hat chuckled to himself as he told the man
goodbye and turned off the connection.
Quickly, Hat brought up his mission specs on his commpad. Mirage had indeed
changed the time to 17:00 and there was mail in his inbox about the change.
Why that Raines guy had bothered to call him he had no idea. Bringing up Uriko's
name, Hat set the mission details to be forwarded to her and hit send.
---
the table. His roommate poked his head out of the kitchen, "So, what did she
say?" he asked.
"She's coming," Hat replied, leaning back far enough in his seat to see the
ceiling. "Tell me again that this is the right thing."
"It's not," his roommate called back, "But what can you do? They've backed you
into a corner."
"So I don't have a choice."
The roommate came over to the table and placed down a sandwich for himself
and Hat, then sat down, "Look, I don't know why you want so much reassurance
from me. You always let someone else make your decisions for you in tough
matters. This time, you let the company decide."
Hat sat back up and picked up his sandwich, "What else was I to do?"
"Oh no you don't," his roommate interrupted, "Don't come running to me for your
solutions. It's amazing you've gotten this far in life like this. How did you even
become a Raven anyway?"
"Shut up. I'm trying to come up with a solution to this."
"You're asking me to tell you a solution."
Hat slammed a fist onto the table, "I don't need this crap right now. If I don't come
up with something then a whole lot of people are going to die."
"Don't get mad with me," his roommate replied sternly, "Get mad at the other guy.
Whoever is forcing you into whatever it is you don't want to do."
"It doesn't even matter about all those people?"
"You're missing the point. I don't have the solution, but you're smart, you can
figure something out. Go do something to take your mind off the problem."
"Like what?"
Hat's roommate picked up the commpad and turned on the viewscreen on the
wall. On the screen appeared two ACs battling it out. His roommate shrugged
and suggested, "Go fight in the Arena."
Hat was about to reply when the commpad buzzed and the viewscreen switch
over to a guy in a t-shirt and shorts in an office, his feet placed up on the desk.
"Hey, hey," he said, a smug grin plastered on his face.
"What do you want?" Hat seethed.
"Just calling to make sure that everything is alright on your end. Our end has
been taken care of," the man replied, stretching out his arms. "I just need the
conformation from you."
"Yeah, she agreed to go," Hat said, turning away from the screen.
"Good to hear. Upon detonation you will be compensated ninety five thousand
credits and have Crest's eternal gratitude." Hat's roommate eyed the man on the
viewscreen and turned to look at Hat.
His teeth were clenched and his whole body was shaking, "Is that all?"
The man on the viewscreen grinned, "That's all. Good luck on your mission." The
roommate tapped the commpad and cut the communication. The viewscreen
turned back to ACs battling it out.
"Detonation?" he asked Hat. "And not that I usually really care, but I thought you
were working for Mirage."
"I'm going to the Arena. I'll be back for dinner," Hat declared as he stood up,
swiped his commpad and headed for the door. His roommate just sighed as he
watched him leave. Outside the door, Hat slammed his fist into the wall.
"Goddammit," he swore. He looked at the commpad and brought up a listing of
current Arena rankings. He was currently ranked at C-8. Tapping the name
above his brought up the profile of the pilot of the Overdrive, General Disorder.
Hat skimmed over the profile and specs as he rode the elevator down to the
garage level. The Overdrive was a tank AC loaded with heavy weapons. It
obviously relied on damage output to make up for accuracy and speed. He
tapped on the commpad to make the call and waited. It didn't take long for a
deep, gruff voice to answer.
"General Disorder here, what can I do for you?"
"This is Hat, ranked C-9, officially challenging you to an arena match."
The voice on the other end laughed, "Good, good. I accept. How is... 14:00 for
you? I do need some time to get ready and get down there."
"14:00 will be fine," Hat replied. "I'll see you then."
General Disorder laughed again, "See you then," and cut the connection. Hat
looked out the glass side of the elevator and out at the garage. A large teal-blue
and black bipedal AC was making its way towards the exit. Hat recognized it as
the Forbidden. It's pilot was ranked B-7 in the Arena and was known for being
one of the hardest working Ravens in the business.
The elevator reached the bottom of the garage and Hat stepped out and started
walking over to where he had parked his own AC, the Hanged Man. It was a
medium reverse-knee joint, painted red with yellow highlights. He had missile
racks on both shoulders and weapon arms. As he walked, Hat silently wondered
at his chances at defeating the Overdrive.
On his way over to the Arena, Hat got another call. "You're speaking to Hat," he
answered.
"Edward Raines," replied the voice on the other end, "I am the intercompany
coordinator here at Syzygy Laboratories."
"Syzygy Laboratories?" Hat repeated.
"Yes," came the confirmation, "We're owned by iCue Incorporated and currently
operating under a grant from Mirage to develop new AC technologies. I believe
you are the Raven hired by Mirage to deliver a package from GTI?"
"That would be me," he replied.
" Good. Now, the reason that I am calling you is because I've just received word
that the operation has been pushed back to tomorrow at 17:00 and I was asked
to inform you as such. I hope this won't be a problem."
"Listen here, Ed. I've been hired by Mirage," Hat told the man, "If they tell me the
time has changed, then the time has changed. You've wasted your time calling
me."
"Hear me out sir, please. If you wish to call Mirage to confirm, then by all means,
please do. But we have been contacted by GTI and asked that the time be
pushed back, as they may not have the package ready to go at the original
scheduled time. We understand that Mirage is in charge of hiring the escort, but
this is a courtesy call in order to inform you of the change."
"No need to get all huffy Eddie," Hat replied with a grin. "I'll go check with Mirage
and make sure they've given it the go ahead.
"Thank you, sir. A pleasure doing business with you," came the reply. There was
absolutely no pleasure in his voice. Hat chuckled to himself as he told the man
goodbye and turned off the connection.
Quickly, Hat brought up his mission specs on his commpad. Mirage had indeed
changed the time to 17:00 and there was mail in his inbox about the change.
Why that Raines guy had bothered to call him he had no idea. Bringing up Uriko's
name, Hat set the mission details to be forwarded to her and hit send.
---