*A Cursed Existence*
Entry 16: The Coming Waves
AN: Not much to say here, so let's just keep going. Working on the next few chapters as we speak, so let's see how long it takes me to finish them up.
December 30th, 2182, 08:31 am. (3 days later)
"Did I grab everything? Let's see… spare clothes, two pairs of shoes, extra socks and underwear, eezo field air filter…"
That last one was quite expensive to get, even for me, but the convenience of having a near perfectly transparent 'gas mask' outweighed the cost, especially considering my intended destination. Considering the self-appointed 'safety period' was coming up that would allow me to leave, I had decided to start packing a little early just to be safe. Which brought me back to said activity.
"…portable water filter, ration packs, toothbrush- wait. Where's my toothbrush?"
Beginning to dig through my luggage to find where I'd stashed it, it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize I hadn't packed it up yet, as I was still using it. Resisting the urge to facepalm, I stuffed everything back into the bag again, making sure to check for anything I'd missed.
"…and that should be it. Only thing aside from the toothpaste and brush, is my body wash, but who knows if they'll even have enough running water for that on Feros. Still going to grab it when I leave, though."
Closing the bag, I stood up and stretched, now trying to think of what else I needed to do to get ready.
"Hmm… already have the rest of the gear packed up, barring a few of those commando leathers. How likely is it that I'll need them anyway? 'Specially treated ballistic resistant material' or not, actual armor will always be better. Then again, I'll need to stop by a supply station near Omega to refuel, if I'll be taking the short route to Feros, and the armor I'm having shipped to the Sapphire is a tad too flashy to wear around criminal scum like that. In hindsight, that lightweight combat suit I found in storage was a little outdated, so may as well take a pair or two of leathers with; not like I'll run out of storage space from a few extra cases. Besides, what's another commando in the terminus? What else then…"
Thinking as I walked, I grabbed another carrying case from my bedroom, a rather nice velvet red one, and brought it over to the closet that had the leathers stored in it. It happened to be in one of my guest rooms, but considering I hadn't had a 'guest' stay here since my arrival, I had no real idea as to where the leathers came from.
Hmm… black, black, darker black, slightly lighter black, oh, look, variety: dark brown!
Going through the half dozen or so sets of leathers made me sigh, as they were all practically identical barring slight variations in color, padding placement, and texture. One of the plain black ones for example, was primarily made from a smooth, but also soft, leather, with additional padding and insulation on the inside; probably for colder climates. The dark brown, on the other hand, was rather thin, with thicker plates on the joints and around the chest area, so it was most likely meant for warmer climates.
This one seems pretty decent. Nothing special: fairly thick, slightly darker black than the others, good padding and leather plates. Wait a second…
Opening the leathers to get a better look at the inside, I noticed something about the plates that caught my eye: behind every leather plate was a fabric weave that looked remarkably similar to kevlar, albeit a different color, and the material had multiple layers on top of each other; again, almost exactly how kevlar would be made. Tapping it with a finger resulted in a sound like wood or maybe plastic, which was strange when the fabric itself felt like normal cloth, albeit hardened into shape.
Huh. So that explains how they can hold up in combat: ballistic weave protecting every vital point, while the leather acts as a barrier protecting against scratches, scrapes, and potential stabbing. Makes sense. Would still prefer hardened ceramic composite, but this actually seems like proper armor now, and considering commandos tend to always have a barrier up anyway, it explains things. How they survive more than a few minutes in a warzone for one.
Now having a newfound appreciation for the outfit, I folded it up, keeping in mind where the plates were located (not that they would bend anyway) and placed it into the case, along with a second set that looked similar enough to the first. That done with, I went to find some boots/shoes to go with them, as my normal shoes wouldn't cut it. The heavier armor I had on order came with its own boots, helmet, and an undersuit, so I didn't need to grab anything extra for it, while the light combat suit I'd brought with on the Noveria trip had been put back into storage once everything had been unpacked.
Going back to my main closet found me digging through a few dozen pairs of boots and shoes, trying to find a pair that were juuuust right. I swear, I don't have a problem; they each are absolutely necessary and have a purpose, and anyone that says otherwise has clearly never had more than three pairs of shoes to their name, so they can fuck right off.
Wait a minute, stop getting sidetracked!
Shaking my head to focus, I eventually settled on grabbing two, one for comfort the other for function, and put both pairs of boots in the case next to the leathers.
Now finally having everything I thought I needed (for now anyway) I went downstairs to find Aena. Half to see what she was doing, and half because I needed to make sure she had done her part of the trip preparations: ordering the refueling of my ship, having its final flight checks made, ensuring that a parking spot was reserved when I arrived at the spaceport, and a few other things.
Walking around the first floor for a good minute, I eventually spotted the mech in question facing away from me, standing over a workbench in one of the half dozen or so storage rooms, several crates full of parts neatly stacked up behind her. It wouldn't have been anything out of the ordinary if not for the glowing white orb of the new VI assistant hovering next to her as she worked on something.
"Aena," I said in greeting.
"Yes, Mistress?" was her response, briefly turning to look at me before going back to what she was doing.
"What are you working on there?" I asked, moving into the room to get a closer look.
"Polishing and lubricating my internal weaponry," she said, and now having a better view, I saw how she had her carnifex out on the table and taken apart, the pieces all neatly laid out, along with a small rag and bottle of machine oil.
I decided to just stand back and watch her work for a moment, somewhat fascinated by her flawless motor control: it was incredibly smooth, each rotation of a wrist a perfect movement, every flex of a finger made with exact precision. While clearly mechanical due to its perfection, it was still a single fluid motion, one action leading into the next with an efficiency and speed impossible for any creature of flesh and bone.
While I watched, the VI drone nearby suddenly hovered over to one of the parts crates, using a small tendril of energy to reach into one and grab a small, rectangle shaped part, followed by hovering back to the table and placing it down. Almost immediately Aena grabbed the part, replacing it with a slightly worn version of that same part, after which the VI picked it up and moved it to a box next to the table filled with various other parts that all shared the same worn appearance. I even recognized some of them as belonging to a few of the other drones and appliances in the mansion, which certainly answered why I never really needed to worry about maintenance being done.
"You're very good at this," I commented, noting how she paused briefly as a result, her usual blue glowing ever so slightly brighter.
"Thank you, Mistress. The process has been refined throughout all prior repetitions to achieve peak performance," she told me, sounding rather close to being proud about the achievement.
"Huh. Well good job then. What about those flight checks that needed doing? And those messages I asked you to send?"
"They have been scheduled, and the parking space reserved. Payment will be delivered upon arrival, as per routine. While I cannot confirm whether the email addresses are current, the messages have been sent to the various persons you mentioned, along with any relevant information."
Nodding along, I hummed in thought. "Alright. If anything comes up, let me know."
I had just turned to leave when the VI drone spoke up.
"Mistress V'Seila, you have just received a priority message."
Pausing mid-step, I looked at the small white orb questioningly, before deciding on how to react. On the one hand, it slightly confused me that it was the one to tell me that instead of Aena. On the other, she was working right now, so perhaps she'd simply made it to where the drone would fill in when she was occupied. Shelving the thoughts for later, I eventually responded with, "Go ahead and project it."
Following the order, a holographic screen appeared in front of the drone, allowing me to read it.
"Mirilley V'Seila,
This is an automated message. Following a recent investigation, the Taria City Police Force requires you to meet with Investigator Minellick to discuss the details of the aforementioned case. This is only a meeting, and should not conflict with any prior arrangements; however, given the large workload of our officers, accomplishing it as soon as possible will save time and resources for all parties involved. Further details attached below.
If you are unable to attend, please inform the Taria City Police Force so that it can be rescheduled for a later date."
I stared at it blankly a moment longer before taking a look at the time and location. It was set for three hours from now, at a small out-of-the-way shop just outside the city proper. The fact it was away from the police building itself was oddly concerning, though given what other issues popped up in my (maybe paranoid) head, I had bigger problems than just the location.
Shit. SHIT! It doesn't take a genius to figure out they know, or at least, the cop and her Justicar do. If anything, I'm surprised they didn't simply break down my door with a SWAT team, or maybe a half dozen commandos with the damn murder monk leading the charge. 'If you are unable to attend, please inform us,' my ass. Either I go and get ambushed while there, or I run for it and get stopped by a patrol ship in orbit, if I even make it offworld. And not even giving me enough time to do anything but go to it!? What the hell?! What are the odds they have someone tracking my every move anyway?! 'Reschedule.' HAH! Like I have a choice!
Further yelling into the privacy of my mind, eventually I cooled down enough to think more pragmatically.
Regardless of what the actual reason is for this, I can't go there unprepared, and trying to run or 'reschedule' would be the same as admitting guilt in the eyes of a justicar on the hunt. Dammit… well, looks like I get to wear those leathers after all. Hope I can find a loose enough dress to wear over them at least. While incredibly unlikely that I'll be allowed to leave peacefully, I shouldn't show up visibly ready for war either. Although… Aena having a second pistol strapped into her other thigh wouldn't be out of the ordinary. If anything, she should always have two on her; no telling what could happen if the first one breaks or jams. Even if eezo based guns practically never jam, but that's besides the point.
Arriving at that conclusion, I turned to look at my assistant, the fledgling AI in question staring at me as if awaiting orders. Clearly, she insinuated enough from the message and my reaction to know it was something that would need her attention.
"Aena, when you're done cleaning off that pistol, make sure to grab an extra for your other internal holster. Oh, and fully recharge your battery, I have a hunch you'll need the extra power." After saying that I brought up my omni-tool, looking up the small café and its history.
"Confirmed Mistress. Should I make any other preparations?"
"Make sure that the mansion's security system is set to automated after we leave. Aside from that, simply be ready for whatever happens. No way to know for sure what the end result will be…"
Leaving Aena to her preparations, I went back upstairs to make my own.
No such thing as over preparing when your life is on the line. *sigh* Well, here's hoping this is all just my paranoia acting up…
Meanwhile, an excavation site on Therum…
Carefully brushing off a piece of metal that looked like it was once a control panel of some sort, she paused for a moment to take a breather, the dusty air of the old tunnel not exactly as refreshing as she hoped.
Having a moment to relax, she glanced around the cavern her and her team had made over the past few weeks, already having borne fruit thanks to numerous small, yet valuable, archeological finds. If the scans they'd taken initially prior to digging were accurate, they had barely gone more than ten percent into the old prothean ruin, so far, yet even in spite of that, she was just as excited as she was on day 1. And why wouldn't she be? Given what they'd found so far, the discoveries to be made here could finally prove some of her theories!
"Doctor T'Soni!" One of her fellow archeologists called out from behind her, closer to the tunnel entrance, a local human man that was more than willing to leave his old mining job behind to aid in her efforts once the job offer had been made available.
"Yes? Did something happen, Advait?"
"They were finally able to fix the equipment! The extranet is up and running again!"
Breathing a sigh of relief (the antenna ended up breaking from an unfortunate accident a few days after they arrived due to a volcanic rock flying out of the magma of all things) she stood up and stretched, eventually responding. "That is very good to hear! Have you told everyone else the good news?"
Walking closer so that neither of them needed to yell anymore, the human's dark tan features became more visible under the excavation lights that had been set up. "Just about. You're deeper into these ruins than the rest of us, so you were the last person I needed to tell."
"I see. Well, I suppose this calls for a reward given how important it was. On your way back, let everyone know they can take the rest of the day off to reconnect. It's the least they deserve after being cut off from society for all this time."
While the lighting wasn't perfect, Liara was still able to see the happiness creeping onto the alien's face. It served as an odd reminder of how similar human and asari physiology was in some areas, even if they were completely different in others. "Glad to hear, ma'am. What about you? Will you be joining us on the surface today?"
Liara had to fight off a blush at that. She vividly remembers how during their first week digging, she went with the bare minimum amount of sleep possible, and even then she did most of it in the tunnel. She was mature enough to recognize that her excitement had gotten the better of her.
"I believe I will, yes. I simply need to gather my tools here first, and then I will head back to camp."
"Assuming none of us end up burning the place down in our excitement, that is," Advait said, and it took Liara far longer than she cared for to realize that it was a joke.
"Ahah, yes, hopefully not." Was the best she could come up with, trying not to sound as awkward as she felt. Whether or not she was successful was a subject of debate, but either way, the human smiled at her and went back the way he came so as to spread the good news.
Perhaps I really should clean up as best I can then. No telling how many messages I may have missed…
…
…
…
Walking out from the excavation entrance, she passed by a small group of her fellow archeologists, who gave various greetings that she returned in kind. There were barely twenty of them in total, but that was fine; any more than that were unnecessary considering the tools they had available.
The rest of her short walk went by uneventfully, the prefab building they used as a base and home away from home being a short distance away from the tunnel. She had a small room reserved just for her (being the one in charge of the dig site had some advantages) and as such made her way to it, a simple bed, chair, and desk with an inbuilt holo monitor being the only furnishings. Sitting in the chair, she turned on the monitor, letting it go through its brief boot up sequence before it opened to show the home screen. Navigating it, she opened up her mail, to see several dozen messages waiting for her.
Sighing, she started the process of opening them up to see what they are. The first three were scams for krogan growth hormone, which only served to make her scowl, but the fourth caught her attention.
"To Doctor T'Soni,
First, allow me to say hello. I understand you are doubtless busy, as am I, so allow me to get to the heart of this to save both of us valuable time: Recently, I was approached by Benezia T'Soni, Matriarch of House T'Soni. Given what I have learned of said house, you certainly know who she is already. She approached me with a business offer, and due to various reasons, I am tempted to accept. However, what I wish to learn, from your own perspective, is who she is. Perhaps not on a personal level – that would be rude and intrusive of me – but at least to the point that I can safely determine the best course of action regarding her offer.
I understand if you refuse to answer or respond. My memories of my own mother are quite precious to me. But regardless of what you decide, I hope we can at least achieve a modicum of respect in the exchange, as making acquaintances with the family of potential business partners is simple common sense. To further this, attached is account information that should fund whatever project you intend to work on for the foreseeable future – maybe it would be better described as an investment or perhaps a generous donation to discovering more of galactic history. Well, that's how it will be labeled for Citadel tax purposes anyway, so no need to worry about them chasing after you for their portion of it. Apologies if it isn't enough, but the rules of acceptable expenses force the amount to be limited.
That said, I appreciate any thought given to this request, and look forward to hearing back from you, should you choose to do so.
Armali Council Board Executive, Taria University Graduate, Founder of the Charity for Forgotten Calabsan Children, "No child deserves abandonment, regardless of their origins," Former Team Captain of the Calabsa Comets, Chief Financier of Taria City Personal Legal Services, Matron,
Mirilley V'Seila"
Staring at the message in mild confusion, Liara was a step away from simply opening the link to confirm it when she remembered some of the training given to her by one of her family's commandos regarding strange links that sound too good to be true. Burying the embarrassment of almost failing the most basic of extranet security, she grabbed a spare omni-tool from her locker, connected it to her monitor, transferred the email and its connected data over, and shut down the tool's wireless connection. Now believing it to be safe, she opened it and examined the information provided. Upon confirming that nothing seemed out of the ordinary, insomuch as either her limited knowledge on the subject as well as the standard virus detection program she installed on any of her devices could tell, she then went to the appropriate site of the bank the account was held by.
Entering the account name, number, and password (all provided by the email) she watched as well over a million credits was shown on the account balance. Now, while Liara had never been poor by any stretch of the imagination given her upbringing, there was many a time after graduating from university that she had to carefully watch her budget or go straight into a "financial death spiral" as one of her old teachers so eloquently put it. Even the expedition she currently worked on was only possible thanks to several donations from various backers, some of whom remained anonymous, and while they all helped get her to where she was now, Liara understood every one of them (barring perhaps the anonymous donors) fully expected something in return. However…
What they get out of this is normally something more valuable than simple "insight" into how mother thinks. Unless… maybe this deal she mentioned is larger than I know of? I haven't spoken to mother in quite some time, but she was rarely the type to do something without a long-term goal in mind, and they almost always paid off in unbelievable amounts. This "Mirilley V'Seila" requires further research…
Putting the rest of her emails on hold for now (a quick glance at their headers showed nothing too important) she dedicated the next hour or so researching and reading up on the Matron in question. Surprisingly, most of the information she found was quite recent, and almost entirely focused on the recent "galaxy sized market upheaval" caused by the tens of billions of credits worth of mineral deposits being found and mined by a company that the executive owned. That, along with far older and archived stories that backed up her other titles, gave Liara the impression that at the very least, she was a person to take seriously.
The initial impression, given her history and the email, made Liara think of V'Seila as intelligent and capable of doing anything she invested herself in, and not only succeeding at it, but thriving. Liara's mother even had a term for ones such as her: Warriors of Focus. Someone that dedicated themselves to something until it was achieved, only to find something else to chase after as soon as they had. Potentially terrifying, depending on whether or not one was on the receiving end of that attention. Few asari were worthy of her mother's unusual compliment, but each were known across the galaxy, some prime examples being: Matriarch Lidanya, Captain of the Destiny Ascension; Councilor Tevos, galactic representative of the asari species as a whole for nigh on a century; and Aria T'Loak, the defacto Ruler of Omega, and one of, if not the, most powerful warlord of the Terminus. Every one a living legend in their own right, albeit for very different reasons.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Liara brought herself back to the present: she still needed to decide how to react to the email, and whether or not she would respond to it. Regardless of who V'Seila happened to be, Liara wasn't obligated to reply, as the elder asari herself mentioned twice over. Yet if anything, she felt as if ignoring it would be disrespectful at best, outright rude at worst, doubly so if she actually used the funds granted to her.
Mind made up, she started typing up an email to reply, being careful to word it as professionally as her decades of upbringing taught her.
Matron V'Seila, may this message find you well…
Meanwhile, somewhere on the Citadel…
Arriving at a dingy hotel room, a man set about settling in. The clerk at the front had given the man a key, bidding him a good day.
His body went through the practiced motions of checking the room for anything out of the ordinary. The hotel was of a… lower quality, and as such there was no telling if its owner would go so far as to spy on the tenants. However, after spending an appropriate amount of time searching, no devices were found, and his body relaxed somewhat.
Now actually settling in, the man gave some thought to finding some food nearby, already several shops and food stalls coming to mind. However, his soul reminded him to first unburden his body by ensuring there was nothing important that needed his immediate attention.
Opening his omni-tool, he allowed the numerous programs installed on it to hide his location. Once that was finished, he opened the various message systems he had available. There was only a single new one since his last check, and it wasn't even addressed to him or any of his alternate names; simply a general message sent out from one of his old… friends was a wrong term for it. Work relations was, perhaps, more accurate. With a practiced eye, his body summarized the message details important to him: potential client, looking for information on certain underworld groups, particular interest in the business and activities of one Nassana Dantius.
The final part caught his eye, his soul and body focusing on it. Nassana Dantius. She was one of many he still had yet to excise from the realm of the living, but her time would come soon, if she remained on the Citadel that is. He still had other, more elusive targets that were on the station, and as such he was in less of a rush to get to her specifically.
Deciding on how to deal with this, he sent a message to the one that sent the job out.
Willing to do the Dantius job. Time limit? Only information, or more permanent action desired? Require more details. Will be unavailable for two standard months, as another job takes priority.
Hitting send, and knowing the acquaintance would know who was sending it, Thane Krios closed his eyes and breathed deeply, beginning the first steps of his meditation. A quick prayer came to mind as he readied his body for the coming hunt.
"Amonkira, guide my hand and ensure my aim be true. Kalahira, guide the souls of those my body slays to their newfound home…"
Ahhh, Thane… what a shame that you are so often underutilized in most of the stories I've read. Hell, even here his section was one of the shortest I've written so far. Although to be fair, figuring out how to write from his perspective was a tad difficult. And Liara! My personal favorite romance option, yet so, so naïve before her information broker phase!
Honestly not sure who's harder to write: a very spiritualistic assassin that is nearing death and seeks to make up for how he lived, or a (mostly) innocent, and socially awkward, century old "young" adult scientist and researcher that was raised to effectively be nobility. Oh God, this is just the tip of the iceberg isn't it? Ah well, perfection is more of a dream, not a goal, anyway. Here's hoping I can at least write them believably.
Anyway, what do you, dear reader, think of how I'm writing some of these characters, the canon ones especially? Any input is useful input, even if I end up disagreeing with it. Another perspective is often all one needs to find and correct a flaw, after all. But all that said and done, it's a problem for future me to find and correct. Hope you all enjoyed, and I'll see you next time!