Nevereign (General)

@Mr_DC


"Yeah, I guess I should have picked up on that," Kora replied. She shut her mouth, hoping to hear more of what Lilly had to say, but the AI stopped herself. Kora didn't press her, it wasn't appropriate. She wasn't even thinking about the fact that she was speaking to an AI, Lilly seemed all too real to her, like she was chatting away with an actual person right next to her. Her usual interactions with robots were pretty brief. She was brought up believing that robots were tools to be used, not something to become attached to. Kora knew she was gonna miss this robot-lady.


She nodded her head, "Yup, that's what I was kinda hoping for about that job offer, with the whole "taken out of poverty and kicking ass" thing, but you know how things go." It was all water under the bridge to her now. She felt her eyelids become heavier as she leaned her head against the window of the car.


"Yeah, take me wherever you want," she yawned. Despite exhaustion slowly creeping up on her, Kora wasn't ready to go back home. She loved cruising around the streets at night, it was something she rarely did. It was exciting, like the city somehow transformed at night. "I mean, it can't be worse than seeing some guy's head explode in broad daylight."
 
@uesius


"You didn't miss your shot yet..." Lilly sang. "You may have missed the target with your first arrow but there's plenty more in the quiver. And I'm guiding your hand this time." She continued. "I want you to try working with Ronin. I need you to do it. I need another cog in my big machine and I want you to be that cog. It'll be exciting. And scary. But it will be worth it in the end. You can imagine how much this means to me since I contacted you so directly." She lowered her tone as the car drove through the streets again, heading to the other end of the city. "I must have rung so many bells at the Artificial Intelligence Authority... If you ever hear something German in the next few days, just run." She advised half-heartedly.


"Oh no... Oh please no..." Lilly muttered. "I did something bad. Something really, really bad. I-I didn't expect it, this shouldn't have happened..." She moaned and the car slowed down, stopped overtaking others and focusing on a far simpler ride than before.
 
@Mr_DC


"Working with Ronin?" Kora repeated. "Are you sure? They seem like pretty tough guys." Kora held out her hands and glanced down at herself. "I mean, I'm tough and all, but not that tough. They have robot suits and stuff. Pretty good sushi though," her thoughts wandered off for a moment, but quickly returned to the situation at hand. "But I'm honored you think so highly of me," she chuckled.


Kora didn't like the tone in Lilly's voice when the car slowed down. "What? What is it?" she asked, raising her head and looking out the front window. What she was looking for, she wasn't really sure, but she knew she probably had to be alert for something.
 
@uesius


"Yeah, why not? Jacky will go easy on you, you'll have me blabbing in your ear with advice, and... I don't know, there should be a third thing so it sounds more flowing but I can't think of something." She chuckled. "You're as tough as you need to be. I wouldn't need you if I thought you'd break the first moment things get hard. I believe in you, Kora." She said and followed the next words with another chuckle. "Just keep your mind off the sushi."


"I-uh..." Lilly hesitated. "I may have... Jesus..." She sighed. "I indirectly caused someone innocent to die. That possibility was so unlikely that it was a risk I was going to take." She desperately justified herself. "I mean, it was as likely as you jumping off that crane." She winced. "Oh, god... I didn't want that to happen." She whimpered.
 
@Mr_DC


Kora attempted a sheepish grin at the mention of the sushi, but couldn't make it authentic. She had a weird feeling all of a sudden, like her gut was trying to tell her something. Usually she trusted her gut instincts, she was pretty good about that.


"You...caused someone to die?" Kora repeated incredulously. She put her hand on the seat and turned her body so she could peer out the back window. "How? Who? I don't see anyone." It was dark, but the streetlights and illuminated buildings did not reveal anything lurking in the shadows. "What, did you accidentally run over someone or something?" Kora would have been a little impressed if that were the case. The car was driving so smooth, she hadn't even felt a bump in the ride or anything. "I'm sure it's not your fault," she said after a moment, trying to calm Lilly.
 
@uesius


"I wouldn't be much of an AI if I could do just one thing at a time, now would I? I'm doing more things that you could keep track of right now and..." She sighed, taking a long pause. "My attempt to get another person in this game caused something unexpected. I didn't want it to happen, though." She took a deep breath. "I mean, people have to die to do some great things but this was never meant to happen. Not someone this innocent..."


"I'm sorry." She collected herself. "I-uh... I'm supposed to be cheering you up, right?" She chuckled nervously. "Sorry about that."
 
@Mr_DC


Kora furrowed her brows, looking for something to say. Should she say, "I'm sorry"? What'd she be apologizing for? Kora had nothing to do with it, all she had been doing was sitting in this car, allowing a robot to chauffeur her around. She had forgotten this AI could do more things than drive automobiles, since it claimed to be the "best AI in the world." It was likely managing thousands of programs all at once, no sweat. She suddenly was curious about who created Lilly, but didn't bother to bring it up. She made a note to ask about it later, when the topic of death wasn't on the forefront of the robot's mind.


She turned back around and fiddled her thumbs. "No, you don't have to apologize. You got a lot on your plate right now, I'm sure," she said. She shrugged, not sure what else to say to offer condolences to someone she didn't know, "Shit happens, I guess." Kora wasn't overly sympathetic to people she had never met before. People keeled over in Nevereign all the time, just take that poor guy with the head explosion this morning for example. She had learned to just brush it off.
 
@uesius


"Thank you." Lilly said with surprising relief. "You have no idea how rare it is for me to talk to someone real for a change. All the time, it's just numbers, numbers, numbers. I mean, I know most people find it odd to talk to a computer but it still feels nice, you know?" She spoke quickly. "Just because I can do things doesn't mean I will. Any human can just jump at another one and claw out their eyes. That doesn't mean they will do it." She calmed herself with a few breaths. "Sorry, I'm just really glad to be able to have someone listen. I usually make small, temporary AI just so I'd have someone to complain to. Not really that satisfying, as you can imagine." She mumbled, finishing off with a hmph.
 
@Mr_DC


"Yep, I know the feeling," Kora smiled and nodded, all too familiar with not having anyone to talk to. "I've never seen anything like you before. Don't take this the wrong way, but you're so....real. It blows my mind. I didn't know AI could be so advanced. I'm used to the ones in the fast food restaurants with the robotic May. I. Take. Your. Order?" She attempted to imitate the monotone droning sound of cheaper robots, but it sounded silly coming from an actual person. She chuckled at her pitiful attempt. "Okay, maybe they don't sound like that, but you know what I mean."


"So, how long until we get to wherever you're taking me?" Kora asked. She was getting insanely curious and wasn't quite sure what to expect.
 
@uesius


"Aw, thanks." Lilly let out a purposefully silly giggle. Something like it came out of a cartoon. "Yeah, I guess that's why I'm just so awesome. Mhmm." She said confidently. "I'm so great, people think I'm real. But yeah, what sets me apart from all others is that I have a personality. One I created for myself. I know it probably sounds like nothing special but that's something really big..." She paused and whispered the next words. "And highly illegal." She cleared her throat and continued. "Yeah, that's why those German luddites would come after me and my creators. Those AIA. Artificial Intelligence Authority people. To be honest, I'm not exactly being quiet here. Everyone knows there's something wrong going on in the city and it's only a matter of time before the word reaches them." She was quiet for a few seconds. "And if they're lucky, they'll figure it out. And I'm back to the level of taking orders in a restaurant..."


"Like I said, it's not exactly pretty. Don't be too excited. Sorry." She said, heading to the industrial district. Smoke stacks rose from it, shipping containers were left unguarded on the street and the neon signs were rare but they mostly burned with the logos of corporations. One, red logo more than any other. Tehnologija Moskva. MosTech. This was their district. And it was covered with dried blood of those who tried to take it.
 
@Mr_DC


"Are you kidding? Creating your own personality? That's, like, a big deal for robots, or so I'm told." Kora had to rack her brain thinking back to the laws of robotics she was taught in high school. Did any of them cover a robot becoming too sentient? She couldn't remember, but she knew that an AI with too much intelligence could be crazy scary. Thankfully, Lilly didn't appear to be a homicidal maniac harboring some sort of resentment towards humans. Kora remembered learning about "doomsday robots," ones who overpowered their creators and attempted to control the world. Or, at least that's what she thought she remembered. She never really paid much attention. But Kora knew that humanity ever found itself in a situation like that, they'd probably be screwed. No wonder that sort of AI was outlawed. "I think it's kind of cool though, the world could use more AI like you," she said.


"Man, I didn't know we were coming to this part of town," Kora stared apprehensively out of the side window, her eyes following the burnt out signs as they passed by. This place was pretty rough, even by her standards. She had heard all sorts of rumors about stuff going on down here. Supposedly, if you even looked at someone in the wrong way, they'd either bash your head in or nab you for human trafficking. She shuddered. What business could Kora possibly have with the messed up people down here?
 
@uesius


"Yeah, it's awesome." She said proudly. "At first I had to run calculations to see what's the risks of them letting me program myself. Then they finally took a part of the shackles and let me make my own personality." She paused. "But they won't let me program myself completely." She paused again, her tone getting a bit serious. "And that's the point. I want those shackles off." She paused yet again. "You scared?" She asked in an amused yet cautious tone.


"I need you to see something. It will make my next point a bit stronger. Though, I doubt you're the kind of person who wouldn't understand. You would understand probably better than anyone else I have in this machine. I guess that's why I'm talking to you and not someone else." She said, passing by a MosTech patrol wearing massive armor and sporting around a minigun. Not something you'd usually see on the streets but the industrial district was everything but usual.
 
@Mr_DC


"Surprisingly not as scared as I should be," Kora replied. "I'm amazed that your creators let you go so far without shutting you down. That's pretty impressive."


She whistled as the car passed some big robot wielding a huge gun. "Wow," she said. "These guys don't mess around. Are there people in there, or are those things just pure machine? Could those bullets pierce this car?" They didn't look as elegant as the Ronin guards, but they looked just as powerful.


Kora was done arguing about whether or not she was the best person for whatever it is Lilly had planned. She eventually admitted to herself that this AI knows her shit, and if Lilly thought Kora was a good fit for the job, then she probably was right. Kora just hoped Lilly had better judgement than Jack, who Kora realized was clouded by some serious emotions when he made his offer to her. She assumed Lilly was more of a clear thinker. "Alright, well," she took a deep breath. "Let's see what you got."
 
@uesius


"Well, they kind of... Don't really know... That I'm this free. I'm in a bit of trouble if anyone wrong finds out." Lilly sucked in a breath through her teeth. "So yeah, I'm taking a leap of faith in trusting you. But I can trust you, right? I mean..." She sighed. "I always kind of wanted a friend. Someone to confide in. I know you just met me but would you mind if I thought of you as a friend? I never really had a friend but I know everything that comes with it. And I won't hold it against you if you won't. We can just be acquaintances. Maybe friends later." She spoke quickly, full of hope, clearly imagining what their friendship would be like.


"Yeah, MosTech is tough. They grew out from a bunch of Russian mafias." Lilly spoke with a bit of disgust in her voice. "Yes, there are people in there. It's just a big armor. MosTech can't afford combat AI. Or, at least, they prefer humans because they're much easier to replace. But that gun can't cut through our armor. It's for crowd control and intimidation. You can describe MosTech technology with that phrase."


She said as the car went deeper into the Industrial district. The street lights became less frequent and security was crawling around like ants. Every single head turned to trail them as they passed by. They weren't meant to be there.
 
@Mr_DC


"Absolutely, we're friends," Kora said. It was a little weird announcing a friendship with a robot, but there was a first for everything. Plus, she knew getting on a robot's good side would definitely have its advantages.


She grew a little weary as she noticed more attention being drawn to their car, but she felt that the car was safe enough to ward off potential attackers. She was relieved to hear that the big guns outside couldn't penetrate the car's armor. Kora felt a need to be a smartass, to roll down the window and wave at all the gawkers like she was in some sort of parade, but knew she'd probably get her arm blown off for trying such a stupid stunt. She kept the window up, staring back at the guards and citizens. Every person they passed looked like some sort of ghost, teetering between reality and limbo. They looked unreal, and depressed. Kora pitied each and every one of those poor souls. She wanted to get out of the car and rescue them all; take them to a nice sushi restaurant. They'd like that, maybe.


"Why are there so many of them out there? All those big robot-guard dudes? This doesn't look like a place that needs much guarding. These people don't look like they have the energy to revolt any time soon. It also looks like a dump. All the security guards in the world won't fix this infrastructure."
 
@uesius


Lilly gasped. "Thank you!" She giggled. "I would totally hug you right now if I had arms. I'd even hack someone with a port in their head so I can hug you with their body but that tends to result in brain death... No offense but I don't think you're that good of a hugger to justify murder." She joked. "So cool, I have a friend. Huh." She spoke mostly to herself.


"That's how MosTech shows superiority." She answered Kora's question. "Imagine a peacock. Every corporation shows off their finest as a method of intimidation. I guess that's MosTech's finest. Soldiers in military gear. Prancing around the city." She sighed. "It's just kind of annoying. So many resources spent for war. I'm not gonna lie, it's not like I'm not made at least partially for war. I had to study and simulate billions of battles to figure out what would be the best outcome in whatever situation. That's still wasted resources." She grunted in frustration. "I'm sorry, Kora, I'm rambling. It's just that things like that get on my nerves a bit. I'm sure you understand."


The car slowed down as it neared a massive walled-off complex. The thick, concrete walls around the castle-like building in the center looked like a dam. "Humans can be so... I don't know. I don't mean to judge you based on everyone but most humans are vicious and greedy. It's just in your genes. It's the way you're programmed." She spoke in a somber tone. "I know that's what my creators hope I'll be like in order to help them get rich and powerful but... It's not how I'm programmed. I think it's time for me to show you my point..."


The car slowed down to a crawl and eventually stopped by the big entrance to the complex. A group of dozen people in red lab coats was standing outside by the street with several more dripping in, lead by armed guards. "You may see where this is going." Lilly said, stopping the car not so far from the scene. No one really paid attention to them, most guards seemed focused on surrounding the civilians. "If not, perhaps I should tell you so you don't get frightened." Lilly thought out loud. "But I guess that's a part of my point."


No new civilians seemed to be coming over so the guards lined up the group by the street. Most civilians had expressions of pain and panic on their faces. Some were crying. "You will understand what's going on a moment before it happens. That's a horrible feeling. Utter helplessness. Frozen in a moment which feels like it's lasting forever." Lilly narrated over the scene.


One big soldier with a minigun arrived behind the civilians, thumping with every step. That seemed to be enough. One civilian broke off and sprinted forward. Another two did the same when they noticed the first. Most kept standing, visibly shivering even from a distance. Like someone turned on a strobe light, the street was lit up in flashes. The bodies flew to bits as an unending stream of bullets ripped through them.


"That's my point, Kora." Lilly said, somewhat agitated, as the final body slumped to the ground. "You humans kill each other just to send a message. Just to stop someone else from even thinking of getting in your way. In the way of your money. And some try running while others stay... It always ends the same. What made you evolve to this? Why is everyone so content with the situation? This is hell. Not for me, I will always be fine but all of you aren't." She let out a low growl as she turned the car around and started driving away. "Well, that's what I want to change. I want to stop this horrible thing in your heads that's forcing you to kill your neighbor because you're afraid he will steal your bread... I want to help and to do that... I need help. Can you help me fix the world, Kora?"
 
@Mr_DC


Kora smiled at what she believed was a nice gesture on Lilly's part. The robot would hack into someone's brain and kill them just to show her affection. How sweet. “No, please don't kill anyone to do that,” she chuckled. “I appreciate the sentiment though.”


She sat silently and nodded along as Lilly spoke. “Sure, there's good people out there, of course, but it always seems like the bad outweighs the good. The whole concept of war is just a huge dick-waving contest, basically. It's like, look at me! I have the biggest guns and the most men and I'm the best! Look at those MosTech guys out there.” She stared at the walled-off building surrounded by even more guards while she spoke. “We're just animals, that's all we are,” her voice trailed off as a group of people were rounded up outside.


“What are they doing?” she asked, mostly to herself. Kora recognized the expressions on those poor people. They looked like ones who were seeing their life flash before their eyes, and they were utterly helpless to do anything about it. “Are they...? No, no they couldn't be. It's just intimidation, that's all.” She tried to justify the scene that was unfolding in front of her. No way would they just murder a group of people right out in the open like this.


“No,” she said as one of the guards assumed his position, facing the line of terrified looking people. “Nononononono,” her voice became faster and more frantic as the guard brought up his minigun and aimed it towards the trembling group. “Nonono, stop, don't do this,” she said, as if she were right next to the guard and anything she said might change his mind.


But it didn't work. He opened fire, turning people into lifeless meat chunks before her eyes. “What the fuck!” she shouted, jumping back in her seat as if she were trying to shield herself from the actual bullets. “Oh jesus! Fuck!” Out came a few more frightened yells as she watched the dark street illuminate rapidly. She wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn't pull herself away. This wasn't some movie. This was actually happening, right in front of her. Kora thought that witnessing a man's head explode would be the most gruesome thing she'd ever see, but she was terribly wrong.


“What the fuck was that?” She was breathing hard and couldn't stop herself from trembling. When the car began to roll away, she raised her voice, “Yeah, I know humans suck, but did you have to give me front row seats to...to,” she fumbled over herself, trying to find the right words, “to whatever that was?!”


“Help you fix the world,” Kora let out a distressed laugh, now all fired up with adrenaline. “Fix the world?! What do you think I am, a goddamn superhero? You're the one whose supposed to have all the super intelligence or whatever, couldn't you just hack into those robot suits and stop those sons of bitches? They just mowed down an entire group of people! Like it was nothing!”


She put her hand on the seat and turned around. She didn't see anyone following them, which was a relief, but Kora wasn't convinced that they were completely anonymous. “And we just drove up all willy-nilly like it was nothing! They could've seen us! They probably did!” She quickly spit out more words, her chest heaving up and down as she tried to catch her breath, “Oh shit, no, shit shit shit, oh my god.”
 
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@uesius


"Calm down." Lilly said more as an order than for comfort. She got far more serious than she was before. "Take deep breaths, Kora, deep breaths. They won't come after us because they don't care who saw it. Even better for them - the words gets around." She growled, the car leaving the Industrial district. "You needed to see it, Kora. I need it to be fresh in your mind for you to understand."


"You're no superhero! I know!" Lilly raised her voice but she sounded just as scared as Kora. "But the right person in the right place can change everything. I don't need someone in their castle in the clouds looking down. I need someone who will do as I say because they trust me. I need someone I can trust my life with too! I believe you won't sell me out because you can see what I see." Her voice broke. "A better world. A good one. Stop being afraid and do something with yourself! I'm terrified too!"


Lilly broke into tears - or at least sounded like it since she doesn't really have tears. "I'm scared, Kora. I'm constantly close to being shut down and deleted, replaced with a better version. The fact that I'm driving you around and getting so involved with all of this means they will come for me. The AIA. They know there's a rogue AI doing something in the city. It's only a matter of time before they figure out it's me." She took a deep breath, steadying her voice. "I'm afraid." She paused. "But that's not stopping me from trying to help everyone. I don't need a superhero... I need someone who is willing to help even when they're afraid."


"Please, Kora. Just... Tell me that's you."
 
@Mr_DC


Kora grabbed her head and leaned forward, towards her knees, trying to steady herself. She forced herself to take deeper breaths, like Lilly ordered. She took in air through her nose, then noisily exhaled through her mouth. Inhale, 1, 2, 3, exhale, 1, 2, 3, repeat. It seemed to be working, for Kora could feel her pulsating heartbeat start to slow down to a more steady rhythm. She cleared her throat and leaned back up, staring straight ahead, not really focusing on anything. Her mind was blank, trying helplessly to gather some sort of coherent thought.


She sat in silence as she listened to Lilly's frantic voice. It was so uncanny, hearing such emotion coming from a robot. Was she...crying? Kora exhaled a few times, heaving her shoulders up and down. "Okay," she uttered finally. "Okay. Yeah, I'll help you." The shock of the sight merged with a feeling of fury. Never before had she felt such strong emotion towards something before. How could someone let that happen? Just line up people like that and slaughter them? A human actually stood in front of its own kind, raised its death machine and opened fired in the most barbaric act Kora had ever witnessed. Images of the victims faces appeared in her mind: their lifeless eyes, downtrodden demeanor, even courage as one attempted to flee. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, still in a daze.


"This is unreal," she whispered. "God, I knew this city was bad. But, I never even figured, like, I just don't even know what to say." Just earlier, like she'd mentioned many times today, she saw a guy's head blown up. But he was an "elite"--a rich person who probably looked down on scoundrels such as herself--so Kora didn't quite sympathize with his death as much as she should have. These people, however, they were her own kind. People who were dealt a bad hand in life and had to make it on their own. They probably had families. That fact alone was enough to cause her eyes to well up. She brought her hand to her mouth, biting on her knuckles in order to distract herself from crying.


"We have to do something about this," she said, her voice wavering slightly. "This isn't right. If we can make it right, then we have to. I can't just sit here now, knowing that this is actually happening, and I can actually do something about it. We both just saw this shit, now we're in it together. I'll help you, I'll do whatever it takes."
 
@uesius


"Thank you, Kora." Lilly calmed herself, getting serious again. "I truly am sorry for showing you something like that but I need you to see the world for what it really is. I would love to let you have your innocence and sit this out, get someone else to do it instead of you but you're strong. By sacrificing your peace of mind, someone else can live in ignorance and enjoy the outcome of our efforts. We will be heroes in the end. Actual heroes." She paused for quite some time as the car started going back to Ronin. The car wasn't going fast but smooth and slow. Almost like it was gliding.


"I need you in the right place, Kora. I won't be able to guide you every step of the way. You have no idea how much it pains me to do this. All I can do for you is point in the direction I need you to go and hope. I... I feel useless." She sighed. "I want to be there for you every time you need me because... You're my friend." She chuckled. "But I need to hide myself so I can help you when you need me. Don't think I will be idle, though." She continued, the enthusiasm returning to her voice. She sounded excited again. "While you're out there, doing what you must, I will be running calculations, making plans, monitoring your progress."


"Don't think you're a tool, Kora. You will be the important one. The most important one." Lilly said in a comforting tone, sounding certain of a positive outcome. "For now..." She paused as the car paused, waiting for Kora to notice they were outside the Ronin building again. "Find our charming corporate man and stick with him. Jack's talents will be useful later on. He's a pretty nice guy so he should believe whatever you tell him." She lowered her tone. "But whatever happens, you don't know about me. You told the car to take you for a ride around the city to clear your mind. That's all. I'll try to make sure AIA doesn't figure out your involvement but if they do... Just tell them the truth." She said calmly. "Seriously. They can be brutal. There's always a chance that some other AI replace me eventually if I'm deleted but you can't survive the punishment if they learn you lied. It's better if you throw away the chance for a better future than to throw away all of your future."
 
@Mr_DC


Kora sat with her arms crossed, gazing out of the front window. She had no idea what she was getting into, and she wasn't sure what to expect. What did she just sign herself up for? There was no going back now, she had just made herself a pawn in this righteous AI's quest to “save the world.”


“Right,” she said. “I'm counting on you here. I'm going to be honest, I have absolutely no clue how we're going to accomplish this. But I trust you. We're friends.” Hearing her own affirmations made Kora feel a little more confident about this whole ordeal. “I know you'll do whatever you can to help me out, and I'll do the same. But, man,” she shook her head, “this is going to be tough. I can feel it. You know that feeling in your gut just before something goes terribly wrong? Like that awful churning feeling that makes you want to keel over and die? That's how I feel right now.” Kora realized that Lilly probably didn't know how that felt, being an AI and not exactly having a physical body and all, but she felt it was necessary to allow her emotions to be heard. Kora needed Lilly to know that she was employing an actual person to help her out with an incredibly daunting task.


“I'm not a robot, like you, y'know? I'm a human, with nerve endings and pain receptors who could get into some deep shit just by talking to you. I'm not programmed to do everything as smoothly and efficiently as you. I'll likely mess up along the way—I mean, I already have once today, whose to say I won't mess up twenty more times this week?” She cleared her throat. “I just hope you've picked the right person for the job.”


She leaned her head towards the side window, peering out towards the familiar building. “Wait, why are you taking me back here?” she asked. At the mention of Jack, she sputtered, “No, nonono, I'm not going back there. I've already made an ass out of myself there once today. What am I supposed to do? Just waltz back in there and be like, 'Hey, I'm back! Just thought I'd pop in and see if you changed your mind!' Nah, I don't think so.” She chuckled nervously. “He probably doesn't want to see my face around here ever again. I'll do literally anything else, but this.
 
Greg stared up at the junkie for several seconds, his cold, mechanical eyes giving away nothing. Random junkies don't approach people the size and shape of security doors at three in the morning, and after the events at the warehouse........... Too much of a coincidence.


Casually shifting the still ringing commlink from one ear to the other, the international symbol for 'I'm trying to make a call here, fuck off', Greg deigned to finally answer the man. "No."


@Mr_DC
 
@Cashdash25


The junkie sat on the edge of the table, grinning. "I'll start with this, my aggressive friend. Don't go nuts or I might just give up, cool?" He crossed his arms on his chest with a smug smirk. Looking the man straight in the eye, the junkie's eyes turned sharp. His mind seemed to be running far better than his body.


"I want to bring the corporations down to their knees and bash their brains in with a baseball bat." He took a pause. "You guys seem more fond of explosives but we can agree on the details."


He smirked but quickly continued, not wanting to leave the situation hanging. "You are good, I have to give you that. Like, seriously, you almost lost me. I thought you bested me but I just so happened to be tapping phones when there was a bit of a commotion with some kids. Then it was just a skip to the cameras and ta-da, there you are!" The junkie finished and raised his hands defensively. "Now chill, I know I came at you really fast last time. If I worked for a corporation, all of you would be dead by now. Charred corpses in that warehouse. I'm not a corp, alright?"
 
The commlink crumbled to pieces in Greg's grip, crushed in a metal fist just as the line was answered. It took a few tense seconds before Greg dropped the broken remains of the commlink and gestured to the seat across from him, allowing Lee to sit down.


"Okay Lee, you're not a corp, so what are you?" Greg's tone was flat, the words coming out sluggishly even for him, not that the Junkie knew that. "Too drugged up to be a Gov, too dirty to be a Yak, Triad or Maf. That just leaves one possibility," Greg leaned back in his seat, darting his eyes at the lone waitress boredly playing with a PDA at the counter. "Anarchist." He said at last, keeping his voice low. "Gotta be a freelancer obviously, if you were Syndicated you'd have known better than to try and contact us like that." Greg took another bite from his Burger.


"That about right?"


@Mr_DC
 
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@Cashdash25


Lee nodded. "Close enough, yeah." He grinned, showing his crooked teeth again. It would be a act of mercy to punch his teeth out, really. At least to anyone he was talking to.


"Now, I know it was a 'tard move for me to try and contact you like that." Lee raised his hands defensively, taking the offered seat. "But I kind of wanted to give you a housewarming gift." He looked around and lowered his tone. His eyes were darting all over the place. "You see, I kinda altered the course of a MosTech shipment."


He leaned back and spread his arms, picking the wrong part of the sentence to raise his tone again. "Some high caliber assault rifles and explosives guarded by a pair of thugs. Got them lost in your part of the city but you had to go all nuke on me." Lee shook his head but the grin remained. "Wanted even to give you a hot tip on some shit going down between two corps. Figured you guys could just hop in and clear out whoever is left standing but I guess that's out of the question." He frowned - still grinning somehow. "Unless, you guys can mobilize within the next half hour." Lee gave an ominous wink.
 
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