On the dotted line.
Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2020 11:25 pmMajor Yuri Creed was not entirely new to this line of work, though he certainly felt out of his depth. Running one hand through his red goatee, he frowned at the noteputer in his hands, reading the contract details again.
They didn't add up. The pay was too good, and the risks too small.
Glancing up from the pad, he fixed the woman sitting opposite him with a slow stare, hoping that his gaze might peel away some of the secrecy in which she shrouded herself. Unfortunately, Lucretzia Winters gave away nothing. What a name... Lucretzia. Her gaze did not flinch away, and she simply sat, wrapped in that tight black dress over ivory skin, her raven hair framing dark eyes which revealed nothing, save his reflection.
It was generous. Passing this up could put the nail in the coffin for years of effort.
It was risky. She did not exude a trustworthy aura, and this offer being too good to be true did nothing to alleviate his concerns.
Setting the pad down, he sighed, and then said, simply, "I don't see any reason why I should refuse, Ms. Winters. I only wonder what made you choose my company. You know we'll need to bring on more hands." It was strange, talking someone out of hiring you, but the entire thing made him feel uncomfortable. Good luck wasn't something he was entirely accustomed to, if he was being honest.
"Because you aren't too good for me, Major. That should be reason enough."
Her cold, sweet voice was distracting, and that didn't make him any more comfortable. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he shook his head. He wasn't going to get anything else out of her... not yet, at any rate.
"Fine. We'll do the job. I'll need time, and a down payment, to get us up to the strength you specify." Pressing his thumb on the pad, he verified his print and then pushed it toward her.
Picking it up, she tucked it away in her purse with a smile - the first he had seen from her, and it wasn't an experience he was eager to repeat.
"Delighted. Do take your time - finding trustworthy help can be so difficult, I'm aware. You have two weeks, after all, before we go."
Creed could only nod, mouth dry, and wait until she left his temporary office, before pulling out a bottle of whiskey he kept for tense negotiations and pouring himself a glass... this one qualified, only this time, it went too well.
Two weeks. He'd be scrambling to get the mechs together, not to mention the talent... even with a down payment. Whatever they were doing, he hoped it really was just a rare mineral survey or something of the sort, otherwise, he suspected, he may have signed up for a lot more trouble than this was going to be worth. Downing the glass, he shrugged. That was the mercenary life - you took risks, in the enduring hope of striking it big and making something... something that would justify all the dumb risks.
And he had 8 empty mech bays to fill.
Setting the glass down, Yuri ran a hand through his hair, and then headed out, closing his office door with a bang. There were mechs to buy.
They didn't add up. The pay was too good, and the risks too small.
Glancing up from the pad, he fixed the woman sitting opposite him with a slow stare, hoping that his gaze might peel away some of the secrecy in which she shrouded herself. Unfortunately, Lucretzia Winters gave away nothing. What a name... Lucretzia. Her gaze did not flinch away, and she simply sat, wrapped in that tight black dress over ivory skin, her raven hair framing dark eyes which revealed nothing, save his reflection.
It was generous. Passing this up could put the nail in the coffin for years of effort.
It was risky. She did not exude a trustworthy aura, and this offer being too good to be true did nothing to alleviate his concerns.
Setting the pad down, he sighed, and then said, simply, "I don't see any reason why I should refuse, Ms. Winters. I only wonder what made you choose my company. You know we'll need to bring on more hands." It was strange, talking someone out of hiring you, but the entire thing made him feel uncomfortable. Good luck wasn't something he was entirely accustomed to, if he was being honest.
"Because you aren't too good for me, Major. That should be reason enough."
Her cold, sweet voice was distracting, and that didn't make him any more comfortable. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he shook his head. He wasn't going to get anything else out of her... not yet, at any rate.
"Fine. We'll do the job. I'll need time, and a down payment, to get us up to the strength you specify." Pressing his thumb on the pad, he verified his print and then pushed it toward her.
Picking it up, she tucked it away in her purse with a smile - the first he had seen from her, and it wasn't an experience he was eager to repeat.
"Delighted. Do take your time - finding trustworthy help can be so difficult, I'm aware. You have two weeks, after all, before we go."
Creed could only nod, mouth dry, and wait until she left his temporary office, before pulling out a bottle of whiskey he kept for tense negotiations and pouring himself a glass... this one qualified, only this time, it went too well.
Two weeks. He'd be scrambling to get the mechs together, not to mention the talent... even with a down payment. Whatever they were doing, he hoped it really was just a rare mineral survey or something of the sort, otherwise, he suspected, he may have signed up for a lot more trouble than this was going to be worth. Downing the glass, he shrugged. That was the mercenary life - you took risks, in the enduring hope of striking it big and making something... something that would justify all the dumb risks.
And he had 8 empty mech bays to fill.
Setting the glass down, Yuri ran a hand through his hair, and then headed out, closing his office door with a bang. There were mechs to buy.