Crazy Real Fast

Cathay

Solaris City

Solaris VII

30 April 3061 

                    Two days later, Ling Ming received a message to come in to Red Dragon headquarters. She nervously made her way to the headquarters building. Was this just routine, or had someone found out about her intrusion into the computer network.

                    She found herself in Teng Shen's office. "I have some disturbing news."

                    Her pulse raced faster. She tried to not let on any of her nervousness. 

                    "There has been a data breach in our system. One of the techs copied some files that he was not supposed to. We have no way of knowing how far his treachery has gone. I wanted to warn you that any of your personal files that we have stored here might have been uncovered in this breach."

                    She tried to play things calmly. Apparently the breach had been uncovered, but was attributed to Daniel for the time being.  "What does that mean?"

                    Shen's face gave away little emotion. "Most likely nothing. Most of the data is publicly available anyway as you are a Solaris competitor, but you might wish to keep a close eye on your banking accounts to make sure nothing untoward happens."

                    "I understand. Thank you for the warning. May I ask, where do we go from here on the project?"

                    "We have another fight scheduled for next week. I am going to make every effort to ensure that this data breach does not interfere with that. We will obviously have to do some internal security buffs, but I don't think they should impact on your training in any way."

                    "That's good. I hope to get several practice runs in during the week before the fight, if that's ok?"

                    Shen nodded. "It will have to pass the new security measures, but I think we should be able to accommodate your schedule. In the meantime, be cautious. This breach was perpetrated at the behest of some bad actors out there. While I don't think your safety is at risk, I would nonetheless stay cautious."

                    "I agree."

                    With that, Shen dismissed her, and she made her way out of the building. Her heart had been racing the entire time. Things were getting dangerous now. As soon as she was reasonably clear of the building, she fired a text to Nicky explaining the situation. Nicky suggested a meet up, and they planned it for later that afternoon.

                    Lin nervously made her way back to her apartment. Several times, she felt as though she was being watched. She knew it was most likely idle paranoia, but she could not shake the feeling. It gnawed at her the entire time up until her meting in the Black Hills with Nicky.

  Black Hills  

Solaris City

Solaris VII

30 April 3061

                    When she met Nicky at their usual rendezvous, she could tell immediately that something was wrong. It was written all over Nicky's face. "Why do I get the sense that there is some bad news coming?"

                    Nicky pulled up an image on her tablet and spun it around so that Lin could see. "Very bad news. When you texted me about them thinking that it was one of the techs that did it, I put a couple of feelers out. This is what they turned up. One Daniel Lange, found murdered down in Cathay. I couldn't get many details from the Cathay PD without explaining why I was interested, but I got enough to know that this is bad news. This puts everything in an whole new light. It almost certainly verifies Drake's insinuation that Red Dragon was behind the murder. Your employer is playing for keeps here.

                    Lin took a deep breath. "What do I do now? I'm in bed with whoever Drake is working for, they'll want more, but we now know that Red Dragon is playing hardball."

                    Nicky took Lin's hand in hers. "Look, this is dangerous territory. You have to decide which side of the fence you're going to play with. If you stick with Drake's play, you know that Red Dragon will be breathing down your neck. The safest thing is to just call the whole thing off, don't do anything more for Drake, and play it clean."

                    Lin shook her head. "And go on knowing that my boss is a killer? I don't like those odds either. What are the options if I stick with Drake's play?"

                    Nicky thought long and hard before responding. "Honestly, it's a big unknown. It all depends on who Drake is actually working for. I ran his file and yeah, he comes up as Black Hills PD, but there's no way that they are running this show. He's got ties to something bigger. That might offer some degree of protection, but again, you don't know who you're getting into bed with. Ideally, if we can get some evidence linking Red Dragon to Avellar's murder, I can make a case and get them shut down. But we don't know who is backing them. Is it just Ceres Arms corporate, or do they have some criminal underworld dealings involved? I just don't know."  

                    "I got that poor tech murdered too."

                    Nicky shook her head. "That's not on you, it's on Red Dragon. That's a Cathay PD case, but if we can get some evidence, and link the two murders, it would be that much the better for taking Red Dragon down. You also have to realize that this is entering very dangerous territory. We've got two murders that we know of. They're bound to start watching you more closely, especially if anything else goes wrong. Are you up for taking care of yourself? You don't have a gun registered in the database, so I assume that means you're not carrying. Tell me if I'm wrong."

                    Lin shook her head. "You're not wrong, I don't have a firearm."

                    "I can help with that, I can push through the paperwork. I know your background is military, are you comfortable carrying a gun on the city streets?"

                    Lin nodded. "I can handle a gun. I just never thought I would have to here on Solaris."

                    "Trust me, I wish you didn't have to, but we are dealing with some pretty nasty people here. I would get yourself armed as soon as possible. How trained are you on counter-surveillance?"

                    "Not at all. I took basic infantry courses, but that was about it."

                    "Okay. Well you'll have to keep a heightened eye out for people tailing you. Don't confront any of them, but you need to be aware. Maybe it's Red Dragon that puts a tail on you, maybe it's Drake's people, maybe it's someone else. You have to be aware. You understand?"

                    "Yeah, I've got it. This is all so crazy."

                    "I know it is, but we'll get through it. We'll get you set up good, but in the meantime, do you mind if I crash at your place? It will be safer, and I'll feel a hell of a lot better keeping an eye on you until we get things sorted."

                    Lin nodded. "Yeah, that's fine. It's great, in fact. It will put my mind at ease as well. This whole thing got crazy real fast."   

                    

In for a Penny...

Cathay    

Solaris City

Solaris VII

27 April 3061 

                    Lin Ming arranged to visit the building that Red Dragon Corp used a few days later. She went in under the guise of a meeting with Teng Shen to discuss her future, but this was merely a smokescreen. Her Meeting with Shen went off uneventfully, and she now found herself alone wandering the corridors of the small corporate building.

                    She wasn't sure exactly how she was to go about getting the clone of the system. She couldn't simply walk up to a computer and plug the drive in, that would attract attention. She needed some kind of cover for the up to five minutes that the device would take. On a whim, she decided to walk into the main lab.

                    There were several computer inputs where she could insert the drive, but she needed some kind of cover. There were half a dozen techs working at various purposes, so she picked one at random and approached. 

                    "Excuse me, perhaps you could help me?"

                    The tech was a middle aged man, of average height and build. His clothing looked a bit ruffled. "Of course. You're the MechWarrior test pilot, right?"

                    She smiled. "Yes. I was kind of hoping to review some footage of the last bout, maybe check on a few things and clean up my game. Do you guys have the footage stored here?"

                    "Yes, of course. Come here, I will show you. My name is Daniel, by the way"

                    "Pleased to meet you, Daniel. I'm sorry if this is taking you away from your normal work."

                    Daniel smiled sheepishly. "No, it is no bother. We don't get to interact with you folks much, it is refreshing. I am happy to help."

                    As she spoke with Daniel about the footage, she did her best to surreptitiously insert the thumb drive into an access port. She was hoping that his focus would be on her, the MechWarrior, and he would not notice. With the drive inserted, all she had to do now was wait. There was a small indicator light that would pulse when the job had been completed.

                    "Thank you for this. I was wondering, this part here, where I disengaged the system, how long does it take for the Urbie's normal heat sinking to come into play?"

                    "It's virtually instantaneous. Of course it depends on how much waste heat you had built up, but the system comes online right away to start clearing it. Toggling the system is the key to maximizing performance. But of course you already know that, you won the fight. Congratulations, by the way! The entire team was really proud of your performance."

                    She glanced at the drive. The indicator light was still dark. She needed more time. "Thanks, but I didn't just make it up on the fly. We had a great team of coaches and techs working all the angles beforehand. We had a good game plan. I just executed it."

                    "Still, it was a great performance. We are lucky to have you."

                    "No, I'm the lucky one. This job is a dream come true. I was about to give up on my dreams of being a Solaris gladiator when this opportunity came up. Slots fighting in the games don't come easy, especially with a corporate backer. I just chanced on it. I'm really happy though."

                    She glanced down at the drive, and the indicator light was now lit. She made a point about something in the fight to Daniel, and he was immediately enraptured with her telling of the tale. She took the opportunity to remove the drive and slip it into her pocket.

                    "Well, I better be going. I've taken up enough of your time. Thank you for all your help, Daniel." She said with a disarming smile. 

                    "It was my pleasure. You can come hang around here any time you know, right?"

                    "Maybe I just will. See ya Daniel."

                    With that, her pulse racing, she made her way out of the lab, and quietly exited the facility. Now she had only to wait. Drake had set up a drop-off for the drive, that wasn't until tomorrow. Things were now in motion.

                    Later that night, she met up with Nicky, and the two exchanged stories of what had ben going on. Things were heating up.

 Black Hills  

Solaris City

Solaris VII

28 April 3061 

                    The time had come for her meeting with Drake to pass him the drive. She knew Nicky was out there somewhere watching, but she felt very much alone. Things were now getting real. She was violating her NDA with her employer. She was handing over sensitive information to a possible murderer. Things could go bad in a variety of ways. She tried not to think about them.

                    True to his word and right on time, Drake appeared at the park where the two had agreed to meet. 

                    "How did the cloning go? Were you casual about it?"

                    She nodded. "Everything is cool. I got in and out without anyone spotting me. I have the drive."

                    "And I have the cash. This is good work.  It's just the beginning, but it's good work."

                    She handed the drive off to Drake, and he handed her an envelope that felt as if it was flush with cash.

                    "So what's next?"

                    Drake wiped at his nose. "It will take a few days for my guys to go over this data. It won't be until then that we'll know what the next stage is. But it's probably going to be a lot tougher, a lot more specific, you understand? Getting what we need won't be easy. But remember, keep yourself safe. Don't do anything stupid or these people will cancel your contract in a bad way if they find out. Just play it casual. We'll be in touch."               

The Mysterious Mr. Drake

Cathay    

Solaris City

Solaris VII

25 April 3061 

                    Detective Nicky Vale sat in her car outside the bar and grille where the meeting was taking place between Lin Ming and the character they knew only as Drake. She hadn't been able to get anything on his identity from the few details that Lin had provided, but this was a chance to surveil him and see where he went after the meet.

                    Sure enough, the man that Nicky tagged as Drake emerged from the restaurant and headed south on foot. Nicky got out of her car and cautiously followed him to see where he was going.

                    The guy was good, he made several stop and rebounds to clear any potential tails, but Nicky was still able to keep to his trail. He basically took her for a tour of the Black Hills, even stopping outside the Boreal Reach arena for a time. 

                    Nicky was now wondering if he knew he was being tailed and was deliberately leading her on a wild goose chase, but she had no option but to continue the pursuit. Finally he moved off into a residential area, and for a moment it seemed as if she had lost him in the chaos of the everyday comings and goings of the locals.

                    But she caught sight of him once again as he darted into an alley between an apartment block and a bodega. Not wanting to lose him, she cautiously made her way into the alley.

                    As she got halfway down the alley, she was suddenly aware of someone behind her. She was being boxed in, and would have nowhere to go. She powered through, and rounded the corner to find herself staring at the barrel of a gun.

                    A nondescript man was pointing the handgun at her. She knew she could not turn back. She had been boxed in. Beside the man with the gun stood Drake, a foul expression on his face.

                    "You've got exactly ten seconds to tell me why you're following me."

                    She had no choice but to play her badge at this point. "Detective Nicky Vale, SCPD. And I'm following you in connection to a murder."

                    Drake smirked. "You're a bold one, I'll give you that. You could have got into a lot of trouble. As it is, you just stumbled onto an open investigation. I'm Peter Drake, Black Hills PD."

                    Nicky relaxed slightly. At least it was only an inter-jurisdictional fight now. "Let's say I buy your story. What are you doing meeting with a MechWarrior of the games?"

                    "That's part of my investigation. You don't need to know more than that. Go home, detective. This is a very sensitive case."

                    Nicky shook her head. "SCPD has jurisdiction across the city. I'm running down a murder case. You better believe that I'll check things out, and I'll get read in on your investigation, whatever it is. Might as well spare us the time and tell me now."

                    Drake shrugged. "Not my call. You do what you have to, detective. Just steer clear of my case."

                    With that, he turned and walked away, and his associates holstered their arms and blended back into the city, leaving Nicky alone with a whirlwind of thoughts. She would have to catch up with Lin and see what the meeting had been about.

                    #####

                    A few hours later, and she was meeting up with Lin Ming at their rendezvous in the International zone. After comparing notes on each of their meetings, Nicky found herself confused.

                    "I'll track down his story, see if it checks out. But it doesn't make any sense. Why would a Black Hills cop be working corporate espionage? It doesn't track. Something is wrong here."

                    Lin frowned. "So where does that leave me? I've got this drive cloner that he wants me to work on Red Dragon, but if he's to be believed, they're the ones responsible for the murder."

                    Nicky reached out and touched Lin on the arm. "This is getting into dangerous territory. You don't have to keep this up if you don't want to. It would be safer to quit."

                    Lin shook her head. "I can't quit now. One way or another, I'm involved in this case, I have to see it through. But what do I do?"

                    Nicky took a deep breath. "Let me check out this Drake story a little bit more. If he checks out, you can make the play with the cloner, do what they ask, and see what happens. I don't know if I trust this guy. In fact, I know I don't trust this guy."

                    "But I'm starting to not trust Red Dragon either. What if they are the ones behind this?"

                    "Then you have a target on your back and you have to be very careful. We can possibly smoke them out and take them down, but it will be dangerous. Hell, it's going to be dangerous either way. Are you sure you still want in on this?"

                    Lin smiled nervously. "Yes. I'm more sure now than I was before. I have to see this through."

                    "Okay. Then we're in this together. We're going to get to the bottom of this. I just hope it doesn't kill us."

You're In, Sister

Cathay    

Solaris City

Solaris VII

25 April 3061 

                    A week had passed, and absolutely nothing at all happened. Lin Ming had no scheduled fights, she heard nothing from the mysterious Drake, and her employers didn't have much to say to her. Which ordinarily would have been fine. She was sitting on a nice chunk of cash after her recent fights, and it allowed her to see a little more of the city.

                    Truth be told, she had wished that she could have seen it with Nicky, but the detective was busy, and the two had not met during the entire week. They had exchanged texts and stayed in touch, but Lin found herself secretly wishing for just a little bit more.

                    She had just returned from lunch at a nice small Cathay cafe, when she found another slip of paper under her door. Just like the first time, it contained an address in the Black Hills, and a time, this time six in the evening. She texted the details to Nicky this time, and within a few minutes, the detective called her back. 

                    "This could be big. That address is a family type bar and grille in the Black Hills, so it's likely another exchange of information. Hopefully this will be something we can use."

                    "So I should take the meeting?" Lin asked. 

                    "Absolutely. It's a public place, so you should be safe. Don't go anywhere with him, or whoever shows up, keep it public. I'll hang around and try to be inconspicuous and maybe get a tail on whoever your contact is after they leave. Either way, this is a shot for us to get more info."

                    "I've got it."

                    "Just play it cool and casual, see what they want. I'll be nearby if anything goes south."

                    #####

                    Six o'clock came, and Lin found herself in a run of the mill family style bar and grille. There were a few monitors showing the games, but nothing like a sports bar. There were several families enjoying a dinner out and Lin felt out of place sitting at a table by herself. 

                    She didn't have to wait long before Drake approached and took a seat. "Mind if I join you?"

                    She nodded. "It's your party. I haven't ordered anything, didn't know how long you would be."

                    Seconds after Drake had been seated, the waitress came over and took their order for appetizers. He waited until the waitress left before continuing.

                    "So, you are still interested in our offer?"

                    Lin raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't aware there was an offer on the table. I was just keeping my options open. You understand."

                    He nodded. "Yes, I understand completely. But this is a point of choice. I've got a specific task for you, so you'll have to decide if you want it or not."

                    The waitress appeared with their appetizer, loaded potato skins.

                    "That would depend on the task."

                    He slid a small thumb drive over to her. "This is a drive cloner. Plug it into any normal system and it will copy whatever is on the storage drive of that system. We would need you to plug it into one of Red Dragon's computers. It probably won't steal any sensitive material, but it will get us a look at their network and file systems so we can get a clearer picture of what we need to do."

                    "So all I have to do is waltz in and plug this into one of their units?"

                    "Basically, yes. It will take between two and five minutes to complete the process, so you would need to take that into account."

                    "And what exactly do I get out of this?"

                    "Ten thousand C-bills. And our gratitude. And a little bit of trust between us."

                    "Who exactly are you. I need to know who I'm working for here."

                    He shook his head. "No you don't. The less you know, the better. Corporate espionage can be a dangerous game, and you'll want to stay as clean as you can."

                    "And what if I say no? Do I end up like the last guy with two bullets his head?"

                    Drake seemed confused for a moment, then regained his composure. It was a dangerous thing, her dangling the murder out there, but she wanted to see his reaction and how they played it out.

                    "Nothing so dramatic. We just walk away. We'll try some other way. But a piece of friendly advice, you've got things all backwards."

                    "What are you talking about?"

                    "Exactly what I said, you've got it all backwards if you think I had anything to do with what happened to the guy before you. We were working together, yeah, but things were going fine. My bet is the Red Dragon found out and solved the problem their way. This is big corporate stuff, they don't like to leave trails, if you get what I mean."

                    Lin was stunned. It took her a moment to gather her thoughts.  This put everything into chaos. She had no reason to trust this information that Drake had given her, but she also had no particular reason to trust her employer. They had been nothing but professional, but the world of corporate secrets was a cutthroat one to be sure.

                    "I don't know if I believe you."

                    "That's on you. You have to make a decision. Do you want to go down this road, or not? Once you do, there's no backing out, trust me, Red Dragon will see to that. But if you work with us, there is a lot more rewards down the pipeline for you. It's your call. Take the deal, or leave it."

                    She stared at the small black thumb drive for a minute before responding. When she did, she reached out her hand and took the device. "Ok. I'm in. I'll get this done. And I get ten-k C-bills, no questions asked. That's as far as I'm going for now, I'm not committing to anything more down the road yet."

                    "Understood. But Like I said, once you're in, you're in. And once you do this, you're in, sister."

                    With that, Drake got up and left, again leaving a pile of D-bills to cover the meal. Lin Ming sat in silence. What had she gotten into?

The Stakes of the Game

Cathay    

Solaris City

Solaris VII

18 April 3061 

                    For the first time in her career, Detective Nicky Vale was unsure of herself. She had just received a text from Lin Ming detailing a meeting with what sounded like a rather unsavory character. It was clear to her that this had something to do with the case currently on her desk, a murder in Cathay. But now she found herself involved with a principal in the case. It was a mistake to have spent the night with Lin Ming. Any budding attachment now complicated matters greatly. 

                    For the sake of the case, she wanted Lin to travel down this path and unearth whatever was at the end of the conspiracy. But now she found herself not wanting Lin to take on the danger that playing things out would entail. Lin was more than just an asset to her, there was some kind of connection between the two. But that complicated matters massively.

                    She set up a meeting with Lin. They were going to have to talk about this. She didn't want to go down the path that meeting up at Lin's place would lead to, not right now. She decided for a meetup in the International Zone, at a bar frequented by the SCPD. It was her home turf, so to speak, and it would make things easier. 

                    She donned a light jacket and her service weapon, and headed out to the meetup.

International Zone   

Solaris City

Solaris VII

18 April 3061 

                    She didn't quite know why, but Lin Ming dressed up a bit for her meeting with Detective Vale. She had spent much of the day thinking about Nicky, and now with evening turning to night, she wanted to make a good impression. She chose a green silk blouse and slacks that complimented her frame. 

                    She made her way to the international sector of the city, to the bar that Nicky had referenced in her text. It was a comfy type bar, not flash or garish like many on the Game World, and she guessed that it was a frequent stop for off duty police officers.

                    She quickly found Nicky, already seated at a table, and made her way over to the other woman. She ordered a cocktail and waited for the server to leave before she spoke. 

                    "So, did you get my message?"

                    Nicky furrowed her brow. "Yes, I got it. And it's a dangerous game. These people could be connected with the murder, you know?"

                    "Exactly. That's why I have to play along. This could break the whole case wide open. We could figure out what is going on and maybe catch the killer."

                    Nicky sipped on her drink. "That is exactly why I don't want you doing it. It's too dangerous. We don't know anything about this Drake character. I tried to run a search for him, but came up empty. There wasn't a lot to go on. I don't like going into things blind."

                    Lin reached out and touched Nicky's arm. "Look, I can do this. I can help solve this mystery."

                    Nicky shook her head. "How? You don't have any experience with this kind of undercover work. You'd be in over your head, and there's not much help I can give you. This is super dangerous."

                    "Hey, I ride fire for a living and shoot at things. I'm no stranger to danger."

                    Nicky took her hand. "This is different. This isn't combat. This is the underworld. The rules are totally different here."

                    "Look, detective, I can do this. I'll need your help, but I can do this. We can solve this case together. I know it's risky, but I want to do this."

                    Nicky shook her head. "There's no talking you out of this, is there?"

                    "Nope. Will you help me?"

                    "Of course. I'll do everything that I can. I just hope that it will be enough." 

The Man at the Diner

 Cathay    

Solaris City

Solaris VII

18 April 3061 

                    Lin Ming woke to the smell of coffee. Which was strange, as she didn't have a coffeemaker in her apartment. She was alone in the bed, so she quickly jumped up and donned her favorite robe before venturing out into the main room.     

                    When she got there, Detective Nicky Vale was already dressed and had a cup of coffee in her hand. She gestured toward the countertop where another cup rested. "I didn't know how you liked your coffee, so I got it extra sweet and extra light. Can't go wrong with that, right?"

                    "How long have you been up?" Lin Ming asked. 

                    "Only an hour or so. I ran out and grabbed coffee and donuts, didn't want to leave without a little something."

                    "Yeah, that's amazing. I don't have any routine really, but that's great."

                    Nicky shot her an inquisitive look. "Everything ok? We good?"

                    Lin smiled. "Yeah, we're good. When do you have to leave?"

                    Nicky frowned. "Soon, unfortunately. I've got lots of paperwork back at the office to deal with, and you've given me a few things to think about regarding this case as well, so I really should get an early start. You going to be ok, got any plans?"

                    Lin shook her head. "Nope. I figure I'll check in with Red Dragon to see how they liked last night's performance, but I'm not on any fixed schedule or anything. The life of a MechJock."

                    Nicky laughed. "Don't get used to it. If you keep this up, you're going to be famous, and you'll have way too much to do and way too little time."

                    "I hardly think there's any danger of that. But a girl can dream."

                    Nicky finished a bite of her donut. "Listen, everything I said before still goes. You keep a low profile, keep your head down, and be careful. We still have a killer out there, and a whole mess of mystery. Keep yourself grounded, ok?"

                    "I promise, detective."

                    "I told you, call me Nicky. But yeah, I'll hold you to that."

                    With a few more pleasantries, Nicky departed for the day, leaving Lin Ming alone with her thoughts. She hadn't planned on sleeping with the detective, but the combination of win and post fight let-down had been just right to make her take a chance, and she was glad that she did. She felt safe around Nicky, felt a connection. It was the first time for her on Solaris and she didn't regret it.

                    She showered and dressed, and was about ready to head out to Red Dragon's offices, when she noticed something slipped under her door. It was a scrap of paper, with an address and time. Nothing else. The address was in the Black Hills, and the time was seven that evening. She thought about texting Nicky about it, but put it out of her mind. She didn't want to go running to the detective with her every problem. She would see what was going on and then go from there.

                    She debriefed with the Red Dragon staff early in the afternoon. They were beyond pleased with the outcome of the fight, and she even earned herself a bonus for her handling of the situation. There was nothing suspicious about the debrief at all. Everything was smooth. 

                    Seven o'clock came and she found herself at a diner in the Black Hills, the address listed on the scrap of paper that had been slipped under her door. She wasn't sure what to make of it, so she sat down and ordered a burger for dinner from the spartan menu of the diner. 

                    Halfway through her meal, a man came up and sat in the seat opposite her. He was average height and build, with dirty blonde hair and a non-descript suit. "You are Lin Ming?"

                    She pushed her food aside. "Depends on who's asking. You seem to be looking for me here. I don't know what's going on, I'm just playing nice to find out."

                    "My name is Drake. There's nothing sketchy going on, I just have a proposal for you. If you're interested."

                    She shook her head. "Why should I be interested? I don't know you, so I can't really trust you."

                    "Fair enough. But you should be interested because I can make it worth your while. I'm talking cash, prestige, whatever it is you want here on the Gaming World, I can make it happen."

                    "Why should I trust anything you're saying. I don't even know what this is about."

                    "Stealth Armor is what it's about."

                    Her blood went cold. She shook her head. "I don't know anything about that."

                    Drake ordered himself an iced tea before continuing. "But I think you do. I saw your fight last night, and we know that Red Dragon is working on something for Ceres Arms. Everything says some kind of null-signature system knock-off."

                    "Who is we?"

                    He shook his head. "My associates and I. That's all you need to know. We can make it worth your while for whatever it is that you know about this project. Your employer doesn't even need to know. We can do things quietly."

                    "Look, I have no reason to trust you."

                    "You have every reason to find out. Trust is earned. We can get there. We just need to know if you're willing to play ball or not.

                    She bit her lip. This was all too much. Who were these people and what did they want from her? More to the point, what did they have to offer? But were they perhaps connected to the murder of her predecessor. The cloak and dagger stuff certainly fit the bill. She didn't trust the man, but she also didn't want to let things go without learning more. This could possibly crack the case for Nicky. She had to play it cool.

                    "I'm not saying yes. But I'm not saying no. I'm up to hear more. But I won't commit to anything."

                    Drake smiled wryly. "You won't have to. We'll take care of everything. I'll be in touch."

                    With that, he left, leaving his iced tea half full and a few D-bills to cover the tab. Lin Ming couldn't wait to tell Nicky about this development.     

Call Me Nicky

 Cathay    

Solaris City

Solaris VII

17 April 3061 

                    The two laughed and had a good time on the ride from the arena to Lin Ming's apartment in Cathay. Nicky pulled the car up to the curb.

                    "You did a great job out there. I've never been one for the arena circuit, but I've never had skin in the game either, so this was kind of a new thing for me. Thanks, Lin."

                    Lin pulled in a deep breath. "Look, I'm all juiced up from the fight and all, there's no way I'll get a lick of sleep or anything, you want to come up and hang out for a while?"

                    Nicky leaned back in her seat. "I probably shouldn't....but yeah, why not. We can see what's on for coverage of your big fight."

                    Lin retrieved her bag from the back, and the two of them made their way up to Lin's fourth floor apartment.  Lin was about to give Nicky the tour of the small place, when she suddenly realized that the detective had been here before, their first meeting. "I don't have any good liquor or anything, just some soft drinks and a cheap bottle of wine that's been staring me in the face for the three months I've been here."

                    Nicky tossed her jacket over the kitchen island, and took off her service weapon, laying it on top. "Cheap wine is perfect."

                    Lin flipped on the tri-vid and searched through the channels to see what was on.

                    "Is your fight on replay yet? It should be." Nicky asked

                    Lin sat on the sofa and put two glasses on the table before opening the bottle of wine. She poured each of them a glass and leaned back. "You really want to watch that? You've already seen the fight."

                    Nicky took her glass and sat at the other end of the sofa. "Hell yeah. Live is one thing, but you have to see what they're saying about you on the vids, right?"

                    "You asked for it." Lin searched through the channels until she caught the one that was showing the replay of her fight in Hartford Gardens.  Watching the match on replay was almost surreal. She walked Nicky through all of the things that were going on in her head, careful still to avoid mentioning the stealth system, as the fight unfolded. She cringed at her mistakes and was almost embarrassed by the bravado that she had shown during the match. 

                    By the time the fight had ended, they were halfway through the bottle of wine. On the screen, Tim Franks could be seen calling her out in all his anger. "I don't know what kind of crap you pulled, but that was humiliating. To lose to an Urbanmech? You better watch yourself, hotshot."

                    "He seemed really pissed at you. You think anything will come of it?"

                    Lin shrugged. "I doubt it. It's all heat of the moment. Adrenaline, pride, all that mixed together can be volatile I guess. But he seems harmless enough."

                    Nicky nodded. "Most of it is for the camera, you're right. And you did a great job in front of the camera. You've got the skill and the knack to make it here I think if you want to."

                    "Yeah, but I can't win them all. I had an edge here, and a rode it for all it was worth. That won't always be the case. I know I've got the skills, but this fight circuit can be grim business."

                    "An edge? What are you talking about? No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. I know you're sworn to secrecy and all that."

                    Lin was suddenly aware that the two of them had moved closer to each other on the sofa as the fight had unfolded, and she was now dangerously close to the other woman. "No, it's ok. I feel like I can trust you. Maybe it's the wine, maybe it's the adrenaline, but why not? The project they're working on at Red Dragon is a kind of stealth system. It's how I managed to get so close to him without him being able to lock onto me."

                    Nicky leaned in. "Do you think it could have anything to do with the murder of the last guy?"

                    Lin paused, unsure of herself. 

                    Finally Nicky broke the silence. "I'm sorry, that wasn't fair, I shouldn't be going all detective on you. This is a big night for you, you should enjoy it without worrying about other stuff.

                    Lin reached out and touched Nicky's arm. "I am enjoying it. This has been a great night, and I don't just mean about the fight."

                    Nicky and Lin locked eyes. "I should probably get going. I'm sure you have a lot on your plate for tomorrow.

                    Lin leaned closer in towards Nicky. "You don't have to. I mean...you could stay a while."

                    Nicky sighed. "And do what?"

                    "This." Lin leaned in and kissed Nicky. She didn't know why.  Maybe it was the wine. Maybe it was the post-fight adrenaline come down. But for the first time on Solaris, she felt connected to someone else.

                    She waited for Nicky to recoil and pull back, but she didn't. The kiss lasted several long seconds before breaking.

                    Nicky was flushed. "That was..."

                    "Unexpected?"

                    "Incredible. I mean..."

                    Lin put her finger on Nicky's lips. "Be quiet, detective."

                    "I told you, call me Nicky. You sure about this?"

                    Lin smiled. "I just rode a multi-ton fusion reactor into combat. I think I know what I'm doing."

                    The two kissed again. This time longer. And again. Before long, their hands were all over each other. Lin playfully pulled Nicky along into the bedroom. By the time they reached the bed, both of them were topless, locked in each other's embrace.

                    Not long after that, all their clothes were gone, and they were entwined in happy exploration for hours. Finally, they stopped, snuggled into each other and just relaxed.

                    "I thought you said you weren't going to get a lick of sleep?"

                    Lin smiled and closed her eyes. "I hadn't planned on this. This helps with sleep."

                    Nicky ran a finger along Lin's arm. "You want me to stay?"

                    "Very much so, detective."

                    I told you, call me Nicky."

Urbie Rules!

 Cathay    

Solaris City

Solaris VII

17 April 3061 

                    Lin Ming found herself in the "war room" at Red Dragon Corp. Teng Shen was there, as were a number of the techs that she had met over the last few days. They all sat around a circular table with a built-in holo viewer. 

                    "Thank you for joining us, Ms. Ming. We have some exciting news."

                    She was not at all excited, but kept a pleasant smile on her face. 

                    "We are moving forward with the testing of the Stealth UrbanMech, and we have secured a billet to fight Knouse Industries latest Valkyrie model. we feel that this will be a good test for the project, and it will also earn you some fanfare, should you win. This match will take place at the Hartford Gardens arena in the Xolara quarter of the Reaches. Unlike your previous bout, this one will be relatively well covered by the media, allowing you to make something of a name for yourself, based on your performance."

                    Lin shifted in her seat. "Am I to understand that we are taking the stealth technology public?"

                    Several of the techs seemed uneasy. Shen shook his head. "No. We are not making it public, but the fans, as well as the press will likely see that something is different. As always, play coy. Deny anything, confirm nothing. Allow the speculation to work it's own wonders."

                    "So the stealth technology will be active, we're just not advertising it? Is that the gist of it?"

                    "More or less. We need to take this technology to the big time, and this will be as good a proving ground as any. Your standard wage will apply, as well as any purse you should win on the fight. We don't know how the media will handle it, or even if it will be noticed at all. Your job is simply to keep up the mystery. Do you understand?"

                    "I do. Thank you Mr. Shen."

                    The meeting continued for half an hour, going over minor details of the fight and other elements. As soon as she was free of the meeting, she sent off a text message to Detective Vale, informing her of the fight to come and the public details. She would have three days to prepare for the fight.

                    The three days passed uneventfully, and Lin found herself once again in the cockpit of the StealthUrbie as she had come to call the machine. Shen was right, there was some minor press coverage of the fight, and she had been interviewed before the bout by someone with a minor broadcast network. She had stayed on script, not giving anything away, and the entire event was, she found, rather dull. 

                    But now she was suited up for the fight, and with the match about to begin, she could hear the announcer over the general comms frequency. 

                    "Hello, Mech fans, and welcome to Hartford Gardens for tonight's preliminary bout between Red Dragon Corporation, and Knouse Industries. This corporate fight will see a Valkyrie, piloted by Timothy Franks, against everyone's favorite, an UrbanMech piloted by new talent Lin Ming. We've got a lot to talk about before things go all shooty, and we'll be back in a flash after a word from our sponsor."

                    She muted the channel and focused on the fight at hand. She centered herself in the cockpit, gaining focus and waiting for the fight to begin. It seemed like ages as she sat in silence, before the red marker turned green and an obnoxious horn sounded the beginning of the match.

                    The Hartford Gardens arena was mostly low rolling hills, with woodlands setting up a series of open "kill boxes" where long range fire could be exchanged. She had been briefed on the Knouse Industries version of the Valkyrie, one mounting an XL engine to upgrade the LRM launcher to a fifteen rack of missiles, guided by an Artemis IV Fire Control System. The medium laser was rumored to be a prototype that added enhanced range.

                    All-in-all, her opponent was going to try for a long range engagement, and he had the speed and jump jets to make it happen. She would have to rely on the stealth technology of the Urbanmech to counteract his range advantage, hopefully getting in close enough for her own medium lasers to wear away at the enemy. In and ideal world, she could get in under the minimum range of the LRM launcher, and it would be her five medium lasers against Franks' single laser.

                    She harbored no illusions of being able to get such a position, but she certainly would try. She ran her Mech forward through the thicket that had been concealing her prior to the match start. She had so far not engaged the stealth system, and so her sensors were able to pick out Franks' Valkyrie just over a thousand meters away. It was optimal range for her opponent, and there was little cover to speak of.

                    She slapped the switch to engage the stealth system and darted into a patch of bushes. Her HUD warned her that an Artemis system was attempting to lock on to her mech. This would be the test of the stealth system. At this point, Franks should have begun pummeling her with a long range volley of missiles, but none came.

                    She laid into her jump jets, and jetted across an open space into another thicket, firing off a medium laser even though the range was far too great for it to be effective. She was daring her opponent to take a shot at her. She could only imagine the frustration on the part of her opponent, unable to make such an easy shot and not understanding why.

                    Franks apparently wasn't known for his patience, as he resorted to dumb-firing a round of LRMs at her position. Once again she laid into her jump jets to sail clear of the unguided barrage. Now would be her chance. Franks was still trying to figure out what was going on, she had to make her move now. She brought her mech up into a sprint, such as it was for an up-engined Urbanmech, and headed straight for him.

                    He once again loosed an unguided volley of missiles in her direction, which she dodged with ease. Even the less than nimble Urbanmech could avoid his blind fire. She knew she only had perhaps two alpha strikes with her mech before the heat became unmanageable, so she would have to make them count. She needed to get within three hundred meters for her shots to be effective.

                    Franks could have opened the distance more with his jump jets, but he clearly was not thinking straight at this point. He was focused on trying to get shots off with his missiles to hit her as she barreled towards him, but she evaded the unguided shots with little effort.

                    Once the range read below three hundred meters, she focused all of her effort on lining up a shot. Satisfied that the targeting computer was happy from her reticule pulsing to gold, she pulled into her main trigger and send five beams of energy shooting towards her opponent.

                    Four of the beams connected, melting away over a ton of armor plating from the Valkyries frame. Nothing critical was damaged, but she knew her opponent felt it. 

                    He fired back with his single medium laser, coring a bit of armor from her well protected torso.

                    Not wanting to give him any respite, as son as her lasers cycled, she pulled the trigger again, sending the massive amount of energy downrange toward her target. Once again, four of the five beams connected, this time tearing holes through the armor and wrecking internal structure.

                    The heat in the cockpit by now was near overwhelming, and she had to hit the shutdown override to keep her mech active. Sweat poured over her, and almost as quickly evaporated in the intense heat of the cockpit.  

                    She was now under two hundred meters, but she could not dare risk another shot. Then it dawned on her that she could disengage the stealth system and gain back some cooling at this point in the fight. She quickly toggled the stealth system off, and almost immediately her mech's heat sinks began to vent waste heat from the mech and her cockpit.

                    Franks fired his medium laser once again, and now that he had a target lock, he fired off a volley of his LRMs. Unfortunately for him, she was under the missiles minimum arming distance, and the rockets panged pathetically off her armor doing no damage.

                    By now, her heat sinks had dropped her heat gauge to a reasonable level. This was time for the killshot. She lined up her crosshairs and pulled the trigger at just over one hundred meters.

                    This time, all five of the beams connected, tearing through internal structure and causing the mechs torso to sink a little as the internal structure failed. By now, the mech was a dead husk, the dampening fields cascading down to silence it's fusion reactor for safety.

                    The fight was over. She had won. The stealth system had performed flawlessly, and had enabled her to overcome her opponents range advantages. As the horn sounded the end of the match, she quietly brought the Urbanmech into the entrance bay and powered down.

                    She was greeted by a handful of reporters, all asking silly questions which she deflected with ease. She made sure not to mention the stealth system in any way, focusing on her heroic charge to close the range and leaving everyone to speculate why none of Tim Frank's shots had connected.

                    As she reached the locker room, an irate Tim Frank met her. 

                    "I don't know what kind of crap you pulled, but that was humiliating. To lose to an Urbanmech? You better watch yourself, hotshot."

                    The media soaked it all up, Lin Ming kept to herself and let security escort Franks away from the scene.

                    After a long, hot shower to decompress, she made her way out of the arena, brushing by a few Mechbunnies and making her way to the street, prepared to call a cab. 

                    "Hey, hotshot." came the voice of detective Nicky Vale. "Need a ride?"

                    She laughed and  wandered over to the small coupe that the detective was driving. "You came all this way to see the fight?"

                    "Hey, the case is cold, I need any bit of information I can get. And it just so happened that you provided me with a bit of a mystery. Come on, get in."

                    Lin stowed her bag in the back and slipped into the passenger seat.

                    Nicky pulled away immediately and headed towards Cathay. "That was some mighty fine work out there. You took down a Valkyrie in an Urbanmech. I don't really follow the fights all that close, but even I know that was quite a feat. And from the sound of your opponent on the vids, he was none too pleased."

                    "I just got lucky. I managed to get in under his range without him being able to hit me, and once I was in close, I had the advantage the whole time. Like taking candy from a baby."

                    Nicky smiled. "Ok, play coy. I don't need to know the details, but I know something special went on out there. You'll probably have some minor networks trying to get your interview in the morning. You ready for that?"

                    Lin shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think so, but who cares about ready. It was a blast. We'll see what happens in the morning."