A new fight

Cathay    

Solaris City

Solaris VII

4 May 3061 

                    After a few uneventful days, Lin Ming was summoned to the headquarters of Red Dragon Corp. She made her way to Teng Shen's office. Though it was the same office, decorated in traditional Liao style, it somehow now seemed more foreboding and dangerous, now that she knew what the stakes of the game were.

                    "Great news, Lin. We have another fight scheduled to test out the project. This fight will also be in the Hartford Gardens arena. This time, however, your opponent will be an Atlas. This fight is billed as a David vs. Goliath fight. It will test the extremes of the stealth system, but we feel it is a great opportunity to test the system in something close to practical fighting."

                    Lin's eyes grew wide. "I'm supposed to take on an Atlas in an Urbanmech?"

                    Shen nodded. "You will have the advantage of stealth, as well as speed over the Atlas. We aren't interested so much in winning as seeing how the system performs against a larger opponent. A victory, of course, would be icing on the cake, but we are not expecting you to win this one. This is more of a trial than anything else. I'm sure you will put up a good fight.

                    "I shall endeavor to do my best. I trust I have some time to practice for this bout?"

                    Shen held up three fingers. "The fight is not for three days, so yes, you will have ample time to practice and train on the mech. I would use the time wisely, not fritter it away in the Black Hills."

                    Her eyes narrowed. "You've been tracking me?"

                    Shen shook his head. "Not so much tracking as keeping an eye out. You are a Solaris gladiator now, your presence is noteworthy in many places. I would just suggest that you stay closer to home, to better prepare for the fight."

                    "I shall. Thank you. Is there anything else?"

                    "There will be a great deal of scrutiny on this fight, it is much higher billed than your previous fights. Make sure to keep things close to the vest, we don't want any hints getting out as to the nature of the project. I'm sure you can handle it."

                    "I will try my best.. Thank you."

 

In For a Pound...

International Zone

Solaris City

Solaris VII

1 May 3061 

                Lin Ming let Nicky lead her to a gun shop in the international quarter where there were a vast selection of firearms on display. She made her way to the handgun case, and perused the selections on display.

                    Nicky picked out a solid autopistol and handed it to Lin. "Sternsnacht Python. It's a solid pistol, twelve round mag, shoots a forty cal round. Lots of stopping power, not too much recoil or anything like that. Forty cal is what we shoot on the SCPD."

                    "It's street legal in the city?"

                    Nicky nodded. "Once we get your permit squared away, yes. It's not the easiest thing to get here in the city, but with your background and my vouching for you, it shouldn't be a problem."

                    Lin filled out the appropriate paperwork, and paid in cash for the weapon and 200 rounds, along with a holster. Nicky co-signed on the paperwork to expedite the sale. With the sale made, they made their way back to Lin's apartment. Once they were settled in and the door locked, both of them relaxed for the moment.

                    "I'd offer you a drink, but I feel like we should be on our best guard tonight"

                    Nicky nodded. "You've got that right. I'm still nervous about everything, but we're as safe as we can be."

                    "Everything is locked up. You want something soft to drink?"

                    "Coffee if you've got it. I'm all jazzed up for the night, doubt I'll get any sleep."

                     "I've only got instant. No coffeemaker or anything, sorry"

                    "No need to apologize. It's an acquired taste. Mostly a cop thing. Got to be awake on a moment's notice most days"

                    "Thank you for doing this. I know it's a bit off your regular beat."

                    Nicky shrugged. "Not really. Lots of chaos going on when you get down to it. This is just a bump in the road. Doing my best to solve a case, you know."

                    She understood, but didn't quite buy the line. Maybe it was just personal pride, but she felt like this case meant something more to Nicky, and it certainly meant something more to her. 

                    "How did you get saddled with this case, anyhow? I thought Cathay PD would have handled the murder?"

                    Nicky sighed. "Ordinarily they would, but the victim was a Gladiator, so they pawned it off on us. I don't think they wanted any part of it, and I'm starting to see why. Lots of entanglements means lots of paperwork in the end."

                    "Sorry."

                    "Don't be. We'd have never met if they hadn't dropped the case in my lap. And I'm glad we met."

                    Lin sat down on the sofa beside Nicky. "So am I, for what it's worth. Never thought I'd be friends with a cop when I came to Solaris. Rubbing elbows in important circles, the glitz, the glamor, not gonna lie, it was all in my mind. But not dealing with the police."

                    Nicky put her arm around Lin and snuggled her close. "Sorry to disappoint."

                    "No, it's not like that."

                    Nicky smiled. "I know, I was only teasing. For what it's worth, you're not the typical mechjock story. I never really thought I'd be involved with the games at all, I was just trying to make life better for the good citizens of Solaris City"

                    Lin snuggled into Nicky. " You are. Just not the way you thought. You've saved my bacon, I owe you one."

                    "Yeah, well lets keep that tab open and keep you safe. All you can do now is wait for word from Drake. I hate waiting, but it's  the only game in town."

                    They didn't have to wait for long. They fell asleep on the couch, and when they awoke, another mysterious letter was slipped under the door. Another date, time, and location, again in the Black Hills.

                    "Be careful heading to the Black Hills so often. Your employer might get suspicious."

                    Lin ran her hand through her black hair. "You think they're tailing me?"

                    "Maybe not your every move, but I'd bet they're tracking your banking files. I wouldn't be surprised if they know and ask about the gun purchase, to be honest."

                    "I'll be careful."

                    With that, she headed off for her meeting with Drake. This time the meetup was at a cozy family restaurant. The food was cheap, and surprisingly good, and she was halfway through her meal when Drake arrived. 

                    "The first phase went well. We've got a good look at their network."

                    Lin shook her head. "I got a tech killed. They discovered the breach, but didn't know it was me."

                    "I hope you see now that your employer is playing for keeps. This is dangerous work. You sure you're up to continue it?"

                    Lin nodded. "I'm in it now. But I'll need some security."

                    Drake raised an eyebrow. "Beyond that gun that you're packing now?"

                    She smiled at him. "Look, I'm involved with some very dangerous people. And I don't count you out of that either. I need to know that I'm safe when all this goes down. I assume you're going to ask for more?"

                    "You're very bright. We know where to look now for the data we're looking for. It's only kept on encrypted drives at Red Dragon central. This is a much tighter job. I've got another cloner for you to use, but it will have to be plugged in to one of the computers directly related to the project. You're going to have to find a way to get access, and it won't be easy. I can't tell you how to do it, you'll have to figure it out on your own."

                    "If I do this, I'm really sticking my neck out. What's in it for me?"

                    "A hundred thousand C-bills. Plus we can get you a more prominent gig. Get you more in the spotlight, making you harder to remove for the other side. "

                    "Better fights? How can you fix all of this?"

                    "We have influences all through the city. Our reach is considerable."

                    "Who is we? I need to know who I'm sticking my neck out for."

                    "Let's just say we have Davion interests at heart. The Federated Suns needs access to this stealth technology to counter whatever Liao is planning to do with it. The NAIS will want to keep apprised of whatever Ceres Arms brings to the battlefield. That's the game here."

                    She hadn't considered the greater geopolitical ramifications of what she was doing up until now. Things were all corporate, but now state actors were involved, and the play she was making was not for her native state. This would mean turning her back on the Confederation and putting in with the Davions. It likely meant she could never return home to Alterra. Solaris would have to be her new home. Was that what she wanted? Wasn't that what she had come here for?

                    "Ok. Give me the drive. I will find a way to get what you need."

                    "Thank you. And be careful. You saw what happened to the last data breach at Red Dragon. We'll protect you as best we can, but there's a lot of danger in the short term."

                    "I'll keep my head down."