[right][sub]([i]Addressing: [@datadogie])[/i][/sub][/right]

Something different in the air. Neo London is always moving, always bright, always loud. Until now. People stand around in circles, mumbling, staring down at their infopads. Or they stand by themselves, looking up the screens mounted to the sides of buildings, not making a sound. It's like a spell is over the city.

Martina Ward is by herself in the crowd, like always. She hasn't heard the news yet. It launched an hour ago, and every person on New Hollywood from the factory worker to the Neo Bangkok Entertainment Director has already been caught up, already informed, already stunned. Except for her.

She weaves her way through the throng, not brushing up against anyone, but she still hears a man mumble "The Gateways..." and then a woman: "I didn't know space stations could even [i]be [/i]that big!"

She'd been out of the city. In fact, she was hunting through the Bezian ruins, trying to find those Mixtists that are supposed to be out there. All she found was dust that made her lungs hurt. But soon, she would find that the ECU had discovered something new itself, this time: they'd met the Zelrio Corp.

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"I'm proposing it now!" An excited writer was telling a bored Oligarch. "The next big holo-program: walk aboard the Featherfall Station, touring the [b]forest in space[/b]!"

There was a long sigh on the other end of the line. "But... we don't know what the inside of Featherfall actually looks like, do we? Only that kid Tanaka do-"

"We'll make something up! Trees, flowers, a view of the stars all around! It'll be a hit!" The writer exclusively speaks in exclamation points. "Plus- [i]plus[/i]- it'll, you know, it'll make the people like these Zelrio boys more! It's diplomacy!"

The Oligarch had to pause for a second. That one was actually true. Heralds had made it frighteningly clear he wants the ECU citizens to accept contact with these foreigners. [i]Essential[/i], he said it was. [i]Essential[/i].

"...alright," she says, and then shields her ear from the storm of happy exclamation marks answering back.

[center][b]~~~~~~~~[/b][/center]

"You have been selected as [b]Diplomat to the Zelrio Corp[/b]," a happy holo-announcer cheers him to wake at noon. "This exciting opportunity, presented from the Savant himself, comes with great prestige and benefits, including but not limited to-"

"Hologram: Mute," he says, and it does. The job offer is just a formality. Heralds told Oligarch Antonio he'd be the new diplomat last night, and his few things are already packed. With a hangover the size of New Texas, which is actually pretty small, he pulls himself out of bed, through the closet, down the stairs and out towards the old Launch Pad. It's exhausting. He's exhausted.

But, he does feel pretty satisfied when he sees what he'll be flying out in. The newly christened "[url=https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/014/117/265/large/encho-enchev-spaceship-concept.jpg?1542559165]Deal Maker[/url]," painted gold, is a remodeled asteroid-mining ship with all those ugly practical bits cut off. It's sizable interior- hollowed out, holographically enabled- will let him make the inside of this ship look like anything he wants. An obvious gimmick to impress the new guys, but still fun.

He's only halfway to the Gateway when he finds the wine cooler. Do the Zelrio boys drink? Let's find out.