Cath

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

Ruknar sighed, scratched her head. She perched on a discarded chair that creaked under her weight, suddenly very tired. “I don’t know…The FGC is an impossibly complex organism. Like a body really, lots of different cells…Some fine balances and total imbalances.”

She pulled a drug bowl from her red knapsack, peeled back the lid and let the fumes waft into her nose holes. After a shuddering breath, she calmed a little further. After a moment of contemplation, she spoke again.

“I’ve only met Vitality once, but I already get a sense of her aura. It is strong and well formed. She is old enough to care only about the health of the organism - She doesn’t care about the individual cells. She will happily sacrifice us and others if it means saving billions. Does that make her good? Or evil incarnate?”

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

Ruknar made a beeline for Senjen when she noticed him, her whole frame shivering with pent up energy. She wanted to punch his silly metal head but thought better of it; she’d be quite likely to break her arm. In the end she smacked a small vase of flowers off a nearby table and then got right into Senjen’s face, talon pointing under his chin.

“How am I feeling?! Gee, Senny, I dunno, maybe I’m feeling like I never should’ve fraternised with a couple of criminals! Like I should’ve never let you buy that stupid suit, or helped Light get fixed up so good. My whole life is in jeopardy because you have what Vitality needs – a way in. And if I say no? If I do anything wrong at all? Well… I’ll never practice medicine in this sector again. She is something like my boss’s boss’s boss’s boss’s boss! Plus, she’s nearly a thousand years old, so she know everyone who is anyone in my profession! It’s not even like I’m best qualified to handle Seraphim – I’m only there as leverage over your sorry asses.”

Ruk removed her talon, feeling scared and ashamed and angry still. She cawed loudly, making several restaurant goers jump. It made her feel a bit better, but she still cast Senjen a hurt look. “Maybe you should’ve just said no. Then at least we would’ve been just unemployed and not dead too.”

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

Light shivered at the thought of a bank vault that was open for the looting, and the series of events that must have happened to make it so. He was curious as to how the surface of the planet looked now that tragedy had befallen the citizens there. He could only conjure up a few pretty pictures from tourist adverts pinned to various lavatories offered for free around the city.

Then he received a surreptitious message from Senjen and honestly didn’t know what to reply. Eventually he thought: “There is nothing about this that I’m completely ‘fine’ with. But it doesn’t feel like we have much of a choice. This lady could terminate our contract with FGC today if she wanted; then where are we? We can’t survive just waiting for Jess to come up with another job.”

Finally, after a few moments of contemplation he returned to face Vitality. “We’ll do what you ask, ma’am. But your drone has to give us the location of the vault once we are safely on the surface of Veppecantel. It may take some time for Seraphim to complete her mission, and it seems to me that conditions on the ground could change quickly. We need time to plan how we extract our payment before we leave.”
Vitality harumphed, before consulting Ruk.

“You vouch for them?” Their friend hesitated. This really wasn’t anywhere near her comfort zone. She stared at them both in turn for a second.

“Yeah, I do. As vagabonds go, these two are good.”

Vitality nodded. “Very well. It is agreed. Go and get checked out. You leave in two days.”

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

“I’ll allow it. Just don’t take long! You must get going as soon as possible. The situation is already delicate and is poised to get worse!
Vitality coughed with a wide open beak, tongue out. Light wondered if there might be a limit to what medical science was supposed to do, and that this elderly Chekeri was reaching that limit. Ruk took her another drink, of water this time, that she turned her nose up at.

“Yes yes, Seraphim will set you up with all the necessary equipment. It is imperative the Holophage does not make it off Veppecantel. You will use all means necessary to protect the galaxy, is that understood?”

“Yes ma’am. I think we understand. There are lot of conditions to this mission, and a lot of risk. What do we get out of it?” Light asked. This seemed in a totally different league to their regular FGC work.

Vitality laughed and coughed again. “You mean you’re not doing this from the goodness of your heart? No, of course not. Your arrangement with my organisation is one of necessity. We fix you up and this is how you repay me? Pah!...Well, I have none to offer you here, but on the planet? Well, let’s just say a little birdie told me of a bank vault with BILLIONS in gold and silver completely unguarded. The location is locked In Seraphim’s head. Help her complete her mission and she will tell you where it is. Do we have a deal?”

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

Vitality paused to consider this for a moment. “Perhaps that will work. There is one other matter we must consider though. My sources are clear about one thing – the surface of Veppecantel is extremely dangerous now. Even if you are resistant to the virus itself, its…effects still pose great risks. To protect my investment in this mission, I have made arrangements for a security detail, of sorts.”

Light flashed surprise at this statement. It was notoriously difficult to gain access to protection through FGC, for any sort of mission. The large Chekeri seemed to notice this reaction.

“As Quadrarch of Vitality, I cannot access mercenaries through normal channels accepted by non-profits such as ours without raising undue attention. So instead, I found another person who needs to get onto the surface but needs a skilled pilot. They have agreed to protect you all, in exchange for your help in extracting a very important person from a Myrmidon facility on the surface and getting them off-world. Senjen, your frame could provide useful cover in this gambit. If you are registered on their system as a worker that may no longer be an option, hmm?”

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

Ruknar seemed troubled. “I have been…selected as handler for a new type of automata containing advanced AI. Seraphim. She has the best virology credentials of anyone we’ve seen before but she’s…temperamental. Your job, should you choose to accept…”

Vitality clicked her bill and Ruk froze again.

“Your job is to get us through the blockade and onto the surface of Veppecantel, to the site of Patient Zero. Seraphim will do her thing, and then hopefully we get out of there again to formulate a vaccine. Or she might be able to make one on-site, who knows.”

Vitality sprayed murky juice everywhere and coughed.

“You are dancing around the problem, stupid girl! The blockade is very severe, only the most skilled smugglers will make it through unaided. However, my sources tell me that the makers of that fine suit of yours…” She raised a gnarled claw above the fuzzy nest material and pointed to Senjen.

“…Are still running mining operations on the planet. They have bought passage through the blockade for their transports because they require no organic crew to operate, and are continually cleaned with liquid and fire. All ships dock at a terminal in high orbit. Someone wearing one of their suits could go there, steal a ship ID and then sail straight through the blockade!”

Light wasn't liking the sound of this. “But if Senjen is caught stealing from Myr-“

“DON’T SPEAK THAT NAME” Vitality turned the Voice on him and his suit rippled. It didn’t have the same effect on QV within their suits but still served to make him pause.

“Ok! If he’s caught stealing from his maker, then they will seek a heavy punishment for him. Who knows what kind of kill switch they might have hidden away.” He looked at Senjen. “Sorry buddy, its true right?”

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

“Your word? Good, the first thing I’ll need is your word. Your word that this meeting remains secret until the final dregs of life force eke from your bodies. There’ll be no recording of what I’m about to say, understand? It incriminates us all, including your friend.” They tilted her head gently towards Ruknar, who held the jug with lightly trembling claws. She approached the nest of fibres and poured the murky liquid into a circular trough which the old Chekeri then slowly lapped up.

Light didn’t know who this was either. But a few fragments of street rumours and half-remembered history swirled around his head. It seemed like Ruk may have been there as insurance against any potential treachery. Both himself and Senjen would obviously agree not to record to protect her. But the fact that this mystery person had access to Ruk at all prompted a link between these fragments in his head.
“Are you someone high up at For Good Cause? Is that what this is about?” He asked.

The Chekeri raised their open beak like a chick being fed by its mother and set forth a dry, rustling laugh.

“So the reef-dweller is the brains of the outfit. Very good. I helped found this organisation back when it was called ‘Four Good Causes’. Vitality, Plenty, Innovation and Peace. The Quadrarch of Peace proposed we change the name nearly two centuries ago; turns out that was just to place a claw on scales of power in his favour. But that matters not now. Ruknar, my voice tires. Show you listen and tell them what I’ve told you.”

Ruk had fled the presence of the Quadrarch now and lingered by the bar. She glanced nervously at them before looking back at the other Chekeri.

“I don’t know if I’m the best person to tell them-“

“OBEY ME!” They cawed. Their Voice nearly sent Ruknar reeling backwards. Every muscle in her sinewy body tensed and untensed as one. It took a moment for her to recover, but eventually she became still, looked at Light and Senjen, and began.

“You’ve probably seen in the news about the planet Veppecantel. A prosperous and respectable world on the Darkling Plain, its been under an inter-system naval blockade for over two hundred cycles. The official reasoning is that separatist elements have threatened to export a deadly poison to other planet in the Plain. That is a load of cack. The real reason is because the planet has fallen victim to a touch-virus residents of Veppecantel are calling the Holophage. The Quadrarch of Vitality wants us to figure out what it is, and how to stop it.”

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

The Chekeri relaxed. It seems something Senjen said had satisfied them. A short jumble of staccato notes rattled from their chest. The other two who were approaching Light grabbed some devilled eggs from a patrolling cart of delicacies and left. “Come with me.” The first Chekeri said, turning away and heading deeper into Wurvel House.

"Wait, what? How did you do that?" Light asked, confused.

They led the pair of them through the winding passageways for an inordinate amount of them. Light was beginning to think they were playing some kind of practical joke when they turned off seemingly at random into one of the nests. It was occupied by a party of five, and then he noticed all of them wearing variations of the same amaranth keffiyeh. They stared at Senjen & Light as they passed, and their guide opened a secret door in the mossy wall. It closed and locked behind them.

The quiet barrier hit them like an invisible wall when they entered. They’d both feel their senses dampened, and difficulty memorising any details which weren’t meant to be recorded. They might recall they were in a larger version of the nests, very dark and smelling of incense. A private kitchen and bar abutted it, lit with sconces. Light gasped. At the bar mixing a large jug of murky juice stood Ruknar. She turned at the sound; she had a hard to read expression on her face. One filled with sparks of relief, apprehension and fear. She made to greet them, then something rustled within the pitch dark of the far corner.

Light’s vision adapted exceptionally quickly to the low light. He could see an unusually large and impossibly old Chekeri nestled into a bed of fibres taking up about a third of the whole nest. They wore a cloak that obfuscated nearly everything about them apart from their four beady eyes, two on each side.

“So, you have come. Ruknar was right – you can solve a problem. But that doesn’t mean I can trust you. Do you know who I am?”

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

The Chekeri didn’t seem satisfied with Senjen’s answer in the slightest. They tilted their head and studied them both on a slant. Their beak hung open a crack.

“Who would have good cause to invite you, fella? We can’t see inside your heart – It may be blackened. Brittle. Maybe you’ve spent too long in the cold water with your friend, eh?”

A couple of other Chekeri with purple scarves exited nests behind them and came up the aisle. It was very plausible they were just looking to squeeze past to go to the toilet, but Light doubted it somehow.

“Senjen.” He warned simply, turning so they were back-to-back and he was facing the newcomers.

“Maybe tell the nice Chekeri more about our very special invite, or I’m about to get pummelled into your back.”

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

“The first bite is with the eye, as they say.” Light replied cryptically.

He shook his head at Senjen when they mentioned the change in sound. He wasn’t as perceptive as the new Myrmidon suit as a rule. His whole body was designed to be immersed in water, and while his gel did a fair job of translating the air-filled environment for him, he still missed a lot of cues. He did point out the colour pattern of clothing within each of the dining groups though.

“One could certainly blend into the crowd in here. Maybe we should ask if there are any smaller parties waiting for people? Again, some service would be nice…”

The Chekeri wearing the amaranth keffiyehs began to take notice of them as they headed towards the back. When one caught Senjen looking directly at her, she left her nest and approached them. She was unkempt and rough-looking, but with a deeply intelligent look in her eyes.

“You fellas look lost. I don’t see any good cause for you stick around. Just say the word and I’ll show you the way out of here.”
Her voice sounded strange, muffled somehow. The noise of conversation around them died off somewhat.