EliteCommander

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

What Senjen easily noticed right away was how different the Myrmidon showroom felt from the rest of the exhibition outside, almost certainly intentionally. Even this temporary showroom was consistent with their permanent locations, at least from what he had seen online. Myrmidon had a certain image that was universally known, and seemed almost impossible for other companies to approach. They offered the highest quality in robotics available. One would never see advertisements for them, but everyone knew who they were and what they did. It was simply...known.

Senjen politely refused the massage. He had at least some expectation for the tactics such a company would use for the presentation of their products, and his approach was to keep his mind focused on what he actually wanted out of all of this. The service was nice, but it was ultimately about the sale. He was prepared, and he had to remember that.

At least at first, Senjen did not pay too much attention to the displays he could see. Jess was idly observing one of the repair drones, but he instead stood close to his friends and accessed the digital catalogue. If they had something similar to what he wanted on-hand, he might be interested in looking closer, but for now he had to get that picture of what he wanted in his mind. A custom order was certainly what he would end up wanting, unless they had any Utaysi-styled frames as a standard model. There were a plethora of options for every type of utility under the sun, but Senjen focused in on what he needed. Annoyingly, none of the prices were advertised, but Myrmidon was top-of-the-line, and he could only possibly afford their lower-end offerings. Getting the costly additions out of the way first, browsed their private security product lines. Armor plating, light shielding, offensive options...he wanted to put something together that these sorts of companies would consider “acceptable” for private security duties.

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

Senjen took a few steps backwards, raising up both hands. “Hey, I’m just looking...for now. Besides, it’s not like they bring out big ticket items to buy right from the floor of the event. The most I could do would be to place an order, and I could do that anytime. I just want to see, you know?” He answered. It was not a lie; he did not expect to be walking out of here in a new body, but Ruknar could tell that there was more to his excitement than just longing for a hypothetical purchase. He had been thinking about this for a while.

Jess, meanwhile, smirked. “You don’t have to ask me twice. I already swung by here yesterday, but there’s a few things I didn’t have a chance to take a look at. There’s some good stuff coming out. Bunch of bullshit too, but...what else do you expect? Tteranduus Industries is trying to launch a ‘budget’ neural link line that can do neural control on smart appliances, vehicles, and all that, but has no native support for public interface ports. Who the hell is the target market for that? Folk who are too poor to afford a standard link, but somehow still have their own home with a full private network setup? I get that the hardware that translates neural patterns for a multi-species network is the most expensive part of the link, but it’s useless without it. Someone who is poor enough to want a budget link is going to be reliant on public services and networks.”

On topics like this, Jess was someone who could end up going on for quite a while about them without realizing it, so Senjen was quick to get them all refocused. He stepped in between Light and Ruknar and put an arm around both of them. “See, there’s plenty for all of us to do. If nothing else catches our interest, we can always laugh at some of the stupid ideas.”

Naturally, the streets were even more crowded than usual. The event was taking place in a plaza that was usually host to a sort of open air market for private vendors. Normally, just about anyone could set up and sell whatever they liked. No permits were required, and spots were simply first-come-first-serve. The only thing law enforcement tended to do was to make sure angry vendors did not stir up too much trouble if someone took “their” spot. Events like this one were not especially well-liked by local merchants, since it kept them out of business for a few days. Fortunately, the city did at least have the sense to limit how often they rented out individual public spaces to avoid too many problems.

Ironically, despite being so much more crowded, the plaza felt much more orderly than usual. The streets were organized, meticulously and intentionally, by the event coordinators instead of thrown together haphazardly by the public. While tightly packed, the paths around the plaza were wide enough to accommodate the expected crowd size, and all the booths were arranged to keep their products easily in view. Those selling consumer electronics tended to be “outside” and easily-accessible right where attendants tended to be walking. Salespeople would speak directly with passers-by, and since this was a more consumer-focused trade show, some products could be bought right at the booth, if they were not simply advertisements for upcoming product lines.

In the mid-levels of the city, being outside or inside tended to lose meaning. There was no sky above them, no weather nor natural wind, and all of the lighting was artificial anyway. Any street could become like a convention center. Still, there were some companies that brought prefab modules to have an even more private space. Senjen ended up stopping, staring up at the sign above one of them. There were no products on display that were visible from the street, just a name in big letters that said everything that needed to be said: Myrmidon.

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

In the midst of the contest, Senjen felt like he had to split his focus between a dozen things. Poisoning the opponents’ plants, throwing around tumbleweeds, and ripping up whatever plants he could get his hands on that did not belong to them. When light called for his attention, he was, for a moment, suddenly blindsided by the ridiculousness of it all. He was running around in the dirt, throwing weeds at Humans, and now Light had managed to get himself trapped in a bush, inside his own suit. In times like this, there was no other choice but to just stop and laugh.

---

Senjen was less surprised than Light that they had lost. He had been right up front, chasing around the Humans and seeing exactly what they were doing. He saw all their clever tricks, and he could tell quickly how experienced they were. Frankly, what surprised him the most was that there was any percentage of the plot unoccupied after all of that. Even with poisons to kill them, it felt like plants on both sides were always overgrowing what was lost.

Still, Senjen was in about as good spirits after it all as Ruk was. Briefly, he complimented their opponents on their performance, to which they said something he mostly did not understand. He hoped polite waving was the appropriate reply. Jess was the one who took the picture of the rest of their group with the completed plot. She enjoyed the part of the contest that involved “creative” construction, but aside from that, it was clear the others had been more enthusiastic.

---

Given that there was still plenty of time left in the afternoon, the group was not quite ready to call it yet. Though, Senjen supposed they would need to be a bit more responsible about how much they spent from this point on. With how much they had invested at the contest, it was already like they had dined out at a fancy restaurant. Senjen did end up exchanging information with Pclendafuun to leave open the possibility of staying in contact. They had been a good teammate.

It was the Ketlit Market a few levels down to which Senjen suggested they all go next, which was far from an uncommon destination for them. Aside from its plentiful shops and services, there was no shortage of entertainment and restaurants which could fit into most price ranges. Indeed, being that it was Korit, there was hardly a limit on what one could find being sold out in the open. What might be considered black market goods on most worlds might be sold right next to everyday items, and depending on what it was, it could even be just as cheap. For some goods, if they could not be produced locally, they still might need to be smuggled out of their origin world, which could influence the price.

Of course, there was more pulling Senjen to Ketlit today, as part of it was hosting a trade exhibition. This one was a tech show, one of probably half a dozen just in Setia throughout the year. Korit was a melting pot, so the planet ended up as a test market for the new and experimental products of many major corporations. A little microcosm of the galaxy as a whole. Computers, implants, new devices, robots...it was tempting in more ways than one, and this one was open to the public. No admission needed. It had been going on a few days now, and Senjen had almost come out by himself before.

When they came upon the signage for the show, Senjen stopped and looked to the other three. “Do you want to...look around for a little while? We don’t have to buy anything, but it’s...always interesting to see what’s coming up.” He asked. To those who knew him so well, he was failing to suppress his excitement.

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

Glancing up at the drone, Senjen scoffed and threw up his hands. “Where do they keep getting these things? And why do they keep trying that before we’ve even planted anything? That won’t even slow us down. Doesn’t even make sense…” He grumbled, his voice trailing off. “Light, could you go for the seeds with Pclendafuun again? We can get the soil ready.”

---

Since the first round, the team was getting more into the rhythm of working together. Pclendafuun may still have been a stranger, but with them being knowledgeable enough on the subject, Ruknar could coordinate with them reasonably well. It was easiest when they all had their own jobs they could focus on. Senjen was handling planting on the border of their opponents’ side. A Human had little chance of physically interfering with much of anything he wanted to do. If he wanted to plant something, then it was going in the dirt as long as he was standing there to guard over it. If he wanted to rip something up or apply poison, then stopping him was not terribly likely. Whenever the thistle Jess suggested matured enough to form a tumbleweed, Senjen could toss it over into the other plot to distribute its seeds. They were not heavy, but they were more than thorny enough to potentially make them difficult to handle. To counter what he was doing, one would have a much better chance by acting more efficiently wherever he was not.

Senjen was not the one directing their strategy, so he tried to keep his thoughts just on his own tasks in front of him, though in the back of his mind, he did worry about what tricks their opponents might have picked up through experience. He might not even recognize the ways they could get one over on him. Regardless of how it turned out, though, he relished the competition. The prize money was not as important to him as just trying to win.

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

“Well hey, if that’s how it’s going to be, then I think we have the edge here. If we need someone for guard duty, then you’re in the presence of a professional” Senjen laughed, giving an exaggerated bow. “Most people out there don’t really have a chance of overpowering me. A Tindrel can maybe do it, but the only Tindrel here is on our team. I mean, I’m not looking to hurt anyone over some plants, but I can be a wall if we need one.”

Pclendafuun’s suggestion was not immediately clear to Senjen. “Do you mean defensive items as in barrier plants, a literal barrier, or something else?”

Jess was standing around, arms crossed and looking down at the plot. “If you need me to build something defensive, I can do it. Otherwise, I reckon I’m not going to have too much else to do this round.”

Officials had not yet announced their time had started, but it looked like their opponents were already looking to get their seeds. They needed to get moving too. Senjen might have been more of the muscle in this round, but he still took a moment to think. “I actually know some really resilient plants from Orostro. Not native, but used there. A lot of native plants were lost in the extinction, so they’ve been importing plants to re-seed the badlands and get them to the point where they can support native plants again. They might make a good core to base our plot around, since they’re so hard to kill. Speaking of defenses, though, maybe we should plant some sort of barrier on the edge of their side? Something herbicide-resistant, and maybe hostile like before?”

Surprisingly, out of all of them, it was Jess who actually spoke up right away. “Russian thistle.”

Senjen appeared mildly startled as he glanced back. “Huh?”

“It’s a really stubborn weed back home. It’s hard as hell to poison, for how long we’ve been trying to get rid of it. It’s thorny, hard to handle, and when it gets past a certain point, part of it breaks art and starts rollin’ around in the wind to spread its seeds. I’ve seen them bury houses when they bunch up enough. You could push it right into their plot and make it their headache.” She suggested, shrugging.

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

Senjen had a hard time keeping track of how well or poorly their group was during in the middle of the first round, as he had been far more focused on doing one task after the next. Only he and Pclendafuun could really handle most of the plants they had chosen safely, so they had to take on a greater share of the labor. Fortunately, he was at least familiar enough with horticulture that he could follow Ruk’s instructions without many misunderstandings, which likely contributed to them not failing entirely. One could tell he was remaining enthusiastic, and it was not until after the end of the round that he finally realized they were not performing quite as well as he perhaps imagined they were. The disappointment shook him for a moment, but he did not let that get to him for long. At least, not outwardly. They were still in the competition, so until they were knocked out, he still needed to have his mind on competing.

Once again, Senjen stayed close to Ruknar as they were starting to get ready for the next round. They had managed to seed an unwanted companion into another plot, so they would have that reward available for this round. He was starting to get an idea of how it would be useful, but there were still plenty of other questions swirling in his mind. “Okay, so head-to-head, then. Sounds like this is all about area, not art, so we just need to encourage the most voracious plant we can. What exactly are the rules here? I gather we’re going to be growing our own plants while trying to kill theirs. Is it going to be all about chopping plants and spreading herbicide, or am I going to have to worry about people trying to get physical with me?” He asked Ruk.

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

Jess did not say anything, nor did she need to. She had her task and her time limit, and she knew how to execute it. She took a rectangular sheet of thin metal and readied it to cut into triangles, stopping only for a moment to get an estimate of the size. Based on what Ruknar had described, she had a rough idea of what she wanted, but she double-checked the measurements with Ruk first before starting in earnest. Once cut, she could bend the metal into a conical shape, using instinct and simple geometry instead of hard measurements. It did not need to be machined to tight tolerances for gardening, so she could just worry about getting it to be good enough, quickly.

Senjen had no idea what Dessous was, but Ruk seemed to like it, so that was good enough for him. He may not have been as much of an expert as her, but he was interested enough in the hobby to be able to follow her directions without needing to be micromanaged. He understood what kind of basin Ruk wanted, so he dug as quickly as he could, though a half-meter deep would take some time no matter how quickly he worked. Pclendafuun had no other task, so they could help with the digging, after which he set to work on planting the roses. He had the instructions for that particular plant up in the corner of his field of view, so he could know how deep and far apart they liked to be planted. All the while, he was recording his perspective as a reference in case they needed to do damage control on some sabotage.

“You know, it’s nice to be able to do this. Back in the ship, I just have a few planters under artificial lights. Now that things are looking up, maybe we’ll be able to get our own place somewhere eventually? I wouldn’t mind having a balcony, or maybe even a whole yard if it’s somewhere outside the city.” Senjen remarked.

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

Senjen stared ahead and blinked. Utaysi had other mechanisms to serve the original function of eyelids more efficiently, but they were still included on any standard Utaysi frame for the sake of communication. Their eyes were perhaps their most expressive physical feature, and Senjen’s easily expressed his bewilderment. His translator seemed to catch the meaning of a few words, but he was not exactly sure of what the Humans were trying to say. After a few seconds of silence, he made some effort to salvage the idea that he knew what he was doing. “Um...yeah, yeah. I always appreciate some strong competition too. Don’t think I’ll go easy on you or anything, so uh...yeah. Best of luck.”

Senjen ended up in an unintentionally awkward stare towards their neighbors for a few more moments, but shook himself free when the others returned to the group. He turned back around to focus on his own plot, and hoped that the Human was willing to do the same. It was not like they were going to be having a productive and meaningful conversation, at any rate. Making a distraction for Light had been the whole point, and now that he was back, all that was left was to finish their own creation. He did not do anything too overt to acknowledge Light, but they had both played their part. Jess made it back shortly beforehand with a scattered arrangement of scrap metal. Senjen did not have the faintest idea how she planned to work with that mess, but he did not need to. No small number of the replacement parts he had bought from her over the years were not made for his frame, but she had got them working together regardless.

“Okay, now that all that’s done, I’m feeling pretty good about our chances. What do we need first?” Senjen asked. He sat back in the dirt next to their plot and gave it a quick look over, saving a few pictures of its current state. If he kept saving and updating images of their progress, then he figured he could probably use them as a reference for comparison to look for anything out-of-place if someone tried to sabotage their plot.

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

Jess seemed undeterred as she followed Ruk’s direction over towards the shed. It was crowded, with no shortage of competition for the best materials. Many of the others were much larger than her and had arrived sooner, so they were naturally occupied with struggling against each other for the materials they wanted. Jess, meanwhile, was a new arrival, small, and easy to miss among the crowd. Easy to forget. As much as it went against her nature, all she had to do was to stay quiet and squeeze through around the fringes of the crowd. There was no way she could compete for the most obviously useful materials without drawing unwanted attention to herself, so she focused her attention on the less obviously useful pieces. It would be easy to take a look at her and assume she was just settling for whatever she could get her hands on, but in this place, she was right in her element.

Senjen, by this point, was getting focused, especially once Ruk started giving him more concrete tasks. He made notes of her instructions as she gave them, then tried to picture what their plot would need to look like by the end of it. “I’ve been meaning to ask, how exactly do we get an aquatic plant to grow alongside terrestrial ones? Doesn’t it need to be submerged, or is there some way around that?”

The question was soon interrupted by the first attempt made on them at sabotage with a drone. It certainly spread a lot of seeds, but it did not seem to impact Senjen’s confidence in the slightest. He brushed away the seeds caught in his frame, away from the patch, then laughed when he returned back to Ruk. “Ha! They should have waited until we were done prepping the soil for that.” To take care of the seeds would be easy enough for him. He could just scrape away the whole top layer of their plot, since they were going to be replacing it anyway with their own medium.

Senjen took a few minutes to carefully remove and replace the soil per Ruknar’s instructions. Since they had not yet grown anything, Ruk could easily help with that step personally. Though, as he was working on it, he was already looking around the area and thinking on the next part of his own schemes. As they were finishing up with the soil, Senjen leaned in close and whispered into Ruk’s ear. “Keep watch over the plot for a moment. I’m going to try something.”

Turning himself towards one the plot of one of their neighbors, Senjen gave a laugh. “A drone, really? You’re going to have to try better than that.” He flicked a single one of the invasive seeds in their direction. He did not know, nor care, if that group was responsible for the drone, nor if it made him look like a fool to pretend that they were. If it did, all the better, because what he really cared about was the fact that Light and Pclendafuun were soon to be passing by their plot on the way back, and he would prefer their attention to be on himself.

Price of Life (EliteCommander and Cath)

Soon enough, it seemed that everyone was contributing something, and Senjen couldn’t help but to be proud about it. “Alright, we’ve got something here, see? We’ve got a plan, we’ve got experts, I can be your labor. Now let’s just stay cool under pressure and get it done.”

“You just need a sturdy bit of scaffolding for your plants, right? Don’t much matter what kind of materials they’ve got on hand, I’ll get it together. Just show me where to find it.” Jess remarked. Naturally, she did not bring a full set of tools with her everywhere. The most she had in her pouch were a few useful multitools for spot repairs, but for a job like this, that would be more than enough. Senjen could tell that Jess had been somewhat ambivalent going into this, but now that her contribution was now focused on an engineering challenge, he could see she was getting more invested. Putting together solutions with scraps was second nature to her, so he felt she would be up to it.

Something Senjen had not expected came along with the announcement that they were about to begin. Not only were they allowed to interfere with other plots, but they would be rewarded for doing so. That opened up a whole new angle to this competition, and he had only a short time to think about it. They needed to go get their seeds, and their plot was not exactly the closest to any of the terminals. Someone would have to take a short walk...right past several other plots. He realized there was actually a way to turn the competitors’ privilege to their advantage. “I guess I’ll go-, wait, actually…”

Senjen leaned in closer to Light, speaking softly. “Might be able to get tricky with this suit of yours. Why don’t you go get the seeds? You could eject seeds from the suit at any angle as you’re passing by. Could be hard to notice. You could sprinkle a few over the competition on the way back. I’ll keep watch here.”