Time: 7:32 P.M.
Location: Seattle Airport, The Atrium
Interactions: Mr. Smith, Watson, Airport Staff, Mysterious Figure
Mentions: N/A
Equipment: Stun Gun, Shock Baton, Cyberware
Incoming Message
Incoming Message101000111100101010010101010Loading………
Loading……..Mr. Smith: th0rn_r0se. Got a job for ya. Pay is 1k. There’s a risk though. More than the standard security measures. The client desires a package delivered to The Atrium. Payment will be transferred upon pick-up and confirmed contents. The package is a set of golf clubs at the Airport. Obviously, they aren’t really golf clubs, but the client refused to share what it is exactly. Please confirm or deny interest.CONFIRMED
Mr: Smith: Thought it would interest you. Please take care of this quickly. The package is expected to be there for a few hours before being moved elsewhere. I will ping you the coordinates of the package when you get close. Do try to be unseen. Security is tight enough there._Conection Terminated_
It wasn’t a standard job she did, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. Often she did corpo hacking and rigging, data retrieval, and a few destruction jobs, but typically she got into a system and got out. This one would require more precision. The airport was public and high security. This would mean she would have to plan accordingly.
Persephone jacked into her personal system. She would need to pull some things to make this job easier. She inserted the memory chip into the chip reader on the back of her neck before scouring the net. First, blueprints to the airport. It wouldn’t be anything fancy, but it would allow her to find entrances and exits that were not common knowledge. She found that easily enough. Security records were another matter. Airport security was all managed in-house, meaning if something triggered, they would know and beef it up, expecting the worst.
Persephone cracked her knuckles before she dove into the system. Once she was inside, she activated her St3alth hack. Once she was reasonably sure she was not seen, she connected to their servers. She noticed, oddly enough, a trace. It was almost undetectable. It was professional work.
“Someone was there recently”She heard Watson in her ear. A reliable source if there ever was one. Watson proved invaluable to her investigations and efforts, though he often chewed her ear off over the morality of it.
“Yeah, but who? It was clearly a professional. The average Netter wouldn’t be able to see that unless they knew what to look for.”“If it's a professional that hacked into airport security. It’s for one of two reasons. Either there is going to be an attack at the airport. Which would be incredibly foolish. Or….”“They wanted to know security details to avoid detection. Which means I’m not the only one sneaking into the airport tonight.”“Do you suppose this person is after the package also?”“Hard to say, but I wouldn’t doubt it.”“This already seemed sketchy at first, but now even more so.”“Thanks, Dad. If I want more advice on right versus wrong, I’ll know who to pester.”She couldn’t see Watson but she knew he rolled his eyes before disappearing.
She downloaded the data she needed on her memory chip. She disengaged from the hack, making sure any trace of her was gone or invisible. Just in case the other hacker got in to double-check their work.
She thought about options. Normally she would gear up and prepare to sneak in, but this might require a personal touch.
“Can I help you ma’am?”
Persephone, dressed to the nines in a skintight black dress that edged above her thighs. Her hair was down, flowing behind her like a cape. She wore thick sunshades despite being indoors (had to sell it somehow). She exemplified money on image alone. She tried to exude an air of “I’m more important than you”. Clearly the airport worker was buying it.
“As I just told you, I left my McCamerack Handbag in the waiting lounge. It costs more than you make in an hour and I will not be held up any longer! If some common thief didn’t pilfer it, perhaps some good samaritan turned it in. I demand you bring a security officer here right this minute to check.” The man looked flummoxed but did not move.
“Now!” At her screech, he opened a comm call “Yeah, I need a security officer to the front desk ASAP.” He hung up and put on a customer service smile. She almost felt bad.
A few minutes later and she saw the uniform of the security personnel. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere else, which was perfect for her. She noted he eyed her up and down.
“Yeah get a good look buddy. Enjoy it while you can.” “What seems to be the problem?” He directed the question to the airport worker, but Persephone quickly swooped in.
“I left my handbag in the waiting lounge outside of terminal Z32 flight coming in from Tokyo. It is a VERY expensive handbag that I am sure people manhandled to no end. I demand it be returned to me and be compensated for wasting my time!”The security officer glanced at the airport worker as if to say “Do you believe this chick?” He sighed, “All right ma’am. Let me call the department and see…” before he could get the rest of his statement out, Persephone spoke up,
“Let me stop you right there. I don’t trust anyone in this establishment not to manhandle my property. I demand you walk me over to your little security station and let me collect my property there. That way, if I see any damages, I know who to charge directly.”The security officer looked aghast. “Ma’am, we don’t allow civilians back there.” Persephone didn’t budge.
“Well make an exception this time or so help me I will reach up the corpo ladder and demand amends so wild you will be lucky if you get to clean the lavatories in this place, let alone manage security anymore. Do I make myself clear?”This was a big risk. She could easily be whisked away, arrested, thrown out. But she read the security log. She knew exactly who this man is. 15 long, unappreciated years in security working at this airport, dealing with all manner of people. No raise, no promotion. He had to be sick of it and sick of dealing with people like her.
“Fine. Follow me, but stick close.”
Persephone followed, her heels clicking on the airport ground as they walked to the security office. Many people passed them by, all at varying levels of stress. The officer slid his security chip and opened the door. He stepped in first (rude not to hold the door open for a lady). He began to walk over to his station. As per the logs, he was the only one set to work in the office itself. The other officers would be patrolling around. “Ok, what did you say the handbag looked like?”
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt
That was the last sound the man heard before jolts of electricity surged through his body as he slumped to the floor. Persephone put the stun baton back into the purse she was carrying.
“Sorry, buddy. But you deserve a nap. 15 years and no promotion? I would quit.”There were no cameras in the office itself, thankfully (though in hindsight, concerning). She wasn’t strong enough to move the officer to a decent hiding place, so she had to move quickly. She skirted around the desks and through the door that led to the back hallways outside of traditional airport traffic. The package was located nearby the baggage being unloaded. Persephone moved quickly and quietly, though she cursed herself at wearing heels. It was hard to be stealthy and look fashionable, it seemed.
She heard a door unlock and she moved to the side, listening. She peeked around the corner and saw a security officer, a young woman, let out a curse as she pulled up her comm. Speaking on the phone, the woman walked back and forth, shouting at some poor person on the other end that he needed to get his rear in gear and step up with parenting their child since she was the sole breadwinner.
“Girls get it done,” she thought to herself. Though she also hoped girls got it done quicker than this. Persephone was about to pull out her baton again before the woman hung up and entered the same door she had just appeared from. Persephone took the opportunity to move down the hallway.
She reached her destination. She listened at the door and didn't hear anyone. She opened it slowly before the door itself was yanked. Caught by surprise, she didn't realize a person was in front of her until whoever it was grabbed her neck and flung her across the room.
She hit the wall with a thud, her augmented skin taking the brunt of the damage, though it still hurt. Persephone groaned as she stood up, seeing who it was that attacked her.
The figure in front of her was wearing all black. She saw augments all over their body, covering their legs, arms, and torso. They appeared to be more machine than man, which was saying something given augmentations.
"Who the hell are you?" she asked, though it came out more hoarse than anything due to her throat being recently squeezed."
"That's on a need-to-know basis. I assume you are after the parcel too?" As the figure spoke, their voice was a mix of masculine and syntax. It was like their voicebox was processing the words through a computer. Whatever the hell this thing was, it wasn't fully human.
"That's also need-to-know, but good news. You made the cut. Yeah, that's my payload." The figure let out a metallic laugh. It would have been scary any other time, but she was more pissed off now.
"Too late then. Should have gotten hear sooner. What passes for security here is pitiful." He nodded his head in the direction of the opposite side of the room. Persephone glanced over and saw the red stains on the floor. It took her a moment to process what she saw, but it was a mangle of bodies. Most donning security uniforms, but some had on what looked like coveralls. Airport workers.
Innocents.
"You killed them?" she asked, though she knew the answer.
"They got in my way.""What's so important about a set of golf clubs?""I think we both know it's more than that. My benefactor is paying some decent cred to receive this."Persephone pulled out her gun, locked it, and aimed it at the figure's head.
"You aren't leaving with it."The figure laughed again.
"I already killed plenty. What's one more?"At that threat, the figure pounced forward, reaching out. Persephone fired off two shots, the figure dodged and she dove to the right to avoid any grab or tackle. She ducked behind the tracks that moved the baggage. She crawled along the ground, attempting to hear his footsteps. She felt eyes on her and glanced up. The figure was mounted on the ceiling.
"Surprise!" He launched at her, hitting her hard. She raised her gun, but the figure was quick, knocking it out of her hand. He lifted her up by the throat again and she felt their fingers slowly inch closed.
"Shame hacker. I always hate killing the pretty ones. Any last words?"Persephone felt her vision darken slowly. She clutched at his arm, but only gripped metal. She reached to her side. She felt her hand wrap around a cool, metal object.
"Yeah..... fuck... you.."With what strength she could muster, she dug her stun baton into the figure's neck and jolted it. The figure convulsed, releasing his grip. She fell to the floor, but her baton still dug into the figure's neck and shoulder. All she could hear was buzzing as electricity surged through him. She took some deep breaths, gathering her strength again, before grabbing hold of the baton and kicking the figure back. It landed with a thud on the ground, twitching slightly.
She considered finishing it off but thought there was too much blood spilled already (if it even had blood inside of it).
Instead, she grabbed the gold clubs.
"You better be worth it."
Persephone rubbed her neck as she checked her comm. She had arrived at the atrium about a half hour ago. She left the airport quickly. She heard sirens as she got out. There to clean up the mess. If the figure was still there, would they be able to take it in? Was it alive still?
She would worry about that another day. For now, she needed to be paid. Her comm buzzed and she read the message. "Drop point under the southeastern bench. We are watching." She glanced around, though she knew it was foolish. She made her way over to the bench in question, depositing the clubs underneath it. She waited a few minutes before she got up and walked away.
As soon as she got on the tram, she heard her phone ding. $1k deposited into her account.
Her comm buzzed again.
"Client was pleased to receive package with minimal damage. I assume it all went well?"She could have told him about the figure. About his attack. His killings. He would hear about it on the news. He would ask questions she wouldn't answer and then he would move on. After all, he made his money. As far as he was concerned, it was done and over.
"It was a walk in the park."
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