"This is Marjorie," says Electra, nodding toward the woman sitting beside her. "She's a psychic."
"I represent an organization known as ORPHEUS," says Marjorie. The woman is rather short, and unassuming-looking. "Have you heard of us?"
You have. Electra briefed you on them just a couple of weeks ago—in preparation for this meeting, you suddenly realize. They are a group of psychics dedicated to placing their own members in positions of power all around the globe in order to guarantee the favorable treatment of their own kind, who they have so far perceived as a mistreated, exploited minority. You gather their methods are, in general, quite sinister in tenor.
"I have, yes," you reply. "Though I'll confess I've forgotten what the acronym stands for."
Marjorie smiles. "The Organized Resistance for Perpetuating Human Existence Under Sanctions. I've come to you to ask you to help us develop a drug, one that will boost latent psychic abilities—meaning that the vast majority of humankind will receive no benefit from it whatsoever. We've partially developed this drug already, though we lack the means to continue the process."
"So it's a niche product?" you say. "Those can be profitable—but few customers necessitates high margins, and that makes the product much harder to sell."
"We will be your only customers," Marjorie continues. "And I don't intend to pay you a single dollar for it."
"So we'd be doing this as a favor?" you say. The forest has completely faded from sight as the two of you have been speaking, you notice. "That's a big favor. If I may ask the age-old question, what's in it for us?"
"We'll work for you."
Next