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***
- Fuck, I'm gonna buy myself a sea of chrome!
Pilar poured out his joy like a little girl who had been given a new set of cosmetics for New Year's Eve in a pink package with a pink bow. And everyone could see that. Even Kiwi, who had a very favourable attitude towards him, stepped aside. Apparently she finally began to realise that such a frame does not quite fit her. However, the rest of the involved team members looked only slightly less enthusiastic.
Mayne was the most excited, though he was much more reserved. But there was an anticipatory smile on the face of this currently unhealthy man.
- Had we made a mistake?
Kiwi looked at all of this and simply couldn't contain her question, which was now on the mind of everyone who had once been a member of Maine's group.
- Time would tell...
I shrugged my shoulders, because although I had an idea of what would happen next, I wasn't sure that Mayne was going to run to a familiar reaper who had serviced him before. Perhaps he would have the brains to stop for a couple of days, analyse the situation and at the very least approach chrome plating in a much more restrained and considered way?
- Kiwi, Lucy, Becca, you'll be back on the team, won't you?
Mayne said it in an extremely confident tone, and, frankly, it made me want to put a bullet between his eyes. No, I'd taken advantage of the situation and lured them all to my place, but to be so brazen....
- I'm sorry, big guy, but I'm more interested in David.
Becca was the first to respond, almost without thinking about her former boss's question.
- So he's keeping you from having fun...
- Well...
Becca cast a thoughtful glance at me, before nodding uncertainly.
- ...Yeah, there's not much in the way of fun with him, but I've already found a way to change that... And frankly, given the choice between working for a pittance as an oaf and an annoyingly quiet job with decent bonuses, I'd choose the latter. And his goal in life... You know, becoming a Legend like you want is certainly an exciting goal, but I personally prefer a long and relatively quiet life.
- Yeah...
Mayne shook his head.
- ...From whoever, but I didn't expect such words from you... Lucy? Kiwi?
- I'll pass...
Kiwi shook her head.
- You know my situation, and with David, I can pay off my debt early. So, as far as I'm concerned, it's a clear choice.
- I'll stay with David too...he's good food.
That's where the comments all fell flat. I might have expected this response from Becky, but not from Lucy. However, I decided to take it as a given and continued to just sit there and not react in any way to Mayne trying to leave me without a command.
Could I have resented it?
Definitely could have, especially after three days of working together, when we had looted a large number of Stilettos' hideouts and raised a rather large sum of money, which I had generously shared with him, Dorio and Pilar. At the very least he could have waited for me to step aside....
- So no?
- No, Big Guy...
Kiwi shook her head and answered for all the girls this time.
- Judy, how about you and Panam?
- No, no, no, you can't even count on us. We've been with David almost since the beginning of his career... well, I joined later, but I've known him since the early days of his solo career, and what I know about him... well, I wouldn't trade working in his team for any money to work with someone else.
- Hmmm... So I should be looking for a runner and fire support.....
- I can give you some advice.
- Hmm?
- Well, I'm monitoring the situation for new players, so there's a girl recently, nicknamed Orange because of the tattoo on her shoulder, name's Nami. As far as I know she's working with the Padres, who's Sebastian Ibarra, but in general, I don't think he'd mind if you invited her into your group. But that's only if you don't get too chrome again....
- None of your business!
I shrugged.
- You're right, none of my business... so Nami's not a bad raner, albeit a newbie, but as far as a group of doujins go....
I shook my head.
- ...I could recommend Vee and Jackie, but they've been taken over by DeShawn, and I doubt they'll work with you until they've dealt with the order from him. I can think of a few newbies as well... if you're interested, I can drop you a list of them. Or you can buy a selection of rookie prospects from a fixer.
- Hmm... that's what I'll do....
He sighed and got up from the table.
- ...Well, thanks for the work and its payment... I didn't expect such generosity....
I only shrugged my shoulders at his words.
- Bye...
The girls said goodbye to Mayne and his group and he quietly left the nomad camp. We remained seated at the table.
- So...
- I have a... request...
Kiwi's voice was a little hesitant. And it was strange, but I didn't mind listening to her, at least.
- Yes?
- I've been contacted by Faraday...
I frowned slightly.
- ...He warned me that he was VERY interested in working with you, asked me to put pressure on you to agree to the order....
- And?
- Don't look at me like that.
She looked away.
- ...I'm not a fool to ruin the team and our relationship just for a partial cancellation of a debt when I was already starting to manage to pay it off. Anyway, I gave Faraday a big fat hint that it's going to take a while for you to at least not drop his call as soon as you realise who's calling... and given how busy you are right now... He won't be calling until early next week at the earliest. So could you pretend that I'm so sick of you talking and hinting that just to stop it you decided to actually talk to him?
I grinned.
- That's no problem, but I'm not taking work from him... I can't imagine what he'd have to say for me to decide to take an order from him....
- He's pretty slippery.
- Slippery people are easier to shoot.
- Well...
Kiwi shrugged.
- ...I wouldn't be opposed to such a development. I suppose in the event of his death, my debt would be considered cancelled...''
She grinned.
- So, okay, we've discussed that, now let's discuss our future plans....
- And what do you want to discuss?
- Upgrades...
Panam is really tensed up.
- ...yes, Panam, upgrades for all of us. There comes a point where it's dangerous for us to even stand still with our current level of chrome. We haven't crossed the path of big corporations yet, but we've stepped on the toes of a bunch of small ones. And they may well co-operate to hire someone strong enough to take us out. Of course, that would cost them a lot of money. Since the really big players won't even scratch their heads for the small stuff... but I guess another six months, a year at the most, and they'll be forced to make a serious investment.
- What do you suggest?
Judy was looking at me intently.
- For starters, we all need subcutaneous armour. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone, even you Panam. And knowing your reluctance to chrome plating, I've already sent a rough list to Vic, he'll find the best of what can be found on the market, even if it's black market, so that the installation of such armour won't affect our daily lives in any way.
- That's not everything, is it?
- Definitely not everything...
I nodded, confirming that I was going to say a lot of things that she wouldn't take well. But we both knew I had to say it.
- I think I'll need optical camouflage at the very least... I'm also thinking about replacing the skeleton, but I don't want to install a titanium one, it would make me much heavier, so I've asked Vic to find something experimental that won't make me much heavier. And that's about all the pure chrome I'd like to get, but I've also sent him a request for bio-implants....
- As far as I know, they're not as effective as chromium....
Judy's joining the conversation.
- You're right, but like I said, I'm not happy with the Borg's fate. So, Vic's gonna have to spend a lot of time tweaking the chrome, since some types just aren't made by the same corporations. And the installation of bio-implants will be difficult, but at least it won't take a long time to adjust, and besides, a person with such implants is not considered a Borg, which is a big plus for me.
- I see... what about us?
The Kiwi was looking at me closely. Apparently, she was calculating what she could do with my suggestions and how much she would have to cut back on her finances.
- A deck, and an extra-class one at that.
If I were in the game, I'd say legendary, but there's no such term. But there is extra class, such as the same deck from Arasaka version four, or from Network Watch version five.
- I was also thinking about memory expanders and memory recharge accelerators... but here I just asked Vic to pick something of equal quality.
- This.
Kiwi was shocked. I think she was beginning to realise that this was going to cost her.
- Bio-implants like the ones I have... for poisoning, for organ strength and longevity, generally a very versatile set.
- Um.
- Becca doesn't really need anything extra, except I'd replace her chrome kit with extra class chrome, while Panam adds something they put on professional racers.
- Ahem... I don't think... I don't think I have the funds for the extra class....
Kiwi pulled herself together and spoke first.
- Oh, don't worry...I have the solution and the money...and I'm offering the same option that Judy once offered.....
- Which is?
Kiwi looked at me suspiciously.
- I'll pay for everything... and I have money, and plenty of it, because although I do spend money from time to time, I generally have a very substantial piggy bank, for a rainy day. So I have enough money for our upgrade, as for you, if you agree to it, you will receive a stable share of the reward for the mission, as well as only ten per cent of the share that will be due to you in the form of a bonus. And that's until your debt to me is closed.
- What's the catch?
Kiwi looked carefully into my eyes, looking for mockery, or something else she expected to see there.
- There's no catch...
Judy shrugged.
- ...he just wants to work harder, get more money, and live without looking behind the scenes, and that requires him to be sure of the rear. So he's giving us all an option... and personally, I agree.
- I didn't need to ask you...
Becca drummed her fingers thoughtfully on the table.
- ...like Panam, she's not a big fan of chrome, but she's not likely to say no to David's upgrade.
- I wouldn't say no.
Panam nodded her head.
- ...And I'll use my personal funds to modernise Tortik... I should have completely overhauled it long ago, and now it's just a light tuning... Or maybe I'll sell Tortik to the clan and buy something more spacious... the same Chevyon Emperor 620 Ragnar, I've been looking at it for a long time....
- Well, I think if you give it a good tune-up, it'll give Tortik a good head start.
- Mm-hmm.
- So?
I looked at the girls again.
- Well, I can partly pay for the chrome myself... but I'd rather have you do it. You pay for everything, and I work, giving you most of the bonus. I think with our style of work it's more than two months of work....
I nodded my head at Becky's words.
- I don't mind...
Lucy shrugged.
- ...If I'm more efficient, then we'll get the money back faster.
- Good...
Kiwi closed her eyes.
- Just--
- Yes?
- Can I ask you to add something else to the list of bio-implants?
- What's that?
- The lower jaw, and everything that should be... I'll go to Vic, he'll take a look and make a list. I'm not gonna give up the mask, but I'd like to be able to take it off and not shine chrome like some Malstrom guy....
- And this girl has a crush on my brother...
Becca shook her head, and I finally relaxed. They all agreed... Good....