[K - A08] Assimilated

[VK-318]

Location: A08 Crentium

Tags: Civil Building

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"According to the doctors, the wound healing went well. Your wife should be scar-free, in spite of her recent encounter with advanced torture methods."

"Agent Raven." With difficulty, I tore myself away from the ledge. "It's an unexpected honor. What bring you here?"

"Fifty-eight pirates killed and goods recovered valued into seven figures."

"Is that how many I shot? I lost count."

"You lost count." Her icicle expression didn't change - it never did. But I thought I heard a touch of surprise.

"In any case," she continued, "this mission was not authorized. Indeed, your vessel was found absent from the battle line during an engagement with an enemy fleet. Upon inquiry, I discovered that you had deliberately gone AWOL to pursue your unauthorized rescue mission. This is grounds for dismissal, and charges of desertion."

"I'm afraid you're wrong, Agent," I said politely. "Only employees can be charged with desertion, and if you will examine our contract, Silvia and I, along with the Variga, are independent contractors, and not subject to most disciplinary actions."

"Correct." Ragen lapsed into silence. I watched. She had plainly known that we were not punishable before she came, else she would have argued the point - and backed up her argument with troops. So why was the CEO of all of the Kawashita Group's Andromeda activities here, aboard a hospital ship in orbit over a no-account world on the galactic fringe?

"The toxin the torturer used," Raven said, interrupting my musings. "It's a very new design. M.A.N.T.I.S. only developed it a few months ago, a by-product of something else. They still haven't properly finished testing it, and obviously that filthy traitor Laszlowe didn't bother giving the pirates the safety information anyway. According to the doctors, the toxin appears to interact heavily with many varieties of stimulants."

"Which means?" I had heard the mock casual tone Raven was using many times before, from all manner of people. It was the voice of someone who was carrying bad news, and liked it.

"The stimulant used in the torture process appears have to interacted with the torture-enhancing toxin, leading to permanent neural scarring. In short, the effect is permanent."

"I beg your pardon? Does the Kawashita Group not have the technology to repair neural damage? Is it not, in fact, the selfsame device in which my wife is currently being recuperated?" My voice was tightly controlled, and I spoke through almost-clenched teeth.

"So it does, so it does. But that level of therapy is reserved for employees only."

I boiled over. "What?!" I reached for a gun, then remembered that I had been disarmed before being admitted. "You know exactly what I've already done to bring Silvia this far. And now you tell me that nothing will be done to help her? Do you really think that's wise?" I hissed.

Agent Raven fixed me with an icy glare. "Don't threaten me, ever, pirate. This once, I'll overlook it." She stepped away from the window. "As a matter of fact, something can be done."

"The other corporations no longer pose an existential threat to the Kawashita Group," Raven said briskly. "Octan and M.A.N.T.I.S. are too involved in their own troubles to hinder us; we have all grown to the point where the damage of war would take another year to repair. The battlefield has changed.

"We must now confront the forces of organized crime. Slavery, that most vile of all crimes, plagues our neighbors, and it is only a matter of time until its creeping touch is felt on our own worlds. Piracy leeches at the trade routes so newly established, and cuts our profits nearly by half in some systems. Corruption threatens to topple corporations from within, and gang violence is already acting to destabilize the civilian populations so newly planted in this galaxy."

"A grand speech," I said acidly. "What do you suggest I do about it?"

"The fleet of this company is strongly oriented toward conventional action - occupation, invasion, and large-scale interfleet engagement. Our commanders are trained for this, and our warships are designed with this mission in mind. We lack an effective pirate-hunting force.

"For this, a unique skillset is needed. One must have personal experience with organized crime - preferably from the inside, the better to root it out. One must command a team experienced in shipboard and close-quarters fighting, in order to detain and recapture as much as possible and effectively rescue prisoners. And one must have access to a small vessel, capable of intercepting enemy craft, disabling fight-or-flight mechanisms, and moving to board."

"What does this have to do with Silvia?" I asked tightly.

"I want to you lead an anti-piracy task force. It's mission will be to eliminate and discourage acts of organized crime, acting either in support of the fleet or alone as needed."

"But..." There was going to be a catch.

"You will sign a revised contract. From now on, your are an employee, assigned to the first branch of the Andromeda Division of the Kawashita Group. You will take orders from the First Branch Executive and myself, and you have a zanpolit aboard to ensure that you do. In exchange, I will personally authorized full neural recovery treatment for Silvia Kramer."

I pondered for a moment. Piracy must truly be eating at the company's bottom line if the most famous pirate hunter in the Kawashita Group, known even back in the Milky Way for her infiltration and elimination of the Dust Demons less than a year ago, was coming to me to solve the problem.

As far as the contract was concerned, there was no question. I would have sold my sold my soul to Lord Business himself if that was what it took to help Silvia.

"Done." I signed the contract and handed it back.

Raven left without a word.

So, we were employees now. It was worth it, I knew, but what had we given up?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, yeah. I probably should have checked a couple of weeks ago to see if I had any of the parts required to build Agent Raven. Nope. I hope this simple imitation will suffice.

Finally back from finals! Hooray!

[Dannylonglegs]

Man, that was an intense story. Love Raven's icy demeanor! I honestly confused this for an Epsilon story! the medical room is simple, but effective, and overshadowed by the awesome story, but they certainly compliment eachother!

If you're interested in constructive criticism, I think one think that would help the build would be some slope pieces to break up the solid white walls, or some texture pieces to provide greeble. Maybe a machine or two alongside the tank. The stripe of yellow is a great touch.

Great job!

~Insectoid Aristocrat

[Col. Brik]

Great story. Welcome to the "official" fold.

[VK-318]

Man, that was an intense story. Love Raven's icy demeanor! I honestly confused this for an Epsilon story! the medical room is simple, but effective, and overshadowed by the awesome story, but they certainly compliment eachother!

If you're interested in constructive criticism, I think one think that would help the build would be some slope pieces to break up the solid white walls, or some texture pieces to provide greeble. Maybe a machine or two alongside the tank. The stripe of yellow is a great touch.

Great job!

~Insectoid Aristocrat

Yes, that's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for! Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely try to figure out ways to do that.

Great story. Welcome to the "official" fold.

Thanks! I think ...

[EpsilonEta]

Nice to see Raven from someone else perspective. Really well written (and Raven looked good too)

Maybe just a little too “menacing” (but that might be how many see her or at lest what Kramer needed) Or maybe it was because of this:

Some time ago on the Crentium Station

Finally I'm done and can go to Orinchi.

Ma'am, Viktor Kramer just got in. He ignored orders and went after a pirate gang. We need you to handle this.

Oh mega blocking...

-New message- “Busy, take cab ” -Send-

This better be important.

[pombe]

Mom, you seriously need to lighten up.

...

[Dannylonglegs]

Maybe just a little too “menacing” (but that might be how many see her or at lest what Kramer needed)

"I was always taught that it is better to be feared than loved if you cannot be both. A little menacing never hurts."

~Dr. Long

[EpsilonEta]

"I was always taught that it is better to be feared than loved if you cannot be both. A little menacing never hurts."

~Dr. Long

Yes it do fit Raven's character. I just have a little problem writing it like that as I'm really nice myself (in Mass effect I hit the roof on Paragon points 3/4 into the game )

[VK-318]

Yes it do fit Raven's character. I just have a little problem writing it like that as I'm really nice myself (in Mass effect I hit the roof on Paragon points 3/4 into the game )

Me too. My favorite moment in the whole series is in ME1. I play as a Colonist, and I love talking down the escaped slave who's trying to kill herself. We'll probably see that in my story somewhere - NOBODY STEAL THAT IDEA!!!

[Andromedas Gates]

The judges awarded you 3 points.

[Mr Greeble]

Intense dialogue, and the medical capsule is a nice touch. I wanted to do something like that for Agent G, but I ended up with a bed.

[wout1988]

Good story line.