Iteration Start

[a_linear_mind]

[1]

[A few days before the Unity Group announcement, a knight-like machine enters Fort Alhambra. The pilot that emerges from the machine is a rather scruffy looking young man - who looks like he's been wearing the same jacket for years.]

Let me see if I remember how to do this...uh nice to meet everyone. My name is Willis Clades. I'm just a regular old merc who's been hired by the Unity Group. So yeah, I hope we'll be able to work together well in the future.

[2]



[Several days later, the real reason behind Willis joining the Unity Group was made clear. Willis can be found in the cafeteria with a mountain of empty plates piled on one side of him, full plates on the other. ]

Real food! No more scrounging or having to wash dishes for a meal. This is the best!

Comments

[kinaesthete]

Ah, so you're working directly for Commander Antov.

Better eat up, in case the next "incident" is a payroll mix-up, right?

[a_linear_mind]

Now you're getting it.

[Willis is all grins as he starts digging into a bowl of Very Special Inferno Chili himself.]

So, what about you?

[kinaesthete]

Here on assignment from Erewhon. Testing out a prototype.

Well, not here, here. The Star Rose. We'll probably be doing ground trials down here at some point, though.

So, yeah, sorry. Regular old well-fed sell-out citizen soldier, here. I'll try not to get any bourgeois on you.

[a_linear_mind]

I'll hold you to that.

[Chili Status: Devoured]

Star Rose though, I should take some time to check it out. I hope you won't mind if I took a look at the machine you're testing.

[And make sure we have some sort of proper continuity here.]

[kinaesthete]

Sure thing! I'm proud of it; it's a family project, as well as homegrown. And the Star Rose itself is a pretty nice place to work, so long as someone else is covering your expenses.

[Cathy's still not done with her own chili. Willis' progress leaves her looking somewhat alarmed.]

Hell, word of mouth's always good if you want other people to actually use the designs you're coming up with. I don't suppose you're implanted?

[She rubs a hand at the back of her neck, where Willis may be able to guess her access jacks are concealed.]

[a_linear_mind]

Didn't think I'd meet someone implanted that didn't come from one of the Sprawls.

[Then again it's been years since he's been anywhere near one.]

Unfortunately I'm not. At least not with those kinds of cybernetics.

[It's like he's intentionally being vague.]

[kinaesthete]

Hey, we have decent tech in the colonies, you know. And clean air, so I'd say we're ahead on points.

And that's a pity, you're not the intended market for the full package of the Rose's features. Still plenty of them you should find interesting individually, though.

[a_linear_mind]

Yeah, clean air does put them several points ahead of the Sprawl.

[The general lack of evil conglomerates also helps.]

I'll look forward to hearing your sales pitch for it then.