forum ENCOM OS-12 | OxO | Closed unless you're a fellow Program/User/ISO | Stalkers get a free Light Runner

Started March 25, 2021 by @murphysgirl

tune

“Same as the last one, I guess.” Cor shrugged casually, nodding his thanks to the bartender.

The bartender served them; Nora eyed Bit, who was sulking at the bottom of its cage, with some amusement.

Cor smiled a little, chuckling at Bit’s sulking attitude, and handed the bartender a few bits to cover his tab for the night.

"I'll pay." She put her hand on the counter as if to prod his away, but it turned out she wasn't brave enough to touch him. Drinks were free on opening night anyway, but she wasn't going to tell him that.

“Well… If you insist. But you wouldn't be against me giving a tip?” Cor smirked softly as a comprise. He would have been willing to pay even if she had told him that the drinks were free.

Nora raised one eyebrow slightly. "Whom are you tipping?"

Cor shrugged slightly, a little taken off guard by the question. “I guess both of you. You and the bartender.”

The barest hint of a smile touched her lips. "If you insist…"

“I do.” Cor nodded briefly and left his bits on the bar before sipping at his fresh drink.

Astra was sitting in her living room looking at her disc, analysing moves, code, what she needed. She needed information. She would have sent one of her own out, but it could be traced back to her. She couldn't afford that kind of blow.
Astra's contacts had told her about some guy named Black Light, and apparently, he had a reputation. A vigilante. Astra's mouth curled into a half-smile. She could turn him, all right. He just didn't have to know that what he was doing was wrong.
"Skye?"
Skye, who was sprawled on a couch messaging her latest boyfriend, looked up. "Mm?"
"Tell Priya that I need Black Light contacted." Astra splayed her hands on her desk. "And soon."

Cor had finished up his work a while ago and was currently resting in his small loft style apartment. He didn't have much to do at the moment and was, honestly, a little bored. The idea of going back to the End of Line club was very tempting especially seeing Nora and her Bit again… but he didn't want to be smothering or seem desperate. Nor did he want to come across as a drunk who visited a bar every cycle. He knew exactly how much he could handle and very rarely went over that limit. What he really needed was a good job offer to help get his mind off Nora for a while so he could get his head straight. This growing… feeling for her was too dangerous. His life was too full of secrets. He already liked her too much that he didn't want her to get hurt because of him.

Skye had a lesser program anonymously send a message. There was some data to be retrieved about a variety of shipping exports and imports. It had to be done within two cycles, and the location of the data was at the docks.

Cor sighed a little, got up and left his apartment. I’m not going to find a job in here. Once he was far enough away to avoid suspicion, he changed into his Black Light disguise and rezzed in his light cycle before driving around at a somewhat leisurely pace, at least for him, looking at some of his usual meeting spots. Checking if there was anyone who might be looking for him.

A program was waiting for him, a slender male wearing a hood that shadowed his face. Without a word, he extended a hand, a small - and empty - data cube in his palm.
"Go to the docks, find area 3C, and the code you need will be there," the program said. "Bring this back here within two cycles."

Cor nodded stoically and accepted the blank cube. “And what’s the incentive?” he asked, casually tossing the cube in the air and catching it.

"That depends on what you want to get out of this."

Cor hummed slightly, trying to keep as much interest out of his voice though his brow was raised under his visor. “I don't often get to set my own price… Negotiate; sure, occasionally.” he said flippantly. “Tell you what… Down payment, two hundred fifty. Double if it's a more risky job. And we’ll discuss the rest once I get the data.” he suggested.

"Two hundred fifty is fine," said the program. "I will transfer the bits to your account immediately. The sooner you do this job, the more you get paid when the data is returned."

Cor nodded calmly, accepting the terms and walking back towards the street. “I’ll see you or your boss here before the next cycle.” he said confidently, still tossing the cube in the air and catching it a few more times before finally switching it for his light cycle and driving off.

The program watched him drive away; with a mutter of, "You won't see my boss," he melted back into the shadows and disappeared.

Nora, meanwhile, was bored. Something had been urging her all day to go down and visit the docks; she hadn't been down there in a long time, and it had been one of Kaira's favourite places.
"Bit?" she asked. They were sitting side by side, watching the streaks of light in the city down below.
Yes.
"Do you want to go down to the docks?"
Bit bobbed up and down in the air, apparently torn. It had never been a fan of small spaces, especially since the bar fiasco, but as the docks had been one of Kaira's favourite haunts, it had also been down there often.
"Come on, Bit," Nora urged.
If Bit could sigh, Nora was fairly sure that hers would have. Yes, it uttered, with a tone more like that of a Fine.
"All right." Nora stood up and pulled her lightcycle baton off of her hip. "Come on, then."

Cor hummed thoughtfully as he finally approached the docks. It was a strange situation since, to his knowledge, there usually wasn't much information here at least nothing worth paying a professional like himself for… Which is why he low-balled the down payment and why he was going to check out the data once he had it. He’d done that before depending on the job, so this was nothing new.

Nora zoomed down to the docks on her lightcycle, Bit sticking close to her. Kaira's favourite place had been right down by the water, and Nora went there, right on the edge of the docks, where the sky-dark water was inches away.

Cor didn't often come down to the docks so he was having a little difficulty finding area 3C. Honestly, the vast empty-looking dark water made him a little nervous so he didn't get too close to it. Though looking up gave him a better feeling. He sighed lightly and shook his head as he continued searching for the right area.