Spazz- "I got your ID set up. You'll pose as Dolores Finch, a mid-rung Neutronix exec. They processed the paperwork to give your credentials some dept in case he digs a bit in the employee registry."

Harold- "Member, you gotta play this smooth, you are the carrot after the stick failed. You gotta get to a point where he'll accept the contact you'll send him but not accept any deal outright."

Kate- "What if he says yes?"

Harold- "I doubt he will after the firefight, he isn't dumb. If he does, I think we'll be able to maybe deal with Neutronix for scraps in exchange for him coming out of the cold but don't hold your breath. They would probably just contact him directly and skip us. There is a reason why job money is always put in escrow"

Kate- "Alright, we good for the call?"

Spazz- "Just a sec, gotta give your voice modulator a bit of vibrato and make it deeper... your underdome trash accent won't cut it on this one."

Kate- "Is this new implant really worth it? I mean t's just tone."

Harold- "Appearances have power Kate, you think Cherry would charm the world if she sounded like a throat cancer victim? By the way Remember, complete words and sentences. Corpo execs like clean language to constantly show their superiority to degenerate plebeians."

Kate- "Chill, my accent is a choice not a lack of aptitudes. I'd get shot if I spoke proper where I live."

Harold- "I'm not implying anything Kate, just reminding you. habits like that are hard to shrug off on a whim."

Spazz- "OK, I'm satisfied, I gave you an authoritative alto, and now I know what I'll make my new Sasha sound like. Makes me jelly just thinking of a good spank backing that voice."

Kate- *Sigh*

Marcel- "Spazz, when with people, do try to keep those deetz to yourself..."

Spazz- "Right... hum, sorry, anyway, we're ready here."

Kate- *Nods*

Cere, contact Brutaff.

Brutaff- "Who's this? Why is Neutronix contacting me now?"

Kate- "Mister Taft, my name is Dolores Finch. Your dossier has been sent to me for a reevaluation following the latest events."

Brutaff- "So shooting three of yours made you wake up?"

Kate- "Nothing like that mister Taft, you know we would get you if we really wanted to. You know our methods. I simply thought that the carrot is a cheaper tool than the stick to get what we want from you."

Brutaff- "Dun know, carrots can be pricey."

Kate- "Yes, that they can. They are still less pricey than losing the hardware on our intervention team members."

Brutaff- "Always the balance sheet with you guys..."

Kate- "Isn't it the same for everyone? So, what would it take to resolve our common misunderstandings?"

Brutaff- "I ain't daft, I know what you guys will do to me if I show up, plus I got my own little army with me now, I live like a fucking king."

Kate- "A king is a bit much, a baronet maybe, a baron at best. You do misunderstand my intentions though, I don't intend to bring you out from the cold, I want you to work for us in your current capacities Brutus, can I call you Brutus?"

Brutaff- "What's the catch?"

Kate- "I assure you there is none, simply do security for us and give us a place to set up shop for some out-of-book work and we'll let you be. The slate will be cleaned and you'll even get paid a modest stipend. Once confidence is restored we'll trade back our property for a fee."

Brutaff- "I honestly never understood why you guys tried to shoot me in the first place. Dome is in a shit state, you foot the bill to fix the systems?"

Kate- "I'll have to ask, though the stipend would be reduced for a while."

Brutaff- "Can work with that I think... how modest?"

Kate- "I don't have the exact numbers yet, I was simply trying to gauge your interest in my proposition. I'll contact you later, in the meantime, as a gesture of goodwill, I'm sending you the contact info for one of our local informants. You can go through her if you want to send us the request for the parts you need replaced and we'll see if we can scrounge up something to keep your dome going."

Brutaff- "I'll think about it... thanks."

Cere- End of connection

Harold- "I think that was a best-case scenario, well played."

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Spazz- "You just gave me an idea for later..."

Marcel- "What iz it?"

Spazz- "Just a small diversion, you'll see."

Harold- "Prepare that later, for now, make sure you alter the conversation logs for our next meeting."

Spazz- "Right, give me twenty for the AI to create and then me to verif. It shouldn't stand for professional scrutiny but it should be well enough as a conversation starter."

Harold- "Kate, Marcel, use this time to set up for the next meeting."

Marcel- "Already on it."

...

Cere- Kate, our guest has arrived.

Kate- "He's here, Marcel go open the door."

*Bjjjjjjjjjj*

Kate- Mister Killyan, thank you for coming."

Killyan "You's the corpo bitch who barked and sent me that recording? Who's the huscle?"

Kate- "I don't enjoy the exploitive mister Milton Snivelly."

Killyan- "Hey don't..."

Kate- "My name is Dolores Finch, remember it! As for him, you can call him Mister Fridge. But you won't be interacting much unless I say so."

Marcel- *grunt*

Couldn't you choose a better name?

Kate- Sorry, spur of the moment.

Killyan- "Fridge! Alright, now tha's a good name! Sup my man?"

Harold- Stop the cerechat. Focus.

Marcel- Sorry.

Kate- "Stop minding the help mr Snively."

Killyan- "The help? Wats that mean? So yo, what's that shit all 'bout?"

Kate- "My company is simply interested in a local estate for off-the-book operations, nothing major. As you've seen on the chat, your boss proved... difficult to work with. We heard that you had a faction and a territory under your personal control. We decided that you would be a better associate long-term than your current boss. We know that your relationship with him is less than ideal at the moment."

Killyan- "So you's want to back another horse? What that mean by the way, horse? I keep hearing that but never knew why we is say that shi..."

Kate- *Ahum!* "We'll get to horses later if you don't mind."

Killyan- "Right, hold you to that."

Kate- "Yes, as I was stating we need a... divergent leader here, someone we could invest in long term."

Killyan- "Why you's make everything so complicated?"

Spazz- How did that fucker get any power at all?

Harold- Right time... I chose him for his mental aptitudes, trusting and known to be honest to the extreme. He got scammed twice by Earth Prince in exile mail scams. Brutaff used him to do all the toaster-brained jobs but he survived through it all. Had to promote him... Peter Principle in action. He has a good reputation in the gang as a straight shooter without guile.

Kate- "It's quite simple, actually, we help you become the king. Then you pay us back with a place in the dome for our work. After you provide perimeter security. we'll pay you for it on a monthly basis."

Killyan- "Peri what bitch? You trying to insult me or some shit?"

Kate- *involuntary sigh* "No, offering you money for easy work."

Killyan- "Oh!"

*Fidjets*

"I can work with that... OK, I'm in, yeah, I know Brut wants me out. Told me so."

Kate- "The details are on this chip, please insert it in your port."

Killyan- "Kay..."

*Clic*

"What n..."

Spazz- "Woooohooo! Got control of him, good job Kate!"

Kate- "Bozo's too easy, he basically threw himself out of the airlock."

Marcel- "What an idiot, I swear, who would put an unknown key like that in their personal slot?"

Kate- "I'm just happy we didn't have to tussle. You might have better chrome than his but still risky shit."

Spazz- "Give me an hour or two, I'm getting used to his body proportions. I'll run a learning algo to do the heavy lifting after. Don't want to mess up while piloting this toaster."

Marcel- "Still can't get over how stupid he iz."

Harold- Spazz, don't forget to use him to send the party invites, and make sure Brutaff comes in late.

Spazz- "Seriously twisted to do this on his birthday boss... You guys didn't forget the cake right?"

Marcel- "No, it's here, look. I made it myself!"

Kate- "Bioshit must have cost a fortune. Smell like real sugar."

Marcel- "It iz. Only the frosting iz real, the cake is a lie.

Spazz *Conspiratorial tone* "Grenade!"