The mess hall in the hour and a half before dusk is only slightly less oppressive than during the morning; the soft whispers are fueled by the better food that is often served during dinner. The reduced presence of guards compared to the other meals is a calculated decision, allowing people to relax before the early curfew, which was deemed necessary as the darkness of the night was far too good an opportunity for ill-intentioned actors.
The light flickers above me as I push the lukewarm stew around my plate. The shadows move in sync with my thoughts, bringing an odd twist to the monotony.
I keep my head down, hoping to fit in with the hushed talks and clatter of silverware. I've been attempting to maintain a low profile since Reza's warning. However, the fact that I am sitting alone does not help. It makes me appear fragile, as if I am begging for trouble.
And trouble has a way of finding you when you’re sitting alone in the mess hall.
I scarcely noticed her at first. Only when her shadow falls across my plate do I look up. She's a stunning woman with more lovers than I have fingers for. Her name is Selene, and everyone knows her. The type of person who gets favors by trading secrets and insinuations. I had heard whispers about her, none of which were particularly flattering.
Selene sits across from me without asking, her eyes narrowing as they focus on mine. Her look has a disturbing quality to it, as if she is attempting to peel back the layers of my thoughts with a single stare.
“Dev,” she continues, her voice low and smooth, “I hear you are in charge of assignment adjustments.”
I nod cautiously, trying to keep my face neutral. “That’s right.”
“Good.” She leans in, her lips curling into a smirk. “Then you’ll understand why I need a little favor.”
“And what favor would that be?” Selene asking for a favor is never good news and her tone sends goosebumps down my back.
“I need my assignment changed.” Her eyes flicker with something darker now—something cold. “I’m supposed to be working in Sector 24, but I want to switch to Sector 8.”
I lean back, “I never knew; I owed you a favor? Unless you are willing to trade for it.”
She leans forward, her V-necked top revealing a bit too much, “I wasn´t aware you are into older women.”
I blush at my accidental implication and shake my head, “I mean’t more the kind of coupons or a voucher. Why do you even want to go to Sector 8? Its completely looted and theres a nasty cult living there.”
Selene’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “That’s not your concern. What is your concern is making the change for me?”
Changing an assignment like that without a solid reason? It’s a sure way to attract unwanted attention from the council and I am already on hot rocks with them. Something is wrong here, and that scares me.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. It’s against protocol and could get me in trouble.”
Her eyes narrow further, and she leans further in, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “I don’t think you’re fully grasping the situation here, Dev; I am not going to pay you whatever absurd price you are going to set. And if you don’t make this change, you might find yourself on the wrong end of Adam’s ire. ”
I keep my face blank, not willing to let her know how worried I am and instead simply raise an eyebrow.
"You know, Adam, one of the council members and one of my lovers? You are already in a precarious position right now, Dev. Don’t make it worse for yourself. Help me and I will keep the gangs and the other ruffians off your back. While you are helping me, of course.”
“Tempting but no.”
“Tsk. Tsk. Wrong answer,” Her eyes have a manic gleam to them now and she slowly leans back, pulling out a knife and ever so gently placing it on the table. “Can you afford to go to jail now?”
I stiffen, my hand reaching for my own knife, while my mind buzzes on an adrenaline rush. If she is willing to attack me, then she doesn’t mind going to jail. And the damn guards will put me in jail along with her for “allowing a fight.” Hell, if she is not lying about Adam, she probably won’t even make it to jail before being bailed by him.
And a one week absence is enough for the council to try and get rid of me now that they know I won’t just roll over for them and be their slave. Given that I have barely been working in administration for 11 days and have been at camp for two weeks.
The threat is clear, and I can’t ignore it. Before I can respond, Reza arrives with her crew. She slides into the seat next to me. Casually, the rest of Reza’s crew slide in next to Selene, surrounding her.
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“Selene,” Reza says with a relaxed tone that is at odds with the underlying tension, “I think you’re making a mistake here. Why don’t you take your business elsewhere?”
Selene's expression darkens, yet she recognizes when she is outnumbered. After a moment of stiff silence, she stands and gives me a final, menacing glance before walking away but not before jamming the tip of her knife into the table.
Reza's company gathers around the table, providing a welcome shield. Milo gives a casual nod, his eyes glinting with either amusement or approval—it's difficult to tell with him. Kana, tall and imposing, remains silent, but her gaze is piercing, as if she is calculating the risk of the scenario right now. Jax takes a seat with a gentle thud, his mass softening the space, while Rina, a girl who is around my age, sits silently, her gaze darting between us all with a mixture of interest and apprehension.
Reza breaks the silence, her tone shifting to a more businesslike demeanor. “Dev, you did well. Selene’s not someone you want to get on the wrong side of, especially not with her connections.”
“Yeah, thanks for stepping in,” I say. “I’m guessing you knew she’d come for me. Is this a regular occurrence?”
“More often than I’d like,” Reza replies, her fingers drumming lightly on the table. "Selene is not just interested in favors; she is a manipulator. If you had not noticed, she would have made your life miserable in ways you could not have predicted."
Milo leans forward, a sly grin playing on his lips. “I wouldn’t say ‘miserable.’ More like ‘interesting.’”
Kana’s voice cuts through with a rare hint of warmth. “We’ve all had our share of run-ins with people like Selene. You learn to navigate it, or you get flattened.”
Reza nods before her voice turns more serious, “I have an offer for you. You can join us on our next mission outside of this place. Which is tomorrow, it will help in getting you away from all the sharks for a while.”
I nodded slowly, absorbing Reza’s offer. “Join you on a mission? You’re not going to do something like this for free; what do you want?”
Reza winces, “Well… I want you to change our groups, mission from Sector 12 to Sector 74. And increase its duration to a whole week.”
I glare at her, “Seriously? My answer doesn’t change. If this is all you wanted to say, I am going to leave now.”
“Look, Dev,” she continues, her tone gentler but yet urgent. “I understand it. This is a lot to ask. But you have to understand that Sector 74 is not a random pick. We have leads on some key stuff out there. We cannot afford to go without certain supplies. And frankly, you're not in a position to refuse.”
Milo, who has been observing the conversation with curiosity, adds, “And it's not like the council will care much about a sector change. They're too preoccupied with their own mess to notice a minor change. Plus, we will deal with the council for you. If they raise an issue.”
Kana’s gaze remains fixed on me; her silence is intimidating. While Reza speaks, “Think it over. We’re not asking for charity. We’ve got a stake in this, and if you help us out, we’ll make sure you’re well compensated. Or at least, we’ll keep people like Selene from making your life hell.”
I’m torn. On a simple principle, I want to reject it. If I do a favor once, then everyone will expect me too. Right now, the underworld of the camp has been relatively hands off. By doing this, I am angering the council further and becoming free game for the gangs, as the normal protection the council offers to its important workers no longer applies to me.
However, Reza's remarks about keeping the sharks at bay remain in my thoughts. The situation with Selene and the council is only going to get messier, so ignoring it may be the best option for the time being. I have no choice but to extend them some trust but I am not going to give in easily and without any benefits.
“I don’t suppose there’s room for negotiation on the mission details?” I ask, trying to buy myself some time.
Reza’s lips curl into a half-smile, like she’s been expecting this. “We could adjust the terms a bit. What do you have in mind?”
I consider her offer. “How about this: I’ll make the change, but I want a 10% cut of whatever you find out there, after the camp’s 50% share. I want something concrete in exchange for risking my neck.”
Reza’s smile widens, and she nods. “Deal. I think that’s more than fair. We’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”
“But I do have a question: how are we going to go so far? That’s over twice as far as any other searching team. Not to mention the risk of those massive gangs and cults grows the further out you go.”
Reza blows me off with a smirk, “You’ll see. And we’ll avoid most of the bad ones and most of the others won’t bother us. Having a reputation is important sometimes.”
Before I can press further, Milo launches into a story. “Oh, and speaking of valuable finds, did I ever tell you about Sector 32? We once stumbled upon this colony in the ruins of a mega-building. They burn their dead in this massive, never-ending fire. Creepy stuff, but they’ve repaired some cyberdecks; they are not trading them.”
Reza raises an eyebrow. “I thought we were keeping this under wraps. But if Sector 74 goes well, we can give them a deal they can't refuse for one of the decks. It's far too big of an advantage for us to not at least try again.”
The crew starts settling into the new conversation, easing the tension. I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. I have a lot to prepare for, and the clock is ticking. “Alright, I’ll make the change. But I need to leave if I want to make the changes before curfew. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Well, it's partially true. I also need to warn Doc and Amari… In case things go wrong, maybe they will search for me? But that's not likely; even friendship will only go so far in this place.
Take Reza, for example, she helped me out by first warning me, then saving me but she made sure to make at least a little profit, possibly even a massive profit. But I can’t blame her. At least if she profits on this trip, even I will. Better than all the other offers and threats I receive.
It seems I won’t be able to stay out of politics much longer. It has a way of sucking everyone in. Hell, I think I am the only one among my coworkers who doesn't play the game. And I am pretty sure they all have their own little side businesses.