Destination Deimos (Verus)

MKR

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Aug 19, 2018
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#1
August 17th, OE 102
Longinius HQ
Italy, Former Directory



She had been looking forward to this meeting for a while now, though getting to it was easier said then done. Such was the line of thinking in the brunette's head, which was awfully quiet for once. It was so lonely this far from the rest of the hers that were among the stars still, at least she figured they were. She had confidence in her ability to keep everything in keeping the Meyven safe. But that uneasy worry was there all the same, what if she was needed while she was away?

She didn't want to be too late to help- But how could she help when so many answers remained without answer? Lurking behind every calm thought was that worry "who was I?" and in the past months of rebuilding and building the need for an answer had arisen more than ever before. Fortunately for her the one Iris- Eris recommended was willing to talk to her, unfortunately it had brought her here. In a lobby of a foreign place, Italy it was called. She practically had to sneak into the earth sphere a task she had managed but to do such a thing for one conversation which could lead to nothing was... Worrying, but at the same time it could lead to answers. Answers the chat at the end of the prior crisis hadn't answered, answers she had maybe sought for for decades if not longer.

And if those thoughts would continue they would surely impede her work, her tasks, the safety of- She was getting ahead of herself, answers were due before they interrupted the flow of her work any more than they already had and though she was worried about her location given her affiliation so far she had gone unnoticed and currently she was within the compound of the man she was supposed to meet. Besides she was no longer clad in the uniform she wore regularly, 'incognito' was the local word that came to mind. So here she sat, waiting in a foreign lounge, for a foreign man clad in foreign clothes speaking a foreign tongue.

Through the window she watched the slow drizzle of autumn rain, letting seconds tick by as she waited.
 

VeraC

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Jun 18, 2018
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#2
Remedy needn’t wait long, as from one of the far doors of the lounge, the man she had been waiting for appeared, walking in a leisurely stride, garbed in a heavy overcoat with a sport jacket and well-fitted turtleneck underneath that did well to accentuate the man’s physique. His eyes momentarily scanned the room, before the amber-red eyes fell upon Remedy’s own, in a rather lingering gaze from Farron himself. Whether he was sizing up the girl or checking her out, Remedy was clueless based on his frankly blank face that didn’t do much to show any kind of mood or expression.

Farron made his way across the room, eventually arriving in front of the woman, and taking a seat without saying a word. A butler-like man walked from behind the counter and came over, bowing at Farron’s side.

“The Fifty-Eight year. Two glasses.”

He raised his right hand and the index and middle finger, without ever breaking eye contact with Remedy. He leaned back into his chair, crossing one leg over the other and resting his left arm on the back ridge of the chair next to him.

“So you’re the one by Eris’ recommendation, huh?”

His voice was deep and somewhat… soothing, yet somehow intimidating. Like the godfather who’d have dinner with the family at 6 and be breaking knees at 9.

“I’m sure it was a challenge to get here, your efforts are well respected. I’m Farron Longinus, Head of the Longinus Family.”

He leaned forward and extended his right hand, offering it in a simple handshake. The butler had returned with a bottle of wine, dated 44 OE. The man uncorked the bottle and offered it to Farron, who subsequently took it and held the top to his nose, taking a deep inhale of the aroma.

“...Things do get better with age. Almost enough to send chills up and down your spine.”

He gave a confident smile and poured out two glasses of the wine, handing one to Remedy.

“Perhaps… To the start of a new partnership.”

Was it too early to be having a bottle of wine? Or was Farron simply confident enough that he already knew what the result of this meeting would be. Perhaps it was all too strange to Remedy, but the man’s charm and seemingly laid-back personality made it hard to not get swept up in his current.

“So how can the Longinus Family help you, Remedy Otzer De Bougher?”

He asked as he swirled the wine glass in circles, letting the liquid within cover the walls of the glass and let the wine fully aerate. He eyes first followed the revolving wine, then shifted once more to Remedy's own eyes, locking gaze with her in a rather direct, yet seemingly not-serious stare.
 

MKR

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#3
She gave a calm nod as confirmation for who sent her, letting the man speak as she listened and meeting his hand with her own, that right hand shortly after would return to her person with the glass of wine in it, a local delicacy made from expiring a fruit and then letting it ferment for a dozen years or more. It seemed time was considered a luxury good around here as most things they considered as rare or valuable had that as their main ingredient.

Diamonds, Wine, the Elderly, all their own and all the products of time and in each case pressure. So she drank as a formality, taking a quiet sip and letting the taste come with. It was of better quality then most wines she had tasted in the Colonies each of which enduring a tough jury with a unified grade and unified opinion. Now however tastes diverged for this man was not her.

"Perhaps to the start of a new partnership." She replied with the toast before she began her drinking, confident men were nothing new whether they were born in earth's gravity, the vast extent of space or a planet lost to death and destruction. Even the months she had been awake and could remember had ample men try to talk to her, be it as a method to get past her or something out of her. Of course this time the odds were reversed, she wanted something from Farron instead of him wanting to use her.

But the question would receive a calm answer, this woman was a rock in the current he produced, not moving with or against simply there.
"Deimos," she replied "I was warned that nothing good awaits me there but- to make a long story short it is the only lead I truly have in a question I've been asking for too long." Her brown eyes moved to Farron, not backing down. Determination burning within, answers to burning questions lying beyond and perhaps, hidden within "I was, at the same time, told would be able to tell me about that place."

In a mimicry of Farron she swirled the glass back and forth, letting the liquid rotate calmly. In sharp contrast her tone and stance were completely unlike him, her voice like a 'soldier' but not quite, as if it was a faded recollection. A tinge of uncertainty hidden between words. Or perhaps that was just the wine.

"And given the manner of your trade, a journey towards it afterwards perhaps."
 

VeraC

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#4
Farron retained his friendly demeanour as Remedy spoke her part, But when she mentioned Deimos, the air seemed to somehow shift around him, that air of friendliness turning to one more of solemness. He took a sip of the wine, and shifted his legs, crossing one over the other.

“You’d do well to heed others’ advice, Miss Remedy.”

He spoke in more of a friend-like tone rather than one that was condescending. He had done his fair share of research on the Deimos and what lay there through files left by his father, and eventually came to the conclusion that whatever was there was something that shouldn’t be touched by others. That said though, he had his suspicions about the place and would be lying if he said he didn’t have any interest in heading there. Though there was also the family issue that needed to be dealt with on Mars first; the reason for him going there in the first place.

“So let me warn you too, I’m doubtful you’ll find anything of use in your journey there.”

He took a contemplative sip of his wine, savoring the full-bodied nature of the dark-red liquid. Just what exactly had his Father been after in his research of the Database and Deimos? Perhaps something in that regard would be a hint as to why he died when he did.

“Unfortunately, there is little I can tell you about Deimos, other than it orbits Mars and the people of Mars have been told to keep to their own business and not try to travel to Deimos. Those who tested their luck and made the journey, well… None of them ever returned.”

He remembered the boogieman-like tales of Deimos told by the locals, back when he was a child. While they weren’t exactly true in the most literal sense, it wasn’t a complete fairy tale either. He had learned that when he started working in the Family.

“While this may be looking to be a rather wasteful venture for you, despite all I have said, this is part of my business, and I would be wrong to turn away a paying customer. Should transport be what you need, I happen to be heading to Mars as well, and you’re welcome to tag along. I can take you as far as Mars, but anything beyond that is up to you to figure out.”

He set his glass down on the end table next to him, and the butler came to pour him another glass. Farron pulled off the leather glove on his right hand and crossed his arms and leaned back into his chair, locking eyes with the woman across from him.

“If such terms are agreeable, I believe we may shake hands here and I shall give you the itinerary for our departure.”

Perhaps it was unfortunate for her that she may not have gotten all that she wanted, but Farron had his doubts about multiple things, both with the Database, his Family, Mars, and now this woman. In one part, he didn’t want to give out information that may or may not be true, but with the ties his Family and the Database had, it was also hardly information that he’d be comfortable giving out to someone he had just met, paying or not.
 

MKR

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#5
Another warning, granted a very different one. The first implied danger, this one claimed it was pointless. But then came the danger, a place from which none return. She peered into the wine, contemplating and considering. If she stopped her pursuit of truth here then the chase itself was rendered moot, if she found nothing she still knew that there was a dead end but if she found the answers. The pursuit was over.

The glass was calmly placed back on the table, her eyes scanning him once more.
Given Eris sent her here however, she expected more at play then nothing. Was his warning a deterrent or a trap? But as far as Mars, yes she could work with that. If her estimates of this man were correct it also meant that he knew to keep his lips sealed around strangers.

"That's acceptable." She finally answered, extending her own right hand to meet Farron's own. She had expected her journey to go this far and any last minute doubts would have to wait. In its own way this too was progress.
"One curiosity however, how much cargo do you allow per traveler?" She asked, she had something she wanted to bring with after all and paying double or triple would just be plain mean to do.

So she hoped for some civility in business.
 

VeraC

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Jun 18, 2018
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#6
Farron took another sip of the wine as Remedy asked her question, cargo always being a pertinent question when it came to being a transporter. He looked the lady up and down and gave himself a moment to think, wonder just what such a woman would want to bring. Her demeanour and body language said quite a bit, and considering where she wanted to go, he could only imagine what she wanted to bring. While there was little else on the manifesto in terms of deliveries to Mars, there was probably space enough to fit whatever she wanted. But in case some last minute requests came in; should he charge extra for it? If it was a machine of some sort, could he just strap it to the bottom of Valstork?

Perhaps it was just best to ask.

“It really depends on what exactly the traveler wishes to bring. As much as I wished it, space is not infinite in the cargo hold. If you’re uncertain we can talk about it; and don’t worry. All matters pertaining to our clients are kept confidential.”

His eyes narrowed and he gave an almost shark-like grin at the woman.

“And with mutual trust, we hope our clients do the same.”
 

MKR

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Aug 19, 2018
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#7
Everyone had their secrets, a mutual agreement to not ask unwanted questions by itself informed her that the man in front of her had fingers in pies which authorities would really like to know about. Both the fingers and the pies would then be subject to judgement.
Then again, what man in a position as such lacked such a 'flaw'. men and women in pursuit of profit and in powerful positions either naturally gravitated towards such a place or were inevitably drawn in when someone with aspirations used them. She already had her answer before he asked, but a moment of contemplation was feigned as she took a sip.

"It is but the modern method of self defense, one machine which is not too large if I say so myself. Twenty meters and twenty centimeters in height when standing." She swirled the glass a bit, then taking another sip to see how that changed the flavor. "As for trust, I am personally of the mind that trust- at the very least trust in the services you provide, is implicit in coming here. As such if you maintain your devotion to confidentiality."

Her eyes moved upward, a smile on her lips as she placed the now empty glass on the table.
"You needn't worry that I do not."