To: Caliban | From: Gemini Kay

[Caliban]

IDENTIFICATION: Caliban

SUBJECT: Contract

MESSAGE ORIGIN: Freeport 14, Inverness System

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Levan.

Begging is what you're going to do when I find you and your hooker friend. We'll have a date in four, even. You and her. Me and my revolver.

Check my conversation with Rebecca. Then check your mail and see if she sent you anything. I'm starting to think you really deserved that trashing. For being a prick. And for lying to me.

You've got some explaining to do.

Code:

[09.08.2023 07:20:41] A/)-Lazurith: Hello.
[09.08.2023 07:20:45] Caliban: Hey.
[09.08.2023 07:21:27] Rebecca.Harper: Hm.
[09.08.2023 07:21:49] Caliban: I'm guessing you know why I'm here, Laz.
[09.08.2023 07:22:04] Caliban:  ...well, especially now that she's here, too.
[09.08.2023 07:22:34] A/)-Lazurith: I haven't come up with a decision on that just yet. I--
[09.08.2023 07:22:39] A/)-Lazurith: I'd like to get some things in order first.
[09.08.2023 07:23:41] Caliban: Talked with the kid yet?
[09.08.2023 07:23:59] A/)-Lazurith: No.
[09.08.2023 07:24:02] A/)-Lazurith: I don't know where he is.
[09.08.2023 07:24:38] Caliban: Great. Why would people my make job easier? Nah, that's impossible.
[09.08.2023 07:24:57] Rebecca.Harper: You're being compensated well enough.
[09.08.2023 07:25:10] Rebecca.Harper: Especially considering the fact you haven't fired a shot yet.
[09.08.2023 07:25:49] Caliban: To kill you over a dispute with little to no context or provide parental counselling?
[09.08.2023 07:26:58] Rebecca.Harper: Life is cheap, and parental counselling cost's less than the hundred million credit region, or so I'd imagine.
[09.08.2023 07:27:17] Caliban: Why'd you really do it, anyway?
[09.08.2023 07:27:53] Rebecca.Harper: Because almost drifting into the void tends to have an effect on ones emotions.
[09.08.2023 07:28:16] Caliban: And that warranted trashing the prick?
[09.08.2023 07:28:39] Rebecca.Harper: And I needed to ask something, but the arsehole wins more credits than I made ever since I got off of Leeds and he suddenly-
[09.08.2023 07:29:04] Rebecca.Harper: -doesn't have time to stop screwing around with hookers for five damn minutes to help a mate with something quick and simple.
[09.08.2023 07:29:28] Rebecca.Harper: Well, considering those two were responsible for that.
[09.08.2023 07:29:39] Rebecca.Harper: You can see where the anger comes from.
[09.08.2023 07:30:18] Caliban: You were going to kill him. That wasn't just a "next time don't be a dick" kind of move.
[09.08.2023 07:30:26] Rebecca.Harper: If I wanted him dead.
[09.08.2023 07:30:32] Rebecca.Harper: He wouldn't have left Baffin.
[09.08.2023 07:30:35] Caliban: There wasn't going to be a next time if that mine wouldn't have be dragged off somewhere else.
[09.08.2023 07:30:47] Rebecca.Harper: They had bots left.
[09.08.2023 07:30:52] Rebecca.Harper: They even used them.
[09.08.2023 07:31:07] Rebecca.Harper: Or they could have just hit the throttle and moved.
[09.08.2023 07:31:46] Caliban: That's one way to spare yourself the blame.
[09.08.2023 07:31:58] Rebecca.Harper: I blame myself for overreacting.
[09.08.2023 07:32:06] Rebecca.Harper: But don't let the narrative get twisted.
[09.08.2023 07:32:13] Rebecca.Harper: If I was going to kill him?
[09.08.2023 07:32:35] Rebecca.Harper: I wouldn't have bothered knocking piece's off the hookers ship trying to get them to snap out of and give me five minutes.
[09.08.2023 07:32:56] Caliban: What did you want to ask him?
[09.08.2023 07:33:17] Rebecca.Harper: About the station I was heading to when I picked them up on scope.
[09.08.2023 07:33:30] Rebecca.Harper: And the why for that is personal.
[09.08.2023 07:33:42] Rebecca.Harper: So if Levan wants to know, he can ask himself.
[09.08.2023 07:33:52] Caliban: Doesn't want to.
[09.08.2023 07:33:57] Rebecca.Harper: Better yet, I already offered to explain when I apologized.
[09.08.2023 07:34:21] Caliban: I tried to get him to talk to you. He's too scared to even consider opening up a channel.
[09.08.2023 07:34:31] Rebecca.Harper: There is already one open.
[09.08.2023 07:34:40] Rebecca.Harper: Probably an unread message on it as well.
[09.08.2023 07:34:45] Caliban: Huh.
[09.08.2023 07:35:02] Rebecca.Harper: He can choose to read the message, or continue hiding wherever he is.
[09.08.2023 07:35:18] Caliban: So there really was more to this story than he was letting on. Funny how narratives change to fit the end goal.
[09.08.2023 07:35:22] Rebecca.Harper: I don't intend to go to the effort of hunting him down just to say it.
[09.08.2023 07:35:39] Rebecca.Harper: Already have enough hunting to do as is.
[09.08.2023 07:36:04] A/)-Lazurith: Who do you have to hunt?
[09.08.2023 07:36:22] Rebecca.Harper: Oswald Carter.
[09.08.2023 07:37:03] A/)-Lazurith: Ah. Hm.
[09.08.2023 07:37:37] Rebecca.Harper: Bit of a tale there, but to be frank, the only thing I regret is the escalation.
[09.08.2023 07:37:53] Rebecca.Harper: Would probably have been done with Levan either way.
[09.08.2023 07:39:26] Caliban: I'd dare say that Levan reminds me of -- well, me. But then I remember. There were no hookers and complete disregard towards--
[09.08.2023 07:39:35] Caliban:  -- friends back then. Not on my end, anyway.
[09.08.2023 07:39:44] Rebecca.Harper: I won't even ask.
[09.08.2023 07:40:15] Rebecca.Harper: But yeah, Levan can do whatever he wants with whatever he has left of that bounty.
[09.08.2023 07:40:33] Caliban: Most of that cash went to me, I'm guessing.
[09.08.2023 07:40:39] Rebecca.Harper: Blow it all on hookers who'll ditch him when the creds run out, put as high a damn price on-
[09.08.2023 07:40:44] Rebecca.Harper: He paid in advance?
[09.08.2023 07:40:54] Caliban: [He'd smile under the sealed helmet.]
[09.08.2023 07:40:59] Rebecca.Harper: Fucking amateur.
[09.08.2023 07:41:22] Caliban: I knew this entire adventure would go down the hill and I'd risk not getting paid at all.
[09.08.2023 07:41:29] A/)-Lazurith: Cut him some slack, he hasn't been in space for that long.
[09.08.2023 07:41:42] A/)-Lazurith: He hasn't seen /life/ for that long.
[09.08.2023 07:41:55] Rebecca.Harper: He's only four years younger than me or you.
[09.08.2023 07:41:58] Caliban: From what I'm hearing so far? He shouldn't have left Pittsburgh at all for at least another five years.
[09.08.2023 07:42:26] A/)-Lazurith: No. He's been through hell down there, and I think he deserves to begin again.
[09.08.2023 07:43:18] A/)-Lazurith: Ha--hang on. I've got a message.

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"Test the sharpness of your sword against another. And when that is not enough, unsheathe your cunning as the hidden dagger that ends the fight."

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