In The Grand Scheme Of Things

[Distance_warrior@hotmail.com]

*Matcan base.... unknown coordinates*
It had been a slow day today, mused the docking officer at Matcan. At least until an unregistered dagger flew through the hangers. While daggers without credentials were not an uncommon site at Matcan with all the new recruits and all, a single ship taking up 2 docking points was not, especially with the design of the software trying to prevent such an action. As a cloaked figure walked out onto the hanger floor the Docking officer closed the distance quickly. “Hey, you’re not allowed to do that” said the dock officer. The clocked stranger quick as a flash drew an aerosol can and sprayed a viscous gas into his face. The solution burned his nostrils and throat like pepper. As he felt the pepper spray penetrate his lungs the feeling intensified until he was forced to pass out. He woke up but a second later, still standing, before him the cloaked figure stood revealed. The stern face of his senior professor bore down on him from within the cloak
‘’is there a problem with MY docking Officer”.
“No No of course not professor”
“Good I suggest you take your break”
“Yeah yeah I should” said the dock officer before walking away and sneezing from the pepper like spray.
As Artemis walked away from the confused dock officer he mused at the ease in which he fooled him. So much for the great hacker intellect he thought secretly hoping the stupidity was restricted to the grunts. The show with the Docking and the modified mystique probably wasn’t necessary but he found it, very, humorous and an adequate way to put the abrupt dock officer in his place. Artemis took a brief sniff of the air and concluded that the bar was on the western side of the ship. He made his way to the bar checking the ids of the ships along the way, when he was confronted at the door by a young girl showing all the signs of a recent cardamine addiction. In a few brief seconds Artemis had deduce from her stance and body language that she didn’t belong here. Her posture lacked confidence which in a hacker base meant one thing, stupidity. “You can’t just waltz in here like you own the place” she said with accusing eyes”
“In that case tell me what an Ageria reject rather than rebel with absolutely no chance of becoming a hacker belongs here how many times have you failed your aptitude test 5 times six if you count the most recent one the one all your hopes were riding on”. The recruit looked at Artemis dumbfounded
“How could you... what gave it...”
“I suggest you leave now.” came the ice cold voice of Artemis. Without a word and trying hard to hold back tears the recruit gathered the failed exam papers at her table and stormed out of the bar. Intel really is a wonderful thing thought Artemis as he strode toward the bar. “What work do you have for me?” asked Artemis to the barkeeper.
“Why should I tell you?”
“Because I can make your life, more so than anyone else, difficult” the barkeeper took one look as the female recruits empty seat and one look into his dark brown eyes and he knew this man spoke the truth. “Ok this is what I got.” This was going to be easier than he thought mused Artemis.