Anything for a job...

[Audax]

While he was flying towards planet Malta, he couldn't get the strange 'thing' that happened to him a few minutes ago out of his head. It was unbelievable, almost like a dream, and yet, it felt so real. He was a man of opportunity, he never misses a job offer, and yet, he was reluctant about this particular one. A simple mercenary that was trying to make a living in this odd universe, why was he the one that was offered this opportunity. Perhaps -that- was the reason. He wasn't looking for it, it simply happened.

He was told to go to Ibiza station if he wishes to further discuss this offer, and yet, he was heading towards Malta. So much confusion in his head. "What in the blazes am I supposed to do?" he thought to himself.
"I have nothing to loose, only to gain. But, did it really happen? Was that strange man really real?" were the thoughts that went through his head. He prized himself for being a risk taker, every job was a good job for this mercenary. "Ah to hell with it, I'm starting to get soft, think too much..." he punched a few commands into his console and set a waypoint for Ibiza station.
"I wanted a good job, and now that I have the offer, I'm having second thoughts." "The 'ell I am" he muttered to himself.

Upon approaching Ibiza his mind was getting clearer and clearer, he knew that this was happening, it was real. As he was almost right beside the station, it was notable that this was a Outcast station in every meaning...Patrols landing and undocking, cargo ships carrying 'special' cargo to various destinations across the universe. If he was looking for a job, he was surely to find one here.
"Ibiza station, this is *static*, requesting permission to dock."
"This is Ibiza landing control, roger that mercenary, you are cleared on landing pad four."
He landed his ship, exited and looked around..."I can't believe I've never been here before." were his first thoughts. A engineer was approaching him ready to put his ship onto the landing list. When he saw the engineer he remembered that he was to go to a bar named 'Abyss'...
"Oy lad" the engineer turned around, "yea I'm talkin' to you, can you direct me to the bar?"
The engineer pointed at a big door on the north side of the landing pad
"Go through there, the bar is pretty close nearby"
"Thank ya' lad" he nodded and went towards the bar.

After a short walk, a door was in front of him, above it was a flashing sign that said 'The Abyss'. Upon entering the bar his first thought was "Bloody 'ell...".
A typical night bar, well, not so typical. Dark, full of various individuals, music was pounding in the background. On the right, people using Cardamine, they had a full table of it, on the left, various slave merchants arranging deals. In the center, people dancing, arguing, threatening each other, and it was all under the supervision of the Outcasts, well, depends on what supervision is.... Mercenaries, killers, thieves, everything was there, and he blended right in.

He was to look for a specific person to whom he was told to speak, "Now where the 'ell am I going to find this 'Emissary' person" he wasn't even sure if it was a 'person'. While looking around he saw the bartender,
"Ah, he should be able to tell me more", he approached the bartender..
"'ello there lad, I'm looking for someone, a certain individual..." he leaned closer to the bartender and whispered, "I'm looking for 'The Emissary'." The bartender quickly pointed to a table in a corner of the bar and just walked away.
"Well that fool sure is crazy, he could have at least said one word." he turned around and approached the table which was surrounded in shadows....

[Emissary]

As one track ended another one began crossfading softly as the introductory slow and booming bass line took the club's pace. Quickly followed by accompanying high pitch synths. Echoing distant pads hypnotizing to the bombastic and aggressive rhythm making a body unconsciousnessly to react, pulsating in response. The main scene was like a single living organism, moving to the music. Club Abyss has a notorious reputation of one of the loudest party places in the whole Edge worlds. One of the major exchange points for Cardamine between Outcasts and various smuggler dealers, the place for cheap prices. Also one of the largest slave markets in the area. Not a day passed without somebody getting killed, overdosed and thrown out of the station via airlock all while the cheering audience enjoys the execution show.

Anje and her cronies took a place at the opposite side of the main dance-floor on the balcony where VIPs typically hang around, usually with a ridiculous level of security. Although uncertain of what he was doing here the merc came to the balcony. There was the lounge the bartender pointed out to.

"What do you want, merc?" - he heard a woman's voice coming out of the shadows before he could even think what to say.

The next moment five men jumped out of nowhere pointing assault rifles at merc's head. Emissary's bodyguards no doubt, he thought. Even in the darkness of the club he couldn't not to notice they were very well armed.

"Ah. I know who you are." - the woman spoke softly and her bodyguards lowered down weapons slowly taking seats back. Anje gestured the merc to take a seat nearby. "I apologize, my guards didn't know when you would come, let alone if you even would."

A portable holographic display turned on, staying in idle mode for now.

"It's a job you want, yes? I may have something for you. But I want to know where you stand. Tell me: what you can do? And don't try to bluff, there isn't any patience to waste on that. So what will it be, merc?"

[Audax]

He was still surprised by the welcoming committee, he did not expect so many guards around him. He always carried his pistol with him, it was strapped onto his back, always ready to be used, but not this time. Drawing a weapon would prevent him to find out more, to find out the real reason he was there, even he wasn't sure of that yet. The mysterious 'Emissary' turned out to be a woman, he couldn't get a close enough look at her, with all the guards and darkness surrounding him. The woman was surrounded by mystery.

He just stood there, stared at them for a while and then responded, "Its quite alright, I get greeted like this often, more often then one would think is normal for a man of my profession." He reached to his back pocket, and as he did that the guards suddenly reacted very violently again, all of the assault rifles were pointing at his head one more time.
"Calm down boys..." he responded in a very calm manner and pulled a piece of bubble gum from his back pocket, "...its just bubble gum, see?" The guards put their assault rifles down again and stepped back a bit. He put the piece of bubble gum into his mouth and continued,

"So you are this person I'm looking for? You want to know where I stand?" he continued in a somewhat bold manner "I'm standing right here in front of you, I've been contacted by god knows who, I don't know anymore if I'm crazy or not, I came here looking for a job I was told about in a place that almost felt like a dream and, I'm very close to blowing away some of your guards here because they wanted to shoot me for a piece of bubble gum." he paused for brief moment to chew on his bubble gum and then added,

"I can do anything that is asked of me, and you can call me crazy, but I have this feeling that you and whatever you have to offer me, is the thing I have been waiting for this whole time. So you could say that I don't have any patience to waste on bluffing either."

He stopped talking realizing that perhaps he said too much and decided to add just one more thing,
"I'm listening..."

[Emissary]

A pair of eyes flashed on the blinking club projectors, fixating on the merc.

"Bold one too. Bold and crazy enough to come down here. Seems you're quite lost on your mind, merc. Although I wonder whether it has to be your natural ability to get into any sort of mess or..."

She aburptly paused while still drilling merc with a stare.

"A dream, you said? Are you telling me a dream has brought you here?". He didn't know if the woman was joking or talking serious. She paused, now looking down and rubbing a small medallion attached to her necklace. It's seemingly black surface was reflecting lights very sharp, formed into triangular shapes. It wasn't some fancy jewelery but a symbol, and it definetely wasn't an Outcast one. He was certain of seeing it before but when and how has completely escaped his memory. "Dreams..." - she continued in a relaxed tone. "They have meanings, you know. Elusive meanings. Only the true dreams hold those, ones that speak of things you struggle to understand, not the regular ones your imagination fancies, merc. It seems you aren't like the others who think only about snatching a quick buck for a shot and then leaving mess behind. Dreams..."

She put away the medallion and stood up, slowly walking around the merc. He could finally see her face with the corner of the eye.

"Have you spoken to anyone in that... dream of yours?"

[Audax]

He followed this 'Anja' with his gaze, he did not want to stare as she emerged from the shadows, and yet he was subtly watching her steps. Her voice was soothing, seductive and yet sharp. He was interested in this medallion of hers. "It must have some meaning to her" he thought. He felt like he could confine to her, tell her things that even he was uncertain of.

"Was it a dream that brought me here?" he said silently, almost as if muttering to himself, "I asked myself that same question. Yes, or no....it felt like a dream, like all the noises and troubles were taken away from reality, and there was only one voice talking. Only one voice to hear, clearly, as if talking in your head." he paused and looked at her eyes clearly as she was walking slowly around him.

"A man approached me, a man with a voice much like your own. He asked me questions...questions I knew the answers to, or so I thought. I am a man that flies around this universe for a living. I come by in the strangest of ways.." he was still chewing his bubble gum, but now more anxiously "...when I see an opportunity I take it, without any delay, any remorse. This man spoke of such an opportunity, an opportunity that I now know I have been waiting for for some time. Even though I never saw him before, nor the place that surrounded him, I felt that it was real."

He paused again, this time for a bit longer. He wanted to see her reaction to his story, he wanted to see if what he spoke of was familiar to her. "He told me to come to this place, and here I am, and here you are as well. So yes, you could say this 'dream' if it is to be called that, has brought me here..."