The Slumbering Mantis Inn, Lane 37, Alfalfa Street, Dragon District, Xing Hong
Xin stood, and immediately regretted it. Even at full height, he barely reached her nose. She had at least seven centimeters on him, and her frame...the turtleneck couldn't hide the size of her bosom or the way her arms filled out the sleeves. She looked like she could bench press any man. Probably had.
"Honestly?" Xin scratched his neck. "I expected you to ignore my message like everyone else on the Extranet. Now you're here and I have no idea what to do."
"Seriously?!" Her jaw actually dropped. "That whole shit analysis about fucking bone structure and market positioning, and you have no plan?"
"Listen, no one ever actually shows up when I message them—so…."
"So you just spam random escorts with your weird fetishes?"
"It was analytically appreciative. Okay, weird, but the math stands—"
"Some dritt you are, guessing ethnicity from my cheekbone angles! Who the fuck does that?"
"That's just good pattern recognition!"
"Pappa getting loud," H?kon observed from the table, scales shifting to concerned light brown.
Shazmeen's voice cut through: "Roach, I need some help in the kitchen. Now."
"When the show's just getting good—?"
"Now, Roach."
Heavy footsteps retreated. They were alone except for H?kon, who watched them like they were the best entertainment he'd seen all week.
"Look," Sigrun pinched the bridge of her nose. "I came here because I thought someone was stalking me. You pissed me off."
"Well, your work schedule is publicly visible on your booking calendar. So I thought about maximizing the likeliness of getting a tangible response."
"Nobody reads those unless they're planning something!"
"I read everything carefully! It's what we do as Riggers."
"It's creepy!"
"...Maybe."
Something in Sigrun's tone shifted. "You contract through that ZenFusion platform? Terra Alliance?"
"Yeah. Three-point-seven stars. Eight hundred forty-seven completed jobs." Xin pushed his glasses up. "Twelve years of freelance engineering reduced to whatever the algorithm feels like offering."
"And they take their cut whether the work kills you or not."
"Twenty-eight percent. Rain or shine." He tilted his head. "How do you know the Alliance system?"
"Psi Lynx certification." She said it like spitting out poison. "Twelve thousand AD to prove I could do what I was already doing. Six thousand every two years to keep the privilege."
"And if you miss a renewal—"
"They lock you out." They said it together.
Silence. H?kon's head swiveled between them, scales flickering to confused beige.
"The welcome ramen packs weren't bad, at least," Xin offered. "Chicken flavor. Got me through some lean months."
Sigrun's face twisted. "That dritt was terrible. I'd rather eat avocado spread from a tube."
"Avocado costs eight AD a tube, though. Also, kind of gross."
"The ramen's like cardboard soaked in salt."
"Hey, you haven't tasted the good ones. They're different."
"I'm sure they suck just like the rest of this rock."
"Pappa and Sky Lady married?" H?kon chirped hopefully. "Fight like sssoap opuu-raah."
They both turned to stare at the tiny Diabolisk.
"We're not…" Xin started.
"Absolutely not!" Sigrun added.
"Okay. Understandable." Xin could feel his heart sink.
"This is ridiculous!" Sigrun placed a hand on her forehead. The gesture made her coat pull back, revealing arms that could probably crack walnuts. "I'm here for the Bounty Board, not...whatever this dritt is."
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"Right. The Bounty Board." Xin gestured toward the back of the inn. "Should we...?"
She was already moving, those long legs eating up distance. Xin had to practically jog to keep up, H?kon bouncing on his shoulder.
"Sky Lady walk fast!" H?kon observed cheerfully. "Carry Pappa?"
"No one's carrying anyone, buddy." Xin muttered.
"Speak for yourself," Sigrun shot back. "You look like you weigh less than my gear."
"So, F-Y-I, I'm technically normal weight for Imperials my height—"
"All forty kilos of you?"
"Fifty-two, in fact." Xin pushed his glasses.
"Can't believe you've survived this shitty rock."
"Pappa and Sky Lady married." H?kon concluded sagely on Xin's shoulder, bobbing his head.
The crowd around Bounty Board #7 was already grumbling.
"Fucking garbage week," a scarred woman in Alliance fatigues spat. "These co-op bounties wouldn't buy ammo."
"Five hundred AD to babysit Mercury nobles?" Another hunter laughed bitterly. "Shaz makes more in an hour upstairs."
"Dilinur's lost her edge," someone muttered, already walking away. "Dragon District's going to shit."
The crowd thinned, leaving Xin and Sigrun studying the lone single-operator posting:
RETRIEVAL CONTRACT - URGENT Target: High-Grade Zephyrium Cache (1 container, designation U6-M9)
Location: Red Rabbit Warren - Transport Sublevel 3 Entry Points: Karma Moor (outside city limits) Reward: 50,000 AD Threat Assessment: Moderate to Severe Note: Possible Radi-Mon presence. Solo operators only.
"That's..." Xin swallowed. "A lot of money."
"It's a death trap." Sigrun's assessment was clinical. "Warren's been compromised for months. Three teams went in last week. Nobody came back."
"But together—"
"It says solo operators only." She turned those ice-blue eyes on him. "Can you not read?"
"I can read fine. I just think—" Xin pushed his glasses up, a nervous habit. "The entrance is outside the city. We could travel together that far. Safety in numbers through the Moor."
"No."
"Look, I know you're probably really skilled and everything, but H?kon here has amazing senses, and I'm pretty good with—"
"I said no." Metal whispered against leather as she drew something from her coat.
The Thermal Axe materialized in her hand like it had always been there. Single-bladed, Norse knotwork etched in the Damascus steel, gold inlay tracing runes along the fuller. The blade's edge shimmered with heat distortion.
"This is Járn." She held it casually, but Xin recognized the stance—weight balanced, ready to move. "It's gotten me through eleven years on this rock. I don't just kill Radi-Mons, either. Humans. Monsters. Anything in between. No one gets in my way."
H?kon whimpered, scales shifting to dark brown. His anxiety color.
"Hey, easy." Xin put himself slightly between the weapon and H?kon. "We're not trying to—alright, you made your point."
"Have I?" The axe stayed steady. "Because you seem to think persistence is charming."
"Well, I think survival is charming. For everyone involved." Xin managed a weak smile.
"Pappa. Show watch!" H?kon piped up, scales shifting back to curious azure. "Watch-numbersss funny. Make pee-poh go ha-hah."
Something flickered in Sigrun's expression. "What was that?"
"He means my PRIMAL stats." Xin managed a weak smile. "Nothing fancy about them, really. I bet yours are better."
She lowered her axe slightly, eyes narrowed. "Your PRIMAL stats. Show me."
"...kind of personal, don't you think?"
"You asked to party up with me." Járn's axe blade retracted as she returned it to her coat's side pocket smoothly. "Show me or this conversation's over."
Xin sighed. "Promise you won't freak out?"
"I'm already freaking out." Her deadpan delivery almost made it funny.
"Okay." He raised his Watch, keying in the display sequence, its deep green dial coming to life, shimmering. "Here goes nothing..."
The hologram materialized between them:
Name: Zhi-Xin Wu
Age: 41
Race: Imperial
Psionic Attunement: Void (Novice)
PRIMAL Statistics:
-
Power: 1
-
Resilience: 1
-
Intellect: 8
-
Magnetism: 2
-
Agility: 1
-
Libido: 10 (Barely holding! Therapy advised!)
Sigrun's face went through a journey. Shock, disbelief, then a blush that crept from her neck to her cheeks like sunrise on snow. Her hand rose to cover her mouth.
"I've never...dritt…Libido Ten isn't..." She looked away, then back, then away again. "Not even my most frequent clients have that."
"Yeah, it's a thing." Xin scratched his neck. "Years of involuntary celibacy will do that apparently."
Her eyes snapped back to his. "So you've been holding it this entire conversation?"
"Sort of?" His nervous grin probably wasn't helping. "Don't worry, I won't— I mean, I don't randomly— It's fine. I'm fine."
"Fuck." The word escaped like a prayer. She took a step back, hand already raising her own Nucleus Watch. "I need to— I have to go."
"Yeah, sure. Places to be?"
She was already backing away, autocab request glowing on her Watch. "Something like that."
"Bye bye, Sky Lady!" H?kon waved enthusiastically.
Sigrun paused at the inn's entrance, looking back. Her gaze lingered on H?kon, something unreadable in her expression. Then she met Xin's eyes for a heartbeat before pushing through the door.
The autocab pulled up within seconds. Dragon District efficiency. She disappeared inside without another word.
Xin stood there, H?kon making confused chirps on his shoulder.
"Pappa sad?"
"Not sure, buddy. Not really sure,"
"Well, that was painful to watch."
The voice carried the musical cadence: warm, amused. Xin spun around.
The Maridian man leaning against the inn's doorframe looked like he'd stepped out of a completely different story than the one Xin was living. A white fabric draped his athletic frame. Ornate short cape in gray and gold filigree on his broad shoulder. Leather straps crossed his chest, decorated with small carved totems that clinked against each other.
His skin was deep brown, muscles on his arms. The fade haircut was topped with tight curls. He was definitely smiling, his teeth perfect white against full lips that suggested this was a man who laughed often and meant it.
"I'm Jabari, by the way." He pushed off from the doorframe and extended a hand. His grip was firm but not aggressive, callused in the places that suggested both musical instruments and weapons. "And brother, we need to talk about your approach to women."
"Pretty man!" H?kon chirped appreciatively. "Do magic?"
Jabari's laugh was rich and genuine. "Smart little one you've got there. He's right—I do a bit of magic. Music, too."
"Music man!" H?kon raised both claws, deciding on the nickname for Jabari.
He winked at H?kon before turning back to Xin. "But seriously, my friend. That was like watching someone try to defuse a bomb with a hammer."
"I wasn't…that bad." Xin protested weakly. "Actually, you're right. I was horrible at it."
"You compared her cheekbone angles to statistical probabilities. That's the worst."
"How did you…"
"Sound carries in here. Everyone heard. Iron Roach is taking bets on whether she'll come back to kill you or kiss you." Jabari's grin widened. "Though after that performance, I'd put my money on killing."