Futuristic Argos, Planet of Riches

[ZeiruliousMakavar]

The year is 21210 GST (Galactic Standard Time), on the planet Argos, a location famed across the Intergalactic Union of Nations. A place where anything, and everything, can be found. The saying goes, if you can make it on Argos, then the universe will be at your grasp. But, due to its proximity to The Imperial Sanctum, the Capital planet of the IUN's largest member Nation, Argos is also home to the Largest Citadel of the Imperial Legion, who make sure everything is up to par and legal. At least, on the surface. There's no telling what goes on in the greasy slums and underbelly of the Planet wide Mega-Mall that is Argos.

Will you make a name for yourself, or be lost to time? Only Time knows.

 

[ZeiruliousMakavar]

Caelyn Amarakiir
Caelyn let out a soft sigh, as she slowly shook her head, wearing, at the time, the usual academy uniform. She frowned a bit, as she rested at one of the many cafes that resided in and around the Citadel, which, for those who had never been on Argos, was a stark contrast to the usual bright neon white and blue of the rest of the city. The Imperial Citadel, instead was a dark, almost void-like black, though neon red lights did come from the many windows. She frowned a bit again, looking up at the Citadel from her spot in the cafe, shaking her head, as she glanced down, at the petition in her hand, which was given to her by some waitress. While she didn't agree that the ages old Citadel should be remodeled, she did however agree with one point on the petition.

The Imperial Citadel does look like it's straight from someone's Gothic Sci-fi Fantasy.

Kureha
Kureha smiled softly, as she wandered one of the many market districts on Argos, the whole planet practically littered with them. She smiled a bit, the kitsune lightly stretching as she glanced about, smiling to herself. She had heard recently that some delegation was going to be arriving on Argos sometime soon, which would explain the heightened security on the surface layers of the planet. This of course, as anyone who lived more than a year on Argos knew, did not stop people from doing less than reputable things down below, where the planets pristine whites faded away, into more grey slate-like walls. This, of course, meant that if you wanted something, it would be smarter to go below. Where anything could be sold. For a price.

Kureha smiled softly, as she slipped down an alleyway, towards stairs that lead down, right into the underbelly layers.

 

[Gegawat]

0900GST/ARGS/MTCH_TOW/MERCER_A_J

Alex woke up from a deep sleep, something unnatural, ever since he arrived on this planet. It's not that he wasn't here before, visiting, supervising the construction of his new Mega Tower, which would act as a hub for his business. It didn't come cheap, neither in currency nor in favors, but it would prove to be a profitable investment in the long run, or at least that's what Alex expected. Or at least hoped.

He looked around, taking the surroundings in. The bedroom was furnished in shades of grey, 3 of the walls painted in grey, decorated with various paintings, also in shades of grey. The 4th wall was a large mirrored glass, overlooking the city. As Alex walked towards he window, he blinds opened, exposing a city with a view like no other. The lights, reflecting off the windows of nearby buildings, the solid light holographic advertisements, the flying vehicles, the shuttles, bringing in everything from goods to shoppers, the planet was as busy as always.

Heading into the bathroom for a quick shower, he took care not to wake Katarina up, not that he cared, he just didn't have the time or the patience to deal with her foul mood. Not that she was ever in a great mood. Despite her overall attractiveness, she had not a single likeable feature of her character. Why did he marry her again? Oh, yeah, right, he had no choice. The perks of an arranged marriage.

Getting out of the bathroom, he noticed she was already gone. "Ah, peaceful morning!" He mumbled to himself as he started to get dressed. His body was an example of a human being, with his solid 6'1" and 200 lbs. Well, built, his spotless skin had no marks, except the usual marks of an augmented citizen, around his neck, where his universal translator was, and the forehead, where his info link was implanted. Not that any of those were visible, once he was dressed and groomed.

Walking out of the bedroom and into he main living area, he witnessed his wife, dressed in her summer top, leaned over the counter with a glass, which had several half melted ice cubes in it. Definitely a sign she had been drinking last night. "Headache!" He asked, just to be dismissed with a "Mind your own fucking business" in her native language, which sounded a bit like what on ancient Terra people called Portuguese, which was another sign she was drinking. Her universal translator was always acting when she had too much.

"Let me fix that for you!" He sat on the opposite aide of the counter and stroked her cheek with his fingers, moving down to the side of her neck. A small static spark ran from the tip of his finger to her neck, activating the translator, as evidenced by her immediate response in grabbing his arm and twisting it, accompanied by "If you do that again, I'll break your fingers" in the main language. "Well, I wouldn't have to, if you actually listened from time to time and watch your drinks!" He poured himself a glass of water with ice as well. "Isn't that what celebrations are for? Drinking?" She asked back

She had a point though. They were out celebrating the opening of Mercer Industries tower on Argos. The place would act as a hub for his business, both in manufacturing and in trading. Argos was the perfect place for that, mainly because he can supply and sell much easier. It didn't come cheap or easy, but he managed to do it. And if success wasn't a reason to celebrate, what is?


0900GST/ARGS/SUB_LVL/HCTR_GRIM

It wasn't like Hector to be up this early, he usually gets in bed at his hour, but today was an exception, as he had already finished the assignment and collected the money. He was on Argos with one special goal - obtaining a new weapon. His old fashioned slug thrower was getting rusty, not to mention that it required ammunition, which he was getting pissed of carrying and finding increasingly difficult time acquiring. And it wasn't like he could just use any type of ammo. He had different needs for different purposes. A full metal jacket, a hollow point, an armor piercing, why couldn't slug throwers be like lasers - just replace the power cell and it is good for... A lifetime or two... and it shoots through basically everything. Just pull the trigger...

Despite its drawbacks, Hector was having hard time parting with his gun. He had so many good memories with it. So many bounties claimed, so many busted heads, so many brains splattered across the surface of various planets, neither of which had a weapons expert who could actually deal with his weapon. And that brings him back to the mission at hand - find a gunsmith, who knows how to work a slug thrower, and not rip him off. If he couldn't find one here, chances are he would have to kiss that hunk of steel goodbye and finally get a blaster or whatever they called that trash.

 

[Inkstone]

MUID: 8294712947
Name: Markus, Elodie

A structure as grand and complicated as the brand new Mercer Tower required far more effort, personnel, and expenses than what one could see at a single glance. One member of the small army of mechanics under the employ of Mercer Industries was climbing up a maintenance shaft, clad in the telltale bright orange vest of their uniform. This young woman was just one of the many mechies loose in the crawlspaces of the Tower at any given moment, though she was presently alone in this area. Even though the main constuction of the building had been completed there were still a plethora of small fixes and interior work to be done. Hopefully there were enough repairs and installs needed to keep her gainfully employed for at least another couple of months. Elodie was part of the Union, to be sure, but that didn't guarantee steady work.

Her assigned task was repairing a climate control unit with a penchant for alternating between the extremes rather than the standard midtemp heat/cool cycle. It was easy, mindless work, though boring was not bad in her eyes. The ordinary was predictable and fully welcomed in an otherwise chaotic world. Normally she didn't mind the challenges of more difficult and interesting work, but with the amount of personal upheaval she had gone through recently she was content sticking to this routine. Punch in, fix something one of the rich idiots in charge couldn't figure out on their own, punch out, go home, repeat. Elodie popped the unit cover back into place with a satisfying click and changed the settings from maintenance mode back to the standard cycle. She pressed a button on her comm to notify her team lead that she had completed her task and was ready for the next. The display screen flicked from blue to yellow as her old assignment faded away and the new came in. On to the next thing.

Silas Drake had managed to secure himself an invitation to the celebration of the opening of the Mercer Tower, cashing in several favors from friends in high places. Mercer was an up-and-coming force in Argos, and Silas was curious to see how this presence would fare in the cutthroat world of the mega mall. Certainly no holds were barred in the party Mercer had thrown, but then many of the young entrepeneurs seeking their fortune here would take a similar approach. Live large for yourself and whether your company sank or swum wouldn't matter, as long as you left an impression on those around you, that was how so many of these people rose and fell. Silas, on the other hand, was part of a merchants' oligarchy that ran his home region on Argos, a system that tended towards modest gains but allowed for greater stability than the unbridled dog eat dog capitalism in other places. But, these laissez faire areas could net profits beyond anyone's wildest dreams, if one had the gumption and moxie to survive. Alexander J Mercer was believed by many to have what it took, and more than a few bets had been placed on his success or failure.

He had roused himself early from the deep comfortable sleep afforded by the luxurious bed linens of the hotel suite he was staying in, very near to the Tower itself with convenient connected walkways and regular shuttles to get guests of the company to and from their lodgings and business duties. Silas was taking some free time to explore the Mercer Tower on his own before his schedule kicked in again that afternoon.

 

[ZeiruliousMakavar]

Kureha
Kureha smiled to herself as she slowly, and deftly moved through the underbelly region of Argos, most people there ignored her, but those that took notice of the young kitsune, had mildly confused faces upon them, as it was a strange site to see such a young person in the underbelly, a place where the governments barely had any influence, and the lawless reigned supreme. It was a place where anything could be acquired, for a price of course. And for what she needed done, a specific skill set was needed. She smiled softly as she glanced about, turning to head even deeper into the bowels of the planet's many layered shell. Her tail swaying effortlessly, as she glanced about once again, smiling ever still, as the mysterious girl continued to look for her prize.

 

[Gegawat]

0930GST/ARGS/MTCH_TOW/MERCER_A_J


Alex walked down from the living quarters to the office area, greeted by his bodyguard and assistant, who handed him a hologram. Alex just touched it and the static spark from before jumped from it. From the side of his temples, the yellow eye shields extended, covering his eyes. The hologram was uploaded into his info link and was displayed on the HUD which was on the back side of the eye shields. The information included some last minute adjustments, which were already underway thanks to the massive army of engineers, employed by the company. "Everything is going according to the schedule. I am surprised we haven't had a single problem up until now!" His eye shields retracted and he removed his coat, hanging it on the chair in the office.

Alex was dressed in a classic work attire, consisting of black suit, black shirt and a black tie. Although due to his augmentations, he wore gloves on his hands, not that augmentation was something uncommon or something to be ashamed of, he just decided to do so. Besides, don't show, don't tell, those reminded him on an attempt by his own brother to take his life as a heir to the family company. He inspected the surroundings, before deciding to spend the day getting to know the people who worked here. He firmly believed that knowing the people you work with and the work they had to do forms a strong bond, which would allow everyone to be much more effective.


1000GST/ARGS/SUB_LVL/HCTR_GRIM

After an hour of wandering through the sub level, Grim actually decided to give it a break and rethink his strategy. What was he gonna do? Wander the whole planet in search of what he needed? That was going to take forever, and he didn't have that time... Mainly because there was a growl of a lion fighting a tiger coming from his body. That would mean 2 things. It was either he was in immediate danger, as someone was about to attack him, but he quickly dismissed that, since all the surrounding people looked sketchy, a.k.a credible people, who probably know what was about to happen if any of them attack him, and no one looked like they wanted a murder fest with Hector as the main star. So it was the second option - he was simply hungry. "Say, suppose any of y'all know where I can find a joint that sells fajitas around here?" He asked nobody in particular...

 

[ZeiruliousMakavar]

Kureha
Kureha smiled softly as she shuffled a bit, moving past Hector, a fox styled Kabuki mask attached to her belt spot-able as she did. She whistled happily to herself, looking around still. She then let out a soft sigh, frowning a bit, as she stopped, looking around once again, shuffling a bit as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Ah.... where was that depot again...." She mumbled to herself, clearly annoyed at something as she glanced about, now lost as she continued looking around, standing not far from Hector.

Gegawat

 

[Gegawat]

1000GST/ARGS/SUB_LVL/HCTR_GRIM

Hector was observant, a quality that came with the job description, and his observation was that this person, who passed right next to him, didn't really belon here. However he paid absolutely no mind to her, further than that. Different? Yes, most definitely, but he had focus, another quality from his job. And his current focus was food, gun, smoke, nap, maybe getting laid, but considering there were mostly ugly looking guys around here, this was debatable. Maybe he should give some attention to the girl? He stole a glance... Nah, wasn't worth the prison time, not that there was a prison that could gold him...

 

[ZeiruliousMakavar]

Kureha
Kureha smiled softly, shuffling a bit again, glancing back at Hector once or twice, the second time a finger to her lips as if asking for silence. Or, where her lips would have been, if the fox mask on her hip wasn't upon her face suddenly as she looked back the second time. She let out a soft giggle, as she turned heading further into the underbelly of Argos, only turning to face away from Hector as she turned a corner. Once more, most of the people there seemed to ignore her, despite her clean clothes and youthful appearance very clearly making her stand out in the slum-like area the two found themselves in.

Gegawat

Caelyn Amarakiir
Caelyn let out a soft sigh, glancing at the time, her augmented reality implants making it very simple to track time, instead of needing some watch or a phone. She let out a soft sigh, shaking her head slowly, answering the AR call she had just received. "And what is it this time?" She asked, glaring a bit as she looked forward, at an older man in military uniform. "Ma'am, as you know, the Mercer tower will be hosting an opening soon." He said, causing Caelyn to sigh in annoyance, shaking her head slowly. "As you know, they requested weeks ago that the Imperial Legion provide some, extra security. I know you do not believe in using the Legion in such ways, but... can you at least show up to the party as a guest? As you know, the who's who will all..." He began, before Caelyn waved, silencing the older man. "You know I can't Jacques. It would defeat the point of keeping my identity a secret. Besides, I have my hands full with the whole Revenant Corps debacle." She stated, frowning as she spoke. "I do not like, that there are rumors going around that they've found their way here Jacques."

 

[ZeiruliousMakavar]

Caelyn Amarakiir
Caelyn frowned softly as she sat at one of the tables in the banquet hall. She shuffled a bit, playing with the hem of her dress that she was wearing at the time. It was a fairly formal dress, but one that clearly showed she was one of the higher-ups in the military. Though who's wasn't exactly clear. At the time, she was silently observing the going-ons in the banquet hall, as it was some sort of social gathering set up by one of the more wealthy citizens of Argos. It had been a couple of weeks since the opening of Mercer Tower, and since then, the well-to-do had once again gotten into the habit of hosting near daily parties, to show off their wealth to the rest of the civilization usually.

While she normally ignored these parties, she was there at the time, because of a personal request to show up by the Imperial family. An order she can not ignore.

 

[Gegawat]

1930GST/ARGS/MTCH_TWR_BNQT_HALL/MERCER_A_J

The guests were arriving one by one, greeted by Katarina, who was wearing a long black dress and was sober for a change, nothing that she couldn't fix later that night, once all the guests have arrived. Once in the hall, the guests were shown to their table by the private security, the men and women who worked directly for Alex. Each one of them - dressed impeccably and exactly the same - black suit, white shirt, black tie. The only difference was their suit - some wore it unbuttoned while others kept it professional. The unbuttoned suits exposed leather straps and holsters, housing a sub machine gun sized weapon.

The hall itself was a typical formal event with several large tables for up to 8 people in the corners, with tall standing cocktail tables in the middle. There were waiters dressed in black shirts and black pants with blue bow ties going around with glasses and Hors d'oeuvres, although there was also a bar set up, where people could order. The hall was decorated in black and blue, obviously the colors of the company.

The guests themselves were so different, and yet so similar. It could take an experienced and a very observant person to know who is who. There were infliuential people, like elite politicians, well known businessmen, simple workers, the engineers and the builders who made it possible. And between all of them - Alex Mercer. He was dressed in a black suit, with a blue shirt and a white tie, his signature look. He was wearing leather gloves, covering his metal arms, the only thing that gave a hint off that he is augmented - his eye shield sunglasses, which were currently retracted. He had a polite smile on his face, a glass of champagne in his left arm and his right arm was extended in constant handshakes, receiving congratulations on his accomplishment, to which he replied "Only time will tell if this is an accomplishment or just an attempt at one."

 

[ZeiruliousMakavar]

Caelyn Amarakiir
Caelyn let out a sigh, as the star of the party entered the room, shaking her head slowly as she once again shuffled her self out of her seat. She gave a rather fake artificial smile, as if she would rather scowl at home than be there when it was her turn to give the pleasantries, a request once again from the Imperial Family. Her seat was rather close to Mercer's, but far enough that it was clear hat she was only there as a formality, not as an honoured guest like most of the uber-wealthy that made their way into these events. Either by checkbook, or invitation didn't matter to Caelyn, she just wanted out of there so she could go back to looking into the rumors of the Revenant Corps having a hidden base on Argos. She did not like that such a chaotic element could be that close to the Imperial Capital planet.

 

[Gegawat]

Alex was a people's person, great at meeting new people. Part of it was due to his augs, but most of it was due to his personality. "Greetings, nice to meet you!" "That's a lovely dress/suit!" "This is a one firm handshake, do you workout?" He stroke a friendly small talk with each and every guest.

The more observant guests could even notice a pattern. Every time Alex started talking with someone, the guard behind him would squeeze the back of his upper arm twice. With that, Alex wished the person good night and to enjoy themselves. It was like the guard's job was to reset that Alex looking robot for the next person.

Alex shook the hand of the soldier. Being observant himself, in addition to his eye augs, it wasn't hard to figure her true occupation. Well, most of it was classified and was off public records, but there was still enough information there for him to strike a conversation. "Good evening, Miss Aramakiir. Didn't expect to meet a soldier tonight. To what do I owe the honors?"