Kaja sat behind her desk, staring at the hovering holographic screens. Dressed in black shoes, a black skirt, a white sleeveless top with an elegant black ribbon and a chocker. Her black hair was tied in a, not at the back of her head. To her left were eight frames displayed, each showed footage from security cameras. Every few seconds they changed from the camera. The camera’s covered the entrance, the spacious lobby, emergency exits, halls and the like. There were even camera’s in the hotel rooms, precaution, but those would not appear on her screen unless the A.I. found reason to show it to her with a warning. Marduk, the A.I., was Kaja’s virtual assistant and was programmed to recognise weapons, drugs and other illegal activities. Not to report to the police but to expand a file on the perpetrators in question. She could always go to the police at a later date, an incentive for the perpetrators to fulfil favours for her. Knowledge is power. The screen to her right was a screen showing the report on someone that recently checked into the hotel. A businessman from Midi, spot clean as far as she knew. At the screen in front of her was the monthly financial report. It wasn’t great, but neither was it terrible. The Black Lotus was a new hotel, the first of what would hopefully become a chain. It was the 7th month now, next year would be a better year as the reputation would grow. However, in the end, the Black Lotus was nothing but a front for her actual business. She was an assassin, a mercenary and to speak of the devil.
“M’am, a secure message from an unknown source and sender,” said Marduk with his slightly robotic voice. The accent of Marduk was from Ca-Elum.
”Scan the message, try to trace the source,” said Kaja as she crossed her legs and leaned forwards on her elbows with her hands under her chin.
“The message is a text file, there is a zero per cent chance that it can harm our systems or retrieve data from our servers. Tracing can take hours, I estimate the chances of success on 9.56 %.”
”Keep tracing. Open the file.”
The file opened between the middle screen and Kaja. She pushed it farther back and enlarged it.
”Two. This letter is to recruit your expertise, in conjunction with the expertise of other mages. 1.000.000 jewels in cash. 500.000 in advance at a designated meeting place, Talonia, 28th street nr. 114. Target description: underground guild. Further detail will be available at the sight. If interested, arrive at this location in three days, at 2200 hours. Code: 92387653
”Look up that adress.”
“Yes, m’am.”
Before her appeared a new holographic screen, displaying the town of Talonia. The screen zoomed in at one location, a parking garage in construction.
”A good place for an ambush.“ Kaja sighed, ”I don’t like this way of hiring.” She gave the holographic image a twist as it began to spiral. ”But am bored. Looks like we are going to Talonia.”
“Very well, do you want me to order train tickets?”
”Yes, under the alias of Sarah.”
“Very well.”
Kaja kneeled on the top of an office building in front of the parking garage. She did not require binoculars or night vision goggles to scan the building. She had sent out tiny drones, in the shape of bees, to scan the environment. Her own eyes were cybernetic and could easily see in the dark and zoom up to ten times. They were ominously blue, something she could not get rid of. A side effect from Kai. Who seemed awfully dormant of late. Silence before that storm, thought Kaja. It vexed her. Even when he wasn’t around, he could irritate her and scare her. She shook away the thoughts, she had a job to do.
She looked at the internal holographic screens, footage from the drones. The building was empty. Three flours had been build and completed. On the second floor was a black van, the only thing that seemed out of the ordinary from a building site. It was almost time, she should go. She jumped off the building and fell on the ground like a cat; on softly on four limbs.
She arrived at the van. Dressed in purple and black, her face hidden behind a black mask. From behind the eye slits shimmered two blue diffused lights. She scanned the van. Nothing unusual except for a couple of metal safes. She opened the side door and checked. They were numbered, starting with the number 1.
”Marduk, show me the file,” said Kaja in her mind. Marduk complied. Her letter started with the word two. And she had a code. She was tempted to open her safe now but pulled back her hand. They would probably learn more once the others arrived. What if she wasn’t up for this job? But then, what was the worst thing that could happen. Death? She could not die.
“Yes, forever with me,” crackled the voice of Kai in her mind.
Kaja shivered and shook her head as if it would make Kai disappear. It strangely seemed to work as Kai remained silent. She let out a sigh and unlocked the safe with her code. Within it was a pouch filled with jewels. ”Marduk, call a drone in to fetch this up.”
“Yes M’am,” said Marduk.
Wordcount: 900
“M’am, a secure message from an unknown source and sender,” said Marduk with his slightly robotic voice. The accent of Marduk was from Ca-Elum.
”Scan the message, try to trace the source,” said Kaja as she crossed her legs and leaned forwards on her elbows with her hands under her chin.
“The message is a text file, there is a zero per cent chance that it can harm our systems or retrieve data from our servers. Tracing can take hours, I estimate the chances of success on 9.56 %.”
”Keep tracing. Open the file.”
The file opened between the middle screen and Kaja. She pushed it farther back and enlarged it.
”Two. This letter is to recruit your expertise, in conjunction with the expertise of other mages. 1.000.000 jewels in cash. 500.000 in advance at a designated meeting place, Talonia, 28th street nr. 114. Target description: underground guild. Further detail will be available at the sight. If interested, arrive at this location in three days, at 2200 hours. Code: 92387653
”Look up that adress.”
“Yes, m’am.”
Before her appeared a new holographic screen, displaying the town of Talonia. The screen zoomed in at one location, a parking garage in construction.
”A good place for an ambush.“ Kaja sighed, ”I don’t like this way of hiring.” She gave the holographic image a twist as it began to spiral. ”But am bored. Looks like we are going to Talonia.”
“Very well, do you want me to order train tickets?”
”Yes, under the alias of Sarah.”
“Very well.”
Kaja kneeled on the top of an office building in front of the parking garage. She did not require binoculars or night vision goggles to scan the building. She had sent out tiny drones, in the shape of bees, to scan the environment. Her own eyes were cybernetic and could easily see in the dark and zoom up to ten times. They were ominously blue, something she could not get rid of. A side effect from Kai. Who seemed awfully dormant of late. Silence before that storm, thought Kaja. It vexed her. Even when he wasn’t around, he could irritate her and scare her. She shook away the thoughts, she had a job to do.
She looked at the internal holographic screens, footage from the drones. The building was empty. Three flours had been build and completed. On the second floor was a black van, the only thing that seemed out of the ordinary from a building site. It was almost time, she should go. She jumped off the building and fell on the ground like a cat; on softly on four limbs.
She arrived at the van. Dressed in purple and black, her face hidden behind a black mask. From behind the eye slits shimmered two blue diffused lights. She scanned the van. Nothing unusual except for a couple of metal safes. She opened the side door and checked. They were numbered, starting with the number 1.
”Marduk, show me the file,” said Kaja in her mind. Marduk complied. Her letter started with the word two. And she had a code. She was tempted to open her safe now but pulled back her hand. They would probably learn more once the others arrived. What if she wasn’t up for this job? But then, what was the worst thing that could happen. Death? She could not die.
“Yes, forever with me,” crackled the voice of Kai in her mind.
Kaja shivered and shook her head as if it would make Kai disappear. It strangely seemed to work as Kai remained silent. She let out a sigh and unlocked the safe with her code. Within it was a pouch filled with jewels. ”Marduk, call a drone in to fetch this up.”
“Yes M’am,” said Marduk.
Wordcount: 900
