This choice: So what is it this time..? • Go Back...Chapter #2So what is it this time..? by: Authrox   ---Data Simulation Initiated---
A lone female silhouete walked down the virgin sand beach, palm trees swaying in the background, a strong salt water mist in the air, while the wind carried a soft chill against the ever present tropical sun. Karen was in heaven, walking the beach front of her family's manor. The white brick walls glittering in the backdrop of the tropical jungle. It must of been in her family for generations. It offered everything from a full staff, to a plantation where anything needed could be grown. She couldn't be happier. But as much as she wished she were there. She knew instinctively of her self imposed prison. Even the image of her favorite butlet, waiting patiently with an assortment of her favorite foods on a serving tray, was nothing but memory.
---Data Simulation Terminated---
Karen's mind drifted back to the confines of her cyberself. As a child, that place had always been a safe place, an inviting place. Even now, the place's lost was a point of anger for her. Vilrakiin high command, specifically certain self serving officials. Used various defense laws to oust her family from their property without even paying them a dime. All in the name of defense, they claimed. In reality, the rampant corruption among the Vilrakiin elite created unfavorable conditions for the subsequint tiers. The lower the tier. The more often one could expect themselves to be victimized. Unable to resist, most abandoned what good will they had left and began victimizing anyone not of the Vilrakiin ranks. The system was horible. In Karen's eyes, the only good that came out of it, was its finality, met with the Sabron's typical, and expediant trial of leading officials in a given area of contestment. Usually resulting in an equally expediant death, unless being pardoned or proven innocent.
Karen had to laugh internally. The official didn't even survive the invasion. The last word she heard of them was of their denial that Agrith, their private play ground, was on the cusp of collaspe. Of how, even when imperial forces blasted their way through the thick steel doors of their bunker. Even when there own forces where in a panic. They just sat still, denying everything. The downside to post invasion, crime had been so rampant, that the removal of those the imperium declared undesireable would of undermined any semblance of structure. The Sabron desperately needed to ensure a quick and expediant transition into their rule. The result was a mass pardon of crimes for everything but the most grievous. Given the nature of their war, the multi-world contestment with opposing forces, and an undermanned military force tasked to delivery nearly the impossible. It's understandable why they wanted to free as much man power as they could for other engagements. The post invasion society wasn't perfect. But compared to the once dominant tyranny. Everyone agreed it was by far an improvement.
Then their was the matter of the Sabron leadership. Their rule was more autonomous than anything else. Independent agents overseeing independent branchs of the government. Operating in tangent yet lacking any central authority. Rule by locality, they called it. By there own charter it meant Agrith could chose from either their own or Imperial agents they trusted to rule on their behalf. It wasn't to much of a leap in understanding to see why groups such as the Agrith Liberation Front (ALF) were calling for a free Agrith. Noble intentions, if abit nieve...
Seconds passed as Karen's program rendered mind, raced through countless details and considerations, what ever thoughts she considered, she found herself returning to the nature of her reality. Multiple optics and video feeds served as her only real means of external sensory. She could count the pulses of energy traveling through the multitude of wires and cables. Her world was in part digital, and for as long as her body, the transformed metalic flesh of her Re-Assembler self remained bolted to the Dura-crete floor. Everything about the building in which she resided was in essence, an extention of herself.
Her parents had told her that honest reward required honest sacrifice. That karma rewarded itself in kind. There had been a moment in her history when she questioned this. But no longer. Her taboo alliance to the off-worlder, her sacrifice of conversion. It was all towards a single goal. She didn't try to underhand Vika-Mang, she knew enough about the Sabron to know faulty calculations and numbers upset them to no end. Add the fact that Vika-Mang was among only a handful of Sabron on world capable of programing code. A condition Karen was now subject too. It wasn't prudent. Not that that really mattered. Mage's always outlived their mundane counterparts. Something about the arcane often slowing or completely stoping the process of aging. Compound the fact that Sabron didn't typically live too long past two-hundred and fifty. Vika-Mang's status of being childless meant that their was a possiblity she might inherent the entire fortune of their partnership. But she was getting ahead of herself.
An optic over the docks detected Vika-Mang retreaving the new flat-cell from one of the companies Couriers. It seldom took Vika-Mang very long to get to Karen when that happened. Karen had determined there was very little difference any Sabron as far as their nature was concerned. They were instinctively driven to experiment any chance they got. Evidenced by the fact that every greeting, even among family was always a chalenge. Always a test to see what if anything changed. They couldn't help it, they were after all Sabron. Which did nothing to change the fact for why the flat-cell was here.
"Perhap's now we be trying experimental chariot." Implied Vika-Mang in a hopeful tone.
Karen had dealt with Vika-Mang enough to know she was attempting to deviate from their agreed path. She took a moment to find relevant work orders before displaying it for Vika-Mang.
"I would of thought this one is being here for other reason." Stated Vika-Mang, shaking the cylanders content.
Karen couldn't deny it. Vika'Mang's insistance on acquireing a Re-Assembler had been ingenious. The Transformed Worker's Admendment specified any business using altered own or have access to a Re-Assembler. Stipulating reversion or conversion to said workers take place at the same said device for safety. Which meant Karen couldn't revert until the conditions of her last contract conversion had been met. Couple the law to the blatant lack of availble Re-Assemblers. What Karen never would of considered on her own. The conversion she agreed to in order to fill the company's needs. Created a favorable situation for their independent outfit. With first point conversion minimizing waiting time, as well as conversion costs, and add a service charge for delivery of said goods anywhere in the city. The business venture had become incredibly lucrative. Something Karen wasn't going to complain about anytime soon. Her sacrifice, her gain.
Her holo-image self smiling towards Vika-Mang, all that was left, was for the two partners to decide on which order to fill...  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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