As I power down my ship, I walk down the off-ramp and submit to the usual security inspections. As an arms manufactory for the Veiled Keepers the inspections are tight and the guards can't be bribed. At least, not with cash.
I spot Eveline at the head of the inspection team and walk over, pulling out a datapad and putting on a show of trying to make small-talk as we walk back toward the ship until we're out of earshot of her team.
"Anything on board I should be worried about?" she says in a low voice as we feign a detailed inspection of the contents of the pad. I shake my head and she raises a hand into the air and motions toward the ship. With her other hand she keys her comm. "Secure the cargo area, download the nav logs for the last journey, I'll be there in a second". She side-eyes me and gestures at my pad, "If you'll be so kind...?". I give a wry grin and navigate to the ship functions, unlocking the logs for the most recent journey. This isn't my first visit to this place, and I made sure my starting point for this trip was above suspicion.
As her team board the ship I turn so that I'm facing away from the security cameras (at least, the ones I'm aware of) and ask "you have news? About Forlorn?" A sharp intake of breath and she growls "don't say that name here. It's not safe". I bow my head in apology and she composes herself. "You have something for me first?"
[Action: Suppress / Theme: Humanity. Sounds like an escapist thing to me. Drugs or illegal Simsense.]
I nod and say "I'll leave it in the usual place. What have you got for me?".
Swear an Iron Vow: Find out what they are working on in the secret archaeological settlement known as Forlorn
[Weak Hit: 4 + 3 + 1 = 8 vs 10 | 5]
"A data stick. Air gapped. Coordinates. And an old security code. It's be best I can do, they run searches. I tried to get you something current but it's locked up tight. You'll find it in the drop."
Mark Progress [**________]
Coordinates is something, but it doesn't do me much good if I get blown to bits the second I get within sensor range. I need more information, but Eveline's the first person on this station with even moderate influence that I've been able to find any kind of leverage over. I don't like being on the wrong side of the law, but as a trader in Veiled Keeper space, just existing is borderline criminal.
We play out the rest of the inspection without any further conversation. I have what I need from her. Even if this lead doesn't work out, we're now bound by a shared secret - she knows I've smuggled illegal materials into the base and I have concrete evidence that she's passed military intelligence onto an unauthorised 3rd party. I know which of us comes off worse if this gets out.
I need another angle. If Eveline can't deliver me the clearance I need, maybe she can deliver me someone who can. Or maybe I should give up this fool's errand and leave Veiled Keeper space. The whole faction gives me the creeps.
Later that day as I drop off and collect Eveline's stuff from the drop point I leave her an old fashioned paper note saying I'll be in the bar this evening if she finds herself off-duty. I don't expect that she'll show up when the alternative is several hours uninterrupted time with a new Simsense, but I'll need to be here for a couple of days doing mundane trades if I want to keep my cover and with the toxic spillover making outdoors a no-go zone this is a particularly boring place to be stuck, and she's still the only person I know.
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