The service door opens onto the bar’s violet-lit interior. Uneasy whispers ripple through the crowd as security drones hover overhead, their lenses fixed on Ana.
The bartender gestures toward a shadowed booth near the back. The young woman with the copper cheek implant and the lean young adult man remain nearby, shaken but unharmed.
The Bartender
Come on, big one. Sit somewhere the cameras can see you, but the customers can’t crowd you.
A wall display shows the alley feed: the drunk patron stands beneath the drone’s warning light while rain beads across the camera lens. The recording has already been flagged.
Mara
You saved us. I mean it. He was going to make this very ugly.
Jace
I’m still trying to process how fast that happened. Thank you, seriously.
The young woman offers Ana a careful smile, while the man pulls out the booth’s opposite seat. Around them, the bar waits to see what Ana does next.
✓ Quest Accepted
Earn the survivors' trust
“Glad I could help I’m new to this city I’m looking for a place to stay I do t have money or a job yet what opportunities are there for someone like me around here…”
SUCCESS (Legendary Conversation, rolled +3)
Ana
Glad I could help. I’m new to this city, looking for somewhere to stay. I don’t have money or a job yet. What opportunities are there for someone like me?
The bartender studies Ana across the booth, then glances at the flagged alley feed. Her trembling cybernetic hand settles against the counter, decision made.
The Bartender
You just made yourself useful. I’ve got a clean room above the bar, and I need someone strong for door work and deliveries. Food, bed, and starting pay.
Mara
I can vouch for them. My studio’s hiring runners too, if you want something less public. The pay clears tonight through my employer.
The bartender taps a contract onto the booth’s glass surface. It lists a room upstairs, immediate meals, and a paid trial shift beginning now, with no deposit.
Jace
That’s a better offer than most people get after arriving broke. And the cameras caught everything. You’ve got witnesses on your side.
The Bartender
Stay here tonight, big one. We’ll sort the paperwork and show you the room. You’ve got a place, and now you’ve got options.
Begin the bartender's paid trial shift
Quest Complete
Earn the survivors' trust