The warehouse drops into a dead, wet hush. Rain thins to a hiss through the roof seam, and then a sharp digital whine knifes straight through Mercer Skye's skull.
Kaine
Mercer. There you are. I was beginning to think the repairs made you difficult.
Zara freezes beside him, hand hovering over her sidearm. At the far end of the warehouse, a figure steps out from behind a pallet stack, calm as a creditor. A slim aerial drone hangs over his shoulder, its lens iris glowing blue.
Zara
He's here... and he brought eyes.
Mercer Skye
The voice is in my mesh, not the room.
Kaine
I am not here to make this ugly. Mercer Skye returns the property, Zara gets paid for her trouble, and everyone keeps their limbs.
The newcomer, a hooded courier in rain-dark street clothes, appears from the loading bay with both hands visible, glancing between Mercer and Zara like he wants no part of the fallout.
The Courier
Easy. I only came to drop a packet and leave. Whatever this is, I am not the middle of it.
✓ Quest Accepted
Isolate my neural mesh from Kaine's signal
✓ Quest Accepted
Learn what the courier is carrying
“I cut the mesh link and go dark”
SUCCESS (Mediocre Hacking, rolled +1)
Mercer cuts the link clean. The whine in his skull snaps off, leaving only rain, static, and his own breathing.
His optic implant flares once, then settles. A thin trickle of blood warms the inside of his nose as the mesh goes dark.
Kaine
There you are. I can still see the gap you made.
Zara lowers her sidearm a fraction, watching Mercer like he has just vanished and reappeared at once.
The Courier
I am carrying a payment packet. That is all. I do not know what he wants from you.
The courier raises the packet higher, fingers tight around it, while the drone above Kaine swings its blue lens toward Mercer’s hiding place.
Mercer stays dark, but the warehouse now feels smaller, as if the silence itself is being measured.
Quest Complete
Isolate my neural mesh from Kaine's signal
Skill Upgrade: Hacking Mediocre→Fair
“"Who is the packet for?"”
FAILURE (Good Persuasion, rolled -2)
Mercer Skye
Who is the packet for?
The Courier
A handoff. Not yours. Not his. I only carry it to the address on the wafer.
Zara
Then show it. If it is tagged, I want to see by who.
The Courier
I am not opening it here.
He shifts the packet just enough to catch the warehouse light, and Mercer catches a clean glimpse of a black seal stamped with a white crest, Matsuda corporate issue.
Kaine
There. That answers one question. Now move away from it, very slowly.
The courier hesitates, and in that tiny pause the drone’s lens steadies on the packet instead of Mercer. The opening is clear, if Mercer wants to act on it.
“I move in towards Kaine, attempting to disarm him and shoot his drone if necessary. (I just want to even out the situation)”
FAILURE (Good Melee Combat, rolled -2)
Mercer breaks from cover and drives straight at Kaine, boots scraping concrete, shoulder low for the grab.
Kaine pivots just enough to spoil the line, and Mercer’s hand catches jacket fabric, not the wrist he wants.
The drone snaps lower, blue lens flaring over Mercer’s face as the shot he starts lines up badly in the jolt.
A bright crack tears past Kaine’s shoulder and sparks off steel behind him, close enough to sting Mercer’s cheek with hot grit.
Kaine
Still reaching for me, Mercer? You’re broadcasting half the room.
Kaine twists free, one step back, and the drone climbs out of easy reach while its lens stays hard on Mercer.
Zara
Mercer, your implant is lighting up, get it under control.
“"Slimy weasel. I got nothing. Plan went bust. Just...drop the gun and stop making this tense."”
SUCCESS (Good Persuasion, rolled +0)
Mercer Skye
Slimy weasel. I got nothing. Plan went bust. Just drop the gun and stop making this tense.
Kaine freezes on the edge of a retreat, then slowly lowers his weapon. The drone hangs above, lens still bright, but its aim slips off Mercer and steadies on the black Matsuda seal in the courier’s hands.
Kaine
You were supposed to keep that mesh quiet, Mercer. Instead, you light up the whole block. Fine. Let’s all breathe for one second.
Mercer’s implant flare eases, and the hot pressure behind his eye thins. The price hits at the same time, a thin nosebleed spotting his lip and collar as the warehouse seems to stop ringing.
The Courier
I’m just carrying a packet, that’s all. Matsuda seal, sealed terminal, no copy rights, no questions. I don’t even know what’s inside.
Zara
That’s a clean lie, or the cleanest one he’s got. Mercer, look at him, he’s shaking like he knows the label.
The courier tightens both hands around the packet, but he does not run. Kaine’s eyes stay on the seal, measuring it now like it matters more than Mercer’s blood.
“"Can you not just give it to whoever it's for? Do you need a signature? "”
SUCCESS (Good Persuasion, rolled +1)
Mercer Skye
Can you just give it to whoever it is for? Do you need a signature?
The Courier
If it stops this staring contest, yes. Take it. I am done being the middleman.
The courier extends the Matsuda packet toward Kaine with both hands, as if handing over a live charge. The drone shifts, blue lens fixed on the transfer.
Kaine
That is exactly what I need to see.
Kaine accepts the packet without a rush, thumb brushing the seal. The courier lets go fast, shoulders dropping with obvious relief.
Zara
There. Now the tension can stop pretending it has a reason.
The blue lens stays on the packet, not Mercer. For the first time, the pressure in his mesh stops echoing through the room like it owns him.
Quest Complete
Learn what the courier is carrying
Skill Upgrade: Persuasion Great→Superb