...continued from A Job To Do
For months, Nathan had not been able to fulfill his duty as an officer of the Tower.
He spent his days tinkering with numerous gizmos in his office. The 3D printer the higher-ups provided him with was more than enough, as he used it to create various weapons. The only person who really kept him company was his ever-as-annoying workmate Michael, who visibly also had nothing to do. He would have more cabinets installed into his office and buy more boxes to store his weapons in. Soon enough, he would become a one-man weapon factory.
He had only been able to secure a proper mission right now. Whoever Megelis was, he saw him as a savior of sorts. All he had to do was to protect some scrawny kid who had a profound expertise in coding. Nathan saw this as an opportunity to unload his arsenal. A large and bulky bag resembling a sports duffel hung from his shoulder, containing many instruments of destruction.
Yes, instruments of destruction. What other way would there be to put it?Nathan whistled in a long and high-pitched manner. Another data screen appeared on the interface of his helmet.
"Are you there, Archive? I'd ask a favor from you."ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ, ɴᴀᴛʜᴀɴ. ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ғᴀɪʟ ᴛᴏ ʙᴜɢ ᴍᴇ. ɪ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴇᴄɪᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ."All right, please provide me with info on my companions. You have access to my visor, right? I blew quite a large amount of money on that."ᴀʟʟ ʀɪɢʜᴛ.Senechal began to scan the individuals that Nathan looked at. Megelis was first in line.
ᴍᴇɢᴇʟɪs ᴀʟᴛᴏʀɪs, ᴋɴɪɢʜᴛ ᴇxᴇᴍᴘʟᴀʀ. ʜᴇ ɪs ᴡᴇʟʟ-ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ғᴏʀ ʜɪs ɪɴᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴛᴏ ᴀɢᴇ. ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛʟʏ, ʜᴇ ɪs 150 ʏᴇᴀʀs ᴏʟᴅ."Considering that, he must have tons of experience. I'm also considering the fact that he isn't exactly immortal, of course."ɪɴᴅᴇᴇᴅ. ʜᴇ ʜᴀs ʙᴇᴇɴ sᴇʀᴠɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴡᴇʀ sɪɴᴄᴇ ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs 19 ʏᴇᴀʀs ᴏʟᴅ."Wow, that's one hell of a record. Hey Archive, could you scan that other kid for me?"Nathan turned towards Markus. Archive immediately began to rack up important data, and within seconds, he (the AI had identified itself as a male) had prepared a comprehensive report.
ᴍᴀʀᴋᴜs ᴊᴏʀᴅᴀɴ, ᴀʀᴛɪsᴀɴ. ʜᴇ ɢᴏᴇs ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘsᴇᴜᴅᴏɴʏᴍ ᴏғ ʙʟᴜ_ᴅʀᴀɢ0ɴ."Reminds me of the cafe I used to go to back then. I loved the pancakes there. How'd he get hired?"ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ʜɪɢʜ-sᴇᴄᴜʀɪᴛʏ ᴅᴀᴛᴀ sʏsᴛᴇᴍ. ᴏғ ᴄᴏᴜʀsᴇ, ʜᴇ ɢᴏᴛ ᴄᴀᴜɢʜᴛ. ғᴏʀᴛᴜɴᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ғᴏʀ ʜɪᴍ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴡᴇʀ ʀᴇᴄᴏɢɴɪᴢᴇᴅ ʜɪs sᴋɪʟʟs ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴀᴠᴇ ʜɪᴍ ʜɪs ᴘᴏsɪᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀs ᴀʀᴛɪsᴀɴ."That's rad. I doubt he has any experience with weapons, though."ɴᴀᴛʜᴀɴ, ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ʟɪᴠᴇ ʟɪɢʜᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʜɪᴍ ᴀʀᴇ ᴜsᴜᴀʟʟʏ ғɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ sᴜʀᴘʀɪsᴇs. ʜᴇ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ɢᴜɴ ʜɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ᴡɪᴛʜɪɴ ʜɪs ᴊᴀᴄᴋᴇᴛ, ᴏʀ ᴀᴛ ʟᴇᴀsᴛ ᴄᴏᴘɪᴏᴜs ᴀᴍᴏᴜɴᴛs ᴏғ ᴛᴇᴀʀ ɢᴀs."Right."ɪɴ ғᴀᴄᴛ, ɪ'ᴍ ᴅᴇᴛᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴜɴɪǫᴜᴇ sɪɢɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ғʀᴏᴍ ʜɪᴍ. ᴡᴇ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ."Company?"ʜᴇ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ʙᴇ ᴜᴛɪʟɪᴢɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴅɪsᴛɪɴᴄᴛ ᴀɪ ᴘᴀᴛᴄʜ. ɢɪᴠᴇɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ, ʜᴇ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴀʟᴇʀᴛᴇᴅ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ǫᴜɪᴄᴋ sᴄᴀɴ ᴀʟʀᴇᴀᴅʏ."Damn. All right, scan finished. Go back to work."The kid had programmed his own artificial intelligence. Nathan wanted one of those. He didn't actually like to bother the Tower's own AI systems just for personal information. Markus began to speak:
"I'm guessing that order of yours is coming from Dino? If it is, I can spam his inbox with a few special gifts. Just to dissuade him, of course."
Nathan was surprised. This kid had
guts. He admired the kind of person that had guts.
"That would be an absolutely terrific idea, but no. Dino ain't the real problem here. The real concern is your safety."He put a hand on Markus' shoulder. Such a brave person needed more than a pat on the back.
"Are you armed and ready?"