Tally 4: Reputation and Desperation
Posted on Sun Dec 15th, 2024 @ 10:06pm by Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami
1,166 words; about a 6 minute read
The dimly lit bar on Freecloud buzzed with quiet scheming, its patrons seated in shadowed alcoves where deals were made and debts were settled. Adrianna Reggimi sat at a table near the centre, her posture relaxed, a faint smirk on her lips as she spoke to the Orion trader across from her.
The trader leaned back in his seat, his sharp teeth glinting in the low light. His green fingers drummed the tabletop, his irritation poorly masked. “Your rates are ridiculous,” he said, his voice low but heated, “Why should I pay that for a translator?”
“Because I’m not just a translator,” Adrianna replied, her tone smooth and confident, “I’m a mediator, a deal-maker, and an insurance policy. You want your Ferengi partners to walk away satisfied, don’t you? Misstep once with their terms, and you’ll lose more profit than you’d pay me in a year.”
The Orion huffed, his gaze flicking down to the drink in her hand. His sharp, predatory smile widened. “You’ve got quite the reputation,” he said, his tone softening, almost pleasant, “but I still think you’re asking too much. I'd pay that much if there were other services included. I'm sure someone like you could help negotiate in other ways.”
Adrianna raised a brow, her smirk unshaken, “Then hire someone else and watch your deal fall apart. You’ll be back in a week, asking if my rates are still the same and I will be here with inflated prices just for your insolence.”
The Orion chuckled, lifting his own glass. “You drive a hard bargain,” as he took a sip, his free hand slipped something into her drink– a faint shimmer of powder that dissolved almost instantly into the amber liquid.
Adrianna didn’t miss it. She kept her expression calm, lifting the glass casually, her sharp eyes fixed on the Orion’s face. His smile faltered slightly when she didn’t drink right away, instead swirling the liquid as if lost in thought.
“You know,” she said smoothly, setting the glass back down untouched, “for someone so concerned about profit, you’re awfully reckless. Whatever you slipped into my drink just cost you this negotiation.”
The Orion stiffened, his expression darkening, “You’re imagining things.”
“Am I?” Adrianna leaned forward, her smirk turning into something sharper, more dangerous, “Do you want to test that theory by taking a sip?”
The Orion glared at her for a long moment before slumping back in his seat, defeated, “Fine. You win this round.”
“I always do,” Adrianna replied. She stood, straightening her jacket. “Enjoy the rest of your evening. And next time, try not to waste my time.” She paused, picking up the spiked drink. “One more thing–” She downed the drink, turning the glass upside down and hitting the table, “I can't be killed that easily.”
She turned and walked towards the bar’s exit, but she hadn’t taken more than a few steps before a tall, lanky man stepped into her path. His jumpsuit, streaked with grease, marked him as a mechanic, though his wiry hair and crooked grin suggested he was no stranger to trouble. “You’ve got some nerve,” he said, his voice tinged with amusement.
Adrianna raised a brow. “Do I know you?”
“Not yet,” he replied. “The name’s Lutz. Chief mechanic on the Pendragon. Been hearing your name all over Freecloud– Adrianna Reggimi, the translator who can talk circles around anyone. And after that little show back there?” He jerked his head towards the Orion. “I’m impressed.”
Adrianna folded her arms, studying him, “and what does the Pendragon want with me?”
“It’s not what it wants,” Lutz said, his grin widening, “It’s what my captain needs. Vance Adams has got a job coming up, and he’ll need someone who can handle themselves like you just did. Interested?”
Adrianna let the offer hang in the air, feigning indifference, “Maybe. What’s the job?”
“Diplomacy between good, bad and the ugly,” Lutz said, lowering his voice, “the kind that gets messy when people don’t understand each other. Vance needs someone sharp, and you’ve got the reputation to back it up.”
She hesitated just long enough to make him think she was considering it, “Fine. I think I may know of the Pendragon's reputation.”
Lutz laughed, stepping aside to let her pass. “Show up at the Pendragon the day after tomorrow, she's docked at port 4, and I’ll put in a word. But if you’re looking for a fun introduction,” he grinned, his tone turning casual, “we’ll be at Vezak’s for a poker game tomorrow night. Might even win enough to get the ship a new power converter and be able to afford your fees.”
Adrianna started to feel a little pale. She cleared her throat and tossed him a hypo, “before you go– do me a favour and follow me out. That Orian asshole spiked my drink and I drank it out of spite. Normally, I would be back at my apartment by now and could have figured out what he used and remedy it, but this little conversation has delayed me and I can already feel it doing its job.”
Lutz’s eyes looked her over. Vance would kill for a crew member like her– someone who was as insane as him and such a risk taker. Lutz couldn't afford to lose her now. He looked at the hypo and started running through known spiking agent remedies, “you know this will take time, right? There's hundreds.”
“Yes, but most have five main remedies,” she shrugged, leading the way, “if I ‘die’, I have what, 3 minutes until my brain gets hit, so just work quickly through the top five and then try the rest.”
“You are really going to get along with our captain– he's an idiot too,” Lutz chuckled.
Vance Adams was within reach now. All she had to do was get on his ship– and make herself indispensable. “I think I'll take that as a compliment,” she chuckled, taking a breath, knowing that keeping her heart rate down would help her maintain consciousness. She was still in dangerous territory. She stepped into an alleyway near the bar and slid down the wall.
“Yeah… if you cannot die, the captain will be pretty mad that I got this close to the best person for the job and yet you died because you're stubborn like him,” he chuckled, trying the first two antidotes.
Adrianna chuckled but her vision was fading to black and she could feel herself slipping from consciousness, “get it together, Lutz.”
Lutz nodded, trying the third antidote. With all the antidotes in her system, her body was on overload. She quickly went into arrest. He cussed and administered the final two options for antidote before starting CPR. “Come on, Reggimi!” he growled, “and when you wake up, we need to negotiate about keeping this from Vance, ok?”
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