Low Morals, Lower Expectations
15 Jul 2024Aleks Rez
Picking up after Come out to play-yay : Third
"Well is the package okay Nev? Goddamn it, those weapons better not have a fucking scratch on them!"
Aleks was seemingly shouting at nobody in the cockpit of his Cobra Mk.III, the silence broke when Neville Clay's voice broke through a momentary static on the coms line.
"Yes of course they're fine Al. I'm upset about the window! It was that girl, Alice, one of your fellow Network cronies. She just..."
"Shut the fuck up Nev." Aleks interjected. "You have an issue with the contractor, then you report them directly to the higher ups. I'm not your mother and I don't care about your complaints."
Aleks knew Neville well, as he'd worked with him before. Their working relationship was akin to bare flesh being dragged across 100ft of broken glass. Neville had an attitude problem, always a prick to everyone, thinking he was somehow above others, but then there was Aleks, or as the Network calls him, "AlCapwned" which was usually shortened to just "Al", which is what most clients and fellow contractors knew him by. Neville was indebted to Aleks and that changed things between them. Aleks had saved Neville from an assassination attempt by relocating and hiding him from other contractors until the contract expired. Now Neville was solely a middle man, staying out of sight, only playing his part when needed and keeping his head down the rest of the time.
"Nev, there's a lot riding on these weapons, okay? I'm a few jumps out. When I get there I want them ready to be loaded onto my ship."
The line was dead for a concerning amount of time. Neville really hated being told what to do.
"Yes...of course, Al."
**********
A few workers from the research facility loaded the Cobra's cargo bay with what they thought to be various crates of fruits and vegetables, which were in actuality, a mix between that and the weapons that Neville had seemingly air dropped into his window . As he waited, Aleks scrolled contract listings on a holo screen display as he lounged in his small personal quarters. Nothing of interest to him had caught his eye. Instead, he was more worried about the meeting coming up. If these weapons are up to the standard of his client, then he'd have his foot in the door once again. A series of unfortunate failures had placed him so far in the red that he contemplated jettisoning himself towards the nearest star.
"Cargo transfer complete."
The COVAS alert drew his attention away from the screen. Standing up and walking through the projection caused it to dissipate as he approached the door. Stepping into the cargo bay, Aleks began to feel slightly claustrophobic. There was walking room between the crates but the space was tight. As he walked by each crate, he looked at the logo's printed upon them. All of them indicating that the items inside were indeed food stuffs, all but one. A single crate had a single "#" or "hashtag" burned on it with what looked to an arc cutter. He pressed the button to unseal and open the crate.
"Gorgeous." Was all he could mutter before grabbing one of the shotguns from one of the racks within the crate. A Manticore Intimidator with a white finish and an elegant golden designed trailed along the barrel back to the stock. The weapon had been outfitted with an assortment of mods custom ordered by the client. "Beautiful, dangerous, just like my ex." He placed the shotgun back on the rack with the other weapons, all of which were just as beautifully crafted as it, and closed the crate.
"Link me with Neville."
"Yes sir." The COVAS responded.
Neville answered with static and heavy breathing on his end.
"What more could you possibly want, Al? I'm a bit busy here."
"Say hi to Deb for me." Aleks replied with a snarky tone.
"I wish, no, I'm trying to assist with repairing these hydroponic tents. I think that Alice girl—"
"Nev, shut it." Aleks was tired of his incessant griping about this 'Alice'. "I'm just letting you know you did well. I'm closing the contract. The Network should be sending your payment soon."
Aleks ended the call before Neville could say anything more, hoping that'd be the last he'd hear from him.