TMC - Prelude OP: Golem

"Well, well... if this isn't Jonathan "The Lizard" Cassidy!" The disgust was clearly recognizable in the womans voice. Moments ago, she had entered the asigned waiting area of the DEC-Shop and had approached the wallmounted plastic seats with long, striding steps. One of them was occupied by a man, who was wearing a long leather coat, with had looked probably pretty handsome, years ago. He looked up with little interest, a cold cigarello changing from one corner of his mouth to the other.
The woman shook pitying her head. "Yack, if the hire scum like you, they are either pretty desperate or it is going to get really dirty." "Aaand a good day to you too, Jen!"

The air didn't get stale, it was so thick, you could cut it to pieces. And the cigar, someone was smoking, wasn't helping to make it better. A felt eternity ago, the air conditioner had came with a screeching sound to a halt and had taken the last breeze of breathable air with it.
More than a dozen persons, that were cramped into the tiny container, were staring motionless onto the little transportbox in their mid. On top of the box, next to a couple of papers, was a white, ovalshaped object lying. A small diode on its side was constantly emitting a lazy flashing red light.
Suddenly, the lights color turned from red to green, the flashing grew quicker, until it turned into a constant light impuls. The object started to hum softly and the Holo-Projector jumped to life...

 

At first there was only a yellow, octagonal Logo, rotating in mid air. Then, in the middle of the octagon, a face appeared, that was plainly a computer generated face. Without any movement of the lips, a voice was to be heard...

 

 

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am really sorry for the inconvenience of this place." Somewhere in the shadows, someone shallowly coughed in agreement. "But the order situation presses for the highest degree of discretion and who would assume such an illustrious group as yours to be in such a place? Well, I figure you all had time to get to know each other. As you can see, this assignment won't be carried out exclusively by our personel. This assignment, I will illustrate in a minute, is asking for the higher expenses.

But before we carry on, I would like you to check your bank accounts and verify the contract I have send you via your ComLog. Since you have stayed put in this place for such a long time, I assume, that all of you are highly interested in this assignment."

The silence came abrupt. Then, hesitatingly at first, ComLogs of all shapes and kinds were activated. After a few moments an appreciating murmur filled the chamber.
´"Apparently you like what you see. Well then, let's talk about the buisness.

The Company XIn TI is working secretly on an improvement of the LHost Technology. It is not confirmed, but most likely, that ALEPHs research section is involved in this enterprise.

As we havel learned from trustworth sources, the research has reached a point, where the company was able to build a couple of prototypes and they are said to be only steps a way from mass production. Our employer has already put quite some efford and resources into gaining these data and has already tried to obtain the plans of these LHosts himself, with little success.

 

In the end, we could win a employee of Xin Ti for our cause and know now where these LHosts are produced. Since ALPEH can't have a O12 sanction for this enterprise, we assume that only a really small range of individuals outside Xin Ti know about this. We are not sure, how much, if anything at all, of the Yu Jing government knows about this.
 

This is an advantage for us, since we can predict the military resilience of the laboraties, which can't be very high, compared to what it would be, if Yu Jing would be involved to full extent.

 

Your mission, ladies and gentlemen, is to infiltrate the facitlity and brng back as much LHosts as you can. There will be a bonus payment for every secured LHost. Other squads, similiar to yours, are already in place and working on fullfilling previous steps of this plan."

 

 

With this, that face dissapeared and was replaced by a holographic projection of something, that looked like a christmastree upside down. The projection was pale blue and rotated in midair. Two red, blinking octagons appeared on the map and seemed to move slowly, on at the trees trunk and on somewhere further down.

"As you can see, we have already two teams on-site. Team Mots task is to let you in into the complex, without much trouble. Team Hai has switched places with a couple of employees and has infiltrated the security network days ago. Should any alarm ring, they will make sure nothing leaves the complex.

Team Ba, Team Bon and your team, Team Nam all have the same task: get to the designated positions, get the LHosts and bring them to the elevator in the middle of the complex. Team Mot will assure that you will get back to the surface and reach your pick up.

 

For any questions, please turn to SYRA or check your detailed mission briefings on your ComLog.

 

Good hunt, everybody."

 

With a almost unhearable click the projection turned off. Then there was a zisching sound and a thin trail of smoke came from the projection, indicating that all traces had been wiped away.

 

 

With a slight rumble, the freight container was lifted into the air and disappeared next to numberous other containers in the gaping belly of the freighter ship.