Guanxi

Chapter 4: Narcisse and the...Time Traveller?

High above the streets lies a bar, about a hundred floors up near the top of a tower. A faithful recreation of the old Manhattan skyline stretches out, though if you scrutinized it enough you'd probably find a few differences.

What follows is a conversation that I shouldn't know about. As a data management AI with files on the past, how could I know of a meeting between time travelers? I suppose you could say that there are a few things I omitted about myself. I promise I'll make up for it later, okay?

Getting back to it, our friend Quess is here sitting at the bar with a lady. Ms. Rei is another of my owners, the true owner you could even say. In contrast to Quess she's the picture of elegance and wealth, an example of a technologist who's made full use of their talent for monetary gain. Gold plating ran through her skin, and her eyes were deeply black except for an explosion of shining red in the center.

"So, you're telling me the lab I had made for you now falls under the ownership of Blago's new partner's daughter? Interesting, and I suppose there could be other changes like you theorize."

"Indeed indeed, thank you for the confirmation...But I sense that you've already found some changes, your tone of voice being so disinterested and all."

Ms. Rei sips from a cocktail glass "Ever sharp...Yes, I have made note of changes myself. Our enemy is no longer U.G.G.. It seems events in our time domino into this future, the pill formula being stolen and distributed among drug rings."

Quess's eyes go wide "What?! Oh dear, I'm not sure we can handle that..."

"I prefer it, actually. Without an organized force these monsters will be much easier to take on." Ms. Rei explains. "Moreover, I've already taken steps to better prepare our new 'variable' as you call her. I placed an AI in her path of investigation a few years before you met her, so she's learning about things as she goes along. We're too busy to bother recruiting her fully, so guiding her down her own path is our best option."

"So that's how she realized who I was! Rei, you need to learn to tell me about these things! Your points are true, I suppose, but...Agh, there's no point in arguing. Send me the details on the AI, if it's supposed to help her than I'd guess you're going to need me to fill it up in the past at some point."

"I'm glad you're starting to understand your place with the menial tasks."

A third person enters the empty floor and strides over to sit with the two geniuses, a much stupider man named Gimeno. "Sorry for bein late, I got held up in my taxi. I've got things movin on the investigator front, and Blago's guys have got some hunter looking over the situation."

"Excellent my friend! I recommend you order the apple juice here, it's really rather exquisite." Quess says.

While Ms. Rei rolls her eyes Gimeno reluctantly taps away on a display to order his apple juice "Y'know Quess, most people come around here for alcohol and them shits. Anyway, more importantly, I gots ta give ya both a talking to! I can't believe ya made my cover a mobster! Of all the most basic things...Moreover, I got my hand cut off! I was able to get it replaced but GOD, what a bitch...She even tried to fib to me about a fight being why she was late, lazy fucker."

Ms. Rei scoffs "With an accent like that what else would your cover have been? Don't waste what little time we have discussing such things."

"Yeah yeah s--Damn this some good apple juice." replies Gimeno as he takes a sip of a drink that popped up out of the bar through a disappearing hatch. Apparently this is one of those places that doesn't care for in person treatment.

Quess pats Gimeno on the back while he moves the conversation along "So then, I suppose to be safe either Rei or I will need to put the next piece in place."