Rat Hunt

S strolls down the beaten, rusted corridor of Refinery V-181, already late for his meeting with the foreman. Choosing a suitable outfit was quite easy for S, as his wardrobe was much more suited to these danger-free outings. He's wearing a soft white suit jacket, stained from hours spent in refurbished foundries, paired with black trousers and a matching shirt. Outreach's insignia is embroidered on the blazer's front pocket: a golden arch over a trio of black triangles. A brilliant yellow cape hangs over his shoulder, which he hoped would match the protective gear he'd receive on his arrival. In fact, he's almost at the visit's conclusion and hasn't even been offered a hard hat!

Finally, S reaches the security control room. With a smirk and a roguish glint in his green eyes, he struts through the open door, rustling his tanned, beige hand through his wavy brown hair. S's presence dominates the room, aided by his powerful cologne. "This tour has been delightful - you've got a great thing going here. Mr Grumpy wasn't sure it was worth rescuing."

The foreman's four bug-like arms cease their gestures as her conversation with Scar is interrupted. She looks down from the platform with her large, reflective eyes and jittering mandibles, which S recognises as a Dregg smile. Scar also turns around, the scowl dressing his dark brown face made more threatening by the crater beneath his left eye. Being in the middle of another operation, his hologram is wearing plain grey plated armour emblazoned with the Outreach insignia.

Scar steps forward, his gruff assertiveness outweighing his short human stature and projecting his authority into the room. "I'm still not. It's taken a lot of resources to get here - and it's far too close to Jhambar."

The foreman juts in, clicking as she speaks. "We've already tripled Outreach's initial investment and are still undetected by the Suormic Empire. I am confident that this operation will succeed, thanks to the security measures we have."

"Don't get complacent, Anzhi. There's always the risk of a Suormic invasion. Especially with S wandering around down there." He says wearily, turning to S. "Why did you visit in person?"

S scales the ramp to the command platform, reaching out to place his hand on Scar's shoulder. The image buzzes subtly as S's hand hovers in roughly the right place. "You can't truly appreciate these fine workers," S says, gesturing to Anzhi, "until you've walked among them, breathed their air, seen their toils first-hand. Besides, I fancied the trip."

"It's irresponsible and painting a massive target on the facility."

"Well, I believe the wonderful and industrious foreman is here to showcase her ingenious security failsafe. If you weren't so busy derailing the conversation, we'd know how Anzhi plans to handle such a threat." A mischievous grin graces S's lips. Casual outings like these are always a great excuse to loosen some bolts on his stern friend.

Scar grunts and shakes his head with frustration, turning to the foreman. "S is finally here, so let's see it."

Enthusiasm fills Anzhi's voice as she steps forward to deliver her presentation. "Yes, of course! Using the resources Outreach has kindly invested in us, we have spent the last few Jhambar-months reworking the facility's systems to be completely remote controlled from this room!" Both of her rear arms reach for the control panel while she speaks to the generals. "This includes almost everything from the doors to the cameras, and even the foundries and waste chutes." As she speaks, the security displays show doors opening and closing, smelting equipment switching on, and conveyors springing to life.

"That's incredible, Anzhi. You've really outdone yourself this time!" S says, applauding the foreman.

"You said almost anything. What doesn't this cover?" Scar asks, his arms firmly crossed over his torso. S could forgive anyone for thinking the work did not impress him, but he's definitely frowning a tad less than earlier.