Sage Teon and the Fake Diamond Heist

Part III: The Job

Even though they hadn't been spotted by radar, Sage was still a little concerned as he maneuvered his parachute towards the target building. The moment the first foot hit the rooftop, they would have only five minutes to disable the rooftop alarm. And this would be the first test for Sobal, who would have to break the cryptographic code that secured the system.

Sage tossed a look to the kid, who seemed to be having a good time adjusting his parachute strings one way and then the other as he wafted downwards.

"Kid, you ready to break this code?" Sage asked through his helmet.

"Yeah, um...I guess so," he said, the nerves evident in his voice.

"We don't need you to guess, we need you to know," Ganon hissed through the speakers.

Sobal sputtered more, and Sage could practically hear him sweating. Ganon let out a frustrated growl.

"He'll be fine," Sage said, firmly but wasn't quite sure he believed his own words.

It was too late to turn back now, as Ganon landed on top of the building, his parachute snapping back into the backpack. Sage landed a few moments later, followed by Nalton, and finally Sobal.

Sobal stood there for a moment, looking around as if he had no idea what he was doing.

"Computer panel is over there," Sage said before Ganon harped on the kid, nodding to a covered electrical box on the corner of the roof. Sobal nodded nervously and began walking over, only to get five steps before his parachute, still deployed, caught on the edge of the roof.

"I swear to the Great Creator, Sage," Ganon muttered, jogging over to the snagged parachute.

"You guys got four minutes," Sage heard Keal in his ear.

"Yep, working on it," Sage replied, as Sobal's parachute collapsed into his backpack and he scurried over to the computer panel. Sage pulled off his helmet and stuck an earpiece in his ear to stay connected with Keal on the ship.

"Hundred credits says he blows this entire operation," Ganon said, yanking off his helmet as he walked over to Sage.

"You're not being helpful," Sage snapped at him. Still, the rigidity of Sobal's body and the frantic way he was typing gave Sage enough impetus to walk over to check on him.

"And the...no, that's not right...how does it...shit," Sobal whispered, his fingers typing into the small computer plugged into the system.

"You're doing fine," Sage said, leaning against the box. "You've done this a million times, haven't you?"

"Yeah but," Sobal swallowed. "I don't know if I can break this code, man..."

"How did you get past the encryption key on the transit system?" Sage asked.

"I dunno, I just...figured it out," Sobal muttered, typing on the computer. "But this is...just...I mean, what if I can't do it?"

Sage shrugged, trying his best to look unconcerned. "Keal swoops in, pulls us out, and I'll take the couple million outta your commission for the next ten jobs."

The joke fell flat on Sobal, who looked, if possible, greener.

"Three minutes, boss," Keal said in Sage's ear.

"So, you know when I was a kid," Sage said, pulling the earpiece out of his ear and sticking it in his jumpsuit. "Tauron had me working with this guy, Wade, who was a real dick. He'd tell me to do something, but not give me any help on it - just figure it out. This one time, I did screw up a job so bad that we couldn't finish it. I thought Wade was gonna kill me."

Sobal stopped typing and looked up at Sage.

"But he got over it, and Tauron wasn't even that mad," Sage said. "And they had me doing the exact same thing a month later and that time, well...it went much better."

"Ganon's gonna murder me if I don't get this right," Sobal said, defeated. "Man, I'm gonna get kicked off the crew."

"Ganon may fly the ship, but remember who's the boss, here, huh?" Sage said, repeating the same words Tauron said to him at that age. Sage clapped Sobal on his back and the kid went back to typing, with seemingly more confidence than before.

Sage stuck his earpiece back in, just at the tail-end of Keal's latest warning.

"...minute, left. Hope the kid's working fast."

Sage shared a look with Ganon, who was talking with Nalton on the other end of the building. Sage nodded to him, and tried not to look at Sobal as he continued mumbling to himself.

"Thirty seconds guys, I'm starting evacuation protocols," Keal said.

"Give him a minute-" Sage mumbled back.

"He doesn't have a minute," Ganon replied back. "Start the evac-"

"He's gonna do it, now shut up, both of you," Sage fired back.

"Fifteen seconds," Keal responded, after a moment.

"You know they'll be on our ass in about ten minutes," Ganon replied conversationally.

"Ten seconds."

"And it takes fifteen minutes to-"

"Five seconds, you guys, the alarm is about to blow-"

"GOT IT!" Sobal cried, jumping back from his computer with a satisfied grin.

"Dear Great Creator in Leveman's," Keal swore in his ear. "He did it..."

"See?" Sage said, pretending that his heart was not beating out of his chest as he approached the roof-top door. A quick jab of his universal key and the door was open. "Now let's get those damned things and get outta here."

"You got it, boss," Ganon grinned, emphasizing the word enough that Sage knew he'd overheard his talk with Sobal. "After all, I only fly the ship, right?"

"Oh get sucked," Sage rolled his eyes.