No Option

Sablina made her way back to her table, sitting as she looked towards Ferra.

"Bring two glasses of Bloodfire Wine, Ferra."

Gesturing for me to sit, Sablina pulled out a chip, placing it on the table.

"Take a look."

Sitting, I took the offered glass of wine, downing it as I stared at the gleaming woman.

"Why should I slot in any chip you give me?"

Sablina gave a small smile, before saying "Your caution is commendable. Slot it."

Picking it up, I scanned the chip, saying "Ferra, if I go crazy in a few days you'll know this is why."

Ferra shook her head, wiping down a glass behind the counter, however I saw the notification that she had accessed my system.

Sighing, I slotted the chip in my neural port, leaning back as I absorbed the information.

As more and more text scrolled over my eyes, I growled in annoyance.

Sablina grinned at me, making me even more irate.

The chip contained information on one Cynthalla A'Thala, the Section Manager of the Robotics Resources Department of Archon Cooperation. Her habits, her lovers, her four apartments and one house, her car...

The list went on and on, and besides that, the chip contained a safety mechanism; if it wasn't provided the passcode and authorization from Sablina Archon, it would inject a virus into my systems.

"You are one sneaky bitch..."

Chuckling, Sablina sipped her wine before leaning forwards, asking "So, when can you start?"

I leaned back into my seat, my shoulders slumping as I glared at Sablina.

"Another glass please, Ferra?"

As soon as she handed me the wine I downed it, wanting to escape this shitty reality sooner rather than later.

However, as much as I wanted to tell this silver-spoon fed rich woman to piss off, she now held my life in her very dainty, very clean hands.

"Why do you need this suit offed? Company secrets? Steal some tech or code?"

Sablina fixed her silver eyes on my own, saying "Not for you to know. All you need to know is on that chip. Now, when can you start?"

"Says here that she isn't even in the city; won't be for at least a week. Even then she'll be traveling by convoy for a few days, delivering speeches and the like to some of your subsidiaries."

Sablina continued staring at me, and I sighed.

"Listen, I'll look at it with Ferra, get something going on that front. It'll be hard; she's one paranoid suit. Though, I suppose you all are. Hah... What's the pay?"

"120,000 Den and the code to that chip."

Nodding, I gently caressed the thing that could ruin me, sighing again before watching Sablina get up.

Looking down at me, she said "You and Ferra; that's it. No one else learns of this, no one else helps you. If you fail, you die. Succeed, and you make a lot of Den."

I nodded, watching the tall, thin woman leave the bar.

Her guards glared at me, their optics whirring as they saved my image, before following behind their master.

I looked down at the table, my lips pursed as I thought over the information given to me.

"You good, Alexandra? What's on the chip? I can tell its got some kinda lock, but that's it."

Sitting beside me, Ferra looked over me, before widening her eyes as I sent the information her way.

Slumping, Ferra bit her lip before sighing, getting up.

"I'll start sorting through the information; get a few ideas ready by tomorrow. You let me know then which you'd like..."

Sighing again, Ferra moved to the back, booting up her screens as she started drafting ideas together.

I got up, nodding, before exiting the bar.

Outside, a few of the other Iron Maidens stood around, their eyes fixed on the back of Sablina, before turning to me.

"What'd she want?"

I shrugged, smirking as I said "Wanted to get a good look at me~ Apparently, she's in the market for a maid!"

The Maidens just growled in annoyance, all walking away when they realized I wouldn't speak.

However, before I could leave one approached me, an old friend of mine.

"Lexa, you good? I mean, suits don't just walk in here, even if they are from Archon."

Seeing the scantily clad redhead in front of me, I gave her a wry smile as I said "Yeah, doing stellar. It's just... another job, Cherry, just another job."

Cherry, a girl that I had grown up with, pat my shoulder, her white synth flesh a stark contrast to the skin tight black latex she wore.

Her ample curves drew a lot of attention, and back when she and I had worked as 'escorts' together, she had always had better jobs and gigs because of it.

"If its just a job, you could have declined, right?"

Her melodic voice soothed my nerves slightly, but I just shrugged.

"I had no option, not this time. She... made sure of that."

Cherry gave me a knowing smile, before saying "Well, if you need some time to forget it all, call me."

I just chuckled, nodding. Watching her walk off, I chuckled again at how quickly she was swarmed by a few other Maidens, all wanting to know if she worked tonight.

Walking towards my room, I saw Kay leaning against my door, and I sighed.

Kay was the same height as me, around 5'8, and had long black hair. She was a petite woman, and was one of the better shots I had seen among our peers, using her custom 9mm Ganymede pistol to effectively take down any targets within a hundred feet.

Besides her amazing accuracy, Kay was also one hell of a gunsmith, capable of keeping our guns in top shape whenever we were on longer jobs.

She was a quiet, reserved woman, usually the calm rock that anchored my bloodthirsty attitude and Wendigo's berserk nature.

"Cherry sent a message, said a suit came to see you?"

I nodded, opening my door and plopping onto my bed.

Sitting beside me, Kay continued.

"So, was it a job? One you couldn't refuse?"

I nodded again, saying "She wants someone gone, and that someone is pretty well protected. She also wants me doing it solo, the bitch."

Kay just smiled wryly, sighing before saying "Well, let me get your Titania tuned up. Get some rest, plan some, before doing your thing. I've seen you do some impossible jobs before, Alexandra. You'll come out just fine from this one."

Handing my pistol to her, I watched her exit my room, leaving me alone in the quiet darkness.

My eye grew heavy, the rush from earlier and the weight of knowing I may die soon becoming too much.

Slipping into unconsciousness, I had one last thought.

Sablina was actually quiet good looking, wasn't she?