C45 Dark Bargain

I leaned back in my chair, sipping my coffee. The mission was officially over, and we had come out of it with our lives without a single scratch well except the occasional shrapnel grazing our armor plates and a treasure trove of black tech schematics.

A ping from my holo-console drew my attention. It was a notification from the mercenary guild, confirming receipt of the mission report.

I smirked and powered down the console. Now all we had to do was get back to UNOE space and cash in.

But that was a worry for tomorrow. For now, I was content to sip my coffee and let the quiet of Invicta lull me into something resembling peace while I also uploaded the once more edited video to the galactic tube.

As I sat there lost In my thoughts, another notification popped up this time from Galactic Tube. My last mission video was getting traction.

I chuckled and opened the comments, scrolling through the barrage of reactions.

@SlaughterSavant99: These guys are mental. Absolutely nuts only psychos would dare descend that tunnel with no knowledge of what they can possibly find In there I love it.

@VoidPirateLord: Can I hire these guys for a job? I have a couple of rivals that need "handling."

@XenoEmpathy: Damm an entire civilization gone extinct just like that.

The comment section was wild, and the view count had spiked again.

"Looks like were building quite a fanbase,"

I muttered, shaking my head. This was just the beginning, and with every mission, we were making a name for ourselves.

I closed the galactic tuber app, leaning back and closing my eyes for a moment. The galaxy was vast and full of dangers, but we were carving out our place in it, one job at a time.

And with the anti-gravity tech in our possession, our future was looking a lot more secure.

But, as always, there was still work to be done.

"Alright time to contact captain Tyrell"

I whispered to myself, finishing off my coffee as I made the call to the corpo captain, and a moment later, Tyrell's face appeared on the holo-display.

His sharp features were shadowed by the dim lighting of what looked like a control room. Behind him, the bridge of his ship buzzed with activity.

"What the f*ck do you want merc?,"

Tyrell said, his tone Irritated.

"If it's about getting compensation for youre injuries don't even dream about It Aegis megacorporation won't be paying you a penny."

Hearing this I leaned back, my fingers drumming lightly on the desk.

"Don't worry It's not about that on the contrary I come bearing gifts I've got something quite juicy, something I think your bosses would be very interested in."

Tyrell raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued.

"Oh? And what exactly are we talking about here?"

"Anti-gravity tech,"

I said, letting the words hang in the air for a moment.

"Not just your standard issue, either. Black tech-level stuff. We found blueprints for it on Nihlwing Xa, buried deep under a crater."

Tyrell's eyes widened slightly, and for the first time, his calm demeanor cracked.

"Anti-gravity tech? From a Level 4 civilization? You're telling me you found intact blueprints?"

"Intact might be pushing it,"

I replied with a grin.

"But it's good enough. About 5% of the schematics are there, and it's more than enough to give your bosses a serious edge."

Tyrell leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. He was quiet for a moment, likely thinking through the implications.

"That's quite the claim, commander Von Death. If what you're saying is true, this could change the game for a lot of people. But you know I can't authorize something this big without running it up the chain first."

I nodded.

"Of course. I wouldn't expect anything less. But let's cut to the chase, Tyrell. I'm willing to sell the blueprints for one trillion credits. I don't think I need to explain why that's a bargain."

Tyrell let out a low whistle.

"One trillion? That's… a hell of a number."

He glanced over his shoulder, checking that no one else was listening in before turning back to me.

"Give me some time. I'll need to contact my bosses directly. They're not going to make a decision like this without a full evaluation."

"Take your time,"

I said, leaning back in my chair.

"But don't take too long. I'm sure there are plenty of other megacorps that would kill for this kind of tech."

Tyrell's face tightened, and he nodded.

"Understood. I'll be in touch shortly."

The holo-call ended, and I sat back, waiting. I knew Tyrell wouldn't take long, he understood the value of what I was offering, and he knew that if he didn't act fast, someone else would.

Still, I wasn't exactly thrilled about waiting for his bosses to run their evaluations and make their decisions. Patience wasn't my strong suit, but in this case, it was necessary.

About an hour later, my holo-console pinged with an incoming call. It was Tyrell again, and this time, his expression was much more serious.

"They're interested,"

He said, cutting straight to the point.

"They've agreed to the price, but they want assurances that the blueprints are legit."

I grinned.

"They are. I'll transmit a small portion of the schematics to your system as a teaser. Enough to prove I'm not blowing smoke."

"Do it,"

Tyrell said, leaning forward.

I quickly pulled up a fragment of the blueprints, something detailed enough to show the advanced nature of the tech but incomplete enough that it couldn't be reverse-engineered on its own.

Once the file was prepped, I sent it over to Tyrell's console.

He watched as the data streamed in, his eyes widening as the holographic image of the anti-gravity generator took shape before him.

Even at just 5% completion, it was clear this was no ordinary technology.

"G*ddamn,"

He whispered under his breath.

"You weren't lying."

"Told you,"

I said with a smirk.

"Now, let's finalize this deal. One trillion credits, transferred to my account. Once the funds are confirmed, I'll send over the full blueprints."

Tyrell nodded, still staring at the schematics in awe.

"Alright. I'll have the funds transferred immediately. This is going to make a lot of people very happy, commander Von Death. You've just secured your place in the company's good books."

"Those corp bosses of yours can go f*ck themselves for all I care"

I replied, standing up from my chair.

"I'm just here for the creds."

Tyrell chuckled.

"You're going to get them. The transfer's being processed now. You should see the funds in your account within the hour."

"Good,"

I said, already thinking how I will be spending the creds.

"Once I confirm the transfer, you'll get the rest of the blueprints."

The call ended, and I leaned back in my chair, the excitement from the deal still buzzing through my veins.

One trillion credits In one fell swoop It was more money than I'd ever seen in my life, and it was about to be mine.

As soon as I confirmed the transfer of one trillion credits to my account, I sent the rest of the blueprints over to Tyrell.

The transaction was complete, and now it was out of my hands. Whatever those corporate fat f*cks planned to do with the anti-gravity tech, it was no longer my concern. 

I had the money, and that's all that mattered.

...

2201.01.29

A few weeks had passed since the sale, and we were still combing through the barren surface of Nihlwing IIIa.

Our objective was to investigate the strange structures dotting the landscape, but after weeks of scanning and examining, we were starting to hit a dead end.