Sr. Fernandez/Tey: "The Mission"

[aztechnologist]

Aztechnology had a... problem. A significant one, one that was a thorn in their side for some time now. It was the Yucatan Peninsula, a constant drain on the company's resources and manpower for years now. They were hoping to cut some of it down now, but... Sr. Fernandez had no illusions about how much he'd be able to do. The best he could do was to staunch some of the bleeding. Tend some of the wounds. Perhaps make a few inroads. Otherwise? There wasn't much two Awakened people could do.

That was why he led Tey through one of the Aztechnology base camps. The people they walked by were wounded, exhausted, and some were showing the signs of strain. They were isolated in a jungle that was full of nature spirits and other things that wanted to kill them, and there was only so much strain they could take before it got to them.

As Fernandez escorted Tey into one of the hospital bays, he offered a weak smile. "So... this is why I asked you to come work for me on such short notice. I'll be needing you to help me with... a lot of healing. For a little while, anyway."

Comments

[aztechnologist]

There really wasn't a lot she could have done different, given her upbringing, but that just meant that Fernandez needed to get her moving before she said anything else detrimental. And thankfully she listened well enough when he explained the situation more thoroughly, so there was that as well.

That being said, when Tey started overreacting, Fernandez just shook his head, a faintly amused yet grim smile crossing his face. "No, nothing that sort of mission would have extremely small chances of success. No, your role would be roughly the same as your own, just... slightly different."

A pause. He couldn't go too far, but... "Essentially, I'd be asking for you to use your magic to... cover up certain things. And, naturally, for you to never speak about what you see or what you might think."

[andimabear]

"You're talking corp to me. 'No, this isn't a suicide mission.' 'No, this is the same--but different.'" Tey crossed her arms in front of her chest, looking as unimpressed as she had since arriving. Her father had a saying: 'Never trust anyone without trying to throw them', or something like that. Tey was fairly certain she could throw a lot of people at least six feet, but she couldn't toss a corporation very far now could she?

"But let's suspend my extreme misgivings about just being here for a second and ask two very important things. One: what things am I covering; two: how much are you gonna pay me to do it?" The fact that she was a runner meant that she didn't talk. That was just asking to get blacklisted. Anybody who couldn't keep their mouths shut about the stuff they did was just asking to starve to death or get a bullet to the brain. Tey wanted neither, so she maintained her discretion.

[aztechnologist]

For a runner, Tey was being quite... obtuse. Definitely not what Fernandez liked- he knew that the 'Azzies' were disliked in the shadows, and they suffered from severe image problems, but he wasn't prepared to sell a Runner on the idea. Not too much, anyway.

"In the first question, the answer is 'weakness.' I have a solution in mind, but it's going to leave me, and some other individuals, weakened and possibly in a life-threatening situation. we would need, then, for you to provide healing. Particularly for the most visible of the results."

"For the second, we would be looking at..." He leaned back, glancing up at the sky as he ran some quick calculations. "...about ten thousand nuyen, assuming the plan is successful."

It was a little expensive, but when there were desperate times, desperate measures had to be taken. Besides, Tey would be earning every last nuyen of it, if she did all of the healing and kept her mouth shut. It was the best option he had, at the moment.

[andimabear]

"What's the 'solution' you have in mind?" Tey pressed on. Of course, she was well aware of these 'image troubles' and whatnot, however Tey never looked ten thousand nuyen in the mouth. That would set everyone on the reserve up for a while indeed. It took a lot of her willpower not to just jump at it.

"I mean, y'gotta tell me if I'm gonna gauge how much help I can actually be. And I don't wanna end up a grease spot either, no offense."

[aztechnologist]

"I can't tell you the specifics," he answered with a shake of his head. Both because there were aspects of it he didn't know, and because he didn't want to risk this runner telling other... interested parties.

Then again, if he said nothing, she likely wouldn't go for it, or she'd up her asking price. Neither of which was something Fernandez particularly cared to see. So, after a moment, he sighed. "...what I can tell you is that it will involve ritual magic targeting the source of the problems here in the Yucatan. There will be no risk to anyone else, but... I'll likely nearly kill myself in the process. That's why I need someone like you to be there, to do significant magical healing, for myself and potentially for the other participants."

[andimabear]

Ick, ritual magic. Yeah, Fernandez was a hermetic, he would like stuff like that. Measurements and ritual and all that... stuff. Well, Tey didn't have a specific problem with hermetic magicians, but it did seem kind of pointless to try to science-ify something that really didn't have a solid explanation. Why could she leave her body and hang with a kodiak bear? Meh, 'cause she can.

"Well at least you don't want me in your ritual--that'd just be dumb," Tey laughed. "Yeah I can do three at once. Smarts, but I can do it. And I guess as long as you aren't... y'know, setting the whole jungle on fire, I'm down."

[aztechnologist]

"I don't think it would end well, no," he answered with a quiet laugh. Not that he had any problems with shamanic magic per se, since he was a bit of a syncretist, but it just wasn't his thing. He didn't like the idea of anything being greater than himself, something that he could neither understand nor control.

Besides, his mind worked in such a logical manner that shamanic magic wouldn't work so well for him.

"It won't involve anything like that," he answered with a quiet laugh, "and that should be enough. I'm glad we could come to an agreement, Tey. Do you think you can be ready tomorrow at sunset?"