I'm handcrafting bullet cartridges when Henna calls my name.
"Ace! There you are!" Trotting over, she stoops over my shoulder to look at what I'm doing. "Whoa. I've never seen anyone do this before. Is this how bullets are made?"
She's very close. I feel strange and warm once again. "Yes. More or less, you clean the used shells really well, place the new primer, fill the casing with powder, and press the bullet into place like this."
I do it by hand with a 7.76 round, popping it together with a thumb.
"Wow!" Henna gushes, checking it out when I hand it to her. "That's amazing! Just like that, huh? And now you can shoot an anklebiter. Or anything else, right? That's super cool, Ace!"
"Y–Yeah…" I'm a little nervous, occupying myself with making more cartridges. "I guess it is pretty interesting."
"I'll say." She sets the bullet back on the table and adds, "It's good that you're reloading, because I was hoping to ask you for another favor, if that's okay."
For reasons unbeknownst to me, I find myself very eager to keep helping her. "Anything for you, Henna."
"Yay! So, first, thanks again for looking into that truck at the wreck. You mentioned there's more of that food in there, and a second wooden crate too, so I'd like to retrieve as much of it as we can, and soon. I was thinking the three of us Frames could run a retrieval mission together. Maybe tomorrow?"
"The three of us, huh?" I mull over the decision, deciding not to stand on my grudge with Zenith. It's all for Henna and the human team anyway. "Yeah. I'm in."
"Awesome! I'll let you know when we decide on a time. Thank you, Ace!"
"Yeah. Gladly." I'm kind of hoping for another one of those Henna hugs.
"I'll talk to you soon!" she says with a short giggle as she departs.
Damn. "Yeah. Talk soon."
Capping another bullet into place, I pause there and think. If I'm going out there with them both, the last thing I want is to embarrass myself by getting killed again by anklebiters. I'd better make sure I'm as geared up as I possibly can be, both to shove it in Zenith's face and to impress Henna.
Turing's test, why am I so fixated on her? I don't understand it at all.
Brushing that aside, I set my bullet crafting aside for now and go see the buccaneer to ask about better gear. As I cross the entryway in front of the airlock, he sees me coming and lifts a finger, eyes locked onto his tablet as he taps away with his other hand. When I step up to the table, he nods.
"Perfect timing, Ace. I figured it out. I figured it all out. I've seen the pattern. I'm locked into the source code of the universe. I can do anything."
I wait for him to be done with his eccentricities.
"I've been thinking," he says, tapping on his screen. "I can't let you go out there again without some more shit–figurative shit–in your pockets–figurative pockets. But you shut down my attempts to just give you supplies for free, so I figured it out. I figured it out, savvy? Do you hear me?"
I wait a little more.
"Do you hear me?"
"Y–"
"Not just trades. No. See, when you brought that antique pistol in, everything clicked. You know the situation about the traders and their infrequent visits? Well, we can't really wait around to convert your finds to cold hard cash, can we?"
"Can you say 'cold hard cash' again?"
"Cold hard cash!" he shouts, voice echoing. "Here's the deal. It's real simple. You bring me shit like that. Or anything you don't need, really. I'll appraise it. Give you not Federation credits–but L-Credits. Equivalent to the value of the item, of course, and immediately redeemable with yours truly."
"This sounds like a pirate's scheme. Are L-Credits fungible? Is their value insured? How do I know you're not scamming me?"
He gives me a deadpan stare. "Your L-Credit broker's patience is being tested."
I snicker, "Wouldn't want to offend my L-Credit broker."
"Look. You want fair, this is the best we can get. I don't have the actual credits on hand to pay you for what you find. But I do have supplies, which have worth, and they have value. That pistol, for example, I'd value at three hundred actual credits. Meaning I can give you three hundred actual credits worth of supplies in exchange. Don't feel like spending it all at once? You've stored credit for later. L-Credits."
"I understand the idea, I'm just giving you shit for it."
"Well, whatever. It's not like I spent the last two hours preparing my sales pitch for you."
"Don't you have any more important priorities? Nevermind. I'm sold. It's a suitable alternative. I accept the terms. I'll take my three hundred L-Credits in lieu of Federation currency. So, what can I buy with three hundred L-Credits?"
"Tutorial quest start! I'm making you buy at least three transmitter fluid injectors–or just TFIs, like all the cool kids say. Cool kids love acronyms. Cool kids remember what those acronyms stand for. TFIs are thirty a piece."
"What's their function?"
"Health potion."
"I completely understand."
"Exactly. You're hurt? TFI. Now you're better. Make sense? See, I knew I could make a gamer girl out of you, Ace. Anyway, as I was saying, you have to buy at least three TFIs. There's your tutorial quest. Buy them and you'll earn the quest reward, which is… Another TFI!"
"Every quest has to have a quest reward. Done."
"Sold!"
He fetches the four TFIs, setting them on the table between us. They're made of what seems to be ballistic glass and steel composites, maybe the same size as my middle finger. Within the glass is a luminescent and effervescent fluid, neon cyan with a soft glow to it. Yes, that's transmitter fluid.
"I don't see a needle?"
"The 'injector' part is conceptual. A holdover from when they actually were administered by injection. Modern Frames have multiple ports for these fancy vials. Left side of your ribs, one on each bicep, forearm, and thigh. Jam it in, it'll drain on its own. You'll feel better in no time. There are stronger potencies too, by the way. If you look closer, it'll tell you which one that is."
Sure enough, there's an engraving in the metal. "L1-TFI."
"They go up to I think L4, but I don't have any of those. These L1s should be plenty for your purposes anyway. So, that leaves you one hundred fifty L-Creds. Here's what else I can offer you. I'm sending you the full project."
The file transfers to my drives and I take a look. It's a masterfully crafted spreadsheet complete with auto filling tables, currency conversion values precalculated, a page to keep track of what I've exchanged and what I've bought, and a well organized catalog of just about anything I could need.
"Wow, Louis. This must have taken a long time."
"It did. I made it all at five AM. Kinda locked in. Lost track of time. I'm proud of it."
"You should be. This is a seriously professional level spreadsheet. And here I thought you were useless and inept. Consider me impressed. Now shut up, Loser. Let me take a closer look at your wares."
"Loser? Oh, Louis the loser, I get it. That's brutal, Ace-hole."
I snicker again, shaking my head. "Nice one."
Weapon parts, mods, and attachments have their own section. There's a decent selection of Frame hardware, but most of them are way too expensive. SmartChips range from fairly cheap to absurdly valuable, but I don't see any Neutros or Skulls listed. There's a consumables list that includes the TFIs and a few other things I've never heard of. Then under the Technomancy section, I find a good assortment of prices, color tunings, effect ranges, and effect types.
But first, I have to give him shit.
"Five hundred for an L2 Cylinder? Am I being scalped?"
"Oh come on! That's dirt cheap for something like that."
"So the seller says."
"Supply and demand, matey."
"Damn you, scallywag. And what are these? Capacitors?"
"Ah. Yes. Hold on, I'll grab some to show you."
When he comes back, he's carrying a small plastic tote which he sets on the table, then picks out a few vials. They're identical in shape, size, and material to the TFIs, but each of the three contains glowing fluids of a different glowing neon color. Orange, yellow, and pink. They're pretty.
Louis picks out an orange one from the box. "These are Capacitors. Single use ChargeTech that circumvents your own suite's Charges, but once you use it, it's gone.
Same thing as the TFIs, it's engraved. "L2 Capacitor. Prism Bolts. Hm. Same ports as TFIs?"
"Those have to go in your right forearm."
"Simple enough. These Capacitors sound extremely useful. Next?"
"Next," he says, showing me a pink one. "On the same topic of Tech, these are called Salts. They're real simple. Single use refills for your personal Tech Charges. No regen required. Also right forearm."
I read the engraving. "L1-Salts. I take it there are higher levels."
"You know it. I have up to L3, not that you'll need it. Ha. Who's the real loser?"
"Don't make me call Taser."
"Oh, shit! No thanks! Next!" He holds up a yellow one. "Boosters. They're like elixirs. Gotta walk through a flamethrower trap? RedTech Shielding Booster. Need to jump really high? Leap Booster. You get it. These do all kinds of things. Super useful. Again, single use. Any port, like the TFIs."
"Useful," I nod, reading the engraving. "Fast Legs. Speed, I take it."
"Yep! Check the databases to see what they do ahead of time. That's all four types of vials. Potions! Easy enough, right?"
"Yes. Very." I set them back on the table. "Thanks for the explanation."
"Keep those three. Tutorial quest rewards!"
"Fine." I put them with my TFIs on the table. "Another question. I noticed you don't have any NeutroChips or SkullChips listed."
"Sadly, no. Zenith and Henna already have theirs set, so there's never been any need for other options. The traders usually have all kinds of them, so I can get you some eventually, but they won't be here for another few months or so."
"Acceptable, I suppose. That's everything I needed to know. I'll take another look and see what else I'm going to buy."
"Sweet! One other note. I was lying. Yes, you had three hundred L-Credits from the pistol for the tutorial quest. But with those batteries you brought me? You've got another thousand L-Credits or so, Ace. Updating your account now."
The spreadsheet pings with the change and another twelve hundred L-Credits are added to my total. It makes me feel strange. Excited, almost. Pleased. "Hm. I think I like getting paid."
"A fellow pirate through and through, me heartie!"
"Aye-aye, matey! Now we're talking! Damn, I'm rich! Okay, let's go. Laser sight for fifty. I'll take one of those. Oh, shit, I want that Air Burst Efficiency SmartChip. A seventh shot per use sounds perfect."
"Dope," he grins, then grabs those things from some crates nearby and sets them out in front of me. "See? It kicks ass, right? L-Credits."
"It's a good compromise," I admit, cubing the vials all together in one, moving the laser sight aside, and snapping the clear plastic packaging on the SmartChip. "I think this is perfect. Great idea."
"Thanks," he huffs, rubbing the back of his neck. "Glad it works out. Just remember you're the one who demanded this. I still don't really get why you won't let me give you stuff for free."
"How's this? If it really comes down to it, if I absolutely have no other options, I'll take a loan from you and accept some aid. With the asterisk that I will pay you back later."
"That's alright with me. So long as you're not limiting yourself artificially. I just don't want to keep seeing you get torn up out there. All of us wanna do our part to help you."
"I'm making plenty of progress, which I intend to wield for all of our benefit. This does feel like home now. The better I'm equipped and capable of hunting the fugitive, the more I'll be able to do for Vintner Station in return for all its kindness."
I pause there, installing my first SmartChip in the back of my hand. With that, the vials, and my new laser sight, I take another look at the spreadsheet.
"Damn. I'm rich. Okay. I have to be ready to kick ass on this retrieval mission with Henna and Zenith, and everything I use for that will help push me closer to finding the fugitive, so I'm going on a shopping spree."
"Fuck yeah, Ace. Run that shit up."
"Fuck yeah, Louis. Here's what I'll need…"