The map on Colonel Irina Volkov's wall was not the kind you'd find in a travel agency.It was a patchwork of satellite images, shipping manifests, and red‑pinned photographs. Thin threads of string connected ports across the Pacific Rim — Vladivostok, Busan, Surabaya, Manila — each line annotated with dates, cargo types, and cryptic notes in her precise handwriting.
She stood with her arms folded, studying the pattern.It was too clean.Too deliberate.
"Whoever this operator is," she said to her aide, "they're not improvising. Every move is calculated. No wasted motion."
The aide, a young analyst with tired eyes, nodded. "We've cross‑referenced the incidents. No fingerprints, no chatter on the usual channels. It's like they don't exist."
Volkov's gaze lingered on Vladivostok. "Everyone exists. You just have to know where to look."
The System's Alert
Across the city, Mitya was in the Cleanroom when the System's voice cut through the white silence.
Operator: Contract opportunity. Origin: Central Asia. Scope: high‑risk delivery into active conflict zone. Reward: significant.
A map unfolded, zooming in on a mountainous region straddling two borders. The terrain was jagged, the roads few and treacherous. The target was a rebel faction in need of advanced communications gear — the kind that could coordinate units across valleys and ridgelines.
Type: DeliveryOrigin: Vladivostok (secure warehouse)Destination: Remote mountain base, Central AsiaReward: 20,000.00 + Reputation Increment (Advanced Tier)Complication: Active military presence, unpredictable local alliances.
Mitya studied the details. This wasn't a port job. This was inland, far from the sea's familiar currents. The System overlaid possible routes — each one a thread through hostile territory.
Preparation
He authorized Vega and three operatives. The System recommended a convoy of two vehicles: one for the cargo, one as escort. Both would be disguised as humanitarian aid trucks, complete with forged documents and weathered paint.
The Influence module came into play before they even left Vladivostok. Mitya seeded false intelligence through the System's channels, suggesting that the convoy's route was carrying medical supplies for a neutral NGO. It wouldn't fool everyone, but it might make some checkpoints hesitate.
Departure
They left before dawn, the city still wrapped in darkness. The trucks rumbled through the outskirts, past factories and warehouses, until the urban sprawl gave way to open road. Snow dusted the fields, and the air grew colder as they climbed into the hills.
Vega drove the lead vehicle, eyes scanning the road ahead. Mitya sat in the passenger seat, the System feeding him real‑time updates on troop movements and weather patterns.
First Checkpoint
The first military checkpoint appeared just after midday — a makeshift barrier of sandbags and rusted oil drums. Soldiers in mismatched uniforms waved them down.
Vega killed the engine. Mitya stepped out, the forged documents in hand. The officer in charge was young, his rifle slung carelessly over one shoulder.
"Papers," he said in the local language.
Mitya handed them over, keeping his expression neutral. The officer flipped through them, frowning at the stamps.
"Medical supplies?" he asked.
"Winter aid," Mitya replied. "Blankets, medicine."
The officer hesitated, then waved them through. The Influence module's planted rumor had done its work.
The Ambush
They were deep in the mountains when the road narrowed to a single lane carved into the cliffside. Snow began to fall, swirling in the wind.
The System's voice was sudden and sharp.
Operator: Hostile presence detected. Ambush probability: high.
A moment later, gunfire cracked from the ridge above. Bullets sparked off the truck's hood. Vega swerved, the tires skidding on the icy road.
"Contact left!" one of the operatives shouted.
Mitya grabbed his weapon, leaning out the window to return fire. The System overlaid enemy positions in red, guiding his aim. Two figures went down, the rest scattering into the rocks.
The Mountain Pass
They pushed on, the road climbing higher into the mountains. The air was thin, the wind biting. The cargo remained secure, but the ambush had cost them time.
By nightfall, they reached the rebel base — a cluster of stone buildings clinging to the mountainside. Men in mismatched gear emerged from the shadows, their faces wary.
The leader, a tall man with a scar across his cheek, stepped forward. "You have it?"
Mitya nodded. The operatives unloaded the crates, the rebels checking the contents with quick, practiced hands.
The Return
The journey back was quieter, but the tension never eased. Every bend in the road could hide another checkpoint, another ambush. The System guided them along a different route, avoiding known patrols.
When they finally rolled back into Vladivostok, the Ledger updated.
Balance: 56,200.00Reputation: +12 (Advanced Tier)Note: First conflict zone contract — successful.
Volkov's Counterpoint
In her office, Volkov added a new pin to the map — a remote mountain pass in Central Asia. The string connecting it to Vladivostok was thin but unbroken.
She stepped back, studying the web she'd built. The pattern was clearer now. Whoever the ghost was, they were expanding — and she was closing in.