Time/Date: Mid-Morning, TC1853.01.02Location: Ring 6 → The Underground
Raven and Grandma Wang left the warmth of the small house behind, stepping into the crisp morning air of Ring 6's industrial district. The older woman moved with surprising agility despite her years, leading them through a maze of narrow alleyways that seemed to exist in the spaces between the city's official layout.
"Where are we going?" Raven asked, adjusting the communicator's weight in her pouch.
"To see an old friend," Grandma Wang replied, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Someone who appreciates quality work and doesn't ask too many questions about provenance."
They wound through passages that grew progressively narrower, the sounds of the main thoroughfares fading until only their footsteps echoed off weathered brick walls. The buildings here leaned against each other like conspirators sharing secrets, their upper stories nearly touching across the gap.
Finally, they stopped before an unremarkable door set into a wall that looked ready to collapse. Grandma Wang knocked twice, paused, then knocked three times quickly. A small hatch opened at eye level, revealing a single suspicious eye.
Seeing Grandma Wang, the eye softened with recognition. The hatch snapped shut, followed by the sound of multiple bolts being withdrawn. The door swung open to reveal an elderly man whose hunched back and gnarled hands spoke of decades spent bent over delicate work.
"Old Lady," he said, his voice carrying the warmth of long friendship despite his gruff appearance. "Been a while since you graced my establishment."
Grandma Wang smiled, years falling away from her weathered features. "Old Man Coop, you still alive?"
"Of course, old girl. How can I leave this place before you?" His eyes crinkled with humor as he gestured them inside. "Come, come. The streets have too many ears these days."
The interior revealed itself to be far more comfortable than the exterior suggested. Soft rugs covered polished floors, and the sitting room held furniture that spoke of quality rather than ostentation. The man Grandma Wang called Grandpa Coop moved with the careful economy of someone whose body had been shaped by years of precision work.
His appearance was striking once Raven got a proper look at him. The hunched back was real enough—probably from decades of leaning over workbenches—but his hands, while gnarled as old roots, moved with surprising steadiness. His hair, white as fresh snow, was pulled back in a neat queue. His clothes were simple but well-maintained, and his skin had the pallor of someone who spent most of his time indoors.
It was his eyes that caught her attention most—a pale gray that seemed almost colorless until the light hit them just right.
"So," he said, settling into his chair with a grunt, "what brings two such lovely ladies to my humble abode?"
Grandma Wang gestured toward Raven. "This is a young friend of mine. Mara here is trustworthy."
Grandpa Coop's gaze settled on Raven with the weight of someone who had learned to read people's intentions in their posture. "Figured she must be, else you would never have brought her to my place. So what can I do for you ladies?"
"Young Mara here has some goods that she wants to sell," Grandma Wang said, winking at Raven.
Raven reached into her pouch and withdrew the second communicator—the one she'd been planning to take to the Gilded Reed. This seemed like a much better option. No risk of raising suspicions with repeated visits, and clearly Grandpa Coop dealt in items that required discretion.
"Ah, a Quantum 7 series," Grandpa Coop said, taking the device with hands that handled it like a jeweler examining a precious stone. "Rare to see one of these. They only came to market a short time ago."
The damage was obvious to Raven's trained eye—some noble had hurled it against a hard surface in rage. That's why it ended up in scrapyards instead of being traded in. Nobles never allowed evidence of lost control to surface. She had considered keeping the Series 7, but it was too new, too expensive to justify possessing. More importantly, no one would believe that Selene had grown tired of such a recent model.
Just then, Grandpa Coop's eyes changed, glowing with an eerie blue light that made Raven's breath catch. Cybernetic eyes. Definitely not native to the Eastern Empire—that kind of enhancement technology came from elsewhere.
Seeing the flash of interest that crossed Raven's face rather than the fear most people showed, Grandpa Coop nodded silently to himself. What an interesting girl.
"Signs of repairs," he mused aloud, his enhanced vision no doubt picking up details invisible to organic eyes. "Very well done. Far more advanced than what those fellows in Rings 6 and 7 can manage." He looked up at her directly. "Your work?"
Raven nodded.
"This girl is really talented, Coop," Grandma Wang interrupted before he could ask more technical questions. "You should see her designs—her paintings and even fashion work are something else."
Raven was startled for a moment. She had almost forgotten about the artwork she'd left at Grandma Wang's house over the years. The memory brought a bitter taste as she remembered how, in her previous life, she'd been forced to hand over all her paintings and jewelry designs to Amara as "compensation" for the drugging incident.
Amara had then entered the centennial arts festival with those stolen works, winning first place and gaining recognition as the most talented young woman in the Eastern Empire. But thinking back now, Raven wondered why they'd never asked for her technical designs. From a young age, she'd held a fascination for technology, understanding how it worked almost instinctively.
Ironic, really. Amara and the system had stolen her paintings and jewelry designs but left the real treasure behind. The Devourer System must have observed her during vulnerable moments and reported back to its host. But Amara had never discovered the technical designs because Raven only worked on those when she felt truly at peace—which only happened here, at Grandma Wang's house.
"Well, girl," Grandpa Coop said, his voice taking on a business-like tone, "can you bypass the Empire firewall? Allow this communicator to access the neural net without being monitored?"
Raven looked up sharply, then turned to Grandma Wang. The older woman seemed to understand her silent question and nodded slightly, her eyes conveying trust.
"Yes," Raven answered decisively.
Grandpa Coop tossed the Quantum 7 back to her. "Good. Do it."
Raven switched on the device, her fingers flying across the interface as she accessed the core programming. The work felt familiar, almost meditative, as she navigated through layers of code that most people wouldn't even recognize as existing. A few minutes later, she double-checked, then triple-checked her modifications before looking up.
"Done," she said, passing the device back to Grandpa Coop.
He took the communicator and scanned through the code himself, his cybernetic eyes processing the information faster than organic vision ever could. "Elegant," he muttered with obvious delight. "Absolutely elegant."
Setting the device on the table beside him, he studied Raven with new intensity. "I have need for someone with your skills."
"Shouldn't we discuss that first?" Raven said, pointing to the Quantum 7.
Grandpa Coop chuckled. "Indeed. Business before pleasure." His tone became more professional. "A clean Quantum 7, normal market price would be thirty gold dragons. But one that bypasses the Empire's monitoring..." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "That's a whole different deal. Eighty gold dragons."
Raven was shocked at the price. Eighty gold dragons was a small fortune.
"Deal," she said quickly.
Grandpa Coop chuckled at her eagerness before getting up and walking out. Grandma Wang sat contentedly sipping her tea, showing neither shock nor surprise at the enormous sum, which made Raven realize how little she had truly known about the older woman in her previous life.
A few minutes later, Grandpa Coop returned and handed over a velvet pouch. "Eighty gold dragons."
Raven weighed the pouch in her hand before opening it and counting carefully. Grandpa Coop smiled faintly at her caution. Not a fool, he thought approvingly. He looked down on people who said things like "No need, I trust you." If his 156 years had taught him anything, it was that no one was one hundred percent trustworthy.
After Raven finished counting, she discreetly slipped the pouch into her sleeve, then used a trace amount of soul power to transfer it to her soul space.
"So tell me, Mr. Coop," she said, curiosity getting the better of her, "just how much would a Quantum 5 be worth with full access?"
She knew she probably shouldn't ask—she had a feeling the answer would make her regret yesterday's sale—but the question was scratching at her mind.
"Call me Grandpa Coop," the old man said with a wink at Grandma Wang. "Your Grandma Wang and I go back a ways, and since she treats you like a granddaughter, it's only fair you treat me like your grandfather."
"Why, you old scallywag," Grandma Wang said with mock anger, though warmth colored her tone. "Still flirting with one foot in the grave."
Grandpa Coop let out a booming laugh, full of underlying mischief. "Just goes to show how useless I am. Still haven't caught you even after thirty years."
"Humph. You still have a ways to go, old fellow. Besides, don't think I don't know that if I agreed, you'd run faster than a flying rabbit and disappear into the wild yonder."
Grandpa Coop just grinned, taking a sip of his tea. Raven could tell this was a familiar argument between the two old friends—there was a shared companionship, with strong ties that had been tested over the years.
Clearing his throat, Grandpa Coop turned back to Raven. "Getting back to your question, Mara-girl. A 'full-access' Quantum 5, in the same mint condition as this old 7, would fetch about thirty gold dragons."
The emphasis he placed on "full-access" made it clear this was his preferred terminology. Raven felt a pang of regret—she'd lost twenty-three gold dragons by not knowing where to come first. Ah well, too late now, but at least she knew for the future.
"Call me Raven," she said quietly.
Grandma Wang looked up sharply, giving her an inquiring look.
"Mara Brenner is dead," Raven answered simply.
Grandma Wang nodded silently in understanding. Yes, the old abused, weak, and cowardly Mara Brenner was gone. She smiled quietly. "Yes, Raven suits you, dear."
Grandpa Coop noted the silent communication between the two women. Well, we all have secrets, he thought. He'd learned long ago not to pry into things that weren't his business.
"So, Grandpa Coop," Raven continued, "just how many of these full-access communicators can you handle?"
"Ah, now we're talking, Raven-girl," Grandpa Coop said, switching names easily without showing a hint of curiosity about the change.
"These full-access communicators are in serious demand, especially with the mercenary types. Those fellows don't like the higher-ups nosing around their business. Most of the guild leaders can get official devices from the Federation, but it's damn difficult smuggling in more—the border patrols are pretty strict about it. Only one communicator per person, officially."
He leaned back in his chair, warming to the subject. "The higher-ups know most of these devices bypass their firewalls, but there's not much they can do about it. Besides, they don't want to step on too many toes. They need the mercenary guilds just as much as everyone else does."
"It's the lower-rank fellows that need them," he continued, "the ones who aren't qualified for international logistics. And there are thousands of them. So I can handle as many as you can supply. I could do the work myself, but I'm no spring chicken anymore, and my knowledge is a decade or so out of date. It's been difficult lately."
He studied her face carefully. "This is the business I wanted to talk to you about, girl. You give some of my stock full access, and I'll pay you ten gold dragons apiece. What do you say?"
Ten gold dragons per device was an amazing amount to Raven. With that sort of regular income, she wouldn't have to worry about money for a long while.
"Deal," she said, "but I can only give you a couple of hours today. After that, I'll be gone for a month or two. Personal business. But when I've finished up, I'll contact you."
"A month or two?" Grandma Wang said, sitting up sharply.
Raven raised her hand to forestall whatever the older woman was about to say. "Grandma Wang, I'll need to disappear for a short while after everything settles. Just to let things cool down."
"But girl—"
"Grandma Wang, I know what I'm doing," Raven said firmly.
"Ah, girl. Okay, we'll talk about this later," Grandma Wang conceded reluctantly.
"Grandpa Coop," Raven said, turning back to the old man, "you mentioned dealings with the mercenary guilds. I need to find a very reliable team. They need to take a parcel to the Federation Medical Research Institution. Nothing illegal—it's one hundred percent legitimate. But I need proof of receipt, and the parcel must leave Empire space no later than the fourth. I'll deliver the contents tomorrow evening. Also, it needs to go by airship. Money is no problem. I need it at the medical institute by the sixth at the latest."
Grandpa Coop stroked his chin thoughtfully. "What you're asking isn't impossible, but it's going to cost you a lot of dragons. You want not only a first-rate team, but they need access to one of the fastest airships out there. Only outfit that can do that is the Black Hawks." He grinned. "You're in luck, girl. I just happen to get on well with them. Let me give old Marvin a call."
With that, Grandpa Coop took out an old communicator from his pocket—one of the predecessors to the Quantum series, by the look of it. He pressed a button and lifted it to his ear. Not even twenty seconds later, a booming voice could be heard clearly across the room.
"Coop, you old scallywag! Where are my comms? You promised me ten units a while back, and I'm still waiting."
"Now hold your horses, Marvin. You'll have your comms tomorrow. Not only that, but I've even got my hands on a Quantum 7 for you."
"A Quantum 7? You better not be lying, you old thief."
"Marvin, old boy, you know I never joke when it comes to business."
"Seriously, a Quantum 7? Damn, Coop, that's going to buy you some real goodwill on this end."
Grandpa Coop laughed. "Anyway, besides calling to tell you about your comms, I might have some business for you."
"Oh, you're sending me business? I'm all ears. What've you got?"
"I have a client who needs a small parcel delivered to the Federation Medical Research Institution. Don't worry, it's all legitimate. Only snag is the parcel needs to leave on the fourth and be delivered at the institute on the sixth."
"Two days? Old Coop, you know that's going to be pricey. We're going to have to use the Silver Wing for that, and that girl chews fuel like nothing else."
"Yeah, I know. So how much is it going to be?"
"Well, I have nearly a full shipment ready to go—wasn't meant to be expedited cargo, but considering we get to use the Silver Wing, your client can save some money if we use that shipment to offset some of the price."
Grandpa Coop looked at Raven questioningly. She nodded.
"Client's happy with that. All she wants is her parcel delivered and receipt signed and sent to her on the sixth."
Raven could hear scratching sounds—Marvin must be working out calculations.
"One hundred and ten gold dragons," Marvin replied after a pause.
Raven was taken aback by the price. She'd known it would be expensive, but 110 gold dragons was truly steep. Right now, she had 167 gold dragons total. Hopefully, Grandpa Coop had at least three or four communicators that needed work, or she'd have to go salvaging again.
She nodded to Grandpa Coop, while Grandma Wang looked at her in shock.
"Done deal," Grandpa Coop said into the communicator.
"Always a pleasure doing business with you, Coop," Old Marvin laughed boisterously. "I'll send my boys over tomorrow to collect the comms."
"Sure thing," Grandpa Coop replied before hanging up.
"Well, girl, you're seriously in luck," he told Raven. "If those fellows didn't already have a full load to go, it would have cost you five times that amount just to send the Silver Wing."
"Thank you, Grandpa Coop," Raven replied, thinking maybe she should look into logistics as a future career. It seemed very lucrative from where she was standing.
The first phase of her insurance plan was falling into place. By the time she confronted the Brenners, they would already be trapped—unable to suppress evidence that was beyond the reach of even imperial influence.