It definitely wasn't a biotic wearing armor. The movements were too fluid, and the proportions suggested that what he was looking at was the thing's body. It also wore a long, flowing coat made of some sort of rough, black material. It had a hat on as well, an odd-looking thing with a brim that went all the way around and folded up on each side. A wide belt around its waist with dual heavy plasma pistols riding in holsters on each side completed the look of…whatever the hell he was looking at.
"Is this some sort of joke?" Jorg asked when it walked up to his table and stopped. "No kill bots. Whoever is on the other side of this thing, you need to come here in person to be considered."
"I am no bot," the thing said. "I understand you have open contracts."
"You're no bot, are you? Well, you're not a synth, and you're damn sure not a battlesynth…not that we see much of either out here. So, what are you?"
"I am someone looking for a contract."
"Get this waste of time out of my sight." Jorg waved his three bodyguards in from where they'd appeared to lounge at the bar. They were big, hulking brutes that cost him a fortune each month, but they were well worth it. Or so he thought.
The first one reached out and grabbed the thing by the shoulder, only to have it reach up lightning quick and crush his hand like a dry leaf, its eyes glowing a brilliant crimson as it did. While that guard screamed and held his hand, the thing whirled, deployed a molecular-edged blade from somewhere, and chopped the pistol of his second guard completely in half before kicking him across the room. The kick led into a graceful spin, the coat billowing out around him, and lined him up to slice off both cybernetic arms of the last guard.
All three bodyguards had been genetically and cybernetically enhanced, able to hold their own against regular synths, Korkarans, and even the occasional Galvetic warrior, but the newcomer had just permanently disabled them in under half a minute. Now, it just stood in front of him, staring expectantly. He noticed its eyes were no longer glowing red.
"I see there's more to you than I originally thought," Jorg said, laughing uncomfortably. "I'll tell you what, I just had a high-profile hit come in for someone on Aracoria. You think you can handle something like that? Payout is huge, but if you get caught, they'll tear you apart."
"Give me the contract."
Jorg slid across the encrypted data card.
"The card will decrypt automatically once you're well away from here," Jorg said. "If you try to come back after reading it, it'll destroy itself." The being cocked its head at that.
"To what purpose?"
"You that new to the business?" Jorg asked. "It protects me, and it protects you…but mostly it protects me. That contract, for instance. I'm only told what the payout is, where the target is, and if the hit might have any political ramifications. That way I can't be squeezed for what I don't know. It also means if someone comes in asking who killed so and so, I have no idea so I can't send them after you. See?"
"Clumsy method but acceptable. I will alert you when I have completed the job."
"Just like that? Not going to ask for a smaller target to start with? Quibble over price? Just grab the card and go?"
"I am well aware of the standard protocols in this industry. I will contact you when it is done. Do not attempt to deduct the damage to your employees from my cut. Their injuries were your choice." Jorg winced as that had been exactly what he'd planned to do on the off chance this crazy machine could do what it said. The price of having those three idiots repaired promised to be immense. He'd seen a lot of wannabe assassins and hitmen come through those doors, bragging about how many people they killed. None of them unnerved him quite like the stoic machine in the odd garb.
"What are you called?" he asked. The thing stopped and turned, as if contemplating the question for the first time in its life.
"You may call me…Seven."
ALSO BY JOSHUA DALZELE
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Contents
Copyright
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Epilogue
Also by Joshua Dalzele
The Pandora Paradox Page 26
