Episode 3: The Assignment
Previously on Corporate Shadows
Victor Ruthford, CEO of Aegis Corporation (Neo-Echelon’s leading developer and manufacturer of bio-engineered enhancements), is caught between his own moral compass and his father Lucian’s iron grip on the company. Despite Victor’s objections and his previous attempts to veto two controversial projects, he was threatened to be stripped of his position should he refuse. Victor reluctantly agreed, only because he knew the only way to change Aegis was from within. Meanwhile, he and his companion, Aiko, came up with a plan to cut the lights and make a quick exit, buying time to hopefully kill the projects for good before they are publicly announced.
Their plan is interrupted by an explosion and flying bullets. Aiko takes control of Victor’s body, saving his life and dramatically escaping by jumping out a blown-out window to a balcony five floors below.
Victor was then met by a mysterious kid from the lower levels who had somehow anticipated the attack and came to see if Victor was okay. The two ride an elevator to Victor’s private quarters, where the kid bids farewell and returns to his previous task and Victor retires for the night.
To get the episodes straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe!
"So, what's the deets? Another signature lift?" Zara asked. "I'm dead tired tonight, but I could probably get that done tomorrow."
"No. You will start this job tomorrow, but it's a long one. I need you to act as a bodyguard."
Zara sat up at that. "A what now? Since when am I the muscle?"
"Since that's the job. The VIP is-"
"Hold up!" Zara said, raising a hand to stop Adrien, and ignored the scowl he gave at the interruption. "You named me Nyx for a reason. It means Night you said. Stealth. Unseen, all that. Since when is being a bodyguard in my wheelhouse?"
"I really don't care how you go about the job, Nyx. Do it out in the open, or from the shadows, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that you keep this VIP alive. Understood?"
Zara sighed. She really didn't have much of a choice. That was the job, the condition she had agreed to when she was too young to know what she was getting herself into. Adrien assigned her the work, she carried it out, no questions asked. Well, that last bit she tended to ignore, but just because she had questions, it didn't mean Adrien would answer her. The old man was probably even more stubborn that she was.
"Well, who is this guy? What's happened that he needs someone like me to protect him instead of someone from Lynx or something?"
"His name is Victor Ruthford," Adrien said. Zara felt the connection request on her neural link and accepted it. Her HUD lit up with a profile of a man, complete with a slowly rotating image of him. A good-looking guy, generically attractive, clean shaven, in a suit. Typical corpo. A slow scrolling list highlighted his life details and achievements.
Name: Victor Ruthford, son of Lucian and Arabella Ruthford
Age: 31 years old
Born: 2793
Education: High School Diploma: Graduated 2809 from Neo-Echelon Collage at age 16.
Bachelor of Advanced Management: Graduated 2812 from Neo-Echelon University at age 19.
Honourary Masters of Advanced Management and Bio-Engineering: Awarded 2816 at age 23.
Employment: Senior Manager of Bio-Engineering at Aegis Corporations in 2812 at age 19.
Senior Vice President at Aegis Corporation in 2816 at age 23.
Chief Executive Officer at Aegis Corporation in 2821 at age 28.
"Seems like a typical nepo baby," Zara said as she took in the information. He finished high school young, that was impressive, but everyone knew the Ruthfords ran Aegis Corporation; of course, he was going to get a senior management job right out of university. She doubted he earned any of those positions.
"He is," Adrien confirmed.
"You've met him?" Zara asked, dismissing the data and turning her attention back to her handler.
Adrien was leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his miss-nothing gaze locked on Zara. It was a look that, at one time, would have made her squirm beneath its intensity. Now, it was more of a comfort to her; Adrien missed nothing and, usually at least, that was to her benefit. "A long time ago, when he was a child, but only briefly. I know his father, though, and he was the one who commissioned this job."
"So what forced his hand to reach for outside help in protecting his little heir?"
"An assassination attempt," Adrien said. Now that was interesting! Zara's curiosity was piqued. "Apparently Lucian doesn't know where the attempt originated from, but he is concerned it may have been an inside job."
"Wait, wait, wait!" Zara said, and she pulled her terminal back onto her lap, opening it up again to the news article she had been browsing about the explosion. She didn't notice the small eye twitch her abrupt command caused, though even if she had, she would have ignored it. Scrolling down, she saw that, yes, it had been an explosion in the Aegis Corporation's head office. "Was this it?" she asked, turning it around so Adrien could see.
"I believe so. I didn't get all the details; Lucian is generally quite…"
"A prick?" Zara guessed.
The corner of Adrien's mouth twitched. "Direct. He knows what he wants and expects it to be followed."
"So a prick. Why'd he call you, anyway?"
"As I said, we have some history. He knew he could count on me and my discretion. At first he wanted me; I used to run jobs for him on occasion and he knows my skills. But I'm too old for that shit now," Zara scoffed, but Adrien ignored her, "which is why I'm sending you. I trust you won't disappoint me."
Zara sighed. That was one thing she could never do. Adrien meant everything to her; he was the only reason she had a life and a way to make a living in this shithole of a city. Disappointing him was worse than failing a job. Even the thought of Adrien being disappointed in her was enough to cause a tightness in her chest.
"You know I won't," she said softly. "Is there anything else I should know?"
"Do your own research but know that, alongside the explosion that has been reported on, there were also shots fired directly at Victor tonight. Lucian is keeping that part quiet, though why I have no idea."
"I think he's trying to spin it as a random terrorist attack, rather than a targeted hit gone wrong," Zara said, still scrolling the news articles as they came in about the attack. "How long's this job for, anyway?"
"That's the thing. It doesn't have an end date," Adrien said.
Zara frowned. "Doesn't matter what they're paying, I'm not playing the babysitter forever," she said. She had her own plans and goals and none of them included keeping some pampered corporate heir from getting his head blown off. She's the one who normally does the head blowing off! It wasn't glamorous work, but she was good at it and, eventually, she wanted to be able to strike out on her own, make her own decisions about the jobs she took on without Adrien's constant insight and, frankly, interference. She couldn't do any of that as a simple bodyguard!
"It's not forever, but one of your tasks will be to investigate the assassination attempts, to find out who's behind them, and why, and to stop them. That part of the job is coming from me. Lucian just wanted you to protect his son, he said he was investigating who was behind it. But I am assigning you to also investigate it."
"Alongside him?"
"No, on your own. Without his knowledge."
Zara grinned, seeing now where her mentor was coming from. "You want someone on the inside of Aegis Corporations," she said.
The smallest of smiles graced Adrien's creased face. "I think you will find your time there… enlightening," was all he would say on the matter. He stood then and stretched, his back clicking. "I'm going to bed, and you should, too. You're expected at Aegis Headquarters on level 573."
Zara gave a low whistle. "Will I even have clearance to go that high?"
"You will as of tomorrow. Get some sleep," Adrien said, before stepping into his own room, closing the door behind him.
Zara's mind was racing, far too much for her to be able to sleep immediately. Taking her terminal with her into her own room, she shut the door and rested it on her bed. Zara's room, unlike the common room, was nicely furnished, if small. It had a single bed along one wall with a shelf above the head and old paper novels lining it. Opposite the bed was a desk that had a few odds and ends, mostly half constructed gadgets that she was trying to rejig to be useful to her without giving away her use to anyone nearby. There were two doors at the other end, one that led to her bathroom and another to her armoury. In one corner hung a punching bag and, figuring she could wear herself out that way for half an hour or so, she activated her neural link to play some music. Dark synthwave filled her mind, playing directly into her brain so that the noise wouldn't bother Adrien. He hated her taste in music. Stretching first one side of her neck, then the other, she jumped a few times, then started laying into the punching bag.
What sort of work would this bodyguard job even entail? Surely Aegis had their own security. Would they answer to her? Or was she expected to work around them, perhaps even against them? And what about Victor, what kind of person was he? She only had a passing knowledge of Aegis and what they did. She knew they were the company when it came to bio-engineering and biological upgrades. GHOST was originally their technology, tweaked on the black market, of course, to be more suitable for her line of work. Any nano-upgrades a person got, any replacement limbs be it a voluntary upgrade or forced upon them by circumstance or accident, all of it was designed and manufactured by Aegis Corporation. Adrien's metallic right arm was their design, and it was so good, he claimed it had more sensitivity and use than his natural right arm.
But she also knew of the whispers people had about the company. That its research wasn't legal, that it experimented on its own people, forcing them to take upgrades that had them forever loyal to the company, unable to leave without the risk of their upgrades being removed or turned off, potentially killing them in the process. Of course, none of that was public knowledge, only speculation and rumour, but all rumours had to start somewhere from something.
Zara wondered what kind of person Victor must be to become the CEO of the company. He was obviously intelligent, he wouldn't have finished school at fifteen otherwise. But beyond that, who was he? And what had he done, or not done, that would make someone want him dead?
An hour later and breathing heavily, Zara finally stepped back from the punching bag. Her circling thoughts were getting her nowhere. Wiping her hair away from her sweaty brow, Zara began undressing, tossing her clothes into the wash basket and stepping into the shower. At least now she felt the physical fatigue matching her mental fatigue. Maybe now she could fall asleep.
The next morning arrived all too soon for the veteran night crawler. The shutters on her window opened, letting the sunlight stream in across her face, and Zara groaned, pulling her pillow over her head in an attempt to shut out the light. It was no use, of course. Upbeat music began to play and, because it had been programmed that way, completely ignored her voice command to "Shut the depths up already!". With no other option available to her, Zara tossed the pillow aside and sat up, rubbing her gritty eyes.
Today was the day she was to start her new job. As a bodyguard. Saving a life instead of taking it. Weird.
But it meant she had to prepare.
Standing up, Zara ambled over to her wardrobe and looked over what she had. She needed to appear professional, capable, not like someone who was attempting their very first bodyguard gig. Something badass, but still classy. She was going up to level 573 after all, a far cry from her current 122. Deciding that comfort and practicality was more important than fashion, no matter what the snobs up top might think, Zara selected a pair of black synthleather pants that fit her curves like a glove, concealing just enough to be decent without becoming provocative. At least not too provocative. Her shoes were her trusty combat boots, worn in enough to be comfortable. For a shirt, she selected a maroon tank top with a silver diamond pattern. She wanted her trench coat, but that was still MIA, so a normal synthleather jacket would have to do. That was hung over an arm now; she had more to wear before putting the jacket on top of it all.
Tossing the jacket onto the bed, Zara pulled her hair into its usual braid as she stepped into the armoury.
"Now, my pretties, who should come along with me on this little jaunt?" she asked herself as she looked around. Her eyes fell on her favourite rifle on the workbench. She had just finished upgrading the scope on it. She could now jack into the interface and sight along it at 50x the zoom. Best of all, she no longer needed the chunky scope that had come standard with this model, making it lighter and easier to carry.
Running a hand down its length, she remembered the first time she had used it.
Zara lay on her stomach, her eye up to the scope of her new rifle, sighting into the penthouse apartment. This was it, her first chance to prove to Adrien that his trust was warranted. He had spent a lot of money getting this weapon for her, and spent a lot of time in training her for it. Now, it was her turn to repay that favour, to prove that he was right to trust her, that she could get the job done.
Through the scope, Zara could see the not so happy couple. A pair of corpos, her in an elegant dress that changed its pattern every ten minutes, him in a suit that did the same thing. They were supposed to be going out to some dinner or ball or something tonight, but it was Zara's job to make sure they never arrived. The pair were arguing about something. She couldn't tell what, Adrien didn't trust her enough to allow her to upgrade her neural link to listen in just yet, but she could tell just by their body language. He was shouting something at her, gesticulating wildly, leaning in to his wife's face. But she was no cowed housewife either. She was giving just as much as she got, not quite as full on as the husband, but still shouting, still gesturing, just as angry. Off to the side was a young boy, maybe six or seven, playing with a toy of some kind. Zara couldn't see what since the kid's back was to her. And they didn't matter. There was only one target she was assigned to take out.
Moving her gun slightly so the woman was back in her scope, she took a deep breath. This was just a stepping stone. A piece moving her in the right direction, the direction of freedom and security. She released her breath and pulled the trigger.
She heard the screams from where she was hidden even as she straightened and packed up her gear, ready to make a quick escape.
Zara sighed. That had only been the first of many lives this rifle had taken. She had been so naïve back then, believing that one job would be the last, the sole thing she had to do to prove herself to Adrien so that she could somehow live her own life. As if she would just be handed independence without even attempting to earn it herself first. Her world didn't work that way. Neo-Echelon didn't work that way.
And besides, she was good at what she did.
The irony that this same rifle would now be used to try to save a life was not lost on her.
Knowing she needed to get a move on, she slipped into a harness and holstered two side arms with it, secured under her arms. She fastened a knife sheath to her left forearm. Slipping her jacket over the top, she took her rifle up and slung it over a shoulder. It would be easier to know what she needed ahead of time, but these basics should be enough to get her started. She could always organise with Adrien to bring her other equipment if she decided she needed it later.
Leaving her bedroom, she found the common room of their apartment empty; Adrien was still asleep, it seemed. Lucky. Muttering under her breath about the privilege of the elderly, she swiped the LIFT from his desk and slipped it into a pocket and left the apartment.
This early in the morning, there weren't too many people about. Neo-Echelon never slept, but that didn't mean it didn't have quieter times. First thing in the morning was the quietest time, before most businesses started operating, after most clubs and bars closed. The wind whipped against her; even if the city's sail-like wind breaks blocked most of the wind at the height she was at, they couldn't block everything. Probably a good thing too, she thought. Otherwise, the smell would be horrendous.
Striding along the street, she made her way towards the nearest public elevator. She didn't have to wait long for it to arrive and she stepped inside, along with three other people. Accessing the elevator's input with her neural link, Zara mentally punched the number 573 and held her breath. Adrien had said she would have clearance, but she had still never been higher than the 380s. On an elevator anyway. She had climbed up to level 400 once on the outside of a building, more to prove that she could than for any assignment. Of course, it hadn't been long before her neural signature was flagged as intruding and she had to flee, but it was fun while it lasted.
This time, the elevator accepted her input without complaint and she let out a breath. At least Adrien had come through with this, even if this entire job was as suspicious as an Effluent above level ten.
But what choice did she have, really? Once, when she was a little girl, she had dreamed of having the freedom to work for herself, to have made enough of a name for herself that she could pick and choose what jobs she took on. Maybe she could even just open a restaurant or something.
She almost laughed aloud at that thought. That would never last; she would be bored within a week.
The elevator stopped, and one by one, the other passengers got off. Some more got on and then, finally, it was her stop.
Floor 573. Aegis Corporation.
Zara stepped out of the elevator and looked around. The streets on this level were clean. There was no sign of graffiti and she wondered if the people here didn't tag walls, or if there was some bot responsible for cleaning it up or something. The Aegis logo was everywhere, on buildings, in windows, even etched into the floor. A shield with an eye in the centre of it. Watching. Zara shuddered. It was creepy.
Realising that people were beginning to stare at the woman who was, by their standards, oddly dressed and just standing and staring, a sure sign she didn't belong, she shifted the strap of her gun and started walking towards the main entrance to the Aegis Corporation headquarters.
Time to get on with it.
In the next episode, Victor is informed about his newest bodyguard. He meets with the mysterious Chameleon who updates him on dark hints from Victor’s past and the two decide to investigate Nyx.
Coming Soon
Want to support my writing but don’t want yet another subscription service to worry about? I’ve got you covered! Buy me a coffee for the same price as my subscription, drop your SubStack name in the comment, and I’ll gift you a 1 month sub. Same value, less hassle!