Edmund Pevensie (justed) wrote in revoltic, @ 2019-08-21 12:21:00 |
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Between coffee the previous evening and the trip itself, Edmund had done his best to brief Mara on New Assyria: the dislike of the Neo-Amish for excessive technology, their leader Elisha Jackson and her rise to prominence, the hydro farming and transport operations. “They aren't the most up to date ships, but they’re good for getting from here to there quickly, without attracting undue attention.” Edmund had some sympathy for the Neo-Amish and their desire for simplicity. His home would be called backwards and agrarian even by their standards, after all. He wasn't necessarily against the advances of this modern age (not all of them, at least), but he agreed that some were more trouble than they were a help. “Unfortunately, some have taken advantage of them in the past, but their current leader has worked hard to put a stop to that. She's realized the advantage they have in that people will pay for discretion. They don't typically do business with the corporations for philosophical reasons.” Their mission was to confirm that that was still the case. As they disembarked, Edmund added quietly, “SadTech has a slightly better reputation here, but we'll still probably avoid too much time on comms unless it's an emergency.” The transport was its own breed, the acceleration and travel harnesses making an illusion of Earth's stability, at least while one was seated. New Assyria’s gravity, however, was always an adjustment. Mara had listened intently to everything Edmund had to say about the people of New Assyria. This galaxy seemed to be a lot smaller than the one she came from, but politics didn’t seem to change much no matter the size of the galaxy. The ship they traveled on wasn’t exactly like the ones she was used to, but it felt good to be in space again. Even getting ready to set foot on New Assyria felt familiar to her and she was glad Thea had given her a chance with this mission. Mara suspected she had Cassian or Luke to thank for that. She nodded at Edmund’s last minute instructions. “So, we blend in, we ask around and we keep our eyes and ears open, right?” It sounded easy enough. “That's the summary of it,” Edmund agreed. “We're keeping in touch with the rest of the system. If we're always isolated on Earth, it's easy to lose perspective.” From what he knew of Mara, Edmund suspected she'd understand that. For him, it had been a lesson learned in Narnia - that one could not rule nor even properly care about others if only viewing them through a distance lens. After disembarking, Edmund waved toward one end of the spaceport where he remembered a restaurant from his last trip. “There should be a diner that way that is a good place to start.” Mara nodded again. She was actually glad for the excuse to travel a little. Being grounded on one planet wasn’t something she was used to. This kind of thing was much more her speed. Most of her past jobs hadn’t exactly been serving the good guys, so it was nice to feel like she was on the right side of things on this one. “Sounds good,” she agreed, letting him lead the way as they walked in the direction he’d gestured at. Edmund didn't know exactly what Mara was thinking, but he would have empathized if he had. Thea had asked him to get a feel for and a sense of his companion on this mission, and he certainly noted the way she seemed to slip easily into the rhythm of New Assyria. It was partly, he suspected, the effect of coming from a spacefaring universe - Luke and Cassian's, as Edmund understood it. There was more to it, however. That comfort with improvisation and subtle assimilation that one developed in certain lines of work if one had a specific aptitude… There were several of the refugees with those sorts of talents. They were necessary for certain types of work - the less public, less lauded types. Edmund, admittedly, had been very much a public figure back in Narnia, but even then, he'd been known as the quieter, the more reserved of the four, the shield to Peter's sword. There were things he'd been able to do behind the scenes while his brother and sisters shone, precisely for that reason. And, well, when one had a talent for subterfuge, why not put it to good use? The diner was still where Edmund remembered it and still open. A bulletin board (almost archaic in this era but typical of New Assyria) listed transport jobs available for willing pilots. Edmund glanced at it before a waitress arrived to show them to a booth. “What's the special?” he asked. “I'll probably have the number 3, but I ought to at least consider other options.” Mara stayed alert, taking in their surroundings while seeming to blend in with the crowd as she and Edmund walked. Subterfuge was, indeed, something she was skilled at. She’d needed to be adaptable in her previous line of work and that was a skill that served her well on missions like these. There were very few places in the galaxy she couldn’t find a way to blend in and it seemed the world’s here were no real exception to that. There were common threads on New Assyria in particular to some of the worlds she’d visited in her own galaxy. It was almost comforting to be here and feel that familiarity. It was one reason she’d grown quickly fond of the Sprawl back on their Earth. Listening as the waitress answered Ed’s question about the special, she had a quick but casual look around the diner, taking note of the people around them and the board listing transport jobs. In another life, she could have been one of the locals or someone from another planet in this system, coming here looking for work. That wasn’t why she and Edmund were here, but she could certainly look and act the part. Her attention came back to the waitress as if it had never left and she easily rattled off an order. "Thank you." Edmund nodded at the waitress as she left to take their order to the kitchen. He smiled slightly. If he were ever to settle somewhere beyond Earth, this might it - not that he could really imagine himself taking up permanent residence so far from his family, but he did like New Assyria. He hoped they never did get tied up in the machinations of the corps, particularly not in their current form. A few inquiries proved that to be the case. There did not seem to be an official ban and job postings from multiple corporations were available. However the listings from BNU and Omegasys all seemed to be of older date as if long ignore. As they chatted with the diner's patrons, any discussion of those particular postings tended to be steered in another direction. It was telling - only confirmation of what they'd suspected, really - but good to know. |