Uzoma flicked a coin between his fingers. "So we are all hearing the same thing, right? Big weird ritual going on, that might damage the Traveller itself. Plus, you want a Gate Lord's key, crack it open, walk into this place, break what should not be there and then walk out?"
Void nodded once. "That's the gist of it."
Uzoma muttered something under his breath, dragged a chair and propped himself down, "Right. Of course."
Isidel leaned her forearms on the chair's crown, "And you know this how?"
Void held her gaze. "I cannot disclose my source."
Uzoma squinted at him with a half smile. "That means the source is either very good or not trustworthy at all."
"Let's just say it's a bit of both," Void said. "Look, like I said, there's simply no way for me to prove it to you, and I know it's hard to believe this. But I do need you to trust me."
Alemyr exhaled through his nose, calm. "Ghostsword, your reputation precedes you. We've heard great things about your contributions in the war. But still, what you're asking us to do is a wild goose chase with no end. Besides, why does the City not know?"
"They cannot do anything with it," Void shrugged. "Broadcasting all this would only spread fear. That won't help at all."
Taeko-3 tapped a finger on the table, metal on glass. "Alright, relax, let's just do some calculations."
She raised her palm, and her ghost appeared, projecting a small hologram above the table.
"From Stoic's database, a Vex Gate Lord can open a portal into the Vex's frozen timestream. A place so far disconnected from our space-time that there's no other way to access it."
"The Gatelord appears for only seconds at each location, installing Vex gateways and guarding the entrance to their realms. In fact, the only time Stoic encountered one was during the largest Vex surge in the system."
Isidel cut in, "Bastard was only there for five seconds. That's all it took to unleash a vex legion and connect its gateways."
"In simpler words." Alemyr cleared his throat, "Even if we knew where a gate lord was. Capturing it would be nigh impossible. The moment you threaten it. It will disappear."
"But."
Alemyr added. "We can help you if you find one. Crack his frame, strip his cypher, turn his key into something you can use. Not just once, but indefinitely."
Gallida looked around the circle, reading faces. "Seems like that's the consensus, Ghostsword. Guess we couldn't solve your issue after all."
Void rolled the thought once and let it settle. "That's fine, I'll take that split. I hunt, you help break it down.."
Isidel gave a small nod. "That is best."
The Stoic had been quiet, hands folded, eyes on Void as the discussion went on. He lifted his head just enough to show that he'd been paying attention.
Void straightened. "And for the work, I will sponsor all the Glimmer and Tools. All of it."
Uzoma's smile sharpened. "Now you are speaking my language."
Isidel's mouth twitched. "Payment does make focus easier."
Void smiled, then looked to the Stoic. "There is one more thing."
The Stoic tilted his head.
"You, you worked on the City's spatial network, didn't you?"
For a fraction of a second, the Stoic's eyes widened. He had never thought something that old would come to light, especially by someone as young as Void.
"I've got a job related to that. It's for you exclusively. I also can't tell you anything beforehand." Void said.
Void gestured a coin with his finger, "What I can promise is that you won't regret. Your cut will be big enough not to worry about glimmer, ever."
Gallida's brows went up. Uzoma let a low whistle slip. Taeko-3 laughed softly into her palm. Isidel looked faintly amused, which for a Titan was the same as surprise.
The Stoic looked around the room, then his eyes shifted up, as if in thought. Eventually, he shrugged. Whatever it was, it probably wasn't a bigger challenge than finding a gate lord.
"I suppose I'll take that as a yes." Void crossed his arms, "You'll be working on something special."
"A Golden Age blueprint for subspace tech. If we build it, it changes how everyone moves, buys, stores, and shares. Since yours were one of the cleanest hands on the City's protocol, I think you'd be the right man for the job."
The Stoic watched him with keen eyes, almost as if inquisitive.
Void hummed in thought, "You don't have to be that worried. I've already got Marcus Ren and my own specialist on the team. I am planning to get Wen Jie, but she's hard to find."
Alemyr tilted his head. "You're calling on some big names. Looks like this will be quite the project."
"A network that answers only to us," Void replied. "Not to a Foundry or a Faction, or the City. Storage no one can skim. Doors that open for who we say, when we say. We seed it, we set the rules. I'd say it's the biggest project in the system."
"Ambition is cheap," Uzoma chimed in, "Enforcement is not. But seeing as you're already getting the big names involved, you're on the right track."
Void looked back at the Stoic, "I will also pay in more than glimmer. Hardware. schematics and materials. You'll get everything you need."
The Stoic's eyes warmed by a fraction, he glanced at Gallida, at Uzoma, at Taeko-3, at Isidel, and at Alemyr. No one shook their head.
"We've all worked at this lab for decades," Gallida said, laying the line. "Campus-9 stands. The work is shared. The records are shared."
"I get you," Void said. "Your team stays yours. Bring them as your core if you want. I am not here to steal you from them."
Uzoma tapped the table, "This sounds like a second job on top of the first. But hey, as long as you're paying."
The Stoic reached across the table with an outstretched hand.
Void's lips curled into a smile, and he shook it. "I'll send over the workshop coordinates to Gallida. While I know you guys do most of your work here. If it comes down to it. We might do the job at our workshop site."
"That's fine, we were bound to need to stretch our legs anyway." Alemyr shrugged.
Gallida clapped her hands once, crisp. "Then we are done for today. Uzoma, Isidel, Alemyr, Taeko, brief in an hour. Stoic, take ten and then go write the list this madman will have to buy for us to start working on a solution to crack a gatelord's encryption."
The Stoic's mouth tilted. It might have been approval, but Void could swear he saw a smug shift in his face, as if to say, 'Expect a long list'
"Do hesitate before you ask." Void cleared his throat.
"Relax, I am sure it won't be a lot, I think...." Gallida said, turning back to Void as the team began to peel off toward their stations.
"Yeah..." Void sighed. He waved to the others, already half turned.
Gallida walked him back the way they had come. Past the ringed conflux, toward the door that was not a door until it chose to be. At the threshold, the subspace pressed against his chest and then let go.
Void disappeared.
-
Outside, Campus-9 was still in ruins. The gate behind him closed as if it had never been there.
Void called his jumpship to the horizon and waited for transmat.
"Next step?" Obsidian chirped.
"Find a gate lord," Void answered. "Or find someone who knows where one might be hiding."
"Someone knowledgeable about Vex", Obsidian said. "I mean.... we do have him."
"Him?" Void asked as Obsidian project the image of a blue awoken warlock.
"Asher Mir."
Obsidian was already calculating the best way to proceed. "Ikorra can definitely connect us to him. I think she's among the few who have his contact."
"That so? Hit her up and ask for his location. I'm sure if we call him up, he'll refuse to meet." Void shook his head.
"Already on it. Sent a request for info on Asher Mir." Obsidian chuckled.
"Good."
Void's wrist blinked, his eyes shifted up, and he saw his ship hovering above him in the sky. The next second, his figure scattered into glimmer, and the jumpship's thrusters flared to life, shooting towards orbit.
=
A/N: HOPE you enjoyed the chapter! Sorry for the delay, got swamped by work!