Private Corrupted Data

[Aren D'Shade]

"I can get you some cookbooks if you'd think it would help."

They wouldn't be physical books, as those were a thing of the past, and Aren had never seen one. They would be on a data crystal. But such was how things worked these days. Her own attempts at cooking left something to be desired, but probably like Korra, her food was edible.

"I'll be able to get some of that data. Who knows? Some of it might be useful. I prefer to imagine secret hyperspace lanes over medical records from a century ago. Those won't be much use now."

Finishing off her food, she took her plate and drink into the kitchen and leaned against the door frame.

"When you're finished, we can go check out the chip."

Korra Kast

 

[Korra Kast]

Korra leaned back in her chair, balancing it on two legs as she smirked up at Aren.

"Cookbooks, huh? Guess it couldn't hurt. Might even stop me from burning water one of these days." She let the chair legs thump back down and pushed her plate away, stretching her arms over her head with a satisfied groan.

"The data crystal sounds more like your kind of fun than mine, but… secret hyperspace lanes?" Her grin widened. "Now that's the kind of treasure map I wouldn't mind stumbling across."

She stood, grabbing her plate as well and brushing past Aren with a shoulder bump on her way to the sink.

"Alright, let's see what my mystery chip's got. Maybe it's boring medical records… or maybe we just struck gold."

Aren D'Shade

 

[Aren D'Shade]

"Well, when was the last time you actually saw a book? They're just not a thing! So you'll get the datacrystal full of recipes."

Giving Korra a familiar smile, she pulled out her datapad and put a crystal into the port. Pulling up a few things, she transferred the data and handed it to her.

"There you go. About five billion different recipes. Have fun."

Leaving the kitchen and heading back to the workshop, she left the door open for Korra to follow. Taking a seat at the desk, she unclipped the chip and waited for her employer to join her.

"Here's hoping for the star charts."

Slipping the chip into a reader, she held it so the other woman could see the results clearly. At first, it was very much a blank and jumbled mess of lettering. Eventually, though, the data cleared up. Aren continued to read and assess what she saw.

"Your meager balance of 5000 credits has been repaid. You hold the military tactics of one General Ric Aphax. Not just his tactics but his plans and the routes he took. Some of it could be useful, while some might not. If you find a buyer for the tactics, you should recoup your investment quickly.

"The rest of it are his routes, and those are your real gold."

Korra Kast

 

[Korra Kast]

She took the crystal with five billon recipes, a genuine look of surprise that there's even that many to being with. Korra tucked it into one of her pounches on her belt as she followed Aren back to the workshop.

Korra leaned forward, eyes flicking between the data on the reader as it was clearing up. "Certainly worth it and I can definitely get a large payout for it. So, now that all the work is done, how much do I owe you for your services?"

Aren D'Shade

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Aren arched a brow, folding her arms loosely as she leaned back against the workbench. "Five thousand," she said, matter-of-fact, as though she were naming the weather. "That covers the equipment time, calibration, and the joy of listening to that thing hum for three hours straight."

She tilted her head slightly, her tone softening just enough to pass for friendly negotiation. "If you ever need another chip cleaned or want the data partitioned for resale, I'll make you a return rate. But for now, five even sounds fair."


Pushing off the bench, she crossed to the reader and detached the last conduit, handing the now cleaned datachip back to Korra. "No explosions, no burns, and your data's clean," she said with a faint half-smile. "That's a bargain in my book."

Then, after a pause, dry amusement crept into her voice. "Unless you want to pay extra for my sparkling company. That usually costs more."

Korra Kast

 

[Korra Kast]

Korra took the chip, rolling it between her fingers as if weighing both its worth and Aren's words. "Five thousand fo no explosions?" She said with a lopsided grin, though the faint twitch of her brow suggested she was doing the mental math all the same.

She clipped the case to her belt and met Aren's gaze, tone dry but edged with a grudging respect. "You do good work, I'll give you that. Most techs either fry the chip or me trying to 'improve efficiency.'"

A beat passed before she smirked, leaning one hip against the counter. "As for your sparkling company—I'll pass this time. Consider this a trial for future business. But if you're still this cheerful next time I swing by, maybe I'll reconsider."

She gave a mock salute, already turning toward the door. "Credits'll be transferred by the hour's end. Try not to miss me too much, yeah?"

Aren D'Shade

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Aren watched Korra roll the chip between her fingers, noting the calculation behind the smirk.

"Five thousand, no explosions," Aren said evenly. "Fair. Better than most clients would expect."

She kept her arms crossed, voice measured. "Most techs either fry the chip or themselves, trying to improve efficiency. I handled it cleanly. That's worth noting."

As Korra clipped the case to her belt and moved toward the door, Aren inclined her head. "Future business noted. Keep your accounts ready."

The door hissed shut, leaving Aren to set her tools back in order, methodical and precise, letting the quiet of the workshop settle around her.

Korra Kast