A spinning, iridescent titanium globe floated into the dusty cafe located on the town square of Gran Canarias spaceport (cunningly known as Port Canaria). The globes omnidirectional visual detectors scanned the interior of the space quickly and thoroughly.
*What a pigsty!* The free cyber sentient transponder unit known as Sophie Noir offered to the empty room. This relative of Malaclypses Sigismundo may have been a great cook, but I cant say much for his previous housekeeping skills!*
The former ELF Fnordette and CEO of the FSFPs banking empire continued towards the rear of the cafe, and inspected its kitchen with the same thoroughness. Next she visited the pantry, the walk-in freezers and cooler; creating an instant inventory file, and consigning moldy items to a delete category.
She emitted the digital equivalent of a sigh, and returned outside to view the rustic yet charming square of Port Canaria. Surprisingly, every chair and table belonging to the Cafe remained untouched. The Zoners of Gran Canaria were an honest lot; and respectful of their fellow Zoners rights and privacy, almost to a fault.
Sophie opened a channel to the V-MAX computer at Veranda Incognita. *Max, Im gonna need a cleaning crew of half a dozen bots and two residents to oversee em for the Cafe immediately. Transmit the ad to all local media. Then another for a chef and two general wait staff; and start scheduling me some interviews of the applicants, say in three days standard. Chop chop, you circuitry Cyclops! The Dung Festival is right around the corner, and theres Flax to be made!*
*Well, my management skills wont go to waste, and this little enterprise will keep me occupied when Im not up there flying, protecting the system.* she thought with satisfaction. *But first, I have a date with a certain Captain Kohlman of the [RACS]M'zav'koh. I have a little debt to repay. And, from recent intel, I dont have too far to travel to find the blighter!*
Sophie spun off in the direction of the TAZs private hangar at the spaceport, where her Stinger was being prepped. *Ill find you, you bastard. Count on it!*
Message to: Kohlman, Jacob
Comm ID: [~V~]Sweet.Revenge
*Heya, "Baby Killer".
*After all, I was less than a year "old" when you blew the beJasus out of my Raven's Talon without warning.
*A simple Merc patrol mission in Shikoku for the KNF, a polite hail, total silence, and then a "face" full of missiles. No way to treat a lady, Jakie!
*Well, it's time to pay the piper, my dear enema. I have a general idea of where you're blowing innocents up at present under the guise of a Coalition "patriot". So, when I do find ya, just hold still, and die like a man, if that's possible. I've got other business to attend to, and you're cramping my style!*