Robert paid his utilities and sent a message before leaving with Strato. Strato’s generous, so generous that it’s hard to believe everything that comes out of his mouth. But he could guess that it had to do with the lack of personnel.

“Kato lives again, eh.”

He stared at the document that legalized his name as Robert Oswald. A bastard of his own self, complete with a background. It was quite a tale that was spun meticulously by the ‘overworked interns’ that Strato mentioned.

He appreciated it. He joined Strato on the private plane that they took to get to Naples. As for why, Strato said to him that the Task Force is currently taking a break there after a job.

The Task Force, named Viator, a Transport Division that deals from common goods, cyberware, and arms. It is the name of the company headed by a businessman named Romila Bout.

Viator has quite a history and has only recently dealt with the transportation of arms and curium. It was only ten years ago, after their shipment, traveling to Africa, was raided by pirates that they agreed to be supported by Strato. The company was able to return to its regular transports. Mirroring the interest of a certain individual, and employing individuals who have certain skills.

Lemuel Singh, the ‘head’ bodyguard of Romila Bout waited in a four-door car while looking at the blue skies. Strato, who calls himself Noah Bowman in front of others, snorted at the sight of that tanned man in a simple shirt waiting for them. Robert looked around the entrance and found that it was unlike Lux City. The world was far more normal than he had thought. He had forgotten that Coronado and Lux were among the eccentric. A gathering of those who have truly accepted the way.

If anything, it was like an easy way to tell who had a better life. Those who didn’t have any implants were usually below middle class. The middle class has them and the richer they are, the more expensive and more clear how much implant they are sporting.

“You’re here, Bowman,” said the man in this slowed tone of voice. “Guess this is your referral.”

“He’s here for the meet and greet,” Strato said. “Robert Oswald, meet Lemuel Singh.”

“Suo,” Robert caught Lemuel’s iron-grip. It was a grip that put tension on Robert. He returned the grip kindly with his own grip, putting strength into his hand.

Lemuel took his grip and then pocketed his hands.

“Everyone’s waiting in a resto. We should go before we pissed off the Lady there.”

Robert sat on the back of the car while Strato rode shotgun.

This place was not a city he had the pleasure of knowing. Back in his other life, the world was confined in mega-cities that sometimes blocked the sky. The world didn’t have a hellish outlook. He could remember his time in the Burnt Lands.

Where he saw the shell of the cities colored in black. With the geothermal emission melting everything underneath it in certain places. Havens in his past life were places that didn’t have emissions and living in them needs one to be rich enough to afford necessities about living in an inflated economy.

Then again they are like a dream to him now. This long dream that he doubted anyone would understand. He was absurd in the first place. A man that merged with someone’s soul then slept for one hundred years.

Naples still had its townhouses that occupied most of its narrow streets and alleys. You can see how worn out the buildings are. Some are reinforced and maintained by cement to hold up the aging brick buildings. On their way to the meeting place where most of the crew stopped by. Robert saw that most of the main roads are freed up in favor of the cars. They flew here early to avoid traffic and by the time they arrived at the meeting place. It would be around eight in the morning.

There wasn’t much to talk about the place other than the sparse amount of citizens that showed signs of implants on them. It made Robert understand that he was ignorant outside of the Lux City that had a more familiar look to him.

It was stranger and had the appearance of the city of Saint Lucius that he remembered.

Staring outside of the car he closed his eyes and just let the sound of the car engine take him. The car stopped, he opened his eyes, and looked at this small and narrow space full of two-storey houses made of brick with their roof tiles falling out. The alleyways are swept, but the walls were full of graffiti and posters that he couldn’t read unless he turned on the OCR translation software on his smart glasses.

Despite being winter the heat was bouncing off the square tiled roads. Most of the people wore light clothes against the glaring sky. Not a single cloud could be seen up. Robert felt annoyed at the light bouncing off the mirrors and glasses.

The car wasn’t playing tunes. The air conditioner inside seems to be set to moderate while Strato, who was riding shotgun, seems to be browsing the net with his optics.

“Got any neutral processors?”

Robert said to Lemuel. 

Lemuel looked back and shook his head.

“Don’t have one. I still carry a phone. Never understood getting a processor in my head.”

Robert sat back and checked his smart glasses' inbox. 

[Party was lit. Thought you’d attend.]

Robert checked the photo that Julie sent to him. It was a photograph of a Christmas event held in Eden. With many of the attendees the usual patrons of the bar.

[Neat.]

[Where are you?]

Robert thought about it for a while before he sent a photo of a two-storey building, making sure that there were no landmarks or street signs that could identify him.

[Italy.]

[Jealous. Pleasure or work?]

[Work.]

[You already quit working for Pei?]

[Not really. Just working for another job.]

[Get me a souvenir.]

[I might get you one.]

[Cheapskate.]

[Bleh.]

 

Robert swiped the message box off his eyesight. He looked at the restaurant where they arrived. Outside of the restaurant, he saw the people that should be waiting for them. He could guess it was them because of the rifles strapped on them.

Lemuel Singh got out of the car first. Strato followed while waving his hand on the lady who was clearly in charge of the operation. Younger than expected. She was a fairly tall woman with short bobbed hair and small eyes that made her menacing. She wore a business suit, pencil skirt, and was fidgeting with her phone before shaking Strato’s hand.

Next to Romila Bout was a tall, youthful woman with pale skin, silver hair, and fair narrow eyes that seemed to be golden. Her hair consists of straight, cheek-length sidelocks and frontal fringe. It is shoulder length until. She wears a black eye patch over her missing right eye. Robert could tell that she had replaced that eye with an implant. The question was why she was covering it. 

Slender with a slim waist, flared hips, tight buttocks, and broad shoulders. She is quite well-toned with a slightly muscular build. She has quite a curvaceous and developed figure with well-endowed breasts.

She is so attractive that Robert could kinda guess why she has a serious look on her face. She’s wearing a civilian outfit and wore a red jacket over a tank top.

“Robert Oswald, meet Valerie Mosier.”

Robert reached out a hand and she shook it. Romila Bout examined Robert as if he was an artifact that she needed to get to know. Appraising him from head to toes while also glancing at the paper she was holding.

“Robert Oswald. It’s hard to get a referral from Strato unless you worked with him.”

She showed the paper that she was holding.

“And you’re all blacked out. Most of your profile’s redacted.”

It was a paper with most of it redacted.

“No implants. No anything other than the recommendation of an Ancient Operator that had done a lot of missions in the shadows.”

Romila turned to Strato.

“Is he a?”

“He is. Robert Oswald’s a good runner. He’ll run the shadows for you and in a way he’s my direct contact. Make good use of him as an asset since he’s knowledge in areas.”

“Very well.”

The trust that Romila Bout had on Strato was quite something. He couldn’t get a bead on her yet. She is curious. But there’s also a hint of suspicion on her. She might trust Strato, but not Robert Oswald who got here with only Strato’s referral.

Kasper Clark, the guy on the other side of the table was a bulky man. He was tall with broad shoulders and log-like arms. He put the gun cases on the table while the Miss crossed her legs and joined her hands togethers in.

“We aren’t allowed to openly carry in Italy. But we have been allowed to take up arms. I believe that Strato here does not need it with his body being a weapon. What about you?”

Robert took the 9mm and holstered it on the strap hidden under his suit. His left gauntlet could fire 9mm rounds and heated lasers, but it was a card he wasn’t willing to show them.

“As you know, we are a shipping company. This isn’t the whole crew, but you will be part of the security forces. Still, since Strato recommends that you do individual and partnered work. I’ll have to make sure that you are put to good use. The contents of the contract, given to you, will require you to attend some business using the company’s name.”

Her voice remained at the level that was suitable for a businesswoman like her. Strato did warn that he’d become an Itinerant for them and does Business Travel.

Problem was that they are selling arms, cyberware, and possibly korium that is quite heavily regulated and profitable in the eyes of thieves.

“I don’t mind. I do need to travel quite a lot.”

“Don’t worry, Valerie here will accompany you. She’s not expressive, but she can get things done.”

“Sure.”

It was also quite funny seeing a company like this moonlight as a task force on the side. But what worried Robert was how Strato was willing to bring in someone from that side of the world to their affairs. He had already been informed of the people who knew that side of the world in a way it was Robert’s other duty to make sure that they can’t get harm or be harmed by that side of the world.

Robert sat on the free table and looked at the main road. It still was strange seeing a world that looked… normal. Perhaps, Robert had been living in the shadows that he could barely recall what was normal. Even back in 1997, he hadn’t seen much of the world here.

But seeing that there wasn’t much change other than a few obvious high technologies that are spread sparsely. Robert knew that he truly wanted to see more of the world.

He had thought that this world would have changed so much. And yet beyond Lux City, there was much more to the world. Remnants of the past that stubbornly remained. People can’t easily let go and despite the world being hybrid, modernized, the shabby two-storey houses, and the roof tiles desperately clinging on the roof somewhat interested him.

Are there places in the world that remain unchanged?

Robert recalled that recon camera that he had back then in 1997. He never really took many pictures despite having one. He opened his photos folder, and then brought out a picture of the glass and steel skies of Lux City.

Too different.

Lux City was highly advanced compared to this city clinging to the past, keeping its heritage.

In a way, he had escaped the city that kept him asleep.