OOC
Desmond Morrow
Desmond tapped his hands impatiently, watching the numbers on the display climb higher and higher. Express elevator my ass, he thought bitterly, regretting his decision to avoid the stairs. Sure, he hadn't been traveling that long in the grand scheme of things, but a man can be only be trapped in a musty-smelling box listening to some peppy repetitive tune for so long be before he starts to go crazy. He contemplating grappling up the elevator shaft when a pleasant ding snapped him back to reality. About time.
The penultimate floor really was-breath-taking. Giant glass windows allowed for a largely uninterrupted room of Caerus, the street lights and neon signs slowly giving way to the rising sun. Looking down at the city gave you a sense of importance, like the decisions made here would reverberate through the streets like a shockwave. The feeling of gravitas, as always were short-lived. Entering the board room, he was greeted with the sight of his boss balancing on a tightrope, firing at several spherical drones that buzzed around the room like flies. The wall jutted with poles and ledges, recent additions to the Carlyle conference room. The young woman, clad in black sweatpants and a light jacket, leapt from her place on the rope to one of the ledges, narrowly avoiding being hit with a laser bolt.
In other words, Vanessa Carlyle was bored. She swore that the exercise helped her focus, that sitting down too long made it too hard to think, but Desmond didn't buy it. The truth was a lot simpler; she wanted to do this, so she did it.
Vanessa fired again at one of the drones, wobbling slightly as she maintained her balance on the ledge. This shot rang true, sending the drone skittering to the floor. Desmond stepped to the side quickly, narrowly avoiding being struck in the face by the disabled bot. It was then she noticed him, giving him a happy wave. "Hiyah Des! I was wondering when you'd show up." Ducking down to swing to the next bar, she grunted. "So, what'd you think of the new guys? Pretty good picks, right?"
Desmond leaned against the wall, getting himself comfortable. He could tell this was going to be a long talk. "Ms. Carlyle-"
Vanessa sighed, hanging from the bar like a trapeze artist. "Come on, Des. I don't care what they taught you at that boy's club you used to go to. We've know each other too long for that nonsense. If you've got a thought, spit it out." Another drone made a pass at her, trying to knock her off her perch. She began swinging in anticipation. "We're not Pinnacle for God's sakes, I couldn't care less about formalities."
Well, at least she hasn't changed much. Desmond took a deep breath. If she wanted blunt, the she'd get."Vanessa, this was a terrible idea.”
The drone speed towards the eldest Carlyle at a starling speed, but she was ready. Swinging widely, she managed to swing up and over the incoming bot, which smash itself into the wall behind her, unable to stop fast enough. Her momentum took her to a nearby bar. “What're you talking about? They've only been here a week, and the company’s more productive than ever before thanks to Alastair’s tweaks to the assembly line.”
Desmond activated a holographic projection, sending an image of the company's robotics expert floating above the table. “Yeah, sure Dr. Haywood’s great. You know what else he did? Turn the toaster into a samurai! Seriously, I went to get my lunch from the fridge and the thing started brandishing a butter knife and shooting burnt bread arrows at me.”
Vanessa swung herself on top of the bar, turning to get a good look at the hologram. She shrugged, “Just something to keep people from stealing people’s food. Maybe now you’ll leave my brownies alone."
Desmond looked down sheepishly, muttering to himself. “I wouldn’t have to try and steal them if you’d just share.”
His boss simply rolled her eyes. “So productivity is up, and we got a bunch of fresh talent to make Paragon great again." She stood back up on the pole and walked to a nearby ledge, talking as she did so. "I even got a PR guy working on a way to unveil our new lineup to the world.”
Desmond cocked his eyebrow, swiping the image to bring up the blue skinned man in question. “You mean Max? The only thing I’ve seen him do is hit on everything that moves. Seriously, that guy either has no standards, or he’s just ready to go all the time.”
“That’s not entirely his fault. He’s had an…interesting past.” Vanessa glanced around the room, counting the remaining drones. Three white spheres continued to dart around the room, their hive mind trying to determine their next move.
“Well, you might want to consider separating him from Michelle. She’s already a bit rough around the edges to be the first employee people meet when they come to Paragon. It doesn’t help that she’s all to willing to shoot up the lobby when Max pushes her too far.” He switched the image to a brunette brandishing two pistols firing wildly. He considering taking her fire arms from her, but he could relate with wanting to shoot the hypersexual PR specialist.
Vanessa had moved back to the tight rope and assumed a fight stance, swaying a little as she found her balance. “Ok, sure, that’s not great, but we finally got janitors to clean up the mess. That’s something, right?"
“Barely. One plays on his phone all day when he isn’t shooting up, and the other breaks something for everything he fixes. Seriously, he’s like a perpetual energy device but for disasters.” The two people in question had the images conjured up to, allowing Vanessa to see who Desmond was talking about. She just waved her hand dismissively.
“Oh relax. Orion has a special condition, and Simon means well, really. He’s just a bit of a klutz.”
“Not as much as Chester though. I swear that guy’s face is some kinda door magnet. Every time I come up here I either hit him with the thing or make him trip into something.” Desmond felt bad about it the first couple times, but it was starting to become annoying at this point. Sometimes it felt like that guy's whole existence centered around being slapped around. A picture of the accountant hovered in the air, replacing the previous two.
Vanessa shrugged consentingly. “Ok, fair point, but the guy’s a pretty good accountant all things considered. The only reason he’s here is cause he crossed my sister." As she said that, a drone rushed in, trying to knocked her down while she was distracted. She respond with a quick kick, sending the drone spinning into pole, knocking it out of commission. She turned back to Desmond. "Quirks or not, shouldn’t we be glad to have someone who knows what they’re doing?”
Desmond inhaled sharply. “See, you say that. But then I remember our doctor and…”
Vanessa jumped up and twirled, landing expertly on her feet. She look concerned, though whether it was from what he said or from her move he couldn't really tell. “Who, Mirielle? Is she not good?”
Desmond waved his hands quickly, trying to dispel her concern. “No no she’s great! Her nanobots are way better than Apex’s, fixed my bullet wounds right up.” The hologram shifted to the red-haired doctor, a little smirk playing on her lips. Vanessa still didn't see the problem.
“But…”
Desmond looked down, still a little affected by his experience. “But to do so, she killed me. I’m not joking. She injected me with something to ‘help with the procedure.’ I thought it was some kinda anesthetic but next thing I know the equipment starts talking about dropping vitals.”
Vanessa cocked her head, looking concerned. “You’re fine now, right?”
“Yeah, but that’s not the point." Desmond looked up at his boss, trying to convey the seriousness of what happened. "She killed me! I saw my mom, and she was welcoming me up somewhere warm and everything!”
Seeing Desmond's reaction, Vanessa suppressed a grin. “Oh don’t be a baby." She turned back to her drones, firing a few shots at them, missing her assistant's dumbfounded expression completely. "What about our gofer? He’s a pretty nice guy.”
Desmond just blinked. “Wha-but I-and you don't even-" Vanessa just kept firing at the drones, not reacted to her stuttering friend. "Ugh, nevermind. Suxx-tron? He’s alright. Not exactly Paragon’s most useful creation, is he?” The image shifted once more, showing a man with enormous robotic appendages.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. He keeps my coffee at just the right temperature every time. That’s pretty useful.” A few shots finally hit the drones, bringing their numbers down to one. Vanessa holstered her weapons, allowing the energy cell time to cool as she gracefully moved her way to a new vantage point.
“Yeah, if his arm doesn’t fall off as he hands it to you.” Desmond, getting over his feelings, admired Vanessa's form. Say what you will about Paragon's CEO, but she sure could move.
“That only happened once, and he helped clean up your desk afterwards." Finding a ledge at the corner of the room, she planted herself like a gargoyle. She cocked her head and looked back at her childhood friend. "So, is there anyone you like?"
He waved his hand, allowing the projector to switch to another image, the IT specialist. “Well, Alexa’s alright. She helped me get the monitors back online so we can finally start displaying building wide announcements and stuff.”
Vanessa rolled her eyes, unholstering her pistol to get a bead on the last sphere. “Yeah, thank God for her ability to mess with wires with her mind. Heaven forbid you have to crawl back there and do it yourself.”
Desmond shrugged, not bothering to justify himself. “Look, I use tech, I don’t mess with it." The image morphed again, this time to a bearded man in a grey and black jumpsuit. "Conner seems reliable too. He set up shop in the garage. Already fixed up my Raptor armor quite nicely.”
Vanessa respond with a barrage of blaster fire, sending the final drone to the floor. She looked back at Desmond and grinned, her legs dangling off the side. “Oh good! Can he fix the company car too? You know, the one you smashed into the wall three feet out the garage door?”
“That wasn’t my fault!" Desmond said defensively, folding his arms in a huff. "The autopilot engaged and ran me into a wall! I swear!”
Vanessa laughed. “Autopilot nothing! The last thing you asked before you sped off was which pedal were the brakes! You drive about as well Jordan guards.”
Desmond only groaned in response, allowing the hologram to show the cocky ex-cop. “He really doesn’t live up to the Galloway name, does he? I gave a basic security assessment and you know what I found? Almost all of his plans involve him making a strategic retreat to the panic room or having all security androids to rush the attacker to, and I quote, ‘block their line of vision with their smoldering wreckage’ so he can swoop in and apprehend him.”
Vanessa shook her head, holstering her pistol. She began swinging from pole to pole, slowing working her way down. “Well, at least Riya seems a little more level-headed.”
Desmond shrugged, watching her gradual progression. The image morphed below her to that of a tentacled woman with dark red hair. “Maybe. She doesn’t exactly have a great rep. She hardly has any jobs under her belt, and most of the ones she’s taken weren’t exactly successes.”
Vanessa swung from the last pole, landing with a roll on a mat she had set up on the floor. Rising to her feet, she dusted herself off. “She’s got some pretty sweet tech though. She’s got that going for her.”
Desmond smiled despite himself. “Ever the optimist, eh Vanessa?" Not a single one of his criticisms had managed to get through to her, make her change her mind about the misfits she hired. In a way, he was glad. It wasn't often she put her foot down on something.
She shrugged, smiling in response. “Hey, someone has to be.” She pulled out her phone, pressing a few buttons on it's screen. The drones flickered back to life, slowly filing to a hole in the wall where they'd be funneled to robotics for repair.
Desmond got up from his place on the wall. “One last thing and I’ll leave to your…"
“Important business things." She interjected, pressing another key on her phone. The poles, ropes, and ledges began to recede into the wall, while other platforms began to shift and changing, creating another course for her to run.
“Right…important business things." The image flickered for a final time, showing not a person but a horned horse. "There something about a ‘Space Unicorn.’ That was a joke, right?”
Vanessa whirled around, hands on her hips. “You leave Space Unicorn alone!" She pointed at Desmond accusingly. "He’s a true hero that deserves nothing but our respect and admiration!”
Desmond put his hands up in a mocking apology “Of course, of course. How could I have thought that a space unicorn on company payroll be a mistake? Please, forgive me for my ignorance”
Vanessa folded her arms, walking so she was face to face with him. She squinted her eyes. “Are you sassing me, Mr. Morrow?" The two of them locked eyes, until she could no longer keep a straight face. Smiling brightly, she slapped him on the shoulder. "I knew you had it in you!”
Desmond just smiled. He was still unsure about how the whole thing would pan out, but he was determined to see it through. “I hope you know what you’re doing Vanessa." He waved the hologram off and made his way to the door.
Vanessa called out after him. “Where're you off to, Des?"
“I’m heading out. Alex said he had some things to take care of and left. He’s not answering his coms, so if he doesn’t get back to me in the next hour I’m going out after him.” The pilot might be skilled, but he had some rather unsavory business connections. The last thing Desmond wanted was for the guy to end up dead.
Vanessa smirked, turning back to now finished course. “You’re right. If you lose him, we might have to put you behind the wheel again. At that rate the vehicle repairs would bankrupt us by next month.”
“Ha ha," he replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Halfway out the door, he turned back to his boss. "Seriously though, get ready. Marcus said he’d be coming over sometime soon, and you should at least look somewhat professional when he arrives.”
Vanessa waved her hand, as if his suggestion was buzzing insect. “Let me worry about Marcus, and I’ll let you worry about keeping our friends in line. Deal?”
“Deal." Desmond sighed, walking back into the hallway to the elevator. "Not that I’ve got a choice.”
