Warehouse 17-Nash Warehousing 'The Mall'

[Overseer]

Industrial lighting gave a dim light on the maze beneath them. This hall was now re purposed as a place for people to eat and sell some wares. Not the official trading-hall, but more the local watering-hole meets your local blackmarket area.
For some reason the local security never closed down this warehouse.

[Harold Kim]

Soji casually strolled through the halls, making his way by memory. He was eating a small bag of roasted chestnuts. He’d been glad to find that the Mall was still the place to grab a snack on Corinthias, like it had been in de days before Thomas Nash’ daughters had taken over. He’d been coming here since he was a teenager.
The other people in the hall didn't pay much attention to him, mostly because he gave them little reason to do so. He wore a beanie hat and a dirty, grey coverall, like many of Corinthias’ miners, and he kept his head down. Occasionally, he would cast a glance at some wares on display, but his eyes would never linger, making it clear that he hadn’t come here to shop.
He had come here to reunite with two old friends, or so he hoped, and acquire their services. He paused for a moment to check the radar application on his datapad. It was connected to a calling card – a rectangular piece of paper depicting a cat, fitted with a thin layer of electronics – which he had left on the pair’s door last night.
The twins – or, at least, his calling card – were stationary and just up ahead.
As Soji continued, he noticed that the path he was on opened up into an encircled area. It was empty, save for a single table with three chairs, which would have surprised Soji had it not been for the large man standing next to it. Aiolos, the man in question, had been in the Nash family’s employ as their head of security for many years and, from the look of things, still was. If he’d told the people in the Mall to keep out of the clearing, they would.
The Twins, however, were nowhere to be seen.
Soji discarded the now-empty bag and straightened up as he entered the clearing. As his posture changed, so did the way people looked at him. Now that he was no longer hiding, Soji allowed himself to smile again.
Aiolos noticed him and gave him a nod.
“Mister Arvanitis,” Soji said, as he approached the guard. He extended his hand.
The large man, who pretty much towered over him, shook it firmly. “Mister LeBlanc. Welcome back.”



Aiolos’ words were friendly and polite, but the man maintained his business-like demeanour. He entered something into his datapad. “The sisters Nash have been notified of your arrival. They will be here shortly.” He gestured at the table.
Soji noticed that his calling lay on its surface. “That’s alright,” he said, with a declining gesture of his own, “I’ll wait for the ladies.” He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his coverall.
“As you wish,” Aiolos replied, his eyes still fixed on the market crowd. “So. We all heard you got caught.” The large man cast a glance at him from up high. “How did you escape?”
“Well...” Soji feigned embarrassment. “Someone torpedoed the prison vessel that was supposed to bring me to Hades, but I can’t really take credit for that.”
Aiolos suddenly laughed heartily, evidently surprising some of the Mall’s patrons. “You’ve always been a lucky devil, Soji,” he replied, shaking his head with a grin.
The two engaged in friendly banter for a while, until they noticed the crowd parting down one of the aisles.
Aiolos immediately stood to attention.
Lena and Lilly Nash, co-presidents of Nash Warehousing, took some time to greet each of the vendors they passed as they made their way towards the clearing, flanked by a pair of capable-looking bodyguards. They wore shades and were fashionably dressed, though not so much that it set them apart from the people around them – that effect was achieved by the pair’s liveliness.



Lena in particular looked every bit as lovely as Soji remembered. As the twins neared the clearing and spotted him, her pace faltered for only a moment, before she picked it up again.
Soji’s heart skipped a beat. He noticed that Lilly deliberately stayed one step behind her older sister and felt grateful for it.
As Lena approached him, she extended her hand. She appeared anxious about their reunion. “Mister LeBlanc. It’s good to see you again.”
Soji shook her hand, and she gave his a gentle squeeze. The familiar warmth of her touch brought back pleasant memories. “Likewise, ladies. I apologize for not staying in touch.” He proceeded to shake the hand of Lilly, who looked very amused.
“That’s okay, we heard you were busy.” The younger sister turned to Aiolos. “Thank you, mister Arvanitis, that will be all.”
The large man inclined his head to her, before giving Soji a nod and taking up position near the edge of the clearing.
Lena gestured at the table. “Please, have a seat. Would you care for a drink?”
“I’ll have a cola, please,” Soji replied, sitting down.
She entered something into the datapad on her wrist and sat down as well, as did her sister. “Oh, by the way, mister LeBlanc,” Lena said, taking his calling card and holding it up between two fingers, “The next time you’re in town, you can just leave this in our mailbox. You don’t have to stick it to the inside of our front door.”
Lilly took her sunglasses off tucked them away. “Or you can just ask to come in,” she added, without looking at her sister. There was a pleasantly playful quality to her smile.
Lena kept her face straight, but her cheeks gained a little more colour. She subtly put the card into the breast pocket of her vest. She did not, however, remove her shades.
Soji’s smile widened. “I’ll keep that in mind, ladies, thank you.”
“So,” Lena said, “Is this a social call?” She let her words hang in the air for a moment and cocked her head to the side. “Or did you look us up merely to discuss a business proposal with us?”
Soji opened his mouth to answer, when he realized that he didn’t like the answer he was about to give and closed it again. He leaned back in his chair and studied the young woman on the other side of the table.
She was doing the same.
“Truth is, I do seek to request your services, however...” He put his goggles on his forehead. “Now that we’re sitting here, I’m actually more interested in learning how you ladies have been.”
This was met with Lilly’s approval; she gave him a warm smile, before resting her chin on her hand and looking at her older sister.
Lena raised her hand to her shades and hesitated briefly, before she removed them. She wore a cybernetic unit where her right eye had been the last time Soji had seen her.
He didn’t try to hide his surprise. It would have been disrespectful.
“If that’s the case,” she said, “Let’s talk shop first-...”
“... And have dinner later.” Soji cut in, without missing a beat. He gave her an assuring smile. “My treat.”
Lena smiled brightly at him in turn. She looked relieved. “Your proposal is acceptable,” she replied, straightening up.
“We will leave the choice of venue to you,” Lilly said, adopting a more business-like posture as well.
The Twins winked at each other.
“Now then, mister LeBlanc, why don’t you tell us what it is you need stored or transported?”