Chapter 13 - 12. Invitation
"When will you depart?" Agni asked inside the meeting room of the watchtower, after leading the researcher to a prepared guest living quarters. It spelled meeting room, but frankly, it was just a rest area with a whiteboard and screen. It was next to the surveillance room that was filled with radar and communication devices, so some stray wires also found their way into the room.
Even though there was nothing to be on guard for, the driver-tank named Balduz stood near the door, while the 5-star healer Han Shin looked outside the window, narrowing his eyes like he was searching for something—or someone. The Sharpshooter offered to help Ron make some coffee, while Naomi and the Captain talked business.
"I would say as soon as we can, but we do need the researcher to rest and acclimate themselves to the lack of fresh air," Naomi answered while taking out some papers from her briefcase. "So we'll depart at dawn the day after tomorrow, unless there's a complication."
"Alright," the Captain looked through the papers Naomi gave him. It was a list of 'subsidies' that Mortix would 'grant' to Unit 04-2 as their 'corporate social responsibility' campaign.
To put it simply: hush money. Agni did not care what they wanted to do inside the Deathzone, but this bribe would increase the survivability of their unit—which for how dangerous the area was, really lacked in support funds from the government. Agni might be a Captain of the Border Defense Force, but his loyalty was to his unit and his own life.
As long as it didn't directly come into his own pocket, it wasn't technically a bribe.
"You might select the grant from the first section and we shall deliver it within the duration of the excursion. The bonus grant would be given and delivered after the research is completed. Please give me the selected list as soon as possible for a swift process."
Agni almost wanted to laugh at the variety of grants Mortix was willing to provide just to buy their silence. Honestly, it wasn't about the money, but the availability. For espers and guides in the borderland, better equipment and logistic was better than the cash they wouldn't be able to use unless they got out of this place. They'd rather survive than roll in money, since corpses had no use for cash.
"How long is the duration for this...excursion?" he put the list aside for now.
"We don't have a plan to do it for too long. We bring ordinary people after all," Naomi looked at Han Shin, who brought up two fingers before slipping outside of the room. "At most two weeks."
"I see," Agni looked at Ron, who came back to the table with a tray of coffees and nodded at him. "About the pathfinder and guide that you requested..."