[Hutt Bounty] Dorothy (Hacked Mix)

[Cale]

The scene opens with an empty metal corridor, its walls streaked with dried blood. Strangely, there are no bodies that might give hint to the slaughter that obviously occurred here. No tell-tale scorching from energy weapons, or bulletholes. Nothing to suggest any sort of resistance. It is silent, like a grave. The camera slowly pans to the right and then, as the end of the corridor comes into view far in the distance, begins to move. It is slow at first, and then it builds up speed, the walls almost blurring as it zips its way along, banking around the corner and rushing along towards a t-intersection The sound of pounding feet on metal becomes audible, occasionally punctuated by the sound of blaster fire. The volume swells as two figures sprint into view. Two women, in fact, both with blonde hair and both carrying professional looking rifles. The taller of the two appeared to have died at least part of her hair red, but on closer inspection it was actually blood. She fired a pair of shots down the way they had came, and looked around. "Damn. Where are we now?" said the shorter of the pair As she finished speaking, an eerie metallic female voice echoed through the halls. "Look at you, hackers. Pathetic creatures of meat and bone, panting and sweating as your run through my corridors. How can you challenge a perfect, immortal machine?" There was a weird static at the end, like fingernails on a chalkboard, and the taller woman winced. "I thought crazy AIs were meant to be sarcastic and insult our weight. Not morbid and creepifying. Frak, I wish I'd eaten now." There was a pause and then she pointed down the corridor "I think we go this way." 12 HOURS EARLIER Thalia Varless sat in the cantina, picking at the terrible food they'd served her. She wasn't particularly hungry at the moment, it had just been something to do whilst she waited for her latest partner in crime to arrive. Vica was known to the up-and-coming Prospect, though in a manner that would remain a secret between her, Vica and Thalia's surgeon. It'd been Vica who had helped Taza Slahlvo escape from the gangs that had wanted her dead, and her business in their hands. It was a secret that Vica had been paid well to keep, though if someone came along offering a better sum, Thalia knew that the smuggler would give her up about 15 seconds after the payment was confirmed in her account. Nonetheless, it was nice to not have to pretend with someone. Or at least pretend a little less. Only Wires knew the whole truth about Xzara Shysa. He was also the only one she'd ever trust with that information. She drummed her fingers on the table, anxiously. It wasn't particularly often that Thalia got this nervous, but seeing Vica again was bringing back all the memories of being shot at. Also surgery, which was never fun. She also wasn't quite sure why two operatives had been assigned to this job. Surely a rogue AI wasn't going to be that scary. The holovids made them seem almost amicable, if a little single-minded. Thalia wasn't scared. Not even in the slightest.