You process the information rapidly. A Shadow Syndicate, espionage, assassination, an artifact, substantial payment... This sounds exactly like the kind of opportunity – or trouble – that could lead to resources and influence far quicker than mundane travel. The risks are enormous, dealing with someone like Elara Vane and her organization, but the potential rewards...
The decision forms, bold and perhaps reckless. You're going to try and bluff your way in.
'Oracle,' you quickly instruct, 'Analyze Elara Vane's known Syndicate protocols, communication methods, recognition codes if available in database. Provide guidance for optimal bluff approach. Maintain critical threat monitoring.'
<< Accessing Syndicate database entries (Fragmentary, based on intercepted communications and defector reports)... Known protocols emphasize secrecy, compartmentalization, coded phrases, distrust of unsolicited assistance. No standard recognition codes available in current database. Optimal Bluff Strategy: Confidence, provide one piece of unverifiable but plausible information, gauge reaction carefully. High risk of hostile response if bluff detected. Suggest coded phrase attempt: "Does the nightingale sing near the whispering falls?" (Low confidence phrase derived from fragmented intel). >>
You discard Oracle's suggested phrase – it sounds too much like something from a bad spy novel and relies on weak intel. Confidence and a specific (but invented) detail seem better.
<< Temporal flow ready for resumption. >>
'Resume.'
<< TEMPORAL FLOW RESUMING >>
The noise of the inn rushes back in. You push back from your bench, leaving the half-eaten bowl of stew. Weaving through the crowd, you approach the shadowed booth where Elara Vane sits nursing her drink, seemingly oblivious. Your movements are deliberate, quiet, mimicking a level of stealth consciousness, though nowhere near her 'A' rank skill.
You reach the edge of her booth. She doesn't look up immediately, projecting an air of disinterest, but you know from Oracle's scan she's aware of your approach. You lean in slightly, keeping your voice low, pitched only for her to hear amidst the surrounding din.
"Elara Vane," you whisper, using her real name – your first gamble. Her posture stiffens almost imperceptibly. "Relax. Syndicate business." Your second gamble, naming her affiliation directly.
You pause, letting that sink in before delivering the invented detail. "They sent word ahead – you might need support intercepting the courier arriving on the Midnight Heron barge tomorrow. Consider me that support." (You invent the barge name, hoping it sounds plausible).
You keep your tone calm, professional, matter-of-fact, as if this is routine. You remain poised, ready to trigger Oracle the instant you detect hostile intent.
Elara Vane goes utterly still. For a fraction of a second, absolute silence seems to emanate from the booth, cutting through the inn's noise. Her head lifts slowly, and though her face remains mostly shadowed by the hood, you can feel the intense, razor-sharp focus of her gaze locking onto you. It's like being stared at by a predator assessing its prey. There's no immediate outward aggression, but the sheer intensity is unnerving. Her hand, resting near her drink, subtly shifts position, likely closer to a concealed weapon.
Oracle flashes a silent update: << Physiological response detected: Increased heart rate, adrenaline spike, muscle tension. Cognitive state: High alert, extreme suspicion, rapid threat assessment. Analyzing micro-expressions... Deception detected in host's statement (invented barge name). Subject attempting to verify host's identity/authorization... High probability of hostile probing action imminent. >>
Her voice, when it comes, is a low, dangerous whisper, devoid of inflection, like silk drawn over steel. "You know my name. You know the Syndicate." A statement, not a question. Then, the probe: "What is the designation of the asset we are retrieving?"
She stares at you, waiting. Her question is designed to expose you immediately if you don't have the correct operational codeword or designation for the 'artifact' mentioned in her thoughts. Your bluff is being called, hard. Failure to answer correctly will almost certainly trigger an attack.
Time: Evening (Approx 8:05 PM)
Date: 03/05/1042
Status:
- Bluff Attempted: Confronted Elara Vane, used name/affiliation, invented detail.
- Reaction: Extreme suspicion, probing question initiated to verify identity/authorization. High probability of imminent hostility.
- AI Status: Critical alert. Predictive analysis running for potential attack scenarios.
Inventory: Unchanged
Realizing your bluff is about to crumble under direct questioning, you immediately pivot to your most potent, undetectable tool.
'Oracle! Freeze time! Access Elara Vane's current surface thoughts now! Find the designation for the asset!'
<< TEMPORAL INTERVENTION ACTIVATED >>
The world freezes for the third time this evening. Elara's piercing gaze remains locked on you, her lips slightly parted from her probing question. The tension in the air is thick enough to touch, even in perfect stillness.
<< Accessing target's surface cognition... Priority query: Asset Designation... Searching active memory layer... >>
You wait, suspended in the silent moment, needing the answer before time resumes.
<< Query Complete. Asset Designation located in subject's short-term operational memory cache: 'The Serpent's Eye'. Subject is currently cross-referencing this designation against anticipated authorization protocols for potential support agents. High level of suspicion remains. >>
Got it. 'The Serpent's Eye'. That's the key.
', Oracle,' you quickly instruct, 'Prepare to resume time. Monitor her reaction to the correct designation. If she remains hostile or initiates attack, prioritize evasion and creating distance. Do not engage directly unless unavoidable.' Engaging a B+ assassin in close quarters, even with your stats, feels unnecessarily risky now that you have what you needed.
<< Acknowledged. Resuming temporal flow. Monitoring hostile intent and formulating evasion/disengagement options. >>
'Resume.'
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<< TEMPORAL FLOW RESUMING >>
Time snaps back. Barely a heartbeat has passed from her perspective. You meet Elara's intense gaze, keeping your own expression neutral, perhaps allowing a fraction of surprise, as if her question was unexpected but easily answered.
"The designation?" you repeat softly, leaning in just a fraction closer, maintaining the air of confidence. "Is 'The Serpent's Eye', of course. Are your sources so slow they didn't confirm my arrival or brief you properly?" You turn the question back on her slightly, subtly implying fault lies with her information network, not your authorization.
You watch her reaction minutely. Oracle feeds you the data: << Micro-expression analysis: Fleeting surprise, quickly suppressed. Cognitive dissonance: Correct designation provided by unauthorized individual. Suspicion levels remain extremely high, but direct attack protocol momentarily paused. Subject recalculating threat assessment. Hypothesis: Host potentially rival agent, Syndicate internal test, or compromised operative. >>
Elara doesn't relax, but the immediate killing intent seems to recede slightly, replaced by a deeper, colder calculation. Her eyes narrow further, searching your face for any hint of deception or weakness.
"My sources are reliable," she whispers back, her voice like ice shards. "They did not mention you." She pauses, letting the silence stretch, testing your nerve. "The Syndicate does not operate on assumptions or unsolicited 'support'. State your handler. Provide authentication."
She's still pushing, demanding verifiable proof you don't possess. Giving the correct asset name bought you a moment, shifted her certainty, but hasn't dispelled her suspicion. She is now likely considering you a threat of a different kind – perhaps an enemy agent who somehow acquired information, or part of an internal Syndicate power play. The situation remains incredibly dangerous. She hasn't attacked, but she certainly hasn't accepted you.
Time: Evening (Approx 8:06 PM)
Date: 03/05/1042
Status:
- Bluff Partially Successful: Provided correct asset designation ('The Serpent's Eye'), momentarily pausing hostile action.
- Elara's Stance: Remains highly suspicious, demanding further authentication (handler name/codes). Considers Keelan a potential threat/rival.
- AI Status: Critical alert maintained. Monitoring for attack tells.
Inventory: Unchanged
The situation is still balanced on a knife's edge. She needs proof you don't have. Another direct question demanding information only a true insider would possess. You need that information now.
'Oracle! Freeze! Handler name! Authentication codes! Check her memory again, deep dive if necessary!'
<< TEMPORAL INTERVENTION ACTIVATED >>
Silence slams back into place. Elara's demanding gaze is fixed on you.
<< Request acknowledged. Re-initiating deep cognitive scan... Searching for 'Handler' identification and 'Authentication' protocols associated with current operation... Accessing layered memory, cross-referencing emotional tags associated with Syndicate hierarchy... >>
This feels even more intrusive than the last scan. You wait, tension coiling in the frozen moment.
<< Scan Complete. Data Retrieved: >>
<< Handler Identification: Subject refers internally to handler only by codename: 'Magister'. No visual data associated in surface memory, communication implied to be indirect (dead drops, coded messages). Strong emotional tag: Respect/Fear. >>
<< Authentication Protocol (Current Op): No specific verbal code sequence readily accessible in surface thought related to receiving unsolicited support. Standard protocol emphasizes verification via established channels prior to contact. However, fragments related to sending verification signals exist: Reference to using a specific type of carved jade token and a paired numerical cipher based on lunar cycles. This suggests a physical/numerical system, not easily bluffed verbally without the token/cipher key. >>
<< Cognitive State Analysis: Subject actively considering scenarios where legitimate support might arrive unannounced (e.g., extreme emergency, compromised primary channels). Probability low, but non-zero. Core programming dictates eliminating unknowns posing potential threat to mission. Current assessment leaning towards threat neutralization. >>
This is bad. While you have the handler's codename, 'Magister', there's no simple verbal password she's expecting from you. Her system seems designed against the kind of infiltration you're attempting. Relying solely on the handler's name is weak; without the physical token or cipher, you can't truly authenticate. Trying to bluff further seems almost certain to fail and trigger her attack protocol.
You need to de-escalate or disengage, fast. Continuing the bluff is too risky.
'Oracle,' you decide quickly, 'New plan. Forget authentication. Focus on disengagement. I need to back out of this conversation without triggering an immediate attack. Suggest phrasing or action.'
<< Analyzing... Optimal Disengagement Strategy: Feign confusion/misinformation regarding authentication procedure, imply withdrawal to 'clarify orders' via own channels. Project confidence but avoid direct challenge. Create ambiguity regarding host's true status/intentions. Recommend immediate physical withdrawal after delivering line. Monitor for pursuit/attack during withdrawal. >>
. Create confusion, back off.
<< Temporal flow ready for resumption. >>
'Resume.'
<< TEMPORAL FLOW RESUMING >>
You meet Elara's icy gaze, allowing a subtle frown to touch your lips, as if her procedures are the strange ones.
"Handler?" you echo softly, feigning mild confusion. "Magister requires operational security. Direct authentication is... irregular for field encounters unless pre-arranged signals are established." You deliberately use the handler's codename you just pulled from her mind, lending weight to your statement.
You shake your head slightly, as if deciding this isn't worth the trouble. "Clearly there's been a breakdown in communication protocols up the chain. This is inefficient." You make a show of looking around the noisy common room dismissively. "And this venue is compromised."
You push back slightly from her booth, creating space. "I will consult my own sources to clarify the support directive and rendezvous parameters. Expect contact through standard channels if assistance is confirmed necessary."
Without waiting for her response, projecting an air of professional annoyance and withdrawal, you turn and begin walking away from the booth, heading back towards the main flow of traffic near the inn's entrance. You don't run, but your pace is brisk, purposeful. You remain acutely aware of her, using Oracle's passive monitoring to track her reaction.
<< Subject 'Elara Vane' remains motionless in booth. Physiological indicators show sustained high alert, but no immediate hostile motor functions initiated. Cognitive state: Confusion, suspicion, reassessment of host's status. Possible interpretation: Host is arrogant but potentially legitimate internal agent following different protocols, or highly skilled rival feigning withdrawal. Attack protocol temporarily suspended pending further observation/analysis. >>
You reach the relative anonymity of the crowd near the door, resisting the urge to look back. You've successfully disengaged, for now. You planted the handler's name, created confusion, and backed off without appearing weak. But you've also confirmed you're on her radar, and her suspicion remains sky-high. Bridgetown just got a lot more dangerous.
Time: Evening (Approx 8:08 PM)
Date: 03/05/1042
Status:
- Disengagement Successful: Backed out of confrontation with Elara Vane. Avoided immediate hostility.
- Elara's Stance: Highly suspicious, uncertain of Keelan's identity/intentions, likely to remain watchful.
- Keelan: Successfully retrieved key information (asset name, handler codename) but bluff ultimately unsustainable. Aware of increased danger.
- AI Status: High alert maintained, monitoring Elara's status.
Inventory: Unchanged