Quoted By:
“I ain't about to give up a man who's done so much for my tribe. He's a friend, not a slave to be sold to a stranger who insults me.”
“<span class="mu-s">YOU WILL BE COMPENSATED FOR HIS ABSENCE.</span>” The figure on the screen seems baffled by your refusal. “<span class="mu-s">MONEY. YOU WILL BE GIVEN MONEY FOR 'JURVAZ.' DO YOU UNDERSTAND?</span>”
“I'm a chieftain, not a slaver. I rule my tribe, I don't own 'em. I ain't about to sell anyone to you, let alone him. Now do you understand that?” You can't stop a little aggression from entering your tone. You're sick of being treated like an idiot by this coward hiding behind a screen. One of the Hellvetics chuckles at your reaction and glances towards the Chronicler.
“Looks like you'll have to take no for an answer this time, Packet.” Packet? This intimidating figure with glowing eyes is called <span class="mu-i">Packet</span>? His name is so ridiculous that you want to laugh.
“<span class="mu-s">MORALITY? ILLOGICAL. INANE.</span>” Packet turns his head towards Jurvaz himself. “<span class="mu-s">FINAL ITERATION. 'JURVAZ.' YOU WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO ARSENIC NODE AS LEVEL ONE BIT. YOUR 'TRIBE' WILL BE COMPENSATED WITH DRAFTS EQUAL TO – </span>”
“My chief spoke for me already,” Jurvaz replies, cutting off the Chronicler. For some reason, he's frowning – have your words troubled him somehow? “I ain't leavin' my tribe. I'll restore all o' these devices for you but after that, we'll take our money an' go, if you don't mind.”
“<span class="mu-s">IDIOTIC. IRRATIONAL. PROPOSAL RESCINDED. REPEAT FORMATTING AND INSTALLION FOR ALL MATERIALS THEN INPUT FOR ANALYSIS.</span>”
The next several minutes are tense and awkward as your 'shaman' goes through the process of preparing the tablets for sale. A couple of times, you try to ask Packet what the goods are worth and what he will pay for each one. Each attempt is rewarded with a grumpy rebuke and refusal to haggle or negotiate. Karlee told you as much – the Chroniclers are authoritarians. They demand absolute control over the transaction yet they never try to swindle, or so she claimed.
Once Jurvaz has finished his work, you put the tablets into the metal tray. With a mechanical whine, the container slowly slides back into the screen-wall which closes up after it. One by one, Packet picks up a tablet and examines it, disrupting the silence every minute or so with a single word:
“<span class="mu-s">PROCESSING.</span>”
After three iterations of this, the figure on the screen-wall goes black once more. Just when you start to wonder if you have been cheated, you hear the Chronicler's electronic voice once more.
“<span class="mu-s">PROCESSING COMPLETE. OUTPUTTING COMPENSATION. RECEIVE COMENSATION THEN EXIT ARSENIC NODE PREMISES.</span>”
