>>6103589>>6103595Well, this might be playing with fire, but he's already here. Besides, given your state of employment, death might be the preferable alternative, and there's the off chance you might make enough money to ditch.
Wade brushes his mechanical fingers against his outer coat as if burnishing his fingernails, moving between the two center seats. It's mildly intimidating.
<span class="mu-g">"Well, a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell, but..."</span> He throws an image your way, and your implant picks up on it, letting you visualize the photo. This woman isn't familiar, and she's not particularly unique-looking, either. <span class="mu-g">"The best spies are nondescript. After all, blending in is the point."</span> He grins. <span class="mu-g">"She's stolen some important information, and I need to know where she is. If you see her, the tip-off line is attached to the image."</span> He sits down. <span class="mu-g">"Now, about that omelet..."</span> He transfers the money- you take it ahead of time, rather than risk someone running off.
It's a greasy pan cooking fake eggs on an overused, poorly-maintained stove. Every night you dream of these stoves detonating in an explosive gas leak and taking you with them, oblivion greeting you with a warm embrace. Sadly, these motherfuckers are all electric, apparently because it's easier to wire up. Normally, you don't reconstitute the freeze-dried vegetables, because that costs time and means you need to set aside a bowl for them to sit in, but this time you decide you might as well. After all, you don't see anyone else here, and you can re-use the remaining water if it comes to that. The customers either don't know the difference or don't care.
Interestingly, as soon as the omelet comes out, you have another customer. He just wants pancakes and coffee, which is one of the things you already had going before Wade showed up. You almost forgot, but it's become so much of a natural instinct for you that it's more of an alarm than your augment is. Hot coffee almost matches a cigarette for small mercies in this place: In fact, you once watched a guy get shanked for his coffee. It spilled in the process, making the entire exchange pointless. You wonder sometimes how this city can continue to function when everyone seems to be murdering each other for the smallest provocation.
Your depression aside, you get paid, and thankfully, Wade leaves and frees up a seat. No dishes to wash: Ceramic plates and metal flatware gets stolen too often, so it's just easier to toss everything. The margins are better, you don't need a separate sink, and nobody gives a fuck about the quality. Some of the customers even take the plastic to re-use themselves, which is sad even by your standards.