"I'm here to support you, trade agent. What do you need?"

"I'm here to support you, trade agent. What do you need?"

Alternative wording

"Go on."

"It's about our friends from transnational capital."

Alternative wording

"On the deal with the Bank again..."

"Trouble with the Bank. Unsurprising."

Alternative wording

"Yes?"

"I don't know whether I should trade someone's life away, or free her."

"I told you. I can't help."

"I can't help you with that choice. It's you who has to live with it."

Firm but gentle. She doesn't envy you the choice.

"I can't find the Head of Human Capital."

"There should be a handful of EMTERR negotiators in town for these talks... one of them will know how to find the Head of Human Capital."

"I already found a negotiator but he's in a bad way. Drinking."

"Typical liberals, trade agent. They 'let loose' in quasi-peripheral states. Get the information you need from him."

"Typical liberals, CASCADE. They 'let loose' in quasi-peripheral states. Get the information you need from him."

"How am I supposed to find a negotiator?"

"They're liberals, trade agent. They are known to 'let loose' in quasi-peripheral states. Ask around the local bars."

"They're liberals, CASCADE. They are known to 'let loose' in quasi-peripheral states. Ask around the local bars."

"I need to get to the Housing Campaign, can you tell me where it is?"

"It's the tenement building across the bridge from Party Alley. Bridge is on the north-west corner."

"The Head of Human Capital lives in the Housing Campaign, but I can't find which apartment."

Alternative wording

"Eszti lives in the Housing Campaign, but I can't find which apartment."

"Have you tried checking the postboxes? Any envelopes in there will have names and addresses."

"I already tried the postbox."

"Well? Try again."

"Where would I find the postboxes?"

"For god's sake, CASCADE. Somewhere in the Housing Campaign!"

A 'CASCADE' slipped through there -- that question clearly annoyed her, for some reason.

The type of enquiry that should be far beneath an operant, especially one with your level of experience.

"I did find the postbox, but it was locked..."

"Don't develop a sense of social decency now, trade agent. Break into it."

"Don't develop a sense of social decency now, CASCADE. Break into it."

"Turns out Eszti is still upset about last time. She won't help."

"Hmm. ESTOC was always a reasonable woman... Quite old-fashioned in her way. Have you tried apologising? Constanz may have some greetings cards in Foto 24, write her one of those and try again."

"I can't get the Head of Human Capital to set up this deal. It's Eszti, she hates me."

"ESTOC? Interesting... She was always a reasonable woman. Quite old-fashioned in her way. Have you tried apologising? Constanz may have some greetings cards in Foto 24, write her one of those and try again."

"I'm waiting for EMTERR to contact me via fax, but they just aren't doing it."

"The Bank's ways are mysterious. Try making some noise in the city, provoking a response might motivate EMTERR to move forward."

"I need to contact the prisoner to talk about the trade."

"You should be able to contact him directly using a Renotel Artery now you know where the intercom is... there should be one in the bazaar."

"Any idea where big businessman Reno lives?"

"Yes, one sec..." A drawer opens, papers are shuffled.

"Ah, of course. He has a penthouse at the top of the Housing Campaign. Private elevator to the top that's accessed from the Party Alley bridge. Probably has a callbox out the front."

"I need to get into Reno of Renotel's penthouse but can't find a way."

"Wealthy man, large apartment... Could disguise yourself as staff. Maybe a cleaner perhaps?"

"You could also try the Housing Campaign rooftops -- there may be another, more clandestine entrance up there."

"That's all about the deal." (Back.)

"Very well."

"I need to help PSEUDOPOD."

Alternative wording

"I still haven't made any progress with PSEUDOPOD."

"I thought you said he was zeroed out, trade agent. Let Constanz look after him."

Alternative wording

"And I can help with this... how?"

"Where can I find a shady doctor?"

"I told you, check Party Alley after dark."

"There's all kinds of little storefronts around Party Alley, someone has to cater to drunks after hours. Try the central plaza."

"I found a shady doctor but he won't talk to me."

"Then do not speak to him. I don't have time for this, trade agent."

"Then do not speak to him. I don't have time for this, CASCADE."

"Enough about PSEUDOPOD." (Back.)

"Agreed."

"I thought you said he was zeroed out, CASCADE. Let Constanz look after him."

Alternative wording

"And I can help with this... how?"

"About getting myself the tool I need..."

Alternative wording

"I still need help find the right tool for the job."

"I told you I can't send you one. I can only advise."

Alternative wording

"What else?"

"I found a dealer, but the price is exorbitant. I need more money."

"Any idea where I could buy one?"

"Any idea where I could buy a gun?"

"I have all the stuff to build it myself, but I'm struggling with the assembly."

"Trade agent... we want this tool to work." A loud tut. "At least get some protective gear. A cleaner's suit? Be careful. Better yet -- buy the tool."

"I have all the stuff to build myself a gun, but I'm struggling with the assembly."

"CASCADE... we want this weapon to work. Meaning not to backfire, not to jam, not to blow up in your face at your workbench."

All risks you're willing to take. This is a matter of professional pride.

"At least get some protective gear. A cleaner's suit? Be careful, operant. Better yet -- buy a real gun."

"If I were looking for plastic... where would I find it?"

"Trade agent. You should only attempt to build your own tool as a last resort. But... if you managed to find anything genuinely Luzian in or around the Bazaar, that would probably suffice."

Trust the techno-fascists to have all the best stuff. What's so good about Novessa, anyway?

"If I were looking for weapons-grade plastic... where would I find it?"

"CASCADE. You should only attempt to build your own weapon as a last resort. But... if you managed to find anything genuinely Luzian in or around the Bazaar, that would probably suffice."

"I'll get on with it." (Back.)

"Be careful."

"About getting myself a weapon..."

Alternative wording

"I still need help finding a gun."

"I need advice about an EMTERR junior negotiator."

Alternative wording

"About that junior negotiator again..."

"I don't have any individual profiles to hand but liberals are all basically the same. Ask away."

Alternative wording

"You still haven't broken through? Surprising."

"I don't want to trade Ultra Violeta, what else could I do?"

"Like I said, try someone else from the bank."

"Someone else from the Bank might know something. Whoever is in charge of the negotiations."

"I don't want to trade our ultra-violet range, what else could I do?"

"Where can I find fancy clothes to impress him?"

"There's a high end tailor in Party Alley. If you can afford him, he should be able to help."

She chuckles a little, sighs.

"Odd picturing you in a suit, CASCADE. Almost wish I was there to see."

"How could I intimidate him?"

"Remember, they've been trained to have utter contempt for those beneath them and absolute terror of those above. Convince him you're above his station and he'll melt."

"I need to find the operator of a phone sex line but don't know how."

"Ha! You found a junior negotiator hooked up to a sex line?"

She pauses for a moment of internal gloating.

And a sip of something.

"The perils of liberalism, trade agent. I suggest you find another of this operator's regulars and ask them. Must be a lead somewhere."

"The perils of liberalism, CASCADE. I suggest you find another of this operator's regulars and ask them. Must be a lead somewhere."

"Any idea where I can find RADIAN? I could use his wiretapping skills."

"Our info on him is outdated but last we knew he was living on a houseboat. I would check the waterfronts -- he may still be out there."

"That's all about him." (Back.)

"You'll find a way through."

"Bagman has something I need, what can I do?"

"Bagman... Bagman... The television conspiracy theorist?"

Before you can answer you hear the wheels of an office chair, a pause, then a document land on a desk.

"His studio is... part of the Housing Campaign, accessible via the rooftops. And be careful, it says here we have reason to believe that he is armed and dangerous."

"I can't reach the information I need; the shelves are stuck in the archives."

"And this is an old archive system like ours, I assume? Trade agent, I thought you would be well familiar..."

Don't listen to her. Fuck archives.

"Check the shelves aren't latched together manually, then find a control system somewhere in the room."

"And this is an old archive system like ours, I assume? CASCADE, I thought you would be well familiar..."

"Enough about that for now."

"Certainly. But do get that information, trade agent."

"Certainly. But do get that information, CASCADE."

"I found someone willing to trade information about the upcoming trade show for some space program materials."

Alternative wording

"I wanted to ask more about trading space information for trade show information..."

"As in Nestor's failed launch? Excellent. There must be archives still in the Pitol Tract, surely."

Alternative wording

"Yes?"

"I found someone willing to trade information about the talks for some space program materials."

Alternative wording

"I wanted to ask more about trading space information for talks information..."

"One of the GMs asked me to help him evict some squatters in the Palace of Culture."

Alternative wording

"Remember those squatters in the Palace of Culture?"

"You're doing tasks for local authorities now? CASCADE... do not neglect your assignment."

Alternative wording

"Yes... though I don't know why we're still talking about them."

"They won't get out of the building even though the GM says it's collapsing."

"Find some hard evidence of its instability and prove it to them." She sighs. "Better yet, get on with your actual assignment."

"There's a song coming from somewhere in the building. No speakers."

"I don't see what this has to do with anything... but... no speakers at all?"

Piqued, can't help herself.

"I assume Portofiro's Palace of Culture will have a pneumatic tube system, same as ours? Maybe it's coming from something stuck in the tubes. Check the basement for a hub."

"No more on that." (Back.)

"Anything else?"

"I found a source who has information about the upcoming trade event."

Alternative wording

"About my new source again..."

"Excellent. I hope you get what you need from them quickly."

Alternative wording

"Go on."

"I need to photograph a target for my source, but I'm struggling."

"Keep a respectful distance. Double check your camera settings."

"My source thinks a bartender has some vital information, what should I do?"

"Sounds fishy but good sources sometimes are. It's your call."

"My source thinks an innocent bartender is a spy but has information, what should I do?"

"About something else..." (Back.)

"Alright."

"I found a source who has information about the talks."

Alternative wording

"About my new source again..."

"I have questions about my double."

Alternative wording

"More about PSEUDOPOD..."

"PSEUDOPOD? What do you want to know?"

Alternative wording

"Yes?"

"He's still catatonic."

"Trade agent. I do not expect this condition to change. You do not need to keep telling me."

"CASCADE. I do not expect this condition to change. You do not need to keep telling me."

"Okay," she says, suspiciously. "Thank you for letting me know..."

"Do you know where I could find Luzian batteries?"

"I don't see what this could have to do with PSEUDOPOD, but... any genuine Luzian product will run on their batteries. Check around the Bazaar for toys and electronic products."

"That's all." (Back.)

"Okay... trade agent, you are not a doctor, leave him alone."

"Okay... CASCADE, you are not a doctor, leave him alone."

"I found HOLOCENE."

Alternative wording

"Back to HOLOCENE again..."

"What..." she sighs, "does that have to do with the Opera?"

Alternative wording

"...Fine."

"He's living at the bottom of the rocket silo in the Pitol Tract."

"Yes, you said."

"Fascinating. Leave him there."

"I need to find his sci-fi book."

"There is probably a bookshop or something around Party Alley. Trade agent, this sounds like you're wasting time. Focus."

"There is probably a bookshop or something around Party Alley. CASCADE, this sounds like you're wasting Opera time. Focus."

"I need to get into Reno's penthouse but can't find a way."

"Wealthy man, large apartment... Could disguise yourself as staff. Maybe a cleaner perhaps?"

"You could also try the Housing Campaign rooftops -- there may be another, more clandestine entrance up there."

"HOLOCENE is clearly insane and wants me to perform brain surgery on him."

"Absolutely do not do surgery." She lets out a noise of frustration. "If you insist on helping him... this could be an environmental factor, not an endogenous one."

"You said he was living in the rocket silo, yes? That can't be well-maintained. Check his living quarters for anything unusual."

"Check his apartment or wherever he's living for anything unusual."

"Enough about HOLOCENE." (Back.)

"Please."

"I found Ramses."

Alternative wording

"Need more advice with getting Ramses back on side."

"And?"

Alternative wording

"Happy to help, you and RADIAN always worked well together."

"He lost his papers but needs anti-convulsants. Medication."

"Did you check Party Alley after dark like I said? Do."

"Poor RADIAN... There's Party Alley -- I'm sure whoever caters to drunks after hours will have access to pharmaceuticals. Try the central plaza."

"Can you get me a lockpick?"

"I told you, you need someone with the Azzurris. Near the Quisach roundabout."

"I thought you'd be carrying one. In any case, the Azzurri mob can serve your more unethical needs. They operate near the Quisach roundabout -- try there."

"Thanks Mel." (Back.)

"Of course."

"I found Karolina."

Alternative wording

"It's about Karolina again..."

"You did? Well?" An odd strain to her voice. "I expect KINDRED has grown up a lot since you last saw her."

Alternative wording

"How can I help?"

"She's living with a new boyfriend, but she has this machine I don't know how to speak through."

"Machine...? Like an intercom? Ask the boyfriend how to use it."

"I need to hear more about a dream she's been having, but she won't open up."

"I... trust that this is connected to the assignment, trade agent." She sighs. "Try her father. He was in charge of the sleep study, and he knows her. He can likely help you get through."

"I... trust that this is connected to the assignment, CASCADE." She sighs. "Try her father. He was in charge of the sleep study, and he knows her. He can likely help you get through."

"That's all." (Back.)

"Alright."

"Enough about my tasks for now..." (Back.)

"Fine."

"If you say so, CASCADE."

"That's all for now." [Hang up.]

Trade agent, not CASCADE. A verbal reminder that not everything should be discussed openly on a public payphone.

"Yes? What do you need?"

Alternative wording

"Go on."

"The leaves have fallen, CASCADE. This better be critical."