NationStates Jolt Archive

The space station's airlock clamped itself methodically onto Prometheus' hull, and the air pressure within the newly-formed chamber slowly began to increase to Federation Standard. Within the small shuttle, Falsus of Borg turned the craft's moment-to-moment operation over to its main computer.

If all went well, this would be a boring negotiation. The Sephrioth Empire, whom the liberated Borg had favored both by hunting the pirates that plagued their space and by giving them security tips to help prevent increasingly frequent Borg raiding parties from absorbing them completely, had offered him the possibility of unmolested travel within their space. Having gained some modicum of trust from the paranoid Sephrioth, however, Falsus was unsure what he would have to do to keep it. So...he and his cyborg pet, Esmirelda, had come here, to the Station of Intergalactic Negotiation, and its master, the Metal Man.

Falsus had never met the Metal Man, but had heard a great deal about him. Approximately 700 years old, he had started out as a human and been abducted by a cyborg race and forcibly cybernated himself. Like Falsus, the Metal Man was a peace-loving being who could still get tough when the situation required. He was much more of a pacifist than Falsus, however, and this had eventually led him to establish the Station and its archival and educational facilities.

The station was your classic wheel in space--a circular tube filled with atmosphere and spun to give it artificial gravity. It also had a central core with a large cargo area that was kept still relative to the rest of the station, where things that needed to be stored out of gravity's prying perview could be kept. Prometheus had docked along the inner edge of the outer wheel.

"Is it time or ne-go-ti-a-tions yet?" the small, white drone asked. "Emmy wants to ne-go-ti-ate some pet-ting."

"Not yet, Emmy," Falsus replied with a grin. "First, we've got to meet our curator."

"Oh, goodie," the drone entoned. "Someone else to pet Emmy!"

In a moment, the door to the station was sliding open, and Emmy had plucked herself from her compartment and taken to the air on her internal antigravs, leading the way through.

If he were human, Falsus would have been short. He stood five feet seven inches tall. He also had a look that was different from most Borg. Both his hands and both his eyes were cybernated. His hands both had six fingers--but they were very different from one another. His right hand had two thumbs, while his left resembled a wheel and could actually rotate as far as he wished.

As he stepped through the airlock, Falsus noted a rather obese-looking man with graying temples standing by the entrance to the station proper.

"Hello, Falsus," he said, "I'm the Metal Man."

Falsus smiled. "Glad to finally meet you," he said. "I've heard a great deal about you and your struggle to create a safe haven. I'm glad you've succeeded to the extent that you have."

"It's an ongoing work, but the cause is vital," the "man" replied. "Please follow me to your quarters."

"Pet Emmy?" the drone asked.

"Not yet, Esmirelda," Falsus said. "Wait until we--."

"It's OK," the Metal Man said as he raised his hand to the drone's ermine fur. "There's always time for a new friend."

In a moment, Esmirelda was purring, and, in another, they were on their way.

Falsus couldn't help but hope that the Sephrioth didn't have something up their sleeves. If they did, things could get messy. The place looked elegant, but the diplomatic rooms were basically lined with force field generators. The place could be made quite dangerous, and Falsus didn't want to be there if that happened.

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OOC: You asked for it, Seph, so now you got it.

Take it away, dude.

a hunter gunship docks the empeor him self disnembarks ecorted by 20 battle brothers all carying imods they walked in to the engoation room the empeors persional guard stood at ease the emepor wore sith robes he glared hello borg these battle brothers are my personal guard

"In that case, Your Highness," Falsus replied, "let's cut through it. The requests I've made of your empire are routine matters. They're the stuff that bit-pushers, not high-ranking officials, handle. Excuse me if I'm a bit arrogant in my humility, but I'm hardly the kind of dignitary that normally warrants the presence of a being of such import as yourself. Please forgive my bluntness, but what is it about this situation that warrants your presence?"

As Falsus spoke, Esmirelda, who had been lounging on the mensa in front of him, uncurled and glanced around the room with big, blue eyes. It was plain that she didn't want to stay on the mensa, but that other desires were forcing her to stay where she was.

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OOC: Try to turn this thread into a pointless conflict and I'm outta here.

the kitir are occupiedpied fighting the borgit is known the empires force sestive protectors the kitir are my diplomats i am the leader of that order

If he needed proof that Falsus was no longer associated with the Borg Collective, he just got it.

"Very well, then," the Liberated Borg replied. "The deal is simple. I am petitioning for the right of peaceful passage through Seprioth space, and the right to hunt the Pirates who plague your empire. In return, I am willing to abide all Seprioth laws and stipulations, and to share the...location of...certain technologies that I found in my travels through space. Is this acceptable?"

There were four posibilities that Falsus could forsee:

1) The Seprioth would accept the offer outright. VERY UNLIKELY.

2) Recognising Falsus' track record, the Seprioth would enlist him in their battle against the pirates, under Seprioth authority. UNLIKELY.

3) The Seprioth would attempt to kidnap Falsus or Esmirelda (even though he would make and give them another exopod if they merely asked, as he had done for others), making themselves subject to his own and the Space Station's defenses. UNLIKELY.

4) The Seprioth would attempt to negotiate additional concessions, which Falsus may or may not have. LIKELY.

and you have such passage but at a cost all relvent tatrical technogie that would bo if use agianst the borg and a freedom to hunt the pritate as you wish

"Deal," the former Borg said. "But be warned: some of the technology that I have access to is not yet in Borg hands. They can absorb it by absorbing anyone who has knowledge of it. There are...certain items...that you would do quite well to keep classified until you've dealt with your...social insect problem."

dont worry friend he said my omega sqaud would be examinge these technogguies


00c my sec 31

It wasn't long after that that Falsus was back in Prometheus and preparing to disingage from the space dock. He had gotten his green card--something highly prized in Sephrioth space--and they had gotten the contents of his technological database, including the location of the remains of a highly advanced Space Empire, and two Exo-pod units, specially grown and constructed to their specifications.

They had also all gotten used to the accommodations at the Station for Intergalactic Negotiation. The Metal Man had proven to be quite the congenial host, providing data interfacing technology when neither party seemed able to come up with anything. Falsus had the opportunity to observe what a resource the Station was, and was now an Avowed Defender of the Station's neutrality. He hoped that the Sephrioth would join that cause: anyone attacking the Station would immediately provoke a response by all Avowed Defenders.

Last but not least, the Sephrioth had been given access to information on some of the more moderate Interplanetary Communities in the region. With any luck, they would soon have new allies to help them secure their space. This, in turn, would help to ease some of the paranoia that they constantly exhibited--if all went well.

It was an exciting time, filled with opportunity, and Falsus couldn't wait to live in it.