Halstad, Columbia
Industrial District
Operational Crew: Blitzgott, Ramiel, Casimir, Stasi
Time: 6:00 AM
On entering the city and signaling their employer, a nondescript and utterly unremarkable vehicle pulled over to pick them up. They spent only a few moments in the open air before the doors of the van opened; Halstad seemed to be a fairly normal Columbian city, with occasional towers jutting above the skyline. The city was composed of six moving sections; normally this wouldn't be particularly noticeable, but a Catastrophe was predicted to hit in approximately three months, and so preparations had already begun to get it moving. The bustle of the crowd barely allowed them into their ride, but the din died down as they entered.
Unfortunately for Ramiel, the vehicle was more remarkable on the inside. Namely, it had been up-armored, and this shrank the cabin space a fair bit for what was already a tight fit. "I'll be taking you to the offices shortly." Their chauffer was a diminutive Zalak with a stolid demeanor. "Please note that at Nonex, we do not tolerate threats to executives or staff, and offenders will be dealt with appropriately." The man fell silent after that, not responding to any attempts at small talk or questions about the threat.
They passed their way through the Infected districts on their way. While Columbia was much better to the Infected than other countries, a slum was still a slum, and this one was unmistakable. It was no coincidence that it was directly adjacent to the industrial zones, and in fact actually buffered it from the commercial. Their destination was right on the border between these and the much more well-kept corporate offices. The van stopped in front of a towering metal-and-glass building with an equally massive logo emblazoned on the front face. The logo was not, in fact, Nonex's, but that of an office supply company.
Another individual, a cheery-looking Liberi with a bit of brown plumage and a skip in her step, came to escort them inside. Their driver pulled away after the various party members were squeezed, folded, pressed, and otherwise extracted from the vehicle that had clearly not been chosen with operators of their size in mind, moving toward the large parking structure adjacent to the office. "Sorry for all the running-around, but there's been some unfortunate happenings lately. I'm sure you can all handle yourselves, but it's best to be safe, right?" The way she looked at the party indicated that their safety was not the actual concern.
The interior was more or less as expected; thankfully, there was actual headroom for the taller members of the group here. They were escorted past a confused-looking receptionist and into a windowless meeting room that branched off the main hallway. Once inside, the Liberi moved to the end of the room and eyed each of the members in turn, sharp golden eyes seeming much more intense than the rest of her. "I'll start with introductions." She gestured to herself, holding one hand toward her chest. "Vaike Sunderford, head of security at the branch here in Halstad. The cheery guy who brought you in here is Anelace; he'll be assisting by maintaining contact between your team and myself. I've heard some little about Cutting Edge, but nothing on the individual members." She left the implied question hanging as watched the quartet, waiting for their answer.