Crazy Freddie, the unusual atrox merchant...
"Step up, step up right. I sells stuffs from around Rubi-Ka." An atrox shouted to the pedestrians walking in Newland City. Most of the people walking by ignored the atrox outright. The few that had a mild interest took a quick look at the array of junk spread out on an old picnic cloth at Freddie’s feet quickly quelled any interest in what he had to sell.
The atrox merchant scratched his head. “Maybe me need be more persuasive.”
He looked around for anyone nearby that he can use his suave selling skills on. After his last announcement all of the pedestrians that were paying attention avoided his stand. All except one, a tall nanomage bureaucrat that was too busy talking to his droid to notice and he was walking towards Crazy Freddie’s stand.
Crazy Freddie waited until the bureaucrat was right in front of his stand before unloading his sales pitch. “BUY ME STUFFS!” The atrox boomed to the unsuspecting nanomage, thinking that his loudness will impress the potential buyer.
The nanomage jumped a few feet into the air, landing on his side and the droid immediately took up a combat stance in front of its master. “Sir, should I neutralize this threat?” The droid asked as the nanomage got up with a grunt dusting his suit off.
Freddie shook his head. “No need neutralize me. Me is already neutral.”
The nanomage held up a hand for his droid to stand down. “I’ll handle this.” The droid relaxed from its combat stance but kept its attention fixed on Freddie. “I am Administrator Kithrak. What on Rubi-Ka did you do that for?” Kithrak asked the merchant.
“Me sell good stuff. Want you buy many good stuffs.” The atrox crossed his arms proudly at the collection of junk in front of him.
Kithrak arced a brow as he prodded a rusted over assault rifle with the tip of his boot. “Good is such a relative term…these weapons looks like they were from the last war.”
Crazy Freddie shook his head. “No from last war, new from box.”
Kithrak tried to pick up one of the guns by the handle, it broke off. “If these are new guns they are unusable.”
The atrox’s face brightened up and smiled. “You interest good, me no keep best stuff up front. Come!” With that he grabbed Kithrak’s arm and before he could protest and pulled him into one of the alleyways where a half dozen or so crates were stacked.
Kithrak looked at the crates dumbfounded as he noticed that each and every one of them had a faded Omni-Research logo stamped on the side. Freddie decided to let his customer admire his ‘good stuffs’ while the droid rushed frantically to catch up with its master. Seeing an immediate threat the droid was about to charge at the atrox to take him down when the administrator held up his hand for the droid to stop. Kithrak turned towards his droid. “Can you read shipment codes on these crates?”
The droid nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Kithrak brushed off a thick layer of rust from a metallic plaque on one of the crates. The droid held up a hand to scan the plaque remotely. “Omni-Research crate ID OTX-05317C03, destination Omni-Research, Omni-HQ.” The droid removed its hand. “Sir, the rest of the data is scrambled. Most likely this is due to the severe corrosion as evidenced by the layer of rust.”
Kithrak took a few moments to register the implication of finding Omni-Research crates being sold by a non too bright atrox in a Newland City back alley to anyone passing by the streets. “How…how much for the lot?”
It was Freddie’s turn to be surprised. “All of it?”
The administrator nodded. “All of it.”
Freddie said. “Ten million.”
“I’ll give you five.” Kithrak replied.
“Twelve million.” As Freddie struggled with the math involved with haggling.
“Uh…. I’ll give you seven.”
Freddie took a moment to think before replying. “Five million.”
Kithrak blinked and took out a small credit chip from a pocket in his suit. “Okay, five million it is. Here is an electronic chip for five million.”
Freddie took the chip, proud at having outwitted the smarty nanomage. “Thankee.”
Kithrak tried to lift one of the crates up unsuccessfully. “How would you like to make another five hundred thousand credits if you’ll help me load these into my Yalm parked not far from here.”
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Back at his office in Omni-HQ.
“Hey everyone! You’re not going to believe what I bought today…..”
))
