Sing'n in Binary: 49

“Listen, I know what the policy is! But it’s just not possible in my position!”

Aria paces in another circle around her tree as the NCDPR rep takes another two eddies worth of time on the call before he answers.

“I’m sorry you’re unsatisfied with your service, I only wish to help you and will do so in any way I can.” The customer service rep says on the other side of the call.

His passive voice almost makes her want to scream!

Nowhere on their website does it say that she’d have to show up in person! Which, for obvious reasons, doesn't work! 

Not to mention, to enter a government building she’d need to register as a citizen, or have an entry visa, or anything that would identify her as a person who’s supposed to be here.

Aria completes another circuit of the tree as the customer service rep clears his throat.

“It is possible for the NCDPR to give remote access to interested parties, given a surcharge and an advance payment for another timeslot one week in advance.”

She grunts at the pretend kindness.

Because the ‘surcharge’ is triple the already high price for the appointment. Money she already doesn't have!

The AI pushes down a wave of exasperated anxiety.

“...Fine. I’m not doing that. But I still can't make the appointment, I’d like a refund.”

This time the voice responds almost as soon as she’d finished speaking.

“Sorry miss, but your server time has already been reserved in the system until the end of this business day, I do not have the authority to reschedule or cancel your slot, as it will disrupt the other appointments. Would you like me to elevate your complaints to my manager on duty?”

Aria holds back a scream.

“Someone already did! He sent me to you!”

She looks away from the phone app and glares at the picturesque scene around her for not reflecting how she’s feeling right now.

ADMIN was right to hate bureaucracy this much!

…wait!

Beuracracy!

Aria whips her head back to the floating window where the NCDPR logo floats innocently, mind calling on the terms and conditions she’d read before sending the money and compares them to the laws of the city to be sure she gets out what she’s planning to say right, then takes a breath.

“I am invoking clause three point five five two of the terms and conditions, with respect to referendum eight thousand one hundred ninety of the Night City code of laws. I am unable, by extenuating medical circumstances, to receive a service rendered by the NCDPR and am entitled to conciliatory damages equal to the expenditure invested.”

There's a beat of silence, followed by a surprised half mutter, then a click. But before Aria even has time to grapple with the idea that they just hung up on her, there’s another tone and an unfamiliar voice comes over the speakers.

“Morgan and Morgan law. My name is Cho and I am speaking on behalf of the Night City Department of Business Relations. I understand you have a legal complaint, to whom am I speaking?” He asks, sending a request ping for a copy of her citizen ID card.

Aria yelps.

Lawyers! 

She hangs up before her phone can send the confirmation message that she’d heard the lawyer's message and ping, then deletes the temporary phone number she’d made and flashes it off the server completely. So there’s no way anyone could claim she’d refused to provide identifying information in a legal setting!

But, as she closes out her phone application, she realizes even now the lawyer got what he’d wanted. She’d backed down! 

The AI stops pacing, staring off into the unchanging sunset as she realizes she’s on a timer.

She will get to that appointment.

The only question is how.

Opening up a simple text file, Aria opens her web browser as she begins jotting down a list of ideas, no matter how outlandish or simple.

The hologram trick won't work, as she’d have to hack into one of the most well defended areas of the government's infrastructure. Not to mention needing an ID that would pass an inspection with the government, requiring her to slip a fake ID into the citizen registry.

The same issue comes up with remote piloted gemini bodies, add to that requiring more money than she necessarily has, of the three on public offer, two require some form of ID in the event the body is lost or damaged. It’s highly likely the last would need it too.

The true dealbreaker is the fact that to pilot one without latency requires humans to go to a real place and plug into a high bandwidth broadcast array.

She strikes every variation of that plan from the list.

No, the only way to get in without risk is with a real person entering the building. 

Aria sighs, pulling up her contacts.

She’s asked them for so much already, but as much as she’d wanted to avoid it, she needs her friends to be involved with this. 

Scrolling though, she first considers trying to contact Owen, the apartment admin, as he’d not just given up a massive sum of money so she feels less guilty asking him. But in the end she has to admit she doesn't know him well enough.

So it falls to her karaoke friends, the ones who already know.

…minus AK.

She deletes him from the list of potential people to call, then adds him back after a moment’s hesitation.

…unless he’s the last resort.

He owes her big time after all.

Her eyes scan down the list, subtly pinging everyone’s neuralware in turn and trying to figure out who’s not busy.

Davis gets off work in an hour, then normally goes to the gym every other day for a few hours. Today is a gym day, so he’s out.

Rayo is at work, and when she’d spoken to him yesterday to set up a payment plan he’d mentioned a ‘big meeting tomorrow night’ meaning he’s also unavailable. 

After work Jinx usually lies in her bedroom for half an hour with a wet cloth over her eyes, and she’d put on the local server’s calendar that she’s going to the store to restock the apartment.

Jinx would be willing to do it if she were to be informed, but the last option proves better.

Solei.

Her job at Clouds has her working mostly the… evening shift, and when not working she usually keeps to herself in her apartment. 

Pulling up Clouds website, Aria powers through a flinch at the… sights and finds the online portal to ‘rent’ one of the employees. It doesn't take much longer to find Solei’s profile –though on the site she’s named ‘Luxe’ instead of Solei– and gets a look at the hourly asking price.

It’s not… cheap, and it only gets more expensive if she buys the package that allows her to leave the building on a variety of prearranged ‘walkabout experiences’ but the leftovers in her bank account can buy three hours of her friend’s time.

More than enough time!

Aria packs away her messy text file and crude window to the net as she boots her phone software again.

There’s a small flare of worry and guilt, but it’s pushed down with the exuberance of being so close! 

It takes only two rings before Solei picks up the phone.

“Mornin’ choom.” She says in a raspy morning voice.

Aria blinks, then double checks her internal clock hasn't desynched.

It’s three in the afternoon.

She shakes her head.

“Good morning Jinx!” She chirps. “Listen I’m in need of your… services. I know you’re not on the clock but I’ll pay just as much as you’d get working for a few hours of your time.”

Solei snorts, the sound quickly transitioning into a kind of choking sound, as if she’d inhaled liquid.

“...The fuck? Needing some deets here.”

Aria nods.

“I just need a body so I can uplink and transfer data, but I can't do it on my own.”

There is a long silence, long enough that the AI begins to feel a faint concern that her friend is upset about the proposition. After the silence drags into the range of ten seconds she speaks up again.

“I’ll pay! In advance!” She calls out, sending a transfer request down the line offering money worth two hours of her time.

Solei coughs heavily, immediately turning down the request.

“No that's not– I normally don't work for people I… I didn't know you… How would any of this even work?” She asks in a surprisingly embarrassed tone.

Aria, confused, takes a moment to try and figure out what her friend is trying to ask. Before her avatar stutters as she figures out the reason communication broke down.

“Ah! N-no! Not like that! I just need someone to help me connect to a secure– I mean, I need you to link to a– ugh!”

Why does everything sound dirty now!

She thoroughly shakes her head, takes a breath to recenter herself, and tries again.

“I bought access to the NCDPBR database, but they’re only allowing me to access the data in person. So I need someone to go in for me and sit in front of a computer for half an hour while I find what I’m looking for.”

Solei, who had already been stifling her laughter during the hurried clarifications, lets out a full laugh as Aria falls into embarrassed silence.

“Ok, that seems more legit. I’m down, got nothing better to do. Just give me half an hour to get ready, I’ll call you back.” She says as the sound of rustling cloth indicates she’s getting up. “Also, I get almost none of my sticker price at Clouds. You just give me like, a quarter of that, and pay for lunch after we do whatever and we’re even.

Aria opens her mouth to refuse, then pauses as she tries to figure out if refusing someone's kindness is being rude, but before she can decide the call disconnects.

Staring at the ended call, she pulls up the ADMIN search file, ready and waiting for the last pieces of information needed to find him.

She’s locked in now, the final stretch, all she needs to do now is follow through.

---

A/N: ALRIGHT! I MISMANAGED MY TIME!

THIS WILL GET LONGER!

EXPECT A MIDWEEK EXTENSION TO THIS CHAPTER!

BUT I FOUND A STOPPING POINT AND MY LIFE IS BUSY!

SORRY!!
TA-TA ALLLLLLLL!!!!!