"Change of plans folks, we are splitting the party." I said to my friends.
"Whatcha mean?" Brick asked confused.
"I mean I have a frosty date with a certain General that may make us not need to have to kill him. But since I'm not a total dumbass we still need that fucking code so while I and whoever is coming with me go meet the General at Moxxi's the rest of you will go get it to hedge things in our favor." I explained honestly.
"You think you can convince Knoxx to back down?" Roland asked seriously.
"Frankly? No. But, and this is a big but, I MIGHT be able to create an alternative to just killing each other, maybe hopefully. Fingers crossed." I said honestly.
"Is there an alternative? Like I'm not doubting you or anything but like this seems like a pretty set in stone thing at this point." Lil asked asked seriously.
"Well right now our conflict is more a clash of interests and pride than anything else. Frankly Knoxx would be on the first shuttle off this rock if he wasn't literally ordered to be here by the higher ups of the corporation. This matter isn't personal, not really. Instead it's about loyalty and interests for him. We just have to make a better offer than Atlas." I said seriously.
"Where does loyalty come in?" Mordy asked confused.
"Knoxx is one of the OG Atlas folks. The ones who knew the company before the vault and subsequent downward spiral of it's leadership. He is loyal to the company out of love for THAT version of Atlas, he HATES the current version though. I represent the possibility of his version of Atlas making a comeback from it's current hopeless freefall." I explained with a grin.
"Aren't you gonna change the name though?" Brick asked confused.
"It's not the name he cares about, it's the essence of the company he wants to see repaired to it's former glory. Drake? Atlas? He doesn't give a shit, he just wants the company he gave his all for to return to it's glory days. The alternative I hope to achieve is him faking his death to let the company temporarily die so I can pick up the pieces and with his help bring the company to the forefront again." I said honestly.
"I'm coming with you." Roland said firmly.
"I'll go too, what the hell." Lil said with a chuckle.
"Not interested." Brick said with a yawn.
"I'm with Brick, not my kinda scene." Mordy said.
"All good then, you two grab the code from the worlds biggest bullet and we'll head over to Moxxi's to wait for Knoxx." I said and we all agreed to this plan.
I didn't even bother waiting for the vehicles to stop but just leapt from the one I was on to Roland and Lil's.
We back tracked through the checkpoints and through T-bone junction before reaching the checkpoint on the way to Moxxi's. We chose not to kill the lancemen there as we passed through and they didn't shoot at us so there was that at least. It wasn't much but a temporary ceasefire still made things easier for us either way. The bandit camp around Moxxi's was empty of bandits at this point but the tracks we saw and the lancer outside the bar told us Knoxx had gone ahead and had his people clear them out. We left the monster and put our weapons away along with my mask before walking up to the door.
"That you Sugar? He's waiting for you at the bar." Moxxi's voice came through the intercom and I pushed the door open as it unlocked.
As we walked in I had to admit Moxxi moved quick. the bar didn't have a speck of blood in sight and was fully in order with stools at the bar neatly lined up and the tables and chairs set up without any out of place. She was standing behind the bar cleaning glasses with a rag while a large black armored old man with white hair sat on a stool nursing a bottle of whiskey.-
"Didn't wait long I hope?" I asked as I slid onto the stool next to him.
"Few minutes. Feeling kinda outnumbered here though. Thought we agreed no guards?" he asked eyeing Roland and Lil.
"Friends, partners but no guards. You've definitely seen the docs, there are five of us and we all work as a unit. The other two simply don't have the taste for politics is all. No guns on any of us though." I said easily.
"I can't argue with that I suppose. Spell it out for me, broad strokes if you will. What's your plan for Atlas?" He asked staring me right in the eyes completely unfazed by my appearance.
"I have to tear it down before I can rebuild it. Foundations there, unrotted by the higher ups. Just gotten cut off the trunk of the tree to grow a new one untouched by the rot. I have the tech, prototypes ready for mass production, QOL products such as medicine, cyberware and energy production. Got a potential foot into the luxury pet market too. See the armor on Roland there? That's my idea of standard issue for the new armed forces of the company. My goals not just profit without care for cost but stability and respect by all." I said seriously.
"You want to use the bones of Atlas to make a new company then? Raw prototypes and products isn't enough capital to do that. What else do you have?" he asked noticeably not shooting the idea down entirely but not agreeing either.
"I have the Jakobs behind me to help with the initial purchase of the company after it inevitably hits rock bottom. Not to say Jakobs is buying out the company for themselves but rather consider it an investment from them. My company will be a sort of sibling company to Jakobs." I said and his gaze narrowed in thought at that.
"Not ideal but I think I can see the picture for the most part. Jakobs will invest Atlas in your hands so that in the future the two companies will work side by side closely. A reverse Vladof type deal. To get there though you need me dead." he said calmly and I nodded.
"To be specific I need Atlas and everyone else to THINK you are dead." I said honestly.
"You want to fake my death?" he asked surprised.
"Yep, You are a keystone piece to Atlas. One of the few things keeping it from crashing and burning. You're old though, times almost up and everyone is just waiting for it. Without you the incompetence and corruption that rots the whole of Atlas's upper management will collapse under it's own weight. It'll start with key figures getting assassinated by the others in greed, then it will all cascade down from there until all that's left of Atlas is a name and bankruptcy papers. That's where I'll swoop in, rebrand the whole thing on my own dime with a shiny new name and with all the sparkly do-dads to draw in the populace to give the company another chance. After that it's just a matter of keeping the boat stable as the waters rise." I said with a grin.
"So why not just kill me and do it anyways? Why fake my death?" he asked confused.
"Because age need not apply. My powers make me effectively immortal so extending your lifespan and putting your body back in the prime of your life is childs play to me. I don't want you dead because you are THE general Knoxx, a living legend who is singlehandedly keeping a whole corporation from collapse. I WANT you in my new company even if only in a cushy advisory position." I said honestly leaving him speechless.
https://www.pa treon.com/user?u=81578854#:~:text=pa treon.com/pa treon_loskro
_______________________________________________
Alexander Drake
Lifeforce: 1,140,039
Integrated Traits: [Clever mind-Rare grade],[Enhanced senses-Epic grade]X2, [Supreme armored hide-Epic grade]X2, [Energy projection-Legendary grade], [Superior vitality-Epic grade]X3,[Lesser dragon breath-Epic grade],[Regeneration-Epic grade]X2, [Disease resistance-Epic grade],[Amphibious lungs-Uncommon grade], [Thermal sensing-Uncommon grade], [Water resistance-Common grade],[Active camouflage-Epic grade], [Eridian engineering expertise-Mythical grade], [Efficient lungs-Rare grade]x2, [Biometallic bones-Epic grade], [Quick thinking-Rare grade], [Minor spatial awareness-Epic grade], [Siren(Phaselock)(Altered)-Mythical grade], [Adrenal rush-Rare grade], [Mechanical engineering expertise-Rare grade]X3, [Gunsmithing expertise(degrading)-Common grade]X3, [Mechanical Savant-Epic grade], [Embodiment of destruction(partial)-Mythical grade], [Siren(Phasetrance)-Mythical grade], [Supreme body-Legendary grade]X3, [Martial savant-Legendary grade], [Tinkering instinct-Rare grade]
Stored traits: [Agelessness-Legendary grade], [Beautiful form-Rare grade]X3