Job Security
Sarna News
| Job Security | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Short story by Loren L. Coleman | |||
| First Publication | |||
| Published | 1999 | ||
| Published in | MechWarrior's Guide to Solaris VII | ||
| Publisher | FASA | ||
| Illustrator(s) | Scott James | ||
| Pages | 4 | ||
| Chronology | |||
| Era | Civil War era | ||
| Timeline | 3062 | ||
| Series | |||
| |||
Job Security is a short story by Loren L. Coleman that was first published as introductory fiction for MechWarrior's Guide to Solaris VII.
It was later republished online on BattleCorps. In 2011, an enhanced version was published as part of the A Face Full of Blades anthology.
Plot Summary
The story begins with The Unnamed Soldier in the shooting range of the Kubler Street Gun Club in Silesia - Solaris VII - in a friendly shooting match with informal bets when Erik Gray arrives to speak with him, breaking his concentration and making him lose the match and the bets.
Erik Gray asks him a favor. After breaking his contract with the Skye Tigers Stables and with several penalties, he found out he could not fight in the Solaris Games. But he had just found a backer in the Eternal Flames (a Triad group) who offered him a slot in an event against Richard Smith in The Coliseum, but they want him to lose the fight and tight him under a long-term contract that would make him a Triad pansy. So Eric decided to ask the Unnamed Soldier for a contact that could get some leverage for him to better negotiate the contract. Payment would be based on the prize money of the match he is getting. The Unnamed Soldier tells him he would do it.
After some days the Unnamed Soldier and Erik met unarmed in The Copper Coin with the three triad representatives: two triad lieutenants and Jonas, a lawyer who had past experience with Erik.
Not accepting the starting Triad contract, the Unnamed Soldier presented their own contract, which he felt would not be accepted. At that time, the Silesian police raids a warehouse owned by the Flames, leaving the lawyer alone without Triad protection. And then the Unnamed Soldier plays his last card: Mutual Destruction Assured. He was helping Silesian police pointing triad locals but done in a way that it seemed that the leak was Jonas. Even though Jonas could say that had in reality been done the Unnamed Soldier, this would mean not much to the Triad as they would end up killing both. The gamble paid off and Jonas accepted the contract that he was offered, ensuring Erik would not be owned by the Eternal Flames.
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Notes
- The story is undated, but is described as happening not long after the events of By the Numbers, setting the date of this story around 3062.