Tarik: Entry Level Warfare Read Free Page A

to ensure his safe exit. If he wasn't taken he'd hoped there was a back way to the transportation center  or this would be a short adventure.
    Getting to the screening terminal he saw there were one thousand three hundred fifty eight military corporations  recruiting. He allowed the machine  to take his biography and the number  dropped to fifty six . He figured this would happen given his lack of experience. He entered in  his new weapon information and that number  dropped to four, although powerful the weapon would be too exotic for most small armories  to work on.
    Sighing, he entered in  his application details and was immediately rejected by two of them. He now only had two corporations  willing to meet with him. The terminal told him to go to room forty six  for personal interviews and displayed a map. He touched the screen and the map overlayed to his retinal implant. One last glance at the door showed the crowd had not dissipated but now stood at over three hundred angry Gorrex.
    Arriving at the room he realized  how bad he looked and smelled but without a chance to clean up he just hoped they bought his story.
    The two corporations  willing to see him were both smaller independent subsidiaries but could be a launching pad for his mercenary career. If he was accepted and lived for two years he could get a job at Kill Force  or Blue   Rain . Maybe even get to put the rifle down and go work for Sol Sphere  as security. He liked to think it was destiny but he knew it could only be accomplished through skill. In the meantime he needed to suck it up and go kick some ass . He shook his head; he was getting ahead of himself. The first thing he needed to get through was these interviews.
    Tarik entered the room and was blinded by the interview lights. He heard the whispers immediately, heard a door open, then close and an announcement that only one corporation remained.
    The lights dimmed and he could see a man rise to get a better look at him.
    “Fucking hell kid. Did you swim through a Naxh roach’s cunt to get here?”
    “Not exactly sir… I was challenged by a Gorrex and this is the result.”
    “You aren't some kind of dead Gorrex fucker are you? You former miners get out here and do some crazy shit.”
    “No sir, not at all.”
    “Well shit, you won a challenge so I guess I got to hear the story now.”
    Tarik went on to relay the story, occasionally asked for more details he recalled every detail he could.
    “Well fuck  me sideways and call me pampered. That's one hell of a way to make some points.”
    Unsure of how to reply to that Tarik  thought it best to keep his mouth shut.
    “I'm Davius Markterm. Looks like I'm the only one left to offer you a job. So here's the contract. Base pay of four thousand points per month, mission bonuses of two thousand per successful task. Wait, do you know what that means?”
    “I think so, but if you could clarify I would appreciate it sir.”
    “Well it means that if you're given a task to get something and you do that you get the bonus but if I give you another task, if someone dies and is still a requirement of mission completion you do that task for another bonus. If the mission itself is not complete, you don't get shit. In addition to the base pay and bonus you get the standard boat ride. You were a miner so you should know what that means, right?”
    “That means I get lodging, calories and equipment. Is that correct sir?”
    “It does, but you also will have boat duties like cleaning shitters and such, covered in shit already I don’t see that being a problem. You will also commit yourself to training , and I do mean commit, you will give it your all or be left on whatever rock I choose. Is that understood?”
    “Yes sir”
    “Well, now that we know you're not a complete fucking moron, do you accept the terms?”
    “I accept the terms sir.”
    “Good shit, welcome to Markterm Protective Services. Now first thing is first, stop with the sir