[Day 9 - Late Morning] Executive Meeting (Earthrise Hotel)

[Elizabeth Mills]

Despite being away from Earth and having fewer places to be and ultimately doing less, Elizabeth was never really working less. When Nadia had returned, she would find a massive backlog waiting for her when it comes to arranging meetings and finalizing certain businesses to be sent through the Network. She might have considered calling clone warranty with her disappearance but ultimately Nadia became a fixture to Elizabeth's day to day and they mostly returned as nothing had happened.

Today was the groundbreaking ceremony and the day to formally submit governance plans. While Elizabeth could have easily strived for the position, she had little interest in working in the government itself and gave the project for Nadia to handle. Her intuition would tell her that the clone might miss the mark and that was what she intended.

She took a bit of time from her busy schedule with Nadia to meeting with some members of the committee that called for a meeting. The Earthrise Hotel had a seminar room for such an occasion, complete with refreshments and some brunch. There were a few minutes she could spare for this occasion.

[Nadia Avaline]

Half busy with the backlog, half busy with the work toward unveiling a plan that would be satisfactory for Elizabeth Nadia's eyes were glowing their soft silver color and occasionally moved around as if scanning a large screen. At her side rested the familiar satchel which was known by now to contain the rig which sported the increased hardware of her profession. In the room she sat nearby but out of immediate eyesight where she intended to remain unless called for.

Today she was in the usual business casual she wore with a beige color dominating the ensemble. As she worked Nadia was content to her corner, after all she was never really openly interactive and perhaps for Elizabeth it was nice that despite everything that hasn't seemed to change.

[Leo Knight]

Leo was actually freshly showered and shaved, and his suit was a bit less wrinkled than he usually wore them. Still, there were a few allowances made. A loose collar. The jacket open in front. The little things that were less from lack of caring, and more because of the realities of the job he did.

He, too, was busy; even a corporate assassin did paperwork when assigned to paperwork. But there was enough time for a meeting, of course. He gave Elizabeth a nod of greeting. And a flicker of his eyes over to Nadia. The barest twitch of his lips. It wasn't much, but it was something.

"Ms Mills." Leo said, his voice as low and gravely as ever.

[Elizabeth Mills]

Elizabeth Mills was seated at the head of the executive table, dressed in one of her black suits. She was currently enjoying some coffee with some biscotti. The projection behind her was just on idle and it showed a view of Earth from the moon as a default, true to the tourist hotel's name. She would take a glance at her PAD before laying it facedown and smiled softly as Leo entered. Her gaze went behind him for a moment as she wondered if there was anyone else before the door would slide close behind him.

She would stand and make her way over to shake his hand. "Ah, Mister Knight. Good to see you again. I think it would be only proper that I thank you personally for recovering my stolen property yesterday. It was quite a debacle we've all had to put up with, to say the least."

[Leo Knight]

Leo shifted uncomfortably for a moment, his neutral expression almost turning into something. But not quite. "Glad I could help." He said.

After a few moments, he cleared his throat. "Did Slee manage to catch the perpetrators? Recovering Nadia was my priority. If we'd been back on Earth, perhaps I would have made punishing the perpetrators more of a priority."

His eyes flickered briefly away, then back. "In the end, it was decided that vengeance was not required."

[Elizabeth Mills]

Elizabeth raised her brows at Leo at first, although her demeanour remains to be pleasant and amicable. There was an easy smile at the question regarding the perpetrators as she gave a glance to both her PAD and Nadia. "Actually, she did. Slee and Argus Security have always maintained a respectable track record and it is no different in this circumstance, especially when I have requested their expediency in the matter. They've been caught shortly after Nadia's return."

She walked back closer to the table with her fingers brushing on the glossy top of the board table. "...Unfortunately, for them, it seemed that things might have turned out rather difficult in their capture. From what I was told, there was some resistance and our security forces could only respond in kind with their full might. This shall be the last time they will ever be stealing anything from anyone."

There was a soft smile on Elizabeth's lips at that, having lost no sleep over that.

[Leo Knight]

Leo paused a moment before answering. "That sort of things happen." He said, his deep voice bland. His eyes flickered over to Nadia, ever so briefly, judging her reaction.

After a moment, he cleared his throat. "Were any other clones found?" He asked, again, as neutrally as possible.

[Nadia Avaline]

Nadia's hand drifted through the air at that moment, some overlay with the neural input that controls her arm with sifting through the output on her screen. Attention completely separate from the conversation, at least on the surface. There was no change to her expression when it was said, in part because she had practiced but mostly because she already knew in her own way. Nadia was resigned to that reality the moment Slee had been given the direction they'd gone.

After all, she'd witnessed it plenty of times before.

[Elizabeth Mills]

Leo paused a moment before answering. "That sort of things happen." He said, his deep voice bland. His eyes flickered over to Nadia, ever so briefly, judging her reaction.

After a moment, he cleared his throat. "Were any other clones found?" He asked, again, as neutrally as possible.

"Things happen," Elizabeth said on a concluding note as if it was a lesson learned on a show. Once the hounds were sent, they weren't liable for what the hounds did with the game. Nadia knowing Elizabeth, things might have ended on the same note regardless.

Elizabeth strolled over to the PAD to pick it up, trying to find a tidbit that she might have skimped over. This thing was largely irrelevant to her, now at least. "After Nadia's return, I don't think that's so much our business anymore. I think you've found another with Nadia and there were others too? This was a rather small operation from what I've seen, run locally with a supply chain coming from Earth. Mmm, might have gone under the radar for a while but they've just decided to pick on the wrong people. Regardless, I think Jinteki's Clone Retrieval was alerted and they back pick up the rest of the mess on the matter."

[Leo Knight]

Leo was quiet for a moment, then shrugged. "Like you said, not our problem. We retrieved Nadia."

Well, that was it. He might wish the clones the best of luck, but they would likely be retrieved, and brought back to their corporate holdings. Maybe worse. Leo frowned suddenly, his gaze flickering to Nadia, and then away. Am I different? Really?

"Glad everything's all wrapped up, then." He gravelled.

[Elizabeth Mills]

"So am I," Elizabeth said with a happy sigh as she gave a glance in Nadia's direction. "It's been a long couple of weeks on this project and we've done much to set up the foundations for the mayor. I suppose the work won't be done for several months to several years but we've given it enough of a push that it should manage on its own. Well, outside any interferences from some Martian terrorist cult."

It was so strange that she was so close to danger a while ago but she allowed the situation to slide off her, at least on the outside. "I'd wish to say there's going to be a reduction in my workload but from one project to the next, right?"

"As for you, Mister Knight. You've been very helpful, perhaps I should keep you on retainer more often." She gave Leo a small smile with a glance at Nadia, as if telling her to make a note of that. "Chief Slee is good at what she does but she's admittedly more of a jackhammer than anything. There are often times when a scalpel is needed. Really, far less messy than crumbling buildings. You don't need to wander too far to keep busy if you find yourself restless.'"

[Nadia Avaline]

Nadia was still in her space, working diligently and so Elizabeth would be treated to the same image each time. Sudden shifts in the where she was looking, as if fast scrolling across many screens with matching waves of the hand to pull and drag things around. However, it was with the second glance where there seemed to be more of a suggestion to her that despite this overlay to her activity she would noticeably look to Elizabeth and nod. Looking down, pulling up, the note was made at the speed of thought and she waved the note back down into wherever it rested within the way her overlay rested in her vision.

[Leo Knight]

Leo listened, his expression impassive. That she seemed unaffected by the personal danger she'd been in was unsurprising to him. He'd seen all sorts, when faced with their mortality, after all. And the reaction certainly fit Ms. Mills.

Another shrug, a tilt of the head. "I prefer precision work. Less messy. Sends a different sort of message." He frowned as she glanced at Nadia, but only for the briefest of moments. "But I'm a company man. If I end up assigned to you, I'll do the work."

He looked more directly at her, eyes narrowing. "How often are you in need of a scalpel, Ms Mills?"

[Elizabeth Mills]

Elizabeth would have long given the signal for Nadia to lock the door to the room and tune out any devices that could any possibility of hearing them.

"Well, I suppose you don't have a choice in the matter, do you?" She smirked on that note. "However, I just wanted to get your input on it. You are ever so the professional, at least. As when it comes to a scalpel, I suppose once in a while, not too often. Not something that happens often but admittedly, happens more often than I would have liked. For example...Prior to the Martian attack, there was an attempted hack on my home and thankfully Nadia stopped the perpetrator before he got too far. It happens from time to time, sometimes to me and often to the company. I guess my mistake was thinking this was just another greedy runner who was after money but as it turned out, he was employed by the terrorist cult. Slee did eventually realize this but a bit too late after the trap was set. Given your exemplary service, I don't think someone like you would have made the same mistake?"

[Nadia Avaline]

As that signal had been given, Nadia's hand waved through a few screens before stopping. Behind Leo the tell-tale sound of a door locking, the sudden dimming of lights, two of the most present signals with the latter being the signal that they were now speaking as privately as possible. A common addition to the whole display was the dimming of the lights for that very purpose, and served no other function other than being a clear indicator of completion of the task.