Week 93: Eh, Close Enough.

"Agent Potenza, can we speak?" asked Amets over smeaker suddenly one morning. "I'm currently outside your office within the HQ."

True to her word, Amets was standing in the corridor, wearing a clean white shirt and actually looking like she had slept for more than four hours in the previous week. Her arms were crossed and one could just see a the outline of a black armband through the upper arm of her left sleeve. She was twitching slightly, particularly when she looked around, her eyes constantly flickering around the corridor.

"Yeah, come in." The lock clicked off, allowing Amets entrance. In the office, Dani was dressed business-casual, leaning comfortably in her chair as she looked through reports from H&Y's factories. So far, all seemed to be going well on getting commercial production running - it was about time to get started on the goods. "Sooooo, Amets. How can I help you?"

Amets came in and took a seat, briefly scratching at the process socket in her neck as she sat down. "Thank you." She took a moment, before continuing. "I'll cut to the chase. You were deployed in the territory of the Western Federation, correct? I need some assistance on the topic of Western Federation bar culture."

Dani raised an eyebrow. "Is this for actual professional stuff or are you just too awkward to drop the attitude and ask someone to go drinking?"

"Actual professional interest, I'm attempting to trace a group of highly illusive agents who appear to use these three particular pubs" She pulled a small cube out of her pocket and waved her hand over, three holographic projections appearing above the two agents detailing the three different pubs. "As their meeting places."

After a moment she added "Also I prefer other forms of recreational chemical intoxication to alcohol, although it can be enjoyable."

"Right, well, the first thing you have to consider is that Fed alcohol is generally not really about being good, it's about getting intoxicated in a socially acceptable way. Get it as cold as you can, and don't mention that you're drinking a lot. Take it as a given that drunkenness is no excuse for disorderly behaviour and everybody is drinking responsibly, even when they aren't. It's all your standard Fed blending stuff really - the Federation's great, guns are great, therefore life is great."

Dani looked up to scrutinise the projection. "'So... what's the deal with these agents you're after?"

The projection showed information about three Irish pubs, one in Dallas, one in Detroit and one in Weston; a 24-hour luxury BBQ steakhouse, a heavily defended fortress so neutral WF agents could openly go drinking in Detroit without being murdered, and a pub built in a limestone cavern designed to withstand a corporate war which, due to the rock blocking the signal, is virtually impossible to bug.

Amets nodded and made some notes on a small floating file. "So a more regimented alcohol culture. Interesting."

At Dani's question, she continued. "They are, or I hope they are, members of the Internal Protection Agency of the Western Federation. Hence why they are so difficult to track. I found a number of likely candidates met in this pubs. Why they are all Irish is beyond me, expect possibly the Corporate love of anagrams." She flicked the pubs information closer. "Any advice on which pub to target?"