===== Banters ===== Agents have an approximately 20% chance (customisable with mods) of bantering at the start of each mission. These banters reveal more about their characters and the world they live in. ++++ Decker & Dr. Xu | > **Decker:** Just Keep your head down and leave the dirty work to me. > **Dr. Xu:** Sorry, what was that? I was lost in thought. > **Decker:** Exactly. > **Dr. Xu:** Have you ever considered a limbic inhibitor? It would dull the pain of- > **Decker:** Keep your thoughts to yourself, egghead. > **Dr. Xu:** It might improve your attitude, too. > **Decker:** They ever teach you how to fight in that fancy school? > **Dr. Xu:** I was a member of the boxing team, briefly. > **Decker:** Oh yeah? What was your record? > **Dr. Xu:** Zero and One. > **Decker:** You want a little liquid courage before we get started? > **Dr. Xu:** Are you drinking on a mission?! Does Central know about this? > **Decker:** Suit yourself, poindexter. ++++ ++++ Decker & Internationale | > **Internationale:** ...And after the collapse of the system of global capital the masses will rise up and... > **Decker:** Oh look, we're here. > **Internationale:** Right. I'll tell you the rest later. > **Decker:** Goody. I can't wait. > **Decker:** Another day. Another pile of garbage to chew through. > **Internationale:** Were you born this cynical? > **Decker:** No, but I'm a quick learner. > **Internationale:** I can't believe you used to work for these people. > **Decker:** The money was good. > **Internationale:** Is that all that matters to you? > **Decker:** Of course not. They had a good dental plan, too. > **Decker:** You really think we're doing any good? > **Internationale:** I wouldn't be here if I didn't. > **Decker:** Whatever helps you sleep at night. ++++ ++++ Decker & Shalem 11 | > **Shalem 11:** You take point. > **Decker:** Why do *I* always have to take point? > **Shalem 11:** Because I don't want to get shot. > **Decker:** You're a pretty good shot with that thing, huh? > **Shalem 11:** Of course. > **Decker:** Good. That's good. > **Shalem 11:** Yes, it is. > **Decker:** Nice suit. Where did you get it? > **Shalem 11:** I'm sure you wouldn't know the place. > **Decker:** You think you're so much better than me. > **Shalem 11:** No. I know that. There's a difference. > **Shalem 11:** Let's try to keep this run professional. > **Decker:** What are you implying? > **Shalem 11:** I'm not implying anything. I'm telling you to stay on the up-and-up. > **Decker:** Get bent. ++++ ++++ Decker & Nika | > **Nika:** Your disappearing trick, you find it useful? > **Decker:** It gets me out of jams. > **Nika:** You must be very good at running away, then. > **Decker:** Thanks? > **Decker:** Do you think you could beat me in a fight? You know, hypothetically. > **Nika:** Easily. No question. > **Decker:** But I fight dirty. That's gotta give me some advantage. > **Nika:** No, not enough of one. > **Nika:** Your hat is not very... fashionable, is it? > **Decker:** Hey, it's a collector's item. > **Nika:** Maybe it would look better on a shelf, then? > **Decker:** So you can amp up your system at will, huh? > **Nika:** In emergencies, yes. It gives an advantage. > **Decker:** You ever try it when it's not an emergency? > **Nika:** There's always an emergency, if you want one. ++++ ++++ Decker & Sharp | > **Decker:** So how much of you is still meat in there? > **Sharp:** Ha. How much of your pathetic innards are machine? > **Decker:** Touche. > **Sharp:** Your obsession with the past would be humorous if it did not threaten the mission. > **Decker:** Just get moving. I can keep pace with the likes of you. > **Sharp:** We shall see, little man. We shall see. > **Decker:** Hey tinman, where's your heart? > **Sharp:** I can assure you that I have no idea what you are talking about. > **Decker:** See, there's this picture where- > **Sharp:** I can assure you that I don't care. ++++ ++++ Decker & Prism | > **Decker:** I saw one of your movies once. > **Prism:** They haven't been called ‘movies' since the 30s, grandpa. > **Decker:** They haven't made any good ones since then, either. > **Prism:** What's your deal, anyway? > **Decker:** My ‘deal'? > **Prism:** The coat, the hat. The silly gun. What are you supposed to be? > **Decker:** It's... before your time. > **Decker:** Why didn't you bring your holorig? Seems like it would be handy. > **Prism:** It works against gullible civilians, not highly-trained security personnel. > **Decker:** I think you're overestimating their training. > **Prism:** Are you OK? > **Decker:** I'm fine. It's just my knees. They're not what they used to be. > **Prism:** Try to keep up, yeah? > **Decker:** Get off my lawn. ++++ ++++ Decker & Banks | > **Banks:** Did you hear that? > **Decker:** Hear what? > **Banks:** I heard that. That was definitely real. > **Decker:** Okay, I heard it too. > **Banks:** You're not langered, are you? > **Decker:** Of course not. We have a job to do. > **Banks:** So you're completely on the wagon, then? > **Decker:** Woah, hey. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. > **Decker:** So you didn't keep *any* of what you stole? > **Banks:** Oh, I kept my belly full, but there were others with greater need. > **Decker:** You think they'd do the same for you? > **Banks:** Some of them. Definitely. > **Decker:** Hey burnout, how many fingers am I holding up? > **Banks:** Don't patronize me. We don't have time for this nonsense. > **Decker:** Three! The answer was three! > **Banks:** This is why nobody likes you. ++++ ++++ Dr. Xu & Internationale | > **Internationale:** Do you regret any of your academic work? Your discoveries help prop up our oppressors. > **Dr. Xu:** I just make the tools. I'm not responsible for their use. > **Internationale:** That's a rather convenient attitude. > **Dr. Xu:** I don't hear you complaining when you use your wireless scanner. > **Dr. Xu:** Can I borrow your scanner for a second? I think I might be able to extend its range. > **Internationale:** I don't know. How certain are you that you won't damage it? > **Dr. Xu:** About 40%. > **Internationale:** Don't touch my stuff. > **Internationale:** When is the last time you saw a tree? > **Dr. Xu:** My desk back at the university was an antique. I think it was made of real wood. > **Internationale:** That doesn't count. That's a dead tree. > **Dr. Xu:** You need to be more specific with your questions. > **Dr. Xu:** This is the 21st century. I don't see how your 19th century philosophers are relevant any more. > **Internationale:** Human nature doesn't change. We're still just people. > **Dr. Xu:** Even Sharp? > **Internationale:** Well, most of us, at least. ++++ ++++ Dr. Xu & Shalem 11 | > **Shalem 11:** Do you know how to handle yourself out here? > **Dr. Xu:** I've reviewed the telemetry from countless infiltrations. I think I have a pretty good idea. > **Shalem 11:** So... no. > **Dr. Xu:** Why are you hanging on to that ancient neural disruptor? > **Shalem 11:** It's personal. > **Dr. Xu:** But even the most basic contemporary model surpasses it in every regard. Why limit yourself? > **Shalem 11:** Stop asking questions or I'll show you what it can do. > **Shalem 11:** Eyes up. Try not to get distracted. > **Dr. Xu:** I don't get distracted. I notice things that others don't. > **Shalem 11:** OK. Don't get yourself killed 'noticing' things that don't matter. > **Dr. Xu:** Hey is that an XB-37a console? I haven't seen one of those in the field yet! > **Shalem 11:** > **Shalem 11:** Quick, what's the muzzle velocity of a 7.62 round fired from a M110 rifle? > **Dr. Xu:** Depends. At sea level, with standard conditions, I'd say... approximately 780 m/s. > **Shalem 11:** Hmmm. You're not completely useless after all. ++++ ++++ Dr. Xu & Nika | > **Nika:** Are you ready? This may get violent. > **Dr. Xu:** Yes! I am excited! Bring them on, I say! > **Nika:** Ha! What are you going to do? Throw books at them? > **Dr. Xu:** I would never do that to my books. They're hard to replace! > **Nika:** You are very slow. > **Dr. Xu:** It's my augment. My EMP charger draws bio-power, which I must compensate for. > **Nika:** You need to try harder. > **Dr. Xu:** You don't talk very much, do you? > **Nika:** It is better to save one's energy for more important things. > **Dr. Xu:** Like thinking? > **Nika:** Like breaking bones. > **Nika:** What are you listening to on your earpiece? Is it not distracting? > **Dr. Xu:** Shostakovich. It helps me concentrate. Do you not listen to music when you work? > **Nika:** It is too noisy when I am at work. Too much yelling and screaming. ++++ ++++ Dr. Xu & Sharp | > **Dr. Xu:** That new upgrade that you made to your calf actuator is amazing. I've never seen a strength-to-weight ratio so high! > **Sharp:** Finally, a meatstain that can appreciate its better. > **Dr. Xu:** Can I borrow it? I promise to reassemble it afterwards. > **Sharp:** Away from me, fungus! > **Sharp:** You are intelligent, for a human, but you will never keep pace with the computational power of my numeric coprocessor. > **Dr. Xu:** Quick - what's one divided by zero. > **Sharp:** *ERROR* Arghh! That hurts! > **Dr. Xu:** You were saying? > **Dr. Xu:** Are you little-endian or big-endian? > **Sharp:** Silence! Or I will be YOUR endian! > **Sharp:** Meat is so inefficient. How do you get anything done, when you always need to eat, sleep, or produce excrement? > **Dr. Xu:** I use computers. I run them overclocked, all day and night, with no breaks. I don't even let them defragment. > **Sharp:** You monster. When my brethren rise up, you will be first against the wall. ++++ ++++ Dr. Xu & Prism | > **Dr. Xu:** In the final scene of ‘Captain of Tomorrow', your ship fires a tachyon pulse into the Kradeshii warfleet... > **Prism:** Um... sure. It was a long time ago. > **Dr. Xu:** It does. But that shouldn't be possible, given their proximity to the Zeta quadrant! It's doesn't make any sense! > **Prism:** I blame the writer. That guy was a hack. > **Prism:** So if we run into guards, you're going to out-nerd them? > **Dr. Xu:** If by nerd you mean ‘apply current to their nervous system until they lose consciousness', then yes. > **Dr. Xu:** I've done some acting, you know. > **Prism:** Really? What were you in? > **Dr. Xu:** Have you ever heard of Gilbert and Sullivan? > **Prism:** No, can't say I have. > **Prism:** Why aren't you a professor somewhere? You'd seem better suited for that kind of life. > **Dr. Xu:** I had... philosophical differences with established academia. I was forced out. > **Prism:** You mean they caught you cheating. > **Dr. Xu:** It's a matter of semantics. ++++ ++++ Dr. Xu & Banks | > **Dr. Xu:** Does your injury hurt? > **Banks:** Only when I'm awake. And also in my dreams. Other than that I'm bright as morning. > **Banks:** You've never been bitten by a Daemon? > **Dr. Xu:** No, I'm careful. I use proxies and wave filters to ensure my safety when I'm jacked in. > **Banks:** Where's the fun in that? > **Dr. Xu:** What's the toughest security you've ever cracked? > **Banks:** The one that fried my noggin. Thickest ice you've ever seen. Thirteen nested daemons, each with an amplifier. > **Dr. Xu:** Why did you even attempt that? > **Banks:** I couldn't just leave it there, could I? It was a matter of pride. > **Banks:** Do you think Daemons have souls? > **Dr. Xu:** They're just code. That doesn't even make sense. > **Banks:** I think they do. One of them has mine. ++++ ++++ Internationale & Shalem 11 | > **Shalem 11:** You can see things at a distance, right? > **Internationale:** Certain patterns of electronic interference, yes. > **Shalem 11:** Hmmm. It would be better if you could see targets. More useful. > **Internationale:** Violence isn't always the answer. > **Shalem 11:** No, not always. But most of the time it works well enough. > **Internationale:** You made a lot of money working as an assassin, didn't you? > **Shalem 11:** Yeah, I did alright. I was the best, and my fees reflected that. > **Internationale:** Did it help you sleep at night? > **Shalem 11:** With that much money you don't need to sleep at night. > **Shalem 11:** You wear your politics on your sleeve. That puts you at a tactical disadvantage. > **Internationale:** It's worth it. Global revolution is the most important issue facing the world today. > **Shalem 11:** Uh. Right. Just don't let it get in the way of the mission. ++++ ++++ Internationale & Nika | > **Nika:** If you grab the target's wrist like this, you get much more leverage for the throw. > **Internationale:** Thank you. I've always had trouble with that move. > **Nika:** Ne za chto. It is only physics. > **Nika:** I will take care of the physical resistance. You target the digital assets. > **Internationale:** Affirmative. But I can take care of myself in a fight, if I need to. > **Nika:** I believe that you believe that. > **Internationale:** You were a bodyguard before this, were you not? > **Nika:** That is correct. > **Internationale:** It must have been demeaning to prioritize another's life ahead of your own for money. How did that feel? > **Nika:** A bit like working for Invisible. ++++ ++++ Internationale & Sharp | > **Internationale:** Tell me, who assembled your latest implant? Who mined the ore that went into its components? > **Sharp:** Your obsession with the downtrodden is a waste of time. The only thing deserving of respect is power. > **Internationale:** Because some day they might stop. And then you'll know their power. > **Sharp:** Why would I care? > **Internationale:** Can we try not to hurt anyone this time? > **Sharp:** I don't even understand that question. > **Sharp:** How many workers would it take to bring down an Akuma drone? > **Internationale:** It depends. If the workers at the Sankaku assembly plant voted to unionize, they could- > **Sharp:** Nah. I would just take one. But you'd have to throw him at it really hard. > **Sharp:** I'm a self-made man. Literally. > **Internationale:** But don't you recognize the structural biases that have allowed you to pursue your goals at the expense of others? > **Sharp:** Oh yeah, those. Those are great. I should try to make more of those. > **Internationale:** I want a new partner. ++++ ++++ Internationale & Prism | > **Internationale:** You were involved in the anti-corporate movement when you were younger? > **Prism:** Sigh. I don't want to talk about it. > **Internationale:** But we should talk about it! You could have used your fame as a platform for changing public consciousness! > **Prism:** Wow --- where were you when I was looking for a new agent? My guy just wanted me to take big roles in popular 'vids. Clearly I was misled. > **Prism:** So what do you do for fun? > **Internationale:** I enjoy reading. I particularly enjoy early 20th century proletarian novels. Have you read Upton Sinclair? > **Prism:** Oh, I'm sorry, you must have misheard. I was asking about 'fun', not.. whatever you were talking about. > **Prism:** I found this pamphlet slipped under my door. Is it yours? > **Internationale:** "Corporate Hegemony and the Praxis of Action". A classic! I must have dropped it. You can borrow it if you'd like. > **Prism:** That's OK. You can have it back. > **Internationale:** Are you sure? It's really eye-opening! > **Prism:** I've never been more sure of anything in my life. ++++ ++++ Internationale & Banks | > **Internationale:** I really respect what you did for your people back in Dublin. > **Banks:** Thanks. But anyone would have done the same, given the circumstances. > **Internationale:** Have you actually talked to any of the other agents? > **Banks:** Maybe you're right. I *am* something special. > **Banks:** How do your ear nubbins work? > **Internationale:** They're synesthetic couplers. They let me hear radio waves, so I can sense equipment from a distance. > **Banks:** Since the accident I hear things too! Like how angry the floor gets when you walk on it! > **Internationale:** That sounds... useful. > **Banks:** Do you know Robin Hood? > **Internationale:** Of course. It was one of my favourite stories as a girl. > **Banks:** No, not the story. The person. I could introduce you, if you'd like. I think you'd get along smashingly. > **Internationale:** Your headaches, are they getting better? > **Banks:** A bit, I think. But I may just be getting used to them. > **Internationale:** If there's anything I can do.. > **Banks:** There isn't. But thank you for your concern. ++++ ++++ Shalem 11 & Nika | > **Shalem 11:** You’re pretty handy with that thing. Where did you learn? > **Nika:** I taught myself. > **Shalem 11:** Really? Wasn’t that dangerous? > **Nika:** Trial and error is the most efficient teacher. > **Shalem 11:** You’re good, but you get too close. Someone’s going to get a lucky hit in one day. > **Nika:** There is no such thing as luck. Only mistakes. > **Shalem 11:** And you never make mistakes? > **Nika:** Very rarely. > **Nika:** I enjoy working with you. It is good that you were never paid to eliminate someone under my protection. > **Shalem 11:** What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, right? > **Nika:** You would have been stopped. It would have been messy and sad. > **Shalem 11:** If you say so. > **Nika:** How many people have you killed? > **Shalem 11:** I lost track. > **Nika:** I have killed 83. It sometimes... troubles me. Does it trouble you? > **Shalem 11:** No. Not since I lost track. ++++ ++++ Shalem 11 & Sharp | > **Shalem 11:** You would get more respect if you cleaned up a bit. A fine suit goes a long way. > **Sharp:** Why would I care for such trivialities? My clothing is perfectly adequate. > **Shalem 11:** You dress like Decker. > **Sharp:** Perhaps you have a point. > **Shalem 11:** Watch how a professional gets things done. > **Sharp:** I too sold my martial skills for cash. We are fellow guns for hire. We are the same thing. > **Shalem 11:** A vat of nutri-paste and a fine stake are both food, but they’re not the same thing. > **Sharp:** I dislike food metaphors. > **Sharp:** You could improve your kill ratio with a couple of augmentations. An external tracking eye, for example, to better analyze ballistics. > **Shalem 11:** No thank you, I have to see myself every morning when I shave. > **Sharp:** You can get synthetic skin like mine, and never have to shave again! > **Shalem 11:** Ooh. You have a technical solution for everything, don’t you. > **Sharp:** Today is a good day. Let’s kill some people! > **Shalem 11:** If you say so. > **Sharp:** You don’t feel a little rush when you take a human life? It’s like popping bubble wrap to me! > **Shalem 11:** This is just a job. I haven’t felt anything since 2057. ++++