Friendly Competition
Friendly Competition was a virtual representation of one of Jacob Frye's genetic memories, relived through the Helix Navigator.
Description
In order to end Starrick's monopoly on London transport, Jacob sought out his main competitor, Pearl Attaway.
Dialogue
Jacob found Attaway standing next to a burning omnibus.
- Attaway: Those fiends!
- Jacob: Ms. Attaway...
Attaway turned around and saw Jacob.
- Attaway: Yes, may I- Oh, splendid, you're here to murder me.
- Jacob: I- what?
- Attaway: No matter. Everyone has a price. Is this enough?
Attaway offered Jacob a coin.
- Jacob: I'm not here to kill you.
- Attaway: Then what's your game?
- Jacob: Mr. Starrick and the Millner Company have blocked your ambitions long enough. I have a business proposition for you.
- Attaway: Wonderful! Come with me, we have much to discuss, Mr...
- Jacob: Jacob Frye, at your service.
- Attaway: Truer words were never spoken!
If you'd be so kind as to take the reins?
Jacob drove one of Attaway's omnibuses while she sat in the back.
- Attaway: You must understand, I've received threats against my life. Malcolm Millner has all but waged war on me since Mr. Starrick bought out his company. And, no offence, I hope, but you do look the killing type.
- Jacob: I doubt I shall ever recover from such a slight.
- Attaway: What, then, is your interest in my redemption, Mr. Frye?
- Jacob: I sense an opportunity that will benefit us both.
- Attaway: Do you?
- Jacob: Is that so hard to believe?
- Attaway: Whatever your intentions, it will be quite the tonic to strike back against Millner and Starrick. I have worked like a trooper to make Attaway Transport what it is today. I will not allow anyone to bring me to ruin.
A carriage drove past.
- Attaway: That's one of Millner's!
Another carriage attacked another one of Attaway's omnibuses.
- Attaway: I can't lose another bus!
Get away from my bus!
She can't take much more of this!
Jacob killed Millner's thugs in the carriage chasing the omnibus. He then killed the thug riding the first carriage and retrieved an omnibus route schedule with a message.
- Message: Wiseman,
Report to the storage yard tonight for a special task.
Forbes
After Jacob and Attaway arrived at Millner's storage yard, they observed him directing his men.
- Attaway: Malcolm Millner, Starrick's puppet himself.
- Millner: Careful, you twats! This parkesine has to make it to the Attaway depot!
- Attaway: He thinks he can burn my buses?! Let's give him a taste of his own medicine.
- Jacob: Let's give him the whole damn bottle. We'll turn Millner's parkesine against him. But I'll need help from my gang.
- Attaway: Such entrepreneurial instinct, Mr. Frye! I shall leave you to it.
Jacob infiltrated the storage yard.
- Thug 1: You can see that smoke from across the bloody river.
- Thug 2: Settin' her buses on fire. It never gets old.
- Thug 3: Serves Attaway right for thinking she has the right to compete with us.
- Thug 4: I don't know what happened to the driver.
- Thug 5: I just passed him on to Millner. That was a week ago.
- Thug 6: Millner wouldn't exactly treat one of Attaway's employees to tea and biscuits, now would he?
- Thug 7: The end result is that she's got fewer people on her payroll. That's all I care about.
- Thug 6: Not interested in how the meat pie's made, eh?
- Jacob: Ugh... heave ho, Jacob.
Jacob pushed the cart filled with parkesine and explosives next to Millner's omnibuses.
- Jacob: Primed and ready.
He ignited the cart, blowing up the omnibuses. He then returned to Attaway.
- Jacob: How's that for a taste?
- Attaway: I can see Millner's stock price plummeting already! You're hired! Oh, I have more business plans for us both. Drop a note to my secretary to make an appointment and I shall reveal the next step in our scheme.
Attaway went inside her carriage.
- Jacob: I don't actually work-
The carriage door was closed.
- Jacob: -like that?
Outcome
Jacob reluctantly established a business partnership with Pearl Attaway to destroy the Millner Company.