(002) Regina Downport

[joertexas]

"Never tried it. But I've had some interesting things over the years. Aslani cuisine, for instance. Spicy as hell, moreso than Solly 'mextex', if you know what that means. And some of it's uncooked, especially the fish analogues..." He smiles. "Vargr it is. It's becoming WAY interesting hanging out with you, Zaki..."

Zaki's dimples show as she smiles. "You're way interesting yourself, Carlos." His name rolls off her tongue a bit oddly to his ear, showing her Vilani linguistic roots. "Most Vargr dishes are cooked, though. I've not had Aslani or Solly food, so I don't have a basis for comparison." She brings up the comm screen in her display, and sends a quick text message to the other team members, saying that she and Carlos will meet them at the hotel by 2100. "I've let the others know we may be home late." Her eyes meet his, and her smile wavers. "If that's okay?"

[Keven]

"Never tried it. But I've had some interesting things over the years. Aslani cuisine, for instance. Spicy as hell, moreso than Solly 'mextex', if you know what that means. And some of it's uncooked, especially the fish analogues..." He smiles. "Vargr it is. It's becoming WAY interesting hanging out with you, Zaki..."

Zaki's dimples show as she smiles. "You're way interesting yourself, Carlos." His name rolls off her tongue a bit oddly to his ear, showing her Vilani linguistic roots. "Most Vargr dishes are cooked, though. I've not had Aslani or Solly food, so I don't have a basis for comparison." She brings up the comm screen in her display, and sends a quick text message to the other team members, saying that she and Carlos will meet them at the hotel by 2100. "I've let the others know we may be home late." Her eyes meet his, and her smile wavers. "If that's okay?"

"Sounds like plan. Though we don't want to be TOO late for Mr Suit." His Daibei accent does peak through a bit. He smiles gently. "To be not rushing matters, m'jem Zaki. Let's let it happen as it happens."

[joertexas]

"Sounds like plan. Though we don't want to be TOO late for Mr Suit." His Daibei accent does peak through a bit. He smiles gently. "To be not rushing matters, m'jem Zaki. Let's let it happen as it happens."

Zaki nods, and then sits quietly as the 'sled banks to the right and settles on a heading for the restaurant.

Best leave the flight's description to the GM

[Eris]

OOC: Sorry, folks for going missing this past week. I'm afraid that is going to happen from time to time. I might be retired, but that doesn't always mean I have more, or even as much, time as I did when I was working.

When I was working, I could sit in my office during Office Hours waiting for students to show up and read/post to games, but now I have to carve out the time from all my other chores.

For example, this last week was filled with 3 doctor's visits, two falls (not by me), a trip to the emergency room at 4 am, twice a day wound care, a day of clearing debris from the recent storm (just big branches down, but it still required the chain saw and a good bit of hauling and stacking), and what is either a mild case of the flu, bad cold, or allergies that I hope doesn't get any worse. Oh, and the dishwasher is broken, so I'm having to hand wash dishes every day which eats up another half hour or more depending upon how much I messed up cooking. I just looked and I have a 3 week stack of newspapers I'm behind reading, I'm probably a year behind reading my online comics, and I haven't programmed a line of code in so long I'm afraid I'll forget how... Poor, poor, pitiful me! <snark>

I look at the forums every day, though, so I disappear please feel free to poke me a time or two with a stick.

Eris

[Eris]

"Sounds like plan. Though we don't want to be TOO late for Mr Suit." His Daibei accent does peak through a bit. He smiles gently. "To be not rushing matters, m'jem Zaki. Let's let it happen as it happens."

Zaki nods, and then sits quietly as the 'sled banks to the right and settles on a heading for the restaurant.

Best leave the flight's description to the GM

OOC: Okay, okay!

The grav vehicle slides inland over rolling, forested, hills that alternate with large grassy fields, and then as it turns back toward the left arcs in over first suburban and then urban areas. Finally, the vehicle arcs down to the roof of a parking garage where it glides into an empty slot. The restaurant is in Regina City, outside the Starport, in what looks like a trendy section of mixed development.

Your comms direct you across the roof of the garage and down own level then across a skywalk to the building across the street. Taking an elevator down two levels to the third floor you exit in a broad lobby. Across from the elevator is the entrance to Chez Solli the restaurant you've selected.

Entering the restaurant through large Plexiglas double doors you are greeted by a Maître d who escorts you to a table off to the right of the large open space. A waiter greets you and takes your orders, they specialize in Solimani cuisine (Italian, French and Chinese), but have traditional Imperial dishes as well.

Whatever you order is delivered promptly and is good. You'll be finished well before the 2200 meeting with Sir Keen Haber.

OOC: I take it that Carlos and Zaki are dining alone...a budding romance, is the opinion everyone else has of what is going on. What are the rest of you doing between the end of the meeting with Lady Jane and the 2200 meeting with Sir Keen?

Eris

[joertexas]

Your comms direct you across the roof of the garage and down own level then across a skywalk to the building across the street. Taking an elevator down two levels to the third floor you exit in a broad lobby. Across from the elevator is the entrance to Chez Solli the restaurant you've selected.

OOC: I take it that Carlos and Zaki are dining alone...a budding romance, is the opinion everyone else has of what is going on. What are the rest of you doing between the end of the meeting with Lady Jane and the 2200 meeting with Sir Keen?

Eris

Zaki frowns and checks her holo display. "I guess the Foez Vardok either moved, or it went out of business. Ah, well, another day, perhaps?" She turns to Carlos with a smile. "I don't mind this place if you don't."

[Nuke66]

Edwardo is happy with a beer and a burger type of a joint to hang out in. Going lowbrow.

[Keven]

Your comms direct you across the roof of the garage and down own level then across a skywalk to the building across the street. Taking an elevator down two levels to the third floor you exit in a broad lobby. Across from the elevator is the entrance to Chez Solli the restaurant you've selected.

OOC: I take it that Carlos and Zaki are dining alone...a budding romance, is the opinion everyone else has of what is going on. What are the rest of you doing between the end of the meeting with Lady Jane and the 2200 meeting with Sir Keen?

Eris

Zaki frowns and checks her holo display. "I guess the Foez Vardok either moved, or it went out of business. Ah, well, another day, perhaps?" She turns to Carlos with a smile. "I don't mind this place if you don't."

Carlos returns the smile. "I don't mind at all. It's the company that makes the meal an event, not necessarily the food itself." He studies the menu a moment, then says to the waiter, "The beef stirfry looks good. At these prices, not likely to be carniculture. And yeggrolls. Green tea, of course." He looks at Zaki gently. "I got used to Solomani 'asian' cooking in the Deep; the Carrillians turned it into a high art."

[joertexas]

Carlos returns the smile. "I don't mind at all. It's the company that makes the meal an event, not necessarily the food itself." He studies the menu a moment, then says to the waiter, "The beef stirfry looks good. At these prices, not likely to be carniculture. And yeggrolls. Green tea, of course." He looks at Zaki gently. "I got used to Solomani 'asian' cooking in the Deep; the Carrillians turned it into a high art."

"My, what a charming date you dashing Scouts are." Zaki's tone is light, and her smile makes it all the way to her eyes. "I'm anxious to see how this compares to the cuisine I've had before." When the food arrives, she takes a bite of the stirfry. "Oh, this is good! I like it spicier, but it's still good."

[Keven]

Carlos returns the smile. "I don't mind at all. It's the company that makes the meal an event, not necessarily the food itself." He studies the menu a moment, then says to the waiter, "The beef stirfry looks good. At these prices, not likely to be carniculture. And yeggrolls. Green tea, of course." He looks at Zaki gently. "I got used to Solomani 'asian' cooking in the Deep; the Carrillians turned it into a high art."

"My, what a charming date you dashing Scouts are." Zaki's tone is light, and her smile makes it all the way to her eyes. "I'm anxious to see how this compares to the cuisine I've had before." When the food arrives, she takes a bite of the stirfry. "Oh, this is good! I like it spicier, but it's still good."

Carlos smiles and salutes with his choptongs. "So do I, but this will do. In the Assembly, they make it in three different heats, according to the locals. Commercial grade, reactor grade, and weapons grade. This is a bit 'warmer' than commercial grade. Not bad, but it does bring out the subtlety in the flavours." He stirs his bowl up a bit, lays into the food with his choptongs.

[joertexas]

Carlos smiles and salutes with his choptongs. "So do I, but this will do. In the Assembly, they make it in three different heats, according to the locals. Commercial grade, reactor grade, and weapons grade. This is a bit 'warmer' than commercial grade. Not bad, but it does bring out the subtlety in the flavours." He stirs his bowl up a bit, lays into the food with his choptongs.

Zaki covers her mouth with the back of her hand as she laughs. "Okay, so I may be able to stand reactor grade, but I'd have to see about the weaponized stuff." She smiles as she picks up one of the choptongs. "I've never seen anyone eat with sticks like that." She takes a few bites using her fork. "I'll stick with something that requires a bit less training to use."

[Keven]

Carlos smiles and salutes with his choptongs. "So do I, but this will do. In the Assembly, they make it in three different heats, according to the locals. Commercial grade, reactor grade, and weapons grade. This is a bit 'warmer' than commercial grade. Not bad, but it does bring out the subtlety in the flavours." He stirs his bowl up a bit, lays into the food with his choptongs.

Zaki covers her mouth with the back of her hand as she laughs. "Okay, so I may be able to stand reactor grade, but I'd have to see about the weaponized stuff." She smiles as she picks up one of the choptongs. "I've never seen anyone eat with sticks like that." She takes a few bites using her fork. "I'll stick with something that requires a bit less training to use."

Carlos chuckles lightly. "The 'weaponised' stuff will burn you through like a lithium meteor in a reducing atmosphere. Great for cauterising an ulcer when you don't have decent med tech handy. And yes, I speak from experience." He hefts the tongs. "I'll teach you to use these sometime when we're in jumpspace. Plenty of downtime there. These are easy to use. Chopsticks, on the other tentacle, take a bit of work. I can use both, of course." He sips his tea, keeping the conversation light, eating the stirfry with rice easily. Every now and then, he dips an eggroll into the red sauce. "Try the red sauce, it has an amusing nibble to it." He winks.

[joertexas]

Carlos chuckles lightly. "The 'weaponised' stuff will burn you through like a lithium meteor in a reducing atmosphere. Great for cauterising an ulcer when you don't have decent med tech handy. And yes, I speak from experience." He hefts the tongs. "I'll teach you to use these sometime when we're in jumpspace. Plenty of downtime there. These are easy to use. Chopsticks, on the other tentacle, take a bit of work. I can use both, of course." He sips his tea, keeping the conversation light, eating the stirfry with rice easily. Every now and then, he dips an eggroll into the red sauce. "Try the red sauce, it has an amusing nibble to it." He winks.

Zaki follows suit with her own eggroll and red sauce. "Now, that's more like it." She also follows his conversation as they eat. When the meal is done, she picks up the dessert menu. "Oh, they have Pryden Chocolate cake all the way out here!"

[Keven]

Carlos chuckles lightly. "The 'weaponised' stuff will burn you through like a lithium meteor in a reducing atmosphere. Great for cauterising an ulcer when you don't have decent med tech handy. And yes, I speak from experience." He hefts the tongs. "I'll teach you to use these sometime when we're in jumpspace. Plenty of downtime there. These are easy to use. Chopsticks, on the other tentacle, take a bit of work. I can use both, of course." He sips his tea, keeping the conversation light, eating the stirfry with rice easily. Every now and then, he dips an eggroll into the red sauce. "Try the red sauce, it has an amusing nibble to it." He winks.

Zaki follows suit with her own eggroll and red sauce. "Now, that's more like it." She also follows his conversation as they eat. When the meal is done, she picks up the dessert menu. "Oh, they have Pryden Chocolate cake all the way out here!"

Carlos raises an eyebrow. "Well, then, we'll just have to sample it to see how badly they interpret the recipe." He signals the waiter over, orders a portion for each of us, then asks, "And what kind of wine goes with this chocolate cake?" He'll order two glasses of what's recommended.

[joertexas]

Carlos raises an eyebrow. "Well, then, we'll just have to sample it to see how badly they interpret the recipe." He signals the waiter over, orders a portion for each of us, then asks, "And what kind of wine goes with this chocolate cake?" He'll order two glasses of what's recommended.

"Chinato," Zaki says. "I know it's not a classic wine, but it works." She smiles as the confections and drinks arrive. "Well, they have the presentation right." The slice of cake sits upright on the plate, and Carlos can see that it's made with at least five layers of slightly varied colors of cake and frosting. The topping is a flower-shaped arrangement of at least three different fruits, and the plate is drizzled with what appears to be a chocolate sauce.

Zaki picks up her fork, cuts a small piece from the small end, dips it in the sauce, and pops it into her mouth. "Oh, that's good! Better than I expected."

[Keven]

Carlos raises an eyebrow. "Well, then, we'll just have to sample it to see how badly they interpret the recipe." He signals the waiter over, orders a portion for each of us, then asks, "And what kind of wine goes with this chocolate cake?" He'll order two glasses of what's recommended.

"Chinato," Zaki says. "I know it's not a classic wine, but it works." She smiles as the confections and drinks arrive. "Well, they have the presentation right." The slice of cake sits upright on the plate, and Carlos can see that it's made with at least five layers of slightly varied colors of cake and frosting. The topping is a flower-shaped arrangement of at least three different fruits, and the plate is drizzled with what appears to be a chocolate sauce.

Zaki picks up her fork, cuts a small piece from the small end, dips it in the sauce, and pops it into her mouth. "Oh, that's good! Better than I expected."

Carlos watches her, then emulates her. "Baazhe, this IS good." He relishes the taste, then sips the wine. He lifts an eyebrow. "Good choice on the dessert wine as well. I became a bit of a foodie doing long term solo runs. Wasn't much anything else to do except maybe play 3d Flexicop, and that's just way too addictive for anyone."

When he's finished, he tabs up the bill, adds 25% for a tip, and thumbs the transfer.

[joertexas]

Carlos watches her, then emulates her. "Baazhe, this IS good." He relishes the taste, then sips the wine. He lifts an eyebrow. "Good choice on the dessert wine as well. I became a bit of a foodie doing long term solo runs. Wasn't much anything else to do except maybe play 3d Flexicop, and that's just way too addictive for anyone."

When he's finished, he tabs up the bill, adds 25% for a tip, and thumbs the transfer.

Zaki takes Carlos' arm as they leave the restaurant. "We have a little time before we have to be back. What would you like to do?"

[Eris]

As the time approaches 2200, the two groups converge on the LSP building. They are admitted and directed to a suite on the top floor of the 30 story building. The room you are waiting in is spacious and well appointed with comfortable chairs and soft music playing in the background.

A young woman, not someone you've seen before comes in precisely at 2200 and says, "Sir Keen will see you now. If you would come this way, please?"

She moves back through the door from which she came and down a wide, carpeted, corridor. If you look you can see that the door was a secure hatch and there are unobtrusive cameras and sensors mounted along the ceiling of the corridor...but not unobtrusive enough so you don't see them. At the end of the 30 foot corridor is another door, again it is clearly a blast door. She opens this door by placing her hand on a sensor pad and continues inside.

Inside the inner sanctum is another anti-room with another door next to a desk. The woman places her hand on another pad on this inner door and you hear Haber's voice say "Enter."

She opens the door and stands aside letting you enter.

Haber rises from a large desk made from a black wood and comes around to greet you.

"Welcome! Welcome!" Sir Keen says stepping forward and shaking hands with each of you.

He walks to the left of the room where a nook with a conference table is set up,"Join me, please."he says taking a seat at the head of the table at the press of a button a side door opens and his aide, still with his arm in a sling and a bandage covering the side of his head steps in and nods to the group before taking a seat next to his boss.

Once everyone is seated Haber says, "I think we have several things to deal with tonight."

"Lady Jane commed me this afternoon saying you had news of Lord William and said something about a 750,000 credit at the salvage yards. I told her I'd be happy to pull a few strings and see that no problems arise. "

"Are you interested in parts for a ship you have and need to fix up, or in acquiring a ship?" he asks, "I ask, because at the end of our business I may be in open to signing off on a loan for an older ship. Especially, if you can help Lady Jane with her problem and if you can help Ling out with a small problems we have."

"The small problem Ling has relates to what is clearly becoming a trade war with General Products. Haber sighs, "It will never be officially, or publicly known, but there is no doubt now that GP was behind the attack on the boat we were on."

"We have been working on a new sort of defensive screen for some time. The Navy finally decided to implement it and opened bidding for a new class of Frontier Cruiser. Both GP and we bid on the contract to build the ships. They had low bid and got the contract. We were to deliver the screens to be installed. The first two ships to come off the dry docks were excellent, but only the first two. The last three all failed and were either destroyed or very severely damaged. We contended that GP changed the spec to save costs and ended up with ships that were bound to fail once our screens were put under stress. They deny it, of course. In any case, the Navy has pulled the ship contract and is threatening to end funding for our screens as well. If we can prove GP changed the spec on their ships making the compartment smaller than in the initial requirement, we can...perhaps...get the contract and finish the run of ships. At least, it will prove that our screens were not at fault and will continue to get funding to put them in future ships.

"Toward that end, I'd like to offer you the job of confirming that GP screwed around with their specifications. There is the hulk of a Kinunir Class ship in GP's salvage yard here on Regina. It was about half completed when the Navy canceled their contract. What I need is someone to get inside that ship and measure the actual volume of the compartment C3. That's deck 3, compartment C. If Ling can get that we'll enough evidence, along with the data and documents GP was trying to destroy on that boat we were on, to get the Naval Review Board to convene a hearing." he says, "I think that would be worth the down payment on a ship at Ling's expense."

"We don't think GP is actively looking at you folks yet, although, I'm afraid GP is going to see you folks as Ling operatives, whether you want to be or not, so you're eventually going to be targets. Low priority targets, perhaps, but targets none the less. As it stands right now, GP's dirty ops hasn't told its standard security what they are up to...we have that on very good authority, so they aren't looking at you. That will change though, and if you're going to be GP targets, you might as well get something out of it by doing Ling this little favor. Yes?"

"We can provide you the documentation to get into GP's yards. You are looking for an old ship, already, so I don't think you are going to raise any eyebrows...right now. That will change at some point when GP's left hand let's its right hand know what is going on, but we still think you have a couple of days before that happens. Right now, local GP Security doesn't have you pegged as Ling operatives, so you should be able to walk right in and while 'looking at salvage parts' get aboard the hulk and do the measurements, then get out with nobody the wiser."

"Frankly, whether you take my job or not, I think it would be a good idea to get off Regina for a bit, which is why poking around on Ruie looking for Lord William might be an excellent idea. Do the job for Ling, give me the data, board the Earl's Yacht and head for Ruie. By the time you get back the GP-Ling trade war will, probably, be over and you'll be out of GP's cross hairs."

"What do you think?"

[joertexas]

"What do you think?"

Zaki sits quietly while she parses the information. Not being an engineer, she can't fathom how the size of a room would affect a device's performance, or how the discrepancy could be hidden from the Navy inspectors and engineers. She shrugs mentally and waits for one of the more qualified people to speak up.

[Keven]

Carlos watches her, then emulates her. "Baazhe, this IS good." He relishes the taste, then sips the wine. He lifts an eyebrow. "Good choice on the dessert wine as well. I became a bit of a foodie doing long term solo runs. Wasn't much anything else to do except maybe play 3d Flexicop, and that's just way too addictive for anyone."

When he's finished, he tabs up the bill, adds 25% for a tip, and thumbs the transfer.

Zaki takes Carlos' arm as they leave the restaurant. "We have a little time before we have to be back. What would you like to do?"

Carlos smiles softly, blushing a bit. "Wander, walk, drink of your company." He pats her arm gently. "No rush, we have plenty of time..."

She opens the door and stands aside letting you enter.

Haber rises from a large desk made from a black wood and comes around to greet you.

"Welcome! Welcome!" Sir Keen says stepping forward and shaking hands with each of you.

He walks to the left of the room where a nook with a conference table is set up,"Join me, please."he says taking a seat at the head of the table at the press of a button a side door opens and his aide, still with his arm in a sling and a bandage covering the side of his head steps in and nods to the group before taking a seat next to his boss.

Once everyone is seated Haber says, "I think we have several things to deal with tonight."

"Lady Jane commed me this afternoon saying you had news of Lord William and said something about a 750,000 credit at the salvage yards. I told her I'd be happy to pull a few strings and see that no problems arise. "

"Are you interested in parts for a ship you have and need to fix up, or in acquiring a ship?" he asks, "I ask, because at the end of our business I may be in open to signing off on a loan for an older ship. Especially, if you can help Lady Jane with her problem and if you can help Ling out with a small problems we have."

Carlos says, "Mainly a ship of our own. It would be nice if we could get it in the next few days..."

"The small problem Ling has relates to what is clearly becoming a trade war with General Products. Haber sighs, "It will never be officially, or publicly known, but there is no doubt now that GP was behind the attack on the boat we were on."

"We have been working on a new sort of defensive screen for some time. The Navy finally decided to implement it and opened bidding for a new class of Frontier Cruiser. Both GP and we bid on the contract to build the ships. They had low bid and got the contract. We were to deliver the screens to be installed. The first two ships to come off the dry docks were excellent, but only the first two. The last three all failed and were either destroyed or very severely damaged. We contended that GP changed the spec to save costs and ended up with ships that were bound to fail once our screens were put under stress. They deny it, of course. In any case, the Navy has pulled the ship contract and is threatening to end funding for our screens as well. If we can prove GP changed the spec on their ships making the compartment smaller than in the initial requirement, we can...perhaps...get the contract and finish the run of ships. At least, it will prove that our screens were not at fault and will continue to get funding to put them in future ships.

"Toward that end, I'd like to offer you the job of confirming that GP screwed around with their specifications. There is the hulk of a Kinunir Class ship in GP's salvage yard here on Regina. It was about half completed when the Navy canceled their contract. What I need is someone to get inside that ship and measure the actual volume of the compartment C3. That's deck 3, compartment C. If Ling can get that we'll enough evidence, along with the data and documents GP was trying to destroy on that boat we were on, to get the Naval Review Board to convene a hearing." he says, "I think that would be worth the down payment on a ship at Ling's expense."

Carlos wrinkles his brow in thought. "How accurate does the survey need to be? Down to half a millimeter or so? Or just a rough measurement? And would you like holos of the room as well?" He pulls out his comp and keys a couple screens fast, then shuts it off.

"We don't think GP is actively looking at you folks yet, although, I'm afraid GP is going to see you folks as Ling operatives, whether you want to be or not, so you're eventually going to be targets. Low priority targets, perhaps, but targets none the less. As it stands right now, GP's dirty ops hasn't told its standard security what they are up to...we have that on very good authority, so they aren't looking at you. That will change though, and if you're going to be GP targets, you might as well get something out of it by doing Ling this little favor. Yes?"

"We can provide you the documentation to get into GP's yards. You are looking for an old ship, already, so I don't think you are going to raise any eyebrows...right now. That will change at some point when GP's left hand let's its right hand know what is going on, but we still think you have a couple of days before that happens. Right now, local GP Security doesn't have you pegged as Ling operatives, so you should be able to walk right in and while 'looking at salvage parts' get aboard the hulk and do the measurements, then get out with nobody the wiser."

"Frankly, whether you take my job or not, I think it would be a good idea to get off Regina for a bit, which is why poking around on Ruie looking for Lord William might be an excellent idea. Do the job for Ling, give me the data, board the Earl's Yacht and head for Ruie. By the time you get back the GP-Ling trade war will, probably, be over and you'll be out of GP's cross hairs."

"What do you think?"

Carlos looks around the room at the rest of the group, trying to predict which way they'll twig. "Hey, it gets us offplanet..."