Chapter 11: Year 300, Day 009

[ateno]

I'm usually good at faces - I sort of recognise you. Have you been here before?

"I was by here a couple years ago on .." ... Sigh ... ..an other family vacation."

Grabs tea and bag and turns.

Assuming its close

"Thank you and keep the change, let my wife know i'm in the car."

Leaves and passes out food and drink to people in the car.

"No complaints, its vegetarian and high energy, burritos are still warm"

[The Bindoner]

Nālani reappears. She has located a credit-operated Fresher and used it to wash her blood from her clothes and generally clean up. Her make-up is less dramatic now, but fresh.

Looking around to check Pranit has left, she approaches the Steward:

Do you have a comm I could use? I want to make a call that won’t show up on the family account.

Nālani is playing the “cheating wife”, in the hope the Steward will accept that explanation for her not using her own comm.

Assuming she gets access to the rental comm, and some privacy to use it, Nālani calls Miya Ide, the “courier” who helped Assana and her to get back to the Queen in time for the pirate attack.

Miya, it’s Nālani. I’m running silent, but I need to contact Assana. Will you be my cut-out? I'll pay you back when it's safe. She’s on the Queen, I hope. Could you call her and check if she’s OK? If she is, ask about the Queen, tell her we found our friend and say they invited us all on a trip to see the sights and our comms are off because we want to just enjoy our own company, no interruptions. Say we’ll pick up XO’s car and return in that. I’ll wait here ten minutes for a reply, but then I’ll be gone. Don’t call this comm after then.

[BackworldTraveller]

Miya, it’s Nālani. I’m running silent, but I need to contact Assana. Will you be my cut-out? I'll pay you back when it's safe. She’s on the Queen, I hope. Could you call her and check if she’s OK? If she is, ask about the Queen, tell her we found our friend and say they invited us all on a trip to see the sights and our comms are off because we want to just enjoy our own company, no interruptions. Say we’ll pick up XO’s car and return in that. I’ll wait here ten minutes for a reply, but then I’ll be gone. Don’t call this comm after then.

Miya
I can do, but you definitely owe me.

And a few moments later the following appears as a message in the Queen's Inbox from Miya and addressed to Assana.

Message from Nālani: They'll pick up XOs Car and Return. Please acknowledge. Channel closes in 5 mins.

Assana
Captain. Urgent message from Nālani!

[joertexas]

Miya, it’s Nālani. I’m running silent, but I need to contact Assana. Will you be my cut-out? I'll pay you back when it's safe. She’s on the Queen, I hope. Could you call her and check if she’s OK? If she is, ask about the Queen, tell her we found our friend and say they invited us all on a trip to see the sights and our comms are off because we want to just enjoy our own company, no interruptions. Say we’ll pick up XO’s car and return in that. I’ll wait here ten minutes for a reply, but then I’ll be gone. Don’t call this comm after then.

Miya
I can do, but you definitely owe me.

And a few moments later the following appears as a message in the Queen's Inbox from Miya and addressed to Assana.

Message from Nālani: They'll pick up XOs Car and Return. Please acknowledge. Channel closes in 5 mins.

Assana
Captain. Urgent message from Nālani!

Indrani reads the message. "Tell them we will be waiting here."

[BackworldTraveller]

The message makes its way back from the ship to the fugitives. It arrives with just a few moments to spare before the deadline expires. Details include the orbital track being followed by the Queen, plus Hurry, and you can start earning my payment!

About 20 mins later, the ship gets a further message...

...Comm used to contact your vessel picked up by goon-squad. You owe me for this!

Meanwhile, the group at the stop-over pack up and resume their journey North. Whether the van could connect to the highway auto-guidance isn't clear - but Hebden and his friend limit it to the slow lane and manual control.

Hebden's friend, after 200km or so, pipes up - Do you think you can bring the house down without getting squished?

[The Bindoner]

Nālani quietly informs the others that she has contacted the Queen and that it is in orbit, in Indrani’s control, and waiting for us:

I spoke to the Queen. Indrani is control, and in space above us. She knows we are on our way, and is waiting.

I contracted a debt to make the connection, and that line is burned. If we want to make contact again, we will have to get someone to buy a one-use comm for us. I would not want to do that until we have a definite plan for our return.

Pranit, is your vehicle sealed, or must we acquire suits?

Hebden's friend, after 200km or so, pipes up - Do you think you can bring the house down without getting squished?

No. But I think we can help others to. I believe we have connections to people strong enough to try.

Ah! Unless you mean our house? No, the ship cannot come down, and if it does we should not be under it.

[ateno]

Pranit says his car is space worthy and can fit 6, so we should be fine.

Pranit

[BackworldTraveller]

The remainder of the journey to the pole is uneventful and unexciting. Noor and Hebden's girlfriend seem to hit it off and start nattering about this and that.

Eventually, the van arrives - too late for the vehicle pound, pulls into a transient's hostel parking bay and Hebden gets three adjacent rooms. Despite the uneventful trip, the group are exhausted and quickly sort them selves out and collapse into the comfortable beds.

To be continued in Chapter 12: Year 300, Day 10