Chapter 13: To Asteroid B0510-5428

[BackworldTraveller]

"OK, Who wants to come with me."

Pranit would like at least 1 other person.

As he leaves he will ask the people taking care to do a rush job on loading the stuff and such.

"I have cash Dosts."

He heads to the temp residential area looking for the buddy.

Pranit

Nālani looks up from the Pilot's console:

I will go with you, when I have settled the Queen, if you do not object. I, too, need to resupply. Just give me time to change.

It will be interesting to meet Heavenites. What do you think? Conservative dress, to put them at ease? Something provocative, to unsettle? Or Belter, to be disregarded?

Maggie suggests Provocative. They never really get Women that do their own thing. They are clearly trying to unsettle us. Let's let them under-estimate you.

Shall I follow at a distance? A nearby help but not so close they feel like they aren't in control?

Assana, surprisingly, asks to stay with the Captain. I don't speak Hindi well she admits And if there is trouble, I'll just be in the way.

She sets up at the watch station

I'll see what I can see from here.

[cybersavant]

Reven Stiilpahth "I'll stay onboard, prep the engines in case we need to make an unscheduled departure ... unless you have other duties for me, Captain?"

[ateno]

I will go with you, when I have settled the Queen, if you do not object. I, too, need to resupply. Just give me time to change.

"Thank you."

It will be interesting to meet Heavenites. What do you think? Conservative dress, to put them at ease? Something provocative, to unsettle? Or Belter, to be disregarded?

"They have been thru the ringer, so dress is just the dress of outsiders or unbelievers, I beleive the action is nore, disturbing?.... He an acquaintance, so lets not dress like a kyabajō hey?"

Pranit checks on all his equipment and checks his vacc suit, then remembers and uploads his insurance information for his car.

"lets go."

[joertexas]

"It's more likely that it was sent here ahead of us from elsewhere," Indrani observes. "I will stay here to command the ship while you go talk to them."

Clearly not a subscriber to the Star Trek method of away teams!

[joertexas]

Reven Stiilpahth "I'll stay onboard, prep the engines in case we need to make an unscheduled departure ... unless you have other duties for me, Captain?"

"No, that's fine," Indrani replies. "I will try to not cause any more damage to the Queen, but be ready for damage control, just in case."

[BackworldTraveller]

The ship "lands" at a boom on the rotational axis of the asteroid in a simple docking manoeuvre, and the team prepares for the meeting.

Pranit, Nālani and Maggie meet at the airlock.

[ateno]

Pranit, Nālani and Maggie meet at the airlock.

Shall I follow at a distance? A nearby help but not so close they feel like they aren't in control?

Never 100% comfortable with women when there is a slight chance of word getting back to his mother he agrees. "Sure."

Putting his piston gloves on his belt and utility knife on his hip he does a final check and calls the bridge.

"Breaking seal Bridge, Pranit,Nālani and Maggie on shore party, will monitor Queen channel 2, over."

Turning to the other two, "Shall we ladies, its about 1 kilometer and a couple skinny lanes.

[BackworldTraveller]

Maggie lets the first two depart, taking the intervening time to ensure the ship is connected to dock-services: The foul-water tanks need pumping out for a start.

On the bridge, Assana reports I have radio contact with the party and can monitor them through the base video. Maggie is just setting off now.

The computer is displaying three screens with Pranit/Nālani together on one; the Queen's own entry way in the second and Maggie's progress in the third. On a fourth it has a 3-d image of the base corridors...though the images and map differ slightly. Clearly, things come and go and the map gets left behind.

[joertexas]

Maggie lets the first two depart, taking the intervening time to ensure the ship is connected to dock-services: The foul-water tanks need pumping out for a start.

On the bridge, Assana reports I have radio contact with the party and can monitor them through the base video. Maggie is just setting off now.

The computer is displaying three screens with Pranit/Nālani together on one; the Queen's own entry way in the second and Maggie's progress in the third. On a fourth it has a 3-d image of the base corridors...though the images and map differ slightly. Clearly, things come and go and the map gets left behind.

Indrani also brings up the ship's passive sensors, carefully checking that the actives are locked out to avoid irradiating someone. She keys the comm. "Reven, can you take care of fueling and the other maintenance? I'm staying on watch here, since there's a lot going on."

[The Bindoner]

Nālani puts her Stunner in her bag and checks her appearance in the black screen of her sleeping comm, the battery temporarily disconnected by her personally installed modification.

I will need to buy a local comm, or chip, as soon as possible.

As she walks with Pranit into the station:

You seem to know this Barnabas we are about to meet. Is there anything you can share with me about him, and your relationship? I will, of course, follow your lead, since you have a connection.

She walks quietly for a while before speaking again:

Do you think you can get me into a game here? I know there will be no casino, but I have never visited a station where there was not at least a social game. I promise not to shark.


Speaking of such things, what are the main products here, Pranit? We ought to fill the Queen with whatever it is, because we are not in a position to take freight and the ship needs to earn.

edited

[BackworldTraveller]

Nālani puts her Stunner in her bag and checks her appearance in the black screen of her sleeping comm, the battery temporarily disconnected by her personally installed modification.

I will need to buy a local comm, or chip, as soon as possible.

As she walks with Pranit into the station:

You seem to know this Barnabas we are about to meet. Is there anything you can share with me about him, and your relationship? I will, of course, follow your lead, since you have a connection.

She walks quietly for a while before speaking again:

Do you think you can get me into a game here? I know there will be no casino, but I have never visited a station where there was not at least a social game. I promise not to shark.


Speaking of such things, what are the main products here, Pranit? We ought to fill the Queen with whatever it is, because we are not in a position to take freight and the ship needs to earn.

edited

The Market is really the only place to buy or sell anything - Chips, Cargo, News. As a working mine, the only real exports are the various ores extracted. And some hand-crafted pieces of art that are shipped system wide (Aanchal) or less distantly (the other various artists).

Gambling is an off-duty entertainment that is mostly between friends for penny-ante. Outsiders seeking to join in are viewed with suspicion.

About 10% of the population is related (in one form or other) to Pranit!

[ateno]

You seem to know this Barnabas we are about to meet. Is there anything you can share with me about him, and your relationship? I will, of course, follow your lead, since you have a connection.

Well, I think he was captain of the ship that shadowed the Queen while she was in Orbit at Sparks. He's supposedly a fixer. As he's now got his own ship, probably a lucky one. During the recent war he was reputed to be running espionage-ops against both sides.

rest covered by GM

[cybersavant]

Indrani also brings up the ship's passive sensors, carefully checking that the actives are locked out to avoid irradiating someone. She keys the comm. "Reven, can you take care of fueling and the other maintenance? I'm staying on watch here, since there's a lot going on."

Reven Stiilpahth "Right, on it, Captain." He heads off to see to the task, stopping off at his quarters first to arm himself.

[BackworldTraveller]

The Watchers on the bridge can see a single track - it looks like a small belter runabout - heading to the Market's asteroid. It is coming from a nearby inhabited rock so it looks legit.

They can also see the procession of Pranit, Nālani and then Maggie making their way across the station and the external pottering of Reven as he seeks arrangements for fuel. Assana also finds the coverage for the various docking areas. Every one is monitored. About 16 are occupied - all with small craft of various types. One is a 40 dTon atmosphere capable craft sporting a Havenite registration number in dark-grey on black. It's at a dock at the far end of the mine.

Finally, they conclude that there are gaps in the networked camera coverage. The Cameras in the main cavern cover the two major entrances, and the stalls immediately to each side, but much of the surface is out of sight. The single exception is an assay stall, behind which is what looks remarkably like a vault!

---

The Market itself is a series of stalls about a cavern. Each stall sits on a small area of grav-plating so that the surface of the Cavern is generally "down". The main passage definition of "Down" twists to align with that floor. It isn't a great set up and the whole experience of moving along the passage is one of variable grav and thus quite disorienting.

Assana and Indrani observe the procession get, unmolested, to the market entrance.

Reven finds a local near the docking port that will rent the ship an ice-Slusher at Cr50 per shift, together with hosing. You'll need a bucket of ice though - Talk to Harmanpreet about getting that. He sells small lots for fuel. He gives you contact details.

He also notes that there is no docking fee, and that they'll pay Cr90 in market credit for your "recyclables".

[cybersavant]

Reven Stiilpahth thanks him and then activates his comm to the Queen. "Captain, i'm off to find a man called Harmanpreet for ice. We can rent an ice-slusher for 50cr per shift, and we can sell our recyclables for 90." Reven heads off as instructed to chat with Harmanpreet.

[joertexas]

Reven Stiilpahth thanks him and then activates his comm to the Queen. "Captain, i'm off to find a man called Harmanpreet for ice. We can rent an ice-slusher for 50cr per shift, and we can sell our recyclables for 90." Reven heads off as instructed to chat with Harmanpreet.

"Don't go too far," Indrani cautions. "I will need you here if something bad shows up."

[BackworldTraveller]

Assana designates another screen for tracking Reven as he wanders about the station.

---

Back at the Curry Market, Pranit and Nālani recognise why this cavern got its name...The smell of food, the raw spices, and the odours of the clientele permeates the place. The air cyclers don't appear to be entirely effective at filtering out the general fug.

Pranit is surrounded by a gaggle of small children - Uncle Pranit, Uncle Pranit! What did you bring us? He recognises one or two of the older ones and whose the others belong to is escaping his memory.

Nālani gains her own tail - more distant and content to view the unusual dress and (presumably) foreign and dangerous creature that wears it. Fascinated - like watching a poisonous spider in the corner of the room.

For an out-of-the-way belter location, it is unusual in that there are almost no weapons in sight. It is clear that there is a religious dimension to this for there is a well endowed shrine in pride of place in the cavern.

What is clear is that much of the "Floor" space is broken up by sound-proof walls and booths and shop-spaces. Getting lost is impossible as you can see the layout above and beside you as you walk around the inner surface. One of the more interesting features is a ladder with a large mattress at the bottom that the children use as a jumping game. She guesses it's nearly zero-g at the top!

Pranit is in danger of being swept into an area occupied by a cousin - A curry-stall with tables.

Maggie finds a stall and purchases a local head-dress. Donning that, she becomes much less obvious - but she is clearly not the kind of person that dissembles well! She settles at a tea-stall with no roof that gives a good view.

A group of three Heavenites is sat at a table on the "Roof" of a stall. They appear to be wearing formal uniforms of the New Heaven System Defence Force or the New Heaven Department of Public Morals. Barnabas is wearing the uniform of a Dean(O4) in the space force; The others are an Inquisitor(P3) and a Compartment Leader (E4) but with Medals and Campaign Ribbons from front-line service and a nasty burn-mark on his neck/chin.

---

Raven find Harmanpreet relatively quickly - it's not far from the dock and appears to be an office by an airlock.

[ateno]

Pranit walks in, smelling everything and smiling ear to ear.

He walks into to the store and greets his cousin warmly, "Namaste cousin Kashivi, I hope you and your business is well. May I have 2 helpings of Bisibelebhath for myself and my friend.

He places a 100 credit coin on the table.

"Please cover their tab and give each of the family outside a 1 credit coin, as I don't have any sweets for them

He points up to the Heavenites and to the dozen and a half children.

"Shall we? And smile openly."

Pranit

Pranit smiles and begins the ladder.

"So why did you not tell us you were following us, I had you since the first turn. We almost dropped a mine for you to find."

[cybersavant]

Raven find Harmanpreet relatively quickly - it's not far from the dock and appears to be an office by an airlock.

Reven Stiilpahth "Hello. I'm told i can buy ice from you."

[The Bindoner]

Nālani walks with Pranit through the station, a quiet shadow. She takes in the details of her surroundings without staring like a tourist. If she sees a stall selling electronics she enquires about reconditioned comms.



He points up to the Heavenites and to the dozen and a half children.

"Shall we? And smile openly."


Smiling falsely is not something I make a habit of, but I will try.

She makes a grotesque caricature of a smile, which amuses her enough to provoke a genuine (though not exactly broad) one.

You lead, I will look decorative, until it seems useful to interject.