House of Cards - PART 2 [in character]

[Eris]

DJ drinks his beer and listens to the others.

"That all sounds pretty fair and reasonable to me. I ain't got a problem with sharing, it ain't that different from being on ship. Should we secure the rooms for a week while we see how this goes? I made 40 creds this morning fixing up the system over at the grocery, I don't mind using that on these rooms, if it'll cover it. Oh, and we ought to think about the other options we already know about, I found few things out, or at least some leads, so I'll bring you up to speed on those as well so we can think about them too, the comms repair job is time sensitive."

Joe says, "Yeah, Jim and I scared up a couple of things while we were helping out at the Warehouse loading trucks. The foreman pointed out some freight that appears to have been abandoned, or lost, that we might be able to pick up for a song."

"And I don't mind sharing a room either. A hammock or even a sleeping bag with a cheap air mattress under it would do for sleeping. If we get several of these cabins for a week, we could use one as an office/meeting room and double or even triple up sleeping in the others." Joe looks up as Laura, the waitress, brings his food smiling at her, "Thanks. And I'm buying lunch for our group, so everybody order something, and bring me the bill, please."

[TheMyth]

Val mentions, "The 1 available large room had a table and chairs. That would be perfect as a meeting space. If it's still available, I'll go rent it. Should I just rent whatever's left for a week?"

[Leitz]

Jim

"As we are spending money, there are some other things to think about. How do we transport goods between customers? Herbert's cart is very useful, but we may get larger cargoes or longer deliveries. For you merchants, how is the final price impacted if we have to make a long delivery? We can likely hire a trucker to carry, but at least one of us needs to be at the delivery to ensure proper handoff."

"Who here knows, computers and comm units? We should be able to reach any of us, and have the ability to research opportunities. If we are going to form a company, that's local paperwork. It should not be an issue, but just something to take care of. A bank account, as well, with an agreement about who can make withdrawals. Having things reviewed by a lawyer would be useful, as well as considering if others want to invest funds but not do work. If someone wants to provide significant funds who is not a member of the company, how are they compensated?"

Jim will order something simple that he can share with Sophie, and stick to cold tea for beverage. When it comes time to head out, he'll see about finishing the repair job, ask Dame Schmidt about places for men's clothing, and then find a bank.

ADDENDUM Jim will grab his gear from Dame Schmidt's, and let her know that he's talking to some experienced merchants about forming a company. No details, but just keeping the conversation in her mind for later.

[atpollard]

Point of Clarification: Is the group actually leaving the bar and traveling to "Herbie's Tent" and the "Bed and Breakfast" [26] ... [in which case, I need to post] ... or is the group just discussing a future action ... [in which case, I am still in "chill" mode].

[Leitz]

I think we are still in "talk" mode, and then likely to split up for different tasks. However, the majority of the "right now" talking seems to be done, I just wanted to give folks some more to think about before we break, and the reconvene for supper.

Addendum Jim has said what he needs to say. We can break as soon as everyone else is done.

[Eris]

I think we are still in "talk" mode, and then likely to split up for different tasks. However, the majority of the "right now" talking seems to be done, I just wanted to give folks some more to think about before we break, and the reconvene for supper.

Addendum Jim has said what he needs to say. We can break as soon as everyone else is done.

OOC: Joe will be heading out with Jim, he promised to help with that repair.

OOC: Do we notice a man with a rifle come into the Bar & Grill?

"Jim, you make good points. Admin is going to be our first and foremost need. Getting a legal partnership agreement, a business license, a bank account is probably first order of business if we're serious. I've dealt with government officials and red tape in my past life, but I've never actually put a business together. Any of you done that before?" Joe asks and then continues, "And then we're going to need transport if we're going to be moving any sort of freight. I think several of us can drive, but we don't have a vehicle...yet. I suppose we could try to hire someone and their truck. We met several truckers and the foreman at the Warehouse earlier. However, it might be best to do local deals first with lower tonnage before trying to make longer and larger deliveries of goods."

"You know, I'm still intrigued by that Comm job at the pole, too." Joe muses, "That's a lot of money if that million plus is right, and we know DJ is a wizard at repairing most sorts of Electronics, including Comm units. We'd just need a way to get there and get back without getting eaten by whatever is up there."

[Eris]

Val mentions, "The 1 available large room had a table and chairs. That would be perfect as a meeting space. If it's still available, I'll go rent it. Should I just rent whatever's left for a week?"

"Yes, the big room, yeah. Maybe the whole she bang! As long as the owner doesn't object to us basically taking over his B&B." Joe says with a grin, "What did you say the rates were by the week?"

[atpollard]

2:25 PM “District 0, Building 12” - Bar & Diner [12]

T.C.B. … The group has been gathered at the table and Taking Care of Business (with things going well and progress being made). The first indication that anything had changed was the sudden ceasing of background noise.

Mick: “G’day” came an off-world accent as the newest patron greeted Gloria and headed towards a bar stool.

He’ll enter, take a stool at the bar, and unsling his fancy rifle to lean it against the bar by his knee. He’ll ask for the burger special.

The individual causing the disturbance was dressed in a reptile jacket and sporting a large rifle with a large scope and a large bore … at first guess, designed to take out rabid vehicles or buildings.
As he waited for Earl to cook his food, he turned to the group to inquire “ How’s the hunting around here, anyway? Get much call for Wilderness Expeditions or Camping Excursions?”

[Eris]

2:25 PM “District 0, Building 12” - Bar & Diner [12]

T.C.B. … The group has been gathered at the table and Taking Care of Business (with things going well and progress being made). The first indication that anything had changed was the sudden ceasing of background noise.

Mick: “G’day” came an off-world accent as the newest patron greeted Gloria and headed towards a bar stool.

He’ll enter, take a stool at the bar, and unsling his fancy rifle to lean it against the bar by his knee. He’ll ask for the burger special.

The individual causing the disturbance was dressed in a reptile jacket and sporting a large rifle with a large scope and a large bore … at first guess, designed to take out rabid vehicles or buildings.
As he waited for Earl to cook his food, he turned to the group to inquire “ How’s the hunting around here, anyway? Get much call for Wilderness Expeditions or Camping Excursions?”

Joe will swivel in his chair at the sound of Hogan's voice and look at him hard.

OOC: If you want to use this...I rolled to see if Joe knows Hogan from the past...yeah he does.

Okay, how about we say Joe was on both sides of a bar fight with Mick back on Cobalt about 12 years ago. The fight was between a crew of Spacers (including him) and some workers at the Cobalt Starport (including Mick). During the fight Hogan and Black took a break to lean against the bar, drink a beer, and then went back to fighting until a squad of Squids butted in! At that point they were on the same side of the fight. Then the local Port Cops and Shore Patrol descended upon everyone. After that they shared a cell for the next few hours swapping stories until Joe got bailed out by his Captain. He then proceeded to bail Mick out...who still owes him 50 credits for doing so, by the way!

"I don't believe it!" Joe mutters then breaks into a grin, "Is that Mick Hogan from Cobalt? What the bloody two sticks are you doing here on Beau?"

"Dressed like that!" Joe stands and steps over to Hogan holding out his hand, "I'm Joe Black, the guy who bailed you out and still own 50 cred's to. But if you don't remember me from the bar fight and jail I won't be surprised. I hit you with that bar stool hard enough to scramble your brains if I recall correctly."

[Thumper]

That sounds about right for Mick's type of behavior. However, in character, he's been on Beau for 16 years. Maybe right before Mick's family moved to Beau? I think Jim and I worked out another connection as well.

Oi, mate? I can't believe ya recognized me. If ya hadn't told me the story to remember, I woulda walked right past ya!! You drunk jackasses crashed my combined comiin’ of age and going away party with me friends…and we were havin’ it! Oh, I remember, you punch like a sheila.

He looks over Joe’s shoulder at Val and gives an apologetic shrug…SOC 3.

Oh? I don't even remember you owed me 50cr. Ya shoulda kept your mouth shut.

Mick winks at Joe. He fishes in his pocket for a second then flips Joe 50cr.

Even now. I hate that kinda thing hangin' over me head.

What about me clothes, huh? I can hunt you up a skin just like it...but you wouldn't rock it like I do. Ya, people in the city don't much like the way we dress out in the bush.

Moved here right after that fight… maybe that’s why they didn’t charge me with under-age drinkin’. Had a thriving water sports and outdoor adventure business for long time. Things kinda went south recently...ain't feelin' like talkin about it. I'm back to hiring out as a hunting and adventure guide again. Hey, know anyone wants to spend some time in the bush? Any clime really?

[shaidar]

DJ

DJ is about to tell Joe what he found out about the arctic job when the new guy turns up. He drinks his beer, listens, and doesn't seem that interested until...

"You're a hunter? You know anything about arctic critters?"

[Thumper]

DJ

"You're a hunter? You know anything about arctic critters?"

Mick turns to DJ:
Ya, sure. Uh… To both questions.

[shaidar]

DJ

"Any idea what might be able to eat a whole group of people and leave nothing, and I mean nothing including equipment, apart from a huge blood stain?"

[Thumper]

Mick

Like everywhere else, the polar climes have their own share of predators and prey. Just more sparse. Some species on the Northern Arctic are different than the Southern Arctic.

I was just watching some of the videos. Seems to be the rage, er, trending news right now. But newsies NEVER get it right…ignorance, arrogance, negligence, or malfeasance. They sell whatever cow plop people purchase.

I can tell you unequivocally what caused that repair team and all that gear to completely vanish…a predator that walks on two legs….a sentient species. Nothing indigenous in the wild there could do that. No, this is not a force of nature.

You seem really interested in this.

[shaidar]

DJ

"That thought crossed my mind too. I know someone who spent four years delivering in the artic and he says he saw some crazy stuff when it came to critters. I need to have a proper chat with him. Who wouldn't be interested in a job that currently pays over a million creds? That's a lot of beer!"

[Thumper]

Mick unbuttons the top few buttons on his shirt and exposes the right side of his chest to reveal 4 nasty looking long skinny parallel scars…a claw wound.

This is what “crazy stuff” in the Arctic wilds looks like. An Ice Leopard. The worst predator I’ve ever seen. Far worse than a White Lion. There’s some weird stuff involved in that story, but ya gotta buy me a couple beers to earn the right to hear “The Rest Of The Story”. I’ll give ya the short story…he didn’t kill me, and I didn’t kill him. We somehow made a kind of … peace? It was totally freakish! Something I haven’t ever been able to explain.

Uhm, from what I read a few minutes ago, the reward for the repair of that comm facility diminishes each day. I’d jump right on the job if I could find a guy expert in electronics and comm equipment along with a few others to form a support team. The guys I got are too far away to recruit and respond in a timely fashion.

[shaidar]

DJ gives the rest of the group some serious glances.

"The army will be turning up to do the job in fourteen days. The price drops by 100k each day at noon. Of course, ya can't spend it if you're dead, and if it's people and not creatures then in some ways that's worse."

[Thumper]

What ya say is certainly true. But that doesn’t scare me much. I’ve hunted men…and women before. Volunteered many times to track down the lost…usually children or nobles with more credits than sense. I guess those two people are kinda the same thing. Other times it’s been ta track down criminals hiding out in the bush and needed a good ass-kicking, or they abducted victims that needed saving. Criminal tracking I usually get hired by law enforcement, because it gets dangerous…and cops can’t handle it.

The challenging jobs are when a bushman goes bad…or loco. People who know their way around the backcountry…those man-hunts are the best sport. In fact, they’re the most challenging of any sport I’ve ever done! And I imagine I’ve done the lot of ‘em. In those man-hunts, the hunters also become the hunted.

Say, y’all don’t happen to know an electronics expert ‘round here, do ya?

During this dialog, he keeps looking over at Jim. Something about Jim looks familiar.

[Eris]

What ya say is certainly true. But that doesn’t scare me much. I’ve hunted men…and women before. Volunteered many times to track down the lost…usually children or nobles with more credits than sense. I guess those two people are kinda the same thing. Other times it’s been ta track down criminals hiding out in the bush and needed a good ass-kicking, or they abducted victims that needed saving. Criminal tracking I usually get hired by law enforcement, because it gets dangerous…and cops can’t handle it.

The challenging jobs are when a bushman goes bad…or loco. People who know their way around the backcountry…those man-hunts are the best sport. In fact, they’re the most challenging of any sport I’ve ever done! And I imagine I’ve done the lot of ‘em. In those man-hunts, the hunters also become the hunted.

Say, y’all don’t happen to know an electronics expert ‘round here, do ya?

Joe leans back against the bar and listens, then snorts and nods toward DJ, "You want to take that one DJ or do you need me blow your horn for you?"

"Question." Joe says after a bit, "Who benefits mostfrom that Comm array going down up there in the Arctic? A competing company? A rebel group? A criminal gang? If we had an idea of who and why, it might give a leg up on how to deal with them."

"For example, if it was criminals, I'd want to take it down right before I ran the job, then I wouldn't care when it got back on line. Rebels...are there any on Beau?...anyway, they are usually hit, disrupt, and run. Would they stick around to take out a repair team? As for a company, yeah, they'd take it down and keep it down until they bled their competition dry, but would this do it?"

[shaidar]

DJ just smiles at Joe's comment and looks at Mick

"Someone to do the repair ain't the issue, it's staying alive to collect the pay that's the issue. I heard the companies shares have majorly dropped since this started, it's not making them look good."