Chapter 10: Year 300, Days 7 and 8

[BackworldTraveller]

The program was transmitting a codeword to a specific number, so it is probable whoever operated it is it has been notified of its discovery. I have disconnected and purged the comm system, so no further exchanges can take place. If I can recover the number, will you share information on whatever it connects to? The security of the ship and the lives of several of its crew, are at risk, and knowledge of the threat is scarce.

If possible, yes. We'd like to find who stole our items and if this leads to them, then that will be helpful to us both.

[The Bindoner]

Very well, I will look for the information when we have the time.

Nālani had not, in fact, purged the data, she merely disconnected the computer, so it is easily available.

[ateno]

Moving along

We agree to purchase 8 10mm auto pistols
laser sights for each
3 20 pound magazines
AP ammo to fill each mag
1000 extra rounds of AP
(1480 rounds total)
We will be willing to pay extra for immediate delivery.

After that is taken care of we will head to Yacht club.

Pranit

[BackworldTraveller]

Moving along

We agree to purchase 8 10mm auto pistols
laser sights for each
3 20 pound magazines
AP ammo to fill each mag
1000 extra rounds of AP
(1480 rounds total)
We will be willing to pay extra for immediate delivery.

After that is taken care of we will head to Yacht club.

Pranit

The shop takes payment up-front and agrees to deliver the weapons to the dock where the queen is landed. They issue a receipt for the cash!

[ateno]

The shop takes payment up-front and agrees to deliver the weapons to the dock where the queen is landed. They issue a receipt for the cash!

I thank her for her assistance and find a taxi and the two of us head to the Yacht Club.

Pranit

[BackworldTraveller]

They gun-smith by the yacht club has a discrete front door - again of the airlock variety. There is a window that displays no guns, just some quality engraving, hand-made cases and a selection of various optics. There is a plaque over the airlock that just states "Walliams" in 20cm high letters. If you didn't know where it was, it wouldn't jump out as a gun-smiths.

There is a slight delay at the lock - and you are met by a well dressed young man, when the outer-door opens, who enquires Good Afternoon. May I enquire whom you are representing?

Upon replying that you are the Executive Officer of the Queen of the Belt, he ushers you inside.

Sorry about the security. After the attack yesterday, we are being a little careful about who we let in to our small arsenal.

Inside, you are directed to an alcove where a second person appears and takes hot-drinks orders.

Behind a transparent wall, an immaculate workshop is visible with a small group of crafters working diligently on various pieces. One of the workers appears to inlaying a pistol grip with gems.

Your host notices you looking...That is our finishing workshop. The crystaliron foundry is, obviously, in a zero-G environment that we cannot supply here. The new contra-grav doesn't quite replicate the growth conditions we can achieve in the old facility. By comparison the new bio-fabricators work better in this artificial gravity field than they did even under natural gravity and we have now got our own lab on-site. But the assembly and finishing is undertaken right here on our premises.

The level of personal attention each piece appears to be receiving make you both wonder about how much the ship will be paying...how many zeros will be added to the price of their weapons. (You vaguely recall that their shotguns started at Cr5000!).

After a moment, in which your drinks are served...
We are pleased that Ms en-Sabah has considered our establishment. An unexpected surprise. How can we help?

[BackworldTraveller]

Very well, I will look for the information when we have the time.

Nālani had not, in fact, purged the data, she merely disconnected the computer, so it is easily available.

Meanwhile back at the ship:

That is good. And now, if Ms en-Sabah is available, I have some news for her. You may wish to listen-in as this will affect the ship's security too.

[cybersavant]

Reven Stiilpahth sits in his room and scans through the chips. He stops and hits the comm. "Captain, Reven here. I think you come to my quarters. I have something to show you."


Once the Captain enters his room : "Look at the info on this chip."

This chip contains various details

A copy of Raoul Pinto's Astrogator's Certificate

Several images of Raoul with other people - includes

A woman and child (Assana?)
Several with Capt Celisse and another merchant identified as Ulysses Beekes on several different dates and in several different locations (Some locations are potentially identifiable)
Several pictures of Raoul and other people (again possibly identifiable and some may be recognisable from this cache)

A copy of two messages dated about a week before the Queen was boarded.
Received from Yoshi.Major@TaskForceStarflight.org: Do you think you can install it?
Sent to the same address: I think Raoul may suspect me. I'll need to install it as late as possible so that if he spots something, he'll have no time to react.

There are also entries from after the arrest of the vessel.

His address on J897-2213-122
A picture of a Freetown passport with his details and the name Raoul Simone.

[ateno]

After a moment, in which your drinks are served...
We are pleased that Ms en-Sabah has considered our establishment. An unexpected surprise. How can we help?

Well Sir, I have to admit that I did not expect this level of exactness at a stoe with such a innocuous name. Unfortunately I am not in the market for a custom piece as yourself, I was told you might be able to help us with finding a couple of these? Ne brings out his hand comp and projects the pics of the laser batteries. So its in correct orientation for him."

Pranit

[BackworldTraveller]

After a moment, in which your drinks are served...
We are pleased that Ms en-Sabah has considered our establishment. An unexpected surprise. How can we help?

Well Sir, I have to admit that I did not expect this level of exactness at a stoe with such a innocuous name. Unfortunately I am not in the market for a custom piece as yourself, I was told you might be able to help us with finding a couple of these? Ne brings out his hand comp and projects the pics of the laser batteries. So its in correct orientation for him."

Pranit

Ah, a simple request...no doubt you have discovered with a less than simple answer. You are, no doubt, aware that these have not been manufactured for some time? We have (he looks at his hand-held) one in stock that might be considered saleable. I'd assume that Ms en-Sabah will be the documented purchaser? So much less paperwork that way.

You notice the price tag...About twice what you'd have hoped for.

Now if you truly require a second, we could commission one, but there will be some delay as we would out-source the construction - and as a bespoke piece it will take a little time to organise a designer. There is little cause for these any longer. Alternatively, we could seek for an older model - but those can be hard to find and unreliable - and reliability is key to a good weapon, I find.

The assistant returns to the earlier subject

And Ms en Sabah? It would be an honour to be known to have helped such a well known and prestigious person - even if the prestige has arisen under such tragic circumstances.

[joertexas]

Once the Captain enters his room : "Look at the info on this chip."

Indrani, who had excused herself with their visitor, sighs and closes her eyes for a moment. "We really need to talk together before we proceed with removing that chip." She steps out and addresses their visitor. "My apologies, but I'm not prepared to turn over the chip to you at this moment. I will contact you later this evening, and we can set an appointment for tomorrow so you can recover your property."

[Monsieur Rose]

Noor

Did she ever manage to find a firearm?

She starts to move to meet the newcomer but stops to verify his image on her phone. Assuming things check out, she enters and greets him.

"Ah. Just the man I've been looking for. I am Noor en-Sabah and I hear you have an update for me?"

[BackworldTraveller]

Noor

Did she ever manage to find a firearm?

She starts to move to meet the newcomer but stops to verify his image on her phone. Assuming things check out, she enters and greets him.

"Ah. Just the man I've been looking for. I am Noor en-Sabah and I hear you have an update for me?"

A "Liberated" auto-pistol from one of the borders - partly loaded. More of a hand cannon than a handbag weapon

Ma'am. I do. I do.

He looks about for someone to make Coffee...and starts towards the newly installed coffee machine himself.

We have been informed that the group that attacked the Queen is definitely the same group that attacked you on Touchdown. We suspected as much, but one of the dead gangsters' girlfriends that the local police detained has told us that her partner had been told that the attack was to finish a job and that he'd overheard the terrorists' leader talking.

Quoting the woman's story of the overheard conversation: Of course it's embarrassing that we missed her. If Saffa hadn't died we'd have wound this up before the bitches found the link to the Finns. Anyway - he's comprehensively cleaning house - not only that side, but the courier crews and anyone who was involved in that.

Continuing, And so, we don't believe that this is over. We recommend that you get out of the belt. These people are linked to groups that are linked to pirates - go somewhere where Pirates have a hard time, not here where the whole structure is different groups of Pirates competing to be recognised as a legitimate Navy. Saffa's body is related to the Queen, the Assassins and through them the Pirates, and (infamously) Starflight.

The only Finns we know of are an apparently innocuous national group of settlers scattered across the system and not (as far as we knew) organised. As a group, they do seem to have links to all sorts of places - generally low level. What they are up to isn't at all clear.

[ateno]

Now if you truly require a second, we could commission one, but there will be some delay as we would out-source the construction - and as a bespoke piece it will take a little time to organize a designer. There is little cause for these any longer. Alternatively, we could seek for an older model - but those can be hard to find and unreliable - and reliability is key to a good weapon, I find.

"We will take the one you have for now, I will inform her of your possibility to make one from scratch. Ms en Sabah has given me her credit number for this sale."

The assistant returns to the earlier subject

And Ms en Sabah? It would be an honour to be known to have helped such a well known and prestigious person - even if the prestige has arisen under such tragic circumstances.

"Yes I am luck to count her as a friend and that I can provide a small service for her. May I have a info chip on your business and custom items?"

Pranit

[BackworldTraveller]

The assistant seems to take the brush-off with equanimity, and provides the chip requested - and charges the account Cr300 for the battery pack, charger and a nice box to keep them in.

and with that he shows the pair out, politely.

As a first look at the open space in front of the Yacht Club it is impressive. The side of the mountain is glazed over with a huge transparent curtain - it looks spectacular. The edge is set with a series of tables, and a small cabana at one side is supplying beverages to those seated there. The ceiling has an ancient looking shuttle-craft hung from it - clearly well used. (A vague recollection suggests that this is "The Blue Dragon" - the first of the landers to touchdown at Touchdown.)

The Racing Association Building has an impressive frontage with a spectacular balcony from which the clubs grand announcements are made and on which the winners are paraded.

Around the square are the bars and clubs and hotels associated with the racing fraternity. They look slightly less plush than you might have expected...but the war may have been partially responsible for that.

[ateno]

Pranit goes to hail a cab for them both and head back to the ship.

[Monsieur Rose]

Noor

She listens to the news stoically, only furrowing her brow when he mentions the link to the Finns. Finally, she nods at his assessment. "Thank you for coming to tell me personally and confirming the suspicion. Do you have any leads on who this leader is?"

"Leaving the belt is good counsel." She smiles and continues "It would simplify many things. But forgive me if I'm being blunt, it's been a rough week. Are you saying that local law enforcement isn't up to the task of handling the Pirates? Is the Belt so lawless, or is it just a practical reality?"

"Now about that data chip. I don't expect you to tell me everything, and I probably won't understand half of it anyway, but could you please give me the meta rundown of what it does? And why someone would deem it necessary to install on the Queen?"

[BackworldTraveller]

Noor

She listens to the news stoically, only furrowing her brow when he mentions the link to the Finns. Finally, she nods at his assessment. "Thank you for coming to tell me personally and confirming the suspicion. Do you have any leads on who this leader is?"

"Leaving the belt is good counsel." She smiles and continues "It would simplify many things. But forgive me if I'm being blunt, it's been a rough week. Are you saying that local law enforcement isn't up to the task of handling the Pirates? Is the Belt so lawless, or is it just a practical reality?"

"Now about that data chip. I don't expect you to tell me everything, and I probably won't understand half of it anyway, but could you please give me the meta rundown of what it does? And why someone would deem it necessary to install on the Queen?"

I'm sort of in the same boat about the chip - but I understand the purpose of this type of chip is to prevent the owner's access to the computer while allowing access to the vessel or building to another. It's quite sophisticated, I understand and can also be used to suppress or replace sensor data from security systems, block communications (or forward them) and generally do its best to prevent itself being removed.

And It took the locals some decade or so to suppress the pirates, and - it seems - failed to do that completely. The pirates may have gone but the Navy's main forces were just another gang of pirates as far as I'm concerned. Many of whom changed sides at least once. Officially, of course, we admire the Belt's successful operations

And the leader of the Finns? So far we haven't managed to break their cover...but we will. They have worked secretly for some time and it's surprising we haven't found a connection before...but now we know where to look we will find something.

[SpinwardMarch]

Maggie

She has been listening to Captain Schultz's information, and is surprised at the connections. She had only heard mention of the "Finns" during general briefings.

This is all interesting, and I am glad I recognized that chip from the reports. I wonder how much it has to do with the ship's computer AI.

She looks at Noor to see if she will tell Schultz a bit about the unusual AI.

[Monsieur Rose]

Noor

She returns the look and speaks to Schultz. "So with that level of sophistication, am I right to say that it could interact with any system it has access to and that the results would be unpredictable? If it uses whatever it can to keep from being removed, who knows what havoc it could play when attached to an AI." Noor pauses and considers. "Can you tell me if it uses an AI of its own, or is there a remote user directing things?"

"How old is this prototype, and is it the latest version? I guess what I'm asking is if there are more in circulation."