004: The Mean Streets of Aki

[Thumper]

Walt-
"I'd be happy to show you exactly what I discovered. Lots of this." and he clunks a small chunk of hull skin from the broken up ship they spread around the site.

"You've probably got a bunch of that already. But stuff like that should always be good for materials science and engineering though. Even with our workshop, there's things about that I can't figure out. You may. Lots of that, big and little, of another ship's debris. Maybe it was battle damage that rained down on the surface...maybe the result of an internal explosion or a collision. I don't know. It's a good thing our asks are not for great sums of money.

If only there were Ancients robots and droids...that would really be something..." he says with a grin!

[terrymixon]

Walt-
"I'd be happy to show you exactly what I discovered. Lots of this." and he clunks a small chunk of hull skin from the broken up ship they spread around the site.

"You've probably got a bunch of that already. But stuff like that should always be good for materials science and engineering though. Even with our workshop, there's things about that I can't figure out. You may. Lots of that, big and little, of another ship's debris. Maybe it was battle damage that rained down on the surface...maybe the result of an internal explosion or a collision. I don't know. It's a good thing our asks are not for a lot of money.

If only there were Ancients robots and droids...that would really be something..." he says with a grin!

"Do we really have to play this game?" she asked with a sigh. "Should I start deducting percentages because you're wasting my time? If you have something more--and I think you do--then trot it out. Otherwise, I'll take the battery and head back to my cruise ship and the suffocating presence of the Captain of Knowledge."

Roscoe on the neural comm: "Am I missing something? We planted the ship out there and have all the video of us 'exploring' it for her. I took this battery from the stock I planted in the cargo hold. The goal wasn't just to get what we needed, but to start a rush to that area of space to get them away from the real base. Why are we dancing around the big reveal? What am I missing? She seems primed to do what we want."

[helvorn]

William speaks up. "I will be blunt as I have no wish to annoy your husband." He smiled at Garvin and winked. "We found a ship and a debris field. That's all of our cards on the table. We can take you there right now if you wish." He sat back and nibbled on one of the cookies and raised it toward Roscoe with an appreciative smile.

I am barely caught up to the reading so I assume by description is good enough. William would be better informed if I have made any mistakes

My availability is spotty lately so I wanted to get things rolling. Please assume William will be okay with the consensus of the group if I am away from the keyboard.

[Thumper]

Walt-
Oh yeah, I think there WERE robots and droids. Inside that odd looking silver egg of a ship. Ya know, that one, not far from the debris field. And more of what Roscoe handed over.

[joertexas]

Walt-
Oh yeah, I think there WERE robots and droids. Inside that odd looking silver egg of a ship. Ya know, that one, not far from the debris field. And more of what Roscoe handed over.

"Oh, you gave it all away," Jaelah says from her seat at the bar.

[terrymixon]

William speaks up. "I will be blunt as I have no wish to annoy your husband." He smiled at Garvin and winked. "We found a ship and a debris field. That's all of our cards on the table. We can take you there right now if you wish." He sat back and nibbled on one of the cookies and raised it toward Roscoe with an appreciative smile.

I am barely caught up to the reading so I assume by description is good enough. William would be better informed if I have made any mistakes

My availability is spotty lately so I wanted to get things rolling. Please assume William will be okay with the consensus of the group if I am away from the keyboard.

Walt-
Oh yeah, I think there WERE robots and droids. Inside that odd looking silver egg of a ship. Ya know, that one, not far from the debris field. And more of what Roscoe handed over.

Now it doesn't take any effort to see that she is virtually quivering in her seat though she is trying to suppress her reaction. "A ship, you say? Or part of one? Even that would be an amazing find."

"How about an undamaged one that still seems functional?" Roscoe asked.

Her eyes whipped over to him. "Are you joking? Do not torment me like this."

The screen over the kitchen comes to life and shows the dart hanging in space. Her eyes widen and she doesn't even seem to be breathing. She starts to say something, but a montage of images from inside the ship start playing: the airlock you "figured out" how to open, the corridors and rooms of the ship with the lights and life support on, the engineering spaces with the tiny drives, the cargo bay filled with Ancients droids and several small crates filled with various bric-a-brac and at least two dozen antimatter batteries (of which Roscoe is seen pocketing one), and finally the bridge with the consoles alive with alien displays, though there is what looks like a jump map on one console showing systems in a six parsec range.

As it plays, she slowly stands, seemingly unaware that she is rising. When the montage ends, she swallows hard. "That... that will get you just about anything you want. You mentioned certain desires, starting with being relieved of the contract stipulations for this ship. Done. Do you want noble titles? I'd have to work on that, but I can make it happen. Big heaping piles of money? Enough to full this ship? Very possibly. I'll need to make a call and then I will go see for myself. No need for you to go all the way back out. All I need are the details of where it and the debris field is."

She blinked and seemed to realize she was standing there like an idiot and wiped her face. "I don't think you understand what you've found. This could change...everything. You wanted to be safe from harassment? I can do that. There will be screaming, but I can do it. Something about your business? You want a class five merc license? Done. Something else? Lay it out so I know what we're talking about. And this will definitely get me out of this cruise. Thank God. You'll get a bonus for that. Seriously, the sky is the limit. If you need to talk about details, it will take me time to get to wherever this is, so we can hammer out the details before you are done here. You don't have to know it all now."

"I can't speak to everything as we haven't really talked it all out and I don't want to step on the other partners' toes," Roscoe said, "but from a business angle, we were looking to hide our wealth in something public and legitimate. Doctor Metz is making some advanced brokerbots and we intend on forming a mercantile house that does trading with ships we'll need to acquire and crew and brokerage work on routes we set up. Imperium wide if we can get an Imperial Charter for it and the guild."

She nodded. "With the proviso that this is all tentative until I can assess that ship and the debris personally, I can do that and more. You want ships?" She pulled out her mobile comm and started looking through something on it. "We have fingers in a great number of pies, including what the Navy is doing with impounded vessels. I seem to remember reading something about some ships... Ah, here it is. Fourteen custom 3.5k-ton freighters. A baron based out of Glisten bankrolled a company, built the freighters to his specs, and overextended himself. He tried something extremely shady and we arrested him for treason because he was consorting with Zhodoni agents--or what he thought were Zhodoni agents--and offered Imperial secrets. He's about to be stripped of his title and executed, I believe. That means his ships are going to be sold as soon as that happens. I'll send a message to hold them for your guild. The Imperial Charter for it and your other business will happen, too. We'll release the contract binding you and this ship, but you'll still have to some to Glisten or a similar port to have your annual maintenance done. What am I missing?"

She snapped her fingers. "You figure that out while I get the captain of the destroyer here on the comm. We'll be leaving as soon as we finish here and you tell me where to go. Where is it in general, anyway?"

"The binary star has a gas giant," Roscoe said. "It is out beyond that, but not very far. The ship is very hard to detect. If we hadn't had a course, we might not have found it. Mad Dog wrote it on a sticky note and had it in a secret bin under the fresher in his brig. There were some weapons there and in a second hidden area in the cargo bay. Here is the key."

She took the data ship Roscoe slid over with a growl. "That ship was supposed to be searched from top to bottom. Heads will roll. You should have turned all this over to me when you found it. Where did you get the key?"

"The manager of the TAS office was holding it for us," Metz said. "I'll go get the weapons. We don't know what most of them are, but they seem advanced."

Treegarden looked around at all of you. "This is so much bigger than what Mad Dog found. If he'd shared it then, you'd have a bank account already that would rival some small governments. And if there is more out there to be found, what you're being paid goes up. I'm an honest broker in these matters and I will make certain the reward matches the find. Talk over what you want while I call the Navy. You won't be locked in, but I need to know what non-monetary rewards you're looking for. It can be added to over the next few days or even a week. Until you leave the system, we're still haggling."

She dials a number on her comm and steps aside. Metz returns with several boxes holding pistols, rifles, and even the disintegrator wand. He sets them on the table beside the antimatter battery and resumes his seat. "This seems to be going well. I think she might have panicked and went farther than she should have though. Not that I'm complaining, but I hope she doesn't get buyer's remorse."

[terrymixon]

Walt-
Oh yeah, I think there WERE robots and droids. Inside that odd looking silver egg of a ship. Ya know, that one, not far from the debris field. And more of what Roscoe handed over.

"Oh, you gave it all away," Jaelah says from her seat at the bar.

"I hope it's close to her birthday," Roscoe added. "She just got a big present. What did I miss? I'm sure there were other things we were looking for. How much is a large freighter worth, anyway?"

[Tiglath]

Walt-
Oh yeah, I think there WERE robots and droids. Inside that odd looking silver egg of a ship. Ya know, that one, not far from the debris field. And more of what Roscoe handed over.

"Oh, you gave it all away," Jaelah says from her seat at the bar.

It seems the ball is in Garvin's court. Can he make the pitch and still hide the ball? Let's find out.

Or...

Let's just utterly bust the scene and invalidate all of that effort.

Quite literally speechless...

[terrymixon]

Walt-
Oh yeah, I think there WERE robots and droids. Inside that odd looking silver egg of a ship. Ya know, that one, not far from the debris field. And more of what Roscoe handed over.

"Oh, you gave it all away," Jaelah says from her seat at the bar.

It seems the ball is in Garvin's court. Can he make the pitch and still hide the ball? Let's find out.

Or...

Let's just utterly bust the scene and invalidate all of that effort.

Quite literally speechless...

While Roscoe might have expected it to all be laid out, Terry was ready to see this be handled in a more nuanced manner. I’m sorry the scene got busted, but maybe you can salvage that dinner. Make that a negotiating point. Solo dinner for the exact location and hammering out more details. I’m on board for that.

As soon as Treegsrden leaves, the ass chewing will no doubt begin. Roscoe will take his like an android. Not sure about Walt and William.

[terrymixon]

Let’s see if I can salvage some of the scene for Tilgath.

Treegarden wraps up her call. “He won’t be ready for a couple hours. Has to recall his crew. Idiot. What would he do if the system were attacked?”

She focused her attention on Garvin. “I know you need to talk amongst yourselves, but I believe I will accept that dinner date. Why don’t I go get it arranged? Call me when you’re ready and I’ll tell you where to meet me. You’ve talked a good game. I hope you can deliver because I hate being disappointed.”

She’ll decamp without the artifacts, leaving you all to discuss what happened and what to do next.

[ateno]

Arkar smiles to himself. *She might be business smart, but it appears we got her thinking right. But she was ready for this.*

"Well I did not know there was a catalog for what we had like a mail away company, Kilo of ancient hull metal, 10K.
Can't help us for trying to negotiate, every extra credit goes to Arkar future spouse fund.

Arkar looks at Garvin.

"Well I suppose"

Arkar

[terrymixon]

Arkar smiles to himself. *She might be business smart, but it appears we got her thinking right. But she was ready for this.*

"Well I did not know there was a catalog for what we had like a mail away company, Kilo of ancient hull metal, 10K.
Can't help us for trying to negotiate, every extra credit goes to Arkar future spouse fund.

Arkar looks at Garvin.

"Well I suppose"

Arkar

"What are you looking for in a spouse?" Roscoe asked.

[ateno]

"My spouse would the other part of me that knows where the mail away catalog is so we can get the money. So would you like to see the few kilos of hull metal?"

Arkar

[terrymixon]

"My spouse would the other part of me that knows where the mail away catalog is so we can get the money. So would you like to see the few kilos of hull metal?"

Arkar

Assuming that is aimed at Madam Treegarden, she nods. "Of course."

[Tiglath]

She focused her attention on Garvin. “I know you need to talk amongst yourselves, but I believe I will accept that dinner date. Why don’t I go get it arranged? Call me when you’re ready and I’ll tell you where to meet me. You’ve talked a good game. I hope you can deliver because I hate being disappointed.”

She’ll decamp without the artifacts, leaving you all to discuss what happened and what to do next.

"What the fu...dinner?" He marshals his chagrin and hopes that Treegarden was at least more surprised than he was by the turn of the conversation. He rapidly reasons that if the shock factor worked on him and he knew about it then even the shrewd Madam Treegarden might have missed a beat.

His face smiles while his brain races to catch up with it "Um... Dinner would be great!"

(OOC: My flabber has recovered from being ghasted and my bam from being boozled. The genie has bolted and the horse is well and truly out of the bottle so let's crack on!
Thanks to Terry for literally throwing me a line! )

Arkar looks at Garvin.

"Well I suppose"

"What are you looking for in a spouse?" Roscoe asked.

If he's asking on behalf of Metz be afraid, be very afraid... Folk will start to go missing from startown as Metz builds "The Spouse" of Frankenstein Arkar. Metz just needs one big lightning strike...

[terrymixon]

Arkar looks at Garvin.

"Well I suppose"

"What are you looking for in a spouse?" Roscoe asked.

If he's asking on behalf of Metz be afraid, be very afraid... Folk will start to go missing from startown as Metz builds "The Spouse" of Frankenstein Arkar. Metz just needs one big lightning strike...

Metz can work with that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpjQzi6v2Hk

Running to the vet. I'll answer the rest when I get back.

[terrymixon]

She focused her attention on Garvin. “I know you need to talk amongst yourselves, but I believe I will accept that dinner date. Why don’t I go get it arranged? Call me when you’re ready and I’ll tell you where to meet me. You’ve talked a good game. I hope you can deliver because I hate being disappointed.”

She’ll decamp without the artifacts, leaving you all to discuss what happened and what to do next.

"What the fu...dinner?" He marshals his chagrin and hopes that Treegarden was at least more surprised than he was by the turn of the conversation. He rapidly reasons that if the shock factor worked on him and he knew about it then even the shrewd Madam Treegarden might have missed a beat.

His face smiles while his brain races to catch up with it "Um... Dinner would be great!"

(OOC: My flabber has recovered from being ghasted and my bam from being boozled. The genie has bolted and the horse is well and truly out of the bottle so let's crack on!
Thanks to Terry for literally throwing me a line! )

My pleasure. I want everyone to have fun, and you deserve the chance to make some inroads with the good madam. If you can.

"Excellent. Be ready for my call. And do dress up. This will not be a casual dining experience since I know damned well you can afford it."

Now that she is gone, Roscoe will take a few moments to scan the areas where she has been looking for bugs that the ship's systems might have missed, but he comes up blank. He returns to his seat and looks at the others. "That went well. I have to confess that I did not expect her to offer quite so large a reward, even for an operational Ancients ship. I suppose that's good. Dinner will give Garvin time to settle the details with her, and add in anything that got missed. While he's doing that, I can focus on the cargo and Doctor Metz can help me. What will the rest of you do?"

[ateno]

Arkar will do some research on Aki on what item that can be easily, in large numbers and needed to ease a bit of Aki's problems on the world.

A reusable water filter that does not requires filters, a pill to expel pollutants in your system, a sensor to warn you of levels of dangers of different air pollutants or such what.

Arkar will ask the group for help.

Arkar

Yes, Arkar is a softy.

[terrymixon]

Arkar will do some research on Aki on what item that can be easily, in large numbers and needed to ease a bit of Aki's problems on the world.

A reusable water filter that does not requires filters, a pill to expel pollutants in your system, a sensor to warn you of levels of dangers of different air pollutants or such what.

Arkar will ask the group for help.

Arkar

Yes, Arkar is a softy.

Metz might be able to wrangle a sensor. A water filter without a filter might be a zen thing, though. Bio stuff like pills are outside his wheelhouse.

[ateno]

Metz might be able to wrangle a sensor. A water filter without a filter might be a zen thing, though. Bio stuff like pills are outside his wheelhouse.

"I would prefer the water filter that can be used for a long time without filter refill, a button to expel the sediment and pollutants.
How can I help."

Arkar