Chapter 2: The Comet’s Tail (Revs & Baby Blue}

[shaidar]

{Revs}

Pulls over and takes the call "Hoi Beemer, that was quick. I had to pull over."

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

“Well, I might have a lead for you, Revs… Nothing for certain. But one of my regular clients just called me looking for parts to upgrade his hydrofoil. So, as we were working out the deets, he mentions that he and his team just got done with a high-credstick run, which is how he had nuyen to get the stuff. Since he’s in town, I asked if he might be interested in picking up a little side biz,” Beamer explains. “So, the thing is, he said, ‘No,’ said this biz he’s coming off of got a little nasty, and he just wants to chill for a few days.”

Beamer pauses a moment. “Thing is, he also mentioned that he wants to take a run down to Atlanta in a few days. He wants some specialty parts that even I can’t get him. Everything the chummer has is all custom work. He built them all himself from the ground up, and a lot of the stuff he needs is European. So he’s going to see this woman in Atlanta who can somehow get her hands on everything. Hades, I go to her when I need the odd stuff. I know he’s headed that way because he asked me if I needed anything while he was there.”

“Now, the other thing to know is that it’s real unusual for this chummer to turn down any biz. The man has every kind of toy you can imagine. If it moves - land, sea, or air - he’s probably got it – all custom stuff, like I said. It costs him a bundle just to house it all, let alone keep up maintenance. So, while he said he wasn’t available right now, I figure Houston's not that far from Atlanta. He might be willing to take a little detour on his way there. It’s worth asking him, at least. If you talk to him in person, you might could get him to come around – especially if you start talking to him about how much it costs to keep up your ride… You know, get him griping about the same, so he remembers how much he really needs the nuyen. Just, don’t act like I sent you, neh? Since I know he said, ‘No,’ I don’t want to slot him off or anything thinking I’m pressuring him. But, if he asks you for references or whatever, you can feel free to drop my name.”

[shaidar]

{Revs}

"Thanks chummer, I'll take whatever chance I can get. I'll play it cool with your name. Who's the guy and where can I find him?"

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

“Null sheen, Revs,” Beamer says. “His name is T. Basil Rutherford, and he should be at the Pretty Panzer by the time you get there. He said he was headed that way for a nightcap before heading home to crash. And don’t worry about spotting him. You can’t miss him. I guarantee Basil will be the only chummer in the place wearing a tweed suit.”

[shaidar]

{Revs}

Revs laughs "Tweed?...You're not joking are you. OK, time to turn up the gato. He seems like a good person to know in this biz, and I need to start making those connections."

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

“I drek you not, Revs, my chummer,” Beamer says through light laughter. “It doesn’t matter the location. It doesn’t matter the weather. Basil will be wearing a tweed suit. And if he’s outside, he’ll be wearing a flat cap as well.” He shrugs.

“Good luck with Basil. We can all use all the connections we can get,” he says. Then, wagging a finger with mock seriousness that is not quite all mock, he adds, “Just don’t go running off with Wylie Coyote, now, and go forgetting about Beamer.”

[shaidar]

{Revs}

"Null sheen, chummer. Don't worry, no one could forget Beamer... even if they wanted too." he grins

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

Beamer chuckles. “Alright, then,” he says. “Gotta run. Only two more calls to make, and then I can finally catch some Zs. Watch your back, Revs, and luck in the shadows.” He disconnects.

[shaidar]

{Revs}

Revs looks at at Baby Blue "Ready to be your most persuasive?"

[archolewa]

Baby Blue

Baby Blue gives Rev a flat look. "I'm always my most persuasive."

[shaidar]

{Revs}

Revs grin "OK, lets do this!"

They resume their journey to the Panzer.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

The drive passes uneventfully. About twenty-five minutes after the phone call has finished, Revs and Baby Blue arrive at the Pretty Panzer. The parking lot holds a few vehicles, but the larger portion of it remains empty. Most of the vehicles are older models. They are varied. 4 motorcycles – all older, Harley Davidson Scorpions – sit in the lot along with a battered Bulldog StepVan, two late model sedans, an older Ares Roadmaster, and a battered Ford-Canada Bison. A few of these look to have been modified with moderate amounts of armor.

In addition, standing out like a swan among crows is one new, polished sportscar of a make neither Revs nor Baby Blue have ever seen before. Its lines are sleek, somewhat similar to a Saab Dynamit, but this car is clearly something else. Its paint job is an elegant deep green that gradually darkens to ebony black. It sports custom license plates reading, “GEL-US-E.” What little can be seen of the exhaust pipe tells Revs this car has something other than a standard engine, and his hands itch to get a look under the hood.

Two late tween, early teen trolls wearing rust and black gang colors, lounge near the door of the Panzer. They eye Revs and Baby Blue as the two climb off of Revs’s bike. The older looking of the two seems to catch Revs’s drooling over the sportscar.

“Don’t even think ’bout it, omae,” the older troll ganger says. “That’s there’s Belfry’s ride. He’ll frag ya up if ya even lays a finger on it.”

The other helpfully chips in with, “After we beat yer hoop fer ya first.”

[archolewa]

Baby Blue

"I take it Belfry owns the whole neighborhood, too," says Baby Blue, her eyes flicking around the area, looking for possible escape routes. The car feels like flaunting to her. The local Big Man showing off his power. Nobody dares to mess with his magnificent, expensive car chock full of expensive parts, because nobody dares mess with the Big Man.

[shaidar]

{Revs}

Revs tries to find a parking spot amongst the other vehicles, ideally one where it can be seen from the door.

“Don’t even think ’bout it, omae,” the older troll ganger says. “That’s there’s Belfry’s ride. He’ll frag ya up if ya even lays a finger on it.”

The other helpfully chips in with, “After we beat yer hoop fer ya first.”

Revs hold his hands up in the calming gesture "It's frosty, just professional appreciation is all."

[Charybdis Richelle]

{Revs}

Revs tries to find a parking spot amongst the other vehicles, ideally one where it can be seen from the door.

{GM}

The front door is solid, as is the front wall which has no windows. However, Revs is able to find a spot that is close to the door.

“Don’t even think ’bout it, omae,” the older troll ganger says. “That’s there’s Belfry’s ride. He’ll frag ya up if ya even lays a finger on it.”

The other helpfully chips in with, “After we beat yer hoop fer ya first.”

Revs hold his hands up in the calming gesture "It's frosty, just professional appreciation is all."

{GM}

The younger tween troll nods. “It is a beautiful piece a machinery, neh? That’s why Belfry pays us ta keep an eye on it.”

“Speaking a which,” the older teen ganger says, “Fer 25 nuyen, we could do the same fer ya. This is a rough neighborhood; ya wouldn’t want nothin’ bad ta happen ta yer ride ’n strand ya here. But we can gives ya protection, neh?”

[shaidar]

{Revs}

Revs hands over three 10 nuyen notes

"Appreciate it. Everyone knows the Rusted Stilletos are wavy."

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

“Thank ya, omae,” the older ganger says as he pockets the money. “Ya won’t regret it. No one’s touchin’ yer ride now.”

The younger tween nods. “Enjoy the Pit Stop.”

[shaidar]

{Revs}

Revs nods at the troll and holds the door open for Baby Blue "After you"

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

When Revs opens the door for Baby Blue, it affords them both a look at the dimly lit, dank, musty interior. From the doorway, a long bar made of what look like metal shipping crates runs the span of the right hand wall of the main room. The barstools hold old. mismatched bucket seats reinforced to support the larger metatypes, about half up-sized for the same. In the center of the room are a row of tables with metal shipping crates for bases and circles of sheet metal for table tops. The chairs, like the barstools, consist of metal bases with mismatched, reinforced bucket seats. Again, half the chairs consist of larger sized seats. Booths made from reinforced bench seats line the left wall – each booth shares the same model seat, though the colors do not match. No two booths sport the same model.

An open square archway opens into a second room. From the door, Revs and Baby Blue can make out four pool tables at the front of the room and two dart boards in the center. Near the back, on the side walls and all along the rear wall stand not video games but actual simulators – though from this distance, they cannot make out what type.

The crowd is thin. Despite the Pretty Panzer’s reputation, the bar seems calm and quiet. A trio of trolls sit at one end, two separate pairs of humans sit near the other. One of the center table holds four orks and a pitcher of beer. They are chatting softly. Two elves sit in the booth nearest the door, arguing heatedly. In the last booth, with his back to the game room wall, sits a human man wearing tweed. An ork and a dwarf play darts. No one seems to take note of Baby Blue entering, not even the aging, Hispanic male troll bartender.

[archolewa]

Baby Blue

Baby Blue walks in. Her knuckles go white for a moment as her fists clench, and she takes a deep breath. She nods towards the man in tweed. "There's your man, Rev."