Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in duncan_fisher's LiveJournal:

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Thursday, January 11th, 2007
10:11 pm	Shadowtime The last 4 months had passed far faster than I could imagine. The Pandora kept demanding more and more time from me as I upgraded her systems, while a certain young lady kept demanding more and more time as well. Of the two, I found the former more responsive to my efforts, but the latter was more intriguing. In the end, I split my time between the two and, as any man can testify, when you split your time between two ladies, neither one is fully satisfied. The Pandora started in good shape and if she wasn't in pristine shape, well, neither was I.Her systems were up and functioning at manufacturer's specs and she was ready for any upgrade that I could afford. Ah, money, the root of all evil I have heard. Well, in my case, evil wasn't too nearby. I had managed to pull together some incidental runs off Shadow to some other ships, as well as runs to other nearby planets. I hadn't managed to score any big hauls and I started to suspect Yumikko's hand in both the minor business and dearth of big offers. She had spent most of the time recovering from her ordeal; that type of poison is not easy to recover from quickly. Yet, I occasionally found myself late at night, following a tiring day of working on my ship, with a petite women sitting next to me at the bar. She always seemed to be surprised that I was there, but the twinkle in her eye gave another answer. She had started by using a cane when I first saw her outside the Chen House, but her iron will and refusal to bow to any injury soon made that aid unnecessary. However, that didn't mean that she didn't occasionally resort to "her injured leg" as the cause that she would request my arm or other aid. She began to accept my presence more and more as the norm. I remembered how I saw her when she was interrogating Fuzzy and I managed, with a bit of effort, not to shiver when she was near. Yet, I could see a small, but noticeable change in her demeanor. In fact, she would attempt a joke or dry comment now and then. At first, I thought that perhaps it was either an error on my part on what she had said or, perhaps, a random chance comment by her.However, it soon became clear that she was making an effort to reach out to me and my dry wit (or, as others have titled it, a sharp and biting commentary on the universe). I prefer my view of things. Whatever the cause, I found myself paying for the upgrades with the vast majority of any money left over after paying my crew. After the Reaver attack and following excitement, my crew had not minded the routine and mundane hauling of cargo into both near orbit, as well as nearby planets. They seemed to need the recovery time as much as I did and I soon noticed an improvement in both their attitude and efficiency aboard the ship. They had assisted in both the anti-hijack improvements, as well as the installation of the two rotary gun systems by the Shadow technicians. While I wasn't about to go "a'reaving", I could at least be able to stand off a few of the Freelancers that preyed upon ships in the Rim. I had no illusions that I could stand off any Alliance ships, but I had known that from the start. My war with the Alliance would not be one fought with the weapons of war, but rather utilizing the weapons of ideas and economics.Somehow, I thought that I would be outgunned. My crew branched out and used their interests and skills to both make money and to improve their situation on board the Pandora, as well as on Shadow. My rules were pretty flexible, but I had insisted that no one could make money off of anyone from the ship without their approval. In addition, the Pandora and Kingfisher Industries could not be adversely effected if their business could go wrong, without my personal prior approval to accept the risks. That hadn't stopped the crew from reaching out and trying their hands in making money. I think the winner, by far, was Amber White whose line of clothing had started gathering some interest. Whether that was enhanced by Mr. Chen's interest in Amber was another matter. There was no denying that Amber had loads of talent when it came to design and style, but the ease of her obtaining her shop as well as making inroads to the market spoke of either a far higher expertise in business skills than previously thought or some muscle behind the scenes. My own experience suggested that some local aid might have been used and Miss Amber didn't seem to have any problems with arranging either encounters with Mr. Chen or cutting through local red tape. You go girl!! I was starting to get a bit restless once my ship was ready and I could start to see Yumikko wondering what I was going to do next. Fortunately for my crew and I, it was taken out of our hands the night of Miss Amber's LA clothing store opening. The details are not that important, although it was interesting that Amber was the one contacted (perhaps, an ego problem on my part?).Whatever the reason, it became apparent that to the planet Persephone were requested to go. I had kept my ship in ready status as a normal matter; I never knew when another Reaver raid or need to leave Shadow quickly would arise. I had called for an "all hands report to ship" over the com system, but most of the crew had been at Amber's shop's opening (free food and booze, who wouldn't be?) Mr. Chen seemed nonplussed with the turn of events; something had happened out of his immediate sphere of influence and he didn't like it. I could also tell that Yumikko was bothered; had this interrupted something she had planned? During the limo ride back to the ship, I noticed a few sharp glances between the Chens and the conversations seemed to lag. Yumikko asked that I return in time for her birthday and I offered assurance that I would. The problem was that I didn't know what date her birthday was on. I managed to ask Mr. Chen out of sight of Yumikko at the port and I could tell that he both admired my skill in asking on the sly, as well as my discomfort in dancing to her tune. I made mental notes that I should be back in time for her party as well as bringing a very nice present. Otherwise I should just stay in the Core and dig a very deep hole and jump in and cover myself up. I could also tell that Yumikko enjoyed my discomfort in her request for my timely return; her eyes really did twinkle. The best parting shot I could manage was that, after assuring her that I would, was to turn and as I walked to the ship with Amber, wonder out loud if I was expected to dance with all the young wealthy women at the Jamboree. Perhaps the sound I heard behind me was a foot in some gravel or , maybe, it was some teeth grinding together. Aha, this ship's captain could fire back! (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, January 7th, 2007
4:19 pm	Duncan Fisher is Back!! Just when you think The Black has gotten boring and stale. Just when you think there is only room for the mundane and inane. Just when all hope of excitement and thrills are gone. Your hero is back; fighting those who stand in the way of freedom,prosperity, and a way of life. OK,OK, his freedom to do what he wants to do, his own prosperity (sigh, and his ship's crew), and the way of life that will get him all those things that he thinks he deserves. He's back and he's madder than ever......Captain Duncan Fisher!! (Comment on this)
Sunday, July 2nd, 2006
9:59 am	Hiatus It appears that Duncan Fisher and the crew of the Pandora will be taking a break from gaming for a while. That is,I will stop posting as Duncan Fisher. The GM assures that we will return to the Serenity universe sometime down the trade lane, but for now, our group will be starting a new campaign in the Traveler (New Era) universe using T20 rules. So........., for those still interested in my type of postings, please head toward my new character "Lars_Marcinko1" on LiveJournal and I'll try to have a posting up and running this week telling about my character and what happened the first week of gaming with character generation and campaign setup. As any new campaign participant will tell you, the possibilities are near endless!.......... (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Saturday, June 10th, 2006
2:24 pm	Questions of importance The casualty list was still growing and while we were on the mend, it was apparent that the group had been hit real hard. My investigation had just started to take on some momentum, when it became apparent that Yomiko was having some problems with her bite wound. We were lacking a trained physician since the Triad's had seemed to fail to heal his self during the raid, which left us with a under trained and over burdened physician's assistant who was quite nervous with the responsibility to take charge in insuring Yomiko's full recovery. He couldn't explain the slowly rising fever and progressive indication of inflammation in her leg at first, but soon came to the opinion that she had been poisoned!! This was getting stranger by the hour! His attempts to halt the poison were basic at best and ineffective at worse. The poison continued to slowly work its way up her leg and she soon had to be sedated due to the increasing amount of pain. I found it interesting that the poison that someone had chosen was not immediately lethal, was made to cause pain, and was introduced by such a scary and (frankly) humiliating manner. It made it seem that it was a personal attack specifically targeted at Yomiko (and/or her brother). What was clear,however, was that the poisoning was going to succeed if we couldn't halt it soon. Various standard antidotes and treatments were given, but her deterioration continued. In desperation, I contacted Tobias and asked if his physician could be sent over as soon as possible to help. He readily agreed and soon we had a knowledgeable physician standing over Yomiko and monitoring her condition. However, even she seemed baffled by the progression of the poison until it was discovered that Yomiko's danger was from a Companion Guild poison!! The only other registered companion that I knew of was Lealani and I couldn't quite suspect her (yet). A quick sample of Yomiko's blood was sent back to Lealani for analysis and after a wait that seemed to last forever (but in reality was under an hour), I was presented with a large vial of what Lealani claimed was an antidote. Although I expected trouble on the way back, I was surprised and the first dose was quickly given by the Doc. It soon became apparent that if Yomiko would not be getting better quick, at least her poisoning was being stopped by the medicine that Lealani provided. It would take several dosages until the final outcome would be known. be While the question of Yomiko's future health couldn't be answered, I knew I had some other questions I figured could be answered by our guest,Fuzzy. Oh, you think that I would let our best source of information be forgotten? No, I wouldn't leave the mystery or our guest hanging. I arranged for the triad leadership and our two ship's leaders to witness the interrogation. The answers we got to the following questions were very interesting: 1)What are the names and positions of the people who you ultimately work for? 2)Who made the final decisions to kill Juan,the cargo master and attack Capt. Hammer? 3)What is all the information you know about this most recent attack by what appeared to be Reavers? 4)How was Yomiko tracked and why was she targeted with a fatal,but unnecessarily painful poison? 5)What are the names of people that you know of who are working within either the Triad or this compound and are seeking to cause damage or worse to the leaders, their operations, or the crew of either the Pandora or Urban Raider? 6)What is all the information you know about Ms. Sheila's administrative assistant, keeping in mind that we require all the information you know, not think is important. 7)If those who hired or controlled you went into hiding, what locations would you suspect them to be? 8)Who else is allied with those who hired you and directed your actions? 9)What other plans were being made to attack or harm either the Triad or the people of the Pandora and Urban Raider? 10) What is the single most important fact or piece of information in regards to the matters we have just questioned you about that we would find most useful? (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, June 3rd, 2006
3:55 pm	Fisher's Firearms I've had a request or two for the standard weapons for Duncan. The term standard is subjective, since it would depend on the circumstance I planned to experience. But, my regular (expecting no special problems) load out is the following: My main gun is my Alliance Heavy Pistol Mark 6. Still in very limited use, this 11mm gun manges to pack the power of a long gun into that of a pistol. Of course, it also packs quite a recoil. I had problems when I first discovered this beauty back in my previous life; I still remembered the torn ligaments from my first attempt at the firing range and the snickers from my fellow officers as I had to leave and report to the medics. However, I realized that this weapon would offer me the best chance to avoid any hand to hand fighting; something that I am just not equipped nor talented to handle. I resorted to a wrist splint that many target shooters wear. I had to modify and experiment until I could find a design that allowed me to keep my drawing speed, while allowing for the proper support of the wrist. My wrist has grown far stronger lately, so I plan to quit using the aid in the near future. The pistol sits in a low holster on my right hip, while the belt hold from between 2-4 extra 7 round magazines. I occasionally put a box of loose bullets in my long coat if i'm expecting trouble, but that is usually a rare event( the box of bullets, not the expecting or getting into trouble!)Ammunition is fairly hard to come by, so when I find a source, I buy in bulk! My back up weapon is my Reagan 9mm Heavy pistol that I have in a shoulder holster which cradles it under my left arm. It's like most of the usual pistols out there in the Black; reliable,simple, and easily to replace or repair. I carry it just in case my main pistol jams or is lost, but I have delegated it to a secondary role due to its lighter hitting power than the Mark6. I usually carry only 2 extra 7 round magazines in addition to the one in the gun. Occasionally, when things are calm (Ha!), I leave this weapon off since it does chaff now and then. My little 5mm 2 shot derringer slips into a small pocket on the outside of my right boot. I tried to have it somewhere else, like up a sleeve or tucked in my belt, but I constantly found myself dropping the weapon or unable to get to it quick enough. My few sets of boots all have a little pocket/holster on each side (right/left boot). I do not carry any extra ammo for it, since it is the weapon of last resort. It is NOT a purse gun!! It is also my coup from Spinner and I hold it with some fondness, I don't carry any melee weapon or knife; I am just not built for that type of battle. I do carry a multi tool in my left boot pocket and it does have a blade among all it's other functions. I wouldn't think of using it as a weapon, but i could cut something if I had to do it. Lately, I've started to pack a stun grenade or two in my long coat's pockets. These things are quite handy and I've found from personal experience that they are effective. They are also tough to find, so like my Mark6 ammo, when I find them I buy in bulk ( or grab as many as I can on the sly). These are just a few of my favorite things. Personal gear will be another posting. (Comment on this)
2:57 pm	Saving the Princess Ok, perhaps princess is far too strong or positive a word for Yamiko. I know that Miss Amber would probably object to using that word to describe a women who is in organized crime up to her pretty eyeballs. However, saving the Triad Ice Queen doesn't seem to have the same positive ring to it. No matter, we continue our sortie to save Yamiko during the Reaver attack. With our driver (Mr. Chan) out of action, our team moved like the well oiled machine it is...ok, more like a pair of wide-eyed gunman and one pretty girl looking real lost. I had lucked out and managed to grab a case of stun grenades from the Triad's house shortly before leaving. From personal experience (you remember that, don't you), I realized how effective they were on people. The added bonus was that you could throw into a group that may hold a friendly and still have the chance to apologize to him later. I had tucked about a half dozen into several of my long coat's pockets and then primed one in my left hand as I advanced on the store hiding Yamiko. Over the com system, her quiet voice crept higher and higher until she was screaming for help and you could hear the panic in her cries. Imagine that, it only took a Reaver attack to get through to her emotions. Tobias was his usual well armed and aimed self, mowing down a couple of Reavers in the group who boiled out the store's front. I managed to down a few myself, but it became clear very quickly that more aggressive action was needed. I tossed my grenade first and moved over the quivering and moaning bodies. As we entered the front of the store, we were greeted with gun fire and more primitive projectiles. Tobias managed to bowel a perfect lobbed grenade into the most dangerous bunch and took out a large number. In the far back, we could hear Yamiko screaming. Tobias,Amber and I downed the last few standing and I sprinted toward the back. I saw Yamiko laying on the floor with a Reaver attached to her leg and trying to get a good bite out of her. She was screaming, but the fight seemed to be already out of her. I shot the animal and pried him off the sobbing woman. A quick examination of the leg showed a deep bite, but it appeared that the Reaver had failed to hit an artery. A quick rap of the wound with some nearby cloth and we were ready to head home. The air-raft (oops, I failed to mention that before, didn't I?) was outside waiting for us and we placed Yamiko in alongside her brother. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough room for all of us and no one wanted to be left behind for the Reavers. The truck had seen better days and I didn't remember the large harpoon sticking out of the front when we had left it. We managed to get it up and running, but it was on flats and smoking worse than a Reaver ship. The rest was a blur, but we managed to limp back to base. The raid had exacted a heavy toll on everyone we had been dealing with lately. Wounds ran from cuts and bruises, all the way up to an amputated limb for Mr. Salmon. Even Lealani had been severely cut. It looked like our team had managed the best and I took a little pride that we had managed to do so well. That is, until I received word that Clive had fallen and been partially eaten!! He would be missed by some of the crew, but I found it ironic that it took a Reaver to stomach Clive better than the rest of us. The raid still puzzled me, though. How did they manage to slip by the ships in orbit? How had they breached star port security? How did they pinpoint Yamiko? Why did they seem to target only those that we had been dealing with lately? Something wasn't right and the investigator in me wanted some answers quick. I started to ask some questions and soon discovered, to my amazement, that most of the Reavers were not Reavers at all!! Through simple makeup and costumes, normal men and women had been transformed into the bulk of the raiding party. They were sprinkled here and there with true Reavers (you can tell the minute you get close), but it appeared that my questions became more numerous with this revelation. Some one or some group had staged a Reaver raid in the attempt to......damn, I couldn't figure it out. It wasn't to kidnap Yamiko, unless the last person had lost it (he was a fake Reaver). The Raiders had managed to cause major damage, but it wasn't apparent that any of the damage was either vital or unrepairable. Casualties were high, but all of the possible main targets were still alive (more or less...more less for Mr. Salmon). Could the raid be a cover for something far more deadly? Had we lucked out and managed to disrupt their plans? How in the heck can you have a trained Reaver to salt your fake ones?!!! It was clear that a lot of questions had to be asked, so I started to utilize the skills I had been trained by the Alliance. There was murder and skulduggery afoot, and I was aiming to find the answers. Alas,I did not possess a Mereshalm pipe and deerstalker hat, but I figured I sure could use his help in the near future. (Comment on this)
Saturday, May 20th, 2006
4:08 pm	Twenty Questions The week went by and Tobias began to rapidly heal. I visited him on his ship a few times, but his crew seemed to blame me for his most recent condition. I consider him a grown boy, so I figured he knew that there would be some rough stuff now and then out here in the Black. Besides, this would be nothing compared to the danger of smuggling arms and ammo if he went forward with his future plans. Tobias,Amber and I headed to Mr. Chan's house at the appointed time. I wondered if they had stabilized our guest and he was going to be able to answer a few questions that we all had. We entered the house and were escorted to a room that i hadn't seen before. A large table dominated the room and equally spaced apart were Popeye,Salmon, and Mr. Chan! I think everyone from our group was shocked as we realized that the Triad was exactly that; an organization with three leaders! Not only that, but it also explained some of the unusual (heck, strange and bizarre) things that we had experienced. Mr. Salmon's rules of engagement became clearer in their intent,while Mr. Popavich's aid and understanding about our past with Salmon also was easier to understand. It also helped to understand the last few weeks on Shadow and the people we had met here. The three turned and gave us a hint of a smile. They asked us to be seated and that is when I noticed that there was but a single empty seat between each leader and his partners. I realized that there was more behind this simple request than met the eye and I was torn on exactly where to sit. I knew that a decision was expected quickly, so i chose to sit between Popavich and Mr. Chan, meaning I faced Salmon. Tobias settled into the seat between Popavich and Salmon, and the lovely Amber snuggled in next to Mr. Chan (and between him and Salmon). Business then began. A light was turned on and in it was spotlighted the form of Fuzzy, shackled and suspended from the ceiling. The lovely, but mysterious (ok, plain weird) Yumiko stood nearby and it was clear that the two had been having an intimate conversation or, better stated, question and answer period. It was apparent that Fuzzy's answers did not appear to match up well with Yumiko's questions. Frustration and anger boiled up in her eyes,while her exterior remained its cool normal self. Fuzzy appeared to be exhausted and in pain. I was glad that I didn't have to answer any of her questions..especially in that position! Mr. Chan waved a dismissal at Yumiko and she stalked out on the way for some "shopping". Personally, I figured she was out to at least beat the hell out of a servant or two. It was clear that the triad was well informed about my past, as they gestured to me to take up the interrogation and to try and obtain some answers. Unfortunately, I had just started to find some of the interesting devices hanging from the room's walls, when an alarm sounded. Whew!! I'm sort of relieved that I didn't have to either perform in front of the triad and either succeed in getting the information (and thereby show Yumiko up) or fail ( and show my incompetence to our current allies). As it was, we had bigger problems since it soon became apparent that we were under a Reaver attack!!!! I immediately asked directions to the house's armory, as a quick inquiry to the ship made it apparent that it would be shear suicide to attempt to reach it at this time. Once at the armory, we were greeted by walls and racks of arms,as well as crates of other goodies. In addition, we noticed an armored Humvee. Tobias drooled and started to assemble a cannon onto it's back. The bigger the gun; Tobias has more fun. However the stakes became raised as a frantic com message from Yumiko came in to report that she was trapped in a store surrounded by Reavers! If she was frantic, it must be bad, since this was the first time that her cool facade had broken. ...and it had only taken Reavers! Chan hopped into the driver's seat, I rode shotgun, while Miss Amber was in the back and Tobias was hanging onto his new mounted toy. we left the building and soon found ourselves in a hellish world of smoke,screams,and death. We saw at least five reaver skiffs and i had to wonder how they had penetrated Shadow's defenses. Gunshots and harpoons were everywhere. We passed too many bodies and parts to count and we soon became a target to the raiders. Fortunately we were close to our target of Yumiko's hiding place. However, her calls became more frantic as the Reavers closed in on her hiding place. We had to hurry! Chan mad a quick U turn as we reached the building and we came under heavy fire. Of course, it was at this time that our vehicle stalled. Perhaps it was that harpoon sticking out the front that had something to do with it. As it was, Tobias was busy shooting skiffs with the cannon, while Mr.Chan was busy stopping bullets with his body. I preferred Tobias' job, as Chan slumped unconscious behind the wheel. Great, we had lost our ride,our driver, and our Patron all at the same time. We were at the same place that we seem to find ourselves at too often: surrounded,hurt, and in danger. One of these days I'm going to have to get better maps to avoid this place in the future! (Comment on this)
Saturday, May 13th, 2006
3:50 pm	Key findings Yumiko was her quiet self, but one could tell that far more lay under that small exterior. All my instincts were going off as we sat by her and i could tell that she could be dangerous on many levels.We would have to move carefully around her, since I felt that she could be even more dangerous than her brother. By the way, that's far more common in all animals than you think, that the female is more dangerous. On the other hand, I wasn't about to show any fear or hesitation.....yet. She quietly informed us that our quarry (aka FuzzyWuzzy) was nearby and that he was vulnerable to a quick and decisive move on our part. I think i must have blinked, because she offered me a small smile and said "fortune favors the bold." Did I detect layers of meaning in that phrase or had my adrenal rush start affecting both my hearing and mental acuity? Either way, i knew that both tobias and I had not "dressed" for a big party and only carried our personal standard weapons. In Tobias' case that means he was a walking arsenal; but he was sans his assault rifle or any other long gun. Lady Amber? Well, I could tell she was real thrilled about heading into a confrontation at this time. I think that the high of finding out about the new store down to the realization that hot lead could be flying soon really had her uneasy. Welcome to the party,gal. Our shuttle touched down on a pad to what we could see as a high class area of Shadow. Tall structures and people well dressed showed that these were some of the lower level movers and shakers of this world. I turned to ask Yumiko how we could locate or target and she merely mentioned that the key once again was the "key". I started to think that maybe Amber's new gift was some sort of multitool: it opens, it finds, it even has a dozen other functions! Hmmm, that idea may have to be explored at a later date. We turned to Amber and as she held it toward the building in the distance, a red light appeared on the key. We soon noticed that the key was an exact tracing of the out line of the building and subsequent exploration of local data banks/maps, and knowledge revealed that our hit man had finished up at the buildings restaurant and had moved up into the more private personal and corporate floors. Obviously, killing the innocent must be profitable for such scum to afford such luxury. I thought about my small cabin back on the Pandora and I think my trigger finger started to contract over and over again. We entered the building and managed to bypass the security enough to get up to the private elevators that would carry someone up to the floor we wanted. We had no idea of what we would face, but we all knew that our quarry was elusive and could disappear and start the chase all over again unless we moved quickly. I could only hope that guests were unexpected and ,therefore, any people up there could be surprised. The elevator door opened to reveal a pretty young lady sitting behind a large reception desk. She indeed looked startled as we slowly approached the desk. I think this is where Amber came to help us, since she looks harmless to most people. While amber began to talk, I quickly palmed one of my many epi pens and darted behind the desk and pushed her far enough away to prevent her from reaching any alarms or intercoms. I used the next few seconds of her stunned reaction to inject her in the neck with the pen and threaten that I had just given her a poison that would kill her unless she behaved herself and we would then give her an antidote. The adrenalin flowing into her sure could mimic a poison and tied with her fear, she started to shake, but offered no resistance. The hunt was on! A flight of stairs led up to a darkened floor of offices. The air conditioned floor was cold, but I slipped a pair of heat sensitive glasses on (don't leave home without them!) and noticed that our recently arrived murderer had left some quickly fading heat impressions as he had walked down the hall and into one of the rooms. it was also clear that there was further activity in this room, since a current of heated air showed itself to me. We approached quietly, and we soon peered into a computer room where one of the machines was busy at some task. A conference room lay at the far side of our doorway and sounds of a discussion could be heard. What was being said was unknown, but it appeared that our target was not alone! I approached the glass enclosed conference room and was able to see that Fuzzy had the company of two brutes that appeared to be bodyguards. Unfortunately, that was also when our group was spotted. I managed to get three rounds out first and i had decided to target our prey. Sure, I wanted information, but i figured he was the most dangerous. Tobias gunned one of the bodyguards down, but was felled himself by the last one. He was hurt and bad. I swiveled and took the remaining guard down. A quick check of Tobias revealed that he had suffered enough injury that his life was threatened. My lack of first aid couldn't help him and i couldn't see any way back to the pad lugging a bruised and bleeding man. Besides, with my strength, I would have to find some type of shopping cart or wagon to carry him. Kind of hard to hide that from security! Fuzzy was also alive and i toyed briefly with the idea of adding a few more shots into his hide, but I realized that their were other people and factions with equal or greater claims on him. So i was forced to do something that i didn't want to; I called Mr. Chan and asked for help. Surprisingly (hmmmmmm?), he just managed to have a quick response team in the area and we soon found Tobias and Fuzzy under proper medical care, the computer information downloaded and multiple copied, the receptionist "taken care of" (wonder exactly what they meant by that?), the scene sterilized, and us on a flight back to our ships. I negotiated, or rather plead my case, that we should wait until all involved parties were available for interrogating Fuzzy. He was reluctant, but finally agreed to meet in one week with the others to see what information we could obtain. That would allow for Tobias to heal and me to stew about what had just happened. Little did i know that far worse things were being put into play! (Comment on this)
2:39 pm	Shopping for answers Our next move as a crew was to explore the area that appeared to be accessed through the use of only Amber's key she had received as a gift. Through the help of Mr. Bobman information from the party, it was apparent that we needed to reach the far side of shadow to locate the "real estate" that the key was er, "key" to. Ground transportation was out of the question, so we had to utilize the only other way to get there: one of the shuttles of the Montague shipping company. I had no question of my safety, since I was booked with lots of other innocent (if that word can be used on Shadow) people. The flight was short and we soon found ourselves accessing some tunnels and openings that revealed an area under construction. The workers had gone home for the evening and the area was illuminated poorly by the occasional light located through out the soon to be completed mall. I am no construction expert, but it appeared that it would be a good couple of months until this shopping area was ready for business. Suddenly we were cornered by what appeared to be wolves! I mean what the heck: we were at least 100 feet underground and far from any opening to the outside as far as i could see. How could wolves be down here and even survive?! It mattered not, however, as the pack started closing in on our little group.We all pulled our guns, but the lighting was very poor. Realizing that, I started looking for a junction or breaker box for this area. Fortunately, i was able to spot one close by and with a quick dash was able to access it and turn on the remaining area lights. This obviously startled the wolves and their howls and growls soon faded away as they hightailed it away. By taking an elevator, we managed to find the door that the key opened. It led into an almost finished large store situated at one of the prime locations in the mall. Amber and her merchandise were guaranteed a high traffic flow past her shop and with the size of both the main floor as well as the storeroom/business office, it appeared that Amber had made a giant step toward getting her business up and running.i could tell she was pleased, as well she should be. I imagined that a store in the location and of this size would have gone for a pretty credit either in lease or outright sell. Amber must have made Mr. Chan's A-list. After examining the store, we headed back to the landing pad/dock. The shuttle made regular runs back and forth from this area, but we didn't want to miss the next available one since the longer we remained in this unknown area, the more likely trouble would find us. Our group was a little nervous, since we appeared to be the only people heading back on the next flight, but since it was late, we figured that this area still under construction would have a much lower traffic flow. The sound and appearance of the shuttle made us all feel better, but we were surprised that no one disembarked. The reason soon became clear as we entered, for the shuttle did hold a single passenger, and she had the power to make ours a private flight. The Lady Yumiko remained seated, but gestured for our group to have a seat. As the engines spooled up, I knew that trouble had indeed found us again. (Comment on this)
Friday, April 28th, 2006
7:02 pm	Dinner and Desert The table was set in elegant style; fine china (no pun intended),fancy centerpieces,fine crystal glasses,and fine dinnerware ranging from sterling silver utensils to fine wood chopsticks. Here, at least, I could hold my own, since I was quite proficient in either the "normal" flatware or the chopsticks. I would not lose face in regards to this aspect of the dinner. I gracefully helped my date onto her chair and politely waited until it was clear that all the ladies had been seated and that our host had as well. I didn't know what kind of social minefield i was threading my way through tonight, i just knew it was best if I at least managed to take care of those things I at least knew about. Lealani and Vin had made their presence known and although I was seated a little apart from them, Lealani threw a quick shielded wink my direction after all of us had been seated. I took it to mean that she approved of both my manners and outcome so far for the night. Perhaps she merely had something in her eye. Whatever the cause, i took it as a hopeful sign and continued to pay careful attention to both our host as well as my date. Both exuded restrained, but sincere interest in any story I could tell. I figured my host to be sizing we up a possible ally or enemy, while Ms. Torrinaga's interest seemed to be more of a personal interest. As it was, the dinner proceeded in a fine manner; with food both exotic and elegant,spicy yet filling,portions to please but not make one slow. The latter was to play an important role later, as I remembered the scheduled shooting contest and other feats of skill. It would be stupid to lose due to either gluttony or inebriation. Desert seemed to arrive too soon, but it was clear that many of the guest were beginning to show impatience with the talk at the table and wanted to move on to more "action". Mr. Chen, however, waited until it was clear that Miss Amber had finished and that dinner had not been rushed to a premature ending. Soon, it became apparent that all was ready for the next stage of the evening. Mr. Chen announced that it was time for the shooting contest to be held. It was clear that it was going to be to the last man standing, but not to the death. Unless, of course, an "accident" happened. I didn't look forward to facing tobias and his gun. He was starting to show some real unnatural talent with that cannon and i didn't want to have either my armor or body on the receiving end of his wrath.The other participants looked competent, but if there was a "ringer" (hired gun) among them, my sixth sense seemed not to notice. To make matters short, I won. Not to boast (Well, too much), my academy training combined with my time out in the rim had created a person that most would consider a weapon master, at least in regards to pistols. Longarms, well, that was another matter; since I could be considered only proficient in regards to the longer range weapons. Swords came next and, unlike what had just transpired, it appeared that this test was to be to the death. It appeared that Mr.Chen had some type of rival; whether for power,prestige,face, or a business deal gone bad I couldn't say. Whatever the reason, it was clear that two people would enter, but only one would leave this contest.Mr. Chen was unemotional as he prepared, while the other combatant seemed to get more and more agitated as the time to duel approached. Bad mistake on his part. Mr. Chen and his opponent seemed to be fairly matched at first, but after time it became clear that Mr. Chen was the superior swordsman. The end was inevitable and Mr. Chen's opponent soon laid on the floor after a flourish of strikes and parries from our host. I decided that it would be best that if i had any serious disagreement with Mr. Chan, I should be at least 20 feet away when it came to head. Or perhaps another planet. I acknowledged his victory with a brief bow toward him, utilizing my previous study of proper etiquette to make a respectful, but not fawning notice of his victory. Others were far more blatant in trying to earn favor, with some even applauding wildly. I guess class will tell. The mess was soon cleared up and the party retired to a bar area for more private talks and negotiations. Ms. Torrinage had seemed rather calm about both the gunfighting and even the blood duel. I made a mental note to do a little deeper exploring of her past, since she seemed to actually get er,....excited about the duels. At least, her expression and other signs seemed to indicate this. My pilot seemed to be multifaceted and, perhaps, a little more experienced than I thought. I decided to set up shop at the bar and let those who wanted to talk to me approach when they wanted. Ms. Torrinaga gathered up a drink of her own and decided to mosey off in her own direction. Not a snub of me on her part, but an acknowledgment that I needed some privacy in the immediate future. My pilot continued to surprise me with her uncanny ability to sense what needed to be done next! My first contact was from the Monigue shipping Corporation. He presented himself and carefully laid out the groundwork for any future business deals with them; I crossed into their area of control and my ship, crew and me would be destroyed.Have a nice day........*sigh* Well, at least they had also allowed that there were areas where they would allow my ship to have business and haul cargo. However, it was clear that they were the 800 pound gorilla of shipping in the immediate area. I thought i could stay on their good side, however I had to wonder if tobias would test them on some type of get rich quick smuggling run. I thought i knew who would win. The second contact was with Mr. Bobman of Bobman excavation; THE company when it came to building these huge underground caverns and tunnels. He was a gregarious fellow who presented an outgoing salesman type of face, but i could sense a far keener core of business acuman and intelligence. He at least, seemed to hold no ill well toward me and was a source of much information about the planet, certain items and customs and those power groups who resided and spent time here. He was a possible ally or asset to join with later. My final contact was with a representative of the firm Helfrich,Shirly, and Cropsey (Yes, that Cropsey) who are independent contractors, a good catch all phrase which means that they get interested and into anything they want to if they think that it is to their advantage. They seemed to be more interested in letting me know that they were keeping both an eye on me and that they may be available if a partner in a business deal was needed. Cropsey, a name i will have to remember. The rest of the evening went in a blur and I soon found myself and our party back into our stretch limo heading back to our ships. I counted and came up with the same number of people i had arrived with....success! If i felt that Ms Torrinaga sat closer to me than on our way to the party, perhaps you could blame it on all the excitement from the party, but i don't think so. As it was, we made plans to explore the importance of Miss Ambers gift of the key and, using Mr. Bobman's information and maps, what further opportunities and adventures awaited us. I knew, however, that Shadow and its inhabitants had many more surprises ahead. (Comment on this)
Sunday, April 9th, 2006
11:46 am	Party Time I managed to get myself looking sharp all by myself. The old tux still fit and I had managed to get an idea from Ms Toronaga on the type of outfit she was going to wear. A couple of inquiries to some local jewelers had allowed me to purchase a small dragonfly broach to match her outfit. I hoped she appreciated the extra effort; the life of a captain can be a lonely one and one never knows where one could find companionship. Not that i would pressure her or be too aggressive; I may be overconfident, but not stupid nor crude. But I digress. Our limo arrived and it was quite big enough to handle all the couples going to the party from our two ships. I could see that the two crews had done themselves and their respected ships well; although there was a wide diversity of clothing styles, ranging from Ms Toronaga's elegant and finely crafted oriental outfit topped by her pinned up hair to Tobias' expensive, but merely functional outfit rounded out by a recent attempt to become clean. All couples had managed to bring gifts to the host and all promised to be on their best behavior. I'd have to wait and see if that held up. We were driven to a large and expensive residence that resided on the shore of some underground body of water. Shadow held more and more surprises.Security was tight, but not oppressive as we all had to be scanned prior to entrance to the party. Tobias' sniper rifle was politely requested to be safely stored until the future promised shooting competition. Besides, I think lugging it around could have interfered with Tobias' use of his soup spoon at the dinner. However, all of our party was allowed to keep their personal weapons, although if Ms Toronaga was holding, I couldn't locate it with the outfit she was wearing. We entered to a mechanical band playing some recent favorite tunes. To see such technology out here on the rim was quite a surprise, but I expected that they were chosen to make an impression on the guests, not for their talent. Machines just cannot seem to feel the music like a human, but I suppose that would depend on who programmed the machines or trained the humans.As it was, our entrance was noticed by all, since we as a group seemed to represent all the newcomers to this group of insiders. We received many an appraisal, from both frank stares to careful glances. I could sense the tension level start to rise, but couldn't put my finger on why it would. Surely our group represented no threat to these firmly entrenched and established power factions on Shadow, unless we, as a group, was perceived as some new faction or possible rival to their domain. I surely hadn't put forth such an idea, so I had to deduce that there were others using us as a stalking horse for putting forth their own agenda. I whispered to my date and to Captain Tobias my observation. I could already see that Miss Amber had picked up the flow and feel of the party almost immediately, for she was in her element. It was soon announced that our host would be making his entrance and the guest began to form into some type of order to present themselves and their gifts. It soon became apparent that there were those among the other guests who resented our party being here. It became even more evident when, through the careful guiding of some servants, Miss Amber was led to the head of the receiving line. I felt Mariko's arm tighten on mine as she could sense the feeling of outrage or insult from some other guests, although most of the others managed to show plain,respectful, and happy faces to the Triad leader.After receiving Miss Amber's gift, she received a small key suspended from a chain of braided hair. Her gift resulted in a couple of quiet gasps, although i couldn't see the reason for such a reaction for an apparently mundane gift. Tobias had been clever and presented to our host a pair of beautiful medium pistols; cleaned and polished to a bright shine and nestled in a fine velvet-lined box. That the fact that these were the two pistols I had taken from the the triad members I had killed in the alley was not lost on the recipient. In return, Tobias received a fine crystal bullet topped with a gold point. I had heard about these type of crystals; they were neither common nor inexpensive. How Tobias felt about his gift I didn't know, but at least he behaved himself well. My turn came and my gift to my host was opened to show a fine silver key chain in the shape of the chinese symbol for "honor". My host raised and eyebrow, and I quickly explained that it was meant to hold only keys of value. I could see that he had noticed the slit in the velvet holding layer of the box and the apparently too deep packing material. His eyebrow crept perhaps a millimeter further up and he gave a short bow and placed my gift into his jacket's inner pocket; a process which seemed to cause the servant behind him some distress, since it violated protocol. Of course, since losing the key he sought already once, i figured he wasn't going to lose it a second time. He turned to the servant behind him who carried a gifts from the host and presented me with a finely wrapped package somewhat larger than the others. " In honor of your promotion to captain and to wish you fortune" is what I thought he said, and I opened the box to reveal a beautiful ship's sexton done in crystal and gold. I could see that it even was functional. It was a fine gift and I gave him a respectful bow. My party's gifts seemed to be too much for some people and one woman (she was no lady) became vocally critical of what had been happening and she began complaining of the slight done to her. To disagree with the host ( a Triad leader) at his party (full of other power brokers) and at this time and in public, spoke volumes on either the woman's alcohol consumption,lack of wisdom, or lack of breeding. Probably all three. As it was, she was hustled off by a group of servants as her date tried his best to look as inoffensive as possible. I could see that it took some effort on Mr Chen's part to maintain his,er.....wa. A light, but carefully placed hand by Miss Amber and her inquiry about dinner broke some of the tension, and our host turned to lead Miss Amber and the rest of his guests into the dinning area. The "appetizers" had been spicy, I could only wait and see how the main course of dinner would appeal to me. So with the soft arm and delicate perfume of Mariko at my side, I readied myself for the second course of tonight's repast. To those following my (our) saga here at Livejournal and asking for more: a BIG THANK YOU. It takes me far too long to type these things up, although I think it adds much to my enjoyment of the group I'm with and the Serenity system in general. This posting represents the first of two weeks of postings I need to get written. I'll try to get the second one up as soon as possible, but reality may intrude once again. Look at my friend list and read what they post. although they don't write as much or as frequently, their view of events I describe are just as important. (Comment on this)
Saturday, April 1st, 2006
4:11 pm	Party Favors As I helped drag Tobias back to Tron and her group of hackers, I pondered on what had just happened to our group. It was becoming clear that we had set foot into something far more important than our quest to avenge the deaths of our former crew members. That someone had been able to track tobias and I down so quickly, indicated that it was a group that had both the assets and training to move in a hurry,yet still be effective. Or, perhaps to be more accurate, somewhat effective as I remembered the two cooling men I left back in the alley. That,too, surprised me; that this group would still resort to violence first, before trying to reach accommodation with another party. They had offered me no choice in the matter and I regretted nothing about shooting them. That I had then resorted to killing them later in a fit of anger at what they had done to Tobias,well, that may offer me a twinge of guilt now and then in the future. Still, they started the incident and set the ground rules and stakes, I just was able this time to have the better hand. If the two in the alley were members of the triads, it meant one of two things: The first was that the triads were in full out action to get someone or something from my crew; most likely either the data chip or the key. Since the key had a triangle placed on it, my bet was that the key was the,er......key to the problem.The second part was that the triad was acting way too aggressive for such a mundane item. Either it was very valuable to them, pressure was being applied from an outside source, or the two triad members had overplayed their orders and had tried to make their name in the triad. My hunch was that all three variables were in play this time.Whatever the reason, I could expect bigger stakes and more excitement heading toward my crew and I in the near future. The attempt to stabilize Tobias in the hacker's room was futile and, although I didn't expect him to die because of his recent wounds, i realized he would be better off on the Urban Raider and not some back alley room. Brief accusations were exchanged between myself and Tron; mostly in regards to who was responsible for the triads visit. I guess we agreed to disagree. She would contact me back on the Pandora and with that reassurance in hand, I summoned another cab for a quick ride back to the Pandora and Urban Raider. I kept a sharp eye out behind us, but didn't spot a tail. Of course, if they were that good, I wouldn't have anyway. The Doc from the Urban Raider didn't look too happy at me, but I didn't care. In this line of business and out here on the rim, a businessman is more than some pen pushing lightweight. I didn't like Tobias getting shot, but I'm sure Tobias understood the risks as well as the rest of my old crew. If the ol' Doc couldn't handel it, I expected tobias to have a vacancy opening up real soon. I hurried to my ship, informed the crew of the incident and to increase security and precautions. I started a search bot on triads and daggers/oriental and took a quick shower and nap. My reply from tron came far quicker than I expected and a meeting site was set up at a branch of SpudWorks. A short cab ride later (in a far nicer cab than before), we were left outside a SpudWorks. Amber,Tobias, and I entered the crowded place, but were unable to find tron. We were, however, able to find the man known to us as Pseudo Tron who solely occupied a table in a corner. He looked extremely distressed, but we couldn't see any reason for his discomfort. We carefully approached him , but soon came to the realization that it was a trap of some type. We were confronted by men of oriental heritage who obviously were from the triads. We were offered to have a seat with our hacker helper who, we were able to discover, had two radio controlled explosives taped to his hands that were hidden under the table. I settled down to a polite conversation and negotiation with the apparent triad boss, while his head enforcer made eyes at Miss Amber. I did think that they made a cute couple, but I had more important things on my mind at the time. The conversation and discussion went like this: IF I had happened to have located an object of some small, but significant value to the Triad Gentleman, it would be much appreciated if it would be returned to its rightful owner. No blame would be fixed on those returning the lost object and, in fact, a significant reward would be offered just to show goodwill and friendship. Significant reward was mutable in value, but would include a person who would be the one our crew had been looking for and that person would be returned in health stable enough to answer some pointed questions by all interested parties. In addition, some other small token of goodwill would be included to make it even more logical to transact this mutually beneficial business deal. However, tonight would not be the night to conclude the arrangement but, it would be done tomorrow night at a party being given at one of the triads properties. We, of course, were strongly encouraged to come and ,just as importantly, for us to bring a date. So this is were we stand. I have obtained the decoded data disk from Tron's lackey, but have yet to read it. That will be first on the list to do.I will need to find a date (oh, Ms Torrinaga....?)and a gift for the host of the party ( I think I have that covered). I will need to brush up on my etiquette,Triad history, and purchase part of my host gift and wrap it..er,..Ms Torrinaga could you help? Then arrange for a large limo, make myself presentable, and obtain a small gift for my date ( a small jeweled Dragonfly to match her dress seems good). Add all the other things i need to do (check guns and ammo),etc and i'll be ready. Hopefully this won't be a surprise party of the worse kind! (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Friday, March 24th, 2006
3:27 pm	Duncan, P.I. My time in the sack served me well and when I awoke, I felt that I was back to my regular self. I made myself an internal note to purchase some flash/bang grenades while on Shadow. They were effective, while leaving no one permanently injured; a good option in case of mistaken classification of people's intent. An option some where between a bullet and running away as fast as I could seemed to be a good choice. The work on my ship had proceeded along at a remarkable pace. The software upgrades were the easiest and I was now able to monitor both ship and crew with more confidence. That I was also able to easier control the same was even better. The airtight door to the flight deck had been strengthened and tied into the improved security system as well as the computer software upgrade to limit access to the bridge and the officers cabins. I had also had some remotely controlled cameras placed in the public areas to better monitor both ship and any passengers we would take on board.I, of course, kept all cameras out from each crews stateroom or cabin. I wasn't some weird voyeur. However, the addition of pinpoint microphones, too, in most areas would allow me to at least be up on any scuttlebutt or below decks hassles. I promised myself not to listen unless I suspected nefarious actions were going to take place (or, better stated, unauthorized nefarious actions). The drop-down cannon installation was slowly progressing, although it was much further from completion than any other upgrade. The two escape pod replacements were in and certified and we had also loaded up with 2 crybaby decoys (with 10% bonus capabilities), ready to distract and lead any enemy away. The crowd control gas for the main cargo bay was still being arranged for, but the dispensers and tie-in to the anti-hijack system was ready. All in all, I felt ready after completion to handle most surprises I could think of. The problem was planning for the unsuspected stuff I knew the Verse was going to throw my way. I tied into Shadow's regular computer network, searching for clues using the items we had recovered from Spinner's body. I thought that it would be best to start with the most harmless object, the cigarillos. Information streamed in and it soon became clear that this clue was about to hit a dead end. I could purchase this product at numerous upscale and specialty shops. The number of shops selling this item was far to high to allow us to question each owner. I imagined that word would spread after we had conducted some interviews with the sellers that a group of people were interested in the last few days of a murdered man. On Shadow, heck on any planet, I think information and help would dry up real quick. I turned to key and the curious triangular logo that was on it. I did a search on triangles,the number three, and storage facilities on Shadow that may use the type of locks that would use this brand of keys. There was Tri-moon storage,Three Hills Storage,Tri-Gun Storage, and, to my surprise and dread, Three Sisters Storage. I wondered if it could be related to,er.... no way that it could be,but maybe?........nah! I also was able to locate information from A ( for acute triangles) to at least T(triads). I had some leads, but more footwork of either the electronic or physical would be needed.I set that clue aside and turned to my last big item from Spinner. The Data chip stared back at me and just remained silent on my desk. Nothing about it was unique; it was like a billion other chips floating through the Verse. No labeling or logo. My computer skills were rudimentry at best (note to self, make sure I carefully read the manual about the new anti-hijack and security system ASAP) and I feared that there would be some type of fail safe code or program that would destroy any unauthorized attempt to reach the information on it. At the very least, the odds were extremely high that it would have some type of password and I didn't have the time nor assets to randomly guess.I needed help and I knew that it would have to come outside the ship's crew. I started to inquire on the computer about finding bonded hackers (yes, that isn't an oxymoron) and was surprised to find myself on the ShadowNet, a secretive part of the system were items or services of unconventional type could be sought and purchased. For 30 creds a month and a background check on me that was amazingly fast, I found myself in touch with a bonded hacker named Tron. He stated that for 100 creds he would look at the chip and it contents. If he felt it was too tough or impossible for him to hack, he would direct us either to another hacker or inform us of the type of safeguard installed. If he could hack the info, it would cost me an additional 100 creds to obtain what was on the chip. I agreed to his terms and a meeting site was set. The problem was that it was in a Red Zone. A Red Zone means danger (Red means Dead!) and I immediately got Tobias to join me. If I was going into trouble, I figured it would be better if I bought some of my own. Besides, when I informed Tobias that there was danger and a chance to fire a gun (or two), he quickly ran back to his cabin for arms and ammo. I love to see a crewman happy with their job. I also thought of adding Clive to the process, but he was nowhere to be found. That made me think a little more about him and his past. I made some changes into access codes and authorizations just to be on the safe side. Paranoia? Only time would tell. We took a JohnyCab to the place; I thought walking would just lead to a higher chance of problems. We were dropped off at a darkened ally that just screamed "stay out" ,so we did the thing we had been doing in the past and walked slowly into danger and mystery. I had drawn my heavy pistol, but kept it hidden under my duster. The windows facing the alley showed indication of life with sounds and shadowy movement, but no threat from that direction was evident. Tobias kept my six clear and also scanned the windows above. A man stepped out of the shadows and asked who or what we were looking for in such a neighborhood. I said we were looking for a man who's named started with a "T". I asked him to give me the next letter, which he did. In short time we had spelled Tron and he gestured me into darkened and heavily reinforced door at the side of the alley. Some code was knocked and the door opened to reveal a small but clean room. As I stepped through the doorway, I found myself pinned between two leveled pistols that were pointed at my head. I didn't move, except to point my gun at Tron's head. Negotiations had not started off too well. It soon became apparent that the showdown was nothing more than standard precaution to prevent ripoffs and double dealings by those of a less sterling class than myself. One of the women (yes, they were two pretty young women) turned off my intercom that I had kept on and used to keep our wear abouts known with the Pandora We were subject to a quick, but thorough pat down ( and on the first date,too) and were allowed to keep our weapons, which made myself and, more importantly, Tobias happy. One the bonnifieds were established, we were surprised to find that one of the women was the real Tron; the man was merely a decoy and guard. At least this group was well organized and professional. My hope rose with their manner and safety precautions. Tron stated that she could break the code and password, but she needed a short time to do it. That time wasn't going to be easy,we found, as another woman entered and informed us that trouble was on its way. We were directed out another door which led us to a room with another door that the man (pseudo Tron) assured us led to a secure escape route. A quick opening and step through had us ending up in another alley. The sound of a breaking door followed by gunshots came from behind us, so we moved down the alley toward its mouth. It was at this time, that two oriental gentleman stepped out from either side of the alley's mouth. Damn, it looked that my day was taking a turn for the worse. We all clawed for our weapons and I was proud that I had learned my lesson from the great casino shootout. I pulled the trigger three times as I pointed toward the man on the left. I saw the rounds hit and it was apparent that the gentlemen were wearing some type of newtech armor under their coats; I hate when someone steals your ideas. Nevertheless, my new heavy pistol may not have been able to penetrate the man's armor, but it was enough to both knock him down and out. Tobias in return received the same type of treatment from his opponent and found himself barely unconscious on the alley's floor. I turned my attention to the second gentleman and soon he joined his compatriot on the ground. I felt a type of pleasure that I hadn't felt since I plugged Spinner back on his catwalk. I quickly solved the two strangers breathing problems (they stopped) and began a hasty search of their bodies. I had no time to take their armor ( you ever try to strip a dead body?), but I took their guns,a oriental dagger, and a diamond earring. The sounds of sirens coming closer in the far distance made me aware that time was important, but i was startled to see that both of the gentleman had small tattoos on their wrist that included the exact type of triangle that was on our mysterious key of spinner's. However, their numbers were a little different, with one set of numbers showing 222 and the second being 237. The Triads!! What were in for?? I checked up on Tobias and made efforts to get him out of the alley and back into tron's room, since it soon became apparent that the good guys (or at least us) had won this round. I could only hope to revive Tobias quick enough to make our escape with any information from the chip. (Comment on this)
Saturday, March 18th, 2006
4:02 pm	Late for the Dance Sorry this update has been delayed. It wasn't due to lack of interest, but lack of time. The good people sacrifice their time for others needs, while others sacrifice others times for their needs. It hard part is deciding how to reach an acceptable balance while maintaining your values and responsibilities to society. We begin: As I walked along row upon row of spacecraft at rest, it struck me on how peaceful and yet powerful the scene felt.There had been little activity at the space yard and our group was able to walk freely up and down the rows of ships and non flyable hulks.The last of other buyers had left, so our group was undisturbed in inspecting the possible choices for a new beginning.While the ships were powered down, they still maintained their potential for massive power and endless possibilities; a heady combination for those of us who could perceive it. To others less aware, I imagine that it looked like some kind of giant used vehicle lot with lots of added dirt. It was clear that for those ships that were still intact, extra care had been taken to maintain their worth and viability. Engine nozzles and access ports had been sealed against the elements. Placement of each ship was orderly and all ships were free of substantial visible faults, although I knew that there probably some underneath their dusty skins. The hulls and parts were less orderly, but it was clear that if any spare parts were needed, they may be only a short distance away. I looked fondly at a few alliance craft that were discreetly parked a short distance away. I was quite familiar with most of them and i pondered on how this out of the way dealer could either obtain or sell such craft.My initial inquiries were rebuffed when it was found that i did not process a valid alliance ID or end license for any military craft. Pity, since i would have loved to have that sort of extra toughness and firepower when i sailed the Black out on the rim. There were small craft the size of shuttles and runabouts. A few luxury yachts that had seen better days tucked off on the side; their owners either fallen from grace or moved onto something finer.And freighters; rows upon rows of freighters.They varied from small to so huge that I had to wonder how in heck they managed to land them planet side. I saw at least 3 different firefly class ships parked in different areas, the lot's owner was clever enough to make a potential buyer hoof a fair distance to compare ships. It was clear, however, that a ship of our present size was not going to meet my future needs. My plans were to establish a shipping and import/export company listed as "Kingfisher Enterprises" My goal was to take those odds and ends,overstocks and comparably obsolete items from the Core and sell them out on the Rim. I needed a ship large enough to take advantage of any lucky breaks or opportunities i might have in obtaining these items and buy as much as i could haul. If i was fortunate, I could be able to obtain some good amounts of materials and goods or, if unable to do that, get a large group of different items and transport the whole lot out. I planned to focus on items that were useful to those on the frontier like pumps,solar panels,older model technology,generic medicine, and other processed goods that separately may not draw the alliances attention, but together may allow a settlement or area to survive or grow in the future. I would return to the Core carrying a cargo of raw materials like ore,wood,cattle,and resentment for the Alliance. The last would be the easiest to pass through customs. I also wanted a ship to be able to allow for paying passengers; a great way to pay for maintenance as well as allowing for increased profit. While i didn't want to compete with any true passenger guilds or companies, i knew from experience that there were many people who needed transportation between the planets and didn't have either the time or money to utilize a big companies ships. I felt i could accommodate those last minute travelers and those who wanted to barter/trade for transportation. If a few dissidents or anti-alliance were among this group, I wouldn't raise a fuss either. After some time looking, I was struck still in my tracks by the sight of a well maintained, medium weight freighter of the Dragonfly class. For some reason, it just spoke to me and i soon found myself exploring her insides. It was clear that someone had loved this ship very much, but had fallen on hard times or bad luck recently. The ship and it's systems were good, but two escape pods were missing from her inventory; perhaps an indication on exactly what hard times the crew and owner had fallen on. While not new, I could find no jury-rigged or cobbled together systems and my engineer and crew agreed with my assessment after their own inspection. It had separate staterooms for passengers and a cargo capacity far more than a Firefly class ship. Yet, it was small enough to need only a relatively small crew to fly. I'm afraid my big smile gave away any need for a hard sell by the lots owner, but i hope that both of us came away better for the deal. I insisted that all systems were tested and needed fluids/materials were replaced were it was feasible. I even had a new paint job thrown in as part of the sale. In a few days, our new home was ready for moving in and i took proud ownership of the new Pandora. In addition, I was now nominal leader of a fleet, since Tobias had fallen in love (or was that lust) with a small,fast courier of a ship and had purchased it for himself. To my practiced eyes, it just screamed "inspect me for contraband"; to Tobias it was just a fast way to get into and out of trouble. I didn't know exactly his future plans for the ship, but i figured it had to do with guns or bullets. Imagine that. Our trip to Shadow was relatively routine in the beginning. Both ships had some new crew that had to fit in both with the new ships and the old crew. I wasn't disappointed in the two newbies i had hired and I didn't hear any complaints from tobias, either. Of course, I figured I would see a body spinning out one of his airlocks if he really had some problems with his new crew. Of course, our quiet trip was soon interrupted as we approached Shadow. However, it wasn't an Alliance patrol that we expected(hence the lack of contraband in either of our ship's cargo hold), but a large Reaver ship! Both of our ships were unarmed, except for personal firearms and things were looking grim. I vowed that if i survived this day, i would work hard to upgrade my ship to have a better chance to handle whatever the Verse would throw me in the future. Our imminent death was avoided by the sudden appearance from Shadow of five mysterious fighters of unknown class. We originally wondered for a short time if they were additional reaver ships, but it soon became clear with their ship to ship chatter that they obviously were neither Reaver nor Alliance. What they absolutely were, was our ships' saviors as one ship flew close by the reaver ship and placed what appeared to be a thousand rounds of projectiles into it's engine room. The Reaver wasn't going to go anywhere and i doubted, based on the placement of the shots, that any of the crew had survived unless they had been wearing vac suits, something i don't think Reavers do on a normal bases. We were requested, alright more like ordered, to fly into a huge opening that appeared on the planets dead surface. That such a facility existed and had remained hidden from the alliance was incredible.Obviously, the alliance's attempt to wipe out resistance on Shadow had failed. I could only hope that the people we were about to meet were willing to hear our story and allow us to proceed in our goals.at the least, I hoped that they would let us live. I took it as a good sign that they had talked with us first before threatening to shot us, something that I hope tobias learns soon. We landed among numerous ships in what had to be a large star port hidden deep underground. The surrounding complex was covered by a dome of gigantic size, whose far circumference lay hidden deep in to the dimly lit distance. Life may not have lived on Shadow, but it obviously flourished underground here. We were led to meet this group's leader, a charismatic bald man who oozed both magnetism and threat. A perfect leader for out on the rim. He carefully listened to our story, asked some pointed questions, and laid down the ground rules for behavior while we were guests here. While numerous, the rules were clear; what happens IN Shadow, stays IN Shadow. We first began to upgrade our individual ships based on the overwhelming fear and feeling of hopelessness we felt with the reaver's approach. I payed to get ship's weaponry installed; not enough to cause major concern to the Alliance, but enough to allow me some comfort and not roll over helpless in the future. I also replaced the two missing escape pods (in case of safety checks and because you really never know when you might need them), installed upgraded software security for anti hijack/mutiny as well as increase ship's abilities, improved sensors (avoid problems, don't run into them), reinforced and increased security on the command deck door, had remote control locks and command features installed on hatches and berthing rooms, and had remote viewing cameras hidden throughout the ship. I wasn't being paranoid, just cautious. I also didn't inform the crew of ALL of my changes, since a card player doesn't like to show all his cards if he can. I was soon approaching dead broke, but my worries about surprises were slowly fading. Silly me. We did some leg work and managed to stay out of trouble while still arranging for equipment.After some time and effort, we managed to track down a possible spot for the wear abouts of Spinner. A bar of certain rapport was the place and the look on Spinner's face when he saw us was almost priceless. He fled out the back door with our group on his heels, but we had momentarily forgotten that there were other players in this game. By the time we cornered Spinner, he had grown a third eye and his assailant was fleeing via an automated cab company. Our chance for personal revenge was thwarted, although Ms White got in a viscous kick or two. A quick examination of Spinner's body revealed that he had been tortured by both electrical and acidic means. Even "down there"! A turnout of his pockets revealed a light auto pistol, a data chip (hope!!), some strawberry flavored cigs of the Poker brand, two creds (my first profit!), and (Jackpot, I hoped) a key labeled #226 for a storage locker and which also had a mark like a triangle stamped faintly on it. As the police sirens came closer(hmm, how did they know?), we left Spinner's body with a final kick from Ms. White. We wouldn't miss him at all. We headed back to the star port, since the hour was drawing toward that were just being out may cause attention or trouble. However, I soon noticed that we were being followed by at least two men who were dressed in long dusters and broad brimmed hats. I drew Clive's attention to the gentlemen and after a brief attempt to lose them, he soon directly confronted them. Lesson learned for me this particular encounter? Always draw and point your gun BEFORE confronting possible bad guys. As it was, after a very brief conversation and the threat to contact the Cortex for an ID, we were stunned by a flash/bang grenade dropped at our feet!! I thought "Whaaaaat?" for what seemed an eternity, but soon found my sight,hearing, and thought back to relatively normal levels. Of course, our two tails were gone, so we decided to pick up our pace and head to our ships where, hopefully, people were neither planning to stun,shoot,threaten,or mean us harm in the near future. From past experience, I doubted we would get a long respite, but at least we could spend some time researching the clues from Spinner's body in relative safety. Our contracted work was proceeding along at a good clip and after a short physical from Doc (along with a few pain pills), I began to analyze and use my skills from my previous life on what we had found. I hoped they would lead us to the operative who had ended Juan and the Cargo master's lives. I KNEW they would lead to further trouble. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Saturday, February 25th, 2006
9:11 pm	Resign Encrypted to Salmon Industries******* omega level 3******************************************* Sir: I and my crew have had the privilege of working for your company and, more importantly, you. You have given us free reign in regards to crew and assignment. We thank you for that privilege, Now it has come down to the fact that we, as a crew, have been drawn into something that is far more than we are hired into.The death of Juan and the Cargo master, as well as the attack on Capt. Hammer and the ship, has shown that the stakes have been raised far higher than those that we have been hired for. We were attacked not only on a professional level, but also a personal level. We, as a group, cannot allow that to happen. Therefore, I, Duncan Fisher, and my crew (including both those you hired as well as those I have hired since) tender our resignation from Salmon Industries. We pledge that we, as a group, intend to find those responsible for the attack on the Wolf's Whistle and reach true Justice. Those that have violated the agreement with Salmon Industries will be punished and we pledge that those responsible will face that fate that they deserve. So, the Firefly class transport that you graced myself with is docked on Higgen's Moon awaiting your replacement crew. I thank you for your trust. It is in fine shape, with all systems at specs and ready to fly. We think we have improved it and have done it proud. We, as a group, will not rest until we find those responsible for what has happened. We admire both you and your company and plan to work with you in the future. We accept the debt that was given us with the attack by Ms Sheila and her operative, knowing that we, as a group, were thrown into something that was not of our choosing. We can only hope that you will support us in achieving justice and finding those that caused the death and dishonor of those we admired. The cost may be high, but we all know what would happen if we would ignore those that do not follow the rules. Although we are the spear point, I know you support us in seeking justice. May the Verse give us right!! Capt. Duncan Fisher Master of the Pandora Commodore of the Fleet. (Comment on this)
Friday, February 24th, 2006
3:51 pm	Gutshot I realize now that I have been lax in updating my log. The strains of command as well as adjusting into new roles and responsibilities have caused me to be a little behind in writing up all that has happened to my crew and myself. The days have begun to march past faster and faster; double timing to a far distant future, while behind me, I hear the ever growing sound of the rustling feathers of the Angel of Doom.But I digress. Our breakfast meeting with Popavich and his family was less than cordial. Oh, do not get me wrong, no harsh words or gestures were given, but the temperature between Mr. Popavich and his wife (Sheila)and her daughter was decidedly cool. One could even say cold ...as a grave. Perhaps Popeye had done a little research during the night and had found out the extent of his wife's betrayal and his own loss of honor as the result of her revenge.As it was, the two Popavich females were shortly dismissed from the table so that a business meeting could be held. The two dismissed ladies were not happy. I felt that they were more embarrassed from being found out than feeling guilty on what they had done. The criminal mind is an interesting subject; a place were honor might be held in high esteem, but the definition was fuzzy. I could only hope that Mr. Popavich's sense of honor required him to lend aid to us and our ship. I'll keep the recounting of the conversation short. The result was we found ourselves outward bound heading toward Higgin's Moon. It appeared that we were to contact someone at Jayne Industries for more info. The trip was uneventful(surprise,surprise) and we made planetfall safely to join the small group of spaceships already there. Jaynestown was the recent expansion of the old town of Canton into a boom town of sorts. It had all the trappings of a rim world boom town, including slapped together housing,poor urban planning, and, of course, carousing and gambling. We decided to head into town to try and meet our contact. On the way there, we stumbled across a shuttle that looked familiar. After a minute or two we realized that it was the same shuttle that our lost passenger Annabelle took off on at Lilac. It appeared to be in good shape, but was guarded by someone looking like a local tough. He appeared competent, if not a professional, so we decided to leave him and the ship alone and continue with our plan. Miss Amber made a new friend on the way through town, although I felt that his attempt to "pick up" Amber was a little too crude for her.On the other hand, after hanging out with the group on our ship, the local might have started looking good. He did pale, however, to the fops at Lailani's party. We arrived at the local hot spot and the probable location of our contact. I say probable, because we were still flying by the seat of our britches and I'm no Captain Tightpants. It appeared that this gambling hall was the choice of what amounted to the movers and shakers of Jaynestown. We parked our mule in the parking lot and soon approached by a local who appeared to be the valet parker, in title, if not skill. No matter his talent, he was friendly and polite and soon filled us in on more information on what this place was and who we could expect to meet. But before we could enter, the sound of screaming was heard from inside the casino. We were too late or too early, since screaming women usually means something is amiss and at this time, I just wanted something to go right. It wasn't to be. We entered the casino with guns drawn. Why did we enter? Good question. I tend to lean toward ignorance over stupidity as the choice, but after the results of the next few minutes, i may now tend to lean toward the latter. We were met my a flood of locals leaving through the front door in an undignified manner. No one appeared to be injured, although I imagine that a few fell and were stepped on by the crowd. Once through the front doors, we spotted at least six thugs involved with trying to reach a lady in the back who was guarded by two more toughs. the two nearest bad men had their backs toward the front door and seemed to be far more interested in the dealings in the back rather than keeping in eye on their six. That pegged them in the category of more thug than pro. It soon turned out that it didn't matter to my well being. I am starting to realize that my health improves if I do not allow those that I mean harm to realize that i'm there. In other words, by shooting people in the back, i allow for the best chance to have myself survive the confrontation. I noticed that thew two men i was approaching were holding some sort of belt fed pistol. A weird arrangement that should make their gun clumsy and likely to jam. I fired a shot in to the back of the nearest thug, but it appeared to be merely a graze along some small part of him. In fact, he appeared to ignore me completely and with the noise and screaming going on, my gunshot went, for the most point, unnoticed. Tobias headed toward the one I had just shot and I switched targets to the second gunman. I carefully moved and shot him. Once again, i was rewarded with a less than hoped for result as he quickly spun around and fired three shots into my chest!! I blacked out, but soon came to find myself on the floor amid the poker chips and spilled refuge of the casino. If it wasn't for my armor, i'm sure I would now be dead and I soon came to realize that Tobias had suffered the same fate as I. I had survived, but my tactics were obviously flawed. I struggled to my feet with the aid of Amber and the valet who had returned with my pen that i had loaned him earlier. I stumbled and fell into a nearby gaming table covered with chips and , as chance would have it, managed to have a goodly amount of chips fall into my duster's pockets. Somehow I felt I was still down in this night's game. Anabelle showed up and we were surprised to find out that she was the town's sheriff! At first she suspected us in the night's altercation, but we soon convinced her otherwise. I think it was the fact that Tobias wasn't even carrying a gun that was the most effective argument. Perhaps she was stunned. Our group beat a hasty retreat to the ship with the rest of the crew who had rushed (so to speak) to our aid. The next morning , we were joined by Annabelle for breakfast. Somewhere in the near past, I had lost my appetite. I nursed some tea and toast, while the rest of the crew and guest created and then destroyed a big breakfast. My chips remained in my safe, although I got a friendly hint from Annabelle to only spend them at the casino from last night. I plan to count them as soon as I feel better. We were directed to the other side of the planet to a shipyard/salvage yard run by people associated with Popavich. It was becoming more and more clear that Salmon's ship was going into harm's way and I wondered just what i would do if it got destroyed or severely damaged, yet we had survived. By the grace of the Verse and more mundane aid, our group had earned enough money to pool and purchase a ship of our own. By doing this, we would run a higher financial risk, yet we could also have the biggest reward. In addition, we could go where and when we wanted. This yard had a surprising amount of ships available, most in good or better shape. The owner,Gonzo, seemed to be on the up and up, although we overheard him receive a call from someone he addressed as Ms Sheila. When we hinted at some discomfort on anyone named Ms Sheila, he looked us in the eyes and said he knew of no such communication. We only hope he fears Mr. Popavich more than Sheila, or at least he has more honor than Sheila. No matter what, though, we plan to check, recheck, and then check again any ship we plan to purchase. So excuse me while I go browsing through the yard. Perhaps I'll see my hopes and dreams made real in a ship that meets my needs. Maybe I'll only find disappointment. But whatever I find, hopefully it keeps those angel's wings a bit farther away. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, February 11th, 2006
9:20 am	Lady Luck Ships sing. The vast majority of the people in the Verse are not aware of this fact, but it is true. Like the ocean mammals of the Earth that was, each ship in the Black create a song that is unique. My Alliance shrinks considered my observations on this matter as a harmless eccentricity; the lab coats evaluated it more along the lines of "acute hearing combined with exceptional observation,perception,and intelligence". Whatever the scientific reason was, I was able to hear each and every ship I was on and recognize that each song was changeable,yet unique. Depending on what the ship was doing at the time, the type of burn, whether it was entering or leaving atmosphere, the cargo it was carrying, the shape it had been maintained, even the crew, all effected what I was aware of and how I reacted to my ship's environment. As we approached Ezra, I felt the newly named Pandora begin to cry out. Whether it was in pain for its recent loss or for vengeance I wasn't quite sure, but it was clear that it was aware of the importance of what was about to occur next. Our pulse burn left little time for a coordinated plan to arrange a meeting with Popavich. Most of the crew left to get their equipment or clothing in order, leaving me time alone on the bridge. It was here that I became more aware of Pandora's mood...and my own. I knew the crew and I were sticking our heads into the monster's jaws, but I could honestly see no other way to accomplish our commission. We needed more information if we were going to get our justice and avenge the wrong done to our ship. I also knew that in the world I was now in, failure to stand up for my ship and crew would only lead to future problems and conflicts from those perceiving us as weak or unable to defend what was rightly ours. The righting of the wrongs done to me and mine would have to be done right quick, or a heap of hurt and sorrow would be heading our way real soon. Entering orbit was done right smartly by the ship's computer and I, although I would like to think that my recent improvement in my piloting skills was the real cause for the minimal course correction needed to hit the mark plotted. The command staff (as I so quaintly called them) entered the bridge to discuss our next step in meeting Lealani's father, but the meeting was cut short by a call from the surface of Ezra! We were somewhat stunned, since I thought that no one knew we were here. Yet, the com screen opened to reveal a woman sitting behind a corporate desk. While good looking, her obnoxious and condescending ways managed to flow out from the screen soon after she began to speak. She requested a dinner between her employer (Ms Sheila!!) and Captain Hammer to be set up as soon as possible. When informed that Hammer was no longer the ship's master, she seemed nonplussed.Yet, she still managed to try to look down her nose at me and dictate what we were going to do next. I had been a civil servant far too long to play this kind of power game, so I did the only proper response and cut off the signal between us. While our group had only started up the ladder of respect and power in the Verse, Salmon Industries (who we represented) had climbed far enough to have earned some proper decorum. Besides, we were the injured party here and we weren't about to bow and scrape to deliver justice to those who had done us wrong. Our group had decided to try to meet Popavich at the casino, since we had no other direct way to contact him short of the vid and were unsure if that was compromised by cronies of Sheila. I dressed up in my finery and was joined by Tobias,Clive, and Lealani. The Doc had chosen to lurk around,whether it was to start making amends with Phil or he had some other action in mind I wasn't quite sure. Miss Amber decided to strike out in her own direction, although I cautioned her on being vulnerable to danger if she went by herself. she assured me that she was quite capable of looking after herself; perhaps the girl is growing up fast out on the rim! As it was, splitting the crew up at a time like this was a risky maneuver, but it did offer us a chance to approach Popavich from different directions. I was only worried that we were being out thought and maneuvered from the time we set foot back on Sihnon. Salmon Industries had fronted each of us 7,000 credits, a right tidy sum of money. You can buy a Firefly class ship with all the combined money he lent out to us, but he made it clear that it was a loan and not a gift. Payment would be made back to Salmon Industries in the near future for the exact amount if in credits, far higher if need be in blood and grief if we failed to reimburse quickly. He wasn't smiling and after his com, neither were we. We had started to get the feel of the nature of the high stakes gamble (both figuratively and literally) we were about to attempt. I could only hope that Lady Luck was on our side. The casino was packed, like we expected. Now days you either are here because you are a member of the Alliance and reveling in your wealth and your ability to squeeze blood out of those struggling on the rim or one of their wannabe suckups and leaches. Sorry, that's my contempt for those I found myself facing shining through. As it was, I pasted a friendly, but vacant look on my face and joined the mass of greed that was the casino crowd. Perhaps I could convince Tobias to return with an automatic weapon and do a little housecleaning at a later date......? Our first poker table soon told me that I was not going to get lucky tonight....in any form. I've had colder cards in a night, I just cannot remember when, though. I had more six and four starting pair of cards than I could ever dream of and they rarely improved beyond that. Yet, while my luck was colder than Sheila's compassion, our new crewman, Clive, was showing a string of luck that was quite remarkable. While he didn't always win, he was a steady enough winner to soon have the rest of us short stacked and looking bad. However, our goal was to entice (or allow an opportunity for)Popavich to contact us and Clive's wining ways accomplished that. We were offered a chance to move to a higher class of table; one that catered to those of us with higher needs. We accepted and I soon found myself seeing something I never thought I would.....even colder cards! If the game would have been "get dealt the worse hand", I would have left a millionaire. I probably could have collected my cards and used them for meat refrigeration on a long run in from the rim. as it was, I was soon busted and made a move to leave the table when a mildly accented voice requested that I sit down and rejoin the group. I was greatly surprised to see the man himself,Popavich, at the head of the table. He wore a couple thousand cred suit and a tight smile. I thought that the suit looked more natural on him. He offered me a chance to buy more chips, but I realized that I was out of Salmon's money and wasn't about to risk more of either his or mine on a night where I was not going to get a fair deal by Lady Luck. Voicing my choice, I was rebutted by a single chip rolling down the table to gently spin and settle in front of me. "On the House", he softly said," no obligation". Any further words he said were lost in the buzzing in my ears as I saw the credit value on the newly arrived chip. 100,000 creds!! I never knew of people that had, let alone gambled with, that amount of creds as if it was nothing. I raised my eyes back up toward Popavich and saw both mild humor for my reaction and cold ruthlessness reflected back. I had entered a far more dangerous rung of the power ladder and I wasn't comfortable. At least one thing remained safe and constant, my bad luck. If I had been gambling with my own money now, I would have suspected a crooked game out to fleece me. As it was , I and the rest of the table appeared to be be a money tree for our new friend Clive who, if Lady Luck wasn't in bed with him, sure was giving him wet kisses. I blew on my fingers in the hope that any frostbite from my cards would be slight, but I needn't have worried. My money gave out quicker than rim world whore's compassion. At the end of the night, I found myself out of money, out of luck, and out of ideas on what to do next. Perhaps I could mug Clive on the way back to the ship and get enough money to pay Mr. Salmon back. As it was, we had accomplished our goal. We had made contact with Mr. Popavich. Clive's huge winnings (over 750k credits!!)allowed us the chance to spend even more time with "businessman". In addition, each of the party members were gifted with a souvenir chip worth 100K for offering "such a wonderfully stimulating evening" to the owner!! I was floored by the realization of what kind of money must Popavich and his organization must deal with on a daily basis. It also made me realize that Mr. Popavich wouldn't have stooped to any level to harm or threaten our ship; we were far too beneath his notice. It was only when Lealani and her family had been threatened and harmed that he had chosen to step in, although the violation of the gentleman's agreement with Mr. Salmon would irk him as well. Our private meeting with Clive, Mr. Popavich, and myself was a study in the art of Fugue. Fugue is the art of saying an innocent thing, but meaning something else. It is important to understand not only what the other person is saying, but through very slight gestures or body movement, make your own statements clear. It allows for the transmission of information between people to remain discreet, even if there is a chance for someone to overhear. Besides, it is the perfect way to be blunt without being rude. You can always pretend that the other person misread what you are saying or failed to understand(or take offense) at what was hinted at. It takes practice and training, but my years with Customs paid a rich dividend. It was clear that Mr. Popavich knew something was wrong in his organization and, more specifically, his wife's interest in certain aspects of his shipping outfits. He cleared the air and assured us that he held no animosity toward either Mr. Salmon or our ship, although that could change in the future and we shouldn't push our luck. He would offer us information and resources( a certain chip sprang to mind), but he had to stay clear himself for "the sake of the Family". As long as we targeted carefully the objects of our justice, Mr. Popavich would tend to ignore them. He couldn't say the same of his wife, but he did hint that he would try to smooth things as best (or as profitable) as he could. If it was not too much a problem. If it was not too much a risk. If it was not too,...oh, you get the idea. Clive decided to spend the night at the casino's hotel living it up. Couldn't fault him at that, he'd earned it. He had commed a payment to Salmon Industries to reimburse them for the front money that each of the crew had been given, a gesture I'm sure all appreciated. I retired to the ship soon after I had cashed my chip in and wired part to my hidden bank account,as well as my personal certified credit chip I carry. Some also went to hard currency that I have hidden securely on the ship and will retrieve as needed. I spent the rest of the night working with Phil arranging for some extra insurance on the ship due to the recent inflow of credits,filling out and filing action/financial forms for both Salmon and Hammer, and finally looking through the online auction/available used ship catalog. I have my eye on a mighty fine Dragonfly class ship that would suit Tobias and I just fine if we decide to leave Salmon Industries for life as an independent. What the heck, throw in everyone's creds and we can buy a luxury cruise ship and travel the Verse in style! Now, that would be something. (Comment on this)
Saturday, February 4th, 2006
11:53 am	Blood Ties My experience from Laelani's party revealed that things had turned even more unusual for our group. What exactly was the deal between Popevich's two bodyguards and the young woman. It had me wondering what was the connection between Laelani (or her party) and them. Was there any connection with anyone from our ship? I was left with more questions and worries after the big party than from before it, the opposite of what any party should do for anyone. I wondered if I should bring this point up to Lealani, but I figured she already had enough problems to worry about. In fact, it was clear over the next few days that she was distracted by something major. While the crews I had arraigned to give the ship a good cleaning (to clean up after the two murders), engineering inspection (to see if there was any sabotage that we had overlooked), and new paint scheme with nose paint (because,hey, we deserved it!), I still had time to welcome her and the shuttle she was going to use while she was aboard our ship. I had turned down her request to take over our sole remaining shuttle as her quarters, since I was planning to use that in any emergency and i didn't want to take any chance the it was unavailable at a critical time. In the Black, redundancy is not a luxury, it is a necessary! Besides, I never knew when (or if) Annabelle was going to be back. Part of me wondered what a meeting between Annabelle and Laelani would be like. Throw in Phil to the mix then. I didn't know if that would create a great crew or one of Doc's fantasies! Either way, I had to make sure that both my crew and ship were ready for the challenges ahead and I couldn't afford (or survive) any screw-ups. The new guy, Clive the bounty hunter, was the first to bring to my attention that Laelani was hiding something. I had noticed something before, but the responsibility for the ship had kept me too busy to address it personally. However, even Tobias was noticing something amiss and since I didn't see Laelani carrying any weapons,it must have been rather obvious to bring to Tobias' attention. I had to confront her directly to ascertain the risk her problem brought to my ship and crew, but felt that she was too valuable an asset to risk alienating her planet side. So I did the smart thing and waited till we lifted and started our burn toward Ezra, the planet that housed one of Popeviche's casinos and the last current position we had of where the businessman (crime lord) was staying. I instructed Tobias to lock down Laelani's shuttle clamps, informed the Doc to stand by for possible help, and then went a calling on my gal Laelani sans flowers. It was clear when she answered my page at her hatch that she was near losing it about something important. Clive had offered to keep an eye on me, but Laelani quickly nixed any chance that other people would overhear her confession. I entered her shuttle with a little trepidation; ruthless smugglers I could handle, alone with a beautiful female Companion had my blood pressure up. However, it was clear from her expression that I had little to fear for either my immediate health or virtue (damn!) She then laid it out plainly: Popevich was her father!! To say I was stunned would be understating the fact. I imagined that Miss Amber could have knocked me over with a sharp look at that moment. A whole panorama of new questions and problems flooded my tactical and strategic thinking of both the near and far future. What had my crew and I stumbled into and could we survive the new problems? It was clear that the entire ship had to hear this news and be able to question Lealani about her family and their blood ties. I convinced her to have a ship's meeting in the dining area so that all could be there and all could partake in both support and mutual aid. We had successfully initiated burn toward Ezra and all systems were reading green and go. They should have after all the work and care they had been through on Sihnon. The kitchen was full up by the time I had gently escorted Lealani to the get together. They had thoughtfully kept my chair and an adjacent chair to my right free and we both sat down to a group of expectant eyes. Lealani hesitantly began, but her voice strengthened and returned to its seductive normal after a few minutes. Her tale was long, but extremely interesting. It turned out that Laelani was a daughter of Popevich and his mistress (we refrained on asking if there was more than one). While there was no doubt that Popevich cared for Laelani and her mother, it was clear that they had to be hidden from Popeviche's ruthless wife,Sheila. Laelani was arranged to be given to Juan's family ( and no doubt that it was this specific family, since Popevich wouldn't let pure random chance influence where his child would end up) and left to grow up without the influence of Sheila (or by the same measure Popevich himself). When she was old enough, Popevich sponsored her entrance into the Companion Guild, perhaps hoping to add a further layer of disguise between Sheila and Laelani. In addition, it turns out the two mountain of men I had met at her party were two brothers of Popevich. Popevich had kept it all in the family and if you cannot trust your own sons to protect you, who can you trust. The struggling girl at the party was probably Popevich's daughter from Sheila; a probable rival and threat to Laelani in the future. To add further to our woes, it appears that our old friend,Spinner, is mixed into the stew. It appears that he has fallen far in Popevich's ranks due to some setbacks he has had recently. I should have made him fall even further with a bullet to the brain pan last time I saw him! He vowed revenge and facts seem to indicate that he joined with Sheila to even matters out with our ship and crew. However, this is where things appear to have taken a strange turn. While Sheila supplied assets to Spinner and his plan, she threw in a wild card: an asset that answered to her and not him. It became clear with the tale Laelani told that Spinner had become a stooge (imagine he's good for that, at least)for Sheila's revenge on Popevich and his embarrassing illegitimate daughter. Sheila planned to accomplish much with her clever plan. First she would kill Juan to get even with the family that helped hide Laelani from her grasp. This would hurt Popevich personally. Then the cargo master was killed to impact negatively with Popevich's business relationship with Salmon Industries, hurting him financially. Finally, Spinner would be the scapegoat, protecting Sheila from retaliation from Popevich and further embarrassing the crime lord's empire. Our crew spun the possibilities around for quite awhile, until I called a halt so that we could take a break and approach the matter later. Laelani was exhausted and so retired to her shuttle. The buzz among the crew stayed for far longer. I decided to leave Laelani alone for awhile, it was clear that the confession and discussion had taken much out of her. I decided to address the question on what our ship had liberated from the Achilles' Wings, so I headed down to the cargo bay and , with the aid of Clive and Tobias, began to inspect the crates. It was incredible! The revealed merchandise ran from high quality scrap metal (always useful on a rim world) to Robots and a holo immager. The whole list is included in the attached file. I think that I and this crew can put most of the items to good use! So we continue the burn toward Ezra and our meeting with Popevich. We still are discussing what approach we should take in setting up a meeting with the crime lord, but all agree we should stay far away from Sheila. The Doc and Miss Amber have fallen strangely silent, perhaps they realize that things have turned even more serious now and blood will spill even further. Clive is looking forward to the challenge. I think he is trying to prove his worth to the company and his captain. The money wouldn't hurt either. Tobias is cleaning his weapons and vowing that he's going to use them more than ever before. Laelani looks forward to addressing Popevich himself and finding the answers that any daughter has about their father and relationship. And the Captain? Well, he looks forward to finding Spinner and returning his derringer...one bullet at a time! *****encrypted file #1****** *****encrypted copy Salmon Industries***** *****encrypted copy Capt. Hammer****** (Comment on this)
Saturday, January 28th, 2006
1:31 pm	Dressed to Kill As I stood at the mirror, I realized how much i had missed the Core. The face looking back at me had burned what little fat it had gained from my hospital stay and jail time. Now it was full of harsh angles tempered by weathered skin. Once gentle, caring eyes had hardened into something much colder. Yet, I had to admit that my tux fit perfectly. Lealani's clothier's knew exactly what they were doing and the resulting outfit flattered my slim outline, while still hiding my Reagan 10mm heavy pistol, as well as my little derringer. I was dressed to kill or at least to wound severely. I had checked with the rest of the crew and found them to in fine shape. Amber, of course, was in her element and she looked every inch a society belle. The good doctor looked respectable and suave in the way only medical people can. Even Tobias looked good, although he was still fretting on where to put all his weapons. I had convinced him that house security was up to the task of guarding the guest,while Lealani had told him that a cloak wasn't really in this year. I figured he wanted that cloak to hide his assault weapon; as it was, I could observe a discrete extra bulge here and there on him that signified some lethal device. We arrived before Lealani's grand entrance and took our individual turns descending the central stairway while our names and affiliations were announced. Of course, since we were nobody important, we were ignored by the vast crowd there. Part of me was chagrined, since i had decided to go as who i truly was: Duncan Fisher. Ah, I guess infamy fades quickly unless you keep working at it. I noticed that there was someone at the bar who payed somewhat closer attention to those descending the stairway, no matter how important they looked. I'd have to keep an eye on him this night. Lealan's entrance was incredible. While Amber was lovely with her dress and appearance, Lealani had upped the ante by adding training,poise, and maturity to her radiant self. She truly was stunning as she descended the stairway and took my offered arm. I was then guided by her as we toured the party and the guest offered their congratulations. I faded back into a mere accessory of Lealani's and that was fine as I watched those who surrounded her. Later in the party, we were interrupted by a house member who asked to speak to Lealani in private. I noticed her turn pale as they spoke and then moved behind a curtain. I wondered what could be so important that they deemed it warranted interrupting Lealani's ball. I gathered the crew around and discussed the recent events and Juan's death. we were shortly joined by the gentleman i had noticed at the bar observing everyone. He introduced himself as Clive", a bounty hunter. He assured us that he wasn't out for any one of us, but that he had overheard part of our conversation and was offering his services as an investigator and tracker of bad people. Shortly later, a woman's scream came from another curtained room. Before thinking (and yes, I need to think first more often), I had walked over to the curtain and entered the room beyond. I had to fight the crowd of people leaving the next room. They all looked like they would rather be somewhere else and fast. Most had that scared look of sheep and since some appeared to be rather wealthy or powerful, it did not bode well for what I was about to find. What I saw was a muscular man pulling a young woman toward another curtain. The woman was well outfitted (both materially and physically), while the muscle wore finely tailored, but serviceable clothing. He was commenting that it was time that she left the party and it was clear that she didn't want to at this time. I voiced my question to the lady if she desired assistance and received a scathing look in return. The man just ignored me. I then asked the man to unhand the young lady, perhaps a bit too forcefully, as I could tell by the man's back that he now perceived me as a possible threat and not just some annoying party glad fly. However, the response from the young lady was even more disturbing, as she positioned herself behind the hulk and stuck her tongue out at me! My surprise turned into shock, as I then realized the two people standing in front of me. The man was Popeye's chief bodyguard, while the woman was Popeye's only legitimate daughter. While Salmon and Hammer had given me files and briefings on what little they new about Popeye and his operation, one thing that they had been able to do is give me a run down on the family and bodyguards. These two were among the few photos that I had received and with my recognition of them, loud alarm bells started going off. I was sailing into uncharted space and I could start to feel the presence of Reavers between my shoulder blades! Something more was going on than was readily apparent. They edged toward another curtain and disappeared together; the girl didn't seem to be putting up such a fuss this time. I walked carefully to the drapery and parted it. A small room and another curtain greeted me. However, it was the other item in the room that drew my attention. It, or should I say he, was huge and he stood in front of the other exit to this room. He did not look happy. I walked toward him and i could see him expanding and tensing up. I politely asked him to move so that I could continue on and I was not surprised to see him not move an inch. He merely inquired on my apparent health, both mentally and physically, and suggested that both could change in the near future if i persisted on pushing the issue. I could hear the start up of some air vehicle from behind the curtain and i knew that i would have to make some kind of move if i was to intercept its liftoff. It was at this time that i remembered Salmon's report in regards to Popeye's trend to test possible business partners with a test of some type. Was this the test for our group or was this merely a random meeting? Either way, I didn't think violence was going to accomplish what I wanted. The mountain of muscle leaned over me as the aircraft outside spooled up its blades and i knew that I had lost this round....or perhaps I had passed some sort of test. I was so busy thinking about the possibilities that I had been ignoring the glare and physical presence of the bodyguard. That I hadn't resorted to violence nor turned and ran seemed to impress the bodyguard, since he seemed to return to normal size and demeanor. I gave a polite bow and departed toward the remaining party opposite the vehicle outside. A stiff drink or two was warranted..right after I visited the bathroom. I also would make sure that my weapons were ready,again. I felt that i would need them a bit sooner than i had hoped. Author's note: I had a much better entry that was three times as long, but after proof-reading and spell checking, it was lost somewhere in the Black after it left my computer. This replacement is a mere pale shadow, but 2 hours of lost hard work couldn't be duplicated easily. Sorry. (Comment on this)
Saturday, January 7th, 2006
9:10 pm	Sea Change Captain Hammer had regained consciousness in his normal command style; the swearing and grumbling was clearly heard as Doc summoned most of the crew to the ad-lib med bay he had created. Once there, we all were relieved to find the captain alive, but somewhat disoriented. His color was little better than the sheets on his bed and his eyes had problem focusing. I quickly, but simply told him what had happened to the ship and crew since his injury. I then offered him my written reports and log entries, including the messages that I had sent to Salmon Industries. He didn't seem to understand what had happened and for a moment thought he was going to lose his infamous temper and accuse me of exceeding my orders or position. However, the fact that Juan was dead and he was unconscious, allowed me the leeway I needed so that I could still have my job. I hoped to go over the incident following Captain Hammer's recovery. I didn't want any lingering doubts or mistrust between us. We were able to get the captain over to the secondary cargo bay to view the bodies of Juan and the cargo master. The captain made a show of examining the bodies; perhaps they revealed more to him than to the rest of the crew. He asked that Ms White say a few words over the body of the cargo master, since his will had stated that he wanted to be spaced at his death. She was able to come up with a simple,but heartfelt benediction. I then prepared the body for ejection, when I then noticed that his body lacked anything of value. His former room was then searched and the same thing was revealed. Either the late cargo master was a man of little means or someone had stolen his valuables.My first thought was that the deadly intruders had performed this transgression, but a little voice reminded me to not leap to conclusions. We received a message from Salmon Industries via the Wave. The first image we saw was a deeply saddened Ms Chow. It was obvious that my messages had reached headquarters successfully. However, I had not known of the connection between Ms Chow and Juan. I offered her my condolences and she quickly turned the image over to Mr Salmon himself. He sent us a heavily encrypted message and said that Captain Hammer would have the key. He validated my actions so far and then promoted me to Captain of the Wolf Whistle permanently. While I was dumbstruck, he offered a quick smile and then discommed. Once again, it was time for me to shoulder the weight of command. Captain Hammer quickly gave up the needed encryption key and we both read the message. He appeared unsurprised by his removal from command, but perhaps this had previously been arranged. As it was, our ship was directed to Sihnon to drop Juan's body off at the Companion Guild house ,where Juan's sister, Lealani, was in residence. At the same time, Captain Hammer was to gain lodging there for rest and recovery from his ordeal. We were further ordered to work with Lealani and gain an item from her at the House and then move to an even more dangerous phase of the commission. We were asked to use discretion and guile to keep our identities as quiet as possible; it was obvious now that some group was hunting us. A change in identity for both the ship and the crew was warranted. By researching within the ship's data banks, several names were suggested to replace the one now stained with the blood of Juan and the cargo master. Both Hammer and I wanted to keep with the Salmon Industries music theme, but it was obvious that we needed to use some of the requested guile to hide our true identities. "Devil's Horn" was deemed to be too evil or dangerous sounding. Other musical instruments were looked at and then rejected as being to readily paired with Salmon Industries. The search was then extended to musical groups and then , after digging far,far into the past, we found an inspiration. "Queen" was a name of a flamboyant group of misfits who had lived eons ago. We needed to add something to that name to make the ship's new name more true to the common names bestowed on cargo ships. So, the "Flaming Queen" was born! I took the name of Frederick Mercury as the ship's master. Amber White turned into Elizabeth Windsor. Tobias Winston became James T. Ripper, our pilot. Finally Doc became Dr. John Watson. Amber, now called Elizabeth, painted our new nose art in bright pink and red. We planned to hide in plain sight! We hoped that people would see what they wanted to see and then ignore us as not needing further attention. Our trip to the starport was a sad one, as the death of our first officer had hit each of us in different ways. His sister's face was composed as she walked up the ship's ramp, but I could see the anguish she so carefully tried to hide. She offered us welcome and offered us the comfort of the House during our stay. One does not turn down such an offer lightly. We were able to move the ship to a discreet landing pad on the grounds of the Guild. While the rest of us would attend the reception following the service for Juan, Phil planned to return to the ship as a precaution. I noticed, however, that Phil was able to obtain some muscular assistance from one of the House residents. The reception was a whirlwind of meeting strangers, while trying to remain in the background. I had the aid of Lealani in my introductions, although i think I confused her somewhat in my manner. I knew I wouldn't manage that for long, as she was far too well trained to let my amateur pseudo personality mislead her for long. I could only hope that either her grief was sufficient to aid me or that she was a consummate professional overlooking my feeble attempt of guile; I fear it was the latter. I was introduced to an Alliance general who kindly offered me a chair at a "friendly" poker game to be held later. I tried to impress on him my thanks for his lovely offer, but it seemed that he was quickly called away for something important. Amber/Elizabeth met several handsome men and made a date to join us at the card table on the arm of Jacques, another resident of the House. Tobias didn't shoot anyone, so each of us were on our best behavior. The Doc had disappeared to who knows where; perhaps he was smarting somewhat about Phil's plans for the evening. I knew that he could find solace, if only he would look around a bit. The card game was to go with the plan of losing two hands and then winning one. I was to ask for Rose Hips tea and a candle as well. Lady Luck, however, deserted me this evening and I soon found myself busted by the general. The best plans were laid to waste, but I seemed to have made an impression on the good officer, who quickly offered to spot me some money and the chance to earn my money back. I quickly accepted and offered my heartfelt thanks to the general. I offered to make it up to him somehow and ,whether it was the drinking he had been doing or my words, I could tell he was moved. So did his chair. Away from me. I ordered some tea after complaining of some sinus problems and even though the tea was wonderful, my cards were still bad. Finally, I became desperate enough to wager on an outside chance to get a flush. I knew by Amber's covert signaling that if I failed here, her new found friend Juaque was going to win. When the river came , I was incredibly relieved to see that I had beaten the odds. My card ( and more importantly, my signal) had come in. I was a gracious winner, paying the general back far more than he had loaned me. He looked pleasantly surprised and even bid me a hearty goodnight. Amber kept Juaques' attention on her and offered lots of sympathy. I ordered some tea and a candle to take back to the ship and retired to my room to recover from the night. Of course, nothing would happen to me here. The next morning, the crew gathered back at the ship. Amber seemed to have done some shopping, while Tobias must have shot a few rounds off in the night. Both looked rested and ready to fly. The good Doc was his normal mysterious self and ,although I thought I saw some curtains wave in the House goodbye, he was alone on the pad. I politely bowed over the hand of Lealani and I swear her eyes were twinkling a bit. But it could have been the morning sun, so with tea and candle in hand, I boarded our ship. It would be nice to give my wrist a rest! (2 Comments |Comment on this)