Finally, though, the intercom comes on and alerts you that landfall will be in a few hours. The other passengers all begin packing up their room, and a couple crew members come in and begin breaking down one of the modular rooms - the SRO in there had been caught trying to rob some of the other passengers and got spaced into the Drift about a week in. Everyone agreed that spacing a robot isn’t much of a punishment by itself, but the Drift would definitely add some heft to that threat.
By the time you’ve packed your bags, you’re entering Incubation Prime’s atmosphere, and the entry turbulence kicks in - clearly this ship wasn’t top of the line when they got it, and no one’s kept up on the latest reentry tech since then. It’s a relief when the ship roars to a halt, the ‘clunk’ of the landing gear running through the ship.
The one pro of lodging in a cargo bay - the cargo bay doors open and give you a quick way off the damn ship. After the long ride without portholes or much distraction beyond swapping holovids with other passengers, the sight of an honest-to-goodness city is disconcerting. As your eyes get used to the activity, you start to pick out landmarks - a tall, thin building in the distance with the Aspis Consortium logo slowly glinting and revolving around the top floors (must be some sort of vidscreen); a jumble of brightly-lit signs advertising bars and nightlife and other services a short walk from the spaceport, dominated by a glowing neon sign of a kasatha quadruple-fisting drinks and knocking them back arm by arm, advertising Rotgut & Rotgut Accessories in a jaunty font; and a strech of heavy-duty wall, with uniformed guards patrolling and looking out, away from the city. The docking area is crowded - your fellow passengers pushing forward, the captain and his crew disembarking out the crew hatch, hawkers and advertising drones competing for new arrival business, a team of android porters moving to unload a cargo ship.
You’ve arrived on Prosperity.
At least you were warned about the sort of ship you’d be getting on. Shurami, part of Aspis’ PR wing, was very apologetic about The Asteray’s Consort.
While I’m sure it’s nothing like you’re used to travelling in, we have made arrangements with the captain to give you first class lodging during your time on the ship.
When actually on board, first class translates to displacing the ship’s shirren mechanic out of their room and a refrigerator stocked with a pretentious (though palatable) Liavaran liquer. Captain Koramo insists on having you spend your time on the bridge instead of with ‘the rabble,’ as he refers to the other passengers, and you are able to pass the weeks swapping stories and playing games of strategy with the jovial lashunta - though the mechanic remains frosty with you until you have the stroke of brilliance to offer an autograph.
Koramo even has you strap into the bridge during the descent to the planet, once you’ve finally left the eerie colors and disparate debris of the Drift behind - though the dusty brown planet doesn’t do much to awe you. You watch with interest as a wing of Aspis fighters buzz the ship and receive the captains’ credentials, and then the ship descends to Prosperity.
The city itself glows from up above - you’re landing during local nighttime - though it takes you a minute to recognize that the lights end abruptly at what looks like a large steel-and-concrete wall - no signs of any development outside of the walls. It gives the city a severe look.
After landing the ship, Koramo shakes your hand warmly. ”Pleasure flying you, Kindu - looking forward to seeing the documentary when it airs!” The captain helps you with your bag and lets you out the crew hatch, setting you outside the ship a little aways from the steerage passengers who rode out the travel in the cargo bay.
From the ground level, you start to pick out landmarks - a tall, thin building in the distance with the Aspis Consortium logo slowly glinting and revolving around the top floors (must be some sort of vidscreen); a jumble of brightly-lit signs advertising bars and nightlife and other services a short walk from the spaceport, dominated by a glowing neon sign of a kasatha quadruple-fisting drinks and knocking them back arm by arm, advertising Rotgut & Rotgut Accessories in a jaunty font; and a strech of heavy-duty wall, with uniformed guards patrolling and looking out, away from the city. The docking area is crowded - the other passengers pushing forward, the captain and his crew striding off with purpose towards the glow of the advertised nightlife, hawkers and advertising drones competing for new arrival business, a team of android porters moving to unload a cargo ship.
You have an address from Shurami, some ‘new bar’ called Nectar Of The Gods that she arranged for you to meet at and discuss the specifics of your broadcast and what the Aspis PR department can offer you. When you descended close enough to connect to the local infosphere, a message from her came through with a picture of the place - looks like some sort of plant-theme, with flowering vines and grown-shape tables from a dozen different worlds shaped into a trendy place. Looking at the map, seems to be set square in the mess of lights demarcating the nightlife district.
The hand-off ship, as always, was grim and efficient, the large tattooed crew moving to quickly unload your shipment of batteries and load on their crates of raw materials. Blask gets the usual sackful of unmarked credsticks to deliver to Slivvy, and then you undock and set off in opposite directions out of the Drift.
In the last couple days’ travel, you wind up trailing behind one of the Aspis settler-ships that import new folks to Incubation Prime - hundreds of folks who show up hoping for a fresh start or a big break. The skilled ones can usually pick up a job in a factory or workshop - experimental materials and techniques mean there’s always a sudden opening that needs filling - while the desperate wind up slowly succumbing to hyperagressive marketing schemes, one of the competing gangs running the various illicit entertainments, or becoming subjects for the more ‘cutting-edge’ technologies. One or two a ship get some lucrative contract or achieve some marvel of science and then they’re all over the local infosphere with endorsements or telling their story off-planet on Aspis dime - success tends to beget success here.
As you land, Slivvy’s crew of androids walks over in their silent huddle. The weirdos say next to nothing all the time, and are eerily distant even by android standards - her right-hand droid, Template-001 being the only one who ever talks to you, and then only like he’s giving technical direction. Thankfully, he tends to stay by Slivvy’s side - the hand-offs like this, the rank-and-file androids unload the cargo and one of them stays with the ship in dock until the next shipment is ready. You’re free, such as you can be in a town with walls and a nightly black-out - at least until Slivvy hits your comms up for the next haul - so you’re free to spend the evening as you see fit. From the spaceport, you get the now-familiar landmarks - Highestrise, the Aspis headquarters here, a tall, thin building in the distance with the Aspis Consortium logo slowly glinting and revolving around the top floors on some kind of vidscreen; a jumble of brightly-lit signs advertising bars and nightlife and other services a short walk from the spaceport, dominated by a glowing neon sign of a kasatha quadruple-fisting drinks and knocking them back arm by arm, advertising the popular rough-and-tumble Rotgut & Rotgut Accessories; and the ever-present wall, with Apis guards patrolling and looking out, away from the city. The docking area is crowded - a whole pack of fresh meat pushing forward, the settlership crew disembarking out the crew hatch carefully separate from the rabble, hawkers and advertising drones competing for the new arrivals.
Kindu Rassi, star of several high-grossing action movies and former A-lister, took a deep breath of fresh air before coughing out the seemingly pound of dust that tried to settle in his lungs. "Take a cough cough note, Kiph: This strange, new land needs a better exterior decorator. Recommend the service that used to take care of my old penthouse," he said into the wrist-mounted computer on his left arm. Shaking his head, luscious blonde locks waving with the motion, he grabbed his bags before heading off towards his destination. Of course, he bee-lined straight through the mass of lesser passengers still squabbling over their meager possessions. He delighted in giving out autographs, all while claiming he was in a hurry (a little white lie, of course), before finally getting to the other side of the crowd. Checking his map, he took his time getting to the Nectar (always fashionably late).
Walking inside as if he owned the place, he looked at the waiter and said, "Well, hello there. I'm here for a meeting with a Shurami."
"A pleasure as always." Jink grins at the Vesk as he moves away towards the exit of the docks.
Jink is pretty excited by the arrival of new people, it's always great to watch and see what the ships have brought in. There are always interesting clothes, and sometimes even interesting species in the throngs of people being discharged onto the docks.
More people also means more people who still have credits to spend. Credits he is going to need for his next meal, nevermind the rent.
He struggles to live between the trips off world. At least when he is on the ship he knows he will have a bunk the next night, and a meal.
In this place though... he can never be sure.
Let's go get dinner! He thinks to himself. Excited to dive into the thrum of the hive and ply his trade.
"Computer repairs!" He shouts as he stands at the exit to the docks, people flowing past him on either side, "Not Booting Up? Virus sending you ads for sexual enhancement drugs? I can fix it for you! On the cheap! No need to get a new one. If I did it any cheaper I would be cutting my own throat I would!" Jink advertises his trade. All he needs is one person to take him up and he will have a hot meal tonight. Just one.
The fact his fur was once mostly white does help him stand out slightly amid the greys of the city. He is actually heading towards a grey himself now. Showers are expensive. His whiskers twitch as people move past him, as does his nose, smelling the air. He is constantly moving, turning this way and that. His eyes wide, and almost completely black, standing contrast against his white fur, and the tan that crowns his head.
There are two sides to Jink, the part of him that loves to be out, to be on a ship, to be moving. There is a part that contradicts that though, the part that thrives when in the mass of people in a trade center. Dodging among the press of bodies.
Blask is actually quite happy that the drones shuffle back and forth in the spaceport. Blask was ever one for words...unless his razor sharp claws count.
As Template-001 “talks” to him, Blask does as he’s told. Slivvy the boss, even gives him the creeps, and he doesn’t fear much.
Once completed, he checks his credit stick for payment and heads out of the loading dock with his trusty pilot Jink.
Sure fuzz ball, easy credits is good for me
Blask, covered head to tail in armor, lets his helmet open. The air is stale, and stagnant, he coughs a bit as he exhales. He watches the newbies coming off the ships, he can’t help but wonder the odds of the percentage that will last. He turns to make a comment towards the closest friend he has on Incubation Prime, when Jink starts to rattle off his advertising gimmick to the vast amounts of people clambering by.
Has it ever worked Fuzzy...the routine I mean? I don’t recall you ever getting any clients. Stuck to being my pilot, and I’ll stick to being your muscle
The towering Vesk, grabs Jink by the back of the collar, and hoists him on top of his shoulders like he was a bag of rice.
You see any easy chumps I can “take” for a few credits
"I see plenty." Jink says, looking over the heads of the crowd form his scaly perch. "How much do they actually pay you to make sure I don't disappear in a ditch somewhere?" He asks. Jink is rather nonchalant about the fact that he is basically a slave to Aspis. Hell, it even has some benefits, a Vesk making sure nobody slits your throat is quite high on that list. "I've never asked."
"And I am happy to fly, find me something to pilot and I will stick to being your pilot."
Nilan steps off The Asteray’s Consort, and shrugs his shoulders, stretching and breathing in deeply.
He checks his datapad. Damn, only a few credits left.
He does a quick search of the Infosphere. Somebody's gotta have work around here.
Glitch hopps off this flying coffin. He watches the crew disembark and tries to guess who is that sorry excuse for a mechanic they have on this 'ship'. He would have started to fix it himself if not for this annoying security drone. But it made it to Poverty or whatever this part of town is called. Who cares who dies in that wreck on the next flight. Glitch didn't live next to the park on Absalom Station, but this town is definitely a step down.
Glitch looks around if there are some familiar faces, not sure if he would be glad, or the opposite. The drones that approach are a nuisance. If he knew the place he might snatch one and bag it for spare parts. But if you don't know from whom you're stealing you might not like the repercussion.
Glitch avoided the other guys on the ship. Most were telling what great plans they have for their time in Prosperity. Business ideas, great jobs they head of, whatever. And once the took a breath after all that enthusiasm, they would ask: And what are you going there for? Which he had no good answer for.
And so he stood there as most others moved quickly on and pondered his options.
Blask snorts as Jink replies with “everywhere”.
I suppose most people can’t match my strength, but I’d hate to see the one that could. As far as how much they pay me to keep you out of a ditch...sometimes not enough.[b] as he lets out a small chuckle.
[b]Seriously though, it’s just not keeping you out of a ditch. It’s also to make sure prying eyes don’t get curious about our cargo we deliver. I suppose this is the only work I’m good at, but I make sure to do a damn good job at it
As he talks with Jink, Blask starts to walk towards Rotgut central. The food was tough going down, and even tougher on the way out...but at least he could afford the meal. He didn’t know when the next job would come.
Lets go eat Fuzzy
The local jobs are pretty standard frontier fare - manual and factory labor job offering just enough credits to scrape by, a few ‘companionship service’ gigs with addresses that you’d bet are in the red light district - but one stands out, partly due to the lack of information.
Investigator seeking discrete individuals for miscellaneous tasks. Must provide own means of self-defense; safety not guaranteed. Apply below, then report to Rotgut & Rotgut Accessories for try-out process. Ask bartender for the Blackout Special and await further instructions.
The ‘apply below’ seems to refer to a simple button - should just push your personal information from the comms to whatever application system they’re using.
_____Rotgut & Rotgut Accessories_____
Rotgut & Rotgut Accessories is precisely the sort of establishment that holovid writers think of when they think of ‘dive bar.’ As you approach, the place looms above the surrounding shops - most top out at a single floor, but Rotgut is a three-story poured concrete beast, with the flashy billboard above dominating the local skyline. Inside, the place is smoky and dimly lit in the corners, though the center of the room is dimly lit through some sort of skylight. Taking a look, you see a dwarf and a vesk fighting above you - looks like the second story contains some sort of small fighting cage with a glass floor so the people below can watch. You can hear yelling and muffled announcing from the upper floor.
The bartender is a heavily muscled kasatha who cleans glasses with two arms while serving drinks and taking orders with the other two. While he may be the same one with the billboard modeled after him, the billboard left off the cybernetic eye and the tattoos along the arms - the general vibe is that this is a man who needs no bouncer when the going gets rough.
_____Nectar Of The Gods_____
The directions to Nectar of the Gods leads right into the heart of the nightlife district of Prosperity, across the street from some neon-clad concrete eyesore called Rotguts or something similar. The khizar behind the counter turns its eerie, glowing seedpod head towards you as you speak, then you hear the telepathic response - right over there, it says, pointing with one long vine-y arm.
Shurami turns out to be a pretty young lashunta, dressed professionally in Aspis-branded stationwear. She rises to greet you with a pleased smile, though her companion, a dark blue skittermander, doesn’t rise, continuing to devour the food in front of him with all six hands.
Kindu, pleasure to meet you! she greets you telepathically. As you can guess, I’m Shurami, and this… She gestures to the skittermander and sighs out loud. ”This is your crew and cameraman Scrambles,” she says out loud. The skittermander says ”Charmed,” the creature says with his mouth full, without making eye contact.
”We’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival over on Highestrise - that’s the big old office building you probably noticed on the way in,” she says, her enthusiasm bubbling up. ”We’ve been considering how best to help you out here on Incubation - and well, one of the fellas, Imaxa, is a huge fan of yours - you’ll meet him later, real sweet shirren - and had the greatest idea for a show. We know you’re eager to show off some of the ‘real life’ here on the planet, and we were thinking we could highlight that with deputizing you as an official Peacemaker here in Prosperity - that’s what our local security force is called. We think it’d really fit with your existing brand, and give you the sort of gritty real-life experiences that you’re craving, and helps everyone out - after all, who doesn’t want to think about a movie star protecting them and taking care of crimes!” The lashunta flashes that winning smile again - you have a feeling that smile doesn’t hear ‘no’ very often. ”What do you think?”
Could as well take a drink and ask around in a bar, before I walk off in the wrong direction. Glitch thinks and follows the obvious in-your-face advertising to the Rotgut & Rotgut. Taking a seat right next to that kasata he orders "Gimme something interesting that allows me still to walk in a straight line when I leave in an hour or two."
Once served he asks "Would you mind to give me a short rundown of town? The best bar I already found, but about the rest I got only the info from the ads, and that seems to be printed for another time or another town." He holds up the worn flyer about Prosperity he still has from back on Absalom Station.
Once served he asks "Would you mind to give me a short rundown of town? The best bar I already found, but about the rest I got only the info from the ads, and that seems to be printed for another time or another town." He holds up the worn flyer about Prosperity he still has from back on Absalom Station.
The kasatha gives him a once-over, then mixes something bright blue from about 6 bottles and carefully siphons two shots for Glitch, while he takes a drain right from the shaker before speaking.
"Nah, you got the right pamphlet, you just got the wrong luggage - I don't see no suitcase full of credits in tow. Prosperity's like any other city, just with a slick marketing gig - you get rich by being rich already, or by being smart enough to know how to rub elbows with the rich - and given that you're here on Prosperity, you're either not that smart or a little too smart for your own good." He drains the rest of the shaker with no ill effects, which is surprising - when you sip the shot glass, it kicks like an artillery laser. "Name's Thumb. Owner of this here slice of Elysium. What work you in for?"
"Name's Glitch. I do repairs. Mostly of stuff that runs on power. Like spaceships. But I can do everything that has a plug for my handheld. Also the state of the device after the repair is negotiable for a price." Glitch replies checking the drink.
Contorting his face he comments "I'll for sure won't sway after that. I'll be flat out on the floor, but that doesn't exactly meet the requirement of being able to walk in a straight line. You give me too much credit here, I'm not able to run on pure alcohol. Kitty here might, if I add a fuel cell." He points to the stealth drone that clings to the bar in front of him, that Thumb probably can't see.
Kindu couldn't help the grin that spread across his face as he was greeted by the beautiful lashunta. "It is an absolute pleasure to meet you, my dear," he said as he grasped her hand and lightly kissed her knuckles. "I would like to express my thanks to the Aspis Corporation once again for helping to fund this series. I do believe that becoming a deputized member of the security force would be helpful to my goal, but would that keep me from exploring the lands outside the city? I believe that the first few episodes should take place in Prosperity, and indeed could help bring in more prospective citizens - after all, who wouldn't want to live in a city protected by me? - I do hope to film myself fighting off the deadly beasts that plague this planet and turn it into a truly hospitable planet." He paused a moment to take a sip of his drink, which was fairly acceptable for the location, before continuing. "Tell me, does Aspis have anything that they would rather not have me film?"
@Blask
"At least you get paid..." Jink says as he sits perched on Blask's shoulders. He pulls a credstick from his pocket and turns it over in his paw, thinking as he absently fiddles with it. After a moment he puts the credstick away and realises where they are headed, "Rotgut's again? You just like the fighting don't you? Because you certainly don't go there for the food... it is cheap though I guess."
As they keep moving Jink whips out his small computer and starts scanning ads for part time work, anything where he can earn a few bucks, Blask probably wouldn't mind making some extra creds he thinks as he scans the list, starting to look for jobs that are after more than one person. This guy would probably kill me if they paid him enough... but so would everyone else here as he spots a few people in a back alley fighting over rags.
Now this is interesting. he mutters to himself as he finds the ad for "miscellaneous tasks", tapping Blask on the head he says "I think I may have found us another job, so we can actually eat decent once in a while."
This just keeps getting better he thinks as he inspects the hidden download in the ad. He starts to inspect the app and tries to figure out who it links to, or who has put it there.
Hey, I’m good at cracking skulls and your good at computers. We all have our strengths...mine is my fists. Look, Slivvy barely paid us, and life aint cheap Jink. We’ll eat better food once we got more credits, so quit your whining less you got a better idea.
Blask keeps walking but stops suddenly as Jink taps him on the head.
HEY! he snarls, you know I HATE it when you do that. He plucks Jink off his shoulder and glares at Jink while holding him with both hands.
So, what’s this job you speak of? What’s the main points? as he places Jink back on his shoulder.
"Slivvy barely paid you", Jink says, emphasizing the "you". "I got paid sweet blow-blue-all."
He pulls the ad up again and shows it to Blask, "Seems like you might get an opportunity to get paid to beat someone up, and they might need a pilot or someone who can work on computers. It doesn't mention pay though, or what exactly the job will be." pulling the small device back he starts trying to trace the ad again, continuing to say "But seeing as it's for an investigator I imagine there might be some tailing, and snooping, and maybe upsetting people by mistake. Hence the need for us to have our 'own means of self-defense'. Best bit though is the application is at Rotgut so we don't even need to go out of our way."
You want me to buy dinner again? Not that it’s anything good, but we gotta eat, right?
Blask thinks about the job and need for “self defense”.
My claws will work just fine for defending myself and Jink
Dinner and a job. Why can’t things be this easy all the time?
Blask keeps on pace for Rotgut, and upon arriving by gently puts Jink on the ground next to him. He heads in after Jink, and sits at his usual spot; at the corner table, with a clear view of all possible entries and exits. No matter how much he tries, he can’t help but remember his training.
Always have a clear view of the entrance and exits; keep your head on a swivel; and expect the unexpected
He orders a beer. It may be stale, and taste horrible, but he took the edge off and wouldn’t put him on his ass like the darker stuff would.
So, Fuzzy, find anything else in that post. You know how much I hate electronics
"I don't want you to. I would prefer to be able to pay for it myself, but I can't, so I need you to buy me dinner, please. Sorry." Jink says, it is obvious he really doesn't like relying on you to feed him, but he is also very grateful that you do.
"And I just hope the job will be as easy as it seems. The message said to speak to Thumb, I'll be back in a jiff, unless you want to come along too?"
With that he makes his way from the table towards the bar, thinking Couldn't figure out a damned thing from that ghostware... but we need the work. He hops onto a stool and to his surprise finds another Ysoki next to him. The urge to speak to them is sudden and hard to fight off, but you learn quickly to not be too friendly in Incubation, especially in Rotguts. He presses the "apply below" button and calls the bartender"Hey Thumb, I need two ... ummm... "he quickly checks the ad for what he needs to order,"Blackout Specials, one for me and one for Blask."
Damn. They've got a s&@+ty sphere. Ah, well here we go Nilan pushes the button and heads over to the Rotgut.
Barkeep. I'll take one of those as well. Nilan says, eyeballing the Ysoki and Vesk. Nilan isn't sure if they are competition or crew just yet.
_____Rotgut & Rotgut Accessories_____
Thumb nods thoughtfully as Glitch introduces himself. ”Good set of skills to have out here - thre’s folks who’ll pay top dollar for private mechanical work, if you catch my dr-” The kasatha abruptly trails off as the doors open again, but relaxes as he recognizes a couple of regulars bellying up to the bar. ”Where there’s a will, there’s opportunity, that’s all I’m saying,” he sums up.
The kasatha freezes as three ‘Blackout specials’ get ordered all in a row, and sighs, audibly. ”Jink, I didn’t take you for that sorta idiot,” he says without malice, setting down the glass he’s been cleaning and picking up a few bottles from the shelf. ”Fresh meat like this guy?” He gestures with one hand to Nilan. ”That’s another thing - they don’t know any better, the poor lost babes. But not a rat like you who’s seen a thing or two.” He shakes his head.
_____Nectar Of The Gods_____
Shurami laughs delightedly at your question. ”Why, of course we’d never do that to you! The Aspis Consortium wants you to shoot genuinely and naturally - we’ll take care of the editing in-studio so you can focus on what you do best.” That smile again. ”I’m sure you know how it is - anything that we don’t think we can use gets left on the cutting room floor-”
”And then I splice ‘em into weird art films when no one’s looking,” says Scrambles suddenly. In the seeming blink of an eye, he’s looking directly into Kindu’s eyes - he’s standing on the table, having crawled up there in a twinkling.
Shurami gives a pained uncertain laugh. ”Of course he’s just kidding around, we lock up every night and the cleaning droids are-”
”-a piece of cake to avoid if you’re smart and quick. I’m both,” the skittermander whispers, inches from Kindu’s face. At this distance you can see that his eyes are bloodshot, and there’s a strange smell about him. ”Don’t get me started on the locks. Child’s play, like I was a child they were trying to keep out, because that’s all it could keep out - a child. Say, what sort of base layer are you using?” The skittermander suddenly has a makeup bag out and a foundation in two hands - two others grip Kindu’s chin in their little claws. He resumes talking in a normal voice as he starts applying make-up to Kindu. ”You gotta use something different, those pores are gonna show right up on camera you know, they gave me trash but I made it into some real state-of-the-art sh**, no thanks to their tiny-a** budgeting param-”
Shurami physically grabs the skittermander and tries to put him into his seat again, laughing in a strained “Ha Ha, Aren’t We Having Fun??” kind of way as Scrambles’ struggles kick over her salad. ”He’s a real character, but he’s a great cameraman, I promise you -”
”Cameraman?? I’m singlehandedly your best damn crew, you miserable little twerp! I can get a shot before half of your slack-jawed workers can get their damn boots on -”
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"Hey hey, off the face, watch it!" Kindu exclaimed as the skittermander suddenly started to go after him with a make up kit. Getting up, he helped to get Scrambles back into the seat. "I'm ugh sure he's a great camera man, but maybe someone a little less...manic, perhaps?" he asked Shurami awkwardly. "Perhaps yourself? I'm sure the two of us would get in some great shots together."
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Blask waits for the drink, that never comes. He stands up, towering over most of the patrons and heads over to the bar.
Hey, what’s taking so long? I want my damned beer Jink. You didn’t drink mine did you?
"Well s+$&, Thumb, a guys got to eat..." Jink says by way of explanation. Turning to Glitch he says "You might want to move away. Somethings about to go down and you probably don't want to be a part of it."
"You jinxed us Blask. It's looking like it's not going to be as easy as we hoped." he says as the Vesk approaches.
"What's going on here Thumb?"
It was far, far too cramped aboard the The Asteray’s Consort, especially with no decent treadmill workstations. Caloo had to roll around constantly all over the ship (except for the areas blocked by that security drone, of course) to avoid the creeping sense of claustrophobia, much to the annoyance of several of the other passengers. So when that cargo bay door opened up, the little bantrid was the first person off the ship, bursting forth in a blur, his foot-orb spinning at an unbelievable speed.
The strangely nose-shaped creature voomed off in a large circle around the ship, drawing many stares from passersby. When, finally, Caloo was settled back down after a minute or so, he remembered that he needed to find work, and quick, to obtain the funds he would need to be able to proceed with his research.
One of the bantrid's weird stretchy hands reaches down and pulls out his comm unit to get connected to the planetary info sphere and begin this search. The relatively ambiguous job posting quickly catches Caloo's attention.
Noting the line about self-defense, Caloo reaches with his other hand to feel his laser pistol resting secure in its holster. He nods as if to reassure himself and pushes the apply button--of course, for a bantrid, a nod looks really more like an abbreviated bow as the whole of the body rotates forward on the foot orb. Quite forgetting the line about "discrete individuals" in his excitement, Caloo speeds away to Rotgut and Rotgut Accessories where, upon bursting through the front door, he announces loudly in a tinny voice, "Bartender--I'll have a Blackout Special, please!"
With an almost not audible whirr, an azimuth laser pistol is moved out of the stealth drone's chassis and pointed in direction of Glitch, so he still hides the drone and the weapon.
Glitch looks out for a mirror behind the bar to check on the surroundings without turning around. He waits for Thump to answer Jink.
_____Nectar Of The Gods_____
Shurami blushes at the intimation, but manages to ignore it and instead gives an unhappy sigh. Well, that’s the problem - the little b**tard is right, he is our best, she says telepathically. And while he’s difficult to work with, he does have an eye for -
”ACTION!” screams the skittermander and vaults over the table again, scattering all of the drinks and food with a certain finality. He’s already out the door, where you can see him unslinging bags and setting up tripods in a dizzying display of omnidextrous handiwork - and two security robots opening fire into the bar across the street. ”Get out here, handsome!” yells Scrambles wildly, wielding the camera like a cannon. ”First case as a cop, coming right up!”
_____Rotgut & Rotgut Accessories_____
Thumb gives the ysoki a hard stare. ”Listen, furball, half my job is to know things, and the other half is getting paid for knowing things. You ain’t getting drunk for free, why should you get smart for free? Why I’m half a mind to-”
Try-outs. ;)
Try-outs. ;)
Suddenly, the door opens, a pair of security robots hovering in the doorway. One must have triggered the sensors, but the other opens fire as soon as the door is open.
Jink, Blask, Nilan, Caloo?
A burst of electricity takes Blask in the chest - a hell of a thing to a vesk who just wants his beer.
Thumb drops behind the bar, his rant otherwise forgotten.
Blask (-4 SP), Glitch, Jink, Kindu, Nilan ←-
The Bots
Caloo lets out a kind of squeal in unwelcome surprise as blaster fire erupts, but he immediately starts waving his hands about and chanting arcane words.
The firing robot Gives out a squeal of scraping metal and wobbles in the air, but remains upright. It's companion takes the missile to the proverbial chin.
"Definitely not as easy as we hoped." Jink complains as he launches himself across the bar
As Tink stands on the recessed counter on the far side of the bar, a rifle almost as tall as he is is brought up and rested on the surface.
As he sights at the robot he notices the tinkering, but keeps the information to himself.
He slowly exhales and squeezes the trigger, firing a large slug from a rifle capable of firing a mile into something the other side of the room.
As he breathes in again he looks down at Thumb and asks, "How the hell are you involved in this?"
Glitch moves behind the table the vesk stands in front of, to have cover himself and to free the line of sight for Kitty.
Kindu grinned at the woman, and was about to reply in kind when the manic bundle of fur suddenly raced across the table towards the door. "I-wha-wait!" Kindu barely managed to get out before Scrambles made it outside. "Please stay inside, I don't want a beautiful woman like yourself hurt in the coming unpleasantness," he mentally told the woman before rushing outside to find the skittermander setting up various cameras. "Just be sure to get my heroic actions!" he yelled before rushing towards the robots that seem to be the cause of the troubles.
"Halt, I am Kindu Rassi, soon-to-be deputy of the Prosperity Peacekeeprs! In the name of the law, I insist that you cease and desist all violent actions on behalf of the Aspis Corporation and the citizens of Prosperity!" he exclaimed, holding up his hand in a very heroic and authoritative manner.
Blask snarls at the bartender’s responses to Jink. He turns as the door opens and takes a blast of electricity to the chest.
That tickled! Hmph, allow me to return the favor
Blask rushes recklessly towards the drone that shot him, razor claws barred for destruction and meyham. He reaches the funky looking drone, and digs his left claw into the drones body, leaving a deep gash in the armor.
"Well for one it's my bar these things are shooting up," growls Thumb. "I know as much as you do - " As Blask dismantles his robot, the thing starts misfiring and shatters a light above the bar; Thumb flinches, covering his head. "Is now really the best time??"
Glitch musters Thump, wondering. Isn't he in on that? Why does he complain then.
The door opens, the robots open fire, and Jink and Caloo respond with devastating force on the shooter. Kindu approaches from the other side, attempting diplomacy… which the robot promptly makes an audible “L-O-L” sound at, which is at least minorly insulting.
Then Blask guts the thing and the robot explodes.
”That is so going on the title reel,” Scrambles says with relish, hanging off of one of his own lighting tripods like a kaukariki.
Shurami comes running out of Nectar, looking about the place wildly. ”Kindu, what did you do? That was amazing - exactly the sort of thing we’re looking for!”
Well sh** - tryouts over, I guess. Consider yourself tried out.
The job is right in front of you too - you need to follow that movie star lashunta. Goldnet is all agog over him - all types of people are excited to see him here, if you catch my drift. I bet you all just made an impression with that display - now make that a reason to stick close to him, and keep him out of harm’s way til I know the Aspis and the Governor want to do with him..
Further details as events warrant.
Thumb stands up from behind the bar, looking at the damage with a keen eye. ”Not bad - I’ve had to repair worse after a bad Pit match. Tell you what, clean up the robot bits and I’ll get each of you a round on me.” He begins returning bottles to the visible shelves. The pit fight upstairs and the raucous betting on it didn’t even stop.
Jink swings his rifle back behind his back. Having received comms now Jink decides to have another go at tracing the messages.
While he tinkers away he says to Blask "Is it stinging?" with a chuckle. To try prompt further responses from the comm he tries to figure out if there is an ability to reply.
"I wan't my free drink, and we can get some creds for the scrap on these things, nevermind the 'extras' that have been built in." he says as he walks over kicking on of the robots, still fiddling on his comm. He doesn't even notice the camera's being set up as he looks away from his wrist and starts to pick through parts and corpses of security robot.
The laser pistol disappears in it's casing again with a slight whirr. No other movement visible from Kitty. Glitch returns to his place at the bar. "What was that s~@+ about, and who is behind it?" he asks Thump.
Meanwhile he tries to get into the local net to intercept some traffic that is obviously going on between whoever and the four other 'guests' involved in this shootout.
I just thought of your face on those hunks of crap, as Blask replies with a snort. Better them than you, right?
He looks over the hunks of robotic junk as he cleans his claws of debris and oil.
So, these pieces of scrap metal worth anything? If they shot me with electricity, they got batteries I could take off them?
He checks his comm, and looks outside to the “pretty boy” Lashunta standing outside the Nectar
That guy?! One prissy punk is one too many
Blask looks back to Jink, how do we get that guy to stay near us? My version of being nice is not clawing no your face off
"Certainly." Jink replies to Blask. "They will have a power source but whether it can be made to work in another device is a different story."
"You need an adapter?" Glitch asks Jink.
"Yeah, an adapter, a housing, and I'll need to drop the voltage I reckon." Jink says, "Didn't catch your name earlier? I'm Jink." he says standing and turning, offering his paw to shake. Might as well as be friendly with the people I'm going to be working with He thinks.
"Glitch" the cloaked figure replies. "This thing has really custom built batteries? I thought since that megacorp bought everything that produces batteries, that problem was dying out."1
"Probably don't use general types on purpose. Makes it a bit less enticing for someone to pull your property apart for the battery."
"If that was the plan, it didn't work." Glitch comments with a smirk. "Try cutting open the casing, I bet inside there is a standard one."
"Not a bad idea." Jink says as he tries to pry one of the batteries open, grinning. "Would be cheaper to put a housing on than to make an entirely new battery."
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Nilan doesn't even move from his stool. He drinks his drink nonplussed as the lasers, spells and Vesk's charge about the bar.
What? This is decent hooch, couldn't let it go to waste.
Nilan sends back on the messaging service Sure thing....boss.
Which one of you buggers is a Vid Star? Nilan looks at the two Ysoki and the Vesk.