"Did you grow up there?"
"Nope. Zothune born and bred. Dad's a geologist. Evidently this is a really good system to be a geologist in. Can you pass me that scanner? I want to check the quality of these herbal meds here."
Isis handed the woman the gadget. "If you want to grow herbal medicines I can help. I was thinking of setting up hydroponics anyway, for fresh produce."
Again Isis came up with a probing question. “Did you get much ‘R&R’ during your studies? What’s there to do for fun in Absalom Station?”
"A bit," the young woman said coyly. "Mostly just dancing and clubs and such. I guess you could say I'm familiar with a certain 'scene' there."
At that moment, Vera notifies the crew that the ship is ready for takeoff.
Isis managed to chat a bit more, eventually heading to her quarters, confident that she had been social. She wondered if she would be called on as gunner at some point in the mission. After traveling in the Drift for half a week or so.
"You're a dancer?" Quinn asks Irina.
Irina looks down, then throws her head back with renewed confidence. "No, I mean, not professionally. Like club dancing. Here."
Irina pulls out her comm unit and displays a picture of her and a friend dancing in a darkened club, colored lights reflecting off glitter on her face and exposed midriff.
Despite her usual attentiveness, Isis hadn’t noticed the entrance of Captain Quinn. “Hello Captain. Are we almost under way? The ship said we're ready for takeoff.”
"Engineering reports ready, cap'n," Crembly's voice comes over the comm.
Once the captain is on the bridge, with Esh at the sensors station, Vera enables the drift engine, and the ship begins its journey to Absalom station.
The trip takes days, give or take a few hours. This gets you to Absalom Station a few days ahead of schedule.
"Welcome to Absalom Station, the center of it all!" the station's automated computer announces as you enter orbit. "Please hold for docking clearance, Revenge of Vera Gemini" Not recognizing the word "Gemini" (being from a different galaxy and all), the computer mangles the pronunciation.
While you wait, your viewscreen shows a plethora of different vessels, from tiny maintenance shuttles to vast warships. You also make note of several starfighters bearing the logo of the Stewards, the elite peacekeeping organization which, since it's headquartered on Absalom, also oversees the station's security.
Similar to this one but steel grey
Finally, a live person comes on the comm. "Revenge of Vera Gemini, please proceed to docking bay 327."
"I'm heading to a nightclub, anyone want to join me?"
Specifically, Quinn is preferably looking for a nightclub in the 'bad' area of the station where security is lax (if there is such an area.)
"I'm heading to a nightclub, anyone want to join me?"
"Got your comm? I'll catch up to you."
The android had other business, specifically to buy a specialty toolkit expressly for use against locks. Then a gourmet meal.
Isis installed an Alarm in the ship's computer during the time in the Drift. Vera will ring everyone's comms if someone attempts to hack her.
"No." Esh says flatly, still at his station wirelessly shifting through information. He establishes a link k with the local network and starts to browse through the virtual marketplace for anything interesting.
"I'm heading to a nightclub, anyone want to join me?""Got your comm? I'll catch up to you."
The android had other business, specifically to buy a specialty toolkit expressly for use against locks. And a quick release sheath for her survival knife. Then a gourmet meal.
"I'm heading to a nightclub, anyone want to join me?"
"Sounds great! I know a place called Nova Breva! Spike level 5. It's in an iffy neighborhood, but I think we're good."
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"Yes. Will observe." The Vesk's helmet slid once more into place, the helmets scanners containing more life and emotion that Sharlavaka's own. Guarding the captain seemed like a wise idea. Maybe he would get to him unwanted suitors. That would be entertaining.
"Roger than, Cap'n." Otis blurs after Irina's suggestion. It's a little surprising, because Otis is more of blue collar than a dance club, but maybe drinks is drinks.
Quinn, Sharlavaka, Otis, Irina, and head off for Nova Breva, while Isis heads toward the shopping districts off the main promenade. Eshenvral shops "on line."
The club Nova Breva turns out to be, indeed, not in a great area, but it's not so imposing that two PCs (and some important NPCs) can't walk down the street in relative safety.
Pretend the neon sign says Nova Breva.
Inside, however, true to Irina's word, the club is live.
D'oh! With her computer skill I should have searched earlier.
My diplomacy sucks. I'd probably end up paying more.
Is it too late to search with the miniaturized Tier 2 computer in my comm even tho I'm physically in the store? Maybe they have wifi?
D'oh! With her computer skill I should have searched earlier.
My diplomacy sucks. I'd probably end up paying more.Is it too late to search with the miniaturized Tier 2 computer in my comm even tho I'm physically in the store? Maybe they have wifi?
Unless you're just purchasing using standard costs.
.
Don't need to pay more, but yes, it's too late to search. You didn't think of it in character until someone else did.
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Isis enjoyed some exquisitely cooked seafood, with chocolate lava cake for dessert.
Then she used "Find a Friend" combined with Google Directions on her smart comm to catch up with the girls (and Sharlavaka and Otis).
With her push up bra and plunging neckline she fully expected strange men to buy drinks for her. Isis had found that men react viscerally to sex appeal and plays it to her advantage.
"I will say the music in this galaxy is... different." Quinn says as everyone enters the club.
Esh dutifully makes his search inquriues with a number of different engines popular in this area, not at all bothered by the fact he's left alone with only Vera for company.
Tilting his head to one side - which might seem odd, given the lack of any obvious ears - Sharlavaka considered the music for a minute. After a moment he gave his opinion. "Too much base. Distorts beat."
Otis sits at the nearest bar and orders the most boring brand of beer you can imagine. Sitting back in his baggy jacket, he surveys the dance floor, stopping now and then on his comrades on the floor, but the older man is seemingly hesitant to join them.
"When we get back to the ship, I'll have Vera play the music we listen to." Quinn says, "In fact, we can play The Revenge of Vera Gemini for you."
Esh dutifully makes his search inquriues with a number of different engines popular in this area, not at all bothered by the fact he's left alone with only Vera for company.
[dice=Computers]1d20+9
Isis arrives at Nova Breva and, as expected, she gets a certain amount of attention from some of the male (and a couple female) patrons. That said, there's a lot of competition. As she makes her way past the bar to her companions, she passes Otis.
She's only known the engineer a couple weeks, but she's rather surprised that he seems not to pay any attention at all to her outfit.
"Hey," is Otis' simple reply. He seems distracted, but quickly redirects his gaze away from whatever or whoever it is, to make eye contact with Isis. "Find the stuff you were shopping for?"
"When we get back to the ship, I'll have Vera play the music we listen to." Quinn says, "In fact, we can play The Revenge of Vera Gemini for you."
"That sounds super fizzy! I can't believe you're from another galaxy. I always thought those were too far away to get to."
"Hey," is Otis' simple reply. He seems distracted, but quickly redirects his gaze away from whatever or whoever it is, to make eye contact with Isis. "Find the stuff you were shopping for?"
"Yes, thank you. Um, how are you?"
"That sounds super fizzy! I can't believe you're from another galaxy. I always thought those were too far away to get to."
"They are. I'm not really sure what happened that sent me here, though I have a theory. Either way, I'm pretty much stuck here now." she replies with a slight frown.
Irina puts a hand on Quinn's shoulder in a show of support. Suddenly, a smile crosses her face, and she says in a loud voice, "I LOVE this song!" and begins gyrating wildly, but rhythmically.
Absalom being what it is, Esh has a LOT to sift through. He can purchase just about anything he can get clearance to buy, and then some, here, but for more than 95% of it, it's as expensive if not moreso than what he could get on Zothune.
That said, he finds three special items that might be of interest:
On Creegon's List, someone is selling Standard Darkvision Capacitors for 1500 Ȼ (a 250 Ȼ discount).
Sam Saran's Pawn is selling a Level 3 armor upgrade which makes a one-shot Cold Burst (1d6 cold damage) draining one standard battery. Cost is 1600 Ȼ.
Finally, in the way of arcane items, a curious little item from ancient days called Boots of the Cat, by which you take very minimal damage from a fall of even great distances, and always land on one's feat. Cost 1000 Ȼ.
"Yes, thank you. Um, how are you?"
"Well, you know..." Otis says cryptically. Isis found she most certainly did not know. else she would not have asked. That said, he seemed distant. The one moment in the conversation he seemed to wake up was when the music changed for an instant, and his eyes focused on the floor before drifting away.
Looking quickly up at Isis, Otis said "They're all dancing right out there. Go, have a good time. Leave old Otis to his beer."
Looking quickly up at Isis, Otis said "They're all dancing right out there. Go, have a good time. Leave old Otis to his beer."
Isis impulsively pecked him on the cheek and practically sprinted off to ambush Olivia and Irina on the dance floor.
Esh hesitates as he looks at the last item. He has an entry within his archive of course, of such items, but they were a rare example of Old Magic still in existince. Not many modern artificers or enchanters make these things anymore.
The credchips in his back pocket make him frown however. Only 880, short by little over a tenth of the price. Maybe there was a way he could quickly gather up the funds or bargain with the seller...
Certainly haggling could be attempted. There are a few options Esh has in the way of getting more cash, as well. See my PM for option 1. You could also attempt to steal some cash via hacking, or perhaps a game of chance at one of the casinos.
Listening to music again with a cocked head, Sharlavaka looked at Irina. "4-2-4 tempo." Also, the drink did look fizzy.
Eshenvral calculates the odds inside his head, and decides that out of all the options available the risk of loosing money is acceptable in comparison. After letting the ship AI know he'll be out, he wanders off into the spire in search of a prime location to try his luck and skill. Once he finds an open blackjack table he buys in for a round with 120 credits, hoping to earn the money needed in a single play.
The casino on level 3 is the nicest, but also probably a bit of a tourist trap. Heading down to level 4, Esh finds a more legitimate gambling experience.
Esh makes a mistake early in his calculating, and loses 80 Ȼ on the casino floor. There's still time to make up for it. Esh now needs 200 Ȼ; he can split it into two attempts to make it easier, but failure at either would mean not being able to make the purchase; at least, not with this option.
Wah frowns as the hand finishes, before tapping the crystal nearby and depositing 60 credits, hopeful that balling for lower would be less of enough if a risk that he'd make back some of the money he's lost.
Wah frowns as the hand finishes, before tapping the crystal nearby and depositing 60 credits, hopeful that balling for lower would be less of enough if a risk that he'd make back some of the money he's lost.
Esh wins back 60 Ȼ. He's now 140 away from his goal.
Meanwhile, lower in the Spire at [i]Nova Breva[/b]
Isis impulsively pecked him on the cheek and practically sprinted off to ambush Olivia and Irina on the dance floor.
As Isis runs up, Irina gives her a big hug, as if the two were age-old friends rather than new acquaintances and members of an illegal resistance movement.
"Hey, glad you could make it!
Tapping in another 140 credits, he spends another ten minutes playing his hand, but in the end it seems that luck has outpaced his own mental wit. Loosing another hundred credits, he finds himself even farther away from his goal then before. He begrudgingly acknowledged his failure as he spots a couple of burly looking Vesk in smart suits meandering towards his table. Failure or not, it seems he wasn't very carefully in his attempt to rake in some cash.
He dismisses himself from th table before they get close enough to escort him out personally, and makes to leave the gambling establishment for the ship while going over the data he gather in his little venture. It was still easily within possibility to make back his money and more if he tried another casino, but he also knew that the more he gambled the more likely it'd be to find himself too deep in a hole.
Maybe those boots wills till be on sale the next time he's on the station, credstick burning with unspent funds. Maybe not. If he's willing and they're still here by the the end of their time, here, he might even change his mind about plying his trade and leaching the funds he needs.
He wasn't done with the casinos just yet however. He'd be back in the future, after he's had more practice instead of walking in the novice he was.