"Jaraduk. Smash!"
"Hmm, do you think some pieces of this thing would be worth some credits? Maybe if Melissa can just wipe Eline's backup we can take some or all of it to sell?" Akh looks pointedly at Guess?.
I mean... I should let Melissa have a crack at it first. The hardware could have failsafes that just move the software system around on physical damage. It could be mirrored in another location and we simply cut off our own access to it...
I mean... I should let Melissa have a crack at it first. The hardware could have failsafes that just move the software system around on physical damage. It could be mirrored in another location and we simply cut off our own access to it...
Guess blinks.
...
"Jaraduk. Smash?"
Jaraduk gives Guess? a re-assuring look.
Soon! First Melissa smash firewalls and countermeasures! Then we smash computer!
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"Nope.. no traps here....Guess? You see anything that's going to zap me? "
take 10 minutes to get the Acid out of her fur. AGAIN
Spend a resolve point Trying to detect a fake shell (the "i search the door of computer hacking")
= 44 46 I'll assume Guess can aid. Anyone else able to hop into the lan party?
If there is a fake shell do it again
Spend a resolve point To actually hack the computer Trying to detect a fake shell (the "i search the door of computer hacking")
= 41 / 43 with one assist.
Melissa uploads Dirty jobs dirt cheap and installs a computer virus she's been working on for months. She borrows some programming from the Burger Slinger Sim and Elines own "art of the steal" Memoirs so the simulation can dangle hope and promises in front of the minimal wage worker only to snatch them away at the last minute with the kinds of random disasters and legal loopholes the company used to screw over the crew. Everything from a car breaking down because you can't afford a better one to being evicted by a fire and having to work while homeless to having space invaders show up and claim your sacred temple as their new mine.
It's a many headed, self replicating hydra of viciousness, as mean as corporate crony capitalism itself and aren't enough hail Saranrae's in the universe to get forgiveness for making it. The monitor must be glitching, because her reflection on the screen almost makes her blue eyes look red....
"Don't smash it. Think of it as a hostage with Eline. It's no use to us dead. Like this though? Sure she MIGHT be able to get all of that out without me. Forget the tail we've got her by the soul. "
She prints out a few lines of the better security codes to show Eline during negotiations.
Guess? gives Jaraduk a wink and a sly smile before walking over to help Melissa.
Guess? looks around for traps.
And when Melissa hacks away, Guess? assists.
"Hey, try 1234 for the password."
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Evil-Melissa gets to hacking, with the support of Guess?, while Jaraduk resists the urge to doshko-smash, without the support of Guess?. Akh is pretty confident that the server wouldn't be worth much in pieces.
Melissa hacks the computer, avoiding a feedback circuit and identifying a fake shell showing an empty computer. Behind that shell, Melissa unwraps all of Eline's memories! She shows the group her access to Eline Reisora’s entire life, displayed across the room’s many monitors. The images include elements from her childhood in an Absalom Station orphanage, her exploitation of natural resources sacred to an indigenous species to ascend the Company’s corporate ladder, and her concealment of the Oliphaunt’s theft from EJ Corp’s Board of Directors—as well as her clandestine activities, such as collaborating with the Golden League and her construction of a duplicate server that copies everything in the Company’s database. She also finds the REACTOR CONTROL file that - with a little tweaking - could be used to make the room go nuclear.
Akh watches Melissa's work rather anxiously, even though he understands precisely nothing. When she seems about done he says "Are you not completely totally and utterly erasing Eline's backup? We should do that even if later Guess? pretends its still around in order to blackmail her. These kinds of overly rich people keep having ways to worm their way out of trouble, and even if we've packed her in a storage cubby now, she might have turned to mist or something when we get back. Lets not leave any openings or we'll regret it."
He flits from side to side worriedly. Melissa has always been leaning soft on the group's oppressors and enemies. "As for all that other dirt you found, we need all of it. Let's make sure her buddies don't want anything more to do with us."
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Melissa fast forwards through the awkward dating scenes and gets a copy of all the incriminating evidence she can. I think we broke into the duplicate EJ server on absolom and couldn't get in? When we were fixing Digits uncles healthcare.
"Are you not completely totally and utterly erasing Eline's backup?"
"Nope. Even better. I've set this one up to treat her the way she's treated her workers. FOREVER. If any of her other backups kick in, they have to risk getting infected by the karmasachitter.exe program here. Or yes. We can blow the thing up now if you want... but then if we kill her she could just get brought back. I'd bet my left cheekpouch claptraps admonishions on coming back were just claptrap for the higher ups. "
"There are three of you. Even IF we waited for Del to be ready for a vote, you can vote to explode the thing and then off her. But we're talking about her sisters life AND soul. I think we should Reisora both Reisora's and wait for Del to make a decision on her sister. Like the folks we rescued from the Adamantine scale, they should be OKish in a few days. "
"I'm not hung up on that though. Although there is NO way guess is getting the kaboom button until everyone including us is a LEAST 1 AU away from this place. "
"Hrmmmhrmmmm..." Akh doesn't look totally convinced. "You don't think someone could come and fix her weird-" He slaps the side of the server with his tail "-computer afterlife thing after you're done?"
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"Someone might. But I think the overlap between people that can and people that are going to want to is pretty small. Especially if we air this on Pactube.
Sure. An alive Eline might be a problem. How about an alive DEL looking for revenge? Her brains 12 kinds of Galtan cheese right now, you kill her sister he brain might snap and stay snapped. She loves her sister, and that's not going to go away after some memories comeback. She might curse you to never taste another noodle again, or make them ALL Kalistrian friendly! "
"We're definitely un-brainwashing Del first. Plus, I would definitely beat her up before she did that." Akh sounds offended at the thought that anyone would try to remove the taste of noodles. "And Del definitely betrayed us by going to join her sister, even before the brainwashing. We owe her nothing. She should thank us for freeing her from that horrible, flavor-hating monster."
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Melissa's medical knowledge - haphazard though it may be - makes her confident that it will take several days to cure Del but that the sarcesian should be pretty much back to normal at that point. Of course, Akh also makes the good point that "normal" Del chose to leave the group for her megalomaniacal sister....
You're confident that blowing the reactors would mean that the server could never be rebuilt (unless Eline was allowed to continue her illustrious career for another few decades). Hacking the computer, however, could be undone by a competent hacker... assuming Eline had the funds to pay them.
On the one hand, it is Del's sister. She scrapped jobs with us whether big or small. I don't think I can make the choice on Eline's life against her wishes. On the other hand, we need a way to be sure Eline will never be a problem again. Once we unscramble Del, I'm... inclined to let it be her decision. But the outcome can't leave Eline as a fully functioning member of the company... Obviously this server has got to go.
He thinks on ways to reduce her influence in continued life. Perhaps anonymous tips to the company that she mishandled and lost the experimental ship. Something...
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"" Right, you've never had a family... Del didn't betray us. She really should have wrote... its obvious now why she didn't.. Akh, a family is... a crew you're born into. Or adopted into. You pull off heists together for cookies, you travel together, you work in the mines keeping each other alive together, you try science experiments together, you're grounded together until you get the science experiment scraped off the ceiling....
"She just went back to working for her old crew. Sometimes people leave. It's not betraying you." gives the mope rope a few conciliatory pats. "I take it Sinjin was kind of rough on people turning in their two weeks notices?"
Hacking the computer, however, could be undone by a competent hacker... assuming Eline had the funds to pay them.
**offended rat squeeks** We got a 40! I think we at least rate being undone by a BRILLIANT hacker thank you! :)
I would imagine something that's made to hold your own soul is beyond bespoke and we couldn't sell the get out of hell free card to another Kalistrian?
"So we get everyone out, I'll Give Jaraduk the big red button, we blow the server. " mutters something about paying 9.99 for the one with the creator commentary "Then we have some options. Kill her. Turn her over to the stewards because there is some seriously illegal chitter here..., or put this stuff out on the net get her fired and dropped off at the nearest starbucks with a resume". Or if there's any locals left we could drop her off on that planet where she turned their sacred shrine into a profit windfall...
Akh's expressions can't change, but you can swear he looks angry as he looms over Melissa "She left us to join the one of two people trying very hard to kill us. The only way she could have betrayed us more is if she'd personally stabbed you and cooked you into a souffle."
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" She could have attacked us with the mercenaries in our sleep. Instead she just left. She wants out, not us dead. We haven't had an EJ sponsored attempt to kill us in two whole weeks. How else would that have happened if she hadn't been trying to talk her sister out of it? "
Literal backstabbings in the Norveg family may have left her a little blase about the figurative ones.
Akh shakes his head "Obviously Del herself wasn't trying to kill us. You saw what Eline had to do to her brain. But when it came time to pick sides she abandoned us and chose the side that wanted our blood of her own free will." He creaks "As for not getting attacked, did you forget about the snipers Eline hired to hunt us down?"
"Obviously Del's brain is compromised when it comes to her sister, making excuses for all the horrible things Eline has done. Del took Eline's side even as Eline's done nothing but lie and cheat and grind people like us down. Letting Del decide would be like letting a skittermander decide whether people need help."
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"That was too weeks ago! Not a shot since. And if she really wanted us dead she would have hired MUCH better snipers. "
"Of course her brain is compromised. That's what family does! You don't think rationally for family."
"We could blackmail her. She stays off our tails, and if she's really good I'll unbork her ticket to paradise. Maybe there's a way Del can visit. Even a rounding error on all this crap has to be worth a lot. We can give her to the stewards, we can drop her off on a planet so far out in the vast starfinders haven't been eaten on it. We can drop her off with the people who's temple she plundered. Plenty of ways she can be removed as a threat without being killed."
"There should be some middle ground where we can all be ONLY unhappy about it."
Jaraduk laughs nervously as tensions rise.
Hehe. Well, she does love her sister. But... "free will." I suspect she intended to protect us from Eline before she was taken advantage of. Or her brain compromised. Melissa, keep talking about the "messy" part of family! I don't think we're saying it right.
He winces and looks aside, thinking it's not working.
After listening to everyone's views, Guess? chimes in.
"I think the easiest way to walk away from this with minimal risk while not outright murdering Eline which may turn Del into a new, murderous Eline...
"One, we leak all of Eline's information. We burn her. That's what she did to us really. This takes away all her tools and resources. She can and will still come after us. But she'll be severely crippled. And when she eventually comes after us guns blazing in our old age, we'll all think: Guess? was right. Melissa was wrong. We should've just ended Eline.
"Two, we brainwash Eline through the same process, making her a loyal fingerpuppet to Del. I'd prefer her as a puppet to us but Del won't stand for it. Personally, I wouldn't have minded having Eline around the ship as our permanent personal servant alongside the cubit robot. But hey, we're all supposed to walk away from this unhappy, amirite?
"Three, we bring Del out of the brainwashing and present her with full control over her now brainwashed and mostly de-fanged sister. I have no doubt Del will eventually unbrainwash her sister and let her sister again get the upper hand. Then come after us again. But hey, history is meant to repeat itself over and over again, amirite??"
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He winces and looks aside, thinking it's not working.
"It's not something Akh can relate to.Also honesty it DOES sound crazy if you think about it... . What was your family like? I don't think You've ever talked about them. "
" Guess, hard no on the brain washing. If you need a 3 day head start I'll set her up with a nice thorazine drip hooked up to one of Jaraduks explosives. Peoples choices should be their own.Even hers. "
"We put them in separate rooms, I'll electrify the floors. We let Del come to then discuss some way of putting Eline out of a position to hurt us. " she looks at Akh "If she decides to just let Eline go back to business as usual, that's a no. But she should be able to pick between the different ways we can defang her while keeping her alive. Jail, Exile, Exposure and ruin, Turn her over to the locals on Warcrimes 7 or wherever she stole the ghost Iron from ..maybe Del can blip her off to a different reality? Or maybe brain washing her was a bridge too far and she joins the Guess? Akh ro sham bo tournament for who gets to off her. "
"Aw c'mon! The brainwashing isn't permanent! (probably) And we're giving Del control so if she decides to let Eline out of it, then that's what will happen. Ultimately, we're still giving Del the ultimate choice. All we're doing is providing her a little head start on one of those choices that is totally reversible!
"Who votes for restoring Del and brainwashing Eline, raise your hand!"
Guess? raises his hand.
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"They'd better be self inserting or you'll need to watch some Pactubes on how to put them in.. and no they don't go in through the nose. Is the Sarcasean model even going to work on a human? Are they even re usable? Can I get them out without breaking them? Most augmentations are non transferable. No refunds once it's installed " Especially if she plausibly can break it...
Melissa is really going to need to watch some saranite "morality and ethics of a hostage situation" Ted talks here... on the one hand she wants no part of that on the other hand letting guess? try is probably murder. On the other hand intentional murder is on the table
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Akh swirls morosely as his adamant rejection of allowing Eline to live is ignored. He chimes back in at Guess?'s suggestion "If it's not too hard to unbrainwash Del, it'll not be too hard to unbrainwash Eline. I don't think we want that. But the rest of your plan is fine Guess?..."
"Though if you all are too soft to just kill her, we should follow Melissa's suggestion of convincing Del to exile Eline back to one of the planets she did very bad things on." Akh hopes the native people will do some very convenient murderering if the rest of the crew weren't willing to.
"It's not something Akh can relate to.Also honesty it DOES sound crazy if you think about it... . What was your family like? I don't think You've ever talked about them. "
Right... family. Well, there's a version of this from one lifetime ago, running with the Free Captains in the Diaspora. That one was far messier than even this, and ended acrimoniously...
He shakes it off and continues.
The other, the "real" biological version from two lifetimes ago. I carry a lot of stories from that one... Anyway. Not relevant now. Suffice it to say I get what you're laying down, and hopefully it's clear that I agree with your approach.
Guess? mulls over the idea of killing the physical Eline but letting her live in the soul server.
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Melissa's medical knowledge does agree with Akh. It won't be too difficult to un-brainwash Del, and the same would be true for anything you can do to Eline.
Guess? is able to analyze the server. It's locked into the infosphere. That connection will allow Eline to continue to work, invest, and conduct business. There are even robots that could act as her physical manifestation in the world. While her magic was quite threatening to you in the bridge, it's possible that her digital reach could be even more dangerous than her physical one.
You continue to discuss Eline's future, but the group seems to have reached an agreement to release Eline's dastardly deeds. You create a folder that includes hours of horrific human rights violations, corporate crimes, and broken EJ policies. Releasing these publicly would certainly sever her business network, employment at EJ corp, and likely put her on the wrong side of the law. (Assuming there is still a world in the Pact where the rich are not above the law.) Though... a few clicks around the server and Melissa can confirm: The majority of Eline's assets are in EJ corp reserved stock units. Severance with cause would lead to her losing the majority of her fortune.
The kalistocrats will not care about what Eline chose to do to make her fortune. But the only sin in the kalistocracy is poverty. Being fired from EJ, and the ensuing loss of wealth, would lead to her being excommunicated and lose the final string of her support system.
A powerless Eline trapped in the server would not be threatening in the near future, if ever. Heck, she'd have to struggle just to make enough money to keep the lights on (literally). Living in an eternal computer server is not a cheap prospect.
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Though... a few clicks around the server and Melissa can confirm: The majority of Eline's assets are in EJ corp reserved stock units. Severance with cause would lead to her losing the majority of her fortune.
Oof... those golden handcuffs. You see this is where scoundrels always win. You've got to get paid in real credits or goods.
"Definitely we blow up the server. Too much of a risk of her somehow reestablishing herself not to. If I learned anything from vids, it's that you have to make sure the evil executive is double-triple-and quadruple dealt with or they manage to resurrect themselves in spirit if not in reality. They always manage to escape the law otherwise." Akh shakes his head.
"EJ will probably be harsh on her when we send all this out. Then the kalistocrats will disown her for being poor. She'd be crushed, but not 100% out. Let's not give her another way to regroup."
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"I doubt they haven't called for help already. I don't think Dels brain will be unswissed before it gets here.... so we need to scoot."
"Alright, I'll crane mister giant death robot Onto the Rust bug (or the roof if need be) and set the autopilot for Absolom station...always return your tools when you borrow them. We'll give the the people here the option of Tetnus or crazy space pirates that throw coffee breaks for which ship they want to take.
"We hit the drift for a while, Del gets to pick a solution that doesn't involve her being a threat. We put the evidence up on pactube. Maybe we can drop them off on Gaskar III and they can open a bakery together. Not a lot of bakers get "hire the good assassins" money." though those creepy little elves definitely WOULD....
We'll need to get the blood out of the deck, AGAIN, if the Office crowd wants to Risk pirates over tetnus.
"I suppose that's a good enough plan Melissa, though maybe not the dropping them off somewhere they can start a bakery..." Akh turns back to the server, rasping his claws together. "Any objections from anyone before I make this disappear?"
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...She also finds the REACTOR CONTROL file that - with a little tweaking - could be used to make the room go nuclear.
...You're confident that blowing the reactors would mean that the server could never be rebuilt ...
Akh is confident that while Melissa's reactor explosion might be faster - some dissolving claws and electric doshkos could take care of business just fine.
The crew agrees to destroy the server, upload the criminal evidence. All that's left is to decide what to do with Eline and Del...
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Melissa snags some selfies of Akh taking out some choice bits of server. "Shame its got slime soul stuck in it. This could have made a SWEET reality rig...."
To gaskar III I guess. we don't have anywhere else to go.... I just mostly want to be in the drift because its hard as hell to find you in there.
"Destruction of server? Plus.
"Release of Eline's crimes, burning her for good? Plus.
"Lack of Eline brainwashing? Disappointment.
"Lack of ending Eline's physical bodily functions? Great disappointment.
"Welp, I guess we've reached our compromise. Let's at least keep Eline under heavy (but mostly safe) sedation until Del snaps out of it and can decide what to do with her sister.
"I'm calling it now though: Del will be so confused and indecisive that a part of her will wish we relieved her of having to make the hard decision.
"And for the record, if a hard decision is needed, I'm more than happy to make the call!"
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Melissa triggers the reactor in the server. MELTDOWN IMMINENT. MELTDOWN IMMINENT. You hurry back to the ship, which the kalistocrats had already so kindly prepared for launch for you. You unceremoniously toss the bodies out the airlock, strap in the Reisora sisters, and release Mr. Cubey from his closet cage. "Wow, you came back for me! Thanks, that was so fun! There's some crazy stuff on the infosphere!"
KABOOM! A puff of smoke comes from the hallway as the eternity server goes. It seems your work here is done. You settle into the bridge, enjoying the familiar setting. Guess?, still getting used to the pilot position, takes a few seconds to take in the monitor before yelling out. "Incoming!" His brevity may be more alarming than his words. You huddle around and see that the bridge console reveals Company starships on their way! You're pushed back against the seats as the Second Chance jets out of the hanger. The hails from the EJ ships begin to come in just as light streaks past the viewscreen and you pop into the Drift.
Over the next few days you pop in and out of the drift to catch on updates from the outside world while Melissa removes the memory implants from Del. The Pact Worlds infospheres are abuzz: with Eline’s crimes brought to light, EJ Corp has headed the scandal off at the pass, disavowing her as a “disgruntled employee” that acted in violation of both EJ Corp policy and interstellar law. The Company announces that it’s working to improve its internal culture, planning to oust several high-profile members of its leadership team over the coming weeks. EJ Corp’s stock price steadily climbs amid the calculated, humble press tour. As Melissa pulls the second device out of Del's forehead, you download a message from EJ Corp’s arbitration team. You are formally invited to a meeting at our Absalom Station headquarters in Bluerise Tower. It appears that a clerical error was made upon termination of employment. We are prepared to offer severance compensation in exchange for the signing of an NDA. The severance package has been significantly increased above norm for your positions, in light of the delay of payment. This finalization of your employment status will allow The Company to remove you from all Banned/Unmentionable/Ruinous/Never lists that may or may not exist and you may or may not be on. This would allow you to once again seek economic employment and opportunities across the Pact Worlds. We look forward to hearing from you.
On the third day, Del awakens. You explain what has happened to her. Her grief and disgust with her sister and her own actions pour out from her.
I know this might be hard to hear, but she's not irredeemable. You must know this, since you left her for me. Let's go back to the bakery. Perhaps it wasn't all burned down. No infosphere access, no corporate interests, she can be reformed." The sarcesian looks absolutely broken. "My sister, well, Eline’s career in EJ Corp is over, and without her money and her immortality server, her immortal soul is now scheduled for judgment before Pharasma just like everyone else’s. While she has done many evil and inexcusable things, losing the destiny she meticulously planned for herself could prompt introspection and possibly a change in her behavior—especially if I can act as a role model, showing her good behavior and guiding her through relapses." She shrugs.
"Lets do both. Melissa rig that reactor and let's go." Akh swipes chunks out of the server with ease. "And I think you're right Guess. Del's going to be unhappy no matter what happens, because her sister just isn't want she wants her to be." He shakes his head. "Now, back to the ship!"
Akh looks over the news coming in from EJ with a lot of skepticism, but also a sense that not taking the offer would lead to even more trouble. If he was EJ, he'd send the absolute finest to silence this team before they can leak anything more. Then again, maybe the absolute finest here is just a big pile of money. He holds his thoughts to himself for now.
When Del awakens and offers her plea, Akh counters with "I think she would do better somewhere with no infosphere access and no meaningful monetary systems to exploit." He refrains from saying that the Boneyard fits this criteria fairly well.
Looking over EJ's message, Guess says, "You're all thinking the same thing, right? There's no way this isn't a trap. We set foot in there without insurance and we're dead sentients."
Guess? composes a response simply stating: Send details of the agreement, especially compensation details. If we agree to meet, what guarantees do we have of 1) EJ entering into good faith negotiations beyond the transmitted details, and 2) our present and future safety from EJ actions?
"Anyone else want to add anything to the message back to EJ? I don't think we want to set foot in their building unless we know the money on the table is substantial AND we know that we're not walking into an ambush."
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When Del wakes and expresses her desires, Guess? says, "This is not a battle that I'll fight you and Melissa on. If you think retirement to the bakery is the best thing for you both, so be it. We'll drop you two off. Remember though that you're welcome back aboard anytime!
"I'll also have to say though that I think your sister should be executed for her actions. And I'll pose one more question to you: Are you SURE you don't want to brainwash her and keep her under your control?
"In fact, don't think of it as brainwashing. Think of it as kind of a crutch for her to lean on in order to lead a more normal, non-evil life! Eventually, as her evil-ness subsides, she can probably be weaned off of the crutch! See, it's all about packaging and perspective!"
Guess? grins.
Off the burn list... for the price of an NDA. Yeah, that seems like a trap. But... we could use getting off of the burn list if they can do that.
He looks over Guess?'s response.
Maybe we should suggest a neutral meeting place. Ideally in public.
Maybe we should suggest a neutral meeting place. Ideally in public.
"That's a good idea.
"Hey! Have you heard about this heavily armed cult of self-described explorers who are actually grave robbers and opportunists who usually trigger cataclysmic universe-ending events by delving into deep, dark secrets that common sense dictates would be better left untouched? Every year, like clockwork, they cause some major incident and they have to mobilize like an army to cover up whatever harm they've caused.
"Well, I'm sure they've got headquarters on Absalom. Maybe we can rent a meeting room there! We can ask a few of them remain in the room to act as legal notaries. We won't need extra security because these cult members are heavily armed. And despite all the trouble they cause, I trust them enough to prevent any murdering within their HQ.
"Their cult is called Star Seekers or Universe Finders or Path People or something along those lines. I don't recall exactly."
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You are formally invited to a meeting at our Absalom Station headquarters in Bluerise Tower...
Melissa, having been doing double duty as a Nurse, Mechanic, and currently combining the two, stares at the module in her pliers and wonders why it's sending EJ corp memmos.
"I'm thinking that should be a televisit if at all..."
"Wow, you came back for me! Thanks, that was so fun! There's some crazy stuff on the infosphere!"
Install some parental controls on Cubey's access... But take them around the ship for help. At some point use giving them an oil bath as an excuse to look for explosives and take a look at their programming for "exterminate!"
Last and definitely not least with Del.
I know this might be hard to hear, but she's not irredeemable. You must know this, since you left her for me
Melissa ducks under the hospital bed to keep from making a bluff check and gets the Misprinted Saranrae T shirt she brought from home. ""Here"" sniffle... "You're going to need this more than I am. I'm gonna miss you" honk. She TRIES not to get ysoki snot on it while hugging the butterfly and crying. "I'll wash it out while I'm letting out the uhm.. everything."
I know this might be hard to hear, but she's not irredeemable.
Guess? whispers, "No she's not..."
You must know this, since you left her for me
Guess? whispers, "Leaving Melissa... well, that I can understand!"
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... Then again, maybe the absolute finest here is just a big pile of money. ...
You enjoy a few more dinners in the galley with Del, just like the old days. Then, before you know it, you've arrived at the familiar asteroid and it's time to say goodbye to Del. Next to the sarcesian lays the unconscious Eline on an appropriated cart. "I'm glad we didn't brainwash her. I sure didn't like my reconditioning. Wouldn't want that for her." She gives you a tearful goodbye and walks down the ramp and off to a more peaceful offline family life.
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The group reconvenes on the bridge a while later, after washing the tears and snot off your clothing. You find a response from EJ Corp waiting for you. A video file this time, an elvish man in a tight suit appears. "Hello, team. Thank you for responding. No negotiation is necessary. Please see attached contract, which is more than fair. We are happy to meet you at the Lodge. Corporate sponsorship does come with it's privileges. He gives the camera a gleeful wink then turns on a cold smile. "We've pieced together your affinity for altering deals and working outside the law. Allow me to affirm the Evgeniya-Jaimisson Corporation's commitment to keeping your crew on its burn list. Additionally, the Company plans to press charges against you in case we are not able to receive your signatures. Those would start with grand theft starship and proceed from there, unless you agree to these terms." His fake smile drops away entirely and he stares you down with ageless eyes. "The contract is attached. Let us know when to reserve the room at The Lodge." The deal offered by the Company gives you 60,000 credits, 80 BP, and legal ownership of "the starship legally titled as the ]i]Oliphaunt[/i] and more commonly known as the Second Chance. The fine print includes several lines about the Corporation not going after you through legal or extralegal means for any past offenses. It requires that you sign a nondisparagement clause, backed by a biosignature and holy invocation to the god of your choice in addition to Abadar. After this, you can never speak a bad word about EJ Corp in public.
With a bit of hesitation, but hope that perhaps you can put all of this madness with The Company behind you... you pop into the Drift.
ahem. You turn around in alarm at the cough from behind you, near the port door to the bridge. A small emitter above the door projects a holographic image of Lord Sinjin, relaxing and leaning on the wall, his smooth elven features wrinkled into a condescending sneer. “I hope you remember me, because I certainly remember you, and I’m leaving this message in case Reisora steps in it again. My sensors no longer sense her biosignature on the ship. You might have given those corporate pencil pushers the runaround, but it won’t matter. I’ve got what I need. My engineers had the Oliphaunt long enough to copy the null-space technology in your cargo hold, and I’ve installed it in my own ship, after making a few… improvements. Soon I’ll have a whole fleet, and my smuggling empire will make the Company look like a startup." The outlaw lord's eyes flare. “Of course, that still leaves some loose ends, by which I mean you. But I’m done trying to wrestle you all to the ground myself. Instead, I’ve taken out an insurance policy, and it was expensive. Six figures, on each of you. By the time you see this message, every bounty hunter from Absalom Station to the Vast will be strapping on their guns and dreaming of your beautiful faces. About time two of you have been on the other side of that particular line. Sleep tight.” The message winks out and deletes itself. When you connect to a Pact World infosphere, you can use your knowledge of the underworld to learn Sinjin has made good on his threats: the drow is offering 100,000 credits for the death of each member of your crew, and the contracts include your pictures as well as Tarika, Shan, Strek, and your three goblin friends among some other associates from your time as space truckers. These lucrative and well-documented contracts will likely attract the most dangerous assassins and bounty hunters in known space.
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It requires that you sign a nondisparagement clause, backed by a biosignature and holy invocation to the god of your choice in addition to Abadar. After this, you can never speak a bad word about EJ Corp in public.
"May Ravogog never favor me again if I break this contract...what did they think I was going to pick a god I LIKED? Still, all four middle fingers in their general direction. "
"Gods dammit. Alright, everyone we know and love get on the ship now we're hitting the drift till we're so far out Shelyn thinks we're lost. "
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Earlier...
Guess? will review the contract from EJ and see if there are any loopholes or issues.
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Now...
Guess? takes one look at the hit contracts and remarks, "Balls!!"
After thinking a bit, Guess? says, "Okay, this is what we've gotta do in order of priority:
"First, get message out to everyone to lay low. Assassins are incoming. We need everyone to check in with us through secure comes every 12 hours.
"Second, we get that deal with The Company signed ASAP. Once EJ finds out that Sinjin put a hit out on us like this, they'll probably withdraw their contract and may even contribute some money behind Sinjin's murder attempts.
"Third, after we've signed, we inform The Company about what Sinjin has done and that it is just a matter of time before Sinjin corners the market and runs EJ out of business. BUT we're open to offering our services to removing Sinjin as a shipping competitor if The Company funds and provides the required resources to do so.
"Fourth, we get everyone on the target list safely aboard.
"Fifth, we remove the Sinjin threat with EJ's backing.
"Eezy-peezy, amirite?!?!?"
Guess? looks at the rest of the crew and adds on, "Honestly though, Sinjin could've saved us all a whole lot of trouble by just paying us. At the end of the day we WANTED to sell the Second Chance to him. We give him the ship he wanted, he gives us money. Simple.
"Right now, if he offered us the amount of cash he's dishing out to have us assassinated, hell, I'd forgive and forget and walk away! But instead, he's gunna force our hand? That's not very smart."
Guess? mulls over the idea of sending Sinjin a message: Cancel all hit contracts, pay us each 100k creds and we all walk away. No fuss, no mess. You build your empire and run EJ into the ground. We retire somewhere and live a life of luxury. Everyone wins. EJ does not yet have our ship and we can discuss selling it to you for the originally agreed price, which will maintain your monopoly on the null space tech. This ties up all loose ends and the game ends with you the winner. Do not agree to the above and you'll force us to take drastic action as the game continues. Why take the risk?