Wren glances at the others and murmurs. "Could be a trap, but on the other hand they might know something interesting. Either way, it'd make our trip a bit less boring." She finishes with a wry grin.
I can live with boring Harold comments with a grin.
"Well, ya know, if we can behave ourselves this might give us some legitimacy in Alliance space. Might be good fer the future. I say take their good money and give em' a lift."
Arabella's husband is a known criminal, although that is information the Alliance has which Arabella does not know, as she has not had contact with him since he disappeared with their daughter 24 years ago. She knows he was a scoundrel so this news would not surprise her, but his crime may only be based on greed rather than political principles.
Unknown to Arabella, her daughter, Jaquel, has grown up to be a full-fledged rebel working against the alliance.
Low = financial crimes like fraud, theft, murder, etc.
High = Political crimes working against the Alliance.
Jaquel's status
Low = at large, a wanted fugitive
High = In custody by the Alliance[
What's Arabella's and Brook's opinions about taking on the passengers or not?
Arabella's fine with passengers instead of cargo, especially if they pay extra for nice accommodations.
What's Arabella's and Brook's opinions about taking on the passengers or not?
Brook knows that the greatest illusion of Alliance service is convincing oneself that they might matter; this is what makes all Alliance servants dangerous too. They believe they are doing something more than surviving.
That said, Brook also knows that money you never earn is money you will for sure never spend; the bigger problem being that Alliance types will use 'real' money (paper notes or credit) versus hard coin, so his bigger concern is laundering what they will be paid.
Virtually everyone in the system has to have an Alliance Identity Card (you have to take a Hindrance to *not* have one), which you use when you set foot on an Alliance-controlled planet and for Alliance money trades. You can withdraw money in there and turn it into platinum on any planet with any kind of Alliance connection (which is all of the Core, and almost of of the Border), nothing suspicious about that.
So, you take the passengers on-board and Bryce takes off :
= Raise
= 15, 2 Raises
days - Raises = 8 days
Harold - do you wear your browncoat while on-board (like Malcolm did in the TV show, I think), or only when you go out?
Anyone want to initiate small talk with the passengers?
Before the passengers are picked up, Daisy will clean their rooms and freshen up linens and such and maybe add a knick-knack or two from her shopping trips.
Once they are on board she will happily take charge as concierge (unless someone else steps up) and shows them to their rooms, gives them a quick tour of the spaces they will have access to and make general small talk.
She will be (mostly) honest about show she is and where she's from and what her profession is but will gently refuse any offers.
She will do her best to keep the passengers happy and away from the rest of the crew and hopefully they will remember this as a pleasant flight.
Arabella will assist Daisy as needed. She makes a point to learn each passenger's name and profession. As time passes, she will talk with any who spend time in any common areas, sharing that she is affiliated with the Taoists in case anyone wants to discuss philosophy or religion.
Brook will follow along after the ladies to address any maintenance issues that might need to be looked at.
Harold has no issues taking on passengers, but he does not socialize with them.
In planning for the 8 days Daisy will also make sure the pantry it well stocked for the additional people and will plan to have at least one good hearty meal a day for everyone.
The passengers are grateful to Daisy for everything she's done for them.
Their small talk between themselves is mostly about the job they just finished, which seems to have been analyzing the planet you left for its mineral contents.
Around the dinner table one day, one of them says "So, we all grew up and live on Alliance planets, and this is our first time into the Border. I'll admit, it was kind of scary. What's it like living without the Alliance as your constant friend and companion?"
Wren shrugs, but offers a small smile at the passenger that asked the question. "Well, it's nice havin' the freedom to do what you'd like without the Alliance lookin' over your shoulder all the time, but it can get dangerous if you act a fool. Or if you don't take care an' watch out for yerself. I like the border planets myself, born an' raised out here. In only visit the Core when I have to." She pauses and looks at her dinner of processed protein rather wistfully. "They sure do have nice restaurants there, though."
Ah yes, the mystery meat Harold quips, Mind you, I have eaten worse
Daisy smiles. "Well, I grew up on Hera, near the border area. Been to a few core worlds as well. Hera is different. Agricultural. Not as wild as some of the places further out but one has to be wary of some wild animals and natural threats. Guess I kind of grew up with one foot in both worlds"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Ah, that explains the hard looks and lack of cooperation we got when we said we were with the Alliance. Actually, we just work for an Alliance-owned company. Why does everyone outside of the Core hate the Alliance?"
Wren glances at the speaker, wondering if he is some sort of whistle-blower or the like. But she shrugs and answers somewhat truthfully. "Hate's an awful strong term, there. We wouldn't 'ave took you on as passengers if we'd mistook y'all for Alliance if that were the case, ain't it?"
Arabella explains the concepts of Yin and Yang in Taoist religion and philosophy. "Yin represents, among other things, receptive or submissive aspects of relationships, while Yang is assertive or aggressive aspects. Both are necessary for a healthy society, but there are always those who take things to extremes. People who tend toward Yang will gravitate either to the rim to get away from the rules of Alliance society and will be critical of the Alliance because they want to make their own rules and live as they choose. Others will gravitate toward positions of authority in the Alliance so they can exercise power over others, push people around."
"My spiritual mentor, Lao Tzu, said, Ruling a country is like cooking a fish. The less you move it around, the better the result."
"I tend to prefer things away from the Core, just because things are simpler, choices are clearer, and people are easier to work with. At the Core, things are safer, but one never knows what roles people play, since a lot goes on in secret. One has to watch her step all the time."
Well, they don't really know how to respond to Arabella's philosophy, and from their expressions they obviously don't agree with the "a lot goes on in secret in the Core" comment, but they're too polite to say anything.
The rest of the trip passes without incident, and they pay you 1440 PP. Minus overhead, that's 1152 PP, between 6 people is 132 PP each.
What do you want to do on this planet about contacting psychics (if anything)?
On the way Daisy will see if there is any work for her at this destination.
Daisy checks with the Guild, and finds a request on this planet in her account. Asking around, she finds out it's about a 5-hour air flight away.
Daisy will make travel arrangements, asking if anyone would like to go on a day trip. If not, she feels secure enough to go alone.
Harold will accompany Daisy.
You think we can sneak the shuttle. I can fly, but navigate is a bit past me right now.
Daisy smiles, "No, silly. I'll buy us tickets. You'll just be on your own for a while. I suggest looking around for shops or a bar or wherever you might want to hang around for a while."
No worries, I will find a spot and hang out for a bit. Just give a comm if you have an issue.
Arabella is sitting on a fair amount of platinum. She'll accompany Daisy and shop, hoping to find a digital camera (still and video if possible) and/or a telescope capable of doing some star gazing or just something like a decent spyglass.
"Glad ta' have you on my day trip, my friend!"
"So we can all go!? This could be fun! We could try another high-calorie non-nutritious adult beverage like tequila."
"The more the merrier!"
"Tequila--and I speak from experience here--is a bad messenger. You send it to your stomach and it ends up in your head."
Wren is more than willing to go bar-hopping if everyone is going to fly off with Daisy.
"Tequila--and I speak from experience here--is a bad messenger. You send it to your stomach and it ends up in your head."
"That is a great wisdom, ma'am. I bet Master Tzu taught you that!"
"That is a great wisdom, ma'am. I bet Master Tzu taught you that!"
"Actually, some of the Taoists were said to enjoy alcohol, although probably in moderation, as was their way or their Dao. There is a story about a drunk who fell into the strong current of a river and survived because he was able to go with the flow."
As one should always try to do when drinking strong drink. But I agree, Tequila, should not be for a person new to alcohol as it tends to bite, even those who are not.
Harold settles in and relaxes for the trip.
Airplane tickets cost 40 platinum each. With the whole gang going, is Daisy still willing/able to buy all the tickets?
Daisy happily covers the tickets, just happy to have the whole group on an outing.
You arrive at a city called Justice. It's Saturday around noon, and the air buzzes with weekend energy.
You wander along the main avenue, ducking into side streets lined with boutiques and quirky storefronts. No one buys much, but the window-shopping feels like a treasure hunt.
As twilight falls, you make your way to a quiet, tucked-away restaurant recommended by a local cab driver. It turned out to be spectacular — warm candlelight, a rooftop view, and dishes so good you had to pass the plates around so everyone could get a taste of everything.
After dinner, you find a cozy bar with old brick walls and live jazz. You sip cocktails (and/or tequila) and play a game of “who’s the coolest person here,” eventually agreeing it was your bartender, who juggled bottles between mixing drinks.
The bartender recommends that you end your evening at a nightclub just a few blocks away. Anyone want to go?
Arabella is pretty tired after all the activity. She is ready to call it a night, although she is willing to find a cab and return to the ship if others want to go club hopping.
I'm just assuming Daisy is otherwise engaged during some or all of this. :)
Daisy - you went to your appointment as soon as you all landed around noon, but made arrangements to meet up with the rest of the gang at a particular spot in the city at 4 PM, so you didn't miss the food or drinks.
No takers on the nightclub?
Small town girl in a big city Daisy likes the idea of at least checking the nightclub out.
"Well, I'm gonna check it out. Anyone comin' with? Just for a while."