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Post by sulldawga on Jul 5, 2013 11:05:14 GMT -6
The Eolian is a spacer bar. It'd be easy to figure that out when the place is hopping, because it'd be full of spacers, with not a miner in sight. Still, the easiest way to tell an empty spacer bar from an empty miner bar is the floor. No sawdust.
No sawdust means two things: no blood and no puke. In miner bars, fist fights turn into knife fights way too often. And it wouldn't be a Friday night in a miner bar without some junkie OD'ing on Zeke and puking all over the place.
Spacers have their own vices, mind you, but Zeke ain't one of them. They pop Sharpies all the time, to keep alert on long drills, but when they land dirtside they tend to take it down a notch. That's why there's lots of VR rigs in the back of the Eolian. Especially the ones fitted with... uh, personal interface capabilities. Miners'll tell you they prefer an old fashioned, flesh and blood "escort" but no spacer ever caught a STD from a properly maintained VR rig.
Plus, escorts attract pimps, who attract knife fights, which leads inevitably to sawdust on the floor.
No reputable spacer bar has sawdust on the floor.
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Post by sulldawga on Jul 5, 2013 11:19:36 GMT -6
The Eolian is one of many bars in El Dorado, the fabled City of Gold. Kathmandu is the capital of Nirvana, and a busy spaceport in its own right, but El Dorado is the Hub. Most of CryPoly's mining action moves in and out of Kathmandu but the long distance runs, the ones that go from the depths of the UPC all the way to the far edge of the Union, they all stop in El Dorado.
Any ship flagged in UPC colors is more than likely to be burnt to shreds anywhere within Union space, and vice versa. Nearly all the long haul cargo gets swapped into neutral ships somewhere in TriCon territory, and it's easiest to do that here. All the big trading costers, freighter fleets, and middlemen have a presence here, if not a full blown warehouse. There's TriCon flags on most of 'em but the little guys have their own spot here and there as well.
And El Dorado is big enough that they get some overlap from Kathmandu, hence the presence of miners. Usually they're the ones with more credits than sense but you can't really blame them. Kathmandu has enough diplomats in residence to make the local constabulary a little sensitive to unrest, while the City of Gold is definitely more open to some friendly rough-housing. Or at least more open to taking a few credits in return for dropped charges or "just" a few days in the cooler and a one way ticket back to the mines.
El Dorado is a good place to be for a man who isn't interested in your average "9 to 5" job. Lots of work for enterprising sorts who aren't wedded to obeying the letter of the law.
And these folks often find themselves enjoying each other's company in places like the Eolian.
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premmy
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 295
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Post by premmy on Jul 7, 2013 14:43:21 GMT -6
Rahim doesn't quite feel at home at the Eolian. It's too nice, too clean. Too... boring. There's no straw on the floor, meaning there are no knife fights in here. Of course - he smirks to himself -, that just means they don't expect the inevitable knife fight. Could be an advantage one day.
Of course, he remembers as he adjusts his kufiya, some of his old haunts on Nirvana didn't have straw, either. And not for a lack of stabbings. It's just that when your favourite "haunt" is a derelict storehouse a hundred kilometres away from the nearest settlement; the clientele all either bandits, thieves, robbers or the people seeking them out with tips or trades; and the bartender a wily smuggler who recognised a reasonably safe way of making some small money on the sidelines... people just don't mind the dark dried patches.
But that was back there. Here and now, he's waiting for his... acquaintants. That new fancy gun cost a lot, and he needs more money soon. Supposedly they can help.
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Post by sulldawga on Jul 7, 2013 21:30:39 GMT -6
While Rahim waits for his newfound business partners to arrive, he fiddles with his new toy, the PRISM1. As a lark, he says to it, "How about you find me a new job?"
Much to Rahim's surprise, PRISM replies, "There is a new link for bounty hunters on the El Dorado omniband. Would you like to review it?"
Rahim nods.
PRISM responds, "Here are the five most recent additions to the list..."
Kiril Goganov - Wanted for Burglary of the Hardtack Starships warehouse. 6,000 credits. Akira Ochi - Wanted on six counts of Grand Theft Grav-car. 10,000 credits. Edgar White - Wanted for Armed Robbery of the paymaster at the Inworth Mine. *AD*2 25,000 credits. Carlos Paredes - Wanted for Murder of the Caldean Trade Representative. Suspected member of the Gray Saints sect. **AED** **DoA**3,4 100,000 credits. Joan Anne Green (aka "Two Gun Green") - Wanted for Piracy, specifically the disabling and subsequent theft of the cargo of the CUS Hornet. **AED** **DoA** 200,000 credits.
1 Programmable Research and Intelligent Scanning Mechanism. Think of it as an iPad Mini on steroids. Small enough to strap to your forearm. It's like a radio, TV, Internet connection, and wallet all in one. They come with personalities so feel free to name yours if you desire. You can ask it questions that you, as a player, may not know but you would expect your character to know. Don't expect it to hack into the Death Star's trash compactors like R2D2 though. All PCs have one, free of charge. 2 Armed and Dangerous. 50% bonus is paid on all AD bounties. 3 Armed and Extremely Dangerous. 100% bonus is paid on all AED bounties. 4 Dead or Alive. Bounty is paid either way.
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eris
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 161
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Post by eris on Jul 8, 2013 17:51:21 GMT -6
Mike Kamenski strolls into The Eolian, pausing at the door to look around. He hasn't been here a while, but it looks much the same he thinks grinning to himself.
Ambling over to the bar he orders a beersi and while he waits for it to be delivered leans against the bar and looks around.
"Jak." he says to the PRISM on his arm, "What's the news here in El Dorado?"
Mike has named his AI Jak, as "It don't know jack!", but of course, it does...and that's that's what makes it funny to Mike.
"Any ships in port looking for a good pilot?" Mike asks, "And no cracks about me not being a good pilot, Jak!"
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Post by sulldawga on Jul 8, 2013 19:42:12 GMT -6
"Jak." he says to the PRISM on his arm, "What's the news here in El Dorado?" "Any ships in port looking for a good pilot?" Mike asks, "And no cracks about me not being a good pilot, Jak!" Jak crackles to life. "No postings for pilots on the Port of El Dorado omniband. You do have a quickvid that just arrived from Aoki-san. Would you like to view it now?" Mike thinks for a moment... Aoki-san? Then the memory comes into focus. Seemed like a harmless fellow, prone to boasting after he got a few drinks in him. But he sure did perk up when he found out you had pilot and astrogator's mate training. Too bad you couldn't believe most of his babble about having a ship and needing a crew. He looked like he would have trouble paying his bar tab, never mind anchorage fees for a freighter. The quickvid was short on details, and you had some trouble understanding Aoki-san. He was so excited his speech kept lapsing into ancient Japanese, and then back into Terran, but it sounded like he wanted you to meet him tonight so he could share something with you. Something... valuable. When the quickvid ended, Jak says, "Shall I call up the coordinates for the meeting with Aoki-san? The neighborhood looks... uninviting."
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Post by coffee on Jul 10, 2013 7:46:07 GMT -6
Rik Turbot enters the El Dorado a usual, fresh off shift at the Trauma Hut. He has a bit less blood on his scrubs than normal, but the resigned look in his eye hasn't changed.
"Beer," he mutters to the barkeep, then his eyes roam the assembled patrons. They alight on his pal Mike. Taking a pull at his beer, he ambles over.
"Anything happening?" he asks, a touch of desperation in his voice. "I don't know how much longer I can hang on in this place.
"You said we'd get a ship, get offworld, see things, do things! I gotta make a change of some kind; I'm getting burned out here."
He raises his glass again, but for some mysterious reason, it's already empty. He waves it over his head, to signal for a refill.
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Post by sulldawga on Jul 10, 2013 9:20:28 GMT -6
Rik's PRISM buzzes and he looks down, expecting to see a QuickVid. Instead, it's a text only message. Very weird.
"***START MESSAGE*** Greetings and Salutations, Rik.
You do not know me but I know you. I have seen you and your team drinking in here before. I understand you are looking to get off-world. Well, I cannot help you with that, at least not right now, but I can help you earn some credits quickly.
My employer is interested in the mining rights to the new lode site in Algonquin. I have no doubt you have never heard of nor cared about it before now. Suffice to say, the rights are extremely valuable and will prove quite lucrative to the winner. As you would expect, there are other companies competing with my employer for the rights. We would like to learn more about one company's strategy for winning the bid. Let us just say we have seen suspicious activity from Mining Board members who are supposed to be impartial and it would prove very... illuminating if their bank accounts had been enhanced before the vote.
I have hired a contractor who can get into their mainframe and investigate. But she needs help getting in and out of the location. The good news is that you and your team would not have to harm anyone. There may be automated defenses your team would have to disable, but it is nothing you cannot handle.
Do this and I will pay you and your team 1000.0 credits each. If you are interested, meet me at the Irongate Transit Station at 2300 hours tonight. Come prepared for action.
Delta Dan ***STOP MESSAGE***
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premmy
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 295
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Post by premmy on Jul 10, 2013 17:15:18 GMT -6
"Mike, Rik!" - Rahim waves to his friends, as he scooches further down the table in the box he was occupying.. "Come over here!"
"Look, I don't know if you have any plans" - he says in a low voice, - "but I have some jobs lined up. Some of them dangerous, some of them... not so much. Easy snatch'n'deliver jobs, two of them sound like small-time crooks. You interested?"
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gronkthebold
Level 3 Conjurer
That low level hireling who carries the 10 ft poles...
Posts: 69
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Post by gronkthebold on Jul 10, 2013 17:29:44 GMT -6
Regin takes slow, calculated steps into The Eolian, giving its current customers a squint eyed glance to check for any scum that would be likely to whip out a knife and plunge it into his ribs. Scum in this bar... you mean everyone, right? the pessimistic part of his conscious brain pipes up, per usual, as Regin takes a seat. "You know the usual(strong whiskey)," He says gruffly to the bartender. He perks up when he hears the small voice of Rahim's PRISM speak of bounties. "What's going down in the list, any interesting stuff?" Regin asks Rahim.
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eris
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 161
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Post by eris on Jul 10, 2013 18:48:02 GMT -6
"Jak." he says to the PRISM on his arm, "What's the news here in El Dorado?" "Any ships in port looking for a good pilot?" Mike asks, "And no cracks about me not being a good pilot, Jak!" "Dang!" Mike says, "Well.." he starts to say then stops as Jak continues. "Yep, play it." "Yeah, get the coordinates and show me on a map." Mike looks at the location, "Uninviting is being charitable Jak. I'm not going down there without at least two bodyguards...armed ones. Ah! He sees a couple of people he knows in the bar. Speaking of the devil!" "Rik!" Mike nods and adds, "Barkeep put the man's beersi on my tab." Mike Kamenski
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eris
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 161
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Post by eris on Jul 10, 2013 18:54:10 GMT -6
Rik Turbot enters the El Dorado a usual, fresh off shift at the Trauma Hut. He has a bit less blood on his scrubs than normal, but the resigned look in his eye hasn't changed. "Beer," he mutters to the barkeep, then his eyes roam the assembled patrons. They alight on his pal Mike. Taking a pull at his beer, he ambles over. "Anything happening?" he asks, a touch of desperation in his voice. "I don't know how much longer I can hang on in this place. "Rik, I got that beersi." Mike says flashing a grin, "Got a lead, too." "Yeah! Yeah!", Mike scratches his short hair, "I'm working on it, Rik. Ship's are hard to come by you know, but this Aoki-san character says he wants to show me something tonight. I'm hoping it's the ship he says he has and that he's looking for crew." "Don't know if I believe the old guy, but just about any lead is worth chasing down, don't you think?"
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eris
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 161
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Post by eris on Jul 10, 2013 18:58:58 GMT -6
"Mike, Rik!" - Rahim waves to his friends, as he scooches further down the table in the box he was occupying.. "Come over here!" "Rahim!" Mike waves back, "Come on Rik. Let's see if Rahim has come up with a job." Mike moves over to Rahim's table and sits down. "Maybe." Mike says, "I've got a lead on something, too. A meeting for tonight with an old guy that might have a ship in need of a crew. It's likely to be dangerous, too." "I ain't against doing both if they pay, though." Mike winks and sips his beersi, "What you got?"
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Post by sulldawga on Jul 10, 2013 19:58:48 GMT -6
Regin remembers that he overheard an interesting conversation today between two miners. He was waiting for the speedbus and the pair apparently didn't know or care that he was within earshot.
The gist of the conversation was that a recently closed mine had been locked down pretty good, and the two were trying to guess why. Both had apparently worked there and were of the opinion that it hadn't been completely mined out, so there must have been another reason why they kicked everyone out. One thought they had found alien life down there, while the other suspected it was a cache of pretech equipment.
The interesting thing was that the two miners knew of a secondary route into the mines that would bypass most of the security around the main entrance. While they were talking, you looked up the location on your PRISM and found a topographic map that matches up with what they were saying. You're pretty sure you can lead the guys to this secondary entrance. Could be nothing, or could be some nice loot for the taking down there.
You're internally debating whether or not to mention it to the guys.
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gronkthebold
Level 3 Conjurer
That low level hireling who carries the 10 ft poles...
Posts: 69
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Post by gronkthebold on Jul 12, 2013 14:09:17 GMT -6
Regin remembers that he overheard an interesting conversation today between two miners. He was waiting for the speedbus and the pair apparently didn't know or care that he was within earshot. The gist of the conversation was that a recently closed mine had been locked down pretty good, and the two were trying to guess why. Both had apparently worked there and were of the opinion that it hadn't been completely mined out, so there must have been another reason why they kicked everyone out. One thought they had found alien life down there, while the other suspected it was a cache of pretech equipment. The interesting thing was that the two miners knew of a secondary route into the mines that would bypass most of the security around the main entrance. While they were talking, you looked up the location on your PRISM and found a topographic map that matches up with what they were saying. You're pretty sure you can lead the guys to this secondary entrance. Could be nothing, or could be some nice loot for the taking down there. You're internally debating whether or not to mention it to the guys. Regin takes a sip of his whiskey and allows the miners' conversation to stir around his mind, contemplating whether to give this rumor to the guys or not. The last sliver of his drink slides down his throat, and after ordering a second he finally decides to pitch the idea to the rest of the group and give it a shot: "What will you three be doing later? I've got a suggestion for a possible jackpot if you are willing to listen..."
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premmy
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 295
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Post by premmy on Jul 13, 2013 9:07:28 GMT -6
"A jackpot?" - Rahim smiles and strokes his short beard. - "Always willing to hear about a jackpot."
He turns to Mike. - "This old man of yours, does he need that crew right away? We may have jackpots to collect first. And is he paying generously? My jobs, two of them sound easy, a few days' work with a little luck. Pays six and ten thousand. Also have some better paying ones, but those are bigger, need better guns, more resources."
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gronkthebold
Level 3 Conjurer
That low level hireling who carries the 10 ft poles...
Posts: 69
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Post by gronkthebold on Jul 13, 2013 17:02:08 GMT -6
"A jackpot?" - Rahim smiles and strokes his short beard. - "Always willing to hear about a jackpot." "Alright, listen up: I had the luck of hearing two fellas speaking about a mine that has pretty much closed shop and won't be again in operation any time soon. They also speculated, because the mine apparently isn't cleared out, that there may be some sort of rare tech gear inside or some alien life form. Now, the place at it's front entrance is completely secured with a system that's d**n hard to crack. However, I heard from them also that," Regin gives whoever is listening a glimpse of the location on his PRISM, "There is a second entrance route that can bypass the security right here," He points to the exact spot on his map, "So we can make our way in through there. Like I said before: it could be a possible jackpot, or it could be nothing. We'll just have to give it a shot to find out. What do you say?"
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premmy
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 295
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Post by premmy on Jul 14, 2013 5:41:01 GMT -6
"A mine, huh?" - Rahim echoes. - "Could be some good equipment, but I see some problems. One, if it's closed down, we'll need equipment. Lights, perhaps climbing gear if the elevators are offline. Two, if it is some alien monster, how do we capture, transport and sell it? Three, if I am right, it's most likey a stash or hiding hole for some bandits or smugglers - I know I would use it as such. If that is the case, we'll need some more firepower. And body armour. And explosives."
"It's not a bad idea, but I think we should be better prepared. Grab some quick money elsewhere, put it to good use, then go for this mine. At least that is what I suggest."
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eris
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 161
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Post by eris on Jul 14, 2013 10:13:07 GMT -6
"A jackpot?" - Rahim smiles and strokes his short beard. - "Always willing to hear about a jackpot." He turns to Mike. - "This old man of yours, does he need that crew right away? We may have jackpots to collect first. And is he paying generously? My jobs, two of them sound easy, a few days' work with a little luck. Pays six and ten thousand. Also have some better paying ones, but those are bigger, need better guns, more resources." 'No idea!' Mike says, 'Might not even be a crew, might be something else, just said he wants to show me something.'
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eris
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 161
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Post by eris on Jul 14, 2013 10:17:31 GMT -6
"A mine, huh?" - Rahim echoes. - "Could be some good equipment, but I see some problems. One, if it's closed down, we'll need equipment. Lights, perhaps climbing gear if the elevators are offline. Two, if it is some alien monster, how do we capture, transport and sell it? Three, if I am right, it's most likey a stash or hiding hole for some bandits or smugglers - I know I would use it as such. If that is the case, we'll need some more firepower. And body armour. And explosives." "It's not a bad idea, but I think we should be better prepared. Grab some quick money elsewhere, put it to good use, then go for this mine. At least that is what I suggest." Good thinking! It's worth checking out, though maybe later.
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Post by coffee on Jul 15, 2013 7:43:39 GMT -6
"A mine, huh?" - Rahim echoes. - "Could be some good equipment, but I see some problems. One, if it's closed down, we'll need equipment. Lights, perhaps climbing gear if the elevators are offline. Two, if it is some alien monster, how do we capture, transport and sell it? Three, if I am right, it's most likey a stash or hiding hole for some bandits or smugglers - I know I would use it as such. If that is the case, we'll need some more firepower. And body armour. And explosives." "It's not a bad idea, but I think we should be better prepared. Grab some quick money elsewhere, put it to good use, then go for this mine. At least that is what I suggest." Good thinking! It's worth checking out, though maybe later. "And in the meantime," Rik says, his neural circuits firing better with the soothing influence of alcohol, "we could stake it out. Set up a basic surveillance device on the entrance, see if anybody comes and goes."
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premmy
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 295
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Post by premmy on Jul 15, 2013 8:02:01 GMT -6
"Or just booby-trap the entrance, no need to mess around with electronics" - Rahim adds. - "But either way, we need gear for that, and I for one am broke."
"I suggest this: let's meet the man who might have a job for us tonight. Unless he pays well and right now, we can tell him to wait a bit while we get some business done - perhaps get some downpayment from him if he has a job. Then we can either go after some of my bounties - a few days' work, insha'Allah, - or check out the mine."
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gronkthebold
Level 3 Conjurer
That low level hireling who carries the 10 ft poles...
Posts: 69
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Post by gronkthebold on Jul 15, 2013 8:03:20 GMT -6
"Good idea, we'll get a better idea of what's going on in there." Regin approves Rik's idea, nodding as he sips his second drink. "Before that, since we need a bit of cash, what were you guys going to do? I could definitely lend a hand if you need it."
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2013 7:49:45 GMT -6
Delfar Wurster enters, moving toward the bar as his eyes sweep the room for potential trouble and alternate exits. "I need a drink," he signals the barkeep "but I have no credits." Quickly he sizes the man up to see what they might have in common, playing upon that and high CHA to get a free drink. He has the credits, he just works people as naturally as other folks breathe. While he banters with the staff, he looks around and notes the other adventurers ...
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premmy
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 295
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Post by premmy on Jul 16, 2013 18:01:30 GMT -6
"...but I have no credits" - Rahim hears from the direction of the bar. He glances over and chuckles in a low voice, somewhat disapprovingly. "Seriously, kids these days" - he mutters to his companions. - "Back on Nirvana, he would be stabbed by now ."
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2013 20:28:24 GMT -6
Wurster catches Rahim's glance. "If you could also comp my pals over there a round, I would be very grateful."
He flashes a winning smile. As a psychic, he felt he was an intuitive fellow, and his "bump" told him there was adventure brewing over at that table.
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Post by sulldawga on Jul 19, 2013 19:39:02 GMT -6
Wurster joins Rahim and the others and the crew gets down to the task of deciding on their next move. Some of the offers present are quite lucrative but, in the end, the chance to get an actual starship wins out over the rest.
The five of you settle your tabs, roll out of the bar, and take a short walk to the Binary Transit Station. Approximately seven minutes later, you're on foot in the Rogue District. According to Mike's PRISM, the meet location is only a couple of blocks away.
Actions?
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premmy
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 295
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Post by premmy on Jul 20, 2013 13:29:45 GMT -6
"Mike, before we go in, what can you tell us about this meeting spot?" - Rahim asks. - "Is it indoors, outdoors, what sort of facility?"
"Also, does this contact of yours know about us? If not, at least one of us should go in a few minutes early, scope out the place, then another one to stand ready if it's a trap."
He scratches his chin and breaks into a small, mischievous grin. "I could do that part..."
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Post by coffee on Jul 20, 2013 16:52:28 GMT -6
Rik checks his medkit. He feels we might need it.
But he doesn't say anything.
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Post by sulldawga on Jul 21, 2013 19:56:16 GMT -6
Mike knows nothing about the meeting place, except where it is.
He can share the coordinates with the rest of you, at which point you can all look it up on your PRISMs. It's a loading dock on the back of a warehouse. You have no idea, really, but considering that no one's on the street with you right now, it's a good guess that no one will be around by the warehouse either.
Aoki-san knows Mike has friends who are interested in work but he never showed much interest in them. He was always keenly interested in Mike, presumably because of his skill set.
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