Back to work

With the exception of a very botched salvage mission together with Jai, Emma and Zade (as recounted brilliantly here: http://jairaghilda.blogspot.com/2009/08/laundry-day.html), it has been all work and no play this week.

I hitched a ride to Persephone, as the Eavesdown Docks are just about the busiest place in the 'verse when it comes to... well, everything, really.

I was trolling the more rundown section of the trade port -- seems that I don't look fancy enough or talk posh enough to sign on as crew for the larger, spanking clean and soul-less boats on the fancy side of town -- when I ran into a fella by the name of Needlemeyer Pointdexter Chubarkley. Literally ran into him, and that could've been a whole anecdote in and of itself, had he not fairly quickly come to mention that he needed supervision of the hot lead and menacing stares persuasion for a few drop-offs he was about to undertake around the rim planets.

He weren't a very pleasant man, I'll tell you as much, and he looked at me funny and asked if I was any good, and I looked at him funny right back and told him damn straight, I am.

So he signed me on, and his coin weren't unpleasant at all, lemme tell you. Right generous, if you asked me. Most of his crew weren't bad, either, the pilot was nice but a bit quiet, and she spent most of the time up in the cockpit, where I weren't allowed.

And we set off. We went to Hale's first, which was a blessing, 'cause I've missed it something fierce. Didn't get much of a chance to walk around and talk to folks, though, as I was set to guarding the current cargo while captain Chubarkley made deals with the buyer over in Fook's.



I don't think we was dirtside more than a couple of hours 'fore we set off again. This time our destination was the second moon on Athens. Not a very nice place to be. We landed in the night and loaded some large crates. 45 minutes, in and out, tops.



Once we was airborne again the captain and the first mate went to inspect the crates, though I was told to get my ass up into the messhall. I walked down to the hold later to have a look, after everyone had fallen asleep.

Was some mighty large crates, wood, with air holes in 'em. I got a bit concerned, but after knocking on them for a goodish long while and just getting grunting and growling in response, I felt a bit better. Prolly just some critters bound for someone's soup. I should know better than to ask questions about that kinda thing, anyways.

Someone came and knocked on my bunk door that night, rattling the handle and all that. I think it might've been the cook, he been looking at me all funny-like, but the door was a good one, and the lock even better, so I s'pose he had to take matters into his own hands.

Turned out the crates were going to Prosperity, and again, I was left to entertain myself together with Brunhilde, guarding the ship while the captain went to find the buyer and the rest of the crew stretched their legs.



I sat on the crates for a spell, trying again to figure out what was in 'em. They smelled funny, like sour milk. I never seen a critter smelled that way.



After a while some real shady-looking folks came and took the crates away, and I finally got some leave for the evening. I wandered around town for a bit, and ran into Duncan Cooperstone and the local doctor, and talked with them for a bit.



Duncan offered me to stay and hide on his boat if I needed, if the 'lliance wouldn't stay off my case, and I thanked him accordingly. If I have any more trouble, I might take him up on the offer, though for now, I seem to be in the clear. He also said he might have work coming up, which will be a kindness, 'cause my agreement with captain Chubarkley ended as of today, and I'm stranded in Prosperity at the moment.

With money in my pocket, what better way is there to spend the first of it on something to quench the thirst? I spent the evening at Bootlegger's, just watching the crowd from a corner together with a glass of whiskey. Don't feel too sociable right now. Kinda hard to know who to trust.



I still got that datachip we downloaded from the broke-down ship. I dunno what to do with it, it feels wrong to just throw it away. I s'pose I'll just hang onto it for now.

That's what you get

Over the past week I've started to remember why I never did settle down. Why flying around the 'verse was always so much better than being in one place. It's a dangerous life, for sure, but it's my kinda dangerous. Not like... the other kind.

Couple of days ago the Sheriff brings around a man in an Alliance uniform. Says I need to answer some questions regarding that amazingly kind act I did a few weeks back, giving that Alliance lady a ride back to the cruiser, and footage of me wandering around the cruiser, lost. And something about a break-in and theft in said cruiser a few days later.



I didn't wanna go and I told him so real polite-like, but when he threatened to bring an extraction team and pick me up, I didn't have no choice. Didn't wanna risk bringing that down on the people of Hale's.

'Course, I shoulda known he was up to no good.



The Sheriff went with us up to the cruiser, and I'm glad he did 'cause if he hadn't, I prolly wouldn't' be alive right now. Y'see, as soon as the door closed behind us -- the Sheriff waited in the hallway -- the gorram hwoon dan pulled a gun on me. Fired warning shots, put it to my head, threatened to shoot me if I didn't tell him what I wanna hear. Well, if you've ever been pinched, you know what I'm talking about.



I didn't tell him nothing, though, I ain't got nothing to say to the likes of him. The bastard even had the nerve to insult my choice in footwear.

He finally let me go, though, after warning me that they'd be keeping their eyes on me.

And that's when it hit me. It was stupid, gorram stupid, to settle down in the first place. I get stupid when I fall in love, and I fell so damn hard in love with that ugly chunk of rock they call a moon that I couldn't think straight.

If you're always on the move, people can't find you. Easy as pie. That Purplebelly son of a biao zi can't keep his gorram eyes on me if he don't got a place where he can expect to find me.

It's breaking my little heart, but I don't got no other choice but to cancel the lease on my apartment and get my things, the bed and the desk and the gun racks and everything, packed away for storage.

I ain't closing the Lounge, that would be too much for me to bear. I just won't be living there any more, so there won't be no reason for him to come looking. Looking, and possibly be hurting my friends in the process. He seemed right unbalanced, that one. Stupid, gorram cho san ba.

But, I digress. The Lounge. It will stay open still, anyone can come and sit down whenever they like, and I'll try and staff it as often as I can, whenever whatever boat I'm staying on at the moment sets down on Hale's. And Lily told me today she wants to dance there for tips, so that will probably draw a crowd, anyways. I can always use the extra coin. Always.

Been thinking about taking flying lessons, too. Maybe Jai can teach me. If I work real hard and save up, maybe I can afford a little boat of my own. Nothing big enough to do trade runs, but enough so I can move around my own self if I need to. Could keep it moored on Hale's, also, cheap dockage fees and all.

Found a couple snapshots I wanted to post, since looking at them puts me in a better mood, and I sure could use some better moods right now.



Flying. Nothing like it.




Friends. Friends are the best thing to have in the whole gorram 'verse.

Well. We won't have to argue about *that* anymore.

Faulkin came 'round the Lounge the other night. Was a bunch of people there, we all had a real nice time. I almost always have guests these days, it's real shiny.

And, so. Faulkin asked me about the warbot, where we'd hidden it away. I know we weren't supposed to talk about it, or tell anyone, so that that Nack person would find her, but I know I can trust Faulkin. You can see it in his eyes, you know?

So, yeah. He asked me to tell him were we hid the 'bot. Vega told me it was a bad idea, but I know what I'm doing, most of the time. Me and Faulkin hiked up to the old lab, and I took him down and showed him the pit.



He told me it was a real fine idea to get the 'bot out of Firefly's, and... he had some plans he didn't tell me beforehand. I was busy talking with him, didn't notice him setting up all these 'splosives.



I told him I promised Emma I wouldn't do anything to the bot, but he convinced me it was the right thing to do. So we ran outta there and he detonated the 'splosives, and that was that. I ain't been down to look at the wreckage, but I can't imagine there's much left.

Ain't sitting completely right with me, but... Faulkin's a good man. I trust his judgement. Now I just gotta get around to telling Emma...

Speaking of Emma, she gave me a hand today, wielding hammer and saw, as I set to work making the Lounge a bit bigger. I figured we needed a dance floor, and so we got to working on that. It turned out real shiny, there's a lot more room now.





Me and Emma celebrated by breaking in the dance floor, and I was glad to see that Emma's leg has healed up enough for her to break out some moves the way she did. Zade and Faulkin was there, too, but they got distracted by things that apparently hold greater appeal to men than dancing ladies.



After a bit the new doctor, miss Lina Footpad, came to dance with us, and before we knew it, Zade and Faulkin were back, and Charly came round too.



Almost had ourselves a real shindig, and I didn't even spread the word. I gonna be adding some things to the place in the next couple days, and then I hope we can draw a really big crowd. Shiny.

I still need a drink, but for good reasons this time.

... and now for the big reward

For some reason, I figured people would be grateful for the stunt we pulled yesterday. For a couple of hours, I walked around feeling mighty accomplished. One threat gone. One problem solved.

I must have been hitting the hookah without remembering, because that was not the case.

What happened first was that one of the recon bots came back. Weren't so much with the recon this time, though, it was heavily armed, and in a mind to use me, Vega, Doc and the Blue Sun woman for target practice. It chased me around the landing pads for a few minutes, and then one swing of those heavy metal arms, and I saw pretty stars even though it was the middle of the day.



"Threat Level>Substantial // Further Information>Required," it said, flashing that damn scanner in my face again.

After a while Vega managed to take it out, but just a few minutes later, a second one appeared, and round and round again we went. I got knocked out again, but finally we caught up with it. Unfortunately it self-destructed like the others, so we have no way of knowing if it managed to transmit its data or not.

Me and Vega were hanging around the landing pad, licking our respective wounds together with Zade, when this not particularly charming gentleman came out of the Mayor's office and stomped over to us.

Nack Barnes: "Hey. You."

Gabe Yazimoto: "Howdy."

Nack Barnes: "Don't howdy me. Where's my property."

Gabe Yazimoto: "What property would that be?"

Nack Barnes: "Don't give me that." He keeps his hand next to his pistols. "Where's my gorram property. You people are playin' with things you do not understand."

Zade Karu: "Maybe it was them bots that been jumpin' around the city lately."

Nack Barnes: "Dangerous things, and yer gonna get a lot of people killed."

Gabe Yazimoto: "Oh, you talkin' about that death machine you had laying around?"

Nack Barnes: "Yes, my property. And I want to know where you put it, so as to save yerself from a possibly lethal case of lead poisonin'."

Gabe Yazimoto scowls. "Right back attcha, mister."

Nack Barnes: "Trust me, you ain't as fast as you think you are." He glances at Zade. "Now, where is my gorram property."

Zade Karu: "What? I didnt take your damn bot!"

Nack Barnes: "I know it. I got security tapes from my bar. I'm not an idiot."

Zade Karu: "I don't need a coat rack."

Nack Barnes: "Unlike certain thieves who think they can just steal away someone's stuff. If I gotta I'll find my sister and we'll track the gorram 'bot to where it was taken."

Gabe Yazimoto frowns. "Look, I was doin' this town a favour, fella."

Nack Barnes: "Stealin' my property is doin' folks a favor?"

Gabe Yazimoto: "Not two nights ago I saw a gorram scout bot in your bar, scannin' the other one."

Nack Barnes: "Scout bot. Huh." He paused. "Ain't none of 'em can fix that gorram prototype bot in my bar. That thing is one of a kind, ain't none of them being produced by whatever Neuman... Von New.. whathefuckever his name is, machine here on Hale's. If there was any like that bot of mine bein made here, ain't any be left around here still breathin'. I kid you not. Gorram thing is deadly. Very very deadly."

Gabe Yazimoto: "Well, you can talk all you like, ain't convincing me it ain't a danger. So we took it, and put it where it can't hurt noone."

Nack Barnes growls.

Gabe Yazimoto: "Gorram thing's a death trap."

Zade Karu: "Well...atleast she shouldn't be spooged on anymore..."

Nack Barnes: "I'll track it down, you know that, right. Just got to find my sister, we'll sniff out where you took it and put it back where it belongs. And you damn well consider this a mercy that I don't shoot your thievin' ass right here." He jabs a finger at Vegaslon, "Same goes for you, mister."

Zade Karu: "But Gabe's butt is too purdy to shoot!"

Gabe Yazimoto snorts. "Thief? I'm a gorram hero, mister."

Nack Barnes: "Gorram hero my muscular buttocks."

Nack Barnes stomps off to find his tracker.


And that was that. He can fancy himself a tracker all he likes, him and his gorram sister, whoever she is, they ain't ever gonna find it. I best talk to the others and make sure they stay clear of Firefly's, just in case the fella gets triggerhappy, him having a security cam and all.

I need a drink.

Taking care of business

That fancy lady, miss Zanzibar, that came to see me the other day, she came back to Hale's today. I didn't see her at first, just saw she'd left a note for me on the bar counter. I was a bit busy, so I didn't read it straight away.

Then, a little later, she came 'round again, and her and me and Jai and Emma and Kren and Vega sat around and talked for a bit. We had tea and/or coffee, and I gave Jai and Emma some of the Soylent Green snack samples I picked up.



After a bit I remembered the note, and I pulled it out of my pocket and read it.

Gigi Gabe,
I came to visit to Hale's Moon once again. I was weak in my resolve and looked in on our mutual acquaintance, Raids Blackburn. Raids is standing in the middle of the floor. I don't know if this is a concern.

Since the lady in question was still around I asked her if it was true. She said yes, and I... well. I ain't proud to admit it, but I saw red. Nobody does a damn thing about it, nobody seems to care. So the way I reckon, it falls on my table to care.

I hiked over to Firefly's, and true enough, there the thing was, standing in the middle of the floor.



I walked around it for a bit, trying to suss out if there were any wires or anything that could be easily yanked out to disable the gorram thing. Couldn't find any, and after I unsuccessfully tried to nudge the gun out of its hands, Emma and Jai catch up with me.

I get a little hot-headed, and tell them to help me drag the thing outside and set it on fire. Emma... took exception to that. She said I shouldn't hurt the machine, that it weren't fair. She stood between me and the bot and said that I could move her if I wanted to, but if I did, she didn't know me very well after all. And... what could I say to that? And those big eyes?



I stood down, but told Emma that when, not if but when, the thing wakes up and starts going for people, I will end it. Emma was upset and walked out the door in a huff.
I told Jai that Emma is too naive, but all of a sudden she reappeared, riding a small mulebike. She tore into Firefly's on it and picked up the warbot with the front end grappler.



She raced out of the bar again with the bot firmly attached, and while Jai managed to jump onto the mulebike, I had to run after them. At first I thought Emma was ornery and was going to drop the thing in the Lounge or something, but she headed to the southwest instead, towards the old lab.

She was being a very clever girl today. Not that she normally isn't.

Turns out, she wanted to drop the bot into the pit in the lab. She wanted to, to keep people from hurting it, and while I didn't share that sentiment, keeping it locked up in the lab seemed like a shiny idea. Me, Jai and Vega helped Emma drag the bot down the stairs.



Once we got it down, Emma could bring down her mulebike and pull the bot the rest of the way over to the pit.





And now it's down there, and I hope that's where it's gonna stay. Still have to make nice with Emma, though. She weren't too happy with me. Just trying to protect her, is all.

Caught in my skivvies

When I woke up this morning, earlier than what really should be considered legal, I moseyed my behind down to the Lounge to make myself a cup of tea. I didn't bother getting dressed, hadn't taken a bath or nothing, and I figured that no-one would be awake at that hour.

As it turns out, I was wrong. All of a sudden this real fancy lady comes wandering into the courtyard, and there I was, in my jammies. It was awkward for a couple seconds, but she was a real polite and proper lady. Made me feel comfortable... or at least less uncomfortable about the whole situation.



She said her name was Mirra Zanzibar, and she was looking for Krenshar, referred by Feargananym of the Bihar sanctuary. I told her that unfortunately Krenshar was incommunicado, he was recharging or updating or somesuch. I asked her to sit down in the Lounge and wait for him, if she wanted. Made her some tea, too, which she seemed to like.



Her dress was really fancy and I told her so, and she told me it was a sari, but that in private she wears pantaloons. She seemed like a real smart woman, she looked at me, wearing long johns and nothing else, and could tell I was a merc. She said such insightful things, I felt all simple compared to her.

After a while, when Kren still hadn't woken up, she asked me if I could do her a favour. She wanted to buy a gun from the gun store back in town, but she didn't know very much about them, and so she asked if I could help. I said of course, and then she asked me to cover up my bee-hind, 'less it could be considered "a free invitation for physical familiarity", as she put it. I could only agree.

After I had gotten dressed we started the hike into town. As we passed by Firefly's, she asked if we could go inside and look. When we got in, I told her to stay away from the warbot. She seemed awful interested in it, though, and kept walking closer and closer.



She got really sad, and started talking about it as if it was a person. Wondered if it could suffer. Said it was synthetic, not mechanical. I was feeling all kinds of uneasy, and when miss Zanzibar asked if she could touch her, I strongly advised against it. I don't think anyone should fiddle with that thing.

Venica and Altarus Byron, a new fella, came by to see what we were up to. Altarus said he'd heard that the bot's motivator was missing, but it was still conscious. Still all there in the head, but with no will. It scared me bad, hearing that, 'specially after what happened last night, but miss Zanzibar only got sadder.

"Sister, if there is a being within you, I weep on her behalf and pray for your release or redemption. I apologize, but that is all I can offer you today," she whispered to it, and she got uneasy and wanted to leave. I had no objections.

We finally reached the gun store and looked at the piece she wanted, and she ended up buying it. I think she'll be satisfied. I took a detour before I went home, and when I got back to the Lounge, miss Zanzibar had left a little note and a gift for me, a real nice mural for the Lounge. It was a real shiny gesture, and I'm glad to have met her.



I just relaxed in the Lounge the rest of the day, thinking about all the things she said. Such a wise lady.

Warbot on the loose

Something very disturbing happened last night. I'm a little shook up about it, and frankly, I'm getting sick and tired of people telling me that there isn't anything to worry about, ever. I've learned through the years that there usually is, and that it's better to be prepared and don't need it, than... well, it's like condoms, like Jai puts it.



Faulkin came 'round in the evening for a drink, and it was nice as always to see him. Didn't even get a chance to open my new bottle of scotch before we heard a loud thump on the roof of the Lounge. I ran outside, and just barely managed to glimpse something huge and black and ugly leaping up onto the apartment building. It had a scanner, and flashed it at all of us, it was right unsettling.



Faulkin drew his weapon and opened fire on it, despite my advice against it. The robot ran away, and Faulkin ran after, with me following - it was a right case of follow the leader. After a while the bot opened return fire, just barely missing me, and then it disappeared. Me, Faulkin and Krenshar regrouped in the street, and I stupidly went to mention the warbot they got parked in Firefly's bar.

'Fore we knew it, the large, black bot appeared on the roof above us; it had been eavesdropping on us. There was a voice that said something like, "Information>Subject>Raids>Acquired", and it leapt over the building and was gone. I got a very bad feeling about it, a feeling Faulkin didn't share, and while he wandered off, I ran over to Firefly's.



Right enough. There the big bot was, and it was scanning the smaller, nastier-looking bot. "Analysis:Subject>Raids Blackburne> Notes Prototype Motivation Unit Removed>Request Auxiliary unit for replacement", it said.

I bravely waved Brunhilde at it, telling it to go away - yes, I know, but what else could I do? And then it said "Escape Options>Limited>initiating Self destruct", and self-destructed it did... blew itself up, I had to throw myself out of the way to not be hit by the flying parts.



I left the parts there to be cleared away by the bar's staff. Or Amon, perhaps, it'd be the kinda thing he'd find interesting.

I voiced my concern to Kren, but he didn't seem to think there was a problem. I think that "requesting auxiliary unit for replacement" of the small bot's motivation chip is a LOT to be worried about.
Later that evening I spoke to the mayor, but she didn't seem worried, either. Just said she she weren't surprised, that she had intel that someone would like to spy on us.

So, yeah. Getting fed up with people being indifferent. Really am. As for my part, I will take to sleeping with Brunhilde from now on.



You just count on it.