[Game] [IC] Into the Black

[Exile]

Captain Cook - Just outside the Falling Star

Looking around for Rowan, or any other crew, after stashing his comm back in his pocket, seeming a bit irritated.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Cortex Data - Syman Lerga

Mr. Lerga is originally from Aesir over in Red Sun system. His work history is mostly missing, however, with a number of [DATA MISSING] sections, but judging from his travelogue, that can be down the fact that the War left a lot of records destroyed or inaccessible. That information which survived the War suggests he was a mid-level management type in smallish businesses...

...until Wolf's digging would find a conviction listing. Mr. Lerga had stolen a small shipment of medicine and sold it to some black marketeers. The money, according to the records, was used to pay off a housing debt to a landlord, Johan Leibert, since imprisoned himself for unscrupulous business practices. Lerga served one year in prison before being conscripted into Alliance military service during the War, which ended up with him being shipped off to Georgia system to fight on the front lines.

Since then, Lerga's mostly done bureaucratic work to finish out his "community service" from his conviction, and has just recently completed it.

[Tyg3rW01f]

Wolf -- Deucaleon's bridge
With his pipe firmly clamped between his teeth, Aiden snarled into the comm, "I was just asking the c'mputer the same damn thing, Sir. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a Cortex to hack." Click

[Exile]

Zhan with Rowan - The Falling Sky

"It was a pleasure meeting with you Mr. Briskett, and I hope this will be the start of a profitable venture for the bot of us. Kěnéng māo de yòu bì dòuliú tíchū nín dài lái jùdà de cáifù, ér fēng shì zài wǒmen de hòumiàn.(May the cat's right arm stay raised bringing you great wealth, and the winds be at our back.)" Captain Cook says warmly in departure before finishing his drink and leaving the table.

After leaving without saying a word to the rest of the crew in the bar, Rowan or otherwise, he pulls his comm out calls the ship again. When someone picks up he simply says, "What can you tell me about our gāodà hēi'àn de mòshēng rén (tall dark stranger) of a friend Mr. Syman Lerga?"

[Chanlin]

Tucker, Sama, et al. - Falling Sky

Tucker casts a brief glance before giving Sama's shoulder a playful shove, "Sounds like a touch of land sickness." He snickers. "Might be we'll have to have Lizzie check you out." He takes a swig from his drink and frowns, "Course, it might just be this swill. I think I'm fixin' ta get sick." Of course, he didn't want to admit out loud that he felt the same way about this job. No sense in worrying Sama any more than she already was.

[Tyg3rW01f]

...Aidan "Wolf" McCowan began digging on Syman Lerga.
"What have you to say for yourself, Syman Lerga? Or, better yet, what has the Cortex to say about you, hm?"

[Tyg3rW01f]

Aiden "Wolf"

Why does it feel like there's another shoe? Maybe because they come in blaydin' PAIRS ya daft wanker!
Aiden knew there was something he was missing. First Kellins and his "file", now these guys... and one more.

[Ghel]

Lizzie - Deucalion Loading Ramp

Lizzie stands nearby looking pensive as she watches the police officers cuff and haul off Kellins. At several points, she looks like she wants to say something, but she holds her tongue.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Deucalion - Wolf, Lizzie, Mando

Ordinarily, the ringing of the comm like that would prompt more of a race between the ship's resident Cortex wizard and its resident big man. Usually one that involved some good-natured foul play as Mando would use his physical strength to hold Wolf back and answer the comm instead.

This time, however, Mando is keeping an eye on the unconscious Ricky Kellins. As it happens, the local constabulary was nearby on an unrelated call (delivering someone from the lock-up to the next ship off-world for deportation) and were already picking up the unfortunate dust-user. "He came up to our ship," Mando was saying, "wanting to get off-world. Seemed a bit..." he waggled a hand in the air, "...off, so I was waiting for the captain to make the call on whether to take him on. It wasn't until he actually tried to force his way on the ship that I had to put him down."

There were four police officers on hand. Two wore some body armor and were in the process of securing a set of cuffs on Kellins' wrists. The other two wore simple khaki uniforms with their sheriffs' badges, one making notes on a tablet, the other doing the talking with Mando and Lizzie. "I know Ricky," the officer-in-charge was saying. "Damn shame about his issues, but it is what it is. We'll get him a roof over his head and check him into the rehab center again. They've got a new administrator who should keep a closer eye on him this time."

Cortex Data - Brisket & his workers

If Wolf were to look up information on Brisket and his workers he wouldn't find all that much worth mentioning. Franklin Brisket does have a record-- he did work as an astronavigator before the war, and was on the Independents' side of the war. His ship, the Ganges Pride, was one of the Independent ships that "retrieved casualty data" for their side after the Battle of Sturges, and was captured by Alliance ships shortly after. He spent the rest of the war in prison before being released. Since then, he's worked as a headhunter, finding work for other people and, indeed, keeping his boots on the ground.

Bill Weyland, the metalworker, has never left the Georgia system. He grew up on Athens, but has traveled through the system, working in various engineering/construction jobs around the quadrant, but his last job with Crolis Industries went tits-up after John Crolis was bound by law for embezzling and the company dissolved. He's been out of work for six months now. He's got a small record, but the only thing worth mentioning there was breaking a man's nose for talking bad about the Athens Hoplites football (soccer) team.

Nick Gilchrist, the laborer, is another former Independent, coming from Whitefall. He saw action around Red Sun during the war, especially around Greenleaf, but after the Independent leadership surrendered, he dropped his colors and has kept his head down. He's basically gone where the work is, and his last job (three months ago) was stevedore work on the other side of Ezra, and lost the job when most of the ships started coming to Haller Landing instead, making him redundant. He's had a couple of marks on his record, mostly public disturbances after having too much to drink on U-Day.

Henry Blevins, the accountant, has a squeaky clean record. He's worked in Haller Landing for several years. No marks on his record, apart from a harassment complaint from a neighbor. Although a little more digging shows that complaint is a result of Blevins calling the authorities on said neighbor numerous times for noise complaints and other petty issues. Last year, Blevins started working as Brisket's accountant.

The Falling Sky - Zhan, Rowan, Tucker, Sama + Brisket & Co.

Brisket says nothing as Zhan makes the call back to the ship. He just smokes his cigarettes and drinks his drink. When the call is finished and Zhan gets down to business, Brisket nods, grinding out his cigarettes. "Right. I understand how it is, Captain Cook."

From there, it's down to brass tacks. The captain and the headhunter discuss when his three workers will show up at the Deucalion for departure, how much in the way of baggage they'll be bringing, and-- with some advice from Blevins, even discounts/bonuses depending on how quickly the workers are delivered to their destination.

Brisket is a hard, but fair, bargainer, and it takes some time to get things to a satisfactory place for both men. Neither one got exactly what they wanted, but they came to a mutually agreeable conclusion. The workers don't supply much else in the way of conversation.

When the meeting concludes, Brisket says he'll put his men up for the night in the inn rooms here at the Falling Sky. He won't hold Zhan or his crew responsible for making sure that his men make it to the ship by departure time. "I'll take care of that personally," he assures them. "I'll see them to your ship and make sure they don't cause any delays before departure."

That concludes that. All that really remains for them to do before bunking down for the night would be possibly meeting with the other potential passenger, Syman Lerga.

--OOC GM NOTE: Moving things forward. I really didn't anticipate things taking this long to get going on the planet. Let's try to keep things moving, or as best as RL allows...

[Exile]

Zhan - Comm with Deucaleon in The Falling Sky

"Glad to hear it. I need you all there to secure our passenger quarters for our new arrivals. make sure they will be comfortable." Zhan replies to the news from Wolf. "Is there anything else? No? Good! I'll be in touch with more details soon." and hangs up without allowing response before turning back to those at the table.

Zhan smoothly returns his comm to his right pocket, before regarding his appearance and closes his jacket, buttoning it up to re-conceal his sidearm and make it noticeably harder to reach on his person even for himself.

"Well Mr. Briskett, in order to avoid any further upset let's discuss departure arrangements shall we?"

[Sarlon]

Sama with Tucker and et al at falling sky bar

Sama catches the eye of the passing barmaid and raises her almost empty glass and waits for her refill, her bright eyes watching the room carefully. As she raises her glass to her mouth she mutters for Tucker's ears only.

"My gut feels funny....something feels off. Sooner Cap'n gets finished here and back out in the Black I'd be happier....maybe I've just been landside to long..."

[Tyg3rW01f]

Aiden "Wolf" McCowan -- Duecaleon's bridge

Aiden grimaced and quietly blew fragrant smoke between his teeth. "Sir, that is being dealt with by the capable Mando. Any files you need found on our clients, Sir?"

[Exile]

Zhan - The Falling Sky

"You're damn right it is! Now tell me Wolf, what have you done about the mess about on my deck?"

[Chanlin]

Tucker with Sama - Falling Sky

During the Captain's negotiations Tucker is liberally sipping his drink and paying more attention to the crowd now than to the Captain and his table.

[Tyg3rW01f]

Aidan Wolf McCowan -- Deucaleon's bridge

When the ship's comm warbled, Wolf had bolted for the bridge shouting "I got it! I got it!" the entire way. On the fifth ring, he hit his chair, yanked on the headset, hit the receive button and replied, "Thank you for contacting the Deucaleon, finest transport in the 'Verse. My name is Wolf; how may I help you?"