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09:49, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

Posted by The Howling DarkFor group 0
The Howling Dark
GM, 1116 posts
Sat 22 Sep 2018
at 17:02
  • msg #1

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

Arkady hasn't had much time on his own to relax.  Immediately after his exaltation he was dragged out of Sanctuary, thrown to the wolves at ONYX SPIRE, and then thrown back to Sanctuary's wolves for more quarantine/detox.  Sanctuary's hardly a place where you get much time to do anything more than think under the watchful eye of the battle-orderlies, but hey, it gives him time to theorize.

So when Arkady makes it out, it's with a certificate calling him clean, a few thousand extra credits to his name, and- apparently- a new transport of his very own, thanks to Spiderweb.  Unfortunately his boss has taken most of what remains of her old fleet out for another scavenging mission, leaving him temporarily stranded on the Last Refuge.

On the bright side, now he has clout.  A new Exodite with a lot of money in their pocket and actual experience dealing with the dead is a rare thing, and a Twilight more so.  He has his options.  Of course, Pandora Bay is always open to people of his caliber, though he may have to spend quite a bit to get access to a good workshop.  But there are smaller, lesser workshops, often left abandoned because of their paucity of tools and space.  Alternatively, the Machina Guild is always looking for new members, and would find it quite a coup to have a new Solar in their midst.  Then there's all sorts of others, like the different engineering schools.

Or, hell, fuck work.  He could always go get smashed!
Arkady Dragomirov
player, 223 posts
Mon 24 Sep 2018
at 18:16
  • msg #2

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

Getting his workshop established would be smart, and kind of relevant, but his ship also needs a crew and he indeed was thirsty. They indeed didn't have a bar on Sanctuary, or at least one he could access.

Well shit. First things first. Get something to fill his flask with, and then check out Pandora bay. Just for starters. Just to see what's up.

Later he's going to try and get a half decent crew for his ship. Some of his research and craft work could be done in pandora bay, but some of the more "Volatile" work would be tested away from the last refuge. Running with Spiderweb for scav'd parts is also still a thing. That's gonna need some resolve from the crew.

He hadn't spent much time on the refuge, Or at least on the better parts of it. He's a bit disoriented still, so better take it steady and look for directions.

Booze. First Booze.
The Howling Dark
GM, 1121 posts
Mon 24 Sep 2018
at 21:35
  • msg #3

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

With no better place to go, Arkady stumbles out of Sacntuary.  Like a dog to his own vomit, her finds a bar.  He doesn't really know where he's going.  He doesn't really know where to even start.  But the Twilight Russian in Arkady takes over, and before he knows it, he finds himself in a crusty-ass dive called The Colorless.

The Colorless turns out to be a good description, mostly of its alcohol, which is of divinely low quality.  The bar itself is populated by what look like wildcat miners, visiting for a few days before heading back out into their death-traps to snap up raw materials for the Last Refuge and sell them for a premium.  They're desperate men, on the edge of death.  Some of them aren't even men, in the racial sense of the term.  There are a few demons and gods and a lot of earth elementals, each finding solace in the eternal constant embrace of alcohol.
Arkady Dragomirov
player, 224 posts
Mon 24 Sep 2018
at 21:47
  • msg #4

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

He looks around some under his hood an finds a nicely vacant spot at the counter.
His eyes glisten as the scent of alcohol reaches his nostrils.

"Hey barkeep! Gimme some of that liquid inspiration. Leave the bottle!"

He tries to keep his voice low, but clearly can't hide his excitement.

"It's been a shit couple of weeks, and there is shittier times ahead, but not right now blyat."

He keeps an eye on the other patrons. Not necessarily to be cautious, but more out of curiosity. Weighting possible crew prospects in places he visits.
The Howling Dark
GM, 1123 posts
Mon 24 Sep 2018
at 21:56
  • msg #5

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

Most of them are quiet as he calls for drink, though there are some bloodshot eyes that glare in his direction.  Ahh, they're under the influence of his old friend, the Deadly Hangover.  One earth elemental, a big pile of rocks with eyes of molten ruby, mutters a quiet 'fuck off' that carries in the bar.  The bartender, a big bald fuck that looks more like a conglomeration of dough than a human, rolls a clay bottle with cork in it to Arkady.

"Five."  He rumbles.  That's probably twice the amount the stuff should cost, and most of that cost is for the price of the actual bottle itself.
Arkady Dragomirov
player, 225 posts
Mon 24 Sep 2018
at 22:07
  • msg #6

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

*cough* "Shit... 'The fuck was that for?"
He muttered under his breath.

He knew he was being hustled, but he didn't want to start a fight. He just pays for his bottle without too much of a hassle whilst checking out the grumpy elemental with the corner of his eye.

"Nice place. Cozy." Escapes his lips just before he wets his lips with the divine nectar.
The Howling Dark
GM, 1125 posts
Mon 24 Sep 2018
at 22:19
  • msg #7

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

Engine oil tastes better.  Hell, Abyssal engine oil tastes better, and Arkady should know.

The elemental is jet black, obsidian if Arkady's any judge, with ruby-red eyes and a streak of ruby encrusting across his chest.  If Arkady was a nerdy shit he'd think the elemental looked like a golem.  The elemental's fists are huge, the left hand's fingers studded with sharp-looking spikes.  "Fuck you looking at."  The elemental grumbles in his direction, "Stink of new person."

"Ease off.  He paid." The barkeep takes the cash, "A bit too quick though."
Arkady Dragomirov
player, 226 posts
Mon 24 Sep 2018
at 22:32
  • msg #8

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

Arkady swallows the disgusting swill and maintains a straight face as best as he can.

As commotion starts to arise he raises his metal hands up.
"Whooa whooa blyat! Calm the fuck down. I just spent like a month zig zagging between sanctuary and worse shit holes, and I'm thirsty as fuck. I'm in no mood for haggling or fighting..."

He takes another sip and locks his eyes with the ruby eyes of the elemental. The taste made him a bit lost in thought as he tried to figure out a process of how to make this swill more drinkable. But just for a second.

"Fuuuuck me... I've been here for less than five minutes and already someone want's to kick my ass.. An I thought the scav' fleet was on the edge..."
The Howling Dark
GM, 1127 posts
Tue 25 Sep 2018
at 20:42
  • msg #9

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

"This is a quiet place,"  The elemental rumbles at him again.  There's a few murmurs of assent, and the warbling of an old MP3 player cuts through the pregnant silence.  "Keep fucking quiet, drink your drink, and let us get drunk in peace."

The barkeep nods, "Best listen to him friend," He whispers, "Mr. Tyrolite can be a nasty sort."
Arkady Dragomirov
player, 227 posts
Wed 26 Sep 2018
at 16:57
  • msg #10

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

"OK ok.. shit. I get it."
He mutters under his breath, and takes another sip of his engine oil.
Shit. He has to make it more drinkable.

He decides to just bail. He grabs the bottle and makes his way out. At the door he he looks back.

"If any of ya need a job that is less dirty but a lot more dangerous. Find a ship called Bogatyr. I'm looking for bunch of crazy motherfuckers to crew it. Ask for the crazy Russian bastard."

And walks out. Now now. Time to check Pandora Bay.
The Howling Dark
GM, 1138 posts
Thu 27 Sep 2018
at 05:21
  • msg #11

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

"There ain't a ship called the Bogatyr," Mr. Tyrolite shoots back at him, "I know every ship in the fleet."  He taps his big head, "You sound like a fucking liar to me, you do."

Arkady is otherwise allowed to leave, but as he does someone hurries out of the bar- a scrawny, scabby looking guy, in his late 50s, wearing worn-out rags and splintered old goggles.  He prods Arkady's arm as he hurries up.

"Russkie, huh?"
He says as he pokes Arkady's elbow again, "Just what kind of dangerous job we talking about?"
Arkady Dragomirov
player, 228 posts
Thu 27 Sep 2018
at 10:29
  • msg #12

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

Arkady turns around to face the scabby man, whilst clearly ignoring the grumpy elemental, and scanning the man from head to toe. He surely wasn't much to look at, but neither was the Paddy Wagons crew, and still they were the best men he knew. He pulls back his hood, revealing his face. There's no need to hide.

"Research, development and reverse engineering." Arkady answers confidently. "I know it doesn't sound dangerous, but we work with dangerous stuff. Sometimes so dangerous we can't test them in the last refuge. Sometimes we even go snatch stuff from the dead fleet to study them. Knowledge is power tavarish. " he didn't notice the curious smile that crept on his own face accompanied with a faint glow, and the faintest glimpse of his caste mark. "Of course I compensate my crew accordingly. everyone gets a cut of the profits."
The Howling Dark
GM, 1140 posts
Thu 27 Sep 2018
at 21:32
  • msg #13

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

"Tavarish?  Sorry, I don't speak russkie." He answers, looking up- and seeing the caste mark, lighting his face and a bit of the dark hallway outside of the bar.  He grins wide, "Oh fuck, I like the idea of hearing compensation coming from someone like you.  Let me ask you, what's your name, mister?  They call me Corduroy,"  He hits his chest with his thumb, "Asteroid miner.  Former history teacher.  A bit almond but who ain't these days.  I live on risk.  Thrive on it.  And I got me a broken ship."
Arkady Dragomirov
player, 230 posts
Sat 29 Sep 2018
at 13:41
  • msg #14

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

"That's Russian for comrade. Archaic stuff, I know." He fills in. "Name's Arkady Dragomirov." He offers his hand for a handshake. "You used to be a history teacher? Not much work for people of knowledge nowadays huh?"
The Howling Dark
GM, 1149 posts
Sat 29 Sep 2018
at 16:49
  • msg #15

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

"Well, when history's dead."  He gives a yellowed, cracked grin as he shakes Arkady's hand.  "I worked on Byzantine history.  Had an archaeological dig and everything!  But there's nothing to dig up and none of that's important now, eh?" He says, "Turns out the digging part helps a bit when it comes to prospecting.  Kinda prohibitive to drag whole asteroids back to the Last Refuge, especially when your ship's slow, it's just asking to get jumped.  So I snatch up the important stuff.  Kind of."
Arkady Dragomirov
player, 231 posts
Sat 29 Sep 2018
at 17:46
  • msg #16

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

"your knowledge in history might actually prove useful, believe me. If not directly, the just to satisfy my curiosity."Arkady laughs. "So how's your ship fucked? I might be able to do something about that. I'm more of the inventive engineering type. I used to be one of Paddy Wagons top engineers... well... when the ship actually existed." He ads a little bit of color pencil to his achievement, not like anyone's left to contend with, and takes a whisk of the motor oil some might call booze. "Let's walk. Tell me more about your specialties while we do. I need people of all kinds of skills to run my different projects. Prospecting is actually something I hadn't even thought about until you showed up. some materials are hard to get with just scrapping."
The Howling Dark
GM, 1153 posts
Sat 29 Sep 2018
at 18:10
  • msg #17

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

"Well, maybe, Byzantine history is 'fuck, and then things got worse', kinda like Russian..." He trails off.  "I got jumped by Tripoli fighters just outside the fleet shell.  Limped back in time but it's more or less trashed and the hangar chief won't fix it because 'I should've known better' or something." He waves his hands and rolls his eyes.  "Wait, you were on the Paddy?  Part of Spiderweb's crew?  Heard about that.  Things get fucked quick, huh?"

He walks along next to him.

"So yeah, I work with rare earth metals.  Most of it ain't solid chunks, right, it's actually usually pretty dispersed in soil or the like.  Some asteroids got bigger chunks, but it's not common.  Turns out I had an old sifter from the old days of looking for artifacts and shit.  Some of these rare earth metals are super fucking magnetic-"

- something Arkady knows quite well, given they're present in high quantities in his arms -

"So what I do is run the sifter, but got an electromagnet nearby.  It attracts all the fine particles, then I turn off the magnet.  Run it like a waterfall but with pulses and I can process a shitton of dust quick.  Then I dump the rest in a cloud behind me."

Arkady Dragomirov
player, 232 posts
Sat 29 Sep 2018
at 18:25
  • msg #18

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

"Yeah, the Paddy was fucked pretty quick..." He still seems troubled by the subject and shifts pretty fast.
"Best way to find a needle in a hay stack is to bring a magnet. That's really smart. If you want the job, we can transfer your equipment to my ship. I can talk to the hangar chief and see if he's a complete cunt about it or not."
They keep walking towards the hangar to check on his ship. "I need to outfit and crew my ship a bit before we can set off on the first run, so consider yourself a sort of specialist. I also need to wrestle a bit with the Pandora Bay geeks for a workshop as well. Let's see what we can do for your ship. If we can do shit about it, we'll find another way to put it to good use. prospectors and metallurgists are a lot more useful than some might think."
The Howling Dark
GM, 1156 posts
Sat 29 Sep 2018
at 18:36
  • msg #19

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

Corduroy follows, "Not really a needle in a haystack, more like a thousand needles in a haystack and you need every one, right?  And if you don't finish there's a fucking bear ready to bite your head off."

He listens a bit more.

"Ehhh.  If you have a ship, why use my fucking hunk of crap?  Doesn't even have a name.  Just strip off the specialty tools and scrap the rest.  Cannibalize it even.  It'd take a lot to get that shit off the hangar floor."  He sucks at his teeth, "I can get more crew.  From that bar you were in.  They just don't like outsiders much.  We get a lot of people trying to chum up to us, use us for dangerous shit and lie to us."
Arkady Dragomirov
player, 233 posts
Sat 29 Sep 2018
at 18:46
  • msg #20

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

Arkady chuckles a bit "By putting it to other use I meant cannibalising it for parts, but usually people around here aren't to keen on others wrecking their shit for a job, but good that's off the table. probably just gonna scav your tub for parts."

He ponders about the crew proposition
"Well... when you put it that way, It kinda explains why they're on the edge about strangers. I can imagine the pressure from folks with higher social status. Not like it's new to me. Spiderweb just made sure no-one got to give us shit. I might have a chat with them again. They might be a bit more open with you there as well. Still gonna show you the ship so you at least know for sure I ain't shitting you." He ends with another chuckle and another sip off the bottle. It still tastes horrible but he just can't stop drinking,and even offers some for his companion.
The Howling Dark
GM, 1157 posts
Sat 29 Sep 2018
at 19:01
  • msg #21

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

"Yeah, give 'em a few hours.  They'll be more willing to trust you because, ya, uh uh-" He taps his own forehead, "Personally I always liked you lawgiver types, I mean, fuck, why else are we still alive?  I saw one of you fighting in Istanbul, was pretty great."

He looks at the drink and shakes his head, "Nah, don't got any lemon juice.  It's better if you got that.  Bring your own next time.  Cuts through the grease, ay?"
Arkady Dragomirov
player, 234 posts
Sat 29 Sep 2018
at 21:53
  • msg #22

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

"Lemon juice? LEMON JUICE??" Arkady looks actually surprised
"Here I was already designing an advanced still with a complex filtering system to make this more drinkable. I didn't even think adding stuff, except maybe some coagulants in the filtering process. Holy Shit, I like you already!"

He shoves the bottle into one of his pouches and gently slaps Corduroy on the shoulder.

"Ha ha. Lemons man."
The Howling Dark
GM, 1161 posts
Mon 1 Oct 2018
at 21:23
  • msg #23

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

"Best way to clean shit is with white vinegar, and acetic acid isn't too far removed from that."  Corduroy looks proud as his back's patted, "When life gives you lemons, use it to make grog, cap'n!  Fuck if I know how that fucker gets grease in alcohol, though..."

There are numerous signs and lifts leading to Pandora Bay.  Most of the ones in this area lead down to the shadier parts of the work district, the grungy little warehouses and labs that are in use by the thousands of tinkers aboard the ship.

Corduroy sucks on his teeth.  "Boy, we better watch out down here.  Heard some stories about 'forcible scrap acquisition' by some bigwigs."
Arkady Dragomirov
player, 235 posts
Tue 2 Oct 2018
at 19:45
  • msg #24

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

((Awareness to spot shady shit: 9, 9, 7, 6, 3, 1 & 1
float 1-1
awareness: 29+10+10= 49))

"That kinda doesn't surprise me. Well if they want to tear my arms off, then they'll get an ass whooping instead. Blyat."
Arkady snorts.

"Im here to get my tool's and some space, and that's pretty much it. Fuck 'em if they start a row."

He keeps his eyes and ears peeled for any suspicious activity. You can't be too prepared for 'inconveniences'...
The Howling Dark
GM, 1168 posts
Thu 4 Oct 2018
at 21:42
  • msg #25

Arc 1, Thread 2:  The Engines of Progress (Arkady)

The hallways get dark, dirty and cramped.  Other tinkerers, weighed down with metal and tools, skulk around furtively. Arkady is offered a 10mm socket from a shifty-looking god in a trench coat, mint!  Corduroy glares at him until they pass.

"You take it from him you'll lose it in a week anyhow," Corduroy grumbles.

Eventually they reach the Free Shops, a section of Pandora Bay open for anyone.  There are thousands of the Free Shops, stretching for miles of hallway.  Some are in use, some broken.  Others look like someone started to work and then abandoned a project.  Some are kept in fairly good order and sealed shut with steel doors and warnings about traps.
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