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13:39, 29th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Deseret.

Posted by The BossFor group 0
Dominique Shabazz
player, 20 posts
Singer/Entertainer
"Lady D"
Sat 25 Jan 2020
at 19:39
  • msg #80

Re: Deseret Highport, the Concourse

  "Thanks for the offer," Dominiq answered the woman's question politely as her brown eyes took in the redhead for a moment. "But I usually travel light these days. Mr Wymp escorted me to my room and was good enough to give me a hand with my things."

   Her arms uncrossed and fell to her sides as she stepped towards the airlock connecting the Bridge to the rest of the ship. She took a moment to glance back at each member of the crew over her shoulder before her eyes met with the Captains. "I know that you're a busy man, Sir, so I'll keep out of your hair while you do what you need to do. We can talk about the Ship Share at your leisure." She half-turned back to the others and smiled. "Thank you all for the warm welcome, but it's been a bit of a journey and I'd like to get some rest. A pleasure to meet you, Marlo." She smiled to everyone before she turned to leave, then stepped out of the room. Only when her eyes meet the Crosser's did she spend no more than a second to look at it as she passed the Alien. The even tick of her heels changed and became a brief trio of staccato sounds as she passed and moved through the airlock into the hallway. Once she'd passed the door and began walking along the corridor, her graceful steps returned while the door slid shut.

   Dominiq spends the rest of the day onboard, unpacking and setting up her things and making her quarters into something a bit more welcoming. Although the room is decidedly spartan for her taste, a mauve coloured 'dream catcher' soon adorns one wall to add some colour. Once she'd settled in, she changed into a pair of denim pants and a bright floral print top and went about the ship to familiarize herself with the ship's layout and functions. She checked with Reggie first about what was cool and what was a no-go area before she began. She might be a member of the crew soon, but it made sense to learn where she was expected to be, and where she might have to explain herself. When she went walkabout, she smiled and politely greeted those she met and was usually good with answering questions and talking about whatever subject was brought up.



   Denim proves to be a theme in her outfits and worn mostly while she is either working as part of the ship's crew, or spending time relaxing.

   "I've been wearing this stuff since I was a girl," she answers to any who take note, "It was the only fabric that could take the stress of a young tomboy who spent her time climbing all over everything. I fell in love with it, and have worn it ever since. Sarah had her fix with dat bomber jacket, and her Haitian heritage,  I was more inta jeans." When she mentioned her cousin, her clipped Standard slipped slightly, and some of her own Caribe-flavoured speech emerges.

   The first couple of days are spent getting to know the ship's routine as well as what's expected of her, along with catching up on some much-needed rest. Even Dominiq's meticulous attention to detail fails occasionally as she sets about her tasks. Only when it comes to working with Horace Wymp's instructions regarding cargo and his mercantile background do her eyes light up. "You know markets and trade, I know people. This could work out perfectly and make us all very ... very rich." Her brown eyes twinkled mischievously at the thought. Along with Mr Wymp's pointers, she also spent some time looking into articles in "Free Trader Weekly", in the hopes that she might gain some insight, as well as complement his breadth of mercantile knowledge.

   Once she's gotten the hang of things aboard ship, Dominiq begins to work collecting information on their destination - St. Brendan. She reads through articles on the planet, culture, morals and regulations. (She had no wish to run afoul of the local regulations, and some Catholic denominations could be a bit strict) She also looked into the local music scene and tried to find out what people were listening to. She'd occasionally played small venues in the years since she'd left the business, and knowing the local flavour of music was always a way to make an impromptu concert more intimate and enhance the crowd's experience. She took note of a handful of songs that she could practice and spent time in her room working on them in the evenings when she wasn't on duty.

   One of the last things she'll look into is any information that could be found on the man who'd tried to get passage on the ship but had been flatly denied by Wymp's undisguised distaste with the man. She had her own reasons for not liking intrusive people in general, and paparazzi in particular ... but there were more dangerous reasons; obsessive fans and stalkers. It was easy enough to forge credentials if you were persistent enough, and thankfully, Dominiq's career had been short enough and long ago that most people had forgotten her.

   Dominique was open enough that she didn't mind the occaisional knock at her door, or talking to someone in the corridors of the ship. If anyone had questions, she had little trouble answering them - provided that they didn't get too personal. She knew she was 'low girl' on the crew list, and it would likely be some time before they opened up to her, although Wymp seemed a bit more friendly when it came to that ...
Horace Wymp
player, 163 posts
UPP - 677886
Merchant - Corporate ret.
Sat 25 Jan 2020
at 19:48
  • msg #81

Re: Deseret Highport, the Concourse

"I've been brokering deals in space for many years, but if you can help deal with people better, I'm open to it. I'm not always very diplomatic or persuasive when dealing with others."
Einar Karvonen
player, 86 posts
Salvage Tech
Spacer
Sun 26 Jan 2020
at 06:20
  • msg #82

Re: Deseret Highport, the Concourse

Einar indicated that he would be happy to talk to Dominique about her ship share at her leisure.

In his free time, Einar took the two pronged approach of trying to keep abreast of the news of LDMLT01, their eventual destination, and the culture of those that called it home.

The man had not been merely polite or factious. The concept of beings living a nomadic lifestyle aboard family vessels interested him, and he was of course also interested in potentially taking a job during the "boom" once they arrived.

He also took the time, as the course of his regular duties, to schedule meetings with each of the crew individually to take stock of what skills or training they were hoping to acquire during their time on the vessel. He paired this was a straightforward rundown of the duties expected and how they would eventually be rated during performance evaluations.

There was a ceremonial aspect to this. They were a tiny crew, they worked together constantly, and he was clear that this was more of a bureaucratic requirement that a purely functional one. When people inevitably moved on, they would need references and proof of employment, as well as tax documentation, certifications, required hours, etc.

These took place in the little room adjacent to the bridge, and had a relaxed atmosphere overall.
The Boss
GM, 346 posts
Mon 27 Jan 2020
at 16:48
  • msg #83

The business of shipping...

For those studying general trade…  they begin with the most critical, basic exercise.

Calculate the “Break Even” of your ship.  The Break Even is the income you expect your ship to require to exactly match all costs, including fuel, supplies, regular maintenance and payroll for the crew.
There are all sorts of variables, for example, every ship type and age has a different maintenance profile, and crews can be paid differently, but there are some standards used for convenience.  It is assumed, for example, that the ship spends 250 days per year travelling.  Trade texts emphasize the importance of maximizing travel time, but not so much that crew fatigue sets in or maintenance is skipped.  250 days of the year is generally considered a reasonable target.

The Break Even is generally calculated per travelling day, as that is the time a transport is actually making money.  Based on this, Florence and Horace calculate a probable Break Even of 4550 per travel day.  250 days of travel, earning 4550 per day, and the Albatross meets all its expenses.

That’s a lot better than it could be, because they paid so much into the ship originally- the ship shares and other investment.  Without paying down the purchase price it would have been 11,500 per day.  On the other hand, the ship could really use an ace mechanic and some on board maintenance gear.  Maybe a decent robot that could do exterior hull work.  That could bring down expenses.

But there’s the target, the bare minimum the ship must meet to avoid losing money.  At that, it won’t generate profit, or pay back the initial investment, but it will not lose.

Step 2.  What are the ship’s money makers?   The Albatross has 12 staterooms of which 6 are taken by the crew, and 12 units of cargo space.  Here, it depends in part on what is expected to be in use at any one time.

At going rates, a stateroom should earn 450 per day at High Passage, and 300 per day at Middle or Low Passage (the difference between the last two being how many people are stuffed in a stateroom, 1 or 2 for Middle, 3 or 4 for low, with very young children typically being free) .  Ergo, booking 6 staterooms at middle passage should bring in 1800 per day.    Freight- regular fees simply to transport someone else’s goods from point to point- are typically 600 per unit per day, so this would bring in another 7200.  All together, 9000 per day, which is about twice the break even!  Not bad, but it would take over 30 years to pay back the initial investment, and clearly, a 100% mortgage would never work.

How, then, does an Albatross pay for itself?

A few other considerations.

First, the Albatross is a “surface to surface” ship, and that goes for a premium price compared to ships that do not land, and stop in orbit and transfer passenger and cargo to landers.  One “up and down” is generally considered worth a day of travel.  There’s another 9,000 a month.  Secondly, the Albatross can handle very special cargoes, which shippers will pay a premium to move.  Thirdly, smaller ships can be more flexible than the larger ones.  A large ship might have a regular route between Calderada and Lyonesse.  It would not divert to a different destination because even if it could fill its holds with freight for that new destination, it would be leaving many regular customers in a difficult spot.  They will have to make alternative arrangements, and then, when the ship returns to the Calderada to Lyonesse run, they might not all be back.  So, a small ship can adapt, and charge a premium for a “special” run.

And finally, there is the issue of Speculative Trade.  Horace and Florence have calculated that the Albatross can meet its Break Even and then some without going into Speculative Trade, but this is where the real money is.  Most cargo is never purchased by a ship.  Ships are simply paid to take it from A to B.  Speculative Cargo is bought by a ship, transported, and resold.  It is really a descendant of Commodity Futures trading of 21st century Earth. But while those commodity brokers made their money by speculating on the price of pork bellies six months into the future, Speculative Trade now relies on speculating on the price of pork bellies 50 light years away.  This is a tricky and lucrative business, in which there are gains and losses, and will be covered in Part Two.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:09, Mon 27 Jan 2020.
Horace Wymp
player, 164 posts
UPP - 677886
Merchant - Corporate ret.
Mon 27 Jan 2020
at 16:57
  • msg #84

The business of shipping...

"We could get rich Florence, thinking about staying yet? I hope you do. What you thinking about Nique?"

Dominique Shabazz
player, 21 posts
Singer/Entertainer
"Lady D"
Mon 27 Jan 2020
at 19:21
  • msg #85

The business of shipping...

   Dominiq's thin fingers moved quickly as she replied to Wymp's admission. "I think we've been working the same way, just from different angles. You've spent your time speculating cargoes and moving product - and I'll wager you could do it without even thinking twice. I've been doing almost the same thing - only the product was me. Selling yourself and selling any product isn't that hard, you just have to know what the other side wants, and can deliver." She brought her hands together and folded her fingers together, then steepled the first two, then and pointed them at Wymp. "If you can help me learn some of the ins and outs of being a broker, I can show you how to deal with difficult people. Sometimes, it's not what you say, it's how you say it. I can't guarantee it'll work all the time - some people just can't be bothered to work that stick out of their butts, and I'm not interested in changing minds that don't want to be. But like I said earlier, we work together, this could work out for all of us."


   In her interview with the Captain, she kept her expectations simple. She explained about her extensive work in the music business until she left some eight years ago. "Why'd I leave?" she replied before the question could be raised - something it seemed like she'd been asked on more than one occasion. "A lot of my music at first was acceptable, but I thought later that it was mainstream dreck. By the time I got to Another 'D' album" I was looking for a new sound, and "Any 'D' thing you want" had an edge that the critics, as well as some members of the religious community. By that time, I was burned out so I sold most of my stuff and went vagabond, hoping to see the Galaxy and find something that would re-start my career ...

   "I'm looking to help out where necessary, I'm not proud Captain," she'd mentioned, "After all, I've got a Ship Share to work off now. I'm not sure how you want to work this arrangement out; working passage in exchange for credit towards the Share? Let's face it, it's going to take a while for my cousin's 2 million to get worked off. But if you've got some ideas, Captain, I'm willing to listen."

This message was last edited by the player at 19:22, Mon 27 Jan 2020.
Horace Wymp
player, 165 posts
UPP - 677886
Merchant - Corporate ret.
Mon 27 Jan 2020
at 20:18
  • msg #86

Re: The business of shipping...

Dominique Shabazz:
      "I'm looking to help out where necessary, I'm not proud Captain," she'd mentioned, "After all, I've got a Ship Share to work off now. I'm not sure how you want to work this arrangement out; working passage in exchange for credit towards the Share? Let's face it, it's going to take a while for my cousin's 2 million to get worked off. But if you've got some ideas, Captain, I'm willing to listen."
</i>
</Serif>


"You now OWN 2 million credits of the ship, what do you mean work it off?"
This message was last edited by the player at 20:31, Mon 27 Jan 2020.
Dominique Shabazz
player, 22 posts
Singer/Entertainer
"Lady D"
Mon 27 Jan 2020
at 20:33
  • msg #87

Re: The business of shipping...

In reply to Horace Wymp (msg # 86):

   "That share belongs to my cousin, not me ..." Her steepled hands unfolded into flat palms that face up.  "Unless Sarah transferred it directly to me, Horace, it's not mine."

   Dominiq's dark features gained a hint of strawberry, while she bought her right hand to her mouth and glanced down. "Sorry, I'm not trying to be bold, here."
Horace Wymp
player, 166 posts
UPP - 677886
Merchant - Corporate ret.
Mon 27 Jan 2020
at 20:52
  • msg #88

Re: The business of shipping...

"No, you're fine, I understand now, you're working it off of HER! Not us. I got it now I think."
Alwin Brandle
player, 35 posts
Tue 28 Jan 2020
at 01:26
  • msg #89

Re: The business of shipping...

During the trip to St. Brendan, Alwin spends a fair amount of time studying up on Crosser physiology, just in case the alien required any medical attention.  This also included going over the dietary needs of the alien, despite Horace's statement that such was unnecessary.  There was also a chance, no matter how slim, that there was some human food that the alien had not yet encountered which could prove harmful to Marlo.  Alwin's paranoia about such matters required that he at least make an effort to head off any potential problems before they could occur.

When not doing so, or attending to other basic duties required of him on the ship, he will skim through various articles regarding both St. Brendan and the local shipping and trade in the area.

At some later point, with the captain's permission, he will see if the capabilities of the ship's various computer systems can be improved.  For the moment, he's just glad to be able to settle into something of a routine.
Dominique Shabazz
player, 23 posts
Singer/Entertainer
"Lady D"
Fri 31 Jan 2020
at 17:11
  • msg #90

Re: The business of shipping...

Horace Wymp:
"No, you're fine, I understand now, you're working it off of HER! Not us. I got it now I think."


   Dominiq nodded at his clarification. "I knew I was working it off somewhere," she remarked, brown eyes rising up to look towards the Ship's First Officer. "I just wasn't sure to who I was paying it to, is all."

   She pulled her hands back and steepled her first fingers under her lips. "With the usual formalities out of the way, is there anything I should know about the Albatross' systems or anything? Just so I don't step on toes, or anywhere I'm not rated to be? I know that the ship carries a small crew, and we're probably going to be close together while we're travelling ... call it a 'curiosity', if you like, about the ship's culture."


OOC: Just waiting to hear from the Captain - haven't seen a post from him in the last few days.
Horace Wymp
player, 168 posts
UPP - 677886
Merchant - Corporate ret.
Fri 31 Jan 2020
at 17:42
  • msg #91

Re: The business of shipping...

"We're new, no set rules yet. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you is about it. The Golden Rule." he replies with a smile. "The captain hasn't made any place off limits to anyone."
The Boss
GM, 347 posts
Fri 31 Jan 2020
at 23:44
  • msg #92

Things they learn along the way to St. Brendan


Crosser biology and society

Of all the various alien species discovered, Crossers have a biology closest to human.  This is despite the fact that they look a lot like 2 meter tall tyrannosaurs.  Most of the other aliens are much more alien!
Having much of the same chemistry as humans, they have evolved in such a way as to eat many of the same things.  They often enjoy “Human food” as eating and tasting a wide variety is a great joy to them.  There are some things to be cautious of, although in general, Crossers can use a far greater variety of food than Humans can.

The cabbage family of vegetables makes them sick.  It appears to do so without causing any real damage.  This may be a defense mechanism- possibly something in cabbage causes their body to automatically react.  (There is a strange exception to this.  Fermenting the vegetables neutralizes the effect.  They can eat sauerkraut and kimshi!)

Seafood is not naturally toxic to them, however, some contain levels of pollutants or natural contaminants that while mildly dangerous to Humans when eaten to excess, are much more dangerous to Crossers.  Farm raised fish with organic diets and clean water are safe.

Fermented dairy products- cheese, yogurt- affects them much the same way that low levels of alcohol can affect humans.

Food that has been “nutritionally enhanced” for Humans often contains excesses of certain elements that can unbalance a Crosser’s metabolism.  Anything containing nutritional supplements should be avoided.

Crosser Society is much smaller than Human society.  We outnumber them many times over, and they live in widely scattered Home Ships.  As a result, they have a simpler society in many ways.  Two important things to remember: first, they are all of flexible gender.  Normally they have no gender, at certain times, their bodies will decide to become male or female.  The Crossers have not disclosed the details.  Most crossers Humans meet will be Non Gendered, as most Gendered Crossers are raising children.  A Crosser can easily bear children as a female, and years later fertilize females as a male.  While the details are not known, from conversations with Crossers it is believed that most of this is beyond their control.  A Crosser does not decide to become male or female.  We think.

They are also different in their organization.  Crossers have no government.  The idea of it is alien to them.  They’ve given up asking “why?” with us, they just accept that Humans have government.  Sometimes they ask “How?”.    Instead of government, Crossers seem to be able to form consensus that certain individuals should be listened to, but for certain things.  Crossers seem to understand who on a Home Ship knows best how to run the engines, and that Crosser is listened to when engine issues arise. They see no reason to give that same Crosser any authority on other issues.

This may be related to another feature of Crosser culture:  they do as much as they can alone.  Marlo has traveled and studied and recorded with no staff, no assistants.  Simply, go out, study, report back.  They are not natural collaborators as much as Humans are.

Crossers and Trade

It’s not easy to mesh the Human economic system of Credits with an alien species that visits randomly, with different “home ships”, that cannot really use Human currency.  A Commonwealth credit really has limited value away from the Commonwealth.   Fortunately, the Crossers are experts at long distance interstellar trade, and they have worked this all out.

Here’s what they do:  A Home Ship is a very large vessel, bigger than any Human ship and most Human space habitats, but it moves fairly slowly.  It’s home to somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 Crossers, depending on which one it is.  Long before it arrives, it sends out Explorers.  Some of these, like Marlo, are “business and culture explorers”.  One of the specialties of the Crossers is large scale space engineering.  They are the best Space Habitat builders out there.  They have converted entire asteroids into massive space stations.  (Don’t try this without professional supervision, it involves nuclear bombs).  But they can’t just luck their way into this, this has to be arranged early one- by the Explorer- and then the Home Ship will make its way to the system where the work must be done, and pause for a year or so, before turning around for home.  In the mean time, the contract for the work involves a deposit.  The deposit is in Commonwealth currency, which the Crossers will use to pay for things they want.

In addition to their construction expertise, the Crossers are known for some other products.  Some of these are not their own, being carried from other civilizations they have visited in their travels.   Much of their technological expertise is focused on space living.   Machines are generally not sold, not because the Crossers are trying to protect the technology, but because machines generally assume a technological infrastructure to repair and maintain them.

Things they might have available:
Batteries.  More efficient than Human made batteries.  A Crosser specialty.
Hull Armor.  Another Crosser Specialty.
Self Sealing Glass.  And another.  Especially valuable for windows on submarines, spacecraft, etc, and as helmet visors.
Adjustable Acoustic panels – these clever wall panels change their acoustic properties, making them very useful for theaters, conference rooms, auditoriums, restaurants, or anywhere else where sound reflectance and absorbance is an ussue.
Smart Nano-Dust Patch Kits – It’s a rule in space that hull punctures will occur in the place hardest to get to.  The Nano-Dust Patch kit releases a cloud of tiny particles that are drawn to the leak, and then plug it.  Essentially, a blood clotting mechanism for spacecraft.
Magnetodynamic pumps- pump liquids and gasses without moving parts.
Heat Sink Matrix – not Crosser technology.   The matter within the Heat Sink Matrix is in an exotic quantum state and is able to absorb far more heat than 21st century physics would deem possible.  It will slowly decay into ordinary matter as it absorbs heat.
Mimosan glass-bone – a transparent, carvable organic “bone” from a very distant world.
Gravity suspension tank – tanks for the transport of very delicate items, including very exotic scientific samples and experiments.   This uses a very advanced inversed gravity bottle to keep the item in the center of the tank, never touching the walls.  It is well beyond the ability of Human or Crosser technology to manufacture.
Vacugel – a foam of tiny, stiff, transparent bubbles which contain vacuum.  Vacugel is a very lightweight insulation, with strong protection against heat, lasers and radiation.  It is sold in large panels, and can be cut, but not bent, without disrupting the bubbles.
Grawl Skins    - another organic product from a distant world.  Humans have never seen Grawls- the word comes from Human interpretation of the Crosser word for the animal.  But the skins are soft, furry, mink like, in pastel colors- pinks, oranges, light blues and greens.
Bioluminescent tattoo ink.  As weird as it sounds.




Things Crossers like to buy:  According to Marlo, complex raw materials are hard for Crossers to come by.  And by complex, Marlo means the interesting and wonderful natural oil compounds from a variety of Human sources.  Petroleum is useful to them, not as a fuel but as a starting point for chemical synthesis.  Plant oils, such as seed oils, olive oil, and coconut oil, as well as the rendered fat of animals.  Even… butter?  It’s hard to find equivalents to these things in space.   And there is Human food, of course.  Crossers do not appreciate many forms of Human art, but Human food impresses them.
Reginald Gain
player, 53 posts
Sat 1 Feb 2020
at 21:22
  • msg #93

Re: Deseret Highport, the Concourse


 On the transit to their destination, Reggie hits the computer to do research on their destination, current events, problems, what form of government, law enforcement, crime if any, etc. He also did a bio search on the Journalist that wanted to travel with them.
Dominique Shabazz
player, 24 posts
Singer/Entertainer
"Lady D"
Sun 2 Feb 2020
at 07:02
  • msg #94

Re: Deseret Highport, the Concourse

Horace Wymp:
"We're new, no set rules yet. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you is about it. The Golden Rule." he replies with a smile. "The captain hasn't made any place off-limits to anyone."


   Dominiq smiled and opened her hands to show her pale palms. "You sound like my mother and my pastor, talking about 'Do unto others' like that. I thought that if you left people alone, they'd leave you alone. Works for me.

   "Just a couple of things I wanted to go over with you while I'm here; if we're going to be working together, are we being strictly formal, or on a first-name basis? Again, I'm not familiar with how y'all work about here and want to make sure I'm not stepping where I shouldn't. Forgive a girl for sayin', but I get the feeling that you were in the military ...

   "And second, I'm not sure what the deal is with the Crosser, but I'll be keeping my distance from 'Marlo'--"
she brought up her hand and gestured with the first two fingers, making 'air quotes'. "--He might be the gentlest soul in the Galaxy, but those teeth give a girl pause if you get me."

   Dominiq lowered her arms and pushed off the console she'd been half-sitting on. "Unless you've got questions for me, I should be figuring out what's where. Just let 'em know when you need me, and we'll get started."
Horace Wymp
player, 169 posts
UPP - 677886
Merchant - Corporate ret.
Sun 2 Feb 2020
at 13:22
  • msg #95

Re: Deseret Highport, the Concourse

"You can call me Mister Wymp or Horace, don't matter to me. Call the captain captain though."
The Boss
GM, 350 posts
Sun 2 Feb 2020
at 16:54
  • msg #96

Re: Deseret Highport, the Concourse

Naturally, Marlo doesn't just talk about things the characters want to know about.

The Crosser has interests beyond just eating.  Marlo is an Explorer, after all.

And one thing Marlo has seen a lot of...

"So many Humans now are not happy with the way they are led.  Not the specific leaders themselves, but the system through which they are selected and trained.  I consulted our knowledge of Humans before I began my recent exploration, but it did not indicate this level of unhappiness.

"You know, there is fear, concerning what should happen if Humans turn against their government.  I understand.  I also understand the discomfort of Humans, you see, we Crossers do not have government like you do.  It is against our nature.  Yes, it would be uncomfortable for us.  But yes, I also see the dangers in acting against it.

"Do you think this shall pass away in time, or will Humans truly turn against their government?"
Florence Pearce
player, 83 posts
Sun 2 Feb 2020
at 17:45
  • msg #97

Re: Deseret Highport, the Concourse

Florence sighed, pensively as she considered the question Marlo had asked her in one of their discussions. “The problem is not so much the way Governors are selected or trained. Or at least it's not the real issue anyway. No one thinks they are corrupt or bad at their jobs. At least no one seriously thinks that and nothing indicates they'd be right to do so in the first place.” The girl sighed. “The problem an increasing number of people have with that system is that they feel Governors don't necessarily have the best interest of whatever group they belong to, or their planet, in mind.”

She tilted her head to the side. “And in a sense, they're right: Governors' first duty is to the whole of humanity, not one specific group or planet. Which obviously can cause a few problem as no one likes to be told they matter less in the grand scheme of things than someone else they're unlikely to ever meet much less care about. Though of course, it's not that bad: all Governors want whatever planet they're affected on to prosper. One planet failing is a failure for everyone.”

“But the people who protest the current government want to have a say in whatever decisions are taken. You'll have a wide range of solutions depending who you talk to, from removing Governors entirely and having local groups taking all the decisions, to simple advisory assemblies advising Governors, or in between options like having local groups take high-level decisions and letting Governors implement those.”

She paused for a couple of seconds before continuing. “But there are two problems: first, there's the fact that we are technically still at war with the Carinans. Most humans you'll meet can afford to ignore that little fact, stating they haven't been seen since fifty years ago and that they were in fact beaten. Governors can't ignore this however, no matter how much others would want to. Which leads to unpopular decisions like military expanses, both to maintain the fleet or for R&D.” She grimaced slightly.

“The second is that I don't think Governors are against change or finding a better solution to govern the Commonwealth. Or at least most of them aren't against change because it's a change. But if you've studied our history, you will have noticed that pretty much every other regime devolved into corruption where career politicians said everything and anything to get in a position of power, then did everything they could to stay there or increase their power or fortune, not caring at all what happened to whatever nation they belonged to.” Florence waved her hand. “There are of course some exceptions, but for the most part, that's how it went. So in theory, Governors are not against popular representation of some form… they just don't want it to devolve into what has been seen in the past.”

“But the common man in the street doesn't much care what happens three jumps over or ten years from now. His problem are here and now. Governors are trained, extensively, to think of the global and long term consequences of their actions, which leads to the current disconnect. Add to that alien involvement like the Momo…” She shook her head. “Solutions are being sought, but none have been found yet… And the more time passes, the harder it becomes…”
Horace Wymp
player, 170 posts
UPP - 677886
Merchant - Corporate ret.
Tue 4 Feb 2020
at 14:51
  • msg #98

Re: Deseret Highport, the Concourse

Horace carried out his duties daily and tried to train Florence and Nique. He tried to learn what he could from them too, knowing he could always improve on himself too.
The Boss
GM, 353 posts
Thu 6 Feb 2020
at 01:59
  • msg #99

Re: Deseret Highport, the Concourse

Florence seems to be the one Marlo talks to most on the way to St Brendan. This is okay with the alien, though it is clear that Marlo doesn't understand Dominique's skittishness.  Marlo likes the fact that Florence gives detailed answers.  That's exactly what Explorers want.  Lots of knowledge. And, it's a bonus that someone actually took the time in life to study a bit of the Crosser language.

One of the Crosser languages, actually.  The Home Ships have been in space for longer than Human history.  Their languages have drifted apart.  They maintain one "universal" language for easy communication between themselves, sharing cultural information with other Home Ships, things like that.  That's what Humans always study, because it makes more sense than learning one of the "active" Crosser languages.  But for the Crossers, it's kind of like Latin was for Humans of the industrial revolution era- something very smart and educated people are expected to learn, but certainly not used in every day life.

Marlo promises to mention Florence... and the rest of the Albatross... to the other Explorers once back on the Home Ship.

The alien has been away from the Home Ship a very long time and is not sure what the other Explorers have turned up in the mean time.  Some, like Marlo, have been studying Humanity and the current Human economy, some have been arranging construction deals in advance, and some have been scouting.

"We know the Carinans are not gone," Marlo explains.  "There is still the war in the distant region you call the front, though your leaders and the Oumo and others say we are winning.  But the Carinans have dispersed many small scouts in space.  We ran across a few over the years.  There are likely a few in this region, and if there are, my fellow Explorers will have discovered them by now.  Each of us gathers a piece of information, then we bring it all together, it is quite a show.  Of course, if you are going no further than St Brendan you will not meet the other explorers.

Marlo is also able to share a little information on the Carinans.  Nothing recent, since the Explorer has been away from the Home Ship for so long.

"Based on our encounters so far we have modeled the density of Carinan scouts.  In the star systems beyond your settlements, the odds of encountering one in any given system seem to low.  There appear to less than ten in any given 50 light year sector of space at a time.  They do seem more interesting in monitoring than in fighting.  They will flee, if you press them.  And of course, if you disable them they are likely to destroy themselves.  They are machines and have no fear of death like you and I.  Self destruction is their way of keeping their secrets.  This is known to Crossers, and to your military as well. So be very careful if you find them."
The Boss
GM, 354 posts
Fri 7 Feb 2020
at 17:16
  • msg #100

Re: Deseret Highport, the Concourse

The story continues in the St. Brendan Thread, when the ship arrives in system.

There are a few immediate choices to be made, the most important of which is your passenger.

Drop Marlo off at the orbital port?
Head straight for your remote surface delivery point?
Or maybe to the major city area of St. Brendan first?  Your destination is a small, remote settlement, but the planet does have a population over 16 million, and a few serious cities, clustered together in the main zone on the far side from your destination.
Horace Wymp
player, 172 posts
UPP - 677886
Merchant - Corporate ret.
Fri 7 Feb 2020
at 17:29
  • msg #101

Re: Deseret Highport, the Concourse

What about our customer? Do they want delivered first or second?
Dominique Shabazz
player, 25 posts
Singer/Entertainer
"Lady D"
Fri 7 Feb 2020
at 18:36
  • msg #102

Re: Deseret Highport, the Concourse

Horace Wymp:
"You can call me Mister Wymp or Horace, don't matter to me. Call the captain Captain though."


   Dominiq brought her arms down and placed her hands on the arms of the chair. "Well, since you're all right with it, I'll call you Horace and we can work from there. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to familiarize myself with the Albatross' layout. If you want to ask me anything, or just want to talk, my comm frequency is always open."

   The dark-skinned former entertainer rose from the chair and smiled, then proceeded to the door. After she'd stepped out, she looked in both directions, then went to the left and passed out of sight.

   Shabazz spent the next few days acclimating to the ship's routine and working herself into the crew roster as needed. Her days were usually spent in learning new systems or processes, either on her own or with the help of others. In her path to learning, she managed to catch on as well as one might expect and there were many times that she would ask questions about the process, or even why things were done in such a fashion. Occasionally, she made suggestions in order to improve the way something was done - she wasn't a woman that accepted the old maxim: "Because it's the way that it's always been done."

   Her evenings were spent either in study or meditation and occasionally the soft tones of a song came from behind her stateroom door. Practising, and keeping her voice limber, was key to the occasional pop-up appearances in the smaller clubs and clubs here and there that dotted her life after she'd left the spotlight. Even when she was 'on duty' and working by herself, she hummed the occasional popular tune or one of her old hits to help pass the time.

   The only difficulty that she had was with the Crosser, "Marlo". Although polite when she encountered the alien, her cordiality never ventured further than polite greetings and conversation. Dominiq kept a respectful distance but never came within the creature's reach.


OOC: We can drop off Marlo wherever he prefers, I'd say. He's a passenger, and wherever he wants to be deposited, I'm all for doing that.

   Dominiq would likely vote for going to St. Brendan second, after dropping off what we were contracted to do. Once at the Capitol, and armed with all of the local customs on file, she can put herself up in a modest hotel room and see what sort of 'people' are like on this planet. (Never hurts to know a little bit about the 'movers and shakers' of the place you're visiting) She'll also ask either the Captain or Horace how long that the Albatross is going to be on St. Brendan - if anything more than a week, she might arrange to 'appear' at a club and give a small, intimate performance.

Horace Wymp
player, 173 posts
UPP - 677886
Merchant - Corporate ret.
Fri 7 Feb 2020
at 18:49
  • msg #103

Re: Deseret Highport, the Concourse

"Lets drop Marlo off at the high port and then head in and deliver our cargo. Then we can go to the capital and look for a cargo,"
The Boss
GM, 356 posts
Mon 10 Feb 2020
at 00:43
  • msg #104

Re: Deseret Highport, the Concourse

Things continue on from here at "St. Brendan."
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