Characters: Gvarokh at first, later joined by Slade
NPC: Chuck Strider
Location: Hangar Bay that contains the Miishakaal
1125.6.4 - 20:30 / 00:30 local time (18 1/2 hr day)
As Gvarokh and Chuck make their way through the cargo hold, Gvarokh says, "We'll
go over there first and check out the cargo. See if there are any special
handling or storage requirements, etc. Then we'll go back, get our cargo
handling equipment and move the cargo between ships."
Chuck: "Ok."
Gvarokh: "Look around while I query their contact. Don't do anything stupid,
and stop when told to stop, but I still feel like we have half a story here."
Chuck: "Aye aye."
Heading down the cargo ramp to the hangar bay floor, Gvarokh calls up the
Aerlay Craver over his comm. After connecting he says, "Hi, this is
Gvarokh, the 1st Officer of the Miishakaal, I understand that you have
some cargo for us."
"Yes," the comm officer says, "Cargo Master Lemley is waiting for you."
"Ok, thanks." End of comm call.
As Gvarokh and Chuck make their way across the hangar bay to the port neighbor
connecting door, Gvarokh's comm chimes. It's Slade.
"Vincent doesn't need my help. I'm on my way over to help you."
"Acknowledged." End of comm call.
Gvarokh reaches the port neighbor connecting door and hits the "open door"
button. You hear the sound of locks releasing and a swish of air as hydraulics
begin to slide open the 3 meter by 3 meter door. Aerlay Craver's starboard
neighbor connecting door is still closed when your door first begins to open,
but seconds later theirs begins to open as well.
It is at this time that Slade joins you.
As the doors open, you see 9 standard shipping containers (1 ton each = 2.381
meters a side) lined up at the door in a row heading into the Aerlay Craver's
hangar bay. In the back of the line of containers, you can see a forklift.
There's a tall man (1.85 m) standing at the doorway wearing the now familiar
Craver Corporation uniform of blue tailored vacc suit and black ships boots. His
hair is crew cut and blonde. He extends a hand to shake and smiles, "Garth
Lemley. You must be Gvarokh."
Gvarokh shakes Garth's hand, "Yes I am. I presume this is the cargo."
"Yes, it is," Garth looks past you guys, "You do have a lift right?"
"Yes we do. Hey Chuck go ahead and get our lift."
"Aye, aye."
Gvarokh calls up the invoice, cargo manifest, and customs inspection report on
his hand computer. He compares them to the labeling on the containers
themselves. Every thing checks out. This is the cargo. He doesn't dare break the
customs seal on the containers for fear of being accused of tampering with the
cargo.
Chuck arrives with the forklift.
"Everything's in order Chuck. Go ahead and load 'em up."
"Aye, aye."
One by one, Chuck loads the containers into the Miishakaal.
Gvarokh checks each container to make sure the seal identification and the cargo
box labeling matches up correctly with what he's got on his hand comp. He also
makes sure the boxes are all consistent. He doesn't detect any oddballs.
Slade doesn't notice any irregularities either.
While Chuck loads the containers, Garth says, "Here's the contract" and points
his PDA at Gvarokh's hand computer. It instantly appears on Gvarokh's screen. He
reads through it after he checks over the containers. Standard contract. No
irregularities.
Once Chuck finishes Garth says, "Satisfied with the contract."
Gvarokh: "Yes."
Garth flashes a bank card, "Good, here's the payment." He gets out a reader and
slides in his card."
Gvarokh takes out his copy of the ship's card and slides it into the reader. The
amount of 9,900 credits appears as the transaction amount, which matches the
110% figure previously quoted. Gvarokh accepts the transaction.
Garth: "Well that does it. On behalf of the captain, thank you once again for
taking over this load for us." He shakes Gvarokh's hand.
Gvarokh returns the shake and replies, "Thank you. Good luck on your repairs."
"Thanks!"
Slade and Gvarokh close the port hangar neighbor connection door and make their
way back to the Miishakaal and close the cargo hatch.
Once the hatch has closed and locked, Slade tells the others that he is
returning to his room for the rest of the evening.
Chuck and Gvarokh walk to the crew lounge and find it empty. Chuck sits down on
the couch to watch the holovision while Gvarokh returns to his room to do more
research.
Character: Gvarokh
Location: Gvarokh's stateroom on the Miishakaal
21:05 / 01:05 local time
Once back in his cabin, Gvarokh decides to do a little more investigation on
Vilani cargo transport requirements, both to familiarize himself with what the
Captain has said and to see if there are any more surprises. He pulls up the
files with the Vilani info.
The RVE (Restored Vilani Empire) requires all ships that travel within
its borders to be registered. This can only be accomplished in RVE territory
though. The procedure is filling out forms and replacing the ship's transponder.
The process takes approximately takes 30 days and the ship must remain
grounded for the whole time. The registration fee is $5,000 plus $10 for every
displacement ton of the ship.
All cargo must be registered. The cargo registration fee is a one time cost of
$20 per ton of cargo and is done at the cargo sourceworld. For transborder
shipments they do it at the point that the ship enters RVE space.
He also does a library data search for information on Hrun, Pradman, and Olny
as they are the next options after Gishinridu.
Hrun comes up C5169C7-D. Rich deposits of iridium were discovered
in the early centuries of the Third Imperium. This led to an explosive increase
in colonization as mining companies hired miners and support personnel by the
thousands. With the seed of civilization planted, service industries sprang up
around the mining facilities and thereby became the first cities on the planet.
Iridium is still mined in abundance but Hrun is more known for its mining robot
software. The scientists and programmers who produce this software carefully
guard their secrets. In fact, the government has sanctioned the existence of a
previously secret society, now publicly aware, which enforces this secrecy. All
research scientists and programmers who work on robotics must belong to this
group, the Mining Robot Software Society (MRSS). The MRSS is even permitted to
sentence any of its members who divulge any proprietary research to the public
to death.
There is a naval base in the Hrun system. It is located within the system's
asteroid belt, located in orbit 0. The naval base is reportedly extensive in
size and has a prominent research center which hosts 30,000 personnel. The base
is off limits to civilians. As such, the families and administrative personnel
are stationed on Hrun.
Although the world is located in the habitable zone, it only has a wisp of an
atmosphere. 62% of the surface is covered by ice. During the summer, the heat
sublimates the ice into the air, creating large fog banks which obscure
visibility for thousands of miles. At twilight the water vapor quickly freezes,
creating a stunning shower of ice crystals which sparkles throughout its
duration (several minutes). This effect has been named diimeshkha, which
is Vilani for "gods' rebuild of the stars."
Olny comes up A569964-F. Olny has been a colony of the Silverring
Belt (Lishun 0414) for almost as long as recorded history. Vilani traders from
the belt laid claim to the system (and called it Alnii) shortly after
setting up belting operations in the Silverring belt. Olny's plant life was
renowned by the Vilani for its flavor and its age-inhibiting effects.
Unfortunately, the side effect of consuming the plants is sterility. There is
no native animal life on the planet.
Imperial scientists identified the Olny plant life as a rich source of natural
anagathic-like compounds. A thriving anagathics industry soon developed after
this discovery and continues to this day.
The scientists and technicians who manufacture these anagathics have a complex
and distinct set of rules and guidelines they must follow. For instance, they
must cover their foreheads in public, they must be absolutely honest in their
dealings, and tardiness is not tolerated.
Because of the abundance of the natural age inhibiting compounds present on
Olny, a youth worship culture has arisen. Society idolizes youth in the extreme.
All tribal property is for the consumption of the members and their pleasure.
Cruelty toward non-tribe members is not uncommon.
Local government follows a twin-ruler concept for the enforcement of law and
the judgment of offenders. The population as a whole makes the laws and each
citizen must spend at least an hour a day engaged in legislative activities.
Pradman comes up B6A587A-B. Pradman was first colonized during the
Rule of Man, circa -2200, as the site of a terraforming experiment.
Over the next few centuries, the atmosphere improved to the point where it was
breathable without any artificial means. Thousands of people immigrated to the
newly terraformed world.
The Long Night revealed that this new atmosphere was not self-sustaining.
Over the next 1700 years, the atmosphere slowly reverted back to its
pre-terraformed state. However, Scouts from the Third Imperium discovered a
thriving low tech culture. The locals had managed to develop a sophisticated
series of chemical and physical ritual protections from the hostile environment.
The protections were successful enough to enable the humans to flourish on the
world.
The locals still use the ancient folk techniques to this day. The effects are
successful enough that local humans can live unprotected for years at a time in
the natural environment before more treatments are necessary. Imperial
scientists have run computer simulations that show in another 5,000 - 8,000
years the locals will have become permanently changed and thereby classifiable
as a new minor human race.
Pradman is a balkanized world with two major nations: Pradman and Wamic. Wamic
was originally a colony of convicted criminals centuries ago, but has only
recently been recognized as a true sovereign nation by Pradman. Border disputes
and warfare still happen on occasion. As such, offworlders are cautioned that
the planet should be considered an amber zone.
You decide that Hrun is the best destination route-wise and social-wise. It
looks to the be safest too, despite the naval base. You call up a map of the
Hrun solar system. You verify that the asteroid belt is in orbit 0 while Hrun
itself is in orbit 1. That means that there's no astrographic reason for the
Vilani navy to impede progress to the mainworld. You check to see what sorts of
naval interference visitors can expect. Although records regarding naval
policies in system end with the secession of the RVE 5 years ago, there's
nothing in the public record to indicate there ever was any interference on the
part of the Navy. Hrun is a high population world that handles a fair amount of
interstellar traffic despite its C starport. The Navy only allowed vessels with
permits to enter the belt and only in specific regions of the belt. Other than
that the Navy did not impede starship traffic. If things have changed since
then, word has not made it back to the Imperium.
News reports drop off in frequency after the secession of Hrun and other Vilani
worlds from the Imperium. There are two reports of Imperial privateering raids
and eight reports of corsair attacks for the past year. In all cases, invaders
fled once the local naval base dispatched a squadron to intercept them. There is
a report of increased patrols of the two gas giants. There are articles that
explain how Hrun has adapted economically since the secession (the hunt for new
markets for manufacturers and new sources of food for the agriculture
importers). There's an anonymous editorial calling for an end to the MRSS'
"inhumane punishments" and "fascist control" over mining industry software
workers.
That's the extent of news. Unlike worlds in the immediate vicinity, Hrun
appears to have a lack of xenophobia.
You have had a long enough day and have read too much. Your eyes protest
fatigue. You surrender to the will of your body and go to bed. You fall asleep
as soon as your head hits the pillow.
NEXT: Morning Briefing