Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Tinkers Haven , Texas :
After construction of the great housing module and the second module holding the Memorial Clinic has been completed, the crew and the Havens leaders worked full time in getting their home base comfortable.
600 Crewmen at the Haven, including the Clinic´s staff. The scrapping crews, the Ambulance crews. All wanted a place not only to sleep and to work, but a space for leisure and social meetings.
If you wanted some nightlife you could always take a ferry to New York and risk getting roughed up by some hotblood navy boys. Or take the ship down to Houston. Mind you... be careful you get the ferry again in the morning and don´t wake up in a work camp or at Sugarland. Or hop in with a friend and fly over to Puerto.
And many of the crews did... after working a two week shift with the scrappers they had money to spare and an appetite for life.
But with the opening of the Clinic more Crewmen came in, and many of them where no men... the female nurses got quite a lot of attention from the crews, and McKannon had already set up an efficient security force to ceep things calm.
Morale was high, and so the project of setting up the Cantina went forward at a tremenduous pace. Some of Havens members even got a cuff from Fynn for not using rest time for rest. No, helping with the cantina did not count as excuse.
Then the old Beaumont Junker named Olson came to Fynn with the latest design for the bar and a ready made plan to staff and run it. As he put it : no haggling, McKannon already had gave his consent, and so had Mr. Tukker.
The hole crew laughed as Fynn graciously gave in and cheered three days later as the Foreman ordered the first round.
Since then Olsen rules the Bar and has started to oversee the Cantina Staff as well.
He is a extpert listener and often finds a good word of advice for joung hotshots.
And so... :
"Thank you," she said with a gentle smile as the bartender placed a glass of white wine in front of her.
"Anything else, Doctor?" he asked her.
"No thanks," she answered, her arms still folded in front of her as she leaned on the table. She turned to look out the window at Planet Houston.
She was finished for the day, wearing a light blue blouse under her white sweater, her long, red hair down as she moved her left arm to take her glass and drink from it. Her hand still on the glass as it rested on the table, she got lost as she looked over Houston. Her son was home and for this night, she could not return to him. It would be the first night without him. She sighed at the thought. Between that one depressing thought and the ash tray on the table, that old evil of a cigarette briefly crossed her mind. She was stronger than that and she promplty whisked the thought away.
Letting go of the glass, she began going through some records and orders for medicines on the station. Stabiline, anti-radiation pills, anti-coagulants and anti-biotics seemed to be in good supply especially when a short run to planet Denver could get her what she needed.
She touched the screen. "Elixers," she said quietly under her breath, "I need some." Last she knew, Freeport 1 in Omega 3 was the best place to get them. She was, after all, a Zoner, so she knew Zoner trade well.
She placed the tablet down in exchange for her glass, again looking over Houston as she sipped from it.
Sturm and his crew just arrived from their trip from the Alphas, they were gone for a couple of days and they were excited when they heard the news that the cantina had already opened.
Entering the Cantina, Sturm went straight to the bar and sat down.
"Hey Olson, set me up with some whiskey here. Have you seen Fynn around?"
Seeing Olson was busy at the moment and could only give him a shrugged, he reached behind the counter to get a bottle of whiskey and a shot glass.
"Put this on my tab." Poured the whiskey in to the glass and took his first shot.
Ahh this stuff is good, Fynn really knows where to get the good stuff.
Looking around, he could see Junkers, Freelancers and even some of the SRO people. Well Haven is really progressing well, he could still remember when he first joined up with Fynn in the Dallas Scrap fields. He was also there when they laid the first foundations of the base. Good times.
Sturm got lost in his thoughts and drank some more.
Fynn had been at the docks overseeing some work done on the engines of the Ambulance_01 Prototype.
And as he went back to the office he decidied to pass by the bar before he could bury himself into paperwork again.
Entering he noted Doreen sitting near a window and staring out at Houston, and he was just about to steer over to her as he noted Sturm at the Bar, quickly downing a shot of whiskey.
He hesitated before heading over to the bar and greeting his old friend.
So Sturm, back from the Borderworlds ? Good to see the Pilgrim´s Home docked at the Haven.
Many of the crews around here secretly wish to fly with one of the Pilgrims or on board of a P-Train just to feel alive,
and I always appreciate the stories your crew tells wher they´re back here. Helps smoothe the waves.
Fynn ordered a Rheinbeer from Olsen and spent some time chatting with the only Junker captain to remain with him from the first, scarce days. Sturm had joined him not long after he had lost his first crew at Cold Bay, and he appreciated the calm professionalism of the older Junker. They both evaded serious topics today, laughing over old stories or the times they both had worked as escorts for the Congress convois. Or spent hours scrapping at the Dallas fields.
After a while he excused himself , taking the rest of his drink over to the table at the window.
He sat down at the table opposite to Doreen, slightly turning his seat so he too could look out at Houston, nodding cordially as Doreen looked at him and smiled.
Not exactly the dinner Iocation I promised you, but a good next step for the Haven. Well, the restaurant at Jacinto City is still there, as soon as we both find the time to take a landfall down at Houston.
Noticing the picture description for some of the Elixiers the Doc was viewing on her PDA he nodded.
Ah jes, I think this will please you. I asked Bailey to do a bytour while fetching Foodstuff from Los Angeles, and he managed to find a trader at Freeport 4 in Magellan. I think there are about 2000 crates with different tonics, elexiers, salves and other stuff at dock 3 in the moment, getting moved to storage pod F.
I told him to send you a note in the morning so you could sample what you need for the Clinic. The rest will probably go to the Quatermasters office, as he is planning to open up a shoplike outlet for use by crewmembers and staff.
Fynn laughed at Doreens startled look.
I see the same lists and manifests all day, even if I still take every free moment to fly out with my CSF. It´s not difficult to guess what you´re still looking for, except of course if there is anything you did not request from the Quatermaster´s jet.
Smiling broadly he gesturing over to the long service area of the Cantina where a new group of about 20 joung Station and Clinic Staff where arriving and picking their meals from the buisy cantina clerks.
My greatest suprise was how fast the 500 units of Kyushu rice Bailey brought back from one of his last tours vanished. Olsen denies everything but is also calling for more, and if I look at the dishes served in the last days I cannot evade noticing that we eat well here. And that both our scrappers and the clinic staff seem to be getting friendly with the maintainance and repair crews... so I don´t complain.
He pointed over to where Sturm was sitting, chatting amiably with a joung woman in paramedic outfit.
A jear ago that young lady would probably have called for the police the moment Sturm or me stepped into a bar where she was enjoing her leavetime, and now she´s trying to trade favours for a trip over to Puerto Rico.
We came a long way already.
Now it was Fynns turn to look out of the great plassteel window thoughtfully, unfocused and distracted.
"We'll have our dinner at Jacinto City soon enough," she answered.
She then gave Fynn the courtesy of looking at him, a soft smile on her face.
"You're a step ahead of me, Fynn" she said, "thank you for the Elixirs. If you can keep them in regular supply, that would be great as they have a lot of use."
She recognized the paramedic that he pointed out. "She did a good job earlier. When those patients arrived, they were stable and her and her team were responsible. It's people like her that make my job a bit easier."
The bartender arrived to top off Doreen's wine. While there, she had him provide the paramedic and her team with drinks on her, making sure that they knew who it was from and why. She then continued her chat with Fynn, her forearms again folded in front of her on the table, "You know, for what it's worth, you're doing a good job here. I'm beginning to feel like........" At the point, her datapad began to buzz. It wasn't time to make rounds so she was confused as she pulled it out of her pocket and read a transmission from John Holliday to Tim Finnegan and her. She read it with a look of confusion. She then looked at Fynn, puzzled.
"Fynn, do you know a Tim Finnegan? He apparently has a crewman in bad need of medical service and since I'm closer, Doc referred him to me. Is....this....going to be a problem?"
Fynns expression was blank for a moment, then he shook his head.
Nope, any Congressman is our friend, and I have heared about the House Gordon.
Tim Finnegan is the Chief of a famous Junker Clan residing in Inverness.
I have never met him personally so far, quite a character I hear.
Fynn looked worried as he said the next words.
Doreen , we Junkers care for our family. We are family.
If he´s sending one of his men over here it will not be because of a sunburn in the fields, and I do hope it´s only because of some accident. This smells like danger and I will be quick to find out what happened.
He nodded at Doreen, already standing up and getting ready to leave.
You see... I don´t know if you already have met Arbiter Trenton once ?
He and Tim Finnegan where friends once, but their quarrel and parting is legendary.
And if Finnegan´s Wake is heading to Puerto Rico this is like telling me that the Order is inviting Wilde Pilots for a drink.
Now Fynn started to grin and a look of fierce expectation spread across his face.
But I know one thing :
If one of Finnegan´s men is seriously wounded and he wants to bring him here he´ll be docking at the Haven in no time. And I´d like to hear the pibreaugh he´s about to pipe to any foe.
After the Larklight, a bretonian liner that served as Ortog's personal headquarters, docked safely at Tinker's Haven, he signed all the delivery forms in the dock master tablet accounting for all the cargo of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment that were unloaded from his vessel. The he rushed to the cantina.
He spotted Finn and Dr. Doreen in a table at the corner and signaled for the barman, when he got his attention he made a small, almost unnoticeable nod.
The barman brought a bottle of galliac white to the table and discretely added, while he poured the wine:
- The gentleman at the entrance requires permission to join at your table,
Why, it´s Mr. Ashford ! Sure, guide him over .
Fynn was already nodding and waiving Ortog over.
Perhaps now we can hear some more about whatever is happening over at Puerto without sending a scout ship over.
Doreen, you know Ortog ?
Fynn welcomed the Junker warmely, and with respect.
After all it did not happen everyday that a high echelon Congressman visited the Haven.
Come, take a seat. Welcome to our new Cantina.
the cantina was still crowded even though its been open for a about a week already. James was in the far right corner table speaking with his skipper Ross for the democritus. They were talking about their recent trip to Leeds and how can they make it more efficient.
"Hey boss, I was thinking about the counter measure bay for the ship, it is acutally quite big that you could actually fit two of them there. I think with a bit of modifications we can fit a cloaking device there."
"and why would we do that?" ask James.
"well since we're sitting ducks out there while the shuttle ferries refugees on that planet. It would afford us better protection."
"Hmm you have a point there Ross, I might talk to Fynn about that."
He was about to stand up and walk to Fynn but seeing Fynn was in a meeting of some kind he decided against it.
"Excuse me Mr David?" a woman in a nurse uniform tapped him from behind
"Huh? oh its you Gina. Would like to have a drink with me and Ross?"
"Maybe some other time and thanks for the offer" Gina smiled. "Mr Walker is looking for you, he is asking if you could come to the medbay as soon as possible"
"He's come about? thats great news!"
"Ross, we will continue this later ok? I promise I'll talk to Fynn about your idea"
James stood up and left the cantina with Gina.
Doreen examined the bottle. She had the look of surprise on her face. As she studied it, she never saw Ortog take a seat across from her as she quietly read aloud the label, "White Cabernet Sauvignon, bottled Planet New Paris, lle-de-France."
Then she read the date on it. It was an older bottle which made it all the better.
"My goodness who sent this?" she started asking before she looked up, "I love this stuff."
She would look up only to see Ortog sitting across from her smiling. He was the man at the entrance a moment ago. Still, she didn't know quite who he was. With a perplexed look, she asked, "Do we know each other?......And how did you know that I like this?"
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12