Saito Yamada took a look at his Communicationpanel in his luxurious apartment in his Yacht.
It was a good time. Everything worked well. The SCS brought in enough money.
Saito leaned back. Still watching at his Communicationpanel.
Saito: "VIC!"
(voice controlled ship computer)
VIC: *beep*
Saito: "File: Freeport one Loan."
VIC: "Loading file."
Saito: "Freeport one... hmm... so much time passed."
Saito: "Nice to have bussines there once more."
Saito: "VIC! Set autopilot coordinates to Freeport one - Omega three."
VIC: "Confirmed."
Saito: "Start engines and fly there. If any criminals try to stop us set automatic defense protocol online."
VIC: "Confirmed."
Saito: "Wake me up when we're in Cambridge."
VIC: "Confirmed."
Saito closed his eyes and sleeped.
VIC: *alarmsound* "We reached Cambridge Mr. Yamada."
Saito: *yawn* Yeah. Fly to Freeport one and use my voicerecords to ask for docking permission."
VIC: "Confirmed."
Saito went to the window. A lot of time has passed since he was here.
He lived "the Zoner way" when he was here last time.
Some of his old memories came back.
VIC: "We reached Freeport one."
Saito took his long grey coat.
Saito: "VIC. Voice record. Start."
VIC: *beep*
Saito: "Good day Mr. Finch. As you already noticed I've reached Freeport one."
Saito: "Let me know when you have time to meet."
Saito: "VIC! Record end."
VIC: "File recorded"
Saito: "Convert file into text message and send it to Bernard Finch."
Quote:![[Image: scsheader.png]](http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/3366/scsheader.png)
Good day Mr. Finch. As you already noticed I've reached Freeport one.
Let me know when you have time to meet.
Yamada out.
![[Image: scsfooter.png]](http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/7788/scsfooter.png)
VIC: "File sent."
Saito went out of his Yacht. He made a little walk through the corridors of the Freeport.
He was here many times before. But everything lookes so different.
After a few minutes he went back to his yacht. Waiting for a reply from Bernard Finch.
When the message arrived Bernard was walking along the construction site of the new stock marker hall with a couple of engineers discussing something he barely understood, but tried to understand, to learn and to live along with the fact that the new supporting frames will be 1,41% more solid then the old ones but will add significant difference to the costs. Bernard hardly understood how there may be over ten tons of people at the stock market at the same time jumping to create a certain force, but according to what one of those guys said, they can do it without danger of something Bernard had no idea of.
While this obligatory walk was boring as hell, the perspective to meet mister Yamada was quite promising and definitely more entertaining. In that case Bernard asked for an excuse and left the site in direction to the elevators, sending a message from his private communicator.
The question was if mister Yamada prefers Bernard's office or a restaurant of a kind. Bernard clicked "Send" button on the screen and let the elevator move him upstairs to the apartments where he had a chance to obtain a clear shirt before the meeting he hardly not had the guts for, but just the meeting that made him feel a bit nervous.
Saito was working on SCS's financial stuff when he got interrupted.
VIC:
"Incomming Transmission."
Saito opend it and smiled.
Saito:
"Well. Finch found some time for me."
...he said with a bit of sarcasm in his voice.
He thought about the questions he wanted to ask.
The location for the conversation did not matter for him.
Fast he hammered a message down on his pad.
Quote:
Hello Mr. Finch,
To be honest I do not matter where our conversation will take place.
If you like we can meet at your office but it would be a pleasure if you give me a little tour.
I'm not just here to see what the loan is used for.
I also would like to talk with you about business.
Yamada out.
Saito yawned and continued his work.
Mister Yamada was sending messages in quite the wrong second. The construction site was remarkably warm and as a result Bernard was hopping along pulling off the left sock when the communicator started to beep again. Bernard was lucky enough not to fall down during all the acrobatics, sweared and sat down to answer. "Hm, wherever you want. I can use a bottle of water, I suppose", he thought while printing. "So, let it be in the restaraunt on the third floor in half an hour" - it won't be too much and still will let him to use the shower. Satisfied with such a wise decision he headed to the adjoining room and reached out for the panel to open the door to bathroom when heard the murmur and a low female voice singing something. Bernard only sighed and returned to the wardrobe to get a pair of fresh socks and a shirt.
Ten minutes later Bernard was smoking in the evelator on the way down, obviously having no idea what to expect, but more or less ready to show up not so good results of the long work. He still missed the simpler times, but for now everything was fine.
Again "VIC" told Saito that he got a message.
"Slowly this voice annoys me.", he thought.
He stood up his comfortable seat and went to his dressing room.
"Seems like this guy is a bit anxious."
"No need to look to business-like."
He grabbed his old leather jacket and a jeans.
Saito: "VIC! Message to Finch. Start."
Saito: "Well, I will be there."
Saito: Send!
VIC: "Confirmed."
Saito left his Yacht and went to the restaurant Bernard told him about.
He took a seat there and watched the clock.
He was a bit too early.
He leaned back and closed his eyes.
Again he thought about the stuff he has to talk about with Bernard.
A minute later a waitress came to Saito.
Waitress: "Hello sir. I might bring you a menu card?"
Saito: "No thanks madam. I'm waiting for Mr. Finch. But I'm a bit early. Just a glass of water for now."
Waitress: "Of course sir. Should I inform him that you already arrived?"
Saito: "No need to stress this guy more than he already is, hai?"
Waitress: "Okay sir. I will bring you the water."
The Waitress went to the bar and came back with a glass and a bottle of water.
Saito: "Thanks madam."
She went back to the bar again.
Saito nipd' his water leaned back again and closed his eyes.
"Mister Yamada, I suppose?", the restaraunt wasn't crowded today and that man in his grey-haired ages wasn't hard to find and the waitress did her best to make sure Bernard won't fail at this important mission. "My name is Bernard Finch. Now I can welcome you at Freeport One personally."
Bernard sighed to himself and smiled to Yamada.
Saito opened his eyes and looked confused at Bernard.
He yawned and streched his arms up.
Saito: *yawn* "Sir? Can I help you?"
Seemd that he woke up Saito.
Bernard could facepalm but it would be too impolite against the possible investor and a man in his at least high fifties. So he just repeat what he said, then nodded to waitress awaiting nearby and added, "Gwen, please, bring coffee for me and mister Yamada, we can make some use of it."
Saito had to laugh.
Saito: "I'm sorry Mr. Finch. Seems I worked to long yesterday."
He nipd' his water cause of his dry mouth he got everytime he had a sleep.
Saito: "Nice to meet you. I have a lot questions and ideas Mr. Finch."
Saito: "Take a seat please and tell me about Freeport one."
Saito: "It's not the first time I visit Freeport one but I noticed that radical changes where made here."
"Well, what part of story would you like to know? I was there for quite a long time even before all the hell started - as the man passing by, as Zoner Defence Force member, as the one to bring here people and fix the station after Corsair Empire", he pulled a face, "brought their fleet of Praefects, Legates and Osirises to assault it, and I was there before when joint forces protected the system from the Corsair Brotherhood and then were screwed by three bretonian battleships."
At that moment the waitress arrived with a coffeepot and two cups, stumbling over the chair nearby and holding the tray all the way in the direction of the table where Bernard and Saito were waiting. Unlucky, one of cups reached the ground and became ten pieces of cup.
"Ehm, two Zoners, one cup", Bernard sighed, "Don't worry, we have plenty of them, so bring another one, please", he added while putting the coffeepot and the intact cup on the table.
"So, mister Yamada, you are right, Freeport One is going to change rapidly - as a station, as a Zoner station and as a place where Zoners work on the end prior to means. Let's try this aromatic drink and I'll guide you to what we're working on now."