The Hooptie.hauler a Z series train was docked to Rochester station having superconductors loaded on by vary methodical loader bots.
Watching them work was an exercise in patience, much more enriching then recording personal logs. James prefers writing in the form of notes and business contracts.
He looked at a ledger labelled black meaning the ledger that you couldent find when he putit away that had everything on it. His past deals, every.. single... one..., were put down by complete sorted detail.
He was putting in the comment field Biggest bribe ever paid... he had problems with the word bribe. he affixed the transaction data.
Saving the ledger he entered another entry for 85 Million to Serenus that Zoner... woman? From the Omegas. She was clearly one of the oddest and strangest creatures he had ever met but her massage skills fixed his back and quite frankly no chiropractor ever has succeeded.
Her business sense in meeting personal needs was also uncanny.
Closing the ledger and sticking it in its special spot he made his way to the control room to a small back office with a personal terminal that was open and auditable. 125 Million to... orphans of liberty.. 85 million to service industry shares in start up company.
Alright, Going to send a mail to Bret asking about frequency of suicidal episodes this month.
~ Bret,
This is your therapist, have you tried your meditation tapes yet? I hope so... if not I feel as If I might have to prescribe some medication for you. I checked with cryer and thus far your iron deficient blood doesn't seem to be a problem with these anti depressants. That being said I want you to only take half a pill.
Do yourself a favor and stay out of further stressful situations including being shot at.
As a friend.... I worry but that's my problem....
Ill drop of the meds in your congress box at the shipyard in PR. PICK THEM UP!~
He closed the terminal. Got up and changed his jacket and sat down in the helm position flipping on the holds security feeds seeing the loader bots where done loading and suddenly began playing rock, paper, scissors.
He punched the intercom. +Boys! Stow yourself s I'm getting underway! If your damaged ill be pissed!+
He started the engine start up routine loading a course to Cortez.
Fingers tabbing the lit buttons of pre programmed courses and tapping commit.
James put on his radio headset and patched in his local feed to his Logging Recorder.
Computer affix timestamps to this log.
He takes a deep breath.
Well I did it. If the Arbiter finds out about my little deal with the Padua rouges they might drum me out. Not a biggie. I don't want to be in this train forever and I want to explore and sight-see and quite frankly self sufficent equipment and workshops cots to much to just stick in a faux do-it-yourself deck on a train.
He un docked and connected to the congress net... They were out and about today...
I need shielding from radiation.. who better to ask then the shipwrights who live and play in dark matter clouds? Frankly though this will take a lot of deals with the devil... Though their not bad boys just shrewd. I need to be thankful they even took the money and are doing what their intending to do with me.
He thought for a moment.
In all the years of me studying people on Manhattan and being in space it goes to show that no matter where you are, you have to be useful, you have to fill a need and master the impulse not to burn your bridges until it is completely necessary.
The hell of other people doesn't get better in space, but the rouges and molly's on par are predictable in the fact that they like you if your useful and dont crap where you do business. Quite frankly more trust able then any lawful authority I've had the opportunity to meet. Who'd sell you out for a promotion or to fill a quota.
he frowned.
McDowel Salvage is still operating even though Eva has went over the fence. Not sure what shes after... If anything. I only hope shes following her own way whitch I only have the fact her chaotic behavior on par has not changed.
The train was underway as the cruise engines engaged he let the auto-pilot steer her out of the way of any large dangerous masses in the Jersey field.
Thinking of putting the Eagle on sale, 40 million in weaponry two million in ship... I'm not bad in a fighter I just throw out my damn back every time I get into a turn and burn fight. Back pain... The only reason I'm doing any of these back curtain dealings is so I don't throw my back out and I have a masseuse on retainer for the rest of my life... Even if she does look like an albino demon from the divine comedy.
He thought about what to say to finish the log.
I think whatever comes of it. I gave it a try... at the vary least I know theres a huge Zoner hospidal ship out there that might need a psychotherapist... Zoner life though... Its.. not.. stimulating..
He shut off the log and switched to the radio.
+Well whats everyone up to today?+ A congressman asked.
Rotating easily and grabbing salvage out of a field in New Berlin the new reliscened Hooptie.Hauler (Now a Salvager Frigate) is using is mandibular arms and cran hooks to pull apart hulks for good scrap.
James was starting to drift off to sleep when he had the idea to record a log.
He switched his radio to local and begain recording.
"Today I got up late, enjoyed that, and finished the shakedown on this frigate." james punched a few controls on the video input.. found them to not be quite working correctly and decided the log didnt need his old face on it anyway.
"I proceeded to New Berlin curious to see if there was any ore for sale in omega 7 barring it was empty of activity when I passed by I dropped off the mining equipment and headed to this scrap field, being called enroute by the Vagrant Raider transport.. err. ... crap Well It was thier Boss. or A boss. and he needed a seller for some gold ore he had. Because apperantly republic shipping bases are not feesable ports to the VR. Long story short .. *sighs* "
He paused and looked at his coffie. Sniffed it. the heat had left it long ago.. it didnt keep him from dozing off.
"Eva was hanging around kruz.. and we talked a little. Found out her reasons for her charity work with the military of Rhineland, typical well to do attitude. for someone who has accomplished so much on her own she has some of the strangest methods of fleecing herself and her self-worth. Broken hearts be damned. you can bruise a heart.. but everyone does stuff for love that never make sence when you do them."
The hull was registering 2900 tonnes, almost full.
"Eva escorted me for my fencing of the ore for the Vagrants. Talked. told her Rochester bar was dry in her absence, ectera. Delivered the profit to the raiders for said ore and I paid my escort for her duty to my safety of me and my business dealings."
James started to button up his coat and bring the con chair into position. he had spent an additional 2 million credits on lumbar support seating and newer droid assistants for his crew. Also his bedroom on the ship was a magnificent mess, not set up yet but it was the bedroom he had intended to "sleep in till I die".
"I didnt make any money on that trip at all. i waived my fees and profit to make a kind impression on the raiders. Call it vested interest, paid ahead of time. I dont know when or if ill ever need a favor from these people.
Eva said a Scylla is a terrible retirement vessel... After getting my hands on the deck by deck prints of the cruiser I have to agree, the halls are cramped and the quarters are mid evil in concept. I have this sinking feeling ... in a year Im going to go Zoner. Drop all my assets into my brothers accounts and being the senior brother get into the Corvo Cruiser I've always wanted and sail the stellar winds.
Gods that sounds boring... On the other hand you can put a swimming pool on the thing.
Well Im going to deliver this scrap. I dont think that It would matter where I got a cruiser class ship. I dont care for the capabilities of her systems just that I can brave areas of intense radiation. If it was about scanning and taking samples THIS ship would be fine, but her hull, no matter how its braced and reinforced cant cut it in the deep reaches of space.
I had an old woman on gran caneria tell me I reminded her of some Admiral of a mobile Freeport when I said that to her. I saw a Juggernaut once back in 806 or 7.. god that was a long time ago. The ship was so massive, but the fact wasn't just its size it was the fact it was alive with people inside living their lives. I only know a handful of people and i sure as hell would worry myself into the grave about their well being IF I was flying or commanding such a thing."
The hold was full now. He began setting course for tripoli, sending a message ahead to be ready to receive X amount of scrap by the ton.
"I'm not a governor or a leader. I'm just old. nearly 59 and wanting to get some things done before Its too late."
He turned off the recording and switched his radio back to intercom and external and initiated the cruise engine sequence.
He paused and added to the log.
"Pretty ladys and old men are bad for profit, they dont mix nor should they ever figure into the bottom line. Add future exchanges of said nature to be labled ... "Moral investments."
The hooptie was moored to Rochester idly handling passing pieces of scrap. Incinerating useless pieces in favor for good material. Jim was handling an inactive artifact ha had come across in Dublin. Apparently it had been his great grandmothers.
Annie was what everyone called her. She was a woman of some controversy as family history went. William the great had died and the family had hit some major trouble and moved to Leeds of all the places to pick. New London just wasn't safe.
The trinket was given to him by his uncle Monty. A gold miner who had lost several sons to the mollies, not killed but, they joined up as soon as they saw what the BMM did to IMG's miners from time to time.
Jim had grown up in Liberty specifically because his own parents were vary hard working but desired an environment that weren't so horribly charged.
The family split off around 750 before he was born. Gaians Mollies Outcasts and Corsairs were too much for some members of the family.
Most still lived in leeds and Dublin, Uncle and cousins there. Jim was in school when his father was widowed in the 800-801 "troubles". Jim sr met a zoner and they had another family. But he always remembered that Great Grandma Annie was a zoner.
Why she would hold onto an artifact like this when they were highly prized and dangerous to be caught with no matter where you are piqued his interest when Monty offloaded it to him.
Some strange about how Monty said"Your baby face is getting wrinkles and if I get another cast steel body part some of the boys around here will mistake me for a loader bot, so your old enough to hold onto it."
That and he had to change his name from Smith back to Mckenna...
James put his radio to local loop and recorded a log.
"I have annies paperweight now. I used to stare at it when I was little. Grandma was livid when id steal it from the attic. So much old stuff of up there. I blame the fact there was so much historical junk up there on me being a junker now."
he rubbed his nose and fumbled with the artifact.
"Its small, has what looks like gold plate on the outside, and in French is says Remember on it. probably wont be a vary popular thing now , French that is."
Jim held the artifact with both hands in his lap looking outside thinking about his grandmother and what she said about her own mother.
"Gramma Sara would say... Jamie, your great grandma was a stubborn beautiful woman. I never saw her smile without holding her stone so leave it alone!"
He smiled
"That worked for about a week. The only images I saw of her was when she was vary old but she was long gone before I started talking."
He remembered that even Sara smiled rarely. Laughed alot sure. but smiling, no. her own family was cut down in space over a period of time. All she had left when she passed was his dad Monty. and uncle Javis. Who really wasn't related but apparently were family friends... who rarely visited on account of being zoners.
"Im almost 59 years old and I haven't a good grasp on where im going. I think its because I want to know more about where I came from. And-"
There was a hum coming from his lap, the artifact was glowing, rather then toss it he was intrigued it was a little too late when the terror crept in. Everyone else who had managed to activate an artifact turned into mutated monstrous freaks or mentally screwed up.. but he was half way realizing thing as he slipped into what looked like a coma.
The log recorder recorded 2 minutes of silence.. and stopped.
"It was my birthday yesterday. I sort of just let it go by. no one around, was in the wrong part of space but I was formally instructed to head to leeds for dinner sometime this month."
"I cant talk about what I "remember" Not yet."
"Though thinking about and talking about The Way... its put into perspective everything thats ever happened in my life, and it might send me straight tot he poorhouse as a toll for such clarity. Philosophy is dangerous when it makes perfect sence."
"Is this what happened to Eric? Did he formulate something that made sence to him? That sent him to killing whoever and whatever made him feel better? hell I dont even know if hes alive right now. Doesent matter... hes lost but."
"For the first time ... ever... I think I finally .. for a split moment. Found myself."
*shuffling noises and grunting as the volume level of the audio adjusts.*
Holy cow... I completely forgot about this thing.
I dont understand how my memory works sometimes. I guess we all get busy from time to time and forget to record our thoughts. In this case I left this log pad laying around the control chair and when those Punks in Hessian bombers showed up and split my baby in two and.. almost me with it I found it!
I picked it up on my way to my... overused... Escape pod. I usually stay inside her when theres a huge hull breach or if the engine core wont shut down or eject.
This is not going to sound good for a psychotherapist to say but.. I got.. red.. mad.. terrible hatred.. flooded out of all ends when those two stopped me. As if I dont move from pointless place to place getting Mollys toilet paper and gingam for dresses. Breathers and eye injectors for rouges and outcasts too far from home. No it all doesn't matter HOW much work you do.. How many friends you have..
How many shields you have. Two bombers with punks for pilots. and entire clan of friends who get blasted BECAUSE of you biting it...
*he sighs..*
Fell bad these people liked me enough to go on .. get shot.. because.. I myself.. got shot.
They aren't there for you when you need them the moment it happens and thus compelled like a tribe of unbuntu warriors to throw spears at the tank rolling through the jungle.
The two punks got iced by a professional the congress has.. one of many however.. this was ..what you would call.. top of the list..
So.. I felt honored and glad the punks died at great experienced. But... I should of let them shot me.. and I should have paid them.. and.. not blown up.. got everyone mad.. and foolishly hurt.. by my misfortune.
* a long pause.. *
I think its time to automate my runs.. I asked for help from the Sentient machines in baffin to rewire my ships to work by remote and be virtually intelligent. And ... its time to.. enact my retirement plans.
Im not leaving Purto Rico until I can talk to Holiday about the mind wipe reversal research I want to do.. and complete before I die..
Im being watched... Not paranoid.. I spent a week on the Hawaii and some agent of theirs managed to visit me in the middle of the night in my room because the new Mods installed on their doll maker weren't making their slaves submissive enough or someone wasn't using the right setting making them into cabbages.
If I wasn't found through the congress.net or on my usual ships they would find me... enforce the contract i signed (it was either get paid to do it or get killed for free) and I would go to some meeting spot on some pilgrim (this is why I hate them and ill never..never..never own one.)
They see Me trying to get my hands on a ship that can disappear for decades and up at a time and it will probably be covered in bombs and sabotage of all sorts. Telling those sick bastards I quit is the goal. No more dolls. No more damn help. oh and top of that screw you im going to fix it and give the technology away for free!..
"Oh well Mr.Smith would you like the horrible death in bullets or rabid ducks with boiling urine and napalm in your eye sockets as you die?"
If Holiday can get the cruiser built to my specifications complete with the labs and therapy centers Ill have a clean.. new mobile headquarters for patients and if the research is fruitful... de fragmentation of labotamised minds and heavily traumatized torture victims.
And in weeks.. not years..
The ship is a cruiser too.. this isnt some piece of crap we pulled together thats "good enough" or some pious and butt hurt junker starts in "you got some problem with junker ships?" No your piece of shat doesn't run on love and wishes.
Spend as long as I have being blown up in them. Oh wait you wont cause youll be dead.
I can work with anything.. and keep it running if possible.. But to actually HAVE a NEW ship built to specifications that last in all the right and wrong conditions. The ability to fix itself?
Im not out to start a war. I want to live comfortably and thats that.
And ... Im not in a hurry to tell the congress. This ship is a personal mission that may interfere with some of thier cattle running interests. I have worked with quite a few but junker nature is that.. if you want to make money.. trust a junker.. if you want to save the world or absolve yourself of your sins... as long as it doesn't hurt business.. trust a junker.
If you want someone to care.. you cant trust a junker. Were all dirty we only show you the stains we want you to.
There is reliability and honesty... as long as you dont contradict someone opinion. Thus far. I trust them withing their ability to be trusted. I know what to pass on and what to be silent about.
The Estium.. Needs to stay a secret.
Guns that blow holes through anything and everything. Cardimine. Slaves. Dolls. Artifacts... these things are used to pay for dirtier and more exclusive favors.
So I need to trust a philanthropist with a work ethic. Someone who has come across victims of my research.. and victims of my research and technology I sold.
John Holiday is the only one.. his Med Force One facilities are an impressive amount of care packed in such a ship. believe it or not.. a Juggernaut isn't large enough for some emergency's... but its better then racks in a cargo bay.. which is what Id be working with if I had to use a pilgrim or some other improvised specifications.
On second thought.. I'm going to get in the bulldog and move to the family's stash in Dublin. least Till I get a meeting date for the good Doctor.
The recording starts up a little fuzzy but comes clear.
Sooo.. Im starting to think running consumer goods to arranmore is just a damn exscuise for me to blow money on gold ore.
This runt.. corsair.. tries to shape down my newly drone remote Exspress hauler for money cause i had a hold half filled with gold.
The BMM was sitting there chuckling probably under his breath. Im starting to hope Packies .. "hackjob" on the kruger and BMM drones is worth it in the long run.
yeah I was pissed to all hell... logged out Express and logged into my recycler. results of battle? A gunboat razor blew both stabilizers off the poor thing.
I dont mind my toys being broke. I mind me being broke.
The apartment here on Canaria is vary pretty. I never thought id enjoy being planet-side.. well..besides curaco.. but curaco has those massage therapist triplets in the senatorial suites.
Saw a vary interesting colony on the elevator ride. Virulian Enclave... cyborg city.
Think I may pay them a visit for project estium.
*he paused*
I guess i cant get away from it but i had another dream about the babylon... Grammes brief stay was summed up in one page on her memoirs I found.. as.. "memorable".
Apparently.. the creature they had made it home.. The dream itself was.. short about the ship and more about the families the survived it being destroyed by the Royal Navy.
I have.. another cousin out there.. Javis. were vary similar. that much I can surmise.
Hes out there somewhere.. Not sure but.. I feel his ship is on its way back.
leonard confessed to me today he WASENT DEAD. The farkin fool.
I sware to god the cying man bullcrap is going to kill me and him.. he took my advice and I took the 80 million he had to repaint reregistere and reformat his ship systems.. I named the ship Tolomon.Sol after the first earth interstellar probe misson.
Geeky.. but no one will suspect a homicidal trauma case with guilt issues would fly such a thing.
Im not fully abreast on the details.. but as far as I can tell.. Finn.. who is essentially Eva's psychological antimatter met the girl in Puerto Rico. Along with the Vagrant Raiders Spyglass.
I had thought they had all gone scattered tot he wind or were absorbed into the hellfire legion but... I suppose not..
So Finn and Eva have words. They are the typical passive aggressive threats... Except ... The congress owns.. the system.. all of it.
So rather then trading quips and let that be that i see as some point they leave and some dufus what weve had problems with before appears and blows a hole in finns ship and that made him even angrier.
Like a bull in a beehive one sting had made him.. and by virtue crow pissed off at everyone in the incident.
The result? A ONE BILLION CREDIT BOUNTY.. with the smallest payoff on the guy who actually blew finn up.
Theres some major psychological issues out here in space and I think this whole mess is going to cost me my good standing if I say one word of reason.
I know eva is sick of the congress.. hell at times the sheeple mentality we have utterly disgusts me.. and recently in my own misfortune has led them all to bloody noses.
I guess id like to see more objective thinking... Rather then gang mantailty in the congress. less mafia.. more actual senatorial influence.
If im a congressman I want to feel like that.. not some stooge that just listens to Jack or to Finn cause thier damn feelins are hurt.
I agree with the operations we've started on kusari.. they dont seem to have plans for the good of our business and by virtue.. Kusari has successfully divided Sirius in half with overtures of embargo against liberty.
This is headed for a bigger war. Not a lasting peace. Ive pulled and scrubbed more blood off of rhineland and liberty hulks in the past year then I ever want to see. The scrap is good. But.. The blood is the same color on both sides.
*he starts a dictation.*
"Eva... I dont know the specifics but their really pissed at you now. I am living on Gran Canera now.. tiny apartment.. HUGE rent.. until my mental Hospital is up and running. Its a nice neutral place to hide out."
"I dont know if you intend to fight back or.. wait.. Finn has levied a large bounty on you.. not just..the maelstrom.. but...everything...you..own.. I suggest you get the girls somewhere.. neutral? I dont think sensor disruptive clouds will cut it this time hun."
eighty-seven... send that to Eva through the hospitals network so it looks like a consult.
*theres a beep and a soft electronic "acknowledged" recorded*
I left a sizeable message about the Purto Rico mess on the congress data net. I may or maynot be a congressman HA.. erm..
I told leonard to track her down and give her some messages for me... Telling ya that girl has issues and it doesent take a shrink to see this. I just know that the larger space community is deaf about mental diseases. Doesent make you sub par or stupid its just a legitimate concern.
*the sounds of a door sliding open and going outside.. traffic.. people.. birds..*
On another note I am here with tinny. waiting at the curb for this.."limo" John is sending. Have to use a cane today. Back hurts.. slept on it wierd last night. Tinnys orthopedic mitts arent human hands so they can only help so much.
The recorder pops on the sound of the news playing in the background.
The tablet being handled.
"Stupid, back..."grunting..
The meeting with Doc went well. Hes going to assist the building of the Corvo Medical Cruiser. The plans for the Slave rehabilitation labs were barely glanced. Some folks.. might think its a doll processor.... Last thing I suppose TAZ would need is bad press.
Haven't gotten any mail from the Stepsons... I'm sure... My cousin is due out of Newgate soon... and hes going to want his ship out of lockup. its a Pilgrim... I HATE... pilgrims..
Their a gang of smugglers and slavers... their the ones I went to for money when I needed it... The problem here...is there no forgetting or being forgotten. Cousins a boss but I have no idea how many bosses or members they got... its a good reason to not speak ill of certain people... certain practices on certain bases and certain company...
I understand that sounded nebulous. They are deliberate as...Geology... in their business.. And to be honest when I asked my cousin if the stepsons would care... he wasn't sure...
I have to admit if I woke up someones step ford wife or sex toy from their brainwashed torpor... Id have more to fear from them then the guild or whoever they bought them from. But the trade will always flow..this...I am sure... monsters will never settle for bot's or A.I.'s..They crave flesh..
But whats important is my diagnosis.. Surgery... and depending on how fast I recover and heal it could be as long as six months.
My reading... is a pile of 20 books... One on Eris... a few I haven't finished yet.. Some other subjects mostly things keeping me up to date on therapy's.
Itll be the first chew toy on not going insane from having nothing to do but...recover...
Another uncomfortable news is.. I am somewhat paranoid that while im out of contact someone gets the stupid idea in the congress that im squealing to the cops about all the dirty work... In that case.. I dont expect to survive the surgery...
I know enough to.. say get a few folks in trouble in.. any law abiding house....but the congress isn't a crime syndicate.. it isn't supposed to be. And I think thats what got us in so much trouble...
When I approached them I asked the question.. Mr.Trenton whats the smuggling situation?
He said to me that its a personal choice and never get caught or its "over". That was.. almost a year ago.
Congress is vary loyal to its members.. And I think us being "soft" on the ones that get caught is what called down so much hell.
Ive never been caught on my "personal" orders... I never run the risks of damaging my reputation of myself or my fellows and quite frankly I find it hard to harbor ill will to other congressmen who did get tagged by those bounty's.
I just know my back aches every time I see a bomber get near me on the express like a reminder of the last forced explosion.
But I know that... If people dont start making tough calls and make problems disappear... for all our sakes... Well... Not to sound like a snob but respectable business will find a new face.
Junkers aren't pirates.. we aren't afforded their freedom to do whatever.. kill whoever..ally with whoever we want in the moment.
I can count on one hand who gets the full weight of this and that is a high estimate... Im convinced most of those are just two stepping to orders just because they are ordered to fit orders.
Few.. get the philosophy of junkers the freedom of our existence and what it affords. Ill even wager few of us are..junkers enough to.. if all of us where culled to a handful right now? ... Junkers would turn into another pirate clan.
*sighing*
hate talking about political crap.. it kills friends and friendships.. ... Surgery's soon.. i gotta relax.
Jim screwed with the camera to append a picture to the log.
It went off... unexpectedly.. And rather then make a real picture he just left it.
-Click
So dont I look pretty?
No haircut no shave.
Just meh melon.
Im starting teh hovel about and im feeling a hell of alot better.
Who woulda known surgery really works... and in my case I find my stubbornness has not screwed up my back forever.
Though... I had my nephew take the Hopper out to sell it. I hated that thing.
The spaceport parking is a waste of credits so I can fly my Train around till Estium is complete.
And.. when im not a slob.. Ill be interviewing practitioners.
... Mike King showed up in my damn recovery room asking pointless questions about the past. That guy seriously angers me... Besides General Yarr.
I dont find it natural or pleasant to.. have seething hatred about anyone but I do. Im human.. cant help it.
Matty.. the only junker and friend I completely trusted out here who.. passed on his Salvager to me when he died... suffered so much with police. I learned after his death how LSF owned him and how he was a rat... But he never put me in trouble. he kept ME clean even when I didn't want to.
Personal sacrifice on several occasions hed go and get "taken" round the block.. Left me to fly home.
If hard work was enough to get along in this galaxy no junker I know would run hot merchandise. So.. thats where it stands...
I got a card from Serenus.. the wife Heh.. hand drawn, she must have spent a few hours on it. Shes busy as per usual. She responded well to the news about the cruiser and I showed her the plans for the loft...
Well. I suppose I can expect her home more often. She loves me but not my ships and not my associations.
She is a creature of music.. and.. flashy party lights and good times.. but ive seen the hard work that goes into her chosen career. People want mysterious and intriguing and the exotic. The whole space succubus angle i guess is whats popular... so all her pictures.. shes in that makeup and prosthetic horns.
Yeah.. I know. But she makes more money then me. ... keeps her busy... for all these years.
Im tired already... that retired Fascists visit tired me out..
-click..
Jim put the log aside and looked at an old and "normal" picture of his wife she was definitely looking better then he did at her age...
He wondered if doc holiday did any plastic surgery..