[font=Verdana]Nikolaus "Tink" Tinkerer and
Vladimir "Wires" Kostakov
To speak of these two men in separate stories would be blasphemous. They were born in the same shady hostel, at about the same time, they played hide-and-seek in Pittsburg's abandoned facilities together, and eventually both got hired by DSE as technicians, worked for about a decade with passion and dedication, and in the end they both got fired. "Labor Shortage" they said.
For such technically-inclined men, joining the Junkers seemed as the only logical solution.
In my entire existence I have never seen such different individuals, with such opposite personalities getting along that fine. Inseparable, like the two sides of the same coin, they complimented each other in more ways then one.
Nikolaus was a mountain of a man, his massive overweight body standing about two meters tall, he liked to eat a lot, drink a lot and pump iron in his spare time. He also used Cardamine to enhance his constitution and heal faster, since he always looked for new ways of linking himself with his ship's controls; thus various plugs and connectors grafted into the flesh allowed him to fly ships without even moving.
At the same time, Nikolaus was a quiet, meditative and solitary fellow who did not leave the safety of his ship too often.
The other side of the coin, his inseparable friend was even stranger. Small, thin and wiry, talkative beyond annoyance, Vladimir was constantly busy and always in trouble. Gambler, smuggler, risk-taker, con artist, thief...He was in love with life, with women and parties. Constant Cardamine runs between Cape Wrath and Rochester supplied him with all the money he ever needed and as such, he was spending them faster than a Cruiser burns fuel.
[font=Verdana]Talking about the Junker brothers in the "let's talk about Junkers" thread, a while ago
Let me introduce my Junkers.
Nikolaus Tinkerer, Captain and pilot of "The Rustbucket" Armored Transport.
Vladimir Kostakov, Captain and pilot of "Dirty Sally" Pirate Train
They were raised in simple working-class families, they grew up together and they worked for DSE for about 10 years, making it to the "Employee of the month" wall of fame frequently. Yet they were fired without real reasons. That's what you get for bleeding and slaving for about a decade.
Naturally, they were not pleased and in the confusion of the moment, wanted revenge. Since they were both technologically-inclined they joined what seemed the best choice. The Junkers. All the freedom and tech they could ever want.
***
-Vladimir is a bit cold-hearted. He loves smuggling "C", making cash, living large, spending money, buying all the new tech and shiny things. He likes being surrounded by women (well-paid, beautiful women) and could not care less about the world around him, as long as he's living good.
-For him, technology means buying the best devices for the job, from a smuggler, and connecting it all together with the minimum fuss.
-While he's not the smartest guy around, he can talk you into buying the Pequena Negra or the Manhattan Docking Rings, if he sees profit in that.
-However, being in love with humanity (albeit just the female half of it) he does not enjoy killing. Robbing you blind, yes. Murdering you, no.
-He thinks "Junker For Life" and he really means it.
***
-Nikolaus is a guy with mixed feelings. Usually he is emotionally unstable, yet that is somehow keeping him focused. He likes the solitude of his ship and spends most of his time exploring around or tinkering with whatever is at hand. He often cries over the fate of the world and dreams that he could change it, make a difference. He does not care much about most of the people, and thinks that somehow, they deserve their fates. Thus, with no respect for life whatsoever, he could kill you without even blinking. Killing a person is just like unplugging a useless piece of machinery, to make room for some other piece of machinery that actually does its job properly.
-For him, technology means stealing or scavenging old pieces of junk that are totally inappropriate for the job and then tinkering and tuning them until they do said job, about as good as an expensive device.
-He is rather smart and keeps reading all kinds of stuff, however, most of it are technical manuals. He could debate with you over any subject, but would rather use that time in a more productive manner. Say, rewiring some power conduits.
-He probably COULD talk you into buying the Pequena Negra or the Manhattan Docking Rings, if he sees profit in that, however he would most likely shoot you instead, to save some time.
-He thinks "This world is a nice place, too bad there are people all around screwing it up" and he really means that.
-Lately he thinks about leaving the Junkers and joining a better cause. Perhaps the SCRA. Maybe something can be done for this world after all.
***
[font=Verdana]It was Late Monday Morning on Rochester... of course, while in space, notions like "morning" have no meaning. Alas, the human body needs some kind of synchronization, and as such, Sirius Time existed. So, even if the sun was always scorching the metal walls of your pirate base, making you feel like a bunch of rats cooking in a pot, you could still have things like "Midnight"
As I was saying, it was late Monday Morning on Rochester and the rusty metal corridors echoed and creaked with Nikky's thundering footsteps. A huge electric lantern in his hand was casting trembling shadows within the darkest corners, a wide array of tools were swaying and dangling, strapped to his belt, stuffed in numerous pockets and even in his boots, in a symphony of metallic noises, accompanied only by his happy whistling. The behemoth was taking his time, walking slowly towards the docking bays where Sally was still having her beauty sleep.
The only problems was that Sally was actually "Dirty Sally", a grimy and utterly rusted Pirate Train. A trillion-billion years worth of beauty sleep would have been useless in the desperate attempt of beautifying this ship, yet such things are just minor nuisances to Junkers.
Nikolaus walked around the huge train, checking its aproximative structural integrity, tightening a few metal clamps here, doing a quick spot of plasma welding there and then stopped, admiring it with a rather satisfied grin on his face.
He climbed aboard, the metal catwalk groaning and protesting under his weight, rivets screeching and popping loose...
"Computer... authorization code zero-zero-niner-omega, power up, engine, avionics, nav check, weapon system diagno...
"Coolant flow error...
Engine Oxygen Intake Jammed..
Air filters malfunction...
Life support at minimum efficiency..."
The big man growled and headed to the engine deck. With a colossal thump he slammed his huge boot against a tangled, nightmarish bundle of conduits, shafts and ducts that were traversing the whole ship.
The engines sputtered, choked, spat out some space debris and finally climaxed into their usual thunderous routine.
All systems normal.. The computer spoke, in the usual soft yet impersonal female voice, that computers tend to have.
Yet again, with a wide, satisfied grin on his face he returned to the command deck, while roaring into his neural net intercom:
"Wires, where in the blue blazes are you? Get here NOW!"
Somewhere, deep within Rochester's dormitories, Vladimir "Wires" Kostakov, quickly jumped in his boots, spent a couple of seconds to wink and blow kisses at the two sleeping women in his bed bunk and finally, trying to get dressed while running he scurried like a rat within the dark maze of the base, instinctively heading for the docking bays.
"Rochester, Junker two-two-zero, taking off, destination Mull, Cape Wrath and Back. See you soon folks"
Dirty Sally launched with a groan, scraped the hangar doors on her way out, bumped some innocent asteroids and finally stabilized herself.
"-Next time, I'm leaving without you, I swear!
-U-huh, like you could ever do this without me as your navigator!
-Oi, oi! ... don't even dare go there, lad, least you want to anger me!
-Yeaaah, like that time, when you left for Montezuma, and two weeks later you ended up on Cadiz?
-Ye scrawny little rat, how dare you say that!...
-Aaaaaw, shuddup!"