Episode 403: Catalysts and Constraints - Part Two
The women work on. Rina asks Kiera if anything in her container needs special climate controls. Kiera replies that what she has only needs to avoid exposure to space. Elsewhere on the ship, Joshua and Nika discuss their strategy for the face-to-face with Byshek. Does Nika want Joshua to go with her when she meets Byshek or would she prefer he stay on the Gift taking care of the passengers. He could set everyone up with a meal before leaving if he’s going with her. No one need go hungry because he went out.
Nika suggests we all get off ship and eat something dirtside. With a 4 week voyage in front of us, it’ll be a month before we get a chance at fresh food again.
Joshua goes to Dyson and asks if the gentleman would like to come along.
Joshua: And I hate to throw the routine off when you’ve been here for all of fifteen minutes but for dinner this evening we actually have to meet our potential source for the cargo at a local restaurant. We were hoping you and our other passenger would be willing to at least tag along to the restaurant and eat there with us.
Dyson: That sounds fine.
Joshua: That’s good.
Likewise Nika is delivering the news to Kiera. The Captain shouts down into avionics.
Nika: Hey.
Kiera: Yeah?
Nika: Kiera, y’all up to comin’ to dinner with us?
Kiera: Oh, sure!
Nika: A’right.
Rina: (from outside) Does this mean I have to starve?
Nika: (No!) Yeah!
Rina: Then you can fix your own damn sensors, Captain.
Kiera: (patting her hand through the hatch) It’s okay, Rina. You can watch us eat.
Nika: Don’t be greasy.
Yes, Rina. You can come. If you clean up first
Kiera: Aw. We gotta put on nice clothes?
Nika: No, but she can’t be greasy, that’s all.
Kiera: Well, we’ll take her down and hose her off.
Rina: Promises, promises. You know I’m already spoken for.
And the cutting up only gets worse from there. Arden twits Rina as we make off for Byshek’s restaurant.
Arden: (to Rina) You know you really need to stop going out with assassins.
Nika: What?!
Rina: What?!
Arden: You. Stop going out with assassins.
Rina: (you mean?) Joshua?!
Arden: Mike, then Joshua, then Mike again.
Joshua: I’m the Assassin of Hope. (laughs)
Rina: Wait a minute. Where’s the ‘Mike again’ part? He’s not in any of my pockets anywhere.
She does the pocket maccarena of her jacket and skirt.
Arden: But he did assassinate the President of Blue Sun.
Rina: Allegedly.
Arden: Oh, yeah. Allegedly.
Rina: And I hear allegedly you’re a doctor.
Joshua: (to Kiera) I’m not really an assassin.
Kiera: Of course not, you just play one on tv.
Oh God, it’s like herding a bunch of obstreperous grade schoolers. Nika rolls her eyes, gives thanks that they’re out of range of any eavesdroppers, and gets her crew over to the restaurant.
Byshek’s restaurant is Central and Eastern European in style and menu. Goulashes, pirougies, cabbage rolls, beets in sour cream, blinis and caviar. The dining floor is crowded—usually a good sign for a restaurant’s fare—and Kiera’s radar gives her a hard ping. On the upper gallery of the restaurant, she sees signs of gambling going on.
Kiera: Captain. Will you be needing me after dinner or will we be taking off quickly or…?
Nika: No, it will be three, four, maybe as much as five days before we get our cargo. Assuming we take the cargo.
Kiera: Oh? Five days?
Nika: Possibly. Count on four.
Kiera: I wonder if I have time to set up shop in one of those quickie shop places—all right, that’s all I need to know.
Nika: All right. See you when you get back.
Kiera: Oh, no, I’ll be sittin’ down and eatin’ dinner with y’all.
Nika gives her a good look, knowing something is brewing with the redhead. She follows Kiera’s glance at the gallery, sees the gaming and nods.
Nika: By all means. Go ahead.
Kiera: Thank you, ma’am.
Nika: See you when you get back. Keep your comms on you in case we have to take off earlier or something unexpected.
Having been given the go-ahead to gamble, Kiera is now looking forward to dinner and is comfortable catching a game later.
Looking around the restaurant some more, we notice that in addition to the usual sort of restaurant patrons, there are an unusual number of people just standing around. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that they are security goons and bouncers there to keep the peace. There is, after all, alcohol and gambling offered on the premises. They are all Chinese and all have the chiseled features of those hardened by violence. However, this does not appear to have dampened the convivial atmosphere of the restaurant. Indeed, there is animated conversation and laughter filling the dining room. Glasses clink in toasts, cutlery and china rattle gently. The goon squad apparently hasn’t made a dent in anyone’s enjoyment of the evening.
And thinking carefully, we realize we haven’t seen a single Federal Marshal or policeman or anything approaching a LEO the entire way through town to the restaurant. Joshua leans toward Nika and murmurs:
Joshua: One law is as good as the other.
Nika: Hm. Pretty much.
Nika goes up to the maitre’d and tells him that Byshek is expecting us and we’re shown to a private dining room. The table is set with the expected china and crystal and being an Eastern European restaurant, there is a regimented row of bottles running down the table to match the several different glasses at each place setting. An extra table is set with the usual beverages of coffee and tea and a side table has a computer on it. Byshek is sitting down at it, checking his books and he looks up when we are ushered in. He smiles and rises and waves us to the table. His accent is Russian and he greets us warmly.
Byshek: Ah, my friends from Gift. Come, come.
Byshek is a man who takes care of his appearance and prefers suits and snappy accessories to more casual attire. He sports a crepe silk suit that falls gracefully from his shoulders, a single button nipping in the line at the waist. Trousers clad his legs down to his sharp leather shoes. The suit is a dark purple, the shirt is the yellow of heavy cream, and there are touches of gold from head to toe: earring, tie clip, bracelet, heavy ring and buckles on his shoes. He cuts a dashing, if pimpish, figure in his slicked-back ponytail and manicured hands.
He glances aside at his computer.
Byshek: Ah yes, I read and remember you …
Nika: That’s okay.
Byshek: But I look records, you did that job for me to Meridian. There’s no problem?
Nika: No, sir.
Byshek: Everyone’s good. Everyone’s happy. You like doing business. You did what you said you would do. I appreciate that. It’s a dangerous place, Blue Sun. So I am happy to continue.
Nika: Excellent.
We take our places at the table.
Byshek: And you took out Crazy Boy for me, didn’t you?
Nika: We did.
Byshek: He okay? He survive?
Nika: Last I knew, yes.
Byshek: I haven’t heard from him. Not I was expecting him to.
Nika: He disembarked where he said he wanted to go. And that was pretty much the last we saw of him.
Byshek: Well, I must say. It was nice to have him around because he can get 200 credits every week, just going to the cash machine.
Nika laughs. 200 credits is a fortune and Byshek made it sound like a little kid’s allowance.
Byshek: But he was beginning to become more of a nuisance than a benefit.
Nika: Yeah, well. You know.
Byshek: Money is only money. Of course, if you ever cross me on money, then …
Yes. Then.
Byshek: (looking at Johsua) So you lost one person and get new one.
Nika: No, our steward is running our business groundside, now.
Byshek: Right. So we talked expedited to get these chemicals to, ah …
Nika: Highgate.
Byshek: Yes, Highgate. Should take no more than thirty days?
Nika: Sounds about right.
Byshek: And for that, I pay 20% extra. 500 credits for 100 tons.
Wow.
Nika: I’m going to let my steward take over the financial part of that.
And she passes the buck to Joshua.
Joshua: so he’s offering 500—
Byshek: Is more than fair. 20% extra. You’re lucky I’m even doing business with you. Is because we’re friends, but is not like we don’t read the Cortex when it comes through every now and then. We hear what you do. You carry assassins with you, you assassinate Prime Minister.
That makes everyone pause.
Byshek: That was you, right?
Joshua: Yeah that was actually us, in that place.
Byshek: Well…it wasn’t really you. This robot …
Joshua: There’s also that part.
Byshek: Robots everywhere now these days.
Joshua: Amazing how many robots there are.
Byshek: But. I can understand how some businessmen might be thinking “Gahhhh, don’t want to associate with people who kill Prime Ministers…” especially with what goes on in Blue Sun.
Joshua: To be honest, it seems to me that if you’re looking to avoid Alliance entanglements you might want to associate with people that may not be on the Alliance’s best side.
Kiera’s eyebrow jerks upward at this but she says nothing and continues eating. Rina decides that discretion is better than setting the record straight and keeps eating as well.
Byshek: Meet the new boss, same as old boss. That’s my view.
Joshua: Good point. 500 credits to expedite this for you. Swapping out the fuel tanks is going to cost 240, minimum. Flat. That’s half the 500 right there. And plus fuel costs we might as well not even be doing it. We’d be flying there for no particular reason other than to do you a favor. While I kinda like you—you got style, I like what you’re wearing, but—
Byshek: You do good job, perhaps more jobs in future for you.
Joshua: We were thinking more along the lines of 20% plus the cost of covering the fuel tanks to expedite it.
Byshek: You want me to give you 200 on top—700 credits?
Joshua: That’s what we’re asking. 200. Let’s say, 700. Make it a nice round number.
Byshek: 200?
Joshua: Yes, sir. It’s 200 for the fuel tanks.
Joshua smiles a little smile then sobers and looks Byshek in the eye.
Joshua: (firmly) We’ll do the job. We’ll do it right. We’ll do it quiet. But it’s costing us money we wouldn’t be spending.
Nika: Not to mention if they pull us all over …
Byshek: If they pull us over, I lose too. If my goods don’t get to market, I suffer. Not you.
Joshua: True.
Nika: But you’re payin’ us to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Byshek: Yes but you’re saying you might get pulled over.
Joshua: We’re not going to get pulled over.
Nika: No. I said the point of paying us that kind of money is that we aren’t going to get pulled over.
Byshek: How do I know this is true? You make it one time back before things go bad. (of our looks) Let’s see perhaps I can sweeten deal. I don’t know the about 200 for fuel, you could sell the fuel tanks when you are get there and so that’s money I would be giving you for nothing. but what if I have … additional business I throw your way. Business that I will only recoup a tiny fraction and you get all benefit of it?
Joshua: (guarded) Go on.
Byshek leans forward.
Byshek: I may have location of certain…let’s say … intellectual property of considerable value. Your ship probably can carry some salvage, yes? And now with the Alliance enforcing laws not so much out in Blue Sun, there is no UR to stop you from doing salvage.
UR meaning Unified Reclamation.
Joshua: Fair point. Go on.
Byshek: I happen to know of ship. It’s on one of the big Highgate, ah, how do you call, flotilla of dead ships. Ghost yards.
Rina: Orbiting debris fields.
Byshek: Ah, yes, but there is multiple debris fields.
Rina: Yes, there is.
Byshek: And there is many debris there. Very hard to find useful things. Hey, you look for scrap, no problem. But to find useful functional materials, for that you need transponder. (voice lowers) I have transponder.
Joshua: Okay. So what are you offering?
Byshek: I have transponder for a tender. A fully functional tender—well, perhaps not fully functional, but this ship repair ships during War. It get disabled. Abandoned. But every spare part … everything still on ship. Quality warship materials. Ammunitions if you wish.
Okay, he’s got Rina’s attention. She keeps her eyes on her plate however and lets Joshua do the talking. She’s got no illusions about her ability to sway people in situations like this. But oh, she wants those parts. She leans to Kiera and whispers.
Rina: (low) He knows me.
Kiera: (lower) Yeah but it’s kinda dumb to—.
Rina: It is..
Largesse like this is too good to be true. What’s the catch? Kiera comes right out and says it.
Kiera: Who knows if the ship is still there?
Byshek: Well… It is speculative. I would ask 25% of salvage. You get 75%.
Rina: All right. Got a question. So, this tender ship?
Byshek: Yes?
Rina: Can it fly out on its own power?
Byshek: Probably.
Rina: Can it be repaired to do so?
Nika: Best guess, it wouldn’t’ve been abandoned if it could fly.
Byshek: I don’t know. If you good engineer, perhaps. You bring fuel, perhaps.
Rina: That’s just it, you know. It’s a treasure chest. Why has it not been picked clean already?
Byshek: Ahhh. Because it is not in where people want to look. Is in … I don’t want to reveal too much. If you think about it, there are multiple debris fields. Not all of them are well known.
Rina: Uh-huh. Some of them are interdicted by authorities?
Byshek: No, no. Not in Highgate. Is no authority there. The big debris field at L1, that’s where everybody look. But that’s just L1. But not many know of debris fields outside of L1. You don’t go travelling through empty space looking for debris fields. Unless you know.
Joshua: So you’re offering us 500 credits, plus transponder, and 75% of the take.
Rina: Which won’t do us any good if we can’t cart it away with us because we can’t fuel up.
Joshua: (to Byshek) Okay, you’re going to have to give us a minute here.
Byshek: You will think. I go see how game goes downstairs. I have boy in game.
Byshek rises from his chair and Kiera does the same.
Kiera: I might actually wander down. What’s your table minimum?
Byshek: (suavely) I don’t know. We should check to see. You bring money to game?
Kiera: (smiling) I bring money always.
Byshek: Well and what did you say your name was?
She notices Byshek’s gaze dipping toward her cleavage and Kiera smoothes her dress down a little tighter.
Kiera: I can sell what’s underneath these and if they don’t like ’em I can make ’em different. I’ll just need about two weeks healin’ time. But…I’ll let the crew talk about such things and I’ll see what I can do about the game down there.
She gathers her little glittery evening clutch and takes her leave with the crew, admidst their delighted laughter at her comments.
Nika: Have a good time.
Arden: Ooh, perky!
Rina: Don’t burn the house down.
Kiera: We’ll see. We’ll find out if the game’s as honest as he is.
She winks and sashays out with Byshek’s escort. He leads her down to the game.
When the coast is clear, Arden immediately speculates if the tender ship is what the Lenore crew was after.
Arden: I know it’s a big Verse but coincidence is our middle name.
Nika: They weren’t looking for a tender ship as far as I know of.
Arden: They never told us what they were looking for.
Rina: (au contraire) A cache of several hundred thousand credits.
Nika: They did. It was credits.
Arden: Which this could be as well.
Joshua: I think they meant literal credits.
Arden: I never got the impression it was credits.
Joshua: I got the impression of literal pirate’s treasure.
Nika drags us back on track.
Nika: Quite frankly, number one, if it is in decent enough shape to fix up, the ship itself could be sold.
Rina: Absolutely.
Nika: If it’s not in decent enough shape, any of the salvage parts aboard are certainly worth our time.
There are parts on our ship that could stand replacing from the tender’s stores as well, and Rina’s already preparing a mental list.
Nika: Well worth our time.
Kiera might no longer be present but our other passenger is and Dyson speaks up for the first time.
Dyson: That’s an interesting character.
Joshua: I haven’t met him before either. He’s definitely a … yeah. (looks at Nika) He did right once by you guys, right?
Nika: Yeah. Everything was a square deal last time. What kind of feel are you getting off him?
She doesn’t come right out and ask Joshua if he’s Read the man, not with Dyson sitting at the table with us. Her impression of Byshek’s deal was if it were so easy to get that tender, he’d have gone after it ages ago. So the tender was more likely a speculative deal than a done deal. No telling how many people he’s sold this tale to, no telling how many bought it. Because, face it, the man is Russian underworld and hardly altruistic.
Nika: He wasn’t yanking our chain was he?
Joshua: We can certainly manage on it. It really is a question of whether you want to gamble. Whether you want to gamble him or whether you want to gamble the ship?
Nika: I’m actually willing to gamble the idea that we needed the fuel pods to be replaced anyway. We kinda knew going into this. We knew that going into Blue Sun was dicey at best anyway. So replacing the fuel pods especially considering the information we’re looking at going to find.
Joshua: And we can sell them later if we wanted to sell them.
Nika: So I’m actually game to take the cargo for 500.
Rina: What about the salvage?
Joshua: I’ll see if I can get it at 600 and 15%.
Nika: I’m willing to give him 25% of a possible salvage that may or may not be there.
Joshua: Okay. I’ll bargain him to 600 and 15.
Nika: He’ll give us the transponder code and if it’s there, great. If it’s too far out of our way we don’t bother and nobody loses.
Joshua: Right.
Arden: What if we come back and say this is your 25% and he says, no there should be more?
Nika: How’s he gonna prove it?
Good question.
Arden: How’s he not gonna prove it?
Nika: Here’s the thing—
Arden: That’s a bridge we’ll cross when we come to it.
Nika: So we lose someone who’s given us good business before. Or not.
Arden: And so does he.
Nika: Yeah.
Byshek returns after seeing Kiera to the gambling tables and Joshua picks up the negotiations.
Joshua: I think with the transponder in general we can work it out. 600 and 15% seems more reasonable than 900 and 25, especially since essentially we’re taking all the risk in salvaging the tender.
Byshek: I can give you 400 and transponder at 0%.
Joshua: (sighing) No, unfortunately in this case we need the cash up-front.
Byshek: (likewise) I don’t like having less than 25%, it’s something I need to make sure that I am in your thoughts as you’re working. People think, “Ehhh, you know it’s….”
He grimaces with an eyeroll, flaps his hands in that classic “whatever, man” gesture.
Joshua: Okay.
Byshek: We have deal?
Joshua: We have deal.
Byshek: Excellent. Let me give you dinner.
Joshua: Oh, thank you.
Byshek: Just don’t eat hundred credits.
A hundred credits? That’s a lot of food, even if it is expensive. Pass the champagne and caviar, people.
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