S02-E05 REUNION
INT. RETROGRADE GANDERS OFFICE
(ALEX, GANDER, GHOST & LATITUDE, KRIS, RUDI, SHARROW)
GANDER
So Ms FINCH, would you like
something a little stronger than
that 'Bruiser beer'.
KRIS
What have you got? To be honest I
could murder a whisky, and look,
lets cut the Ms. FINCH. It sounds
like your a headmistress and I'm
the naughty child! Let's stick with
KRIS.
GANDER
So, A hmmm let me see, oh yes.
Single malt? Rocky?
KRIS
Rocky as all hell, thank you
GANDER.
GANDER
You two want to join us?
KRIS
Are you sure they are old enough?
SHARROW
Now don't you start, we have had a
difficult couple of months.
ALEX
Yes mummy, could you warm some milk
and change my diaper! KRIS if you
could see what we've been through,
you'd be pouring that whisky for
us.
SHARROW
Yep, rocky for me too, GHOST thank
you.
GHOST & LATITUDE
Of course SHARROW coming right up.
SHARROW
Say GHOST have you met KRIS she was
our secretary way back when!
GHOST & LATITUDE
Oh, pleased to meet you Ms KRIS, we
must talk about the olden days, I
find it so fascinating!
KRIS
Well, of course anytime!
GANDER
KRIS, welcome to our home, we are
so pleased you could make it. ALEX
and SHARROW were so upset, you
should have seen the long faces,
It was like a funeral parlour!
KRIS
Well, I'm sorry I was so
unpleasant. It was such a shock, I
just couldn't bring myself to
believe you. The problem was I
couldn't fathom how anyone would
know some of the things you
mentioned, so I'm here! You have
got to admit it's a crazy story!
SHARROW
Oh, its crazy alright, but its a
good thing, otherwise we wouldn't
be talking!
GANDER
So now we are all settled in, and
in your own time of course. Can you
please tell your end of the story.
We don't want to be too pushy.
However I would point out that
these two really need some closure
on a whole load of things, and it
would be really valuable to us. We
are trying to research who brought
these two back from the 'other
side' and why?
KRIS
OK, so let me see. I take it you
know about the gunfight, and the
shoot out in the carpark.
GANDER
Yes we do. It's what happened
immediately after that event that
interests us.
KRIS
Well, I took the emergency funds we
had stashed, then I split them with
MARIE and we both got out of 'Dodge
City' as quickly as possible.
ALEX
KRIS, what happened to MAREE, not
knowing anything is killing me?
KRIS
Oh ALEX, I wish I could tell you
exactly were she is now. That's the
weird part. She went up to San
Fran, and we exchanged Christmas
Cards for a few years, then they
just stopped. That's the last I
heard. When I got some funds, which
was about five years later I hired
this PI as I thought the bad guys
might have traced her. There was
no evidence of foul play, but he
came up with zilch, she just
disappeared. ALEX I'm really sorry?
ALEX
That's OK KRIS, you did you best.
RUDI
(Whispers to SHARROW) Look I'm
sorry to sound really dense, but
who is this MAREE?
SHARROW
(Whispering) It's ALEX's partner
from earth.
RUDI
Ah, OK.
KRIS
So anyway, immediately after the
shoot out I decided to leave the US
for a few years. I went to Paris,
France. Went to art school and eked
out a living selling art to
tourists. Learn't French of course
and was considering staying there
for good. Then I met Malcolm, that
was in thirty four. We decided to
do something wild and different and
go off world, so we both signed up
for a stint on the new Moon colony.
We ended up supervising cleaning
bots. It doesn't sound glamorous
and it wasn't , but it gave us an
idea. You see the moon dust is a
real problem, keeping the cleaning
up to scratch is very important,
for both man and machine. After a
year we went contract and built up
a business.
Eventually we managed to get
several contracts for ship cleaning
and we built our company up from
that.
RUDI
Oh, did you, you certainly worked
your way up that slippery pole.
It's an amazing story, rags to
riches! Arn't you the third largest
independent ship operator?
KRIS
Well, yes we are, and its still
growing. We did it, bit by bit,
the hard way. The only major set
back was when a snake named STANK
defrauded us out of a ship
contract, we nearly went bankrupt.
MALCOLM is good with money, he
managed to get a covering loan, but
that bastard set us back several
years. We dug ourselves out of a
hole though, doing well now.
GANDER
So, how many ships do you have?
KRIS
Let, me see, we just got another
one so that makes twenty five now,
turnover is over 500 million.
ALEX
Wow, KRIS you got coin! Put it
there gurl!
SOUND OF HAND
SLAP
KRIS
Well, yes I have, theoretically,
but its all tied up, I'm not
carrying around suitcases of cash
if thats what you think. I do
however have a small present for
you!
SHARROW
ALEX, thats rude, KRIS we're not at
all interested in your money, it's
you we wanted to see.
ALEX
Yeh, but sister, you stuck it to
the man! Come on what you got in
there, oh, oh, ohh. What is it, a
little present just for me!
Oh, it has lights and a terminal
interface, thats disappointing it's
not a weapon.
KRIS
Now Ms Alex, just hold off, it's a
very expensive new toy, it's called
an a-casual quantum interface.
It's a sure fire way of
communicating which cannot be
intercepted or hacked, It's my
secure communications back to base.
Now I'm giving it to both you and
SHARROW to look after. It will
only support short text messages
but it's going to be my portal back
to you and New London. Keep it
very secure.
SHARROW
Don't worry I'll look after it
KRIS, Alex would likely drop it and
break something, thank you ALEX.
ALEX
Hang on there, I thought it was a
weapon.
KRIS
It is a weapon ALEX, information is
the weapon. First rule of War.
ALEX
I thought the first rule of war was
to win.
KRIS
Well, yes, well then its the second
rule of war.
ALEX
Your always changing the rules on
me!
LAUGHTER.
RUDI
Information is the of paramount
importance. No up to date
information and you have a good
chance of making bad decisions.
Bad decisions mean you loose.
KRIS
RUDI, she get's it, but she usually
just want's to shoot something.
It's her DNA.
ALEX
Yes, but information is all boring
and only liked by oldies. Don't
forget we are teenagers, we have
hormones and fire running through
our blood.
LAUGHTER.
KRIS
Oh, dear god, SHARROW, my
sympathies. Ms ANGEL, you just go
back to mummy, whilst us grown ups
sort out the politics.
ALEX
Sure, screw them up msore like!
KRIS
You guys, I so miss our little
banter sessions, I feel like I have
come home! Anyway I'm going to
stick it to that motherf**r, STANK,
one way or another. It's not going
to be easy though. I also hear some
very troubling rumours.
RUDI
Oh, whats that?
KRIS
Cults and black magic, possibly
even human sacrifice, all very dark
ages.
GANDER
That brings as nicely to why we,
were so interested in a meeting
with you. The enemy of my enemy is
my friend and all that. It sounds
like we may have mutual interests,
and we want to explore possible
collaboration. How much time do
you have?
KRIS
When it comes to giving STANK what
for, I have all the time in the
world. I do have a few questions of
my own though. I'm curious, what
kind of operation are you running
here?
GANDER
Well, its not really just a pub,
that's where the business started
of course. Its like an iceberg, the
inn is just the tip.
What people don't realise is that
this block was one of the original
portals used during construction of
the habitat. In fact we own the
whole block. This means that we
have considerable space below this
deck. We go down all the way to the
outside skin and that includes a
large utility dock, originally used
for loading in the habitat building
materials.
KRIS
Oh, wow, how many floors is that.
GANDER
Seventeen all told, some are double
or triple height units. As I say,
it's like an iceberg, only a small
fraction shows at the surface! We
also co own or sponsor a number of
the business around this part of
the Bencubbin.
KRIS
I did some research and it threw up
information on a small mercenary
unit. It appeared to also be co
located. Whats that all about.
GANDER
I'll let RUDI explain that side of
things.
RUDI
So KRIS, I'm the most senior
officer in the mercenary regiment
of the Royal and Cherry Blue's.
You are correct, we are a small
sized combat unit who specialise in
the technical mercenary combat. We
don't really go for the boots on
the ground large campaigns but the
more difficult highly complex
operations. That being said,
however we have grown over the
years there have been some notable
campaigns. We have our HQ directly
below this room in fact. Two
barracks male and female, armoury,
multiple store rooms for the drones
and swarms, two command and control
suites, server rooms and officer
mess.
We have four ships, two are troop
carriers the 'Do you really Love
me' and the 'Blow me a Kiss' plus
our heavy tug 'Ghost and Latitude'
and a single fast picket ship the
'Indifference to Reason'. They are
each stashed in their own vacuum
hardened bays, with lock doors. We
have essentially got everything one
needs for a small local war.
KRIS
Wow, this has to be the best
equipped bar in the solar system!
That is very interesting and
possibly aligns with some of my own
strategic thinking! Would it be
possible to have a tour?
RUDI
Of course, always happy to show off
our accomplishments.
KRIS
On the collaboration front, I think
the best way forward is for me to
understand your full capabilities
in detail and then we can start to
put together some idea's and a
forward plan. I don't think this
is something that we can or should
rush, slowly and carefully is my
motto.
ALEX
Wow, you have changed.
KRIS
Well, I'm not that young
attractive, witty but underpaid
secretary I once was. I've learned
a few tricks along the way.
SHARROW
Looks like you have. Unfortunately
not all of us learn as we grow
older do we ALEX!
KRIS
Oh, you guys, I love you! You are
definitely just the same as I
remember. OK, now where was I, Oh
yes! Let me tell you why I am in
New London. I was planning to set
up a couple of exclusive docks for
my shipping interests.
I am planning to open a new long
haul route into New London, using
four ships, two dedicated to
essential luxuries on the outbound
leg and then rare earths and
platinum group metals on the return
leg. The other two ships will run
people both in multiple categories
including Sybaritic class. I have
run the numbers and done extensive
modelling and it will be profitable
but only with cryo. It would allow
me to set up a subsidiary office on
New London, which I could perhaps
staff with some of your
recommendations. It would be
possible to divert some monies from
the legitimate operation to support
some surveillance and push back
activity on STANK interests.
That's just the first thought off
the top of my head. Lets talk
further and workshop some idea's,
as it's really important to keep
below the STANK radar, lest we get
our heads cut off. However, first I
would be really interested in
seeing your facilities and then
perhaps lunch? (Querying tone).
RUDI
Of course, GANDER has an excellent
menu which whilst it's not up to
the level of your hotel, it's not
far off. So if you would care to
come this way.
TIME PASSING
RUDI
So in conclusion, this is the
officers mess room and the adjacent
area where we commemorate those who
were lost in battle.
SOUND OF
MURMERED SERVICE
AND FOOD BEING
SERVED
RUDI
Luckily so far our wall of the lost
is not overcrowded. We tend to
pick our fights, we don't go in for
martyrdom gigs and we are known for
our Tech Merc. work. Easy in, easy
out.
KRIS
Impressive, really impressive, and
the food's good too. You have
managed to build up a significant
operation here, and you should be
proud of what you have done. To do
all this using street kids and
runaways is doubly amazing.
Something that springs to mind is
that perhaps we could sign a
contract so that your two heavy tug
ships 'Ghost and Latitude' and
'Fears Generated' plus the picket
ship, could be on a retainer. I
could use some casual cargo space
to do transfers in this region, and
it would bring in some regular
revenue to your operation. It
would also give some potential
pilot training opportunities under
real conditions, with the fuel load
being covered.
RUDI
That definitely sounds interesting,
if you send through the details I
will present it to the management
team and formally, get back to you.
I'm fairly confident that its going
to be in the affirmative.
KRIS
So folks, I need to get back to the
hotel as I don't want to be missed.
I then need to get back to Earth in
the fast picket, but I think we
definitely can work together.
(Pause) I think the first thing is
we keep our potential 'partnership'
on the low down, very low key and
build up over time.
RUDI
Agreed, we don't want the enemy to
understand that he is in fact
fighting on two fronts. OK lets
get upstairs say our goodbyes and
have a nip to celebrate our new
partnership!
INT. RETROGRADE GANDERS OFFICE.
(ALEX, GANDER, KRIS, SHARROW)
GANDER
So, I think we are agreed then, for
the time being we maintain business
as usual, keep to the routines and
show no sign of any change.
KRIS
Yes there is one other thing. I
think there is room in one of your
bays, for an extremely fast picket
ship. I would like to pre-position
it. I will send it here via a non
standard route, it will be stealth
coated and it might be good not to
inform space traffic control. It
will allow us a secret plan B for
escape options if we need it. I'll
pay to keep it maintained and
fuelled, but the money transfers
will be hidden via blockchain. We
don't want to tip anyone off right?
I'll use the a-causal link to tell
you when it has arrived, but it's
going to be about a couple of
months as its busy at the moment.
GANDER
Yes, no problem, its a good idea, I
always like an ace up our sleeve.
We do have a secret ship of our own
actually, we use it occasionally
for 'off the record' transfers of
goods. It's how we keep this
operation turning over, the pub
would not bring in enough revenue.
I'll start a new set of accounts
relating to Hedron-Finch ITG, that
way we keep everything straight and
a parallel blockchain account for
the black stuff, I'll send the
details through the box.
KRIS
Well OK then, it's been great
meeting with you all and
particularly you ALEX and you
SHARROW, we'll meet up soon, don't
you worry. Oh I'll start up
investigations on MAREE again ALEX,
you never know, we might dig up
something. Now I need to pop out
the back way, with my darkness
cloak. You do you have a back door.
GANDER
Do we have a back door! This whole
place is one big back door.
So I recommend you use the tunnel
across to the bordello, which we
also own, they have a back door,
which goes down an alley then out
on to Widmanstaten Square, then its
just a taxi back to the hotel. If
anyone sees you, you can say you
were sight seeing the rough end of
town! It's been great to meet you,
really!
KRIS
OK friends, be seeing you, come on
you two give me a hug for old time
sake!
SHARROW
(Crying) Bye KRIS great to see you
again.
ALEX
KRIS looks like you have a bigger
gun than me now. Going to miss yah.
KRIS
What you talking about, you got
your youth and a flechette, what
more could you want? Going to miss
you too. Bye guys!
DOOR OPENS
INT. RETROGRADE GANDERS OFFICE
(ALEX, GANDER, SHARROW)
GANDER
Come in girls, I have some
concerning news.
SHARROW
Great, just what we need.
ALEX
OK so what's up.
GANDER
So SLIM and MAURICE are still up
town, they managed to locate Dr
ELLINGTON, but unfortunately the
bad guys got there first. She was
tortured, strangled and then shot
in her office. They are currently
trying to locate a PENNY MACALISTER
who was the nurse that also worked
on you too.
SHARROW
Oh, I hope she is OK, she really
was nice.
ALEX
Well we warned them. So the bad
guys know we're recovered and were
found alive and kicking. They'll
have then activated any local
assets, presumably they did the wet
work.
GANDER
It does mean we have to further
cement your cover, I need you to
immediately work with SOPHIE and
get more convincing with the
teenager look, your clothes are
slightly too sophisticated. I have
her coming up now and you two are
going shopping.
ALEX
Oh, I've been avoiding this for
some time.
GANDER
Well, I think SHARROW has got more
into the spirit of things, with
those 'hot pants' as I think they
are called.
ALEX
Well, she always was the goody two
shoes.
INT. NEW LONDON HOSPITAL
(GANDER, SLIM)
SLIM
GANDER, you there?
GANDER
I'm here SLIM, whats up.
SLIM
We found that MACALISTER is off
duty, we are proceeding to her home
address. What should we do when we
get there?
GANDER
Well, not kill her of course. See
if you can persuade her to come
back to the Inn. We can hide her
here, she'll at least be safe. We
don't want more innocents killed.
You two are going to have to lay
low for a while as well, at least
until the up town cops get fed up
of chasing their tails and close
the case, I suspect they might
think you killed the poor Doctor.
SLIM
Roger that, we will see you within
the hour with or without
MACALISTER.
INT. RETROGRADE RCBS MEDICAL
(ALEX, MACALISTER, MAURICE, SHARROW, SLIM)
MACALISTER
Look, I really don't like being
abducted from my home and forcibly
brought here by strong arm tactics.
SLIM
Beg, your pardon Miss, we really
didn't want to do it, but it's to
protect you. You do understand that
we discovered that Dr ELLINGTON was
murdered.
MACALISTER
Well, so you say, you have pictures
but they could be fabricated. How
do I know you are on the line. You
both look slightly shifty in those
cheap suits.
SLIM
That bad ha. Well that's mighty
kind of you miss, it's taken years
for me to practice this cheesy
lawyer look, it's not easy on the
soul.
MAURICE
Yes and its terrible on the eyes,
and I certainly don't want to look
'dodgy' as you call it. My normal
look is much more 'fabulous'. Look
as we explained, this issue
revolves around those two women you
brought out of deep sleep. The
people who are going around doing
this are working for the same
bastards who trapped them on an old
scow, drifting for years in space.
MACALISTER
How, do you know that they are the
killers? The link is tenuous at
best.
MAURICE
Yes it is and we are currently
doing everything we can to prove
what exactly is happening, most of
what we know comes from the
victims. They were both private
detectives, so they have an
understanding of some aspects of
the case. Anyway you can ask them
yourself, they're behind you.
SHARROW
High, PENNY, how you going.
ALEX
Sorry about all this trouble,
really, we had nothing to do with
any of this. Look, I want to
reassure you that you're in the
safest place in the whole of New
London, you have a small military
regiment, dedicated to protecting
you and this inn is like a castle.
No one is going to get in. The
GANDER, the owner of this inn, will
put you up in one of the rooms, and
really its very comfortable.
MACALISTER
What the hell, what are you doing
here, I have had three sets of CIS
stooges interview me after you went
missing. How come you are staying
here?
SHARROW
It's a long story PENNY, we will
tell you in a minute, but you need
to listen to these guys, they are
on the level OK.
MACALISTER
So you're saying I'm a prisoner
here?
SHARROW
No, no one is saying that, but all
they are doing is offering a place
for you to hide until this is
resolved.
MACALISTER
Won't the police just think that I
might have done it, after ELLINGTON
turns up dead and then PENNY
MACALISTER does a disappearing act.
They will put two and two together
and get five, you know what they
are like.
SHARROW
Yeah, there is that, nothing dumber
than the cops on the hunt. However
there are mitigating circumstances.
MACALISTER
What are they?
SHARROW
Well, you are alive and kicking,
because it's a hundred percent
certain that if you go out there,
you'll suffer the same fate as
ELLINGTON. Plus we have a whole lot
of smart people trying to get all
the evidence which we can then turn
over to the CIS.
MACALISTER
Hmmm, I've seen the pictures and
the trauma looks significant, she
didn't die a good death.
ALEX
Well, we are going to do our best
to get redress, but its going to
take time. Look, you can keep
yourself busy assisting in the
infirmary here. You would be
surprised at the facilities in this
place. I'm sure DR SEATON is great
to work with, she's a Celt too.
You can get together and do Celtic
stuff! I'm sure RUDI would
approve.
MACALISTER
Who's RUDI
ALEX
Oh, she is the head honcho on the
military side here, its Colonel
MARTYNA RUDESKI, but every one
calls her RUDI.
SHARROW
Look as I say, they are a great
bunch really, they may be a little
strange on the surface, but the
insides all good. PENNY you might
like it more than the general
hospital, you never know.
MACALISTER
What about my life, bills and all
the other things, I can't just drop
everything and then turn up in
several months. The apartment will
be repossessed.
SLIM
Look we will take care of that. If
you give us your keys, we'll go in
and put in a proxy link to a
terminal at the inn, with various
cutout's. You can keep paying the
bills and keep everything going. We
even have an anonymous room here
for social media purposes. RUDI,
will give a salary if you assist in
the RCBS hospital. We can even get
a ticket from a friend who owns a
space-line. It will be as if you
have gone to Earth. We fake a
holiday, the bad guys will be
chasing their tails. Just tell
your friends, you won a competition
and got a free ticket. It was too
good an opportunity, so you decided
take unpaid leave for an extended
holiday on Earth immediately, sorry
no time to say good bye etc. ALEX
and SHARROW will help you they are
good at lying, they have experience
of all this spooky stuff. Look you
need to know I used to work for
Earth Central Security and let me
tell you this is your best option
at the moment. You go out there,
you won't be coming back. Think
about it.
MACALISTER
OK, wow, thats a lot to process.
Look I need a drink, it's been a
bad day.
SLIM
Well, that is something else we can
definitely help you with. You
know, we have a very interesting
Barkeep called GHOST. I think you
might get on.
INT. RETROGRADE C&C CONFERENCE ROOM
(BOY, GANDER, RUDI, SLIM)
SLIM
Our guest is all settled in ma'am
and I think we have the situation
under control. ALEX and SHARROW are
showing her the inn and her room.
RUDI
Very good SLIM, well done, you've
probably saved that ladies life.
SLIM
Almost certainly Ma'am, ELLINGTON
wasn't a pretty picture looks like
she was tortured before her death.
RUDI
Well it shows the nature of whom we
are dealing. We will of course
have no compunction in return.
SLIM
I think we need to take out the
local operatives, that will slow
them down, but they'll eventually
come a look'n long haul from a ship
from Earth, well hold them off for
a few months.
RUDI
You're not worried are you SLIM?
SLIM
No Ma'am, I'm looking forward to
the day. All you need to give me is
a hunting license and I'll do what
I was trained to do.
RUDI
Well, OK then, go get the bastards,
buy us some more time.
SLIM
Yes ma'am, I'll clean up get some
sleep and make a start tomorrow.
RUDI
Good, go get them. Now whilst
you're out hunting, we have
something of a small contract which
I want to investigate. I hope you
won't mind if I leave you out of
this one.
SLIM
Of course I was just wondering if I
could perhaps ask GHOST to aid me
in my hunting.
RUDI
Sure SLIM. She's getting a little
carried away with those cocktails
so she needs a distraction. Now
you go, and please throw that
horrible shiny suit.
SLIM
Well, do you mind if I get a
coffee, before all that, it's been
a busy day so far. (Pause) Oh! Hi
GANDER, how you going.
GANDER
I'm good SLIM, good to see your
back in one piece. Thanks for your
help.
SLIM
No problem at all, my pleasure. I
guess your heading out to check on
some of the other business?
GANDER
Yes, it's a difficult time. I need
to show my face around, just to
reassure folks. OK goodbye dah!
DOOR OPEN BAR
BELL DING
RUDI
Folks, I'm calling this meeting to
order, it's tagged and monitored as
its all potentially has legal
ramifications. I have been
approached with a several contracts
for security work on Asteroid 375
URSULA. One contract is from the
owners company, the other from a
group of mining staff. Now the
catalog says its a large dark body
about 200 kms wide, class Xc. We
don't know the quality of the ore
body, but it must be reasonably
good as it supports a large mine.
The ore is a mix of carbon
compounds with a good concentration
of metals, including iron and
copper. Looking at the values on
either contract it could be
reasonably profitable.
GANDER
Hmmm, isn't Ursula a new
development. Rumour has it, owned
by one of STANKS subsidiaries.
RUDI
Exactly. Now we need to pick a side
and the monetary values although in
total are similar, the rate of
returns, and cash flow are very
different between contracts. To
summarise, it appears that some of
the staff have decided that they
don't want to work for the mining
owners anymore. I think we need a
session to talk through all the
issues before we decide if we want
to accept either of the contracts.
GANDER
OK. I'll just get CHEF to rustle up
some tea and biscuits and I'll see
you in C&C. Sounds like we can use
the holo tanks.
RUDI
Yes but no dropping those crumbs
into the tanks, I had to get
maintenance to clean the emitters
last week.
GANDER
Well, that's just too bad, we can't
plan a campaign without biscuits,
can we BOY
BOY
Ahhh, well no Ma'am, biscuits in my
opinion are pretty much essential.
(Pause) My understanding Ma'am, is
that it's a tricky tactical
situation. Do you think we might
want to involve ALEX and SHARROW?
RUDI
I'm not sure at this stage, they're
a little busy upstairs settling
MACALISTER. (Pause) So, I'm not
sure how we might go about this
operation or even if we accept at
it all. Thats the crux of the
matter so I'm going to lay out the
arguments for and against and then
see what we all think. I say we
take a comfort break and then
convene in ten minutes in C&C. I'll
get the tanks up and running and
pre load some data.
INT. RETROGRADE C&C
(BOY, GANDER, JACINTA, RUDI)
GENERAL
DISCUSSION THE
HAMMER GAVEL
THEN NOISES DIE
DOWN
RUDI
So, if I could just bring the room
to order.
NOISE DYING DOWN
RUDI
The subject at hand is the posting
of a contract by so called rebel
forces against the mine a 'Fremont
Metals Corporation'. Their claim
is that there are significant
unpaid wages and several workers
have been killed by poorly
maintained equipment. As far as I
can tell the situation came to a
head three weeks ago. Another
worker, father of two, was killed
in the crusher bay, as he was
attempting to clear the grizzly.
They have barricaded themselves in
one of the new caverns away from
the processing plant and have
demanded part-ownership and a share
of the profits. Not
unsurprisingly, the owner
immediately issued a security
contract for reclamation of the
said cavern and the breakup of the
civil unrest. The independent
miners, then issued another
contract aided by the miners union
and backed by an unknown third
party. Both contracts have been
issued on the independent security
contractors website.
BOY
So what exactly are the miners able
to offer Ma'am?
RUDI
Well, it's a relatively small up
front activation fee, followed by a
percentage share of the mining
output once the situation is
resolved.
Legally we are in a grey area,
because officially Ursula is a free
state and this action would be
viewed under Geneva Conventions
Conditions. The miners would have
to pay fair rate for the assets
seized and return value to the
original shareholders under
corporate law.
GANDER
It doesn't sound like there would
be much left after all these
splits. What's in it for us? What
exactly are they mining?
RUDI
Well from the records It's an Xc
type asteroid so its valuable
metalloids. Looks like its iron
with 5% copper and a very small
amount platinum group. Of course
lots of ice and a good mix of
carbonaceous compounds. On paper
it look like it sits in the sweet
spot. Now I have asked our little
rodent named 'Nervous' at the inter
spatial metalloids exchange for
some forensic analysis of the mine
accounts. He said that things look
a little skewed. As per usual we
need a physical meeting. You know
he really is a pain in the
backside. However information is
key, as in all campaigns. We need
a deeper understanding of what we
are possibly going to stick our
boots into, before we hopefully
fill them up.
GANDER
I don't like the sound of an
unknown third party, the hidden
admirer of the miners. If we take
the contract for their side, we
might be being jerked around like a
puppet on a string. What if that
'support' is in fact STANK, who is
conducting sabotage of another
operators mine. I agree that top
priority is this research. We want
to know who the puppet master is.
What are the up-front values on
these contracts?
RUDI
The owner's side is 22 million Mars
bonded block chain credits, up
front, with an equal amount payable
on successful completion of any
operation, which recovers the full
mine, thats from the owners side.
From the mines side they have a
mezzanine rolling credit from ING
Inter-spacial, which would have to
be redeemed at some point up to the
value of credit consumed.
BOY
That's a lot of uncertainty, and a
lot of potential pain for the
troops Ma'am. What's from the
miners side?
RUDI
Well, they have had to match, but
as they don't have sufficient
funds, they offer a fixed
percentage of the output,
independently audited, for a
negotiable period of time.
BOY
(Whistle) That could be a huge
revenue stream Ma'am, but difficult
to audit and subject to lots of
cheating.
RUDI
Yes, its a problematic offer. The
owners one is not much better
really because looking at the small
print, it's very woolly on the
collateral damage cover. We would
need to negotiate exactly what
happens if, for example, we damage
so much of the mine, that future
production is affected. I don't
want that taken out of our
payments. Gut feel is I don't much
like either offer.
BOY
My recommendation Ma'am, at this
stage is that we meet with both
sides. We play the neutral third
party, whilst of course gaining
intelligence. They'll all have
spies looking at both offices,
recording who enters and leaves
etc. But it won't tell them any
more then what they already know.
The rumour on the street is we may
be in competition with the
Friedlander's. Word is that they
are hungry for something, after
that plutino fiasco. I heard that
they lost quite a few troops due to
a navigation error and a ship
stranding. The poor bastards froze
to death, waiting for a pickup.
That being said, they would still
be a very tough opponent.
RUDI
Yes, agreed. I also think we need
to we need to message KRIS on the a
causal channel. She might be able
to shed further light on the
underlying tensions behind this
dispute. After all nothing in the
belt is ever what it looks like on
the surface.
GANDER
You said that you have contacted
'Nervous', as you said, we are
going to have to arrange a physical
meeting. Perhaps we could get ALEX
and SHARROW to go to the exchange
and run that meeting, that would
allow us to run this end of the
operation without a couple of days
delay. We could use DOILY to
transport them to Asphodel I.S.H.
16 Psyche habitat, in the fast
picket. It might also defuse the
tension between those guys, kill
two birds with one stone so to
speak. I will tell them its going
to be a small holiday break to
another habitat.
LAUGHTER
RUDI
Hmmm, I'm not so sure, it might be
like pouring petrol on a fire
whilst trying to extinguish the
flames. DOILY's quite a character
and is as stubborn as those two.
We might just get more arcing up!
GANDER
Well, no harm in trying, and we
need to follow the money fast.
'Nervous' is the only man for this
job.
You know him, we are not going to
get the information electronically
so its a physical meeting or
nothing. Could they get to him
tomorrow?
BOY
It's just possible, they would have
to leave in the next two hours, its
ten hours each way at the moment
and that's at fast boost, we have
the ice and the reactors fuelled so
we are good to go.
RUDI
OK, I agree, lets get that tactic
in play. In the mean time I will
set up meetings with both potential
clients and at least start the
process. GANDER, could you contact
the dynamic duo and get them down
to the ultra fast picket ASAP
please.
GANDER
My pleasure. Do you want to get
them the barf bags?
RUDI
No I think well let DOILY tell them
the bad news.
JACINTA
Very good Ma'am.
END