Ship's Log
--Ules, 5-30-07 9:41AM: I have two issues to discuss: First, we are being far too conspicuous. Using our ship like a blunt weapon (as we did when flattening that city block) attracts enough attention to us that those who have a remote interest in our ship will not find it hard to connect the dots. You may think this is no big deal, but trust me, it is a very large deal. We want to know who knows about us, and be able to manage those relationships appropriately. If we run around hibbly-nibbly, threatening locals and bombarding buildings, then people beyond those we wish to will gain an interest in our ship. For instance, we're gonna have to go to a great deal of trouble to shake G. Smitty's interest at this point, which we're going to need to do.
Second, we should endeavor to manage those people who do know about our ship and its capabilities to either ensure that they're allies, or that the damage they can do is limited. Mike is a primary point of interest here. He knew the instant we came into Nestor that we were around. If we keep putting him off, he may work to coerce us into performing for him. More specifically, Mike and his friends are going to prove valuable in the future, take my word as a Norn on that. We can play it such that we don't receive the proverbial "offer we can't refuse".
My sources and intuition tell me that life as a jump crew has just become exponentially more dangerous, and we need to take these two steps to manage our risk effectively.
--Gloval Using the ship in a city like that did in no way show off what our ship is cable of doing. Mike knows there are plenty of other jump ships out there, we just need to make ourselves look less pleasing. As in step up our security. Besides Mike is enemies with our Friend Mr. Phillipe. I would much rather work for him then Mike.
Also just because we used the ship once like that doesn't mean we always have or will. When on a lawless planet like that you use what resources you have. Our ship happens to be one and is not easily lost, unlike human life.
I'm not worried about Smitty, after all, he is the one who sent the mining robots to that site we were digging on as a further peace offering. Most likely because we returned his assassin.
--Ules Captain, if you don't think using the ship like that put the spotlight on us, you're not looking. It didn't show off what we can do specifically, no. But it did show off a ship of its description prominently enough, I'm sure, to make the local newsfeed. Let's say you've got a decent AI and the desire to track our movements, all it would take at this point is a little time on Google. Let's say you're G. Smitty, and you're curious about these goons who just threatened you for a bunch of money. You do a little google, and wha-hey, this ship is all over the place! It's been rescuing people on Troy! It's been docking at Nestor! Put two and two together, and it's a jump ship! Just the information alone is extremely valuable.
Furthermore, it highlights us as a reckless and dangerous crew, in the absence of any other information.
Smitty may not be an explicit enemy, but now he probably knows what our ship can do, and we have no real relationship with him, just like with Mike. So hence the number of unknowns goes up.
As for Mike, we can do business with him and Phillipe; they work in different circles. If Phillipe wants us to himself, tough; he's not the one putting his ass on the line out there.
