Gemini Recap
Contents
4/6/07 Prologue
The group came together, and much adventure was had.
4/13/07 Here we go a wassaling
Finished our delivery to somebody on Diomedes for 8000 credits. Aedil and Ules spent some time at an archaeology conference with Aedil's old mentor Platocrates. They also met Leif Hrulfgarrson. Crew made some security system modifications and Glaccus got laid. Then they took a job rescuing a ship stranded after a pirate attack, and disabled the pirate ship that lay in wait. The crew were rescued and ship repaired. A reward of 20,000 credits was promised for this job.
4/27/07 The first mission
Repaired the "Optimus" and escorted it to St. Augustin Fortress. Saved Marla (ship's camp follower) from a malfunctioning cryotank and received equivalent reward.
Stayed a few hours at St. Augustin and received free copies of the Bible, plus the promised $20,000 for the S&R job
Jumped to Nestor 1 and met with Argyle Phillippe to transport 3 small crates to Troy Station; crates delivered with $12,500 (50%) paid upfront
and appear to contain frozen fish, Aedil expresses distrust; scan conducted with Archeology kit reveals no bones/skeletons
Aedil & Gloval have dinner with Argyle and associates on planet, enjoy beaches & massages; Ules fruitlessly searches for railgun ammo & successfully gambles for $650
Orentes does some electronics shopping, finishes the upgrades to ship security and takes delivery of general ship parts
Arrived at Troy Station and passed customs without incident, manifest shows that we transferred fish from freighter on Glaucus; made delivery, but freak accident occurs
and spills one crate of fresh fish & crushed ice (Aedil searches for contraband to no result); quick thinking results in a fast resolution w/out discovery
Minor fracas breaks out between Aedil and Gloval due to Aedil's actions in the fish crisis (i.e., not helping and risking our job by searching, despite Gloval's orders)
And suddenly, a VOLCANO explodes!!!!!!!! (no, this isn't a joke); we received immediate clearance to evacuate employees and Lycurgan security from Core Inc. HQ
flying low towards the Spire we see it's at an odd angle and looks to be sinking; the atmosphere is nonexistant except for trace gases
5/04/07 The adventure continues
Made several trips to the volcanic surface to rescue listed personnel, close call with a rocket launcher; Lucius Pomponius- leader of Lycurgan contnigent we rescued personally
thanked us. Made an extra trip or two and as many of the mobbed and panicking citizens as we could, attempted to contact Aedil's people and were rebuffed
Flew out and jumped away to Nestor 1 after having done all we could, discovered a stowaway "Mike" on the trip. The crew took to him quickly, but was later disappointed when they
presented him to Argyle and Cpt. Gloval overheard that "Mike" was in fact part of a crime family.
After hosting us to dinner, we quickly took up Argyle on an offer to transport a case of pearls to Priam and left immediately. We were tracked and hailed by "Mike", who we quickly
lost through our stealth capabilities, then jumped away to Priam. The transaction took place without incident and the crew split up to pursue various interests. Gloval sparred a
bit at a gentlemen's club, Aedil researched at a library and Ules set up a poker showdown on Diomedes.
The ship jumps on over and we all meet up at a bar for Ules' showdown. A contact of Ules' is also set to work looking for some ammo for the ship.
Ules shows up late at the bar and absolutely nothing happens. He later reveals he chilled with a secret club of psychonavigators. The ammo comes through and the Golden Fleece is
ready for action again.
5/11/07 Andromache 3
The jump was made to Andromache 3, but the Fleece was a fraction off on its exit. Ules claims something is funky in the software, but Sola can't find anything wrong. Orentes modified the hovertruck to operate in desert conditions and the ship is warned off on its current landing trajectory by a Lycurgan ship captain. Ules takes the ship in under stealth, but away from the focus of the Lycurgan site. After landing, Orentes, Ules and Aedil trek out (500') to inspect a potential site. Minor silverware is found after a full day's work. Everyone goes to sleep in the ship except Aedil. When Orentes wakes up and finds Aedil safely asleep, he notices that the mining robot has been stolen. No tracks lead anywhere and the evidence points to very sneaky local thieves. We take an airborne scan and fly towards the nearest settlement. Aedil and Ules talk to the locals on the radio and go to inspect the building with some traces of the robot alloy where they're jumped by THE Stonewall Jackson and quickly taken prisoners. After the dust settles, it all turns out that Stonewall had advertised the work for the planet and was simply making sure that the Fleece wasn't a bunch of mercs. The crew (minus Orentes and Sola) landed and all went to talk it over with Stonewall.
Stonewall's opinion is that such thefts are frequent and profitable, and that there's going to be a new mining site opening up shortly at the Lycurgan site. He also thinks that it is the Chino gang that is responsible, who is also the problem he's called in help for. The Chino's are highly mobile, constantly staying in different villages and with extensive contacts, possibly possessing an orbital transport. Long discussion over possible ways to attack the Chinos leads nowhere. We decide to fly in close to Peatsedge and drive in from there with: Ules, Aedil and Gracchus and hope to contact the local black market and see if we can track down the robot. After a brief poker game at a local dive, they're directed over to The Casino on Queen St. for a much bigger game.
5/18/07 The Gambler, the Gang and the Golden Fleece
Ules & Aedil enter "The Casino" and work their way into the backroom games and strike up a deal with Grandfather Smitty to get some automated mining equipment. 4 hours later they exit and the whole group returns safely to the ship. Further scans from orbit reveal a robot in a warehouse in Peatsedge. Sola hacks in and finds that the robot is the exact same model of our robot. The robot lacks logs, isn't listed on public registration sites and has a slightly newer motherboard then our version. Ules visits G. Smitty again and offers him money to get the Chinos. Smitty says he'll think it over and Gracchus chases down some kid that had been keeping watch on them. The kid doesn't know anything and is let go after being frightened out of his mind. Brief contact is made with Stonewall who is unhappy about being contacted over un-related matters. The warehouse the robot is stored in is owned by Porphory Corp. and data on the servers doesn't provide any info pro or con as to it having been stolen or produced legitimately. Further talks with Porphory Customer Support reveal an anti-theft transponder that doesn't come up in a search when we run it.
Further contact with G. Smitty leads to a deal to turn over the Chinos in return for the armor and rifle of Stonewall. We agree to bring the armor if G. Smitty brings the Chinos. Much planning goes into the raid onto the Chino bar that's been identified to us. A sneaky plan to ambush the Chinos is put into place with Gracchus, Ules, Aedil and Stonewall surrounding the building with the Golden Fleece hovering above the bar. The break-in didn't go as plan, and opening shots by Gracchus set off a gas-filled room, demolishing the entire building. Gracchus barely survived by dodging into the walk-in cooler; Aedil walked away unscathed, but only because Stonewall took the full blast meant for him and fell into a coma. Only a complete refusal to give up and amazing skill allowed Asmodeus to stabilize Stonewall. Sharp eyes beheld a lone figure fleeing another building down the street from the bar and Ules took off after him. Gracchus also gave chase and managed to drop the runner with a ramjet round. Asmodeus saved this suspicious character as well for later questioning. The 'Fleece took to the skies once another ship of bounty hunters entered the disaster zone and the crew paused to breath and consider the consequences their actions may have caused.
5/25/07 Get me the hell off this planet!!
Basic investigation of Wall's mayor and several days of interrogation of the captured prisoner, code-named, "Joey", reveals no applicable information. The crew accepts payment of 120,000cr from G. Smitty, drops "Joey" off at the outskirts of Glendale and flies off to Andromache 1 to pick up a new mining 'bot Samuel, Gracchus and Ules stay behind in Wall to keep watch over things. Purchases are made and the town stays blissfully quiet. Digging resumes on the original site with no particular finds, save for a bottle, for several days, with the exception of strange activity around the hole, possible animal in origin. Aedil uncovers an ancient PDA in a pocket of water that Gloval identifies as a pre-Sundering mining brand, after careful consideration it is removed and placed into an archeochamber. A very odd series of circumstances leads to someone excavating our dig site and leaving all the findings with carefully marked tags out for us. We don't ask questions and take everything, drop Stonewall back off at Wall and hear the news that the mayor of Glendale was murdered. We purchase 20 head of cattle and take off from Andromache 3 and fly off to Nestor 1. Upon arrival we pay the docking fee ($500) and contact Phillippe and offer him first crack at our cattle-cargo. Mike contacts us again and offers us $50k for a no-questions-asked job making a quick delivery. The crew discusses but doesn't come to any immediate decision. Phillippe comes through with a contact at the local Lycurgan island and all heads are sold for a net profit of $950 each ($1,200 per crewmember). The action stops there to be picked up next week. Same bat time, same bat channel.
6/02/07 Double, Double, toil and trouble
The Fleece departs the Lycurgan resort on the surface of Nestor 1 to the Main Station in orbit and docks while the crew decides what to do. Much discussion ensues to no resolution. Aedil contacts his academic mentor Platocrates and arranges to drop off the items dug up on Andromache 3, Ules enters into secret discussion with Mike, Gloval enters a contract with Phillippe and Orentes goes off to buy brewing equipment. The crew becomes suspicious and had Sola look into Ules' communications. An enormous argument ensues among the crew regarding future actions. Orentes is separately kidnapped by the crew of the Boa Contractor who are licensed bounty hunters under the impression he is the reknowned criminal "The Kingsnake". Orentes manages to receive a call from Argyle Phillipe and gets out a brief message with dock# and the bounty hunters' insignia (black & red snakes twining together and fighting). The crew continues the discussion and Ules goes off ship to arrange his own deals. Gloval finally hears his phone ringing and calls Phillippe back and finally receives Orentes' message. The crew goes into action and tracks the Boa Contractor as having departed 10 minutes previous. The Fleece tries to hack the Boa but can't stop it, so the crew settles for plotting the Boa's course. With around 20 days until the Boa reaches its predicted destination and Phillippe pressuring the crew to take care of the Lycurgan shipment. The Fleece returns to Main Station and picks up Ules with 2 giant crates that turn out to be full of very high quality and very illegal weaponry, plus Mike himself. After much grumbling the crew decides to continue with the mission but with some caveats in terms of security. A very quick turn around on Priam brings another large crate and a Lycurgan courier. An uneventful trip and the crew is suddenly faced with a customs inspection. The illegal crates are hidden on the shuttle and the secret compartment and the customs inspector with twin bodyguards show up. The Lycurgan passes with flying colors and sends the crate off with his contact. The inspector is invited to a nice repast of whiskey, stakes and $10k credits. Everything goes off without a hitch after that and the crew (mostly) breathes a sigh of relief to have all the danger off of the ship.
During all this, Orentes is put in a featureless cubical jail cell. Using his mad skilz, Orentes spoofs the ship's sensors into opening the door and makes his escape. He's quickly spotted and manages to blow-out all the lights in the cargo bay. Using the confusion to drop a level down, Orentes flees up towards the bridge and manages to find a pistol which he wields to deadly effect, killing one of his pursuers and setting another two to flight. Unfortunately for our intrepid hero, a fourth bounty hunter jumps from above and wrestles the gun away, disabling Orentes with a shot to the arm.
Back to the Golden Fleece, the crew discusses its tactical options. Settling on a battleplan, the crew pulls a familiar maneuver and jumps in with a surprise strafe and makes a strong hit. Both ships immediately open up dialogue and settle in to negotiate. Cpt. Straczynski of the Boa has heard of Cpt. Gloval, and nothing good, so he refuses to turn over Orentes unless it's at a neutral port or collateral is put up. The ship's funds are put up to Samuel's bail bondsman contact as escrow and a small handcart of junk and a lone spacesuited figure is ejected out of the Boa's airlock. The Fleece gathers everything up and Orentes' wounds are tended.
Despite Aedil's grumbling, the crew decides to take a leisurely 5-day cruise back to Nestor 1. Upon arrival, Phillippe delivers an invitation to a ball at the Lycurgan resort for himself, Ules and guest (which turns out to be Aedil). The partygoers make their preparations while Gloval convinces Orentes to stay on the ship while he goes shopping for him. Gloval picks up an insane variety of equipment without incident and the crew settles in for a (hopefully) quiet evening. Meanwhile, on the surface, Ules and Aedil are having a slightly uncomfortable time mixing with all the VIPs. They run into DJ Phedre and begin discussions about the future party on the ship. Aedil discovers his new suit is worth ~$100,000cr and Ules, fashionable in his ghost suit and blazer combo, tracks down the the navigator of the Monte Cristo, Mia Cavalierre. The intrepid duo then moves on to Mia's employer, and richest man in the Gemini, Tetsuo Haraa. A brief conversation that Ules and Aedil immediately forget flits by and Aedil is next approached by Root, sysops admin of Ceberus, who appears most interested in the archeological work done by the Fleece on Andromache 3. Ules pursues more conversation with Mia before finally calling it a night. The Golden Fleece departs for Diomedes the next day on an easy jump, only to find itself coming out of the warp in unknown space, Ules unconscious on the floor and alarms blaring that there may be an overheated coil somewhere...
