Cargo is moving, sometimes I forget that is the job they pay me to do.
Walking the docks checking out the cool ships. Coop’s Raveinn, Immy’s Chrysalis (complete with a live horse), Iskrin’s Unlikely to Fly (poor public relations name), Fournier’s Skyhook and Ziggy London’s tub. A few others whose names I don’t know.
The main Zenobian Behemoth Liner is moored in high oribit, I usually take the autoshuttle down. But not for long, Campers. After many long months, the Necessity is going to be finally coming out of the shop. I test drove it this week with the new engines, totally sweet, probably only fighter jets can out maneuver her. Gonna add some comfies for when sissies visit. You should see all the crap these Nancies put in their boat, you’d think they were Companions.
Lot of boats but Ziggy was the only animate body around, but people filled in later. Val dropped by while we were jawing on the tarmac about trade. I thought Ziggy was spinning yarn about trade, but he really had meat-beetles. No, I did not try one. He had his replicant, Artie, wrap some up for me. Arties is in the same series as Krenshar but with fewer issues. We made a deal to trade instant coffee for meat beetles. Rottengirl came by while we were wrapping things up, she was cordial, but I am not sure she cared for the deal. Maybe that’s why he was a no show for the exchange. I even hired Raveinn to make the exchange in case I was not on the tarmac. But Ziggy shipped out to Moonshel. Ah well.
Had a run of 24 tons of premium Kona Coffee to go to Varahi, a gift from Lord Flanaghan of Zenobia thru the estates manager, Zeno Baxton. Varahi agreed to warehouse the spare java. Since Raveinn had some business (legit) on Whittier, he agreed to make the run to Paquin for me. Filled up the tanks and a small advance. Zade like a total mensch (new word of the week) helped load the cargo onto the Raveinn.
Ran into most of the crew of the Raveinn at the Burning Barrel, Gabe was ansy. Jumpy. Edgy. Dunno, twitchy like some shadow boxing full body Turrettes Syndrome. She was anxious to get out of system. Cool. We talked about the relative importance of chocolate ice cream versus a functioning morgue cold chamber.
Zenobia’s Near “Earth” Asteroid mining operations on Mu Draconis is going well. Sentry said he was going to try and extract some from it. We have a stockpile. Coop couldn’t make the run because of legitimate business on Whittier, but he recommended Captain Kate Fournier. She agreed to make the run from Mu Draco to 34 Tauri for me. 40 tons of radionuclide ores. Maybe she can use the money to buy clothes for her crew. I warned her not to get drawn into the drama of the so-called natives in Mu Draco.
We hired Lynx to be our docking agent there. Basically meet them at the highport and make sure they have everything in order before they come down dirtside, then show them where the warehouse is.
United Systems Directorate was advising me about the local unrest in Mu Draconis. Major Siamendes worked out an intel exchange agreement with United Systems Directorate. I had a discussion with an angry marine about the not so subtle difference between a military action, a war crime and premeditated murder. He did not stay to finish the discussion, he was anxious to get his gun off. The Colonel is going to bribe the Constable and tells me about it. Don’t tell anyone you’re going to bribe someone, certainly not the consular of one of the local moores. Another member of the Imperial Scouts (yet another military organization, sheesh) tries to bribe Lady Soyinka, a Fremen. Pfft. Good way to end up on a list or move your name closer to the top. And I don't mean the good kind of list.
I had to speak to Seana about something and drop off some botanicals for Gallagher. Seana and Gallagher were having a hissy about Gallagher dealing with the corpse artist serial killer. Gallagher quit and got drunk at Eavesdown, I think he hurt himself in a shuttle crash. He was talking loopy. I left his present for him for when he gets back. I am not on Seana’s short list for Sheriff. Sheriffs are elected officials, we should have an election.
I ran into x0x0, she was mourning the alleged death of her brother. No body, no pictures, Cody as witness, Reavers taking the body away. What is a girl to think? I can tell you what this girl thinks: I think he’s not dead. I mean, who even stays dead for more than a month.
Faking your death, it’s the new black? No, it’s so last year. Mind control, pregnancy and brain chips, that’s the new black.
Mindo’s Suicide? Puh-lease. If Mindo is dead, then Cody killed him. Cody shot at a Marshall in Eavesdown, maybe he’s trying to get out of nanny duty.
It could also be some form of mind control that influenced his behavior, its going around. I could make a list. But still, no body? No pictures? CODY as your eyewitness? Reavers took the body? No, a month, six weeks tops.
For the record, I did not want Mindo dead. I just wanted people to stop saying they were going to kill him if they did not mean it.
Moving on.
Sometimes even when people explain things to me, I was still don’t know what’s going on. Lily downloaded a drone program from Ardra at Mini Zebes last September and it has been taking control of her. Doctor Qui Von Wer Foreman Serendipity from the Zénobie Institut Polytechnique got x0x0 a quantum bus. They used it with some conducting plate and Cody as bait (naturally) to download it out of Lily. Gallagher and I got to watch. Notice the scanner display which monitor’s Lily’s brain activity, it says. “CAT”. Nevermind. Hard to tell if Lilybell is okay or not, she was kind of focused about mélange. Gave x0x0 a giant red pulsating blastomere incubation unit. They uploaded the drone program to the mainframe we smuggled out of Zenobia during the government changeover. Krenshar decrypted the database and I delivered it to Zeno.
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