When I dropped off Cody and LilyBell at Caliban, Aurora was asleep in her bed all safe and tidy. The next day after Krenshar was returned BY X0X0, x0x0 informed me that slavers had taken Aurora and that she was going to go retrieve her. She gave me a message to give to her assistant, Emma. She actually made arrangements in case of her own demise. I never seen any glimpse of that before. I have seen x0x0 in action, so as requested, I did not tell Krenshar and LilyBell, who were both recovering from their ordeals.
The previous time I saw Aurora, she was in MacLaren and in need of her meds from Mindo. We were able to accommodate. Somehow, I doubt slavers would accommodate her medical needs.
X0x0 returned without finding the slavers. The last sign of them was on Botany Bay. I searched around and ran into Akasha near the slave market. The slave market is right next to a popular bar. A built in supply, make sure and bring a designated driver to Club CCC on Botany Bay.
Akasha found out that the Alliance dispatched a lieutenant to talk with Varahi on Paquin about their errant acolytes. She was in Botany Bay trying to find a good place to lay low. I offered some advice about avoiding the slave market and bars near slave markets. They might not have covered that in Companion School.
Later I get a wave from Lily, she and Cody were also checking Botany Bay. I offer my notes. Later I meet with Seana at Hale and I let her know what I found out so far. I never seen Seana like this. Even when I was trying to make her and x0x0 angry, she maintained her cool. This was a different side of Seana, still calm, but the kind of calm while getting out her can of industrial strength Whoopass. She said that she was going to go get Aurora. Very calm, I backed out of the room, almost bumped into Seana’s secretary Genni, who also spooks me.
http://mayorseana.blogspot.com/2009/11/target-acquisition.html
http://mayorseana.blogspot.com/2009/11/target-acquisition.html
The next day Gallagher was showing me his newfangled THING THAT IS TOO SECRET TO WRITE ABOUT, that he got from his benefactor Desmond. It was pretty cool. Dharma folks should ask him about it. While we were chatting a bit with Vega about autumn leaves and asteroids, I received a call (IM) from Aurora. She also transmitted a wave for me to forward to Seana and LilyBell.
http://aurorabluelittleboots.blogspot.com/2009/11/whispered-help.html
Aurora managed to get hold of the comm. Equipment on the ship where she was being held. I tried to reassure her that Mother Dragon was coming for her and tried to get some useful info. She couldn’t talk long. I forwarded the wave to Seana and Lilybell as per her request.
Aurora told me enough that I figured out where she was, Necronom Colony. I know this place, its’ where the organ leggers hang out. A nastylot. A lot worse than the folks that build slave markets near bars. Despite promising myself never to go back there, I couldn’t risk waiting for Seana, LilyBell, x0x0, Krenshar, Gallagher or anyone. ZOHMYGODZILLA! WHERE WAS EVERYBODY!? Despite being acutely aware of the appraised value of my butt, I go to Necronom Colony.
I contact Mercedes so that I can say that I am on official business and stay on the Promenade of the space station, I look like such a tourist. I locate Aurora and finally get a reply from Seana. I transmit a few pictures and give her the coordinates. Aurora was in an area I couldn’t go without blowing my cover. And I certainly was not going there without backup. They would just move her and then we would be back to square one. I linger as long as possible. Seana confirms that she is in transit as I leave the space station. I sent Aurora reassurances that help was on the way.
My part was done for the moment, I am not qualified for extraction. I can fly straight, but not shoot straight and Seana has her own pilot. I have tried my had at these things and I have been more of a liability than an asset. I am still valued because I know things, but no one has any illusions about my fighting prowess. Seana and whoever she had helping her, General and Sabrina I think, probably more, will take it from there.
In my humble experience since I came to the rim in March, is that when Aurora is involved Mindo is usually related. Probably not a coincidence. Last time I saw Mindo, Emma and I escorted him back to Hale’s with the promise of lemon pie and to help find his old lab. I felt bad that I never got him his lemon pie. Emma’s recreation droid Six had a liberal definition about the difference between lemon cake and lemon pie. When we left Mindo, x0x0 had him strapped to a wall and was slapping him around. Blue Sun Family Values. The rich really aren’t like us.
But DUH, Mindo escaped. Of all people, Immy helped him to escape or at least was his pilot. Now x0x0 and Immy are friends, which is hard to understand, but it’s true. So, whether x0x0 is complicit is another point to ponder. Immy piloted Mindo to safety before. I know of two locations from previously. I only know where one of them are. One is to Mindo’s old lab, currently run by Mini-Zebes. The other one is where they store Mindo’s mother in stasis. I only know where Mini-Zebes is. I went there and Lily went there later, there was no sign. No one seems to know or tell where Mindo’s mommy is stored. STORED is the word they used, more Blue Sun Family Value.
Aurora has a streetvalue for her dna way beyond the appraised value of my petite butt. The Alliance and Blue Sun have been bending over backwards and killing themselves and each other over her valuable genome.
When Weyland-Futani messed with Krenshar’s programming, he was somehow involved. This was a cloned brain Krenshar showed Captain Griffy and me. Krenshar’ s programming seems to have been restored since he was returned from Alliance arrest BY X0X0. He started jumping around again and scratching himself like a certain not-cat named LilyBell that I won’t mention.
Mercedes gets back with me. Turns out she has 3 clones from Krenshar AND the brain that LilyBell stole from Krenshar. I am not sure how that happened. A lot of things have been passed around lately. I think Pepper still has the teddybear that Krenshar needed for Aurora. Cody hid the coin that Krenshar gave him. I hid the data disk the Alliance wants from Cody.
In any case, Mercedes wants a copy of the Ardra backup that LilyBell downloaded from the Ardra synthetic and is willing to trade the clones for it. Pepper wants the Ardra program so that she can trade it to Ardra to get the remains of Saint Zenobius.
The dog will get the chickenhawk a chicken in exchange for a bone. The cat will get you a bone in exchange for a fish. The mouse will get you a fish in exchange for some cheese……My life.
Last week Emma tells me that Cody’s head is going to explode if he doesn’t get proper medical attention. There is a distinct shortage of super genius doctors that make housecalls. With some convincing, I get Miya to agree to examine Cody at the Zenobia Medical Center. I had the room reserved for my annual pilot physical so I can continue to work for the Zenobian Trade Consulate. With some convincing, I get Thoth to shut up for a bit so that the patient would not run away.
Cody did not want to get in the stasis chamber for the total scan, but the wall scanner turned up a lot of info. Mostly about a chip implanted in Cody’s head. X0x0 had said something about it.
LilyBell came and the two ran off like fugitives. Cody found himself in Alliance custody that same day. He was later rescued by some folks. He still walks with a limp.
I mention this now because when I contacted Mercedes in Necronom, among her wares was also some bone marrow of Cody’s. This could mean that there is some link between Mercedes and the organ leggers and the Alliance. Dunno, the Umbrella Corporation might just be like Blue Sun with their fingers in a lot of pies. And Creepy.
I am not sure how this is all playing out, but even though Seana is picking up Aurora, I am going to keep looking for info about Mindo.
Coop flew the coop. Duncan Cooperstone, where art thou? We parted company on bad terms. He did not understand that Cody turned himself in to Caliban voluntarily, I was just the pilot. Coop came to Caliban to spring him. He torched two of my offices before that. All he met found was me, Emma, a DyssenDroid and a freed Cody. We exchanged angry words, then he left. I felt bad. Later I found out that Coop gave the Raveinn to Cody and departed on his own to parts unknown. Gabe has gone looking for Coop, as has Zeno and Pepper as well. I keep my eyes and ears open.
There is a warrant for questioning of any present of past crew of the Raveinn. Coop is wanted for arson. Zenobia pressed charged. I didn’t care, it was insured. I hope he comes back soon. Even though it is going to be a hard time for him.
Emma’s droid, Six, dancing around in the fire mocking Emma and I for being flammable. Yeah, but she can’t tell pie from cake.
Dyssen Droid, big and noisey.
Blue Sun build a luxury compound and I extorted myself onto the tenant list. I scored a sweet chalet in the mountains east of the Spaceport. It overlooks x0x0’s chalet. She was very clear that although we are neighbors, we will not be friends. I know too much to like and am too useful to kill. I get the chalet on the keep your enemies closer playbook.
She doesn’t understand why I don’t tell more of her secrets. It is a fine line to walk. I know where her new secret projects lab is also. I haven’t told her that I know that one yet. I will probably choose a moment when she does not have a gun in her hand and she has something useful to tell me. She threatens me, I tell her that I know of something she thought was a secret, she gets upset, we cut a deal. I get useful information to keep my foolish friends from getting killed. It’s a process. I will probably have to trade some info to break the stalemate on Mindo.
Mine is the one on the far right, x0x0’s is on the far left. There is a cool swimming pool. X0x0 has her own pool. There is a nice private lake too. Lots of rule, no gunfire and stuff. The Chalet is 3 levels. I am having decorator block. Desse and I went to Bihar to look at their art exhibit that Zenobia was sponsoring. It was 19th Century Orientalists, Desse is more neo-classical. I found one painting I liked. There were dozens I like, there was one I found that I think would look good in the chalet.
Gallagher had a coolio pool party at the compound’s pool. Desse came by. YAY DESSE! Good to see folks just having a good time without a stripper pole.
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