I was in transit a lot over the holidays. I sent waves out before I headed into the black. I have been lax at posting my notes and getting back into the flow of the 'verse, I was somewhat busy.
Gallagher is in a coma in Ralph. An automaton wearing cloned human skin tried to kill him. Failed, blamed Lilybell for his failure. I promised not to make fun of him in exchange for him promising not to hurt me. He is lurking around Hale waiting for Gallagher so he can finish the job.
The Dharma offices were mostly cleared out, I am presuming by the Gallagher Diesel Droid, but I don't know. All that was left was a couple of surveilance tapes, a movie poster and Gallagher's experimental pax-weed. Desmond confirmed that it is very chronic. Desmond explained how I can't risk visiting Gallagher, else the death-droid might follow me.
Aurora is dead. I saw her once over the holidays. The Aurora I knew was already gone inside, replaced by some murderous minded child. She was obsessing over possessing Cody and Lily, and a scheme to get Cody and Lily's coin. I tried to be frank and honest with her. She renewed her promise to kill me last. I tried to see if the Aurora I knew was in there, but I could not tell. She let slip in front of Vega and me that she hired some people to capture Lily. I tried to contact Lily, but with no luck. Same with Cody. I told Krenshar, but it did not seem to register. I wonder how he will respond when he finds out.
The last time I saw Aurora maybe-herself was during the trial of Mikie and Sentry. She was in Seana's office. The time before that was when she was in MacLaren's Drift when Lily Was hiding out after Krenshar's lab burned down on Caliban.
She was not close to me like she was with folks like Seana, Krenshar, Galalgher, JJ and many others. She threatened to kill me more than once with convincing conviction, but I tried to help her anyway. Despite what people told me about her being super smart and made/destined for other things, she was still young and thrust into events and situations that were not her making and was way too much of a burden for anyone to shoulder. Ultimately our collective negligence and various agendas killed her. I wonder if I am the only one who feels guilty.
Lily has been gone for more than a month, I saw her yesterday working on her coffee shop as if nothing happened.
The Consolidated Associate Traders of Zenobia warehouse in Eavedown Dock, Persephone is open. Juicy location right next to the Customs & Clearing Warehouse. I see Gabe there a lot, which makes my layovers there nice. She seems a little jumpier than when she was in Hale, but she seems happy. She lives in the ship. Mac, Eavesdown and apparently Splintered Rock. I don't get to see her as much as when she had her Hookah Lounge in the Hale Wasteland, but it is good to see her. She has a dog now, named "Dog". Eh, it was a good enough name in that ol' John Wayne movie.
Crash Afterthought (Burn's sister) works at the Eavedown Dock Customs & Clearing Warehouse now and then. I feed him. He is nice and speshul. He says that he does not go out to the fancy parties in Persephone, only Burn does. I convinced him that it could be fun and that the food is usually very good. Crash asked me out on a date, but his sister disapproved. She doesn't like me for some reason.
The Customs & Clearing Warehouse is near the local Alliance Garrison. Sgt Archie seems like a good enough guy, at least he is not the vicious jack-booted thug variety. Something triggered an argument on my side. I regret it. There is no point in arguing about the Alliance's fascist policies to their appointed enforcers of said fascist policies. He follows his orders and trusts the courts to remedy any injustice in the process. We saw that the Alliance does not even have shame about their Kangaroo Courts. Or maybe that is what the people wanted to see, comfort executions. Either way, even without access to decent sushi and coffee, I like the life of a spacer.
The Consolidated Associate Traders of Zenobia (CATZ) warehouse in MacLaren's Drift if finally repaired after the fire last year. We have a LICENCED salvage operation in the Asteroid Belt and are using that warehouse some.
We are currently testing our new geiger counters to ensure that there are no radiation leaks from the odd-actinides. Monazite, duranium, pitchblende and caked yellow urania's specific activity levels aren't too high, but we can't be too careful.
Apparently some washed up bi-chromatic hasbeen is spreading rumors about the shipment, so we had to hire some security. After some ham-handed negotiations, we hired Raveinn to protect the cargo. Hope it doesn't end up in flames.
I got to see Zeno for a bit. She gave me a promotion to be Ambassador to Al Raqis. Fancy embassy in the dry sauna of planets. Lord Flanagan came to inaugurate the office. Have to wear the official uniform more often now. I call it Gestapo Flight Attendant. I wear a desert runnner still suit underneath my usual cordovan padded armor. A third of my bodyweight is probably clothes now.
A few art pieces from Lord Flanagan's private collection are in the Embassy. The new Zenobia Art Exhibit opens in Bihar in February, we are supposed to get a piece from there also. The one in the office is "Berber Woman" by Emile Vernet-Lecomte (1870), The Berber women were known as the Amazihkx, where the name for the Amazons came from.
It is a nice location with its own courtyard. Zenobia rented a second building next to the embassy for staff and Zenobian travelers/guests to stay at. It is between House Hirado's warehouse and Commander Faith's residence.
Just outside the couryard is a below ground desert access. Very convenient and very discrete. Or just land on the roof landing pad.
I had been going to Al Raqis and Splintered Rock for several months, they are at the far end of the Zenobia Trade Route. I meet with Constable Vooper while I am there. I see quite a few ships I recognize from my travels. Like the Raveinn Firefly on the Splintered Rock Landing Bay. Pod has ships in Splintered Rock and Al Raqis Landing Bay. Valiant Vukovnic has a location. Companions have a house there, one of them was arrested for attempted murder recently. Even a disturbing shop by our Outside verse friends from Necronom IV. TTW's offices in Splintered Rock burned down, but Faith Industries is all over the place.
I use my press credentials to use the Cortex Offices in Al Raqis. I overheard Commander Faith (nee TeeTopWillie Neiro) with Mistress Brazen, Al Raqis Chief Magistrate Joan Vhargon and a native Lady Reiko, head of House Morloch. If they wish to be discrete, they should consider not having a conversation in front of the offices of the 'verse's largest news organization. The subject matter was slavery in the 'verse. Faith evaded answering.
Faith is not the only person dead who hangs around SR and AR. A certain nuked pilot gone native traveling incognito as America's first spy. A certain nanite infused bionic Starbuck accompanied Sedrick Faith during the attempted murder trial of BriAria Mirajkar, who tried to kill him during a banquet the previous week. The case was thrown out due to tainted evidence.
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