Let's play: SCRAMming up!

[FaxModem1]

Spoiler

Well, REPAIR GUY has been trying to get the Chinese Triad to fund the thing.

[Simon_Jester]

Spoiler

Legitimate business investors might be better than ORGANIZED CRIME. Mobs come with enemies, and ANGRY THUGS who may decide they WANT TO KILL US.

RUSSIAN COUGAR does not, at least not so far as we know, unless JEALOUS TROPICAL BEAUTY counts.

[PeZook]

I will probably be offline throughout the weekend. Just posting this notice so you guys know that I'm not dead

[Eternal_Freedom]

Spoiler

Yeah, why not, I'll volunteer to speak with RUSSIAN COUGAR. Older women really aren't my thing anyway

ENQUIRE if PLAYBOY took one of the PRE-PAID PHONES. If SO, CALL him and ENQUIRE as to HIS SITUATION.

[FaxModem1]

Spoiler

This is libertarian Russia. Organized Crime from China would be safer than a 'legitimate investor'.

[Simon_Jester]

Spoiler

Good points, everyone.

ETERNAL FREEDOM, it's your call as far as I'm concerned.

[Darkevilme]

Spoiler

SUAVE PLAYBOY took one of the prepaid mobile phones. However TROPICAL BEAUTY has it so if my plan by some miracle works she wont answer, and if it doesn't you will hear fast paced angry nativespeak punctuated by SUAVE PLAYBOY screaming.

[Zixinus]

OOCish: We do not necessary need a sponsor from Russia. A TELCOM might work, if we can get trough them.

Or any LARGE BUSINESS really. We would need to send a BUSINESS DELEGATION to MOSCOW to find better contacts.

In the meantime, does the GRU has any jobs that preferably does not involve murdering or bombing something?

Actually, come to that: are we in condition to make a BOMBING RUN? Likely somewhere within LIBERTARIAN RUSSIA.

[FaxModem1]

Spoiler

Are you sure making several enemies in Russia is the best way to go about things?

[Simon_Jester]

"I don't think Ravenstar can fly at all until we get the hydraulics fixed. If she can, I'm not going up in her."

[FaxModem1]

REPAIR GUY finishes his meal.

"She won't fly without her hydralics in working order, and that's not going to happen until we have spare parts, and that won't happen until we have the money for it. And we won't have the money for it until we have an investor. Is there anything else in this chain?"

[Zixinus]

SIGHS.

"Okay, so we need to think outside the Ravenstar. I was hoping to grab a client, get a deposit with what we would fix the Ravenstar while they get here and then do the job. But the more I hear about the repairs, to more it sounds that it will not only be more and more expensive but that it will take longer.

"Problem is, what else can we do? Without the Ravenstar, we're just a bunch of misfits in Libertarian Russia, a place crawling with them.
*pauses for a second for thought*
"Well, it's actually crawling with money-hungry and ruthless criminals that race to rob you faster than they can kill you, but that's besides the point.

"The point is, that we are unlikely to stand out enough to grab a job that would get us the needed amount of money. Any job that could get us the money quickly is likely to be taken by someone far better qualified to do that job and likely won't take competition well. I have contacts, but they're not the kind that could either get us the parts or expertese for repairs for free or willing to get us loads of money.

*pauses for thought again, smoothing mustache*
"Actually, if I have the right contacts, I can try and sneak a contact with one of the big TELCOMs and give them a business pitch. But aside risk of that idea, it's uncertain whether they would be willing to finance us, not without taking ownership of the Ravenstar.

"The solution that I can see is one that of American finances: use a greater debt to get out of debt. With the company already in debt and in a semi-legal state because of it, that's not the best idea, I know, but I just don't see any other options. We need money to fix the Ravenstar. If we can do that, if nothing else but to the degree that we can make small-time jobs to chip away at the debt.

"Now, before we discuss how we would do that, I'm going to ask: does anyone have a better idea? I'm not doing an authoritive quip here or anything, I'm sincerely would like to hear one. We're on a time limit here, we need to scrounge up at least 15k by the day after tomorrow or we'll have a problem. So, any thoughts?"

[FaxModem1]

REPAIR GUY chips in thought:

"My mom, Fat Dragon, is now the head of the Chinese Triad in Florida, and quite a bit beyond. Fifteen thousand is chump change for someone like her. Only thing is, would anyone have a problem working for Organized Crime as opposed to say, a Russian company?"

[Eternal_Freedom]

CHIMES into CONVERSATION despite PHYSICAL SEPARATION, most likley through ZIXINUs's MOBILE.

"I'll work for anybody right now if they can give me a goddamn paycheck. It's been well voer a month since I joined this insanity and I have yet to see any cash come my way, except the enormous AMEX bills. Organised crime? I don't care!"

[Zixinus]

Say "I have reservations. Well, frankly, we don't have much of a choice but there is the issue that we want the Ravenstar to be clean on paper. Well, clean enough for us to get contracts with space industry companies.

"It depends on what kind of work we would need to do really. I am not averse to dirtying my hands, but I prefer to avoid getting blood on it. What sort of work does your mother have in mind that we can do here?"

[Simon_Jester]

"A corporation wouldn't finance us without taking over the plane entirely; individuals might. The amount we need to get flying again is large, but not that large; one enthusiastic millionaire could save us. Do we have any leads, or leads to where leads might be, on that?

"I am definitely not happy with the 'organized crime' idea, for a lot of reasons. We're already in a lot of trouble with a lot of people, and any criminal enterprise will make us new ones. Plus we're vulnerable to a double-cross: they can sell us out easier than we can sell them out."

[FaxModem1]

"You do realize that you would be working with the son of the family investing in us, right?"

[Force Lord]

"Your mom actually cares about you?"

[FaxModem1]

"Heir to the 'throne'. Since dear old dad is in Guantanamo and if she were to bite it, it would only be me and a few other siblings to contend with. I'll admit I'm not first in line, that's why I was delivering food, learning each part of the organization as I moved up. So me dying would be...unfortunate for her."

[Simon_Jester]

"I don't know much about organized crime, but what I do know makes me nervous about the security of family ties when something as potentially valuable as Ravenstar is on offer."

[PeZook]

OOC: Man, you guys have a solution RIGHT THERE



February 23rd 2025
Sunday

ROUND 8

Okhotsk International Airport
Hangar 6
Libertarian Russia

You are now: ETERNAL FREEDOM, ZIXINUS, MILDLY DERANGED PHYSICIST, QUIET HISTORIAN, REPAIR GUY, RI'ANN SHAPP, SMARMY AMERICAN SAILOR, COMBAT JANITOR and PHANT.

You are at a VIP HANGAR. The HANGAR is SOMEWHAT NICE. It is rather RUN DOWN but probably BETTER than the RUINED SHACKS that are the STANDARD HANGARS. It has a FENCE and ELECTRONIC LOCKS. It is EVENING. It is getting COLDER. There is SMELL of VERY RUSSIAN FOOD.

ZIXINUS's PRAGMATIC BLOCKAGE of the BASEMENT DOOR with a simple use of a BROOM had made the WOLVES(?) retreat. You have DISTRIBUTED the FOOD to the RAVENOUS BRIGADE.

IVAN IVANOV had DECIDED to ROUGH your LANDLORDS a BIT, as he is ANNOYED at the PROSPECT of MAN EATING THINGS lurking in your BASEMENT.

IVAN IVANOV CALLS up IVAN PYOTREVICH.

IVAN IVANOV Says: WHY THERE ARE THINGS HOWLING IN BASEMENT OF PREMIUM HANGAR AND NOT IN BASEMENT OF CHEAP HANGAR FOR CHEAPSKATE AMERICANS INSTEAD!?

THIS is UNACCEPTABLE for such a QUALITY ESTABLISHMENT!

IVAN PYOTREVICH is CONFUSED. He ASKS about the NATURE of the HOWLING THINGS.

IVAN PYOTREVICH LISTENS to the EXPLANATION.

IVAN PYOTREVICH Says: Ah! They must be mutant rats. Real plague since chemical companies began cost-cutting. Should not be problem if you keep lights on, da? We send exterminators in the morning, da. No charge.

IVAN PYOTREVICH thinks this is BULLSHIT. But before he can LET IVAN PYOTREVICH HAVE IT, he is STRUCK by an OFFER.

IVAN PYOTREVICH Says: And I will come down in the morning to discuss these bombs you had for sale, da?

IVAN IVANOV STEMS his THREATS, as this MAY be just what you NEED.

While that was HAPENNING, the TEAM had DEVOURED the VERY RUSSIAN FOOD and BEGAN to STRATEGIZE with many IDEAS. They range from DECENT to UTTERLY DERANGED and seem to SHOW that EVERYONE is FUCKING TIRED.

REPAIR GUY somehow MANAGES to find a MINUTE to CHECK the MASSIVENESS of the AMEX BILL. The TOTAL BILL is $ 360 657,87

$345 765,87 out of that will begin to EARN INTEREST at a STAGGERING RATE on March 20th.

It looks bad. You would call SUAVE PLAYBOY to tell him just how BAD it IS, but nobody is PICKING UP. You figure he is FORNICATING with TROPICAL BEAUTY at your EXPENSE.

You fall ASLEEP one by ONE. You manage to SURVIVE the NIGHT despite OMINOUS SOUNDS coming from the BASEMENT.

You try to CALL SUAVE PLAYBOY AGAIN the FIRST thing in the MORNING.

***

February 24th 2025
Monday

Okhotsk International Airport - Hotel
Presidential Suite

You are now: FUTURE SUAVE PLAYBOY

You are in DANGER of CASTRATION.

Your ATTEMPTED GAMBIT has been MISUNDERSTOOD. You are SURE of THAT because the SCREAMING gets WORSE. You PREPARE to FIGHT for your MANHOOD.

You are SAVED by the BELL.

TROPICAL BEAUTY HUFFS and PUFFS but PICKS up your CELL PHONE. She HEARS somebody TALK.

Before she can HAND the PHONE to YOU, someone WALKS into the ROOM somehow. It is RUSSIAN COUGAR.

RUSSIAN COUGAR is SURPRISED at the SITUATION. She SMILES after some THINKING.

RUSSIAN COUGAR Says: Honey, you did not lose that much. Believe me.

TROPICAL BEAUTY asks a QUESTION. It is COMPLETELY INCOMPREHENSIBLE.

RUSSIAN COUGAR IGNORES her. And SLIPS the ROOM KEY CARD into SUAVE PLAYBOY'S PANTS.

RUSSIAN COUGAR Says: You have promised to show me that spaceplane of yours. To make it up to me for last night.

TROPICAL BEAUTY is FRUSTRATED. She THROWS the KNIFE to the GROUND and STORMS OFF.

RUSSIAN COUGAR Says: She is a feisty one, da?

What do you do? _

***

February 24rd 2025
Monday


You are now: ETERNAL FREEDOM, ZIXINUS, MILDLY DERANGED PHYSICIST, QUIET HISTORIAN, REPAIR GUY, RI'ANN SHAPP, SMARMY AMERICAN SAILOR, COMBAT JANITOR and PHANT.

Things start HAPENNING. REALLY FAST.

You are WOKEN UP by the SMELL of OLD SCAVENGING HOBO.



The OLD SCAVENGING HOBO has SOMEHOW managed to get INTO the HANGAR despite the ELECTRONIC LOCKS and a single ARMED GUARD who seems AWARE. OLD SCAVENGING HOBO is BRANDISHING a SHARPENED STICK and WEARING an ID TAG of the AIRPORT.

OLD SCAVENGING HOBO Says, VERY LOUDLY: Hello there! I am the exterminator! How are you today? Have ny vodka left? Oh, awesome!

Before you can EXPRESS your DISPLEASURE with the UNPLEASANT WAKE UP CALL and your GUARD'S INEFFECTIVENESS, the STATIONARY PHONE begins to RING.

It is CUSTOMERS.

STATIONARY PHONE Says: Hello, is this Lloyd Aerospace and Management Enterprises? My employer Mr. Leonid Elenin has met your sales representative at a party last night. He would like to hire you as transportation for some passengers to orbit, da? How much is your going rate?

The TUBENETWEB COMPUTER PINGS. It is MORE CUSTOMERS.

Code: Select all

FROM: VIMPELCOM INFRASTRUCTURE DEPARTMENT
TO: LAME SALES DEPARTMENT

Dear Sir/Madam/Other

VIMPELCOM INFRASTRUCTURE DEPARTMENT would like to inquire about the going rates for payload insertion to geostationary orbit of your aerospace company.

Having met your sales representative at a party last night, our directors are very interested in the innovative services your company might offer. We are currently finalizing a launch project for our latest spy satellite ; And though we have already secured launch services with the Baikonur Cosmodrome, we are willing to consider a last-minute change if your offer is good enough. Please reply quickly: the launch is planned for March 12.

Awaiting your reply,
Cosmog Rabchevsky

Code: Select all

FROM: FAT DRAGON
TO: LAME SALES DEPARTMENT

Dear son!

It is honorable that you do not forget about family, even while serving the gaijin who got your father imprisoned.

We may indeed have use for the vehicle you have described ; However, the family demands exclusive access to it and its services. Honor the memory of your father and seize control of the vehicle for us, and you shall be rewarded!

The cal the SUAVE PLAYBOY results in los of RAPID FIRE NATIVESPEAK and no MEASUREABLE RESULTS.

IVAN PYOTREVICH ARRIVES at the HANGAR.

What do you do? _

[FaxModem1]

"Mom came through. Anyone want her to invest?"

[Zixinus]

PRAISE SUAVE PLAYBOY. ASK/DRAG PHANT and GET HIM TO DO NUMBERS and RATES for us.

Answers PHONE and politely give a REASONABLE RATE, with START-UP FEEs. ASK for PHONE NUMBER to CALL BACK and give ADDRESS so he may INSPECT the SPACEPLANE in PERSON if he wishes to, and during which we may discuss business. INFORM HIM that we are DOING MAINTENANCE at the MOMENT*, but ASSURE HIM (without promising) that we can FIT HIM IN our schedule for a SCENIC FLIGHT with an ESCORT and HOSTING (food, women, etc).

* Considering how damaged the planes get based on our last two flights and how heavily we have to repair them after that, that may as well be true.
OOCish: Does anyone have any idea what numbers should I give the guy? We can and want to underbid the competition, but I don't know your average launch costs.[/OOC]

ANSWER e-mail from VIMPELCOM INFRASTRUCTURE DEPARTMENT and give them a base estimate on the price listing I've written earlier (as an approximate bid) and tell them that the price really depends on certain details about the payload (how high the orbit is and how heavy the satellite is). USE GUILE to STRONGLY IMPLY that we can DO THE JOB MORE CHEAPLY than our COMPETITION. STICK OUT that we require a deposit at least 500 000$ or so.

ADDRESS REPAIR GUY

"I take it that your mother would rather take us over rather than invest in us. At best, we would need a facade to convince her that we're not useless additions. I'm not up for that, so let's move her to plan D, right after plan C being "let's think of something else". No offense, but the Ravenstar is the most interesting thing to happen to me since that incident with the hedgehog, Orban the Third's second mistress and renovated BMP-1 tank.
*Pauses nostalgically with memories of mayhem*
"Anyway, I'm not giving it up that easily. Her favours come too high a price, although I am curious whether she would get a higher opinion of us if we somehow managed to save your father. So, in case we are democratically here, I give a big no.

"I overheard Ivanov about selling the bombs. I thought we could use them, but they may cover the price of the rant at the very least.
*CALLS IVANOV to make sure of that.*

"But the main question is how fast can we get her up in orbit again? Because if Ivan can get us some money, I'm going to go on the shopping run I've planned and I already have a list of things we need to buy for repairs."
*HANDS OVER LIST OF NEEDED REPAIR PARTS WRITTEN BY MILDLY DERANGED PHYSICIST*
"SInce you are in head of repairs, I thought I should run this trough you, in case we need something else."

ASK EVERYONE WHETHER THEY NEED ANYTHING while I'M OUT SHOPPING. Specifically, ask for cloth sizes, any supplies needed and preferable firearms (I'm getting a revolver myself).

ASK COMBAT JANITOR "How's the cleanup coming? I'm going out for a shopping run, do you need any supplies?"

[Darkevilme]

SUAVE PLAYBOY recovers from FEAR AND WOE. SUAVE PLAYBOY has probably not seen the last of TROPICAL BEAUTY but nods to RUSSIAN COUGAR and attempts to salvage PRIDE AND CHARM while leading her back towards team LAME's HANGAR, phoning ahead to tell them he's coming with company and to CLEAN THE PLACE AND PLANE UP.

[PeZook]

You are now: ZIXINUS

ZIXINUS had RECEIVED some NEW MENERGIES thanks to the SUDDEN INFLUX of POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS. He has CONVERSED with BOTH at LENGTH and DRAFTED PHANT to PERFORM COST CALCULATIONS.

A REPLY from VIMPELCOM comes back QUICKLY with some basic SPECIFICATIONS of the SATELLITE and its ORBIT. You have no IDEA what to MAKE of the SATELLITE and your CAPABILITY to LAUNCH it. You do UNDERSTAND the ORBIT, though, at 237x533 kms and INCLINATION of 96 degrees - it is a POLAR ORBIT of some HEIGHT.

PHANT Mutters: And when the machine stops, time was an illusion that we created free will. Twelve battles, three stars, and yet we are countless as the bodies in which we dwell, are both parent and infinite children in perfect copies. No degradation.

PHANT PRESENTS some PRELIMINARY FIGURES.

Code: Select all

Repairs to hydraulics: $210 765,127364218953

Repairs to heat shield: $ 80 000 engineer fee for inspection + currently unknown amount for materials + eventual costs of manpower

Total fuel costs: $ 96 993,60 

PHANT Mutters: The makers of the makers fall before the child. Accessing defense system. Handshake, handshake. Second level clear.

IVAN PYOTREVICH watches PHANT with some AMUSEMENT, but then CUTS straight to BUSINESS. In the BACKGROUND, REPAIR GUY is TALKING on his CELL - with SUAVE PLAYBOY, it SEEMS.

IVAN PYOTREVICH Says: Da, I have buyer for bombskis. I can offer 15 000 dollars american for each bomb, cash, no questins asked, da? Take it or leave it!

What do you do?_

***

You are now: SUAVE PLAYBOY

You are OUTSIDE the AIRPORT TERMINAL. You are WALKING at a STEADY PACE.

There are BULKY BODYGUARDS following you. You have RECOVERED some of your CHARM thanks to some more VODKA from the MINIBAR.

RUSSIAN COUGAR suddenly ASKS you a POINTED QUESTION about TROPICAL BEAUTY and her ROLE in your COMPANY.

What do you do? _