Hi Alex,

Thanks for another update of the Das Boote and merry crew.

Tom Rux

> On 01/07/2021 4:47 AM Alex Goodwin <xxxxxx@multitel.com.au> wrote:
>
>
> After Drake rejoined them and Moustache disappeared back into the bowels
> of Phoenix Orbital, the commercial grind resumed.
>
> Easy Frag, in an interesting aside, pointed out (from experience where
> he works) that intermodal containers would easily be at least two
> displacement tons.  After crunching numbers, it turned out the
> bog-standard 2.6m-high TEU worked out to 2.76 dton - thus a 2.8m high
> version would be 2.97 dton, which rounds up to 3 dton easily enough
> (likewise a FEU would be 5.94 dtons, rounded up to 6). 
>
> Further, Easy Frag pointed out there's "millions of the bloody things
> _now_" and made the very reasonable argument that, given intermodal
> containers were in wide use long before the TTL diverged from ours
> (26/12/1991, IMTU - I am very carefully Not Considering the implications
> that publishing CT and MT in a TTL carries), an adaptation would
> probably form the core of Terran unitised cargo movement, rise of the UN
> or otherwise.
>
> I made like a starving hobo on a ham sandwich at EF's suggestion.
>
> Nikki chased up 8 dton of apple brandy on spec, as well as freight going
> up the Nusku Main - all the way to Shulgi in one lot's case (22 dton). 
> In addition, she dug up two containers' worth (6 dton) to Barnard and 1
> container's worth to Agidda, as well as 2 dton to Dingir.
>
> Departure from Phoenix Orbital was nice and boring, as was the trip to
> and arrival at Barnard.
>
> Turns out Badass Badass-Moustache had arranged for an
> almost-similarly-multitalented crewcritter to meet them at Barnard
> (Eddles is proving to have the weirdest "luck" in chargen - Old Joe is
> notably more psionic than a half-housebrick), known as "Old Joe"
> (depending on which passport he's using - Old Joe almost reifies the
> Chinese-curse style "interesting times").  Nikki offloaded the Barnard
> containers while Drake welcomed Old Joe aboard, and explained where he
> would fit into the crew.
>
> After fuel and docking fees, the _Paradise_ lifted for Agidda.
>
> Although transit to and arrival at Agidda was routine, presenting the
> paperwork to get paid wasn't.  For (iirc) the first time since the game
> started, Nikki flubbed the paperwork.  She needed Old Joe's help to
> de-flub the paperwork and re-present it.  After that, Nikki tried to
> palm off the 8 dtons of apple brandy she had picked up on spec -
> possibly due to Old Joe's influence, the crew are no longer welcome to
> carry out spec trade at Agidda.
>
> While grumbling at the fuel and fees, El Capitane also came off
> second-best in an encounter with paperwork - namely that needed to cross
> the border.  As EC was still arguing with said paperwork when Old Joe
> and Nikki returned with their spec cargo, Old Joe gave EC a hand in
> straightening that out.
>
> Old Joe also had a funny-weird feeling about something looming, but
> couldn't quite put his finger on it.
>
> Das Boot lifted for Nusku, for a another happily-routine voyage.
>
> To no one's surprise, they were flagged for customs inspection shortly
> after emergence, with the customs cutter coming alongside as Das Boot
> approached Nusku highport.
>
> "I'm not drinkin' on the job - what else you want?" - Old Joe
>
> After pre-emptive application of a bottle of apple brandy by EC to the
> customs officer, the crew, ship and cargo paperwork were declared to be
> in order and the customs cutter buggered off.
>
> Transiting Nusku was nice and boring - dock, refuel, pay fees (after
> changing quite a few solars to credits), sod off, boost out to 100D, sod
> off to Apishal.
>
> "That's what, four boring jumps in a row now?  I'm worried." - Herr Sweep
>
> As Apishal's D-class port was congested and they were merely transiting,
> EC decided to boost out to the nearest gas giant to skim fuel.
>
> 3 days' boost to the GG, 1 hour's leeroying and 1 day to boost out had
> Das Boot almost ready to depart for Zaggisi.
>
> Old Joe decided to see if he could help the process - rocking out a
> critical success on helping Curly's astroguessing check.  With Joe's
> help, the jump to Zaggisi took a mere 6.5 days.
>
> "_Five_ jumps now?" - Herr Sweep
>
> Herr Sweep's agitation must have made it through to El Capitane, who
> flubbed the flight plan paperwork for transit to Shulgi.
>
> Old Joe had to help out again to straighten out that lot of paperwork
>
> After docking, 1 parsec of fuel and fees, they lifted for Shulgi.
>
> Upon arriving at 100-odd-D, Curly just couldn't get the astroguessing to
> converge.
>
> Old Joe shoved him aside and astroguessed the jump to Shulgi - which
> took only 6 days.
>
> To their surprise, they found Shulgi congested - bribing their way
> though with 4 cases of apple brandy cut the ship's wait down to 17 hours.
>
> Curly made a rough landing, bending the landing gear in the process.
>
> While Nikki blew off steam at Curly, Old Joe delivered the paperwork for
> the Shulgi-bound freight they had carried.
>
> Nikki collared Old Joe and they sodded off in search of spec cargo - no
> luck on finding a buyer for the apple brandy, but she did find 3 tons of
> industrial radioactives.  She haggled the seller down from 300k to 270k,
> and Old Joe duly loaded it aboard.
>
> Nikki, on her own this time, tries for more spec cargo (and thus will be
> spending 10 days at it).  She manages to find a buyer for the brandy,
> embiggening the ship's stash by 600k credits.  Further exemplifying Easy
> Frag's manic-depressive dice karma, Nikki also chases down a lead on 3
> dton of gemstones.  Unfortunately, 30 megacredits is too high a hurdle
> for even Nikki's skills.
>
> "Bugger it." - Easy Frag
>
> Nikki manages to convince the seller to split 0.2 dton of the gemstone
> lot off and gets duly haggled to a standstill, paying list price (1.8
> megacredits) for them.
>
> Old Joe singly fails to find _any_ freight while Nikki is busy scouring
> Shulgi's port and surrounds for spec cargo.
>
> His funny-weird precogged misgivings from a few weeks ago crystallise
> during this little stint - Interstellar War 2: Electric Boogaloo is
> imminent.
>
> Although the rest of the crew (as far as Joe knows) would merely be
> interned for the duration as enemy aliens, Joe is on a stickier wicket. 
> Depending on _who_ he got rumbled as, he might get away with a fair
> firing squad, a fair spacing and then a _scrupulously_ fair trial ("The
> verdict is guilty.  Now get on with the bloody trial.").
>
> --
>  
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