Hi Alex,

Thank you for another ray of laughter in my day. Keep the updates coming.

Tom Rux

> On 10/25/2021 10:00 AM Alex Goodwin - alex.goodwin at multitel.com.au <xxxxxx@simplelists.com> wrote:
>
>
> I've had to cut off The Biro Expansions, otherwise it would forever grow
> and never be posted.  As it is, I'm retroactively starting a new chapter
> as of a few weeks ago and starting from that.  I'll see how I go with
> the rest of The Biro Expansions.
>
> ---
>
> With Das Boot parked in Phoenix Down, Drake decreed a week's shore
> leave, retroactively - Curly had already buggered off to surf.  Drake
> drank to that.
>
> Through a long and convoluted series of events, Drake lobbed at the next
> Worshipful Company of Master Spacers & Starmen get-together/booze-up in
> the Old Dart.  El Capitane managed to avoid making a twat of himself
> this time, and ended up talking to one Nikolai Nikolayevich Nikov, TCN
> Navy Scouts.
>
> Gospodin Nikov makes an offer of joining an exploration/survey convoy
> heading out past Teapot (Kushuggi 2530), on the grounds Drake + crew had
> proved themselves lucky + good enough to come back the other way with
> sod-all preparation.  How well would they go with doing it deliberately,
> with preparation and support?
>
> Despite not making a twat of himself, Drake still managed to make the
> society papers.  Apparently N.N. Nikov currently held the rank of
> Lieutenant Commander.
>
> While this was happening, a funny feeling told Nikki it would be a good
> idea to stock up on spare parts, so she chased up a whole 2.6 dton of them.
>
> Drake managed to make it from London City Shuttleport back to Phoenix
> Down, holding off making a twat of himself until he reached Das Boot's
> berth, where he called a general talk talk in cargo hold.
>
> Drake relays his efforts - thru a coincidence of timing, Easy Frag
> joined the convo just as Drake got to the money bit.  Players found the
> timing hilarious, so Nikki turned up as the talk talk got to money.
>
> Crew were interested, so El Capitane sent a message to Nikov and sets up
> meeting at berth in Phoenix Down.
>
> Nikov, in civvies, plus two offsiders lob at berth later that night.
>
> Nikov answered any remaining questions and, upon learning Das Boot had a
> 6 pc unrefuelled range, asked how in blazes they managed to make money. 
> Nikki smugged about the new Lyman drive.
>
> Basic idea for charter was 12 months' time charter out into the region
> to trailing of Teacup Station
>
> More discussion ruled out Nikov's original idea of oiler - for starters,
> ship was too small.  Pathfinding, on the other hand, fitted perfectly.
>
> Discussion wrapped up, with Nikov giving Drake a week to respond.
>
>
> Two days later, one of Joe's many contacts popped up.  Bo Xai Lai, a
> drinking buddy of multiple decades' standing, more familiarly known to
> both Joe and Badass Badass-Moustache as Sifu.
>
> Through a truly Pythonesque series of events back in the day, Sifu ended
> up taking over the Shockwave Riders psi institute (previously mentioned
> as first such outside Zhodani Consulate in the Advisoryverse) from Joe's
> dodgier-than-the-Dodgies grandfather.
>
> One venture that Sifu had set up was a training ship, the _Caerbannog
> Rabbit Fancy_ , where junior staff and non-junior students were sent to
> the Institute of Experience.  Previous trips had been into the Ziru
> Sirka, but the outbreak of war embuggerised that approach.  Sensing a
> way to help out one of his teachers and make some coin at the same time,
> Joe mentioned Nikov's exploration convoy and explained the details.
>
> Because Joe was an old (in both senses of word) partner-in-crime, Sifu
> was game to engage Joe as his agent for negotiating the services not
> only of the _Caerbannog Rabbit Fancy_ but another ship the Riders had,
> _Echo Papa 507_, in return for 5% of the gross charter fee.
>
> Later that day, Ahluvda Hudugurusinha contacted his old shipmate, Curly,
> who was busy working on his fusion-powered kombi in the ship's hold at
> Phoenix Down, surfboards strapped atop.  (It was Wombat's idea for the
> surfing and the kombi - I just ran with it, after I stopped pissing
> myself laughing).
>
> After some catching up, Curly asked Guru where he was up to. Turned out
> one Agro Vation had obtained himself another support boat, the _Stacey
> Thomson_, with a mostly-green crew.  Guru did half-heartedly offer a
> second mate spot to Curly, who (as expected) declined, saying he wanted
> to see what weirdness happened to Drake Milford next.  Speaking of
> weirdness, Curly asked Guru to hold while he rattled Joe's cage.
>
> After Joe answered, Curly conferenced him in and Joe filled Guru in on
> the details, and who to contact.  Much to Curly's amusement, Joe tried
> the agent idea on with Guru, who turned him down flat, the level of
> flatness being somewhere between a pancake and Wyoming (which, iirc, is
> flatter).
>
> Curly let those two talk and dropped out of the call.
>
> (Yes, I was a bit stuck, so went with the Yankovic-level coincidences to
> move things along).
>
> --
> Alex
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