1105-010 -- 1105-011 -- 1105-012
- System - Torpol
- Message Center - Anchor link to section of Message Center
- Ship's Log - Anchor links to Personal Logs & Library Entries
- In Character discussions - Anchor links to discussions on this page
- Category Tags: Torpol, Crockett, Flort
| Timing of events |
| 04:00 - Crockett's Interview |
| 08:00 - Start of Day for Wages of Sin |
| ??? - ??? |
04:00 - Holo interactive room at Blue Ice Hotel on Torpol Highport
Crockett logs into the interview and is met by two bland human resource... people? so bland they might be robots. They ask all the basic questions, confirming the information on the application is accurate, indicating that acceptance of the position is dependent on meeting physical exams. They give a short 20 minute psychological exam, taking notes, not answering questions. They go over family history, previous employment, indicate they will be reaching out to the Star Marines and the Pioneer for confirmation of reported actions.
(Chief Protection Officer Laygold)"James Crockett, Star Marine. Short stint I see in your paperwork. What happened in the Academy that you did not become an Officer? Not that important to us here at Sternmetal but if it is something that could come back to bite you you should reveal it if you expect backup. Your skills look appropriate for this position. If you pass your checks you would be a protection officer, reporting to a Senior Protection Officer. We maintain order in the mining colonies, watch out for pirates, notify Operations if things look off, if quotas are not being met, simple easy tasks for you to start. I see from the additions to your reports that both Captain Athena Solis and Medic Mikhel Drohma noted your attention to detail and security work during an attempted hostile takeover of the Pioneer on your last stint of employment. You also have a flag in your personal file already from the Royal Family of Drinax. That is unusual for it to be a positive flag. Notation only says 'Approved' no other description.
(Chief Protection Officer Laygold)"With all that in your records, your starting base pay would be 3,000Cr per month, with an additional hazard pay stipend of 1,000Cr per month that you spend 240 hours of External Vac Suit time. Standard bonus level for a Protection Officer is 1,000Cr for your section meeting quota, 2,000Cr for exceeding quota by ten percent, an additional 100Cr for ever percent over that. With a 14 day rotation back to Torpol station once per year. Round trip ticket deducted from your pay. If you pass your physical there at Torpol station we can forgo that when you arrive here at Traefar. Does that sound like the type of job you can handle?"
comes with fair amount of equipment to help him with security encounters.....EQUIPMENT PURCHASED made following MUSTER OUT....// Grenade Launcher 400cr// 'Woodpecker AutoPistol 500cr//'Woodpecker AutoPistol 500cr//Advanced Desert Suit 1000cr// Advanced Purification Tablets 50cr//Advanced Welding Kit 5000cr//ARMOR TECH suit 30.000cr Provided on muster out// Binoculars TL03 ???cr//Binoculars TL12 ???cr// Boarding Vacc Suit TL12 000cr Provided on muster out//Breaching charge ( x 4) 1000cr//Frag Grenade ( x 10) 300cr//Laser Carbine 2500cr//Laser Pistol 2000cr//Mobile Comm TL 08 (x 3) ???cr extras to loan to others like MIKHEL éé Plastic explosive (x 5) 1000cr//Smoke Grenade TL6 (x10) 300cr// Stunner TL10 750cr// (edited)
counters offer in interview with proposal that pay offer is acceptable if Corporation also purchases his equipment up front to have aboard ship for his employment when need occurs....
(Chief Protection Officer Laygold)"That is good you have invested in your future. We encourage our Protection Officers to choose additional equipment if they feel they need that over what the Company provides to them. We do not do any compensation for such equipment, by bringing in such gear you will likely hit your bonus numbers easier which will be a better arrangement for you."
Most regretably then Crockett can NOT accept your proposal at this time. Perhaps a similar offer can be made in future if I am extremely fortunate. The fact is that I need to improve my financial status before the year is out and your corporation's salary offer doesn't meet my current need. Please convey my serious gratitude for both the offer and your time today.
Torpol Highport - Wages of Sin 08:00
Crow - The Wages of Sin Intellect
“Hey Boss, we’ve got another hit. You’ll love this one, Cyrus Draven. He’s in your contact list; he is looking for a berth. Certified in both Pilot and Astrogation. Comes with his own air/raft… not that we need it unless you’re planning scenic tours.”
A beat.
“Oh, and you have a note by his name: ‘Good Navy’. Whatever that’s supposed to mean. Admirable hygiene? Knows which end of the ship points forward? You tell me.”
To: Cyrus Draven
Fr: Flort Blitzen
Hey Cyrus, remember me? I have an open berth on the 200Ton Marava Trader Wages of Sin. I need a Pilot, and it looks like you might fit. If you are interested or just want to catch up over a drink, come on by.
Flort was expecting a visit from Pilot Cyrus Draven sometime today, and at least a callback from Crockett. For now, he was killing time before committing to cargo purchases or taking on passengers.
He had found cargo listing that looked promising, good Margins. Unfortunately, he could afford a few tons. He still needed to negotiate the final price with the broker, Beren Skahl. There was enough freight to fill up the rest of the hold if the deal landed right.
| Date | Location | Description | Tons | Sale DM | Roll | Result | Base Cost | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1105-011 | Torpol HP | Common Raw Material | 120 | +3 | 16 | 60% | Cr5,000 | Cr3,000 |
| 1105-011 | Torpol HP | Common Electrical | 120 | +3 | 16 | 60% | Cr20,000 | Cr12,000 |
The Mail Office had unceremoniously cut the comm after he sent his ship specifications and crew compliment.
Mail Roll (Freight MOD +0?, Armed +2, Other +?): 2d6+2 = 7 (Average Failure?)
“No Mail for you!” Crow had said with glee.
"You realize, if the bank takes the ship, you go back into a Mobile Comm, right?"
This wasn’t the Imperium. Droid crew might pass in some places, but if he wanted to carry passengers, he needed a certified sophont pilot. And his financial plan depended on passengers to keep the Wages of Sin in the black.
Crow interrupted his thoughts “Boss, we just got a kickback from our message to Cyrus Draven. Just says unavailable. No details. There is a Certified Pilot looking for a berth though. Her name is Vessa Kairn. Certified in both Pilot and Astrogation. Looking for a limited contract.”
Flort looked over her resume.
“Alright, she’s hired, we can’t be too choosey, and we can always find another. If she takes the gig, keep an eye on her to make sure she is not a Pirate Mole."
“Boss, I sent her the job offer. It’s 08:55.”
“So it is…” Flort paused. “Why are you telling me that now?”
“Didn’t Crockett’s last message say to meet at the Blue Ice Hotel at 09:00?”
Flort exploded out of his chair and bolted for the dock.
“Put me through to the hotel!”
Flort stepped through the doors of the Blue Ice Hotel at 09:15. Fashionably late, or so he told himself.
The desk clerk was a sour-faced young man wearing a ridiculous hat that looked like a miniature building sculpted from ice. Apparently, ice was the theme of the hotel—or at least the lobby. Light shimmered through fake icicles suspended from the ceiling, casting soft blue hues across furniture designed to resemble carved frost. Even the air felt colder than necessary. Flort was fairly certain the hat was a scale model of the hotel’s corporate headquarters planetside.
He summoned his most charming smile and slid a ten-credit note across the counter, fingers lingering just a little too long.
“Hello. I’m here to see James Crockett. Would you mind sending a message up? Let him know Flort Blitzen has arrived.”
(desk clerk)"Certainly Sir. consults their directory "Sir Crockett was scheduled for a Holo Suite earlier this morning. I will ring them to see if they are available for you, please have a seat and I will let you know as soon as I have heard from him."
[Crockett arrives in Lobby of Blue Ice to meet FLORT] "Ah you must be the tardy one--Mr. Flort I presume. I'm JAMES CROCKETT. Shall we have a seat over there in the lunge area?
Let's get right to it....What's your proposal? As I believe you know...I am formerly of the Imperial Space Marines and these days specialize in security...aboard ship repelling borders...or externally on land-based missions....and I'm interested in making some money on a one year contract....
Entice me!
“Good to see you again too, Crockett,” Flort said with a grin, making no move to apologize for his lateness. He uncorked a frosted bottle of whiskey and poured two glasses designed to look like carved ice. A flick of his comm projected a hologram of the Wages of Sin, slowly rotating in space, sleek, worn, and undeniably Flort’s.
“Here’s the deal. We talked years ago about joining forces across the Reach, and I don’t forget promises. I’m setting up a Limited Trading Partnership, right now, just you and me.” He pointed back and forth “Others may join, but early in means better footing.”
He took a sip, then nodded toward the holo. “It’s a 200-ton Modified Marava Trader. Mostly mine. Well, operationally mine, but the partnership will run the business side. Profits from speculative trade, cargo runs, and contracts, after ship upkeep, mortgage, repairs and salaries go into the ship fund to provide capital for spec trade. This fund is owned by the partnership and any withdrawals are split: two shares to the ship, two to me, and two to each partner. So, for now, that’s two each for you, me and the ship. The ship’s crew is mostly droids. I’ve got one other salaried gunner/marine on the roster. We’ll need a pilot and an engineer, salaried hires, unless we bring them into the partnership later.”
He subvocalized, “We’ve got the pilot locked, right?”
“Maaaybe,” CROW replied in his ear, dragging out the vowel with irritating precision.
Flort cleared his throat and leaned in slightly. "This covers everything run through the Wages of Sin, cargo, freight, whatever else we dig up. Side contracts? Still shared if they run through the partnership, possibly removing the ship. Non-partners might get salary or a single share, depending on the contract details.”
He paused a beat, letting that settle. Then added, “Decisions affecting the partnership, hiring, routes, contracts, are made by partner vote. If there’s ever a tie, I break it. It’s my ship, after all.”
He leaned back and raised his glass.
“Whenever you want to leave, we cash out the ship's fund, give out the shares and part company. So. What do you say? You ready to make some real money?”
You propose 2 ship shares to yourself, 2 shares to the founding partners (me), and two to the ship that FLORT owns and ship pays the "hires" out of that?
Shares of the profit. Each partner gets two and if we ever need to give a half share out it makes it easier for accounting. The ship gets two shares because I am providing the ship, the Broker Service, and running books.
Crow, in Flort’s ear, “Don’t forget, janitor, cook, and sometimes bartender. Dont sell yourself short.”
For side contracts, which are not part of the normal operation of the ship, we would take the ship out of the equation. Ancillary actors may be paid a flat rate, but would more than likely require a share depending on the contract.
For normal operation, Maintenance, Life Support, Fees, salaries for non-partner crew, and mortgage would come out first. The rest goes into a ship fund used for spec trade. That fund builds until we take disbursements. Each disbursement is split into shares. The extra shares for the ship go into an account I control for the ship.
Currently I am a little low on capital. It’s enough to start, but any funds you could put in the ship fund start the growth faster. We could also sell the WOS air raft, but I don’t really want to take a hit and buy it back later.
I want a better split. Say four shares for you, four shares for me, two shares to the ship and two shares for any new people coming in. I come with close to Cr50,000 in gear including a Cr30,000 Boarding vacc-Suit.
I think that would be a hard sell for new partners. I think partners should be kept as equal as possible while still allowing the ship to build a buffer. Also, I own the ship, The trade profit is based off my skill, and I take care of the Administration and Management on the ship.
There really should be enough profit for everyone once we get going. The ship could buy the equipment from you. How about you get an extra share or two until it is paid off?
I mean the money for special contracts is split even. That is where your special skills will most likely come into play.
Not the arrangement I am looking for. I am a powerful security force multiplier in a troubled sector. I care about what is best for me, not someone I have never met. I like the idea about the ship buying the equipment. It could take awhile as you noted. I understand you bring other skills to the table as well as the ship. I don’t like equal shares for everyone. Is that your FINAL offer?
Yeah, I think it is. I think you are underestimating how profitable a properly run merchant ship with a qualified Broker can be. The last ship where I was crew had about Mcr70 in about four months.
What type of monthly are you looking for?
I understand it is possible for profits to come quick, but how much cargo could that other ship carry? I have another very lucrative job offer that is with a mining endeavor that provides excellent future considerations.
It was 55 tons, and The WOS has fuel cargo compartment. So, 45 tons on a jump two, and 65 on a single jump.
Say I came up with Kcr50 by selling my gear, how do the profits look?
Quick math in my head with the current offerings, I think about an extra Kcr40, probably better to keep the gear. I can give you more concrete numbers if you want to give me a few minutes.
Monthly expenses for the ship amount to an estimated Kcr225, estimated profit with current funds is about Kcr28 after week two, doubled at the end of the month. That is using three tons for Spec trade and the rest as Freight and some passengers.
Crow, Pull together a quick forecast presentation.
“on it Boss, I’ll keep the animations tasteful.”
Nice presentation. Under monthly expenses you have Kcr11 listed as salary. Where does that go?
Estimated salary for a Pilot, Engineer, and existing Gunner/Marine, that is a little low. Probably more around Kcr18, it is for salaried crew with no profit shares.
Here are my certifications. I would be performing active offensive\defensive security. I would be considered crew as well.
“Files check out. He’s dangerous, well-equipped, and has trust issues. You’ll get along great.” Crow piped into Flort’s ear.
Ok, that is fair, Marines usually get Kcr2 a month. Officers get Kcr5. Since we get shares how about partners take a Kcr5 salary?
I think I can work with that. he said putting out his hand. While it torpedoes a deal I had cooking with SternMetal Horizon, I like the idea of profiting from trade.
You seem to have a few droids organized to assist us....What other crew members do you have organized so far?
The original idea was for the ship to be mostly automated. There are four crew droids that do the grunt work, and the ship intellect can actually step in with almost any position. SO you know it might not talk to you right away, but it will follow your directions.
"Speak for yourself" Crow piped into Flort's ear.
We have a full complement of repair Drones. The issue is, under the last owner, the WoS went through an extended period of low maintenance for a lot of years that... Let's say gave her personality. We currently have a Gunner/Marine that has been on board for few years named Spits, he came with the ship. I had a pilot that I got at Drinax, Unfortunately there was an incident with them, and they were let go. In order to take passengers, we will need one, and we will need to take passengers." Flort paused and muted his comm microphone. "The Intellect Crow can fly the ship straight enough in empty space, but anything more could be difficult." He looked up at the wall clock. It was a retro analog clock and the hands looked like icicles. "For legal purposes we also need to pick up an engineer, although Sparks the Crew Droid has been doing a bang on job. We really want a Sophont crew.
So at this very moment the Positions of Pilot and Engineer are being filled by DROIDS, that are doing sufficient job....but you FLORT are thinking it would be preferable to still find a couple of sophonts to fill those positions? If you give me a short "requirements list of skill and experience" I'm happy to do a little spacebar hoping while we still have some time here on Torpol and see if I can find us something. Our salary offer to a pilot is 8K cr per month? and for the engineer how many cr per month? 4000cr ?
“Crow, any progress on the pilot?” Flort asked into the air.
“Pilot Vessa Kairn. Certified in both Starship Piloting and Astrogation. Four years in the Navy with Squadron 42. Most recently flew for the subsidized liner Free Lunch,” Crow replied, voice dry. “She’s looking for a short-term, month-to-month contract. Standard rates. She responded to our offer, says she’d like to inspect the ship and meet the crew before committing.”
Flort sniffed. “Alright. Have her come by the Wages of Sin at noon. We’ll size each other up.” He glanced over at Crockett. “Looks like the pilot slot might be handled. You’re welcome to sit in on the interview if you like. How’s it looking for an engineer?”
“Only one hit on the board: Rexal Brannick. Certified engineer, but there are issues, he’s jumped between four ships in the past three years. No reasons listed. Still asking standard pay,” Crow said, unimpressed.
Flort exhaled through his nose and turned to Crockett. “Only engineering option at the moment isn’t exactly promising. Want to try your luck finding us someone better before we leave Torpol?”
