Challenge Accepted: Sinclair Platform, part two
03 Apr 2016Magnudius
An unexpected tap on Nudo's shoulder had her whirling around and ready to do damage to the fool coming up from behind...at least she thinks she did. It could have just been the world spinning, which was likely because of her CBD-Hangover.“CMDR Magnudius, I am here to help” the strange, quiet man now in front of her said.
“How do you know my name?” demanded Nudo.
“I saw your tirade on the comms last night and became intrigued with this quest you viciously defended.”
Nudo inwardly cringed at the mention of her CBD-enhanced tirade out to the lonely comms the previous night. Under the Evil Juice influence, her comments ran wild. Because no one answered her, she thought that no one was listening to her. Apparently she had been wrong. A fellow CMDR listened, and he tracked her down. Hmmm.
“What's your name, CMDR?” Nudo asked.
“Trackless” came the reply.
“Of course it is. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, CMDR Trackless?”
“CMDR Magnudius-”
“You can call me Nudo”
“Nudo, I am here to help you on your mission for rare goods. I understand you need a smaller ship to visit the outposts. I just happen to have some free time on my hands, and I need a break from exploration, so I've come to offer my help with my Diamondback Explorer. What do you say?”
“I say yes, I guess. Should I be concerned about how you managed to find me and the knowledge you may or may not have on me?”
“I don't say 'never', and I'm loyal to a fault.”
“My evil comments made you loyal? That's definitely not good, but I can't afford to be picky.”
Trackless didn't reply to Nudo's final comment, but she strangely wasn't bothered by it. He seemed to be somehow not-there even though he clearly was. “Trackless” certainly fit him. Nudo's nagging side kept pointing out that she knew nothing about him and he knew things about her, but she reminded herself that this would be true of anyone she hired for this. Nudo recognized that she was panicking because she didn't initiate and control this arrangement. She forced herself calm and soothed her mind with reminders that control is an illusion anyway; even if you can control yourself, you can't control that HIP Proto Squid chomping on you (it could happen).
Nudo pulled herself out of her thoughts as Trackless stopped just outside the shipyard.
“Where's our first stop?” he asked as he turned towards her.
“Sinclair Platform in Karetii,” Nudo gleefully answered.
“Right. I'll see you there,” Trackless said and turned towards his ship. “Oh Nudo? Happy Birthday.”
Baffled, Nudo stared at Trackless' back. She checked her watch and was stunned to realize that today is, in fact, her birthday. How did he know? Who was this person? Nudo didn't know what to think as she got into her ship and departed for Karetii. Trackless, not surprisingly, had a better jump range so arrived there first. Nudo followed not too much later and gleefully chuckled in returning to the scene of her recent failure. While she hated having hurdles, she loved getting over them. Without much fanfare, Trackless docked, purchased the goods, and returned to space outside Sinclair Platform.
“Let's head out of the fire zone so we don't get a fine for unlawful action,” Trackless directed.
“They do that? Is that because of traffic concerns? Seems silly considering how few people visit this station,” said Nudo.
“I'm sure there is a reason behind the fine. Here's your ton of Karetii Couture.”
Nudo launched a collector drone (got to love luxury design) and waited while it scooped up the canister. Once safely aboard, Nudo read the description of her new rare good and laughed:
“With the vagaries of fashion, Karetii Couture is always ahead of the curve, and so are the prices. Many people question the value and the practicalities of these items and yet they still maintain a vice-like grip on the public's imagination and credits.”
No wonder the locals didn't want to help her out her first trip here. Nudo's impression of the rare good exactly matched up with the public description, which Nudo found hilarious. What a waste of money, but the payout would be good at the Robigo finish line! Excited, Nudo turned back to Trackless and together they began trucking the outposts.