There are Two Kinds of Rats - Fuel and Purple
20 Apr 2016Jim Beaumont
‘So what do you think then Jim?’ asked Oppo.‘Well I’m off to see the Rats, I believe the WP might have some work for me’
‘I’ll be going to HIP to help the EI as always. What about you Oppo?’
‘Not sure, might go and find a CZ nearby. Trigger finger is getting itchy’
‘I will keep popping back here, the Henrique is due some servicing, and to keep a watch on old Greg. Check on his plans, as he seems a little distracted now!’
‘Do you think he’ll let on to Duta at all?’
‘Nah. He doesn’t like him any more than us. It’s more how he reacts with the Commies although I don’t think he will let on to them either. All in all though, I do believe the WP are quite happy with how things are evolving and the people when they move in somewhere are certainly happy. Every little outpost gets a boost when they turn up that’s for sure’
And with that we went our ways. The Henrique was in desperate need of a service, feeling a little sluggish when pushed to full throttle. But I needed him for a quick trip to see the Rats. I could make it in two jumps with him, see how things lie, and then come back. At least that was the plan.
I know of only two kinds of Rats. The Fuel variety, those good souls who save many a stranded pilot out in the black, those foolish enough to run out of fuel and find themselves at a non-scoopable Star. Just lazy and bad drills in my view to find yourself in that position. Their tally now runs into the thousands. The second is the Purple variety, of pirate and skulduggery. The three of us have a little history with these Purple’s, from the days when we first met and were mining and were having problems with pirates. It was these guys, merciless and unscrupulous with it. It was these same Rats who had given Casandra the beating in the rings when she sought sanctuary and first met us in the bar. So all in all it might not be the nicest of greetings when I get there.
It is only a two minute journey to the outpost when you drop in, but the Rats are just pure anarchy and anything goes. A second faction exists and they call themselves the ‘One’, probably in the firm belief that they are ‘the’ one. But given there current influence, I’d suggest not. They run a planetary station, a former Asylum used to house the mental and deranged in an age gone by when they were just shipped out of the way to the edges and forgotten about. That practice ended some time back, and so lots of these places were used by any bunch of despots to start their own thing. After a couple of incidents on the way to the outpost I changed tack and decided to scout out the Asylum. If anything was going to happen and the WP were to get a footing in this system, it would start here. It was a shocker.
I left the docking pad and wandered into the arrivals centre. Everyone was checked out. I assume they have a list of undesirables, but I also assume it isn’t that long either. They couldn’t control the space around the Asylum, but they were as sure as hell going to control entry. It was a warren of dingy corridors, with people just loitering around, looking for an easy opportunity. You needed your wits about you. I was beginning to think the WP might just write this off as a bad job and not bother, but as I was about to turn around I saw a couple of WP rep’s in their uniform handing out leaflets to people. Their work had started already. Insatiable and unrelenting Pastolis called it. Or something like that. And true to form, foot in the door and off they go. I asked where the office was, if they had one set up already. I was kindly given directions.
More dark and dingy corridors, if the Commies ever got control of this place, I hoped the first thing they did was put some lighting in. It would cheer people up too. It may no longer be an Asylum, but it looks like misery and smells no better.
The office was bedlam, and as I walked in I was immediately told they weren’t open to the public just yet.
‘I’m here for work. Shipments for Odu etc and vice versa. Jim Beaumont is the name’
‘Good for you. Nothing doing here, we aren’t open. Did you not hear?’
‘I’ve done plenty of work for you guys when you have first moved in to other places, Odu included. Give them a ring, I’ll be in the bar when your ready’ and I turned away and walked out, not waiting for the next curt reply.
I found a bar, and decided against it this time. I might need support. It is definitely not for newbies on their own. Everyone is armed, everyone gets the once over with eyes of distrust, it doesn’t strike you as the most welcoming of drinking establishments.
Luckily, as I wandered away the abrupt WP figure appeared, gave me a docket and asked me to make a 110Ly run, No questions asked. I shrugged and went to the docking bay, handed the docket to another official who said the load would be with me in 10 minutes. One large container holding 15t of cargo was placed on board and the Henrique and his service would have to wait.
I followed that run with a few more in the Cabral, lots of supplies going in, and courier trips and cargo going out. The WP were pushing a lot of metals out to get the Cr in. The populace liked it. The ‘One’ didn’t. They weren’t organised and ready for this. Economically bust and now the new kids in town are making a show of what could be done. Only the next day, and people were calling for and got a date for elections. The Asylum was up for grabs already.
‘We have elections already Merc’ I said on a comms channel.
‘That’s good news. The EI are making good progress here too. I think they will be in a similar state in a few days. I’ll give you a hand hauling stuff when they kick in.’
‘Likewise fella. Later’
Once the Rats see what is happening at the Asylum, I think they will be better prepared than the One were. The last thing they will want is to lose control of the outpost, their only station I know of. Saying that though, how hard could it be to defeat this rag tag bunch.
We did it before, in the rings.