"And dudettes, if you don't mind," Tanja retorts, finally releasing Levi's arm, "but guilty as charged on the lazing around. It's not often we get planetside and have a decent amount of time to ourselves."
She thanks Fatboy and orders a herself a darselbark tea and insists on a thick coffee for Levi to cheer him up whether he wants one or not.

"So any update on the Katerina and how much longer we're here?? And any news on a job?? A paying job?? My last paycheck was a while ago and a lady has expenses to cover."

"You mean Network." Adriannah prompts then mouths 'Only Dudes laze around'
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:53, Thu 24 Aug 2023.

Once Lex leaves the marina, he pulls out his comms pad to get directions to his destination, Stigurd's Diner, which is just outside the main gates of the General Shipyard. Lex looks at the pad, then up to see his surroundings. He identifies the correct direction and heads off, as it's only a short 10-minute walk.

Lex is a little early for the appointment, but that is nothing new for him. He prefers to arrive early rather than be late. He slows his pace a little so he can take in more of the sights along his walk. People are busy coming to work while others, looking tired, must be leaving work. "It looks like I arrived during a shift change," Lex observes.

Upon arriving at the diner, Lex walks in and scans the room for Dawn. The morning sun is still shining through large open windows, making it hard to see clearly, at least for a typical person. However, Lex simply adjusts the light intensity and engages the binocular function of his Enhanced Vision Augmentation, making the task easy.

Lex walks over to Dawn, who is in a small group, likely consisting of the ship's crew. He waits until Dawn notices him and simply says, "Hello Dawn, nice to see you again."

"Aaaaiiiiigh LEXI, my man!" Dawn screams, jumping up from her chair to give her brother in arms a huge hug.  She pats him on the back and leans back.  "You've gotten fat."  She chides, her dark eyes gleaming with mirth. "C'mon, meet the others."

Dawn hooks an arm inside Lexi's and practically drags him over to the table.  Her usual down in the mouth, dry cynicism has vanished. "Hey guys, I want you to meet my brother, Lexon Reed."  She says.  "No other person alive I'd rather be with in the bush with."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:21, Thu 24 Aug 2023.

"Greetings Lexi, I'm Harry McStubbin! Pleased to meet you!" he says with genuine enthusiasm getting to meet Lexi finally, Dawn talked about him a lot when they were together.

As the vid behind the counter changes to an informative presentation on gravs, Karma enters the Diner.  A man bumps into her roughly on the way out of the diner. "Pardon."  She says, as the man continues on without even a glance or indication he heard her.  Shrugging, she continues into the diner, now filled only with her crew as patrons of the place.  She walks toward the hexagonal table, her stride one of confidence and purpose.  In the crook of her arm is her computer.

"Mornin crew."  She says cheerfully and with a smile. She raises an eyebrow, noticing Lexon.  "Plus one?"  She smiles at Dawn, noticing the arm still crooked in the man's arm.  Good for her, she thinks, misconstruing the meaning.

She continues, "First order of business.  Today, we begin the integration of the new sensor array into the Zhodani tech computer.  Fatboi and Billianah will be working on the algorithms involved.  There will be trunks to splice, so a couple of you will be in the tights, hooking up relays and terminating conduits.  Levi will be overseeing the integration, he will delegate tasks to its completion today, and I emphasize today. Tanja and Phillip will be updating our astrogation databases. I want up to date information before we leave.

We have a couple of new additions to the crew.  We are pleased to have you aboard and we hope that the Katarina will be as much a home to you as the Fumorious Bandersnatch.  We will be restructuring our shares plan and offering new shares.  I expect this conversation will occur later this evening aboard the Katarina."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:10, Sat 26 Aug 2023.

Spotting Karma, Adriannah hurried to catch up with her, just as she reached the diner. Taking a seat she glanced around the room taking in the other crew.

"Any word from our Patron, Admiral Amundsen, or news on the Allamu's whereabouts?" Dawn asks.  Dawn had assumed they would be sent to the same port as the Allamu for repairs, but was re-directed here to Regina.  This seemed odd to her.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:25, Fri 23 Feb.

"No", Karma answers quietly, her eyes darting to Lexon.  She did not like bringing up the Allamu openly, especially in public.  "I have had no contact with the admiral since arriving here.  I have received, indirectly through a contact, a job of sorts.  If that is what we are doing... jobs. I do not have any contacts as yet to set us up as a passenger service.  I do have contacts from my free trader experience, but at only 80 tons, we lack the cargo space for any serious cargo trading.  I assume, as well, that you all are using your contacts for networking, looking for job opportunities."

Karma takes a seat, sets her pack on the table and takes out the HVD3.  She places it on the table.  "HVD3 open." Karma says.  The voice analysis confirms her ID and opens the Hardpoint Vid Display screen with the last item still opened.  It is a three dimensional chart showing the local star system occupying the space of the table.  Lusor is shown as well companions, Speck and the distant Darida and all orbiting planets.  She points with a finger at the second gas giant in the orbital plane. "This is the other gas giant in this system known as Belnafaer.

"Where is Billianah?" Karma asks, looking around the group.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:43, Sun 08 Oct 2023.

"She had a tech gig at some secured warehouse here in the starport region.  At least, that's what she says she was going to do." Fatboi replies with a conspiratorial look.   He flashes the captain a boyish grin.  "What do we stand to make off this job offer?"
This message was last edited by the player at 08:40, Sat 28 Oct 2023.

"Two hundred and fifty thousand credits." Karma replies, crossing her arms and looking at the gas giant. "Look at it this way.  There will be minimal fuel overhead costs.  It will add to the operating fund, which by the way, is low. It is a passenger ferry, but it's all I have at the moment."

"As you know, our berthing and repairs have been paid for by the admiral for services."  Karma replies.  "But the berthing costs are paid only for the next two days. We need to get the sensor array working and get that missile bay finished. By the end of the day if manageable." 

An image from the vid catches the captain's eye, and she pauses.  It is a repeat of scenes shown earlier of the 213th Naval fleet commander and his judge advocates entering the airlocks at Regina Highport.  Several patrons of the diner, whom she had not noticed come in murmur amongst themselves.  One throws a wad of paper at the vid when the commander shakes the hand of a board member of General Products.  She shakes her head and turns back to the holo-vid display, touching a small file icon at the outer edge.  The file opens, showing a dossier of a woman in her thirties with a hard, modest look.  Hair pulled back in a tight bun, with rimmed glasses and fair complexion.  "This is Marjori Downing of ByChem Corp.  This is the patron."

Billianah checks the Ports Register for available cargoes then comm's Karma with details on what's available.

Lex, noticing that the crew needed to get to work, looked at Dawn and said, "Looks like this may not be the best time to talk. I can come back later; I have time." Looking out the window, he continued, "I finished my last contract a few days ago. I need to spend some time making my rounds, looking for the next opportunity. I can come back later today or tomorrow if that would be better."

"Non-sense Lexi! Come with us."  Dawn offers impulsively, giving Karma and the others a pleading look. "At least for this trip.  Get to know my crew mates. We can catch up on things.  You can even by my field hand."

She laughs, a rich deep laugh.  Uncharacteristic of her, really.  She wants his company right now more than anything she admits to herself.  Her crew mates were fine enough, but none of them really understand the--  well, understand.

"We still have over a hundred thousand left from the sale of salvage," Levi says quietly, as he was previously acting quartermaster. "But a quarter mill would have us a lot of breathing room to decide what we're doing next.

Does the generosity of the Admiral extend to fresh supplies as well as fuel?? While our stocks were refreshed recently if we can benefit from adding more fresh stocks and consumables I suggest we do it."

Dawn invites the newcomer Lexi to join them. Karma had suggested they were taking on new crew, but this man had just seemed to walk in off the street. But he'd been told to behave himself and not create a scene. "Also we have twelve staterooms, plus captain's quarters. How many does that comfortably hold?? How many crew are we expecting and how many passengers?? Will those of us with our own staterooms need to consider sharing again??" he asked.

"The stocks will be full when we leave and we will be topped off with fuel." Karma replies to Levi.  "Refueling will take place today after the refitters leave.  As to the staterooms, I will take a look at crew berths today and get back with you."

Karma glances again at the man Dawn continues to hook arms with.  Now that she takes a closer look, this is not some romantic notion of Dawns.  And, catch up on things?  No, this was someone from her past in the army.  His familiarity to her suddenly makes more sense to her.  The demeanor.  The look of a soldier.  But, also something else.  She has the distinct feeling she knows him from somewhere.  This must be whom Dawn was thinking of bringing onboard as a part of the crew.

"What was your calling soldier?"  Karma asks politely.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:16, Sun 27 Aug 2023.

Harry grunts and nods, he understands no matter how much he loved her, he has not lived through her experiences, this man was her brother, in many ways. She needed to share that part of her life with someone that completely understood to make her whole. You have to be able to live with your past before you can live with the future!

Dawn smiles at Harry, seeing his understanding of the situation.  It is not a romantic idea at all between her and Lexon.  He has to see that, and she appreciates that he does.  She nods back.

Karma's wrist band vibrates and she looks down at it, seeing an attachment to a message from Billianah.  It immediately opens to a list of cargos that are currently available at the port authority.  She nods, directing the file with a flick of the wrist to the holo-vid where it opens up the manifest.  A listing appears with cargos available for pickup and delivery as a hauler.  Additionally, there is a listing of trade goods and risk speculation for far traders.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:26, Sun 27 Aug 2023.

Lex responds to the Captain’s inquiry, saying “Army, four terms.  I mustered out as a Lieutenant Colonel.  Specialized in reconnaissance.  That’s how Dawn and I know each other,  a bond forged through adversity.   It's a story for another day, perhaps.”
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 14:32, Sun 27 Aug 2023.

"Well, a friend of Dawn's is a friend to us." Karma says sagely to Lexon Reed.  "You are welcome to travel with us, as Dawn suggests.  There may be opportunity since you are looking for work.  We are looking to round out our crew assignments and requirements that develops with our business model.  You would be a welcome addition as a traveling friend or as a colleague.  We can discuss this more later if you decide to travel with us.  For now, it is time to get to work."

She checks the time on the wrist band.  "To answer your question Levi, it will be only one passenger.  A bio-tech engineer, well known, as I understand it.  This job has a window, and if we are successful today, we can make it.  Okay, Levi, you have the Con. I will find you later today for a Sit-Rep.  Oh, and please bring Billianah up to date when she makes it back to the ship." 

Karma shuts down the Holo-Vid display and tucks the puck back into her pack where the main computer resides.  With a curt nod to everyone, she slings the pack on her back and exits the diner not having eaten or drank anything.  She walks the couple hundred yards to the main gates of the shipyard, passing several heckling workers wearing grey overalls with a white hardhat marked with a black "X".  Once cleared through security, she walks the long distance to the third ship bay where the Katarina resides.  She would get caught up on the overnight's work from the millwright foreman.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:11, Sun 27 Aug 2023.

After breakfast, Teddy gets to work making sure the med bay is fully stocked with everything they might need, bandages, ointments, drugs of all sorts, especially the ones the crew would need for their miscellaneous ailments and conditions. You'd think they would have cured everything in the universe by now, but they hadn't! Hypertension was one they hadn't cured, they had a few cases of that in the crew.

"Sounds like a great opportunity," Lex said in response to the invitation.  Turning to Dawn, "I have a storage locker in the area. I'll need to gather my gear. Send me the location of the ship, and I'll meet you there." Pausing and looking down in thought, then back to Dawn he added, "Oh... and thank you, Dawn."  Then he headed for the door.  “Be back in a flash.” he threw over his shoulder on his way out.

"This is turning out to be a good day," he thought to himself as he walked up the street to his locker.

Fatboy checked his wrist band, confirming he has transferred the files that were on the captain's holo-vid display.  He smirks, knowing she would be irked to know he has access to her holo-vid display, but what she doesn't know, can't really irk her.

He stands and grimaces.  He hates the feeling of the weight this gravity makes him feel.  He was more at home on an asteroid than anywhere else. He is doing well with this diet and exorcise thing.  He's lost over forty five kilos and still dropping.  He's feeling better, but the acceleration and deceleration aspects of spaceships still make him uncomfortable.  Worse so when on-world.

"I'll start preparing the algorithms for the integration."  He says to Levi. "Once the conduits are in place and relays are terminated, it should be a quick integration."   
This message was last edited by the player at 05:50, Wed 27 Sept 2023.

Since most of his contract takes Lex offworld, he has a storage locker near this location, making it quick for him to retrieve his gear. In less than an hour, he arrived at the repair bay that Dawn had communicated. Dawn was on the outside of the ship, inspecting the work that had been done. Lex continued towards her with his gear in tow. "See, I said it would only be a flash," he said with a grin. "Where should I stow my gear? And how can I help out here?"