Qob: Tranquility 3/11/12

[Joe Manning 0]

Joe Manning -> BEGIN SIM

Pher -> :: Settled into the lounge, checking makeup. ::

Byblos -> ::grumbling about something but watching the door as instructed ::

Ethan Neufeld -> ::breaks from the table, leaving Stelara behind without much of a smile or word::

Byblos -> ::wonders who the heck that was...and if she will last a second with Pher::

Troy Parson -> ::perched on the back of a chair, smoking a cigarette::

Joe Manning -> ::Returns to the suite still looking a bit dazed::

Byblos -> I tell you intergalactic inflations stinks!

Pher -> :: Raises an eyebrow on Joe's approach. ::

Joe Manning -> ::Looks up at Byblos when he hears the outburst::

Ethan Neufeld -> ::apparently Stelara didn't get very far with Ethan::

Pher -> It is what everyone imagines itself to be, Byblos.

Joe Manning -> Calm down, big man. Soon we may all be very rich. Or very dead.

Pher -> :: Puts away makeup. ::

Pher -> Do we have a choice, Joe?

Ethan Neufeld -> ::settles on a couch, furrowing a brow at Joe::

Byblos -> Okay Boss. ::shuts up::

Joe Manning -> ::Passes Byblos and looks around the suite:: Anyone who isn't on my crew, get the jyke out.

Pher -> :: Twists herself into a mildly implausible position. ::

Ethan Neufeld -> ::brow rises, shifts weight forward::

Byblos -> ::notes the being that was talking with Ethan exited::

Joe Manning -> Masseur> ::Stops working on Nickles and makes a quick exit::

Pher -> :: Smiles at Stelara. Blows kiss. ::

Byblos -> Uh Troy, you are not going to set off a fire suppression system doing that human enhaling dead plant smoke thing?

Ethan Neufeld -> Stelara> ::gives Pher a knowing smile; exits::

Joe Manning -> ::Glances at Stelara as she leaves. Eyes the masseur when he leaves::

Troy Parson -> ::shrugs:: Maybe. ::keeps smoking::

Joe Manning -> (( Hey Chris ))

Byblos -> I need an ODRI...who knows what those two had on them.

STSF_Nickles -> ((Sorry folks got off work late))

Byblos -> (hi Chris)

Ethan Neufeld -> (Lipstick.)

Joe Manning -> ::Moves over to the sitting area and drops into one of the sofas, a distant expression on his face::

Pher -> Oh, dear. Here we go again.

Byblos -> ::maintains body guard position by door:: Seriously Boss she could of been carrying something in her ....purse yes.

STSF_Nickles -> :: wraps the towel around himself as he gets up:: OOHH That was good.

Joe Manning -> Samus is insane. And he aims to hook me into his insanity. And, god help me, I'm thinking about letting him.

Pher -> You do have that look, Joe.

Troy Parson -> The last time I went insane, I found it quite unpleasant.

Byblos -> ::folds arms not liking the way the Boss is talking::

Pher -> Sure you don't want to get laid?

Ethan Neufeld -> ::sits back, a guarded curiosity on his face::

Joe Manning -> I've been offered half a million credits. ::Still a distant look, either not noticing or not caring that Ethan is still here::

[Action] Byblos -> chuckles at Pher

STSF_Nickles -> ::smiles at PHer:: OHH you know it doll

[Action] Byblos -> hears a big number

Pher -> Ah. Offer me part of that, and I might consider going nut too.

Joe Manning -> ::Looks toward Pher:: We've all been offered that. For our services as a mercenary crew.

Byblos -> One flaunts that kind of credit there is ALWAYS a catch.

Pher -> Ethan? What you think. Want to be tempted into the mercinary life, or you want to stay a virgin?

Troy Parson -> Mercenary work. Joy.

Joe Manning -> Oh, there's a damned catch alright.

Ethan Neufeld -> ::Pher:: You're four years too late.

Pher -> Oh, well.

Pher -> :: Attention turned to Joe ::

Byblos -> Hah! ::quiets:: Sorry Boss

STSF_Nickles -> OK Spill it Joe what is it

Joe Manning -> ::Looks around at everyone:: I need total discretion. From all of you. Not a word of this can leave this room, whether we decide to do it or not.

Byblos -> This room is bugged.

Joe Manning -> Bugged by Samus. This comes from him.

Byblos -> ::looks to Pher::

Joe Manning -> ::Pulls his flask out from inside his vest, having refilled it before he left Samus' office, much to Samus' annoyance::

Pher -> :: nods :: Old frinedimies.

Byblos -> What type of job?

Joe Manning -> Keep in mind, you let any of this get out, you make yourself a target. A target of people who don't just hand out citations for grievances.

Joe Manning -> ::Sips from the flask::

Pher -> And me too!

William Chocox -> ((Hey y'all))

Troy Parson -> ::smokes::

Byblos -> ::still does not like his Boss Drinking the way he does...but he has barely known him long enough::

STSF_Nickles -> ((Hi WIlliam))

Byblos -> (Hey William....)

Pher -> :: Shifts into a different implausible position. ::

Joe Manning -> ::Glances around at everyone in the room:: Samus' people have learned of some disturbing things outside the Hyades Cluster. They worry him because he's afraid they could compromise his own operations in the cluster.

STSF_Nickles -> :: pulls on his trousers::

William Chocox -> ::walks in trying to be inconspicuous because he's late::

Byblos -> ::moves backwards and leans against the doorframe as he listens...if another mausuess or prostitute comes in he'd fall backwards into the individual::

Joe Manning -> It's the Gular Consortium. They're up to something ...

Ethan Neufeld -> Up to what?

Joe Manning -> His moles ... and I'm sure he's got at least one in the Consortium ... aren't sure. Just that a lot of resources are being diverted in the direction of the Rimward Territories. Ships are being build for unspecified clients.

Joe Manning -> It's all being kept very confidential by the Consortium. Not unusual for clients who want privacy. But the Rimward Territories are nothing but raiders and isolated colonists.

Pher -> :: Eyes get a bit harder at the mention of Gular. ::

Joe Manning -> So who's the Consortium building ships for? What are they doing out there?

Byblos -> Oh the Feds must be really happy about this. ::sarcasm::

Ethan Neufeld -> ::glances at Byblos::

Joe Manning -> ::Closes the flask and returns it to his vest pocket:: One more reason for Samus to worry. These ships might not be getting built within the Federation's spec restrictions.

Joe Manning -> Near as Samus can tell, every phase of their construction and deployment is being kept under a shroud of secrecy.

STSF_Nickles -> Any ideas on who they are?

Joe Manning -> Samus suspects that it goes to the top of Gular Consortium. His contacts on Goldrock colony can't find anything. But even though the Consortium is headquartered on Goldrock officially ... Andus is their real center of operations.

Byblos -> Okay, who is going to man these vessels? Guardian petaQs? ::looks to William :: No insult intended to you

Joe Manning -> I think that if the Guardians were putting together a fleet in the Rimward Territories, it wouldn't be hushed up like this. But who knows. ::Shrugs:: Our job is to find out.

William Chocox -> ::looks over at Byblos:: I'm not a Guardian anymore.

William Chocox -> Insult away.

Joe Manning -> This is where it gets nuts ...

Byblos -> ::to William :: That's why I like you so much William..you said the +bleep+ with them. ::Quiets himself again ..he should not be talking about things bigger than what he knows...Guardians and Tranquility::

Ethan Neufeld -> ::attention on Joe::

Joe Manning -> Samus is convinced that the best way to get the information he wants is from the President of the Consortium -- Maxwell Kennedy himself.

Ethan Neufeld -> ::brow rises::

Pher -> Yep. Nuts.

Joe Manning -> Yeah. Kennedy is rumored to be the most dangerous man in Bull's Head after Minos. Behind that charming Louisiana smile of his, o' course.

Byblos -> Louisiana? Where is that?

William Chocox -> Earth.

Byblos -> ::blinks at the thought of a Human running the Consortium ...in his shallow pool of information about Bull's head in the Nausicaan's mind..he thought the Bolians were the Consortium::

Joe Manning -> Samus can use contacts of his to get us put on Gular Consortium's client list. It would clear us to enter the Consortium's district on Andus station.

Joe Manning -> From there ... well, basically, we'd have to spy on him. Or convince him to give us information. Or kidnap him and torture him. Et cetera ...

STSF_Nickles -> Doesnt sound to bad.

Byblos -> ::looks around the room for reaction to that because he has one and he isn't going to say it::

Troy Parson -> So...does this sound rather unwise to anyone else?

Pher -> :: Glad he didn't unclude seduction as the primary option. ::

STSF_Nickles -> ::looks around:: we have enough man power to convence someone to give us what we want right?

Joe Manning -> Unwise is what crime bosses pay half a million creds for.

Byblos -> Uh Boss...Troy has Brains.

Ethan Neufeld -> ::glances at Chris::

Joe Manning -> Chris, believe me ... it ain't as easy as a mercenary crew entering the Consortium offices and putting the squeeze on people.

Byblos -> ::looks at the Doctor very fast :: Really?

STSF_Nickles -> ::shrugs::

Byblos -> ::Byblos thinks and decides not to add anything else for the moment::

Joe Manning -> We're talking Gular central here. Their most secure offices. Kennedy's private estate. Their Goldrock offices are just a front. Best place to find incrimination information. But also the trickiest to crack.

Joe Manning -> Unfortunately ... Samus ain't too open to giving us what we came for unless we do what he wants.

Byblos -> ::his eyes do the looking at the crew's reaction::

Pher -> :: Calculating, dubious, considering angles. ::

Troy Parson -> ::smokes a little more:: And with half a million on the line, what's to stop him from simply killing us once he has what he wants?

Troy Parson -> I know I would, in his position.

Ethan Neufeld -> ::faintly, incredulously smirks at Samus's form of blackmail::

Byblos -> ::looks at Troy then at Joe::

Joe Manning -> ::Shakes head at Troy:: No, you wouldn't. You don't know Samus. ::Rubs the back of his neck::

Joe Manning -> Samus would come through with the payment. Assuming we could actually pull this off.

Byblos -> ::looks at Pher and decides not to look like he is looking at her body..intentionally trying to give...what do you think? look ::

STSF_Nickles -> By the sound of it AND make it out of it alive

Pher -> :: Still obviously considering angles. ::

Troy Parson -> ::shrugs:: Well, it's your funeral. Mine too, I suppose, but that's neither here nor there.

Joe Manning -> ::Looks at Nickles:: That's another thing ...

Joe Manning -> Making a long term enemy of the Consortium would not be in our best interests. Pulling this off without anyone being the wiser would be preferred ... maybe even neccesary.

Pher -> That would kill a lot of options, but I'd lean towards necessary more than preferred.

STSF_Nickles -> Is that even possible?

Pher -> We've already got one big group that would like to squish us.

Byblos -> ::Byblos having made his mind on the idea continues to look around at faces with his eyes::

Ethan Neufeld -> Sounds like we need to become...friends.

Joe Manning -> ::Shrugs at Nickles:: Samus isn't giving us a lot to go on. It may be possible that we could find information, copy it, then bring it back here without anyone knowing.

Joe Manning -> But while Samus knows the general layout of the Gular offices here, he wouldn't know where they store their most sensitive information. Kennedy may keep it close, in his estate.

Pher -> Might be we want an option like tap his network.

Pher -> Or clean break in and out.

Joe Manning -> Making friends with the right people. Tapping communications. Bugging Kennedy's office. It's an open job without much in the way of clear objectives.

STSF_Nickles -> ::looks to Pher:: I wonder if Kennedy is in need of a new maid?

Pher -> :: Glances at Tony and Ethan ::

Ethan Neufeld -> How about a friend in need?

Joe Manning -> Samus could be cookin' up stories to just get us to spy on the Consortium for him.

Ethan Neufeld -> ::mildly displeased with that idea::

Joe Manning -> I think everyone should brainstorm this.

Byblos -> I have a question regarding the payment.

Joe Manning -> We could even dip our toes in the water before we decide anything -- head to the Gular district and have a scout around.

Joe Manning -> ::Looks at Byblos:: This would be our normal payment for a job, divvied up among the crew.

Byblos -> We need, if we even decide to do this..additional assets..equipment. Is this Samus willing to pay some of the job forward.

Joe Manning -> ::Sighs and considers for a moment:: I could probably convince him to take any job expenses out of the pay. But since the pay ain't guaranteed, he won't float us much.

Byblos -> ::says nothing back to the Boss::

Pher -> If I played my sort of games, I'd need a new cover id. Samus might have the right folk for that. I'd also need to change my appearance considerably. There aren't that many Orion on Andus.

Byblos -> ::coughs:: You aren't the only one Lifeguard.

Joe Manning -> ::Smirks at Pher:: You sure this ain't the kind of job that you'd want to attract attention?

Pher -> But I could likely climb up the corporate tree a good way.

Byblos -> ::thinks of Shane the one armed wrecking crew and himself::

Pher -> Oh, I'd be noticed, all right. You don't let addictive people get too close to your big thinkers. It's just that if there's an aftermath, we don't want them thinking Qob too quickly.

Byblos -> ::thinks of Qob a second..and that pretty much cements his thoughts on this idea::

Joe Manning -> Whatever would help. Their Andus offices do get a moderate amount of traffic. A mercenary crew with a banged up ship wouldn't stick out -too- much. But we would have to be careful about where we step.

Joe Manning -> PAUSE SIM