Vignette: Welcome to… (5)
"That bulkhead isn't supposed to be there," I tell Ronni, "or at least it wasn't there on the one I flew back in '02."
She looks up at me, square-on, not puzzled -- but I can see her starting to go there. "Perry -- you said this one had more freight space than usual. Does that iris valve lead to the cargo hold?"
"Right. Looks like the ship's locker is a lot smaller though; it's over there by the airlock." I point to my right and then a little back, next to the elevator we've just stepped out of. Air/raft bay is right here, if you missed the sign." I know she hadn't; her eye roll confirms it.
We proceed into the cargo bay. "Hey," she declares, "Looks like it'll hold a standard minor lot. Four tons of incidental in the Air/raft bay if we give that back for now. Definitely workable for light speculative cargo -- especially value-dense stuff. We'll be rolling around in credits in no time!" She lights up with optimism; I know she's already got plenty of cash as it is, but her mood's infectious and I grin at imagining her literally doing that. Never thought I'd think of a Scout/Courier, even an advanced one, as a profit center. But this could work for us...
"OK, weapons turret's back there," I say, pointing to the near corner by the elevator shaft. "No entry hatch though -- looks like it's got an autoloader, probably remote-fired from the flight deck. Kind of expected that from a Rhylanor ship."
"That's about it for this thing except for the drive room, right?" Veronica observes.
"Yep. That and the fuel tanks, of course," I reply. "Let's take a look at the engines, then get lunch and head back to the hotel."
"That bulkhead isn't supposed to be there," I tell Ronni, "or at least it wasn't there on the one I flew back in '02."
She looks up at me, square-on, not puzzled -- but I can see her starting to go there. "Perry -- you said this one had more freight space than usual. Does that iris valve lead to the cargo hold?"
"Right. Looks like the ship's locker is a lot smaller though; it's over there by the airlock." I point to my right and then a little back, next to the elevator we've just stepped out of. Air/raft bay is right here, if you missed the sign." I know she hadn't; her eye roll confirms it.
We proceed into the cargo bay. "Hey," she declares, "Looks like it'll hold a standard minor lot. Four tons of incidental in the Air/raft bay if we give that back for now. Definitely workable for light speculative cargo -- especially value-dense stuff. We'll be rolling around in credits in no time!" She lights up with optimism; I know she's already got plenty of cash as it is, but her mood's infectious and I grin at imagining her literally doing that. Never thought I'd think of a Scout/Courier, even an advanced one, as a profit center. But this could work for us...
"OK, weapons turret's back there," I say, pointing to the near corner by the elevator shaft. "No entry hatch though -- looks like it's got an autoloader, probably remote-fired from the flight deck. Kind of expected that from a Rhylanor ship."
"That's about it for this thing except for the drive room, right?" Veronica observes.
"Yep. That and the fuel tanks, of course," I reply. "Let's take a look at the engines, then get lunch and head back to the hotel."
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