Piers and the Wolf (Bougene Station ATU)

[Grav_Moped]

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."

 

[Grav_Moped]

Vignette: Welcome to… (6)

The elevator opens, revealing a low and cramped space in the midst of heavy machinery. "Perry," I declare, "that fusion reactor is just the cutest little thing! And it's supposed to power this thing at three Gs accel or almost ten light years in a Jump?

"Yep," he answers, "it really does; it's Rhylanor tech. It even does the main Jump drive fast-burn, too, instead of the integral reactor that the standard one has. That's why that's so small; it's just the field generators. Really impressive tech. Can't really say the same for the maneuver engines -- those are almost obsolete machinery, and I really don't get that. But it all works, according to the ship specs*.

"Oh," I say, not ducking for the low ceiling, while he does. "It's making sense now. I've got this -- all I need is the tech manuals.

"And the acceleration couch here is doing the tail cutout slot thing. I think the ship likes me." I notice, wagging the aforementioned tail. Piers seems relieved I'm ok with the craft.

"Floor hatch lets you work on the jump drive down there," he says, opening it and pointing, then closing it again. Shouldn't need much work, though -- these small scoutships never do. And that's the ship."

"We can work with this. Did you ever tell me what it's name is?" I ask him.

"Officially, it's just the ship's registration number -- no name. Scout Cyrus, the last guy who had it, called it Miley, for 'Mighty Little'. That work for you?"

I think for a moment. "Yeah, it'll work if we can't think of anything better."

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* The TL-15 drives are from LBB5, and he's comparing them to the usual Size A drives from the LBB2 version. Yeah, I really don't get it either (in-universe, anyway).

Oh, posted for no reason (ok, posted because of the "pygmy pony" and Types S are supposed to be Ponies)....

 

[Spinward Flow]

"Yeah, it'll work if we can't think of anything better."

Just as an aside, I kind of like the idea of calling the ship ... "Zip It" ... which can then have multiple different interpretations, depending on context.

• Zip It ... means close the zipper on clothing (including vacc suits).
• Zip It ... means "my lips are sealed" on not sharing what you know and the keeping of secrets.
• Zip It ... means get there faster!
• Zi pit ... means "the pit" (for parts, spares, time, money, hopes, dreams, futures, you get the idea).

 

[Grav_Moped]

Just as an aside, I kind of like the idea of calling the ship ... "Zip It" ... which can then have multiple different interpretations, depending on context.

It could work, particularly for for a reg # ending in XXX-08 ("zip-eight").

On the other hand, under the numbering convention I have used IMTU, that would indicate a build date of 1008, since the last two digits are the year, and in-narrative it's not 1108 yet.

Besides, even if it's just for my own amusement, there's still the multi-dimensional pun thing going on there.

(Which, in retrospect, may have been fully intentional rather than a contrived coincidence...)

 

[Spinward Flow]

It could work, particularly for for a reg # ending in XXX-08 ("zip-eight").

On the other hand, under the numbering convention I have used IMTU, that would indicate a build date of 1008, since the last two digits are the year, and in-narrative it's not 1108 yet.

No need to go that far, it's a bit far down in the weeds for what amounts to a joke/pun.
It would actually be better if the registration # "lends no support whatsoever" to being twisted into that kind of joke/pun.
That way the registration # doesn't "stand out" as being obviously associated with the Zip It name, meaning you have to go out of your way to make that association (at the admin level).

Besides, even if it's just for my own amusement, there's still the multi-dimensional pun thing going on there.

(Which, in retrospect, may have been fully intentional rather than a contrived coincidence...)

I'm thinking that a far easier/simpler "origin" for the name Zip It for the ship could come about ... just simply P & V doing what amounts to a "check ride" in their new scout, meaning they take it out of the berth to "get a feel for her" and one of them makes the comment that the extra G of maneuver makes the ship "zippier" at getting around.

Doesn't take too much work to go from there to "Zip It" ... especially if they're wanting to do any kind of commercial activity to defray their living expenses.

"Need to get from here to there faster than usual? Zip It." ​

P & V can share a laugh over the idea, before realizing ... "hey, that's not half bad" ... and the rest is storytelling (and comedy value).

 

[Grav_Moped]

No need to go that far, it's a bit far down in the weeds for what amounts to a joke/pun

Ok, fine.
Miley Cyrus (pop star) was Hannah Montana (Disney star).

The pigmy pony on which Frank Zappa would ride the range harvesting dental floss in his song, "Montana," would be named "Mighty Little" (and as noted in my in-story post, could be shortened to "Mi-Li", or "Miley").

Did Billy Ray Cyrus actually name his daughter after a small horse in a song by Frank Zappa? I just notice things.

(And no, Google doesn't return anything on it.)

 

[Grav_Moped]

Also, the name of this vignette series is a reference to a game:

Welcome To...

Design the most appealing 1950s neighborhood, with fences, parks, and swimming pools.

boardgamegeek.com

 

[Grav_Moped]

"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."

Vignette: Welcome to… (7):

Well, we skipped lunch in favor of stuff from the Snax-o-Matic upstairs, and a nap -- it'd been a long morning for her. I managed to get the machine to produce Scout Nutrient-Adequate Food Unit Bars. She whipped up some Snack Sausages for herself. They'll do for now, along with the synthesized fruit punch packets; we'll get a real dinner later on when we go out dancing.

I kick off my boots and slide all the way to the bulkhead, pulling the blanket over me. She removes her own boots and her running gloves, then gets onto the bed herself. On all fours, she turns around twice before settling down against me. I hand her the loose end of the sheet -- it's not like she'll need the blanket with her fur. Verni draws the sheet over herself and lays her head on my arm.

My datapad has the template for her preferred ambient background -- I copied it from the Robot Unicorn's database. It's from the inside of a lean-to in a rainy evergreen forest on the Reserved world Grant/Jewell (SM1607). So now it's projected, lifelike, onto the room's walls as the rain and sounds of distant wildlife play over the speakers.

"Perry!" she exclaims, "you saved it for me! Thank you," she says happily, snuggling close to me again.

I'd planned to read some of the ship's manuals on my pad while she napped. Well, that's not going to happen -- she's snoring quietly, and it's contagious.

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Writer's note: Yes, he got SNAFUBARs and she got Snausages.

 

[Grav_Moped]

Advance request for suggestions/content:
They now have a ship with Jump-3, so they're in range of Kinorb/Regina (SM2202) from Boughene Station. I'm looking at sending these two there (you know, the good Kinorb) on business, with the writing (out-of-universe) objective of comparing the culture of Kinorb to Menorb. The main one I can see is that Menorbians (excepting the Vargr) don't think much about technology at all nor care about it, while Kinorbians know about it and do care -- and know exactly how advanced they want to be, and wants to stop right there thankyouverymuch.

So, if anyone (particularly @Spinward Flow and @The Pakkrat, but not limited to just the two of you) has backstory elements, people, places, or things from either your own ATU, from OTU sources, or even that you just made up, that you'd like them to bump into there, let me know.

I'm still planning to first do vignettes for "Stepping Out" (dinner, possibly re-introducing some of my NPCs and Boughene Station settings) and "Boogie Nights" (wherein your author -- who cannot dance, alas -- tries to describe 1970s disco moves in the Far Future, performed in part by an alien with slighty non-human anatomy...)

Thanks in advance!

 

[Spinward Flow]

backstory elements, people, places, or things

Starship watching by children living near the starport play the game of parsecs and planets ... where the rules are made up and the points don't matter. But what's important is that around the starport there are "observant young eyes" always watching for the ... unusual ... to come into/depart from the downport, because "ordinary" craft are worth fewer points.

Which means, that bright eyed children living and playing around the starport could potentially be a rumor mill for "unusual craft" that have come to/left from the downport (because the non-standard is more memorable, so "worth more points" in the game, which equates with bragging rights).

Kinorb/Regina/Spinward Marches

Kinorb has a warm climate and a standard oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere that has made the world very attractive to affluent retirees.
The IISS maintains a station in orbit around the outer gas giant Stallion. Stallion Station is capable of storing message traffic and refining fuel for the IISS XBoat line.

If P&V have to go to the scout base, it's going to be a "long haul" in normal space between the outer gas giant and the mainworld on maneuver drives.

Kinorb is ruled by a feudal technocracy, known as the Colum, and its nine members do an excellent job of keeping the peace from the capital city, Killiasport. The world government uses very strict planning controls to maintain its bucolic image, with policies that promote large farms and deter industry.
The citizens of Kinorb believe strongly in maintaining the ecology of their world. For this reason, all industrial activity is outlawed and the world is kept at TL–5 and all engines used must meet stringent pollution controls and standards. Some higher tech grav vehicles are used by the government for government purposes, but most of the vehicles are hand crafted on planet and therefore extremely expensive. Much of the population still rely on horse and anson power.

So, not exactly Amish levels of cultural insulation ... but anyone brandishing high tech is going to OBVIOUSLY be someone from "out of town" (and treated accordingly). The key point is that Kinorb is a place where people can live "the simpler life" without being in an industrial/high tech "rat race" along with being able to "retire with dignity" on a world that prioritizes its ecological wealth. So the feeling of "living in a time capsule" while being able to wander around The Great Outdoors™ is going to be pretty strong for tourists.

While not classified as an agricultural world, Kinorb does produce a surprising amount of grains, breads and meats. Kinorb's wines are known throughout the Spinward Marches, and their beer is widely believed to be among the best.

Ever heard of Hobbits?
Those guys are amateurs ...

To my way of thinking, the agricultural trade code means that a world generates a surplus of foodstuffs and thus has a vibrant (interstellar) export market for agricultural products. Kinorb has a rich, non-industrial world trade code, so it has "plenty of agriculture" but production is for the domestic market/population rather than the interstellar one. There are "some" exports of domestic agricultural production, but it's not done at mass production scales and is thus somewhat rare outside the system (possible to find/experience, but not likely).

Any "foodies" who come to Kinorb and get to eat local fare ... will start asking why they should ever live anywhere else ...
I used this background point to explain why Aislinn would choose to drink Kinorb beer whenever she got the chance, since she's a native of the world.