Red Horrizon

(16) GM: Captain Jennings is a relatively older gentleman, by your reconning, being a man of about 37 he is certainly old to you though he would still consider himself young. And to be the master of his own ship, he certainly is young, though he is prematurely aged from a hard life spent mostly ship side and in deep space. He is lanky as he drifts about, and on solid ground with a decent man's gravity he walks almost as though you might imagine a spider to in slow motion, his body moving about and stepping with that awkward gait which those less acustomed to the forces of a natural planet. His scars are deep and their colour is most disconcerting when focused on due to his very pale complexion from a life lacking true and natural light, always sheltered by screens. A sharp eye would notice that he is in fact particularly strong the way he strides toward his crew member Vincent with no exertion, as most spacers are winded by the most minimal of efforts planetside.

(16) GM: He fixes his sharp gaze on you, young Vincent, finding you at the docking clamp and hatch to the spine of his precious vessel, the Pharaon.

(16) Captain Jennings: It's good that you've arrived fast, we don't have time to wait for the full crew, if I had to, I'd do this job by myself. But it shows spirit that you answered my hail and got here quick even though you're on leave!

** Captain Jennings grabs Vincent by the hand and shakes it with a firm grip, though strong and almost painful, is clearly benevolent and meant in the best way **

(18) Lithkul: Vincent looks back at the captian of the ship, waiting for words to be spoken a sign to be displayed about what is expected or what is wanted out of this meeting. Vincent didn't know why the captain had trailed to the head of the ship, he simply nodded as Captain Jennings spoke to him. Shaking the hand of the captain back firmly not to show reluctance or confusion.

(16) Captain Jennings: Come aboard, Lad!

** Captain Jennings offers a hand toward the interior of the ship gesturing for Vincent to step inside **

(18) Lithkul: Vincent comes about the ship, looking about for a few moments, and goes towards where he usually sleeps upon the ship, thinking it's really for the best to be on the ship rather then his shitty apartment.

** Captain Jennings seals the dock behind, and then closes the hatch to the ship's spine, the unusual access point being ideal for entrance from Ares when not docked with the purpose of unloading or loading cargo **

(16) Captain Jennings: Vincent, after you drop your effects off in the second mate's lodge, you can meet me in the pit.

** Captain Jennings signs down the spine of the ship, which is aligned at such an angle to the station that the minimal gravity propels you to what would be, probably more than anything else, the floor of the ship, in ay bit, the side that you would walk on while planet bound. **

** Vincent Lapkan Vincent went and dropped his bags off at the second mates lodge, making sure to stow away his gear properly, then went to the pit as the captain said to, not having much of a choice in the matter if he was going to stay on the ship **

(16) GM: There is a ladder there leading down into the crew's regular bunks, where you would normally be, and upward into two similar bunks, but each one designed solely for a single occupant, the second's quarter opposite from the captain's similar quarters, through who's open door the effects of a permanent residence are apparent

(16) GM: A shudder moves throug the ship and the intercom crackles with Jennings' voice...

(16) Captain Jennings: etter hurry y(**sss**)ur ass up t(**sss**) te p(**sss**)t, we are, el(**sss**)eve (**sss**)t (**sss**)r n(**sss**)t, (**sss**)n a hurry!

(16) Captain Jennings: G(**sss**)d damn c(**sss**)mm, can't get a s(**sss**)mple message thr(**sss**)ugh clear. Fuck(**sss**)ng sh(**sss**)p needs a wh(**sss**)le (**sss**)verhaul

(16) GM: The last bit fades out before the comm clicks off

(16) GM: The captain's curses coming through clearer than almost any other bit of his speech.

** Vincent Lapkan he looks up to the intercom laughs a bit, then keeps heading up to the pit area, having gotten used to the crappy intercoms in the ship **

(16) GM: The "Pit" as Jennings' deems it is at the other end of the spine from the quarters, passing by the ladder like steps going down into the bowels of the ship next to the lock hatch that you entered in, and the screens as well as the back of the captain's chair are visable from the exit of the crew ladders

(16) GM: There are three chairs evenly spaced in the Pit, the captain's to the far left, an observer's chair in the center, having access to some duplicate functions for extra crew, and the scanner's chair to the far right

** Captain Jennings hears Vincent step in as another shudder rocks the ship and the already very low gravity begins to feel much less powerful, though competing forces start to push in other directions and then gestures for you to take either seat **

(16) Captain Jennings: You wont be much good up here, but it's really the best show and you're the only company on board, besides, I've been a bit tight lipped, there are some things I don't want flying about this station to other more ready ships than ours....

** Vincent Lapkan took his seat, and remained silent feeling the information being told to him was of vague importance, he nodded some guessing to understand the meaning. **

(16) Captain Jennings: Hey! Do you know how to use the comm equipment?

** (20) Vincent Lapkan laughed for a bit as he didn't know how to do what was asked **

Vincent Lapkan: of course I don't know how to do that shit cappy, no one ever taught me

(16) Captain Jennings: Okay, someday you'll probably have to learn how any way but--

(16) GM: The captain interupts himself by reaching in front of you and jamming some buttons down during the last two words and bursting out suddenly:

(16) Captain Jennings: Tower! This is Pharaon, you have our information, we've just undocked and are shipping out, can you give us a heading?

** Vincent Lapkan he watched the two buttons that were being pressed and what else the captain might be doing to figure out the communications **

(16) Tower Control: L(**sss**)ud and clear, y(**sss**)u can head (**sss**)ut (**sss**)n an ;lkj%$# andard (**sss**)ut head(**sss**)ng fr(**sss**)m mart(**sss**)an (**sss**)r(**sss**)t

** Captain Jennings jams the on button again with the same settings **

Vincent Lapkan: you know I swear they were trying to talk to us captain.

(16) Captain Jennings: Copy, please repeat!

** Captain Jennings pulls my hand off the button **

(16) Captain Jennings: I'm certain they were, but heaven only knows what they said....

(16) GM: The monitors and the tiny windows show the docking clamp that you walked through no more than 10 minutes ago spining away from you, explaining the lower gravity

(16) Tower Control: Repeat, Phara(**sss**)n, ;lkj%$# andard (**sss**)utward head(**sss**)ng fr(**sss**)m Mart(**sss**)an p(**sss**)lar r(**sss**)tat(**sss**)(**sss**)n!

(16) Tower Control: Repeat, Phara(**sss**)n, ;lkj%$# andard (**sss**)utward head(**sss**)ng fr(**sss**)m Mart(**sss**)an p(**sss**)lar r(**sss**)tat(**sss**)(**sss**)n!

** Captain Jennings jams the button again **

(16) Captain Jennings: Loud and clear, thank you very much!

** Captain Jennings lets go of the button **

(16) Captain Jennings: Fucking worst comm interference ever... i'll just go this way and hope it's okay with everyone...

(16) Captain Jennings: Buckle up, Vincent.

(16) Tower Control: Have a n(**sss**)ssss(**shhhshh**) fl(**sss**)ght

** Vincent Lapkan Vincent wasn't giving a fuck but he buckled up anyways, looking highly annoyed at the comm intereferance. **

** Captain Jennings hits the dash in front of you **

(16) Captain Jennings: You too fuckers

(16) Captain Jennings: It's sad that the view leaving this hole is never as beautiful as the view coming back. I mean.. normally, in the normal frame of mind...

(16) Captain Jennings: Admitedly, sometimes... as you look out and all you see is just space... the black...

** Vincent Lapkan nodded and seemed complacent being away from the irritating noise of the comm, and was looking out into the blackness of space. **

(16) GM: The corridor lights of the spine and surrounding flourescent lights of the pit shut off leaving little but the reds of the background noise throughout the ship on and the lit console controls shining in the dark, and slowly... the stars come into focus... dim at first an then... they shine bright...

** Vincent Lapkan at first was amazed by how pretty the stars were when he first started space travel, now they seemed to be nothing but an annoyance and cheap light at the best of times. **

(16) Captain Jennings: This'll be a short ride...

(16) Captain Jennings: There's a salvage job, pirates hit some one only a day out, that's insane...

Vincent Lapkan: Let me guess...we're going into the middle of that salvage job, before the pirates have been hit, for shits and grins for them to blast us with high powered weaponry and make a bigger job for someone else...

(16) Captain Jennings: Excuse me?

Vincent Lapkan: Did anyone kill the pirates, did anyone make sure they didn't leave oh say explosives on the ruined ship to blow us to hell...

(16) Captain Jennings: Son, pirates aren't random killers... It's big enough that they hit someone this close to Martian space.. I wouldn't be surprised if it was earthers. They've started setting up their own asteroid colonies. I'm counting that the Maltese will have chased them off. I'd be shocked if the pirates weren't already hit...

(16) Captain Jennings: This your first salvage run?

(16) Captain Jennings: Either way, if they were still around they'd be guaranteed to be killed, not that we'd be worth anything to them. No cargo...I'm counting on them having had too much to cary on their own as it is.. means there will be some left for us... without the messy conscience...

Vincent Lapkan: This isn't my first salvage run, but I'm not stuipid either, if the pirates hit someone that close by, they'd have to be either fucking nuts, fucking confident they could get away with it, or got enough shit to blow someone out of the water

(16) GM: The ship begins to rumble as Jennings pushes the throttle, having set the ship in line for its course

(16) Captain Jennings: Son, your a good bullshitter

(16) Captain Jennings: By good bullshitter, I mean bad at it...

Vincent Lapkan: I learned well from my father

(16) Captain Jennings: I'd hate to have a good liar on my crew.

** Vincent Lapkan grumbled slightly, his temper always got in the way of him being able to pull off a good lie. **

(16) Captain Jennings: Don't take it so harsh.

(16) Captain Jennings: Every man lies.

Vincent Lapkan: Especially when they go planetside...and find some slinky morsels

(16) Captain Jennings: I only hire the ones who have tells. If I can't tell the lies that a man tells to my face when I'm interviewing them, then they're good liars... either they're good at lying so I don't know it or saving it for when they can do it and get away with it.

(16) Captain Jennings: Slinky morsels?

Vincent Lapkan: ...don't tell me ya ain't staring up the women's legs, otherwise I'll be calling you a liar

(16) Captain Jennings: Is that what you call a slinky morsel? I suppose a nice fine one is...

Vincent Lapkan: slinky cause they legs be going up hellvua lot more then mine, and morsel cause I want to get down at the center capp'n

(16) Captain Jennings: I see...

(16) Captain Jennings: You know, son, you don't have to act like a regular sailor.. most of them are pigs.

(16) Captain Jennings: It's not your style.

(16) Captain Jennings: And you're not good at it.

** Vincent Lapkan went quiet for now with a bit of a smirk played out on his face. Leaning back in the chair that he was in just waiting for something to happen. **

(16) Captain Jennings: Filthy earthers hit more honest ships every year..

Vincent Lapkan: Am I really that shitty at bluffing and lying...god damn...

(16) Captain Jennings: 'Leastways.. I'd bet they's earthers. The way I hear it, at least half the pirates are, and to hit this close... makes a man shudder.

(16) Captain Jennings: As I hear it, half the pirates in the belt are earthers, would make sense with the ratio of Earth/Mars stations.

Vincent Lapkan: I don't doubt it to much...lazy bastards they are half the time

(16) Captain Jennings: So your father was a bad liar too?

(16) Captain Jennings: Or just a liar?

** Vincent Lapkan kept leaning back in his chair, looking to be getting anxious to where they were going. **

Vincent Lapkan: Actually my father was a polotician, he could lie with the best of em

Vincent Lapkan: I think that's how he married my mother anyways, but that doesn't matter to much now, they're both coffin stuffers now

(16) Captain Jennings: If you'd said that he was just a liar, I'd have told you that's no news, you kindof can just asume about anyone who talks.

** Captain Jennings appraises Vincent, observing his impatient air **

** Vincent Lapkan shrugged and really didn't give a damn **

(16) Captain Jennings: You might wanna relax some, you can go sleep, study, whatever you like, the gravs from the accel will be down and you can float on back in a few minutes...

(16) Captain Jennings: I'm more than free to chat but if you're not in the mood to do anything at all, it's going to be a boring flight.

Vincent Lapkan: yeah...I'll go study for a while...might as well try to get it over with when I got nothing else to do...

** Captain Jennings knowing his conversation is less than welcome turns to the screens and watches the numbers. **

(16) GM: After about 20 minutes of relative silence, the stars spinning a bit from the ship rotation that Jennings put in to help keep the course straight, the push from the accelleration reduces to almost full weightlessness

(16) Captain Jennings: And that's that!

** Captain Jennings turns just before the accelleration ends completely **

(16) Captain Jennings: You're free to float about!

** Vincent Lapkan was waiting for the gravity to go down so he could go back and study for a while, once it went off he took off the belt that strapped him down and went back to the cabins and started studying his books. **