Gypsy Trader was drifting like a feather (a 300 ton feather) toward the City of
Xin Caodi. in high-orbit
above/around the great glowing mass of Djinn’s Bane.
The ship’s chronometer told me it was Unification Day...
whether or not the Xin Caodi local time had me too late (or hopefully early)
for the big celebration in the city gardens I had no Idea.
Maneuverings through the shipping was about to become
tense... A massive patrol vessel of some sort was in cue ahead of me... the
squawk box told more of the story, but not much more; just enough to keep me
nervous.
My first visual said it was an Alliance ship... yet somehow
darker and more menacing if that is possible... what I could ascertain, with a
light ping directed at her registry beacon; the “patrol” vessel was a privately
owned ship... The Jokers Wild. Whoever
could afford to hire a ship of that magnitude was no doubt someone to be
avoided. Tiny vessels like Gypsy
learn quickly to stay well clear of behemoths like The Jokers Wild for a great many reasons.
Waiting my turn, I sync’d the local chonometer. I perused my
hand-scratched notes regarding the U-Day Party and my Xin Caodi contact. I was
shaving it close... maybe had two hours to confirm with Customs, berth Gypsy-Trader, make myself presentable, toss
on the good kilt, and find the city gardens. I rubbed the 3 days growth of
beard nervously... it was taking forever for that big black and blue monster ahead
of me to settle in, so the numerous smaller ships could find a place to cool
our engines.
* * *
Аристов Caviar. Mam’s side of the family, the Aristovs,
harvest and can fish eggs (the rich creamy pale colored variety... not that
black stuff). They command a high price for it... admittedly they push the
value higher by holding a good quantity in reserve.
Back when Grandfa Dimitri fronted me funds to refit Gypsy
Trader, he had an inkling of how useful it would be to have a beat up little
cargo vessel of little account, in the hands of one of his grand children...
the profits from Gypsy’s first “Egg Run” to the Core made Grandfa almost
forgive Mam for marrying my Pap.
“Egg Runs” are not that frequent, once maybe twice a year...
Cousin Misha determined that his contacts Core-ward were becoming greedy and
spoiled. Word in his High Class grapevine had it that Kalidasas aristocrats
were making much of appearing at least as upper-crust as those in the Core:
Now, if this contact proved reliable, I would possibly quadruple the “Egg Run”
profit for Misha... and if that was the case... The Gypsy would earn for herself an astounding cut... if the contact is
on the up and up... if the Customs folk don’t dig below the first two layers of
delicious smoked herring.... if the channels of payment are legit.... and IF i
make it to this Unification Day Party on time…
Gorramit I need
a shave.
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