Thread: Salvage Rights (Survivor00 & Romantic[Dream])

Date - 2157 ?? 24 July - 2644 NDE New Dawn Event Location - Kosamu System ?? Snde V Mining Station A Graverobber? Glauren Ashenbane had never considered herself a graverobber, more like.....an archeologist. Someone who uncovered lost and forgotten wrecks and brings them into port. The rules were eons old but still applied, if you found an abandoned vessel in international space, then it was yours for the taking. There was good money in the business and besides, if she didn't do it, some other willing shmuck would gladly come along and do it for her. Whether it was a military faction wanting the wreck of an enemy battleship so they could reverse-engineer their technology, or a wealthy billionaire lusting over the shell of some lost luxury liner for his private collection, Glauren didn't care. As long as she got paid for her services, she was fine with working for anyone regardless of their background. She sat up in her bunk onboard her modified freighter, the Necromancer III. Her first ship had been impounded by the Central Galactic Authority and sold for scrap, while the Necromancer II had been attacked by pirates and left as a riddled piece of debris, floating for all eternity at the borders of the System. But so far, her luck with this ship was holding out. She picked up the 3D holopad and slid a tiny, crystalline memory chip into the slot on the side. A small digitalized image popped into existence in front of her. It was an image of her and two of her friends. Another girl of twenty-two was draped around her shoulder, a grin on her face. The other was a man of around the same age. Tanya Forester and Dylan Volga. Tanya had been Glauren's girlfriend for several months when that picture was taken. The two of them had simply been friends before Glauren had gotten into salvaging, and Tanya was immediately on the top of Glauren's list for a second-in-command. But as they traveled deeper and further into space, the two had grown closer, eventually giving into each other's curiosities and desires in a blazing fire of passion. The two had remained lovers long after that night? Her body was still aboard the Necromancer II... Glauren sighed and turned off the display, popping a wake-up stimulant into her mouth. She shook her head to clear the initial grogginess and was rapidly awake again. She stood from the cot and walked over to the recessed bins that slid out of the wall at the gentlest touch of her fingertips. She selected a tight black tank-top and a matching pair of jeans, before sliding her legs into the thigh-high utility boots that appeared to have been designed just for her. Buckling them up, she walked out of her cabin directly behind the the bridge. She walked towards the pilot's chair, turning her gaze out the window of the bridge, looking over the bow of her ship into the stars beyond. The view from the window was stunning. An extraterrestrial sunrise, the star just beginning to rise from behind the contour of the planet's surface as she passed by, the thick atmosphere warping the spectrum and creating a shimmering effect along the surface. In the distance, a nebula glowed warmly from the gasses within, curling into all sorts of exotic shapes. Cracking her neck, she turned to the ship's controls and made sure she was still on course. She had bought the aging Bora-Class freighter from a shipping company that was going out of business. After modifying it so that it would be able to carry ships as well as cargo, she restarted her salvaging operations. The only problem was...is that she needed a crew. Even with the AI system onboard, there were still some things that a living person could do that a computer couldn't... She could already see her destination, a small space station sewn out of an asteroid. A number of smaller ships were currently docked there. Mainly single-person craft or even the occasional Escort craft, the background of people she could find there were endless. Necromancer III requesting docking clearance. Glauren spoke into the comm., her voice silky, but frosted with a coldness that came with seeing too much. She waited patiently for a response as she slowly brought her ship in range of the docking platform. Tendrils of cables, pipes, and metallic extensions jutted into space from the rocky surface as she flew by, and she even caught a few heavy guns following her as she drew nearer. This was haven for all types of scum, but even scum didn't like pirates. She'd fit in just fine here. The radio crackled to life and a synthesized voice stated, Docking clearance granted. Please dock at airlock 47-V. A small navigational blip formed on one of the display screens. The ship shuddered as the AI started automatic docking procedures. The AI, a Model 03X5, was as old as the ship was, used primarily for docking, controlling the reactor levels, point defense and the like. The Necromancer III groaned as the docking engines fired a quick pulse and pushed her sideways towards the docking station. Well, that settles that. Cool the reactors to minimum levels and activate anti-theft procedures. I don't want this one stolen. Glauren muttered, grabbing her trusted R-5 pistol from the control panel and strapping it to her belt. She left the bridge via an elevator and began walking down the spinal corridor of the ship. She waited as the airlock grew in size and slowly connected with her ship with a dull thump. There was the slight hiss of equalizing pressure and the 'Clear' light flashed on. This should be interesting... She said with a cool smirk, opening the door and walking into the tunnel. Looking around at the crowds of people gathered inside the multi-level station, she smiled a little. Time to find me a crew... The station had been built out of pre-existing cavern formations in the asteroid, steel beams and walkways had been grafted onto the rocky surface. A thick layer of sealant had been applied to the entire cavern to keep the vacuum of space from breaching the station. It was a strange blend of architecture, but one that Glauren felt at home with. She preferred the artificial environments presented on stations and ships to the real thing. She assumed her fondness for off-world settlements came from her being raised on a colonial vessel. She inhaled deeply through her nose, the sharp aroma of synthesized gin, engine grease, and old steel flooding her nostrils. Ahh... She sighed gratefully. Smells just like home... Looking up, the central monitor broadcast information in every language imaginable. Scanning the crowds, she noticed a few people giving her an odd stare. Most people weren't too fond of salvagers, finding little honor in that particular trade. They were also considered easy prey by space faring pirates and gangs, because their ships were slow and hard to maneuver, even more so when attached to a second ship. The best mode of defense was to avoid eye contact. Don't let them know what you're thinking and they'll leave you alone. She walked over to a young woman who was standing next to the railing. Her skin was a dark tan color and her ruby-red hair was cropped almost boyishly short. A number of tattoos ran up and down her arms. Where's the best place around here for a drink? Glauren asked her, slipping a fifty credit note into the woman's hand. Bribery was the only way you were going to get information out of someone around here, short of putting a gun to their head. The girl looked at her and nodded her head in the direction of a small outcrop two floors up. La Cantina Galactica. She said with a thick Latino accent. She quickly slipped the credits into her pocket and walked away, disappearing into the crowd. Glauren peered up at the outcrop, her left eye coming into inhumanly sharp focus. A bionic replacement, courtesy of a near fatal wound to the head. The scar had been cleared up with reconstructive surgery, and it was almost impossible to tell that she had even been injured. She could clearly see the people milling about up there, beer-bellied freighter captains, ex-military, hookers, low-lives, the perfect crowd in which to find a willing crew member. A triumphant blare echoed from the central monitor, and Glauren shifted her gaze to the screens, her eye refocusing quickly on the screen. A newscaster from the CGA flickered on screen, her dark blue uniform contrasting sharply with her pale-ish skin. Glauren could tell the woman was a Synthetic, someone who had been genetically created and manipulated in a tube. They were nearly identical to humans, but their teeth were just a little bit sharper, their faces just a little less emotional than a real' human's. The EROS Corporation tanker, the Goliath, disappeared four days ago while on its return run from the Erumac V Drilling Fields. She was filed as missing shortly after failing to report in dock yesterday. Piracy is believed to be the main cause of the disappearance, but other possibilities have not been ruled out. She was carrying over 100,000,000 credits worth of Petra-feranol at the time of her disappearance. A massive search is on for the Goliath, but officials say it could be months before she is found... More information will be given when it is reported. This is Federation News, signing out. Glauren blinked, considering the situation. Could be worth a pretty large sum...I'll have to check it out... She spoke to herself. She knew that she wouldn't be the only one looking in on it though. She just hoped she would be the first to get lucky. Looking back up to the Cantina, she quickly entered the elevator and rose to the upper levels.