Rich loaded up a few choice items into the runnabout. It was an older model, a mercedes all wheel drive. It fit right in with the other beat up trucks and ATV runnabouts on the streets of landing city. With the 4 passengers and his crew, it was a tight squeeze.
Molly the intern rode on up front, squeezed between Richard and Doo Min Park, the ships head mechanic. Becca and Horse rode in back with the other 3 passengers. Rich liked the way the girl smelled. It was rare that rich got on with women so young. Or ones from earth.
Molly was 26, and in an advanced xenobiology program. Like most traveling kids from earth, her daddy was richer than bacon soup. The girl had spent over $ 200,000.00 UN to get out here, as well as 4 months on his ship. Her boss was out here to study the local wild life. Rich was more interested in studying her.
Tonight would likely be his last chance at that, so he figured a grand send off was in order.
The Green Knight, the lodge that he had chosen was only a few minutes deeper into the city. It looked much like the rest of landing city, durable prefab walls, dirty from 20 years of rain and wind, but other wise undamaged. The front doors had a scene of a knight in green armor beheading someone.
There were a handful of other vehicles outside. Nothing special, just the usual mix of ford and subaru electric trucks. It meant one important thing to Richard however. It meant that there would be locals drinking there tonight. Rich considered that to be free advertising. the sooner folks know that a merchant is in town, the sooner he can get down to business.
The interior of the bar was about the same as the outside, stout and worn, but well kept. It was early, the equvalent of 4pm, but the locals seemed to be in dinner mode. Most of the patrons were bent over plates of food, or enjoying a pale colored beer at the bar. Rich checked his Dattoo, it told him this was a bit early for dinner by local custom. Rich put it aside for later. He'd have to update his data on this system if custom had changed.
Rich looked over at Isaac, the college professor, and smiled. back to business, he thought.
"Isaac, let me buy you and yours one last meal. It's the least I can offer by way of farewell" Rich knew that Isaac would have to say yes, Earth folk a prickly about etiquette Besides, he thought, this had been the most interesting group of passengers he'd ever moved. Or at least the most fun.
"I suppose I'll accept" Isaac responded in his London accent.
"Good, good" Richard smiled "Sort out a place for us to sit, and I'll arrange for some good food. YOur journey should end with better fare than protein cubes" Richard felt his own palate deserved a break from ship food as well. Those things get bland pretty quickly.
Richard sauntered over to the inn keeper, and put on his most winning smile. the innkeep was not a fat man which meant he was careful with his money. No splurging on food for him self.
"Hello, Richard Higgins, Cap'n of the
Glory Days. We just landed and were hoping to crash here while we did business in town." Richard felt confident, he had done this several times before, and usually got a good deal. The Innkeeper had a good poker face though, this might be tougher he thought.
"Carl Talent, " the inn keeper said, offering his hand. "I have rooms, but they ain't cheap. I get a lot of business here."
"No other ships in orbit, it can't be too crowed just now." Rich spoke freely, he figured the folks on parzifal were not the sort to mince words. "but to tell you what I think, I usually make pretty fair trades at the place I stay." He reached into his travel coat, and old all-weather duster, and pulled out a bottle of Capital Brewery porter, good stuff. "I brought several kegs of this from Orion on my last haul. I can show you the manifest and brew dates, it's good stuff" Richard handed the bottle to the Inn Keep, who looked it over carefully.
"Well, this may be worth some time in my rooms" Carl was smiling. Not the broad beaming smile of a child with a new toy, but certainly the smile of a man about to get paid. "You have a keg of it with you now?" he asked, opening the beer as he looked up.
"Tell me if you like it first. This bottle is on me" Rich replied. It always looks better to share samples freely. Carl took a short pull from the bottle, then a second, longer draw. He looked at the bottle again, regarding the art on the label.
"I like it" Carl replied. "I'll give you two rooms for two days for the keg, and call it fair. We really are crowded Carl regarded Richard with cool eyes as he took a third pull from the bottle. This was the deal Richard wanted, so he saw no reason to get greedy with the man.
"Fair enough, provided I get a discount on tonight's dinner. Charge my crew as you will, but I have to feed a lot of folks tonight."
"I'll knock down the bill, but not by much. Foods getting short, and the main harvest looks like it won't be happening " Carl's face was still mellow, though the beer seemed to reaching him a little. Strong stuff.
"What's going on with the harvest? the welcome committee that met us at the pad implied the colony is having some serious trouble." Richard trailed off. Carl's face had taken on a different set, sad more than upset.
"See that rack?" Carl said, pointing at a gun rack near the door. It was full, with a few more leaning on the wall below it. "Nine months ago, you would have seen one or two pieces on there." Carls eyes drifted to one of the patrons that Richard had not paid much attention to. The man only had one arm. "Somethings got the Jackalopes stirred up, and the Apachesaurs have been coming in droves to hunt them. ain't even a little safe in the fields, and we kill four or five critters in the city every day. We've lost over a thousand people so far. it'll be Worse when we miss the harvest."
Rich let it sink in. that's a huge number of people. Clearly, there was a real problem here. Now, how to help and profit at the same time.....
