Session 44 Log/XP/Art

Session 44 Log We look into the credits from the bombing job we "acquired" but they've been almost everywhere. However they've been used at Zatch's Hut, a casino. We head over. There is a big crowd of watchers, not gambling. We approach a single Human. He's wearing a leather jacket, carrying brass knuckles and a knife. He says it must be the election, everybody playing like there's no tomorrow. But nobody's got money. He recognizes Rodworth as connected with Joseph. We discuss changing votes for money. He would change his for 100 Cr. All the money that has come from new construction is staying in Lost Reach. All the people down here don't have any money. The big companies are waiting and seeing how the economy will shake out. Rodworth has a plan; to bet on an underdog to win, using our 3 million to alter the election. We spread around that if our candidate wins, we'll give everybody 500 Credits. We approach the counter who tries to close until we show we're serious. The manager suggests pulling in the other casinos. He agrees to the 3MM credits, spreading it to the other casinos. Now we turn to the bombings to see if there's more to it than that. The Unseen says that there's a giant metal spider has been installed inbetween the Red and Blue Academies. It's been built within the last week. They've recovered a letter from Justin White to Alice Stryrigi Or to "Princess" Justin White has grown seaweed around his boat making passage to it impossible. New Laser Battery between Fair Dome, Glitter Dome and The Remains of Capitol Dome. It's been built by the 'old' government. We check out the Spider, which has a faint steady signal coming out of the back.We hover the aircar over the thorax. No indication of a hatch. We burn a small hole and put a camera inside. We see a small computer and the bottom would fall out from explosive bolts. We start cutting a hole. 10 Minutes later an aircar comes by from one of the academies and says we'll have to pay for any damages. They contact us and we confirm that we will. Eusyl steps down the hole and the screen turns red. The bolts explode and the bottom drops out. The only thing that the computer is meant to do is beep exactly a second apart. The Red and Blue police arrive. They form up on either side of the the statue. We suggest that there's something weird going on and there may be a bomb. They both freak out. We contact Mamba who says that somebody called a bomb threat to the Red and Blue Academies. We tell him our suspicions that there are additional plots related to the election. We ask about the turret and he says that it's expected to be turned over the UPF when the construction is done. It can only rotate down to 45 degrees so it can't shoot the cities. We arrive at the turret. Rodworth looks for the supervisor (Zatch) and we introduce ourselves. Eusyl asks if any connection to the Casino and he says the family owned it a while ago. He doesn't know who financed the turret. The person to talk to is Obbeli. He sounds down and it's because everybody's asking about the new turret. We ask if it could be used offsite and only if there's a cable attached to it. Eusyl goes to check it out. Rodworth mentions the election and our deal. No dice. No signal from a fake transmission. Theoritically, an albedo screen could reflect a beam back. We get a call from Mamba concerning new satellites -- there are a few new ones but none from the planet. Most ships that are in geosynchronous orbit. There's been a request from Yari Omega to work for us when she's out. The Tygers go to talk to Obbeli in the restored Capitol Dome. He knows we want to know about the turret. He's unshaven but bald. When asked, he says he works for the government. He confirms that the turret was built to protect the primary domes. He also confirms that the Styrigi and some corps along with Justin White has been contributing to the running of the government. He checks on the computer and says the statue was built from funds from Alex Styrigi. The letter from Justin to "Princess" is brought to the base. We have Akk'n run some tests. Some fingerprints are on the plastic sheet. We send them to the Jem the Red Cop. He call back and says the 3-4 Criminals have touched it. We confirm our Unseen bum has touched it. Also Yist, a vagrant, Tommy, and Maurine, Also vagrant. We don't know Tommy Kerr. It was sold to the Unseen by a Dralasite who's known to be a forger. He does also have real items. Eusyl checks the letter for anything. Nothing there. We contact Ganz's gang. Rodworth does his election pitch. We learn that Alex S. is offering 1000 credits per head if he wins. Rodworth wants them to watch the turret for any funny business. The next day, It's revealed that the Synth Corp Dome is dead. Everybody was poisoned from a very fast acting agent, apparently from a factory accident, but it's very suspicious. The UPF is investigating. Election Day: There is a news report that someone tried to break into a laser turret, but not the one we investigated. Security is increased. Throwdor ties Justin White with Alex Styrigi trailing. There will be a runoff in a week. A Casino representative shows up at our base. He wants to offer an immediate pay-out of 15 billion. We agree. It'll take a while. We get 3 billion immediately and we announce that we will pay off the bet. We pay the guy we talked to at the Casino. Rodworth says we will double down on the bet and pay out another 500 Cr. if Throwdor wins the runoff.

So, now that 6 million people have 500 shiny new credits in their pocket...I'm betting that crime increases exponentially. I think the Red vs Blues are going to have their hands full. Tentatively, we have either 9 or 12 billion credits. Once the election completes, where do we go from here? I'd like to tell Mumba that we need priority entry into "our" space dock, as we're leaving the system for a while. Lets get the little ship mounted, have the cargo door altered, add that ion engine and GTFO. We'll need a supply off assault rockets for the shuttle, a stack of pellets and Dramune's sun lighting our tail. The Bengalus is under way. We can leave the smuggler ship in storage and let the Durga keep running cargo. Give the folks managing our Lost Reach interest a supply of cash for remodeling and supplies. Tell them to take our share of the profits for a solar year and buy as much of the system as they are able. I want as many of the domes as we can possibly buy. Develop hotels...refining centers...make this place a viable destination, under our control. With a space dock there, it should be a complete no-brainer. Get the Screechers and/or the Valkyries out there to help acquire and protect the properties. If we hurry, we can own this. IMO, if we can get the UPF to leave, we can own the space dock too. Could we get the council to tell them they're no longer needed and head home? Put out the call for engineers and put them under our employ. Get a few trusty Vrusk to manage the whole shebang and corruption would be at minimum. I'd like to think I'm not being too ambitious, but if we don't strike while the iron is hot...

Um, with a general disbursement of limited funds, the effect on crime should be negligible. Also, this is the Mos Eisley of the SF Universe; crime can't increase exponentially -- we've achieved peak crime. In fact, with the Malthar broken, crime should go down.  Once the election is over, us with our 9 billlion should probably influence local government and economy this way; first merge the Red and Blue into one unit; the Green Rangers (motto; one rampaging monster; one ranger) we hire a dozen of the toughest, most reputable ex-cops to lead, manage and train this new force. Two police forces is the definition of cognitive dissonance and corruption and is probably at least half the problem with local municipal corruption and chaos. With the new ship building base, they can even form a pretty strong local fleet of non-jump patrol craft. Then the UPF can go back to border defense.  I like where you're going but consider it like this; in a lot of ways, we're Alaska, hard to get to, resource-rich. Lost reach is like a Fishing Fleet; a lot of money but can't really be spent until you get back home. It's never going to be more than a way station. So those funds will trickle back here and Inner Reach.With the money we have, we make sure that the docking station is a top-tier one so that manufacturing money flows into the two Reachs, (Based on Scott's comments, we're never going to 'own' the base, but we can be the local minority investor)  which get reinvested in more advanced industrial processing so Outer Reach isn't dependant on simple mining. The new route means increased trade, which means we can entice trading houses to move their bases of operation here.  Now what was the armpit of space will become a sleepy industrial town. Tourism will never be an attraction here so I don't see the hotel angle working out. Who's gonna be running all this? Not Eusyl, she's nineteen . While an adult in Yazirian standards, she's barely begun her career. She'll take 10 million for when her muzzle's gray and she's ready to retire. Now, she wants to have adventures. Being on a Board of Directors of some series of corporations would give her hives. And like in Rock Ridge, it's getting kinda boring around here. Let's find the next hot spot.

If the Construction Center doesn't go to L1, we could own it. L1 Centers are UPF, 2 or 3, we'd be ok. Lost Reach is Vegas, well, could be if we build it up. We can get the supplies and keep the place stocked up. A run to Prenglar or another big hub and we could stock up on alcohol and various other foodstuffs. Get some chickens to put in the biodomes...use the poo for fertilizer and keep our agro-foods growing all year.  Can you imagine what spacers would pay for REAL eggs? A couple of casinos, restaurants ranging from diners to steakhouses and similarly designed hotels, I think it could be livable. Have a dome be put together for the workers (free rent) in the domes and from the space dock. Short of daylight and fresh air (which Kyle thinks is overrated) it wouldn't be such a bad place. We wouldn't be running it, per se. We'd own it and have a final say, but we'd have our own mini-corp run by trustworthy Vrusk. They have the mandibles for business.  It could work. My view of the crime on Styrigia is this. If there's money, there will be thieves. Yes, Malthar has been taken out of the picture. That leaves a power vacuum that all the rubes will be trying to fill, gathering their own little gangs and begin strongarming the populous. When everyone was broke, there was no incentive. Now you can hit any of 6 million targets for 500 cr? The lowbie criminals will be like, "Sign me up!" Crime can always increase. If people have, criminals want. I'm not looking for us to sit back with scotch and stogies. I'm looking for us to be Tony Stark. Rich adventurers. We have scads of cash, but without income, it'll dwindle. I want to get out and see what the universe has to offer. Along the lines of helping the planet, vocation training. Create a pool of technicians, engineers, roboticists and doctors. A self-defence force wouldn't be a bad idea either. If the Sathar attacked with ground forces, they could overwhelm the police. There are entirely too many untrained people on Styrigia. They're a drain on the economy,. Train them in a trade and have them producing. A society that doesn't produce goods and services will fail. Success is give and take. If all you do is give or take, you go under (see Venezuela).

First "Mandibles for business" is brilliant. I don't care if the UPF owns it as long as the locals (including us) get our cut. The amount of money a lvl 1 would bring in makes the issue moot unless you're REALLY greedy. Plus, it's another place where vessels of every size can be made which is a general good thing if the Sathar are looking to start the next hot war. In terms of crime, your original supposition was that crime would increase, not that it would exist. Again, I don't agree it would be significant because everybody's getting a cut. the usual suspects would run their scams, pick pockets but I don't see more than a small, short bump at most. And if we do both the rethink of the cops I discussed and your expansion of local militias, the crackdown would come swiftly (also some of those pirates would end up working on the other side of the law, lowering the overall criminal element).  What makes society's work is too long for this post about a game where I just want to shoot ray guns at evil aliens and drink pan-galactic gargle blasters. But I'm good with vocational training.  Lost Reach will definitely be more than it is but I don't think it'll be more than a place that most people go to work and then go back home (minus the people we have there servicing the transient workers). I had another thought along the lines of a hotel; We (The Corporate We) should go into business with the guy who owns the Malthar's old station. We rebuild it like it used to be and run it as "Pirates of the Carribean" Style place where people can have the outlaw experience. We can even hire the Malthar (and give him some medical help to get back to, er fighting trim) and ensconce him in a Rick's Bar style establishment to spin tales of the old days and tourists can say they hung out with a real live gangster. Not that's a hotel tourists would come to... Basically, we turn 42nd street into 42nd Street DIsney Style (I know whereof I speak since I watched it happen up close).  For us, I get the Tony Stark angle and approve. Bear in mind, we can take a small fraction of the overall take and live off of 1-2% interest like kings and queens. We don't really have to worry about income at this point. 

If you build it...they will come. I don't want to be greedy. I'm in it for the long term investment. If we throw money at the community, it'd be like throwing gasoline on a fire. For a few minutes, it's pretty impressive. After that, not so much. If you add wood, it keeps you warmer through the cold times. If you hand a bum 1000 credits, he'll drink like a fish for a weekend. If you give him a 300 cr/wk job, he'll be able to get off the street. That's long term. The more you hand people, the more they expect to be handed. I think lots of people will come to Lost Reach. It'll make a great layover once that new route is open. Dramune is going to see a HUGE boom in traffic. A boon to income...and crime. We're going to need more law enforcement to deal with the increase in population. I'm sure that all the ships who come over will have huge Amish populations...and we know how prone to crime they are =). It is fun to see the horses pull the buggies through the Void. Having been in the Army and in Law Enforcement, I'm sure my world view is different. Every time the soldiers got paid, the folks wanting their cash came out like moths to a flame. While the Malthar is gone and organized crime is breaking down, strongarm attacks are going to replace that. While easier to deal with, if you have the manpower, the crime rate will increase. The Malthar didn't want to stir the pot. He just took his ventures through the less than legal channels. If he didn't have to hurt someone, he didn't. He didn't want to draw any unseemly attention. We could invest in Pan-Gal, Streel or Cassadine and make investment income until the cows come home, but where's the fun in that? The "Tiger Stripe" casino. The place where one lucky player a year wins 2000 cr/wk for life! (Or something like that) Lots of these folks can get in early on the ride. The more they put into it, the more they'll appreciate and protect it.

Well as i see it, the next step is to ramp up mining ops on the planet. With our cash we can create a mineral exchange, buying up the local ore and mining rights, then buy one of the existing foundries to produce Hull plating and structural supports. We can then go to the UPF and offer them our product at a price that will beat any other sources, we would own the ore, the final product, and since we can transport it without the product changing hands ( just think, most cargo first need to brought from the manufacturer, lifted into orbit, where some hauler need to buy it and ship it  to its final location to be resold to its final user.) We can eliminate  all the middle men and offer the UPF a massive discount. Heck even space miners need to ship the ore to factory to have it shaped into the final produce.. With so many damage ships, the UPF must need a steady supply of hull plates and structural support, if the foundry  cannot meet demands we can subcontact out the orders.   This also helps the UPF to finish ship repairs quickly which would lessen the wait time to have the yard mod our freighter.. We should also look at purchase of an addition freighter and shuttle. I know we don't have the full 9 billion yet, but we can borrow using the payments from the Casino as collateral. In the ends, this would likely double or even triple our worth, along with providing mining and manufacturing jobs. We could become the Pan Galactic of the system. I  call for a meeting of the Board, and putting this to a vote. So put in your vote.. Also Scott of you can give us the reactions from our Head of Cargo business, Artemis, the Neon Entertainment division, and Neon Tiger Security. 

A big mining ship and a portable refinery would be good too. I bet the asteroids have a ton of resources as well.

Hi, So catching up and since we're not gaming today, good time to check in. BTW, I'm online if others want to get on and just chat about options.

So here's what I think the board is voting on: 1. Invest in Styrigia: Police: Merge and train the police: Benefits: Reduce corruption and internal conflicts Cons: Expensive with no direct impact to Corp's bottom line. Considerations: This is in alignment with Neon Tyger's core value and initial intent. Infrastructure:  Facilitate mining and refining operations Could be done as part of an investment in another company - no need to start a company/division when there are companies that can be purchased or invested in that can deliver. We can have our acquisitions person vet some options for investment.  Benefits: Improve output, improve production timelines and overall value for UPF and NT. Cons: Very expensive and risky Considerations: It diversifies NT holdings and mitigates revenue risk if successful. Allows for faster timeline of key initiative with ship building. 2. Invest in Hospitality now Invest in an Outlaw Casino - seems we made connections that could run the casino for us while we travel and adventure.  Benefit: If traffic increases it would do very well and could provide a great base camp for the Unseen. Cons: Very Risky, Very Expensive Key items for consideration: 1. We should invest and not run an operation as that is not what we do best.  2. We all seem to be in agreement that investing in infrastructure and mining/refining is beneficial. 3. We can all benefit from a stable police force that looks kindly on the Neon Tygers, i.e. the 10 to 15 core individuals that run the corp. With that in mind Yaz votes as follows: 1. Aye to investing in police and stabilizing Styrigia 2. Aye to buying or becoming majority shareholder of a mining facility 3. Aye to buying or establishing a refining operation, on Styrigia or in orbit. 4. Nay to purchasing the old Malthar station - too big of an investment and doesnt align with core values or competencies.  5. Aye to investing in a Casino - majority or minority investor doesnt matter, as long as we have some HR say. 6. Nay to purchasing or building a Casino - same reason as #4.

Not sure what our new XP is at, I have it at 351, but I dont think that takes into account Log 44. I spent it on Pilot, so now  Pilot 4, Tech 4 and Computer 6.