I am contacting you in the hopes that I can acquire a ship.
Before the fall of Star Enterprises, we had good relations in that Star made supply runs to the Junkyard supplying the base with Reinforced Alloy.
I regret that, during the loss of Star Port, and the hostilities that made that possible, my research ship, [Star]-Sleipnir was lost with all hands save myself by those same hostile forces.
I find myself in the difficult position of needing a ship. Since I no longer have ties to the Zoners , I have, by default, fallen into being a Freelancer, and feel that one of your Salvagers would be ideal for me to continue my research.
From: Charles Alestone, Captain, Silk_Road
To: Junker Congress
Subj: Request for a Meeting
I am currently ensconced in the Visitor's Quarters aboard your station at the Texas jump hole. I regret that I ended up "blockade running" the defenses, but I was misinformed by two of your captains that I would not have problems transitting the worm hole. Fortunately, my ship was sufficiently armored and supplied to survive getting out of range. Given my purposes, I withheld fire, and, with the help of one of your personnel, the situation was sorted out.
In reviewing my earlier correspondence, included above, it has occurred to me that I might have been too abrupt. While it was not my intention, I see that my original request might be interpreted as demanding. My desire is to prove that I am a friend to the Junkers worthy of the honor of one of your ships.
With that in mind, I would like to request a meeting to discuss improving our specific relationship. I have a couple of thoughts in that direction, including a venture I would like to hear your opinions on.
(02-22-2015, 07:23 PM)Twaddle Wrote: I am currently ensconced in the Visitor's Quarters aboard your station at the Texas jump hole.
[Personal Visit: No Intercepts]
(Knock Knock)
Good Evening, Captain Alestone! I am glad to see you unharmed, and that station security did not mistreat you over this misunderstanding. I truly regret the confusion over the local defenses. It seems we get so few freelance captains asking for a visit that many Junker pilots forget our guard stations are not the same as our other stations regarding that otherwise friendly transponder. Rest assured that repairs are being seen to and that we will take care of the bill, given the misinformation you received. I believe one million should cover the damage, yes? Just leave an acceptable deposit account with the dock master and I will personally see that it is done.
I also wish to offer you my regrets for the delay in responding to your circumstance. We have had some recent transfers in who is responsible for what. As a Captain, I'm sure you understand what what can be like. Oh, dear me. I seem to have forgotten to introduce myself. Name's Andy H. Don't ask about my last name. Don't know what it is myself, so you're guess is as good as mine. I was recently named Director of Liberty Operations. I think it was because no one else wanted the job and I was late to the meeting. Believe me, I'll never make that mistake again! Ha ha.
Anyways, these visitor's quarters are terrible! Come, come. Let's take a security shuttle out to my luxury yacht where we can discuss matters in a more appropriate setting.
[Minutes later on an undisclosed Luxury Liner, VIP section]
(Turns on anti-surveillance jammer)
Well now, Captain Alestone. We may speak of your business freely without my crew overhearing what is none of theirs. You were inquiring about the ownership of one of our beloved Salvagers? Quite understandable. It is a fine ship.
Unfortunately, we are quite... fond of our Salvagers. It is not as if she were just a Trademark of what a Junker calls home, or a simple question of one falling into unworthy hands. Each Sally is a home. Even a member of our family. See, one does not merely purchase a Sally, Captain Alestone. One adopts a Sally as if she were a child. So only the most trusted and most valued of friends may hope to adopt one of our beloved children.
Ah, don't look so disappointed, Captain! I realize that your heart may have been set on one, and I don't blame you one bit! However, if memory serves me correctly, we may have one or two Pilgrim Liners available out in Inverness. Perhaps one of these vessels would be even better suited for a refitted research vessel out in the black?
Well, I realize you need time to weigh your options and I have many appointments nagging for my attention. Not to mention I have been talking way too much! Please make use of the VIP facilities while you meditate on what you wish to pursue. My crew will see to your needs, and I believe the swimming pool was cleaned just this morning. They also will ensure that there are no more... misunderstandings. I will check back later when you feel more refreshed.
First, let me thank you again for your hospitality. I normally go by Chuck with people that I am on a first name basis with.
It appears I might have mis-evaluated the situation, but I certainly understand your position. The Zoners have many of the same feelings about our, I mean their, ships. I hadn't realized that the Salvager was that dear to you.
I regret that the liner will not be a viable option. Meaning no offense to the Salvager, in many ways a liner would be an optimal choice. Unfortunately, there is one critical shortfall in the entire liner class. One of my principle research tools is a Hyperspace Survey Scanner, and there is no liner that I know of that has a power plant capable of supporting the scanners.
That is one of the primary reasons I had been looking at the Salvager. While I am not intimately familiar with the class, routine scan reports that I had access to from Star Enterprises had shown it to be the only ship shy of a destroyer to have the necessary combination of power plant and cargo capacity. Since no one in their right mind offers warships that large to Freelancers...
(leans back in his customary chair near the pool and scratches his chin)
Hmmm... that is indeed a difficult quandary to solve. Allow me a moment to send a memo to our engineers about this.
(Steps out into the adjoining Sauna to send neural link message)
(Returns a minute later and sits back down)
Anyway, where were we? Ah, yes. While I was away tending to other duties, I did inquire of past Directors about the adoption of Sallys. The last person had spent over a year developing very close relations with us, and four months flying along side our ships in joint operations. Please do not take this the wrong way, Chuck. But faithfully fulfilling supply contracts to one of our space stations does not really compare. Don't get me wrong, it is wonderful from a business standpoint, but adopting one of our ships which we regard as our children is more than a simple business proposal and into the realm of family matters.
So I suppose the question for you, Chuck, is how close do you wish relations between yourself and our people to become, and the time and effort you wish to expend in making that happen? I sense that you wish to get back to work as soon as possible, and I value that trait.
(gets beep from neural net, and reads message)
Hmmmm... seems there may be a technical problem with the power plant regarding what you want a small ship to do. While some of our vessels of that size do have a core with sufficient capacity initially to start up the module, they do not have the charge rate to keep up with demand to complete such a high consumption scan. However, the question has been bumped up to R and D and they inform me that putting in a power core capable of this feat would make any gunboat class vessel a virtual death trap.
I had inquired about a Wrecker as a possible substitute, which does not have the sentimental value a Sally has. Unfortunately modifying either ship's power core to more than double their raw energy output would make them uncontrollable, radiate their crews due to lacking room for appropriate shielding, blow out the engines, and a host of other technical problems that the engineering of destroyers are equipped to deal with. That would explain why the major military's don't build small survey ships for strategic reasons.
I am very sorry for these problems. I was quite looking forward to finding something to work for you. It was an interesting project.
<another several hours after parting company with Andy, and a tour of the vessel, ShadowJunker>
With a gasping breath, Chuck finally got the laughter under control. Watery eyes looked up at the antique chronometer on the wall, telling him that almost five minutes had passed. Probably the only thing that had kept his XO from coming to check on him while he roared out his amusement had been the sound proofing of the Captain's Cabin.
He picked up the innocuous engineering tablet that Shadow had lent him from his desk and glanced at it again. "Oh, gods, if only I'd had this thing three weeks ago."
He paused, thinking about it, but his memory of the classes of ships Star Enterprises had records on and had serviced did Not include a Salvager. While it was turning out that the Salvagers were as individualized as any ships in the outlands, there was no way that they were going to suit his needs shy of gutting one to the outer hull and starting over.
There just wasn't enough space in the thing to include something as bulky as an Hyperspace Scanner, not even a MK III. All of the space that could have been used for that sort of thing was already allocated to the arcana of the Junkers' specific trade.
At least from the perspective of a new research ship, the entire endeavor had been a total waste of time.
"... so you see, Andy, my ignorance of your vessels made the entire thing into a wild goose chase. Please accept my personal apologies for this, and convey them to the appropriate parties."