Ya know, when i first started out the other day, i didnt think i'd be having adventures exciting enough to record about - *chuckle* guess i was wrong about that.
The first day actually went pretty well - I hitched a ride with my brother Jim to Erie, he had some conference or something to go too there - i guess he really agreed with my decision to be a trader - we both agreed i wasnt really the caliber to continue the family business - ageira executives (just about) everyone of 'em - ick.
Anyway, i used a fair bit of my Navy pay and set myself up with a Rhino Freighter - with Jim's help, the payments look like theyll be short and over with quickly - hell, my first trade haul might just pay it off alltogether - heh, i hate not being in debt.
So yeah, Jim went back to Los Angeles, and i now had a ship with which to travel the black with - a good morning, ill say - a Comm trader on Erie had a shipment of Robotic parts he needed to get to a gate construction facility in Kusari space - figured id take the cargo - not much money to be made, but a little is better then nothing. How do you pronounce this planet? o'kin ah'wa? something like that? *sigh* kusari planets...
The run itself was actually really nice - no trouble's at all - got kinda jumpy passing through Kepler, but nothing happened there - i DID get a chilly hail back from a Samura Train skipper named Motoko-something, when i asked if he was heading into Kusari space - well, actually, i just asked where he was going - he might have thought i was asking so i can shoot the info to some pirate buddies or something - i dunno, but he wasnt pleased, and i just figured it be best to leave him be.
Sigma-19 Construction Site reached with no problems, and i got a fair bit a'sleep on the run - i only got a measly 190k for the shipment - small potatoes - but i paid the Rhino off, and i was, officially, free. the construction base didnt have anything worth selling - but a small skip over to the Tsehara outpost, and i found a trader wanting to get some Plutonium to Penn - have to run quick before it fizzled out, but in a word, its a round trip - perfect! I loaded that glowing pile up and hit the black with both feet - plotted a course through Galileo this time, and hoped my previous good luck would hold up.
It didnt.
up 'till Galileo, it was all boring and routine - a few cargo scans, a few hours of sleep, and a few hours of struggling to keep my eyes open. halfway through the system, i come outta trade lane into the hands of two waiting ships - not traders, not Kusari - fighters - and my scan read them as "Blood Dragons"
Blood Dragon 1 - "Dane Summers - cut your engines."
now im freaked - pirates, obviously - someone on Tsehara had mentioned something about Blood Dragons and Golden Chris'san'the'whatever, but i wasnt really listening as well as i should have (note to self: LISTEN BETTER! yeah...).
So, i figured, play it cool - maybe they arent pirates - maybe their the Galileo welcoming committe (hey, come on, not like you havent hoped that at one time or another)
Me - "Something i can help you fella's with?"
Blood Dragon 1 - "Yes - care to pay a toll of 250k?"
so, maybe not pirates, but extortionists - ok. whatever. i had the cash, but it would set me back like crazy - it reminds me of the bullies in school who would shake the younger kids over for their lunch cards - *sigh*
Me - "Aw c'mon guys, im broke enough as it is..."
Blood Dragon 1 - "Fine, maybe we can come to a compromise..."
compromise? im all for compromising!
Blood Dragon 1 - "...Give me your pants."
uh what...?
Me - "um...how about 10k?"
Blood Dragon 1 - "Haha, your pants are worth more to me then 10k - now, your pants sir."
so, my choices were, 250k of hard earned money, or eat vacuum when they decide to blow me up for being too dignified to surrender my clothes. hmm...lemme think about this...
Me - "ok, the Plutonium in my hold is going stale, so lets get this over with - do you want the pants im wearing?"
Blood Dragon 1 - "Yes. give them to me."
Me - "Fine, i dont mind gettin' nekid."
Blood Dragon 2 - "Shame how no one wears boxers anymore..."
Blood Dragon 1 - "Hurry up, before your Plutonium goes stale."
Me 1 - "Alright, i got them - you want me to eject them into space?"
Blood Dragon 1 - "Yes"
Wow, this is one wierd day - i hoof it down to the hold, grab a spare container crate, and load my still warm leg wear into it - thinking all the while how either lucky i am, or how stupid im gonna be when they blow me up anyway - thinking about some rescue vessel happening upon my shattered ship hull, and its naked pilot floating in the void actually made me laugh. Mom and Dad would definitely not approve...
I got back into my seat, now in my tighty whities, and put my headset back on, and hit the button sequence to eject them into space.
Blood Dragon 1 - "Thank you. You can go now" (as he tractors my pants into his hold)
I actually burst out laughing, and heartily thanked them - the last thing said before i disappeared down a trade lane was them wishing me safe travels - *chuckle* not was i expecting from my first encounter with hardened criminals.
So, i arrive in Philadelphia station, in a bathrobe, and on my way to a clothes store - a smile on my face and a story to tell.
...then i remembered my wallet was still in my pants...
...damnit...
[STOP AUDIO RECORD/YR818.5.02.14:01]
(this ACTUALLY happened to me - the parties involved should recognize themselves - i wont name names, mostly because i cant remember them, and i was gonna screen shot the convo, but the server downed before i could.)
![[Image: Hasshodo.gif]](http://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/Hasshodo.gif)