Mr. Lime and friends were hanging around near Galileo when they came upon a few Freelancers hastily evacuating a base after the big Platinum rush died down. That might have been the end of it, but Lime knew... people. People very interested in infrastructure. They didn't know him, but a man of his trade was all about making that kind of contact.
They didn't have to wait long for who they were looking for.
The cell had not been coaxed easily, but they were listening. It wasn't long before they were sold on Lime's plan and operations began in earnest. The refinery was given a kick and shunted to the lowest gear; it was unlikely to see use at its destination, but Lime had recruited wanted to pick up a few easy credits before the base was in its new location. Thanks to this, he was even able to get a few of his friends situated on the workforce before the move could kick off. After the Platinum rush, jobs had dried up, they'd take what they could get.
This wasn't free to Lime. His hold full of relic weaponry his crew had painstakingly excavated from a stash in the Sigmas would find a good home in the armories of his newfound friends, but he had his foot in the door and a deal very advantageous towards the cell in question. He could only hope their good word carried any amount of weight in the greater movement, but he doubted it.
Boulder Depot would begin moving within days of the drop-off. The Calico's refitted hold gave it room for the small stuff, and the big stuff was to be given a tow, on a beeline to the Jump Hole. The Ohio battlegroup and the Lehigh flotilla to the North had thus far failed to detect Boulder, and if this went without a hitch, they never would.
We find ourselves looking at two Xenos trying something.
"It... it won't fit. It's too big!"
"No way, the hole isn't that tiny!"
Both parties look at what they're trying to fit in.
"There's only one way to find out!"
"Yes! Yes!"
"Oh yeah, it's going in! All the way in!"
"Yeaahhhhh!"
"Both of you should be ashamed of yourselves. We're trying to get the components through a Jump Hole and you're standing there doing that! Y-you aren't even standing there, you're sitting there, not engaging your engines. Get back to work!"
Mr. Lime was not having a good time. Not at all. There was no way trouble wouldn't be breathing down his neck, and to top it all off, his choice of, ahem, business associates were almost brushing him off now that they had their shiny toys. Sure, they were getting the project done, but it could be faster. It could always be faster. This was going to be a long day.
It's around this time that the Calico is making its rounds once more, to find... slackers! Slackers everywhere!
Except this time, Felix is driving. "G, if anyone asks, Lime's still here and not attending a bachelor party with his friend on Noshima." "You have repeated this datum to me eight times in the last three days." "And we're about to be talking to real people in about three minutes. Just repeat the script." "This unit is only following your orders because you are valuable. Ensure you remain so."
Shortwave cracks to life, and Lime's voice rings out. "All right, what's this? What's the work stoppage?" "Ya took tha Calico with ya, our other mover's a no-show. You're it!" Felix was afraid of this, but at least there's no way this can be laid on his shoulders. "We got you, we're readying up component transfers now." Calico's engines roar to life and cables strain to move very sensitive and delicate equipment in the equivalent of three layers of bubble wrap. Felix waits for the line to go dead before letting out a sigh of relief. He was expecting angry mutinous thugs, not reasonable working men.
