Outsider

[Laowai]

A small warning light blinked on the control terminal high in the mezzanine room. The room was dark, save for a desk on which sat a computer workstation. Behind which, his skin lit in a sickly white glow from the worklamp, sat Ben Laowai.

He stared transfixed at a data pad linked to his workstation by a chaotic array of wires and cables. The light continued to blink but he ignored it. The Hacker pad that he worked over was taking longer than it usually did today, and he found himself having to tweak it using some of the techniques he had learned over the years. It was not easy going, for all his natural tinkering ability he lacked the patience for computer hacking - if the pad was nearing the end of its usefullness... well... "I'll just have to kill another lane hacker" he thought to himself.

The blinking light was starting to grate on his nerves..

"computer, what is it?" he growled

The computer's voice, metallic and at once everywhere and nowhere spoke up "Incoming transmission from Planet Crete docking control"

Docking control? he wondered, that was certainly odd. He put down the pad and looked at the light itself. "Computer wh...". But he stopped.... There was only one person who would call him specifically from docking control. He sighed... "computer play message"
A robotic voice not unlike his own computers' came over the comm system. "Pilot Ben Laowai. Incoming pilot ID Civilian ship marked Donny Ren, requesting access using your docking codes. Please confirm"
Ben sat back in his chair. He knew the boy had been coming, and despite his dislike for the situation, he had promised his sister he would take him in for a while. "Till things blow over"... she had said.

"computer, access confirmed" he said tiredly. "Let the boy land"

He stood up, "computer Main lights" he spoke, and the room and surrounding hangar suddenly blazed with light. He rubbed his eyes. This boy would be a nuisance, and if he was anything like his father he didn't know what he would do...
His thoughts were interrupted by the unmistakable noise of ship thrusters drawing closer. He put on his jacket and walked down the stairs to the main floor of the hangar. "Computer, Main Doors" he spoke loudly above the din from outside. The room was suddenly filled by the metallic clanking sounds of the hangars massive main doors slowly drawing apart. As they did, the revealed a cloud of smoke in which hovered a small liberty starflier transport. He flew here in that? Ben thought to himself, The boy must be a bigger fool than his father.

He stood in the doors, arms folded, watching as the ship powered down. As the smoke of its landing cleared he saw climbing down from its cockpit a fair haired young man in civilian clothes. As he turned around and proceeded to walk across the tarmac Ben could recognise him from the photo his sister had showed him.
The boy smiled has he approached. Ben watched him impassively, damned if i have to enjoy having this son of a farmer here he thought to himself again.

"You uncle Ben" the boy asked, nearing and extending his hand out in greeting. Laowai looked at him, Uncle Ben??? an irrational urge to hit the boy washed over him but he ignored it. He grunted, "yes, that would be me" The boy stood smiling, his hand still extended out into the air. For a moment Ben thought about ignoring it, but as he looked at the boy, he noticed his Kusari eyes, looking much like his sister's, and much like his own. He had commited to do this..

He shook the boys hand and the young man laughed "well hell uncle Ben, i sure am proud to be finally meetin' ya, mama sure does talk about you all the time"
I strongly doubt it, Ben thought -"I'm Donny!" the lad said still smiling and shaking is hand, he looked around him "So this here is your place?"
The sound of his voice stung, and a slight scowl creased Ben's mouth. The boy might have his mother's eyes, Laowai thought , but he certainly has his fool of a father's voice.
"Yes this is my place" he answered, "Bring your gear and follow me".

They entered the hangar and Ben called out again, "Computer! Main Doors". The massive doors began to close slowly as they crossed the hangar floor. Donny Ren walked wide eyed, staring around him until his eyes landed on the Xibanya Nuren, Its huge form standing still inside the hangar, lit by the above flood lights

"Well i'll be" Donny exclaimed, "Is that there a real Corsair Cruiser?!"

No you idiot, Ben thought, Its an Outcast garbage Scuttle. But he bit his tongue and merely grunted an affirmative. They walked upstairs into the mezzanine and Laowai motioned to a cot in one of the far corners. "That's you" he said. Donny, still smiling, dropped his pack on the cot. Looking around him he took in the room and then said "Well Uncle Ben, it sure is mighty nice of you to take me in an...

"dont!...." Laowai interrupted, "call me uncle Ben.. Ben is fine"...

Donny gulped, "er. sure thing .. Ben"

Laowai was about to show him around the room when the workstation he had been tinkering with gave a series of rapid beeps. Ben stopped mid stride. " I have to check this" he said to the boy and quickly sat back down behind the screens. The beeping was coming from the Lane Hacker data pad, indicating that it had succesfully broken the encryption he had tasked it on. It was asking him if he wanted to continue.

He hit "yes" and the machine beeped again, the first lines of text beginning to appear on the screen.


Minutes of Corsair Elder meeting
"AHHH CHOOOO"

"Excuse me hermanos." Said Juan, putting away his handkerchief and preparing to speak. Taking some whiskey to clear his sinuses, he gulped greedily, thanking Gentle for the drink.

"Now, Gentle. Good to see your still alive and kicking...." Silence came as the unintentional pun floated across the room.

"HO LEE COW!" a voice said over his shoulder, taking him by surprise, "Thats a Lane Hacker program!" Donny was standing behind him looking at the equipment. Ben looked at him a moment, "you recognise Lane Hacker equipment" he asked curiously. Donny beamed in unmistakable pride, but a wink in his eyes suggested that this boy might not be the simpleton Laowai initially took him for. "Yessir!" Donny said " Me and my buddies had a few in pilots course, used to make weekend trips out into Magellan, drink with some of the Hackers there..." He paused.. suddenly looking awkward. Laowai smirked, he knew why the sudden change of demeanor. The Lane Hackers were no friends of the Corsairs, Allies to the Outcasts, if the boys mother knew where he had been sneaking off to he more than likely would have suffered an injury.

"course... my ma.. well.. she di" he went on to continue, but Laowai stopped him. "stow it boy" he growled, "im not going to tell your mother, but i wouldn't let people around here know of your past company, it wont do you any favours"

Donny shook his head quickly, "Nossir! i wont say nuthin'! And all that was in the past, i dont run with them no good sons of bitches anymore!"

Ben chuckled to himself, amused to see the boy a little intimidated. The computer next to him beeped again and he turned his attention back to the screen, more words began to appear.

Right."

"About the TT. We have intelligence that they have been blockading Artifact trade whenever they can. Now, how do you think they can afford those ships of their's? Girlscout cookies? They are incredibly deep into the smuggling trade and do it almost as often as the Brotherhood. The point here is that they've started to realize the TT can make more money if it has exclusive rights to the trade."

"Now, I don't mind the average Corsair getting a ship of his own and making a living for himself. That's just natural. But actually blocking the trade from others brings us one step closer to the corrupt House corporations that corner the market to line their own wallets. But, instead of destroying these brothers, I agree. We need to help them come into the fold."

"Also, about the true Independents. These are the brothers that stay on top of the daily news and try with all their strength to bring glory to the Corsair people, and glory to themselves. Most regular Independents wouldn't bother with any of our factions in the slightest, mostly because we don't have any kind of punishment for not joining. Which is fine, but if they don't know our allegiances, nor do they have the courtesy to follow orders in a heated fight. I don't see why we should tolerate their presence one second longer than we have to."

"Therefore, I call the only one who actually bothered to try and listen in on this conversation, and give his opinion before this Council." Juan yelled his last sentence, startling the others and making them look around themselves in confusion.

"I picked up some sort of attempt to access the Council logs and retrieve our records of this session. The Hacker tool, that whoever this person is, used is somewhat old roughly by 12 or 13 years. Our potential hacker is much older than this, but I believe he has earned his right to speak before the Council, any disagree?"

Brought to you by Hackerz systemz 101 - have a nice day :lol:





As he read the last lines he sat back in his chair in shock. He read and re read the lines again... surely they didnt mean him. He ran a test on the pad immediately to look for any traces, he was so used to the machine being foolproof that he never bothered to check it. Donny read over his shoulder, "Wow..." he muttered... "Are they talkin' about you?"

Laowai looked at the boy and then the screen again, Surely not he thought. The Hacker pad chirped again, and Laowai spoke aloud; "Computer, play results of trace test"

The computer paused, then quickly and without emotion said "Trace test positive, hack was intercepted at the source, security of hack cannot be confirmed"

Ben sat back in his chair, feeling slightly bewildered... If it was him that Lucendez was referring too then it was him that they had called to the council. Me?? he thought, Appear before the council? The idea of it alone stunned him.

Donny stood silently reading, he stood up and nodded, "well Uncle Ben, your hack was made, I'd say y'all be busted, these here council fellas sound like they wanna see you"

Laowai shook his head. He needed to collect his thoughts.


"DON'T" he snapped "CALL ME UNCLE BEN!"

Donny gulped audibly and backed off "sheesh" he said, "Ma did say y'all had a bad temper!"

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