The Drunken Junker

[WildBill]

Bill hasn't graced the Drunken Junker in some time. He hasn't been the Deputy Arbiter for all that long, and his nerves show on his face. He stops just outside the door to the bar. Taking a deep breath he pushes the door open and steps in. The bar itself is just how he remembers it. Taking a quick look around he notices two distinguished men sitting together at the very end of the bar. To the uninitiated these two would appear as normal Junkers, however, it is their reputation that makes them distinguished. James Trenton, current Arbiter of Junker Congress, and Rick Tiltman, Director of Kusari Operations for Junker Congress, both stand up as Bill enters. Without a word all three step in to the private room reserved for Congress meetings.

Hands are shaken, friendly greetings are made, however, it is obvious by Bill's hurried manner that he is ready to begin the conversation. Once James and Rick are seated Bill begins his speech.

"I'm glad y'all was able to make the time to meet with me. I got an idear that could change how we been doin business. Y'all know we got Salvagers, an we got access to a couple of Liners, but truth be told, we ain't got ourselves any decent transports. Sure we got Pirate Transports, but they ain't legal to fly most places. What with the state of the Outcast economy bein what it is, we gotta start lookin fer other dealins. An this is why I'm thinkin we need ourselves a full transport developed an devoted to Junker Congress. We need somethin we can fly in most places, that's got itself a decent cargo hold. I'd like 'er to be a full transport, with a hold of 5000 units. She ain't gotta be pretty, just capable of haulin our wares wherever Congress needs to haul 'em."

He takes a brief pause and looks both men in the eyes. Smiling widely he asks "Well, what do y'all think?"

---

Wild Bill's Custom Interface

[Vulkhard Muller]

Rick was relaxing in the bar, it felt good to be in a place that he didn't constantly have to look over his shoulder in. The door opened he looked out of the corner of his eye to see a man entering the bar, Wild Bill the Deputy Arbiter. James look to him and nodded at the door to a private room, he walked over to the door and went in side and began to listen to what Bill had to say.

"I'm glad y'all was able to make the time to meet with me. I got an idear that could change how we been doin business. Y'all know we got Salvagers, an we got access to a couple of Liners, but truth be told, we ain't got ourselves any decent transports. Sure we got Pirate Transports, but they ain't legal to fly most places. What with the state of the Outcast economy bein what it is, we gotta start lookin fer other dealins. An this is why I'm thinkin we need ourselves a full transport developed an devoted to Junker Congress. We need somethin we can fly in most places, that's got itself a decent cargo hold. I'd like 'er to be a full transport, with a hold of 5000 units. She ain't gotta be pretty, just capable of haulin our wares wherever Congress needs to haul 'em."

He takes a brief pause and looks both men in the eyes. Smiling widely he asks "Well, what do y'all think?"

Interesting proposal Bill, but I have a question for this Grand Scheme of yours, how are we going to build it? It’s not like we have a ton of experience in building massive economic vessels I mean yeah we have the Salvager and such, heck we even worked with Mollys, Rogues, and Red Hessians to build the Pirate Trains but we haven't designed anything of this scale. I think if we are going to pull this off we need to have help. I mean it’s not like we can just head out to the Grande Negra and start plastering things together like paper mache, it just won't work, The Salvager is done that way and look at it, its barely stable.
The way I see it this is going to be tricky so we need people who have experience in Large Ship Construction. Maybe DSE? Agiera won’t want to hear from us so Maybe the Lane Hackers for the Electronic Systems? Certainly GMG for the reactor, if you two agree, I will contact the GMG.

[Price_]

Ivan Kesey followed Gypsie Skripto up to the bar and took a seat next to him, he knew the Congress had large bases of operations but he'd never thought it was this large. He ordered a round of whiskey for himself and gypsie and then stared into his glass for a moment, thinking over the events of the last two days.

Two days ago he'd been a happy Acolyte in Baffin studying the Holy Tome and his own pineal gland, until coming out of a meditation and finding a note from Cabbage Patch Kids Kabal, printed out 23 copies and table them all of five different heads of cabbage.

Dear Acolyte Ivan Kesey.

After much thought and consulting of pineal glads, cabbages, and a small woodchuck name Henry, it has been decided that your radical view points do not fit within the TAZ. You are here by removed of your robes and asked to leave the system of Baffin within the next 23 hours and 5 minutes.

Do not pass go, do not collect 200 credits.

He left to find Gypsie Skirpto only to find that he had been forced into exile as well. Ivan assumed the Ambassador would seek refuge with the Congress once again took off towards Puerto Rico in search of him only to find him in Texas indeed seeking refuge from the Congress again.

They now sat at the bar of the Drunk Junker a bottle of whiskey between them exiles from the TAZ.

After explaining the contents of his letter to Gypsie he said the following.

"All I did was suggest that possibly the Curse of Greyface needed to be eradicated so that more could see the beauty in the Choas, and that the balance of the Scared Choa needed to be restored. And the thuds ejected me from Baffin. you know what? just to spite them."

Ivan jumped up on the bar with surprising haste and agility and the bar and started screaming

"I AM A POPE! AND YOU'RE A POPE! AND YOU'RE A POPE! EVERYONE IS A POPE! POPES EVERYWHERE! WE'RE ALL POPES!"

He jumped back down into his chair and quickly as he jumped up and took a large sip from his glass. He turned to Gypsie in a way that suggest that he had not just done something completely out of the ordinary, and asked.

"What did your note say anyway?

[Gypsie Skripto]

Gypsie looked around as some reactions popped after the former Acolyte's behaviour. He smiled. Easy cowboy, we're safe here, no need to get all paranoid. He put his own glass down and grabbed a doobie from his pocket. Here, have this Kalliste Gold, it will make everything better. He then handed the joint and a lighter to his fellow Pope. There was less than a handful of them there, though they didn't yet know how many other Popes had been jettisoned out of Baffin. He grabbed his glass again and resumed his drinking, while he thought his next words. We've come here because it was Her will, we're still on the right path, don't ever forget that.

He finishied his whiskey after saying this, and he waved at the bartender for another round. As for the note I got my friend, it suffices to say it was not friendly and the King Kong Kabal signed it, and yet, the dream I had before waking up to that letter disturbs me a lot more than an earthly threat on my life.

---

[Price_]

Ivan took the joint, rolling it around in his fingers before putting it in his mouth and bringing the flame of the lighter to it and taking two long puffs and passing it back to Gypsie.

"You're right.He said blowing a smoke ring.Clearly we are on the right path, and I know we cannot be the only two to get notes. Others shared our views, they just either haven't received them yet, or they haven't found us.

Now what about this dream you had, what disturbed you so much?

[JunkerTown]

The newly appointed Deputy Arbiter Bill Hickock and Kusari Director Rick Tiltman pause for a moment.
Both now looking at Arbiter James Trenton they wait patiently for his response.
James barely listening has his personal information processor powered up and appears very preoccupied using it.
Finally after what seems like a lifetime of waiting Bill says..

Uhm.. JT? You care to share your thoughts here... sir??
James looks up from the device and glances at both Bill and Rick for a moment.
His brow is scowled plus he is seemingly still more concerned with the data on his Pip.
He says...
Wha? Oh uhm.. new ship build you say??
Ya fellas.. look if you two want to put a larger transport together fine have at it.
Just don't look to me for much help at the moment I got a ton of crap on my plate at the moment.
In fact I am sorry to do this to ya's but something very pressing has come up and I must go.
Seems like you two can handle this one.. Give me the final drafts or blueprints to review.
I'll look em over and of course ya'll have my full support.
See ya's soon.

With that James stands up and heads out of the bar towards the control tower of La Fortaleza.

---

[WildBill]

James abrupt exit throws the room into a short lived silence. Bill looks to Rick, shrugs his shoulders, and continues.

"I'm guessin we got our work cut out fer us. Guess the best way to be bout it is to start conversatin with our friends an allies. I'll git on our Congressmen to start makin contacts. Probably best you git in contact with GMG, find out what you can bout buildin us a power core. Let's git on this an git it done right.

Bill stands up and shakes Rick's hand. "Bout time we show 'em what Congress can do with all that scrap."

---

Wild Bill's Custom Interface

[Gypsie Skripto]

Gyp didn't want to answer Ivan's question, the sheer memory of that redhead murdering Eris was too scary, let alone take it to words. He noticed that three Congress big fishes had entered the room. There were two high commands there, along with Gyp's friend and Congress Arbiter, James Trenton. He waved to Jay Tee, who noticed the greet but answered to it with an open palm letting the ex-TAZ know he was kinda busy. There you have our host boys, Arbiter James Trenton. We go back, he and I, and that's why we are enjoying his hospitality, so don't mess up while in Congress territory. He took the joint from Ivan and passed it to those in the table who hadn't smoked yet.

Popes, I think I have an idea of what Goddess wants us to do with this new state of affairs. For long TAZ has meddled in the politics of other parties but only to an extent. He gave a look to the others, whose attention was focused on the young reporter at all times, except when each of them got the shared doobie. Kalliste Gold demanded care and love. I think it's time for the Dynamic Legion of Discord to spin-off an armed, militant branch. He then grabbed the roach of the marijuana cigar, and put it between delicate pinzers he carried with him for this purpose, and claimed the last puff. There are small, weak but yet strong groups out there, such as the Golden Chrysanthemums, the Gaians, and even the brave Maquis, who are indeed soldiers of Eris when fighting chaotically for a fairer Sector. It is our duty to support them in a non less chaotic fashion. He leaned towards the center of the table while paying a quick look to each and every one of them. Watcha all say if we take up the Jolly Roger and refound the Erisian Liberation Front, here and now? You know the drill, steal from the rich to give to the poor. He smiled as the first signs of excitement sprouted among his fellow Popes.

---

[Tyria Regalia]

Tyria grabs her bag and exits the Terra.Firma. In no particular hurry, she walks off the docking platform deeper into La Fortaleza. She's heard stories that the Drunken Junker was the place to meet others in Puerto Rico. While she doesn't enjoy Puerto Rico's proximity to Liberty, she does enjoy that it is filled with other, like-minded, individuals.

After a brief walk, she passes through the entrance of the Drunken Junker, and looks around at the fellow patrons.


Tyria takes a seat in a booth by herself along the wall. There's a couple of fellows playing cards in her eyesight, a temptation she might succumb to another time. Now, she's just looking for food and drink, and perhaps a profitable conversation.

With an order placed, she waits alone with her thoughts. While she waits, a man passes close to her on his way out. Even being unfamiliar with her surroundings, she recognizes this man. James Trenton, the highest authority on all things considering Junkers. Surely, he'd have something that needs doing. she thinks, but dismisses it, as he appears to be quite preoccupied and she does not wish to incur his wrath so soon after gaining the trust of the Congress and becoming a member herself.

The waitress comes with her meal and drink, distracting her from her previous thoughts. Without much hesitation, she digs in.

[Price_]

Ivan listened as Gypsie spoke, taking in the words carefully. He smiled, knowing he had finally found another with the same radical ideology that had him exiled from the TAZ, adrenaline pumped through his veins, this was the start of something grand.


That is the exact mined set that had me removed from the TAZ. I grew up on Planet Cambridge, listening to the Gaian Revolutionaries protesting the corporations and their greed, their ideals never left my head, not even when I wore the robes of the TAZ movement.

I came here looking for you Gypsie, because Eris told me you'd be the one to lead the new movement. I will follow you to the ends of the universe, and we will end of The Curse of Greyface. I'll see if I can't get in touch with any of the old Gaian Revolutionaries, see if we can't work something out with them. We're going to need more places to lay low, I know you're friends with Mr Trenton, but I doubt he will let us lead a revolution out of his bar.