Well, turn8 was a blast, and here is turn9, even more hints and clues coming
your way....
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NOTES
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1) Well, this is it, everyone is caught up. I'll post about 5 days late to
both rec.games.pbm and the mailing list, only to let you guys not deal with
reading it 3 times.
2) I'm going to remind you guys, if you haven't responded, 1 week and 2 days
before the turn is due. Or if everyone has responded except you.
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PLAYERS' MOVE
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"Well, I must say, that that sounds like quite a reasonable price,"
replies the captain.
"You bet it is," says Hubert coldly. "It's just that I figure you and
this ship are worth it."
"Um, captain ...," says Steve. The captain turns to Steve and he
whispers into his ear, "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean this could
lead to even bigger troubles."
"Trust me," says the captain quietly. "Continue if you would Hubert,
you were about to tell us your line of work."
"Well, as I was saying, I'm not a pirate, and those guys aren't IBI
agents. My line of work is particular, I'm ... how'd you say it ... an obtainer
of antiquities, living or not. Yeah, that's how I'd put it."
"So what have you obtained that requires my assistance?"
"Well you see captain, those clowns who said they were IBI are the
competition, not very good mind you, and they want what I've got."
"The crate," says Steve.
"Exactly."
"So what's in it?" questions the captain.
"Well I'll tell you this, I went way out of my way to get it, and you'ld
probably not even know what it was, if I told you."
"Try me," says the captain.
"You think your smart, huh. Well ...."
"I don't have to be, I've got a computer library," remarks the captain.
That catches Hubert off guard, and he continues, "yeah, you've got one,
well then look this up in it, what's in the crate is a Coe (pronounced Kow-ee)
dog."
"So why do they want it," asks Steve.
"Because I got it first, and they didn't. It was art really, their trap
was step up ...."
"Thanks a bunch, now if you excuse me, I have to go open that crate up
after ...."
"What!" screams Hubert, jumping up. Steve stands to full height and
Hubert semi-relaxes.
"Well I have to see if you're telling the truth and ...."
"You can't," says Hubert, looking very nervous. "I mean the seal, if it
is broken, you might kill it. It was to be opened someplace other than a cargo
hold on a ship."
"Why?"
"How do I know, I was just paid to get it. The guy picking it up on
Aramanx told me he'd take care of unsealing it. Has something to do with the
dogs metabolic rate, or something like that."
"Well we'll see what the computer says and then decide whether or not
to open the crate."
"NO! You're not opening that crate. You said no funny stuff, and that
includes not opening the crate."
"What I agreed to ...."
"Here," says Hubert, holding up a card, "take it all. It's on the bank
card. We agreed ...."
Taking the card the captain continues, "I agreed to not to kill you,
that's all. I'm still the captain on this ship, and my laws hold. You made an
agreement with me, for money, just to save your life, not your cargo. I'm fed
up with you and those idiots next door, just be lucky that I'm still in a good
mood to let you live, because if I wasn't, I'd turn you over to Moe and Curly.
Now I'm going to open that crate with or without your permission, the only
option you have is whether or not you want to be there." The captain has worked
himself up, and starts to calm down, it's quite evident that he is venting all
the frustration that has built up in the past few days.
"Well then," says Hubert, "I don't want to be there, so at least I won't
be held responseable, see I get paid either way, dead or alive."
"Good, just remember, you can't get paid if you're dead," says the
captain, startling Hubert. Both Steve and the captain leave.
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CREWS' MOVE
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"Well guys, before we go any further, let's look at our options, you
know we got a lot of them," says Erc.
"Yeah," says Samantha, "we should figure out what to do with all this,
maybe we should scan the computer for planets with this UPP."
"That could take a while," says Erekosse.
"But not if we limit the systems, like if we check only Lewis, and
Aramanx, or maybe just this sector, or subsector," replies Samantha.
"We could pump that chicken scratch, that Steve made up, into the
computer also, see what it figures out," says Erc.
"Well let's first go see how Moe and Curly are doing," says Erekosse, "
since we haven't heard from them, I think we better check up on them."
"I'll go with you," says Erc.
"I'll stay here and do the computer work," says Samantha. "And Erc,
remember to block low," she continues with a giggle. Erekosse chuckles a little
too, but Erc doesn't look pleased.
Erc and Erekosse knock once and then enter Moe and Curly's stateroom,
both are lying down on their beds, talking to one another, they both sit up as
you enter.
"So what is it this time?" queries Moe.
"Just checking up on our 'IBI' agents," says Erc.
"Okay already, we can cut the crap," starts Curly, "we aren't IBI agents
you've probably figured that out already. We're ...."
"Yeah, you guys are to stupid to be IBI agents," says Erekosse.
"What?" exclaims Moe. "To stupid, I'll have you know that we went hell
of far to make this work, and if you'ld just taken things for granted, none of
this would be happening, he probably owns your captain by now."
"Who?" says Erekosse.
"Oh, don't play stupid with us now," says Curly. "You guys have to be
on his payroll now. So what are you going to do with us, Jump Space exits, or
just regular space?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," says Erekosse, "no one has
bought anybody, and I'm not for sale."
"Look," says Moe, "we'll double whatever he's paying you."
"We will," says Curly, giving Moe a quizical look.
"Yeah, we will," says Moe. "Look we're bounty hunters, and the guy
that Hubert's got in that crate is worth a hell of a lot, it's just a that we
caught him first, and Hubert stole him from us."
"Who's in the crate?" questions Erc.
"Should we tell them," says Moe to Curly.
"Why not, you've told them too much already. Go ahead, tell the god-
damned universe for all I care, it's not gonna do us ...."
"Okay," says Moe. He motions both Erc and Erekosse closer, they both
lean towards him just a little, and he says, "Jason Pinter." There is a look
of accomplishment on both of their faces.
"Who the hell is that?" replies Erekosse.
"Yeah, who is that?" says Erc.
"You don't know?" questions Moe.
"No, we don't," says Erc.
"Well," starts Curly, "Jason Pinter happens to be the one and only, Yurl
Hagard. We captured ...."
"THE Yurl Hagard," says Erekosse is a shocked vioce, "are you certain,
100% sure."
"Damn straight," says Moe, "see we got this lead ...."
"We're outta here," says Erekosse. And to Erc, "The captain has to know
about this, so let's go."
"Fine," says Erc, and they both leave.
"What did I say," says Curly to Moe, as Erc and Erekosse walk out the
door.
"Don't know," says Moe, "but I got a bad feeling about this."
Samantha's fingers dance over the keyboard adjacent to the CRT. There
is a long wait as the computer cracks the 'code' that Steve wrote out. After
about 5 minutes, the computer responds that there is no know language, or code
that converts this junk (Steve's words) into anything readable. The computer
scan on the UPP's of the worlds brings up data on a world Regalis IV, but it
was destroyed in 997 when the star in it's system went SuperNova. She types in
the data on Binary and asks the computer to take an 'educated' guess at what it
means, the computer gives the standard definition of Binary, but also comes
up with these possibilites:
Binary - a semi-posh restaurant chain that spans the Aramis Subsector
main worlds are Pysadi, Aramanx, ....
Binary - sometimes used as a nickname for the BEDTR Co. know as the
Binary Encoding Decoding Transmitting Recieving Comapny. They
do secret transmission inside solar systems, and sometimes
outside. Used frequently by both the underworld leaders, and
Imperial government.
Binary - Name given to a ship found floating through the Sword Worlds,
technology level was determined to be at least 20+. No life
forms found onboard, ship disappered from the Imperial Impound
and is still believed missing.
This is all she finds out. You are all now in the common room again,
and you all begin to discuss your findings.
********
Well, wasn't that fun. I hope you are still intrigued, because there is a lot
more to do, and see, here in Cpt Jordan's neighborhood. :-)
Responses are due on 4-22-89, and please tell me what you want to do about the
summer time, if you want to continue, just giving everyone more time, or what.
Note: All materials are copyrighted, Brad Post circa 1989, any use of these
materials without the author's consent is a felony.
********************************************************************************
__-, ___ _________
__(__)|___ _______/ |________| "This is where
`----------|_______________---/ `----_____|___ you are supposed
( ___+-----------------<---------_____________-----_ <------ to aim,
`----- `-----------' | +---_/ right up their
____/__/___/_____ shaft!"
Brad Post: [email removed] | ====== ||
...[email removed] |_________________||
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