House of Cards - PART 2 [in character]

[Leitz]

Jim

One doesn't excel at combat command without the ability to evaluate intel and change course if necessary. Jim looked at Val, and made a decision. "I can see why the two of you get along so well; Sophie is super smart, mischievous, demanding, and you're petting her."

He pulled out his chair for Val to sit in. "Please, prove all of my perceptions wrong and I will be a happy man indeed."

Is the waitress' name Gloria or Laura?

Jim pulled up another chair into an open spot, and smiled at the waitress. "I'm sorry, I missed your name? For me and my social secretary, something with meat and not a lot of seasoning. She reminds me that I need to share and spicy food does not do her digestion well."


"Valencia, we were talking about merchant opportunities just before you and Herbert arrived. I have no cash, and as you know, someone else in the family got all of the business skills." He looked at Joe, DJ, and Herbie. "I've dealt with logistics, paperwork, and ship operations, but that's about it. How can I contribute?"

[atpollard]

Is the waitress' name Gloria or Laura?

Gloria is the server and Earl is the cook. [I had fun with their earlier exchange and just re-posted it for reference.]

"Only thing I need, Gloria, is for you to point me to the Ladies' Room."

"Of course, honey" replied Gloria pleasantly "Its right around the corner, over there" [Gloria pointed and Val would cross past "the mouse at the bar" to reach it]. "Don't you fret none, neither. We got the cleanest restrooms in The Colony, I reckon."

"Darn right" chimed in the cook from behind the counter where he had stepped to play Bartender. "You could eat off our restroom floors!" he boasted [to Val's surprise, several patrons actually nodded in agreement.]

"Oh Earl, shut up" chided Gloria. "You can't talk to quality folk like that."

"Like what?" asked Earl.

"You can't be talkin' 'bout eatin' off bathroom floors. It just ain't done."

"Oh, sorry." grumbled Earl "I didn't mean nuthin' by it."

[TheMyth]

Jim

One doesn't excel at combat command without the ability to evaluate intel and change course if necessary. Jim looked at Val, and made a decision. "I can see why the two of you get along so well; Sophie is super smart, mischievous, demanding, and you're petting her."

Val looks up confused, "I never petted your sister..." she mumbles. "I mean, I held her hair when she was over the toilet a few times, but that was hardly petting."

"Valencia, we were talking about merchant opportunities just before you and Herbert arrived. I have no cash, and as you know, someone else in the family got all of the business skills." He looked at Joe, DJ, and Herbie. "I've dealt with logistics, paperwork, and ship operations, but that's about it. How can I contribute?"

"I have enough seed money, but the logistics are going to be the issue," Val explains. "Herbie told you all about the job I've brokered. It's time-sensitive, but the late fee is almost negligible. And we'd still need to hire transport. But it might help get us up to speed on doing this sort of work. If this is why we're all here?" Val will look quizzically at Jim (since she knows he's filthy rich).

[Leitz]

Jim looked at Val, and made a decision. "I can see why the two of you get along so well; Sophie is super smart, mischievous, demanding, and you're petting her."

Val looks up confused, "I never petted your sister..." she mumbles. "I mean, I held her hair when she was over the toilet a few times, but that was hardly petting."

Jim knelt beside his dog, gave her back a good rub, and smirked. Then he whispered into the dog's ear, "Sophie, meet Val."

"Valencia, we were talking about merchant opportunities just before you and Herbert arrived. I have no cash, and as you know, someone else in the family got all of the business skills." He looked at Joe, DJ, and Herbie. "I've dealt with logistics, paperwork, and ship operations, but that's about it. How can I contribute?"

"I have enough seed money, but the logistics are going to be the issue," Val explains. "Herbie told you all about the job I've brokered. It's time-sensitive, but the late fee is almost negligible. And we'd still need to hire transport. But it might help get us up to speed on doing this sort of work. If this is why we're all here?" Val will look quizzically at Jim (since she knows he's filthy rich).

"There was an...incident, a year ago. The Navy decided I wasn't the sort of Captain they really wanted, and I got dropped off here a few days ago." Jim met Val's gaze. "What I'm wearing is all that I have. Well, that and some good friends, old and new. I can lay hands on enough cash to buy a suit of clothes, but that might not be the wisest purchase given limited funds."

He nodded towards Joe. "He helped some truckers who were in a bad spot, so hiring transport should not be difficult. I can track things and keep a count of funds, but I have no head for what is a good deal and what should be avoided. Dawson here asked me what I was doing in The Colony, and the honest answer is that I don't know. I really don't know what I'm doing at all, except feeding my social secretary and myself now and again."

[shaidar]

DJ

"I prefer DJ, cap. My skills are more hands-on, my career got cut short before I started to pick up any of that paper-pushing stuff. I've got a little cash saved up, not much, but I'm willing to put some of it to work if needed. I found an opportunity with little risk where we could make a few thousand, or potentially more if we want more risk."

[TheMyth]

Val shook her head. "You named your pet after your sister? Have you read any Freud?" she asks with a smirk.

"I can float you a loan for some clothes, Jimmy. But I think first we need a flowchart detailing our potential jobs. A few hours ago, DJ, Joe, and I only had two options, neither of which we were thrilled about. Now it seems like we have almost two handfuls! If we work them right, we can build a nice nest egg."

[Eris]

Val shook her head. "You named your pet after your sister? Have you read any Freud?" she asks with a smirk.

"I can float you a loan for some clothes, Jimmy. But I think first we need a flowchart detailing our potential jobs. A few hours ago, DJ, Joe, and I only had two options, neither of which we were thrilled about. Now it seems like we have almost two handfuls! If we work them right, we can build a nice nest egg."

Joe's just been letting them talk, and get reacquainted...it seems, as he sips his beer. On his computer he has been typing up the job opportunities that each has mentioned, no details, just bullet points at the moment. What he has mostly been doing is observing this new, um, crew, company, maybe friends.

He likes the way Val thinks and Herbie's 'gumption'. He knows DJ, he's solid, but young. The 'Captain'..Jim...well he's still a Captain just without a ship. "Thing is", Joe thinks to himself, "I know what I want. I wonder what each of them want and if that can connect them together. Right now, money, maybe? But that's never enough and that's not really what I want, it's just a means to an end..."

Joe waits until he thinks the reunions have settled down then sits up and clears his throat saying, "If you don't mind I would like to say something to the group."

Looks around at each person before continuing, "Yes, we've rounded up some business opportunities and that's great. As Val said we should systematically examine them, but before we even start doing that there are a few things I think we need to discuss."

"What are we really doing here and why are we doing it?"

Joe holds up one finger, "What are we doing? Are we thinking about forming a company? A company that pools resources in order to perform tasks, like buying and sell goods, or repairing down comm systems, or getting involved in silver mining...or any of a thousand other things in the universe that need doing. Is that what we're thinking about? Or are we only thinking of a one-shot venture?"

Joe continues quickly holding up a second finger, "And in either case, why are we thinking about it?" Joe looks around, "Is it for money? Yeah, we could all use some, but unless this is a one time thing...even if this is a one time venture...money is never enough of a reason to do things."

He grins, "Okay, it'll do for a one-shot venture."

Joe spreads his hands out to include all at the table, "But is that all you really want from this meeting?"

"Are we joining forces because of the job opportunities before us or are the job opportunities we've collected an excuse for us to join forces? " Joe shakes his head, smiles, and then continues.

"To put it another way, and this is the heart of things for me." Joe looks around at each of you again, "What is it we each want and what can we each can contribute to everyone else getting what they want?"

"If it's just money, that's fine. We'll try to make some dough and go on our way. If it's more than that, though, we should be clear with each other. Personally, I want money, but just to fund what I really want, and half of what I want can't even be bought with money."

"I'll tell you what I want." Joe smiles slightly, "I want a ship that is mine. I want a crew that is my family. I want my ship and crew to travel from world to world seeing things we've never seen, meet beings we've never met. I want to buy and sell goods to pay for our travels and the upkeep of our home. As I said I want a crew that is my family, that travels with me and more or less wants the same sort of life."

"That's what I want. That's what I'm working toward.", Joe chuckles and circles his finger around his head, "I'm only actually here because I thought DJ had a lead on a ship."

"However, I'm not trying to sign you up for my dream." Joe sits back and smiles again, "If you're in it for the short term, for a payday, that's fine. I just think it's important to be clear in each of our minds what it is we want and what we are willing to do to get it."

[Leitz]

Jim continued to sip his tea as Joe spoke. He nodded now and then, occasionally glancing in turn at the others.

"Good questions." Jim angled his glass towards Herbie. "He is a young man willing to work hard for his dreams, and I respect that and want to encourage it."

He lifted his mug to DJ. "The blood on his hands came from my Marines. Men and women that I ordered to an impossible task, and they delivered. He helped bring many of them home, and that is a debt I cannot forget."

Jim raised one eyebrow at Val. "She chose her friends poorly years ago, and that she's nominally hanging out in a group that includes me, I'm not sure she learned her lesson. that's my attempt at humor "If what she says is true, and I suspect it may be, I owe her more than my own life is worth."

"If I had read Freud, I'd be suspicious of anyone with a cigar. He did get one thing right; mankind craves confrontation with death. We want to live, certainly. To cheat death, even though we cannot. But once we have walked alongside Death, once we have fed his eternal hunger, many things that used to be important become pale and shallow." He leaned forward and looked at Joe. Still upright, still military. "I have no desire to kill anyone, but neither do I desire to go home and do things that have no significance outside of a percentage point here or a personnel solution there."

He leaned back, and shrugged. "I want to help Herbie, and serve alongside DJ and Val. You, Joe, aren't too bad yourself, and being on a ship with a good crew is a worthy goal. Maybe we can make that happen?"

[shaidar]

DJ

DJ quietly drinks his beer as people talk, once Jim finishes he puts the bottle down and looks around the table.

"That's a lot of fine words and sentiment, as for me...well, I ain't sure I know what I want, but I know what I know. I know that there's very little for me here on Beau, that if I return to my family then I'll be drawn back into being nothing. I know that I'm not ready to give up on the stars yet, my career was finally on the right track when life kicked me in the balls. I know that I don't want to be in a situation where that can happen again, I need control and people I trust around me. I know this takes money...a lot of money. That's what I know. What I don't know is if whatever we are starting here will achieve that, but it's worth a shot."

He shrugs, picks up his beer and takes a drink.

[TheMyth]

Val

"You think too much, Joe," Val says bluntly. "To get your ship, you need money. Right now, it seems that's what we all want. It might take a year before you have enough to buy your own rig. But," Val smirks again, "if things work out with us, we might go in together. That'll get you skyside a lot faster."

Val looks around the table. "Anyone else notice we all seem to know each other from the past? Not each of us, but like a big spider web of connections? It's Destiny, baby. I say we roll with it."

[Eris]

Joe has been nodding as each person spoke he smiles when Val finishes.

"I agree with everything you said, Val, including that sometimes I think too much." he taps the open screen of his computer, "Let's try things out with these deals and see where it goes from there. Is everybody game?"

OOC: I'll let someone else suggest the scheme talked about in the other thread. I've got to go deal with combat in other games now.

[Hvalreki]

Jim continued to sip his tea as Joe spoke. He nodded now and then, occasionally glancing in turn at the others.

"Good questions." Jim angled his glass towards Herbie. "He is a young man willing to work hard for his dreams, and I respect that and want to encourage it."

He lifted his mug to DJ. "The blood on his hands came from my Marines. Men and women that I ordered to an impossible task, and they delivered. He helped bring many of them home, and that is a debt I cannot forget."

Jim raised one eyebrow at Val. "She chose her friends poorly years ago, and that she's nominally hanging out in a group that includes me, I'm not sure she learned her lesson. that's my attempt at humor "If what she says is true, and I suspect it may be, I owe her more than my own life is worth."

"If I had read Freud, I'd be suspicious of anyone with a cigar. He did get one thing right; mankind craves confrontation with death. We want to live, certainly. To cheat death, even though we cannot. But once we have walked alongside Death, once we have fed his eternal hunger, many things that used to be important become pale and shallow." He leaned forward and looked at Joe. Still upright, still military. "I have no desire to kill anyone, but neither do I desire to go home and do things that have no significance outside of a percentage point here or a personnel solution there."

He leaned back, and shrugged. "I want to help Herbie, and serve alongside DJ and Val. You, Joe, aren't too bad yourself, and being on a ship with a good crew is a worthy goal. Maybe we can make that happen?"

Herbie's cheeks flush embarrassed but flattered by praise from his boyhood idol. He never forgot the times Jim stood up for him when he was back on Beau during his shore leaves.

"Gosh Mr. Jim, you'd want me on your crew? That would be amazing! If there's one thing Nan taught me it's how to hustle! If Joe would have me on his ship that is."

"I've never been to space before, not counting the troop ship to Basic and the trip back home on the Free Trader."

"Did you know they feed you any time you want with the High Passages? The Ship's Stuart finally gave up and just gave me the code to the galley so I could take care of the "midnights" myself!"

[Leitz]

"Herbert, do you know how respectable you are? Most people don't do as much work in a week that you do in a day! Of course I want you on my crew. You bring a lot to the crew, and we'll work you harder than ever before. Joe and DJ here are experienced Merchants, and I'm going to listen to their advice. Valencia knows a lot of stuff I don't, and I'm going to listen to her. Most of the time, anyway." Jim leaned forward. "You know things that I don't. That means I'm going to listen to you, too. That's what will make us a great crew."

[Eris]

"Herbert, do you know how respectable you are? Most people don't do as much work in a week that you do in a day! Of course I want you on my crew. You bring a lot to the crew, and we'll work you harder than ever before. Joe and DJ here are experienced Merchants, and I'm going to listen to their advice. Valencia knows a lot of stuff I don't, and I'm going to listen to her. Most of the time, anyway." Jim leaned forward. "You know things that I don't. That means I'm going to listen to you, too. That's what will make us a great crew."

Joe nods, "Yeah, Herbie, I think all of us have backgrounds, personalities, and strengths that can help us all. That includes you!"

Okay, how about we keep things simple. We form a partnership of equals.
Everybody contribute what they feel they can to a General Fund.
We each get an equal vote on how we use that to make more money.
All money we make goes back into the General Fund.
End of every month everybody gets an equal payout for living expenses from the General Fund...I'd say profits, but some months we might not make a profit.
And finally, if anyone decides to pull out of the partnership, we liquidate the Partnership and divide the money back out where you get your initial investment plus an equal share of whatever is left.
Then the rest of us decide whether to make a new Partnership and keep going or not.

How does that sound to each of you?"

[TheMyth]

Okay, how about we keep things simple. We form a partnership of equals.
Everybody contribute what they feel they can to a General Fund.
We each get an equal vote on how we use that to make more money.
All money we make goes back into the General Fund.
End of every month everybody gets an equal payout for living expenses from the General Fund...I'd say profits, but some months we might not make a profit.
And finally, if anyone decides to pull out of the partnership, we liquidate the Partnership and divide the money back out where you get your initial investment plus an equal share of whatever is left.
Then the rest of us decide whether to make a new Partnership and keep going or not.

How does that sound to each of you?"

Val thinks for a moment then says, "This sounds reasonable. We all want to succeed on our own merits, so we all get to benefit. Hell, if they rented houses out here, we could all live there as a home base. By the way, I rented 3 small units from the Bed & Breakfast for the night. Maybe some of you can double up?"

[Hvalreki]

"Gosh, I've been so busy since I got back I forgot to check on my house! Slicker and I had a pressure tent back when we were peddling before the Army. It was hidden in the woods but it has been 4 years and we left in a hurry. I'd like to go see if it's still there."

[Leitz]

"How about this; we go over the details of the possible actions, and the ideas on the company set up. Herbert needs to check on his place, I need some help finishing up a repair job for a friend, and then maybe getting some pocket cash and planning a new wardrobe. We meet back here, or some place, and make decisions then." Jim looked at each person as he spoke. "That gives our brains time to process things and see what comes up. Yet we still have a set time for choosing a path. How does that sound to everyone?"

[Eris]

"How about this; we go over the details of the possible actions, and the ideas on the company set up. Herbert needs to check on his place, I need some help finishing up a repair job for a friend, and then maybe getting some pocket cash and planning a new wardrobe. We meet back here, or some place, and make decisions then." Jim looked at each person as he spoke. "That gives our brains time to process things and see what comes up. Yet we still have a set time for choosing a path. How does that sound to everyone?"

"Suits me." Joe nods adding to Jim, "Yeah, I'm helping with that repair job."

"And Say, didn't Val mention something about 3 rooms rented somewhere or other? I don't mind doubling up or even putting up some money for another room or two if we need them." Joe looks over at Val, "Val? What about those rooms you rented? Like what do I owe you and where are they located?"

[TheMyth]

"And Say, didn't Val mention something about 3 rooms rented somewhere or other? I don't mind doubling up or even putting up some money for another room or two if we need them." Joe looks over at Val, "Val? What about those rooms you rented? Like what do I owe you and where are they located?"

Val points in the direction of the B&B. "The guy who runs the local Bed & Breakfast had like 5 container rooms available. I rented the 3 small ones for the night. We can also rent by the week or month. The other 2 are bigger, and all of them have a single double bed. They're very reaonably priced, so just buy me dinner and we're square."

[shaidar]

DJ drinks his beer and listens to the others.

"That all sounds pretty fair and reasonable to me. I ain't got a problem with sharing, it ain't that different from being on ship. Should we secure the rooms for a week while we see how this goes? I made 40 creds this morning fixing up the system over at the grocery, I don't mind using that on these rooms, if it'll cover it. Oh, and we ought to think about the other options we already know about, I found few things out, or at least some leads, so I'll bring you up to speed on those as well so we can think about them too, the comms repair job is time sensitive."