Chapter 1: Five pair of fists and a pair of clamps

Looks like you got yourself a team, Eddie. A very eclectic one if I do say so. Eddie since you are the employer and you have been in the military you know that any team needs a team leader. So you should be the one who makes that call or if you don't we could put it to a vote but someone will have to make the tough calls when there isn't time to discuss stuff in committee.

"Hah! Leadership by committee. Sounds like old Earth in the 20th century. I think they had a name for it then. Bolshevism, wasn't it?"

"And now wadda we got?" Dotty grouses, "Authoritarian kakistocracies, Megacorps and the Klept, huge improvement." She rolls her eyes and little skulls with pink bows appear in her irises. "They’re lining their pockets and us regular folk are paying half our income to some mook on the corner pretending to offer us protection. Do not get me started."

Dotty drains her soda, and starts tapping her phone again creating a list of the things she’ll need to put in her case. This wasn’t a simple drop and run kind of situation so her standard go bag wasn’t going to be nearly sufficient for the task.

"You fellas figure out who’s in charge, I gotta figure out what to pack." Dotty looks over her phone at the others. "Look, it ain’t so simple for me as it is for you, I gots special circumstances that needs considering."

Dani Considers for a moment. "OK." She signs, as this was her last job lined up and tomorrow she would have had to open the diner back up again to make some pay. This has got got be better.

"I'll pack my travelling kit and meet you there. Dot, word is you are good at finding things. it would help if you could do your thing to sniff out some extra parts and gear before we go. I'll backchannel you a list in a minute, but no pressure. Just never hurts to be overprepared." She stops to ake sure Jerry is really OK before she leaves, and he even gives her a half glass refill in a to-go and sneaks a wildberry lollipop into her coverall.

"Well, if nobody is gonna volunteer for the capn's job, I'll take it. I'll entertain any objection until we're all on board the ship." He'll sit for a minute to see if anyone speaks up then will rise and saunter toward the door but stops and turns to look at Eddie. "Where did you say the ship is docked?"

"Aw shucks sugar," Dorothea says with a smile to Dani, "I hear you ain't half bad with a spanner yourself. Tell you what, you get me a list of what you want and I know a guy who might know a guy who might know where some stuff fell off the back of a truck. No promises though toots, we are kinda middle of nowhere here."

Dotty throws her contact info from her phone to Dani's with the flick of a finger.

"Tell ya what," Dotty shifting her gaze to Adonis, "I am particularly taken with your hat and I am willing to listen to the fella what wears that hat. However, I am a firm believer that some decisions need to be made via committee, for example, if you're craving Thai and the rest of us want Sushi, I ain't willing to surrender that point just because you've got some fancy hat. Capisce?" She cocks her head to one side and raises an eyebrow, "So, oh god oh god we're all gonna die, you're in charge; tacos or burgers, community decision; I say we dust off and nuke the entire site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure, we can burn that bridge when we come to it."

"Deal?"

"If that's all, I'll see ya's all at the ship, I'm gonna get right on this stuff for red."

Dotty grabs her bag, a small blue packsack with a half dozen, probably pilfered, starship crew patches sewn to it and a couple odd bangles including a glitter heart, a skull and crossbones with a pink bow on the skull and a rainbow maned unicorn hanging from a carabiner attached to a large loop of molle in the center panel.

Raven is fascinated by what appeared to be a signed "document" in the video. She couldn't understand what it said, but her curiosity is genuinely piqued. Especially the signatures. One signature in particular.

But joining the crew of a ship, a crew put together randomly with no consideration of personalities or skills, just to maybe get a look at it? And what could she possibly contribute before they arrived at the settlement? She didn't need the money. She had deadlines coming up, projects to begin.

But her mind keeps going back to that document. That signature.

"I have to admit I think the doctor would probably be a better fit as captain, but considering I'm going to basically be a passenger I'm happy to go along with the consensus."

She stands and slides her computer back into her bag. "I have to put some things in order, contact my clients. When are we leaving?"

Excellent, excellent Eddie says cheerfully while he hands his tablet to each of you in order to sign the mission contract.
And you seem to have agreed on a captain. Very well. So I must urge ya'll to leave as soon as ya can. If you have some business to attend to do it fast. Please don't depart later than tomorrow.

He takes the tablet after the last of you has signed and flicks his finger over it.
So ya'll should've my contact information now. Call me as soon as you come back from your luxury cruise ehehehe

Eddie pockets his tablet, stands up and brushes some crumbs from his suit.

So if you excuse me. I have some other things to do as well. As said. The ship is in docking ring C position 21. Harbor fees and the like are all paid and the ship is ready to fly. A replacement satellite is in the cargo hold if you find the satellite relay to be beyond repair. I wish ya'll best of luck and we'll see us in two months

Eddie walks out of the bar.

I need to get a couple of things from a storage locker and then I will meet you at the ship.

To Adonis he says,I would have not minded being captain either but the others have spoken. Being a commanding officer on a ship before I will give you some advice. First on small ships like this with a small crew, don't throw your weight around let your specialists take the lead on what they are best at. Second, You were the first person to draw a deadly weapon in that bar fight. Not all situation require that kind of force. Your action could have led to people being seriously injured or killed when other options were still on the table. Don't be a space cowboy get someone killed by overreacting.

Derek goes and collects his kevlar and supplies from his storage locker. He then heads to the ship.

When he gets there he looks over the ship giving a visual inspection and if he can get into it and check the maintenance logs. All things he was used to doing while in the military.

Adonis boards the ship and heads immediately to Engineering to check the engine status. He then moves on to the bridge or whatever passes for it and familiarizes himself with the controls and the data readouts.