Chapter 4D: To acquire an asset

As they prepared to work, one of the Synths spoke up, its voice tinged with what sounded like curiosity. "Sir, will we be entering hyperspace soon?"

Corbin paused, taken aback by the question. It was rare for Synths to inquire about the ship's regular operations. "We were under the impression that our next jump was imminent," another Synth chimed in.

---

Trade Era 1235, Day 137. 16:45 UTC

Postal Authority orbital station, Draco III
Mercer leaned against the sleek metal railing of the observation deck aboard the Draco III Postal Authority Orbital Station, staring out into the vastness of space. It had been a slow day, the hum of activity around them reduced to a mere whisper. But amidst the tranquility, a spark of intrigue ignited within them as they spotted a digital notice on the board.

"Stellar Express Brokerage, Zyronis system," Mercer murmured to themselves, their curiosity piqued. It was a one time job escorting hundreds of tons of Nocturna's Blossom Extract. The prospect of safeguarding a large cargo bound for the binary stars of the Zyronis system, especially one of cultural significance for both Draco and Zyronis, stirred a sense of adventure within them. Moreover, Mercer was currently in between jobs, so it was not like they had a lot of options. They could also sell the 2 tons of clothing that they recently acquired with a huge discount, but Draco III was not the best place to do so."Excuse me," They addressed the receptionist, an android robot stationed behind the desk. Its mechanical eyes blinked as it processed Mercer's presence. "I noticed the advertisement about the security position for the cargo headed to the Zyronis system. Is the position still available?"

The android nodded in acknowledgment, its metallic voice crisp and efficient. "Affirmative. The security position remains open for this one-time assignment with our company. Payment does not include a ticket back to Draco III, but the security officer will receive 200 credits, a Woven body armor and a Spike Thrower upon signing and another 300 credits upon safe delivery of the cargo to its destination. If the cargo is safely delivered, they will also be able to keep the equipment. We are still looking for the tramper to transport that cargo, so we don't have a scheduled date yet. We'll contact the chosen person 12 hours before departure, to prepare them for it and finalize the details. Are you interested?"

---

Trade Era 1235, Day 138. 08:45 UTC

Celestial Voyager, docked at the postal authority orbital station, Draco III

Hank paced the bridge with a furrowed brow. He was able to recruit Mariella, Valeria signed a mail delivery contract for Englene Station in the Dianreti system in exchange for 1,050 credits and Hank got authorization from the captain to change their policies to always look for freight during their mission.

But their ship's holds were still empty, and so they still needed to find freight to fill them before they reached Altairia. As he reviewed potential routes and cargo listings, his gaze lingered on a blinking advertisement from Stellar Express Brokerage.

"Zyronis system," Hank mused aloud, tapping on the advertisement for more details. It seemed fate had intervened, as Zyronis lay directly in their path to Altairia. Perhaps this was the opportunity they'd been waiting for.

Hank contacted Stellar Express Brokerage to inquire about the advertised cargo. A holographic interface materialized before him, displaying a detailed description of the shipment.

The cargo consists of 300 tons, packaging included, of the extract from a rare flower known as the Nocturna Blossom, originating from the homonymous moon here in the Draco system. It holds significant cultural value for the inhabitants of the Zyronis system. The lot cannot be split and Stellar Express will provide a dedicated security officer as a passenger. They will ensure the safe escort of the cargo, requiring a berth and continuous access to the cargo hold throughout the journey.

For payment and further details, please contact the local Stellar Express Brokerage office.

Corbin shakes his head at the synth's question. "Imminent, no, the only thing that's imminent right now are repairs. There's no way we'd be able to jump with a hole where the shuttle bay used to be. I'm afraid we're stuck here until we get patched up."

Viewing the holographic display, he figures this is a good option, if the price is right. He "clicks" on the Contact "button" in the display to gain a live connection.

A broker appears in the holographic display and says, "How may I help you?"

Hank replies, "I am interested in transporting the Nocturna Blossom freight. What is the offered rate for the transport of the cargo and security detail?"

In addition, he books some time with Mariella to sit down and look through the speculative cargo listed for this system. Some of it actually looks decent, so we will definitely be getting some of that, since we still have 1099.9 (or 1299.9) tons to fill up.

(How long are the repairs going to take? I figure we're kinda abstracting all of that out to a certain extent, but I still want a rough timescale so that I can get my head around how long he has to find his freight and cargo, and if the cargo list is going to refresh during that time.)

---

"We offer 23,000 credits for its transport to Zyronis, including the berthing for a security officer. You will need to pay your fuel, provisions and fill some paperwork for our insurance company, of course, but we will handle all taxes, fees and customs duties for that cargo.

If you wanna negotiate non-financial compensations, though, we can reduce that payment and talk about it. Can Stellar Express Brokerage help you somehow?"

It worked just fine. I just forgot to do it. :(

Merchant’s group: Hank + Mariella
Expertise: 2

Available Trade Goods
Advanced Data Storage Drives
Safeguard your precious data with our state-of-the-art drives, offering unparalleled reliability and speed. Whether you're a daring explorer charting new frontiers or a savvy trader navigating bustling spaceports, Astrotech's storage drives ensure your information remains secure and accessible at all times.

Sold by: Astrotech Industries
Galactic price: 50,000 credits / 1 ton
Minimum lot and increments: 0.1 tons
Total available: 9 tons
Types: Postech, Compact
Purchase price: Roll 4d6l3-1 to let us know

Gravitics Plates
Experience smoother travels and greater stability with Astrotech's gravitics plates. Engineered to perfection, our gravitics technology minimizes turbulence and maximizes efficiency, providing you with a seamless journey through even the most challenging cosmic environments. Say goodbye to bumpy rides and hello to a smoother, more enjoyable voyage!

Sold by: Astrotech Industries
Galactic price: 25,000 credits / 1 ton
Minimum lot and increments: 1 ton
Total available: 266 tons
Types: Postech, Astronautic, Rare
Purchase price: Roll 4d6l3+1 to let us know

Mariella's looking to buy art
(Also available for you to buy)
Edit: Probably not worth it.

Paintings, oil
Elevate your surroundings and enrich your life with our exquisite artwork. Whether adorning the walls of your spaceship or commanding attention in your workspace, our pieces serve as timeless reminders of the power of beauty and the endless possibilities of the human spirit.

Sold by: Celestia Creations
Galactic price: 10,000 credits / 1 ton
Minimum lot and increments: 1 ton
Total available: 2 tons
Types: Luxury, Cultural
Purchase price: 16,000 / 1 ton

Hank replies, "That's not quite standard rates, but we can work with that.

"As for alternatives, we are interested in both speculative cargo and other freight destined for the Zyronis system. Do you have anything available in either category?"

"Sure. Let me check..." - answered the broker - "So, I'm authorized to pay you 15,000 credits and give you an extra 5 tons of Nocturna's Blossom Extract, if you have 305 tons available and are willing to mix credits and merchandise instead of those 23 thousand credits as payment for our freight transport to Zyronis.""We can also look for more freight for a small finder's fee of 5%. How many more tons are we talking about?"

"We will take the 15,000 credits and five extra tons of Nocturna's Blossom Extract."Hank politely laughs a bit at the last question and says, "How much do you have? I have a big cargo hold. I am looking for upwards of 1000 tons."

"A thousand? Whoa, you have a Cruiser starship! Fantastic, that's not something that we see everyday.

Anyway, the point is that a thousand tons would mean a load worth somewhere between 1 and 20 million credits... We can't trust you with that, at least not without further investigations and guarantees. We would need collateral assets and a certified or licensed crew... We must verify that your ship not only has enough fighters, weapons and armor but also security personnel to repel pirates and boarding parties... We would also need some previous work with our company, among other things.

If you have time, we can go there or at least check out some of these warranties so you can haul more cargo with our involvement. Otherwise, I think you should start small... Or take your own risks with speculative trading. So, what do you think would work better for you?"

Hank replies, "OK, I have time. Also, we are willing to start small. So, 50 or 100 tons? We don't have a problem working to establish credibility. We have a charter we will be doing first, but we will definitely be coming back around. And getting a better idea of what the requirements are will be good. I assume any company in your position will likely have similar requirements."

I can get you another freight with 50 tons of Clothing. It would be standard rates minus our fee. To qualify, you must have at least a weapon in your ship for self defense and have at least 3 qualified security officers as permanent members of your crew. To certify them... - The broker then told Hank the certification process.

"Thank you for all the explanation. This has been a big help! I will get back with you as quickly as we can."

After the business with Stellar Express was concluded (at least for now) Hank gets back to speculative trading. After he finishes looking into it and maybe buying some of those cargo, he goes to Engineering, to check with Corbin how the repairs are going and talk about buying and installing a Sandthrower