Tag: Merchant

They look like scales

You muse aloud, “The Drift System is a dangerous place, any kind of improvement to our hull might make a big difference.”

The merchant pulls out his communicator and starts yelling at someone on the other end, “Look K-2, none of your attitude — bring me a pallet of duranium plates.” The merchant cranes his head around to look at the numbered designation on the wall, “Haul them to docking bay 69.”

He turns his attention back to your engineer, “While we wait, how about getting me another beer.”

Reluctantly, your engineer steps away to oblige, clearly unwilling to ruin this merchant’s rare generosity.

Moments later, you emerge onto the docking platform to find the merchant sipping a frothy ale. A tall, black-and-gray droid pushes in a grav-sled piled high with gleaming duranium plates. Without hesitation, the merchant and droid begin tack-welding the plates in a tight pattern that looks for all the world like fish scales. In no time at all, your ship’s sides are completely sheathed in the new armor.

The merchant wipes his hands on his coat and calls to your engineer, “Next step: we’ve got to tweak your electrostatic barrier from inside.”

Your engineer motions you aboard via the ramp. “Right this way.”

You follow along, bringing up the rear, feeling like a spectator onboard your own ship.

Inside engineering, the merchant directs the droid: “K-2, trace the barrier’s power couplings and install a bridge-accessible polarity toggle switch.”

Within minutes, K-2 announces, “Task completed,” as it snaps the tactical console back together.

The merchant strides over, flips the electrostatic barrier on, then off again. “I’ve magnetized those duranium plates to the hull. The magnetic field holds them tighter than tack welds ever could. If you don’t want to burn through shields when something’s closing fast, just reverse the barrier’s polarity with this switch. It’ll fling the plates away from the hull, taking the hit for you. Just remember, it’s a one-time deal.”

Place the Modification: Hull Plates hex next to your ship mat. As long as you continue to use this specific ship, you’ll have the one time option to block all damage from an attack by launching the plates off your ship.

Re-arranging the deck plates

You admit, loud enough for the merchant to hear you, “We’re always tight on space, a little more storage could make a big difference for this operation.”

The merchant turns to your engineer, “I’ll need you to get some tools for me: a hammer drill, a plasma torch, a spanner, and several magnetic clamps. If you don’t have any on hand, I’ll need you to print some self-sealing stem bolts, and grab me another beer.”

Soon, the merchant is working with a torch in one hand and a beer in the other. Before long, he’s shifting floor plates and rearranging various conduits. Eventually, he’s using one last self-sealing stem bolt to secure the final deck plate in place.

Place both of the Modification: Storage hexes next to your ship mat. As long as you continue to use this specific ship, you’ll have two extra non-contiguous storage spaces. These spaces may be used to transport or install anything. These storage spaces can not hold damage.

Building a better engine

All of those options sound enticing, yet… “What this ship could truly use is greater speed.”

As soon as you convey this wish to your unexpected benefactor, he immediately yanks his communicator out and starts barking orders into it, “Okay K-2 grab some nano bots along with some ceramic slip and meet in the launch bay.” His eyes wander around until he sees the location ID. “I’m in bay 69.”

As the merchant puts his communicator away and looks at your engineer. “Grab me another beer while we wait for my android to show up with everything.”

Soon, you join everyone in engineering where there is a flurry of activity. A large two meter tall black and gray robot named K-2 is pouring a gray ceramic slip into an engine manifold along with an open vial of nanobots beside it. Meanwhile your engineer is attaching additional duct work to the plasma chamber and clearly the merchant himself is reprogramming the fuel intermix. The activity is accompanied by the sound of clanging metal, the distinct smell of energy rods, and the metallic tang of solder.

Soon, you possess an engine that’s finely tuned and primed to deliver the swiftness you’ve longed for.

Place the Modification: Engine Hex next to your ship mat. As long as you continue to use this specific ship, you’ll have an extra 1d4 every time it’s activated. The extra 1d4 can go above the engine’s originally intended maximum speed and will work with a GTS mod. The GTS mod may now also take your ship’s engine over its intended maximum. This bonus only works as long as you’ve got this engine on this ship. As soon as either is upgraded, this bonus goes away.

Merchant

You can feel the mechanical rumbling of the hydraulics on the boarding ramp as it descends. You glance at the monitor, which reveals two people slowly making their way up the ramp. Your ship’s engineer had disembarked from your vessel a couple of hours ago to go get a raktajino and some relaxation, ‘R&R’ as he was calling it. He’s come back to the ship, but he isn’t alone. The other person with him is swaying slightly with the all too familiar gait of one who is inebriated.

You open a comm channel to find out what’s going on.

“Hey Chief, any luck finding a decent raktajino?” you inquire, your voice crackling through the ship’s intercom.

“Aye Captain, apparently they serve them in the bar down in the casino. While I was there though, I ran into someone you might know.”

Recognition dawns on you as you squint at the monitor. You recognize the drunken individual from his bald pate. He’s the merchant that runs Gadgets N’ Outfits.

Continuing, your engineer explains, “He’d been there for quite a while, and, well, he believes that I may have tipped him off on his last hand of cards while I was walking past the card table. Afterwards, I might also have bought him a couple more drinks. He started raving about all these simple enhancements spacers could make to their ships but never bother to.”

“It’s ridiculous,” the merchant slurs, his speech thick with the effects of alcohol. “Spacers just don’t have a clue how to use their stuff e-fish…e-fish-ent…efficiently.” It takes him three tries to complete that last word, which detracts somewhat from his bluster.

“So Captain, when I was telling our local merchant about our ship he had all kinds of ideas on how to improve it, but I don’t think we should push our luck too much on his generosity.” The engineer leans in closer to the comms, his voice dropping to a near whisper, “Also, I doubt he’ll stay upright long enough to help us with more than one of his brilliant suggestions.”

You quietly ask your engineer, “Do you really think this is a good idea?”

Continuing to whisper, your engineer responds, “He might be a conceited drunk, but he’s also a genius. I’ll check his work to make sure that we don’t end up regretting his assistance.”

Understanding the situation, but also wanting to know your options, you raise your voice, ensuring the merchant can hear you clearly. “What kind of improvements are we discussing here?”

With a slightly exaggerated gesture, the merchant squints at the ship and begins to list his offer. “Well, I could improve your FTL drive. I could get you a little more storage space on this tin can. I could even reinforce your hull for the next time you find yourself in a scrum.”

Your engineer asks, “So Captain, what do you think?”

If you choose to not accept any help at all and send the merchant home to sleep it off, the story  ends here and you may continue your turn.

If you want to improve your engines, listen to/read Story 97.

If you want to gain some extra storage, listen to/read Story 98.

If you want to improve your ship’s hull, listen to/read Story 99.