Sliding Reality: Chapter 9 Part 4 of 5 (Patreon)

"Do you have a net room and a net suit I can use?" Luke put the tea to the side and stood.

"We do, looks like you have something to do?" Raffi asked.

Luke nodded.

Raffi pulled out his screen and then flicked information over. "Okay, well that's the directions."

"Thank you," Luke looked around. "I have to go do this, sorry."

"You need me?" Stephen asked.

"I should be good."

Stephen nodded. Luke left the office, checking the route through the station. It didn't take him long to reach the net cafe.

"Hi, I'm looking to use a net suit."

"Basic, advanced and premium, you pay for how long you spend in the suit." The woman at the counter waved to the board above her head.

"Advanced."

She touched something on her screen a pay point lighting blue.

Luke touched it with his screen. It blinked green and the woman slid over a data key.

"Number twenty two, have fun."

Luke nodded and entered the rest of the cafe. Rigs were packed next to one another, the air hot with a tinge of plastic from the processors and running electronics as fans circulated the air.

Luke checked the number plates, reaching number 22. He pressed the data key into the chest slot. The suit blinked once and opened. Luke pulled off his coveralls and boots, stuffing them into a locker behind the suit. He sealed his sleeve up fully and stepped into the suit. It closed around him and booted up.

A login screen later and he gained access to the Legion meeting room.

Mitch was a glowing avatar picture to show he was on a messenger or audio app, unable to make it to the meeting through a net suit. Minnie, Dana, Ichika and Foster were already there.

"Just waiting on Fin," Foster said.

Fin appeared a few minutes later. "Sorry, was just switching off with another group to watch over Brad and Stuart. What's up?"

"Jynx has been kidnapped,"

Luke felt like he'd been punched in the gut. Foster spoke over the gasps. "As well as her pregnant sister, her aunt and her brother-in-law. We believe that agents of Sol took her, we know that they are operating in Maxxel system and Sally believes that they have not left the system."

"I will have a look at information on my end," Mitch said, a mute icon appearing on his picture.

"Brad and Stuart asked me to look into where their family is and if we can find them, rescue them."

"How, we just going to band together some freighters and attack a Sol base?" Ichika asked.

“Sphere World assets,” Dana read Foster.

“That’s not all, they want Legion to join them. They want to incorporate Sphere World into OBE, then absorb us as their security.”

“So we’d be Sphere World’s military?” Luke asked.

“Look players are already on the run from their factions all across the human sphere. Brad and Stuart are offering them a place free of persecution.” Foster rubbed his face. "I play games just like all of you for the fun, for working together with others, making friends. I didn't think that I would be dragged into fighting again. Things have changed and we need to figure out just what we're going to fight for." He let his words sink in and leaned on the table.

“You’ve already made a decision,” Dana said.

Foster looked at her and stood up. “Yes I have. I’m going to help them if I can.”

"There are a lot of people that smuggle things into the Federation systems, smuggling people out should be easier. Same with Sol, the Corporate systems are like a sieve if you know the right contacts and the Coalition is worse." Luke closed his mouth.

"He is correct, I used some trader contacts to get myself out of the system and there are other groups that are also departing for settled systems." Mitch said, sounding distracted. "We can move their money through sphere World. They buy items from us, we hold them, then they can change them back into credits when they get to wherever they want to go."

"The settled systems are more local in their governance, they don't care about what people do for their jobs, as long as they can pay a little bit of tax for system projects and that they don't go breaking laws." Luke said.

“If they don’t want to go to Sphere World it is a good backup,” Ichika rubbed the back of her head. “I know a few people across the Settled systems that have places for people to stay.”

"If you can get the information from the traders that would be willing to get people out of different systems I can coordinate with our people and with other players that are under threat." Foster said.

“I will stay with you Foster.” Dana said. “For a long time I have been fighting with different groups, trying to find a place. I found it here with the Legion. All my life I’ve been told what to do, who to play with. I believe in the Legion, I think that Stuart and Brad are good people. Even if I’m stuck just flying a hellcat I’ll help you.”

“Thank you,” Foster said.

“Where Dana goes I go, someone has to fix up everything she breaks,” Minnie smiled.

“Damn, when did this all get so serious?” Ichika groaned. “If you’ll have me I’ll help you.”

“I was looking for a new job anyway,” Fin laughed.

“I am not much of a fighter, but I will mine for you.” Mitch said.

Grins broke out on their faces as they looked at Luke.

He saw the command post in his mind, the marines pushing in through the breach, sounds dulled and faraway, focused only on his actions. Acting and reacting, seeing targets slump to turn and fire on the next.

“We will be at war with the Federation, possibly war with Sol. The Corporations and Coalition might come for us too. It’s scary knowing that we’re going to be facing factions. But I was taught to trust my gut and I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t join you. For good or bad, I’m with you.” Luke raised his gaze. “All  of you.”

“We’re going to need more members,” Ichika said.

“And gear.” Minnie said.

“We have to keep the fact we’re working with Brad and Stuart a secret, it doesn’t leave here. Brad and Stuart and they will give us platinum for all of our Legion assets that we can redeem for Credit, or keep invested in Sphere World. Mitch you will take over all of Sphere World’s mining operations. Minnie you will take over all factory operations. We must move fast.”

"Minnie, what resources and items do you think would be the most useful?"

"Why do I feel you're not talking about just mining?" Fin asked.

"Hey I am the son of traders and I know that there are a lot of traders that just cut all ties to the federation and are looking for new contracts. We’ve been focusing on mining everything, but if Stuart and Brad can bankroll it, we could ship in scrap and toss it into factories to be refined down, without the compressed rock.”

“Could get them to make some components.” Minnie added. “Luke Torjak you are one hell of a trader! Getting your foot in the door from the start."

"If we could trade with the other systems, with traders. Sphere World is really economical with her materials." Fin pulled out several terminals and started to tap in information.

"If we were to take in the plat to credit exchange and look at the cost of material. Hmm that might not work in raw stocks. Minnie, how good do you think the factories would be in turning around junk?"

"If its got the materials the factories will chew it up, though be faster to put it through the asteroid eater, break it up more for faster processing."

"Agreed," Mitch said.

"Okay, then based off of that," Fin worked his terminals. And flipped one of them to Luke with changing numbers.

"I will create an in-house purchase table. It will alter with the prices of plat to credit and assume payout in credits."

"Raw materials would be the best as they can go right into components. Though junk is going to be the most profitable. Even these days, recycling material can be more expensive than recycling. Factories will churn out ingots day and night. If you were to bring a load of mashed up components and gear, even irradiated, the more compressed the better, then we could give you an at-weight rate. You have any traders that want to set up a route then can do an output rate. Percentage credits of whatever it pumps out."

"That way if you find some rare materials buried inside that can bump up their payout. Makes them look for the more rare stuff." Luke said.

"Exactly. They get rid of their scrap at better than market prices and we get materials at lower than market prices."

"That sounds expensive," Ichika said.

"Yes, it is, but we sell even a few things back to those traders, components, ships, gear, then we make it back up." Fin kept punching information into his tables.

“This brings up my second point, Brad and Stuart have all of this resting on their shoulders, they are great administrators, but they need people to help them. They don’t understand mining, about ground combat, space combat, trading. They need a board of advisors.” Foster said.

“And you’re thinking that we’re going to be part of it?” Minnie said.

“I think that we need to suggest it.” Foster said.

“I think I found Jynx,” Mitch said. “I went through the records of the corporations that are linked to Sol through various means. There are several. Going through the information that Sally was able to provide against the manifests and ships that were at the closest space port, there is one link. Kronia Terraform.

Fin groaned and hit his face.

"Problem?" Luke asked.

"No, just it makes sense. ‘bout time I handed in my resignation."

"What are you talking about?"