Read Online Smuggler's Dilemma by Jamie McFarlane - Free Book Online
Authors: Jamie McFarlane
Ads: Link
working on? You’ve been awful busy in the tween deck."
"The batteries for the turrets are shot," Marny said.
"I thought we inspected those," I interrupted her.
"We did. They inspect okay, they just aren’t up to combat use. If we hit 'em hard, they’ll deplete and we’ll just be plinking away. Jake here thought he could get 'em repaired, but it’s not going to work."
"How much will that set us back," I asked.
Nick answered, "One hundred-fifty."
"Frak. Where’s that put us?"
"We won’t be able to afford any missiles, but we’ll be okay. We pulled the bridge holo-projectors and navigation system over from Sterra’s Gift , and most of the other systems are in good shape. When are you thinking it will be livable? Not that we don’t appreciate the heads working."
"Saturday morning Ada and I will be done with the interior. We’ve got it all planned out. You and Marny are in the forward bunk on berth deck. The rear bunk will be set up with stacking singles. The top bunk will fold up when it isn’t needed. All the rooms will be pretty spartan. Nothing on the floors, but the beds should be comfortable."
"Galley?" Marny asked.
"Roger that. Coffee brewer and Galley-Pro on Sterra’s Gift were salvaged but the refrigeration was holed, so we need a new one."
"Any progress on getting us a load yet?" Nick asked. He had a crappy grin on his face, knowing it was an unfair question.
"Yes." The boy should know better than to set me up. "It’s better than you think. Thanks to Lieutenant Belcose, we’re lined up to deliver heavy equipment to the Valhalla Platform and I’ve got a line on nearly a full load to Terrence." I said.
"Who’s Lieutenant Belcose?" Jake asked.
"Yeah, sorry. We’re talking out of turn here Jake," Nick said. "We shouldn’t be quite so free with our information until you’re crew. You understand, I’m sure. Have you given any thought to joining our little fleet?" I was pleased to hear that Nick was ready to hire him. I had a feeling Jake would fit in, but Nick was the one who'd been working with him all week.
"I’m not sure," he said. "I’ve only heard bits and pieces of your story and from what I can tell, you all get into it pretty deep. I know you’re concerned about security, but I need more details before I can answer. Ultimately I’m interested, but I want to know what I’m signing up for."
"Fair enough," Nick said, "Your word that you won’t share what we’re about to tell you?"
"You’ve got it." Jake nodded in agreement.
"Marny?" Nick asked. In normal Nick style, he’d expected to have this conversation and had pre-arranged something with Marny.
"As the security officer for our corporation, I’ve executed a public records search and looked into your background. You’ve led an interesting life, but from my perspective you pose no security threat to the company. I’ll send you the results of the research I’ve done. Please understand, that information will remain confidential between you and me," Marny said.
"Thank you," Jake looked at all of us, perplexed. "Why are you telling me this?"
"It's part of who we are and who we want to be. You need to know that we care enough to look into your background and that we don’t hide important information. It is all about trust. We get in enough scrapes that we can’t afford to be questioning each other."
"I can work with that. So what would I be signing up for?" Jake asked.
"Our primary goal is to be traders, but we’ve been mostly operating as freight haulers," Nick started. "As crew, that difference isn’t huge. As owners, the real money is in speculative runs. Secondarily, we have the designation from Mars Protectorate as Privateers. We carry a Letter of Marque that entitles us to defend ourselves and more importantly lay claim to sundered enemy assets. So far, the vast majority of our net worth has been derived from our secondary activities as Privateers."
"That’s where you got the frigate?" Jake asked.
"The
"The batteries for the turrets are shot," Marny said.
"I thought we inspected those," I interrupted her.
"We did. They inspect okay, they just aren’t up to combat use. If we hit 'em hard, they’ll deplete and we’ll just be plinking away. Jake here thought he could get 'em repaired, but it’s not going to work."
"How much will that set us back," I asked.
Nick answered, "One hundred-fifty."
"Frak. Where’s that put us?"
"We won’t be able to afford any missiles, but we’ll be okay. We pulled the bridge holo-projectors and navigation system over from Sterra’s Gift , and most of the other systems are in good shape. When are you thinking it will be livable? Not that we don’t appreciate the heads working."
"Saturday morning Ada and I will be done with the interior. We’ve got it all planned out. You and Marny are in the forward bunk on berth deck. The rear bunk will be set up with stacking singles. The top bunk will fold up when it isn’t needed. All the rooms will be pretty spartan. Nothing on the floors, but the beds should be comfortable."
"Galley?" Marny asked.
"Roger that. Coffee brewer and Galley-Pro on Sterra’s Gift were salvaged but the refrigeration was holed, so we need a new one."
"Any progress on getting us a load yet?" Nick asked. He had a crappy grin on his face, knowing it was an unfair question.
"Yes." The boy should know better than to set me up. "It’s better than you think. Thanks to Lieutenant Belcose, we’re lined up to deliver heavy equipment to the Valhalla Platform and I’ve got a line on nearly a full load to Terrence." I said.
"Who’s Lieutenant Belcose?" Jake asked.
"Yeah, sorry. We’re talking out of turn here Jake," Nick said. "We shouldn’t be quite so free with our information until you’re crew. You understand, I’m sure. Have you given any thought to joining our little fleet?" I was pleased to hear that Nick was ready to hire him. I had a feeling Jake would fit in, but Nick was the one who'd been working with him all week.
"I’m not sure," he said. "I’ve only heard bits and pieces of your story and from what I can tell, you all get into it pretty deep. I know you’re concerned about security, but I need more details before I can answer. Ultimately I’m interested, but I want to know what I’m signing up for."
"Fair enough," Nick said, "Your word that you won’t share what we’re about to tell you?"
"You’ve got it." Jake nodded in agreement.
"Marny?" Nick asked. In normal Nick style, he’d expected to have this conversation and had pre-arranged something with Marny.
"As the security officer for our corporation, I’ve executed a public records search and looked into your background. You’ve led an interesting life, but from my perspective you pose no security threat to the company. I’ll send you the results of the research I’ve done. Please understand, that information will remain confidential between you and me," Marny said.
"Thank you," Jake looked at all of us, perplexed. "Why are you telling me this?"
"It's part of who we are and who we want to be. You need to know that we care enough to look into your background and that we don’t hide important information. It is all about trust. We get in enough scrapes that we can’t afford to be questioning each other."
"I can work with that. So what would I be signing up for?" Jake asked.
"Our primary goal is to be traders, but we’ve been mostly operating as freight haulers," Nick started. "As crew, that difference isn’t huge. As owners, the real money is in speculative runs. Secondarily, we have the designation from Mars Protectorate as Privateers. We carry a Letter of Marque that entitles us to defend ourselves and more importantly lay claim to sundered enemy assets. So far, the vast majority of our net worth has been derived from our secondary activities as Privateers."
"That’s where you got the frigate?" Jake asked.
"The
Similar Books
