back to Journal entry 12
128/598 (or September 13th, 12505 AD)
Our Heroes have been in New York City for two days, getting their damaged (personal) Iron repaired, and figuring out what to do with two suits of captured (heavily damaged) Iron. The captured suits are built to a local (Darikahn) standard, so they're probably worth more ... certainly easier to repair ... here on Terra Insula, rather than back in the Karsan League.
The Nieces of Baron Chan (Helen, Harriet, Harmony, Hildegarde, and Hortense) have been surprisingly interested in New York society (they showed no interest in Rome's aristos). They've been dressing up and going out both nights.
The fact that Our Heroes will be returning to the Karsan League is generally known (or at least supposed); the Spirit of Vinland can earn 500 Standards by carrying digital messages and small packages across space to the League; and another 1200 Standards for carrying a box with 12 bottles of wine.
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Tokaj Escenzia, cost (on Terra Insula) 20,000 Σ each. Destination: Lord Nazim Mulla, in the Karsan League.
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While looking into the materials for making wine bottle labels (never mind why), MacDougall meets a shady character, who sells him 5000 counterfeit Darikahn Standards for 50 Standards.
And, there's a message from Mount Song: one of the Jammers would like to join the crew! His name is Stig, age 22, born 2035 in the Scandinavian sector of the European Zone. He really, really, really wants to travel in space!
"Back before the Buro, you vecks had it bolshy! Stuff was built to last, and you had real snoutie, real firegold, not the synthetic drugs and stuff cooked up by the Division of Consumer Affairs. And music! Bowie, Jackson, Eminem, all the best! Information wasn't all corrupted by computers, and you could learn how to make a bomb at the biblio! In real books, that the Buro couldn't get their rooks on. But it's space, moodge, where I want to be, like Luke Skywalker and his chums."
(nadsat translator available here)
The crew of the agree to take Stig off to the Karsan League; he arrives from China a few hours later from China, along with some gifts from the other Jammers:
The booby trap is dealt with, at the cost of some damage to a hallway. Stig is properly ashamed of the trouble his fellow Jammer has caused; he says the gift idea in general, and the one that was a trap, were both from Manuel, one of the other Jammers in the court of the Ice Queen. The Spirit of Vinland calls back to Mount Song, and advises them to deal with Manuel.
After a few days in space, it becomes clear that Stig wasn't cut out for a career as Hammer crew, and his is persuaded to enter a cryoberth.
MacDougall begins his process of making counterfeit Tokaj Escenzia. Hadrian Blacik begins using illicit Dream technology to create "tactical training scenarios" for his shipmates; the process doesn't work for the Kerrn, by the way.
160/598
While on a fuelling stop at Dinfry, Our Heroes help a couple of young Hammer officers (Lord Ellery and Lord Bayvin) escape from the beating their loose use of adverbs has earned them. Ellery and Bayvin are officers on the Idle Threat, an unarmed transport carrying 30 Hammer fighters towards the front lines.
183/598
Agaiin, a fuelling stop, at a system with only asteroid belts. The starport is also the only settlement in the system, with fewer than 500 inhabitants. A young lady, who claims her name is Jane Hikmet, makes a tear-stained appeal to be taken out of the Darikahn Empire; her father is (she claims) a recently-disgraced sub-minister in the Emperor's cabinet. Our Heroes agree, on the condition that she travel in cryosleep.
235/598
Finally crossing the border into the Karsan League, the Spirit of Vinland arrives at the planet Guyn for fuel and provisions. Jane Hikmet and Stig are put off the ship here. A Merchant League Maestro offers the Terrans 5,000 Standards to act as escort for a week or so ("since you're going that way anyway"); he's worried about his ship being attacked by rivals (or pirates hired by rivals).
In fact, some piratical sorts do appear, but sheer off when it becomes apparent the merchant has an escort ...
During the next couple of weeks, the Terrans hear rumors (pretty well-substantiated rumors) that Kerrn working for the Vaylen have been taking part in the invasion. Certainly, there's a great deal of suspicion and hostility towards the Kerrn.
242/598
The Spirit of Vinland arrives at the edge of the M39 Cluster. They meet with a small Kerrn ship, and receive nav tapes to take them to Omshiip.
250/598
The Spirit of Vinland arrives at Omshiip -- a cluster of ancient warships, connected by artificial space-habitats, and well-guarded by the Kerrn. A few light-days out from Omshiip itself is the Kerrn research station, floating in deep space, where they've built a gate ripper (actually they've built several).
The Terrans deliver the demon horns, and they're quickly installed. The only problem: the Gate Rippers still don't work!
The Kerrn physicists believe that a location with a better "gate potential" is needed. This may explain why the Vaylen have been building, and re-building, their gate on Britilthin. There are three possible locations: Britilthin (now probably under very heavy guard), Terra Insula, or the planet Alief (another world within Vaylen space, and apparently their initial source for demon horns). Sending gate rippers to Terra Insula and to Alief is possible; perhaps the Terrans might be able to convince the Shining Slate to help in some way?
The Kerrn are engaged in lots of negotiations with the Karsan League, building up their defenses around Omshiip, and a lot of their ships are evacuating besieged Kerrn from worlds turned hostile. Getting the Spirit of Vinland into dock for its overhaul is just barely possible ... but organizing the missions to Alief and Terra Insula will take about that long.
While it wasn't mentioned initially, the Kerrn are also considering sending a lot of their people to Terra Insula, to pass through portals there. This might have two helpful results: intercept any Vaylen contact with the government of Mafkat, and make as many Kerrn as possible immune to changes in the timeline.
264/598 (or 27 January, 12606 AD)
The current date. The Terrans have been in the future time of the Eight Empires for 20 months.
On to Journal entry 14
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