A Lesson in Ancient History: Session 7

This session’s featured image depicts yet another NPC that Gabe was reluctant to meet, and even more reluctant to work with: Willem Rafem.

Gabe’s cynicism toward the topic of the Ancients and those who hunt their artifacts is growing deeper. He is quickly growing into the role of reluctant adventurer. While the character may resent his current situation, the player is thoroughly enjoying the adventure.

010-1103

This mornin’, Zem was kind enough to buy us a mighty big breakfast. We checked the local markets for any cargo that might need hawlin’ to Glisten. It was only a jump away and developed enough for me and Coop to pick up our pensions while we was there.

I spent most of the day huntin’ down freight and managed to fill the Garnette to the brim ‘fore the day was done. Most folks in the area were corporate types, so there wasn’t much competition for private freight hawlers like us.

020-1103

Gettin’ to Glisten was like goin’ home. The asteroid belt had a big naval base there. We got greeted by a security patrol no sooner than we hit scanner range of the starport. Zem sent over our credentials and we passed the check without a hitch.

We steered well clear of the naval base and docked at the main port, which was built into one of the bigger rocks in the belt. Coop and I drew our pensions, and while we was pullin’ it, we got a message from the one and only Captain of Knowledge, that fella who runs the Museum of the Ancients.

He was claimin’ he had access to release Burnadette’s records and was organizin’ a showin’, on account of her bein’ dead. He put out a call to all “Hunters” to come check in at Weiss for access to the show-n-tell.

We talked it over and, of course, despite my objections, the crew wanted to find out what the Captain had to show. Sounded like a scam to me, but Mitch seemed to be fallin’ hard for all that Ancient nonsense. He pointed out the Captain was buyin’ crystals, and we had a whole stockpile of ‘em. I couldn’t argue with that line of thinkin’. I’d been wantin’ rid of those crystals soon as could be.

024-1103

I searched the local market for anythin’ worth hawlin’. We managed to break even so far and made a few credits besides. Wasn’t too hard to find 12 tons headin’ for Weiss.

I also found some attachments for my laser carbine. Got it lookin’ and shootin’ real nice before we departed. Zem picked up a survival still, handy lil’ thing good for makin’ hooch on the go and can double as a grill in a pinch.

033-1103

We arrived at Windsor and refueled off one of the oceans. It was a pleasant enough day. We opened the back hatch and had ourselves a nice barbecue with some of the food we picked up back in Glisten. Zem and I busted out a couple fishin’ poles to try and catch some extra meat for the grill. Lady luck weren’t on our side, though.

043-1103

We docked at Weiss’ Highport and had our cargo unloaded. While I was arrangin’ the transfer, I got a call from our ol’ friend Duisk, the Droyne who saved our skins back on Calefaction. He was wantin’ to meet for supper at a local place called the Royal Cabana. We couldn’t rightly say no after what he’d done for us.

We had a few hours to kill, so the crew figured we oughta reach out to our local contact. The Captain of Knowledge’s message said to get in touch with a fella named Willem Rafem down in Weiss Downport to arrange a viewin’ of Bernadette’s records. Seein’ as I still figured this whole thing was a wild goose chase, I let Zem make the call. Willem gave us the name of a restaurant planetside and told us to swing by once we hit Downport.

To say Willem came off a little sketchy’d be an understatement. Just from the call, I trusted that fella about as far as I could kick him. But the crew was all in, and we’d come this far.

We met up with Duisk at the Royal Cabana. Fancy place, but it was near empty ‘cept for Duisk and his Droyne buddies. Truth be told, we was a bit underdressed, but Duisk didn’t seem to mind. He’d already ordered food for the whole table, and it was a real nice spread.

We caught up for a while. Duisk seemed mighty interested in old human television shows. We talked about some of his favorites and ours. Turns out when his clan first came across human TV, they didn’t realize it was just for entertainment. Took ‘em a while to figure out not everythin’ was a documentary.

They say there ain’t no such thing as a free meal, and that’s mostly true. Turns out Yusote, the boss of Duisk’s clan, wants Duisk to learn more ‘bout Imperial culture. Duisk is some kind of ambassador, and this is part of his research. So now he’s askin’ us to gather six items that “capture the Imperial culture and define the human psyche.”

Guess he’s hopin’ it’ll help him understand folks like us a little better. As I looked ‘round at our crew, I wasn’t too sure there were any six MacGuffins in the galaxy that could help a fella like Duisk make sense of us. But he was a good fella, we couldn’t turn him down.

The whole team was quick to agree to help our Droyne buddy. With that out of the way, we all enjoyed a great meal and plenty to drink before callin’ it a night.

044-1103

As we were headin’ outta Highport the next mornin’, I caught a quick signature on the sensors, Duisk’s ship jumpin’ outta the system. I quietly wished our friend a safe journey.

We headed planetside on Weiss and docked in the Downport. Zem had been teachin’ Coop how to pilot the ship, and he hit the ground pretty hard on that landin’. After gettin’ the Garnette settled, we made our way to the address Willem gave us.

The place was a bit of a dive, but it had a private dinin’ area in the back where Willem was waitin’. He looked just as sleazy in person as he sounded on the phone. At least the food there was half good.

Turns out ol’ Captain Know-it-all had hired Willem to screen folks wantin’ to attend the showin’. Not sure what he was gettin’ paid, but I can promise it was too much. Willem gave us the time and place of the showin’ without so much as a second thought. Said it was gonna be on the planet Aki, 055-1103. Kinda stuck in my craw that we’d already flown right past Aki on our way here. But that’s Ancient Hunters for ya, always gotta go ‘round your elbow to find your butt.

Willem did a little hero worshippin’ of the Garnette. Always catches me off guard how much these folk love our ship, actin’ like it’s some sacred relic. We’re just out here haulin’ freight and makin’ credits with it.

He handed us some tickets for the showin’ and said to look for a ship called the Glisten Pearl once we reached Aki. I wasn’t too sure why the Pearl of Glisten would be on Aki and not Glisten, but maybe that’s just my faulty reckonin’.

046-1103

As we left’ outta Weiss toward our jump point, we got a message over the comms. The INS Rénszarvas, a Gazelle-class patrol craft, a real beaut, ordered us to maintain course and prep for a random inspection.

We did what we was told. They sent over a boardin’ party led by a Sub-Lieutenant named Ikirr Zikaa. Her and her crew handled themselves like real professionals, I gotta say.

I escorted one of the petty officers down to the cargo hold while Zem and Coop took the Lieutenant to the cockpit to go over our logs.

I made a little small talk with the young fella. He seemed decent enough. I asked if he’d ever heard of Willem Rafem; figured if the fella was disreputable, the Navy might’ve picked up on it. But he hadn’t. So maybe Willem ain’t all bad after all.

The inspection went smooth, and they were back aboard their patrol craft in just over an hour. Me and Zem offered ‘em coffee while they worked, seemed like the polite thing to do. Coop, though, he gave us a tongue-lashin’ over it. Said we was interferin’ with official duties. I didn’t rightly agree, but Mitch says we’re supposed to trust engineers on matters of etiquette.

Once we were clear of the Navy, we talked about searchin’ the ship again, dig a little deeper into what the last crew might’ve been up to. Coop ran a computer sweep and found some data files that were hidden and encrypted. He reckoned it’d take a couple weeks to crack ‘em.

045-1103

A few days later, Coop made another find. In the avionics bay, behind a panel that was itself behind another panel, he found a little black box hard-wired into the guidance and communication systems. It had a switch, set to “off.”

I offered to flip the switch, but the rest of the crew thought that was a bad idea. Funny how they all get cautious when it comes to somethin’ I wanna do. I thought about pointin’ out how often they make fool decisions themselves, but I let it lie.

055-1103

We made it to Aki with barely enough time to spare. Hauled tail through the Downport and over to the Glisten Pearl, where we were greeted by a real pleasant receptionist named Uguishe Gao. Ms. Gao got us aboard the Pearl and gave us a nice tour after showin’ us to our rooms.

When she brought us up to the observation lounge, I got the surprise of the year.

There in the room, lookin’ mighty spry for a man over a hundred, was none other than my favorite uncle, Vlen Backett. The very man who inspired me to get off my home world and take to the stars all them years ago.