Power’s Pink Price - Chapter 058

Okay, this is a weird city.  There aren't any billboards, all the signs are carved, and all colors appear accidental. Seriously, they have baby surprise green next to dark sky gray, mold yellow, and neon blue.

I understand why after I see a crowd: The natives are all Selamids.  They're blind oozes. They see by vibration only, and that just within sixty feet.  Colors don't matter to ninety eight percent of the population, and billboards are pointless because they can't see anything far away.  As I walk through a spot that makes my teeth jitter, I realize: They also have holograms… they just don't use light.

I can get Blindsight.  Limited Wish can duplicate the Extra Sense spell from Starfinder as the third level version. That will give me a thirty foot version of Blindsight that works on vibration, so… aha.

The city makes a lot more sense after that, even if my armor does get a little tight in the chest.

I go through my buff routine to find a buyer for my vegetables… a DC of twenty four, a result of sixty-nine, and a base price of seven makes for a sale price of sixteen per lot… although the destination being in near space (which makes the shipping “close” as far as stellar travel is concerned) drives it down a point.  Still, I should get fifteen per lot

I call around, and yes, there’s someone who is actually willing to pay that absurdly inflated price because I’m just that charming.  I place the call to a restaurant distributor, we make a deal, I review the electronic paperwork, we sign, and I head on over to deliver the goods and collect the payment.

When I get there, though, the guys at the loading dock (local Selamids in power armor) gather around really close as we’re doing the actual trade.

“This is much less than the agreed price.” It’s annoying staring up at a guy wearing a Cargo Lifter.  It’s technically Large powered armor - a ten foot tall humanoid-shaped metal frame with treads that a pilot sits in - with specialized lifters instead of hands and very little reach.  And I have six of them crowded around me while I’m talking to the foreman… who’s also wearing a Cargo lifter.

“Yeah?  And what are you going to do about it, human?” Ah.  I get it.  They’re embezzling by shorting the suppliers and strong-arming them into accepting the reduced pay, keeping the difference and using the loaders for intimidation to pull it off.  Yeah, no.

I quietly cast Summon Nature’s Ally IX a few times as I speak, “Look… it’s hard work being a loader.  I get it.  You have bills to pay, long hours, and it seems like a little harmless fun to put the squeeze on the out of town suppliers.  Yeah… there’s a little problem with that, though.  I didn’t come alone.  Look around you, rather than focusing on me so much.”

While I was talking, I was summoning Storm Giants.  I grabbed seven of them, one for each of the loaders, plus the foreman.  They average twenty-one feet tall, basically human with tanned complexions… carrying swords and bows as big as they are.  And quite frankly, even unbuffed, and with the archaic weapon penalty, they’ll still hit pretty hard.

So I continue speaking, “Now, look, it’s tough, I get it… but it’s tough all over,” less tough for me, because I cheat outrageously, but still, “Now, I could get myself some cargo loaders of my own right now: All I’d need to do is clean up the ugly stains off the upholstery,” I pause a moment to let that sink in, “but you know, a deal’s a deal.  As long as everyone pays me what we agreed, there’s no need for me to salvage what I can, is there?”  Yeah, I’m rolling Intimidate.  The giants are good for some Aid Another bonuses, I figure.

And it works fine, “Right, here, let me fix those numbers for you…” and soon enough, I have the agreed-upon payment, am on my way, and dismissing the summoned thugs.  Unloading was a bit stinky, though.  Seems the sudden appearance of people four times your height looking angry can do a number to any species.

This is, however, a fine place to refit my ships.  It’s a mostly-friendly city, I have the resources… it’s a great way to spend some time.  I figure I can manage tier seven for all three ships….

Starting with Stephanie: I upgrade her power core, from an Abysium Nova Light to a Djezet Nova Heavy; add another Docking canopy (I plan for her to have a lot of kids); move the Industry, Fuel Synthesizer, and Robotic Appendage into her; I also trade out the Particle Beam on her turret for an Array Particle Beam.  The difference?  Well, the array property requires it to take a second mount, but it also means it will target EVERYONE in a ninety degree arc when I fire it (I can't skip friendlies).  And with the range on that sucker, it’ll clear a minefield, no problem.  With the damage, it’ll also clear a nice little fleet of fighters, too, most of the time.

The Brute is next.  I upgrade the power core to an Abysium Nova Heavy, install a Heightened Magic Torpedo Unit in the heavy weapon slot in front (it’s a Heavy weapon that has the option of hitting adjacent arcs… not quite as good as a turret weapon and not quite as strong as the Persistent Particle Beam, but it'll do), add a light mount to the fore, and fill that (and the default light mount in the fore) with an Array Magic Torpedo Unit. It can shoot at adjacent arcs (it’s not strictly limited to the front arc), and will provide that “too many missiles” vibe if we encounter another minefield. I also upgrade the shields slightly… it shouldn't come up, but you never know. And just to help with loading, a Mark 1 robotic appendage. For grins, I also convert two of the cargo bays over to seating, and load them up with summoned creatures buffed up to act as crew if needed. That should give Euler some leeway in the event of a fight.

Then of course, there's the Rustbucket. I sell off the external expansion bays (we don't need them, thanks to off-plane storage), and I already moved the Industry, Fuel Synthesizer, and Robotic Appendage over. I upgrade the power core to a Djezet Pulse Orange, push the shields up to the limit (“Superior 600”) because I can, set up a second forward mount (to hold an Array Magic Torpedo Unit, of course), and also add a Holographic Mantle (it will let the ship project an image of another ship over itself… making it visible, which I expect to be occasionally useful), fill the expansion bays with Luxury guest quarters, and upgrade the drift engine to a Signal Superior… just in case we're in a hurry to get somewhere.

And even with the bribes needed to get the various manufacturers to sell me the components I want, I still have enough leftover to purchase more goods. I find eleven lots of high quality plastics, which I buy out… no hints about where they'd be going, but I'm sure I can find a manufacturer that wants them without too much trouble.

We then head out to deep space, to travel and deliver the cargo,  and while there, discover Stephanie is having babies… four of them.  Two sets of twins. She managed to get both of her bodies pregnant at Absalom Station: The ship, yes, but also the remote unit she had entertaining the loaders… and the maintenance crew, and the food delivery guys.  I won't be able to sell these four babies, though.  They all have bright blue souls.

“Not so many,” Patricia interrupts, “There's only two babies.”

Wait, what?

“I don't know how it works, exactly, but it does. Each ship goes with a specific baby, because they share a soul. There's only two babies,” she pauses, “Four bodies, yes, but only two children.”

So what does that mean, practically speaking?

“I don't know,” my pink partner gives me a mental shrug, “it isn't something I have seen previously.”

Great… well, thank you for the warning.

Regardless… Stephanie is VERY pregnant. These baby ships are growing much faster than the others… which I suppose makes sense: Stephanie is much larger now.  Human babies average about nineteen to twenty inches from crown to foot (not that they stand) at birth, which is Tiny, two size categories smaller than adult humans. Extrapolating from that, I would expect these to come out Medium… so Explorers, Transports, or Omas… but it looks more like I'm getting Tugs.  Which is fine. Great, even: A tug is the only Small ship that can support a Heavy weapon… and on a turret, no less. They're only two seaters, which means you have to work at it to make them fully functional (normally, you want a pilot, a gunner, a science officer, and an engineer at a bare minimum for a fight)... but with a Virtual Intelligence (or an AI) installed and a Consciousness Uplink Drive, two humanoids in the cockpit can get all four roles covered okay.  And normally, you have the science officer or engineer switch hit a bit and take over a gun or two when they don't need to do their primary role… assuming you have additional weapons on the ship (which you might not, if you went all-in on a tug… because the only thing it really has going for it is the heavy weapon mount on the turret).

As for Stephanie's remote unit, the two bodies growing inside of her are very different: One small metallic sphere (a hologram core, apparently), and one… well, he’s not done growing; I'm not sure what he's supposed to be, honestly.

But we have cargo to move.

Okay, this is a weird city. There aren't any billboards, all the signs are carved, and all colors appear accidental. Seriously, they have baby surprise green next to dark sky gray, mold yellow, and neon blue. I understand why after I see a crowd: The natives are all Selamids. They're blind oozes. They see by vibration only, and that just within sixty feet. Colors don't matter to ninety eight percent of the population, and billboards are pointless because they can't see anything far away. As I walk through a spot that makes my teeth jitter, I realize: They also have holograms they just don't use light. I can get Blindsight. Limited Wish can duplicate the Extra Sense spell from Starfinder as the third level version. That will give me a thirty foot version of Blindsight that works on vibration, so aha. The city makes a lot more sense after that, even if my armor does get a little tight in the chest. I go through my buff routine to find a buyer for my vegetables a DC of twenty four, a result of sixty-nine, and a base price of seven makes for a sale price of sixteen per lot although the destination being in near space which makes the shipping close as far as stellar travel is concerned drives it down a point. Still, I should get fifteen per lot I call around, and yes, there's someone who is actually willing to pay that absurdly inflated price because I'm just that charming. I place the call to a restaurant distributor, we make a deal, I review the electronic paperwork, we sign, and I head on over to deliver the goods and collect the payment. When I get there, though, the guys at the loading dock local Selamids in power armor gather around really close as we're doing the actual trade. This is much less than the agreed price. It's annoying staring up at a guy wearing a Cargo Lifter. It's technically Large powered armor - a ten foot tall humanoid-shaped metal frame with treads that a pilot sits in - with specialized lifters instead of hands and very little reach. And I have six of them crowded around me while I'm talking to the foreman who's also wearing a Cargo lifter. Yeah? And what are you going to do about it, human? Ah. I get it. They're embezzling by shorting the suppliers and strong-arming them into accepting the reduced pay, keeping the difference and using the loaders for intimidation to pull it off. Yeah, no. I quietly cast Summon Nature's Ally IX a few times as I speak, Look it's hard work being a loader. I get it. You have bills to pay, long hours, and it seems like a little harmless fun to put the squeeze on the out of town suppliers. Yeah there's a little problem with that, though. I didn't come alone. Look around you, rather than focusing on me so much. While I was talking, I was summoning Storm Giants. I grabbed seven of them, one for each of the loaders, plus the foreman. They average twenty-one feet tall, basically human with tanned complexions carrying swords and bows as big as they are. And quite frankly, even unbuffed, and with the archaic weapon penalty, they'll still hit pretty hard. So I continue speaking, Now, look, it's tough, I get it but it's tough all over, less tough for me, because I cheat outrageously, but still, Now, I could get myself some cargo loaders of my own right now: All I'd need to do is clean up the ugly stains off the upholstery, I pause a moment to let that sink in, but you know, a deal's a deal. As long as everyone pays me what we agreed, there's no need for me to salvage what I can, is there? Yeah, I'm rolling Intimidate. The giants are good for some Aid Another bonuses, I figure. And it works fine, Right, here, let me fix those numbers for you and soon enough, I have the agreed-upon payment, am on my way, and dismissing the summoned thugs. Unloading was a bit stinky, though. Seems the sudden appearance of people four times your height looking angry can do a number to any species. This is, however, a fine place to refit my ships. It's a mostly-friendly city, I have the resources it's a great way to spend some time. I figure I can manage tier seven for all three ships. Spoiler Starting with Stephanie: I upgrade her power core, from an Abysium Nova Light to a Djezet Nova Heavy; add another Docking canopy I plan for her to have a lot of kids; move the Industry, Fuel Synthesizer, and Robotic Appendage into her; I also trade out the Particle Beam on her turret for an Array Particle Beam. The difference? Well, the array property requires it to take a second mount, but it also means it will target EVERYONE in a ninety degree arc when I fire it I can't skip friendlies. And with the range on that sucker, it'll clear a minefield, no problem. With the damage, it'll also clear a nice little fleet of fighters, too, most of the time. The Brute is next. I upgrade the power core to an Abysium Nova Heavy, install a Heightened Magic Torpedo Unit in the heavy weapon slot in front it's a Heavy weapon that has the option of hitting adjacent arcs not quite as good as a turret weapon and not quite as strong as the Persistent Particle Beam, but it'll do, add a light mount to the fore, and fill that and the default light mount in the fore with an Array Magic Torpedo Unit. It can shoot at adjacent arcs it's not strictly limited to the front arc, and will provide that too many missiles vibe if we encounter another minefield. I also upgrade the shields slightly it shouldn't come up, but you never know. And just to help with loading, a Mark 1 robotic appendage. For grins, I also convert two of the cargo bays over to seating, and load them up with summoned creatures buffed up to act as crew if needed. That should give Euler some leeway in the event of a fight. Then of course, there's the Rustbucket. I sell off the external expansion bays we don't need them, thanks to off-plane storage, and I already moved the Industry, Fuel Synthesizer, and Robotic Appendage over. I upgrade the power core to a Djezet Pulse Orange, push the shields up to the limit Superior 600 because I can, set up a second forward mount to hold an Array Magic Torpedo Unit, of course, and also add a Holographic Mantle it will let the ship project an image of another ship over itself making it visible, which I expect to be occasionally useful, fill the expansion bays with Luxury guest quarters, and upgrade the drift engine to a Signal Superior just in case we're in a hurry to get somewhere. collapse And even with the bribes needed to get the various manufacturers to sell me the components I want, I still have enough leftover to purchase more goods. I find eleven lots of high quality plastics, which I buy out no hints about where they'd be going, but I'm sure I can find a manufacturer that wants them without too much trouble. We then head out to deep space, to travel and deliver the cargo, and while there, discover Stephanie is having babies four of them. Two sets of twins. She managed to get both of her bodies pregnant at Absalom Station: The ship, yes, but also the remote unit she had entertaining the loaders and the maintenance crew, and the food delivery guys. I won't be able to sell these four babies, though. They all have bright blue souls. Not so many, Patricia interrupts, There's only two babies. Wait, what? I don't know how it works, exactly, but it does. Each ship goes with a specific baby, because they share a soul. There's only two babies, she pauses, Four bodies, yes, but only two children. So what does that mean, practically speaking? I don't know, my pink partner gives me a mental shrug, it isn't something I have seen previously. Great well, thank you for the warning. Regardless Stephanie is VERY pregnant. These baby ships are growing much faster than the others which I suppose makes sense: Stephanie is much larger now. Human babies average about nineteen to twenty inches from crown to foot not that they stand at birth, which is Tiny, two size categories smaller than adult humans. Extrapolating from that, I would expect these to come out Medium so Explorers, Transports, or Omas but it looks more like I'm getting Tugs. Which is fine. Great, even: A tug is the only Small ship that can support a Heavy weapon and on a turret, no less. They're only two seaters, which means you have to work at it to make them fully functional normally, you want a pilot, a gunner, a science officer, and an engineer at a bare minimum for a fight... but with a Virtual Intelligence or an AI installed and a Consciousness Uplink Drive, two humanoids in the cockpit can get all four roles covered okay. And normally, you have the science officer or engineer switch hit a bit and take over a gun or two when they don't need to do their primary role assuming you have additional weapons on the ship which you might not, if you went all-in on a tug because the only thing it really has going for it is the heavy weapon mount on the turret. As for Stephanie's remote unit, the two bodies growing inside of her are very different: One small metallic sphere a hologram core, apparently, and one well, he's not done growing; I'm not sure what he's supposed to be, honestly. But we have cargo to move.