Freecloud Has Everything [Back Post]

Posted on Fri Feb 17th, 2023 @ 12:39am by Xavier X-1

1,531 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Mission One: Goodwill Tour [Part One]
Location: Freecloud City
Timeline: MD1: 1425 hours

Jack stepped off the ramp of the Faltan F-17 class freighter, the SS Strider, and onto the ground at Freecloud. He and Xavier had chosen the sailors’ uniform of the 18th-century British Royal Navy. After all, Freecloud did love their rich eccentricities.

First stop would be the bank, as long as his partner didn’t go into overload at all the sights, sounds, smells, and holography that slammed into one’s senses in seemingly every second of every minute. Buy this, drink that, too old? too young? too bald? too bushy? Need food, drink? Wanna gamble? Play holographic vids or better yet XXX holosuites you don’t have to clean yourself! The place was a cesspool to anyone with a modicum of taste.

Fortunately, Jack had zero taste and zero inhibitions. “You know you’ve been here before, my dear boy,” Jack said in an exaggerated impression of a Brit.

Xavier had to close his eyes to keep from having the sensory overload that Jack was concerned about. He did not even hear the question. When he moved forward he kept his eyes closed. He collided with something, or rather someone very large A Nausiccan.

"What the fuck." The large man hunched as Xavier opened his eyes. "Are you as stupid as you are ugly?

Jack smacked the Nausicaan at the base of his skull with the scabbard of his sword. “You are as stupid as you are large, friend. You’ve just knocked over the Captain of Her Royal Majesty’s starship Ferdinand of Oros. Pick him up and clean him off before you lose your head.”

The Nausicaan reached down and dusted off the android quickly. “My apologies, Captain. Please pass along my well wishes to her Majesty.”

It had been a while since Xavier had smirked, but he managed to pull it off. Though the smirk quickly disappeared. Giving a small bow, he said, "I will pass your well wishes on to her. Let us hope for your sake she is in a merciful mood. But perhaps you should give me your full name and the ship you are with in case she wants to exact her displeasure with you."

The Nausicaan shifted and produced a bag. “A token of our esteem to her Majesty,” he blurted out before placing another bag in Xavier’s hand. “And a personal apology to you, kind sir. I hope we can keep this unfortunate accident between us?”

Xavier took a moment to respond, trying to keep his expression as neutral as possible. It was more difficult than he thought it would be. "It never happened," he finally responded.

After the Nausciaan was out of earshot he turned to Jack and asked, "Who is this queen you talked about?"

Jack threw up his hands. “Don’t know, but she has one hell of a reputation,” Jack said as he chuckled. “I admit, it was a gamble but it worked out. For us, the gamble worked out.”

"Speaking of gambling, I'm not very good at reading people yet. I think that is what it is called, But, I can calculate what card might come up in a given hand. Anyway, we can make some money with that?"

“No can do, kid, we’ve got plenty of money. And card counting, android or not, will be caught. Besides, we have an appointment for our next job proposal.”

"I suppose you're right about that," Xavier said with some reluctance unable to keep a little embarrassment off his face. "So, what do you think our chances are?"

“Bank first, then our appointment,” Jack responded. “As for the job, it’s coming through an old friend of mine; Or, at least, we were referred to the employer by an old friend. The meeting is a formality and to keep our discussion off subspace chatter.”

"Sounds... promising, do I want to know what the job is?"

Jack sighed. “It’s a legit job, Xavier. Cargo pick up and drop off from point A to point B. I hope this will be an easy one, but it's wild space, so goodness knows what surprises are waiting in the former Neutral Zone.”

"I'm assuming those surprises aren't going to be good ones?" the android asked.

“Most of the time, a surprise in the former Neutral Zone tends to land on the bad side of surprises. We’ve got pirates, bounty hunters, the Orion Syndicate, the Klingons, and Remans seeking new territories. No,” Jack paused as he considered other problems waiting, “there are a hundred ways to die in every sector.

“That’s why the Fenris Rangers exist. To stand against those who want to harm the “little” guys. This week, we’re running cargo for colonies, next week we might be asked to find a nail in the proverbial dam of diplomacy.” Jack noticed people were keen to move out of their way and Jack decided Xavier’s choice of outrageous outfits was a good one.

"So, tell me more about these Rangers. Do they take just anyone?"

“Take? Or do you mean recruit?” Jack asked. “We recruit from an ample supply of angry young men and women who want to do right by their people. Not all of them are worthwhile, but a lot of them have something.

“As for you, you’re special. I recognized you for what you are. Now, I could call you my property because I’ve mostly restored you - barring your memories. Instead, I prefer to think of you as an individual, capable of making your own decisions.”

Xavier cocked his head to one side and gave the Terran an odd look. "Not many would see it that way, they think I'm just some automaton, or worse yet, a threat and a menace without conscious thought."

"I think you may have just found a new recruit, one I hope who is worthy."

Jack nodded. “How about a successor, Xavier? I’m not getting any younger. In a year or two, you’ll have all you need to run the entire group of Rangers, and with those idiot Fleeters, we’ll have what we need to have the strongest ship amongst the Rangers. Strength and power are respect and control, my boy.”

Xavier stopped moving altogether, not just walking but moving any part of his body except his head which he turned at an impossible humanoid angle. "YOU WANT ME TO WHAT?"

“Have aspirations! Climb to the top and take it all! You could be the most powerful man in the Beta Quadrant. Take on the Romulans and then the Federation and push them all back to their corners,” Jack said as if speaking from the pulpit.

"Slow down," Xavier said, returning to a more natural posture. "Let's slow down a bit, shall we? I don't even have my full memory restored, remember?"

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Jack said dismissively.

"And you want me to become the most powerful man in the Beta Quadrant? How does that even work?"

“You’re already ten times smarter than us space monkeys. I’ll do the hard work for a few years, then when it’s all ready to fit in place, you knock me out of the picture. I do have my retirement, you keep these damned Romulans pitted against the Federation and widen Ranger space for about a decade before you really start moving your players into Romulan space. By then, they’ll be so beaten down that they’ll just give up

“The Federation will be so drained by helping them, they’ll give you what was the Neutral Zone just so they don’t have to keep supporting the Romulans. Of course, you’ll have to hear the Romulans real close to Gorn space. Then the Romulan problem solves itself.”

"I understand that a lot of Romulans are, I believe the word you'd use, are pricks. But you want to commit genocide?"

"I'm not sure I can back that plan."

“I’m not talking about genocide, I’m just talking about putting the Romulans near the Gorn. They are long-term friends,” Jack suggested. “Look, look…I’ll just take time off from the heavy lifting and stay to help you with planning.”

"Ahh," the android said catching on. "I did not understand. I thought they were enemies and you were wanting to use them to destroy an enemy. I should have known better. I'm not quite ready to do the heavy lifting, so I'm glad you are asking me now."

"But, I will be ready one day, and it would be an honor to take on that role when the time comes."

“Perfect!” Jack answered sagely. “Your strength, sense of protection, and Justice will bring freedom for so many of the people who need it in this quadrant.”

Jack turned to look up at the towering building before them. “Freecloud First Bank, the oldest bank on the planet, going back about eight hundred years. Our money is here. Let’s check on it!”

"Just how much money do you, em, we have?" the android asked as they entered the building.

Jack smiled broadly. “A lot, kid, a lot!”

 

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