Futuristic Iron Caskets: Chored Space

[Nachytsm]

Pardus Sector
Orbit of Pardus IV, 'Chored'.

Centuries ago the Pardus sector had no habitable bodies, and the early colonists from Lowe-Pike had set about the lengthy process of terraforming that would make Chored habitable. For all of that time, it was a backwater of little value on the edge of Terran space, barely even a passing point for explorers due to the sheer distance to any rimward stars.

These days Chored, and its orbital space station The Redwood are hotbeds of Corporate activity, in more ways than one. The surface of Chored is contested by every active Corporation in the sector, and even some from outside. Mercenaries come and go, serving tours of duty for one side or the other, or even more than one on occasion. While the station is technically under Lowe-Pike's control, every month more sections seem to be leased out to someone else- GDAM in particular seeming to come out on top more often than not.

Chored's distant moons, Gaieon and Etapa, flit through the void and travelers to and from those destinations similarly often stop through The Redwood to resupply, rest, or head elsewhere.

All in all it is the busiest area of Pardus, and dangerous for anyone regardless of what side they've chosen.

 

[Soviet Panda]

The Oasis slipped through space at amazing speeds, the only noise it made was the roaring of it's large engines. It's hull sported a few more scars from several privateer's attacks, but the defenses, some provided by The Oasis' various employers, made this prey far to thorny for them. Which was great, he could outrun large ships, but the small ships the privateers had used could easily stick with the large cargo hauler. And were it not for the weaponry, he would have bigger worries than just missing a shipment.

Soon enough, Connor spotted The Redwood's signal and sent a long distance transmission. "This is captain Connor McKinley of The Oasis on a resupply run. Where do you want us to make this easy?" Once he asked his question, he switched over to local comms. "Strap everything down and if you're taking a walk outside grab something, I'm putting on the brakes." Giving everyone enough time to give the all clear, he powers up the frontward facing engines and begins the deceleration process.

 

[Nachytsm]

The approach of The Oasis would go unchallenged for a few more minutes as it speeds towards the station and its traffic. Eventually an automated reply comes back.

"Welcome to L-P-Conglomerate's flagship civilian station of the Pardus Sector, The Redwood. We are pleased to announce that the latest in civilian innovations come to us daily thanks to your hard work, [Civilian-Class Merchant.]"

The overly cheerful sounding woman continues. "Please state the nature of your cargo, so that our state-of-the-art automated systems can provide the docking bays you need for the most efficient and profitable outcome."

Connor would be familiar with this automated claptrap and its being completely worthless. Thankfully, he'd be connected enough with people on the station that bypassing the automated systems would be trivial enough, and he'd soon have a real person to talk to, granting him docking access. A virtual docking pattern would be revealed to him for the necessary maneuvers to get to his favourite dock.

Meanwhile, the rest of his crew floats around the hold, making sure everything is set and secure before buckling themselves in for deceleration.

 

[Huntertabbysandshark3]

Sandra's head was killing her. She had just woken up having with no idea what had happened in the past few hours. She must have blacked out again for, what? The third this week?

"Auugh... Mars what happened this time, seriously this whole blacking out thing is getting worse."

Appearing in the woman's vision- to the top left of it more precisely- was a sort of pulsating blue orb. this was Marsaravic, also known as Mars.

"Yeah I have no clue either. Probably something to do with your cybernetics."
Of course, the AI itself knew what was going on; it didn't think it was good a good time to mention it right now as they had more important things to do.

"Well that's just perfect, isn't it? Right, lets-- wait... where are we?"

A simple map was brought up in front of Sandra's vision, that of a space station. Zooming into the bunk rooms a red dot appears inside one of them.

"There ya go, kinda convenient really? I mean waking up inside a place where you're meant to be sleeping,”
the AI said with a slight laugh in its voice. It caused Sandra to sigh then get up from the bed she was laying in, slowly but surely getting her footing back.

“Right then Mars let's get out of here,” Sandra said, still half-sleep in some ways.

"Couldn't agree with you more there. Kinda getting sick of this place anyway," the AI said with a slight laugh as the two left the room. Most would be non the wiser that Marsaravic was even there, integrated as he was into his host. What the two would be doing and where they would be going was up in the air at this point, as they were both out of any jobs to speak of for now.

 

[Soviet Panda]

"Oh for the love of," Connor said, having forgotten about the automated reply and remembering how infuriating it could be. "Max, this is Connor, I'm going to the usual dock." And with the practiced hand of someone who has overshot in the past, Connor puts on the breaks. Everything strained against their restraints, the momentum of cargo and crew alike wanting to carry them forward. The Oasis was still slowing down when The Redwood came into view. "Once we're docked, the sooner we get everything off loaded the sooner all of you can go and have some fun. I'll send a message when I get a new job lined up." This was not the first time he had told them this, but by now it had become a habit of his.

 

[Nachytsm]

Docking to The Redwood would be a simple affair for someone experienced with it, and a ship of the size of The Oasis would be able to fit wholesale into one of the station's many docking bays.

The one in particular that had been chosen was of course the one Connor regularly had, and it came with all of the familiar comforts; a few station-bound loader bots, one mech for heavy duty lifting, and a few crewmen under Foreman Mattias Sheol, who even now watches as The Oasis moves through the last of the airlocks into the bay.

---------------------

The station's interior is a sprawling mess of corridors, leading to shops, habitation modules, and more than one off-limits section, be they Security or Engineering mandated.

One could probably find something to do somewhere aboard, depending on what they were after, though for Sandra and Marsaravic the dull and unwelcoming drab hallways of the Commons would be a familiar sight. Few people choose to stay here willingly, but when there isn't anywhere to live on the planet- or the growing combat zones prevent comfortable habitation- the Commons start to come alive with activity, not all of it pleasant.