Post by Catsmate on Mar 10, 2021 12:34:52 GMT
Global Deliveries Incorporated
Originally inspired by the combination of an episode of Midsomer Murders starring the excellent Helen Masters, the filk-song Fire In The Sky and some musings on Judoon 'Compensation Vouchers'. With perhaps some shades of Salvage 1 and Planet Express As the forum is quiet I decided to start posting some of my notes and ideas.
What happens when a couple of clever and determined people acquire a small spaceship from a defaulting alien customer?
They make a business plan….
It all started with some dubious business practices, a business-man steering too close to the wind and the arrival of police.
A common enough story; but in this case the business was selling Terran halite1 to off-world customers (a hot item on Sto and several other worlds), the “business-man” was actually a Takasian neuter named Goroth Sama Tellair and the police were Judoon.
The operation was fairly subtle by Judoon standards, perhaps because the landing party was commanded by half-inspector Bakat, one of those very rare Judoon capable of independent thought.
Unfortunately while Bakat was subtle his constables still scooped up three entirely human bystanders, along with Goroth and his two “known associates” (a non-sentient AI “companion” ‘bot he’d picked up cheap2 and his Sto middleman, Dyer Baarde). Unfortunate for the Judoon, because one of the humans was Jenna Beasley, a strong-willed and adaptable solicitor visiting on behalf of a client and who wasn't going to let being kidnapped by aliens obstruct her. Another was Phillip Meadowe, a quick thinking technical consultant to whom Goroth owed money for services rendered.
By the time Jenna, aided by Phillip as her client, had finished “negotiating” with the Judoon3 regarding compensation for unlawful arrest, seizure of goods, waste of valuable time and much, much, more she was part owner of a small spaceship and quite a lot of associated paraphernalia.
While being held by the Judoon Phillip had formulated a plan, and pillaged their rather poorly secured, databases for information. He’s learned about UNIT for a start.
The three demanded, and acquired, Goroth’s small spaceship as compensation, all legally signed and stamped. In quintuplicate.
They returned the ship to the small, disused, rural airfield that Goroth had purchased as a base4 and figured out the details. While he’d come to trust Jenna’s ability as a lawyer, he was skeptical that her efforts would be sufficient to keep UNIT off their backs while he implemented the plan. So while she handled the legal details of their little business venture, including transferring Goroth’s assets to the new company (named Global Deliveries Incorporated) Phillip acquired quite a lot of scrap metal and a supply of shipping containers. Aided by a couple of Baarde’s worker ‘bots he built some insurance.
Soon it was time for the public launch.
After not quite threatening destruction on the petajoule scale, and backed by Jenna’s ability to cause a huge legal stink, the new company arranged a license from UNIT for their transport business. Specifically ground-to-orbit transport.
Far cheaper than chemical fuelled rockets, and able to carry large payloads with speed and discretion. Just what the UN needed to supplement its fleet of shuttles, spaceplanes and Big Dumb Boosters.
GDI’s ship, officially named the Workhorse but generally referred to as the truck, is able to carry several thousand tonnes of payload (if it’s dense enough; approximately nine shipping containers in volume) with ease.
GDI is a basically small, discreet, 'boutique' business putting satellites and payloads in where they're wanted in near-Earth space.
Other than Phillip (partner, CEO, COO, CTO and MD) and Jenna (partner and counsel) the company employs few people; he and Jenna are rather paranoid. They kept Synthia (Goroth’s android) who acts as receptionist and administrator and is the face of the company.
Most of the other admin is done by Khadijah, in between her college work (she owns a 2.5% share of the company is thus a millionaire) and they’ve hired one outsider, a former RAF and British Army pilot (AAC) named Saskia Fowler who was grounded and discharged following a SpecFor/UNIT mission that went wrong in some distant and dusty place.
The serious, ‘life altering’ injuries she suffered ended her dreams of flying and of space. Until an annoying man offered her a job in exchange for a seven year contract. She’s an excellent pilot, since her injuries were fixed with the aid of some off-world medical care, but has problems dealing with others. This is made up by her piloting skills, gift for mathematics (M.Sc. level) and her general disillusionment with UNIT6.
So now the group works in the mostly legitimate delivery business, but they have extensive contacts with the "point one percent", the people who know aliens, time travel and such fantasies are real.
Jenna has represented several aliens and time travellers in legal matters, and her firm (she bought out the other partners) handles quite a bit of odd business7. If they're around then she knows Ashildr and the Trap Street community as well as the Hourglass Club (she's an honorary member and enjoys the food and ambience8) and has acted for members of the Timeless Society9.
Comments? Ideas? Suggestions?
1. Rock salt, a delicacy on several planets as mentioned in Industrial Evolution.
2. A very convincing replica of the humanoid life form, though Goroth got it cheap because the her owner felt the walk wasn't quite right. And the accent...
3. "I've browbeaten old-school DSI's harder than those rhinos into tears".
4. Using synthetic gemstones, something that sparked interest from certain parties.
5. Most of the materials that are recovered are somewhat damaged.
6. The maintains contact with both UNIT and RAF Intelligence (shades of Gilmore and the ICMG) but has refused to act for them while under GDI contract.
7. Such as holding on to packages for decades before delivering them or managing properties for clients with unusual requirements.
8. While Phillip avoids the place; the concept of time travel freaks him out.
9. A group of antique dealers and antiquarians who are aware of the reality of time travel and assist time travellers and TDPs to offload suspiciously new antiques and provide other support services for them.
“She's just a truck. But she's a truck that's aiming high.
See her big jets burn. See her fire in the sky."
See her big jets burn. See her fire in the sky."
Originally inspired by the combination of an episode of Midsomer Murders starring the excellent Helen Masters, the filk-song Fire In The Sky and some musings on Judoon 'Compensation Vouchers'. With perhaps some shades of Salvage 1 and Planet Express As the forum is quiet I decided to start posting some of my notes and ideas.
What happens when a couple of clever and determined people acquire a small spaceship from a defaulting alien customer?
They make a business plan….
It all started with some dubious business practices, a business-man steering too close to the wind and the arrival of police.
A common enough story; but in this case the business was selling Terran halite1 to off-world customers (a hot item on Sto and several other worlds), the “business-man” was actually a Takasian neuter named Goroth Sama Tellair and the police were Judoon.
The operation was fairly subtle by Judoon standards, perhaps because the landing party was commanded by half-inspector Bakat, one of those very rare Judoon capable of independent thought.
“You know Jenna these Judoon remind me of the old saw, ‘Why do the police go round in threes?’.”
“Pardon?”
“One who can write, one who can make phone calls and a Special Branch man to keep an eye on two such dangerous intellectuals”.
“Pardon?”
“One who can write, one who can make phone calls and a Special Branch man to keep an eye on two such dangerous intellectuals”.
Unfortunately while Bakat was subtle his constables still scooped up three entirely human bystanders, along with Goroth and his two “known associates” (a non-sentient AI “companion” ‘bot he’d picked up cheap2 and his Sto middleman, Dyer Baarde). Unfortunate for the Judoon, because one of the humans was Jenna Beasley, a strong-willed and adaptable solicitor visiting on behalf of a client and who wasn't going to let being kidnapped by aliens obstruct her. Another was Phillip Meadowe, a quick thinking technical consultant to whom Goroth owed money for services rendered.
By the time Jenna, aided by Phillip as her client, had finished “negotiating” with the Judoon3 regarding compensation for unlawful arrest, seizure of goods, waste of valuable time and much, much, more she was part owner of a small spaceship and quite a lot of associated paraphernalia.
- The third member of the “consortium” is Khadijah McKinney, an unwanted university student who’d been on her first day of “work experience” due to Goroth’s inability to cope with human bureaucracy. He's been planning to mind-numb her.
While being held by the Judoon Phillip had formulated a plan, and pillaged their rather poorly secured, databases for information. He’s learned about UNIT for a start.
The three demanded, and acquired, Goroth’s small spaceship as compensation, all legally signed and stamped. In quintuplicate.
They returned the ship to the small, disused, rural airfield that Goroth had purchased as a base4 and figured out the details. While he’d come to trust Jenna’s ability as a lawyer, he was skeptical that her efforts would be sufficient to keep UNIT off their backs while he implemented the plan. So while she handled the legal details of their little business venture, including transferring Goroth’s assets to the new company (named Global Deliveries Incorporated) Phillip acquired quite a lot of scrap metal and a supply of shipping containers. Aided by a couple of Baarde’s worker ‘bots he built some insurance.
Soon it was time for the public launch.
RAF Dishforth, a minor UNIT base in the middle of a cold and damp nowhere.
Some ten minutes after the semi-public landing of a spaceship.
“I have three things to say to you, major. Kinetic impactor. Retrograde orbital velocity. Deadman switch. Now take me to your leader”.
Some ten minutes after the semi-public landing of a spaceship.
“I have three things to say to you, major. Kinetic impactor. Retrograde orbital velocity. Deadman switch. Now take me to your leader”.
After not quite threatening destruction on the petajoule scale, and backed by Jenna’s ability to cause a huge legal stink, the new company arranged a license from UNIT for their transport business. Specifically ground-to-orbit transport.
Far cheaper than chemical fuelled rockets, and able to carry large payloads with speed and discretion. Just what the UN needed to supplement its fleet of shuttles, spaceplanes and Big Dumb Boosters.
- As I've said elsewhere I assume that space travel is far more common in the Whoniverse with multiple permanently occupied space-stations, at least one official lunar base (and two unofficial ones), far more space infrastructure and other requirements for launch capacity. However barring the development of something new, or a lot of working alien tech5 there is still a need for conventional launchers.
GDI’s ship, officially named the Workhorse but generally referred to as the truck, is able to carry several thousand tonnes of payload (if it’s dense enough; approximately nine shipping containers in volume) with ease.
- The ship is capable of interstellar flight (something they’ve neglected to inform UNIT about) though it’d be pretty slow, as well as interplanetary but mainly operates in orbital and cis-lunar space carrying cargo and personnel for UNIT, other UN agencies, several governments and some discreet corporations, universities and organisations. There are fairly simple rules about what they’ll carry (weapons and armed satellites are UN only, Phillip and Jenna are not planning to get involved in any arms races).
- The do the occasional run to Mars or the Jovian system, mainly to drop off probes.
- The toleration of UN and the national governments is backed up by the implicit threat of a five hundred tonne object coming down at over 20km/s. Phillip has demonstrated this, fragmenting the impactor safely over the Baltic Sea, to make sure the concept was understood.
GDI is a basically small, discreet, 'boutique' business putting satellites and payloads in where they're wanted in near-Earth space.
Other than Phillip (partner, CEO, COO, CTO and MD) and Jenna (partner and counsel) the company employs few people; he and Jenna are rather paranoid. They kept Synthia (Goroth’s android) who acts as receptionist and administrator and is the face of the company.
Most of the other admin is done by Khadijah, in between her college work (she owns a 2.5% share of the company is thus a millionaire) and they’ve hired one outsider, a former RAF and British Army pilot (AAC) named Saskia Fowler who was grounded and discharged following a SpecFor/UNIT mission that went wrong in some distant and dusty place.
“Have you ever been to RAF Dishforth?”
“Once. Briefly. It was a dump”.
“It hasn’t changed much. On my last visit I threatened to drop a twenty kilotonne kinetic weapon on it. It was an effort not to follow through”.
“You’re rising in my estimation”.
“Once. Briefly. It was a dump”.
“It hasn’t changed much. On my last visit I threatened to drop a twenty kilotonne kinetic weapon on it. It was an effort not to follow through”.
“You’re rising in my estimation”.
Saskia looked at the craft that occupied the centre of the refurbished hanger.
“It’s a truck. A flying box”, she tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice. This thing looked nothing like a real spaceship, no streamlined angles and surfaces.
The man next to her merely grinned and replied, “Ah, but it’s a truck that’s aiming high”.
“It’s a truck. A flying box”, she tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice. This thing looked nothing like a real spaceship, no streamlined angles and surfaces.
The man next to her merely grinned and replied, “Ah, but it’s a truck that’s aiming high”.
So now the group works in the mostly legitimate delivery business, but they have extensive contacts with the "point one percent", the people who know aliens, time travel and such fantasies are real.
Jenna has represented several aliens and time travellers in legal matters, and her firm (she bought out the other partners) handles quite a bit of odd business7. If they're around then she knows Ashildr and the Trap Street community as well as the Hourglass Club (she's an honorary member and enjoys the food and ambience8) and has acted for members of the Timeless Society9.
Comments? Ideas? Suggestions?
1. Rock salt, a delicacy on several planets as mentioned in Industrial Evolution.
2. A very convincing replica of the humanoid life form, though Goroth got it cheap because the her owner felt the walk wasn't quite right. And the accent...
3. "I've browbeaten old-school DSI's harder than those rhinos into tears".
4. Using synthetic gemstones, something that sparked interest from certain parties.
5. Most of the materials that are recovered are somewhat damaged.
6. The maintains contact with both UNIT and RAF Intelligence (shades of Gilmore and the ICMG) but has refused to act for them while under GDI contract.
7. Such as holding on to packages for decades before delivering them or managing properties for clients with unusual requirements.
8. While Phillip avoids the place; the concept of time travel freaks him out.
9. A group of antique dealers and antiquarians who are aware of the reality of time travel and assist time travellers and TDPs to offload suspiciously new antiques and provide other support services for them.