Economics, or the Repitition of History - RPLOG
Participants
Date
1/1/2018
Log
Niles sits in the lobby, tapping his foot as he sits in the single cushionless folding chair that RSX has allocated to him out of pity. There were worse times once, chairless times.
He watches the clock, knowing that he'd be happier elsewhere. He is keenly aware of the fact that he could fulfill his dreams with a single transfer. He is sacrificing a lot to be here, away from what he desires so deeply, he receives nothing in return for what he considers his manly duty. A tear rolls down his face and he wipes it away and inhales deeply, before exhaling slowly and composing himself. He is not here for this. He is here for the future he can build.
The file he holds in his hands bears a wet spot where the tear ended up. It dries slowly in the dry air of the room.
All that remains is to wait for the agents. One day, his trials will end and he will be free to pursue his dream. One day he will not be naked to the outdoor air. It will not be today or tomorrow. This is okay, because all he has to do is wait for the agents and brief them. This will be easy enough. He will endure.
Fenris is right where he is least expected. At Niles's elbow with a handkerchief. "It's clean," he promises, then trots around to smile at the agent.
The tubby tanuki does not comment further, but waits quietly.
Hana hadn't particularly planned on taking an assignment like this, but seeing as she was coming in off of Woodfield patrol anyway... She tugs her overcoat more tightly around her, dressed in her usual patrolling BDU. "So, ah... What's the plan with all this, anyway?" She asks, tucking her hands in her pockets.
Ebreus hops of the chopper having come from a bit further away than Fairhaven this time but still needing the chopper to get here from his new abode. He approaches the familiar RSX Employee, Niles, as par for the course helping to keep Woodfield in order. "Hello Niles, Fenris. How are you two today?" he says as he aproaches. He looks over Hana as she aproaches, apparently prepared for combat. He raises an eyebrow but doesn't comment it instead saying, "Hello to you as well."
Niles looks at Fenris, briefly alarmed, then shakes his head, "No thanks, but I appreciate the offer" He does not attempt to justify Fenris' sudden appearance. He knows better than to try that with shapeshifters. His reaction to Hana is favorable, since she her choice in dress suggests some modicum of the traditional respectfulness of a soldier. Ebreus is, on the other hand, an element of less welcome familiarity, the tale of 'The T-Shirt' having circulated so widely within RSX over the last few months, he looks Ebreus in the eyes, so far as he can attempt to do so to someone so much larger and returns his greeting with "I see that our profit margin has returned to us."
"So. I see two unfamiliar faces here today." Niles says, looking between Hana and Fenris. "I don't believe you've dealt with the Brass Orrery before, Ebreus has. The Brass Orrery are a bunch of fucking cosplaying steam-punk obsessed goblins. They are reasonably friendly and have contributed some of their members time to reducing the chaos in the streets of Woodfield." Niles shrugs, "The rest about them reads like an even worse joke, if you can believe that, but, as a stabilizing force in south woodfield, they are generally appreciated by myself and the rest of RSX."
"On the other hand, 'The Laconics' have had little to do with us. They are of a more human stock, if you can accept creatures with such grotesque quantities muscle as human. Contrary to the stereotypes associated with the 'Bodybuilder' infection, they are also cosplayers, but they tend towards another opposite end of the technological spectrum compared to the 'Brass Orrery'. They value high technology items and, it seems, they may have several former RSX employees among them, they are remarkably proficient in the usage and maintenance of computers, though, we don't think they own very many working examples of such. They are 'cyberpunks', by their own terminology. They are also, laconic by their own terminology. That is what we know about them."
He clears his throat, "The nature of the trade dispute is over the control of the supply of recovered scrap metal. The Brass Orrery, having a technological base that uses hundreds of tons of it for relatively little has a very large issue with them requiring so much of their trace metals, which they need for whatever flavor of the month of Alloy they are favoring." "Simply, solve it. Ebreus has been through this before. If it's like the last time The Brass Orrery got involved with something, there'll be a lot of talk and a absurdly simple answer to their issue. You can leave the way you came in."
It seems that Ebreus is a bit of a trigger for Niles.
Fenris smiles amiably and nods as Niles makes his explanation. "I get on pretty good with muscleheads," he claims with a grin, "I helped negotiate with the autobody guys, and that went pretty well!" The big tanuki makes his handkerchief vanish as quickly as it appeared, then looks down at his outfit. "You think I'm dressed okay for this?" he asks.
Hana folds her arms, nodding along. "I see, I see..." She lifts a hand to rub at her chin with a thumb and forefinger. "Well, anyone that helps maintains order and makes my job easier is certainly getting a good note in my books. I'm not the best at negotiating, but I will certainly see what I can do to help the situation along peacefully."
Ebreus nods as Niles briefs them on the situation taking mental note on each detail of the new group of oddballs to deal with. He grins a little wider than normal as 'cyberpunk' is mentioned then raises an eyebrow as Niles explains that they're laconic in more than just name.
When Niles points out that Ebreus was involved in solving the last problem he nods, "Sounds like I should've brought my armor. I'm sure it'd impress the Laconics." he comments. He looks to his two compatriots for the operation then back to Niles, "Well if we're suppose to get the location of the Laconics or the salvage from the Brass Orrey I think we have what we need."
Ebreus leads the group south through the cold night to the Brass Orrery's compound, a structure of reasonably clean bricks and mortar around what is still a fairly trashed neighborhood. Pieces of Brass and steel glint off the sides where the Goblins have made their modifications to the structure. Lime powered spotlights flare to life as the group approaches, and the guards, recognizing Ebreus lead the group inside. Inside the workshop is quieter than before, being late at night, compared to before. The guards show the group in to the area in front of the main boiler, where Heinrich, the leader of the Brass Orrery tends to be. The boiler casts bright slits of light over his face as it blazes. He appears to be fairly concerned.
The guards announce the group, a formality that Ebreus has not observed before in this gang, and he stands up, "It is good to see the agents of RSX's employ today." Heinrich says, his bald head gleaming muted in the intensely yellow light of the boiler, "Sorry to bring you back for something so troublesome Ebreus. It's quite nice to see you again. Though, it does strike me that your companions are never consistent."
"In any case, what do you think you should know before moving on? As is traditional, or so it seems, in our negotiations?"
Fenris is a little surprised that he is not familiar with the Brass Orrery. Assuming that they have an actual Orrery, that sort of thing is right up the tanuki's alley.
The burly tanuki looks around with interest as the group is led into the compound. "Oh!" he blinks, "He meant ACTUAL goblins! Awesome! All the metaphor and hyperbole gets confusing sometimes." He bows low to the apparent leader of the goblins, in oriental style, and his hand shoots up when the offer for questions comes up.
"Can I see the Orrery?" he asks, a grin plastered on his round face.
Hana snaps off a lazy salute to the guards that greet them, then promptly returns her hands to her pockets to keep out the chill. "Nice to see you, too. As far as questions go, I've not got anything particular in mind. Except I suppose what kind of scrap it is the dispute is over? And what kind of things you want to use it for."
Ebreus squints when the spotlight is first shown on him but after a few moments his eyes adjust and he continues on into the compound. He glances back at his companions to see how they react to the Orrey He snerks as Fenris just now gets that they are really goblins but immediately quiets himself. Once they're brought to the area he assumes by this point is just their equivalent of a meeting room and are introduced to Heinrich. "Hello Heinrich. Nice to see you as well and it is no great trouble to fly out every now and then to lend a hand." he replies to the greeting. He nods as Heinrich mentions the how his company changes consistently, "I suppose it is luck that I am available when you need help." He indicates the Tanuki, "This is Fenris, he's about as good at what he does as he is unusual."
When the question of what to do before negotiations is asked he takes a short breath and replies, "To start with we could use some more information about the Laconic. RSX had precious little detail on whom we will be negotiating with." He then nods in acknowledgment to Hana, "That as well, knowing the more precise nature of the dispute." he adds on.
"We don't have an orrery" Heinrich says, "I am going to presume that Niles didn't tell you much, so let me explain. Excepting present company, we're mostly a bunch of shitheads that sprung up out of the mechanical engineering department and the LARPing community at Woodfield College. They are... colorful in their naming strategies, to say the least. I'm the leader, only because they didn't know enough about Mechanical Engineering to do this themselves"
"Scraps? No. this is about the supply of tin, silver, gold, and copper, among other more rarefied metals. It is broader than scrap because we even have a few suppliers of such things that mine the stuff! Can you believe that? Such a short time in setting it up too."
"Of course Eb, you'd get to the matter first." Heinrich smiles at him, "I really do mean that it's good to see you again. In any case, to answer your question, The Laconics are led by a man who goes by Trent who enjoys playing the saxophone, yes, this all sounds fucking irrelevant to me too, and on top of that absurd inanity, growing bonsai trees. In any case, unlike the last time you were here for this, Margaret and I managed to convince them to just hold the meeting here. We've got a nice conference room set up, that only smells a little bit of the anthracite we used to store there. The fact that he complemented us on the decor when they consisted mostly of coal streaks on the wall should let you know something about the man's political skills. Anything else before I show you in?"
Fenris deflates a little at the lack of magic and/or mystery. But he could not fault whover made up the name, it certainly sounded impressive. The tubby tanuki's ears do perk up a little at the mention of bonsai, but otherwise he stands and listens as the lead goblin makes his explanation.
As he wraps up, however, Fenris produces a large box of tea bags. Some generic brand, but still sealed in its box. "Can we get hot water and cups for tea?" he asks, "Tea is good for meetings! Sake is better, but I have tea."
Hana raises her brows, nodding. "A mine supply? Impressive indeed," the moth agrees, antennae twitching idly. "Well, at least they're amicable for the meeting in the first place. There have been far worse starts to a negotiation that I've been part of. Hopefully that'll mean good things for this, eh?"
Ebreus nods as Heinrich explains a little about the man they will be negotiating with, taking notes of the little details. "Okay then a bit more significant than salvage." he says. He hums a single not before continuing, "Sounds like fun. Do we know a specific reason why Trent is trying to get it or are we going to have to ask him?" he replies.
"We have a wide variety of ales and ale-mixes. Among the greatest mysteries I know is why the hell does everyone else around here think that Ale is suitable as a base for a mix drink. Just ask for sake neat. They have some. No idea where they got it, but they have it." Heinrich says, "I'd be angry about it if I still drank."
"Yeah, and I've been told that it's thanks to the agents/independent contractors that we have such things."
"Trent wants it because it's necessary to fix up the computers they maintain. They talk about having a fab somehow, and they seem to have some familiarity with the teminology associated with the IC fabrication process. I don't recall a Trent in the Electrical or Computer Engineering departments of the College, but they might have some expertise from there."
Heinrich looks at his left wrist briefly before shaking off the feeling that he had a watch recently, "Is that it for questions then?"
Fenris looks utterly horrified at the idea of mixing ale and sake. It hurts all the way down to his tanuki bones, but he shakes it off the best he can, trying to laugh off the terrible sacrilege.
"No," the burly tanuki shakes his head, "You both want the metal and there doesn't seem to be enough to go around. Seems simple enough." He reaches inside his shirt and produces an improbably large packet of cookies, tearing them open and popping one into his mouth, trying to banish the horror od ale-based, mixed drinks.
"Sounds like an awful mixture if you ask me," Hana remarks, nose wrinkled. "There are drinks for mixing, that's not one of them." She withdraws her hands from her pockets, only to set them on her hips. "Hopefully we can arrange a deal that works out for the both of you. Keeping computers maintained is tricky business- Not that I'd know. I can maintain and fix firearms, but that's about it."
Ebreus nods as Heinrich explains they need the material for maintaining their computers. "I've been maintaining a computer of my own back home. They do take some work to keep functional." he comments. He looks to the goblin and says, "I think we have what we would need to begin negotiations." he says.
"Yeah. That's how it is. Unfortunately, our suppliers are having some issues at the moment. Otherwise we'd find more and move on."
"Funny how you can comment on it then... Say, I don't suppose a moth like you could use a brass pistol... Sorry, this isn't the time to pawn something off on you. Later on if you like."
Heinrich smiles and nods, "Fantastic. Follow me please."
Heinrich leads the group behind the boiler into the depths of the building, taking them down long twisting corridors, all marked diligently with signs marking where to go to end up where. The group ends up at a double door marked "Coal storage 1", Heinrich shakes his head and mumbles something about how silly it was to still use coal these days as he pushes it open. Inside, the room is lit by a group of arc lights. It is safe to say that it is best to not consider the safety implications of a coal storage room lit by arc lights. It smells unusual in here. Not bad. The anthracite streaks on the walls are fantastically complex, Trent has good taste in art after all.
Sitting at a table in the middle is a massively muscular man with a mohawk striking up like a spike. He wears a jacket that glows various colors. It is safe to say the jacket is expensive to maintain these days.
He stands up and greets the group, the softness of his voice is surprising considering his musculature, "It's good to see our negotiators have arrived."
Fenris frowns a little, looking between the Bladerunner-esque outfit the Laconic is wearing and the buttons and buckles the Orrery people wear. Then he looks at his cowboy outfit and his frown deepens.
"Why didn't anyone tell me there was a dress code?" he asks. His eyes cross a little as he concentrates, then the tubby tanuki's clothing blurs for a moment as if you were looking in a fogged mirror. When it snaps back into focus, the burly coon-dog is wearing what seems to be a jedi robe. Well, the top half at least. "There!" he says, seeming quite pleased with himself, "Negotiation ready!" He grins and holds out his packet. "Cookie?" he offers.
"Brass pistol?" Hana chuckles quietly, brushing her coat to the side to show the iron on her hip. "I'm not lacking in equipment, but I'm intrigued. Tell me more, when the business is over, hm? Might be tickled into an interest." Her expression settles again, then as she returns her hands to her pockets of her greatcoat, never quite sure what to do with them, after giving a nod of greeting to Trent. "Good to see you, too."
Ebreus pauses a moment when he's offered a brass pistol then relaxes a moment when he deflects to dealing with it later. After being lead through the maze of corridors to the makeshift meeting room and in to see the muscular man and elaborate patterns on the walls. "Good day, I am Ebreus. This is Fenris and Hana." he says introducing himself and his assocites. He aproaches the table with a polite smile on his face.
Trent blinks at Fenris, ignoring his clothing magic and nods towards Fenris and Hana, shaking Ebreus' offered hand "Nice of you to join us for this negotiation, Ebreus, Hana, Fenris. Why don't we all sit down and talk about this if you don't mind joining myself and Heinrich here."
After everyone is seated he starts talking, "So I take it that Heinrich explained what the conflict was over?"
Fenris shrugs as he settles his sizeable bulk into a chair. "More or less," he responds to Trent, "Limited resources and you both want them." He looks between the apparent human and the goblins and folds his fat hands, nodding sagely. "If this is the case, and both groups really do want all the same products, then there is only one logical solution," the tanuki pauses for dramatic effect, "Trial by combat! Or a bake off. We could have a bake off if trial by combat seems to extreme." He hesitates and looks at his compatriots. "That is right isn't it?" he asks.'
Hana lofts a brow in regards to Fenris' solution, before shaking her head. "One is extreme, the other seems... Frivolous, perhaps, but doable I suppose, in some terms." She brushes her fingers through her white hair, before shrugging. "Given how your two groups seem fairly friendly to one another, personally I would just suggest sharing by some measure. I mean, if there are many metal types, surely there are metals being gathered that -aren't- needed right away for computer upkeep? And vice versa."
Ebreus shakes Trents hand and seats himself after he made the suggestion to do so. When asked if they had been properly briefed on the situation he clears his throat- and then something happens... the Tanuki surprised him. He looks over to Fenris after the trial by combat... or baked goods method of conflict resolution. He then nods as Hana suggests sharing, "We were told the Laconics need the material for computer maintenance and IC fabrication and the Brass Orrey needs the materials for their own projects. Though Hana does seem to be quick to the point. Some system of sharing the resources, at this point, seems like the most reasonable solution."
"Mostly" Trent admits to Fenris' suggestion that it's a matter of scarcity, "As much fun as that might be, we aren't prepared for trial by combat, and our cooking leaves much to be desired." Trent is smiling at this suggestion in spite of how his tone does not change.
Trent looks to Hana, "We just need conductors and a few that are important in semiconductors. These are, however, quite important to The Orrery as well. Their mechanical parts would be immensely weakened by the lack of them."
"We have some terms for an agreement that we find acceptable" He passes a sheaf of paper over to Ebreus, "We've gone to some length to make this equitable, but ultimately, we aren't able to separated ourselves from our own needs well enough to see if it actually is."
The agreement seems fairly equitable, with binding mediation by third party groups as necessary, subject to a large number of terms that largely make it seem both deeply disingenious and intensely well considered.
Fenris peers over Ebreus's shoulder, but the convoluted legalese is rather beyond him. "Trial by combat would be easier," he says, blinking at the complex document. He looks at the mohawked man with his customary, contented smile. "I thought you guys were supposed to be less word crazy," he says affably, then looks around for some way that he can properly contribute. Usually his goal is just to keep both sides from killing each other during negotiations, so things are going pretty well here.
The burly coon-dog rises from his chair to look around the room.
Hana rests her hands on the table, brow furrowing in thought. "Well, it sounds like you're ahead of the game," she murmurs, looking towards Ebreus and the document. "May I take a look when you're done?" she asks, wings ruffling momentarily under her coat. "Not that I'm much of a lawyer or anything, but I can see if it makes sense at least."
Ebreus nods, "It's always nice to see people going out of their way to make good deals instead of self-serving deals, even to the point of getting third-party opinions." he says as he begins to look over the document. He reads over the document once and hums a long note before returning to the beginning and reading it again. As he reads it the second time his jaw moves slightly as if he were almost reading aloud but the movements not enough to open his mouth and producing no noise. His only response to Hanas question while he reads is a slight nod and upon the end of the second read-through he passes the document to her. "I would want to hear Hana's opinion but as far as I can tell the terms of the agreement seem quite sound."
"We had a third party write this." Trent says, leaving it at that.
Heinrich nods, "Well, I'll have one of our accountants see if we can afford it, but I think I can take your word for it Ebreus." He looks up to Trent, "I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised."
Trent nods, "We can't do what you do, and you aren't very good at what we do. We'll need each other's services eventually." He pauses, "If we don't handle this properly, then we won't have business later on."
Fenris grins, glad to see that all of this worked out so well! Now it was time for the important part of the negotiation. "Sake all round!" he cheers, then quickly adds, "Neat. No ale at all. Please."
Ebreus nods as it is revealed that the document was drafted by a third party. "Thank you Heinrich. I'm glad to have been of some help. Please don't hesitate to ask if there's more to do down the line." he says then rises from the table.
