In Chapter 3 we are introduced to the Fate Chart (see Interlude 1), which is used to resolve binary, yes/no questions. There are two types of such questions introduced in this chapter. One are simple odds questions, "Is it raining?", "Are the Guards looking this way?", "Do they have maple donuts?"
The second kind of question is Resisted. This is pitting one trait against another. In the first part of the narrative below we will focus on Odds questions. At the bottom we will engage in some Resisted Questions. It will pretty clear which is which.
"Wake up,
Get out of bed,
Drag a comb across your head"
Jack wakes to his alarm playing the old Beatles tune and considers very seriously rolling over and going back to sleep [Why doesn't he? Transform Friendship, he has offered help to a potential ally with some of his technical expertise], but then he remembers that Tom is waiting at the "park" or will be in (he checks his watch) about 23minutes. Damn.
He follows the instructions of the Beatles tune and even goes so far as to put on clean clothes: well clean-ish clothes. After a little consideration he also slips on a lightly armored great coat and puts his stun wand in one pocket and his antique Peace Maker Mark 4 in the other. He hums a little discordant tune of his own and the audio shuts off and his coffee maker starts. Well, coffee-ish. He hasn't had real coffee in weeks, but if the new contract plays out maybe he will have a few credits to spare and splurge a bit, but that is business for tomorrow.
Another hum at a different tone brings several small drones his way, until they reach his feet and fold up like origami boxes. He picks them up an fervently hopes he won't need them today. Lastly, he puts on a pair of smart glasses, several years out of fashion, but loaded with good software, and with twice rinsed Styrofoam mug of "coffee" hits the street.
Is there a scrap vendor out today? Odds 50/50 (we are ignoring chaos factor for todays examples) 71 No.
He is meeting Tom at a small "park" in a clearing behind a couple of old apartment blocks whose rear sides face each other. After 9pm it is a good place to get shot, but during the day it should be safe.
As he walks there (as quickly as he can and not get out of breath), he goes over Tom's request again in his head [preceding the mundane]. He just wants a "quick" lesson on how to scavenge scrap from old tech. What Jack knows that Tom apparently doesn't is that this isn't a skill you can pick up in an afternoon, but he agreed to see just how much he could pass on in a few hours.
He mumbles to his glasses and they start a 3 hour count down. After 3 hours of friend prices, meaning free as he owes Tom a marker, Jack will start charging. By the minute.
Does Jack make it on time? Somewhat Likely (65) No he is late, by about 10 minutes. Tom looks annoyed (is Tom a merc? Unlikely 26 Yes, his specialty is (waste misfortune) a Cleaner, which pays very well, so this new found interest in scrap is a bit odd, but it is calling in a marker, so I reset the count down to 3.5 hrs.
Is Tom surly? unlikely (he after all wants a favor) (61 No), Tom tries to plaster on a smile and swallows the bitching that is just on the tip of his tongue. The two associates politely shake hands. Tom too has smart glasses, a newer pair, the bastard.
As they walk to the Market, Jack explains that scrap is only the start to the processes of making a living off of reclaimed tech. Should we find a few doodads that aren't to busticated we can pull out some components and that will make some quick cred, but it isn't too likely. What you really need to have an eye for is that busticated junk that the vendor wants to unload quick. You will want to pick out pieces that will require minimal repair, or maybe even can immediately be used by a tech-doc to make something lasting and useful with minimal effort on their part.
The lecture portion of the lesson lasts all the way to the Market, which is already pretty busy. The Market is an open air affair with just tiles on the floor marking off what used to be sheik shopping space: back when this part of the Fringe was still part of town. It may have even looked good back in the day, but the geodesic dome that covered the "open air mall" has had dozens of panels drop out. On rainy or cold days it is a miserable place to be, but Tom and Jack got lucky and there are sunny skies, and it looks to be a good day. Until they go to step in. A young man with an 8 inch spiked mohawk stands in front of them. "Toll day losers, pay up or F*ck off".
J-"It is your show Tom"
Tom shrugs and pulls out some Benford Inc. scrip, and peels off a couple hundred. The punks eyes glaze over with greed. He quickly pockets the dough and lets Tom through but puts a hand on Jack's chest. "That coves him, now you pay up."
Jack knows that the punk has been paid enough to let 4 people in. The punk knows that Jack knows. So they both lock eyes in a classic stair down [Punk's Will Power is Average, Jack's is High, crossing the two on the Fate Chart gives Jack a 75% chance of making the punk flinch. roll... 45]. The punk steps back "Just screwing around with you geezer, go on in."
Once inside, Jack starts to regret the coat. Yes, the holes in the geodesic mall let he rain in and the cold in, but the grime makes the Market dingy and there are not enough holes (lets not even mention air conditioning) to vent off the heat of this many moving bodies. He feels slow roasted under the layers of grey acrylic faux wool and Kevlar.
Jack catches up with Tom at the first "booth" which is really just square of blanket in one of the "room". Back when this place was fully operational, sound buffers in each shop would have cut the noise down to a murmur, but now all the haggling voices, especially from the barkers trying to attract business to there square, bounce off the transparent (but very dirty) photoelectric plates and even half full in the morning the noise is painful. Jack pops in a set of ear plugs he designed which should cancel some of the racket. This is the prototype put to its first real test, [Jack is a drone designer but a lot of elements go into that so I have decided he can use his Exceptional drone design skill against the High noise volume, checking the Fate chart he has a 65% chance of success. roll... 34] and the buffers kick in giving him a relief to one discomfort of the Market.
Now he just has to avoid getting fleeced or rolled and he may have a good morning.
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