Part 773: Let's Read: Main Event - Part 15
Let’s Read: Main Event (part 15)Chapter 15
Solaris City, Solaris
9 August 3054
Days elapsed since book start: 109
Mercenaries recruited since book start: 2
Mercenaries recruited off-screen: 1
Things accomplished since book start: 2 (Rose took a nap, Rose got a Charger)
Protagonists introduced since book start: 5
Protagonists mentioned but not yet introduced: 1
Antagonists introduced since book start: 1
Antagonists defeated since book start: 0
Chapters Spent on Northwind: 5
Jeremiah, finished telling his stupid story, makes to leave. Carstairs offers to sell him a ‘better ‘Mech’.
Main Event posted:
“Too good to be true. Bye, Carstairs.” Rose threw open the door.
“It’s the Charger,” the stablemaster said as Rose waved and walked through the closing door. “It’s already been retrofitted.”
Dayum, Carstairs won that charger less than two hours ago and he’s already refitted it? The Gyro was destroyed! That’s…
Anyway, we’ll find out later that Rose is piloting the CGR-1A9 Charger; an “upgrade” of the old CGR-1A1 with a better weapons suite and a little over half the armor. It’s no wonder this thing lost to a Warhammer in a punching match, it has less armor than a ‘Mech half its weight.
They negotiate, 3.8 million in C-Bills and Jeremiah’s spare (he hasn’t mentioned he has a spare yet) coolant suit. The 1A9 Charger is worth 8 million C-Bills, so this might strike you as a good deal until you realize that coolant suit is hundreds of years old and still works perfectly.
Jeremiah then pays Carstairs 3.8 million and the flight suit, and signs without reading.
Main Event posted:
“You don’t read your contracts?”
“Only if I think it’s necessary,” Rose folded the title and tucked it inside his jacket. “You wouldn’t cross me, you’re a businessman.”
“But what if I did?” Carstairs grinned as he slipped the paper into a desk drawer. “What would you do? I could have an assassin waiting just outside this door.”
“In that case, Lieutenant Viets would arrive to find you trying to dispose of my body.”
Bullshit.
Carstairs calls bullshit as well, but Rose’s master plan has come together. He’s already had the Charger shipped to the spaceport (bullshit), already purchased a spot on the ship for it AND the Shadow Hawk (bullshit), and arranged for a Lieutenant Viets to come give him a ride (bullshit) to Badicus O’Shea’s house so he can recruit Esmeralda (bullshit) and O’Shea (bullshit); and all during what is described as a phone call that lasts less than sixty seconds.
So, I say again: BULLSHIT.
Carstairs then asks where Jeremiah got so much money, and Jeremiah says he bet everything he had on Jeremiah Rose surviving the fight. Derp.
We then see a scene transition, and Rose knocks on Badicus O’Shea’s front door. Badicus remains awesome.
Main Event posted:
“My name is…”
“Jeremiah Rose.” Esmeralda peeked around Badicus and looked Rose up and down with cold disdain.
“So you’re the one?” Without waiting for an answer, Badicus grabbed Rose by the front of the jacket and pulled him inside the small apartment. With a flick of his wrist he sent Rose sailing into the couch at the far end of the room.
Unfortunately, Badicus then decides not to beat Jeremiah senseless. This is merely how Badicus shows his desire to be friends. Badicus talks about the fight and boasts that he wouldn’t have let himself nearly get killed by a Hatchetman (he doesn’t, <Redacted> get him). Esmeralda then compliments Jeremiah’s “fast reaction times.”
Reaction times so fast he got himself pummeled by a Javelin before even trying to hit it back.
Jeremiah then returns Badicus’ laser pistol, since it was ‘so lovingly cared for’. Sorry I killed your girlfriend with it (oh, wait, we forgot about that plot point already), no hard feelings, yadda yadda.
Esmeralda then demands to know why Jeremiah is here. He tells her it’s because he wanted to apologize to Badicus (lie, he hasn’t done that nor will he) and two because he wants to hire Esmeralda to come
Esmeralda then demands to know how Jeremiah is paying for all this, and he lets her know he’s broke so her pay will have to come as a percentage of their first mercenary contract. She’ll be an officer, yadda yadda… and that’s what sells her. It’s a really stupid move from a business perspective, but she’s a Solaris fighter and they’re not the sharpest hammers in the refuse heap.
Badicus O’Shea then demands a position in the unit too. Jeremiah rejects him, but Badicus pulls the “you owe me” card and Jeremiah relents; which means we get to keep an awesome character around even if he’ll be marginalized and eventually killed off. Jeremiah asks if Badicus owns a ‘Mech, which he doesn’t, so Jeremiah gives him the Shadow Hawk. Dutifully, Badicus will get that walking pile of shit destroyed by the end of the book.
Then the chapter ends.