Gazillionaire Deluxe

Part 37

Hrm.

Do you think this was a fix too?

I dunno. Hoff Miester's never given us any trouble before. If they were in on this whole thing, we'd probably have seen some activity before now. I think they're legit.

I'm guessing everyone else will be keeping a low profile too, after we bowled Vandergriff over. So that's one less thing to worry about.

Good. I was getting sick of all the foul play. At least there are still some honest businesspeople out there.

...was that a dig at me?

No. I was including you. Since you've turned over a new leaf.

Yeah, but only recently. Still a little sore about the whole thing.

That's called "guilt".

...

Would you like me to explain guilt? I realise it's new to you.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is your pilot speaking. I am pleased to announce that we are making good time. Our ETA to Bass is six Kukubian Standard Hours. Until then, please feel free to relax and partake of some refreshments, or amuse yourself in our indoor golf course, all of which is part of the service here at Slev, Tark'la and...

...and Sons.

Can I help you, sir?

Bathroom?

Er. There should be facilities available in your cabin, sir.

Broken.

Ah. In that case, there is a public restroom on the left as you enter the dining area, sir.

...

And...I shall inform the maintenance crew of your difficulties forthwith, sir.

...

Appreciated.

...still think it'd be worth our while to see her. We're going to be on Bass either way. It couldn't hurt.

Look. I'm not saying she was useless. She taught us how the market worked back when we were still newbies, and that was great. And now we're not newbies anymore. We can handle ourselves.

It's just...I really think we should go anyway.

Dude. We both have two functional eyes. We are both capable of telling whether a line is going up or down without having to hear about our broker's fucked-up love life.

...

You're not looking for stock advice at all, are you? You're just curious.

I can't help it! It's like watching some dysfunctional soap opera!

Do you think she really...you know, with the shears? I don't know. This isn't something I can not know. It's driving me crazy. I have to find ou...

...is it just me, or have we stopped moving?

Huh.

Pilot? Did we just stop?

Yes, sir.

Why?

I am currently trying to ascertain that, sir.

Dammit. You know what this is? That friggin' cowboy pissing around with our engine. Knew we shouldn't have let him touch it.

Ah, it's not just the engine, sir. It seems to be...well, everything. I can't even run a simple diagnostic, sir. None of the controls are responding.

Oh. Uh, well, can you fix it?

Doubtful, sir. We don't have the equipment on board to handle faults of this magnitude, sir. It is likely that you'll have to use the emergency line and send for a repair droid.

How long will that take?

Quite some time, I'm afraid. I shall inform the passengers, sir.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am sorry to report that there will be a significant delay in-

Whoa, whoa. Don't say it like that. You've gotta put some spin on it. Gimme that mic.

Hey, folks. If you're anything like me, you don't want to feel rushed when you're enjoying a round of golf. Sometimes six hours just isn't enough when you want to take your time, savour every shot and soak up that artificial ambience. So you'll be happy to hear...