Oasis Surveyor

Dejected, Vikus brought the Rotohopper down at a watering hole. He stepped out of the hatch, dusted off his uniform, and turned back to his men.

“Find a place to park, then come join me. We’ve all had a long day.” 

Mutterings of ‘yes sir’ came from behind him as he approached the wooden door. Talpat Public House read the wooden sign hanging from two chains. It was as anachronistic as the oil lamps that lit the front porch. He opened the front door and was relieved to hear the low hum of electric light, and even more relieved to hear the sizzling of meat on a skillet. He looked around the empty room, before the barkeeper emerged from the back room.

“Hello there!” the barkeeper greeted him. The man was silver haired and sported a disheveled beard, but he moved with a spryness that brought his age into question. “You’re just a bit early for dinner,” he continued, “but if you want to take a seat, we’ll have portions out in forty minutes”.

Dinner wasn’t Vikus’ plan, but after smelling the wafts of meat and fat on the air, he figured he could make time.

“That sounds lovely,” Vikus responded, “but I was hoping I could ask you a few questions. I haven’t been in town long.”

“Of course!” responded the barkeeper, “You speak excellent MTL, by the way, I’m impressed. The name’s Eldry.”

“Vikus,” he responded as he pulled a stool up to the bar. It was nice to hear he wasn’t standing out too much. “I’m writing the Federation Frontiersmen handbook on Docide. I’m actually responsible for teaching MTL to cadets, so I’m glad I’m not too bad at it.”

Eldry smiled invitingly. “A whole handbook on this sleepy town? Surely there’s no need for all that.” He trailed off, then picked up again “So are you drinking good, or drinking cheap?” Eldry asked.

Vikus hadn’t intended to drink, but endearing Eldry to him was probably his best path to some honest information. “What currencies do you use in Docide?” Vikus inquired.

“Ozzies,” Eldry responded, “same as the mainland. But a man like you,” Eldry nodded at Vikus’s Federation uniform, “I’m sure has something to pay with.”

“Will you accept Denaro?” Vikus asked.

“Not on credit, you understand, but do you have physical money?” Eldry inquired.

Vikus nodded. “I’ve got some. What would a meal cost?”

Eldry chortled. “Can I see it? I’ve never seen a blueback. But with that foundry going up in the hills, I have a feeling I’ll be seeing plenty of them soon.”

“Sure,” Vikus responded as he pulled a couple bills out of his wallet and set them on the counter. “On the satellite a meal is 40 Denaro for a non-comissioned, but what I’m smelling from the back is considerably better, so I’m thinking…”

“… Seventy.” Vikus finished.

“… A hundred.” Eldry finished simultaneously.

“Right, one hundred,” Vikus continued, “but it’s so kind of you to bring it down to eighty a plate since I’m also feeding my three men, who are out mooring the ship.”

Eldry looked up from the bills on the counter, “You should tell them I’ve got two spots in the back. On the south side, away from the garage.”

“Our comms don’t work this close to the domes,” Vikus responded.

“Oh! Funny.” Eldry responded dryly. “They’re not all blue.” He noted, referring again to the bills on the counter.”

“No, just the one hundred,” Vikus said, “and the ten.”

“So how much are these?” Eldry inquired.

“That’s a twenty, and a fifty,” Vikus informed.

“Oh, so the number of strokes is the denomination,” Eldry realized.

“Yes, except…” Vikus started, as he pulled another bill out of his wallet, “that’s only in Protean. Above one hundred, they’re in formal Ceasarian script, where every number can be represented by two pen strokes.”

“Which makes that bill worth…?” Eldry inquired.

“Five hundred Denaro.” Vikus stated with aplomb. 

“So you’re drinking good,” Eldry responded as he reached for a decanter of golden-brown fluid behind the counter, and grabbed a glass.

“Great.” Vikus said, as he received the glass from Eldry. “While I’m here, I was hoping you could tell me some things about the town. I’m especially interested in the person called Starlet, and the folks in the oasis.”

“What are all those medals for?” Eldry asked, nodding at the adornments on Vikus’s suit. “Do they always make you wear those things, or…?”

Vikus snorted and set down his drink. He was being too coy, this man seemed helpful enough “It’s formal, I was supposed to be having a diplomatic meeting with Starlet,” his tone betrayed his frustration. “But I was unable to locate her. Do you know how I might find her?”

Eldry pulled the decanter back out, and refilled Vikus’s glass. Vikus heard the jingle of the door opening as his contingent entered.

“These folks yours?” Eldry asked.

“Indeed,” Vikus responded, “This is Henri, Cable, and Yotts. They’re eating on my dime, and they are drinking cheap.”

“Fabulous!” Eldry clapped, “You can take a seat either in the corner, or over there by the heat. Dinner’s still a bit off, but can I get you started with wine or beer?”

Henri pulled off his helmet and looked inquisitively at Vikus, who returned a knowing nod. “I’ll take a beer.” said Henri, and murmurs of “Beer sounds good,” came from the duo behind him as they detached their vest and took to their seats. Henri approached Vikus as Eldry disappeared into the back room. “Thanks Vik. How’s this going?” Henri asked.

“Plodding,” Vikus responded.

Eldry returned with three bottles, and attended to the contingent as they settled into the corner. Then he returned to the counter. “So, where were we?” Eldry asked. Vikus was ready to launch into his questions, but Eldry struck first. “Right, you were expecting a meeting with Starlet, so you put on all the gussy to show her you’re more important than her.”

Vikus rolled his eyes. Eldry was trying to get a rise out of him. “We consider it a sign of respect. I can make no claims about my rank compared to hers. What I can do, however, is demonstrate to her that the Federation considers her important, and therefore sent a man of some renown to be the one to engage with her. We don’t mean to waste her time, as I’m sure you don’t mean to waste mine. Now, do you know anything about her position that might help me?”

“Are you?” Eldry asked.

“Am… am I what?” Vikus stammered.

“Are you a man of renown?” Eldry finished.

“I am an officer of the Federation Frontiersmen. I am writing the handbook on Docide, and I am charged with communicating with Starlet about setting up domiciles in the oases. I think I have a little bit of sway.” Vikus responded, trying to keep the insult out of his voice, “For example, if I write ‘the purveyor of the Talpat Public House was very helpful. Sit at the bar and buy the 100 denaro plate to hear the local gossip’ then you’ll have officers here paying you a small fortune whenever there is something we need knowing.” 

Eldry thought for a second. “Alright, I hear you. Here is some advice for your handbook. Every person in Docide is going to disrupt you, and slow you down, every step of the way. Don’t take it personally. We do it to the IP knucks as well. If you want anyone to talk to you, you’ll be in street clothes, and don’t act like an officer,” he offered quietly.

Vikus nodded, “Thank you for the advice. Do you know how I might get an audience with Starlet?”

Eldry refilled Vikus’s glass, “You’re unlikely to. Let’s make one thing clear; you will not find her. You might find one of her druids, and convince them to bring you to her, but you won’t find her.”

“Ok,” Vikus nodded, “I spoke to a man named Bullo, and he deemed me unworthy. It took me a week to find him. Do you know how I’ll find him again? And do you know how I can convince him?”

“Yes,” Eldry stated, “I suspect you’ve spent some time out in the wastes.” Vikus nodded, so Eldry continued, “Then you’ve likely seen the defilers. Those spirits are attracted to the rituals that the druids do, so they trend in the correct direction. Now, you don’t really want to encounter a defiler. Luckily, they leave trails in the loam, so you can follow that. That will show you which oasis they are in at the moment. When you approach, you will be greeted.”

“Excellent. Thank you,” Vikus responded. “How do I get them to bring me to her?”

“Are any of you wizards?” Eldry inquired. Vikus shook his head. 

“Get one.” Eldry continued. “What you’re going to do is go to Hannegan’s shop, it’s about three blocks from here. South, toward the mountain, but on this road. She’s going to offer you some asinine trinket. When you meet with Bullo, have your wizard make the trinket dance. They eat that up.”

Vikus looked at him quizzically, “Are you mocking me?”

Eldry held up both open palms, “Look buddy, you want to talk about which barrels to age which wine in, I’m your guy. If you want to find a hermit and make them listen to reason, you have a better chance of flying through the eye of a needle. I’m telling you everything I know.”

“Ok,” Vikus surrendered, “Three blocks south?”

Eldry nodded, “And you can’t count on her taking cash, so you’ll need to trade with her. I bet she’ll like those medals though. Federation regalia is gold on the black market.”

“Right, yes,” Vikus muttered as he returned the bills on the counter to his wallet, and replaced them with two others. “This is four hundred, that should cover us,” Vikus said to Eldry. 

Then he unhooked his medals from his jacket, and pocketed them. He moved toward his contingent and draped his jacket over a chair. Henri rose to attention, but Vikus dismissed him, “At ease. Save me a plate.”

“Yes sir,” Henri responded, and Vikus headed to the door. As Vikus opened the door, he turned to Eldry.
“Thank you,” Vikus said, then departed.

As Vikus walked south, he considered his outfit. He had removed his jacket, but still wore a nice button up and slacks. He had shined his boots this morning, but you wouldn’t be able to tell after all the dust he’d walked through. It would have to do. At least there were no insignias to clock him as Federation, although his accent was likely to betray him. 

Finding the store was easy. It displayed a garish neon sign that simply read “Hannegan’s”. No ‘Garage’ or ‘General Store’ nor any descriptor that might help Vikus set his expectations. He entered the front door to find what looked like a living room, filled floor to ceiling with garbage. The sofa was covered with crates, and shelves not only lined the walls, but ran through the center of the room. Two art fixtures stood in opposite corners of the room; clay statues with topaz gemstones wantonly sticking out of them. He could hear some voices from down the hallway.

“Come in!” shouted a friendly voice.

Vikus followed the sounds, and found himself in the kitchen, or what used to be a kitchen. The shelves this time were full of plants and what looked like mummified animal parts. Dirty dishes in the sink were the only thing that betrayed that someone actually lived here. There were two people chatting, a skinny brunette woman in denim and fleece and a slightly older dark-haired man in green arcane robes that looked expensive. Vikus stayed quiet as they chatted.

The woman gave him a welcoming nod as she continued her conversation. “Yeah, like I said, I’ll buy them all, but if supply is going up, price is coming down.”
The man retorted, “It’s likely short lived. Karrsey said it’s up to twenty a day, but this flurry of rituals will probably be over by the time I get back. You’ll be getting two loads like this, tops. And the well of energy is tremendous, these will be unlike anything you’ve had.”

“I don’t know how many bird skulls you think I need,” the woman responded, “ but I’ll pay full freight for the book and scrolls.”

“And the firebrand?” the man inquired.

“Oh baby, I’m excited about that one,” the woman responded.

“Ok,” the man surrendered, “I still want all three of the eidolons. If you don’t want the relics, what do I owe you?”

“You can owe me a favor?” the woman responded with a smile.

“Not a chance,” the man rebuffed., “Does two and a half ozzies sound fair?”

“Two ozzies, and the skulls,” she bartered. The man accepted, reached into his purse, and pulled out two stones. The woman took them and turned to Vikus,“I’ll be with you in just a second.”

She turned to put the stones on a scale. “Perfect!” she exclaimed, then she went to a shelf by the window, and pulled off a blanket, uncovering three small wooden logs. “They’re a bit heavy for me,” she said to the man, “but you can help yourself.”

The man nodded, grabbed one log, and departed the room out the hallway that Vikus had walked in.

“Did you get a good haul?” Vikus inquired.

The woman gestured to the weapons and armor that adorned her table, “The bounty of the Spiritbinders,” she responded with a flair, like it was an inside joke Vikus should have understood.

Vikus nodded, pretending to understand. “So, you must be…”

“Hannegan Falto,” she finished, extending a hand.

Vikus shook her hand, “and I’m Kyle Clover. I have some loot I’m trying to fence, and I heard you might be interested.”

“I have some loot I’m trying to fence!” Hannegan echoed in mockery. Vikus stammered in discomfort, then Hannegan continued, “Well, come on, show me what you have!”

Vikus reached into his pocket, and pulled out his marksmanship ribbon, setting it on the table.

“That is some milk!” Hannegan exclaimed. “I heard a couple other things jingling in that pocket of yours, how much are we dealing with?”

“That depends on what it will take for me—” Vikus cut short as the dark haired man walked back into the room. 

He moved to the shelf and grabbed a second log, before stopping to acknowledge the ribbon on the table, “That’s cool. Is that yours?” he asked Vikus. Vikus nodded silently, then stood still. “Ok, fine,” the man said, taking a hint and taking his log back out down the hallway.

“That depends on what it will take for me to get what I want,” Vikus finished.

“That’s not how people typically go about ‘fencing loot’, but sure. What are you looking for?” Hannegan responded.

Vikus realized that he didn’t really know the answer to that question. ‘Some trinket’ was not terribly descriptive. He would need to betray his intention and ask for help. “I’m trying to get an audience with Starlet,” he offered. “I was told you may have something which would help me impress them with my magical prowess.”

Hannegan put both hands on the table and leaned in close. She responded barely above a whisper, “Do you have impressive magical prowess?”

“I’m confident that I can complete the ritual, though I may need some gemstones,” Vikus bluffed.

“Ok, great.” Hannegan said with a nod, and departed down the hallway. 

Vikus waited in the kitchen, but it was the dark haired man that returned, not Hannegan. “You need to follow her,” the man offered as he walked to grab the third log.

“Oh, thank you,” Vikus responded. He grabbed his ribbon, and returned to the front room. Hannegan was digging around in a crate on the couch. She emerged with a plain looking white stone. It looked just like every other boulder scattered across the wastes. “What is that?” Vikus asked.

“It’s an Archoria stone,” Hannegan offered, “from the Archoria glade.”

“And this will help me impress the druids?” Vikus inquired.

The dark haired man emerged from the hallway, carrying his log. “So did you kill Vikus?” he asked with surprising candor.

“How do you know that name?” Vikus responded defensively.
“It said it on the ribbon,” the man responded. “If you know where the body is, I’ll clean it up for ya,” he offered.

“No. No body. Not on this rock,” Vikus dismissed him.

“Shame,” the man responded. “Well, good luck,” he said politely as he exited the front door.

“Good night, Kore,” Hannegan bade.

Vikus turned back to Hannegan, surprised by how cavalier the discussion of murder was handled. “How will this help me impress the druids?” he repeated.

“I’m confident you can complete the ritual,” she admonished. “You just wololo on the rock, and the pixie will tell the druids that you’re cool.”

Vikus felt a fury well up inside of him. Not a damn person in this town would give him the time of day. This was exactly the sort of asinine trinket that Eldry had warned him about, though. He took a few measured breaths before responding, “And the ribbon covers it?”

Hannegan clapped her hands together, and leaned in close again. “Do you have any shinies?” she asked in a whisper. “I heard jingling in that pocket.”

Vikus nodded, and pulled out a medal titled ‘Oasis Liaison – Vikus Martell’.

“Oasis Surveyor,” Hannegan read, as she inspected the medal, “sounds like you.”

“Do we have a deal?” Vikus demanded, setting the medal down on the table. 

“Oh boy, we have a deal,” she responded. “The stone is all yours, close the door on your way out!” she squealed as she grabbed the medal, and ran down the hallway. 

Vikus picked up the Archoria stone. It was a little too big to fit into a pocket, and he had left his bags at the public house. Hopefully walking down the street with this in his hands wouldn’t draw too much attention. 

Finally, he had a lead and a plan. Tonight he would hail Master Eurus, both to request the help of a templar, and to report his encounter with the Spiritbinders. If he could pull this off, and if he could win the oases in the name of the Federation, then these frustrations would earn him many more medals. But first, it definitely earned him this dinner.