[RW] Pegasus Trading Company - Rimworld 1.7

[MonochromeClown]

The next week a heat wave had set into the region, everyone was suffering and we had to remove our vacsuits to stop ourselves from overheating in the terrible weather. Not everyone was coping with it well. I saw Brandi carrying Banz back into the barracks after he had passed out from a combination of heatstroke and smokeleaf.

"I got him, captain" Brandi winked at me again.

I chose to ignore her flirting, she was beautiful but, I had the settlement to focus on. I directed the construction of ceiling fans in the bedroom, workshop and dining room which had just finished completion. It took longer then I'd hoped but we'd have a working kitchen very soon, production on food from home grown crops would help reduce costs by a lot, I'd been going out on regular trips to buy cheap pemmican and while it did sustain us it wasn't very tasty. It beats nutrient vat meals at least.

The ceiling fans weren't cutting it but Maria taught me about a method of cooling using water that seemed to do the trick, after a couple long hot days the kitchen was complete. It was very basic, almost barren but it was operational. Components were starting to get hard to come buy and the cost for trading them was high. After consulting with the crew, the ones who had lived here longest like Banz and Brandi told me selling drugs was the easiest method of making money on this planet.

I wasn't prepared to become a drug peddler, I'd sold pharmaceuticals and go-juice to places that needed them but Banz suggested selling psychite products, flake specifically. For now I'm putting the idea away, I've designated a spot for growing cotton. It'll take some time but I believe selling clothes is our best option for now, until we can start producing better items. Maria and Brandi also asked if they could create art pieces to keep around the settlement and to sell on the side, we have plenty of stoneblocks to spare so I granted them the request



From the Victoria's determination Maria's pregnancy had progressed into the third trimester, I'm worried about the presence of a newborn, if we'll even be able to support a child right now but it's coming either way and I had a crib built for the child. We've also been taking turns allowing Maria to feed on us to sustain herself and her child, it's unpleasant but if she needs it we'll grant it to her. I'm glad to see she's happy here, and those hunters never appeared to hunt her down. Veronica and Maria have become good friends thanks to Veronica's care during her pregnancy.

Eddie and I are particularly close, he's told me more then once he considers me his brother. The operation to rescue Ragnar has given him a lot to think about and he's been clinging to his relationships within the settlement. I still pray we can find Richie out there somewhere... as well as any other members of the crew.

At the end of the day we had a party in the dining room, to celebrate our progress so far. During the party I asked Maria to become our administrator, she didn't know what I meant at first but I explained we'd need someone to help keep morale up and lead recruitment efforts, as well as organise events such as this one. She accepted, though her child would come first, that was fine with me.

Unexpectedly as folks were leaving to return to the barracks for sleep Eddie spotted a crashlanding pod nearby, thinking it was a survivor he went out to rescue the person. I found him dragging the person back to the settlement.

"Eddie? Whos this?"

"Not sure sir, he's injured but I haven't been able to get much out of him"

"Should we keep him in the barracks?"

"With all due respect sir we can't just trust every person who lands in the fields to be a friendly."

"I... Suppose you're right, I'll trust your judgement with this then."

"Don't worry sir, he'll be well looked after until we can determine what he's doing here."

I watched Eddie take the man into the now abandoned old cabin, I'll have to build a bed for our... Captive? I wasn't sure what we were doing with the survivor, but at least he wouldn't die out there alone.



The next evening the man in our cabin was awake enough to speak, Eddie was right, he had come here to try to kill us. A lone assassin out to prove himself by targeting a small settlement as part of some ritual his faction participates in.

"And how did you end up injured in our field?" I asked him, Eddie standing by my side.

"Bah, a rival must have sabotaged my pod! Typical... They likely do not expect me to return." He hissed, still in pain from his crash.

"You don't seem to have your heart set on this."

"I am a stonecutter! I build, I create... yes I can kill, but only because they conscripted me!"

"Explain what you mean."

"The Belrae, my home, the ruling class are war-like and they expect us all to be the same. I was fine with my stonecutting, my art but they came through my town and dragged all the men away for their conquest."

"You didn't have a choice?" Eddie asks, frowning.

"No, did you Hussar? Are your kind not bred for war?"

"Me and Richie came out of the vat ready for war... but that doesn't mean we like it."

"And same to me, my people are warriors but not all of us wish to fight."

Veronica came into the room, looking straight at me. The look in her eyes told me something needed my attention right away, I pulled Eddie with me outside the cabin.

"Sir, a band of pirates have contacted us via the coms console, they're demanding we pay them a protection fee." She said.

"Damn, we don't have the silver to waste on that..." Eddie muttered.

"I'll talk to them." I said. "Maybe we can get them to back off."

Veronica and Eddie followed me into the workshop. The discussions were quick, it seemed the growling pirates wanted an excuse and nothing I said could sway them otherwise.

"Eddie, Veronica... I need you on watch tonight."



Early morning gunshots woke the whole base. While everyone was huddling in the barracks I had noticed Brandi wasn't among us, telling everyone to keep quiet and stay inside I rushed outside to find her fighting a Yttakin with a bronze knife I had never seen on her before. She must have been hiding it away for this very purpose, before I could rush in myself she quickly dispatched the furry woman, the Yttakin crumpled to the ground dead.

"Brandi are you-" I started, she held her hand up.

"I'm fine, I caught her sneaking around the barracks." She leant on the side of the wall to catch her breath.

"You're not injured?"

"Course not, I told you I can fight, I can take care of myself"

"I just-"

"You didn't expect a lady like me to be so good with a knife huh?"

"Uh- Well you're-"

"Heheh, you're cute when you're flustered." She winked, again.

"I'm glad we have you around, Brandi"

She blushed and smiled, looking away. Not long after Veronica and Eddie approached us, hauling two identical looking Yttakin over their shoulders. Veronica looked too small to handle that mass but if she was struggling she didn't say it.

"Survivors, should we keep them in the cabin with the elf?" Veronica asked, still as composed as ever.

"Sure, we'll have to figure out what to do with them though." I sighed, more mouths to feed.



"Hows Lady doing, Web?"

"Oh Captain, she's okay... we've been talking a lot!" Web chirped, her mandibles clicked happily.

I smiled at the young enthusiasm, Web was an unusual looking person being a Buzzer but I'd seen plenty of strange xenotypes in my travels, her appearance didn't bother me like it did some others. I've been very clear to everyone that I wouldn't tolerate anyone treating Web poorly for her differences, she was just a child after all.

"I should check up on her more often myself." I said, I'd been so busy I've forgotten to.

"She'd love that! All she ever gets to do is talk and be fed, paralytic abasia sounds so horrible..."

"At least she has you keeping her company, what have you two been talking about?"

"Oh well, she's been talking about her past a lot, did  you know she used to be a translator?"

"No I didn't, that could be handy to have around."

"Yeah! She's very smart actually, she's been teaching me about space and the ship she came from."

"I'm glad you two get along so well, it must be hard being out here without your folks."

The buzzer falters for a moment, I worry if I have said something terrible. She gives a half hearted smile and then looks away.

"My mom and dad well, I try not to think about it... The town I'm from was wiped out by plague a few years ago." She said softly.

"I'm so sorry, did they pass?" I try to be police, sympathetic.

"I think so, they sent me away with a caravan and then I came here."

"What happened to the caravan?"

"Just... people kept dying, one by one, I tried to help out where I could but if it wasn't pirates it was sickness... Eventually it was just me and a couple other folks." Her face was very sad, reflective. "One of them handed me some food he'd stolen, said I needed to get out of here, I was still young and he wanted me to live."

"Who was he?" I asked, looking down at her sullen face.

"I don't know, he didn't talk much..." She sighed. "But I was wandering for awhile and a passing trade caravan directed me to here, I'm just glad you let me in."

"Of course Web, I'm sorry things have been so rough for you for so long... You're welcome to stay here for as long as you need."

"Thanks Captain, I appreciate that." 



Insectoids, I hate insectoids... We were attacked today by insectoids from the Black Hive. A genetic mutation of the already genetically modified insectoid menace that spread across the galaxy, while they weren't a problem when we lived on a big temperature controlled ship it makes sense that this rimworld is infested with them, most planets that don't have a dedicated insectoid control group are. Thankfully Eddie and Veronica were able to take care of the two that showed up, but Veronica got bitten a couple times and was dealing with toxic build up.

"Don't worry about me Captain, I'll be okay in a couple hours, Dirtmole genetics." She reassured me from her bed.

"I know you will Veronica, you're a tough gal." I smiled at her, handing her a meal.

Later that day my daily meditation was interrupted by Eddie hollering loudly as he entered the barracks. Confused by the commotion I looked up to see him carrying someone in a vacsuit helmet. Horns poking out of specially made holes in their helmet, I immediately stood up to follow Eddie as he placed them in one of the beds

"Eddie is that?" I was stunned.

"Caz! Good old Caz!" He yelled happily, rushing off to get medicine.

I pulled the helmet off the impid and sure enough it was Caz, one of the engineers of the CS Pegasus. They smiled weakly at me, their left leg was bloody.

"Hey Captain." They managed weakly. "Weren't you supposed to go down with the ship?"

"I couldn't, and I'm glad I didn't" I wiped hair out of their eyes. "You're safe now."

"Wasn't gonna crumble just cause of some charge bolts."

I stepped back when Eddie came back in with the medicine, letting him tend to her. Peering over I could see Brandi looking curiously at the other Impid.

"Who's she?" Brandi gestured, climbing into her bed.

"They're one of my crew from the ship, looks like they survived." I softly corrected her.

"Huh, you're not trying to replace me are you?" Brandi smirked.

"Course not Brandi, don't worry."

Brandi nodded, smiling at me before rolling over in her bed. Eddie stepped away a few minutes later, done with the tends. Caz looked weak but grateful.

"You're all good Caz, I'll get Veronica to keep an eye on you for tonight." He nodded, looking proud of himself.

"Thanks Ed, glad to see you and Veronica made it out too."

"If it wasn't for the Captain we all would have died, you can thank him." Eddie wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"Thanks Captain, it's good to be home." 



"All hands on deck!"

It was midday when we saw it, fire in the skies. A ship was falling out of orbit directly above us, explosions rung out as debris hit the ground nearby. Eddie pointed at one part of the ship hurtling towards our settlement, a cryopod array.

"There might be survivors!" He cried.

"Shit, get medicine ready, everyone move it!" I called out to the crew.

Rushing into the prison cell, the elf Soran was sitting up in his bed.

"You, help us, prove yourself" I demanded.

Soran nodded, understanding right away, he pushed past me to join the others. The yttakin twins looked startled by all the commotion, but they were still injured themselves. I left them in the cell right as the cryopods crash into the outer fields.

"Lets go people!"

As a collective we rushed to the crash site, many of the cryopods had just exploded and destroyed the sleeping people within, some spilt corpses onto the ground but there were injured amongst the dead. Without a word my crew grabbed them, hauling them away from the debris and towards the barracks.

When we reached the barracks it was a flurry of motion and the sounds of agony, I stood, trying to coordinate but the blood, the cries. The buzzing in my brain returned, growing insistent... Suddenly I found myself rushing over to a blonde man who looked beyond help. Touching his chest a burst of power flew out of me, the man's wounds suddenly stopped oozing so fast, the bleeding stopped. Soran who was tending to the man looked at me bewildered before returning to his work.

I stood back, fixing my eyes on a red haired woman writhing as Ragnar tried to calm her. I gently pushed Ragnar aside, another burst of power flowed out of me when I touched the woman. Her wounds began to close, and she calmed, allowing Ragnar to finish tending to her.

My psylink went quiet, I'd done all I could for now. I stood back, panting, my brain felt hot and exhausted. I watched my crew, answering questions but my mind was elsewhere... Before I knew it the flurry had died down, the survivors were all quiet.

The crashing ended at some point, Eddie informed me he found medicine in one of the crashsites. It would come in handy. I tried to untense my shoulders, and bring myself back from the edges of my mind. It was over, we'd saved them, they'd pull through and I could help them do it.

I healed them, or helped to... I could save people, miracles as Banz put it.

I had a lot to think about, but I had to figure out how we'd feed all these new people first.