"Sir, we could cut the time down to sixteen hours and change if we push for hard burn. We've certainly got the fuel for it." Harmony says, punching coordinates into the navsat, and smiling as the navsat verifies her mental estimates. "Let's see if we'll have any company out there..." she mutters, half to herself, half to the Captain, as she checks the Cortex for any documented flight plans, like those of an Alliance Cruiser, that might cross paths with their own- or come within ten thousand kilometers of the latter half of their trek. She pauses for a moment and then opens up a second scan, looking for any projects- mining, for instance- within half an AU of their intended destination along the perimeter and interior of the Halo.
(I don't what those rolls would be, but I'd like to make 'em)
"Oh... well, that's relieving," Phillip says. "I thought it'd require velcro shoes or for spinning maneuvers or something." He scratches his head awkwardly. "Well, how long have you two been on the ship?" he asks Shaftoe and Marina.
"Let's go for a hard burn, then," Kelly says. "Not that we're in any rush, but, well, might as well get this stuff off our hands ASAP. I have no problems carryin' less-than-legal loads, but safety first. Or something like that."
It would be Fix-It to get the information you want off of the Cortex, Harmony. One success on your first scan- to check for predetermined routes for ships- finds that an Alliance cruiser (the I.A.V. Richthofen) is performing inspections just past Albion, beginning in a few hours. Two successes on your second scan- to check for activity in the Halo- allows you to find that there are rock collisions causing mining operations to pull back to Kaleidoscope, meaning the only people out there when you get there will be you and the other crew.
"Huh..." Harmony says, looking at one of the screens, before adjusting the display to project the information she was reading onto the HUD. "Captain, good news, bad news, and more bad news... Take a look at this." She points, "Bad news is, the cruiser Richthofen will be within sensor range of us when we cut past Albion. We could fly through that range while dark or take about three hours more to go around them entirely... but they'll be at least two days away and we can outrun them easily if we have to." A few more taps on the screen, and the HUD shifts to the second search she'd brought up, displaying the course of the mining operation. "The other bad news is we're flying into a collision-prone section. Looks like the miners are breaking up some rocks to get to the good bits. Going to make getting inside... tricky." She says, leaning back in the pilot's seat. "But, the good news is that said miners have retreated to Kaleidoscope for a while. They'll be monitoring the area, but we'll just show up as another asteroid on their scans, and if we don't, they're not paid enough to care. Other than that... the only two ships that should be out there are us and this mysterious cargo hauler we're meeting up with."
"I don't know, I realize there ain't any velcro about!" Phillip responds to Nadra. "How does one get aboard a rocket for a living anyhow? Seems like an unstable living."
"I'm all for going around the Richthofen," Kelly says, watching Harmony flip through the displays. "Don't need to get caught up running from them, I say. We're not registered as carryin' anything, but if we get searched they'll be plenty unhappy with us. As for the collision-proneness, I don't mind so much, as long as you can navigate it. What do you think?"
"Of course, what she usually sees..." Kenneth lets the suggestion hang. "As for making a living in the black, for some of us it's quite simple. Everyone needs a doctor." He points to himself. "Never know when an argument might lead to... aggressive negotiations. Or some just plain not thinking about what they do. Accidents happen if you don't keep your mind where it should be." He smiles, again that annoyingly charming smile. "But if that should happen, my skill is more than adequate."
"I think I can do it, sir, but it'll be good to have Vash and Shaftoe on the port and starboard turrets just in case. Toki can take topside, and someone can sit co-pilot in case we need to use the missiles." Harmony says, leaning forward and adjusting the flight path. She programs in as tight an arc as possible while still keeping outside the Richthofen's sensor range to save fuel, and then puts the headset back on. "Hey, Alan?" She says into the comm, "We're going for hard burn. The Captain wants to make this detour quick." As soon as he is ready, she activates the flight plan, sets the proximity alarm for maximum range, takes off the headset, and says to the Captain, "We'll be on the edge of the Halo by 8 AM, sir."
"Wait, registered Companion?" Phillip says. "I heard about you types. You're... well... hookers, right? Dignified hookers, I mean. Don't mean no disrespect, m'am."
"Perfect," Kelly says. "We can all get a night's shut-eye before dealing with the crew of the Long Haul, whatever there is to do. I'm thinkin' we just give 'em the stuff, we send a note to Harlan, he gives us money. Pretty simple."
Anything forward-mounted is going to be useless if the pilot is zig-zagging about. The machine guns and laser cannon require aiming, and the missiles need to lock on. Kelly keeps the turrets operating at maximum efficiency for this reason.
"Yes, I am a registered member in good standing of the Companion's Guild. And thankfully, I am quite hard to offend. I've heard most any name you can think of, most from our dear friend the doctor here," Nadra responds, still smiling sweetly.
"And say what you will, but there are few jobs that grant the sort of freedom I have, let alone wealth or social standing."
"Sounds like a plan, sir." Harmony says, getting up and excusing herself from the cockpit- autopilot should handle the rest. She heads down to the common area, looking for the crew. "Sorry to interrupt." She says, barging in, "But we'll be arriving in the morning- no one should be bothering us until then. Anyone want any lunch?" She continues through the common area, heading into the kitchen.
"Ah- Okay," Alan stutters back, over the comms, dropping his current activities and dashing to the engine room. After getting everything ready he'll let Harmony know to commence with the burn.
Alan will keep to himself in the engine room for now, the seclusion and the noise of the machinery is something he prefers far more then socializing with the new passengers.