ROLEPLAY HQ - space-truckers

His eyes snapped wide open. A beeping sound was growing louder and louder. "Dammit," he grunted, and reached for his metal flask. He opened the lid and took a swig of warm beer. He closed the lid and put the flask down. The radio was still beeping. "Unidentified ship, you are getting too close to the station. Identify yourself immediately." "This is James Rudess, the captain of SS Albatross. Sending you the flight route now." "Travel route received. Stand by for confirmation." James let out a deep breath. That damned nap could've costed him his life. Just a week before he left Calypso Station, a ship was destroyed because it'd been approaching the station with high velocity and had ignored the warnings. Was the poor captain taking a dump? A malfunction? Or had he simply fallen asleep after drinking? "SS Albatross, you're cleared to dock." "Loud and clear." The engine was shut down, and James steered the ship towards the docking bay using the steam thrusters. The ship gently approached the docking bay. He stretched, and rubbed at his sore arms, sucking at his teeth with pain. Ambrose Station had a way of tricking people's minds. And so does space in general, I suppose. "Objects are a lot fucking bigger than they appear." The surface of the huge metal sphere seemed almost flat now. Spaceships looked like tiny bees that had returned to the beehive, ready to leave again at their queens command. And that makes us humans... what? He couldn't find the answer. He started walking toward the entrance gate. He was passing through the crowd streets and looking around. He was famished, but he had to meet his employer, and better to do it then than later. A couple more minutes, and he was there. A tall building with a shiny dark surface stood in front of him. He took a deep breath, and entered the building.

20:38

The office of Major Eider reeked of power. I wonder how she endures it. Lavish pieces of furniture were arranged impeccably, tall paintings were hanged on the wall, and in the center of the room was a black wooden monstrosity that functioned as a desk. Major was standing behind it, leaning down on a screen, reading what seemed to be a report.

20:38

Rudess cleared his throat. "Major Eider". She raised her head, a frown on her face. "James, I'm glad to see you had a safe trip." If she were happy, she did a fine job of hiding it. She even frowned deeper. "Thank you, ma'am. Always a pleasure doing business with you." "I've heard you're thinking of retiring yourself. Going back to Earth, and such." "Uh... yes, I'm afraid I've been doing this for far too long," Rudess said with a chuckle. "Oh I remember. My dad always admired you. I can't believe how long it's been," she puffed her cheek and let out a lungful of breath. "I will have Ferran wire your bonus," she leered an arrogant grin, " of ten million credits." He was shocked by the unexpected, and from experience, rather unwelcome generosity. "Thank you, I'm most grateful, but..." "But there's a condition," she cut him off. Oh, dear, you almost had me fooled for a moment there. Just like your father, aren't you? Greedy and ruthless. "And that is?" "One of our couriers will be carrying a ... rather sensitive package to Earth." She filled two metal cups with whiskey, and offered him one of the cups. "Let's just say that I want it delivered safely. It's simple, really. You pilot the ship, and the courier will take care of the rest. Once the job is done, you'll go on to spend the rest of your days as a rich man, wherever and however you want." James didn't know how to react. It seemed simple enough. Just take one more person with you to Earth, and you'll be paid triple in return. "And if I refuse?" The major gave him a hard look. "Then you'll establish yourself as one of the dumbest persons I've ever met." Fair enough, I'd feel the same. "In that case, I accept." "Excellent! You'll meet your new friend tomorrow. I'll send you the address."

20:42

(The other character is the courier. You can choose their name, gender identity, etc. Feel free to develop your character before they meet James.) (edited)

"I'm sorry, did you say 5 million credits? Are you sure that's right?" "Yes. You will receive 5 million credits upon safe delivery of the package. The contents will be unknown to you." "But, I don't have a ship anymore-" "You will be provided safe passage to Earth. The package will be loaded this evening and you will depart tomorrow morning." Jexa laid in her cot, her stare fixated on the ceiling as she thought about her upcoming trip. This was the first instance in which she'd been offered so much, yet with such little information. She knew she couldn't pass up the opportunity though, Jexa desperately needed the credits. She desperately wanted to get out of the shithole rental she was living in, barely making enough to eat. Yet, she was curious as to what the package was. Why did they offer so much? Why was everyone so secretive about it? Was she the only one left out of the loop? Jexa pushed aside the thoughts, instead king focusing on what her plan was after she received her payments. She knew she would have to continue picking up jobs, as much as Jexa would have liked to go home to Earth, the credits she would receive wouldn't be enough. "I could get a ship on a payment plan. I could sleep in there instead of this shitty room." Jexa spoke to herself quietly, her words slurring slightly as her brain fogged with sleepiness. The next morning rolled around quickly. Jexa woke up in a rush, a part of her worried that perhaps she had slept in. A quick glance at the somewhat decent clock on the decrepit dresser informed her that she woke up right on time. "Oh thank fuck." Jexa whispered to herself, rubbing the tired away from her eyes.

19:47

One (cold) shower later, and Jexa found herself locking the door to her room. A duffel bag was slung over her shoulders, which carried all of her valuable items she wouldn't dare leave behind. Address, where's the address... Jexa thought to herself as she dug through her pockets, looking for the scrap piece of paper she was given the day before. "Jex! Leaving already? You just got back from your last job 3 days ago!" "Got another job. I don't stick around long." Jexa joked with her neighbour, flashing a smile while waving the piece of paper she finally found. "I'll be back though." Jexa said politely before leaving the tall building in which she rented her room. It wouldn't be a long trek to the address where she would meet her pilot, but the severe lack of caffeine in her body told her it would be an exhausting walk, even if it was only 15 minutes.

His eyes snapped open as the clock beeped. Where was he again? It didn't look like a spaceship. Shut up already. He fumbled with the clock and stopped the infernal sound. Beads of sweat rolled down his body as he stood up. He was slowly remembering the instructions he'd received the day before. He let out a loud sigh and headed for the shower. The last shower before a job always hit him hard. He walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around him. Hot water had calmed his nerves, and he'd developed a savage appetite as a result. He remembered for the first time he had no idea when this unknown courier would arrive. Missing important details like that isn't exactly professional. 'Oh, Mr Rudess, I have a super important package to deliver. What? I'm early? Oh please, take your time. Dance around butt naked for a couple more minutes. Maybe I'll even join you.' He was smiling at the thought as he changed his clothes. Out of nowhere, his stomach issued an embarrassing growl, so loud that made him look down. A sound, that much like nakedness, wouldn't give a good first impression. 'I'm sorry, but I swear, it wasn't a fart. I just didn't have anything to eat. You were saying something about your package?' He had almost finished his breakfast when the doorbell rang. Probably the infamous courier. Are they gonna be tall? Perhaps a tall guy with a bald head, ready to smash my head in if he gets pissed? Or maybe a slender one with a stupid smile on his face. Oh, oh, maybe they're a she. He was weighing the possibilities in his head as he stood up and walked towards the door. The doorbell was rung again. "I'm coming," he bellowed. A woman stood at the door, with a smile on his face and a duffle bag on her shoulder. "Good morning. I suppose you're the courier I'm waiting for? You look tired. Can I invite you to a cup of coffee?"

The walk wasn't as bad as she thought it would be, but Jexa still longed for a cup of coffee... or anything caffeinated. She greeted and waved at her neighbours as she passed by, all wishing her luck on her newest trip. After the 15 minutes of walking, Jexa had finally arrived at the address she was sent too. A quick greeting, and Jexa was invited inside for coffee. "I'd love too! Thank you." Jexa smiled brightly, stepping inside. She placed her bag down, looking around at her surroundings. "So, you're the pilot?" Jexa asked, placing her hands inside her pockets. "My name is Jexa, it's a pleasure to meet you." Jexa always had a bright and cheerful attitude about her, always striving to be as polite as possible to everyone around her. "Jex is fine though." She turned to smile at the pilot before finding a place to sit at the nearby table. "I can't remember exactly, but when do we depart?" She asked, her voice just loud enough to hear over the ambient noises of her surroundings.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jex, and yes, I'm the pilot. Call me James." he said as he closed the door behind him. "Please, make yourself at home. I'll be right back." He entered the kitchen, a neat, perfectly arranged space he treated as a sanctuary. He opened a cupboard, and looked at his mug collection. He always liked to match each mug with his guest's personality. In his mind, it made the whole experience a lot better. Now, what colour am I gonna choose? hmmm, after a moment, he picked up a violet mug with satisfaction... Jex was seated when he returned. "Here you go, the black magic itself," he handed her the mug and sat across from her. "I thought or mutual friend had told you the exact time of departure, because to be perfectly honest, she didn't tell me anything," he paused as she lifted the mug. "We can leave anytime you want. We can even leave now. It's your call. The ship is ready to go."

Jexa smiled brightly as she was handed the cup of coffee. She took a deep inhale, smelling the scent of the ground beans before taking a sip. “Ahhh, that hits the spot.” She whispered to herself before she set the beautiful violet mug on the table. Glancing up at the pilot, James, Jexa shook her head slightly. “I was just told to come here, I wasn’t given many details of the trip. Some ‘need-to-know’ thing.” She said, shrugging her shoulders. Jexa quickly finished off the coffee, despite the fact is slightly burned her tongue. “Well, now that I have caffeine in my body, I think I’m pretty much ready to go whenever.” Jexa smiled.