I chose a cargo-carrying mission despite not having any cargo space. I was eyeing SpaceStream trailers in the Unizone dealership showroom but I didnโt end up needing one; my cargo turned out to be rather small. I didnโt peek but I shook the box and I think it was printed paper and small data storage devices. I guess somebody doesnโt trust the space-internet.
Though my ship is still rather shabby-looking, I brushed off the pixel dust, plugged the shield boosters in, and set off. I left my helmet on because I donโt trust the shields to preserve life-support integrity, given how leaky my hull is. This turned out to be a good decision, because I got rather beat up by asteroids. I think my propulsion and steering system may not quite be up to snuff - just one more thing I need to upgrade to survive here, no surprise. Why couldnโt I make first contact with a post-monetary galaxy instead??
After making my way through the asteroid field I delivered the package to a guy wearing clothing made out of space blankets (including a space-foil hat), uneventfully. On the way back, naturally I came across some space pirates. They quickly realized that itโd be physically impossible to board my ship, but, presumably suspecting I had something of value on board (what does my ship look like to them, a space cadillac?) they blasted a hole through my shields and tore off one of the doors and rooted around inside my luggage and empty pizza boxes in the back with a robotic arm.
Powerless to do anything else, I flipped the camera on the robotic arm the finger. It paused, stopped rooting around, and returned the gesture before politely putting everything back in place and retreating. It tried to grab the door, but it had already floated off. I thought it had just realized I didnโt have anything, but a few minutes later I received a cryptic apology on a secure channel:
V SORRY - ALL-SEEING EYE MAYBE MALFUNCTIONING - PLEASE DON'T REPORT
The ship sulked off hastily, in a sort of embarrassed way, which I didnโt realize was possible to deduce from observing a ship fly (โfly casualโ). Have I accidentally discovered a secret handshake (of sorts) of the SpaceMasons?
Anyway, I made it back. I am not sure I understand why repairs are so expensive, when an honest dayโs work pays so little (maybe I can answer that question myself now that I think about it). I would have thought my shipโs primitive technology would be a snap to repair by Unizone, but perhaps itโs just too foreign for them.
Perhaps because of my shrewd investments thus far (and not paying for any of my drinks at Duckโs), I have a relatively high amount of SpaceBits compared to many captains (though I wonder how honest everybodyโs public accounting data is). Yet, I still must go into deep debt if I want to make any significant advancement. Once againโฆ why am I in this galaxy?? Also, man, I wasnโt born yesterday, and Iโm not doing any dirty work for Unizone. Not that I want to get on Unizoneโs bad side by saying anything negative about themโฆ yet.
With my relatively high GRIT, I have a decent shot at an extravagant tip on mission 3. However, instead of spending money on firepower upgrades in order to qualify, Iโm throwing caution to the solar wind and choosing mission 4. I just canโt resist a mystery and it seems I canโt avoid going into debt, so, YOLO. I went ahead and took out a Unizone credit card with a b50 credit limit.
+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ-โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+
////Unizone PayBot Receipt ROUND TWO////
+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+
|SHIP NAME: PLEIADES 360 | REGISTRY: MARS | |
+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+
|CUSTOMER: PHUONG NGUYEN | AFFILIATION: UNIZONE ASSOCIATE |
+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ-โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+
| |
|PARTNER PARTS PURCHASED: CREDIT: |
| |
|-HULL WHOLE HOLE FILLER (+10HP) x2 -b40.0000 |
| |
+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ-โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+
| |
|MISSIONZONE ACTIVITY: CREDIT: |
| |
|-SELECTED MISSION 4 - TO THE HEART |
| -SAND FISH CARTON x4 -b40.0000 |
| |
+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ-โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+
| |
| TOTAL: -b80.0000 |
| PAYMENT METHOD: UNIZONE CARD |
| +b50.0000 |
| PAYMENT METHOD: DIRECT CREDIT |
| +b30.0000 |
| SIGNATURE: |
+โโโโโโโโ+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ-โโโโ+โโโโโโโโโโ-+
| | _ __ _ __ | |
| | ( / )/ ( / ) | |
| | /--'/_ , ,___ _ _, / /_, , ,__ ,_ _ _ | |
| | / / /(_/(_) / /(_)_ / ((_)(_// (_/(// / /_ | |
| | /| /| / | |
| | (/ (/ ' | |
+โโโโโโโโ+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ-โโโโ+โโโโโโโโโโ-+
| |
| REMAINING BANK BALANCE: b1.5000 |
| UNIZONE CARD AVAILABLE CREDIT: b0.0000 |
| |
| |
+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ-โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+
| |
| HOW DID WE DO? |
| TAKE OUR SURVEY TO BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN |
| A ษ.100 GIFT CARD! |
| |
| YOUR CASHIER WAS: |
| MOMO |
| |
+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ-โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+
| |
| PARKING VALIDATED - NO ACTION REQUIRED |
| |
| THANK YOU |
| HAVE A UNIZONE DAY |
| |
+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ-โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ+