Last Night on Novgorod: Drifters

Novgorod - Orbital Space Station
E Deck > Drifters Bar & Grill

Alistair Maddox, usually referred to as Ali or Maddox, made his way into the bar so he could have a few drinks and relax on his last night before he’s shipped out into space.

He sat up at the bar and gave the bartender a two finger wave and smile. “Two beers, shot of tequila please.” He was planning on having a good time. Not to the point he would be hungover in the morning, but you need to enjoy the time you have. Right now is the time he had to enjoy the simple pleasures of alcohol and chatting.

He looked around and took in the people around him, wondering who might be fun to talk to. Just people moving around really.

He hoped that this expedition into space was worth all of his experience. A marine for most of his adult life, he wanted new experiences. Something more for his life than just serving. He wanted to be one to defend those who are less capable of defending themselves, just as he had as a marine.

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Billy Adama sipped his beer as Elisabet gave him a warm welcome. He swallowed and gave her a warm smile with a bit of smolder. It was part of his charm when it came to dealing with others. Billy used his card to pay for his beer as the waitress dropped it off and he thanked her politely. He replied to Elisabet, "A pleasure Ms. Maciel. I hope I am able to make us a lot of money, so we can all stay on good terms." Billy was using his best choice of words to keep the gathering peaceful.

"I'm sure that's what the company is hoping too. After all, it is MONEY that make the worlds go round..." Maciel said, replying to Dr. Adama. Her eyes shifted to her empty glass, she could feel the synthetic whiskey starting to poke at her brain now. It was a different kind of drunk than the conventional whiskey you could find in more upmarket places. She scrunched her lips and contemplated another drink, especially with all these new people arriving, she would have to do her best to socialize. After a couple seconds more thought she came to the decision to have another, raising her arm to summon the overworked barman.

Billy smirked as he saw Maciel order another drink. He had noticed in the past that the company reps varied in personality, but at the same time fit certain patterns, much like rock formations. As he grew up on the poor streets around the orphanage he learned that money 'makes the world go round', and if you had enough of it, you could change your status.

He replied, "Yeah. Money is certainly a big game changer. A few more big scores and I can afford to retire. Sadly... I am not sure where a good place to retire is these days. Long cryo sleep makes us forget the worlds keep turning while we are away." Billy sipped his beer and stared off at the music and lights.

He had learned from watching the uneducated thugs mess up and get caught or killed over stupid stuff like turf, false pride, drugs, women or a handful of cash. There were many ways to make money and only a smart one could capitalize on that, so he worked alone, and learned by watching others until he managed to scrounge up enough to get into school.

Once he realized the value of the library, he filled his mind with as much knowledge as he could before he had to graduate. That was a big game changer for Billy since he was, once again, working as a prospector/Geologist for a greedy company.

Ali waited on his drinks. When they arrived, he downed the tequila after doing his customary salute, and then started to work on his beer. He ordered a couple more shots of tequila while he worked on his first beer. His mind began to wonder about what may happen in the next few months.

Russ ordered some water as well, and a mixed drink of some sort. He looked down at his data pad and looked a little disappointed. Then he waitied for a pause so as not to be rude. "I just got a response from Calvin Sestero, our scout/engineer. He is prepping the vehicles and other heavy machinery. Says he has already been on the ship since yesterday and did not want to stay out late," explained Russ to the others, to which he received a few nods in acknowledgement.

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Approaching Drifters, Eldon saw Russ Garret, the unofficial team lead, and came to the conclusion that a social meetup for the ship had begun without him. 'Did I miss the freakin' memo? Damn, all the best appetizers will be gone. Ah, no matter.' He stepped inside the bar and... wait... '...is that...Rita?'