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 Posted: Sat May 22, 2010 3:37 pm
The following posts contain general town knowledge stuff and private chatting between Peter Hastings, great grandson of John Hastings, and Hastings Air board members. Players do not have to play out this scenario but it is a good jumping off point for giving non residents reason to travel to Porta Denia and gives residents something they can talk about if they wish.
It had happened again. Another airship hired by Hastings Air Cargo had gone missing. The town of Porta Denia, while usually full of life, had an air of quite and despair about it. The large iron bell between the harbor master's house and the port authority offices had rung twelve times, one for each crew member on the airship. Every time a ship that left Porta Denia was lost the bell would be rung by a port authority worker. It was a sound the residents of the port town wished never to hear. It was a sound that meant young men and women would never return Porta Denia.
"It's a crying shame. A real crying shame this had to happen." A woman at the weekly town swap was heard saying.
It was a sentiment shared by a lot of people in Denia. They did not want to go through losing the men and women they came to care about. To the people of Porta Denia the crew of the ships that came to town often were seen as honorary citizens of Porta Denia. This particular independent airship crew had been to the town so many times the captain and his first mate were known by nearly everyone in the whole town. And that was also what had the town confused, why was it only happening to the independent ships being hired by Hastings Air?
In the offices of Hastings Air Cargo the mood was quite different. Peter Hastings was not a happy man. The company his great grandfather had built from the ground up was experiencing dark times. Sure, they were able to fulfill their contracts with their ships but they were unable to send any hired ships through the famed Devil's Run with any success. Four times in one month the bell rang and with each count Hastings and the board knew another independently contracted ship was gone.
"Damn it, why can't we have a successful run. We're losing money on this. The captains are asking to be paid up front now or they're refusing the job," Hastings complained to the board.
"These pirates and hijackers are killing our reputation. We can't let them get away with this," the man to Hastings' left replied.
"At least we don't have to deal with the insurance on these losses," the man to his right interjected reminding them of the upside to their arrangement.
Peter sighed and paced back and forth for a moment before stopping to face his board. He had kept silent about the suspicions he had about the disappearing ships. In the eyes of the public Hastings and anyone who worked on the board claimed the disappearances were simply because the route was a very dangerous one.
Letting out a long drawn out breath Peter spoke to his board, "We don't know if it's pirates and hijackers. We don't know if it's the route or the weather. We don't know and if we don't know the town doesn't know either. Let them think it's the route or the weather. Let then believe what they want. The Gazette asks and you say nothing."
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 11:11 pm
This particular post contains public knowledge and private conversations in reaction to the loss of the Red Barron and her crew and of course the loss of Captain Donovan. Peter Hastings continues to listen to bad advice from his board members while trying to minimize his losses.
Peter Hastings sat in the large chair at his desk head in hands. To his right on the large oak desk was glass with water inside it and an open bottle of headache pills. The latest ship to go missing had indeed given him quite the headache. Peter was certain the people of Denia were going to demand answers over the loss of Captain Donovan and the crew of the Red Barron. And, the more he dwelt on that thought the more his head hurt.
"Peter, you and I need to discuss how we're going to handle the loss of a ship we did not contract out. People are going to think this company had a hand to play in sending it out to the Devil's Run," A voice said breaking the silence in the office as the lights came on.
Peter winced as the light hit his eyes. The stress of the situation had given him a nasty migraine that hurt right through to the jawbone. The last thing he wanted to do was discuss the situation with the loss of the Red Barron and Donovan. Yet it seemed as though he had no choice in the matter when Frank the company's COO and his father's right hand man entered his office.
"Do we have to do this right now Frank," Peter questioned with a slight whine to his voice.
Frank stood at the opposite end of the desk with his arms crossed and a stern look upon his face. Some would question who really ran the air cargo company, its owner and CEO Peter Hastings or its COO Frank Allen. Peter wanted Hastings Air to be the most respected and one of the largest, if not the largest, air cargo company on Gaia. Frank wanted Hastings Air to be the only air cargo company on Gaia. And if Hastings could not monopolize the air cargo game then Frank wanted it to be the only company people could trust on Gaia.
It was Frank who suggested contracting out an independent cargo ship when they had a job that took a ship through the Devil's Run. Frank had convinced Peter that it was for the good of the company that they keep hiring independent cargo ships until one of them successfully made it through. Peter hated sending innocent men to their doom but Frank had him convinced it was for the good of the company. Frank was the one who oversaw the day to day operations of the company with board and there were some that believed he had more control over Hastings Air than Peter did.
"Yes we have to. We have to solidify our official position on the disappearance of the Red Barron and Captain Donovan. You know as well as I do that we can not have the people of Porta Denia think you a monster for intentionally sending their beloved captain to his doom," Frank remarked rather sternly.
Peter signed and winced in pain wanting to get the conversation over with as quickly as possible, "Fine, tell me what my position is Frank. I just want this over with so I can get through this migraine in peace."
Frank let a small smirk cross his face at Peter's willingness to do whatever he told him. Peter Hastings was so eager to have Hastings Air be the most respected air cargo company on Gaia that he would do whatever he was told by the board. Frank saw that as an opportunity to shape Hastings Air the way he believed it should be run. His decisions and advice to Peter were made purely out of greed.
"You are saddened by the loss of such a beloved figure around the port. Like the rest of Denia you feel for those of the Red Barron who are missing. The Red Barron was never under contract by Hastings Air and you wish for the town to understand that. Because a ship not under our employ has gone missing you wish to do what you can to find out who it is that has taken such a valiant and brave man from us and will reward anyone that can find the Red Barron and bring back Captain Donovan and his men alive," Frank told Peter.
Peter reached over for the icy cold glass of water and held it against his forehead. His head hurt so badly Peter was certain any food he had that day would not stay in his stomach for very long. The pain started at the base of his brain stem, went into his jawbone, and traveled down his neck. It hurt to talk, it hurt to move his head, and it hurt to breathe. Peter was in pain and he would rather have been left alone to recover.
"If that is what my position is going to be on this issue then make it official. Have the PR department send it out to the Gazette and make sure to tell our own cargo ships the offer to find Donovan for a reward doesn't extend to them. I'd rather they stick to keeping the business running while we pay for a search and rescue," Peter softly and hoarsely replied.
Frank could tell Peter was eager to get the conversation over with and responded to his remarks, "I'll get things in motion right away. Besides, with the way people go missing on that route we won't have to worry about losing money on a reward payout anytime soon. This will humanize Hastings Air in the eyes of the public and that will earn you more respect by the people. After all, you want the Hastings name to be well respected."
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