Kicking the Tires
Posted on Tue Apr 21st, 2015 @ 11:54am by Ensign Corrine Steiner & Traxx
Mission:
Ill Tidings
Location: Traxx’s Personal Spacecraft Emporium
Corrine Steiner had seen a fair number of used shuttle lots, but not one like this one. A more bohemian collection of xeno-technologies, she hadn't before encountered. She had debated wearing her Starfleet uniform for the visit. On one hand, vendors tended to behave and not push junkers on them. On the other hand, however, it might be more difficult to obtain not quite authorized merchandise. In the end, she opted for civvies.
The odd and eccentric attracted her attention the most. Corrie had done her pre-shopping homework and was familiar with the conventional. And that simply wouldn't do. Not having sought out a salesman, she walked among the parked vehicles. Waving a tricorder wand and viewing scan results on her wrist screen, she set the device to flag particular configurations. A few of them inspired smiles with their polished over weapon burns.
Traxx had been making his usual rounds. Ever since he had moved a large portion of his merchandise to his new hangers on the station, he had been making sure that he was a larger presence. It was a new business venture, and all new business ventures required the owner's sensitive touch. He left a lot of the sales work to his team, but occasionally he took on the customers himself. After all, he started out so many years ago on the sales floor, back when his own business was just a twinkle in the Bolian's eye.
Most of Traxx's customers preferred to read the specs on the stickers and of course talk with the sales staff, but a new one that he had never seen before was moving around scanning his merchandise. It wasn't that he had anything to hide, but he still took it a bit personally that the young woman didn't trust him enough to accurately report the condition of his shuttles. He made a bee line to her. "Ah, welcome welcome to Traxx's Personal Spacecraft Emporium, where we handle all your personal spacecraft needs. How can I be of service to you today? Are you interested only in our used craft, or could I interest you in something fresh off the assembly line?"
Corrie extended her hand, "Corrine Steiner. A pleasure." She gestured at the vehicles. "I guess the best way to say it is, I'm looking for a racer. Small, fast, and maneuverable. Custom builds are better than stock. My experience is that the old models tend to outperform the new. They're tougher, simpler to maintain. Sublight or FTL, I want something hot on the sprint."
"And I'm Traxx. The pleasure is all mine. Looking to break some speed records, are we?" the Bolian asked with a grin. "We do have some old customs, though they often have a hodge podge of parts in them. We do offer new custom builds as well, but the lead time is naturally a bit longer. Old models do tend to suggest reliability just based on how long they've been in use, though I've seen plenty of new models that will out perform anything old. Engineers are always pushing the boundaries on new warp geometries. Maybe we can narrow things down a bit. What are you hoping to accomplish with your racer? Are you looking to enter something in a race, or just enjoying a hod rod?"
"I want something which can run like hell from trouble. I need to be able to juke nosy Ferenginar pests, harassing Fed agents, Orion slavers, Sojourner muggers, and road rage Klingons. New, old, I don't care."
Traxx put his hands up at chest level in a sign of defense. "It's probably best that I don't too many questions about why you want to run from them, or what kind of trouble you may be expecting. But, I might have something that you'd like. If you want something with some storage space and a bit more utility, I have a brand new Andorian-made shuttle that you might be interested in. But if you're just looking to move you and maybe a friend or two, then I have a used number that you might like." The Bolian gestured towards another row, inviting Corrie to follow him. "It was custom built, only one previous owner. She only seats a pilot and two passengers, and not much in the way of cargo space, but she's fast." He pointed at a sleek looking craft down the row. "That's her right there."
Corrie was almost startled at the sight. She whispered, "I think I believe in luv at first sight!" A smile melted across her face as she slowly approached. "Definitely atmo friendly..." There was a small racing emblem beneath the canopy, a Drgragar. She shook her head in a bright smile, "Tell me about this beauty!"
"Well, her warp drive is limited range, but if getting where you're going in a hurry is what you're after, this baby can do it. She'll cruise at Warp 5.4, which you'll be hard pressed to find anywhere in a ship this size, but can hit a racing speed of Warp 7.4 for up to twelve hours at a time. No weapons, of course, but she does come equipped with a light shielding system. Won't take too many hits from a cruiser, but glancing blows from debris, or pirates, will be stopped long enough to jump to warp."
Corrie's jaw dropped and she stared with wide eyes at hearing the specs. She reached into the cockpit to trigger the engine access panels to open. I thought only Orions could make a boat this small sprint like that!" Needing no more convincing, she turned to the proprietor, "Mister Traxx? SOLD! Can you have the paperwork ready by the time I get back from a test drive?"
Traxx was almost taken aback. He hadn't even had a chance to discuss pricing with her, and she was all ready to buy. "I suppose I could do that. Typically it will take a little time for us to clear the test flight with the dockmasters, but I'll have my people get you in the queue."
"You won't need to worry about Starbase permit red tape." She tapped her comm badge, "Steiner to Ops..."
Go ahead, Chief.
"Logan, authorize an immediate vehicle permit for one Weston Sisters Racer sold by Mister Traxx. Make sure Harbor Patrol knows it's my personal ride."
Roger that. Authorizing now... Have fun collecting speeding tickets!
"Thanks, Logan." She tapped closed her channel and the gave Traxx a smile, "Keys?"
The Bolian was quite surprised. It was rare that he worked with a Starfleet officer. Most of them preferred to borrow official vehicles instead of having their own personal shuttles. But, it was good to know that the Starfleet residents were interested in his wares. "Give me just a moment, and I'll get them for you," he replied with a big smile. He loved making a sale, but he loved even more to see someone completely fall in love with one of his ships. It was the reason he got in the business in the first place.
Ens. Corrine Steiner
Chief Operations Officer
Starbase 332
Traxx [P: Von]
Owner - Traxx's Personal Spacecraft Emporium
