Building Repairs

Description

Buildings are in constant need of repair. Are you strong enough to help out?

Start: Side Jobs, The House of Congo

Introduction

You have a job: Building Repairs, accepted at The House of Congo in the Sirius system.

Find Raging Turpentine in the Shipping Bay.

Next NPC: Raging Turpentine (She/her), Ruins, The House of Congo

  • Talk to Raging Turpentine about the job.

You find Raging Turpentine zooming across the shipping bay. Her hoverchair’s displays are full of charts, graphs, and timetables, which she consults as she checks the arrival of new orders. When you tell her you’re here for the job, she points you at a handful of plastic buckets.

Turpentine says: Take those to the Cat’s Cradle – the hotel, I mean. Someone got in a bit of a fight, punched through a wall… just another evening at the Cradle, really. I already sent the repair materials, but they'll need a coat of paint as well, and these just arrived. Mind loading them onto that trolley?

  • Load the trolley.
  • Ask why she uses a hoverchair.

Ask why:

Hoverchairs aren't a frequent sight, and you ask Raging Turpentine why she uses one.

Turpentine says: You mean, why don’t I get sick bay to sort my legs out? I like living in my body. There are things I could change about it, but I shouldn’t have to, especially not to make other people less uncomfortable.

She crosses her arms defiantly, and looks you straight in the eye. Eventually, she lets out a small smile.

Turpentine says: I love living in Congo - I’m not “that odd woman in a hoverchair”, constantly pressured to “get around to fixing herself”. I’m Raging Turpentine, the woman with a trained eye for quality, a great ear for underground deals, and right now, a hankering for cocktail. In fact, maybe I'll call it a day soon…

She taps a pad on the arm of her hoverchair, and pre-orders herself a drink.

Turpentine says: Have you heard the very old story about a ship whose parts kept being replaced, until none of the original pieces is left? I think about that a lot. There’s nothing wrong with changing yourself – I have plenty of modded friends – but it’s not for me. Having the choice, that’s what’s most important. Now, come on, that paint isn’t going to load itself!

  • Load the trolley.

(Strength check)

You manage to load all the paint tins onto the trolley. Once Turpentine has checked everything over, the trolley zooms away on its treads.

Turpentine says: Right, that’s on its way to the hotel, so you should do the same. Talk to Meta4, they’ll tell you what to do next.

Talk to Meta4 at the Guest Rooms in the Cat’s Cradle.

Next NPC: Meta4 (They/them), Hotel Rooms, The House of Congo

  • I’m here to help with repairs.

Me: I’m here to help with repairs.

Meta4 says: I eagerly awaited your arrival, <name>! Please, come this way. I have received the relevant materials, so your role is ready to be carried out. Could you start by filling out the hole punched into our wall? It is the third this tenspan. I am not pleased with this pattern.

  • Start by filling the hole.

(Strength check)

You work the filler, which looks and smells like regocrete, into the hole. While it dries, you marvel at the size of the hole - it's too large to be made by a normal fist, even a Mall-sized one.

Meta4 says: That’s a good start. Now, in that bucket you can find a mixture a bit akin to plaster. Cover the regocrete filler with that, and make sure it’s flat and even.

  • Apply the plaster.

(Strength check)

It’s tiring work, but the wall finally looks smooth. You admire your handiwork as Meta4 ushers in the trolley.

Meta4 says: Thank you. I am in charge of the painting process, and though I could depict anything with precision, I appreciate humanoid input. Tell me, is there something you would enjoy seeing?

  • "Let’s tone it down, maybe add a shaded patch?"
  • "You can never go wrong with more creatures."
  • "I don't care."
  • "It needs to shine. Do you have glitter?"

Shaded:

Me: Let’s tone it down, maybe add a shaded patch?

Meta4 says: Yes, we could use this opportunity to make this corner less colorful. The shade of a large tree, shadows with the suggestion of eyes… The dangers of nighttime in old Earth, but with some relief from the harsh sunlight.

Creatures:

Me: You can never go wrong with more creatures.

Meta4 says: Yes, that is how most people in House of Congo feel. I am unsure why most of them choose names based on extinct creatures, but Meta4 might seem equally strange to you. Perhaps I will add the namesake for one of my rooms, a serval. Based on its predatory habits, it could be camouflaged along the grass…

Don't care:

Me: I don't care.

Meta4 says: Very well. Then I will restore what was there.

Glitter:

Me: It needs to shine. Do you have glitter?

Meta4 says: The technicolor grass is not enough? I could accentuate some of the features with golden paint, that would produce a similar effect. I could also use it to highlight the caracals’ eyes…

All choices continue:

  • Admire Meta4's handiwork.

Meta4's painting is very methodical, going left to right, then down one line, as though it were a 3D printer. While you admire the nascent image, your credits arrive.

Congratulations!

You have completed the 'Building Repairs' job.

You have received 70.00 credits.

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