Greg Smith wrote:

>>>>Joyce says, "If you're heading toward Newton then our agricultural
>>>>products will be very good sellers there. They have a population of
>>>>upwards of 90 billion in the Newton system and can only feed
>>>>themselves on mass produced protein pastes and things like that. 
> 
> Woof makes a note of this.
> 
>>>>Link nods, "And don't miss trying to get a cargo lot of their
>>>>famous fabrics. There is something or other in the gas giant
>>>>Newton's main world orbits that produces something unique that
>>>>they've learned to turn into godslight fabric and shimmer silk."
> 
> Woof makes a note of this too.
> 
>>>>Link pulls out a portable comm unit and makes a call, "Hey, Chick!
>>>>This is Link. The freight has finally arrived. How soon can you get
>>>>the trucks...30 minutes? Great! I'll tell them you're on your way."
> 
> When 'Chick' arrives, Woof will call him by name and use his liaison skills 
> to see if there are even more and better rumors.

Nothing much from Chick about trade and such, but he'll happily chat 
about local conditions with you as he supervises the teams unloading 
the hold and loading the trucks.

"Yeah, the Hooters have a big colony here." he says at one point, 
"Almost all down on the south continent, though. They don't use 
modern equipment down there, but that doesn't stop them using grav 
craft to ferry colonists down there and products back up here for sale."

At another point, "The big ship brought in a load of colonists from 
Newton...poor sods! None of them are farmers, all city folk and 
belters, but here they'll get 40 hectares and *maybe* a tractor and 
be expected to make a living. Some do, most don't and either end up 
emigrating back to where they came from, or working for somebody in 
one of our towns."

>>"We can always use industrial goods, especially high tech parts." Link
>>says, "Agricultural robots and equipment. I know the Hooters won't use
>>it but they are only a small part of our population and the rest of us
>>try to keep up with the times."
>>
>>Joyce adds, "Air/raft parts, machine tools, computers, even toaster
>>ovens and microwaves."
> 
> Woof again makes some notes in his pda.
> 
>>> "As you can see we are all new to this, what are some of the things
>>> the other ships brought in?"
> 
> He grins.  Never hurts to be thought a rube.  Even if you have been doing 
> this your entire adult life.
> 
>>"The small ship had some wines and spirits and some spices." Link says,
>>"They aren't all *that* valuable here, but we'll make a profit on them
>>and we want to encourage traders who drop by to drop by again."
> 
> "That one's the /Blue Diamond/, right?" Woof asks, getting it wrong.

"Rain, Blue Rain?" Joyce says then looks to Link for confirmation.

>>Joyce says, "The other ships that are in port..."
>>
>>Link breaks in, "One brought colonists from Newton and some equipment
>>for them, and the other didn't seem to bring *anything*. They dropped
>>off some passengers, but they were running empty of cargo. If you ask
>>me, a damn fool way to run a far trader!"
> 
> "Certainly is!  Sure way to go broke in a big hurry!  Even if you're note's 
> paid!  The one that brought the equipment, is that it over there?" Woof 
> asks.
> 
> Woof listens to Cory again...
> 
>>> "Oh so you don't have much left that needs to go off world? I'd hate
>>> to get in a bidding war over cargo with Captains we'll be having to
>>> work with."
>>
>>"We never said that!" Link holds up his hands, "I'm sure we can load
>>your holds with agroproducts if you're heading for Newton."
>>
>>Joyce says, "Fill them to overflowing!"
> 
> "Sounds good to me," Woof says.  "Freight? or Spec or a mix of both?"

Link says, "If you want I suspect we could fill your hold with just 
freight...back ordered goods for Newton. However, if you're in the 
market to buy some goods to sell on Newton, I think we can help you 
there, too."

>>> "I guess I should make an effort to meet some of the Captains and
>>> Crews. Do you know any of them?"
>>
>>"All of them are here for the first time." Joyce says.
>>
>>"The Captain of the colony ship is named Rici Wuzuto. He seemed like a
>>nice enough fellow, but he's Gwi, and they tend to be pretty formal."
>>Link says, "The smaller ship's Captain is Smith, Shan Smith..."
>>
>>Joyce breaks in, "No, that's Shawn Smith."
>>
>>> "That one ship,>> Cory does>, looks almost familiar, but I can't place where I saw it.
>>> Do you know where they came in from?"
>>
>>OOC: I think it's the Bright Star isn't it? The one the Hooters were on?
>>
>>"They came in from Mark with three passengers and no cargo." Link says
>>shaking his head.
> 
> Woof looks surprised.  "Oh!  I thought that one took off again.  So maybe 
> they'll be picking up cargo after all!"

"Maybe." Joyce frowns, "but..."

Link breaks in, "Rude bunch, them. Didn't even want to talk to us. 
We can't afford *not* to do business with anyone that comes, but if 
you or that Smith fellow take all the best goods it'll serve that 
bunch right!"

>>OOC: The trucks start arriving shortly and you spend the rest of the
>>afternoon supervising the unloading of the freight. It all goes fairly 
>>well.
>
> And Woof starts his network in this port...

Once you do, the crew's and ship's comms should all work through the 
Port's network, so you can call each other from anywhere that the 
locals can.

Eris
AKU GM