Originally posted by bryan gibson:
Opening Scene - Two crusty ol' traders in a dusty, dry and ubquituous Class C TL A starport are haggling over a couple containers of non-descript cargo. In the background, a Far Trader settles on an open landing pad. As the two traders look over at the new arrival, the hatch opens.
Out comes a bunch of Travellers, all vaguely disreputable looking, and begin to gather around the cargo as well, when a squad of Starport Authority Police approaches and begins questioning them and generally giving them a hard time. The Crusty Ole Fellers give one another a knowing look and shake their heads in a "saw this one coming" sort of way, and one of the duffers approaches the police.
"What's the problem, Cap'n?"
" It seems we have to settle our docking fees in advance, and our broker's not here, so the cops are talking about impounding the ship!"
"Tell ya what, help me out, and buy my little consignment here and I can help ya out, whattaya say?"
The captain looks dubious... " Sure,if you can pull it off."
Smiling in a smug way, the Ole Feller goes up to the police sergeant, and hands him a card. The sergeant looks it over, scans it with his hand comp and seems suitably impressed, and departs all smiles with the squad, in a flurry of "sirs".
A look of amazement on the captains face and the Travellers gather round, as the Ole Feller walks up to him and shakes his hand. "Problem solved, son... now, lets do some buisness."
"I have to know, how the hell did you do that?"
Whereupon the Ole Feller flourishes a Traveller's Aid card,and with the smile of one in the know looks into the camera...
" It's not all restaurants and high passage son, Traveller's Aid means respectability, too, no matter what ya look like or where ya are. Membership has its priveleges."