((Goldstandard, 50 ly is enough to put you WELL outside the solar system... Heck, it's enough to put you past several nearby ones as well. Just for perspective, the distance from the Earth to the Sun is about 1/65700th of a light year. And a parsec is about 3 light years. I wouldn't have noticed it otherwise, but I'm taking an astronomy course this semester, so it kinda jumped out at me
))
*Deuce stretched out in the copilots chair as Cale brought them out of warp. It had been another uneventful run, and this shipment would put them in the black for their third month running. Their shipping company, Star Dragon Shipping, was finally showing signs of turning a regular profit.*
Deuce: "So, let's see... We get this in, it puts us enough ahead that we can start paying off Jubba..."
Cale: "Thank goodness... If I had to tell that fat slob one more time, I'd be sorely tempted to put a laser bolt through his thick head. Besides-"
*Cale cut his tirade tirade short as the comm light blinked. Deuce reached over and swatted the switch, and the image of Bob Fortune, Jubba's no. 2 man, appeared.*
Bob> "Good evening, Deuce, Cale..."
Deuce/Cale: "Hello..."
Bob> "I think you know why I'm calling, so I'll just go ahead and say it. Do you have the money?"
*Deuce shot Cale a "keep your mouth shut" look before answering.*
Deuce: "We'll have some of it when we get paid for this run, but you know it'll take time for us to pay it all back..."
Bob> "Well, how much more time will you need?"
Deuce: "Well, payment on this run was 2 million. Minus docking fees, fuel costs, supplies, maintenence, and other expenses, we should come out about 150,000 ahead. So the total for the month works out to about 500,000 dollars, which, we agreed, we split 50/50 until we pay the debt off."
Bob> "You do realize we're talking about a 10 million dollar debt, right? I doubt Jubba will be willing to give you enough time, if you'll only be paying 250 thousand a month..."
Deuce: "Hey, it's not our fault business has slow! Companies won't trust the really profitable cargoes to small shipping companies like us. So instead we're stuck hauling fruit and scrap metal..."
Bob> "Well, it's not your fault, and it's not our problem. You have six months before Jubba starts seeking other forms of repayment."
*Before Deuce or Cale could respond, the comm channel winked off, leaving the two alone with their frustrations as their ship made its way to their destination.*
((Next time: crazy money-making schemes for fun and profit (but mostly profit) ))