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This is a notice for all the players that took part in previous parts of this quest. If you are new to this quest, you can still stick around and read it, but not reading it won't affect your experience.

https://pastebin.com/0Nz3Y20f

the tl;dr version:
New QM on board, having access to almost all the material of original QM, some minor changes ahead, let's have fun

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And while I'm busy with new update and everyone else is busy catching up or reading previous threads, have some railroad entertainment.

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Your name is Collins. Director Collins, sitting in the board of the Cascadia Railroads, a recently started railway company within the Republic of Cascadia. You're in the board on the behalf of Cascadia Farm Co-Operative, a co-op of farmers and agriculture industries, making sure that all the rural communities can benefit on mass transportation and all the farmers are making pretty penny in the process.
Cascadia Railroads is a joint-venture between the Republic of Cascadia and various parties. So far, the company has but a single line, connecting cities of New Salem and Eugene, while stations are being established in Halsey and Lebanon. Besides having CFC in the board, there are also representatives of other prominent companies and organisations within the Republic: Military-Industrial Complex (MIC), The Confederation of Native People of Oregon and also workers of the Cascadia Railroads itself. There is also an envoy of sorts from far-away city of Roseburg, keeping an eye on the railway as Roseburg is trying to join the Republic of Cascadia. But most board members are private investors, looking for their own, often petty, profit.

===

>Previously in
Cascadia Railroads only has three working steam locomotives and suffers from a permanent shortage of rails. The Republic can only support a very small amount of tracks each year, but also promises with a special bill an additional grant of tracks, if large quotas of various goods are being transported.
After series of board meetings and planning with CFC, Collins presented a special plan for freighting goods between existing and planned stations. While prohibitively expensive, once fully implemented, the plan will allow the company to both recover financially and secure a substantial grant of rails from the government. The plan also provides a connection to the city of Albany.
Beyond management, Collins also made handful of new acquaintances and learned details about the extremely strained situation of the Railroads' workshop due to material shortages. During a lunch with Weaver, Roseburg's representative in the board, Collins also knows about the on-going accession deal between the city and Republic, which will push border far south
Currently, there is a break between next board meeting in few days. Collins used the free time so far to make further acquaintances with some of the board members, was informed about additional troubles with running trains from the workshop and most importantly, learned there is apparent conspiracy against the Railroad and Collins himself. The first looks like works of Thomas Lindholm, a prominent man running the biggest transport and lodging operation in the Cascades, the other forcing to hire a personal body-guard.
Currently, Collins is travelling in Upper Willamette Valley, to get local support for construction of an additional rail depo, which will allow locals to profit, while the Railroad will qualify for government rail stipend.

Various bits and pieces than desperately need a rework to provide important informations

=====

Cascadia Railroads situation
https://pastebin.com/tnZBHLMi

Characteristics of stations
https://pastebin.com/Rm90q3R1

Board members & their shares
https://pastebin.com/WkcZKmMF

=====

>Personal inventory:
Up-to-date list of issues from New Salem's railroad workshop
Priority list for the workshop ( https://pastebin.com/fKhh9JB4 )
Financial report of the Cascadia Railroads
Surveying report and plans

=====

>Acquaintances
Jim Baker, a CFC contact (+++++++++)
Railway engineers (+)
Wright of Roseburg (+)
Tom Wilson (+)

=====

>Pending
Baker's report on fellow board members (ready upon return to New Salem)

=====

>Lore bits
Factions explained
https://pastebin.com/0cmw0umZ
Rail Provision Bill
https://pastebin.com/pdZx9FS5
Agriculture Support Clause
https://pastebin.com/TUPA1x5x
Issues with the wool shipments
https://pastebin.com/6nuMWY2N
Blue Hounds mercenary company
https://pastebin.com/AcN2Azx5
CFC backstory
https://pastebin.com/3m9n7Kgp
Roseburg's attempts to join the Republic of Cascadia
https://pastebin.com/K74FnpRU
MIC and Confederation's strained relationship
https://pastebin.com/1VNizJ94

=====

>Rail Provision Act & Agriculture Support Clause
https://pastebin.com/1tWUAGEt

Rolled 95 (1d100)

>Continue chasing after nearby locations from Mrs Clark

With a combination of information from Mrs Clark and the map taken from CFC, by dusk another six steads are visited. People in all of them became much more friendly after mentioning the old lady and their various neighbours, lessening suspicion of being some sort of a spy or a bandit. After some additional convincing, you end up with four more families joining the CFC, which is a nice bonus. Something tells you that once the whole operation in this area starts off for good, the remaining farmers will quickly follow suit and also join the co-operative.
However, rather than just visiting farms, the far more valuable information gained from Mrs Clark is the location of numerous, if apparently half-wild and only barely supervised orchards. While on their own they are pretty small and insignificant, their combined output, assuming at least half of the ancient trees can still bear fruit, could easily be on par with large, properly maintained orchards, like the one in Halsey. Most remain without any actual owner, with locals simply harvesting fruits for own use, along with all sorts of vagrants and scavengers that come by.
The additional road taken to visit so many extra points of interest didn't remain without effect on your original plans. Not only you and Hanson are eastward from your desired direction, but you will have to increase pace the next day if you plan to stay on schelude.

>Try to ask the Platts, the last family you've been to, about some lodgings. This would allow both you and Hanson to rest properly and safely, even if it might come with additional, unplanned costs
>Backtrack a bit to an abandoned shack you saw before reaching this farm. This will make you travel a bit after dusk and in the wrong direction, but at least provide a decent shelter free of any charge
>Simply stike camp in first suitable spot. Even if the area appears to be safe, either Hanson will have to stay awake whole night or you will take turns on guard duty, just t be sure
>Instead of already going for a rest, try to regain at least some of the lost distance and time. Keep travelling during night, you are still rested and so are your horses and this is the only way to keep on schelude without missing any areas you've planned ahead.
>Other [Write-in]

>>4365510
>Try to ask the Platts, the last family you've been to, about some lodgings. This would allow both you and Hanson to rest properly and safely, even if it might come with additional, unplanned costs

Hi to ME too. And thank you JE for continuing this quest.
>>4365510
>Try to ask the Platts, the last family you've been to, about some lodgings. This would allow both you and Hanson to rest properly and safely, even if it might come with additional, unplanned costs

>>4365513
>>4365626
>Try to ask the Platts, the last family you've been to, about some lodgings. This would allow both you and Hanson to rest properly and safely, even if it might come with additional, unplanned costs

The house in which the family lives is but an ancient trailer, with ad-hoc fixes and expansion done to it over the decades. There is barely any place for the six of Platts inside of it already, so you don't blame them when they only agree for making some space for you and Keith only after being offered the exorbitant sum of 50 dollars. For that money, you could rent a good room in some of the cheaper hotels in New Salem.
But you don't blame anyone, as you know this money will return to you the roundabout way. Tom Platt signed a form for joining the CFC and that's the exact money he will need to pay the yearly fee, being secured now, regardless of how his harvest will work out. Hanson doesn't comment on the matter either, mostly glad he won't have to spend a night on a look-out duty.
Your hosts wake up around sunrise and so do you. The night spend inside made you well-rested and warm, while soon you and your bodyguard are served some oatmeal and grain coffee to it. You quickly eat breakfast, pack your things and bid farewell to the family.
After catching some distance from their stead, you stop your horse and pick out the map from the saddlebag. You inspect your position and all the locations you've got pre-marked for visit.
- There is no way we make to all those places if we are supposed to be in Halsey by night - Keith looks through your arm
- I know. I just can't make up my mind which area to ignore entirely.

>Keep heading north, toward Halsey, while going house to house. This way you might not cover most of the area, but you will at least visit everyone on your path. [Roll 1d100]
>Keep heading north, toward Halsey, focusing on CFC markers. You will update the data of the Co-Op and are less likely to end up chasing ghosts.
>Try to plot a route that will cover all the markers from CFC. Time is limited, but you might be able to reach those places with some creative planning [Roll 1d100]
>Switch to the other side of the railroad, and then make a circle toward Halsey around known markers. So far you've been on the western side of the tracks, not even checking what's going on the eastern side.
>Ignore rest of the survey, beyond locations on direct path to Halsey. You will save time and effort for where it is needed, as the town will be the main investor into the whole deal anyway.
>Other [Write-in]

>>4365409
How did you get ME to hand you the reins? Are you his rl friend?

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>>4365783
I rolled crit success to seduce, obviously.
No, but more seriously, we simply had a long chat about the whole thing after a blind chance meeting, with a helping of good, old Catholic guilt. He only asked for one thing in return: to make sure that whatever I do with this quest, I will make it loud and clear that it is me, not him, writing it from now on. So any fuck-up being chalked on me, rather than him.

>>4365783
Oh, and it cost me a beer, so technically speaking, I bought this quest. For about $1.8

Rolled 41 (1d100)

>>4365402
>Cascadia Rails is back because QM couldn't hold back the power of train autism and a previous player happened to be in earshot, resulting in QM passing on the torch (with notes arsenal) to new guy and the quest coming back
There's no way to know if any of this is true or even if that long haired white dude is actually QM, but crazier stuff has happened in twenty twenty. I fully believe everything.

>>4365777
>Try to plot a route that will cover all the markers from CFC. Time is limited, but you might be able to reach those places with some creative planning [Roll 1d100]
And how do you want to handle rolls? Will you do the rolls, or will it be players, and if so is it before or after the choice is locked in?

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>>4365812
If I will be rolling something myself, I will just do that (see >>4365510 ), if I ask for roll for specific option, I need a roll from anyone that picks it. Rolls cover both success rate and effectivness of certain actions if they are successful by default.
As for the story - most of the train was loaded with train enthusiast, including a cart full of German pensioners on a trip, becuase thanks to COVID-19, the historical rail suffers a downrun of regular tourist traffic, so everyone trying to help. If you have train autism and are from Silesia, chances are you're going to be there.
So if you by chance will be in southern Poland, visiting the UNESCO heritage silver mine in Tarnowskie Góry, there is a narrow gauge historical line that's operational since 1850s a stone-throw away from it. For added experience, you can take the train to that mine and return back to civilisation using it on a way-back trip.
Sorry for shilling, but that rail needs every penny it can get this year.

>>4365777
>Switch to the other side of the railroad, and then make a circle toward Halsey around known markers. So far you've been on the western side of the tracks, not even checking what's going on the eastern side.

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>>4365835
>Shill for GKW
>Don't mention the name
https://utk.gov.pl/en/new/6383,Upper-Silesian-Narrow-Gauge-Railways-Gornoslaskie-Koleje-Waskotorowe.html

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>4365812
>>4365837
>Switch to the other side of the railroad, and then make a circle toward Halsey around known markers. So far you've been on the western side of the tracks, not even checking what's going on the eastern side.

After a while you just give up. Standing in a single spot and looking at the map isn't going to make the day last any longer.
- We head east. - You point the direction with your hand - It's bound to be some civilisation there. Besides, we sticked long enough to this side of the tracks and there are few promissing places on the other one.
On your way eastward to the rail trunk, you pass through one more farm, which gets marked down on the map. The elderly owner offers you a short interview for a survey, but isn't interested in the slightest with dealing with the CFC.
Once on the other side of the rails, you make one more check to the map. The marker, reading "Big Milk" sticks out like a sore thumb. Just to be sure, you check the compass, then correct your direction and head toward expected dairy farm or farms.
The information from the Co-Op isn't too far off. By noon, you manage to visit five different farms of varying size, including a small village, each with pastures around them and cows grazing on spring grass. Locals are mostly friendly, if that's achieved by packing a suprisingly large amount of guns.
And they all complain about the free-grazing assholes from Alpine and supposed cattle rustling that happend to that neighbour - but you quickly conclude the accusation being false, as each pointed victim pointed to another person as the real victim. However, the fact the cowboys are running their herds in this area remains a fact. And you expect it only to intensify once the fields on the west-side of the tracks will expand. Promises of barbed wire get you a whole lot of signatures on CFC forms and even more informations than you asked for.
You are also sure of having too many "just one glass" of a milk for today and jumping in the saddle makes you further incomfortable.

>Keep moving on an arc, already riding toward Halsey. This way you should reach the town by evening and still visit at least twice as many places along the way.
>Keep heading toward the far range of the Cascades, to survey the hills before them. This will grant you completely new informations and still allow to be in Halsey on time. [Roll 1d100]
>Squeeze as many of pre-marked locations on your path. That would grant update on old data, even if the path will be of a zig-zag [Roll 1d100]
>Other [Write-in]

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>4366210
>Keep heading toward the far range of the Cascades, to survey the hills before them. This will grant you completely new informations and still allow to be in Halsey on time. [Roll 1d100]

Rolled 41 (1d100)

>>4366210
>Keep heading toward the far range of the Cascades, to survey the hills before them. This will grant you completely new informations and still allow to be in Halsey on time. [Roll 1d100]

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>4366210
>Keep heading toward the far range of the Cascades, to survey the hills before them. This will grant you completely new informations and still allow to be in Halsey on time. [Roll 1d100]

>>4366210
>Keep moving on an arc, already riding toward Halsey. This way you should reach the town by evening and still visit at least twice as many places along the way.

>>4366210

>Keep moving on an arc, already riding toward Halsey. This way you should reach the town by evening and still visit at least twice as many places along the way.
maybe qm should handle player rolls or something? taking votes and rolls at the same time allows for cheese

>>4366967
>rolls cover success rate
nm I guess

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>>4366477
>>4366557
>>4366626
>Keep heading toward the far range of the Cascades, to survey the hills before them. This will grant you completely new informations and still allow to be in Halsey on time. [13, 41, 13]
>[1]

After a short break with a map and careful measurements, you and Keith get back into saddles and continue going east. On your way, you pass two more farms, gathering further informations about local situation, but as you are closing to the foothills, even signs of human presence become scarce. By the time you can clearly see individual trees on the hillsides, you are crossing a wild, slowly reforesting meandow and not a single building in sight. Nobody seems to be pushing toward the forested, rugged terrain, with abundant grazing and farmland within the Valley right next to it.
Before you close any further, your bodyguard points a direction. It's an old, rusted and half-broken high voltage tower, still sticking above the line of trees.
- We should check there, it will provide excellent lookout, if we manage to climb up.
No point arguing against that, so you hasten your horse, having a clear direction now. However, once in the forest, you both realise any further journey will have to go on foot, as the combination of trees, incline and thick undergrowth make it too dangerous to continue riding. Leading your horses, you reach the remains of the pylon within about half hour. The structure is rusty and some of the top-most elements are laying around, but what's left of the tower seems to be sturdy enough to survive any attempt to reach the top of it. Even the bits of original ladder look good enough to use them.

>Climb yourself. This way you can focus on all the important landmarks and be sure nothing of value for the Railroad or CFC is lost. [Roll 1d100]
>Ask your bodyguard to climb. He is after all a former scout, not to mention being far more fit [Roll 1d100]
>Both of you climb up. Two pairs of eyes can spot far more things, also focusing on different details [Roll 1d100]
>Other [Write-in]

Rolled 40 (1d100)

>>4367110
>>Climb yourself. This way you can focus on all the important landmarks and be sure nothing of value for the Railroad or CFC is lost. [Roll 1d100]

>Questions
How much "meta" should be elaborated upon, if any at all?
By meta I mean all the informations that are marked in the notes such as the effect of the "+" marks of various people Collins knows or providing more concrete, numerical values on informations like workshop efficiency, track laying capacity or similar, as long as they are known in-game to the PC. They were so far ignored in the quest entirely, but I'm not sure myself if their lack is working in the favour or the detriment of the quest. I presume if the PC was an engineer, those would be the front-line of the quest, hence why I'm on the fence with the decision of how much information should be provided in practical terms, rather than descriptions.

>Side notes
I tried to play the RT2 map overnight, with random seed first, rather than the save provided by original QM (which I so far use only as a map-within-quest outline). Man, I got rusty with this game, so no conclusions so far, but the map looks tough given its designed goals.

Rolled 11 (1d100)

>>4367110
>Climb yourself. This way you can focus on all the important landmarks and be sure nothing of value for the Railroad or CFC is lost. [Roll 1d100]

>>4367150
The players aren't engineers though (likely), so I'd suggest keeping the stats vague until the players request more precise data.

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Rolled 87 (1d100)

>>4367112
>>4367199
>Climb yourself. This way you can focus on all the important landmarks and be sure nothing of value for the Railroad or CFC is lost. [40, 11]

While your bodyguard is going through his gear, you approach the construction up close.
- I'm climbing
- No - Keith is shaking his head in disbelief, with a lifeline in his hands.
- ... with that rope...
- Just no
- ... and in gloves - You keep going, but he's not convinced
- No
- Out the two of us, I'm the person more familiar with farming. And railroad needs - That second bit it quite a stretch - Besides, how much does you weight?
- No. I'm not hauling back a dead body with a broken neck, director!
- How much do you weight?
- Two hundred pounds.
- Then I'm lighter anyway . And this is still standing without being maintained for decades, so it won't collapse under a weight of a single person
At least that's what you are hoping for, when approaching the derelict structure. You rise your head trying to figure out the best approach, since the remains of the latter only reach few feet above ground.
Ultimately, with a rope that won't help you all that much and pair of gloves that at best will prevent tetanus, you start climbing. The bag on your back contains the map, binoculars and compass, even if the steel tower is going to skew the read.
Finding a safe approach up is a tedius task and at certain point you even consider giving up, but ultimately, after a lot of struggle, you manage to get on the top of the tower. Few of the old, busted insulators are still attatched to the remains of the structure above your head. Eventually, with secured footing and tettering yourself with the rope, you start your survey.
The view on the valley is splendid and you can see countless farms and fields with ease, to the point where you wonder why nobody is using this place for regular look-out. Or maybe it was used in more turbulent times, before the Republic secured the whole Valley. Doesn't matter. You keep adjusting the binoculars and mark new spots, along with putting confirmations on old CFC data where you can.
After taking a long look on the Valley, you turn your eyes on the forested hill-land on the east, but all you can spot is a conifer forest, with almost no sign of clearances, or at least new ones. It's a bit dishearting, but you came here just to make sure.
It was definitely worth going up and spending so much time on the task

>1/2

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>>4367730
As you prepare for your descend, you decide to use the rope to simply slide down, with Keith holding one end and you using the other. However, as you are half-way through, the steel beam you've used as a pivot starts to croak and before you can reach ground, snaps, dropping you down like a stone.
Your back hurts and you see stars when you stand on your left leg. With a groan, you sit back down.
- Yes, I know, you warne... auch! - You squek, as Keith is checking your ankle
- Doesn't look broken. More like sprained.
You check the content of the bag, while your ankle is bandaged to at least partially immobilise it. Both the compass and the binoculars survived the fall.
The road downhill takes you twice as long as climbing to the pylon, with Keith slowly leading your horse and you trying to stay in the saddle with only one foot in the stirrup. When back to even terrain, you try to ride, but anything above trot makes your eyes watery from pain.
By dawn, you barely crossed two thirds of your way to Halsey and your ankle is swollen.

>Try reaching the town during night. This way you can get professional help as soon as possible and a decent rest
>Strike camp. No use risking horses breaking their legs at this point, even if that means lack of roof over head.
>Try to reach one of the farms on the way to Halsey. Nobody is going to turn away a wounded rider, or at least you hope so.
>Other [Write-in]

>>4367733
>Try to reach one of the farms on the way to Halsey. Nobody is going to turn away a wounded rider, or at least you hope so.

>>4367733
*by dusk

>>4367733
>Strike camp. No use risking horses breaking their legs at this point, even if that means lack of roof over head.

>>4367733
>Strike camp. No use risking horses breaking their legs at this point, even if that means lack of roof over head.
The sprain shouldn't be too bad, since this is already the later part of our trip and we'll heal up.

>>4367733
>Strike camp. No use risking horses breaking their legs at this point, even if that means lack of roof over head.

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>>4368085
>>4368833
>>4368936
>Strike camp. No use risking horses breaking their legs at this point, even if that means lack of roof over head.

You keep riding for a while after the sun hides behind the hills on the west, but eventually you just groan.
- Stop!
Hanson, who remained at the lead ever since leaving the transmission tower, reins his horse and checks on you
- There is no point going any further - You know this will rob you of valuable time for preparation or even the actual meeting. Maybe even make the whole thing impossible to conduct - I've got my leg busted, but if any of the horses follows, we won't be even able to reach Halsey for the evening train back home. Let's just camp.
- Here? - The bodyguard looks around, since you are in a middle of a wild meadow
- Anywhere, really
With his help, you dismount. The ankle has swollen so much, you spend good few minutes slowly unlacing your boot and taking it off. But short from the swelling, nothing seems bad with it and you almost have full mobility in your foot. Just not being able to walk on it.
Meanwhile Keith is busy gathering whatever kindling and sticks he can find to create at least a small fire to make the night more bearable. It might be warm by day, but it's still only April. Eventually you settle along the campfire. He keeps his distance in the dark, not wanting to be blinded by the light in the surrounding darkness. He's uneasy, despite the area being peaceful and quiet.
Not wanting to waste any more time than needed, you take out your notes and maps and try to read them close to the fire. This is your planned "hotel night" and this is your prep time, with you liking it or not. You keep it up for as long as the flame is tall enough to keep reading and taking further notes. Once it's too dark to continue and no more fuel left to add, you continue on memorising cues and practicing patterns... and then you are woken up, not even knowing when exactly you drifted to sleep. Keith is leaning over you and casting a pale shadow in the sunrise.
- Time to go, director.
The camp is already packed. With Hanson's help, you mount back on Fritz. You feel tired and more importantly, cold.
Halsey is reached in late morning hours. It might be 10 or maybe even close to 11. By now, your plan anticipated being ready to speak with local council, after someone from Halsey's office of CFC arranging all the meetings ahead of time. Still, you should have enough time to at least have something done before your train will arrive in the evening.
You finally find a clock on one of the buildings next to the main street. 10:42. That leaves you with only over 9 hours for everything, including proper arrangements, with train's planned departure at 8:10 PM. And you don't even know your timetable.

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>>4369104
>Find local infirmary. Your leg needs to be checked by a doctor and properly treated, since limping won't win you any favours. (-1.5 hours)
>Head toward the hotel first. You need to make yourself presentable for the meetings and there was a reservation under your name anyway. (-1 hour)
>Go to CFC office first. Plan everything else around the arrangements prepared in place and hope you didn't miss any already. (-0.5 hour)
>Other [Write-in]

>>4369105
Also, a reminder
Collins agreed to deposit a written testimony in sheriff's office on behalf of the people of the Upper Valley and have a word about the whole issue of trespassing, supposed cattle rustling and all that cowboy business. This is not mentioned in the options, due to lack of direct urgency, but it's still an important reminder

>>4369105
>Go to CFC office first. Plan everything else around the arrangements prepared in place and hope you didn't miss any already. (-0.5 hour)

>>4369121
+1

>>4369121
+1

I can't see thread 2 in the archive, did it not get saved or something?

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>>4369121
>>4369167
>>4369746
>Go to CFC office first. Plan everything else around the arrangements prepared in place and hope you didn't miss any already. (-0.5 hour)

- First things first, schedules - You point down the street - There is a CFC office there, we absolutely must go there first
- What about the leg - Keith asks with a mix of concern and surprise
- It's gonna hurt regardless of what I'm going to do with it, so we might as well just be over it and do what we're for in Halsey. I've been through far worse.
You've been also younger back then. Still, without at least meeting with the town's council, this entire escapade is pointless. At the front of the office - a small building made from unpainted planks - you leave your horses and with your bodyguard's help, you wrestle with the only step leading up to the door. You limp inside, with a saddlebag containing all the essentials already over your shoulder. You barely tilt your hat to the two men waiting already inside the building. The reception desk, or rather simple table, has a bell. You start ringing it energetically, then rise your voice to be heard inside the whole building
- Collins, New Salem, official CFC-Railroad business, now MOVE IT!
You hear some ruckus from behind the doors with "Staff Only" sign, then a young man emerges to you.
- Yes, how can I help?
- I was supposed to retrive schedules of the meetings for today. On the name "Collins". You or anyone else in here was supposed to arrange all of this.
He starts going through a small paper file, mumbling surnames. You put your hand on the table.
- Look, I'm already 12 hours late with all the business, so focus. Special order from Jim Baker
- Oh... oh...- The clerk stammers, instantly knowing what this is about - Sorry, took you for someone else. Just a second, it's in the files.
He runs back behind the doors and you hear frantic move of a cabinet. You barely manage to lean on the table to ease your leg and he's back.
- All the meetings we were able to secure... Signature?
He asks when you try to grab the paper. With an impatient grimace, you give him your John Hancock.
- You mind if I sit? I can barely stand.
Before he replies, you already limp to the other side of the table. The two patrons awaiting for their turn just few feet away exchange puzzled looks. You are too tired and in too big hurry for side pleasantries now.

>>4369916
- Fuck...
You mumble under your breath. The schedule opens at 9:30, with Mr. Abbott of the local cattle ranch. So much for that.
Thankfully, the next meeting is at noon, and in the only hotel in the town. And it's not even anything important, just the people owning local orchards.
The big deal, a meeting with the representatives of the co-op owning the dairy processor, is at 1 PM.
It is followed by a lunch meeting with local dairy farmers on 2:30. There is unspecified schedule of some "Mr. Jonesy", as a side note to that meeting.
Town council meeting is ready for 4:30, in the municipal building.
A general assembly for interested and concerned citizens is organised on 6, on the site of the future railway station.
You can already see various breaks between those meetings, as only one of them is explicitly marked as follow-up. The flip-side of the schedule list is a short briefing on various parties, except for said Mr. Jonesy. Short from leaving you barely any time to prepare and already missing one of the meetings, everything looks still managable.

>Rush to the hotel. You should still manage to at least clean yourself before thing start rolling [Roll 1d100]
>Take your time. You start with farmers. they will be understanding about your shape and condition.
>Ask for reschedule. The first meeting can be placed anywhere else and doesn't seem important, while you badly need extra time now to make everything else work out [Roll 1d100]
>Other [Write-in]

_____________________

>>4369902
From what I understand, there have been some archiving error. Threads themselves are numbered 1, 2 and 3, this being 4, but they are archived as 0, 1 and 3.

>>4369929
>>4369902
Sorry about that, that was my archiving screwup. I accidentally input the ID for thread 2 as the entry for thread 1 when archiving #1, and then had to archive thread 1 as #0 to keep them in order.
>Ask for reschedule. The first meeting can be placed anywhere else and doesn't seem important, while you badly need extra time now to make everything else work out [Roll 1d100]
I'm sure we can borrow a crutch from someone, and do our minor errands in between a couple of them.

>>4369929
>Rush to the hotel. You should still manage to at least clean yourself before thing start rolling [Roll 1d100]

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>4370064
Supporting

>>4370064
>>4370610
>Rush to the hotel. You should still manage to at least clean yourself before things start rolling [61]

With as much haste as your leg allows, you first get out of the CFC office and then ride the short distance to the hotel, side-sitting in the saddle. You are in the hotel by 11:38, or at least the clock in the lobby says so. "Grand" is a bit too much for the small, two-store establishment, but it's clean and the building itself looks brand new, if rustic.
After a short talk with the receptionist, you are handled over the keys to the room rented for you prior. The buffet is already rented for the rest of the day, so all the meetings will be held there. There are two problems: lack of running water in the building and the fact you have to negotiate the 17 steps to get to the second floor. Once getting you on top, Hanson is send to wait in the small lobby and stall the farmers once they show up for as long as possible.
Using a bowl and a pitcher, you wash yourself as much as you can. You open your bag. The clothes would clearly benefit from some ironing, but there is no time for that and you doubt the hotel is even capable of providing such service. You can't hear the lobby's clock, so it might be few minutes till noon left. You just hope it's not simply lack of gong.

>Go in your "working" clothes. You will be dealing with hard-working folks, this will fit better and they will understand your limping gait.
>Go in your formal clothes. Even if in a bit of a disarray, you are still representing two large organisations and should make yourself presentable.
>Change to hotel pajamas and robe. Play up your health issue for sympathy and get the delegation to your room instead.
>Other [Write-in]

>>4371349
>>Go in your "working" clothes. You will be dealing with hard-working folks, this will fit better and they will understand your limping gait.

On a side-note, managed to beat the map on random seed. Bronze medal, absolutely unable to fulfill the requirements for Silver, even if managing to get gold. Map's tough as hell. But at least I can see how much better the seed in the save from the original QM is.
Even if this quest doesn't exactly have a set goals or measurement of success aside "don't bankrupt the company", this is going to be a never-ending challenge if following the notes and cues from the RT2 map.
So... lot's of fun ahead!

>>4371349
>Go in your "working" clothes. You will be dealing with hard-working folks, this will fit better and they will understand your limping gait.

File: Orchards.jpg (19 KB, 400x300)

19 KB JPG

>>4371350
>>4371390
>Go in your "working" clothes. You will be dealing with hard-working folks, this will fit better and they will understand your limping gait.

Ultimately, you decide to just wear the spare riding clothes. Might not be the most impressive costume, but should work well with the "Honest John" approach - no big companies, no round promises, just good ol' farming and hard working. Besides, without iron, it's not much difference which clothes you are going to wear.
You do hear the clock announcing noon while being half-way through. At least you won't be that much late and Keith should be able to hold the floor for the duration. With all the papers and the ledger in tow, you limp toward the stairs. It's much slower getting down, if only because you are alone to do this.
As you pass the clock, it's 12:07 and get inside the lobby. To your relief, the four other men than your bodyguard are all wearing simple clothes. And they quickly take notice from your careful, slow walk
- Gentelmen - You nod behind the threshold of the room - Sorry to keep you waiting for so long. I hope my assistent was already able to help you at least a bit...
You exchange pleasantries for a while, then talk for a while about your survey in the Upper Valley area. So far, despite being late, you apprear to make the right impression on those people, with your dedication, personal involvement and being straight as an arrow.
But it's time to conclude the proper business

>Just get information from them. Exact, specific numbers, existing issues and their projected harvest this year and their usual markets. You don't really need much more from them anyway.
>Talk with them about cooling equipment. This will might be a special issue for them if Halsey ends up shelling money for refridgeration chamber outside the town, rather than for their own, direct benefit
>Focus on the various old orchards down south. Currently the land apprears to be unclaimed, this might be their big chance to get there and still benefit from rail transport in the long run.
>Other [Write-in]

>>4371494
>Focus on the various old orchards down south. Currently the land apprears to be unclaimed, this might be their big chance to get there and still benefit from rail transport in the long run.

>>4371494
>Focus on the various old orchards down south. Currently the land appears to be unclaimed, this might be their big chance to get there and still benefit from rail transport in the long run.

>>4371494
>Focus on the various old orchards down south. Currently the land apprears to be unclaimed, this might be their big chance to get there and still benefit from rail transport in the long run.

>>4371524
>>4371724
>>4371727
>Focus on the various old orchards down south. Currently the land apprears to be unclaimed, this might be their big chance to get there and still benefit from rail transport in the long run.

You discuss for a while the subject of possible harvest this year, but once chit-chat is done, you switch the subject of the discussion to the proper deal you want to conclude with those people. Or rather - the proper carrot you plan to feed them and they will do the rest.
- Gentelmen, this survey opens new frontiers and possibilities for everyone. Not just the railroad itself or the CFC, but also you, specifically.
You take out one of the maps you've updated during your journey over the valley and put it on the table. They lean closer to the paper. With a pencil, you point a handful of locations, from time to time checking your ledger.
- Those spots are currently pre-existing orchards. Neither of them seems to be under any sort of care or actual ownership, with minimal signs of use. They are essentially unclaimed property, dating to God only knows back when. The trees are old, but they still have bloom on them. For now, this information is only here - You pat the ledger - But once I'm back to New Salem and my leg is treatet, I will have to report all those findings. Not just to the Co-Op, but to the government itself. The standard deal - open bids, then settling support and tax exemption. That will take probably three days to get the bureaucracy moving and another week for first bidding to happen. Of course assuming nobody will just declare that land claimed first, pay the fee.
You check their faces. They are already calculating. There might not be enough money to secure all those plots and they didn't saw them first, but they already took the bait. Good. You continue your explainations over the map
- The problem obviously is in distance. It's a day in a wagon over mostly roadless area and various fields, forcing detours, just to get to Halsey. That could easily damage the produce. However - You tap your finger on a line, marking the existing railroad - Cascadia Railroads has already the main trunk here, fully operational. What it lacks is a loading station there and proper infrastructure to allow proper storage of fruits. What the Railroad doesn't have is sufficient funding for that to happen. Before first fruits in late June, a station with a chiller would have to be ready. And this is where your part comes in, gentelmen. I'm not expecting you to put personal funds in this big investment, even if that would be a nice touch. But I'm pretty sure that as concerned citizens of Hasley, you could nudge the town council to provide proper support, in form of funding or maybe even labour. And the rail is already being laid down as we speak all the way to Albany, where any amount of any fruits will be gladly accepted to produce their fabulous brandy...

>>4371892
They listen carefully to all you have to say. One of them is even carefully taking notes on specific plots, while everyone wants to know more details. Good. Not only they took the bait, but swallowed it with the hook and sinker. Of course, they are the smallest of fries you have to deal with today, but even a small success is a nice start for the whole negotiation.
The talk continue for a while, but the meeting concludes in slightly over half hour. Now you are ahead the biggest and probably most important deal today. Even if the town council itself won't back the deal, there is a big chance the local co-operative running the dairy processor is going to act on its own. You have some time before they arrive.

>Re-dress. Impressions are important and you not everyone can be easily swayed by a limp farmhand.
>Review the notes. You need conrete numbers and quotas, especially in the context of milk shipments and rail stipend.
>Arrange for a doctor. You might not be able to go to the infirmary yourself, but once the meeting is over, you could be treated on-site.
>Other [Write-in]

>>4371893
>Re-dress. Impressions are important and you not everyone can be easily swayed by a limp farmhand.
Get our trusty bodyguard to help us so we don't lose too much time with our limp

>>4371893
>Re-dress. Impressions are important and you not everyone can be easily swayed by a limp farmhand.

>>4371893
>Review the notes. You need conrete numbers and quotas, especially in the context of milk shipments and rail stipend.

>>4371893
>>Re-dress. Impressions are important and you not everyone can be easily swayed by a limp farmhand.

>>4371958
>>4371987
>>4372536
>Re-dress. Impressions are important and you not everyone can be easily swayed by a limp farmhand.

Once the room clears, you speak with Hanson
- I must get back to the room. And get back here before full hour.
- I hope this doesn't mean I have to carry you, director - He says with a smirk
- No, but giving a hand or two might be badly needed
With the help of your bodyguard, you get on top. This time, it only takes you two minutes, or something along that, as you count your entire ascend. Switching to something more appropriate takes some time and this whole rush makes your forehead slightly moist. However, by the end of the prep, you are in your formal attire and even have enough spare time to comb and fix your hair. It's all still rushed and slightly wrinkled, but definitely far more presentable.
Of course all of this left you with no time for even most basic review of the information you have, not to mention rehersals. Still, by the time Keith tows you next the clock in the lobby, it's still 12:54. You don't think a full minute have passed since you took your seat in the empied buffet, when you hear movement in the hotel's lobby. Well, that was close.
Soon the receptionist brings the entire fold. Seven people in total, five men and two women, all sharply dressed, like they've been looking for too long on some pictures of businessmen from Before. But their clothes are clearly new and well-kept, so the processor must be more than profitable. And they all look so stiff.
- Hello. My name is John Bennings and those are my associates: Mrs. Campbell, Mr. Brown, Mr. Adams, Mr. Allen and Mr. Harris. Also - He points on the other woman - My secretary, Miss Cooper, who will keep track of this meeting
- I'm Collins, this is my assistant, Hanson. - You mimick their formal style.
You exchange handshakes with all of them. To your surprise, almost all of the hands are rough. So maybe they are only this pompous when doing big business? At least you are fitting with your garb. The pleasantries and chit-chat don't last very long, you barely have time to mention your misadventures, and they aren't particularly interested in any of this.
- So, what specific deal CFC and the Railroad has in mind? - Bennings asks directly, without further ado

>>4373206
>Focus on the Railroad needs. Explain them the deal with the new depo down south, the expansion toward Albany and how and why milk is so important for the Cascadia Railroads, which will benefit everyone, if only proper machines are installed there.
>Focus on the CFC needs. The Railroad is but a mean to achieve real goal, which is prosperity of all farmers and farming-related businessed, thanks to fast, bulk transport all over the Republic and only getting better as time goes.
>Focus on their own profit. Share information of dairy farms down south and how providing them with a depo and a refridgeration equipment will drastically increase milk supply, dropping the production costs, while the rail can ship products all over the valley with ease
>Other [Write-in]

>>4373212
>Focus on their own profit. Share information of dairy farms down south and how providing them with a depot and a refrigeration equipment will drastically increase milk supply, dropping the production costs, while the rail can ship products all over the valley with ease

>>4373212
>Focus on the CFC needs. The Railroad is but a mean to achieve real goal, which is prosperity of all farmers and farming-related businesses, thanks to fast, bulk transport all over the Republic and only getting better as time goes.

>>4373212
>Focus on their own profit. Share information of dairy farms down south and how providing them with a depo and a refridgeration equipment will drastically increase milk supply, dropping the production costs, while the rail can ship products all over the valley with ease

>>4373212
>Focus on their own profit. Share information of dairy farms down south and how providing them with a depo and a refridgeration equipment will drastically increase milk supply, dropping the production costs, while the rail can ship products all over the valley with ease

>>4373212
>Focus on the Railroad needs. Explain them the deal with the new depo down south, the expansion toward Albany and how and why milk is so important for the Cascadia Railroads, which will benefit everyone, if only proper machines are installed there.

>>4373219
>>4373241
>>4373256
>Focus on their own profit. Share information of dairy farms down south and how providing them with a depo and a refridgeration equipment will drastically increase milk supply, dropping the production costs, while the rail can ship products all over the valley with ease

You take a short breath. This might not be the best way to play this, but it sure as hell will make them interested.
- Judging by those exquisite suits, I'm guessing the business is going great. And I assure this meeting can make it even better. For everyone.
- Go on... - Bennings cuts you before you even try to make a dramatic pause.
- As we already discussed, I've been surveying the Upper Valley for agriculture data and viable businesses. Predominately local dairy farms. Which use most of their products locally and then consume it locally, as they can't compete with prices of an industrial processor, not to mention the variety of products. However, with even most basic calculations, the milk-producing potential of the Upper Valley is thrice as big as all the farms in direct area of Halsey. And it could double from there, if proper shipments of feed are provided, rather than just hoping for the best with grazing.
You take out one of your maps and present it on the table. The secretary, so far writing a short-hand of what's going on, takes a pause and takes out much more detailed, not to mention more accurate map of the entire Willamette Valley. She just gives you a short nod and goes back to her notes.
- Then the areas here... here... and here are some prime milk producers. Especially the village of... - You check your ledger, searching for the proper name. Two pages later, you've got it - Bow Creek.
Mr. Allen... or was it Mr. Adams... makes a measurement with fingers on the side of the map, then makes an improvised compass. Not measuring from Halsey, but from Eugene, further down south, but still slightly closer to that area.
- They aren't going to ship to Eugene for the train, either - He concludes - So how this benefits us?
- Because - You tap your finger in the middle of this area - The Cascadia Railroads is going to build a rail depo directly in that area. However, there is a simple issue of outside investors that are needed to make that happen.
- Didn't we all paid taxes so that railway could be build? - Mrs Campbell mentions off-handly, then makes a nervous smile to suggest it was just a joke
- The station is not an issue. That's just a loading ramp and maybe a water tower. But facilities to store and preserve milk are a different story. Railroad simply doesn't have that kind of money now, CFC can't provide a farmer's loan to a non-farming organisation and locals won't ever organise this kind of money themselves.
There is a long pause in the room. Eventually even the slight screetching of the pen over paper stops, as the secretary has nothing more to write down. The first one to speak is Harris, the last man you were presented to.

>>4373677
- Alright , let's see the more specific data, because organising a fridge in the middle of nowhere isn't going to be easy nor cheap.
You present your notes, which, at least for this specific purpose, are spread over the ledger and dotted with random other informations of other farming activities in the area. They keep flipping pages back and forth, leaning over the notebook and passing it when needed.
They whisper for a while once taking copy of your informations
- We are not going to finance this - Bennings finally informs you - It is profitable deal and it is a nice operation, but we simply don't have this kind of funds in our own little co-op. Besides, there is an issue of the town council protecting the citizens. If we start buying milk from the outside, people are going to get angry, especially as this will drive the prices down. The council won't support this idea, for the exact same reason.
- What if the council will get behind this? - You don't plan to drop the issue so easily. After all, some of this was anticipated before you even packed your things few days ago
- That's a pretty big "if". If they do, or at least will show willingness to support it purely politically, we can talk. But we still won't have sufficient funds to make this work on our own. Assuming the data checks out, we would need a pretty hefty tank and the solid building for it with good ventilation, not to mention the cooling equipment itself. Gleaners will probably have hard time sourcing it in the first place... does the Railroad even have tanker carts?
- It can have them build as soon as this depo is declared a sure-fire. - You reasure them with conviction in your voice. If it takes it, you will personally build those.
- Either way, without political goodwill, we aren't joining this - Brown joins the discussion - We don't mind making money, but we do mind our own neighbours turning away from us.
You try to nab them for a while, but it's clear that Hasley's town council must green-light this idea first and for that to happen, you will need the support of local ranchers. The processor's co-op is clearly interested in the whole deal, but only when they don't end up being target of gossips and hostilities. The meeting goes for a bit longer, mostly because Miss Cooper is busy writing a copy of all the milk-related infromations from your ledger.
Nothing materialises out of the talks and the meeting ends up prematurely, without anything beyond vague reassurances.
You've got almost a full hour until the lunch with dairy farmers and ranchers, who seem to be the decisive factor

>>4373685
>Review notes and pep talk. You must make sure those people will see it beneficial for themselves, and not for your rail stipend scheme, to ship local milk to Albany and other parts of the Valley.
>Go to hotel's kitchen. Check the menu, improve meager options and pay from your own pocket so booze will be served and in quantity - let's make everyone comfortable.
>Take some rest. You barely slept tonight and everything goes in such a hurry, your head already spins, while you will need to stay focused before meeting the town's council
>Other [Write-in]

>>4373687
>Review notes and pep talk. You must make sure those people will see it beneficial for themselves, and not for your rail stipend scheme, to ship local milk to Albany and other parts of the Valley.

>>4373687
>>Review notes and pep talk. You must make sure those people will see it beneficial for themselves, and not for your rail stipend scheme, to ship local milk to Albany and other parts of the Valley.
>>Go to hotel's kitchen. Check the menu, improve meager options and pay from your own pocket so booze will be served and in quantity - let's make everyone comfortable.

>>4373687
>Review notes and pep talk. You must make sure those people will see it beneficial for themselves, and not for your rail stipend scheme, to ship local milk to Albany and other parts of the Valley.
>Take some rest. You barely slept tonight and everything goes in such a hurry, your head already spins, while you will need to stay focused before meeting the town's council

>>4373687
>Take some rest. You barely slept tonight and everything goes in such a hurry, your head already spins, while you will need to stay focused before meeting the town's council

File: Business lunch.jpg (23 KB, 436x262)

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>>4373893
>>4373985
>>4374146
>Review notes and pep talk. You must make sure those people will see it beneficial for themselves, and not for your rail stipend scheme, to ship local milk to Albany and other parts of the Valley.

Without changing your position, you start spreading your maps and notes over the table. Quickly you realise you don't have the older report
- Keith, would you please bring the files in my bags? They should be in my room and I swear if I'm going to climb back and forth once more, I'm gonna just stay in bed.
- What about security
- What about it? - You look around - This is a hotel lobby, with people around and I'm in a separate room anyway. Not to mention the obvious - you are officially hired as my assistant
He's back carrying all the documents before you even manage to properly align the papers at hand to make them easier to access and look through. So you start reading CFC reports about Hasley and Albany milk production and access to more of it, the situation in Albany as such, the Railroads map of the planned tracks and estimates on the construction. It all starts to come together into a pretty positive image, if requiring a lot of logistics to happen. The most important factor seems to be how limited the supply of milk is in Albany, despite having a dairy processing plant almost as big as Hasley's. With Railroad getting involved, is will be lucrative to send milk there even without Upper Valley flooding Hasley with their own.
As you are noting down the important points to make, two waiters start to set up the buffet for the incoming lunch. Earthenware plates and cutlery are put in place and additional chairs are brought up. You count the seats - 48. You hope this is just their maximum capacity, not the expected number of people.
You go back into your own preparations, until your bodyguard coughs up to bring your attention. He just nods toward the lobby, to which the glazed doors are already opened. There is a growing crowd there, with all sorts of people: elderly, in working clothes, in what could pass as elegant sets, a family with children... You count already 31, assuming everyone is here for the lunch meeting. The only thing preventing them from getting already inside is a rope in the doorframe. The platters with food are already prepared.
You lean slightly to check the clock. It's about time to start

>Limp to the doors. Open up the buffet and personaly greet everyone at the doorframe, at least trying to memorise their faces.
>Ask Keith to let them in. Once everyone takes their seat and the time is right, start the meeting in formal way.
>Wait until the clock strikes 2:30. Let them wait in anticipation and use those extra few minutes to both build up the tension and do the final review
>Other [Write-in]

>>4374281
>Limp to the doors. Open up the buffet and personaly greet everyone at the doorframe, at least trying to memorise their faces.
Making them wait outside while staring at the food would be such a shit move I don't even.

>>4374281
>Limp to the doors. Open up the buffet and personaly greet everyone at the doorframe, at least trying to memorise their faces.

>>4374281
>Limp to the doors. Open up the buffet and personaly greet everyone at the doorframe, at least trying to memorise their faces.

>>4374281
>Ask Keith to let them in. Once everyone takes their seat and the time is right, start the meeting in formal way.
tink tink, ahem!

>>4374281
>Limp to the doors. Open up the buffet and personally greet everyone at the doorframe, at least trying to memorise their faces.
They don't seem like a very formal lot

>>4374386
>>4374391
>>4374616
>>4374746
>Limp to the doors. Open up the buffet and personally greet everyone at the doorframe, at least trying to memorise their faces.

You collect your papers into a single, neat pile and put the ledger over it. You've rehersed it all, you're ready, and they might get needlessly impatient.
With a groan, you stand up from behind the table and limp as elegantly as you only can toward the door. You try to walk straight, but there is just no way to hide your gait. As you are getting close to door-crossed door, you wave to the gathered crowd to get closer.
- Come on, folks, let's get this started...
You personally remove the rope and start the greeting process. Keith is by your side, just in case, while you keep shaking hands
- Hi, I'm Collins from the CFC
- Nice to meet you, I'm Collins from the CFC
- Hello, I'm Collins from the CFC
- Hi, I'm Collins from the CFC..
You repeat it like a broken record, while the names and faces swirl in font of you. By the end of it, you count 34 handshakes and the clock already managed to strike the time. You stopped even trying to remember names after having third Paterson. People already took random seats over the buffet, but the area around the spot with your documents remains one of the few empty isles. The waiters are managing the trays, much to your relief. You don't remember kindly meeting where people just came to load their plates with free food. You secure you papers in a bag and handle it to your bodyguard.
- Protect it with your life if it takes it. Those papers are more important than me.
Now it's the time to start the show. For almost an hour, you keep switching places and seats around the room. A bit of small talk here, some concerned discussion there, few praise there, even some gossip...Thankfully, you can sit most of the time, as you end up winded sooner than expected and your leg starts to hurt badly from all the commotion. Still, you need to make good ground for the final speech.
Also, you managed to locate the elusive Mr. Jonesy. He's an elderly fellow in an old, very faded jacket with pads on the elbows. From the short exchanges you had with various people and the man himself, you managed to gather he's the pride of Hasley - an actual veterinarian, old enough to be trained when the OSU still had its original cadre.
Eventually, alost one hour in, you think you had a chat with everyone present. Food isn't that bad, but nothing fancy, while the small amount of alcohol present is long gone. With everyone busy finishing eating and digesting, now would be the good moment to deliver your speech.

>>4376514
>Make a salesman pitch. You already talked with all those people for a while, heard their stories and issues, so spin it into your speech
>Simply deliver a speech. No need for extra bravado and showmanship, when you can instead talk to their senses.
>First talk with Jonesy. He was booked separately and people aren't nowhere in a hurry and neither are you
>Take a break, then deliver planned speech. You barely eat yourself, you're winded and your head spins, no point pushing it further now
>Make an order for booze. Let's soften everyone up some more, take that time to rest, then sell them your piece.
>Other [Write-in]

>>4376514
>First talk with Jonesy. He was booked separately and people aren't nowhere in a hurry and neither are you

>>4376518
>Take a break, then deliver planned speech. You barely eat yourself, you're winded and your head spins, no point pushing it further now

>>4376518
>>First talk with Jonesy. He was booked separately and people aren't nowhere in a hurry and neither are you

>>4376581
>>4377018
>First talk with Jonesy. He was booked separately and people aren't nowhere in a hurry and neither are you

You slowly limp to the table with the old man. You nod to him and he just smirks.
- You wanted to have a meeting with me, sir - You sit next to him and nod to Keith to get close. This might take a while, no point for him supporting the wall from afar
- Please, just Eli. Or Jonesy - he smiles and extends his hand.
- Well, Eli, I'm here, at your service - You shake with him - What can I do for you?
- No, what can I - He exclamates - do for you. You're working on dairy farms, right? The clerk at CFC couldn't tell me why. Why?
- For the betterment of people, of course - You say, honestly. He gives you a curious, indulgent look, the kind a father would give to a child caught lying - The Railroad has a special deal with the government.
- About milk? - He keeps proding
- About all sort of agriculture products. But yes, milk has the absolute priority, as something that can easily spoil.
You don't feel comfortable talking with this man about in-depth details of the quota system imposed on the Railroad. It's not exactly secred, but you sincerely doubt people are following all bills passed by the Assembly.
You pause, without a continue, and he smiles in that friendly way once more
- I might have something for you. Please visit my clinic as soon as you can today. Now go on, no point keeping you with an old coot like me, you've got more important business right now. Go on...
You leave his table. Well, that wasn't planned. Especially the part where you will have to find time in your schelude to go to his place. If going at all.
Now, you get your bodyguard and take a quick glance into the notes he's carrying. Once fully ready, you stand next to your seat and use the back of the chair as an improvised support. You glance at the room. At least few people are already missing - they ate their full and already left
- May I have everyones attention now, please? First of all, thank you all for coming here and for the opportunity to share this meal together with the fruits of our lovely Valley.
You rise your glass, which contains water, while people nod and some take a sip of whatever they have left

>Be passionate. Talk about big explansion plans and how their milk can travel all around Republic, or even Cascadia, one day, if only they help the Railroad now, when it needs them
>Be reasonable. They can negotiate better prices for their milk in other places, rather than being at the mercy of the Hasley's processing plant and should already start negotiating with people from Albany
>Be to the point. Flatly explain them in plain, simple and direct way why their milk absolutely has to be shipped away from this town and why it is the Cascadia Railroads that must do that
>Other [Write-in]

>>4378117
>Be reasonable. They can negotiate better prices for their milk in other places, rather than being at the mercy of the Hasley's processing plant and should already start negotiating with people from Albany

>>4378117
>Be to the point. Flatly explain them in plain, simple and direct way why their milk absolutely has to be shipped away from this town and why it is the Cascadia Railroads that must do that
The best kind of spin is the straight facts, and don't oversell anything. Also, we don't want to start shit-talking the processing co-op, since their support is going to be very important in this process as seen earlier.

>>4378614
Seems like good reasoning. Supporting this

>>4378614
+1

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Rolled 10 (1d100)

>>4378614
>>4378655
>>4378659
>Be to the point. Flatly explain them in plain, simple and direct way why their milk absolutely has to be shipped away from this town and why it is the Cascadia Railroads that must do that

You put down the glass and exhale quietly. This is going to be a risky move, but considering how even a veterinarian was inquisitive about the whole issue, better to be straight now, than risk a reputation disaster later.
- Big changes are coming to our little Republic. Big, fast changes in form of the rolling stock of the railway. A magnificent achievement that will undoubtly help everyone thrive and make life easier. It is already helping now, with traffic and journeys that havent been seen in generations. The Cascadia Railroads is securing the better future for us and our children.
You make a pause, as the small crowd makes a clapping applause. If this is enough to move them, you try not to think what will be their reaction if your speech fails.
- However, the same Railroad is facing the monumental challenge that is connecting everyone within the Valley. A challenge made all that harder due to limited resources, both of the Railroad itself and even our Republic - You could easily point at a scrape goat now. It wouldn't even be that hard. However, a finger pointed at MIC now means a much bigger problem later, as they also participate in the whole railway investment. And you need as much cooperation from everyone as possible - The current rail system is almost at the full limit of its length. There simply isn't enough rails now to connect much more. The the government must, I repeat, must ration the little amount of steel the Cornwallis steelworks can produce. For that purpose, the Assembly, under the guidance of the report presented by the Cascadia Farming Co-Operative passed a set of special bills. The Railroad will receive more rails, if special quotas of agricultural product will be met. This all but assures the railway will be always on the side of people like you - the hard working farmers of the Willamette Valley, the salt of this earth.
Another applouse follows. Someone even whistles. You see proud and happy faces. Time for your bomb.

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>>4379092
- However, things aren't as simple as they might look. Right now, using what little track reserve it has, the Cascadia Railroads are expanding straight to Albany. It will take next three-four weeks to make that connection from existing line, but it will be made. It is already happening. That will allow access to the Albany milk processing plant. And milk is of most special interest of the Railroad itself. It is the most valuable commodity in our Republic and the one most depending on proper storage and swift treatment. It is also produced almost continously throughout the year. As such, the bill providing rails makes milk shipments the most important ones and their quotas the easiest to fulfill. And "shipment" - You exclamate - is the key word here. The milk must change places. Right now, there is a planned construction of a rail depo, down south, in the Upper Valley. That depo will serve local dairy farms, causing a sharp increase of supply of raw milk to Hasley and any other place connected by the railway.
And here it starts. The murmour goes through a crowd. You rise your hand, to stop it, before it goes out of control.
- This is also why I mentioned the construction of connection to Albany and their own facility. - You rise your voice, because the talks within the room continue - Due to its position, Albany virtually has no milk supply aside very small, local production. It can easily take your own milk and...
- Can't they take the one from the Upper Valley?
- What about our co-op!?
- Please, let me continue! - You try to shout over what is now a very loud assembly, discussing with each other. You already see few people leaving the buffet in anger. It is getting bad - This whole thing can be beneficial for all of you and your farms. Let me just finish!
- Screw you! - Shouts a man, walking out of the room - Fucking robbers!
- Hey, I want to hear the rest of it, so shut up!
- What's the rail fare for shipping!
- Not gonna pay when I have my own fucking co-op in my own town to buy from me!
You try to overshout the argument that errupts in the buffet. More and more people are leaving the hall, but things at least aren't getting violent. Just way more tense than you expected.
Eventually, you are left with about two thirds of your original auditory and it's quiet enough to resume talking. By now, you decided to cut as much of the chase as you only can.

>>4379093
- As I've already said, the Railroad is interested in shipping as much milk between places as it is only feasible. Shipping to Hasley will drive the prices of milk here down, no matter how little outside milk will arrive - a single tanker a year or a train each week, it doesn't matter. And if... - you rise your voice again, as another murmour starts in the gathering - if Hasley is avoided, and all that milk goes to Albany, you will soon find yourself in a far worse situation, as your own dairy processor will be out-competed. It might go as bad as forcing it to be closed. And by then you will not only to have to ship your milk to Albany anyway, but at a price that's already driven down by Upper Valley shipments. This way everyone loses, both each of you personally and your fine town. I know I'm asking for a lot, but only with your help, the Railroad can fulfill its basic need of helping the communities of the Republic prosper. Truly prosper, rather than looking only for local benefits and maintaining of status quo. Sending your milk to Albany now, at preferential prices, will be much better than stubbornly trying to keep things as they were, before the rail showed up... That's all I have to say now and that's all you have to consider... If you have any questions, please, remember about the meeting for citizens of Hasley.
You gather your things and nod to Keith. With his help, you limp your way away from the aggitated crowd. Rather than going to hotel lobby, you both force your way to the kitchen behind the buffet to avoid further confrontation with the aggitated farmers.
- This is bad - You murmour
- We weren't chased from the town yet, so it could be worse - The bodyguard tries to joke, but even he realised your plan isn't exactly going well so far - What do we do now?

>Sneak away from the hotel. Go directly to the municipal building and make your prep for meeting town council there, it's over half hour to the meeting anyway
>Wait for the gathering to disperse. You aren't guilty of anything and you have a lot of time left, so you can simply wait them out and then continue on your planned schelude.
>Ask the confused kitchen staff about Jonesy. You are supposed to get to his clinic as soon as you can and this would be the right moment, given you still have time and the crowd probably knows where your next planned visit is.
>Conclude defeat. The co-op is unwilling to participate and the farmers are pissed, at this point convincing the town council to spend tax money of both to sponsor an outside construction is just crazy.
>Other [Write-in]

>>4379094
>Wait for the gathering to disperse. You aren't guilty of anything and you have a lot of time left, so you can simply wait them out and then continue on your planned schelude.

This went spectacularly bad.
I didn't expect "Be to the point" to mean "Explain why they have to make sacrifices for the good of the Railroad", but it still looked too suspicious to me.

>>4379094
>Ask the confused kitchen staff about Jonesy. You are supposed to get to his clinic as soon as you can and this would be the right moment, given you still have time and the crowd probably knows where your next planned visit is.
I guess we might as well?

>>4379113
Yeah, I think the roll of a 10 on the d100 made the presentation of the plan go to shit. I'm not sure if any of the choices could have saved that roll

>>4379094
>Ask the confused kitchen staff about Jonesy. You are supposed to get to his clinic as soon as you can and this would be the right moment, given you still have time and the crowd probably knows where your next planned visit is.

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>>4379787
>>4379809
>Ask the confused kitchen staff about Jonesy. You are supposed to get to his clinic as soon as you can and this would be the right moment, given you still have time and the crowd probably knows where your next visit is

- We go to the clinic - You decide
- The leg got that bad? - The bodyguard instantly leans for support
- No, not that... I just need to see that old veterinarian, our elusive Mr. Jonesy... Hey, you - You call a kitchen help, still looking at you deer in the headlights style - Where can I find clinic of Eli Jonesy? And where is the exit?
The correct building isn't that far away, but your ankle enforces the pace of a leisure stroll. Some people on the street pay attention to you and Hanson, so the word must have travelled faster than you. By the time you reach the clinic, you realise the visit will have to be short if you are supposed to make it on time to the town hall. You knock at the front door. Nothing. You try with the door knocker. Nothing. You exhale. Waste of time and effort. You wait a bit and try again. Still nothing
- Town hall, then - So much time and energy wasted on a walk for nothing.
As you are walking up the street, heavily leaning on Keith, the old man is walking from the opposite direction, toward his clinic. Of course. You almost face-palm yourself. As he gets closer, he points toward your ankle
- That leg of yours isn't looking good. Please, come with me, it won't take long and I've got a cart which will make getting to the hall easier
- If this is about treating my leg, I'd rather
- Yeah, yeah, see a real doctor. People got picky in past decade, you know? - He smirks, but then shakes his head - It's something else. A little help for your milking problem
You instantly take interest, given the sorry state of your negotiations so far. He lets you and Keith inside the door. It leads straight to the clinic, with few medical cabinets and a huge, low table made out of single piece of shining steel
- Take a sit - Jonesy points at the table - Just be mindful it might be cold
You don't mind at all. In fact, you turn your leg in such a way for the cold metal to touch directly on the area of the swollen ankle.
- I assume regardless of what the farmers decide, the milk from Upper Valley will come here?
- More or less - You don't get into details. No point giving fuel to the gossip that there might be no Upper Valley station if your negotiations fail. As you talk, the vet is going through one of the cupboards, searching for something - I don't want to distupt their bussinesses. But I'm just a single member of the board in the Cascadia Railroads. And the board already got their eyes on this plan to literally milk the rail stipend
- Idealist, huh? - The old man makes a funny face - Good. Oh, finally!
He takes out a pad of paper, clipped together. He starts writing on the top-most and eventually gives it to you
It's a prescription, filled with what you decypher as some herbal mix, as few names are familiar

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>>4380241
- That's for my leg? - You ask, already irritated about mostly wasted time
- No, that's for your milk. There was no point feeding it to cows, because there was no point making them produce more milk. This - He points at the prescription - Is a natural lactative. Not particularly strong, but still extends the milking period and secretion.
You look again at the piece of paper.
- How much? - You ask after the pause
- Excuse me? - The old man is confused
- How much for this recipe? This might be worth a fortune
Eli just shrugs his shoulders
- Like I've said, it's not particularly strong. Might help, might not, but you need all the milk you want and I want to see this town prosper. Ever saw the seal of Halsey? It's a train. So providing everyone with rapid transport once again is more than enough for me. Consider it a gift, then. And don't mind the townsfolk. They might oppose you now, but they will come around. I know most of them since birth. They will come around that idea of yours, it might just take some time. Now, for that leg of yours...
Ten minutes later, you are sitting in a small, hand-pulled cart. You feel silly, but your leg is now properly immobilised and you are strictly ordered to limit your walking to bare minimum. Vet or not, Jonesy is still far more experienced and professional medic than either you or your bodyguard.
You arrive to the town hall just in time, with Hanson helping you out of the cart. People are looking at the scene, but you don't really care at this point. Besides, that reassurance from Jonesy was badly needed. Maybe this really can be salvaged.
You get inside the miniscule reception room inside the tiny building. The door to the council room is already opened and you are asked in. The council, consisting of seven people and one empty seat, awaits at a large table. Rather than a podium, another chair is set on the other side of the table.
- Today's session: the special hearing with representative of the Cascadia Railroads, on the subject of railroad expansion...
The apparent president of the council reads from his notes, while pointing you the seat. Keith stays by the wall, closing the door to the room. You take a look at the council. You recognise four of the faces: Brown from the dairy processing co-op, one of the orchard owners and you think you saw two others during your meeting with dairy farmers. The remaining trio is unknown to you.

>>4380242
>Still go directly to rail depo in Upper Valley. Explain any misgivings that happend so far and how this is a long-term investment for almost limitless profits, even if it looks like burning money from town's coffers
>Act if nothing happend so far. It's just one aggitated talk with farmers that went particularly bad, but other than that, everything else is fine, with easy money to be made by Halsey from one, simple investment
>Start with appologies. You didn't manage to secure all your planned meetings, the one with farmers went sour and even the fact you started with snooping in the Upper Valley and only later came consulting in Halsey might look like ill intentions
>Rely on all sort of props. Good speech, regardless of approach taken, is just a sweetener. You've got solid data from Upper Valley, you've got all the Railroad-related informations and you even have that prescription from Jonesy
>Other [Write-in]

>>4380243
>>Start with appologies. You didn't manage to secure all your planned meetings, the one with farmers went sour and even the fact you started with snooping in the Upper Valley and only later came consulting in Halsey might look like ill intentions
>>Rely on all sort of props. Good speech, regardless of approach taken, is just a sweetener. You've got solid data from Upper Valley, you've got all the Railroad-related informations and you even have that prescription from Jonesy

>Side notes
I've just realised my text editor started to correct "Halsey" into "Hasley". Please ignore it as a typo, it's still Halsey, OR.
The roll I've made during previous update was unrelated with the outcome of the meeting, it's for later use. It would always go like that with that particular choice how to adress the dairy farmers.
Yes, I'm aware the City Hall of Halsey is currently in an old rail magazine with a nice rail-related mural (oh the irony), but I found the old building much more fitting.
Also, finished the RT2 map with the seed provided by original QM - MUCH easier, got Gold on 2nd try, very fun map to play in that particular seed.

>Questions
Should I set up some sort of a FAQ or a contact address or anything like that, to avoid confusion of what's going on or how things work?

>>4380243
>Apologize for missing the morning meetings
>Label the potential points of apprehension in a non-apologetic way. E.g. "I know the fact that I started from the Upper Valley might not be appreciated."
>Still go directly to rail depo in Upper Valley. Explain any misgivings that happend so far and how this is a long-term investment for almost limitless profits, even if it looks like burning money from town's coffers
>Rely on all sort of props. Good speech, regardless of approach taken, is just a sweetener. You've got solid data from Upper Valley, you've got all the Railroad-related informations and you even have that prescription from Jonesy

>>4380252
It's "pick one" type of deal, the general style of approach to the issue at hand.

>>4380270
I really, really don't see why using props is exclusive to anything else.

>>4380305
It's the general approach to things. In most basic terms, the options are:
1) Being to the point and ignoring everything else, because there is a schelude and plans to fulfill
2) Ignoring any issues that happend so far and acting carefree about them
3) Being apologetic, both for what happend and for the misgivings that will happen
4) Using the data and materials as a distraction from everything else
So they are distinctively different.

>>4380327
Then
>Explain the misgivings, but not in an apologetic way.

>>4380243
>Start with appologies. You didn't manage to secure all your planned meetings, the one with farmers went sour and even the fact you started with snooping in the Upper Valley and only later came consulting in Halsey might look like ill intentions
I'm assuming we're still using all of the information/data we have, perhaps even the vet's prescription. Also, I checked the Halsey Oregon website and, sure enough, its logo is a train. Kinda cool.

>>4380337
+1

RIP Quest...

>>4389940
looks like the quest got... derailed

>>4390803
YEAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

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Things happend. Back on track. Given the history of this quest, nothing new under the sun. Apologies (irony in its finest).
Also, a bit of inside peak under the hood, to make it easier to understand what's going on and why choices look same-ish/weird, but really aren't and how your choices actually do matter and affect things, rather than everything being on auto-pilot. It's a weird thing to write along the pre-made matrix and material, but it's fun, too.

>>4380246
>>4380252
>>4380337
>>4380391
>>4381647
>Start with appologies. You didn't manage to secure all your planned meetings, the one with farmers went sour and even the fact you started with snooping in the Upper Valley and only later came consulting in Halsey might look like ill intentions
>Still go directly to rail depo in Upper Valley. Explain any misgivings that happend so far and how this is a long-term investment for almost limitless profits, even if it looks like burning money from town's coffers

>[Combined choice, decreasing effects of both options]
- Good afternoon
You give a respectful nod to the assembly and only then sit down. You put all your documents on the table, having a good glance on them, but don't spread them too much.
>[Being apologetic choice]
- First I'd like to thank the city council and the good people of Halsey for all their participation in construction and help so far to the Cascadia Railroads and providing full support toward its operation. This endevour would be nothing without the good people and their hard work. Which is why I'd like to both thank you, councillors, for agreeing for this meeting. And I would also like to apologise for what might be taken for the policy of accomplished facts. As it is probably known to this assembly, the Railroad did a survey in the Upper Valley, but whatever will be done with the data collected in it - if anything will be done at all - still by large depends on the decisions made by the good people of Halsey. The Cascadia Railroads are still a strategic company under the control of the Republic, and as such, it's always the best interest of the citizens first and foremost, rather than private business existing solely for petty profit.
You look at the other people in the room. Most of them seem unaffected. Not because the speech is sappy, but because they don't seem to have any issues with your presence so far. One of the unknown to you councillors seems to be slightly amused, for a turn. You decide to continue.

>>4390877
>[Being pointedly choice]
>[Survey made in Upper Valley before getting to Halsey, non-prop version]
- Now, with this made clear, I would like to get to the actual reason why we are here. Starting with the survey I've made myself in the Upper Valley
For next few minutes you present a short version of all the collected information. Condensed, without a mention of any misadventures or issues you had along the way, as this is not the place or time for such stories. You present the data without handling over your notes, mostly just listing places and communities you've visited. Main focus is put on the number of various agricultural enterprises and especially the numerous dairy farms. So far only Brown from the dairy processing plant knows all the details, so everyone else shows far greater interest.
Then you spread out the best map of the region you have and point out the possible location, or rather stretch of rail that will be the possible location of possible rail depo to faciliate all those steads and holdings.
- However, as probably everyone in this room knows, both milk and produce can very easily spoil and require much more specialised transport and storage. In other words - they need a cold room. And this is the part which the Railroad itself can't afford. Building the depo is a matter of a shed and a loading ramp, maybe a watering tower just in case. Refridgerator room is a different story. I came here to make a plea to the town of Halsey to help finance that investment
>[CFC support to the deal ++]
CFC already declared its own financial support toward it, even if majority of farmers in Upper Valley are non-members. However, due to exactly that reason, they can't just fund it all by themselves. Besides, their model of operation is about paying part of the full cost, not all of it.
>[Meeting with dairy co-op +]
And prior to this meeting, I've already talked with the board of the Halsey dairy co-op. Mr. Brown, present here - You point toward the man - Can attest you all the co-op can provide partial financial support, too, but also can't afford covering by itself the required budget.
>[Survey data -]
The locals themselves are unfortunately in no condition themselves to help in any meaningful way toward this goal, except providing labour once, and if at all, construction starts.
>[? ? ? -]
You do a quick glance into your notes. That's about it. No more sweeteners.
>[Being pointedly choice]
>[Meeting with dairy co-op +]
- With the construction of the chiller and milk storage, all the products of the Upper Valley could easily reach Halsey. The dairy processor is more than capable of using all the milk that will come from the outside. This not only would mean far greater output, but also at lower prices. With help of the Railroad, all of the Republic could taste Halsey's butter and cheese. That means profits of magnitude never seen prior.

>>4390879
>[Being apologetic choice +]
Of course providing the milk from outside the town means affecting local prices and thus well-being of local dairy farms.
- Was about to say that - One of the people met during the farmer lunch speaks up. You give him an acknowledging nod.
- This can be easily solved. Right now, there is a new trunk of rail being laid down toward Albany. Albany's old milk processor is barely operating without milk. And milk, as already stated, easily spoils and needs special transport. Halsey is... - You point on the map - Halfway between the possible Upper Valley depo and the final destination in Albany.
[Being pointedly choice +]
>[Roll concluding the faulty meeting with dairy farmers +]
Halsey own processing plant can benefit from cheap and plentiful milk from the newly opened market. In the same time, using the very same train, heading further down north, Halsey's own milk could be shipped to Albany. This would allow to keep the favourable prices for both the co-op and farmers, and, more importantly, avoid the needless competition of Halsey citizens against each other, where either the dairy co-op or the people grazing cows make money. Both can earn their profit without issues... As long as the refridgeration equipment is installed in the new depo, away from the town.
>[Meeting with orchard people +]
And there is one added benefit to that cold storage. As I was saying, Upper Valley contains numerous, if neglected and abandoned, old orchards. They are open for a claim. And I don't see a reason why citizens of Halsey couldn't have a priority in those, if they would be the one setting up vital storage to make those orchards feasible to operate for anything else than locally-baked pies.
You conclude your speech. There are few questions that follow and the general discussion on the issue, but the vote is going to be cast after a break. You are, unfortunately, asked out of the room, for the duration of the council's deliberation. You spend that time in the lobby, constantly checking the clock hanging on the wall. You don't eavesdrop, but you can still hear the debate from behind the doors. It's not a heated one, but it's still an actual debate going. Your bodyguard is giving you a funny look as time is flowing.
5:10
5:20
5:30
>[No props -]
>[Missed meeting with Abbott -]

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>>4390880
Eventually the doors open and you are asked inside again. You take back your previous seat. The president takes up the piece of paper and starts to read the statement
- Place, date... During the extraordinary session, the Town Council of Halsey decided to support the suggested proposal of investing town's budget into construction of needed infrastructure in the region of Upper Valley. Proper resolution and further specifications will be discussed between the Town of Halsey, the Halsey's Sunny Cow Dairy Co-Op, the Cascadia Farm Co-Operative and the Cascadia Railroads, until a proper, formal deal is made. Regardless of future negotiations, the Town of Halsey demands rights of co-ownership of the facility and restricts itself to cover no more than 30% of total value of investment or 20 thousands of dollars, whichever met first. List of signatories...
He puts the paper down and finally looks at you and your barely contained grin.
- Decent pitch. Salesman?
- Used to be - You finally allow yourself to openly smile.
Few handshakes later and a copy of the statement later, you are free to go. You deeply exhale and stretch yourself after leaving the building, then just slouch down on the cart you were hauled in here
- Just one more thing and we can wait for the train - You remind Keith - I still have to deliver a speech before leaving Halsey.

>Or maybe not. You have the statement of the council, you're tired and you can't even stand straight now - finally take a rest, then take the evening train, as planned.
>Make it passionate. Talk big and promise even more, because with the Herculean feat you've managed for past few days, things will get better for everyone, fast.
>Make it quick. No point making any sort of address, besides probably just a handful of people will show up.
>Other [Write-in]

>>4390882
>>Or maybe not. You have the statement of the council, you're tired and you can't even stand straight now - finally take a rest, then take the evening train, as planned.

>>4390882
>Make it quick. No point making any sort of address, besides probably just a handful of people will show up.
>Also don't forget to bring that statement to the sheriff.

>>4390882
>Make it quick. No point making any sort of address, besides probably just a handful of people will show up.
If it looks like more people will show up, we can put a bit more into it
>Oh yes, and the sheriff statement

>>4390953
Supporting this. Also glad quest isn't RIP

>>4390953
>>4391316
>>4391414
>Make it quick. No point making any sort of address, besides probably just a handful of people will show up.

Despite doing his best, Hanson ends up with a short breath by the time he pulls the cart all the way to the future station over the uneven road. The remains of the ancient pavement made his struggle harder, rather than easier. But truth be told, you are far more winded than your bodyguard. Just getting on your feet again makes you stumble and spin a little. You are probably getting too old for escapades like the last 24 hours.
Once your world gets constant and stops spinning, you take a good look around.
The plot for the station building is cleaned and dug out, with foundation already poured. That probably cost more than rest of the station, given the notorious issues with Corvallis mill. The excess dirt from the hole is already rammed into a ramp alongside the tracks, to be further reinforced. Currently the only structure suggesting the station is a tool shed, with two heavy locks on it. Given the hour, you were expecting to see some workers still around. Hopefully, it's not the regular schelude and just due to today's meeting they left earlier.
You drag yourself toward the ramp and quickly regret it. There is nothing to support yourself on, making just standing a struggle. And you can't exactly get down, as there are already people approaching. You vaguelly can recognise few of their faces from the lunch, but aren't even sure about that.
The "assembly" ends up consisting of just seven people and ends up being a simple discussion. Th people present on it are more concerned when the station will be ready rather than some future plans of further expansions. Aside from a single noise complain, there are no issues either. The whole gig is over within minutes, much to your surprise. And it makes you unsure if it's a good or a bad thing nobody showed up. There will be probably a wild crowd when the station is finished and open.
- Deposition. And horses
You declare, limping toward the cart.
The actual order is reverse. First you collect all your things from the hotel and tend to the horses, which were left forgotten for half the day. Then you side-sit on the saddle as you go back to vet clinic to give back the cart. Ultimately, you head toward the sheriff's office
The building is a small, brick-made structue, probably repurposed from something else. The grates in windows are wrought, rather than welded, further adding to the image of later repurpouse. Due to the late hour, there is only a single deputy inside. If there is even more than that single deputy.
After a short explaination, you handle him the testimony. He reads the relatively well-caligraphed statement and then compares it with the wild range of signatures, including few Xs.
- That would be all. The sheriff will see this in the morning, then act on his judgement.
Then he simply puts the paper into a drawer.

>>4391555
>Go for the "station". Enough world-saving for a simple tour like this, you are tired and the sheriff isn't even present anyway.
>Bluff him. "Remind" him that in a week you'll be back for more of the CFC business and will check on the progress made. [Roll 1d100]
>Chew the deputy. He could at least pretend to care, when you are doing the job for him, the Republic, the CFC... and just vent your frustration on him.
>Other [Write-in]


>>4391414
This is post-apo Amtrak quest. It can't die. It can be shit and always late, but it won't die.

>>4391556
>>Go for the "station". Enough world-saving for a simple tour like this, you are tired and the sheriff isn't even present anyway.

>>4391556
>Go for the "station". Enough world-saving for a simple tour like this, you are tired and the sheriff isn't even present anyway.

>>4391556
>Other: Bluff him. Just say you'll talk with the sheriff next time you're here, don't mention dates.

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>>4391561
>>4391569
>Go for the "station". Enough world-saving for a simple tour like this, you are tired and the sheriff isn't even present anyway.

For a short moment you contemplate the paper hidden in the desk and how it will probably just stay there. But then you realise it really isn't your concern at this point. And the people signed on it almost shot you, so they are more than capable of fending for themselves, while talking hersay. Your job is done here.
- Good night - You just say while heading out.
The sun is already setting and it's most definitely time to get for your train. The last half hour in Halsey is oddly quiet and peaceful, with no need for running around or planning every step ahead of time. Just sitting and waiting.
Eventually you can hear it. The distant rumble, then the cloud of smoke, then the siluette of the train engine and few of the cars behind it. You don't get up until the train almost completely stopped, first slowing down for quite a while. Wilson is right. The caboose is badly needed, even if that means less passenger cars - the sole procedure of slowing down and controllably stopping takes more than ten minutes. With just four stations on the line, that's pretty much a hour wasted simply to stop.
That, or getting the workshop into the condition where better brakes are possible to make, but something tells you a caboose will be an easier solution.
With the help of the train crew, Keith loads your horses into the last wagon in the set, while you slowly climb one step at the time inside of it. Once back in motion, the steady, rhytmical sway and rumbledoes it magic - you don't even know when you fall asleep, but you are woken up already in the service depo in Salem. The men of the workshop greet you with broad smiles.
- Tired, director?

The next day you finally take a long, long bath. Rather than walking all the way to the hospital building, your bodyguard arranges for a home visit.
After a short interview, the doctor starts an examination. Your ankle is badly swollen and hurts by just flexing toes. The medic carefully observes your reaction while touching it from different angles and forcing gentle moves.
- Good news is that it's just a sprain. A severe one, but nothing beyond that.
- So what's the bad news? - You ask, knowing there will be something bad going.
- It's not exactly bad. Three days of not moving the leg at all, cane for a week or two for support and then everything should be fine.
You exhale.
- No walking at all? - You try, as if this was negotiable, but the doctor just shakes his head
- Aside the one needed for finding a comfortable position, not moving at all, not just the leg itself. Extorting yourself would only lead to further complications
And thus, you are stuck at home for the duration, with greatly limited options. The next board meeting is in two days and you will probably have to skip that, too, unless you find yourself a sedan chair and look all ridiculous.

>>4392111
For the time being, you can still operate from your home. It's not much, but still some things can be handled

>Take it easy. The doctor said to rest and you deserve a break after your escapade - do the bare minimum of paperwork, but other than that simply chill.
>Organise documents. You can still work on that while sitting and there is plentiful paperwork to be done: briefing for the Railroads board, reports for CFC, all the admissions you've collected to the Co-Op, the survey data...
>Use Hanson. He might be your bodyguard, but officially he's also your assistant, which means he can work as an errand boy and at least go to different places for you, handling part of the business and calling people in.
>This is nonsense. You need to be in so many places before the board meeting, you just can't sit on your ass and wait for things to magically arrange for themselves.
>Other [Write-in]

>>4392112
Take a day off to rest then get started on the paperwork

>>4392112
>Take it easy. The doctor said to rest and you deserve a break after your escapade - do the bare minimum of paperwork, but other than that simply chill.
We earned it

>>4392112
>Take it easy. The doctor said to rest and you deserve a break after your escapade - do the bare minimum of paperwork, but other than that simply chill.
I was tempted by the second option, but this one still has us doing the necessary stuff, so we should be good. Nobody can accuse us of laziness after that adventure

>>4391556
I'm glad it's at least Amtrak Quest (what you described) and not California High Speed Rail Quest (money pit/empty promises)

Rolled 78 (1d100)

>>4392129
>>4392147
>Take it easy. The doctor said to rest and you deserve a break after your escapade - do the bare minimum of paperwork, but other than that simply chill.

After the doctor is gone, you take a look at the stack of papers on your desk, while still on the dilapidated couch. Then you turn slowly on your side and decide to simply sleep on it.
By afternoon, you only looked through the admissions to the CFC and wrote the most basic report about the Upper Valley for the Co-OP. Everything else is in the ledger, from which you simply write up the tallies for any future use.
By evening you are simply reading a book to kill time. Except for seldom smoking breaks, Hanson sticks around. And while you are definitely the better cook out of your duo, the food it's bad either.
In the morning of the next day you prepare a simple summary for the board of the Railroads. They probably don't really care about agriculture data further than "Checks out with the assumptions", so that's what the summary is mostly about. With tallies of farms and their possible output and secured support of both the processing plant and town council of Halsey and the CFC further funding, the depo in rural Upper Valley pays for itself, except for setting a loading ramp there.
You do, however, have a guest by late afternoon, right for the dinner. Or rather, with dinner. Jim Baker arrives to your house, carrying a large wooden crate with strong smell of roasted meat coming from it.
- Heard you've been skipping meals lately, decided to help with that. So, how's the leg?
- It's fine. I just really shouldn't be walking anywhere for next two days.
You have the meal together, all three of you, while you keep talking about the survey and all the misadventures you had while performing it. Then you summarise the various talks you had in Halsey and the final decision made by the town council. Out of politeness, Baker waits until he's done with his food before reading through the ledger and checking other papers. A smile doesn't leave his face for the entire duration.
- Just remember to leave me the ledger for now, I still didn't copied it properly
- Nah, that's already more than enough. I will send someone tomorrow to help you with this anyway.

>Ask about the report. Now you've got nothing but time and it wouldn't hurt to learn more about other board members.
>Business gossip time. When you left, there were issues with both Lindholm Senior and an ongoing acquisition of parts for the workshop, update on those would be nice
>You need a favour. You need to talk with Tom Wilson before tomorrow board meeting and arrange that in secrecy, to not affect the outcome of the meeting itself.
>You need a favour. You plan to be yourself on tomorrow's board meeting and you have no means of sensible transportation to get there.
>Keep it fun. Just spend rest of the day on enjoying the time with an old friend.
>Other [Write-in]

>>4392147
>>4392147
Please, CHSR is ameteur league of wasting money. It even makes some sense as a project, so how it can even compare with the one and only:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vistula_Spit_canal
The current budget is twice as stated in the article and counting. Without rising construction costs by even a penny. Bonus points for taking that money away from building high speed railway infrastructure, while already having high-speed engines and cars bought.
I absolutely love discussing that one on /n/

>>4392380
>>Business gossip time. When you left, there were issues with both Lindholm Senior and an ongoing acquisition of parts for the workshop, update on those would be nice

>>4392380
>Business gossip time. When you left, there were issues with both Lindholm Senior and an ongoing acquisition of parts for the workshop, update on those would be nice
>Keep it fun. Just spend rest of the day on enjoying the time with an old friend.
A quick update on how things are going and then just proceed to enjoy the time. We haven't actually hung out with him properly since the start.

>>4392380
>You need a favour. You plan to be yourself on tomorrow's board meeting and you have no means of sensible transportation to get there.

>>4392380
>Ask about the report. Now you've got nothing but time and it wouldn't hurt to learn more about other board members.

>>4392383
Oh yeah, CHSR makes sense, no argument against that here. I did a lot of travel between the bay and LA, so I know that first hand. The problem is that I genuinely don't believe the thing will ever be finished. I'm afraid they'll just end up connecting central Californian farmville, claim victory, and keep the actual important lines into the metro areas in development hell. They might talk about finishing it for decades, but never do it, sort of like the planned extension of the BART into Silicon Valley. All while eating billions in tax dollars. I remember when they were pitching that thing as being 40 bil, but it's almost guaranteed to go past 100 the way things are going.

I'm sure it's worse elsewhere, but it's my state so I'm of course going to bitch about it. I'll stop now...

>>4392396
>>4392402
>Business gossip time. When you left, there were issues with both Lindholm Senior and an ongoing acquisition of parts for the workshop, update on those would be nice
>With a fun streak

- So what about the old geezer? - You ask, while accepting another bottle of beer.
- Lindholm? As far as I know, he made a scene in Gleaners headquarters, but I really don't know about what. Still managed to get away with smashing window in their lobby and getting out through it
You chuckle, not even sure if the do imagining the old man doing it, or because the previous two beers you had lowering the bar for you.
- But I guess his bid on the parts you wanted got removed. The auction will be tomorrow morning, the strawman is already prepared for it
- Nothing else?
You nudge Jim further, mostly out of habit rather than curiosity. If he had some dramatic news, he would share those long time ago.
- Nah, everything peaceful. Plus don't take it wrong, but I'm not exactly spying on the railway. That's your job.
You both laugh and raise a toast about it.
- To the best spy on this side of the Cascades!
- The one and only - You drink on that, and then have a revelation - Report. How is it?
- Ready and waiting, calm down - Baker waves his hand dismissively - It's an entire file on each of them, so you will have to get yourself to the archive, as that's all confidential and pretty sensitive stuff. I'm not sending an errand boy with those papers. Even if they are boring. It's not like that one time in Grand Ronde.
- You mean the port deal? - You instantly burst in laugh
- Yeah, that one. Everyone in the town was chasing after those papers...
You both laugh for the sake of old memories, while Keith is giving you more and more puzzled look. Eventually, you manage to stop laughing.
- So few years ago, we were doing a deal with the Indian Confederacy...
Bunch of old and even older stories later, along with few more beers and cold roasted turkey, you are carefully put to your bed. As carefully as two tipsy men can handle equally drunk and limping person with such task. Baker definitely stayed longer in your house than he planned and you still see him in the morning on your couch.
It was an evening well spend. Probably first time you had fun since being designated to the Cascadia Railroads.

>Keep resting. Your leg is still swollen and hurts, plus even at lazy mode you still have some papers to fill
>Get it together. After breakfast, get into serious working mode. Jim promised some helpful pair of hands, so things should be done fast togeter
>Try to get to board meeting. Even if you are ill-prepared and slightly hungover, you should still at least try to show there
>Other [Write-in]

>>4392657
If it helps, this quest kinda-sort involves eventually a similar quagmire as CHSR with overcomplicated and overpolitised rail construction once heading outside of the Valley.
But in the fun, rather than depressing way.

>>4392859
>Get it together. After breakfast, get into serious working mode. Jim promised some helpful pair of hands, so things should be done fast togeter

>>4392859
>Try to get to board meeting. Even if you are ill-prepared and slightly hungover, you should still at least try to show there

>>4392859
>Get it together. After breakfast, get into serious working mode. Jim promised some helpful pair of hands, so things should be done fast togeter

>>4392859
>Get it together. After breakfast, get into serious working mode. Jim promised some helpful pair of hands, so things should be done fast together
Enough lazing about. Up and at it.

File: Paperwork.jpg (49 KB, 512x340)

49 KB JPG

>When you are on a trip in rural upland Poland, the EU's Arkansas, and local, single-line railroad from Nowhere to Left Field has electric traction, all while Americans say it's not economical to have electric trains even in NEC
>From "Good, yet cheap bait material to trigger /n/"

>>4393159
>>4393691
>>4395400
>Get it together. After breakfast, get into serious working mode. Jim promised some helpful pair of hands, so things should be done fast togeter

Without even staying for the grain coffee, Jim runs toward the CFC office. Then he returns anyway few seconds later, to take the most important summary and promises of help.
Once you ate a breakfast and are fully woken up, you decide to finally take work seriously. You needed a rest and you had it already, no point wasting any more time. Even without showing up for today's board meeting, you still scrutinously check your prior summaries and short report, then send Hanson with it post-haste to the offices of the Railroads. The clerks should easily manage to prepare sufficient amount of copies for other board members.
Your bodyguard is back soon after, but he doesn't bring any news, despite being asked for getting any crucial or important notes of any events going during your trip to the Upper Valley.
Around noon, when you are already busy with detailed report and turning your scribbles into coherent notes, your house is visited by a clerk from the CFC. She presents herself as Martha Allen, is young and brings with herself an antiquated, case typewriter. Despite some issues with the rickety machine and using carbon paper as a replacement for original ink tape, she's pretty good at typing things down, as long as being fed notes in sufficient pace. By lunchtime you've got all the papers for the CFC ready, in two copies, thanks to combined effort of Keith, the typist and your own writing.
For a moment you contemplate if you should, but then again, she's from the CFC and Baker send her personally. So rather than sending her away, you decide to give her at least part of the load of work originally intended to be for the Railroads only. Jim already read your pesonal notes and you have no secrets from him or the Co-Op, so there is virtually no risk at using a CFC's clerk to help with rail data. At least you hope so, but the woman is nothing but professional so far.
Thus, by early evening hours, there are also two copies of detailed reports, summaries and all the informations about both the Upper Valley, the suggested site for the rail depo and the implications of the political and economical impact of the Railroads operation in the area, along with Halsey and Albany.
You make sure to stress out in your report the importance of treating people of Halsey as partners, rather than just another rail users and to not ignore the situation of local farmers, or it could badly backfire for the public image of the Cascadia Railroads.

>>4396685
Only after those are ready, you thank Mrs. Allen for her help and hard work for the entire day. She takes the CFC part of the papers with herself, to deliver them to the head office.
Then you prepare your first-hand account on observing the braking procedure of the trains and how much time it wastes. One, short and to the point version specifically for Tom Wilson, the other, more detailed and explainatory, adressed to Miller, the president of the board. Wilson was the one who told you about it, but at least you can attest how problematic it is. Miller, meanwhile, should convince the rest of the board, even without you being present, even if you would be still unable to attend next board meeting. In the Miller version of the text, you add another page to the ability to convert caboose into both a small extra baggage and, more importantly, electric generator. In Wilson version, you simply point out Miller is informed about it.
Either a caboose is added and the trains shortened, or it's an accident in a making.
All the railroad papers will be delivered to the offices by morning either by yourself, or, should your leg be uncooperative, then by Hanson.

=
>Gained:
Detailed reports about the Upper Valley and Halsey
Partially updated maps of the area
Briefing on problems and solutions with current train operation
=

>Try going to the office yourself. It's been the three days the doctor asked you to rest, the swelling is almost completely gone and there is nothing really left for you to do in the house anyway
>Take it slow and send Keith with the papers. There is no real reason to rush things out and you can probably take one day off more. If there was some crisis going, they would already send for you anyway.
>Instead, go to the CFC office. Still call it a day off and instead finally read on fellow board members. You are likely to spend entire day in the Archives, so prepare in advance for that.
>Other [Write-in]

>>4396689
>Take it slow and send Keith with the papers. There is no real reason to rush things out and you can probably take one day off more. If there was some crisis going, they would already send for you anyway.

>>4396689
>Try going to the office yourself. It's been the three days the doctor asked you to rest, the swelling is almost completely gone and there is nothing really left for you to do in the house anyway

>>4396689
>>Take it slow and send Keith with the papers. There is no real reason to rush things out and you can probably take one day off more. If there was some crisis going, they would already send for you anyway.

My godfather died (cancer, not corona) and I might be absent in the incoming few days, since organising a funeral and getting to it during an epidemy is quite a hassle. I will probably post an update a day, but that will be it. I will make the next update in a new thread to make sure it hangs around even if I will be missing.

>>4396810
>>4397827
>Take it slow and send Keith with the papers. There is no real reason to rush things out and you can probably take one day off more. If there was some crisis going, they would already send for you anyway.

There is still some slight swelling on your ankle and you decide to give it a day more to heal fully. You were supposed to not move for at least three days, so making it four won't hurt for sure.
Hanson makes a morning delivery of all the documents to the offices of the Railroads. And once again, he doesn't bring back any news or notices.
This leaves you with nothing to work on for the day, allowing to rest without a guilty feeling of slacking off. Except for an evening visit from one of the men working in the workshop - and only to deliver a note from Wilson, informing that the briefing reached him - nothing of any importance happens for the whole day.

The next day your leg looks fine. It still hurts when you stand on it directly, but only a little bit. As long as you are pacing yourself, everything seems to be fine. Just like the doctor advised, you still grab a walking stick.
- Time to finally get into some real action - You inform Keith, before you decide to

>Go to the hospital. Do a basic check on your leg and make sure everything really is fine - or if you can even make it that far.
>Go to the Railroads offices. Just because your bodyguard-as-assistant wasn't told anything, it doesn't have to mean nothing really happend.
>Go to the workshop. It might be too early to help with work, but you can still discuss things with Wilson: the caboose, the new station and the state of work with the connection to Albany.
>Go to the CFC office. You've got the reports on all the board members awaiting there for you, plus you could learn how the auction for the lathe knives went.
>Other [Write-in]

=
>Lost:
Detailed reports about the Upper Valley and Halsey
Partially updated maps of the area
Briefing on problems and solutions with current train operation
=

>>4398700
>Go to the CFC office. You've got the reports on all the board members awaiting there for you, plus you could learn how the auction for the lathe knives went.

>>4398700
>Go to the Railroads offices. Just because your bodyguard-as-assistant wasn't told anything, it doesn't have to mean nothing really happend.

My condolences, man. This is hard.
I don't think anyone would blame you if you took a break.

>>4398700
>Go to the CFC office. You've got the reports on all the board members awaiting there for you, plus you could learn how the auction for the lathe knives went.

New thread >>4400446

>>4400446

>>4400446