Life in the Big City
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| Life in the Big City | |
|---|---|
| Product information | |
| Type | Short story Rulebook fiction |
| Author | Tara Gallagher |
| Pages | 3 (print) 8 (PDF) |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | FASA |
| First published | 1986 |
| Content | |
| Era | Succession Wars era |
| Timeline | 3024 or later |
Life in the Big City is a short story by Tara Gallagher that was first published in the 1986 CityTech rulebook. On 28 August 2006 it was made available for download as an individual PDF product via BattleCorps.
Contents
| “ | Generally, only MechWarriors are welcome in Maloof's. Technicians or infantry or support personnel spend their time elsewhere, so when a MechWarrior invites one to drink at Maloof's it is a mark of high respect. At the same time, they're somewhat conspicuous; so when they start telling a tale of life in the big city, others will listen... | ” |
Plot summary
At Maloof's Tavern on Rahway II, a House Davion world reserved almost exclusively for MechWarrior R&R, Frank Krieger and Abbey Farber, known as "possibly the best technicians around" and called "two of the best Techs in the Inner Sphere", join the MechWarriors of the Burrow's Crashing Thunder mercenary regiment in celebration of their victory over House Kurita forces at Weehawken on Travis V. They draw glaring stares from fellow MechWarrior Williams, prompting another MechWarrior to narrate how they scrounged up spare parts for improvised repairs to his 'Mech (and others) on Torwind, resulting in 'Mechs with product advertisements on them from the truck trailers that were used to patch up the improvised armor. Williams' 'Mech had the line "Processed Chicken" running along both legs and the right torso.
Later they talk about Locust pilots and how all MechWarriors - including Locust pilots - consider them to be the weirdest.
At another table, MechWarriors from Kushnir's Battalion of the 42nd Armored Lightning Regiment mourn for John Judd, whose Phoenix Hawk was destroyed by an enemy BattleMaster who cornered it in a city on Pike IV with its jump jets out.
At yet another table, an aging battalion commander is turning his 'Mech over to his niece, and cautions her against fighting reckless or underestimating infantry, lest she end up dispossessed.
Featured Places
- New Mendham (mentioned)
- Pike IV (mentioned)
- Rahway II
- Torwind (reference to an event "on Torwind"; unclear from the context if Torwind is a world)
- Travis V (mentioned)
Featured Units
Featured BattleTech
Notes
- No timestamp is provided for the story. However, given that CityTech, published in 1986, is a very early BattleTech product and that the concept of lostech plays a prominent role, the story can be assumed to be set during the Succession Wars era, in or around the "classic" year 3025. The victory on Travis V that is celebrated by the MechWarriors took place in 3024 according to Technical Readout: 3025 (Stalker entry).
- In the German edition of CityTech, this story was replaced by a translation of the story Black Cats Cross Your Path by Tara Gallagher and James Lanigan.
References
- CityTech rulebook, pp. 40-42