Luik
Batavian Capital Territory
Batavië
(see map at bottom)
'No, last week...no, I told you already, I mailed the cheque last week...well what do you want me to do, yell at the bank?...look, I have to go. If it's still not there by tomorrow I'll call the bank...yeah, bye.'
Henrik Aalst slammed the phone down and collapsed his head into his hands. His long exhale filled the dark, small room, which only had the buzzing of the fluorescent lights to accompany him. With his moment to collect himself over Henrik stood up and pushed his tattered rolling chair back under the metal desk. He grabbed his clipboard, wallet, keys and packed lunch and locked up his back room. The store front was still dark, his wife was still in her morning routine, showering and brewing a pot of coffee.
Henrik walked outside and unlocked the cabin of his lorry. It was a medium sized model, good for his line of delivery work in the 'BCT', the Batavian Capital Territory. Most importantly it was new, easily handling the kilometeres of wear and tare he put on it. He had to take out an 84.000 rand loan to help pay for it. His credit was just barely approved...damn wife and her shopping, he would always mumble to himself. The back of the lorry was full of the boxes. Stainless steel kitchen ware for some new restaurant in Braamfontein, the rich township north of Vlaanderen. Henrik's wife would know he was out for the day when the engine roared to life and creaked out of the alleyway.
LORRY:
Luik was busy at this time of morning, everyone off to work. It was definitely a working class township. Well within view of the skyscrapers of Vlaanderen, run down public flat blocks, newsstands and even the occasional homeless person begging for change or small bills. Henrik pulled out his BCT map and spread it out to his left on the dashboard, double checking his route. Hop on the A2, avoid downtown traffic in Vlaanderen, pull into Braamfontein, drop off the boxes, head back to Luik for an inventory check. A couple hours at most without bad traffic.
Before he could even enter onto the A2 the road was closed ahead of him. Construction for the new BCT Overground. A new commuter rail line connecting the townships with Vlaanderen. The area certainly needed it. Most of the BCT was one giant conurbation of non-stop built-up and industrialised area. From the air it would look like one massive city, getting ever larger with more and more people moving to the area. For now, though, the construction of the Overground did nothing but perturb Henrik to a new high. He would have to manoeuvre his lorry through some back streets to reach the next entrance to the A2. He was lucky his lorry was of a smaller build or he would be at least an hour out of his way today.
Finally he was on the A2, cruising along at a steady 90 kilometres per hour, the legal limit for lorries and busses. The motorists in their new cars imported from Arendaal, Tyskreich and Franken sped by at 120, 130, 140 or 150 kilometres per hour-no speed limits, until they reached an electronic board with the temporary limits. Henrik wasn't having a lucky day. The temporary limits were in affect and soon the buildup occurred. 'Investing in Motorways - Batavia's Economic Action Plan', read the large poster on the side of the road. For Henrik it meant an extra hour in the cabin, not delivering, not making money.
Struggling through the traffic, Henrik finally made it to Braamfontein. It was 8.30, the rich bankers, office workers for the mining companies were all just finishing their half hour commutes or getting off their Overground trains downtown. The BCT Overground was finished already for Braamfontein, the richest township, naturally. Not the poorer townships like Luik where most people couldn't afford cars to drive to work. At least they had the new bus systems coming online soon.
Henrik finally saw the restaurant and pulled off the main business road. A five star joint, opening next week. He cut the engine and signalled for the two workers on their smoke break to help him unload the back. While they did so Henrik found the general contractor building the restaurant.
'Henrik, good to see you. Thanks for getting the shipment so early this morning. It helps out a lot.' The fatter man had been Henrik's largest client. He was building all over Braamfontein: cafés, shops, fuel stations. A busy man needed shipments, so Henrik made them for him.
'Nice to see you, Jan. It was the least I could do. I will need payment in full this time...that loan for the lorry.' Henrik nodded towards the lorry.
'No problem, Henrik, no problem. Come inside, we'll get you that cheque.' they walked into the restaurant, dodging workers installing lights and ovens.
Jan wrote out the cheque and gave it to Henrik. 'Henrik, I was hoping you could do me a favour, actually.' Henrik's interest was peaked, another delivery this week could turn the books in his favour.
'I have a shipment that needs to be picked up and delivered somewhere, the usual. It's a bit out of your operating area, but this shipment is special. I don't trust the other shipping companies. You deliver on time and I trust you.'
'How far is it, Jan?' asked Henrik.
'The pick up is in Poortstad and it needs to go to Perwe.' Jan looked like he wasn't expecting Henrik to take it. Henrik thought about it for a moment. Poortstad was a good 3 hour drive away. Past Robtwerpen, the capital of the BCT and down till the end of the A2. Not a pretty drive either. The BCT conurbation continued to hug the A2 all the way to Poortstad and the coast. Henrik wasn't used to pretty drives anyway.
'Yeah, I'll take it. When do you need me to pick up?'
'Tomorrow, be there by lunch. I'll write the address down for you and the name of the guy at the warehouse. It's in the port district, a shipment coming in from Cathay.' Jan scribbled an address down and gave it to Henrik.
'What is it?' Henrik asked as he stared at the address.
'It's, uh...valuable stuff. I have a guy in Perwe who need it quickly.'
Henrik found Jan's reply odd and even questioned his agreement to accept, but Jan was reliable. He always paid on time and gave him plenty of work. How hard could it be? Perwe was hardly an hour east of Poortstad and he would be back home around dinner.
MAP:
OOC: This is a character RP, which will be following mostly one guy, Henrik Aalst. It is my attempt to portray the country as it is to a working class person. I would really appreciate constructive criticism and comments via PMs. Enjoy!
Batavian Capital Territory
Batavië
(see map at bottom)
'No, last week...no, I told you already, I mailed the cheque last week...well what do you want me to do, yell at the bank?...look, I have to go. If it's still not there by tomorrow I'll call the bank...yeah, bye.'
Henrik Aalst slammed the phone down and collapsed his head into his hands. His long exhale filled the dark, small room, which only had the buzzing of the fluorescent lights to accompany him. With his moment to collect himself over Henrik stood up and pushed his tattered rolling chair back under the metal desk. He grabbed his clipboard, wallet, keys and packed lunch and locked up his back room. The store front was still dark, his wife was still in her morning routine, showering and brewing a pot of coffee.
Henrik walked outside and unlocked the cabin of his lorry. It was a medium sized model, good for his line of delivery work in the 'BCT', the Batavian Capital Territory. Most importantly it was new, easily handling the kilometeres of wear and tare he put on it. He had to take out an 84.000 rand loan to help pay for it. His credit was just barely approved...damn wife and her shopping, he would always mumble to himself. The back of the lorry was full of the boxes. Stainless steel kitchen ware for some new restaurant in Braamfontein, the rich township north of Vlaanderen. Henrik's wife would know he was out for the day when the engine roared to life and creaked out of the alleyway.
LORRY:
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Luik was busy at this time of morning, everyone off to work. It was definitely a working class township. Well within view of the skyscrapers of Vlaanderen, run down public flat blocks, newsstands and even the occasional homeless person begging for change or small bills. Henrik pulled out his BCT map and spread it out to his left on the dashboard, double checking his route. Hop on the A2, avoid downtown traffic in Vlaanderen, pull into Braamfontein, drop off the boxes, head back to Luik for an inventory check. A couple hours at most without bad traffic.
Before he could even enter onto the A2 the road was closed ahead of him. Construction for the new BCT Overground. A new commuter rail line connecting the townships with Vlaanderen. The area certainly needed it. Most of the BCT was one giant conurbation of non-stop built-up and industrialised area. From the air it would look like one massive city, getting ever larger with more and more people moving to the area. For now, though, the construction of the Overground did nothing but perturb Henrik to a new high. He would have to manoeuvre his lorry through some back streets to reach the next entrance to the A2. He was lucky his lorry was of a smaller build or he would be at least an hour out of his way today.
Finally he was on the A2, cruising along at a steady 90 kilometres per hour, the legal limit for lorries and busses. The motorists in their new cars imported from Arendaal, Tyskreich and Franken sped by at 120, 130, 140 or 150 kilometres per hour-no speed limits, until they reached an electronic board with the temporary limits. Henrik wasn't having a lucky day. The temporary limits were in affect and soon the buildup occurred. 'Investing in Motorways - Batavia's Economic Action Plan', read the large poster on the side of the road. For Henrik it meant an extra hour in the cabin, not delivering, not making money.
Struggling through the traffic, Henrik finally made it to Braamfontein. It was 8.30, the rich bankers, office workers for the mining companies were all just finishing their half hour commutes or getting off their Overground trains downtown. The BCT Overground was finished already for Braamfontein, the richest township, naturally. Not the poorer townships like Luik where most people couldn't afford cars to drive to work. At least they had the new bus systems coming online soon.
Henrik finally saw the restaurant and pulled off the main business road. A five star joint, opening next week. He cut the engine and signalled for the two workers on their smoke break to help him unload the back. While they did so Henrik found the general contractor building the restaurant.
'Henrik, good to see you. Thanks for getting the shipment so early this morning. It helps out a lot.' The fatter man had been Henrik's largest client. He was building all over Braamfontein: cafés, shops, fuel stations. A busy man needed shipments, so Henrik made them for him.
'Nice to see you, Jan. It was the least I could do. I will need payment in full this time...that loan for the lorry.' Henrik nodded towards the lorry.
'No problem, Henrik, no problem. Come inside, we'll get you that cheque.' they walked into the restaurant, dodging workers installing lights and ovens.
Jan wrote out the cheque and gave it to Henrik. 'Henrik, I was hoping you could do me a favour, actually.' Henrik's interest was peaked, another delivery this week could turn the books in his favour.
'I have a shipment that needs to be picked up and delivered somewhere, the usual. It's a bit out of your operating area, but this shipment is special. I don't trust the other shipping companies. You deliver on time and I trust you.'
'How far is it, Jan?' asked Henrik.
'The pick up is in Poortstad and it needs to go to Perwe.' Jan looked like he wasn't expecting Henrik to take it. Henrik thought about it for a moment. Poortstad was a good 3 hour drive away. Past Robtwerpen, the capital of the BCT and down till the end of the A2. Not a pretty drive either. The BCT conurbation continued to hug the A2 all the way to Poortstad and the coast. Henrik wasn't used to pretty drives anyway.
'Yeah, I'll take it. When do you need me to pick up?'
'Tomorrow, be there by lunch. I'll write the address down for you and the name of the guy at the warehouse. It's in the port district, a shipment coming in from Cathay.' Jan scribbled an address down and gave it to Henrik.
'What is it?' Henrik asked as he stared at the address.
'It's, uh...valuable stuff. I have a guy in Perwe who need it quickly.'
Henrik found Jan's reply odd and even questioned his agreement to accept, but Jan was reliable. He always paid on time and gave him plenty of work. How hard could it be? Perwe was hardly an hour east of Poortstad and he would be back home around dinner.
MAP:
You must be registered for see links
OOC: This is a character RP, which will be following mostly one guy, Henrik Aalst. It is my attempt to portray the country as it is to a working class person. I would really appreciate constructive criticism and comments via PMs. Enjoy!