RP:Waste Management

From HollowWiki

Part of the The Dust Up In Cenril Arc


Summary: Hudson invites Zedidiah to the construction site of the luxury condos he's building in an effort to go legit. They very superficially discuss a deal regarding a waste/sanitation management system for the condos before they launch into a cagey negotiation regarding a clandestine waste disposal system for larger 'sensitive organic materials' (ic secrets: Hudson's enemies, dead or alive).


Landon Realty Waterfront Condo Construction Site, Cenril

Hudson's people (notably, his secretary, Joanie) had arranged for this meeting between Zedidiah and Hudson. It's at a construction site in Cenril, by the water. The construction - of a large condo building - itself seems to be well underway, with the exterior of the building now complete. Hudson is on the scene first, wearing ye olde safety goggles and a wooden hard hat. It goes, sort of, with his sweatpants and polo shirt. He's speaking with another man in goggles and a hard hat, likely a foreman by his official-seeming posture and clipboard.


Zedidiah meanders his way into the construction zone. He has been forced to secure safety equipment on site, leaving him with a hat large enough to cover his eyes, if not for the giant goggles lifting it back up. Safety goggles are supposed to protect your cheeks as well as your eyes, right? Regardless, the oversized gear seems to be holding each other in check to the point that they're both basically functional. The little man hups up behind Hudson and the foreman, and joins the conversation by making meaningful "Hmmm" and "Ahhh" noises until he figures out what's going on. Ocassionally his fingers dip into a coat pocket and surreptitiously place a bit of peanut brittle into his chomper.


Hudson wants to unsubscribe from this conversation, to be perfectly frank. The foreman is just making it seem like he is doing his job really effectively, and using all sorts of very specific construction words to Hudson, i.e., the money guy, and Hudson was over this five seconds into it. He turns at the noises emitted by Zedidiah and seizes on the opportunity to terminate the very boring conversation about building codes. "Oh hey, Zedidiah, glad you could make it," says Hudson, clapping his foreman on the shoulder in a manner that's intended to shut him up. He introduces the two. "We're exploring Zedidiah's waste disposal process, he'll be in touch," he informs the foreman, conclusively terminating the conversation before the substance of the deal can get discussed. "Thanks for all of your hard work," adds Hudson, before beckoning to the halfling to peel off away from the site. They give it a few paces, out of earshot really, before Hudson says, "Whether you get the residential deal will sort of depend on a potential side project that I'll show you. I was just wondering if you could talk a bit about the teleportation process, uh, not to be gross, but is there just a giant vat... of poop? Like I assume it's .. " He realizes that he has to go to the tailor later for last minute wedding sizing checkup, and it stalls him for a second, but he continues, ".. I assume it's somehow being mixed into productive fertilizer, in a contained environment? Or is it just a giant field, what?"


Zedidiah is just, just positively tickled pink. He's all grins and smiles by the time Hudson peels off from the foreman. Finally, a situation where he actually has the knowledge and connections to make a business deal without completely fabricating every promise he has to make! "Well, so the toilets themselves, they just dump the waste into a nearby vat that's kept onsite. I don't know too much about the ins and outs of teleportation magic, but I assume there's a prohibitive cost to just teleporting anything anywhere. So that's your raw sewage. My people would come, empty the tank, probably from a basement or utility room or some such, and bring it back to headquarters. That's where we treat it, compost it, and then sell the fertilizer." Zedidiah pushes his safety goggles up higher onto his forehead.


Hudson is listening intently to Zedidiah's description of this fertilizer facility. "Got it, that's sort of how it played out in my head. Can you describe the vat? I assume things are decomposing in there, that you've added some sort of enzymatic agent..." he begins, then pauses. They're at some range from the residential construction project now, and so Hudson feels he can level with the halfling a bit. "Actually, maybe I'll just be frank," he says, "I'm just looking to find out just how closely monitored the contents of the vat are, and for safety reasons, if someone were say, you know, accidentally teleported into the vat, would they be drowned and their body broken down by what's in there? Just want to make sure we have the proper protocols in place, as this side project sometimes involves the disposal of sensitive materials but I'm also conscious .." He squints at a distant warehouse. "..about safety."


Zedidiah taps his chin thoughtfully. Should he treat the vats? Any agent he added would need to be removed before it could enter a farm's soil, lest it harm plants. He starts running a cost-benefit in his head before he realises Hudson was asking him questions, "Oh! Well, in terms of safety I think it's rather secure. You'd have to actually go into the bottom of the toilet bowl to be teleported. If a mishap did occur... well I suppose drowning would be an issue if it was close to collection time. And disease. But no, the waste alone doesn't really generate the reactions we want to begin composting until after collection. It would be quite safe. Can't say the vats are typically monitored, as such, nobody has reason to look in them except my boys, to collect. Can't imagine anyone would want to. What sort of materials do you need disposed of though? I'm sure we could tailor standard protocols to accommodate."


As Zedidiah begins to respond, Hudson thinks he needs to be a bit more on the nose about this. He puts his hands in his pockets for a second, and continues to squint at the warehouse. After a beat, he sighs and pivots to face the halfling. He cants his head at the guy. "A specialty solution might be good for what I'm talking about," he says, pushing his goggles up onto his hard hat for the time being. "I'm talking about, for this side project, disposing of certain man-made materials similar to raw sewage," really, by that he means live humans who have run afoul of his operation, "that we don't want any monitoring of. We'd be interested in a very secure vat, so like once something is ported into it, it's impossible for any kind of er, leakage to occur. Like fully sealed. And I can provide some people to help maintain this particular vat, if you need, so your guys aren't in the mix." He rubs the stubble that he's been growing, which of course will get shaved in advance of the wedding. "Of course it goes without saying that this side project is very well compensated. Are we on the same page, mate?"


Zedidiah frowns on thoughts and chews on his tongue. Finding that distasteful, he chews instead on peanut brittle. He offers a piece up to Hudson, before answering, "The waste material is organic? If it's organic, and we want it broken down, I can introduce elements into the vat that could accomplish the task, but I should still be able to remove in composting. My boys can come drain the slurry when the tank gets full. Put a lock on the drainage gate. Shouldn't be too difficult." Zedidiah doesn't quite get it, but he's certainly game to be involved with compensation.


Hudson spies the glimmer of common ground. He nods in response to Zedidiah's question. "Yep, organic material," he says, finding their very surface level conversation just the appropriate level of tastefulness in establishing this deal. "I can help supply some heavy duty chemicals if you need, I was an alchemist before I got into business." He removes a hand from his pocket and indicates the warehouse he'd been squinting at off and on. "That old warehouse is going to be the disposal site for this side project. The point of entry is going to have to be a hair bigger than a toilet, I'll have my guys rig up some sort of closet or trunk, I assume that's good enough for the port?" Hudson rubs his face again, slides his gaze back to Zedidiah. "I assume monthly payments - three times the market rate on this one - in cash is fine? One more thing, I'm sure I don't need to tell you this, but we'd need the utmost discretion for the side project. Feel free to use the condo gig as advertising, of course."


Zedidiah brightens visibly at news of Hudson's alchemical background, "Oh! An alchemist. Well I don't think any serious chemicals will be warranted, I'd prefer to use biological processes, since I'll still want to turn the organic waste into fertilizer. We've used a bacterial mengerie in the past, but I'll have my science boys contact you with the details. To avoid side effects." Zed's science boys consist of his cousins Goldo and Wimple, who are less science boys and more retired farmers willing to experiment on poop. But overselling his operations capabilities has only gotten him in trouble 40% of the time. "This sounds quite fine, sir. And discretion is our watchword. Would anything harmful be left in the slurry from your end, or should the material be inert by the time my boys come?"


Hudson nods agreeably, his hands finding their way back into his pockets. This deal is an important one, especially since he's forgiven but not really forgotten the Larket mob. His brow creases, his lips pursing as he considers Zedidiah's question about 'the material,' which is to say the enemy bodies who are getting dumped into the poop blender. "You know, it should be inert," he says to Zedidiah, "but maybe just to be on the safe side, just keep the vat airtight, these things have a way of settling on their own." He smiles in a genial manner, privately thinking about the special joy he will feel in personally burying alive the don of the Larket mafia in a vat of poop. Never mess with a guy's family. "Well, my people will send you the contracts and we can get it going." His smile lingers, and he inhales a lung full of the seaside air. "I'm smiling because business is good to me and I'm getting married," he adds, wanting to clap the halfling on the shoulder but for height reasons opting to not, it would be strange. "I believe we invited you! Alvina handled the RSVP situation, but you should come, for networking."


Zedidiah laughs brightly, a deal concluded without him worrying about being burned at the stake or making back room deals with drow? He could get used to this. Just business, between two business men! He has a celebratory peanut brittle and adjusts his oversized hard hat. "Well! I think this will go quite well, quite well indeed. And I will endeavor to be present at your wedding, I dearly appreciate the invitation. Need think his balance a few other engagements still, but my dearest congratulations to you, Hudson."


Hudson has to wonder if halflings have some sort of condition that requires constant snacking, a bit like his children. He does not ask this aloud for fear it would be racist. He extends a hand downward at the guy for a shake before they part ways. "Thanks man," he says. "It's a pleasure either way."