Never knew my parents. Told they were imperial slaves on Gibson Station in LHS 1071. Father was likely executed not long after my conception for defamation of property, at least according to precedent. Mother died not long after my birth in a cargo accident. Was crushed to death while unloading a canister of slaves. The irony was not lost on my dear Overseer.

Mother's old master tried raising me, but apparently was too much work for too little personal gain. Arranged to have me sent to the orphanage on DR Mitaneks Eternity. Do not blame him, owed me nothing for the transgressions of my parents. Wish only to one day find him to pay off the debt likely left by mother.

Was shipped down to Eternity at a young age, about one. All I can remember from my childhood. Wasn't the worst place to be raised. However orphans on Eternity incur a debt, essentially the cost of being raised. As such, most of the orphans choose to leave the orphanage as slaves. Not always though. Those who are shown to be exceptionally talented in the flight sims are recruited into the Imperial Navy, and sometimes the particularly gifted are allowed to become scientists or minor politicians. Any case one still has a debt to be repaid before one can gain total freedom. Few choose to simply leave the orphanage with their debt in tow as free persons, but even that is a form of bondage, very shameful one at that.

Most however were too concerned lamenting over their future in bondage to work towards avoiding it. We were given the opportunity for a decent education, but most squandered it. They assumed their fate as slave was immutable, eternal, and thus merely accepted it. For that they deserve the chains as far as I'm concerned.

Was not so foolish, spent most of my time on Eternity in the old flight simulator kept in the orphanage recreation room. Was my only recluse available to escape to. That and the library. However only in the simulator could I be truly alone.

At this point in my life I was not particularly devoted the the Glory that is the Empire, but knew that either an imperial scientist position or naval assignment were my only chances at freedom after Eternity. To that end spent almost every waking hour in that sim, or at the library. As fate would have it, I was far more talented at murder than the scientific method. On my 19th birthday I received my first missive from off world. Was formed from some sort of polymer, not a digital message, a solid thing I could hold in my hand. Never would have even considered that to be an option. Was folded in thirds, sealed by the Imperial Insignia, the letterhead depicting the crest of the Duval name. Knew at once what it was. Said that the sim I had spent so much time in was still connected to the Empire's recruitment network, and that if I could keep up my progress, an esteemed position in the Navy would await me. From then on it was just the sim for me, could read once I got off Eternity.