Nicholas Baker murdered my parents. He didn't even have the guts to do it himself. No, like the spineless coward he is he got someone else to do it for him. He gave the order, sat back and saved his own worthless hide whilst they were murdered. Why? Because they were expendable.

Well I'm here to tell you they weren't!

And Baker is going to pay. If I can ever find him.

Heard of Dav's Hope?

Of course you have. Who hasn't?

Ever wondered what really happened there?

Go ... find out for yourself. Decide what you would have done. I'll tell you one thing. Whatever decision you reach it'll probably be the wrong one.

How do I know? How can I be so sure?

Well I was there ... the 26th of May 3286. That was the day my parents died. That was the day they were killed by that corporate scumbag. That was the day I became an orphan. That was the day I looked into the eyes of a monster. Of course I didn't actually know that then. When I did find out I decided to kill him.

Does that make me just like Baker? Does that make me worse?

I'll leave that up to you as well. Whatever decision you reach it'll probably be the wrong one. I know what I am. And I'm prepared to live with it.

I was ten when my parents moved to Dav's Hope. My father was a mining specialist and my mother a seismologist. They were excited about the posting. More excited than I was. Dav's Hope was so far away from everything I called home; except for my parents that is. I made it difficult for them to take the posting; kicked up a huge fuss about it. Sometimes I wish I'd made it harder. Sometimes I'm ashamed I made it hard at all. Mostly I just wish I'd shown them how much I loved them, instead of complaining all the damn time. Now it's too late.

When the first tremors hit that day my parents were underground. They never made it back to the surface. After Baker had given the order to blow the charges, and bury the mining crews alive, I was bundled into a transport, kicking and screaming and flown off the planet. That's when I saw him, Baker. That's when I looked into his eyes. The scumbag actually smiled at me! "You're safe now," he said, "Everything will be fine."

He didn't know who I was. He didn't care. He will, eventually. But it's been almost twenty years now and I'm starting to lose faith.

I was taken back to Cemiess, where I had been born, to live with my paternal grandparents. It was a bad time for me. They tried their best but somehow I couldn't shake the feeling that every time my grandmother smiled at me, her eyes had an accusatory look in them. Almost as if she blamed me for surviving. I was probably wrong. But when I was old enough I left them and haven't been back since.

Add that to my list of regrets.

Now I travel the galaxy: exploring, trading, discovering. Doing anything to survive whilst I look for Baker. I sleep little because of my nightmares. I smile less. Sometimes I wonder if my desire for revenge is consuming me. Holding on to anger is a bit like holding a burning coal in your hand with the intention of throwing it at someone, the only person getting burned is you. Then I remember his smile and the words 'everything will be fine'. Well it isn't. And it won't be until I find him.