Broken Glasses and Thoughts
04 Feb 2019Sirboulevard
Commander's Log, February 3rd, 3305Well, let it be known my piloting in Supercruise is as sterling as ever. Slammed at 2Cs into an Ammonia World's exclusion zone. Damage to the ship was minimal, but my glasses went flying into the console. Cracked both lenses pretty badly and bent the frames. Flying without them is "fun."
Some of the Imperial members of the crew asked why I wore them, since many Imperial families have visual impairments removed from birth. Had to explain my parents are Federation. Even though I could correct with surgery, I'm not interested. Its part of my identity.
Its been interesting, really. Being out in the black. Spending alot more time with the lower decks crew. When I bought this Cutter, it came with a crew of Imperial Slaves. I told them I don't keep slaves. They could work off their debts by working for me, but they were free people. Days off as needed, with lots of flexibility for their personal lives, good pay (+10% over what they need to repay their debtors, which is a fair sight better than most Imperial Slaves usually get), and their honor was intact because someone was handling their debts. They just didn't need to identify themselves with such a crass label.
When they all came on board for Distant Worlds 2, following a large maintenance period for the Shadow Wolf, I told them to either clear up any debts or personal needs they had to take care of. If they didn't want to be separated from their families for so long, they could bring them on board. We've got a few kids and teenagers on the ship. Not many. About 12 in a crew of 50. Currently the ship is at 85% of maximum crew capacity with all the guests on board. They're having to live in crew quarters, though, which at least they're nice on an Imperial Ship. Most of the teenagers are sharing what are usually quarters for the imperial slaves, but since I dont have any, the rest of the crew are in normal military quarters.
Alot of the kids miss open skies and many of the teenagers are bored to tears, spending their days in the CQC simulators. Many of the wives and husbands accompanying on the journey are either remote working or if they didn't work, taking on crew duties. Two of the older teens have taken on some duties in Engineering as trainees.
Working with all of them in a long range voyage like this has made me think about the politics back home... I'm still seething over Emperor Arissa Lavigny-Duval's actions and the Empire is a total mess right now. But I also note that most of this crew would be in jail or on the streets if they had entered debt in the Federation or Alliance. And at least if an Imperial Slave comes into my "ownership" (UGH) I immediately free them and offer them a job.
You can be an Imperial, recognize the good in the system and reject the bad. That's what I'm doing.
In the meantime, we're stopped in deep space to get some rest. We've got about 900 light years until we reach Sacajawea Spaceport and I can get some new glasses. And everyone can get some excitement.