RatLog #0003
18 Mar 2019Venus
Today has been slow, not too many clients for me to save. I spent most of my day sitting in my ship remembering when I didn't have to worry about paying my fuel tab, and buying my own food and clothes, repairing my own ship etc. I only had to worry about food and clothes not a ship, but I changed that, and I'm glad I did. I'm hundreds of light years from where I was born into a slum. I didn't grow up a clean life, my father was a criminal and a smuggler, and my mother was no where to be found. I never went to school, I was enrolled but I had other things in my head than to learn about mathematics and galactic politics. All I wanted to do was grow up to be a great pilot, a titan of ships.I looked up to my dad up until I was about 16, that was the first time he got caught with 40 pounds of narcotics stuck in a hidey hole in our apartment. That day was the worst in history, to me at least. I saw first hand what it was like for station security to bust into my home, arrest my father, and throw me into a childcare protective system. I remember thinking to myself, I don't need childcare protection, I can live on my own, I've been watching my dad stack money and drugs for years, why can't I do the same. But then I thought, what if my son were to end up like me, pissed off cause they're mom left them, pissed off cause they're father was a deadbeat drug dealer. I wanted to be different, I wanted to change my families legacy.
I remember watching the ships launch from the dock. I remember reading their ID and names and wishing one of my own. That's when I made the decision, I wasn't going to fly to import illegal goods into stations, I was going to fly because I love to fly, and I want to do good in my life. I think to myself " I can't afford a ship on my own at 17, what do I do", then the opportunity arose, Lakon was hiring mechanic repair apprentice job at the shipyard, it wasn't flying but it was a doorway to it. So I applied, told them everything, I had nothing, nobody, and I wanted to stop the tradition my family started, the Lakon dignitary gave me my interview and a week later I started my apprenticeship.
The first day was hard, but the journeymen and other apprentices made it fun. I was learning, making money, and living on my own at 18, I was doing more good than my father did in his whole lifetime. My 4 year apprenticeship as over, I continued to work and train at Lakon. I tell my boss that I'm interested in moving onto flying ships, he tells me that I can buy a ship from Lakon for cheap considering I've been a great employees for years, I feel joy, hope, and achievement. I save up and buy an ASP Explorer and start my great journey of being a commander of my own ship, I make my own name and ID just like the ones I use to watch as a kid.
I start taking odd jobs when I get off work from the shipyard, taking data courier jobs and transporting water etc. I start to think long term about my career as a pilot, I look for companies to work for, and that's when it happened. I saw information about opportunities for all commanders in Fuel Rats, I sign up and start rescuing commanders all across the galaxy. I think of a place to reside and make my true home, away from drugs, crime rings, and my horrible family past. I choose Sol, because of a planet I dreamed of as a kid, Venus, I even call myself Venus after all. I park my ASP Explorer in Galileo, I do a few odd jobs from the mission board when I need extra cash. I'm glad I've broken the history of my family and started a new tradition, a tradition which helps to heal, and bring homes together, from a commander who never had one.
My true name is Davix Carsin and I'm the man who made changes.