Prepared
09 Jan 2017Evoflash
No log for a while now, not been much call for it. Why? Because I'm preparing.Since getting back to the bubble I've been chasing my tail going here, there and everywhere. Here's what I've done:
First off I bought me an Anaconda and got Farseer to fix the FSD. 60ly isn’t shabby. She also sorted Fe2O3 as well, giving it 46ly. Then I flew all over the place unlocking most of the permit lock systems. I can now come and go as I please from some pretty dull places, but hey freedom is good. I also made a big bucket of cash selling all that exploration data (another Cr117m) – kerching baby, kerching.
Found myself in Niu Hsing working for the Federation, starting to become someone important with them – Post Commander no less. Still the same old me, still cynical, still a mean hearted son of a bitch, but people starting to call me “Sir” now which tickles me silly. “Sir”!
I was on the way to getting a Corvette licence when I met some guys in Tutumu while I was going back and forth shipping nearly 10,000 tonnes of mineral oil (don’t ask), and they showed me their Imperial Cutter. I’ve seen the ship before but not up close or on board, what a fantastic machine it is. It’s huge, got lots of room for toys and looks breathtaking. The Annie is sweet, but that Cutter is a class act. So next thing I find myself working for the Empire and I’m already a Viscount. All on the long road to getting prepared.
During the Fed/Empire work, I've been spending a lot of time with these folks - engineers. They're fascinating people. Real remote types living on some barren hunk of rock, working away on the next big thing – be it some long range Beam laser or like Farseer and her magical overcharged FSD’s. By meeting with them, and often plying them with gifts I've managed to get some really great upgrades going on the modules in this Anaconda. I'm not done yet, there's a few more folks I've got to meet and some favours I've got to do but soon enough I'll have a ship ready and prepared. If I’m smart I can transfer a lot of these modules in to the Cutter when I eventually get her.
All the while I've been honing battle skills. Lot of shitheads want to interdict me, steal my stuff. Fine. Bunch of other shitheads want to stop me doing missions. Fine. Finally a different crowd of shitheads just got big bounties and I want to get paid. Fine. So I've been wantonly flying about allowing myself to be pulled down in to battle, to try out various loadouts and ship settings. I messed with seeking missiles - full bank of eight! That was fun, you kinda fire and forget. Been playing with cannons but they’re just too cumbersome, but have settled on Beams and Multi Cannons. That combo is serious firepower and I'll need the mother of all power plants so that I can be prepared.
Prepared.
Because I heard the news two days ago.
I was in a bar in Ziegel Dock, Wu Guinagi listening to some bullshit freighter telling me about hauling 100 tonnes of Lavian Brandy for 260ly without getting interdicted, I mean come on man why make this stuff up? Just when I thought I was ready to hit this guy, some other guy runs in with a strong Achenar accent and shouts to put the holojector on. Tells everyone to shut up, points at the flickering image getting sharper and says one word that did in fact shut us all up. "Thargoids".
I put my beer down, a piss poor Empire beer not even worth giving to inmates at the Ross 128 Penal Colony. The buzzing holojector threw out a poor light - this bar is on the edge of the bubble and it appears that bulb technology doesn't travel so well. Someone shut the bar lights off and there we saw it. Some poor pilots bridgecam recording, he makes a hyperspace jump like normal then suddenly he's all over the place. Gets ripped out of witchspace. What the hell? This is what used to happen a hundred years ago before micoid killed off the Thargoids.
Are they back?
Pilot looks left. Strange ship. Do not recognize the ship. Never seen it before. But I'm scared. Thargoid ships were eight sided battle ships that killed pilots by ripping them out of witchspace and annihilating them.
This ship has "petals" like some goddam flower. I count the petals.
Eight petals.
Ship turns, faces pilot. Dear God no. Please don't. The petals open up. I'm thinking maybe it's time to get out of the bubble. Pilot is blasted by yellow light. No screams, no breaking. Light stops, ship turns and jumps out. Pilot back on line. Nobody dead.
What the fuck just happened?
Bar went crazy right there. One woman screamed, some guy shouted at her. Everyone shouting and pointing, heads held, brows wrinkled. Old guys looking pale, young guys clenching fists - shit never changes.
I'm scared. Real scared.
I leave the bar and head to the dock. It's clearer there, gives me space to think. I smell the ships, the lubricant, the fuel, even the old paint. The yellow flashing lights of the transport tugs soothe me, they're a kind of home. What the hell was that? The more I think on it, the more I'm sure.
It's not Thargoids.
They would have killed the pilot outright. The tales I've heard, there's no way they would have done anything else. Could these be Oresrians? All but forgotten, not seen in years.
I don't know.
What I do know?
Someone has found us.
What do I think?
They came looking for us for a reason. Is that reason the Thargoids? If they can find us, then so can the Thargoids.
I can prepare. I can prepare a ship that will keep me alive, or at least take a few of them with me.
I have to go prepare.