The Path to Earth
18 Jun 2020Firemanbif
One thing they don't tell you about in the academy is how lonely deep space is.Sure, they teach you to fly. Teach you how to fight, kill and die. Teach you all about how to navigate the galaxy around us. But they can't tell you about the loneliness. That feeling you have when you're 300 light years into a 1000 light year journey. Empty systems after empty systems. "See the universe, the beauty and wonder," was the line told to us all. Sounded great at the time.
Why do I find myself, as a relatively new Commander, out here, jumping from system to system with no one to keep me company but my"crew." For the glory of finding new worlds? For the credits that UC pays for that data? No, none of that. I do this for a chance to "earn" my right to see Earth.
Earn my right!?! How crazy is that? My father told me stories as a kid about what brought us out here. About how thousands of years ago, we all came from a place called Earth. How the excitement of exploration and discovery led our ancestors to seek out new worlds, new life, new possibilities. He wanted to make the journey. Pap told him about Earth, and his Pap before him. He even earned his permit as a Commander on a trade ship! But before he had a chance to go, he was killed by pirates. What did they get for killing my dad? A few tons of microchips. For that, my dad lost his life.
One would think that his permit would have gone to me. But no. I was told that in the Federal Navy, a man earns his own way! And so the journey for me begins. Courier job, jump to a system, scan it and repeat. Slowly I'm building up my rank. One lonely star system after another. Lonely, cold and tired of Vega and Orion complaining about a damn cat! I don't even have a cat on my ship!
If I have to "earn" my right to see my ancestral home, then I'll do it. For myself, but more importantly, for Dad.