Chapter 4: a fated encounter
24 Jun 2023Nick Euphrasia
Walking back to the concourse my mind was flooded with decisions, what I should do with my life, and is this the life I want? Smuggling goods, avoiding security, hiding. All these thoughts started flooding my head. I went back to my ship, plotted a course to MET 20, and took off.It was a random system I hand picked, only a couple of jumps away. When I dropped in to the system on my navigations tab, something interesting popped up: Awolowo Inn on Planet A 3 D.
About 3674 Ls from the main star, I guess it would be a good place as any to rest up and put my mind at ease.
Took me a while to reach the planet, I marked the location and prepared to descend past the orbit and cruise into the location. It looked somewhat deserted, a few security guards roaming around though. I Disembarked my ship and a security guard stopped me for a scan. As soon as I got the all clear, I went to the nearest Kiosk and checked in…. “Hmm, only a few other guests around” I checked in, nearly costing me 18,000 credits, got a decent room and got some sleep.
A sleep well earned after quite the journey.
I spent the next few days hopping around within the system, visited some of the decent tourism hotspots, and ate some of the most outrageous food. Traveling back to the inn a day before I decided to check out, I noticed that one crater moved ever so slightly into the dark side of the planet, “so it takes that long for this planet to complete a rotation?” I mumbled to myself and it gave me an idea; it would be nice to watch a slow sunset that lasts longer… Welp, I dropped in and headed towards the shadows where the sun is setting. I disembarked as soon as I land, holding a quarter of a bottle of Lavian Brandy, sat on top of my ship and watched the sun ever so slightly inch away before me. It was calm. So very calm.
My suit alerted me, power is running low, good think I bought a spare power cartridge, but im on the ship, might as well save it and get in. soon as I entered the ship I noticed another ship cruising down from orbit, it looked to be an Asp Explorer. “Another Lakon Pilot, hell yeah look at that beauty!” I said to myself. Intoxicated it didn't quite come to my senses that another ship is descending, and it’s headed right towards me… “oh.. Uh oh” I got into my ship, quickly buckled in and that’s when I got a direct message.
“Ahoy there commander! Do you read?” swallowing hard, I don’t recognize the ship ID or this pilot, he’s no ordinary pilot, the ship ID reads he’s a CMDR. A few things came to my mind, but I shrugged them off and just complied. I’m in a vulnerable position right now. Although he does not have his hardpoints out. I replied “Hello CMDR, how do you do?” waiting for his response. Instead, he landed some 50 meters away from me. With all that brandy, he deployed what looked like an SRV and headed towards me. I don't have any weapons on me, and the pulse lasers tucked away in my ship are shutdown. Before I could react to anything, he said some of the most calming words I’ve heard in a dangerous galaxy “at ease commander, I mean you no harm, o7” which put me at ease and I sat back down on the ground.
He pulls up next to my ship, gets out of his SRV and in his Artemis suit, I can only make out a face. He extended his arm for a handshake, I gladly shook. “CMDR Phoenix” he said addressing himself “CMDR Nick” I replied, “What brings you out to this mess?” he asked jokingly trying to lighten the mood. “Oh you know, I just thought I’d kill some time watching a slow sunset.” He laughed and said “not bad, you could have gone slightly further away from the bubble and watch Betelgeuse instead. Now that’s a sight to behold” He said, trying to make conversation with me.
“I don't carry that much jump range with me… besides” i nodded towards his Asp Explorer “something of that caliber is able to make it in no time” I said, as he caught on that I was very much into Lakon’s finest galaxy roamer right after the DBX.
“Yea, she’s seen plenty out in the black” he said glancing back at his magnificent piece of engineering. “You look like you’ve got some serious business going in your T6” he said, looking towards my Type-6. I chuckled “I wish it was like that, I’ve only just started, in fact she’s pure stock, other than just a scoop fitted” I said, trying to lighten the mood. “Ah, Lave’s finest” he noticed the green glass bottle with the old yellowed label around the neck. “Last I had was back in 3304, I’ve only just got back to the bubble. Had to do some work in Sag A” He said as the look on his face seemed to reminisce about something good in the past. “Come on up, lets have a drink, it's not much left, but I got plenty more back home, my brother’s got a buddy who brings some in every year to where I’m from” I offered, he doesn't seem to be a merc or a hunter, I suppose his company would do just fine, besides, it sounds like he’s got good stories to tell. “That’s mighty kind of you commander, in fact I’ll take you up on that offer” he responded with a glow in his eyes.
We sat on the cargo racks as he spoke of his adventures, the trip to colonia, having been duped from taking a job from the bubble that pays well, ended up being a passenger trip to Colonia. How he traded his exploration data and the credits he earned along the way. I learned so much from him in such a short amount of time. Although, time is a bit of a stretch since this planet moves ever so slowly. I told him about my graduation, how I just got my license, how I was planning on doing some cargo runs to earn some credits and what turned from a conversation into confiding is about the ship and how I needed it to be ready for work. I guess it was the Brandy, that started talking. I even told him about the elicit job the engineer offered in exchange for ship kitting. He laughed, and to save myself from embarrassment, I shut the fuck up.
“Take it” he said, “Take what?” I asked confused about his words “The job, the one the engineer offered, take it” He said telling me that its okay to do illegal work? “I uh, I don't know …” I muttered. “She’s also fitting a couple of heatsinks on this ship right?” he asked, I recalled in the list of utilities the engineer had on the screen, yes there were heatsinks “how is the heatsink going to work with whatever magic it is you have in mind?” I asked.
He laughed and replied, “Okay, as you’re about to head into your delivery location, pop one, or pop a few to keep your temps down, the guards can't scan you for nothing” He said.
Amazed by this piece of information, I never thought that heatsinks are an essential. “So you go take that job, I mean its 9 fucking mil, thats dumb money right there” He said encouraging me to proceed with such elicit work. “Listen, you said you want to start somewhere right? You got good brains and a good heart, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to make a name for yourself. You’re not part of a pirate gang, some mafia or from some dangerous clan. I don’t think you’re that kind of guy ya know” He said trying to encourage me. What he said was true, and the galaxy is not a forgiving place for pilots and commanders anyways. “Thanks, you know what, I’ll do it.” I said, sounding serious about what I really want to do in a long time. “Atta boy commander, you got this in the bag” He said, giving me words of encouragement. It was at that moment it struck me, “Say you never told me why you came down here, not to pry but are you searching for something out here?” I asked, and he replied “take a look around you,” he walked up to my cockpit as if he’s been on this ship before and knows every button at the back of his head. He reached out to the night vision mode and pointed towards the darker side of the planet.”See those tall looking stones with smaller stones hanging off of em?” slightly tall and sharp spikey stones were present and spreaded out in a field. “That’s Tellurium, gonna need lots of those. Engineers use them to mody ship modules and I’m in the process of having some parts modified.” He said, it struck me that I may have been taking his time, he seemed like he’s got a lot ahead of him. “Sorry commander, I didn't mean to keep you” I said, trying to apologize. “Are you kidding? That was great time, you have no idea how rough it is out in the black all alone with no humans to talk to, this was a blessing, glad I ran in to ya commander” He said as he made his way back to the SRV. “Well, have a safe trip commander, and good luck with the job,’ He said one last time as he sent a friend request to my contacts tab. I gladly accepted and gave him an o7.