Log No. 1: Lobsters and Large Caliber
22 Apr 2021Billboards
Adrift around an unmarked star, Bill Boards sits on the viewing deck of his Python, the Hard Promises."It truly is a beautiful sight, isn't it?"
"WARNING! TAKING HEAT DAMAGE!"
"You're no fun, you know that?"
He takes a deep sigh and rolls his chair over to the large water tank searching the ruts and cracks for the creatures who call it home. Inside, crustaceans of all colors, sizes, and species meddle about in the vibrant coral garden. One in particular, a deep blue creature, slender and emotionless stares back. It's mandibles slowly oscillating up and down give it the appearance as if it were speaking, not to Bill himself, but to the void of space behind him.
"Huh, you are a nasty looking thing, aren't you? Where did I get you again? Sol? Achenar? Oh well, you came from some depths I need not know."
Bubbles from the tank produced a loud yet calm popping sound, masking the warnings of COVAS and the continued stress placed upon his ship by the intense heat.
"You remind me of someone I know. Special case that one, but you two have the same eyes."
The creature with its abyss-like black pupils gazes back, unfazed by the comment.
He grabs a holo-frame portraying a particularly pale individual, the name "Matoimaru" inscribed on the bottom.
"Good times... those asteroid fields were ever peaceful. Maybe I'll see you there again someday, and buy that drink I promised you."
He puts the frame back on its mantle and his attention shifts.
Stepping away from the tank, he obtains a toy grabber resembling the head of an exceptionally large fanged lizard.
Slipping one of the creatures out of the tank, a light green shelled crab, he takes the elevator to the main gun deck. Underneath all of the heavy equipment stood scattered empty shells from the rather large cannons stationed above him. Pushing aside the autoloader, he slides the small creature into one of these ejected casings, and puts a cap on to prevent it from scuttling out.
"Godspeed my faithful Corsair!" he bellows whilst loading the crustacean into the breach of the cannon.
Preparing to fire, he gives a final salute to the tiny soldier as it is ejected into space at mach speed, disappearing into the void.
[End Log]