Personal Log 13: 15th - 21st June, 3301
07 Sep 2016Jemine Caesar
15th - 21st June, 3301Having made up my mind to finally part company with my Sidewinder, I called at the Cleve Hub shipyard the very next day. A helpful saleswoman recommended I go for an Adder.
"This one just came in a couple of days ago," she said. "Nice little ship for light trading, and handy in a scrap."
Though not too keen on the grey paintjob, I took the Adder on part exchange for my Sidewinder, fitted her with two gimballed beam lasers, upgraded the power plant, shield generator, life support and power distributor, and reregistered her under the name of The Last Thing I Do.
I took her out of Cleve Hub for a quick test flight. I thought the growly engine noise a bit odd at first, but it quickly grew on me. As I was returning to the station, my comms panel lit up with a k-cast from Rudolphus. Our conversation naturally turned to our recent date at Rikk's Cafe.
"I was testing you," he now admitted, "when I walked you back to your room that night, but you did not take me in."
I knew Rudolphus had been aware of my past. Now, hearing his admission, I jumped to the obvious conclusion. "Is that all I am to you, Rudolphus?" I cried. "A common slut?"
"I like a woman to be a slut," he replied.
"I've lost count," I wailed, "of the number of men who've had me. I thought I'd left that life behind."
Rudolphus assured me he had genuine feelings for me, and had simply meant he liked his women to be correct and proper in public, and adventurous in the bedroom. I had misunderstood him completely.
"I'm sorry, Rudolphus," I said, asking him to forgive my stupidity.
"There is nothing to forgive, Jem," he said. "I value your friendship."
No sooner had I docked again at Cleve Hub than Sam called. He was waiting for me in the Black Hole bar with "a surprise". Throwing on a short silver dress, I hurried to the bar. Sam greeted me with a kiss, and introduced me to Mark, the barman.
"Mark's a cousin of mine," Sam said, handing me a Beta Hydri gin & tonic.
"So," I asked, "what's this surprise?"
Smiling, Sam presented me with a beautiful gold locket. "Open it," he said. A holo-image of Bekka sprang into life. "I found her picture on your public profile," explained Sam. "Now you'll always have her with you."
I hugged him, tearfully. "Thank you, Sam. I'll treasure it."
* * * * *
The next day brought some profitable trade runs between Eravate, Frigaha and Kremainn. Back at Cleve Hub, I was visited by an Eravate Customs Investigator named Hepburn. He checked my cargo logs and asked questions about my trade routes. After two hours of this, Hepburn told me he had been looking for a smuggler bringing contraband in from Kremainn. In an Adder. My Adder! It finally took a simple k-cast call to the Sylvester City shipyard to prove my innocence. The saleswoman confirmed I had only bought the ship two days before.
The next day, June 18th, was a turning point for me. On a trade run to LTT 18486 I was called by Sam. "I've just reached 'Novice' rank," he told me, proudly.
"Congratulations," I replied, "What's that noise in the background?" I asked. It sounded like music.
"It's a 20th century Earth rock classic by Queen," Sam replied.
"Oh. Was she any good?" I asked.
Sam laughed, and explained that Queen was a British group of four men.
"Four men called Queen," I mused. "British must be a strange country." Sam told me the country's name is Britain.
"But yes," he said, "it is a strange place. What sort of music do you like, Jem?" I told him Soil Music was very popular on my world.
"The songs are usually about death, loss, illness, that sort of thing. But the music's always up-tempo, so you always sound happy even when you're miserable." Sam had never heard of it.
At LTT 18486 I docked at McArthur Terminal. On the bulletin board was a Federal Navy mission taking medicine to Yakabugai. I accepted at once, completed the delivery, and was instantly rewarded with promotion to Petty Officer and, at last, a Sol Permit! I called Sam at once to tell him the good news.
Over a celebratory glass of Earth Chardonnay at the Black Hole, Sam offered to accompany me on the trip to Sol.
"That would be wonderful," I said. The prospect of the trip to Sol was still a daunting one for me, and Sam's help would be welcome. We chatted about the trip, and of my still-vague plans for how I would deal with Caz. Then Sam went quiet.
"A year has gone by since..." he whispered, adding, "I couldn't do a thing to stop them."
I took his hand. "What is it, Sam? Tell me."
Sam told me that exactly one year ago he had been serving in the regular Federal Navy. His patrol, consisting of himself, his brother James, childhood friend Cmdr Asher, and Cmdr Sunset Díaz, had been ambushed by pirates in the Rotanev system. Sam woke in a navy hospital three days later, only to learn that James and Diaz had both been killed, and Asher was missing presumed dead. Sam was later given an honourable discharge, but the memory of that encounter has haunted him ever since.
After he had finished telling me his story, Sam crumpled into my arms, weeping bitterly.