Log #013: Thirteen’s Curse: Trials and Triumphs
23 Nov 2024Bobby Brightside
(The audio log begins with the sound of a heavy sigh and the faint clinking of a drink being set down. Bobby’s voice comes through, gruff and carrying the weight of a frustrating day.)
Commander Bobby Brightside here. Log thirteen—and let me tell you, this day lived up to the reputation of that cursed number. Nothing but chaos from start to finish.
Started the day with a plan: take some on-foot missions, build up materials to upgrade my suits and weapons for combat zones. Simple enough, right? Took on six missions in total. Completed four, failed two. Those two failures, though… they were something else.
First mission was a routine package delivery in the Bunuson system. Landed at Kozak Manufacturing Facility, wandering around, keeping things low-key. That’s when I got flagged for a routine scan. Figured no harm in complying, took a step forward, and—boom—they opened fire on me! Claimed I wasn’t being compliant.
Instinct kicked in, and I bolted. Tried to get clear, but irony’s a cruel thing. Got taken down by the very guy I was supposed to deliver the package to—some assault trooper named Erwin Wolf. Woke up on a prison station with the poetic name The Fountain of Penance. Pissed off doesn’t even begin to cover it.
[Beat]
Jumped back to my home system to regroup. Decided I needed something for a quick getaway if things went sideways again. Picked up a Scorpion SRV. She’s a beauty, and as it turned out, she saved my bacon more than once today.
Next mission was another delivery, this time to a guy named Sol Rodgers. Went smooth as butter—no scans, no gunfire, no drama. Finally, something went right.
Then came the mission to halt production at Macleod Industrial Facility. Should’ve been simple: drop some illegal goods into the processing plant, job done. But wouldn’t you know it, I got scanned again. Stayed put this time, figuring I’d learned my lesson, but the scanner picked up the goods. Cue more gunfire and chaos. This time, though, I jumped into the Scorpion and tore out of there like my life depended on it. Two failures in a row—I wasn’t about to let it happen again.
[Transition Sound: Scorpion Engines Firing Up]
Next up was a grab-and-go mission at a crashed ship. It was being guarded by a bunch of criminals who didn’t know what hit them. The Scorpion’s mounted cannon made short work of them. Almost felt sorry for how quickly I cleared them out. Almost.
The last two missions I decided to tackle together. First was to assassinate a criminal named Ella Morrow. Second was to eliminate eleven members of the Hou Mayo Mafia, all holed up in an agricultural facility in the Hou Mayo system. They were all in one place, so I figured—why not?
Dropped in, and the firefight was… intense, to say the least. Took out Morrow and all eleven targets, but reinforcements kept pouring in. Every time I thought the coast was clear, more showed up. Once again, the Scorpion proved its worth, getting me out of there in one piece.
[Beat]
Reflecting on it all now, the day wasn’t a total loss. Four successful missions, a good haul of materials, and the Scorpion showed me just how valuable it’ll be in the field. But still, that prison stint… that one’s going to sting for a while.
Commander Bobby Brightside, signing off.
(The audio fades out with the sound of Bobby leaning back in his chair, the quiet hum of ship systems in the background.)