Entry 113 - 11.21.3303 Ruminations on what's next
21 Nov 2017MBaldelli
Current System: New Dawn Station, CeosIt was too much for me being planet side and on my homeworld. The smells -- now mostly foreign to me given that I've spent the last year in places with recycled air... the familiar old places.. the family... real gravity instead of station gravity... the memories of the last thirty years mostly planet-side...
After finishing my tradition of being home, I blasted off with just a passing good-bye and hug to the family and got as far away from home as I possibly could. Better to live in the present than be maudlin in the past, as my grandmother said at the funeral of her husband -- my grandfather -- of 53 years.
I got into Janes Horizons and after talking a little with some of the members of the still distant ground crew there, requested the Zheng He moved out of storage and after running a couple of missions for one of the local factions (and always bringing back 24 tons of Biowaste for OEC because I just love their positive and glowing attitudes on the station), decided that it was high time for me to work on changing my Federation other-rank to something commissioned instead. I might never really feel the need to reach the rank of Post Commander, but something like Lieutenant Commander Baldelli does have a sort of ring to it that I find appealing.
The best place for me to head to for that promotion in that case was back to the Ceos/Sothis area of space.
Both the representatives for Sirius Corporation as well Zachary Hudson's Office know me by name. I've also done personal favours for several of the local leaders in the Federation Unite! and Deep Space Clan factions.
This will definitely help in my getting the necessary sponsorship and pre-Congressional Vote for becoming a Commissioned Officer. Sure it's just an honorary rank as the son of a Painite Miner never wanted to serve in Winters' military, but the process for getting even that honorary commission remains the same as actually serving.
Landing at New Dawn, I stopped by the Liberate Ceos Office to speak to Chance Hahn about sponsorship for the Federation Officer Candidate Program.
He gave me that typical pederast smirk of his and agreed a bit too willingly to sponsor me.
Stopping by the Sirius Corporation Office, I was ushered into Senior Chairperson Brock Masters' Office instead of my usual contact. His office was much more opulent than I was used to and in spite of his offering the chairs in front of his desk, I preferred to stand instead as I wasn't entirely sure what he wanted with the likes of me.
He started brusquely, "News travels fast. You want to work on getting sponsorship for a Commission, I take it?"
Fast as in someone's office is clearly bugged, I thought instead. "Yes, sir."
"As you need two people to sign that sponsorship, I'll happily do it," he grinned but not as creepily as Hahn did.
"Is there a catch?" I was damned suspicious of this. Sirius Corporation always wanted something in return for services rendered. Qwent with Modular Terminals for example.
"Not at all. I remember you did blockade runs during that Commander's brouhaha -- Operation: Sirius Business -- when it was happening out here and turned in more than 20 million credits worth of Deep Space Exploration Data. As you didn't ask for anything in return, it seems only fitting to give you what you're asking for now."
I did one run and at the time, the forces weren't remotely active when I returned from the Deep Black even though the station and the area was as barren as a desert. I didn't correct him though, smiled, nodded and said, "Thank you."
"Think nothing of it, Commander Baldelli," he offered his hand.
I shook hands, nodded and gave the usual courtesies before leaving his office.
I'm sure he's going to want something of me later. I can feel it, I thought as I instinctively wiped my hand on the pant leg of my flight suit.
And so it begins...