Nailing your Colours to the Mast
19 Dec 2015Jim Beaumont
I think it would be a fair assumption that we all start our Cmdr careers in a some what nomadic fashion, flitting from here to there to there, grabbing what work we can for the fast credit.Eventually, time catches up with you and you find somewhere and settle. You call it home. And what once was never a concern, now becomes something, a force in life offering direction and needs. Politics.With all the goings on of late, the work I have been doing for certain people like Double and the Courier contact, my intrigues got the better of me. I began to do some research into all these different factions seeking some sort of control in my 'home' system. My colours were finding a mast. You don't choose to lose the right to choose. There was only one mast to nail to.
So I made my way to the bar to find Merc, he hasn't yet found the politics and is the essence of youth and exuburence, that carefree nomad of old but he's changing. More and more to be found here. It won't be long. On my way, the contact crossed my path. Things were about to change once more.
'I have some work for you Cmdr. Another 4 packages for delivery. Slightly less rushed, 2 hrs to complete'
'Thank you. You finding me for a change. Beginning to trust me now are you?'
'It has come to my attention that you have done some work for Mr Duta at the outpost. Which is a good sign.'
'Excuse me? Mr who?'
'He probably didn't give his name at the time, he's not one for doing that. But you've been approved now following your exploits. We believe your with us.'
'Oh him. So he's with you then. Now the fog is clearing.'
'There is another Civil War on Cmdr, once again minors battling for supremacy here. Only they will take your freedoms and cast them into the murky black. Now those packages. 1 must be completed.' He waved it at me.
'These 3, well lets just say if someone were to contact you en route, then to follow there instructions would be no bad thing' with a wry smile.
'Ah. So your masters have given you your instructions. You act as a courier for all. then get some other smuck to do your dirty work. Nice. What if I were not to take the alternative? What happens then?'
'That is your right to choose Cmdr, well for now that is.'
And so he has painted his colours clearly for me now. And Mr Duta's too. Double has his name. And my instinct was right on him.
So I inevitably nailed mine to that mast of democracy. I delivered the packages as requested, 1 to its proposed destination and the other 3 went to alternative sources. And suddenly life is less about money and more about choices, and the acts to keep them.
Cmdr Beaumont (in colour with democracy)