The Final Chapter
12 Jun 2024Silvia Sharpe
"Where do I even begin? The beginning? The end? The future? Maybe none of those?"I look around the cockpit of Memento Mori a solemn look on my face. Venus is in the background gathering the last bits of ammunition from the captains locker. Her hair pulled up into a tight bun, reminiscent of high imperial fashion. Chittering from Melli can be heard as she tosses around one of her new toys. Venus turns to look at me and responds to my questions.
"Start with now. Its only fitting for them to know." Her usually bright attitude is more serious and her face is one of regrets.
"Yeah. You're probably right."
I clear my throat and straighten up a bit as Venus exits the cockpit followed closely by Melli. Looking around the cockpit I let out a shallow sigh a small smirk appears on my face as memories flood my mind.
+// Log Entry Start
+// Date: June 12, 3309
+// Location: Earth
+// Commander: Silvia Sharpe
First I want to say thank you to all of the wonderful people I have met on this journey. It has been a great honor and I will miss all of you dearly. My name is Silvia Duval and this is my final commanders log. It has been a few long months since the last time I made a logbook entry. Ever since our return to the bubble life has had a way of making life more complicated that it needs to be.
Some of you may be wondering where I've been.... What I've been up to..... How I'm doing. Well to answer all of those honestly I've been at home dealing with life as it comes and goes. *sigh* ya life has been hard lately so Venus and I have decided to give up our adventures and focus on us for a while.
I'm hanging up the flight suit and taking a break from it all. I... I'm not sure how to put this but I think it might be time for me to retire. I lost my arm recently due to a very serious miscalculation on my part. And Venus thinks it's best for us to settle down and live out our lives in peace..... Heh peace... in this day and age... she's right though....
To my friends I say thank you.... to everyone who has kept up with my story this is my final chapter for quite some time. It's a sad day for me...... I'm going to miss all of this.... all of you.... Farewell commanders. Fly safe, Live Dangerously.
This is commander Silvia Sharpe signing off.
+// Log Entry End
I turn off the recording and lean back in my chair a tear rolling down my cheek. I flip the main breaker on Memento Mori, my beloved Krait Phantom, and with a solid clunk and a dying whir the ships power plant shuts down. The reactor quieting to utter silence. The soft glow of the cockpit panels dims to nothing. Light shines through the canopy bathing everything in natural sunlight from Sol.
Slowly I lift myself from my seat and take a look around one last time. Memories flood my mind as I make my way towards the cockpit door. I open the door and proceed down the corridor towards the boarding ramp. The sound of my shoes striking the floors is the only sound in the ship.
"Well old girl.... I guess this is goodbye." I say as I reach the top of the boarding ramp.
"Will we be going back out sometime?" June asks as I make my way down the ramp.
"Not for a long long time Junebug. I do however have plans to give you a functioning body so you might enjoy life in your own ways." I answer back smiling reaching the bottom of the ramp.
"Oh I would like that very much Silvia. Thank you." June replies.
Melli runs out from inside the ship and down to the recently rebuilt mountainside manor. Sun dances on my robotic arm and I let out a soft sigh. It was likely that Memento Mori was going to sit on that landing pad for the rest of my life. Collecting dust and falling into disrepair. Rust would begin to cover the steel components and panels would eventually begin to fall off as time took its toll on the ship.
Scorch marks, acid burns, broken field patched panels lined her exterior, all reminders of the adventures I'd been on. Venus and I have been through hell this past year and it was time we focused on ourselves. With one final look back I head inside the manor to start the next chapter of my life.
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It is with heavy heart, and much deliberation that I have decided to end my elite career. I have been through so much, done so much, and made so many friends. I knew this day would come. The day when I would hang up my wings and focus on my life at home.
I entered this wonderful chapter with open arms and it has been filled with great memories. Mining in deep space for void opals, and low temp diamonds, exploring our vast galaxy, fighting with other commanders for system control, transporting tens of thousands of tons of commodities for powerplays. All of it has been magnificent in its own right.
I know not what this next chapter of my life holds but I will face it head on like I did with this one. I may return at some point but I cannot make any promises. You all have made this the best experience ever. Thank you and I'll see again someday.