"The Long Road to Freedom"
04 Nov 2024Bobby Brightside
(The recording crackles as the log begins, the low hum of ship systems barely audible in the background.)Bobby (grizzled, tired):
Commander Bobby Brightside, signing in at the end of another long day. It’s only Day Two as a free agent, and already I’m getting a taste of what it means to make it out here on my own.
[Beat]
The plan? Become an independent mercenary—cut all ties, take jobs as they come, and build a reputation. I heard about a system called Mile that was supposedly hiring mercs to clean out some pirates. It seemed like a decent place to start, so I took The Wanderer—my rickety Sidewinder—and set a course. I thought it was only fair to give the ship a name, seeing as it’s been… loaned to me.
(He pauses, an exasperated sigh.)
But when I arrived, the starport was over 16,000 light seconds from the jump-in point. I swear, nothing but open space and wasted time. And the heat levels on that thing… unbelievable. The Sidewinder’s practically an oven. Still, I pushed through it, but that trip was a bust.
I got a new lead, though: HR 7047. Maybe there was a better setup there.
I jumped into The Den, the local starport. It's built right into an asteroid—magnificent design, actually. It reminded me of an old outpost back in Lave. Landed, and not long after, a message from Councillor Cedric Hyde comes through. Says he needs a mercenary for a bit of corporate espionage. Wants me to infiltrate a megaship’s data uplink, offering 640,000 credits for it. That’s enough for me to leave my questions at the door.
The mega ship was in 109 Herculis, only a couple of jumps out. A quick scan of the nav beacon, and I was on my way. Turns out it’s a Riker-class reformatory—a prison ship. Nothing I can’t handle. Scanned the uplink below the bridge, no problems. Lucky the Sidewinder’s nimble; slipping in and out without detection wasn’t hard. Fueled up at Bennett Colony, then headed back to The Den to deliver Hyde’s data.
(There’s a pause, a dry chuckle)
Now, The Den… impressive, sure, but a nightmare to dock. Forgot to request landing clearance on the way back, and nearly clipped a Cobra trying to turn around. Hyde paid up, though. Turns out the system’s in full-blown civil war. He recommended I head to Grant Dock, where I could find something more… substantial to fly.
So I made my way to Grant Dock. The place was crawling with sickness alerts—whole sections were under quarantine. Ran into a guy from Intra Astra, Delbert Franks. Looked over a Pre Built Diamondback Explorer he was selling. Had to dig into the Navy pension and pay with ARX, but that jump range is worth it.
Picked up a Dominator suit and a TK Eclipse Carbine for the extra firepower. With the system at war, I couldn’t afford to take chances. Then, wouldn’t you know it, I ran into Milena Hays. She’s the niece of an old friend from my Navy days, who somehow talked me into joining her on a conflict zone mission. High-intensity.
Landed at Bankole Command Point, and—bam—critically injured within seconds. Pulled myself back up, though, rusty as I was. Managed to secure a few objectives, but… well, the battlefield looked different this time. Maybe it’s the age catching up with me, or maybe the recruits just looked too damn young. Got through the fight, but it made me think. When you’re in the cockpit, you never see their faces. On the ground… that’s a different story.
Won the battle though, raked in 4.25 million in war bonds, and toasted to the fallen afterward. Felt it was only right.
[Beat]
Hyde said I’d earned some reputation points with the HR 7047 Democrats. They can keep it—I’m out. Took my new DBX, removed the gaudy paint job, and reconfigured the controls. 43 light-year jump range—that’s the freedom I was looking for.
Headed home to Lave, and there’s nothing quite like flying back as a true independent. Stopped in, and caught up with Hilda Horton. She slipped me a list of systems to scan, and called it the “Road to Riches.” Hopped between systems for a while, scanning high-value planets and racking up 10 million in credits by the end of the day. Not a bad haul.
Seeing as Lave’s under Alliance control, figured I might as well pledge to Edmund Mahon. It’s not about the politics for me—just a shot at more credits.
The next lead was Hale Orbital in Nanditi, for a Vulture. Got there, and for 5 million, I had a brand-new bird sitting in the hangar, though she still needs some upgrades before I take her out.
Decided to check out the Gateway system, Mahon’s territory. Dublin Citadel wasn’t too far off. Met Supervisor Malaya Terrell there, who introduced me to Mahon’s local contact, Stanley Weaver. Sent me off with some Alliance Legislative Records to deliver to a rival system.
Didn’t take long to spot Felicia Winters’ territory nearby. Flew in under the radar, and dodged the station authority scans. Thought I was clear until my AI warned me I was getting scanned. Had to floor it through the mailslot just as my heart was pounding. It’s funny—I’ve done this hundreds of times, but somehow, running these kinds of covert missions… it’s different when it’s your own reputation on the line.
Made the drop, no issues. Shon Navarro, my contact, hinted I’d be earning more “merit” for the faction with each mission. Not sure what that means yet, but I wasn’t about to ask for clarification. Flew back to Gateway, and Dublin Citadel was kind enough to offer access to more high-grade modules via the stronghold fleet carrier, so tomorrow’s looking like a credit-earning day.
Thinking I’ll get my Vulture shipped over to Gateway. The DBX’s a solid hauler, but I’ve got bigger plans—and they don’t involve delivery runs.
(A long pause as the log nears its end, and there’s a sense of tired satisfaction in his voice.)
Commander Bobby Brightside, signing off.
(The recording clicks off, leaving only the quiet hum of the ship’s systems in the background.)