Log #004: The Razor's Edge
05 Nov 2024Bobby Brightside
(The audio crackles on, Bobby’s voice sounding both worn and a bit reflective as he recounts the day’s highs and lows.)Bobby (grizzled, a bit rueful):
Commander Bobby Brightside here, wrapping up a day that didn’t exactly go according to plan.
Started off with a job lead in LP 377-78. Word was, the Tellus Group might have some work, and I could use the credits. Met with Supervisor Scotty Knowles, and he told me they’d pay 561,579 credits if I could take out 10 ships from a faction called the Social LP377-78 Free. Sounded simple enough.
Figured I’d play it safe, take a medium-intensity conflict zone. No need to jump into the deep end. But the second I jumped in and opened my hardpoints… disaster struck. Complete power failure—systems went dark, alarms blaring. Spent a good thirty seconds scrambling, trying to reroute power to the right places. Stupid rookie mistake. Haven’t flown like this in over a year, and it shows.
Once I got things sorted, I managed to down one ship before the Spec Ops Wing—Delta—came at me hard. Didn’t even see it coming. One moment I’m locked on target, the next… blackout.
Woke up back at Gaspar de Lemos Port, courtesy of the Rescue Rangers. I’d been brought in pretty banged up. Embarrassing as hell. Blamed it on the ship, naturally—wouldn’t admit to myself just how rusty I’ve become. But I was looking at a hefty rebuy cost of 1,225,954 credits. First time I’ve had to pay for my own insurance; back in the Navy, they covered that.
Left me with a lousy 204,994 credits. Cost more than I made on the damn mission.
With 21 hours left to finish the job, I decided to put my boots back on the ground and hit up some on-foot conflict zones. Needed to make up for that financial hit. First stop: Chakladar Cultivation Gardens. Medium intensity, and… it was a breeze, honestly. Got the job done, kept moving.
Second battle was at Orellana Tourist Hostel. This one didn’t go as smoothly. Felt the pressure, but held my ground. Took a few hits, but nothing I couldn’t walk off. Got a message saying the Tellus Group considers me cordial now. Small steps, I suppose.
The third battle was at Luna’s Steal. Toughest one yet, but managed to walk away with 3.4 million credits. Felt good to get that kind of payday after the morning I’d had, even if it barely made up for the cost of that rebuy. Worth it? Hard to say, but at least I was back in the green.
[Beat]
After that, I decided to give the Vulture another shot. Found a low-intensity conflict zone to ease my way back in. Been a long time since I’ve flown like this—over a year, really. The Navy had me flying routine patrols, all the while the higher-ups were off fighting the Thargoids. Hard not to feel a little resentment there.
First kill was an Eagle. Easy enough, got me back into the rhythm. Then I saw an Anaconda—a massive battleship. I locked onto it, felt that old familiar rush. Got in close, kept the pressure on, and finally watched that beast explode. Something clicked right then; confidence came rushing back.
After the Anaconda, a Cobra MkIII flew into my sights. Dispatched him without a second thought. Took out six ships in total today, out of the ten they wanted.
Earned a decent profit of 2,255,984 credits, but I’m calling it for the day. Need a clear head for the last four tomorrow. And as for my ship… finally settled on a name.
I’m calling her Red Razor. She’s not red yet… but tomorrow, I’ll fix that with a proper paint job.
(There’s a pause, and Bobby’s tone shifts to a more relaxed, almost satisfied register.)
Tomorrow, we finish the job. Commander Bobby Brightside, signing off.
(The audio fades, leaving a soft hum of the ship’s systems as the log ends.)