Logbook of the Stormrunner: Entry 002
30 Nov 2024Stanford Teverell
Begin Voice PlaybackCMDR log zero-zero-two. Current date: 30th of November, 3310. Earth-Time 1437.
I... had my first Thargoid hyperdiction, yesterday. It was, genuinely, one of the most terrifying experiences I have encountered in my 39 years of life. It wasn't the way they looked, or the way they moved through space. It wasn't the fact they look like eldritch gods straight from an ancient Lovecraft book. No... it was the sound. But... not even just the sound they made. It was... how it got to me. For context... space is a vacuum. A child knows this. In space, nothing will hear you scream. The guns, the explosions, and the collisions we hear in our cockpits are gathered by the ship's AI and simulated to us in a CMDR's earpiece or the cockpit of a spacecraft.
This unholy noise was not simulated. They produce soundwaves in a vacuum, which... is physically impossible. That monstrous howl, that... cry of terror from the Hunter I saw, I... it's burned into my brain.
There was a long silence. Only the hums of the cockpit can be heard. CMDR Teverell shifted in his chair a few times, sniffed the air, and cleared his throat.
These people need me. A little boy ran into my cockpit while I was ferrying refugees. He was... part of Group A, if I remember correctly. His mother begged me to let them both on board and I had room for just two more. She survived a clamoring of hands, bruising from people groping her. I couldn't help but take them both in. Didn't even hear the little blighter sneak in, even when I had told everyone to explicitly buckle up and stay where they are. I had just activated the Frame Shift Drive to jump from Sol. He never looked so enamored. Born and raised on Mars, he was, and now he gets to see the stars... if only the circumstances were different. If only the hyperdiction didn't traumatize the poor shit. I guess we were both... shaken from that. Luckily managed to get away. The Stormrunner is fast and she's agile... there was no doubt. Not a lick.
Stan chuckled and paused very shortly. There was a smiled tinge behind his voice.
When I arrived at V886 Centauri, everyone cheered so loud I could hear them from way up here. It... felt good. Helping people. Usually I just... kill them for money. On the rescue ship, a representative from the Federal Congress shook my hand. There were other CMDRs who ferried people from Sol. Some with only two spaces reserved for folks, others with entire cruise ships outfitted to ferry refugees. The representative, she shook our hands. And gave each of us a personal talk about how she and the Federation will be eternally grateful for our services.
Another pause, followed by another sniffle.
...I guess I teared up when she came to me. I fought in countless ground missions for the Alliance and I'm a true-blooded son of the Empire... and neither of them thanked me. Just a wire of credits and a "fuck off" from whatever job I had done. The stories I heard about the Federation painted a picture. This... bloated mass of metal and might that wants to take over the entire galaxy. Here they are, thanking me, for just ferrying thirty heads from Mars. The Empire would never. The Alliance would just... throw money at you and call it a day.
Stan sighed deeply. He clicked his tongue.
...Right. Back to my job. These people need my damn help and here I am sulking. CMDR Stanford Teverell out.
Voice Recording Terminated