Entry 2: Echoes in the Black
29 Dec 2024Teltin
Logbook: CMDR TeltinDate: 05 Feb 3309
I left Oort Orbital because I had to. Turns out making backroom deals in the bowels of Orbis stations has its risks, and I wasn’t the only one sniffing around for easy credits. A deal went south—real south—and I found myself pinned against a bulkhead with a knife at my throat and two thugs ready to take more than just my dignity. Managed to talk my way out of it. Gave up my stash and half my credits, but it bought me enough time to run.
Couldn’t stay there after that. Word gets around in places like Oort, and I wasn’t about to wait and see how long before they came looking for more. So I dusted off the Phantom, threw everything I could carry onboard, and bolted.
Space doesn’t feel the same after so much time planetside. It’s quieter—and louder—than I remember. The hum of the Phantom’s engines used to feel like a heartbeat. Now it’s more like a warning.
The first few days out, it felt like the ship wasn’t mine anymore. Controls I used to handle blindfolded felt alien under my hands. Couldn’t tell if it was the Phantom or me, but something was off. I’d wake up sweating, sure that I heard the alarms screaming, only to find the cabin silent and the stars outside as cold as ever. The cockpit felt too big, too empty—like it was waiting for someone else to sit down and fly.
I took a courier job through a system whose name I’ve already forgotten. Small package, big promises. Turned out the client had enemies—loud ones. Got interdicted twice before I hit the drop point. Shields held, but not without some scorch marks to show for it. Kept my cool, handled it, but it reminded me that I’m not as sharp as I used to be.
Docked in Eravate after that. Familiar ground, familiar faces—well, familiar types anyway. Ended up swapping some cargo for a favor. Might have been shady, but credits are credits. Paid off the docking fees and refueled. That’s more than I could say a month ago.
But even docked, the shadows followed me. Every time I stepped off the Phantom, I felt like someone was watching. Maybe it was paranoia. Maybe it wasn’t. The quiet of space isn’t any kinder than the noise of a city or station—it just echoes differently. Voices you thought you’d left behind have a way of catching up to you when it’s just you and the hum of the drives.
I’ve been sleeping with one eye open and a hand near the controls. Feels like I’ve traded one set of ghosts for another. I’m trying not to think too hard about what comes next. Feels like the galaxy’s testing me. Maybe I’ll pass. Maybe I won’t. Either way, I’m still here. Still flying.