Releasing Pressure

The Nao sisters kept to themselves for the past while. After the last embarrassing display in the bar, I thought of it as a welcome pause to gather my thoughts. There was nothing wrong really, I just felt it was nice to have a while to compose myself.

Amalea was sitting on time and decided to help me mine but I was looking to get in good relations with a corporation around here to refine with that wouldn't take a large bite out of my refining yield. I hated doing security missions for people. They were fine to do, but I felt like it didn't increase my standings fast enough and I wasn't good at them, as most of my training was industry oriented. I used to grind mining missions for the Minmitar Mining Corporation back in the Aldrat area, and I liked doing them because I was good at it. I decided to do the same in this area, finding a lot of stations belonging to CreoDron and agents offering mining missions to increase standing. I started to haul in odd types of ore for them, wondering why the hell they would want the stuff if it was sub par for refining, but I don't ask questions and get paid. The missions became more and more risky, with rogue drones attacking as I mine, yet my own drones dispatched them fine.

I'm at the point where I'm nearing level four missions, which I have done for MMC and I recall having to use a combat ship to clear an area before I mine. I may have to go back to my corp's HQ to pick up my Thorax. I'm not sure I want to risk a Hulk. But after the level 4's, It shouldn't take long to hit a point with CreoDron where they stop taking a cut of my refined ore. Soon.

Again my eyes turn to manufacturing. I know the stations in the area are nearly wide open and Dodixie is only a few jumps away. It's ideal to build here, yet there are no research or copying facilities nearby. However, it's just in a few short days that I get access to our Alliance's POS so I can start researching blueprints there.

Amalea and I are mining in the same system, she in a belt and I in deadspace pockets on missions. She has moved up to fly my Mackinaw and is nearing T2 Mining Upgrade modules, however, the time left on her license is again running short.

The amount of raw ore Amalea is contracting me is a decent amount and it keeps coming, yet with less than 4 days on her license, I fear she may run out of time in a belt like before and be lost. With her in one system and me in another missioning, I was surprised to see her contacting me via video.

"Sain, you haven't said anything to me since that night at the bar." She said. Connected to the inside of my pod, her image seemed to float before my face, only signals to stimulate my mind to think so. I watch my drones take out another rather large rogue drone as I orbit a Pyroxeres type of rock called Augumene.

"Sorry." I reply. I had no reason to ignore her, but I found it hard to think of something to say.

"Look, maybe you got the wrong idea about what I said." She explained, "Maya told you about me, right?"

"Yes. But what is it about me that makes me alright to talk to?" I asked.

"Trust, mostly." She said, "And Maya told me many, many things about you."

"She has?" I ask, "Like what?"

"She told me you are scared of losing ships." she said. My face dropped and I felt embarrassed.

"What?" I ask, sounding defeated.

"No, no. Not like in a bad way. I understand most capsuleers wouldn't think twice about it, but I can tell you care about the welfare of your ships and crews." she said.

"My crew? You think about the regular people on your ship as well?" I ask, "Most capsuleers don't even realize they're there."

"Of course I do! And I think it's very thoughtful that you do as well! They're people too! I'm really offended that most capsuleers are such elitists that they don't even care for their own life or the lives of their crew!" she said, "It's like we're disconnected from the universe around us, in our own little bubble of society that is isolated from regular people."

"You think so?" I ask, hanging on every word. I initiate warp to return to the station my agent lived in.

"Yes, and there are other things I'm wondering about. Like who pays for your License every month? Maya tells me you haven't had to pay a credit for your time."

"I don't." I affirm.

"I really do believe this being called 'The Player' is helping you. I'm not sure why though. Perhaps it's this god that the Amarrians worship. Or something else." She rambled. All this time of not talking to me seemed to be like opening a high pressure valve and letting go the steam. It comes out in an avalanche

"You believe in 'The Player?'" I ask.

"It explains so many things." She said. There was a long pause, then she quickly spat, "We should go out."

"What?"

"Tonight, at the bar. Meet me there to talk. It's fun." she quickly said as if she were distracted by something. Probably targeting another rock or managing mining drones.

"Um, alright." I reply, unsure of what just happened.

"Ok. See you then." she quickly said then the line disconnected, leaving me perplexed. Now that I was docked, I handed in the ore and completed the mission, then exited my pod to walk to my quarters. I meant to call Maya to ask about Amalea's behaviour, but I was surprised to see she had caught a ride to Hek on a freighter. She left an email saying she had to see her boyfriend and that she would be back, leaving her sister in my care. I blinked a few times and re-read the message a few times, not sure what was going on. Now that the silence had been broken with Amalea, I just hoped I wouldn't regret it.