After a mad rush, things have quieted down again. Our Corp had decided to join another alliance, and had moved out to Amarr space, so I ended up packing up my things, and with a little courier packaging trickery, was able to move all my fitted ships in my Charon, while Maya moved a few things in the Orca. Once here, we set up shop and quickly jumped in the belts of our new system, which happened to be a 0.5 Security system.
We all began drooling at the rocks out there. Not only were there Pyroxers, but also Kernite, which I'm used to seeing only in low sec back where we were before. The Corp POS was moved as well and I compressed my ore, still amazed that a full Charon load of ore can be compressed to fit in a Crane.
We had two last mining operations before the girl's licenses ran out, and again I'm left alone in the fields to mine by myself, while they are left to drool in the station windows. They seem depressed that they can't join me, but I have to think of a way to make enough for more PLEX's. I hear other people can do it so why not me?
This move came somewhat unexpected, so I was forced to leave a couple research jobs to run and my PI to run out their cycles. It wouldn't be a problem to run back in my crane to pick up the stuff, or even my pod as I have a PI ship left behind as well that should take everything. However the nearest trade hub is still Dodixie, so I may take the crane and bring my compressed ore to sell.
This new place has presented some further opportunities though. It's next to a dead end low sec pocket that's mostly controlled by our Alliance, making the few low sec systems nearby, somewhat safer. This means I can drop some Planetary colonies down for some increased yield on planets. If I stay here, I can also get into capital construction if I want, since I would have access to low sec building facilities. We will see where this goes.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Monday, September 8, 2014
Crunching Numbers
I believe it was barely a few days when our corp got war decced again. Frustrated that our time would be wasted, I decided to drop corp to re-join my private corp with the girls to continue mining, offering my Charon freighter services to the station bound corp while at war, planning to rejoin once the war was over. I did make a few trips for them around empire, but other than that it's been quiet.
I've upgraded again, this time, Amalea got a Hulk and she's nearing my yield intake as well. I think Maya started training her PI skills as well, but hasn't put down any colonies. I think she's worried that her limited time as a pilot would mean idle installations as well. It's her choice, and PI doesn't pull in that much money anyway.
Osiph is doing well, but I hear she is somewhat frustrated with manufacturing. She moved again, back to Dodixie from Jita because she had made a Medium Ship Maintenance array after buying a BPO and researching it to a respectable level, but it barely sold for a profit from materials in Jita. She hauled it down here and did sell it for a profit, but only a slightly better one. She's still trying to find something that would bring her some more income, but T1 manufacturing isn't that lucrative.
I've actually started to manufacture now as well, however, being locked up in station gave me time to research a few T2 BPC's and I built them, noticing a decent profit from that. T2 is definitely the way to go, however, it takes longer to make because of the invention. I find that mining makes alot more money, but then again, it's not an either or type of deal. I can do both at the same time. Manufacture, Mining, Planetary Interaction, Invention, all make ISK at the same time.
Another thing that's been bothering me is Chadrick. I've heard from him lately that he would be 'dropping off grid' so to speak and I go long periods where I don't hear from him, then I get a burst of data from him at odd times. E-Mails and data dated a while ago all come in at once at random intervals, then when I reply, he's gone again. Turns out he had joined a Wormhole corporation and was living in a C3 for the past few weeks. I was skeptical that he would be able to survive in there, but he's doing it so far. Last I heard, he said it was a pulsar in there and he was training up a Drake to kill sleepers. He had a Procurer in there as well to mine the rare types of ore, but he mentioned it was hard to do anything while stuck training for T2 launchers. He put down a couple of PI colonies, but can barely run them with his skills, his scanning skills are average and can't fly a covert ops ship yet. All in the plans for when he finishes skilling for his Drake. I find it funny that Chadrick never wanted to fly other races ships besides his own and was shooting for a Prophecy, yet went off on this tangent into a Wormhole that causes armor type ships to be at a disadvantage. I'm curious as to how this will play out.
I'm also looking around for a better system to mine in. Sources say there are Pyroxeres around the area but I have yet to find any. All I see are Omber and Plagioclase. Still, with the changes recently, it may be better to mine ore and compress instead of refine. I would have to crunch the numbers but it kind of makes me want to set up a POS for it under Darkwing Inc. since Osiph is in the area, she can use to manufacture cheaper and increase her profits, but the cost of operating one may be a little high at the moment. Again, numbers...
I've upgraded again, this time, Amalea got a Hulk and she's nearing my yield intake as well. I think Maya started training her PI skills as well, but hasn't put down any colonies. I think she's worried that her limited time as a pilot would mean idle installations as well. It's her choice, and PI doesn't pull in that much money anyway.
Osiph is doing well, but I hear she is somewhat frustrated with manufacturing. She moved again, back to Dodixie from Jita because she had made a Medium Ship Maintenance array after buying a BPO and researching it to a respectable level, but it barely sold for a profit from materials in Jita. She hauled it down here and did sell it for a profit, but only a slightly better one. She's still trying to find something that would bring her some more income, but T1 manufacturing isn't that lucrative.
I've actually started to manufacture now as well, however, being locked up in station gave me time to research a few T2 BPC's and I built them, noticing a decent profit from that. T2 is definitely the way to go, however, it takes longer to make because of the invention. I find that mining makes alot more money, but then again, it's not an either or type of deal. I can do both at the same time. Manufacture, Mining, Planetary Interaction, Invention, all make ISK at the same time.
Another thing that's been bothering me is Chadrick. I've heard from him lately that he would be 'dropping off grid' so to speak and I go long periods where I don't hear from him, then I get a burst of data from him at odd times. E-Mails and data dated a while ago all come in at once at random intervals, then when I reply, he's gone again. Turns out he had joined a Wormhole corporation and was living in a C3 for the past few weeks. I was skeptical that he would be able to survive in there, but he's doing it so far. Last I heard, he said it was a pulsar in there and he was training up a Drake to kill sleepers. He had a Procurer in there as well to mine the rare types of ore, but he mentioned it was hard to do anything while stuck training for T2 launchers. He put down a couple of PI colonies, but can barely run them with his skills, his scanning skills are average and can't fly a covert ops ship yet. All in the plans for when he finishes skilling for his Drake. I find it funny that Chadrick never wanted to fly other races ships besides his own and was shooting for a Prophecy, yet went off on this tangent into a Wormhole that causes armor type ships to be at a disadvantage. I'm curious as to how this will play out.
I'm also looking around for a better system to mine in. Sources say there are Pyroxeres around the area but I have yet to find any. All I see are Omber and Plagioclase. Still, with the changes recently, it may be better to mine ore and compress instead of refine. I would have to crunch the numbers but it kind of makes me want to set up a POS for it under Darkwing Inc. since Osiph is in the area, she can use to manufacture cheaper and increase her profits, but the cost of operating one may be a little high at the moment. Again, numbers...
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Dusting off the Exhumer
The war is finally over and I'm itching to get back out and mine again. I sat in Croleur in my Crane and I actually forgot where I parked my Hulk. It's a good thing my asset list records these things. I remember I was half way to the station where I was to pick it up, when something odd happened.
Both Nao sister's names lit up in my contact list...
Both had their Pilots licenses extended for another month! I did nothing. I know they didn't have the money for a PLEX, and a quick message to Osiph confirmed that she didn't do it either. I was so confused when I contacted Maya and Amalea by inviting them to fleet up.
SAIN: How are you two active?
MAYA: I got up this morning to a message that my license had been extended. Amalea too.
AMALEA: It's a miracle! The Player came through for us!
SAIN: No one bought you guys a PLEX?
MAYA: No. This is weird. The timing is suspicious too. As if they were waiting for your war to be over before they reinstated our licenses.
SAIN: The timing was convenient. Regardless, I will be contracting over the Orca and Amalaea's Covetor. I think I might be looking to build another Hulk to maximize yeild. Let's go make some money.
MAYA: Hear hear!
AMALEA: Yay!
It took a while to get things set up again. Amalea jaunted around the area in her Covetor to pick up some things. She decided to upgrade her mining lasers and the upgrades, realizing she had the skills for T2 mining crystals as well. Alot of gear got passed around and we are now ready, but at the time it was already late and neither of us were alert enough to start so we turned back in. I think Amalea decided to run out to a university station for skill books because she mentioned something about not having some very basic skills injected. Granted when she became a Capsuleer, I advised a skill plan to get her into a barge and mining as soon as possible.
Still after setting our mining operation up again, I'm left to wonder as I try to sleep about this divine intervention and my beliefs in this mysterious "Player" are starting to affirm themselves.
Both Nao sister's names lit up in my contact list...
Both had their Pilots licenses extended for another month! I did nothing. I know they didn't have the money for a PLEX, and a quick message to Osiph confirmed that she didn't do it either. I was so confused when I contacted Maya and Amalea by inviting them to fleet up.
SAIN: How are you two active?
MAYA: I got up this morning to a message that my license had been extended. Amalea too.
AMALEA: It's a miracle! The Player came through for us!
SAIN: No one bought you guys a PLEX?
MAYA: No. This is weird. The timing is suspicious too. As if they were waiting for your war to be over before they reinstated our licenses.
SAIN: The timing was convenient. Regardless, I will be contracting over the Orca and Amalaea's Covetor. I think I might be looking to build another Hulk to maximize yeild. Let's go make some money.
MAYA: Hear hear!
AMALEA: Yay!
It took a while to get things set up again. Amalea jaunted around the area in her Covetor to pick up some things. She decided to upgrade her mining lasers and the upgrades, realizing she had the skills for T2 mining crystals as well. Alot of gear got passed around and we are now ready, but at the time it was already late and neither of us were alert enough to start so we turned back in. I think Amalea decided to run out to a university station for skill books because she mentioned something about not having some very basic skills injected. Granted when she became a Capsuleer, I advised a skill plan to get her into a barge and mining as soon as possible.
Still after setting our mining operation up again, I'm left to wonder as I try to sleep about this divine intervention and my beliefs in this mysterious "Player" are starting to affirm themselves.
Friday, August 15, 2014
The Story of Sain Darkwing
I spent the evening staring at timers counting down on invention jobs on my NeoCom. The Nao sisters' odd behavior pestered the back of my mind and I eventually caved and opened my contact list, sending Osiph a text message.
SAIN: I can't believe you told them.
OSIPH: I'm sorry. It's no big deal. I don't know why you didn't tell them.
SAIN: I have my reasons.
SAIN: What exactly did you tell them anyway?
OSIPH: <laughing> They didn't say any details? You must be so confused right now!
SAIN: They're acting funny today. Sort of avoiding me and an overwhelming sense of pity.
OSIPH: Oh. That was not my intention. The story was meant as praise, not to put you down.
SAIN: Like I ask; what did you say?
OSIPH: You, sir, are in luck. Since the bar was otherwise empty that night, the bartender allowed me to buy the footage from the security camera. I wanted to keep it as proof.
SAIN: Proof? Of what?
OSIPH: Proof that you now have friends that actually give a shit about you. Enough to want to know about your past.
SAIN: I have friends....
OSIPH: I wouldn't count Mr. Belefonte as your 'friend'.
SAIN: Neither would I. I wasn't referring to him.
OSIPH: Mission agents wouldn't count either, nor do Brokers.
SAIN: Dammit woman! I do have a life outside of business.
OSIPH: Really? Who else do you socialize with? Do I need to send you a better charisma implant? What's your Social Skill level?
SAIN: That's not funny.
OSIPH: The point is that you've finally started to be involved with other people. You're doing more than just your job. It's a relief to me, honestly. Much better than your previous job, I might add.
SAIN: It is less stressful.
OSIPH: Hey, I hear there's an Exotic Dancer in station. I could make a call, pay for a fun evening with her. How long has it been?
SAIN: None of your business, sister. I certainly do not need you to make such arrangements. I am quite capable of doing so if needed.
SAIN: Just because I haven't been mining lately because of wars doesn't mean I'm broke.
OSIPH: Well, you should try it. It would relieve some stress. I know you need to do that at least.
OSIPH: Anyway, here is the footage. I asked the Bartender to delete the original. <Security Footage 11014738493>
SAIN: Thank you.
OSIPH: And Sain, keep in touch. I do enjoy talking to you.
SAIN: Sure.
I opened the linked video and leaned back on the couch of my Captain's quarters as the video started playing. Osiph sat beside me in the video, leaning back against the bar like I remember...
"What happened?" Amalea asked, leaning forward. I chuckled as I saw how close she actually came to falling off that stool
"That is a very good story. The one you're probably looking to hear." Osiph teased.
"One that will have to wait for another night." I said standing up. I watched as I tapped my Neocom on the counter again on the way out of the bar.
"You aren't going to stay for the story?" Osiph called after me.
"I know what happens." I said, "And I doubt I can stop you from telling it to them, can I?" Osiph shook her head and I left. She waited until the door closed before uncrossing her legs to lean forward. The Bartender seemed to wander off into the back, doing paperwork or something.
"So, now that Captain Serious has left, what do you actually think of my brother?" Osiph asked. The girls seemed to be caught off guard. "I know he's your boss and all, but how have things been going between you three?"
"Sain is, well, distant at times." Maya said, "Very 'to the point' type of person and always has his mind on his wallet, as any businessman should."
"I trust him because he realizes what's at stake, even after becoming a capsuleer." Amalea said. This seemed to interest Osiph.
"What do you mean?" She asked. Maya seemed curious as well.
"Sain was always wary about losing ships, even when the concept is inconsequential to a capsuleer. I mean all ships are replaceable with enough ISK. Even our own lives are. I know he has well over enough money to replace what he flies, yet he cares about his ships enough to not risk them." Amalea Explained. Osiph seemed confused.
"He cares about piles of metal and wires?"
"Not so much the ship itself, but their crews. The people aboard the ships capsuleers fly that most don't even realize are there." she said. Maya nodded.
"He mentioned it to me before but he wasn't very clear about it. I don't think he was fully aware of them at the time, but had a good idea." Maya explained.
"So he knows...." Osiph muttered, "Anyway, you wanted to know more about him?"
"Yes! Like how you became siblings and why he won't tell us about his past." Amalea spat.
"The part he probably wants to keep secret was the fact that he was Military back in the day. Used to be a combat MTAC Pilot in the Caldari Militia. I'm pretty sure he was trained as special ops too, but I'm not sure. I'm sure he missed his calling when they started making people into Mercenaries to fight planet side, but he chose to be a capsuleer instead, after what happened. I couldn't blame him, I suppose."
"What happened?" Amalea seemed to want to jump off her stool.
"There was a battle on my home planet. I think it was a large platoon of Gallente Militia fighting against an invading mix of Caldari and Amarr Militia platoons. Sain was a part of the MTAC group that was deployed to an urban area when the fighting broke out. Several buildings were destroyed when an antimatter round went off inside the chamber of one of his fellow pilots and destroyed his suit, plus detonating all the other rounds in his clip, taking out their cover and causing them to scatter. Their cover just happened to be an orphanage where I was living."
"You were an orphan? How old were you when this happened?" Amalea seemed confused.
"I was ten or eleven at the time. Sain was very young as well and was recruited when he was fifteen or so. At this point in time, he was eighteen I think. The wall of the building came down on his MTAC and many of the children were killed. I was one of the lucky ones. I ended up in the basement and I started banging on the broken door, trying to get out, once I heard the fighting had moved on and things went quiet.
I must have stood at the top of those splintered stairs for hours and bruised my fists. I remembered that the stairs started shaking and I screamed when the door was ripped off by an MTAC with one arm. It must have had only enough power for that because it shut down and fell over, but Sain was able to jump out first."
"So he saved your life? While he was fighting your kind, he helped you?" Amalea stifled a gasp and leaned back in her chair.
"He had been knocked unconscious inside that machine for five hours before he woke up. His platoon left him behind thinking he was dead. He was in rough shape too. I remember he had a broken arm and blood all over. He was in much worse shape than I."
"So what did you do?"
"I was scared at first, but knowing that he did just save me, I decided to help him. We ran to a civilian shelter after I cut off his uniform jacket and told the medics there that he was my brother. Sain kept quiet and they patched him up. After that, we stuck together for a long time and he stayed in Gallente space. His Military had pegged him for dead, his family notified of his death and he didn't want to fight anymore after that so he stayed." Osiph said. Maya seemed confused.
"Why not?" She asked.
"He said he couldn't see the point to the conflict to begin with. He originally wanted to fight to prove himself to his peers and family, but after seeing the collateral damage first hand, he finally realized that casualties of a pointless war are unnecessary. Maybe he just doesn't understand the underlying reasons for the war, but he didn't want to kill innocents anymore."
At this point. Both sisters leaned back and took a mouthful of their beer and sat silently for a moment.
"Why is he so ashamed to tell us this?" Amalea asked.
"What Sain did would brand him as a traitor and Gallentian sympathizer. If his family or government ever found out that he was alive and did what he did, He would be arrested on sight if he ever went back to Caldari space. They actually did find out once he became a capsuleer but nothing could be done about it because he had chosen to go down that path. He may be Caldari by blood, but he has no allegiance to them anymore and the Caldari government and it's military have also made that perfectly clear by keeping his death certificate on file."
"He has no home?" Amalea asked, somberly.
"Well he obviously doesn't need one now. Before he was a Capsuleer, he got by pretending to be Gallentian, as my brother." Amalea explained. She leaned back again, crossing her legs and took a sip of her drink. With a sigh, she continued, "We lived on a few different planets for a while, moving around for a few years. He would get a job for enough ISK to get by, but then be let go because his background check wouldn't follow through as you would imagine. His career was a revolving door of different things. He even tried for police work and he was really good at it because of his military training, but they had to let him go because of policy standards and background checks being clean. We were very poor most of the time and had little money. We sold what we had to live, and it came very close to rock bottom several times.
Sain then took a temporary job for an Amarrian suspected to have ties to the Blood Raiders, yet never proven. He didn't know this at the time and took the job, even when he learned that it was to kill another Amarrian."
"Sain took a job as a hit-man?" This was Maya's turn to be surprised.
"This was how desperate we were. I was too young at the time to work and Sain wouldn't let me either. The client, Goddard Belefonte had requested him to kill his brother, Chadrick, the heir to their fathers estate. Chadrick had been a drunken layabout most of his life and also suspected to have ties to the Blood Raiders because of his rebellious nature, but those suspicions came from his brother pinning his own illegal actions on Chadrick. Sain only found out that Chadrick had been in the same MTAC platoon with him the day he was supposedly killed beside that orphanage when he had a pistol against his head and saw the man for the first time, instead of the outside of his machine. Unable to go through with it, Sain dug a little deeper into his employer and got the man arrested, only after Chadrick had found out that his brother also hired someone to kill Sain after he had completed his mission, to get out of payment. It was a very confusing arrangement, yet it was foiled in the end when things became clear."
"So Chadrick owes Sain a debt?" Maya asked, "It sounds like it's the other way around."
"No. It turns out that Sain not only spared Chadrick's life, but also protected him from the second assassin who made his move once he saw Sain back out of the deal. Sain was shot in the ordeal and Chadrick spent a lot of money in medical expenses to keep my brother alive. After Chadrick received his inheritance, he spent it all to ultimately put both he and Sain through the Capsuleer program and become immortal. It was the only way to really save Sain's life."
"So they should be even then." Amalea said. Osiph just sighed heavily, rightfully so. I knew the man who did this to me did go broke again to do it, but he has an odd way to keep score of debts paid to one another. I knew what Osiph would say next.
"Chadrick is an odd man. His oddities had also transversed with his consciousness into his new life as a Capsuleer. He only accounted saving Sain's life to pay for saving his own life the night of the attack, yet not for outing his brother as a Blood Raider and traitor to his family. That's the debt that still goes unpaid. He sort of considers only a similar act to be sufficient as repayment, which is why, I believe, the man despises me and is suspicious of my every move. He thinks that the only way he can pay back Sain for catching his brother in criminal activities is to catch Sain's sibling doing the same."
"What?" Amalea asked, seemingly dumbfounded. I had to chuckle at this. She to found this man to be a little crazy.
"I assure you I am in no way affiliated with any criminal organization or do any illegal activities myself. I'm just as honorable as Sain, yet he feels like this is the only way to repay him, therefore he sticks around him and keeps contact until he does." Osiph explained. She was near laughing herself.
"This is ridiculous!" Maya laughed, "I knew the man seemed to be a pain in the thrusters for Sain but I never knew why he annoyed him so much."
"It was bad for a while after they first became Capsuleers. Chadrick kept doing missions and using the money to send escorts to Sain's quarters as gifts. He was frustrated when Sain turned them down and Chadrick even questioned Sain's sexuality. Don't get me wrong, Sain is as straight as they come, but the point was that it was forced on him and not to mention, awkward. You know Capsuleers don't have the best reputation and how do you think you would feel if you came back from a day of mining to turn in for a good night's sleep, only to have three half naked women knock at your door and look scared beyond belief as to what would happen to them." She explained. The sisters nodded slowly as they stared into their drinks, then a period of silence ensued. Maya soon straightened up and took a breath.
"So if that's what happened, why is Sain so ashamed to tell us about it. His past isn't so bad. He should be proud of what he did. He saved your live, chose to stop fighting and taking innocent lives and even in his most desperate hour and a lapse in judgement, he did the right thing and spared his target's life. Why the big secret?" Maya asked. Osiph finished her drink and took a moment to think about how to respond.
"Remember how I said he used to probably be covert ops?"
"Yes." Amalea replied.
"He and Chadrick had history before the whole assassination attempt and the MTAC Platoon. They used to be partners somewhat. When he was around sixteen, he was killing people and gathering intelligence for the Caldari Militia while Chadrick did the same for the Amarrian Militia. Since both factions were working together, they were often deployed together, yet had separate objectives. Sain hasn't told me much about this time in his life, but after I met him, he mentioned that he used to do very bad things for his government. Chadrick let it slip that he used to do this with Sain at the time, but what they did was classified. They were both MTAC Pilots undercover while not deployed as covert ops. One of the main reasons the Caldari government is so mad is because of the wasted money they spent to train him, only to have him defect." Osiph explained, leaning back once more.
"So he kept it a secret so we wouldn't find out about his time as a covert operative, so we wouldn't go looking into what he did and get into trouble with the Caldari Government? A sort of secret inside a secret?" Maya asked.
"Yes, exactly. He kept the secret to protect you from yourselves. I told you all of this because I trust you two as his friends to understand why he kept his secret and to trust you not to dig into that for your own safety. He didn't tell because he has trust issues, as you well know. Well, trust issues for big things like this. It's his nature, or rather, how he was trained as an operative. deception was a big part of that job."
"I understand now." Amalea muttered. Maya just nodded.
"We appreciate you telling us this, but this information was more private than we were expecting. Maybe even a bit classified. You know these bars have cameras. We should have used an isolation booth if you were going to tell us this much." Maya pointed out. The camera clearly picked up the loss of color in Osiph's face and she bolted upright, slapping her hand on the counter.
"Bartender! A word please!" she called. The man appeared from the back room and she whispered something to him. He chuckled and nodded, returning to the back room to probably retrieve the data module. He guessed right because the video abruptly ended there, returning my senses back to my own Captain's quarters. I set the terminal on the coffee table and laid back to stare at the ceiling. So they know. They know everything. Well, not everything. They don't know the specifics of my missions as an Operative. They don't know who my previous family is. And they don't know the real reason why I chose not to fight anymore. They know more than they need to at this point.
I contemplated leaving. Maybe just vanish and head out to null sec or something. Find a wormhole and see how long I could make it. But that would be hiding. It's not something he wanted to do. Maybe it would be best to just face them and live with it. If they really are his friends, then they wouldn't make a big deal. Maybe they just need time to sort out their thoughts and things will go back to normal.
Maybe this stupid war would end and I could get back out and mine...
SAIN: I can't believe you told them.
OSIPH: I'm sorry. It's no big deal. I don't know why you didn't tell them.
SAIN: I have my reasons.
SAIN: What exactly did you tell them anyway?
OSIPH: <laughing> They didn't say any details? You must be so confused right now!
SAIN: They're acting funny today. Sort of avoiding me and an overwhelming sense of pity.
OSIPH: Oh. That was not my intention. The story was meant as praise, not to put you down.
SAIN: Like I ask; what did you say?
OSIPH: You, sir, are in luck. Since the bar was otherwise empty that night, the bartender allowed me to buy the footage from the security camera. I wanted to keep it as proof.
SAIN: Proof? Of what?
OSIPH: Proof that you now have friends that actually give a shit about you. Enough to want to know about your past.
SAIN: I have friends....
OSIPH: I wouldn't count Mr. Belefonte as your 'friend'.
SAIN: Neither would I. I wasn't referring to him.
OSIPH: Mission agents wouldn't count either, nor do Brokers.
SAIN: Dammit woman! I do have a life outside of business.
OSIPH: Really? Who else do you socialize with? Do I need to send you a better charisma implant? What's your Social Skill level?
SAIN: That's not funny.
OSIPH: The point is that you've finally started to be involved with other people. You're doing more than just your job. It's a relief to me, honestly. Much better than your previous job, I might add.
SAIN: It is less stressful.
OSIPH: Hey, I hear there's an Exotic Dancer in station. I could make a call, pay for a fun evening with her. How long has it been?
SAIN: None of your business, sister. I certainly do not need you to make such arrangements. I am quite capable of doing so if needed.
SAIN: Just because I haven't been mining lately because of wars doesn't mean I'm broke.
OSIPH: Well, you should try it. It would relieve some stress. I know you need to do that at least.
OSIPH: Anyway, here is the footage. I asked the Bartender to delete the original. <Security Footage 11014738493>
SAIN: Thank you.
OSIPH: And Sain, keep in touch. I do enjoy talking to you.
SAIN: Sure.
I opened the linked video and leaned back on the couch of my Captain's quarters as the video started playing. Osiph sat beside me in the video, leaning back against the bar like I remember...
"What happened?" Amalea asked, leaning forward. I chuckled as I saw how close she actually came to falling off that stool
"That is a very good story. The one you're probably looking to hear." Osiph teased.
"One that will have to wait for another night." I said standing up. I watched as I tapped my Neocom on the counter again on the way out of the bar.
"You aren't going to stay for the story?" Osiph called after me.
"I know what happens." I said, "And I doubt I can stop you from telling it to them, can I?" Osiph shook her head and I left. She waited until the door closed before uncrossing her legs to lean forward. The Bartender seemed to wander off into the back, doing paperwork or something.
"So, now that Captain Serious has left, what do you actually think of my brother?" Osiph asked. The girls seemed to be caught off guard. "I know he's your boss and all, but how have things been going between you three?"
"Sain is, well, distant at times." Maya said, "Very 'to the point' type of person and always has his mind on his wallet, as any businessman should."
"I trust him because he realizes what's at stake, even after becoming a capsuleer." Amalea said. This seemed to interest Osiph.
"What do you mean?" She asked. Maya seemed curious as well.
"Sain was always wary about losing ships, even when the concept is inconsequential to a capsuleer. I mean all ships are replaceable with enough ISK. Even our own lives are. I know he has well over enough money to replace what he flies, yet he cares about his ships enough to not risk them." Amalea Explained. Osiph seemed confused.
"He cares about piles of metal and wires?"
"Not so much the ship itself, but their crews. The people aboard the ships capsuleers fly that most don't even realize are there." she said. Maya nodded.
"He mentioned it to me before but he wasn't very clear about it. I don't think he was fully aware of them at the time, but had a good idea." Maya explained.
"So he knows...." Osiph muttered, "Anyway, you wanted to know more about him?"
"Yes! Like how you became siblings and why he won't tell us about his past." Amalea spat.
"The part he probably wants to keep secret was the fact that he was Military back in the day. Used to be a combat MTAC Pilot in the Caldari Militia. I'm pretty sure he was trained as special ops too, but I'm not sure. I'm sure he missed his calling when they started making people into Mercenaries to fight planet side, but he chose to be a capsuleer instead, after what happened. I couldn't blame him, I suppose."
"What happened?" Amalea seemed to want to jump off her stool.
"There was a battle on my home planet. I think it was a large platoon of Gallente Militia fighting against an invading mix of Caldari and Amarr Militia platoons. Sain was a part of the MTAC group that was deployed to an urban area when the fighting broke out. Several buildings were destroyed when an antimatter round went off inside the chamber of one of his fellow pilots and destroyed his suit, plus detonating all the other rounds in his clip, taking out their cover and causing them to scatter. Their cover just happened to be an orphanage where I was living."
"You were an orphan? How old were you when this happened?" Amalea seemed confused.
"I was ten or eleven at the time. Sain was very young as well and was recruited when he was fifteen or so. At this point in time, he was eighteen I think. The wall of the building came down on his MTAC and many of the children were killed. I was one of the lucky ones. I ended up in the basement and I started banging on the broken door, trying to get out, once I heard the fighting had moved on and things went quiet.
I must have stood at the top of those splintered stairs for hours and bruised my fists. I remembered that the stairs started shaking and I screamed when the door was ripped off by an MTAC with one arm. It must have had only enough power for that because it shut down and fell over, but Sain was able to jump out first."
"So he saved your life? While he was fighting your kind, he helped you?" Amalea stifled a gasp and leaned back in her chair.
"He had been knocked unconscious inside that machine for five hours before he woke up. His platoon left him behind thinking he was dead. He was in rough shape too. I remember he had a broken arm and blood all over. He was in much worse shape than I."
"So what did you do?"
"I was scared at first, but knowing that he did just save me, I decided to help him. We ran to a civilian shelter after I cut off his uniform jacket and told the medics there that he was my brother. Sain kept quiet and they patched him up. After that, we stuck together for a long time and he stayed in Gallente space. His Military had pegged him for dead, his family notified of his death and he didn't want to fight anymore after that so he stayed." Osiph said. Maya seemed confused.
"Why not?" She asked.
"He said he couldn't see the point to the conflict to begin with. He originally wanted to fight to prove himself to his peers and family, but after seeing the collateral damage first hand, he finally realized that casualties of a pointless war are unnecessary. Maybe he just doesn't understand the underlying reasons for the war, but he didn't want to kill innocents anymore."
At this point. Both sisters leaned back and took a mouthful of their beer and sat silently for a moment.
"Why is he so ashamed to tell us this?" Amalea asked.
"What Sain did would brand him as a traitor and Gallentian sympathizer. If his family or government ever found out that he was alive and did what he did, He would be arrested on sight if he ever went back to Caldari space. They actually did find out once he became a capsuleer but nothing could be done about it because he had chosen to go down that path. He may be Caldari by blood, but he has no allegiance to them anymore and the Caldari government and it's military have also made that perfectly clear by keeping his death certificate on file."
"He has no home?" Amalea asked, somberly.
"Well he obviously doesn't need one now. Before he was a Capsuleer, he got by pretending to be Gallentian, as my brother." Amalea explained. She leaned back again, crossing her legs and took a sip of her drink. With a sigh, she continued, "We lived on a few different planets for a while, moving around for a few years. He would get a job for enough ISK to get by, but then be let go because his background check wouldn't follow through as you would imagine. His career was a revolving door of different things. He even tried for police work and he was really good at it because of his military training, but they had to let him go because of policy standards and background checks being clean. We were very poor most of the time and had little money. We sold what we had to live, and it came very close to rock bottom several times.
Sain then took a temporary job for an Amarrian suspected to have ties to the Blood Raiders, yet never proven. He didn't know this at the time and took the job, even when he learned that it was to kill another Amarrian."
"Sain took a job as a hit-man?" This was Maya's turn to be surprised.
"This was how desperate we were. I was too young at the time to work and Sain wouldn't let me either. The client, Goddard Belefonte had requested him to kill his brother, Chadrick, the heir to their fathers estate. Chadrick had been a drunken layabout most of his life and also suspected to have ties to the Blood Raiders because of his rebellious nature, but those suspicions came from his brother pinning his own illegal actions on Chadrick. Sain only found out that Chadrick had been in the same MTAC platoon with him the day he was supposedly killed beside that orphanage when he had a pistol against his head and saw the man for the first time, instead of the outside of his machine. Unable to go through with it, Sain dug a little deeper into his employer and got the man arrested, only after Chadrick had found out that his brother also hired someone to kill Sain after he had completed his mission, to get out of payment. It was a very confusing arrangement, yet it was foiled in the end when things became clear."
"So Chadrick owes Sain a debt?" Maya asked, "It sounds like it's the other way around."
"No. It turns out that Sain not only spared Chadrick's life, but also protected him from the second assassin who made his move once he saw Sain back out of the deal. Sain was shot in the ordeal and Chadrick spent a lot of money in medical expenses to keep my brother alive. After Chadrick received his inheritance, he spent it all to ultimately put both he and Sain through the Capsuleer program and become immortal. It was the only way to really save Sain's life."
"So they should be even then." Amalea said. Osiph just sighed heavily, rightfully so. I knew the man who did this to me did go broke again to do it, but he has an odd way to keep score of debts paid to one another. I knew what Osiph would say next.
"Chadrick is an odd man. His oddities had also transversed with his consciousness into his new life as a Capsuleer. He only accounted saving Sain's life to pay for saving his own life the night of the attack, yet not for outing his brother as a Blood Raider and traitor to his family. That's the debt that still goes unpaid. He sort of considers only a similar act to be sufficient as repayment, which is why, I believe, the man despises me and is suspicious of my every move. He thinks that the only way he can pay back Sain for catching his brother in criminal activities is to catch Sain's sibling doing the same."
"What?" Amalea asked, seemingly dumbfounded. I had to chuckle at this. She to found this man to be a little crazy.
"I assure you I am in no way affiliated with any criminal organization or do any illegal activities myself. I'm just as honorable as Sain, yet he feels like this is the only way to repay him, therefore he sticks around him and keeps contact until he does." Osiph explained. She was near laughing herself.
"This is ridiculous!" Maya laughed, "I knew the man seemed to be a pain in the thrusters for Sain but I never knew why he annoyed him so much."
"It was bad for a while after they first became Capsuleers. Chadrick kept doing missions and using the money to send escorts to Sain's quarters as gifts. He was frustrated when Sain turned them down and Chadrick even questioned Sain's sexuality. Don't get me wrong, Sain is as straight as they come, but the point was that it was forced on him and not to mention, awkward. You know Capsuleers don't have the best reputation and how do you think you would feel if you came back from a day of mining to turn in for a good night's sleep, only to have three half naked women knock at your door and look scared beyond belief as to what would happen to them." She explained. The sisters nodded slowly as they stared into their drinks, then a period of silence ensued. Maya soon straightened up and took a breath.
"So if that's what happened, why is Sain so ashamed to tell us about it. His past isn't so bad. He should be proud of what he did. He saved your live, chose to stop fighting and taking innocent lives and even in his most desperate hour and a lapse in judgement, he did the right thing and spared his target's life. Why the big secret?" Maya asked. Osiph finished her drink and took a moment to think about how to respond.
"Remember how I said he used to probably be covert ops?"
"Yes." Amalea replied.
"He and Chadrick had history before the whole assassination attempt and the MTAC Platoon. They used to be partners somewhat. When he was around sixteen, he was killing people and gathering intelligence for the Caldari Militia while Chadrick did the same for the Amarrian Militia. Since both factions were working together, they were often deployed together, yet had separate objectives. Sain hasn't told me much about this time in his life, but after I met him, he mentioned that he used to do very bad things for his government. Chadrick let it slip that he used to do this with Sain at the time, but what they did was classified. They were both MTAC Pilots undercover while not deployed as covert ops. One of the main reasons the Caldari government is so mad is because of the wasted money they spent to train him, only to have him defect." Osiph explained, leaning back once more.
"So he kept it a secret so we wouldn't find out about his time as a covert operative, so we wouldn't go looking into what he did and get into trouble with the Caldari Government? A sort of secret inside a secret?" Maya asked.
"Yes, exactly. He kept the secret to protect you from yourselves. I told you all of this because I trust you two as his friends to understand why he kept his secret and to trust you not to dig into that for your own safety. He didn't tell because he has trust issues, as you well know. Well, trust issues for big things like this. It's his nature, or rather, how he was trained as an operative. deception was a big part of that job."
"I understand now." Amalea muttered. Maya just nodded.
"We appreciate you telling us this, but this information was more private than we were expecting. Maybe even a bit classified. You know these bars have cameras. We should have used an isolation booth if you were going to tell us this much." Maya pointed out. The camera clearly picked up the loss of color in Osiph's face and she bolted upright, slapping her hand on the counter.
"Bartender! A word please!" she called. The man appeared from the back room and she whispered something to him. He chuckled and nodded, returning to the back room to probably retrieve the data module. He guessed right because the video abruptly ended there, returning my senses back to my own Captain's quarters. I set the terminal on the coffee table and laid back to stare at the ceiling. So they know. They know everything. Well, not everything. They don't know the specifics of my missions as an Operative. They don't know who my previous family is. And they don't know the real reason why I chose not to fight anymore. They know more than they need to at this point.
I contemplated leaving. Maybe just vanish and head out to null sec or something. Find a wormhole and see how long I could make it. But that would be hiding. It's not something he wanted to do. Maybe it would be best to just face them and live with it. If they really are his friends, then they wouldn't make a big deal. Maybe they just need time to sort out their thoughts and things will go back to normal.
Maybe this stupid war would end and I could get back out and mine...
Friday, August 8, 2014
The Morning After...
After yet another wardec by mercenaries, I feel like this new Corporation has fallen to the same state as my previous. These people are actually talking about doing something about it, and planning on leaving the alliance which has become rather stagnant. I stick around because I'm hopeful that wardecs will not follow us as a lone corp and I can mine in relative peace once more. Still, one can't help but feel a little stir crazy as I sit in the station restaurant next to a large window looking out into space. The busy coming and goings of various ships outside make me feel a little jealous that I must remain until the wars expire. I could, I suppose, fly around in a cloaked crane, but my motivation has been lost for the things I'm restricted to.
I lazily stir the odd mixture in my bowl before me, a sort of stew with mystery meat I don't care to know of. It's a little spicy, but different from what I usually have. I'm drinking water for a change instead of a form of alcohol. I glanced up and saw a familiar face enter the restaurant, she ordered her food and took a seat across the room. She noticed my gaze and smiled, recognizing me as well. It was the Exotic Dancer from a few nights before. an image of her seen through the strings of her thrown underwear came to mind and my face flushed as I turn away, returning a meagre smile. She seemed embarrassed as well and quickly turned her attention to her food, making the atmosphere feel awkward.
I heard a rattle of a metal tray hit the table beside me and the two Nao sisters sat down to begin eating.
"Morning." Maya said.
"Morning." Amalea nearly whispered.
"Mmhmm." I hum, taking a sip of water, "It is....I think." I glance at my Neocom pad beside my bowl as news stores scrolled across it. They didn't say anything else and the sound of munching and slurping of coffee was starting to get to me. The awkwardness level just went through the roof.
"Have a good night?" I asked, trying to break the silence.
"Fine." Amalea chirped, then cleared her throat, "Just fine..."
"Have you seen Osiph?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"She left already. Should be undocking now, actually." Maya said. A glance out the window and the light was suddenly blocked by a passing Iteron V, somewhat too close to where they were sitting. Of course it was her trying to buzz the restaurant he was eating in.
"I see." I reply, with a sigh. another ten whole minutes of silence, munching and slurping.
"Okay. What the hell did she tell you?!" I suddenly exclaim, slamming my glass on the table. Thankfully it was empty. Still I made both girls jump.
"She told us what happened." Maya said.
"So why are you so weird this morning?"
"It's just a lot to process, I suppose." she replied.
"I mean you were...." Amalea started, yet I interrupted.
"But I'm not any more." I spat, "Nothing changes, right?"
"Well..." Amalea began, but lowered her eyes to the table.
"Why do you believe her anyway? You just met. She could have made the whole thing up!"
"You're right. It could have been all lies, but it sounds like something you would do." Maya said, pointing with her cereal spoon.
"How would you know that?" I ask, getting annoyed. It was more like embarrassment. I didn't want to talk about it for a reason. Maya just smiled at my question. She didn't need to answer.
"It was smart though, what you did." Maya said, leaning back, "Just a very, very sad story. But then again, I suppose most of us have one at one point in our lives or another."
"Yeah but he..." Amalea started but couldn't finish. I could see her eyes well up with tears. She was much too naive.
"Look, Amalea. Just forget all about it. This is the reason why I said nothing about my past. I do not want any pity whatsoever." I flatly said, "It's embarrassing and there's no need of it. Now please, put it out of your mind and leave this stuff alone." Amalea looked at Maya who was slowly sipping coffee and saw the look she gave her, then Amalea slowly nodded, sniffing quietly and wiping her eyes with a napkin.
"Ugh, fine!" She exclaimed, standing up with her tray. She turned towards the direction of the recycler but paused and turned around, "I'll let this drop, but I won't forget. You're still a Hero in my books, Sain." She continued on leaving me with a hot face. Maya giggled.
"What the hell did Osiph tell you?" I asked, dumbfounded.
I lazily stir the odd mixture in my bowl before me, a sort of stew with mystery meat I don't care to know of. It's a little spicy, but different from what I usually have. I'm drinking water for a change instead of a form of alcohol. I glanced up and saw a familiar face enter the restaurant, she ordered her food and took a seat across the room. She noticed my gaze and smiled, recognizing me as well. It was the Exotic Dancer from a few nights before. an image of her seen through the strings of her thrown underwear came to mind and my face flushed as I turn away, returning a meagre smile. She seemed embarrassed as well and quickly turned her attention to her food, making the atmosphere feel awkward.
I heard a rattle of a metal tray hit the table beside me and the two Nao sisters sat down to begin eating.
"Morning." Maya said.
"Morning." Amalea nearly whispered.
"Mmhmm." I hum, taking a sip of water, "It is....I think." I glance at my Neocom pad beside my bowl as news stores scrolled across it. They didn't say anything else and the sound of munching and slurping of coffee was starting to get to me. The awkwardness level just went through the roof.
"Have a good night?" I asked, trying to break the silence.
"Fine." Amalea chirped, then cleared her throat, "Just fine..."
"Have you seen Osiph?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"She left already. Should be undocking now, actually." Maya said. A glance out the window and the light was suddenly blocked by a passing Iteron V, somewhat too close to where they were sitting. Of course it was her trying to buzz the restaurant he was eating in.
"I see." I reply, with a sigh. another ten whole minutes of silence, munching and slurping.
"Okay. What the hell did she tell you?!" I suddenly exclaim, slamming my glass on the table. Thankfully it was empty. Still I made both girls jump.
"She told us what happened." Maya said.
"So why are you so weird this morning?"
"It's just a lot to process, I suppose." she replied.
"I mean you were...." Amalea started, yet I interrupted.
"But I'm not any more." I spat, "Nothing changes, right?"
"Well..." Amalea began, but lowered her eyes to the table.
"Why do you believe her anyway? You just met. She could have made the whole thing up!"
"You're right. It could have been all lies, but it sounds like something you would do." Maya said, pointing with her cereal spoon.
"How would you know that?" I ask, getting annoyed. It was more like embarrassment. I didn't want to talk about it for a reason. Maya just smiled at my question. She didn't need to answer.
"It was smart though, what you did." Maya said, leaning back, "Just a very, very sad story. But then again, I suppose most of us have one at one point in our lives or another."
"Yeah but he..." Amalea started but couldn't finish. I could see her eyes well up with tears. She was much too naive.
"Look, Amalea. Just forget all about it. This is the reason why I said nothing about my past. I do not want any pity whatsoever." I flatly said, "It's embarrassing and there's no need of it. Now please, put it out of your mind and leave this stuff alone." Amalea looked at Maya who was slowly sipping coffee and saw the look she gave her, then Amalea slowly nodded, sniffing quietly and wiping her eyes with a napkin.
"Ugh, fine!" She exclaimed, standing up with her tray. She turned towards the direction of the recycler but paused and turned around, "I'll let this drop, but I won't forget. You're still a Hero in my books, Sain." She continued on leaving me with a hot face. Maya giggled.
"What the hell did Osiph tell you?" I asked, dumbfounded.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Family Ties
Again I've been detained to the confines of a station due to a war. It's been a few days, then I hear word from Concord that yet another alliance has declared war against ours. So that's two alliances that want to kill us, for money I suppose.
It's much better than the alliance I was in before. There's nothing at all wrong with the people or the alliance itself. They were great to fly with and very helpful, yet they drew a lot of attention and seemed to be at war constantly. Here it's only once every few weeks. One of the higher ups in our alliance has offered to transfer people who do not want to fight in the war to a temporary corp so we can continue to mine in peace, spare for the odd harassment of CODE checking to see if we have a mining license.
I've only heard of CODE since coming to this side of Dodixie. I've heard of people buying mining permits but never knew why or what for. Seeing a few 'agents' in local prattling on about ridding New Eden of inactive mining operations was a little overzealous, yet they require you to purchase a mining license for ten million ISK per year to mine in peace. Otherwise, you are a target for a suicide attack even in high sec. The price is not the issue, but rather the principal is. This alliance seems more like a cult when I research them. I just avoid these 'agents' when they appear in local and keep quiet.
Amalea seems to be distance, which is odd, I think. Maya returned from her trip to Hek but hasn't contacted me much in the past few days. She has been holed up in her quarters and I don't really want to press the matter to ask what's going on. Amalea seems to be buzzing around as if looking for something. She spent a few hours a day in Maya's room, but other than that in her own quarters seemingly very busy.
I frequented the station's bar wherever I seemed to be. Today was in Croleur, which I came to in my blockade runner, a cloaked Crane. I came here to research some Blueprints for manufacturing, but now I was waiting at the bar for them to finish, drinking a stout Gallentian Ale of some kind. I just asked for whatever was on tap.
As I stared into the amber liquid of my beer, I felt an arm lay across my shoulders and a warm breath on my neck.
"Hello, Stranger." Amalea sat next to me and oddly, Maya next to her. She seemed distracted with her thoughts and mindlessly ordered the same drink as me.
"What are you two doing here?"
"We were in the neighborhood." she casually stated, sliding her arm off me. She waved the bartender for a drink for herself.
"You tracked me down." I said flatly.
"No, we followed you." She said, "There's a difference. It sounds less creepy the way I say it."
"How?"
"We snuck aboard your Crane." she said, "The crew kept quiet about it. Did you know that capsules put this breather on you if you get out in your ship? We had to wear one while on board."
"I had to wear one. You seemed fine." Maya corrected. This piqued my interest. Why was this? Maybe because her clone was newer than theirs?
"Anyway here we are." she said, leaving it at that.
"Why?" I pressed. Amalea sighed.
"I haven't given up, you know. I found out some things about you." she said accusingly.
"This again? Why must you pry?"
"I'm just curious, Sain. Your past can't be that bad. You aren't a bad person." she stated.
"I could have been." I said, taking a drink, "You don't know."
"Which is why I'm looking to find out."
"So you can better decide to trust me now?" I ask. I do want to know why this woman is digging so hard. I'm wondering why Maya is letting her.
"No." she said, "I'm just interested in knowing more about you."
"There's not much to tell."
"Were you a pirate?"
"No."
"A mercenary? An assassin?" she pressed.
"No!"
"A criminal of any kind?"
"What? No!"
"Amalea, leave him alone." Maya interrupted her last rapid fire question silencing her sister, "I think you should stop tormenting him about his past. If he doesn't want to say, then let him be."
"How do you trust him so much if he hides an obvious shady past?" Amalea protested, "Aren't you curious?"
"Sure, but I respect his privacy." Maya said, "I came here with you tonight because you said he was going to tell us about his past. You didn't say you were going to pry it out of him."
Their eyes were directed towards the door and I kept my gaze on my glass, not really caring who it was. The girls finally went silent and I was thankful for the brief moment of silence. Another Gallentian woman took the seat to my left but still I didn't move.
"Sain?" She spoke, her voice soft and sultry.
"Osiph." I simply replied. Only one woman wore that scent.
"Who are you?" Amalea asked, sounding a tad rude but I knew she didn't mean it.
"I suppose you could say, I'm Sain's 'shady past'" Osiph replied, raising her hand to the bartender, "I'll have what he's having."
There was an awkward silence and you could hear the beer being poured from across the room. I kept my eyes glued to my drink, my expression neutral.
"Why are you here? I thought you were in Jita." I finally ask.
"You said you had a blueprint for me. You know the Medium Antimatter Charge BPO?" she asked, "You researched one to be the best quality and said I could have one."
"Oh, right." I said, reaching into my jacket. I pulled out the BPO Cartridge and slid it across the bar under my left arm to her.
"You aren't even going to say hello?" she asked, sounding hurt, "No hugs this time?"
"I'm sorry, a blueprint isn't the only reason why you came here." I said, finally turning to look at her. She was leaning back against the bar with her leg crossed over her knee, wearing a Women's 'Structure' dress, with her neckline worn low as usual. She had an odd sneer on her face that made me worry.
"I did come here to see you." she said, sounding offended, "And to see if there was anything useful you wanted to part with that I could ship back to Jita for you."
"Ah, the other shoe drops..." I sigh.
"Well that's what I had wanted, but now I seemed to have walked into an interesting conversation." She said, her sneer returning, "You two want to know about Sain's past?"
"Yes." Amalea nearly shouted, "How do you know Sain?"
"I'm his sister." she simply said.
"You don't look related. For one, He's Caldari and you're Gallente. Are you like Maya and I? Did your parents adopt you too?" Amalea asked, her question rambling on.
"No, I've never met our parents." Osiph said, "The reason we are now siblings is all Sain's doing."
"What happened?" Amalea asked, leaning forward. Her arm suddenly shot out to grab the bar as she nearly slipped off the bar stool.
"That is a very good story. The one you're probably looking to hear." Osiph teased.
"One that will have to wait for another night." I said standing up. I tapped my Neocom on the counter again to pay for everyone's drinks and turned to leave the bar.
"You aren't going to stay for the story?" Osiph called after me.
"I know what happens." I said, "And I doubt I can stop you from telling it to them, can I?" She sneered again and slowly shook her head. I quickly left before she started.
It's much better than the alliance I was in before. There's nothing at all wrong with the people or the alliance itself. They were great to fly with and very helpful, yet they drew a lot of attention and seemed to be at war constantly. Here it's only once every few weeks. One of the higher ups in our alliance has offered to transfer people who do not want to fight in the war to a temporary corp so we can continue to mine in peace, spare for the odd harassment of CODE checking to see if we have a mining license.
I've only heard of CODE since coming to this side of Dodixie. I've heard of people buying mining permits but never knew why or what for. Seeing a few 'agents' in local prattling on about ridding New Eden of inactive mining operations was a little overzealous, yet they require you to purchase a mining license for ten million ISK per year to mine in peace. Otherwise, you are a target for a suicide attack even in high sec. The price is not the issue, but rather the principal is. This alliance seems more like a cult when I research them. I just avoid these 'agents' when they appear in local and keep quiet.
Amalea seems to be distance, which is odd, I think. Maya returned from her trip to Hek but hasn't contacted me much in the past few days. She has been holed up in her quarters and I don't really want to press the matter to ask what's going on. Amalea seems to be buzzing around as if looking for something. She spent a few hours a day in Maya's room, but other than that in her own quarters seemingly very busy.
I frequented the station's bar wherever I seemed to be. Today was in Croleur, which I came to in my blockade runner, a cloaked Crane. I came here to research some Blueprints for manufacturing, but now I was waiting at the bar for them to finish, drinking a stout Gallentian Ale of some kind. I just asked for whatever was on tap.
As I stared into the amber liquid of my beer, I felt an arm lay across my shoulders and a warm breath on my neck.
"Hello, Stranger." Amalea sat next to me and oddly, Maya next to her. She seemed distracted with her thoughts and mindlessly ordered the same drink as me.
"What are you two doing here?"
"We were in the neighborhood." she casually stated, sliding her arm off me. She waved the bartender for a drink for herself.
"You tracked me down." I said flatly.
"No, we followed you." She said, "There's a difference. It sounds less creepy the way I say it."
"How?"
"We snuck aboard your Crane." she said, "The crew kept quiet about it. Did you know that capsules put this breather on you if you get out in your ship? We had to wear one while on board."
"I had to wear one. You seemed fine." Maya corrected. This piqued my interest. Why was this? Maybe because her clone was newer than theirs?
"Anyway here we are." she said, leaving it at that.
"Why?" I pressed. Amalea sighed.
"I haven't given up, you know. I found out some things about you." she said accusingly.
"This again? Why must you pry?"
"I'm just curious, Sain. Your past can't be that bad. You aren't a bad person." she stated.
"I could have been." I said, taking a drink, "You don't know."
"Which is why I'm looking to find out."
"So you can better decide to trust me now?" I ask. I do want to know why this woman is digging so hard. I'm wondering why Maya is letting her.
"No." she said, "I'm just interested in knowing more about you."
"There's not much to tell."
"Were you a pirate?"
"No."
"A mercenary? An assassin?" she pressed.
"No!"
"A criminal of any kind?"
"What? No!"
"Amalea, leave him alone." Maya interrupted her last rapid fire question silencing her sister, "I think you should stop tormenting him about his past. If he doesn't want to say, then let him be."
"How do you trust him so much if he hides an obvious shady past?" Amalea protested, "Aren't you curious?"
"Sure, but I respect his privacy." Maya said, "I came here with you tonight because you said he was going to tell us about his past. You didn't say you were going to pry it out of him."
Their eyes were directed towards the door and I kept my gaze on my glass, not really caring who it was. The girls finally went silent and I was thankful for the brief moment of silence. Another Gallentian woman took the seat to my left but still I didn't move.
"Sain?" She spoke, her voice soft and sultry.
"Osiph." I simply replied. Only one woman wore that scent.
"Who are you?" Amalea asked, sounding a tad rude but I knew she didn't mean it.
"I suppose you could say, I'm Sain's 'shady past'" Osiph replied, raising her hand to the bartender, "I'll have what he's having."
There was an awkward silence and you could hear the beer being poured from across the room. I kept my eyes glued to my drink, my expression neutral.
"Why are you here? I thought you were in Jita." I finally ask.
"You said you had a blueprint for me. You know the Medium Antimatter Charge BPO?" she asked, "You researched one to be the best quality and said I could have one."
"Oh, right." I said, reaching into my jacket. I pulled out the BPO Cartridge and slid it across the bar under my left arm to her.
"You aren't even going to say hello?" she asked, sounding hurt, "No hugs this time?"
"I'm sorry, a blueprint isn't the only reason why you came here." I said, finally turning to look at her. She was leaning back against the bar with her leg crossed over her knee, wearing a Women's 'Structure' dress, with her neckline worn low as usual. She had an odd sneer on her face that made me worry.
"I did come here to see you." she said, sounding offended, "And to see if there was anything useful you wanted to part with that I could ship back to Jita for you."
"Ah, the other shoe drops..." I sigh.
"Well that's what I had wanted, but now I seemed to have walked into an interesting conversation." She said, her sneer returning, "You two want to know about Sain's past?"
"Yes." Amalea nearly shouted, "How do you know Sain?"
"I'm his sister." she simply said.
"You don't look related. For one, He's Caldari and you're Gallente. Are you like Maya and I? Did your parents adopt you too?" Amalea asked, her question rambling on.
"No, I've never met our parents." Osiph said, "The reason we are now siblings is all Sain's doing."
"What happened?" Amalea asked, leaning forward. Her arm suddenly shot out to grab the bar as she nearly slipped off the bar stool.
"That is a very good story. The one you're probably looking to hear." Osiph teased.
"One that will have to wait for another night." I said standing up. I tapped my Neocom on the counter again to pay for everyone's drinks and turned to leave the bar.
"You aren't going to stay for the story?" Osiph called after me.
"I know what happens." I said, "And I doubt I can stop you from telling it to them, can I?" She sneered again and slowly shook her head. I quickly left before she started.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Shady Secrets
I'm finally doing level four missions for CreoDron, and I expected them to be, well, different. Level three's had a decent amount of drone resistance as I mined, but so far the level four drones aren't much different, when they are around...
Now, the biggest difference is the ore amount, which went up considerably. The only way to stay sane while doing these new missions is to fly a Mackinaw, equipped with a Micro Warp Drive. It seems every time I land in a dead space pocket with the ore, its near 50km away and I have to slow-boat towards it, wait forever to fill the ore hold, warp back to station, offload, then warp back to the same point as before, another 50km off the rock. Not sure why warping to the bookmarked rock at 0 still puts me there, but that was just one of the annoyances of it.
Another is gas mining. I know regular gas mining is done in low, null or wormhole space, but some agents have you huffing the stuff in high sec too. I knew they would come up which is why I brought my venture along for it, yet it mines so slowly, it made me kind of miss ice mining. Level fours are better money, but not by much. I hear combat level fours can out pay even high sec mining, but again I'm not there yet because I know I will lose ships and the sight of being scrambled still gets my adrenaline pumping, but not in a good way.
That reminds me, the meeting with Amalea happened a few nights ago at the same bar as before. It went a lot like I expected. We shared an isolation booth once more even when the place was deserted. I think the bartender was grateful at least that we did. She prattled on and on about various things, barely taking a breath to spew her words as I sat quietly and nursed a drink. I oddly listened to every word as her thoughts flowed from her like an eruption on a lava planet. She spoke of conspiracies, religion, elitism among capsuleers and even her favorite foods. I learned more about that woman that night than I knew about my own mother. It was only when I suddenly realized she had stopped talking for several minutes now did I notice she had done so, I glance over to see her face a bright pink and her eyes locked on the ice in her glass.
"I'm sorry. I'm ranting again. Maya has told me not to do that." she said, "Am I annoying you?
"No. It's fine." I reply.
"It's just that, well, you're not really saying anything. Maya tells me it's all business with you. Have you ever tried taking a break and relaxing a bit?" she asks.
"Relax?" I ponder, taking another sip. The drink was diluted to the point of sipping the ice water now. I set the empty glass on the smooth glass table, "I'm not that hardcore. I do relax all the time. I even have fun from time to time."
"But you never talk about yourself. Not to Maya at least." she said, "Do you have a shady past you're ashamed of? Any dirty secrets?" A sneer formed on her face and our eyes met. The question definitely wasn't a joke.
"None that are any of your business." I said, equally as snide, and she took it as half serious, just as I meant.
"So there is something." She said, leaning forward to stare at me. Her low cut shirt distracted me for a moment, and my eyes quickly redirected back to hers. She continued to stare, as if afraid to miss a subtle nuance that would shed light on my shadowy past. There was nothing she would see. Of that I was sure.
"Maybe not." I say, "Maybe I'm leading you to believe there's something when there is not for fun.
"So this is one of those rare times you have fun?" she asked, leaning back again, "Or is it a double fake?"
Crap.
"What do you mean?" I ask as the waitress places another drink for us both. She waited until the waitress left the isolation field.
"I think you have a shady past, but you want to make me think you're messing with me, when really you aren't and I'm right about you." she said crossing her arms, "The problem is, I'm not sure. I suppose that's how you want to keep it, right? You want to keep me guessing."
"What's the point anyway? Is it that interesting to find out about my past? Will it make a difference?" I ask. I was getting tired of the interrogation and didn't like this kind of attention. I sighed heavily and she spoke again.
"Sain, who is Chadrick Belefonte?" she asked. What hasn't Maya told her about me?
"A friend." I reply.
"Why are you friends with an Amarrian with low sec status?" she asked, "From what I hear, he sounds kind of shady."
"Because he is." I flatly said, "He hasn't told me what he did to catch the attention of Concord, but it wasn't anything too bad. I think he killed a venture capsuleer in low sec once to see what it was like to kill."
"To see what it was like to kill? Why do you associate with someone like that?"
"I don't normally. He's just someone from my 'shady' past that I knew. He won't leave me alone after what happened."
"And that was?"
"One of my 'dirty secrets'." I reply, sliding out of the booth. I finished my drink and placed the glass on the table, then paid for our drinks with a tap of my neocom at the bar as I walked past.
Now, the biggest difference is the ore amount, which went up considerably. The only way to stay sane while doing these new missions is to fly a Mackinaw, equipped with a Micro Warp Drive. It seems every time I land in a dead space pocket with the ore, its near 50km away and I have to slow-boat towards it, wait forever to fill the ore hold, warp back to station, offload, then warp back to the same point as before, another 50km off the rock. Not sure why warping to the bookmarked rock at 0 still puts me there, but that was just one of the annoyances of it.
Another is gas mining. I know regular gas mining is done in low, null or wormhole space, but some agents have you huffing the stuff in high sec too. I knew they would come up which is why I brought my venture along for it, yet it mines so slowly, it made me kind of miss ice mining. Level fours are better money, but not by much. I hear combat level fours can out pay even high sec mining, but again I'm not there yet because I know I will lose ships and the sight of being scrambled still gets my adrenaline pumping, but not in a good way.
That reminds me, the meeting with Amalea happened a few nights ago at the same bar as before. It went a lot like I expected. We shared an isolation booth once more even when the place was deserted. I think the bartender was grateful at least that we did. She prattled on and on about various things, barely taking a breath to spew her words as I sat quietly and nursed a drink. I oddly listened to every word as her thoughts flowed from her like an eruption on a lava planet. She spoke of conspiracies, religion, elitism among capsuleers and even her favorite foods. I learned more about that woman that night than I knew about my own mother. It was only when I suddenly realized she had stopped talking for several minutes now did I notice she had done so, I glance over to see her face a bright pink and her eyes locked on the ice in her glass.
"I'm sorry. I'm ranting again. Maya has told me not to do that." she said, "Am I annoying you?
"No. It's fine." I reply.
"It's just that, well, you're not really saying anything. Maya tells me it's all business with you. Have you ever tried taking a break and relaxing a bit?" she asks.
"Relax?" I ponder, taking another sip. The drink was diluted to the point of sipping the ice water now. I set the empty glass on the smooth glass table, "I'm not that hardcore. I do relax all the time. I even have fun from time to time."
"But you never talk about yourself. Not to Maya at least." she said, "Do you have a shady past you're ashamed of? Any dirty secrets?" A sneer formed on her face and our eyes met. The question definitely wasn't a joke.
"None that are any of your business." I said, equally as snide, and she took it as half serious, just as I meant.
"So there is something." She said, leaning forward to stare at me. Her low cut shirt distracted me for a moment, and my eyes quickly redirected back to hers. She continued to stare, as if afraid to miss a subtle nuance that would shed light on my shadowy past. There was nothing she would see. Of that I was sure.
"Maybe not." I say, "Maybe I'm leading you to believe there's something when there is not for fun.
"So this is one of those rare times you have fun?" she asked, leaning back again, "Or is it a double fake?"
Crap.
"What do you mean?" I ask as the waitress places another drink for us both. She waited until the waitress left the isolation field.
"I think you have a shady past, but you want to make me think you're messing with me, when really you aren't and I'm right about you." she said crossing her arms, "The problem is, I'm not sure. I suppose that's how you want to keep it, right? You want to keep me guessing."
"What's the point anyway? Is it that interesting to find out about my past? Will it make a difference?" I ask. I was getting tired of the interrogation and didn't like this kind of attention. I sighed heavily and she spoke again.
"Sain, who is Chadrick Belefonte?" she asked. What hasn't Maya told her about me?
"A friend." I reply.
"Why are you friends with an Amarrian with low sec status?" she asked, "From what I hear, he sounds kind of shady."
"Because he is." I flatly said, "He hasn't told me what he did to catch the attention of Concord, but it wasn't anything too bad. I think he killed a venture capsuleer in low sec once to see what it was like to kill."
"To see what it was like to kill? Why do you associate with someone like that?"
"I don't normally. He's just someone from my 'shady' past that I knew. He won't leave me alone after what happened."
"And that was?"
"One of my 'dirty secrets'." I reply, sliding out of the booth. I finished my drink and placed the glass on the table, then paid for our drinks with a tap of my neocom at the bar as I walked past.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)