.........or "A Funny Thing Happened to me on the Way to the Factory."
In Eve Online I play a Caldari character.... fighting against the Caldari State for the Gallente Federation.
A long time ago we did something on our forum to encourage people to make a post about how your character got to where they are now. For me that took a bit of thinking. I'm Caldari but I'm fighting Caldari. Mmmmmmmm....
-o0o-
Lexx and Drackarn were having a drink at the bar in Nisuwa VII State Protectorate station. It had been a quiet day. Since the major shipbuilders had released their hybrid weapons platform update, the Caldari had been pushed back. For the first time in several years the Gallenete Federation held more of the contested low-security space than the Caldari State. Now the front lines had moved and the Caldari were subdued.
Whilst they were ideally chatting a member of the Caldari Militia walked past.
"Turncloak" he whispered under his breath as he passed, quietly, but just enough to hear.
"What was that about?" Lexx asked.
"Me" Drackarn said with a sigh "Caldari by birth, fighting for the Gallente Federation in the Empire wars. I've been called worse. Want to get a table?"
"Thinking about it, you've never told me how you become a Capsuleer and ended up fighting the Caldari State. I'd heard you were just a factory worker for one of the State Mega-Corps before. How did you get from being a worker to a capsuleer?" Lexx asked.
"Well..." Drack started "... it all happened several years ago......"
-o0o-
"Heat in reactor 3 is up a bit" Dantan sounded concerned.
"Not a problem, I've been bring the power level up to compensate for number 5 being offline." Drackarn said whilst checking the read-outs.
"It's within 10% of the automatic shut off. If we're not careful it'll go into emergency mode and we'll both be in the shit."
"It won't, it'll peak in 5% more and then dip"
"If your wrong we're both fired... and in this economy.... hell 7% until shut down. I'm going to take it down a notch!"
"NO! Don't! Trust me, it'll peak. If you turn it down we'll loose the cascade sequence and the power output won't be enough. Trust me" Drackarn sounded confident.
Dantan watch the read outs, he was sweating. 6% to emergency shut down, 5%..... 6%, 7% 9%
"It's cooling!" Dantan sat back in his chair looking incredibly relieved.
Drackarn swung his feet on the console. Tilted his head to Dantan and smugly smiled.
Suddenly the door to the small control room opened. A small weaselly man stood there. Drackarn quickly moved his feet down quickly. The man was known as a subordinate to one of the mega-corp directors, although nobody knew which one. He eyed the two technicians carefully before clearing his throat.
"Production was scheduled to be down 3.48% today due to a reactor being offline. The shift is nearly over and my data shows production was actually 0.2% up on typical. The factory floor states this is because there was no power drop. What's being going on?"
"Well.... erm......it's.... " Dantan always stammered around the executives and their staff.
"We squeezed some extra juice from reactors 2 and 4 to compensate. Not something we want to do all the time, but I thought the extra effort would be worth it" stated Drackarn.
The slimy PA eye'd him suspiciously. "OK. Well keep up the good work!" and left.
Drackarn rolled his eyes.
"Think there will be bonus'?" Dantan asked hopefully.
Drackarn flicked a few pages through his monitor. Well looks like they are making generic armour plates and Blackbird hull structures today. That 3.5% extra output should have netted tens of millions extra ISK. So........ NO! Of course we won't. We never do. Mr Slimeball's boss will probably get a huge bonus, a ton of drugs and 18 Gallente pleasure girls to satisfy him in every way possible, twice, hell may be even a third time. What will we get? An expectation that we can do that every time."
Dantan looked thoroughly dejected as the shift change siren sounded.
Drackarn stood and grabbed his coat from the closet in the control room. "Face it mate, it's how the State works. Your either an executive or not. And for all of Tibus Heths bellowing, it's changed frack all in the grand scheme of things". And with that he walked out of the door.
Drackarn jumped on his hover-bike. The weather was wet and freezing, but he couldn't afford a proper car. He even had to spend most of his free time fixing this heap. It took four goes to start the thing on average. It was five that night. After it had finally started he set off and 50 minutes later he was parking it outside his front door. The worker apartment was small and sparcely furnished. Very Caldari. He turned on the small holovid as he entered and nothing happened. He brought his fist down heavily on top of it and it crackled into life. Tibus Heth's face appeared on the screen at some sort rally. Drackarn turned it back off immediately. He went over to his small single bed and laid down, he was mentally exhausted from manually controlling those reactors all day. Although it was still evening he was back at the factory in 6 hours and needed some sleep. He reached under the bad and pulled out a plain glass bottle. He popped the cork and took a swig. The raw alcohol burnt his throat. He placed the bottle back.
"So this is life is it?" he though as he drifted off.
-o0o-
Next morning the bike took 6 attempts to start which included several kicks, a punch and, Drackarn thought, the invention of a band new swear word. Finally it had started and he was on his way to the factory now. Although he really wished he wasn't. It was still dark and very early, his times for the next week where the graveyard shift. It was damp, windy and the sleet was making his face sting.
Ahead he saw the rear lights of a vehicle through the gloom. He slowed down slightly. Soon a long hover-limo emerged from the gloom. No doubt some sleaze-ball Executive. Drack thought about overtaking, but in these conditions he decided against it. He had passed the occasional small transport coming the other way. Visibility was poor. If he caused a crash, being fired would be the least of his worries. He'd heard stories about staff beening blacklisted throughout the State because they pissed off the wrong Executive.
Sudden one of the transports coming the other way swerved and hit the limo in the side. There was a loud bang and a grinding of metal as both vehicles rose in the air. Drackarn banked his bike heavily to avoid the spinning wreckage. He hit a sign at the side of the road and was throw off. He picked himself up and surveyed the scene. The two vehicles lay on their side, twisted together. Small fires had broken out. It was eerily silent. No other vehicles we about.
Thump!
Drackarn looked around to see where the sound had come from.
Thump! Thump!
He saw a small hand at the rear door of the limo. He raced over and tried the door. It was either locked or jammed. The fires were getting bigger.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The hand was beating on the window with more urgency. Drackarn picked up a long metal bar that had spilled from the transports load. It bounced off the hardened window and numbed his hands as he swung the bar against it. He tried again with the same effect. He raced around the vehicle and found the drivers door partially open. He wrenched it open, the driver was obviously dead. The passenger compartment was sealed and all power was down, no way to open the doors. No way in. Then he noticed the blaster in a holster at the drivers hip. He grabbed it and went back to the rear of the vehicle. He leveled the gun at a different window, away from where the hand was beating, and pulled the trigger. Nothing.
"Frack, safety!"
Drack had never touched a gun before, he'd only seen them used in holo-vid movies. He fumbled with the safety catch and pulled the trigger again. This time a red bolt sprung from the gun and hit the window. Nothing but a scorch mark. Drackarn fired again, and again, and again. The fires were getting close now.
After half a minute of firing, the gun clicked harmlessly, it's power-cell depleted. The plexi-glass in the window glowed from the heat of the shots, but was still in one piece. He picked up the metal bar again and swung it at the glowing window. This time there was a tiny audible crack. He swung it again and the window burst showering him in fragments of hot glass. Drackarn dropped to his knees and looked inside. There was a small girl, clutching a doll and coughing in the smoke-filled cabin. Drack reached in a grabbed her as the fire started to consume the vehicle. He pulled her free and turned to move away with her clutching his chest. He hadn't gone more than five metres when the wrecked limo exploded.
Drackarn was flung into the air by the force of the blast landing with the girl some distance away. Some how he'd shielded the girl. His vision was going black, his body screamed in pain. The girl was shaking him.
"Citizen?, Citizen!! Are you alright?"
Drackarn, tried to laugh. "Could be worse...." he croaked "....I could be at work". He then passed out.
-o0o-
Minutes, hours, days, weeks. Drackarn had no idea how much time had passed. He thought he was in some of medical bay but he was never conscious long enough to know. He'd heard fragments of conversations during the brief moments he was awake.
".... I have no idea, its most irregular. Usually the corporation lets them go when they are in his condition. Saving them is usually more expensive in medical fee's than recruiting and training a replacement, well, for non-Executive staff anyway. Apparently an Exec is coming to see me tomorrow about him. May be we'll know more then. For now, just make sure he doesn't die."
"Yes sir, he'll more than likely survive. You payed for the best and he is getting the best. For example we've also been able to repair the scar tissue and the......"
"........another week, perhaps ten days. We want him completely sedated for that long. Give the body time to heal. Then once that is done we will......"
".... Really? On HIM! Well I suppose it's possible. But reviewing his background wouldn't that be a waste of money? I mean we can give him the surgery, but can he afford the training? Even if he can afford that, has he got the mental capacity to use it?"
"The funding will be taken care of, but you say it can be done". A new voice!
"Yes, but I want to make it VERY clear. We can do the operation but whether he can ever use them is something out of my control. The procedure is perhaps the most expensive one available and there can be no guarantee's that the person can be successfully taught to use them. Many rich persons have paid for it, only to flunk the training every time they have tried."
"We understand that. Here is corporation authorisation to carry out the procedure and to bill us direct. I assume you have no problem with that."
"Of course not, we aren't going to do credit checks or need a pre-payment from......"
-o0o-
Drackarn woke groggily. He had been moved but the room was dark and he couldn't see anything. He could smell the room was different. The last one was bright and white and smelt of disinfectants all the time. This room was pitch black and smelt... well he'd never smelt anything like it. It was fantastic. The bed felt different too. Comfy and big. He swung his legs off the bed and slowly rose. He felt weak and unsteady. All he could make out was a faint glowing panel on the wall. He made his way slowly to that. A digital readout showed 21:32 - ST. He had no idea what ST meant. The controls below didn't seem to active the rooms lighting. He started off slowly in another direction, hoping to find the lighting controls. He whacked his shins on something!
"FOR FRACKS SAKE WHERE'S THE FRACKING LIGHTS"
Suddenly the lights activated. Drackarn blinked as his eyes adjusted. Voice activated lights? He looked around. He was in what looked like a posh hotel room from a movie. Comfy bed, expensive sofa, the biggest holoscreen he'd ever seen, artwork on the walls. A table in the center of the room had a tray of food on it. There was a desk was in one corner covered in books and a computer terminal. In fact there were books stacked all over it. He went over and looked at the covers of some. "Introduction to Warp Theory", "Light Missile Trajectory and Warhead Physics", "Living with Immortality - A Philosophical Guide", "Mindlock - How to Avoid Hell".
"Those are a bit heavy for a hotel read" he thought
A large double door was locked tight. He then tried the single door on the other side of the room. It opened to a bathroom the size of his old apartment! He looked at the shower cubical. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before. Where are the sonic emitters he thought. That funny looking one at the top isn't going to clean a lot. He pressed a button and water gushed from the shower head!
"Holy frack!" Drack exclaimed. He'd only ever seen sonic showers. Water showers were for the rich only.
Ding Ding Ding!
Drackarn returned to the main room to investigate the sound. The three dings sounded again but he couldn't see where it was coming from. They sounded a third time. The large double doors opened slightly.
"Mr Drackarn sir, may I come in?"
"Erm sure"
A woman man entered the room. Drack had worked for the company long enough to spot an Executive PA a mile off. Usually they were best avoided. This one was stunning, she was wearing a short-skirted power-suit. Her expensive high heels clicked on the floor as she entered. The attractiveness of the PA usually was in direct corrolation to the level of the Executive. These guys needed the best PA's around. Finding one which was not only excellent at their job, but was also beautiful was rare. And those few commanded rates only the high-level executives and CEO's would pay. This one clearly worked for someone very high up!
"Thank you sir. I hope you are feeling better. Please sit."
"Yeah, thanks. And the names Drack. Nobody calls me sir!" he laughed.
"Well, might I suggest that you'd better get used to that, sir. Hope you don't mind the intrusion, the motion sensors informed me you were awake. Do you remember what happened to you?"
Drackarn eyed her suspiciously, but let the "sir" comment pass.
"I was on my way to work. There was a traffic accident. The driver of the limo... he was killed. I managed to break a window and pull a little girl out. No idea what happened to the transport driver. Then the limo exploded. Thought I'd wake up dead. I don't suppose I am dead am I? Although this hotel room is so nice I still think I might be in heaven." Drack smiled "Am I close?"
The PA smiled at him.
"Hotel room? Oh yes. Right. Your memory serves you well. I'm afraid the transport driver died in the crash. We think he fell asleep at the controls. Do you know the little girl you rescued?" Drackarn shuck his head.
"That's good. And you never will either. Suffice to say her father is very powerful and very, very rich. He is also very thankful to you for rescuing her."
"So this is my reward is it? A stay in this posh hotel?" Drackarn asked. "Could be worse I suppose! Any chance of getting my bike fixed as well?" He stretched and leaned back into the plush soft sofa bending his head back over the soft luxurious cushions. Suddenly he jerked forward in shock. His hand flew to the back of his neck.
"WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!"
The PA rose out of her chair, both hands outstretched to try and pacify Drack.
"Please sir, calm down. It's alright"
"ALRIGHT? THERE'S A FRACKING PEICE OF METAL IN MY NECK! WHATS A PIECE OF METAL DOING IN MY NECK???"
"Sir, it's not a piece of metal. It's an interface socket."
"AN INTERFACE SOCKET? DO I LOOK LIKE A FRACKING DIAGNOSTIC TERMINAL TO YOU?"
"Sir, please calm down. It's an interface socket..... for a hydrostatic capsule"
Suddenly Drackarn went silent.
"What? Like a capsuleer? Don't be ridiculous! I've never been off-planet never mind flown a starship"
The PA smiled again.
"Computer. Viewport. Open" she spoke out loud.
Drackarn spun around as he heard a mechanical motor engage. At the end of the room a shutter lifted. The view was of the planet below. The realisation hit him. He was in space. He was on a space station in orbit! He walked to the viewport and stared out.
"Oh" is all he could say.
"My employer is grateful. He has paid for your surgery and for all the costs for your capsuleer training and living expenses during that. This is where you are now. These will be your quarters during the training program. An instructor will be along in the morning and your schedule is on the computer terminal over there. My employer cannot help you pass, but he has opened the door for you. He says the debt is paid in full. Good luck sir. I am sure you will do well."
With that she left the room, her heels making the click-click on the floor as she left. Drackarn didn't even acknowledge her. He was just staring out of the window.
-o0o-
"Wow" said Lexx "A real rags to riches story. That was a massive lifestyle change in a short period of time. Do you ever miss your old life?"
Drackarn smiled and picked up his glass of expensive Gallente vodka. He slightly raised it to two beautiful women who were sat at a table across the bar. They returned the gesture and smiled back at him. Drack could see by the look on their faces he could have either of them tonight... or perhaps both.
"No" he finally answered with a laugh.
"OK, but how did you end up here fighting for the Gallente against the State when it was the State that trained you?" Lexx asked.
"Well, after I qualified I ran missions for the State like a good little boy. I was not held in particularly good standings with the Federation at that time. One evening I was drinking in a bar and I bumped into an old friend. He too had taken the capsuleer path and offered me a position in the Capsuleer Corporation he was part of. So I moved over to Gallente space with my Caracal class cruiser and my few possessions. That's where I leant the truth about the Federation. The crap we get fed in the State about the Caldari way being a better system. The Gallente have freedom, choice and the ability to rise to the highest levels never matter what your background. Oh, the Federation is not perfect, not by any means, but it's people have a better life than the 95% of the Caldari society who slave away for the other 5%. I owe the State nothing. Even these implants are simply a payment for services rendered. The life of one small child for one set of implants and a training course! I remember his PA's words "He says the debt is paid in full". No, I am no more part of the Caldari State as I am part of Sansha's Nation. Anyway, as Revelation Space got pulled into the Empire Wars, so did I. I tried to avoid it at first. Mining and running missions for the Sisters of Eve rather than fleeting out of Villore to break the OMS blockades at that time, but in the end I became a Militia combat pilot. And then with merger of the combat wing of -RS- into SOTF, well, you know the rest as well as anyone. And here I am, I might be fighting the Caldari State, but I see it as helping the Caldari people. They are not really living under that system. Federation rule and Federation values can set them all free."
Lexx laughed "I'm not sure your 'sponsor' would agree" she commented.
"Him?" pondered Drack "I've got over 2000 confirmed kills of which most are State Militia. With the replacement ship orders his comapny has had because of me, I would actually think he fracking loves me!". They both laughed.
"To be honest I did have some sort of contact with my old life. It was about two years ago, but that's a story for another time Lexx"
Drackarn got up to leave.
"Where are you going?" Asked Lexx.
"Squid boy over there, the one who made the dig, is paying his bill. I've got some 720mm projectile shells with his name on them!" and with that Drack walked towards the lift to take him down to the ship hanger.
"Time to give my 'sponsor' some more business" he thought.
End of Part 1
(There wasn't going to be a part two but I just had a thought about the 'sponsor' and Tibus Heth.... mmmmmmm.....)
In Eve Online I play a Caldari character.... fighting against the Caldari State for the Gallente Federation.
A long time ago we did something on our forum to encourage people to make a post about how your character got to where they are now. For me that took a bit of thinking. I'm Caldari but I'm fighting Caldari. Mmmmmmmm....
-o0o-
Lexx and Drackarn were having a drink at the bar in Nisuwa VII State Protectorate station. It had been a quiet day. Since the major shipbuilders had released their hybrid weapons platform update, the Caldari had been pushed back. For the first time in several years the Gallenete Federation held more of the contested low-security space than the Caldari State. Now the front lines had moved and the Caldari were subdued.
Whilst they were ideally chatting a member of the Caldari Militia walked past.
"Turncloak" he whispered under his breath as he passed, quietly, but just enough to hear.
"What was that about?" Lexx asked.
"Me" Drackarn said with a sigh "Caldari by birth, fighting for the Gallente Federation in the Empire wars. I've been called worse. Want to get a table?"
They both sat down in a booth.
"Thinking about it, you've never told me how you become a Capsuleer and ended up fighting the Caldari State. I'd heard you were just a factory worker for one of the State Mega-Corps before. How did you get from being a worker to a capsuleer?" Lexx asked.
"Well..." Drack started "... it all happened several years ago......"
-o0o-
"Heat in reactor 3 is up a bit" Dantan sounded concerned.
"Not a problem, I've been bring the power level up to compensate for number 5 being offline." Drackarn said whilst checking the read-outs.
"It's within 10% of the automatic shut off. If we're not careful it'll go into emergency mode and we'll both be in the shit."
"It won't, it'll peak in 5% more and then dip"
"If your wrong we're both fired... and in this economy.... hell 7% until shut down. I'm going to take it down a notch!"
"NO! Don't! Trust me, it'll peak. If you turn it down we'll loose the cascade sequence and the power output won't be enough. Trust me" Drackarn sounded confident.
Dantan watch the read outs, he was sweating. 6% to emergency shut down, 5%..... 6%, 7% 9%
"It's cooling!" Dantan sat back in his chair looking incredibly relieved.
Drackarn swung his feet on the console. Tilted his head to Dantan and smugly smiled.
Suddenly the door to the small control room opened. A small weaselly man stood there. Drackarn quickly moved his feet down quickly. The man was known as a subordinate to one of the mega-corp directors, although nobody knew which one. He eyed the two technicians carefully before clearing his throat.
"Production was scheduled to be down 3.48% today due to a reactor being offline. The shift is nearly over and my data shows production was actually 0.2% up on typical. The factory floor states this is because there was no power drop. What's being going on?"
"Well.... erm......it's.... " Dantan always stammered around the executives and their staff.
"We squeezed some extra juice from reactors 2 and 4 to compensate. Not something we want to do all the time, but I thought the extra effort would be worth it" stated Drackarn.
The slimy PA eye'd him suspiciously. "OK. Well keep up the good work!" and left.
Drackarn rolled his eyes.
"Think there will be bonus'?" Dantan asked hopefully.
Drackarn flicked a few pages through his monitor. Well looks like they are making generic armour plates and Blackbird hull structures today. That 3.5% extra output should have netted tens of millions extra ISK. So........ NO! Of course we won't. We never do. Mr Slimeball's boss will probably get a huge bonus, a ton of drugs and 18 Gallente pleasure girls to satisfy him in every way possible, twice, hell may be even a third time. What will we get? An expectation that we can do that every time."
Dantan looked thoroughly dejected as the shift change siren sounded.
Drackarn stood and grabbed his coat from the closet in the control room. "Face it mate, it's how the State works. Your either an executive or not. And for all of Tibus Heths bellowing, it's changed frack all in the grand scheme of things". And with that he walked out of the door.
Drackarn jumped on his hover-bike. The weather was wet and freezing, but he couldn't afford a proper car. He even had to spend most of his free time fixing this heap. It took four goes to start the thing on average. It was five that night. After it had finally started he set off and 50 minutes later he was parking it outside his front door. The worker apartment was small and sparcely furnished. Very Caldari. He turned on the small holovid as he entered and nothing happened. He brought his fist down heavily on top of it and it crackled into life. Tibus Heth's face appeared on the screen at some sort rally. Drackarn turned it back off immediately. He went over to his small single bed and laid down, he was mentally exhausted from manually controlling those reactors all day. Although it was still evening he was back at the factory in 6 hours and needed some sleep. He reached under the bad and pulled out a plain glass bottle. He popped the cork and took a swig. The raw alcohol burnt his throat. He placed the bottle back.
"So this is life is it?" he though as he drifted off.
-o0o-
Next morning the bike took 6 attempts to start which included several kicks, a punch and, Drackarn thought, the invention of a band new swear word. Finally it had started and he was on his way to the factory now. Although he really wished he wasn't. It was still dark and very early, his times for the next week where the graveyard shift. It was damp, windy and the sleet was making his face sting.
Ahead he saw the rear lights of a vehicle through the gloom. He slowed down slightly. Soon a long hover-limo emerged from the gloom. No doubt some sleaze-ball Executive. Drack thought about overtaking, but in these conditions he decided against it. He had passed the occasional small transport coming the other way. Visibility was poor. If he caused a crash, being fired would be the least of his worries. He'd heard stories about staff beening blacklisted throughout the State because they pissed off the wrong Executive.
Sudden one of the transports coming the other way swerved and hit the limo in the side. There was a loud bang and a grinding of metal as both vehicles rose in the air. Drackarn banked his bike heavily to avoid the spinning wreckage. He hit a sign at the side of the road and was throw off. He picked himself up and surveyed the scene. The two vehicles lay on their side, twisted together. Small fires had broken out. It was eerily silent. No other vehicles we about.
Thump!
Drackarn looked around to see where the sound had come from.
Thump! Thump!
He saw a small hand at the rear door of the limo. He raced over and tried the door. It was either locked or jammed. The fires were getting bigger.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The hand was beating on the window with more urgency. Drackarn picked up a long metal bar that had spilled from the transports load. It bounced off the hardened window and numbed his hands as he swung the bar against it. He tried again with the same effect. He raced around the vehicle and found the drivers door partially open. He wrenched it open, the driver was obviously dead. The passenger compartment was sealed and all power was down, no way to open the doors. No way in. Then he noticed the blaster in a holster at the drivers hip. He grabbed it and went back to the rear of the vehicle. He leveled the gun at a different window, away from where the hand was beating, and pulled the trigger. Nothing.
"Frack, safety!"
Drack had never touched a gun before, he'd only seen them used in holo-vid movies. He fumbled with the safety catch and pulled the trigger again. This time a red bolt sprung from the gun and hit the window. Nothing but a scorch mark. Drackarn fired again, and again, and again. The fires were getting close now.
After half a minute of firing, the gun clicked harmlessly, it's power-cell depleted. The plexi-glass in the window glowed from the heat of the shots, but was still in one piece. He picked up the metal bar again and swung it at the glowing window. This time there was a tiny audible crack. He swung it again and the window burst showering him in fragments of hot glass. Drackarn dropped to his knees and looked inside. There was a small girl, clutching a doll and coughing in the smoke-filled cabin. Drack reached in a grabbed her as the fire started to consume the vehicle. He pulled her free and turned to move away with her clutching his chest. He hadn't gone more than five metres when the wrecked limo exploded.
Drackarn was flung into the air by the force of the blast landing with the girl some distance away. Some how he'd shielded the girl. His vision was going black, his body screamed in pain. The girl was shaking him.
"Citizen?, Citizen!! Are you alright?"
Drackarn, tried to laugh. "Could be worse...." he croaked "....I could be at work". He then passed out.
-o0o-
Minutes, hours, days, weeks. Drackarn had no idea how much time had passed. He thought he was in some of medical bay but he was never conscious long enough to know. He'd heard fragments of conversations during the brief moments he was awake.
".... I have no idea, its most irregular. Usually the corporation lets them go when they are in his condition. Saving them is usually more expensive in medical fee's than recruiting and training a replacement, well, for non-Executive staff anyway. Apparently an Exec is coming to see me tomorrow about him. May be we'll know more then. For now, just make sure he doesn't die."
"Yes sir, he'll more than likely survive. You payed for the best and he is getting the best. For example we've also been able to repair the scar tissue and the......"
"........another week, perhaps ten days. We want him completely sedated for that long. Give the body time to heal. Then once that is done we will......"
".... Really? On HIM! Well I suppose it's possible. But reviewing his background wouldn't that be a waste of money? I mean we can give him the surgery, but can he afford the training? Even if he can afford that, has he got the mental capacity to use it?"
"The funding will be taken care of, but you say it can be done". A new voice!
"Yes, but I want to make it VERY clear. We can do the operation but whether he can ever use them is something out of my control. The procedure is perhaps the most expensive one available and there can be no guarantee's that the person can be successfully taught to use them. Many rich persons have paid for it, only to flunk the training every time they have tried."
"We understand that. Here is corporation authorisation to carry out the procedure and to bill us direct. I assume you have no problem with that."
"Of course not, we aren't going to do credit checks or need a pre-payment from......"
-o0o-
Drackarn woke groggily. He had been moved but the room was dark and he couldn't see anything. He could smell the room was different. The last one was bright and white and smelt of disinfectants all the time. This room was pitch black and smelt... well he'd never smelt anything like it. It was fantastic. The bed felt different too. Comfy and big. He swung his legs off the bed and slowly rose. He felt weak and unsteady. All he could make out was a faint glowing panel on the wall. He made his way slowly to that. A digital readout showed 21:32 - ST. He had no idea what ST meant. The controls below didn't seem to active the rooms lighting. He started off slowly in another direction, hoping to find the lighting controls. He whacked his shins on something!
"FOR FRACKS SAKE WHERE'S THE FRACKING LIGHTS"
Suddenly the lights activated. Drackarn blinked as his eyes adjusted. Voice activated lights? He looked around. He was in what looked like a posh hotel room from a movie. Comfy bed, expensive sofa, the biggest holoscreen he'd ever seen, artwork on the walls. A table in the center of the room had a tray of food on it. There was a desk was in one corner covered in books and a computer terminal. In fact there were books stacked all over it. He went over and looked at the covers of some. "Introduction to Warp Theory", "Light Missile Trajectory and Warhead Physics", "Living with Immortality - A Philosophical Guide", "Mindlock - How to Avoid Hell".
"Those are a bit heavy for a hotel read" he thought
A large double door was locked tight. He then tried the single door on the other side of the room. It opened to a bathroom the size of his old apartment! He looked at the shower cubical. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before. Where are the sonic emitters he thought. That funny looking one at the top isn't going to clean a lot. He pressed a button and water gushed from the shower head!
"Holy frack!" Drack exclaimed. He'd only ever seen sonic showers. Water showers were for the rich only.
Ding Ding Ding!
Drackarn returned to the main room to investigate the sound. The three dings sounded again but he couldn't see where it was coming from. They sounded a third time. The large double doors opened slightly.
"Mr Drackarn sir, may I come in?"
"Erm sure"
A woman man entered the room. Drack had worked for the company long enough to spot an Executive PA a mile off. Usually they were best avoided. This one was stunning, she was wearing a short-skirted power-suit. Her expensive high heels clicked on the floor as she entered. The attractiveness of the PA usually was in direct corrolation to the level of the Executive. These guys needed the best PA's around. Finding one which was not only excellent at their job, but was also beautiful was rare. And those few commanded rates only the high-level executives and CEO's would pay. This one clearly worked for someone very high up!
"Thank you sir. I hope you are feeling better. Please sit."
"Yeah, thanks. And the names Drack. Nobody calls me sir!" he laughed.
"Well, might I suggest that you'd better get used to that, sir. Hope you don't mind the intrusion, the motion sensors informed me you were awake. Do you remember what happened to you?"
Drackarn eyed her suspiciously, but let the "sir" comment pass.
"I was on my way to work. There was a traffic accident. The driver of the limo... he was killed. I managed to break a window and pull a little girl out. No idea what happened to the transport driver. Then the limo exploded. Thought I'd wake up dead. I don't suppose I am dead am I? Although this hotel room is so nice I still think I might be in heaven." Drack smiled "Am I close?"
The PA smiled at him.
"Hotel room? Oh yes. Right. Your memory serves you well. I'm afraid the transport driver died in the crash. We think he fell asleep at the controls. Do you know the little girl you rescued?" Drackarn shuck his head.
"That's good. And you never will either. Suffice to say her father is very powerful and very, very rich. He is also very thankful to you for rescuing her."
"So this is my reward is it? A stay in this posh hotel?" Drackarn asked. "Could be worse I suppose! Any chance of getting my bike fixed as well?" He stretched and leaned back into the plush soft sofa bending his head back over the soft luxurious cushions. Suddenly he jerked forward in shock. His hand flew to the back of his neck.
"WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!"
The PA rose out of her chair, both hands outstretched to try and pacify Drack.
"Please sir, calm down. It's alright"
"ALRIGHT? THERE'S A FRACKING PEICE OF METAL IN MY NECK! WHATS A PIECE OF METAL DOING IN MY NECK???"
"Sir, it's not a piece of metal. It's an interface socket."
"AN INTERFACE SOCKET? DO I LOOK LIKE A FRACKING DIAGNOSTIC TERMINAL TO YOU?"
"Sir, please calm down. It's an interface socket..... for a hydrostatic capsule"
Suddenly Drackarn went silent.
"What? Like a capsuleer? Don't be ridiculous! I've never been off-planet never mind flown a starship"
The PA smiled again.
"Computer. Viewport. Open" she spoke out loud.
Drackarn spun around as he heard a mechanical motor engage. At the end of the room a shutter lifted. The view was of the planet below. The realisation hit him. He was in space. He was on a space station in orbit! He walked to the viewport and stared out.
"Oh" is all he could say.
"My employer is grateful. He has paid for your surgery and for all the costs for your capsuleer training and living expenses during that. This is where you are now. These will be your quarters during the training program. An instructor will be along in the morning and your schedule is on the computer terminal over there. My employer cannot help you pass, but he has opened the door for you. He says the debt is paid in full. Good luck sir. I am sure you will do well."
With that she left the room, her heels making the click-click on the floor as she left. Drackarn didn't even acknowledge her. He was just staring out of the window.
-o0o-
"Wow" said Lexx "A real rags to riches story. That was a massive lifestyle change in a short period of time. Do you ever miss your old life?"
Drackarn smiled and picked up his glass of expensive Gallente vodka. He slightly raised it to two beautiful women who were sat at a table across the bar. They returned the gesture and smiled back at him. Drack could see by the look on their faces he could have either of them tonight... or perhaps both.
"No" he finally answered with a laugh.
"OK, but how did you end up here fighting for the Gallente against the State when it was the State that trained you?" Lexx asked.
"Well, after I qualified I ran missions for the State like a good little boy. I was not held in particularly good standings with the Federation at that time. One evening I was drinking in a bar and I bumped into an old friend. He too had taken the capsuleer path and offered me a position in the Capsuleer Corporation he was part of. So I moved over to Gallente space with my Caracal class cruiser and my few possessions. That's where I leant the truth about the Federation. The crap we get fed in the State about the Caldari way being a better system. The Gallente have freedom, choice and the ability to rise to the highest levels never matter what your background. Oh, the Federation is not perfect, not by any means, but it's people have a better life than the 95% of the Caldari society who slave away for the other 5%. I owe the State nothing. Even these implants are simply a payment for services rendered. The life of one small child for one set of implants and a training course! I remember his PA's words "He says the debt is paid in full". No, I am no more part of the Caldari State as I am part of Sansha's Nation. Anyway, as Revelation Space got pulled into the Empire Wars, so did I. I tried to avoid it at first. Mining and running missions for the Sisters of Eve rather than fleeting out of Villore to break the OMS blockades at that time, but in the end I became a Militia combat pilot. And then with merger of the combat wing of -RS- into SOTF, well, you know the rest as well as anyone. And here I am, I might be fighting the Caldari State, but I see it as helping the Caldari people. They are not really living under that system. Federation rule and Federation values can set them all free."
Lexx laughed "I'm not sure your 'sponsor' would agree" she commented.
"Him?" pondered Drack "I've got over 2000 confirmed kills of which most are State Militia. With the replacement ship orders his comapny has had because of me, I would actually think he fracking loves me!". They both laughed.
"To be honest I did have some sort of contact with my old life. It was about two years ago, but that's a story for another time Lexx"
Drackarn got up to leave.
"Where are you going?" Asked Lexx.
"Squid boy over there, the one who made the dig, is paying his bill. I've got some 720mm projectile shells with his name on them!" and with that Drack walked towards the lift to take him down to the ship hanger.
"Time to give my 'sponsor' some more business" he thought.
End of Part 1
(There wasn't going to be a part two but I just had a thought about the 'sponsor' and Tibus Heth.... mmmmmmm.....)
Very appealing story, inspired me to write one for my characters as well. I just love the way naturally born enemies of Gallente end up fighting for the Federation, united by burning cannon nozzles, drinks and esprit de corps :)
ReplyDeleteexcellent story! I only caught 2 spelling errors early on before I got completely sucked in. At that point, I probably missed all the spelling errors. (Don't take it personally, I like to proofread so that people can have the best they can have.)
ReplyDelete