Good Honest Work

I had forgotten how much work running a corp was, never mind relocating the HQ, reviewing the roster, and keeping production running. Still it keeps me busy, doesn't give me time to dwell on the past.....

Reflections on a Fall

Hindsight. If only we knew then what we know now. I knew then I had problems, but not how deep they ran. I had turned to drink to keep my daemons at bay. Many others do it, null sec is full of the lost and damned, some running from their past....some given over to their daemons. I was trying to hide from mine. It was going...OK. I was keeping up with my quotas, but I felt the need to drink....lots. I needed the cushion alcohol gave me.

Hindsight. Perhaps it was not a good idea to fly while smashed. It was definitely not a good idea to rig my pod to keep me topped up.
I still hear the screaming as my pod ejected. I feel I got off lightly. I have been given a leave of absence, not to return till I am dry and have the will to return.

I need a drink...real bad...

No. I have another purpose now. I have fallen on my feet as it were. Thanks to Vince putting a word in, I have the opportunity to forge a new destiny. For once I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. The warm glow emanating from an angels wings.

My Darkest Hour

Station: O94 Hephaestus

System: O94U-A

Region: Branch

Sovereignty: Wildly Inappropriate

-+- LSJV Surveillance Drone #023 -+-

Image of a Hulk approaching the LSJV Factory Outpost.

***Hyperion III - Hephaestus Docking Control - You are cleared for landing, maintain current course***

***Hyperion III please respond***

The Hulk starts to drift to Starboard.

***Hyperion III you have left the docking pattern - Hold current position***

-+- LSJV Surveillance Drone #012 -+-

Close up view of the Hulk, no signs of damage, still running at full power visibly drifting away from the hanger entrance.

***Hyperion III you have 5 seconds to stop engines - Please acknowledge***

***[Security Channel] Launch alert fighters - Notify Directorate & WI High Command***

-+- LSJV Fighter Drone A128 -+-

Hulk has not reduced speed and is on collision course with the station. Hanger doors can be seen closing as the fighter drone orbits the Hulk.

***[Local Channel] Sound of klaxons in the background - This is Hephaestus declaring an emergency - All WI ships please respond***

***Hyperion III unless you reverse course immediately we will be forced to open fire - Acknowledge***

***[Security Channel] Weapons free - Fire at will***

-+- LSJV Surveillance Drone #023 -+-

The fighter drones open fire, but far too late. The Hulk impacts with the station - a blinding flash causes the drone camera to blank out - through the expanding debris cloud the flashing lights of a Pod can be seen briefly before a shadow passes over the view - Static -+- Drone Feed Lost -+-

***********

-+- 094 Hephaestus Security Feed -+-

Newtonius Rex is sitting in an interview room, hands cuffed behind his back. Two men are stood in front of him talking.

'You have cancelled his clone contracts in the WI stations?'

'Yeah, but his medical clone is in Empire as far as we can tell.'

'No matter. Just strap him in a shuttle and set the self destruct.'

'We could just kill him now' Pulls out a hand gun.

'No, I have my orders'

***********

-+- LSJV Surveillance Drone #143 -+-

An Amarrian shuttle drifts into the distance until it is a golden speck, expands into a fiery flower then...nothing.

Genesis

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth,
and the Earth was without form and void,
and darkness was on the face of the deep,
The Spirit of God moved on the face of the water,
and God said 'let there be light',
and the Tachyon beams rent the darkness,
and God saw the light, that it was good.

Relax, you're amongst friends...

For fear of the repercussions and of Amarrian intelligence tracking me down I laid a fairly obvious trail to the Bleaklands where I went to ground. I hooked up with Vincent the only person I knew in the region that I trusted. He was flying with an organisation called Ghost Festival, affiliated to the Angel Cartel. It seemed a perfect place to hide out for a short time, unlikely to give me up to the Amarrians. We met up in a bar called Skyhook with his wing mates. For some reason I found myself spilling my guts, laying my soul bare to them. They were surprisingly supportive, which is just what I needed. I felt it wasn't a good idea to hang about, I didn't want to bring an unwanted heat down on them. I headed back to Branch and lost myself in the anonymity of outlaw space.

Aggravating Circumstances

18.3.111

I can only now, after some time has past, record what happened as I returned from the Eve Gate.  I was passing through Amarr space and decided to dock and pray, to commune with a higher power and give the fire inside me a purpose. 

I stopped off at some backwater Amarrian system and found a chapel away from the busy through routes at the spaceport.   It was a beautiful chapel, I have always been an admirer of religious architecture, and this was a fine example.  It was fairly quiet inside, a few amarrians busy at their devotions, they did not stir as I passed them buy heading for the alter.  There were no members of the clergy present and I paid this no mind, I was a free member of Amarrian society, despite my blood and ancestry, I had the right to be here.  I prostrated myself before the alter and lost myself in prayer.

I don't know how long I lay there, but I became aware of angry voices and foot steps approaching.  'Who allowed this desecration?  Summon this things master, I want it gone from here.'  It was a whiny petulant voice.  Without looking up I knew it was the priest, I had met his type before, 'Don't worry yourself Priest, I am leaving.'.  I strode to the door pausing to look back at the alter, as I did so the priest shouted to one of his minions, 'get it out of here, and tell it's master that property is to be controlled.' the poor underling laid a hand on me and tried to push me to the door.  'Property.....? '  I felt the fire rise inside of me, the wheel of fire filling my vision.  Instead of opening the door I bolted it.  I felt the fire filling me, the rage building, I could here the priest screaming for me to leave, the urgent demands from the cleric next to me, I drew my bowie knife and silenced the pitiful wretch and strode quickly to the priest who was standing, his mouth opening and closing but no sound coming out 'You should be careful who you insult, free men where I am from don't take kindly to being referred to as property.'

He fell to his knees, whining that he was sorry, that it was a mistake, I did not listen I let the fire inside take me........Blood.....so much Blood.....and screaming.........then.....silence.

I regained my senses, kneeling at the alter a blood stained knife in my hand, they were all dead....all of them.....what had I done......what have I become......

Wheel of Fire

3.3.111

I returned to Branch yesterday, but could not settle. I felt restless and ill at ease. I needed to get away from every thing and every one, to get my head straight. I set out for the Eve Gate in Genesis. It was a long trip, over 30 jumps through 0.0, but no problems for a Cov Op ship. Apart from the friendly gate camps it was an uneventful journey. I docked for a time in Taisy before setting out on the remaining 30 odd jumps. Again a disappointingly easy journey.

Genesis was an unsettling region, fairly quiet as I passed through, with no stations that I saw. I finally arrived at the New Eden gate and sat for a time collecting my thoughts before jumping through.

The wormhole is an awesome sight. A wheel of Fire burning in the night. I don't know how long I sat there staring at the swirling fire. Something changed inside of me. I felt at peace with myself, with who I am, and who I will become. Instead of darkness inside there is now an all consuming fire.