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Annals: The Search for Home

Fatigued as a titan on roam, I returned to my quarters on Rokofur station and drop onto the sofa in the kind of heap that would have had my father sending me into parade formation drills. It's a passing thought and I smirk for it, there's not enough energy left in me to care.

Besides, who's around to see me slumping?

"Enter new log." I wait for the chime and continue, "Seventeen jumps from Rokofur to Yulai were shortened to twelve using the Thera wormhole connections. The Eve-Scout data proved to be accurate. Met with Ioannis Sepphires of Sapphire Interstellar Banking Solutions. Pleasant enough company even if he made me go planet-side to have our conversation. There's something to be said for meeting someone in person instead of just through relayed messages."

I pause, drumming my fingers against the rugged material of my pants. "SIBS is an interesting proposition, and their Rhea Initiative deserves following. Ultimately, I believe Mr. Sepphires to be well-intentioned, but I suspect he will struggle with the style of leadership exhibited in our conversation. Hoping that everyone will do well, on their own, and providing only a collective umbrella under which to store their services will not help them reach the ambitious vistas from which Mr. Sepphires would like to see them. Set a reminder to send my regrets, but I will not be joining their corporation at this time."

"The journey home was longer as the Thera connections available did not provide any shortcuts. I've continued to review the information available about Thera and it continues to set me on edge. The Sisters are there... the Sisters are there extensively. I have too many questions about them and not enough answers, still."

The laces of my boots give me a moment of trouble when the knot proves tighter than I remember it. The boots thud into a corner with a loud bang against the metal bulkhead, their flight the product of my irritation.

"Application for admittance to Signal Cartel has been submitted. Their work for all of New Eden is impressive, their nominal connection to ARC is intriguing, and their base in Thera will give me a better place to keep an eye on the Sisters.  End Log."

----

It's been a whirlwind few cycles since my acceptance into the Signal Cartel. I've taken my Astero into Thera and set up new quarters in the "Sanctuary Institute of Paleocybernetics." The suite is larger, fresher, cleaner than I'm used to. There's something about it that I don't find comforting, but that could just be the Matari in me abhoring being inside untested space.

My ship's getting fitted with a new AI, courtesy of Signal Cartel. The tech told me it's better than Aura and will improve my survival rate in wormhole space significant. We'll see.

----

I begin to understand why some people speak out against AIs having personalities. This new one, Allison she calls herself, wields humor and sarcasm without always knowing when it's appropriate. And this stuff she calls music? Claiming it's some ancient Terran stuff? I don't know about it.

Still, you can't argue with her effectiveness.

Comments

  1. (IC)

    Happy to see you found a new home and capsuleer community to be by your side.

    I will only suggest that you should try and not underestimate Mr. Sepphiros and Sapphire Interstellar in general. The collective umbrella is just the start. We got other projects in developing. Knowing what I know makes me feel very optimistic, and more on this will follow with time.

    We are not aiming to reach some grand fame, but we do our job to make an impact in the galaxy.

    That said, Signal Cartel are a good place for you and your exploration activities. We are very happy seeing what they do. Best of luck!

    ReplyDelete

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