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From humbled beginnings to a wretched living. - Printable Version

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From humbled beginnings to a wretched living. - D.Q - 09-03-2013

If you are going through Hell,
Keep going.
Sir Winston Churchill



Prologue:

Things weren't always this hectic, usually the calm before the storm is a time for one to brace themselves for the oncoming downpour. Not in this case, the calm was an entanglement of lies and deceit mixed with despair and worry while the the demons within pulled and twisted what little soul was left in this young man.

Dafa was a bright kid in his early years. Was average in school, average in sports, average in just about everything he did. This was the case through from pre-school to college, he even passed with merit on astrophysics after taking a keen interest in exploring the final frontier. Opportunities for a kid from Houston wasn't something to be excited about, as many graduates rarely left their home cities let alone the planet itself. But Dafa was one with aspirations and sought the means to leave his home planet to fulfil his desire to explore the universe.

During a presentation in one of his lectures, an old Junker was a guest speaker and spoke of the adventures in the Sigmas. Something about this elderly space farer intrigued Dafa and so this brought him before this seasoned traveller. The two relate very well, and discussions turn about the possibility of making a Junker out of Dafa. The Junker leaves the young man with the contact details of a local Junker station in the system and encourages him to find the means to set his sights on the nebula's of the Sigmas.

Weeks later, after several failed attempts at getting a ticket off the planet, Dafa found a Junker pilot at the main space port willing to give him a lift for a small fee. With this, Dafa's life changes from innocent to treacherous; The calm before the storm.

RE: From humbled beginnings to a wretched living. - D.Q - 09-03-2013

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.
Sir Winston Churchill



Chapter I: Finding the junk in Junkers

Beaumont was a funny place, somehow hidden off the radar but yet busier than most space ports back on Dallas. This place oozed with redundant miners, crooked traders and colourful criminals. It certainly wasn't a place to leave anything unattended as Dafa was too find out in his first moments on a Junker installation.

He placed his carry-all down at his feet as he entered the bar and looked away for a fleeting second to ask a disgruntled bartender directions to the Sigmas, only to get a condescending smirk and the quick disappearance of his only belongings. There one minute, gone the next. He quickly glanced around in panic when he realize he's left with the clothes on his back and the boots on his feet, upon which a burly man with scraggly facial hair then challenged him for them. Dafa was baffled; he'd never been on the wrong side of anyone, let alone on the wrong side of a greedy Liberty Rogue. Hell, he didn't know what a Rogue was until two minutes after he regained conciousness in Beaumonts medical bay in only his pants and his singlet. His jacket, wallet, boots and watch all taken and gone. A stabbing pain ricocheted through his head and he felt swelling near his left eye.
"Some kind of shiner you got there kid, you better learn to look after yourself or you'll end up cast into space with all the other corpses." the Junker medic murmured.

The medic sent him into the infirmary to recover some more and found Dafa a pair of worn shoes and blood and oil stained parker. Upon his return, Dafa was feeling a little more alert and questioned the medic about what this was about, and how could he get to the Sigma's. The medic laughed at him, and told him he had a snowballs chance in hell making it out of Beaumont alive, let alone able to survive the harsh realities of deep space. Determined not too let this slow him down, he thanked the medic and made his way back to the bar to find more clues on how to get by and not get killed.

The bar was as he remembered it moments before his undue snooze via Rogue; smoky, stale and stagnant. And still filled with deviants and bullies, villainy and smut. He made his way to the counter and saw out of the corner of his eye the very Rogue that sent him sprawling to the floor the first time he visited here. A chill ran down his spine as the Rogue points and laughs, obviously finding amusement in Dafas new facial configuration. Determined not to show weakness this time around, he orders two shots of the hardest stuff available and throws them back like he's used to it. Unfortunately for him, he isn't and it makes him gag to which he almost spits it out. The bartender laughs at him and he hears a roar of the belligerently drunk Rogue laughing at him. Pissed off, Dafa flips him the bird over his shoulder and instantly regrets it as the laughter stops all around the bar. The bartender looks worried for a second and the scurries off to deal with a far more important matter than caring for Dafa's well being.

Dafa can hear the Rogue push his seat back and stumble up, then placing a heavy foot in front of the other as he heads towards where Dafa is sitting. As the cluster of people around him start to move off, all Dafa can think about is his shiny new bruise that's keeping his left eye closed, and how hard it will be to see when his right eye meets the same fate. The patrons that were sitting next to him have now vacated and left behind a half filled 40oz bottle of some potent alcohol, and as the footsteps got closer, Dafa started to think about his future. As the Rogue placed his hand on Dafa's right shoulder, Dafa grabbed the bottle to his left, spun counter-clockwise and swung the bottle around, smashing the massive Rogue in the back of the head shattering the bottle into a jagged piece of glass in Dafa's hand. The Rogue was stunned temporarily and the crowd in the bar took a gasp of disbelief. No one had expected the kid with nothing to lose to fight. Shocked at the success of his strike, he hesitated too long and the Rogue regained his composure. A smile broadened on his face as he took a step for Dafa, only to have that smile fade as Dafa reacted again and drove the broken bottle into his chest. Dafa was astounded and disbelieving of his will to fight, and how effective his attack was. The mass of Rogue slumped to his knees, slowly losing strength as the glass shard in his chest stains the Rogues shirt with blood quickly.

As the Rogue starts to lose conciousness and starts to drop to the floor, activity started buzzing in the bar. There were a mix of cheers and jeers, but reality soon came crashing down on Dafa as more Rogues from the table the galoof originated from stood up, looking to come to the aid of their beaten comrade. The bartender quickly grabbed Dafa by his arm and dragged him in to a back room. "Goddamn kid, you've gone and certainly signed your death warrant. That was one of Padua's finest you put down. I'll give you credit kid: You've got guts!" the bartender confessed "There's a ship heading to Yanagi Depot, in the Sigma systems. It's leaving in five minutes, get your ass in to gear and find that ship before it leaves and these goons get you!"

With a shove out a back door and hurried instructions on what ship and where the docking bay was, Dafa was again plunged into the unknown. Will this get any easier? he wonders to himself as he makes his escape.

RE: From humbled beginnings to a wretched living. - D.Q - 09-04-2013

Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.
Sir Winston Churchill


Chapter II: Yanagi's gem

The trip from Texas, Liberty, to Yanagi Depot in the Sigma-13 system is not a short trip by any standards. While getting to know each other, Dafa and the Junker pilot of the Genuine.Miner discovered they had a lot in common. Both were students on Houston and had average upbringings and each fellow had a hard start to their new lives. Though it would be safe to say that the Junker hadn't killed any Rogues, and wasn't terribly wanted for anything in particular.

They arrived at Yanagi and Dafa was in awe of the gas nebula's. He had only ever read about them back at school and was taken aback by the sheer density and level of profit that the locals were able to make here despite the hostile environment. Explosive gas pockets, mine fields, unstable warship wreckages and worst of all, pirates. But one thing was for certain: There were no Rogues here.

The first thing Dafa did once he disembarked from the Genuine.Miner was report in and find accommodation. That was easier said than done, there was no vacancies and worse yet, there was a waiting list for the next room thirty people long. Luckily for Dafa, he had no need to store his gear, only the worn shoes and filthy parker he was given were his only possessions. "Take a ticket, and find hallway space till we have a room for you" the orderly instructed him. 'So much for being a Junker' he thought to himself, 'there is no glory here'. With that he discovered a hardly walked corridor and a small crevice underneath a warm pipe that lead who knows where. He got himself comfortable and settled himself in for a quick nap.

He was awoken some forty minutes later by a kick from what appeared to be a tall Hispanic man, a mouth piece covering his lower jaw. "You, get the hell out of my sleeping spot, ya heathen!" Fearing another confrontation, he got himself up and apologized for his intrusion. He made his way back down the corridor and saw a station map. 'DOCKING BAY' was imprinted in bold letters to the left of the map, so Dafa made his way down to the landing deck. He arrived and his jaw dropped. There were a collection of ships he'd never seen before. They were low profiled and in a DPM colour scheme, and looked like a bomber but smaller. He'd seen pictures of the Havoc, and seen the occasional Guardian, but nothing ever looked like this. He spotted a mechanic on the floor, and he called out and asked if there would be a problem is he was able to go and take a closer look at those spacecraft that caught his attention. The mechanic was one of the friendlier folk this station had to offer, and so waved Dafa down with a warm smile and a beaconing gesture.

After fifteen minutes of getting lost, Dafa finally made it to the landing deck and was greeted by the friendly mechanic. "Jynx the name is" the mechanic introduced himself, "I'm the head mechanic around here currently. I see you like these Bulldogs?" Dafa was beside himself, not only was he being spoken to in a friendly manner, he also wasn't again fighting for his life and better yet, getting close and personal with what would appear to be his new favourite ship. "Yes sir! I think these machines are amazing!" Dafa replied in earnest.
Jynx laughed heartily and queried "You haven't been in space long, have you? How long you been here on Yanagi? You're a new face, can't say you've been here longer than a day." Dafa was a little anxious, but replied in a not quite so confident voice "No sir, not been here more than an hour. Still trying to find a safe place to sleep. Uncannily, I haven't any gear to stow as it's already been pinched. I had some nice clothes before some baffoon on Beaumont mugged me like a Gypsy. And unfortunately, it just gets worse from there..."

Jynx just laughed, and he opened his arms wide open. "Welcome to space my friend, where only the tough survive and the dumb make do. I take it you're in need of a job then, kiddo?" Dafa's face lit up, finally a break from what seemed like a bleak and short future ahead of him. He readily agrees with out knowing what his job is, but at this point in time, Dafa hasn't any other choice. No home, no job and no possessions.

The landing bay deals with all sorts of ship types landing, and all of them need some level of maintenance. Jynx was an old and skilled mechanic, but he wasn't trained to do the jobs of three people. Dafa's inclusion on the roster was not only a good thing for Dafa's new career, but for the old timer himself as well.

Weeks went by, and Dafa got acquainted with his new life with only a few hiccups. One hard lesson learned on Beaumont saved his bacon many a time in Yanagi's mess area. Corsairs, Outcasts and other pirates, radicalists and terrorists all making a stop and a quick drink before carrying on their miserable lives. Most of the time they come into the bar looking for a fight, and quite often the Junker guards were quick to dispel any undue behaviour. One thing he did learn was to not back down, keep his back to the wall and if things looked like it was going out of control, he simply tell them he'd sabotage their ships. No one wants to lose oxygen a million miles from the nearest base. Dafa eventually got given his own bed, shared with other lower class workers on board the station. Home sweet home, and not a thing more.

It started to look promising for Dafa until the the Kusari Navy decided to pay undue attention in the Sigmas.

RE: From humbled beginnings to a wretched living. - D.Q - 09-04-2013

Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential.
Sir Winston Churchill



Chapter III: A Chink in the chain

It had been two months since Dafa first landed on Yanagi, and he had settled in rather well. Is room mates weren't top notch, but they weren't scum of the universe either. Dafa had done well to get promoted from lackey to Jynx' personal assistant. He had grown quite familiar with the Bulldog, and had fallen in love with the vessels every detail. He still didn't understand how things ran, but he sure knew how to bolt on accessories and knew what would and wouldn't work. He had fast grown a reputation with many veteran pilots in the area for his tenacity in doing the best work he could and his perseverance on some of the hard jobs had earned him the nickname 'Trier'.

On another uneventful week, news came in of a large contingent of refugees due to make berth within hours. The station prepared itself for the liners and Dafa was excited to be working on a Pilgrim. He had heard rumours of these large vessels, and was eager to take his first tour through one. An alert came across the stations intercom system informing the stations inhabitants that the liners will be arriving within the hour and the hive of activity increased as those not yet ready made sure they were. Mechanics, caterers, traders and medical staff were rushing themselves all over the place as Dafa was sent to the top mooring point to prepare to accept and replenish fuel and ammunition on board the behemoth vessels. He climbed the stairwell to the mooring point and was preparing the final tasks when alarms went off, so loud that it frightened Dafa off his seat and into a sprawl of fuel hoses and containers of energy cells. He got up quickly and composed himself, and started to panic. What the hell is going on? he worriedly thought to himself as he listened intently for instructions on from the speaker in his area.

"ALERT!!! All station personnel prepare for an attack! Go to your stations and prepare for casualties!"

Dafa had never heard this alarm before and it scared him, he thought to himself about how if this station blew up he wouldn't even know where the life pods are. He gathered his gear and continued to finish his task before heading back to the landing bay.

Dafa stumbles into his station at the landing bay, his disoriented look and tremors give away is he worried and can't begin to make sense of the situation. "The Kusari Navy have launched an attack on the incoming liners, battleships on passenger vessels. Those Chinks have always had it in for us, and now is no exception. Get your head straight and prepare the fighters, NOW!" instructed the veteran mechanic. He had been in these situations before and Dafa was lucky that Jynx knew how to remain firm but calm in these situations. A lesson that Dafa would take away with him that day. Dafa began his routine starting of vessels ready for their pilots, and on cue the pilots came racing out into the landing bay. Sheepishly, Dafa wished one pilot good luck and in return got spat at. No glory for mechanics in a time of war.

The battle lasted a mere 30 minutes, and in that time thousands of innocent lives were lost as well as many hard working Junker pilots who vehemently defended their ailing brethren. Many pilots went out, but very few came home and those that did were not the same people they were before. Injuries, stress and fatigue wore thick on the men and women who made it back to base and the once shiny spacecraft Dafa tenderly looked after were covered in all sorts of fluids, scars and with various parts missing. One Recycler barely made it home and as it rested on the deck, Jynx raced to tend to the stricken craft. Dafa could only watch in horror as the damaged Junker craft rested on its landing gear and abrubtely burst into flames. The fireball engulfed the craft and Jynx, the heat so strong it burnt Dafa's face as well as other personnel in the area fairly badly. The docking bay alarms went off and the area was isolated. No way in, no way out. Dafa, delirious and panicking ran to the medical stall and grabbed an oxygen kit. The stations fire protection systems lock and deprive the cordoned section of stations of air to contain and control the fires. Dafa grabbed the mask and put it over his face, the burned skin numb as adrenaline and the damaged nerves prevented the immediate reaction to being pressed on by the mask. Dafa could barely keep his eyes open as the smoke, toxic fumes and heat stung like needles. He looked around in despair, trying to find Jynx but the source of the heat was unbearable to gaze upon. The last thing Dafa remembers is a wave of panic as he realizes his mentor and only friend is now long dead and gone.

RE: From humbled beginnings to a wretched living. - D.Q - 09-05-2013

Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end.
But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.
Sir Winston Churchill


Chapter IV: Ghost in a shell

The faint sound of voices found its way to Dafa's conciousness, he could hear them but they were so far away. He couldn't move, he couldn't open his eyes and worse yet he couldn't speak, he couldn't call out to the voices. He tried desperately find a way to get them to see he was there but they soon disappeared again. Again, it was dark.

Dafa woke up abruptly, a searing pain across his face as soon as he opened his eyes. His face and hands were bandaged and he was having trouble breathing and everything was hazy. He was in his bed, alone and the silence in his room was deafening so he looked around best he could to see if anyone else was around but struggled to even move. He couldn't open his mouth as it was tightly bandaged up and a tube was down his throat, he panicked when he realized his situation and started uncontrollably coughing. His room door burst open and a nurse came rushing in, trying to calm Dafa down as another nurse comes in to assist. They remove his tracheal tube and offer him some water in a sipper bottle pressed to his lips and he stops coughing long enough to take a small sip, easing the horrid discomfort he has in his throat. The nurses start talking to him, asking questions and checking his responses. At one point, one nurse knocks his hand and it shoots an agonizing pain up his arm. He yells out in pain and gives the nurse a fright upon which she chuckles and says something in another language. He asks them what happened, if Jynx is alright and how long is he going to be bandaged up for. The both shrugged at each other, finished their duties and promptly left again as a doctor enters the room.

The doctor introduces himself and tells Dafa that everything will be alright. He explains what happened and the injuries he had suffered, and that it's going to take some time to heal, he certainly wouldn't be a mechanic for a few weeks yet. Dafa was then told about Jynx, and that he died instantly when the Recycler blew up. There was no hope for him, let alone any pieces of him. The doctor called in one of the nurses and they started changing Dafa's dressings, taking each bandage off with great care. The extent of Dafas injuries got more and more apparent as each layer of bandaging that came off got more and more stuck to the next layer, stained in a rich scarlet colouring. When all bandages were painstakingly removed, Dafa was given the option of examining his facial wounds through a mirror. He took the chance right away but instantly regretted it as his face was completely raw, with very little of his facial features remaining and the sight mortified him. He was not the boy he was any more. The doctor apologizes and explains he must go and that the nurses will dress his wounds again. Dafa feels empty and despondent, and slumps back into his bed and allows the nurses to finish their task.