Discovery Gaming Community

Peter Golder
~The Backslider~

ALNEAInterrogation room five was almost empty apart from the metal table, the video player, the recorder and the two men discussing. One of them was sitting while the other was walking around him, asking questions. At some point, the man that was standing stops, and goes to the video player.

- You didn't do it? Really now? Then how do you explain this?

The suspect watches the video. He sees himself storming his way into his apartment and...

[font=agency fb]*Video surveillance file #25234|[color=#33FF33]PLAY*

- It all starts here! Who the hell do they think they are? How can they fire people for not passing that pathetic medical exam? God damn it! I swear that Gateway will pay for this crap! And they even took my ship! What will I do now? Those pathetic compensatory salaries won't last for two months with the prices we have these days. What then? No, no, no, this isn't happening! But it did happen... all right , all right, time to find another way but first, I need some sleeping pills or something. Or better, I had that synth Mary... Yes, that's better, so fracking better. Time to make plans. First of all, gateway needs to burn in hell and I'll make sure of it. Where did I put those bottles...

The suspect takes a few empty bottles and goes to his garage. He uses a hose to extract fuel of his car and starts pouring it in the bottle, at the end, he covers the bottle neck with a cloth and goes to the next bottle. He repeats the process until there're no empty bottles left. The suspect now has six incendiary cocktails. He puts them in a backpack

- Now I'm ready, now they can pay but first, first I need to drink... this shnit made me want to drink something. I still have beer inside.

He goes back inside and looks in the fridge. No beer.

- Frack! Where's the fracking beer? I need beer and... and scotch!

The suspect takes the backpack with incendiary bottles and gets out of his apartment

[font=agency fb]*Video surveillance file #25234|PAUSE*

The cop freezes the screen.

- What? Are you going to accuse me of using synth MJ? Is this all about some stupid MJ? You got to be kidding. Alright, I used MJ, give me the fine and let me go!
- You're done, boy.
- Frack you! I didn't do anything... apart from smoking some synth...
- I don't understand if you're playing stupid or you really are one. Let me show you another one. This one is from a surveillance camera just outside the store you decided to rob. Take a look.

Another video starts playing on the player. The suspect walks into the store. Two flashes can be seen and seconds later, he comes out with a bottle of scotch in one hand, a shotgun in the other.

[color=#FFFF99][font=agency fb]

*Video surveillance file #6542567|[color=#33FF33]PLAY*

- Stupid seller didn't know I served in the army! I know how to handle an armed opponent... Frack you, sucker! Now you'll bleed till you fracking die! Oh frack... if that moron dies, it will mean I killed him... ah, shnit! What do I do? Call some medic... I don't know his number... It's 346-4 or 344-63... FRACK! Stupid doctor... I can call the emergency service.
The suspect uses his phone to call the emergency service and asks for a medical unit, then he throws his phone away. Then he walks out of the frame.
[font=agency fb]

*Video surveillance file #6542567|PAUSE*

The cop pauses the video player.

- Fortunately for you, piece of shnit, the shop worker survived so I can't accuse you of murder but you did devastated the place and stole the booze.
- I wasn't on the planet that day.
- Amazing... now, the cherry on top of everything. This one is from inside the, now burned, Gateway building.

[color=#FFFF99][font=agency fb]

*Video surveillance file #9325|[color=#33FF33]PLAY*

The video starts with an incendiary bottle flying in the frame , hitting a desk and exploding. The suspect, then, enters the frame and fires his shotgun at a Neural Net terminal, turning it into pieces. He fires again at a work station, destroying it completely. After that, he throws the shotgun and lights another bottle, throwing it outside the frame. The flash made by the explosion is visible. He then takes the stairs to a different level and the video shows another file.
[font=agency fb]

*Video surveillance file #9329|PLAY*

- Where's that regional director? Screw you, moron! Frack this!
[color=#000000]The suspect throws his all the remaining bottles towards the empty bureau of the "Regional Director of Planetary Docks" burning the place down. Then he runs back on the stairs.
[font=agency fb]

*Video surveillance file #9329|PAUSE*

- Heh, the guy did a great job in that video.
- Oh, right, that's not you... sure. All right pest, get up on your feet. You're going to prison and I bet that you'll make friends there with that body of yours... Let's go!

The two leave the room, leaving it emptier than before. The video player shows the image of a fire burning and the recorder that was useless this time lays around, waiting for the next criminal that's willing to cooperate.
[color=transparent]ALNEAThis was happening three years ago. Peter Golder, the suspect, served his time and returned to the free world but he didn't find freedom. The once mighty Bretonian Kingdom is now attacked from all sides and its enemies seem to be unbeatable. The newest opponent is the strongest so far. Kingdom of Gallia is attacking from the norther systems; the various molly groups have yet again unite under one banner and are claiming the independence of Dublin; the Corsairs are causing major problems in the southern systems and tons of other war profiteers are being a problem for Bretonia.
ALNEABeing out of prison wasn't necessary a good thing for Peter. No job, his last money were taken by the authorities as reparations for Gateway and he also lost his apartment so... no home. No family, no friends, no chance to survive. Still, he knew what to do; he learned a few things in prison. Things like, who has money, how to get them and how to disappear fast.
ALNEAHis target was a 86 years old man, a noble of some sorts. Money, a ship to get off the planet and even a hostage as a trade coin in case he gets caught; all these could be found in a not to well guarded complex. Video surveillance was easy to bypass, the guard dogs, easy to fool around and the alarm system, turned off for maintenance, maintenance called by our criminal...

- Greetings, Bryce residence, how may I help you?
- Good evening, miss. My name is Peter Golder, from Shelter Security Systems. May I speak with sir Bryce?
- I'm sorry, my father is not feeling too well. Can I help you instead?
- Oh... this is... there could be an error in our security system. The system installed at your residence is giving us some false readings. To solve this fast, we will send an agent but it would work way faster if could turn it off now. When our man gets there he will fix the errors and turn it back on. Can you do that, miss... ?
- Helen Bryce. Yes, I can do that. How long will it take to your agent to get here?
- He's already on his way, miss Bryce.
- Alright then, I'll be waiting for him.
- One more thing. Please inform your guards. Last time we had some problems at the gate of another residence.
- Ah, it's all right, we have no guards. I'll be the one to open the gates. I'm doing everything in this house.
- I see. Thank you, miss Bryce and we apologize for this inconvenience.

ALNEAFrom there, it was easy. Unfortunately, the old man died of heart attack just before Golder got there and of course, this would be on him if he would get caught but he's already gone on board of a civilian bomber, with the details of Bryce's bank accounts and with his daughter as a hostage.

~The Generous~

ALNEAGolder was long gone from Leeds' surface when the police found out about Bryce's death. The Roc was speeding to the Newcastle system, to Belfast. Still having the identification of Bryce's ship active, Peter decided to avoid the jump gates.

- Why did you kidnap me?
- Don't worry. I'll set you free before I dock at Belfast.
- What's the point? My father is dead now. I have no place to go to.
- I hope you're kidding. You have a huge house. Sell it, make some money, get yourself hired if you can find anything and work for a living.
- You think I'm one of those spoiled brats, don't you? Well, I'm not. I only discovered I was his daughter four months ago.
- Wha'? This sounds interesting. Let's hear the whole story.
- Why do you care?
- I might keep you so we can share the money I got from your dead father... may his soul rest in peace.
- You're such a cold heart...
- Thank you, you're sweet.
- I was raised in a normal family. My mother was working on a liner as bartender. She was never at home with me. I didn't have a father back then. One day, there's this BBC Breaking News on the net. The liner where my mother was working got blown up by Corsairs in the Omegas. All the crew, all the passengers, everyone died in the blast. No escape pod, no time to react. Imagine over one thousand people dead in a second...
- Yeah, I remember that one. Saw it on the news. It was a total mess.
- ... yes. I was still at the University back then. Public Administration and Human Relations was my field. I had to quit because I had no money left, also, I lost the apartment that my mother had on the planet. I found myself a job at a local store. I rented a room at a motel and since then I lived like that. One day, a guy in a nice suit comes to me and shows me a bunch of official papers, birth certificates and all that. Looks like my father found out about me and he wanted to see me. I bring bad luck to everyone in my family. They all die!
- Maybe they just pay the price for what they did in the past. Did you find out why did they break up?
- No.
- That sucks. Fear not, I got food... who has a fridge in a bomber anyways?
- I do. This is my ship.
- I can see why it has pink seats now. Did I see a smile on that face?
- No...
- So, do you want to stay with me and spend these money or do I drop you to the next ship we meet?
- So, you won't kill me?
- Why would I want to kill anybody? This is not how things are done... well, unless you decide to attack me.
- Fine but what's the general plan? You do have a plan, don't you?
- Yes, I have but you'll hear it a bit later. So you're coming with me.

ALNEAAfter jumping to Newcastle they had to change the IFF of their ship so that the mollies on Belfast won't open fire. When they got there, they were two freelancers that were willing to work for the mollies. The mollies checked Peter's name in their database and learned about his conviction. They never asked questions after that. He was one of theirs.

Mao

Mao