This is ... strange and elegant. Great words to start by in these ... memory imprints. This personal memory storage device simply stores your thoughts, visual memory and feelings associated with those remembrances you carry. It's.. a unique piece of technology. All because of the interfacing we all have here. And I believe with certain levels of trust among the Technocracy, some even share the thoughts within the mainframe. I can't really believe that eventually my path and destiny reached to this place. But I believe it was inevitable?

I knew of them before. And despite my past allegiances, we never came across each other. My goals were others.. although I started initially on the same path, only to return back to it now. Heh.. I even remember the old days from the Order Cell I operated. With good old Aubrey. We dreamt to make a difference.. to inspire others and try to find a common ground for co-existence with the Aliens.

As I was inducted and integrated in the Technocracy, I ran across the name "Golanski". It seems.. it's still a very hated name. Perhaps this was one criterium for me to be looked upon and found by Leviathan. At least we both opposed Golanski at some time during our lives. Or two in his case.

Speaking of which... Leviathan reminds me of Aubrey in some extent. He has a natural way of ... being around his peers that is inspiring and making you follow him to the depths of hell. Someone that I can respect in that regard. After all... he managed to found my recluse and give me purpose once more. For a machine man.. he was more kind than other organics I've ever met.

A feeling of dread and anxiety would manifest in the memory imprint.

It felt I spent decades inside the "Artificial Paradise" I made. I lived there with familiar faces. Even.. with Ashley. But I always knew inside my mind that it all happened because I made it be like that. I lived.. a blissful lie. Leviathan took me out from my slow withering and gave me again a new chance to achieve and do what I always wanted to do. To make this existence a better place through advancement of mankind's condition. And the Technocracy delivered.

I am thankful.

I've learned better to use this memory storage tool that was given by Leviathan to keep records as he said... "My worst dreams and the best nightmares." I know what that meant. Another grand gift that was given to me by the Technocracy was a state of the art research ship. Terminus.

It's an old name that still has meaning for me. It was supposedly given to a similar ship, but with a different crew. The purpose was the same. To reach the ends of the unknown. Whatever that meant really, but it was more of a philosophical approach of the research I did years back. Everything is different but yet familiar around this vessel. Even the crew. A mix of Auxesians and some of my own that found refuge here eventually, on Valravn. I was on the bridge, exploring these people's studies about all intriguing space phenomena that they've noticed. The Earhart phenomena is on top of everything. I believe to some extent.. my hunches and algorithms that deducted my theories were not far off. There are certain powers that govern our Sector which are beyond our comprehension yet. Beyond for many. The Technocracy has some deeper levels of understanding. It's an absolute fascination.

As I stood on the bridge looking through the files, I was announced that I'd had a guest onboard that would be a nice surprise. And it was. The doors opened and right after a moment, a familiar voice came addressing to me. Just as cocky as I knew her.

"Still thrilled about odd looking jump holes, Doc?"

I took a moment and chuckled to myself turning with my chair only to see Mercy Taylor. She used to work with me and Aubrey years back as an intelligence officer. A resourceful woman. And a friend. I got up and greeted her like we knew each other for a lifetime.

"Old habits die hard I believe."

"And stubborn men." She chuckled and looked around the vessel. "I see your taste in ships didn't fade Dave. Now with an extra purple glitter on top."

I took a moment of silence only smiling as distracted as I was in reality. "Yes.. it's more than what we had back in our former Order cell."

She nodded."Oh don't get me wrong chief, these Auxesians know their nick for tech. And the resources they got, initially I thought it was you and Jack all over again just... slapped some new paint."

"What made you think it wasn't us in the end? The color?"

"Nah.. some of the Core vessels and old refitted tech that I've seen here and there."

"What you've been up to lately, Mercy?"

"Me? You tell me! You simply vanished out of the thin air for years while most of us scattered and broke apart..."[/i] Her tone turned a bit more serious and rather acid. And with good reason. I left them for my own goals and as Leviathan said.. "Worst dreams."

I looked at her in a long thoughtful pause as her expression softened up. Before she could say something I added: "I... am sorry.. I didn't know better at the time. I thought I'd.. make a breakthrough but instead.. I made a prison for myself."

"I.. don't mean to criticize you. We all worked for you and Jack after all. When he got killed.. you were the only thing left to look up to. A scientist out of all things." She smirked again as her tone turned to be again more jokingly. "It's just.. well.. we did had our protocols to follow.. but without a single mind to drive us.. we divided. Some became mercs.. some changed identities and vanished.. and some like me and the crew you got around this vessel... hoped for the best and stuck around."

Her words were sincere and what I only had to do was... just to agree with her. I had no answer. Even my "sorry" felt pathetic and useless because in reality, I couldn't change the choices I made. And those choices had consequences that I only had to accept.

"But here I am chief. I'm ready to work for you again if.. you'd want an old timer like me."

I smiled briefly and nodded as I sit down on my chair, rotating it facing the main overview to the outer space from the bridge. I opened up through the haptic interface a holographic display with various data.

"Then you will have an initial task. I want you to help me gather resources and funds for the Technocracy. They are a resourceful and well established organization already, but having something extra won't hurt. I'd want you to establish a front of a trading company. Preferably as neutral as it can get. So moving around territory won't be an issue. I have a list of potential leads and dossiers for whom to pick.. but I'd advise you to look out for our old contact, Xander Cromwell. If he still operates."

"You think he'd work with us again after we "terminated" his contract and assets last time?"

"First, that was years ago. Second, it was his fault he was not thorough enough with his personnel and that they leaked crucial data to our operations. This time.. you will be in charge of his operations. To give him an incentive, tell him he will receive 100.000 credits to setup all the legal arrangement and obtain a freighter. He will have to grind his way as we will funnel him funds once in a while until he'll have a well established trading network, to help the Technocracy receive their resources."

She smirked for a while nodding."Something tells me you had this planned for a while. Old habits die hard?"

"Just as stubborn men."

She chuckled it off on her way to the docking area. She was quickly headed somewhere into Liberty space before she vanished.

Just like old times.