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Ripcord. - Printable Version

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Ripcord. - Marcus Lindberg - 10-04-2009

[Image: ripcordintro.jpg]

My name is James "Ripcord" Reed.

Today is my birthday, I'm thirty years old now.

Today is the longest day of my life.

For twelve years, I gave my life to this house. I was a pilot in the Navy. Two years ago I settled down with a woman named Amanda. One year ago she caught a disease. I don't know what it was, but I couldn't pay for her medication. The government wouldn't pay either.

Today, she passed away.

Today, I resigned from my position in the navy. I gave my life for these people, and they couldn't spend a couple of credits to save her.

Today, I'm going to begin my new life, by myself.

One day they'll regret she passed away.


Ripcord. - Marcus Lindberg - 10-04-2009

I just came back from the funeral. I sent my navy upholder flying straight into the sun. Made sure they won't find out what happened to their precious little bomber.

I set fire to my - I mean, our home.

I'm going to leave all this behind.

Douglas brought in my new ships. I always liked Douglas, he was the kind of guy who'd help out without a single thought whenever you asked him to. I always felt sorry that he didn't have a woman by his side, he was already 40. Today, I told him not to bother, its just worst when she goes away. Its unbearable.

I flew out of Liberty as soon as I could, I don't know where I'm going, I told the autopilot to take me to wherever. I don't know if I'm going to leave Liberty for good. I just hate the government. The people are different, most of them at least.

At least I'll never have to deal with Liberty Ale when all the other drinks are out.

I shouldn't have said that. It was Amanda's favorite, I don't know why she loved it so much, but she did.

Ripcord. - Marcus Lindberg - 10-05-2009

Gran Canaria. This is where the autopilot took me. A planet unscathed by Planetforms business. They would've ruined the planet anyways.

A few months ago, we were planning a vacation here. Amanda would've loved it, if she went. Then the war started. She was so excited. Now I'm just walking here through the street all by myself. The food is fresh here, I've never seen broccoli and spinach so green without food colouring. The people are kind and helpful, most of them at least. I almost wanna stay here, but I'd never be able to get my mind off her.

I nearly saw someone who looked just like her. I began to run towards her, as fast as I could, screaming "Amanda" in the middle of the streets, and then I remembered, she was gone, and she's never coming back. I looked around as confused people were deciding whether or not to call the ambulance to a crazy person away. I walked fast, out of there, embarrassed and depressed, wondering, Will I ever get over her?

Ripcord. - Marcus Lindberg - 10-06-2009

*A quiet, almost whispering, but raspy voice is heard*

"I finally got this voice log thing to work, after three days...I can't believe I wasted that much time on this thing. I don't even know why I have a voice log really, no ones gonna listen to it. Or maybe someone might find it if get shot...at least I won't have to type the crap anymore."

"Amanda had a voice log back in her Merc days. I guess I should mention that in case somebody finds this when I'm dead. She was a mercenary, for a pretty damn long time. She basically went into the business when she was 18, straight out of school. Her parents didn't want her to, hell, I wouldn't have let her myself..."

"We knew each other for years, she tagged along with us when we went rogue huntin' countless times. I always enjoyed it with her, we had a lot in common. She wasn't like most of the other women - civilians - who I went out with. She knew discipline. she could understand me and why I did the job I did. She wasn't in it for the money, the merc business I mean. She had enough to a lifetime by the time she was 24. She went in for the thrill. She wasn't without heart too. Too many people judge mercs that they can kill coldly, that's not true, not for her at least. She once got paid nearly 1.5 million to take out a rogue kid who pirated an idiot trader. She didn't go for it...she told the bastard to go f*** himself."

"How the hell am I ever gonna get over her...keep thinking about her. I just wish she were still here..."

"She gave up the merc business 2 years ago, that was when we officially met, when I found out her name. I was on leave, got my fighter, I was gonna go to vacation on Planet Baden Baden, before the war started of course. I missed my liner, so I had to go in my fighter. I was just on the trade lane from Planet Houston to the Bering jumpgate when I got a distress call. She was...screaming at the top of her lungs, constantly bursting into tears loudly, over and over again. I cut the lane and punched the cruise button. When I got there...3 gunboats. I couldn't believe my damn eyes, 3 hacker gunboats were on her tail. She was in her fighter, trying to run, but she couldn't. I dived straight in, she turned back and started fighting too, her ship wasn't in bad condition as I thought. We took down one of the gunboats, but we were exhausted. The other 2 gunboats were still there, we were out of bots and batts, our hull...was basically not there."

"But we survived."

"She was at her craft, just crying and crying...I didn't know what to say. I got on to my spacesuit, and opened the cockpit. I spacewalked all the way to her ship, knocked on her cockpit. She got into her spacesuit and got out. And then I just held her, tightly, and she stopped crying."

"She stopped putting her own life at risk for 'thrill' straight from then on. I'm glad she did, I got to spend a little more time with her..."

"We got married a year later...lots of people thought we were rushing, but I didn't care. A month later, we found out she had some kind of disease...it didn't affect her in anyway, but she'd die in a year. I don't know...I guess it made us stronger, but, I still miss her so much...instead of being able to talk to her, I'm talking to this stupid machine."

"I should've stopped all the Navy nonsense a year ago when we found out...I should've worked on getting her the meds. I just didn't have the money...she did, but she said she didn't want to use it. She said other people needed it more than her...I should've convinced her not to donate all that...I should've found a way to get the money myself if the government wouldn't pay...The government could've payed..."

Ripcord. - Marcus Lindberg - 10-07-2009

"I read Amanda's will today. All the money she made over the years...its going to a charity. I guess that's what she meant when she said other people needed the money more than she did."

"So why'd I become a merc...I dunno. I never really thought about it."

"Maybe it was because Amanda was one."

"Maybe it was because I couldn't turn my back on my squadron I fought with over the years. I hate the government...but not enough to turn my back on Wade, Gordon, Ryder, Chelsea, and a helluva a lot of others"

"I flew with them for years. Hell, I couldn't have become a damn officer in the Navy without them. In fact...I don't think I've ever been alone in a fight. I owe them everything."

"They didn't like the how the government refused to pay for Amanda's meds, they knew her just as well as I did. But I couldn't force them to leave like me. I didn't even tell them. I just...left."

"I don't know how they'll take it, I just hope they know why I did what I did. Liberty's just no longer the place I thought it used to be. I wish it were different. I wish it was worth something fighting for."

"But its not."

"Now all I've got is this ship I'm in. First time flying it. I don't know if its better or not, I haven't gone into combat with it yet. I'm trying get my hands on some CODE's for the moment. The guy who's getting one for me said they were somewhere in Gallia. He's getting them for me, and I'm spending every last bit of money I have on those weapons, so they better be useful when I take down some idiots...the money better be worth it."

Ripcord. - n00bl3t - 11-29-2009

"A lot of time has passed.

My skills have dulled. The codes have been equipped on my ship for a while now, but business is only so-so. Just enough money to get by. But I'm just taking the easy jobs. Basic house-keeping. No big wigs. Keeps me alive, I don't know why though. I'm just living to fight, so why am I fighting to live?

I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel. I'm not even sure I'm in the tunnel. If I am, I sure as hell ain't moving forward.

I had a dream last night. Amanda talked to me. She talked of how things had to change. How I was wasting my life. I woke up in a cold sweat and turned to tell her about the dream, but...

I need to think some more.

Either way, I'm up for a big mission. One that will cover fuel to further places than this place with the maskers. I need to get in touch with some contacts, even thought I'm not too sure why.

Perhaps it's because of Amanda's message, or I'm just plain crazy. We'll find out soon enough."

Ripcord. - n00bl3t - 04-06-2010

"The big mission hasn't come yet, but it's starting look less like a pipe dream. I'm moving forward in the tunnel. I can tell that, even though there's no light at the end.

I pulled all my resources and rattled every contact I know. Results happened. I had an assassin try and kill me in space the other day. Back when my skills were sharper, it would have been no contest. I would have wasted him in no time at all. Now, it almost ended up with me getting rapidly decompressed. So close. Too close. Which is why I have been practising, and it's been paying off.

Anyway, when someone tries and kills you, it means you're on the right track. Someone wants to stop me. It just means I'm gonna' keep going.

I'm on this Freeport, fixing up my fighter, and relaxing my muscles before the next bit.

Some guy says he knows someone that may be able to help me. Not much information on him. Could be a trap. We'll see whether my months have paid off. Hopefully, my skills don't need to get put to the test, but if they do, with all the practice I've had, I will come out on top."