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Jethro's Journal - eyvind - 11-26-2009 Liberty blood, through and through. That's what I am. My forefathers were on the Liberty sleeper. The mother and father of the great Woods family were married in Sol; they were selected for the trip to Sirius the day of their wedding. Leading figures in their respective fields -- astrophysical engineering and architecture -- they lay, along with every other original citizen of Liberty, the foundation this great House has risen from. This heritage has been carried with the family since then. The Woods family owned one of the companies that was part of the big industrial merge that resulted in today's Deep Space Engineering. The Woods family designed one of the first commercially available planetary shuttle-craft on Manhattan. Over time, the Woods family spread into the Liberty government, law enforcement, and most of what is today some of the largest corporations in Sirius. It has grown into a very large family, but no one in the Woods family has earned much public acclaim, at least not enough for the history books, and none today hold positions of any significant influence or power. No mayors, CEOs, or generals. There has, however, always been a clear nucleus. A subsidiary of Ageira Technologies develops and manufactures the mission terminals available on most every base in Liberty. They are largely taken for granted these days, and they aren't by any means any marvelous piece of technology. Behind them, however, is a family of brilliance and ingenuity: the figure-heads of the Woods family. The patriarch of this figure-head branch of the Woods had a brother and that brother has a son. Me. My father was a biologist. He worked tirelessly with Cryer contracts, doing all manner of medical research. He had a tough working life, but was paid well. Well enough that my mother had all the time in the world for me and my sister, and we had all the comforts of your average upper-middle class family on Planet Erie. My father had moved to Erie from Manhattan with the hopes of getting a good deal on land to build a research lab. He struck gold and soon had a successful lab, cranking out science. It was, unfortunately, successful enough that he was accused of all kinds of things by the hard-line Zoners of the planet. He was accused of accepting massive subsidies from the Liberty government. He was accused of using contacts in the Liberty Navy stationed in Pennsylvania for his own benefit. He was even accused of using the lab as an undercover staging area for LSF operations on the planet. One morning there was an explosion, an accident they called it. Since then, my mother has worked three jobs to pay the rent of our small apartment on the poor side of town. Typical of the Woods legacy, don't you think? I saw an advertisement yesterday, Deep Space Engineering looking for hands and minds. I might as well put my degrees to good use. No one will hire me here on this forsaken planet, anyway. Jethro's Journal - eyvind - 11-26-2009 Chapter One: A Taste of Space I found a good deal on a ship today. All I had left of any real value since my father was alive were my hover boards. They're all I really had, and they sure have given me some great times. Why do I have more than one? Well, they're actually mounted together in an ugly contraption. It doesn't look like much -- it's supposed to look like a fighter ship -- but it can pick up some speed. Anyway, sold that for some credits, bought a Starflier. At least it's space-worthy. I invested in some heavier weaponry. I've heard some nasty stories and don't want to take any chances. I realized too late, however, that it left me without enough credits to upgrade the shield, or even fully stock up on counter measures! I hope I won't meet too many Rogues. Hope they don't have any missiles. Jethro's Journal - eyvind - 11-26-2009 Chapter Two: The Big Apple Space is a big place, and I got a good look at it today. First I was blinded by the sun in Erie, though; I almost flew into a ship in orbit. They really should put some sort of sun shade in front of the planet, it would probably cut down on traffic accidents. I'm sure there are plenty accidents above Planet Erie. I was glad to find that I was not the only one seeking the fruits (paste?) of Deep Space Engineering. In orbit above Planet Erie, I met what may be my first colleague in DSE; once we are accepted, of course. In retrospect, I think I'm glad I didn't have to fly all this way alone. We soon took off together, through the trade lane -- far more exhilarating than I imagined -- to Philadelphia Station. There wasn't much activity, but I think that was for the better considering my extensive experience as a pilot. We took another trade lane to the New York jump gate. My mind was blown on the trip into New York, it was blown far out. Things soon changed once we got to New York, however. The place we found ourselves in was dark, dark, and dark. Not like space-dark, but dark-dark. I expected a head with snakes for hair to leap out at us at any moment. We didn't see a head with snake-hair, but as we left the cloud we were assaulted by a Rogue. My first combat, that was. It was exciting, to say the least. I was even paid by the Navy people at West Point for handing over the dirtbag on our way to Manhattan. I used the money to buy a better shield. Good thing I did, too. We took care of those Rogues, though it was a close call for Robert. He was clipped by a missile. Fortunately, we were nearly at Manhattan, and boy is that a magnificent planet! We took a moment to admire it as it loomed ahead. It was a breathtaking experience, marred only by a sticky situation between a police officer and a Junker. Junkers are trouble. After Robert had repaired his ship on the planet's surface, we proceeded to Baltimore Shipyard. I don't think I have ever seen a construction as venerably magnificent as that shipyard Jethro's Journal - eyvind - 01-23-2010 Chapter Three: Renewed How long has it been? Today I log on for the first time with my prostheses. It has taken time and consternation learning to live with what feels like another personality. Perhaps they affect me more than just physically. My thoughts wander, but there is little sense in anything but the actuality of this, my new state of being. I am grateful for what Liberty medicine has done for me. My injuries were grave and my prospects dim. Though I rarely hear from the wealthier branches of the family, I suppose they have their moments. I am grateful. My future looks very different from what it did before my injury. I am born again. My ship arrives tomorrow; a Beta Cormorant Mark IX Armored Transport with more than one custom adjustment to accommodate my condition, or so I have been told. "My lights were dim. My lights are bright."