Clark rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Clark Here,
You would think with the advent of computers and digital technology you would not ever have to sign a piece of paper........ever, i mean i think Ive signed more paper than there is in the entirety of the West Point library. Where do they keep this stuff? Sure Paper cant be hacked but why doe every crate have to be inspected, the inspection signed for, in triplicate. the requisition order with signed approval, transferal sheet, signed for, in triplicate. the confirmation of transferal sheet, in quadruplicate. And of course the arrival sheet. not to be out done, sixteen god damned times. that's for every 250 units of cargo."
"Isn't paper made out of trees?"
"I think i may have a forest on my desk." Clark puts his left palm into his face.
"Well i keep getting messages from my relatives in the Border systems. Like i told them the past 17 times. I am not helping them, that part of my life has long since been over. Admittedly i expect Althe to try something. No mater. I honestly don't know why I'm recording this thing. i guess its me putting off doing this crazy amount of paperwork. Well a couple weeks ago i got promoted to full Commander, the pay raise is nice, doubt that i can spend it all with the surplus of spare time i have. Might have to get a really nice old bottle of bourbon, as i celebratory gift for myself. Also with my promotion i got given the command of a Liberty Gunboat, she handles well, i never would of thought such a thing would exist that has even more cramped than the hallways of a Bison. looks like i was proven wrong. Ah well, such is life.
I better get back to it. An eager Lieutenant wants to send in more supplies. I think i may have to murder him or better yet, make him do the paperwork, bwahahaahahaha
*cough* Ahem.
Clark Out. Clark Thumbs the recorder off.
Clark clears the screen of paperwork.
"Clark Here,
Actually got away from the desk today. Myself, aboard the Blue Ridge did a couple simulations with a few of its sister ships. It was fun. Definitely need to get the crew up to scratch when it comes to combat. After that i hit the bar had a drink or two walking with some of the grunts. As it turns out they are a lot nicer if you buy them drinks. Got a letter from my mom today. Been a while since i talked to her, its been hard since dad died a few years back. Me being at the naval academy at the time. Haven't talked to her properly since a week or two after the funeral.
Does that make me a bad person for not talking with her more?"
Clark zones out for a moment.
"Well, she says she might move back to Gran Canaria. Don't know why though. When we left the Family it wasn't exactly on good terms. I know she didn't exactly approve of me joining the navy........."
Clark zones out once again.
"Well i will definitely try to see her off. I guess with this whole letter thing is Ive come to realize. With this job i have had no real social life since the Academy, and they we're other folk pursuing the same thing i was. I cant remember who said it but some one said that everyone in the Primary Fleet is married, married to their jobs. Thinking about it now i don't really know any primary fleet officer who does have a social life, besides that one thing a few months back, but for them that was "On the Job." I haven't seen those two in a while. One quit i think and another just disappeared."
Clark tries to remember, to no avail.
"Think I'm going to at least try to get some rack time now.
Clark Out" Clark Turns the recorder off.
"Clark here, I would have made a log but Ive been busy getting transferred across Sirius. I am now based out of Leeds apart of the Naval Task force sent to give assistance to the Bretonian Military. The "frogs" have been giving them a lot of issues. From a War with Kusari and a short conflict with Rhienland they now have to deal with this completely new threat. There is little Intel on these Gallic frenchie what evers, the colloquial name for them is frog."
Clark Wipes his face again
"Well Dreadnaught life is..........different. But i think that's the booze restrictions kicking in. Sure the Everest class dreadnaught is nice. But its too.......prissy for me.....wow i think after captaining the Burke for six months and 2two hundred marines i think Ive gone grunt"
Clark looks around the room
"lets see three rifles, Flags hung around the place, a mess around the place...."
Clark looks at his arm
"Oh god when did i get that tattoo. Oh wow i have gone grunt. wow.......WOW when did i go grunt...... Anyway I'm out, i gotta take a shower before i go down to Leeds and talk to the Commander of the Leeds Field Office.
Clark Out.
Clark Turns off the recorder.
"Clark Here,
Well things have quietened down a bit. I'm not in Bretonia which is kinda nice. I never would have thought there would be so much rain but her, i guess its just another wonder of the universe. Can't say i liked Dreadnaught life. Then again i have so much on my plate at the moment maybe the stress is getting to me, not to mention the stress of combat. Is it me or is the universe going crazy. Liberty is fighting two wars, one with the people of Rheinland, then there is this conflict with the Kingdom of Gallia. Then there is groups like the Hellfury Legion, Outcasts, Rogues, Lane Hackers, BDM, The Order, then there is our sister agency LSF who i can never tell whose side they are on. I'm not exactly sure what Kusari's deal is these days but a Kempetai ship did attack one of my COs with a Kusari citizen aboard. That was a mess, lately Ive been thinking about growing back up on Canaria. Things we're and still are relatively simple when it came down to the politics, well family politics aside of course. Mom moved back there and rejoined that family. On the note of family i feel like they are watching me. I could have sworn when i was traveling back to Liberty i saw a Fearless class Zoner Destroyer with the name Haphestus Liberator stamped across its bow. Think I'm gonna have to take a brief leave of absence to deal with this, sooner or later its going to affect my work, with the nature of my work i cant allow that. I think maybe a week or two on a Curacao pleasure dome would be nice, Sure as hell don't want a ticket to Disney-planet. If need be i will go to Canaria and stop this lunacy. enough is enough."
Clark reaches across his desk and grabs a flask filled with an amber liquid. He opens the flask and smells the liquid. Clark smiles putting the flask down and reaching for a glass.
"Some days it feels like the universe is unraveling before all of us."
Clark pours three fingers worth of the amber liquid.
"I mean just the overwhelming hypocrisy and insanity of day to day life is absurd."
Clark puts the flask away, leaving only the glass in his hand.
"Maybe i should find a better way of relieving stress. Sure the shooting range is fun and all, heh Cordite is a grunt Incense. I need to find something away from the job. I don't think Ive been on a date since i was a freshmen at West Point. Sure i could date within the navy but I'm pretty sure there are regs against that kind of thing, especially when it comes to the Primary Fleet."
Clark takes a sip of his drink.
"I guess i have to find something or i could wind up like some of my cohorts. Crazy, Injured beyond belief, retire or well....dead. I already am jaded like everyone at my command level. Ah well."
//Log #05A
//Date: 27-07-817 A.S.
//Log Begins.....
Clark puts his feet up on his desk smiling "Clark Here,
I had a good day today"
Clark's smile turns into a grin
"I had a great day"
Clark puts his hands behind his head and his grin grows even wider
"I had a REALLY great day.
Yesterday i finally got my Grizzly and.... Oh, boy wasn't that a blast......or several actually. then today i FINALLY had a day of leave. Personally i HATE big cities, and well my leave was on Manhattan which is essentially one great big city. I spent my day in my Manhattan apartment relaxing out on the balcony with that nice old Bourbon i bought. Now my apartment inst on the bases its in one of the civilian residential districts. Man i know there many women in the Liberty Navy but its nice to talk to women who don't have that "I have seen friends die" stare. I know, i know its the reality of the job but its something about the innocence of the public that gives you a refresher. Anyway as i was saying i was relaxing out on the balcony and i guess it would be my neighbor came out and spotted me laying there. We exchanged the usual Hi, how are you style pleasantries. Apparently she did not even know that my apartment was occupied, she thought it was a vacant apartment that hadn't been sold. She spotted right away that i was military, not sure if it was the buzz cut or the tattoo that I'm still coming to terms with. Unfortunately i had to lie and say that i was just a normal LNMC marine not a Naval Primary Fleet Commander. Id rather not tell the entire building I'm a Primary Fleet Officer, lord knows there's a high enough bounty on my fellow comrades.
Anyway i got another 18 hours left on my leave so i think i might make the most of it,
Clark Out."
I actually looked into what happened to Maya. She was released after being extradited. From there she was dropped off at Ames. From there she booked passage back to Gran Canaria and this is where it get sketchy. The transport was hit in Cortez. The transport survived but survivors said it wasn't a typical pirate raid. Rocs and Eagles seem to be the norm but they apparently had a Camara and boarded the transport. By the sounds of it these guys where trained, Definitely Mercs but as for their training they sound ex-military. Apparently the took two casualties and dragged out a women roughly Mayas height but nothing really proving its her.
Clark looked over to another screen and scrolled down.
Then Two weeks later there is a sighting of her in Barrier Gate and again at Ames as well as various other places. Althe is continuing his little observation game but it appears he knows nothing about Maya, so this begs the question, Whats happened. That's what i want to know. Apparently Althe has gotten a bit extreme as of late. hes been sighted with known pirates, Unlawful mercs and other unsavory types. Whats his mind set at nowadays. Whats also concerning is that attacks on people who left the Haphestus Family. Steph and Kris got attacked by some Eagles but they shot them down. Josie said she has found bugs in her quarters and Lee and M.......What was that
Clark reached into his drawer and pulled out a laser pistol and an energy magazine. Clark slams in the magazine and disengages the safety. Clark stands up and moves out of the cameras view.
Drop your weapon! Hands behind your head NOW! Surrender now Haphestus! LN Marine drop your weapons! Drop it! You drop it!
Two bullet shots ring out
Another two Laser shots are heard.
Who sent you! Who paid you? Uugh.....I'm sorry......Eliza Go in piece and may the lord have mercy.
"Clark here,
Well my little trip into Gran Canaria was interesting. Not sure im ready to talk about it just yet. Friends died. As soon as i got back in Liberty we have SCRA on our doorstep, A Lt. Commander pretty much has a heart attack or coma, what ever the hell they are talking about. oh and a few pilots go M.I.A.
Theres still Gallia just over the horizon, Rhienland, and Kusari well being Kusari. Oh theres the internal conflicts of the nation. They are alot of fun!"
Clark pulls out a switch blade.
"I guess its all going to go down in a blaze of glory. Not sure how long we can hold off from it all. We are essentially trapped in a box wrapped in wrapping paper then doused in gasoline then lit on fire. Not pleasant."
Clark pulls out the blade and observes it closely.
"I dunno, is it me or does it seem like there's some one pulling the strings of all this. I mean it could be.....them but who knows. I sure as hell are not told everything. Sometimes i wish i was, but then again even some of the things i know are scary. Sometimes i think im seen as too grunt. That may be keeping me away from the Black Projects, but it has me sent into Wet work operations with little to no intel and or reasoning."
Clark throws the knife at the wall.
"I guess its just been once of those depressing days. I mean right now im supposed to be resting up. But the se Search and Rescue Operations keep you awake, Because you know someone is lost and its your job to find them. Instead i find a M.I.A. who died in his cockpit in the badlands. Makes you wonder. Guess i should get some rest, although i dont think im really going to get any.
Clark Out."
"Clark Here,
Had a relatively smooth day of operations today. Annie is all ahead full on production, The Herd is running above their quota,The war between pirates within Liberty seems to have calmed down a bit. Had a good talk with some of my corporate contacts, arranged some stuff.....Oh and a lot of just general rostering. Had to move a few people here and there, promote those who deserve it. The norm."
A knock is heard at the door
"Come in Josie"
"Good evening Jorzza, Whats this about?"
Clark hands over a dossier to Josie
"You have been re assigned."
"To where sir?"
"Don't sir me Josie you know........"
Clark Smiles realizing at the joke
"You have been re assigned to the [LN]-LLS-Arleigh Burke. I do believe you are familiar with the ship."
"Jorz thank you....but...why?"
"If you haven't already noticed. I am not on board the Burke to command her as much as i would like. Between my present duties as Commander of the Bison squadron, The Blue Ridge, "Annie", The Naval Command Operations Center and a few other things, plus throw in my fighter duties. Well its too much for one person. A similar call will be made with who will be the skipper on board the Blue Ridge."
"It also makes sense, You know the crew, You know the ship stem to stern. Also i can trust you to look after her. I know to you this may seem like me sidelining you but I'm not. There are operations coming within the next few months that will require a full tactical deployment of the Herd and the LNMC. I most certainly wont be allowed on the Burke for some of that, especially if Dimitrova and Hackett want to play ping pong with my stationed area. Not to mention you know i wont stay on board a ship while my marines storm the front."
"Okay fine Jorzza, I get it."
"That reminds me, R & D have sent me the paperwork to ship out some of their new Stealth Armor, its supposed to be lighter than that last crummy prototype they developed. Also a position has opened up for the next line of stealth cruisers. Looks like Polstari and the Sierra Nevada may also be our comrades for more than just transporting things. They are also sending us some new atmospheric troopships as well as insertion pods."
"You should get some sleep. Don't you and Palette have that Xeno radical cell to rat out on Denver tomorrow?"
"Don't remind me, although it wont take long. They have been basing themselves out of a warehouse in district 37, they have not been stealthy. So i guess we are going stealthily. you mind getting one of those crates of stealth armor here, what better way than to test it out, is with a field test, although i think I'm going to back up close by, you can hear my faith in the R & D department. Night Josie."
"Night Jorzza, ill have that stuff shipped to the Fun Fields."
"well that's that sorted out. ill deal with Blue Ridge later. For now i should try to sleep"
//Log #09A
//Date: 11-09-817 A.S.
//Log Begins.....
"Clark Here,
its five am at the moment. I'm aboard my own shiny new Siege Cruiser, yet it feels like I'm not here. I mean physically i am but mentally, not so much.
During a pilot rescue i found this little rogue girl. she looked like she was 12. She was a Rogue. She was definitely mentally disturbed but i was there grappled onto the cockpit section of her ship threatening to shoo her, thank god we solved the thing peacefully but once the adrenaline wore down i realize, i nearly shot a little kid, rogue or no. a kid is still a kid."
"Could i have pulled the trigger on a little girl?"
"Could i?"
"The pilot we rescued, looks like we got there a bit late, he is now addicted to Cardimine. this kid is way too young to deal with the trauma. The little girl attached electro shock bracelets onto the man."
I Have never had to shoot a child before. Never. I don't intend to but combat tends to do something to you. I have had to shoot people for my nation. Both as a pilot and a marine. But ever since i saw this girl i haven't slept. I cant sleep. Now I'm seeing the faces of all the people Ive killed every time i close my eyes. Then there are the screams of my comrades as they get killed. I don't know if I'm loosing it all in one go or this is my conscience going 'Look at what you have done'"
"I'm loosing it, and for once i don't know what to do"
Clark walks away from the camera and the recording times out
