Audrey McKnight

[Korolia]

Hello.
This is me, down here.


Since I've encountered death up so close a few years back, I thought I should start this log. Before I die for good, without leaving anything behind. Not that anyone really cares, but, hey. It'll make me feel better.

My name is Audrey McKnight. My family is better known as the largest shareholders of McKnight Aerospace Industries, a large firm on spaceship technologies. My relationship with the family isn't the best. Let's say, I didn't do what they'd wish me to do - that is, continue business. But they say, it happens with kids raised in a too comfortable home.

So I went to go break my neck in the Marines. Graduated in psychology from West Point as an officer, and then graduated as a pilot for the corp. Excellent service record granted me my request to be transferred as a test pilot.

I am 26 when I am promoted to lieutenant colonel. By then, McKnight Aerospace Industries was finalizing along with the naval R&D their first prototype of a bomber, what would become the Upholder. I was selected with a group of "lucky" to try out this new toy and see how far we could dance with her.

I was the first to engage ignition, and a critical failure in the electronic systems caused the craft to explode and ignite in flame before it even left ground. I don't recall much of the accident, but I later learned the console basically exploded in front of me, then took fire while I was knocked unconscious, destroying both my hands. That's how I got those interesting "iron fists" of mine. Not too charming but certainly very strong.

Oh, yes. After the accident, I fell in coma for an entire year, nearly always on critical condition from those fumes I inhaled. The navy couldn't pay for my medical expenses no more as we entered a state of open warfare, and I was honorably discharged from the Marine Corp.

I wake up at 28, discovering that most of my savings were eaten by medical expenses, my ranks gone and just left there with a bunch of shiny decorations for my "valued services".

Been a few days. Scrapped whatever I could and ran a few run on a freight mission. I think I'm having enough to loan a suite somewhere cozy.

I've sent my application to rejoin the corp, with condition of regaining my former rank... hopefully it will be accepted, I hear they lack the pilots out there. It'll be just like in the good old times...

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There is no bathroom!