Arthur James Cuttingham's Logs

[ASimpleMan]

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Name & Location: Arthur James Cuttingham; Port Charles, Planet New London, New London

Date: December 14, 784 A.S.

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FIRST LOG

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A young boy walked and paced around his room. It was a large, spacious room inside of a large mansion. The boy's name was Arthur Cuttingham. Not to be confused with the name Cunningham. After pacing about, he sat down at his desk in the corner of the room. He stared outside the window. It was Arthur's seventh birthday, and he was not having any fun. He had just started Primary School, and was in Grade 1. He had to go to school tomorrow, the thought of which eroded at his senses. But it wasn't just the longing of staying home. He had longed for a father.

Arthur lived with his mother for all of his life. He'd never met his father, who was James Cuttingham. His mother, Sarah Cuttingham, said that his father was fighting in the Bretonia Armed Forces, and was a great war hero for his country. Arthur had always been inspired at the thought of this, and thus wanted to fly. His mother, however, knew how dangerous SIrius was, and so did not want Arthur flying. This depressed him, since his newly found friends at Northampton Primary School were already flying about the House of Bretonia. But his father had left before they could've met, or let alone remembered each other. Arthur stared outside with his head resting on his hands, and saw his friends playing catch with their fathers. A tear formed in his eye.

"Why can't I have a dad. Why do they get to have 'em," he mumbled as he sniffled. The kids outside were having the time of their lives, and he was sitting alone in his room on his special day. He muttered under his breath, "All of my friends have birthday parties. Why don't I get to have one?" His mother had said that if they were to have a party, they couldn't control the kids because of the sheer size of the house. The size of the house was 1672 square meters, or 18,000 square feet. They lived in a massive mansion, but couldn't have anyone over. It baffled him. On his birthday, he usually went out somewhere special with his mother and they did something, but today he was not feeling it.

His mother was lingering outside the door the entire time, and heard the sniffles and his talking. She knocked on his door, which didn't have a lock. "Come in," he said. She walked in, and saw his red eyes and he sniffled. "Honey, what's wrong? It's your birthday, why are you crying?" she asked, wiping the tears off of his cheeks. He broke down. "Where is dad? Why can't I have a dad?" These words tore her apart. She didn't know what to say, for there wasn't anything that could be said or done. Arthur thought of his father every birthday that he could remember. "Well, you have a dad. He will always be here, with you." She pointed to his chest; his heart. He shook his head. "I've never met him. Why should he be with me?" Arthur snapped back. He turned away from her in his chair, and looked out the window. The kids and their fathers had gone, but he continued to look. She stood behind him, not really knowing what to say. But she remembered that the two of them always went out somewhere for his birthday. It made him feel better, every time. She started, "Well, since it's your birthday, why don't we go out somewhere? We could go to the Museum, or the—" "I want to see my father! Not go to a stupid museum!" he yelled, and ran to his bed and put his face into his pillows. He cried as he held his teddy bear.

She walked over to him, pulled up the desk chair, and sat down. She rubbed his back. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Someday you will meet him. I know you will," she said as she looked up. She mumbled something under her breath. Arthur wondered how long that would take. He felt as though a fundamental piece of childhood was being stripped from him, and he wanted that piece back. He didn't understand why his father couldn't come home often. There wasn't a war going on! But nevertheless, he still lay there, with his face in his pillows. She moved towards the door and sat there in the doorway, leaning against it. She spoke softly. "Well, I'm going to go downstairs, sweetie. You can come down and we can still go somewhere. You always get like this around your birthday, Arthur, and every time you do I offer you to go somewhere with me. It always cheers you up." He thought about this. What she said was true. He only had terrible birthdays because he made them terrible, not because they were terrible by default. He didn't actively think of his father being gone until a situation arose, such as seeing kids with their fathers playing catch. "Alright, I'll come down," he said, quivering from the sobbing. She smiled, and he got up, sniffling. He put his teddy bear back on his bed, and they walked downstairs. She felt as though she had failed Arthur, because her husband wasn't there to be his father figure. But it wasn't her fault. James Cuttingham had made the decision to join the BAF long ago, and had been assigned to recon missions in the deep Omegas by pure fate. He was not coming back for a long time at best.

Later that day, they went to the Port Charles Museum of Art and had ice cream. Arthur later remarked it was one of his best birthdays. But something still felt off. Something, was still missing.

[ASimpleMan]

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Name & Location: Arthur James Cuttingham; Port Charles, Planet New London, New London

Date: September 21, 791 A.S.

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YEARS GONE BY

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Days turned to weeks. Weeks turned to months, and months to years. Arthur had seven more birthdays, and each became less and less solemn. He was fourteen years of age. He slowly came to the realization after his ninth birthday that his father wasn't going to come back, and even if he did, not for a long time. He decided to make best of what he had, which was more than any other kid at the time. His mother had taught him on how to be appreciative of what he had, because his mother grew up dirt poor on Leeds. He valued these lessons. But this wasn't purely for the better. He may have been rich, but being rich had drawbacks. He never got a girlfriend, because the girls at his school were more interested in the "cool" children. He was too nice for them. And, for one, throughout his years in primary schooling, or elementary school, children teased him about being rich. Arthur shrugged them off as being jealous of his wealth, which they were. He was one of the richest kids in his school, and so people grew a general resentment of the Cuttinghams, because they were richer than most. But they were rich in more than just finance.

Arthur was raised by his mother for all of his life, and she had taught him how to be proper, and a gentleman. But these values didn't have much of an impact in society. In fact, they were looked upon as stuck-up, and "uncool", so to speak. This was another thing the schoolchildren could tease him about, and they did this quite often. But Arthur had finally had enough, by his last year. But instead of acting in violence at the boys, he upstaged them. In 790 A.S, Arthur was to take a placement test into Secondary School. He said he was going to try to test out of it all together. His marks had been top of his class, and this was one thing he had over those other mean and nasty classmates who teased him. So instead of hitting them or hurting them for revenge, he merely tested out of Secondary School, or High School, and went straight to College, or what they called University. He was in The Port Charles University at the age of fourteen. He started taking an economics class, but knew that wasn't what he wanted to do. Something inside of him stirred. Something was telling him to join the BAF, and to join the Sussex Military Academy after University. He told his mother of his plan. It was a cool autumn day, and it was cloudy outside. He was sitting at his desk in his room, his mother standing next to him.

"Sweetie, I'm sorry. But I can't let you go," she stated, looking straight at him. "We've been over this before." Arthur's smile and happiness turned to mortification and a sullen look. He knew that she wouldn't agree. She was never too keen on the idea of him flying. She was overprotective, and had pass codes installed on the family freighter to make sure that he wouldn't go and sneak off flying while she was away. "Why not? Dad is in the BAF? He flies all the time," Arthur pleaded. "But he is older, and adult. Once you are not in my house anymore, and are an adult, then you can do whatever you like. But for now, you will not be flying," she replied. It was no use to resist. He was still a minor by Bretonian Law, and thus couldn't legally join the BAF. But his friends were flying already. "I feel left out. All the other kids tease me about not flying yet. Mum, please," he tried. She shook her head. "I don't want you to leave while I'm still raising you. If you move out, and can support yourself after University, then yes, you can apply. But now, you can't," she snapped back. Arthur slumped in his chair.

"Look, you'll be out of the house in no time, and be an adult by the end of University! Now how many kids are eighteen when they leave University? I was twenty-three when I got out!" she said, trying to lighten the mood. Arthur didn't believe this. "I know you don't mean that, mum. I know you won't let me fly even when that happens," he muttered. She stopped, and thought about what he said. She held his hand. "Honey, I don't want to loose you. My only son. I lost your father to that BAF crusade, and I only have you. I don't want you to leave," she explained. "I knew I was right! It's all about you, not what I want to do!" he yelled. He was more angry than sad now.

"Someday you'll miss me, Arthur. You long for me to not be here, to not nag you and bar you from your dreams. But the day will come when I am not around anymore. Sure, then you'll get your wish of flying. But you'll look back on this moment and you'll understand that I love you, and that's why I am doing this," she said, still holding his hand. He understood it, but still wanted to fly nonetheless. "Okay, mum. But promise me that if I am living my myself after University that you will let me fly," he asked. She nodded. They hugged each other, and she walked downstairs. Arthur lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her final words gnawed at him, like a woodpecker on wood. He had a feeling that something would happen to her, but he didn't quite know what.

He decided that he would major in economics, during his time. It wasn't particularly interesting, but it opened up job opportunities. But nevertheless, he was still determined to fly.

[ASimpleMan]

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Name & Location: Arthur James Cuttingham; Port Charles, Planet New London, New London

Date: June 8, 795 A.S.

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GRADUATION + ACADEMY BID

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It was the end of University. Four years of boredom and torture, Arthur had said many times. He had studied and majored in Economics, but it wasn't very fun and it did not feel like an accomplishment. He was to turn eighteen in almost exactly six months. He felt, that, it was time to talk to his mother once more abut flying. Now, he had had an idea about what he was going to do after University. But it was the execution, and permission, of this plan that worried him. He wanted to go to Sussex Military Academy, and since his marks were well above average, he qualified. He was quite excited. But, he didn't qualify for his mother's bidding, which was that he had to be on his own and an adult. He was six months away from an adult, and didn't have a job and lived with her. His excuse was that going hard in University required all of his time, and so didn't get a job. But he was lazy, truth be told. Just like 4 years ago, they were in his room again. It was a sunny day, the day after he finished and graduated University. He had BAF posters all around his wall, along with pictures of famous pilots.

"Mum, I know what your answer is going to be, but just hear me out," Arthur started. She listened, knowing exactly what he was going to say. "I want to apply to Sussex now. I won't be able to get accepted until I'm eighteen, but my marks are sufficient and I want to apply." "Sweetie, remember what we said? You needed a job, and to live without me, and you don't have one," she replied, solemnly. He was angry now, like last time. He remembers all of their past arguments about the topic, and it made him more mad. "I can get one, now that I'm out of University, just I need some time mum," he said, hoping it would suffice. She looked at him in the eyes. "I won't let you go to the Academy until you've fulfilled our agreement, honey," she answered, in a serious tone. He did think that was reasonable, but he had other ideas in his head. "Maybe I'll just study by myself, in secret, and learn all there is about military strategy and flying," he thought. That seemed like the best idea. As for a job, he didn't like the ones that the businesses around his home were offering. "Are you going to pick out a job? You have an economics major, that should help with something now, right?" she asked, a little less serious. "Mum, there aren't any that interest me. I mean, I want to work somewhere besides a fast-food chain, and that's all that is open right now," he replied. She shook her head.

"No excuse. Then look elsewhere, farther from home. If you really wanted to go to Sussex this year, you would've put the initiative into it. The jobs were there, but you were too lazy to take them," she reminded him. He was stumped. The response was just too good. It was his fault, after all, that he wasn't able to join. He was lazy a lot of the time, besides schoolwork. And he missed a lot of opportunities. Besides, of course, the age limit. he was speechless in his chair at his desk. "Well, I–I" he stammered, but couldn't form anything of value. "If you get off your arse, stop being lazy about this job thing, then you can go to Sussex," she said sternly. He felt defeated. Again, another attempt to try to fly failed. He was becoming good at it, or so he felt. The arguments were getting old. He felt as though he couldn't get a job, and felt stuck. He turned away from her. "Fine then, I guess I won't pursue my dream and goal," he stated, with his arms crossed. She frowned.

"I'm doing this because I love you, Arthur."
He did not reply. But he planned to study on his own nonetheless.

[ASimpleMan]

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Name & Location: Arthur James Cuttingham; Port Charles, Planet New London, New London & Sarah Cuttingham; Leeds Landing Pad, Planet Leeds, Leeds

Date: September, 800 A.S.

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ALONE

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And so he did. He studied by himself until 800 A.S, in September. He read on about BAF history, tactics, weaponry, and flying. He became quite educated at it, and all of this was done in secret. His mother had caught him reading about flight techniques, and she grounded him for a month. Arthur thought this was funny, because she grounded her son at the age of twenty-three. But no matter.

Over the past year, Sirian politics had become unrestrained. Rheinland had apparently made a discovery of artifacts on a planet in the distant Omicron systems. Their government started to act strangely thereon after. This wasn't known to Arthur, but he did realize and see how odd they were acting. He'd been around for twenty-three years, and for the last five years studying military tactics and whatnot. Rheinland, as he put it, was preparing for conquest. Liberty acted odd too, but more in a defensive way. They began to ban artifacts and laws got tight in Liberty. Bretonia, isolated from the main brunt of the drama, sat quietly and calmly in the turmoil. He got very interested in politics in the year of 800 A.S. He was especially intrigued when he read the Liberty News, and read about two known fugitives running amok in Liberty. The political situation in Sirius only got worse. By September, Rheinland forces had been infiltrating Bretonian space. This made him furious, and he wanted to join the BAF desperately. He thought of what his father was doing, thinking, and if he remembered he even had a son. Arthur had made several attempts to find out, but Web searches came up with his father's status being reported as "UNKNOWN". He was beginning to lose hope in his life, as he still didn't have a job, and still lived with his mother. He finally, got his opportunity in September to join the BAF, but it was not what he had envisioned his opportunity would be.

Sarah Cuttingham was a real estate agent, and so frequently went out on business trips. On this particular autumn day, she had been on Planet Leeds, during tense relations with Rheinland. A small Rheinland fleet had attacked Bretonian space in Omega-3 just a couple days earlier, and Arthur was worrying about her safety. Tehy both stood at the door in their mansion. "Honey, I will be back by the end of the day, there is nothing to worry about. The police are on high alert, and I will be in an armored transport in a protected convoy," she said, trying to reassure his worries. "Mum, I don't want you do to go. I feel like something is going to go wrong," he tried. She hugged him. "Arthur, if it's criminals coming to the house, I have all the money with me on my card, they can't take anything from the house," she replied. "No, I'm worried about you, mum," he said, and they parted. "I will be back in a couple hours, don't worry," she said, as she walked out the large door to their mansion. She moved in such a hurry, that he wasn't even able to say bye. He closed the door, and locked it.

Sarah Cutitngham's transported boarded thirty minutes after her parting with her son. She had an odd feeling it would be the last time she would see him, but shrugged off the feeling. She was on edge from what he had told her. They set off and arrived in Leeds after another half hour, and landed on the main landing pad. But something was off. People were running around frantically, and acting worried. As they all got out of the transport, perplexed and coughing from the smog, she went up to the captain of the convoy. "Sir, what is going on?" she asked him. "No idea, Ms. Cuttingham. I can turn the news broadcaster on in the transport, if you'd like," he replied, and they both went back inside the empty transport. He flipped on the channel, and her worst fears were realized. The news anchor began his segment in a very serous tone. "This is a warning to all Bretonians within the Empire. The Leeds system is under attack by several Rhienland warships and citizens are advised to evacuate immediately," he stated. The captain turned off the channel, and turned to her. "We have to leave, NOW!" he yelled, and ran outside.

The equipment dealer, Richard Winston Tobias, was running to a Hawk, and he had two friends with him that went to their Hawks. "Why, Mr. Tobias never leaves his shop. Something must bad must be going on," the captain shuddered as he said this. Just then, an alarm went off at the pad, and ships were taking off all over the place. The captain ordered everyone to get back onto the transport, and to forget their business. They got on about ten minutes after Tobias and his friends had left the pad. They lifted off into space, and then they saw it. Four Rheinland bombers were standing ready, and fired at the transport when it entered space. Sarah Cuttingham sent a message to her son when she saw them.

Arthur, sleeping alone at the bar table in the kitchen, awoke to a message on his phone. It read "910857364". He stared at it, and saw it was from his mother. He turned the news on right after, feeling something had gone wrong. He was horrified when he saw the film playing. It was of a camera ship, and it showed a transport undock from Planet Leeds and get destroyed by Rheinland bombers. A newscaster took over the film. "We have an update on the situation. About a minute ago, the Rheinland force that was near Glasgow had been crippled, by unknown forces, and bombers from that fleet moved back to the planet, and destroyed multiple transports that were leaving. Fortunately, the York Fleet's finest snub fighters arrived after this and destroyed the invaders," he stated, and he continued to ramble on. Arthur felt sick. It finally dawned on him what her message was.

It was the pass code to the freighter. And his mother, was dead. He never even got to say goodbye. But the door to the BAF, as it stood, was wide open.