(OOC - I'm a newbie and I came across Scientific Data. This is also an accurate tale with some liberties taken, i'm not super familiar with the universe)
Date: 2147-08-1
Location: Tau-23
My name is Riley, I was born and raised on Malta, a planet that's been hit hard by the Nomads. They killed my parents in a raid when I was just a kid. Ever since then, revenge has been my driving force. This is my personal log entries, I know they're not exciting to anyone. But I want there to be a record of I am.
I can't contain my excitement, I was picked up by the crew of the "Malignant" with its captain Valadrin. I thought I'd never have the chance to fight against the Nomads. But here I am, serving on the Malignant. The captain welcomed me and a few others on board talking about how our efforts will lead to crippling our enemies and most importantly, help take out any Nomad scum we come across.
Date: 2147-08-3
Location: Gunboat "Malignant"
It’s been two days since I boarded the "Malignant" and my excitement has been replaced with disappointment. Instead of being assigned to the gunnery crew, it turns out I've been relegated to salvage duty, sifting through piles of debris to find anything of value. It's a laborious and tedious job, and I hate it. But I suppose it's better than being stuck on some godforsaken planet.
Date: 2147-08-20
Location: Gunboat "Malignant"
Every day is the same. Sorting through debris, discerning what's valuable and what's not, jettisoning anything that doesn't make the cut. I feel like a glorified garbage collector. And to make matters worse, the captain only wants resources that can bring in immediate profit. No regard for anything that could be useful in the long run.
Date: 2147-09-15
Location: Gunboat "Malignant"
I'm losing my mind. I can't take this monotony anymore. I miss the feeling of dirt under my feet and the wind in my hair. This ship is like a prison, and I'm trapped here until the captain deems me useful enough to be released. Today was especially intense. We encountered a large Kishiro Technologies fleet, and multiple ships were destroyed in the ensuing battle. I could see the fear in some of my crewmates' eyes, but I was focused on doing my part.
The salvage operation afterwards was hectic, and I had to be quick to sift through the debris and identify anything useful. It was during this time that I stumbled upon a crate of some sort of scientific data. I'm not sure what it is, but it seems different from the usual debris we find. Maybe it's worth something.
Date: 2147-09-20
Location: Gunboat "Malignant"
I'm terrified of talking to the captain. I failed him once before, and I know he doesn't tolerate failure. I've heard rumors of him executing crew members who try to abandon ship during close calls with other vessels. He even rigged an escape pod to explode with a remote detonator after some crew members tried to flee. I don't want to end up like them. I've been holding onto these data crates for a while now.
They take up a lot of space in the cargo hold, but I can't bring myself to jettison them. I know they could be valuable, but I also know that the captain only cares about resources that bring immediate profit. I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I want to tell the captain about the crates, but I'm afraid of the consequences. What if he sees it as a waste of space and decides to jettison them along with me? What if he decides to execute me for disobeying his orders? I'll have to find a way to deal with this.
Maybe I can talk to some of the other crew members and see what they think. Or maybe I can find a way to use the data to help us fight against the Nomads. But for now, I'll keep my head down and try to avoid the captain's attention.
Date: 2147-09-27
Location: Gunboat "Malignant"
I've decided to take matters into my own hands. I know the captain won't be happy, but I can't just sit on this information any longer. I've made a plan to sneak the crate off the ship and try to make contact with someone who can help us use it. It's risky, but I don't see any other way out of this cycle. Wish me luck.
Profit is the ultimate goal of any operation, and salvaging resources from destroyed vessels is a lucrative business. But it's not just about the profit. It's about asserting our dominance in this sector. It's about showing the other factions that we are not to be messed with. The recent incident with one of my crew members reminds me of the importance of discipline. We cannot allow anyone to jeopardize our operations or our profits. The crew must remain united and focused on our goals.
Riley, one of our salvage crew, attempted to steal a crate of useless data disks. When caught, he put up a struggle, which led to his death. I had no choice but to jettison both him and the crate. It's a harsh reminder of the dangers of allowing weak-minded and self serving individuals onto our ship. But we must stay vigilant and protect our interests. We're making a fortune with our piracy operations, and with each vessel we destroy, we only continue to strengthen our fleets.
I will continue to lead my crew towards victory, and we will emerge as the most powerful faction in this sector. The universe may be harsh, but we are even harsher. I will do whatever it takes to ensure the success of our operations and the prosperity of our crew.
TLDR: I read the description, then jettisoned the crate - but thought I'd write about it here. $100 value item - Swatter mines are worth their weight in gold. 10/10 would do again. Someone told me these things actually have value or something, live and learn.
RIP the guy who jettisoned a 3 million S.C. item along with his life
Decent story though, if a little underdeveloped. Would love to know more about Riley's motives on joining a pirate crew, and the pirate ship's captain.