-- Begin --
Wow. Space. I never thought I'd make it back out to what was once so familiar.
The white sparkles of distant stars, the massive looming stations, the gorgeous planets, spinning around a sun with their inhabitants...
It was a long walk from my apartment to the ship dealer. I wanted to hop on that clean autobus... but all my money was about to go into this purchase and I wasn't willing to spend anything on the way there.
I arrived on the Planet Erie Ship Dealer... and wow. It was impressive.
Tons of ships from across the galaxy set up in extravagant displays for all to see and buy.
The massive building was packed with people, thus it took a while to finally make it over to the ship of my choice. The speedy Patriot.
I cleared my throat.
The dealer behind the massive holographic display of the Patriot jumped from his stool and strode over to the desk.
"How may I help you?"
"One patriot, please."
"Ahh... the Liberty Patriot. A fine bird. That'll cost you."
"I'm covered." I gave him my neural bank number.
He typed the number into his computer, and I felt the neural implant in my head vibrate and twitch as it searched for the data.
"Alright."
He typed in a command and a digital clipboard appeared in my eyes. I used my eyes to direct the stylus and sign for the ship. Technology sure hadn't changed.
"The bird'll be waiting for you at Dock 19. Good luck."
"Thank you." I nodded, and forced my way through the massive crowd and back into the mid-day heat.
I turned and began another long walk, this time to the dock. It wouldn't be long now...
I covered the distance in about 30 minutes and was soon striding into the dimly lit hangar to my brand new Patriot. It still shone with it's factory luster, and the two new Justice I lasers glimmered in the dim fluorescent light.
I breathed deeply and walked over to the craft.
Within 30 minutes, I was soaring up into space, back where I belonged.
I was born on a small freighter orbiting Planet Houston on September 9th, 790 to John and Sheila Broll, native Houstonians that ran a small Independent mining firm. I spent most of my childhood on their fleet of five ships, familiarizing myself with them and learning to love space. When I was 10 years old, however, my world was completely turned upside down. Nomad crafts, possessed Navy and Police... the Nomad War. One day, my parents left to go to the commodity trader and sell off their mined goods, and they didn't come back. I was left sitting on a Rhino on a docking pad surrounded by the possessed. It was a rather tight spot.
I was forced to live in space, darting between Junker and Zoner bases that had managed to ward off the Nomads, eating and drinking when and where I could. When the war blew over, I found myself on Planet Erie, with no money, no ship, and a torn life. I went to work at a small newspaper company, saving little by little, vowing to eventually return to the space which I had loved... despite having taken everything from me.
After reaching space I began docking with the familiar Pennsylvania bases that I had taken refuge in. Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Bethlehem, their familiar names soothed me as I fine tuned my flight controls and got my seat warm.
Soon, however, I found myself in a money problem. 100 credits were all that I had left. I needed a source of income.
One word.
Mining.
I hooked up with a group of Outcast miners (my mother would be shamed), who were nice enough to give me a loan for a Rhino freighter (oh, the irony) and a few guns. Soon enough, my Rhino joined the other various ships in the ice fields north of Erie. Within an hour I had repayed my loan, fully loaded my Rhino with Helios weapons and had 400,000 credits. My previously honed mining skills were of great use. I thanked the Outcasts and made my way to Birmingham station where I strode to the ship dealer with a new found confidence.
"What'll it be?" The Zoner ship dealer croaked with a deep New York accent.
"The Hawk."
"Ahh..."
The same twitch and vibrate, sign and swipe, thank and leave process that had become redundant after only two times through. I chose the Hawk because of it's reliability. Three powerful Zoner cannons and a Javelin missile, a Countermeasure launcher, a class 6 shield... it was worth the 150,000 I put into it.
I took off back into space, ready to re-explore... ready to re-discover.
IMG|Derrick.Broll[M] - IMG Miner I mine various recourses from all around Sirius. IMG|Jason.Sellers[D] - IMG Defender I protect IMG ships, bases, recourses, and allies throughout Sirius. Pennsylvania_Guardsman - Pennsylvania Militia Liberty Gunboat I defend the Pennsylvania system with a Liberty Gunboat financed by mining and trading inside Pennsylvania. I provide assistance to any and all inside Pennsylvania and protect it from Pirate and foreign incursions. I am also available to support the Liberty Navy and Police in out-of-system requests.
