Monday 21 December 2020

Separation

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Date     -       2020.12.21

Time     -       01:33:12

Location -     The Star Traveler's Lounge (Intaki V)

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Richard manipulated the chopsticks and raised another dumpling to his lips the fatty salty broth made him salivate as he opened his mouth and bit down on half the dumpling severing it in two. Holding the other half in place he started to chew taking pleasure in the delightful aroma and the textured crunch of the shrimp and vegetable filling. Each chew excited his mouth with more flavour like a mini smart bomb dishing out its charge be it the the crunch and sharp hit of onion or the sweet taste of shrimp. When he finished the final dumpling he raised the bowl of broth to his lips and slowly sip by sip inhaled the last of this pleasurable meal.

Dutch looked across the table at him his own bowl finished and abandoned a glass of half drunk firewater in his hand.

"I'm sorry Richard I just don't understand you at the moment, you returned here. After all that crap in Ichoriya and so much time in hibernation in your damn pod and your here. Its almost like you have lost the last five years."

Richard smiled grimly.

"Almost like."

"Dutch did I ever tell you why I left the ILF?"

"Well I assumed it was because you had given up and needed a change."

"There was a bit of that I guess, along with a wish to increase the number of people I was allowed to shoot as well but no those were not the main reasons. I left to experience new things meet new people and also maybe the most compelling thing of all, learn."

"How noble of you, as far as I recall we just trained our guns on more targets and less rocks."

Richard grinned at his colleague he had worked with Dutch for years and the man knew him very well indeed.

"Now I know your being flippant my time in the Pyre Falcon Defence and Security Corporation was very enlightening the skill and dedication of my fellow capsuleers was amazing. There are many in that group that I admire and it was a joy and an honour to serve with them. That organisation taught me a lot."

"How was your time at Sigil Solutions then?"

The question clearly surprised Richard and he took a moment to consider his response.

"Sigil was and is an idea but that corporation has yet to find its feet and I tried there and then yes that is where the gap opens and my hibernation begins."

Richard stood.

"I must take my leave now."

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Date     -       2020.12.21

Time     -       02:03:21

Location -    Intaki V - Moon 5 - Astral Mining Inc. Refinery (hanger)

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Richard inspected the cargo that he had salvaged from his destroyed ship his body was a mess of bone, flesh and metal but it was still without a doubt him. Punching some instructions into data pad drones quickly appeared and removed the body and the rest of the cargo away.

Richard then stripped, his body felt fresh and new the implants and augments were only recently installed and some aches and pains remained from the surgeries. He hooked himself into the pod and then started to think, the pod juices swirled around him covering him, drowning him. A slight tang of fear touched his lips as he opened his mouth for a brief moment and it filled with liquid.

Another day in the life of a capsuleer