Logbook entry

One month - Just one month - Only one month.



It was about a month ago that I finally made the decision to quit my long-held desk job at the Universal Cartographical Society, and throw myself into the void. It was something that I had thought about doing for many years prior as I sifted thru the scans and data reports that crossed my terminal day after day. Exotic star formations - bizarre planetary bodies - mysterious nebulae. Their splendor and wonder seemingly calling me to dream the unfathomable dream - go into space. I didn't want to just catalog the data coming in - I wanted to be there, to see with my own eyes, to discover things humankind had yet to see.



Perhaps it was hearing the tales and exploits of Commanders as they came and went thru my office. Plying the trade lanes hauling cargo - the millions of credits worth of metals and minerals to be found in the rings of far-off planets - the harrowing escapes from any number of marauding pirate groups. Of course, the stories were often bitter sweet as it's just as easy to hear of Commanders fried by hostile laser fire, incinerated jumping too close to a neutron star, or never being heard from again exploring a singularity too close. The hazards of space are all too real, all too deadly, but the alure and wonder are too strong a call to be ignored. Space is an intoxicating siren.



I remember the look on my supervisor's face when I submitted my resignation - it was one of whimsy, admiration, and envy. "Leaving a 19-year career to become a 'Throttle-Jockey'?" But, ultimately he gave his blessing, a firm handshake, and a pension voucher from HR.



Going thru the various registrations and qualifications seemed a bit easier that I thought they would be. I had spent many hours over the last few years in various simulator halls, so I can't be sure if those helped in my "Spatial Awareness" tests. But, the end result was my Commander Certification and a Sidewinder loaned to me from the various Space Exploration Agencies and Financial Houses. I remember looking at her on the pad for the first time - At the time, sitting in that small hanger, it looked like a monster - much bigger than the commute transports I took from work to my modest apartment. I remember easing myself into the pilot's seat - looking at the seemingly endless display readouts and system monitors - trying my best to sound controlled and confident when I contacted dock control for permission to launch - and the thrill that boiled thru my blood as I throttled up the thrusters.



In the time since, I've seen the splendors of space and the horrors of spaceflight. I've felt the thrills of success and the pain of drastic failure. I've come to the aid of those in need and exacted deadly justice on others.



...it has been a long time - I can't believe it's only been one month...