The Interview
Author: Miyoshi Akachi
Original post:
Entry for the YC118 New Eden Capsuleer Writing Contest.
Fizzies of statics.
“… our viewers today, I’d like to give the line to Paline Aldens that has something really interesting I heard. Something about wormholes? Paline?”
The camera focuses on the interviewer, a blonde gallente woman “Thank you, Jaxx, yes yes! I’m with a real capsuleer, one that seemed to have lived quite a long time and many adventures.”
The camera shifted its eye on the man sitting on the nearby couch: of deteis ancestry, he had salt and pepper beard, black hairs, both streaked with grey, color matching with his grey steely eyes. His smile was one of confident control.
“I’m happy to present you Mr. Sharnard Sealton.“ continued the interviewer and the man nodded in acknowledge “Thank you for wanting me here.”
“The pleasure is all us.” she exclaimed all cheerfully “So, Mr. Sealton, why you don’t tell your story? Our viewers, I’m sure, can’t wait to.”
“Back at the time, I was new to the vastness of space; I started my career as a capsuleer under the wings of the Gallente Federation. I did some hauling and pirates killing but my life changed when I decided to go on adventure and leave the security of the Empires space. I reached the last of the CONCORD controlled system and then I jumped into the unknown. I hadn't any information, any back-up, only my will and my ship on which build upon. I had heard of the capsuleers dominions but I had never been interested in them, until now when I was stepping into them.
It took quite a time, with defeats and victories, but in the end I settled in a capsuleer alliance holding territory in the north of the galaxy; a new part of my life had just started. Through skirmishes with other capsuleers, making quite a fortune and becoming more skilled, the months passed but the more I went forward more I lost interest. I was going tired of the endless politics and spy-games that rules the capsuleers' space. My life was to change again.
During an usual patrol in search of enemy skirmishers, something caught my attention: on my ships scan, I saw a cosmic signature of unknown type and origin. Intrigued, I warped to it and in front of me there was a wormhole; at the time I was unware of what it was but its aspect, the waves that seemed to continuously alterate its surface, was attracting me. The computer said it was a connection to another pocket of space, so I could jump through to see what was behind. It took little to think about, there were nothing holding me from jumping, so I did it. The feeling of jumping through a wormhole is unique, it's not like a warp, it's all different.
In front of my ship opened a new, unknown system which wasn't on any star chart, full of potential and, at the same time, of dangers. This was my first step in the Wormhole Space. I watched at my back and it was still here, reflecting the light from the blue sun, a door which through I could come back to the capsuleers dominions and to a 'boring' life. I was feeling the call of the adventure once again, I had a possibility in front of me and I took it.
Just the time to go back and took a better ship for exploration and I was back into the unknown, ready to explore. From that moment, through an infinite number of deaths, errors, strokes of luck, attempts and discoveries, Wormhole Space became my home as it is today.”
"You never want to come back to the known space?"
"Yes, some times I feel the need to come back to the 'civilized' space. Throught whormole you can reach the farthest extremes of known space in matter of hours, when doing the same travel in known space you need days, with a lot of more dangers in the way. So I didn't find hard to come the Empire space when I need some company or I want to take a drink in the Crystal Boulevard on Caille, watching the heart of the Federation, Luminaire."
“Such an interesting story, Mr. Sealton. But what about the dangers of Wormhole Space? There should be some dangers in such unknown places.”
Sealton laughed softly “Well there are and they are many. But if you’re careful enough you can avoid them.”
“I heard there are ‘lifeforms’ in there too.”
“Oh yes, that is one of that dangers: they are called Sleepers. They aren’t proper lifeforms though, I mean, depends on how you consider drones that act and fight like if there were alive pilots inside them.”
“Quite interesting matter really. I’m sure our viewer will be more than curious to go deeper in this matters but for now our time is up!” she beamed a smile to the camera “Thank you for coming and telling us your story Mr. Sealton.”
“The pleasure was all mine.”
“If you wanna heard more of Mr. Sealton and his tales, make sure to not miss ‘A capsuleer tale’ soon to be hired here, on The Scope.”
“Thank you Paline, that was really interesting! Out new program ‘A capsuleer tale’ will go on air…”
Fizzies of static.
And then… a black screen.