Earlier this evening I took a Navel Ascension Opportunity, inadvisedly I must say. It was to deliver 13 tons of uraninite (stolen). It must have been a slip of the finger because I don't have a clue where to find such a thing. I guess the lure of becoming an Earl (after a long absence of any such missions coming my way) must have overcome my usual caution. Suffice to say I didn't find it (obviously something to learn here. any clues? guidance?).
Ultimately, I'm sort of ashamed to say, I ditched it. Oh, how my rep was diminished! I supposed that I wouldn't get another chance for weeks.
I went back to normal duty - humdrum but you've got to turn a credit. Then the servers started fading in and out. Being a trooper I kept loggin back in, with variable results. Finally I got what seemed a good connection and looked at the bulletin board. Amazingly I was getting another chance. A milk run! Deliver a data package to a neighbouring system!
But!!!! The servers! Down they went, log back on. It's still there, but the deadline's wound down to, like, minimal. I suddenly wondered... is the risk in this actually managing the job despite the outages? Of course I know that's not in the script but it WAS the risk, considering the otherwise trivial nature of the task.
I took it. The server went down. I logged back in - it was still there in my inbox, time-a-ticking.
I got on the case, not only racing against time but also the fragility of our collective infrastructure. Down again. Seriously.
Not to stretch it further I made it. I got the acknowledgement and made the grade with moments to spare. Within seconds of doing so, I lost my connection again. But I'd done it. An entirely different sort of tension but rewarding nevertheless.
You can all call me Earl y'all. I look good in Ermine.
Ultimately, I'm sort of ashamed to say, I ditched it. Oh, how my rep was diminished! I supposed that I wouldn't get another chance for weeks.
I went back to normal duty - humdrum but you've got to turn a credit. Then the servers started fading in and out. Being a trooper I kept loggin back in, with variable results. Finally I got what seemed a good connection and looked at the bulletin board. Amazingly I was getting another chance. A milk run! Deliver a data package to a neighbouring system!
But!!!! The servers! Down they went, log back on. It's still there, but the deadline's wound down to, like, minimal. I suddenly wondered... is the risk in this actually managing the job despite the outages? Of course I know that's not in the script but it WAS the risk, considering the otherwise trivial nature of the task.
I took it. The server went down. I logged back in - it was still there in my inbox, time-a-ticking.
I got on the case, not only racing against time but also the fragility of our collective infrastructure. Down again. Seriously.
Not to stretch it further I made it. I got the acknowledgement and made the grade with moments to spare. Within seconds of doing so, I lost my connection again. But I'd done it. An entirely different sort of tension but rewarding nevertheless.
You can all call me Earl y'all. I look good in Ermine.
Last edited:
