FREEFORM HQ
DAL SYSTEM

 The walls of HQ felt particularly bare that day. I had noticed the emptiness first thing as I returned from the gym in theearly AM. My heavy steps reverberated from the steel plate floors moreso than usual, distorted echoes playing across my ears. Much of the lighting system were off, many of the office doors locked; the place seemed abandoned.

Emergency lights winked to life briefly as I strode down the hallways, turning off automatically as I passed through each section to conserve power. Not a soul was to be seen.

Paintings had been taken down; plants had been removed or left to wither and die. Service droids and personnel had been laid off temporarily, or at least that was the hope. Even the door to the galley was locked, but my security code gave me access. Taking the sweaty towel from around my neck and placing it on a nearby counter, I rummaged through the corporate pantry, looking for something easy to eat, to satisfy my growling stomach. 

After forcing down some canned fruits and preserved jams, I proceeded to my office. The lights stayed off when I entered, but there was still power to my computer system.

“Aura, what’s going on?” I said, my voice booming throughout the emptiness unintentionally.

She flashed a corporate email to the center of the screen, which I touched to open. It was from Niko and Cytral, the Directors of Freeform Industries.

As I scanned the email, I was filled with mixed emotions. Truth be told, I could care less about the drama that had unfolded around me. I didn’t like being put in the middle of things. FullMetal Basilisk had been fired, forcefully removed from the corporation. Did I agree with the decision? Did it really matter what I thought? What was done, was done. And honestly, it didn’t affect me either way. It didn’t mean I couldn’t keep in contact with my friend. It didn’t mean I had betrayed any loyalties to the corp.

What I did find interesting was that 90% of our recent recruits had opted to resign from the corporation and go with Metal. I didn’t think it  something malevolent, something sinister that had been planned out; rather I took it as a testament to the type of man he was; others were compelled to follow him. It brought up other philosophical stirrings within my mind, but I couldn’t grasp their relevance at the time.

I continued scanning the mail, reading Cytral’s heartfelt plea to be patient as Freeform underwent radical internal restructuring, and his thanks for those of us sticking it out. For me, it was a matter of convenience. My role here was flexible and permissive, I pretty much did what I wanted, and was left to do so. Additionally, it had really lightened the recruitment spam I got hammered with in local. I guess the saddest part was, at least for me, was the reason I joined Freeform in the first place; in his video comm, Cytral really seemed to be an attractive chick. I was more than surprised when I finally met him face to face. I’d joked about it with others, and apparently I wasn’t the only one who had fallen prey to this gender mistake.

One final note got my attention in the email: All Corporate Hangars have been locked down until further notice.

That irritated me. What was left of the corp wasn’t here in Dal; in fact, I think I might’ve been the only one left in this branch office. I made my way to the hangar bays, and sure enough, my security access wasn’t enough to override the Director level lockdown. The thought crossed my mind to use my military credentials and have the doors forcibly overridden, but that would inevitably lead to more drama. Besides, the only thing kept in these bays was various ammo types. I kept my ships in my private and secured military hangar. 

Ah well, guess I would be buying ammo from the public market for a little while. It was probably good for the economy anyway. 

I took a quick shower in the corporate locker room, feeling the emptiness poignantly. In a way it was ironic, as for the most part I tended to avoid crowds and noticed that people generally got on my nerves quickly. I was quite content with my own company most of the time. And yet there was a wrongness about this type of emptiness. It was like some cataclysmic event had occured that everyone had been privy to but me. I was the one left behind while all other beings had fled pre-emptively to safety.

After changing into warm clothes, I sat back down in my office, reading some selections Aura had found for me based on a previous query I had made into the Socio-economic development of the Minmatar Republic. 

I had found myself drawn to the rich and varied history of our people recently, researching into our cultural limitations and diversities, gaining insights into where our struggles existed in our rise as a people, and where we still possessed weaknesses. It had been something Shakor had suggested to me recently; that I know where we had been in order to understand where we were going.

It reminded me of that Gigaer guy I had encountered a while back; he had said something along the same lines. But to be fair, I was enjoying the study. 

The Matari had an incredibly woven historical tapestry, and the more I read, the more I wanted to learn. Still, every man has his limits, and after only a few hours I found my eyes growing heavy, despite the early hour of the day.

There were no market orders for me to take care of. No inventory control. No flight assignments pending. No classes at our new academy. There was nothing for me to do here.

I checked my NeoCom for military intel. Seemed things were quiet on that front too. 

I let my breath blow out through my lips, wondering how I should spend my day. I just wasn’t in the mood to be alone. I thought about maybe heading to the Black Hole Pub, but even I had limits to when I would start drinking.

Finally, I commed Mynxee, expecting her to not be around, or to be too busy to take my call. Surprisingly, she answered quickly.

“Heya sugah.” Mynxee purred, immediately easing my mood. “How’s things?”

I told her everything that had been going on in the corp recently, my sincere lack of interest in it, and just my general feeling of abandon today. Really, I wanted a friend to talk to.

She told me about some of the various dramas she had endured with the Hellcats, and with the Bastards. Apparently RoninData ruled with an iron fist, but it worked for them. 

Finally she turned the subject to the fact that I was in an empty facility all by my lonesome, and came up with some very arousing ideas of how we could spend the day. She had administrative duties she needed to get done, but they could wait another day or two.

I really liked her playfulness, so eagerly accepted the offer.

A day alone to play with Mynxee would be just the thing to work this depressing funk out of my system.