– by Cheese Nippels

The day they came down from the sky changed my life; heck, it changed all of our lives. They called themselves capsuleers, and came for that which all men want, ISK.

On the 18th day of the 5th month on our planet, so crudely dubbed ‘Aunia I’ by the capsuleers, we heard the announcement made by CONCORD; planets were no longer protected from the capsuleer menace. May our various gods have mercy.

The first sighting was of some kind of cargo rocket impacting 30 kilometers from the town. We loaded up and moved out to see what it was, our planetary vehicles skimming the long grass. As we came close to the impact site we heard the sounds of construction. Stopping the vehicle, we walked to a place with a better view of the site. A large building was nearly complete, and surrounded by nearly 100 militants, all armed to the teeth.

I decided that I did not want to die to the militant guns. Dropping my fathers old mazer hunting rifle in the long grass I began to walk back to my farm on the other side of the town when I heard the shout from the town mayor: ” Chaaarge!!!! Show no mercy to those militant scum!”

I began to run, the grass scratching against my legs, the sound of the various hunting rifles owned by my townfolk rang out, answered by the sustained fire from the military grade defence rifles from the militants.

The cries of the townfolk haunt my dreams to this day.

I live in the hills above the derelict town now, inhabited by myself and other workers, mercenaries and ‘exotic dancers’. As an ancient holo-reel I once saw said ‘You will never find a more wreched hive of scum and villany’.

Nobody comes into the hills, nothing of any value can be found here, well except for the capsuleer shuttle I purchased with all my savings and have converted so it can be flown without a pod and it’s neural interface. I have not yet gathered the nerve to test it. I do not have the immortality of the capsuleers, at least not until I can get off the planet and to the station a short distance away to apply to their program.

Today I am going to visit my mother at her work place, one of the more ‘fancy’ brothels in town. I stare down upon the town, among the shabby buildings one is burning, far beyond the stage where the flames can be extinguished. This tends to happen a lot, riots from the militiants and the capsuleer visitors are increasingly common as more capsuleers fight for the planet’s resources.

I reach the outskirts of the town and head straight for the brothel, careful not to look at the shady characters lurking in the dark alleys and doorways.

” Oy you!! Hermit!! ” comes a shout from my left, I break into a jog and do not look around, I am not well liked for some reason. The footsteps of my pursuer fade into the distance as I reach the brothel. I head inside with a nod to the guard at the door, he does not respond.

Inside the brothel there is red shag pile carpets, the walls are red and stained, and tattered curtains hang from the walls. I drag myself up the stairs and into the room where my mother works keeping the books for the brothel. Better then going hungry I suppose. The manager of the brothel grabs my shoulder as I approach where my mother works.

“Sir, I’ve got something I have to tell you, your not going to like it, please take a seat.” He says, guesturing to a seat  nearby. I look around for my mother. I cannot see her.

” Well, these things happen, you know, it’s just life, well….. I guess what I’m trying to say is in the riot earlier your mother was well.. She was out shopping around the corner and the .. The riot happened…” he pauses, staring into my face ” she didn’t make it, a drunk merc put a clip into the store and she caught 3 shots, there’s not much left of her… Do you want to see?”

“No” I choke out, fighting back tears, that’s my whole family gone to those bastard capsuleers. I run outside and straight back home, crying freely, my tears making tiny explosions in the dust as I run. I climb into the modified shuttle, wiping the tears from my face. Well I have nothing to live for, may as well take the chance. I fire up the shuttle, taking off up the ramp I have built and into the atmosphere, looking down upon the town and my home. I want to destroy them all, those capsuleer scum. I dock in the station, and with help from an empathetic docking manager, am directed quietly to where I can apply to become a pod pilot.

After having finished the paperwork and being accepted into the capsuleer program, I walk to the medical bay.

To destroy the capsuleers I must first become one.

– by Jengi Gotsen, Commander of the XV-22

“No more.”

Sylv glared at the poster. Righteous fury coursed through her veins.

“Not again.”

Her brother had signed on to work in a factory on some godsforsaken planet. He was a skilled labourer, had grown up in a station working on the assembly line. This was his life, his work, his job, and he was good at it. His supervisors praised him, said he was the best worker of the lot. Gallente. Proud. Strong. Intelligent. He was a model worker, a shining example of what a workman should be.

Sylv was furious. The posters blanketed the station walls. They promised the same untold riches, glory and exploration that her mining barge had. She knew what was waiting for her brother. Untold sorrow, defeat and death. The Capsuleer had promised her crew all would be fine. Done this a million times, never lost a soul. Ironic choice of words when the Guristas showed up. Sylv was one of few who found themselves in what remained of the cargo hold. One of few who was rescued by a passing salvage ship. The Capsuleer woke up across the galaxy while hundreds of crew eternally slept.

She clenched her fist. This could not happen. This would not happen.

—–

Jacques was thrilled beyond words. He had been selected for detail planetside. Earlier that week the assembly line manager called a meeting. One of the Capsuleer corporations had requested workers to join them planetside for new operations. Concord had lifted their planetary sanctions and was filling permits for Capsuleers to set up shop. All the Capsuleers needed were skilled hands. Jacques was a skilled hand. He submitted his application later that day with a recommendation from the manager.

Bittersweet was how he described it. Appreciation for Jacques’ hard work, and chagrin that he was leaving. Today the corporation approved him. Today the world changed. These Capsuleers did it right, he decided. A generous amount had been deposited into his account before he stepped foot planetside. Complimentary shuttle service to the corporation’s Personnel and Operations Station. A quick glance at his expected duties included the manufacturing of goods he’d been producing his entire life. It seemed the corporation had selected him for a quick transition. Not much additional skill training required. Jacques would be able to jump right in.

He smiled brightly. This could happen. This would happen.
—–

Sylv stormed.

Jacques beamed.