Date: ██/██/████
Title: "Went for gold, left with diamonds, but in handcuffs."
I think I've had more run-ins with Security Officers that I have not enjoyed than steps I've taken MY WHOLE LIFE since birth. I am compliant, I am fine, I don't argue, because... I can't. Despite that, Security Officers find ways to make my life a bit more difficult than I'd like to put in words. I'm not particularly prude about crass language, but even I have my limits. You know, in a way, me and that Mime are very similar, we both can only argue with the good word of others, or pen and paper. Today, though, I will fully admit that the blame was solely on me! I'm trying to do new things, so why not actually do something I perceive as bad and see if they arrest me for it?
[ I did not plan any of this out, there was no thought put into this. ]
I wake from cryogenic sleep. Today's mission-- Build a shuttle on Cluster Station. Let's go over a few things before I start. Cluster station does not have any "hidden gems" as I would put them. No shuttle console, wall-mount substation board, APU board, or APC board in sight. On a scale of 1 - 10, ten being the easiest shuttle building station, Cluster would be at... well, 2. Atlas is a solid one, as it doesn't even come with the sweet, sweet insulated gloves, and Box Station probably would be pretty far up there, maybe even at eight. I haven't decided on the nine and ten yet. So, I need to rely solely on Salvage and Science. Problem? We're a damn skeleton crew! It'll take FOREVER... You kidding me?
Someone left a whole utility belt and insulated gloves out, so I'll take it! I head up to the abandoned dock, and start grabbing supplies. Multitool, good EVA, and oxygen will have to do. I hack my way into the EVA room to grab one of the high quality suits, a Jetpack, and Magboots. Now, I'm ready for anything space has to throw at me. I hack one of the airlock doors, and begin construction of this shift's shuttle.
Let's start with the power. A five by six lattice rectangle, add steel tiles for the ground plating, with exception to the corners, which are for the thrusters. A reverse L shape of 3 HV wire in the bottom left (above the still visible lattice where the thruster is) for the APU, RTG, and Substation. Three MV wire in the middle, connecting the Substation to the APC, and LV wire going out of the APC in a H shape, powering the whole shuttle. Finally, place down the assemblies for all the power stuff, and finish off with Web walls for keeping the air in, and the space out.
We still have some room to work with. Any remaining entries to space are blocked off by Grilles and Windows, ensuring that hull breaches aren't too brutal. Grilles take a good blunt of the force, but they wont stop explosions and such. Finally, I lay down web tile, and set up lighting, minus the actual lighting tubes. Now it's all set up, but I still lack any of the tech. I don't even have a damn APC for crying out loud. So, it's off to salvage, to see if I can peek at their shuttle console to see what this sector has to offer. There seems to be some abandoned shuttle directly north of the AI core, so I fly there.
On the station is a terrarium, full of butterflies. So cute... Oh, and an APC and a Crusher, which comes built in with a light! Sweet! I grab the APC board, and fly back to my shuttle. I dump all the loot into a web crate, and while circling the station, find more goodies such as a mercenary mask and goggles, the very same things that got taken from me last bad encounter with Security. I make peace with the Salvager by giving them some Insulated Gloves I found laying around, and went back to my shuttle. In the corner of my eyes, I see a horrid sight. Red armored assailants are here, breaking in with some odd kind of super-hot steel-melting sword. I hot foot it out of there, I doubt my Crusher will do even notable damage to the guys. I float to the bridge, still in space, hoping to look panicked enough for the Captain to tell something has gone awry. But while floating around the station, I see... a shuttle?
Their shuttle was left abandoned right by the dock. Inside was goodies that I think were literally to die for. I must've been, no, WAS possessed. My radio stopped working, but only in my mind. Only one thing mattered to me at this point. Mindlessly pulsing the airlock wires, bolting it, power going out, cutting the power wire, try again... I'm now inside these guys' shuttle, and... It's beautiful. A marvel of design, even.
Purple-tinted windows, with blast doors to make sure that anyone who shouldn't be there stays out. Walls so strong you could probably explode them with a nuclear bomb, and they'd be unscathed. Some kind of odd radio, what's up with that? Consoles, plenty of them, for controlling the IFF, the shuttle, and a way to broadcast to... someone. And finally, an ID card belonging to them, giving me full control of this shuttle, and everything on it.
Woohoo! No more shuttle building for me, this is my big break! It even has a comfy bed in the back, some snacks, and... Ew, is that an already eaten corn cob inside their dresser? That explains why the intruders got wiped out almost instantly upon entering the station. They have all this highly intricate, well designed stuff, yet still leave garbage inside of a dresser? This doesn't make any sense. I asked over their announcement system if I could keep this shuttle, but apparently, everyone including their parent's parent (some super old spider wilting away complaining about the noise comes to mind) could probably hear it, and got plenty of complaints on the radio about shutting up. Gimme a break, I didn't know!
After spooking some of the crew, only playfully of course, evacuation arrives. I guess after situations like this, there's no reason to risk staying on station. Can't say I don't blame them. I did poke fun at the Captain for not setting the alert level to Red, but apparently I just missed that announcement, so my bad. I promised that announcement was my last, and I don't break promises like that! I enter onboard and...
"You are under arrest, for theft." States an odd, robotic police officer.
Theft? What? Since when? Well, I was never given an answer until we got into questioning and interrogation. You see, for my shuttle, I needed thrusters. And what is the one redeeming quality of Cluster station? It has four evacuation pods, meaning 4 thrusters could be used for whatever I would like. This is actually very, VERY illegal, and after explaining what I did, I had to spend a few days in the brig. Alone, might I add, not in solitary confinement, but because most people don't toe the line between execution and freedom like I do. The officers were actually pretty nice, believe it or not. What can I say, I'm not like most... Not much of note happened after that. I was let go, and told that I should not do something like that again. Nothing else can really be said, so... I'll end this entry here. Don't have a funny way of saying goodbye, so uh... Bye bye!
