Name: Broc Ursal
Occupation: Miner
Affiliation: Independant
Born: Curacao,Cortez system
Born the son of a laborer and a hostess on the resort planet of Curacao, Broc's parents wanted nothing more than for their son to attend a fancy university and grow to live a life like those of the affluent people that they worked to serve. Unfortionatly for them, Broc wanted nothing more to opporate his own mining vessel. Fiercely independant he stubbornly refused to apply for membership in IMG as well as for BMM. Instead he worked to earn his way through a Liberty school that assisted with proper licensing, found several investors and started on the grand life as a miner in the Sirius sector.
Below is his personal log.
Entry One:
Well... I've been out mining for a while and decided that the trip across K (yeah...right like I am going to out and say my regular routes) is boring enough just watching the dust pass by the screens to make writing a log seem that much more interesting. So where to start.
Well... I knew from an early age that the whole suit and tie life that my parents wanted for me was not the sort of thing that I wanted. I lkike the idea of hard work, gettin dirt under you nails...all that. So, for a while I worked along side my old man, workin and maintainin the lawns and whatnot of the resort. Not bad work but I found myself watchin as every ship landed and took off. After some thinkin and research I found out about mining and I liked the idea.....especial exploritory work. Goin out to far flung places and digging through fields that might have been overlooked appealed to me. I had seen and spoke with several workers from BMM and i knew the corporate scene wasn't for me. Too much control on yuor actions, the company loooking ofver your shoulder makin sure you weren't "wasting" their money. But investers didn't like the idea of putting their money behind some wet-behind-the-ears kid with no experience or education. So I saved up and headed out to Freeport 4 to hire on a ship. I get out there and find out that they don't hire unless you join the guild, and agin just not my deal. Don't go here, don't mine that...too closed. While there I learned about a place at Erie that did some teaching and helped the student get all the licensing and what not, so off I went. After a couple years, classes were done, investers all lined up, and I was looking at my very "own" Basalt. Not much but better than nothing. In a rush I took right off to the closest field, and so were several class mates. I looked back and saw them, all of us rushing off like a school of starved fish. I stopped and whatched them for a moment adn realized, they were a shcool of stupid fish no doubt headed straight for the mounths of several hungry sharks. So, i decided that I hadn't seen the folks for a while and headed for home. I stopped at LA for a bite and an older guy asked if that was me in the Basalt. I told him it wsa and he asked if I wanted to make some money. I didn't trust him at first, especially when he said the cost wsa a meal, but then he told me that he was a retired miner and remembered how he would have like a hand getting statred. He told me about a good field through a jump hole and that it sold good right there at LA. SO, off I went, ready for a trap the whole time. Nope, the old man was right and on the run back I realized that a miner should be more afraid of gates, lanes, and taxes than he is of pirates. After paying import tax, the toll of the gate and the toll on the lane, figured out the books and sent off my investors share, and making some repairs from a slight run in with Rogues, I had barely made any profit. Did some looking and found that cargo sells better in L, but that meant more gates, more tolls.... but I figured it was worth checking out. Came out of the hole to K, and i decided it wasn't too far to the other gate and I would save some money and just free fly it out. Glad I did, not half wahy stumbled on another hole....took it straight to L. Faster, and more importantlyless taxed. Staight out the hole I did get hit by some Mollys, buggers fired first asked not at all. Then I get to L and find that not only did I skip out on the import dues, but the lane I was looking for is contested and they weren't charging or even scanning that effectively . All said and done close to the same distance, fewercharges(like none) and more pay...I had found my route for now. My investors don't need to know that though, and with some clever booking keeping they wont. As long as they keep getting their payments should all work out.
Entry 2
Well...that bit of money I had been savin paid off. I am now the proud owner of a "gently" used civilian tranxport. Sure it looks and moves about like a loaf of bread...but its my loaf of bread. I can't help but wonder though. They can make a fighter into a miner, they can make a 2300 unit transport into a miner...why not a 500 unit or so freighter.
Entry 3
Well I knew it wsa too good to last. One of my investers double checked on my and found how I had been padding the books. He spoke with the others and decided that if I pay the back amount and resume givin them the correct amount of profits then they will keep the banks and law out of it. And to think, it was all because of that bread loaf.
Entry 4
Just when a guy is gettin a good profit goin every thing goes down hill. First my investors get wise, then i get nailed by a pirate. Not a bad fellow...at least he asked for money before he fired. I swear....between pirates, taxes, and those corporate execs getting tax cuts for their company or "association"a working man can't make a decent livin. And like hell I'm gonna sell my soul to a corporation to try and take advantage of their tax reductions.
Entry 5
Well the day finally came. My little brother Danube finally finished with his schooling and has his licensing all done. So...bein the good big brother I am, I gave him enough to get all set up in his own hedgemon, telling him that I will be a 25% partner in his business. With the money from him I'll be able to keep my own investers happy and I can set out from my normal route to work on explorin like I want to. So, good for him, good for my einvesters, and good for me...and Danube said I never had any business sence.
Entry 6
After a whole lot of work I finally got my nearly fully equipped spatial. I have dubbed it Pick. Shortly After getting it, I was on my way to obtain my final piece of equipmentand I was beset by several, and i mean SEVERAL, outcasts. Try as I might their numbers were just too great for me. Thankfully I was able to get away in my escaped pod and get my ship rebuilt. I swear, I am getting sick and tired of all the pirates out threre preying on the hard working men and women just tryin to make a buck.
Entry 7
Well...it took some timebut I finally finished tuning my ship. I like the way it came out. I even managed to get more than a little payback on those pirates, although the one that puled the trigger still eludes me. All I can think though is that it seams like there's more pirates out there than the is people who will actually stop them. I have to admit that lately I have been having my share of fun tracking 'em down and stopping them from preying on other hard working men and women.
On another topic...I found out that my dollar chasing little brother broke down and joined the guild. All said and done I can't blame him too much though. His profit have begun to look a lot better.
