Lee's Diary - Pilot of The Narcotic

[Narcotic]

Date: 18 July 821
System: Omicron Delta
Location: Office Room
Topic: Back to the roots

Since the change, I have regained the ability to remember events that took place in my earlier life. As if someone had just reopened the heretofore closed door to my past memories. It is an odd feeling to pass by places you did not recognize before. Now they seem to trigger pictures in my head, telling stories of long-past times.

I took myself some time to read my diary, just for the sake of remembering. By that, I have realized, that my wish of freedom and independency had almost cost my life. Even now that I have survived the multiple experiments on my body, I have to bear the consequences. I am afraid, that I will never get rid of my psychological suffering ever. It is now a part of me, and I will have find a way to live with it. Maybe I already did. Finally.

Yet, I will not get that one year back I have lost. In that time I have not just neglected myself, but also my closest friends. For example, Cody the equipment dealer in New York I have made friends with when I first came to Liberty. He helped me raise my own business, which I were successful with for a long time. That was when I remembered my abandoned "Democritus" which served me as shop and storage ship during my business in Liberty. I missed those times.

I have promptly notified Cody to invite him to a "holdiday flight" we often used to have in the past. Just to see the old man's face again, talking about old nostalgic times and those to come. Moreover, I asked him to look for my old yacht, checking what is still aboard it. I was suprised about the list he had sent me. I did not expect that many things remaining on it. Must have left New York in quite a rush after that robbery. I cannot remember if it was because I feared for my life or simply because I was done with Liberty's crime. In the end, it did not suit me living in house space, I suppose. Especially as a - more or less - lawful salesman.

Whatsoever, to my suprise, I apparently had one of those alien power cells in my storage. I used to sell them on Liberty's black market to researches now and then, but I would have never thought that I might need one myself one day. Well, actually Shodan wants it. Told me she has some ideas to make use of their potential. Creating a super weapon or something. I trust her that she knows what she is doing. After all, she seemed to have taken care of me during my "year of mental sickness" - how I would call it.

Though, I knew that I could not expect Cody to smuggle all that alien contraband across Liberty's borders and into the Omicrons. The police border controls would catch him. And if they will not, pirates will. So that was out of question. I will certainly have to look for them myself. I have found another source for a power cell anyways. The Core is willing to do business with me. Of course they demand a share and "sign of trust", but I am confident that everything will turn out well for both sides.

Apart from the contraband, personal belongings, remaining code weapons, armours and other assorted equipment, an almost unused docking module captured my interest. I think I had ordered it from Deep Space Engineering, to provide my "delivery ship" a safe docking possibility to my main store for good transfers. I guess, I can put it now to better use on The Narcotic, which was built with one docking bay already.

Last but not least, I considered the yacht's Gunboat Missile Turret, which was manufactured in Liberty, and came together with the ship's purchase on Baltimore Shipyard back then, to be worth a look. Maybe I can get it work on The Narcotic, to have it serve as a good anti-fighter weapon. "A thick hull and large guns will not safe you from being swarmed by insects, dropping nuclear bombs and "supernovas" on your defenseless spacecraft." That is what Shodan told me. And she was always right with what she said. I hope by that I can fix this weak point.

So in the end it was the Docking Module and Liberty Gunboat Missile Turret I asked Cody to take with him to our trip. Unfortunately, I will have to return to New York for the rest, one day. It seems like in life, there is always a point, where you have to return back to the roots.

Lee's old "Democritus" equipment store, moored at Norfolk Shipyard.