Ameliorate

[ellipsis]

Ameliorate

To improve, to purge the old and begin anew.

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My dear family,

Sorry to shoot you this recording so late in Eastern Manhattan TimeI It's your father, Blake! I hear it's getting cold on Planet Manhattan around this time of year. Snow falls from the sky, glistening to the ground below and forming a nice blanket of white. It's been quite some time since I've seen a sight like that, out here in space. Gods know it gets dreadfully lonely. Wish I could be around to see home again. To be around you all and let you all know just how much I cherish every single one of you. Little Lily, Lucas... My beloved wife Amelia. And mom and pop, can't forget you two! Hope you're all takin' care of each other and livin' good. Ever since I left I've had no idea what you've all been up to. It's been decades.

Speakin' of that, I'm sure you're all wondering why I "died". Yeah, I know what this looks like. I never actually died. Well, not yet. Which means, you're probably asking why I left without a word, why I... vanished. It's a hard thing to explain but, under the kind of circumstances I'm in, I think I'm finally able to tell you all. There's no easy way to break it, so I'll just say it. I was roped into doing top secret work from the LSF, and I had to be erased. There's a lotta things about my past life I've never exposed. This, uh, ain't gonna be for the kids' ears, so, if y'all could kindly escort them out of the room, it'd be great. I'll give you a couple secs........ Now then.

Like I said, I've never told anyone about this, not even you, Amelia. I regret it now, regret it a lot, but I had to. I used to be a Rogue. A real bastard, too. I've taken a lotta lives just to make my own living. There was a point that, well, you may or may not've seen my younger face on the news. I was infamous, and that paints a big target. One time my boys and I were movin' to raid a big convoy headed through open space in California. Turns out it was a sting op, and we were all incarcerated promptly afterwards. I was sentenced to life in prison. I served 10 rough years on Sugarland before I was offered a choice: Rot in that blasted smelter hole for the rest of my days, or come outside and do some dirty work that the LSF can't get involved with. Goin' from one dirty job to another, it wasn't much of a change but at least it was something I was more accustomed to than working with scrap metal.

On the books, I was now affiliated with the Bounty Hunters Guild. Off them, I was LSF. And... agh! Pardon me... just got some- urgh! ...chest pains. He looks like he's sweating profusely, and he is wincing in pain. Anyways, they had me takin' odd jobs that would sully their name if they did it, stuff even they couldn't hide from the people. The best way to hide stuff is in plain sight, i guess. They used me in any way they could. I was just glad to be outta the slammer. I killed and killed again, only this time, it was in the name of "the law". I lost count of how many ships they had me erase over the couple years they enlisted me. Some of 'em were my former friends. I had no choice, so... I offed 'em. Eventually, they decided I wasn't worth their time anymore and they dropped me, giving me a chance to live a normal life again on Manhattan, and that's where I met you. They fabricated a large story to prevent you all from figuring out what happened, I had to act as if I was a retired Navy vet. But I was never that kind of guy. I'm sure you suspected something was off but brushed it away. You were always so trusting, Amelia, sometimes too much...

Muffled explosions can be heard in the distance, and the feed begins to lose quality. Well, uh. Heheh, my time's startin' to wear a bit thin. I'm sure y'all caught on by now, but, I'm dying. For real, this time. Bastards got me good, I couldn't tell what kinda ships they were... All I know is they were big and blue as all hell. Unlike anything I've seen my whole life, and once again, I got outclassed. Hahah... I don't even have any clue where I'm at anymore. The last thing they ordered me to do was to fly a crew of researchers on this large liner towards some secret damn base they have, everything's gotta be so god damn hush hush. He goes into a wild coughing fit that lasts for a few moments as smoke is starting to fill the room he is in. I got em there safe... Probably the only lives I've ever saved. I don't even know who any of them are. Wanna know what's ironic? They said that after this job, I'd be done. I guess in a way, they were right... They told me they'd take care of you all, compensate all of you for my work. I'd never get to see you again, but you'd be alive and well, living the high life. Our kids won't have to live in poverty, like we used to. They can make somethin' of their lives. All I can do is hope that's where you're at now. That you can live 'cause I worked my ass off for it. The only way I could. You gotta understand, they would've killed me if I didn't do this. They couldn't risk me goin' rogue again.

"Warning, warning. All systems critical. Losing power from main and auxiliary generators. Coolant failure. Engine failure. Shield failure. Hull integrity lethally compromised. Escape pods nonfunctional. Vessel detonation imminent." Ugh, shut up, you stupid piece of code! I know already! Blake starts coughing again and covers his mouth. Once the fit is over, he looks to his palm and sees blood. Eugh... Haven't felt like this in a while. It's finally time, then. Some of the systems are still on, I can.. I can hopefully send this out somewhere. Jettison the black box and just hope someone finds it... It'll blow to smithereens here. I just wanna tell you all to live. Just live. Do it for me. Don't let your lives go down the gutter like mine. Take what they give you and make a better life, be normal. Don't... don't get involved in all this crap. Worst mistake I ever made was gettin' into the rogue life. It led me here. Bein' a pawn for the chess players. I was only ever good at killing, but, I like the thought of having made someone's world better after all I've done, at the end... Well. I love you all. Stay outta trouble. Take care of the kids. Take care of mum and pop. And...

Blake is cut off by louder explosions, causing the red alarm sirens to go off in the cockpit. He makes a peace sign with his fingers and says, Adios. Blake uses what's left of the computer systems to jettison the black box from the ship. The feed is obviously cut, leaving him to his own company. Alright... Guess it's finally time to feel what it's like to go out like this. Too bad it's no blaze of glory in the figurative sense, heh... See you in the next life, Amy... if there is one. He uses the little strength he has left to dig a picture out of his pocket. It's a family memoir photo of his family. He holds onto the blind hope that they'll know the truth one day, and sheds a tear. He falls limp in his seat, his body no longer able to cope with the amount of smoke and heat. What is left of Captain Blake Wells, LSF Privateer, will forever remain a mystery.