Vice Admiral Ryan MacTavish
Fleet Headquarters
Virginia system
Dear Admiral MacTavish:
I grew up on a small peach farm on the Southern Continent of Manhattan. In the early morning of dawn, you would see acres of dew covered trees with pink blossoms and great white leaves.
In those days my father and I labored in the fields caring for our beloved trees, harvesting the fruit sold in markets across Manhattan. But then the rains failed and our land was wracked by drought. Year after year the trees became thinner and thinner, the life blood of our farm dieing.
I was 12 when I looked up into the sky, the orchard dust swirling around me. Six flashes of silver light streaked into the atmosphere, vapor trails of pearly white following their course. The sonic blast of their speed echoed across the planet's surface.
Seconds past as six gleaming ships streaked overhead in a roaring torrent of heat and noise. Knocked to the ground, I looked up in wonder and saw on all the ships the words--Liberty Navy. In that moment a dream was born. My young heart burst at the sight of those amazing ships.
As the years passed my father whom I loved above all else died three months ago. I wept for all the dignity, love, and suffering that died with him.
I'm seventeen now and sold what was left of the family farm. I moved to Planet Pittsburgh and got a job as a pipe fitter. The hours are long and the back breaking work is not much of an existence. But I've always held in my mind the image of those Liberty Navy ships streaking across the sky. A hopeless dream of a young man with no future.
Admiral MacTavish, can dreams come true? Is it possible to have a better life here in Liberty--to create a new destiny among the stars?
With nothing left but a willingness of the heart, I submit my application to the Liberty Navy Academy.
Yours sincerely,
Johnny Horton
Unit 356-A, Maintenance Division
Planet Pittsburgh
