The cold infinitum

[Ingenious]

journal entry #1
NAME: Edmond Alaius
LOC.: Lübeck Border Station, Hamburg

I just escaped Liberty with little other than my ship and my life.

Here's the lowdown. The rollers declared me an unperson and began to hunt me down. I had it coming. I stole those prototypes and they have proof. At least I was able to move the hot items to a friend of mine in plainclothes on the surface of Planet Manhattan. I probably won't see those babies for quite some time, especially with the blockade in the border systems between Liberty and Rheinland.

Well, seeing as I had about a dozen Liberty craft pursuing me through the Bering asteroid field, it didn't come as a surprise to me that the officers at the border station were willing to harbor me, at least for the time being. I'm sure now with my less-than-transient stay in Rheinland, I'll have to find some work here. I've checked out the military bounties and they seem promising, but I'll have to meet a trader, a friend of mine who's involved with Daumann. He'll be able to put in a good word for me; that much is certain. What's not certain is how much he'll charge. It has been some time. I can't just expect him to drop everything and put his ass on the line for a freelancer.

I should try to stay optimistic, especially since I'll have restricted access to the AD pharmaceuticals in Rheinland. Until I can do something about that, I'll just have to take contracts as they trickle in. There is that transmission I sent on unencrypted channels through my neural-net, though with all the houses engaged in gunboat diplomacy I don't really expect much attention to be paid to rounding up pirates and slavers. Helping criminals could prove to be more profitable. But what about having been placed on a second wanted list?

If I'm looking to gain favor with the Rheinlanders, I might also take my researcher liner out of storage. It's been a long time since I flew her. With the freer import from Gallia and Bretonia distracted by larger events set in motion, I am sure the Rheinland Military would appreciate any analysis and transportation of wildlife from Planet Gaia. Perhaps some Prometheum. Whatever the case, the houses are always paying a premium for weapons at the state of the art. Is Prometheum the key to developing a military advantage? Hell if I know. It pays.

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