Sirius Business: The Life and Times of Jack Burton

[AngelOfIron]

Captain's Log, 06/15/3011

[Entry begins] If I were ever to write a survival guide to the Sirius Sector I'd make sure to mention in big bold faced letters "Rule #1: Do not antagonize the giant, flying, schizophrenic supercomputer!" (...) It all began a few days ago, shortly after we - that is to say Dane Summers, Finn McCool and the always amazing yours truly - had finished dropping off our respective shipments of Super Alloy to Duluth Shipyard in Minnesota. After we'd made sure that we'd each received payment for a job well done, Finn suggested that we all celebrate our good fortunes by paying a visit to our pal Jack Daniels and our mutual military buddy Captain Morgan down on Houston. (...) At first I thought his desire to make planetfall in a quick 'n timely manner was simply because he'd started to sober up, but it quickly became apparent that wasn't the case. (...) The Navy's LNS-Tacoma was waiting for us at the Jump Hole's threshold and her captain, a man by the name of Vossler, was demanding to speak to each of us.

* * * * * * *

Now anybody who's anybody knows that friction's bound to be generated whenever you get a known lawbreaker and an individual who's entire life is dedicated to the justice system into close proximity with one another. (...) I'd expected the wise cracks and the taunts, as did Vossler I'm sure. But I don't think anybody was prepared for Finn to call the man a "fookin' idiot" and run the blockade.

* * * * * * *

I reverted into space behind Houston twenty minutes later, fully expecting to see the Tacoma towing my friend's ships off to Sugarland for processing. Instead I found myself gazing upon a battlefield. I only caught glimpses of 101 Express and the Mac An Luin as they maneuvered deftly through the debris of another gunboat called the Kirkland. Meanwhile the Tacoma and several other naval vessels were in the process of engaging a rampaging Artificial Intelligence Core Cruiser that was literally calling itself "Mek-Quake". (...) I was so enthralled by this spectacle that I hadn't even realized that my friends and I had been ushered into a cue for the New York Jump Gate until a BDR-804 "Guardian" Liberty Very Heavy Fighter piloted by Ensign Merriman exploded no less than five meters from my bridge. His wingman, an Ensign Jennifer Tigger, would later tell me that he'd knowingly flown into the trajectory of the shot in order to protect me...

* * * * * * *

Tigger sits with the three of us now at Barrier Gate Station in Coronado. I doubt she even knows why she's there with us. She hasn't spoken much since we arrived. Shock, probably. I can't blame her. From what we can tell she's one of only a handful of naval personnel to make it out of Texas alive. Even I, Jack Burton, the man who often boasts about having seen it all, am having trouble getting my hands to stop shaking even as I make this recording. (...) I just can't stop thinking about Vossler and the Tacoma and the crews of all the other ships that'd sacrificed themselves to make sure the little guy made it to safety. I wonder... If Vossler were still alive, would he have remembered that it was I, a poor, down on his luck trader whose Grizzly had been jumped by a couple of trigger-happy Lane Hackers, that he'd rescued so many months ago? Maybe. I don't know... (...) Dane had mused about the potential benefits of having a "robo-buddy" like Mek-Quake. "How great would it be to have him following us around like a dog," he'd laughed, "making sure that the authorities stayed off our tails whenever we decided 'to hell with this trade embargo!'?" (...) The doc says it'll be several weeks before his nose heals. [Entry ends]

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