The Unlikeliest of Turns - part I

[I'm catching up with events that took place in February of this year. I'll let you know when I'm at the 'present'... if I ever make it there!]

I left MacLaren's Drift last week, unable to wait any longer for Miss Suzanne. She's since waved me, telling me that she's fine but that it will be some time before she's ready to fly back to Persephone; though she reassured me that our business plan still stands. O' course, I may no longer be able to hold up my end of the bargain... but I'm gettin' ahead o' myself.

While I was waitin' for Suzanne - killin' time so to speak - I decided I may as well run the Unlikely through a few calibrations. Figured folks might think me strange - takin' off and landing, then checking round the ship to take readings from the external sensors, then doin' it all over again after some tweakin' - but the old boat needed it so I figured they could jus' take me for a fool.

I found a quiet spot a little away from the main dock area so as not to disturb folks and began the tests. Turns out the internal gyros were way way off, so I guess I'm kinda lucky I didn't crash when I arrived. I reckon all the ferrying to and fro on that godforsaken dust-bowl, picking up cargo probably screwed with them. Anyhow, I got them to where I figured they should be and thought I should try a more controlled landing on one of the pads. As it turns out, that was a mighty fine idea.

I set the Unlikely down lightly, the atmo thrusters screaming at the fine control of her bulk, but the gyros were true so I was pleased. I got out and took a look around the hull, looking for the kinda micro damage that can turn into huge great holes and cold, dead captains on reentry, but everything looked pretty true, so I was about to pack up and see if Suzanne was around at all.

That's when I met Imrhien...

O' course, at the time I was so absorbed with the Unlikely that I barely gave her a second thought, 'cept to say hello and make polite. I mean, I noticed her - it's impossible not to - she's like a blazing white light in a world o' shades o' gray - but men like me don't get far with women like her and I had to find Suzanne an'... well, there was a lot o' other stuff on my mind. So I made nice and then left.

Next day... still no Suzanne. So I set the Unlikely down in the desert and went for a walk to stretch my legs and get some fresh air... not that the air is ever that fresh with so much gorram dust in it.

There she was again... sitting on a crate o' something or other, seemin' to hide away from the bustle of the docks, so I figured this time I'd take a little time out, see if she was as impressive as she seemed to be...

... to be continued