The Solar Winds

This article is an entry into the Jen Loo Mining Tale Contest

Watching starships embark from the observation deck has always intrigued me. I’ve seen all manner of vessels transit this station; from heavy battleships prepared to deliver violence to colossal freighters pursuing profit. Through it all, one thing has always remained the same: they always go back out for more. I once asked an officer of the Amarrian Navy what drives a captain and crew to continue risking everything. He told me “We do it because once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk with your eyes turned skyward.” My life has never been the same since.

Shortly afterwards I sold everything I owned to pay for basic pilot training and a pilot’s license from CONCORD. My expectations and aspirations were high as I set out to carve my name in the galaxy. I began working for various corporations spanning the four empires, but I remained unsatisfied. I answered an urgent call from the Sisters of EVE to dispatch the terrorist Dagan, but I remained unsatisfied. I participated in countless battles, sacrificing both my ship and crew for the cause of glory, but I remained unsatisfied. Finally, I looked around at the damage I had done and the carnage I had caused and decided to stop flying.

It wasn’t long, however, before I began to revisit my favorite place in the station: the observation deck. The ships all looked different now after having flown and fought with them personally; each familiar hull conjuring memories of battles both won and lost. Things were different now, and could never go back to what they had been. I could never be completely happy unless I was traveling amongst the stars, and yet, I couldn’t go back to the way things were. Then, as if guided by some divine hand, I looked up and saw my answer. Arriving at docking bay 147 was a beautiful HULK mining vessel fresh off the assembly line.

After mulling over the possibilities for a few brief moments I decided to speak with the captain. As luck would have it, the ship was being taken to Jita to be sold on the open market. The captain was gracious enough to give me a full tour, while explaining the ins and outs of piloting such a massive vessel. If my calculations were correct, I would be fully qualified to pilot this vessel in a mere 14 days. I placed a generous offer on the ship and began my training. In a short time I was not only flying again, but for the first time in ages, I was enjoying myself while I was doing it.

The work was hard, but rewarding. The crew was happy and well paid. This is the kind of piloting I had been longing for. The peaceful solar winds whistling through the asteroid fields as the mining lasers brought in the precious material. The atmosphere was relaxed and calm, and for the first time in my life, I was helping to build and create a better New Eden rather than tear it apart.