Fiction Friday- Series 2: Chapter 8

Previously:
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7


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Hi Kor,


Congratulations on the promotion! I'm so glad that the corporate heads at Caldari Provisions can tell you've got a decent brain in that noggin. Your new apartment sounds nice, can't wait to see it. You'll have to write and tell me how your job has changed with the new position. And how is the Juunijaishi colony? I have a friend in the Signals Corps who is from there and she tells me its very nice with a lot of  Achuran influences.



How's the injuries doing? Did you get a chance to see a doctor about getting that hip joint assembly recalibrated? I know your saving up all the money you can for the service contract buyout (and seriously, start accepting my bank transfers, I don't need the money) but limping around like an old Minmatar elder is not good for you. Go see a doctor.


I'm writing from the recovery ward of the infirmary after my implant surgery this morning. Everything went fine they tell me and they promise the itching around the incisions will stop. Eventually. It is supposed to take a couple days for the implants to fully integrate with the neural network in your brain but already I'm noticing a difference. My memory of what I was doing a hour ago is so clear its like watching a holoreel, and I can tell you at exactly what time the nurse came in with my last batch of meds. I can also tell you the dimensions of this ward down to the centimeters (21.82 meters by 12.10 meters) just by looking. Its freaky.


Most new pod pilots get hardwirings for the basics in shield modulation and missile launcher controls but since I apparently have above average spatial reasoning I was selected for hybrid weapon hardwirings. These will help me interface with the ship's weapons systems faster and more accurately when my pod is connected. I'll still need to practice though to become really good at directing and overriding the AIs. Funny thing is every time I think about firing the weapons my index finger on my right hand twitches. It took three tries to type this paragraph because of it. The nurse said its normal and I made a joke about cruise missile launching twitches (she laughed).


I had stopped thinking about my old body until yesterday when I was out for lunch with Cryst and she pointed out that the hairline scar on my chin from that bike accident when we were kids was gone. Now everytime I see a mirror I keep looking at that spot. Sitting here all day hasn't helped with that either. I wonder if I'm going to get appendicitis again?


Jace also got hybrid implants. We're being assigned to the same Merlin frigate squadron for training. Word is our instructing Admiral is a hardass who used to be a pod pilot before his current neural cortex adapter got damaged in a shuttle accident and now he can't interface to the pod or a medical facility for a clone jump and he's really bitter and jealous towards new pod pilots. After the hell that was boot camp I'm not too concerned.


We won't be captains of our own Merlins, not yet anyways. While we are in shakedown the ship will be captained by a regular officer and we'll take commands from him. Some of the more esoteric ship functions will be done by the crew as well, switching over to our control as we get our feet under us. Standard time to our own captaincy is about six months, depending on whether or not you stick with the frigates or go up to the larger ships. You get some choice in the matter, but ultimately you fly what they tell you even if its a desk.


Have you heard from father or mother? I sent a message to each of them when I got my promotion but nothing cam back. I had hoped that once father saw how we are making the best of the situation he might be willing to talk to us again, but he seems to be continuing to be an asshole. And we both know mother does whatever he says these days. I shouldn't be surprised but I hoped things would get better. Oh well.


I'm flying out in the next couple days. I don't know if I'll get a chance to send mail while out on patrol so if not be patient and I'll talk to you when I get back to station.


Talk to you later,
Kirith