Intergalactic Summit

My first thought, after regaining consciousness, was That's funny. I can't feel my legs. My second thought was Please don't be mind-locked. Please, please let me have passed the final test.

What a strange feeling this is, floating weightless above the clouds. I wasn't prepared for the sensation of it. Each conduit, each piece of hardware, flexing within me like a muscle. The itching tension of my shield emitter. The exhalation of my magpulse thrusters.

I have ascended.

Achura glitters beneath me like a jewel. From here I can see settlements, cities, scattered like motes of dust over the planet's night side. It's not the first time I've seen my homeworld from orbit, but it is the first time I've seen it with such clarity. I can see each streetlamp, each glowing window, peering up at me like florescent eyes. I can see my family's estate, sprawling over the countryside in the pre-dawn. The buildings look so small. Like toys, scattered and forgotten.

Normally, I would not indulge in such physical elation. But I have studied, and I have trained, and I have labored tirelessly. I have emerged victorious. And I feel fantastic.

I am seeking employment. What I'm looking for: education, companionship, and State service. What I can offer: diligence, initiative, and loyalty. I am ready for this new life.

Plug me in, New Eden, and put me to work.

Has yours? That's tragic. You are a member of an elite social order, one of the exceedingly few New Eden citizens with the fortitude to survive ascension into this new stage of human development, and you don't feel distinguished?

At least you've been able to maintain a healthy sense of levity.

Compared to every sentient thing that draws breath, we are special. We are near immortal. The best of us wave a hand and an empire rises. Or falls. But amoung those Capsuleers, no, I do not feel special. I shall build a fortress to call my own that shall protect me and mine, but I am not exceptional when compared to all the others who do the same. This is not tragic, this is a statement of fact.

So said the first creature to evolve wings and take flight: "Meh, I'm not that special. We'll all be flying soon enough."



Indeed, Cardinal. A blessing. One I hope persists in the years to come. Even now, as my orbit swings me wide out of the night shadow of Achura and into the open sun, I can feel the solar wind crackling along my hull.

It's a cleansing feeling. I feel complete. Reborn. Whole. Do you not? I guess it makes sense, the novelty of these sensations diminishing with time, although it makes me sad to think that I may someday be unsatisfied with "all of this".

Yes. Technological advancements are blessings under the disguise of human ingenuity. Their uses are at the discretion of free will but they are blessings non the less. You of all people should understand that Cardinal Graelyn.

[/quote]
Indeed, Cardinal. A blessing. One I hope persists in the years to come. Even now, as my orbit swings me wide out of the night shadow of Achura and into the open sun, I can feel the solar wind crackling along my hull.

It's a cleansing feeling. I feel complete. Reborn. Whole. Do you not? I guess it makes sense, the novelty of these sensations diminishing with time, although it makes me sad to think that I may someday be unsatisfied with "all of this".[/quote]


If you can feel the solar winds then I suggest you speak to your cheif of engineering about recalibrating your sheilds. If the harmonics are such that you can feel something as superficial as solar wind then you will surely feel the first salvo fired at you, and believe me, on that day you will know what it feels like to be Reborn.

I understand the way you feel.

Perhaps, one day, when you've spilled enough blood, when the lives you've taken can no longer be given any accurate accounting, when you can no longer remember the faces of your fallen friends, the Wet Grave will take on a different meaning in your life.

Perhaps. I imagine that time will tell.

You're a sage man, Cardinal. As I'm sure you're aware, your accomplishments are well known, even among planetbound Achur. It would befit me to take your wisdom to heart.



Thank you for the warm welcome, pilot! As for seeking out my peers: this post is a big part of my initial effort to reach out to the community.

I will certainly contact you if I find I need assistance. I'm not looking for charity, but I would always welcome an experienced voice to provide guidance or help point me in the right direction. Reliable and worthwhile fluidcomm channels, for example, are something that I'm having a particularly difficult time tracking down.

Enthusiasm, but not to the point of randomly capitalizing "ascended." Good. I think you'll do fine.

If you are serious about wanting to work to further the State, there are several Caldari-aligned capsuleer collectives you might find interesting - Wiyrkomi Honor Guard, I-RED and Lai Dai Infinity Systems spring to mind. Each has their own political, philosophical and practical approach, so at least one of them should fit fairly well, no?

Indeed, welcome to the fold. Keep your childlike appreciation or your good fortune. Avoid the cynicism and graft that abound amongst the "brethren". You will do fine.