Following Your Departure From the Expedition to Arcadios
Mommy,
I can’t begin to tell you how unhappy I have been. I just want to go home, even after all we went through. Doesn’t even matter that I’ve been away for 49 years, and covered dozens of solar systems. This entire trip has been a colossal nightmare. Of course, you were there in the beginning, so you know.
You left at the beginning of year 17, and I’ve missed you terribly. The whole crew has. The subsequent 32 years of our 49 light year journey have shown it. Interactions have been reduced to constant bickering, back biting, and all that goes with being locked with a full crew on a tight ship. You somehow managed to keep the peace, I think even Commander Fulton misses that. No one listens to the Captain, I mean Father, these days. He’s been relegated to the role of absent-minded old one who only cares about getting to Arcadios, no matter the morale. I’m not convinced that the rest of the crew even want to make it to Arcadios at all. I certainly don’t.
I am scratching my head wondering why I agreed to sign up for this in the first place. Loyalty, I guess. Loyalty to father, who seemed to believe this was best for us. Loyalty to the cause of finding the Arcadian dream. Loyalty to you, who knew that love alone couldn’t traverse the cosmos in an old Rosenfyre Shooter scooter-ship. Love has little to do with it at all, I would learn. I should have said, “No thanks,” and stayed home on Artus VI with Pandria and Scoots. Who knew my dumb brothers were the smart ones in the end?
The pay certainly hasn’t been worth it. Oh, and don’t even get me started on Xirxie. That romance sailed when she squandered our rations at the Asterix Casino on Grid Station, and got me arrested for her drunken disorderly conduct. By the time she claimed that I had gambled everything away again on Zathros IX, I was done. At least at Zathros IX, enough of our crew knew I was not responsible for her gambling losses. Xirxie is still in the brig seven solar systems later, because her reputation for counting cards at the tables in the casinos and not paying for her losses has earned the Rosenfyre crew a less than stellar rating. Reputable stations now associate our ship with the Zathrosian Mafia. Can you believe it?
Without monetary means or any muse not currently in the brig, it’s been nothing but boring old space- complete with bossy Dad, a stoic crew, and the space roaches. Oh, and our ship keeps breaking down. A 50 year journey will now take 83, I'm told. Commander Fulton had to convince me not to run away at the last space station.
Your death is easily the worst event in this entire journey. I can’t believe that you’ve been gone 32 years now. Between Dad’s willful ignorance and your allergy to space roaches, you died before we even left the dock at Karnataka III. That really should have been the sign to just get off, but Dad wanted us to persevere.
“Your mother would want us to continue to Arcadios, Jelica!” he said, “Failing to do so would break all five of her hearts. All FIVE!”
Deep down, I didn’t believe it for a light second, but my sense of loyalty to the cause trumped all doubts. No longer. Commander Fulton says that there is talk of mutiny, and there are still 34 more years left to the journey. I think I’m going to stay here at Kiratorsa II. Father can’t stop me.
I have your urn, and I have what little belongings Xirxie didn’t squander at the casino. I’m sure I’ll make it okay. I’m of age now, after all. Today’s my 193rd birthday, and staying on Kiratorsa II is the best birthday present I can think of for myself.
In the meantime, I have decided to take a job at the Space dock selling baubles and Snorburian shakes. The shakes are actually pretty tasty, even though I’ve no idea what’s in them. They’re going to pay me 83 credits per space hour, which means that I can earn enough for a first class trans-light trip back to Artus VI in less than a year.
Mother, you wouldn’t believe it, but these new trans-light ships will cover what space we’ve traveled these past 49 years in the span of thirteen. Thirteen measly years! I can go to college! The very thought warms the cockles of my fourth heart a little.
There’s a catch.
Commander Fulton says I will need to take Xirxie with me. At least as far as the International Space Jail. I will have an escort, but well, Xirxie is sneaky. I also have to tell Father, who will no doubt be disappointed in the fact that I am no longer ‘Daddy’s Girl.’ Then again, separate from the Rosenfyre, I can get a new start, and my reputation won’t be tarnished once Xirxie is in Space Jail.
All that’s missing from this future is you, Mommy. I miss you, and I hope that somewhere in the Great Beyond, you can hear my hearts calling for you.
All of my love,
Jelica
I can’t begin to tell you how unhappy I have been. I just want to go home, even after all we went through. Doesn’t even matter that I’ve been away for 49 years, and covered dozens of solar systems. This entire trip has been a colossal nightmare. Of course, you were there in the beginning, so you know.
You left at the beginning of year 17, and I’ve missed you terribly. The whole crew has. The subsequent 32 years of our 49 light year journey have shown it. Interactions have been reduced to constant bickering, back biting, and all that goes with being locked with a full crew on a tight ship. You somehow managed to keep the peace, I think even Commander Fulton misses that. No one listens to the Captain, I mean Father, these days. He’s been relegated to the role of absent-minded old one who only cares about getting to Arcadios, no matter the morale. I’m not convinced that the rest of the crew even want to make it to Arcadios at all. I certainly don’t.
I am scratching my head wondering why I agreed to sign up for this in the first place. Loyalty, I guess. Loyalty to father, who seemed to believe this was best for us. Loyalty to the cause of finding the Arcadian dream. Loyalty to you, who knew that love alone couldn’t traverse the cosmos in an old Rosenfyre Shooter scooter-ship. Love has little to do with it at all, I would learn. I should have said, “No thanks,” and stayed home on Artus VI with Pandria and Scoots. Who knew my dumb brothers were the smart ones in the end?
The pay certainly hasn’t been worth it. Oh, and don’t even get me started on Xirxie. That romance sailed when she squandered our rations at the Asterix Casino on Grid Station, and got me arrested for her drunken disorderly conduct. By the time she claimed that I had gambled everything away again on Zathros IX, I was done. At least at Zathros IX, enough of our crew knew I was not responsible for her gambling losses. Xirxie is still in the brig seven solar systems later, because her reputation for counting cards at the tables in the casinos and not paying for her losses has earned the Rosenfyre crew a less than stellar rating. Reputable stations now associate our ship with the Zathrosian Mafia. Can you believe it?
Without monetary means or any muse not currently in the brig, it’s been nothing but boring old space- complete with bossy Dad, a stoic crew, and the space roaches. Oh, and our ship keeps breaking down. A 50 year journey will now take 83, I'm told. Commander Fulton had to convince me not to run away at the last space station.
Your death is easily the worst event in this entire journey. I can’t believe that you’ve been gone 32 years now. Between Dad’s willful ignorance and your allergy to space roaches, you died before we even left the dock at Karnataka III. That really should have been the sign to just get off, but Dad wanted us to persevere.
“Your mother would want us to continue to Arcadios, Jelica!” he said, “Failing to do so would break all five of her hearts. All FIVE!”
Deep down, I didn’t believe it for a light second, but my sense of loyalty to the cause trumped all doubts. No longer. Commander Fulton says that there is talk of mutiny, and there are still 34 more years left to the journey. I think I’m going to stay here at Kiratorsa II. Father can’t stop me.
I have your urn, and I have what little belongings Xirxie didn’t squander at the casino. I’m sure I’ll make it okay. I’m of age now, after all. Today’s my 193rd birthday, and staying on Kiratorsa II is the best birthday present I can think of for myself.
In the meantime, I have decided to take a job at the Space dock selling baubles and Snorburian shakes. The shakes are actually pretty tasty, even though I’ve no idea what’s in them. They’re going to pay me 83 credits per space hour, which means that I can earn enough for a first class trans-light trip back to Artus VI in less than a year.
Mother, you wouldn’t believe it, but these new trans-light ships will cover what space we’ve traveled these past 49 years in the span of thirteen. Thirteen measly years! I can go to college! The very thought warms the cockles of my fourth heart a little.
There’s a catch.
Commander Fulton says I will need to take Xirxie with me. At least as far as the International Space Jail. I will have an escort, but well, Xirxie is sneaky. I also have to tell Father, who will no doubt be disappointed in the fact that I am no longer ‘Daddy’s Girl.’ Then again, separate from the Rosenfyre, I can get a new start, and my reputation won’t be tarnished once Xirxie is in Space Jail.
All that’s missing from this future is you, Mommy. I miss you, and I hope that somewhere in the Great Beyond, you can hear my hearts calling for you.
All of my love,
Jelica