The Life of a Capsuleer: An EVE Online Story - 2. All in a Day’s Work

All in a Day’s Work

“So, how much longer are you going to be around tonight?” Demetrious said across the comm-channel. As capsuleers, they couldn’t speak due to being inside their liquid enclosure pods. Instead, the system used a synthetic voice, and text system to send over impulses from one pod to another, or from the ship to the station. “We have three more warp points to check out.”

“Not much longer. After we finish here, I’m taking a Venture out to mine,” Marcus responded to his wingman.

The pair was winding down a patrol through Gallente Federation space, as they went system by system in their Corporation’s control zone. Which wasn’t much of an area, nor was it much control. Being in a High-Security Sector, or HiSec to the Capsuleers of New Eden, Concord enforced the laws. They were only there to make sure their corporation’s holdings and fellow members were safe. They had flown from one asteroid belt to another in four systems, with only a few Shadow Serpentis pirates lurking about.

“Alright, next belt. Warp to 50km, scan, and move on,” Demetrious said, as he initiated the gang warp code. Being both the Wing Commander for the Crop, and Fleet Leader, he had control over the pair’s slave-linked warp drives, and course headings. The tunnel effect of spacefold enveloped both ships. Demetrious had taken out his Battleship, a Megathron of Gallente design, while Marcus was in his Thorax cruiser. The pair was a formidable force, for the average drug runners and pirates that lurked the belts of HiSec. “So, I saw you on a Federation Navy Station in Eglennaert last night. It looked like you were chatting it up with some guy in the Officer’s Club. Was it business or pleasure?”

“Warp drives active,” Aura toned in their minds.

“A bit of both. Estate Brinck is his name. He’s a liaison agent between the Fed. Navy, and us privateers. I’ve been doing the odd job for him, and seeing him on the side.” Marcus replied, with a little laugh at the end.

“Oh really? Trying to score better payouts?”

“That, and well, he’s a nice guy. Handsome, strong build, and good in bed. Everything, a good mark should be.”

They both laughed at the remarks, as they reached their destinations. It took a moment for their overviews, and radar systems to respond to the new position when their proximity alarms went off. “Heads-up, Marcus. It looks like we have company.”

“Oh, fuck! It’s drifters… I’m counting four cruisers and a big ass battleship.”

“Have they spotted us yet? Get ready to warp out…”

“Not, that I can tell—”

“Target lock, detected,” Aura warned cutting off Marcus’ response, seconds before the drifters opened fired.

“—Oh fuck… We have incoming.”

The Drifters were a mysterious race of beings, far more advanced than anyone in the four empires. They scavenged wreck ships for parts, both mechanical and biological, lived in wormhole space, and from time to time, sent out small raiding and research drone patrols to explore. It is virtually unheard of to find a Drifter Battleship outside of wormhole space, much less one deep into Gallente Federation territory.

“We can’t outrun them. We fight. I’ll take the battleship, and let you have the cruisers. Once you're done, help me with the big one.” Demetrious ordered.

“Roger… launching drones,” Marcus replied, and with a thought unleashed a swarm of Hobgoblin generation 1 drones from his Thorax.

They flew in formation fighting style, until they were in weapons range, when Demetrious yelled over the comm-channel, “Break, and attack. Weapons Free!!”

Marcus cut hard right, and slammed the afterburner to full, pulling in on the first of a pair of cruisers. The key to space battles was always to keep moving, and that was what he was going to do. A quick check of his systems showed that falloff range of his guns was about 16 km, so he targeted the first Drifter Cruiser, and set to orbit it at a range of 12 km. He mentally reached out with the ship’s sensors, his artificial eyes, and ears, and found his target. We but another thought, he sent his squad of five drone ships, at the second Drifter unit, as his four Dual-150mm fire-linked cannons unleashed anti-matter shell hell on the lead unit.

As he slugged it out, with the cruisers, he quickly looked over to see what his wingman was doing, and he didn’t like what he was seeing. Demetrious was overwhelmed and trying to tank the battleship, but the twin cruisers of the second set were chewing through his shields and armor. It was a split second decision, but would have lasting consequences, as Marcus switched comm-channels to Local, “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday… we have a Drifter Incursion at these coordinates. We’re pinned down, and need help.”

“Thanks, Marcus. I should have thought about that,” was all Demetrious said, as he started to take hull damage.

“Get the hell out here, Deme! You’re about to blow!” Marcus cried as the first cruiser he was fighting blew. He quickly turned the guns on the second ship and focused fire on them.

“Not, going to happen. He’s got a webber on me, and blocking my warp drive.”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck… I’m on my way.”

As the second cruiser blew from the combined assault from Marcus and his drone squad, he angled the ship and redlined the afterburner. “Aura, turn the heat shields off and overheat the racks. I want as much firepower and speed as we can squeeze out of this ship.”

“Action completed.” Aura replied in an emotionless voice in his head.

With guns, drones, and his engines blazing Marcus crossed the kilometers to his wingman and targeted the remaining cruisers. With the system redlined, he opted to focus fire with the drones on one target only and made easy work of the third Drifter cruiser. As his attention turned to the second one, he watched as Demetrious’ Megathron went up in flames, a brief supernova in the asteroid belt.

“FUCK!!!!” Marcus yelled, as his ship was now targeted by both the Drifter Cruiser, and now the Battleship.

“Alert, detecting warp signatures,” Aura intoned.

Popping into real space around him, another fleet came into the fight. It was a mixed group of ships, made up of Frigates and Destroyers. “Heard you needed help,” the woman’s voice said, as it came across the comm-channel. “Logi, assist the Thorax, all others, focus fire on the Drifter Battleship. Time to pop this can.”

“Thank you! Whoever you are.” Marcus called out thankfully.

“Don’t mention it.”

The logistic support ship, moved in to keep pace with Marcus, as it sent over its remote armor, hull, and shield repair beams and bots, to fix the critically damaged Thorax. In short order, the final Drifter Cruiser was gone, and under the combined assault of the Marcus and the mysterious fifteen person fleet, the Drifter Battleship was done for shortly after, and the incursion was brought to an end.

The comm-channel was lit up with whoops and hollers of joy as the Drifter Incursion was taken care of. “Thank you. We both would have lost our ships if you hadn’t shown up.” Marcus recalled his remaining drones and formed up with the Fleet Commander. “We owe you anything, Fleet Commander?”

“Nope, you owe us nothing. The name is Sasha, and we’re on a training run from Eve-Uni, we were passing through, to head out to Wormhole Space, when we heard the SOS. Fly safe, Capsuleer… Fleet, prepare to jump to the stargate.” The Eve-Uni fleet formed upon their leader and warped out.

Marcus was left alone with his thoughts, as he waited for Demetrious to get back with another ship. He didn’t wait long, as Deme showed up in a salvager, and the pair went to work collecting the spoils from the incursion.

~.~

He sat in the station’s bar looking at the other members of the corporation. They had just gone over the Drifter Incursion after action report with the CEO, and salvage was being sold. His publicly known ISK bank account would be fat by morning and almost empty after he paid for upgrades to his ship. He slammed back the last of the Quafe he was drinking and made his way out of the bar. Marcus paused at the intersection a few meters from the club. He could turn right, and head to his quarters and get some much-needed rest after the drifter incursion, or turn left and head for the hanger deck. He turned left and walked to the lift.

Moments later, he stood in front of his small collection of ships. His mining frigate, a Venture sat on the left, his Thorax took up most of his space, and off to the left was another frigate, a Tristan.

“What’s on your mind, Marcus?” The man asked as he walked in behind him.

“Nothing much at all Jim, just thinking about an upgrade to a new class of ship,” Marcus responded as they started to walk together around the private hanger.

“Oh really?” Jim looked puzzled. “I thought you loved your Thorax?”

“I do. But after that incursion today, well I think I need a bit more firepower.”

“Battlecruiser then?” Jim asked, and nodded his agreement.

“Nah, something that will help the Corp, as well as me... I’m thinking a Proteus,” Marcus stated and looked over to Jim for his reaction.

“Whoooo… That’s a massive upgrade, you’re thinking of. From a Tech1 toss away Thorax to a Tech3 Strategic Cruiser. You got the skills, and ISK to cover that? You know our cheap-ass CEO won’t spring for that or maintenance for it.”

The pair of friends, walked around the hanger, before settling down on stools in front of a mechanics workbench. “I do. I’ve been saving for one for a while now. Already got all the skills trained, it’s what I’ve been working on since I finished getting the Cruiser specialized. That, plus what I would need to maintain and repair them. As for ISK… yup, I have more funds than the Corp does. I could buy a Proteus, fully outfitted for all twenty fighter pilots, if I wanted.”

“Keep it. You’ll need it. Busting out a T3 ship, even in HiSec is painting a target on your back.”

“That I know,” Marcus said with a sigh. He looked over at Jim and leaned in for a kiss. In a flurry of moves, both men stripped each other to nothingness.

After a few moments of passionate, making out, Jim turned Marcus around and bent him over the mechanic's table. It wasn’t long before Marcus felt Jim entering him, from behind, as the pleasure of the penetration reached his brain, and his body reacted to it. Their moans and groans echoed off of the Hanger walls, as they both came to a quick release.

Minutes passed as the couple recovered from their passionate embrace, and eventually, they dressed and parted in silence. No need for words, or other post sex activities. Both men knew what roles they played in the endeavor, and it was a purely physical thing, not love.

~.~

Marcus sat in his room and looked over the contract pages. He was looking for cheap parts, or someone having a fire sale, so he could retrofit his Thorax, before moving to the T3 ship. As much as he wanted to upgrade, something was holding him back. As he waited, an email popped in from an Agent with the Astral Mining Corporation. Knowing he needed to score some loyalty points with them, he accepted the mission and made way for his next job.

o7 Fly Safe