"Now this--! This is unbelievably cool!" -- Sheesh'a'Ream

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Date Posted: 19:48:08 11/01/01 Thu
Author: Ensign Christopher Braddock
Subject: "Now this--! This is unbelievably cool!"
In reply to: Mercado 's message, ""Moons! The size of this place!"" on 20:17:21 10/31/01 Wed

Chris stepped forward,taking in the entire tableaux before him, the bustling streets, the dusty indistinct natives, all of it. It was a welcome diversion from the loss he had suffered so recently.

"Now THIS--THIS is why I signed on, guys. I guess I kind of forgot for a while, but man--! The stories Johnny used to tell me about some of the away missions he went on just amazed me. Heck, I was amazed when he told me about food runs on Manar, even though the locals only let our guys see so much. That's one lesson I learned from Johnny, one of many: you'll see some amazing things in your travels, but you always gotta respect the native traditions, same as you'd expect them to if they popped into SBR."

"Johnny...?" asked the Nebulan, curious now noticing how often Braddock mentioned the name.

"Yeah...John Braddock, my big bro, my inspiration. Practically raised me when I decided to join the academy. He taught me everything I know, and most of the stuff I've learned or tried to learn was to keep up with him. Johnny was one of the best pilots Rugby ever saw--in his day he coulda given Grey-man here a run for his money, wings or no. There was a training accident one day...a leaky fuel line, or something. I was never really clear why the explosion..."

Chris paused, rubbing his eyes. Mercado rested a metallic hand on the young ensign's shoulder.

"Naw...no, I'm alright. It's just...it doesn't really matter what caused it. All I know was in an instant, I had no brother. Now, from what I've seen of 'Raph', your big bro was no Johnny, if you don't mind me saying, sir. But I see how you look at him. As much as you despise the kind of person he was, you miss your brother. Me, everything I've done since John died was in his memory. You'd think my subconscious would conjure him up in this wacky place, huh? Maybe things here are just twisted, or maybe...maybe I don't miss him as much as I should?"

Mercado shook his head. "Mayhap friend-Braddock knows deep down that brother proud of him would be? Less left unfinished between Braddocks than Sars?"

"I dunno...maybe. I hope he'd be proud--I'm sure not the kind of hero he was, not yet anyway. All I know, looking at this city, is that I shouldn't assume my path is done, you know? There's so much more out there to do and see, and just 'cause I haven't concieved of it, doesn't mean there won't be a surprise or two along the way, right?

I might do okay yet..."

Chris smiled for the first time in a long time. It felt good to talk about John with someone, especially with Mercado. Both had lost their older sibling, albeit under vastly differing circumstances, but the Nebulan had a reassuring way of putting things clearly and in perspective. Maybe John was proud of Chris after all, and maybe he would accomplish things he couldn't even dream of...

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Replies:

"I'm gettin' really tired of holding this guy..." -- Nathaniel, 10:04:20 11/22/01 Thu
- The capped dream guide walked his companions through the city... -- Biggs, Dream Guid, 14:24:51 12/06/01 Thu