The Solitary Pilot

Looking over my shoulder, I watched a tear roll down his face. Nobody ever finds the departure easy, not even me, but such is the price for the highest order of freedom. I smiled and reassured him I'd be back soon, and like the countless times before, my journey would be safe. He nodded slowly and forced a weak smile in return. Finally, I tore my gaze away and climbed into my vessel, sealing the airtight door behind me. A nod from my ships engineer told me we were all set, and not minutes later, the stars were drifting by at many times the speed of light.

For endless hours my mind drifted, lost in thought. It seemed my visits to these stations sparked both joy and trouble. Old friends spoke about the excitement of seeing my ship approaching the dock, but my time in each facility always duelled with controversy. The emotions of others always seemed to evade my understanding, and my nomadic lifestyle equally puzzled them in return. Few knew of my Minmatar roots, or the free roaming ingenuity of the mighty Sebiestor Tribe, my blood and kin. We could turn any old scrap into a useful part or machine. We had the ultimate freedom of the universe, in some ways at least. It played on my mind how in a sense, it was the emotions of others that actually restricted those freedoms for myself, whilst for the masses, physical or financial limitations kept them in stasis. Perhaps my free-thinking stirred malice or jealousy in others? The idea of ownership or belonging came across a bit foreign to me, but for most it was a core value.

As I halted my ship at a Stargate, I caught myself grinning. We were just about to enter a dangerous region of the universe, and yet the uncertainty of what lay ahead seemed far more exciting than fearsome. I knew at that moment that although I'd never understand most of my peers around me, and they'd never understand me, the odd mismatch of our lives made each friendship all the more unique.

Just as the gatekeeper gave clearance for us to jump, I looked back at the now distant starsystem where friends and allies lived out their existence. Someday, I'd see them again. Maybe next month, or even next year. Ahead lay the trecherous and empty void, of which somewhere far beyond lay my next destination. Could this quite possibly be the most amazing lifestyle in the universe? Out in the vast and empty void with the merchants, looters and ghosts. With an indifferent press of a button, the vessel roared forwards into the stargate and with a sharp flash, vanished out of the solar system. I broke into laughter, as a new world of adventure presented itself to me. New faces, new places, new challenges. Many light-years away lay friends anticipating my arrival, as and when I pleased. This was what I lived for, and nobody could take it away from me!

Just me trying to put feelings into a fictional setting 😍

Song in my mind: The Solitary Pilot - Eve Online OST.