Mel's First Letter to Ma and Pa O'Malley
27 Yin 2518
Dirtside Terminal 7
To the O'Malley Farm
Route 372
Dear Mom and Dad,
By the time you read this, your little girl will have shipped off into the black. It's what I've dreamed of doing since I was a little girl, and in any case, it seemed like the perfect time to leave Santos. I'll come back and visit after things get better for me.
Let's just say that if I stuck around in town, me and Smitty would be together, and I know that you wouldn't approve of that! :) You heard the news about him and Sheriff Taylor down in Otoba. I got mixed up in some of that too. I can't tell you what happened, or it could come back to you, but what they say about me isn't true. Don't believe a word of it. I'll have to live with the stories, but since they can't hurt me off world, I figure they're just stories, right? I'm still your little girl, same as when I lived with you in the farm. Living in Otoba didn't change me any.
I would swear on the family Bible, that I took nothing that wasn't earned in blood or toil.
Joe told me his news, that Lizzy is 4 months along, and maybe I can come back in a few months to see them and the baby, but I'm just going to have to miss the wedding. Please tell him and Lizzy just how sorry I am to miss their big event, and that I have to do this.
Captain Herron signed me up to a ship called the Lazy Swan. He seems like a great captain, and I love him all to pieces already. Kind of like Uncle Earl. He drinks like him too, actually, but don’t think he drinks when he's working on the ship! I signed up with my friend Thea. You know her, the outdoorsy girl from my time on Otoba. I brought her and Smitty up to the farm one time for a weekend. She's watching out for me, and I'm doing what I can to liven up her life, too. The other day, one of the investors gave me money to buy something nice for her, and I got her a frilly dress. I don't think she liked it much, though. Maybe I should have just stuck to a buck knife, or something. She and I aren't much into dressing up, but we really should have an interesting life, plowing out into the black. If I don't find a new man, I keep telling Thea, I'll let her track one down and trap one for me!
So, we spent the last few days trying to line up investors, and as luck would have it, the second to last day that we could afford docking fees, we found a few! They seem like nice folk, although one of them seems to bring trouble with him. Our last night dirtside, we went out dancing, it was a lot of fun! Danced with the captain until my feet hurt. Cap'n doesn't seem to have no limit to what he can do, really. Then, something kind of strange happened, these hooligans came and tried to break up the party. Maybe they didn't like one of our passengers. I was whooping it up in the blue skirt you gave me last birthday, and the next thing I know, I ended up putting a fist to one of them's jaw. I'm not a mean girl, Mama, but they really did deserve it. Honest! I didn't start this one, but me and the others ended it right quick!
My traveling companions seem nice. There's this crazy little witch doctor that is shipping out with us, Thea, the Cap'n, and me. We're the crew. Then, we got these investors. One of them is a little woman who thinks she can cook omelettes out of syntheggs better than your little Mel!! I tried not to show her up too bad, but Mom's little tricks go a long way! She seems a bit kwong-juh duh, if you know what I mean, but she was nice enough. She brought a pile of money to the Captain, so we like her plenty! Another of the passengers is a quiet fellow with a short haircut who doesn't hear so well, I think they called him "Major." I've been searching the net to find out if he is an old Independent hero or something. Wonder if he knew Caleb in The War. He seems to be the politest fellow you ever did know, with a quiet, calm way about him, and he enjoys a good cup of tea, which is always a good thing in a traveling companion. I reckon he's a businessman, or stockbroker by profession these days, maybe shipping out to do some speculating on other worlds. Ultimately, he and this Martin fellow write the checks, so maybe we'll fly these guys to meet clients, or move cargo. Maybe they are taking us on as a safari ship. Always sounded pretty exciting, the idea of landing and hunting and camping out! In any case, they both seem important and wealthy!
I don't know what the story is with our new companions, but I know that it will all work out. It usually does! I really feel terrible about running away from Santos. I know what Dad always says about running from your troubles, but I don't think that the bastards who came after me would see from my eyes. Bottom line, Fahng-sheen. I can take care of myself, and I'm with friends.
I love my new job. The ship isn't a 'KV-115 Cruiser, or nothin', but she can make it all the way out into the black, and that's saying something. All new parts, and fittings. Everything looks shiny, although the last pilot didn’t really know much about hooking up the command panel. Still, Captain has punched her up something fierce. I don't know why you'd use it for hauling freight, though, Don't need that much power to haul livestock, but I'm up for whatever he's got planned, I think. Here's my big chance to see those planets that we only hear about on the newslinks, so I'm looking forward to taking it.
The other day, to show off to the investors, your little girl flew around Santos four times! Barrel Rolls, loops, and an Ivan! What more could a girl ask for?!
I didn't even bother looking for home. Too high up! I'm still learning all of the switches, since it's a later model than I studied on, but all those night classes at the Otoba annex paid off! They think I can fly, anyhow, they let me at the controls! Don't know whether that scares me or not.
If I get to Hera, I'll drop in on on Caleb. Who knows? Send all my love to Joe, Josh, Marty, Danny, Will, and Freddie, and their families from their little sister. Tell Marty that I'll be taking his advice, and smack Danny on the back of the head for his! Don't ask him, he'll know what it's about!
Best of wishes from out in the black,
Your loving Mel
Dirtside Terminal 7
To the O'Malley Farm
Route 372
Dear Mom and Dad,
By the time you read this, your little girl will have shipped off into the black. It's what I've dreamed of doing since I was a little girl, and in any case, it seemed like the perfect time to leave Santos. I'll come back and visit after things get better for me.
Let's just say that if I stuck around in town, me and Smitty would be together, and I know that you wouldn't approve of that! :) You heard the news about him and Sheriff Taylor down in Otoba. I got mixed up in some of that too. I can't tell you what happened, or it could come back to you, but what they say about me isn't true. Don't believe a word of it. I'll have to live with the stories, but since they can't hurt me off world, I figure they're just stories, right? I'm still your little girl, same as when I lived with you in the farm. Living in Otoba didn't change me any.
I would swear on the family Bible, that I took nothing that wasn't earned in blood or toil.
Joe told me his news, that Lizzy is 4 months along, and maybe I can come back in a few months to see them and the baby, but I'm just going to have to miss the wedding. Please tell him and Lizzy just how sorry I am to miss their big event, and that I have to do this.
Captain Herron signed me up to a ship called the Lazy Swan. He seems like a great captain, and I love him all to pieces already. Kind of like Uncle Earl. He drinks like him too, actually, but don’t think he drinks when he's working on the ship! I signed up with my friend Thea. You know her, the outdoorsy girl from my time on Otoba. I brought her and Smitty up to the farm one time for a weekend. She's watching out for me, and I'm doing what I can to liven up her life, too. The other day, one of the investors gave me money to buy something nice for her, and I got her a frilly dress. I don't think she liked it much, though. Maybe I should have just stuck to a buck knife, or something. She and I aren't much into dressing up, but we really should have an interesting life, plowing out into the black. If I don't find a new man, I keep telling Thea, I'll let her track one down and trap one for me!
So, we spent the last few days trying to line up investors, and as luck would have it, the second to last day that we could afford docking fees, we found a few! They seem like nice folk, although one of them seems to bring trouble with him. Our last night dirtside, we went out dancing, it was a lot of fun! Danced with the captain until my feet hurt. Cap'n doesn't seem to have no limit to what he can do, really. Then, something kind of strange happened, these hooligans came and tried to break up the party. Maybe they didn't like one of our passengers. I was whooping it up in the blue skirt you gave me last birthday, and the next thing I know, I ended up putting a fist to one of them's jaw. I'm not a mean girl, Mama, but they really did deserve it. Honest! I didn't start this one, but me and the others ended it right quick!
My traveling companions seem nice. There's this crazy little witch doctor that is shipping out with us, Thea, the Cap'n, and me. We're the crew. Then, we got these investors. One of them is a little woman who thinks she can cook omelettes out of syntheggs better than your little Mel!! I tried not to show her up too bad, but Mom's little tricks go a long way! She seems a bit kwong-juh duh, if you know what I mean, but she was nice enough. She brought a pile of money to the Captain, so we like her plenty! Another of the passengers is a quiet fellow with a short haircut who doesn't hear so well, I think they called him "Major." I've been searching the net to find out if he is an old Independent hero or something. Wonder if he knew Caleb in The War. He seems to be the politest fellow you ever did know, with a quiet, calm way about him, and he enjoys a good cup of tea, which is always a good thing in a traveling companion. I reckon he's a businessman, or stockbroker by profession these days, maybe shipping out to do some speculating on other worlds. Ultimately, he and this Martin fellow write the checks, so maybe we'll fly these guys to meet clients, or move cargo. Maybe they are taking us on as a safari ship. Always sounded pretty exciting, the idea of landing and hunting and camping out! In any case, they both seem important and wealthy!
I don't know what the story is with our new companions, but I know that it will all work out. It usually does! I really feel terrible about running away from Santos. I know what Dad always says about running from your troubles, but I don't think that the bastards who came after me would see from my eyes. Bottom line, Fahng-sheen. I can take care of myself, and I'm with friends.
I love my new job. The ship isn't a 'KV-115 Cruiser, or nothin', but she can make it all the way out into the black, and that's saying something. All new parts, and fittings. Everything looks shiny, although the last pilot didn’t really know much about hooking up the command panel. Still, Captain has punched her up something fierce. I don't know why you'd use it for hauling freight, though, Don't need that much power to haul livestock, but I'm up for whatever he's got planned, I think. Here's my big chance to see those planets that we only hear about on the newslinks, so I'm looking forward to taking it.
The other day, to show off to the investors, your little girl flew around Santos four times! Barrel Rolls, loops, and an Ivan! What more could a girl ask for?!
I didn't even bother looking for home. Too high up! I'm still learning all of the switches, since it's a later model than I studied on, but all those night classes at the Otoba annex paid off! They think I can fly, anyhow, they let me at the controls! Don't know whether that scares me or not.
If I get to Hera, I'll drop in on on Caleb. Who knows? Send all my love to Joe, Josh, Marty, Danny, Will, and Freddie, and their families from their little sister. Tell Marty that I'll be taking his advice, and smack Danny on the back of the head for his! Don't ask him, he'll know what it's about!
Best of wishes from out in the black,
Your loving Mel
posted by Pmandrekar at 1:24 PM
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