Personal Correspondence

From: Captain John Litico, PCCS Amitis

To: Captain Erryla Antares, PCCS Novis

Terra-Sol date 3814.241 at 0839

Video transcript below

You do not even want to know what I’m hauling on this run, Erryla. You really don’t. All I can say is I am extremely glad neither me nor any member of my crew has to physically handle anything inside the crates because—okay. Whatever. I’m telling you whether you want to know or not. You ready? [pause] Literal shit, Erryla. An entire modpod full of actual, literal shit. It’s a small modpod, but still. All this technology in the universe and somehow animal shit is still one of the best fertilizers known to mankind. [laughs and shrugs] Whatever they need, right? As long as it keeps us sailing.

[shakes head] Anyway, I know you’re heading for Paxis after your next port, but how long are you staying? Will you be there at least a couple of weeks? You better be. It’s been too long since I’ve seen Cira—has she pushed you out of the captain’s chair yet? And Meida! I need to see you both so I can get you drunk and make your wife laugh at how damn awful a singer you are.

[pause] Also, you’ve been paying attention to the updates on Botran and Pax Feris, right? I’m getting worried, Erryla. Botran may be incompetent, but he has a solid crew under him. It’s been more than a week, and no one has heard from anyone on board. The only reason people aren’t calling for a search party is because—and you didn’t hear this from me; I’m not even supposed to know—Feris has pinged off several sensors in the shipping lane and they seem to be on course. It could be a massive communications failure, but they were just in dock for maintenance and upgrades last Terra-Sol cycle. For once, I don’t think whatever’s happening is Botran’s fault. I’m actually concerned for the poor fool. [grimaces] Did you ever think I’d say that? I sure didn’t. Anyway, I know between you and Meida, you have a cousin, aunt, uncle, or ex on just about every ship in the fleet, so I wanted to see if maybe you’d been able to reach anyone on Feris. Let me know if you hear anything.