Message:We finished delivering our Fruit to J, M2 & M1. That’s twice?
* We fought robots of the Union Strike at Altair J. No payout this time. IronDave refused to be the shortwave messiah.
* We avoided Terraform Beasts on M2. Same as first trip.
* We were given a top-secret message, like Total Recall, to destroy the mind data of the psychic colony at M1. There was a mini-map challenge, so that was new.
Upon arriving back at Altair E, we stepped out of the OJT simulator and Capt Albert scolded us for being backstabbers. We shot a couple of primitive mind-controlled stooges on M1. Oops.
IronPax refused to test vaccines for $2000.
Wait, this was just another drill? We debated changing course in next delivery run. We wondered if Capt Al was torturing us with VR Simulation. There was a red flash as we exited. It was not related to Pyrotechnics. Awareness sensed it might be an Abort mechanism, but the Hows? and Wheres? remain unknown.
Simulator Red Light 2nd Reset: Notice a Red flash as you exit the simulator.
There is a Twist. Should we change course? Instead of J to M2 to M1 should we reverse that, even though the fuel cost and time is higher (much higher)?
* IronSnake thinks this is All in OUR Heads, psionic torment. That would point to Altair M1 as the solution to the puzzle.
* IronConrad thinks we are in Cold Storage and just dreaming. But how do we break that or do we even try? Maybe if we just go a few dozen loops in a fantasy, we can wake? The injuries we receive do seem real.
* IronDave thinks we are being pulled back to a significant event. Right now, we don’t know the Hows? And Whys?
* IronRed thinks this is just Capt Al’s pay trick to get us to deliver Fruit to three planets, every year in perpetuity. Check for LSD, mescal in the mess hall oatmeal. Red is wrong BTW.
Strange but true (from what we experience):
* After the first loop, the Altair system lost all alcohol to drink. Outlawed or out of fashion? Who is to say. No booze.
* After Loop two, Altair no longer has any slavery?
Maybe everything is getting better for society. As we “dies,” others might live. Joy!
We exited a computer simulation. Capt Al says we are ready to get started on
the ≠ Belle. Strange.
Continues in two weeks….
Yours,
IronRed
09-Nov-2025