DescentBB

As I make a slight course correction on my return from a transport, I enter orbit around a tiny planet
that I haven't seen in over a year. Surface scans and data analysis seem to indicate fewer life forms
than I recall which seems quite odd since their constitution had been rewritten in hopes of expanding
the population. Oh, what the heck. A quick visit wouldn't hurt.

I enter the coordinates, roll my medevac, and dive for the surface wishing I had my personal pyro
instead. Though it takes only seconds, it seems like forever in this thing but I finally break through
the lower cloud layer where I see a building dead ahead that I immediately recognize as the Town Hall.
I set the ship down on one of the landing pads and walk to the building where my palm implant still
opened the door. My scans report no one in the building.

The interior looks dark with small plaques on the wall which are difficult to read making it look older
and darker than it once was. As I walked by a row of tables I had to squint to read the name tags
embedded into each of the chair backs which seem to blend together but yet bear names I easily
recognize. Although the chair I once sat in is gone, I seated myself into one that’s occupied by "Cuda".

The tables are still the old style touch surface where information can be moved around it's transparent
surfaces by the swipe of a hand. I made myself comfortable and tapped a block of data which quickly
moved in front of me then zoomed larger than I needed it to be. I guess Cuda must need that extra power
now. I only had to read a few topics before coming to one that made me laugh out loud. "Birth
Certificate!" I said. I couldn't believe they're still having discussions on the birth certificate.

Still sitting there with a smile on my face, I thought about leaving some portable AED's or POC's or
even dropping an EO canister in the middle of the room but my mischievous grin was cut short when my PA
registered another soul to tend to. Before quickly departing I removed a pink ribbon from my uniform
and placed it on Cuda's name tag. Back on my ship with maglevs released and coordinates laid in, I
take one last look and think....maybe in another year it will be different.

You're into writing now?

Anyone who sits in CUDA's chair should take a shower

If you think its dead here, you should check out .com.

Don't we have more regulars now than we did last year?

I wake up, and immediately regret having fallen asleep in my chair. As I stretch my sore muscles and my eyes blearily adjust, I glance at the daily console. Looks like the usual, logs show most of the regulars plus a couple of new folks have stopped through, nothing unusual... but then I notice the receding signature of a ship departing orbit.

"Ah, Bet was here!"

I sit back in the chair with a faint smile. Good to see she stopped by, even if she still won't stay. Hope she's doing well.

Good ol' Bettina. The only other female (that I know of) that posts on the DBB. She's very busy now, but when she has the time and can hack the same old arguments we always fall into, usually topics about politics or religion, I hope she can come around and help me keep the boys in line.