{"data":{"id":16071,"title":"Collision Course - Part 2","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/serialized-fiction\/16071-Collision-Course-Part-2","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/16071","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/16071","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"Collision Course","images":[{"id":22851,"name":"CollisionCourse_pt2_FI.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/v4rch15todlrdr\/source\/CollisionCourse_pt2_FI.jpg","alt":"","size":871445,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2017-08-15T21:44:10+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/22851","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/22851\/similar"}],"images_count":1,"translations":{"en_EN":"Radu Ghazi settled into the bunk, letting the mattress conform underneath him. He was impressed by the support. Most ship designers couldn\u2019t care less about mattress strength. They seemed to spend all their time pouring credits and attention into the sexier aspects of the ships; the hull, the guns, the engines. The marketing points, he\u2019d once heard them called. That was back on Prime, in some high class bar that he had no business being in. The thing these companies didn\u2019t seem to grasp was that when you spend months on the drift, a comfortable mattress could save your life just as well as an armored hull.\n\nThe airlock lift hissed and opened. A short man in an expensive but ill-fitted flightsuit rose into view on the lift near the bunks. The man turned towards Radu.\n\nRadu snapped off a shot with his pistol. The energy round punched through the small man\u2019s faceplate and popped into his head. He dropped in a heap and was still. A thin strand of smoke rose from the wound.\n\nRadu climbed out of the bunk, dragged the body off the lift and took an appraising look around the interior of the Constellation. He might have to buy one of these when he gets the credits.\n\nHe hit the descend button on the lift. The platform shook gently and began to descend.\n\nOutside, the sun was just beginning to rise on Daymar. Swirls of dust danced in the predawn light. Radu crossed the landing platform, keeping an eye on the dark buildings dotted around the edge of the outpost complex.\n\nBased on his recon, the target (learning their names just muddled his thinking) was always the first one up, so he wasn\u2019t expecting any witnesses, but you had to be ready for anything. That type of flexibility had seen him through some pretty dicey situations.\n\nRadu trudged towards the jagged peak behind which he\u2019d parked his ship. Gravel crunched underneath his boots as he glanced back at the closest building. A faded logo for Rayari Inc. was barely visible under the weathered dirt. He\u2019d heard the company mentioned on the spectrum from time to time, but had no idea what it really did, even less of what it would be doing all the way out here.\n\nWhat do you gotta do to get sent out here? Radu wondered as he climbed the hill. Trying to figure out the stories that led people to where they were was one of his favorite hobbies. Six years in the Bremen militia watching people come and go provided a lot of opportunities for people watching. That was a long time ago, however.\n\nHe reached the top and did a thorough scan around the outpost to make sure no one had stirred. The light from Stanton\u2019s star had now crept across the horizon. The moon was peaceful and quiet.\n\nRadu glanced back at the Constellation waiting on the pad, wondered briefly about how long it would be before anyone discovered the body he left inside, then turned and walked down to his own ship. The old Gladius had been his father\u2019s, the same model as the one his old man had flown back in the service. Radu and his dad had picked it up at a reclamation sale and spent two years fixing it up. When Radu joined the militia, his dad passed the ship onto him.\n\nMoments later, after the flare of his thrusters had merged with the canopy of stars, the outpost was still again.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe credits hit his account by the time Radu entered the main sprawl of Grim HEX. The central hub of the dilapidated station was bathed in the flickering light of the massive community screen that loomed above. What had once been used by the station administration to post updates, job opportunities, ads, local events, et cetera, was now a wash of digital noise, fractured imagery and the occasional Nine Tails symbol.\n\nHe didn\u2019t understand why the outlaw pack felt the need to take over the signs. It\u2019s not like there was any confusion that they were running this place now. Looking around, he counted eight armored thugs bearing Nine Tails tags, fully loaded and looking for trouble.\n\nA junkie raced out of a nearby abandoned storefront with that feverish excitement that comes right after scoring a hit. Radu weaved out of his way and watched him disappear down one of the winding back halls. Turns out Radu wasn\u2019t the only one watching. He met the gaze of a pair of squatters dressed in ragged oil-stained clothes. Their hands twitched sporadically. They seemed to be waiting to see if Radu was going to move on the junkie. When Radu turned away, they skulked down the hall after their prey.\n\nOl\u2019 38 was pretty empty, so Radu could grab a seat by the end of the bar. The bitter old man wasn\u2019t working the bar today, it was that kid, the one who looked like one bad day away from the junkie Radu just saw.\n\n\u201cGet you somethin\u2019?\u201d he asked as he polished up a dirty glass.\n\n\u201cGin and Pips,\u201d Radu responded.\n\nThe kid nodded and slowly started to make the drink. Radu couldn\u2019t help but watch him check each and every bottle in the speed rail until he found whatever cheap gin they had. Then he checked three freezers before he could find a can of Pips. The mixture was even more baffling to him.\n\nFinally, the kid put the glass of mostly gin in front of Radu.\n\n\u201cLet me know if that\u2019s okay,\u201d he said with a tinge of hope.\n\nRadu took a sip and winced. It was a lot of gin.\n\n\u201cYeah, sure. It\u2019ll do.\u201d\n\nThe kid bartender grinned, gave a thumbs up, then went back to \u201cclean\u201d more glasses.\n\nRadu brought up his mobi and skimmed through the headlines on the spectrum, but it was just more of the same: fear and money \u2014 the two engines that seemed to drive all of Humanity.\n\n\u201cHey there, chief.\u201d\n\nRadu looked up from his mobi. There was no mistaking that voice. Madrigal was a two-bit thug for the NovaRiders. Rumor was that Madrigal used to be CCS, the civilian division of Hurston\u2019s corporate security, but was let go for being too violent. Collections were his specialty, which unfortunately put Radu on his radar. Two of his enforcers were waiting by the door, presumably there to keep Radu from making a break for it.\n\n\u201cHey, Ayrs,\u201d Madrigal said as he settled onto the seat next to Radu. \u201cLemme get a Rust.\u201d\n\nThe kid behind the bar smiled and spent another protracted amount of time trying to identify the right bottle.\n\nIn the meantime, Madrigal let out a theatrical sigh and turned to face Radu, who simply stared ahead this whole time.\n\n\u201cI hear you might have something for me.\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah?\u201d Radu replied and took a sip of his drink. The ice had cut down the potency of the gin. Or maybe it was the growing anger \u2026\n\n\u201cI heard from a person who heard from a person that you just pulled off a ghost job.\u201d Madrigal stared at Radu, a smug grin on his face. \u201cI mean, you know what a social guy I am. All the friends I got.\u201d\n\nRadu didn\u2019t say anything. Madrigal watched him.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m waiting,\u201d he finally said.\n\n\u201cThe credits just transferred. I was gonna send \u2019em.\u201d Radu brought up his mobi and sent the pay to whatever dummy account the NovaRiders had set up for collections. He watched his own account drop down to double-digits.\n\n\u201cGood, real good.\u201d Ayrs delivered a glass of Rust. Madrigal immediately downed it and checked his mobi. He did not look impressed. \u201cLooking a little short.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s what they were paying.\u201d Radu took another sip. \u201cYou don\u2019t like the rate, take it up with them.\u201d\n\nMadrigal grabbed Radu by the back of the neck and slammed his head to the bar. Everyone in the bar jumped at the sound, but nobody did anything. The kid bartender turned away to look for more glasses to clean.\n\n\u201cLet\u2019s pause a sec and recap. You owe us, so we own you. You stop paying? You die. You try to run? You die. Don\u2019t like it? Maybe you shouldn\u2019t have done what you done. So mind the goddamn tone with me. You\u2019re alive because you\u2019re useful and believe me, that can change real quick.\u201d Suddenly, the smug grin was back. \u201cAlright. Good talk. You got two days left to pay us for this month. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll work it out.\u201d\n\nMadrigal grabbed Radu\u2019s glass and downed that too.\n\n\u201cThanks for the drink.\u201d\n\nMadrigal left. No one looked at him as he strode out of the bar. The two lunks of muscle by the door followed him out.\n\nRadu sat up. After a few moments, the kid bartender wandered over like nothing had happened.\n\n\u201cAnother?\u201d\n\nRadu shook his head and hit the job board on his mobi instead. As he scanned through the random and anonymous jobs that populated the local servers, one headline jumped out at him.\n\n\u201cI messed up.\u201d\n\nThe job seemed simple enough: retrieve a NavDrive from a wreck and drop it off to get wiped. The money was right too, but it was something more. The offer was written with a desperation Radu could relate to.\n\nHe took the job. Moments later, all the relevant data flooded to his mobi.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRadu stopped by his hab to pull his flight suit and guns. Speed grind music hammered through the walls on one side. The heavy distortion and propulsive beat almost covered the screaming argument that was raging on the other.\n\nHe pulled on the chestpiece of his armor and strapped it into place, when he suddenly stopped. Radu slumped down on the edge of the bed and looked at the tiny room around him that had become \u2018home.\u2019 He picked out all the tiny details; the days-old foodstuff bags piling up in the corner, the old blood stains on the walls, all of it, and looked at them like he was seeing them for the first time.\n\nThe weight of the past six months came pressing down on him. He barely recognized himself anymore. How could he have strayed so far from who he used to be?\n\nAll the guilt, frustration and anger swirled around his head until finally, a single thought pushed to the surface: it\u2019s time to change.\n\nHe\u2019d do this job. Whatever it took to get him a little breathing room until his next payment was due, but he\u2019d use that time to escape, to find a way out of the noose that was slowly strangling him.\n\nOne way or another, Radu decided, he would be free.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRadu weaved his way through the halls of Grim HEX, past the squatters and Nine Tails killers, the broken doors with leaking atmo, and headed towards his ship.\n\nOutside the airlock to his pad, Madrigal was shaking down some other poor sap for whatever creds she had kicking around. Radu hit the button for the airlock and waited. Madrigal finally noticed him.\n\n\u201cSafe flying,\u201d Madrigal yelled with a smirk.\n\nThe airlock finished cycling and the door hissed open. Radu stepped inside and punched the button. The outer door finally opened, revealing his ship.\n\nHe stocked the rifles and climbed into the pilot\u2019s seat. The canopy struggled to close while he powered on the various ship systems. The multi-displays flickered to life while the engines started to hum. He struck the thrusters and felt the first lurch of movement as the skids lifted off the deck. He checked for an open flight path. The space around Grim HEX was notorious for lazy outlaws trying to score easy kills from pilots who thought they were \u2018safe.\u2019\n\nLift fast, clear fast was the mantra. Radu spotted an empty route out of the asteroid cluster and flashed the engines. The G\u2019s hit his chest as the ship punched out away from the station.\n\nThe light fighter effortlessly weaved through the massive asteroids, dancing slowly through the void. The scans were clear, but Radu did visual sweeps to see if any would-be ambushers were pulling low-sigs to get close. Satisfied he was alone, he input the coordinates for the retrieval job. It was still in the asteroids around Yela, but on the far side, so he\u2019d need to quantum around the moon before he could get a straight shot.\n\nThe first orbital marker selected, the quantum drive spun up and kicked him into a blur. The surrounding Stanton system turned into a smear of light until the drive automatically dropped him out. He repositioned the ship to the next marker and quantumed again.\n\nMinutes later, he descended into the asteroid belt towards his coordinates. The scans were clear, but Radu slowed anyway. No sense wandering into a trap in case the job had been shopped to other pilots. Sure enough, he started to see scattered pieces of debris, leading him to the decimated wreck of a Connie.\n\nHe began to a wide sweep around the wreckage to make sure he was truly alone.\n\nThat\u2019s when he saw the ragged Buccaneer parked up outside with its power on, lights shining into the wreck, and no pilot to be seen.\n\nDamn, he thought. I really didn\u2019t want to have to kill anyone today.\n\nTO BE CONTINUED \u2026\nSURVEY\nIt seems that our two main characters, Radu and Clara, are about to cross paths and we want your help in deciding what happens next. Take the survey below and let us know how you think the action should unfold. (If you need a refresher on what happened in Part One of Collision Course you can read it here.) The poll will close Friday, August 18th at 6:00pm PST.","de_DE":"Radu Ghazi lie\u00df sich in der Koje nieder und lie\u00df die Matratze unter ihm anpassen. Er war beeindruckt von der Unterst\u00fctzung. Die meisten Schiffsentwickler k\u00f6nnten sich nicht weniger um die Festigkeit der Matratze k\u00fcmmern. Sie schienen die ganze Zeit damit zu verbringen, Kredite und Aufmerksamkeit in die sexy Aspekte der Schiffe zu stecken; den Rumpf, die Waffen, die Motoren. Die Marketing-Punkte, hatte er einmal geh\u00f6rt, wie sie gerufen wurden. Das war wieder in Prime, in einer hochkar\u00e4tigen Bar, in der er nichts zu suchen hatte. Die Sache, die diese Firmen nicht zu verstehen schienen, war, dass, wenn Sie Monate auf dem Drift verbringen, eine bequeme Matratze Ihr Leben genauso gut speichern k\u00f6nnte wie ein gepanzerter Rumpf.\n\nDie Luftschleuse hebt zischte und \u00f6ffnete sich. Ein kleiner Mann in einem teuren, aber schlecht sitzenden Fluganzug stieg in Sichtweite des Aufzugs in der N\u00e4he der Kojen auf. Der Mann wandte sich Radu zu.\n\nRadu schoss mit seiner Pistole einen Schuss ab. Die Energierunde schlug durch die Frontplatte des kleinen Mannes und schlug ihm in den Kopf. Er fiel auf einen Haufen und war still. Ein d\u00fcnner Rauchstrang stieg aus der Wunde.\n\nRadu kletterte aus der Koje, zog die Leiche vom Lift und schaute sich im Inneren der Konstellation um. Er muss vielleicht einen von diesen kaufen, wenn er den Kredit bekommt.\n\nEr dr\u00fcckte den Abstiegstaster am Lift. Die Plattform sch\u00fcttelte leicht und begann zu sinken.\n\nDrau\u00dfen begann die Sonne gerade erst, am Daymar aufzugehen. Staubwirbel tanzten im vorged\u00e4mmten Licht. Radu \u00fcberquerte die Landeplattform und beobachtete die dunklen Geb\u00e4ude, die sich am Rande des Au\u00dfenpostenkomplexes befanden.\n\nBasierend auf seiner Aufkl\u00e4rung war das Ziel (ihre Namen zu lernen, verwirrte nur sein Denken) immer das erste, also erwartete er keine Zeugen, aber man musste auf alles vorbereitet sein. Diese Art von Flexibilit\u00e4t hatte ihn durch einige ziemlich riskante Situationen gef\u00fchrt.\n\nRadu schleppte sich auf den zerkl\u00fcfteten Gipfel zu, hinter dem er sein Schiff geparkt hatte. Kies knirschte unter seinen Stiefeln, als er zur\u00fcckblickte auf das n\u00e4chste Geb\u00e4ude. Ein verblasstes Logo f\u00fcr Rayari Inc. war unter dem verwitterten Schmutz kaum sichtbar. Er hatte das Unternehmen von Zeit zu Zeit auf dem Spektrum erw\u00e4hnt geh\u00f6rt, hatte aber keine Ahnung, was es wirklich tat, noch weniger von dem, was es bis hierher tun w\u00fcrde.\n\nWas musst du tun, um hierher geschickt zu werden? Radu fragte sich, als er den H\u00fcgel hinaufstieg. Der Versuch, die Geschichten herauszufinden, die die Menschen dorthin f\u00fchrten, wo sie waren, war eines seiner Lieblingshobbys. Sechs Jahre in der Bremer Miliz, in denen Menschen kommen und gehen, boten viele M\u00f6glichkeiten f\u00fcr das Beobachten. Das ist jedoch schon lange her.\n\nEr erreichte den Gipfel und machte einen gr\u00fcndlichen Scan um den Au\u00dfenposten herum, um sicherzustellen, dass niemand ger\u00fchrt hatte. Das Licht von Stanton's Stern hatte sich nun \u00fcber den Horizont geschlichen. Der Mond war friedlich und ruhig.\n\nRadu blickte zur\u00fcck auf das Sternbild, das auf dem Block wartete, fragte sich kurz, wie lange es dauern w\u00fcrde, bis jemand die Leiche entdeckte, die er drinnen gelassen hatte, dann drehte er sich um und ging zu seinem eigenen Schiff hinunter. Der alte Gladius geh\u00f6rte seinem Vater, das gleiche Modell wie das, das sein alter Herr im Dienst zur\u00fcckgeflogen war. Radu und sein Vater hatten es bei einem Reklamationsverkauf abgeholt und zwei Jahre damit verbracht, es zu reparieren. Als Radu zur Miliz kam, \u00fcbergab sein Vater das Schiff an ihn.\n\nKurz darauf, nachdem das Aufflammen seiner Triebwerke mit dem Sternenhimmel verschmolzen war, war der Au\u00dfenposten wieder da.\n\n\nDie Credits fielen auf sein Konto, als Radu in die Hauptausdehnung von Grim HEX eintrat. Die zentrale Drehscheibe der verfallenen Station wurde in das flackernde Licht des riesigen Gemeinschaftsbildschirms getaucht, der \u00fcber ihr auftauchte. Was einst von der Stationsleitung genutzt wurde, um Updates, Stellenangebote, Anzeigen, lokale Veranstaltungen usw. zu ver\u00f6ffentlichen, war heute eine W\u00e4sche aus digitalem Rauschen, gebrochenen Bildern und dem gelegentlichen Nine Tails-Symbol.\n\nEr verstand nicht, warum das Gesetzlosenpack das Bed\u00fcrfnis versp\u00fcrte, die Schilder zu \u00fcbernehmen. Es ist nicht so, dass es irgendeine Verwirrung gab, dass sie diesen Ort jetzt leiten. Als er sich umsah, z\u00e4hlte er acht gepanzerte Schl\u00e4ger mit Nine Tails-Tags, voll beladen und auf der Suche nach Schwierigkeiten.\n\nEin Junkie raste aus einem nahegelegenen verlassenen Schaufenster mit dieser fieberhaften Aufregung, die direkt nach einem Treffer eintritt. Radu webte sich aus dem Weg und beobachtete, wie er in einer der gewundenen hinteren Hallen verschwand. Es stellte sich heraus, dass Radu nicht der Einzige war, der zusah. Er traf den Blick eines Hausbesetzers, der in zerfetzte, \u00f6lfleckige Kleidung gekleidet war. Ihre H\u00e4nde zuckten sporadisch. Sie schienen darauf zu warten, ob Radu sich auf den Junkie einlassen w\u00fcrde. Als Radu sich abwandte, schlichen sie nach ihrer Beute den Flur hinunter.\n\nDer alte 38er war ziemlich leer, so dass Radu sich am Ende der Bar einen Platz nehmen konnte. Der bittere alte Mann arbeitete heute nicht in der Bar, es war dieses Kind, das aussah wie ein schlechter Tag weg von dem Junkie, den Radu gerade sah.\n\n\"Hast du was?\", fragte er, als er ein schmutziges Glas polierte.\n\n\"Gin und Pips\", antwortete Radu.\n\nDas Kind nickte und fing langsam an, den Drink zu machen. Radu konnte nicht anders, als ihm zuzusehen, wie er jede einzelne Flasche auf der Schnellstra\u00dfe \u00fcberpr\u00fcfte, bis er den billigen Gin fand, den sie hatten. Dann \u00fcberpr\u00fcfte er drei Gefrierschr\u00e4nke, bevor er eine Dose Kerne finden konnte. Die Mischung war f\u00fcr ihn noch verbl\u00fcffender.\n\nSchlie\u00dflich stellte der Junge das Glas meist Gin vor Radu.\n\n\"Lass es mich wissen, wenn das in Ordnung ist\", sagte er mit einem Hauch von Hoffnung.\n\nRadu nahm einen Schluck und zuckte zu. Es war viel Gin.\n\n\"Ja, sicher. Es wird reichen.\"\n\nDer junge Barkeeper grinste, gab einen Daumen nach oben und ging dann zur\u00fcck, um weitere Gl\u00e4ser zu \"reinigen\".\n\nRadu brachte seine Mobi zur Sprache und bl\u00e4tterte durch die Schlagzeilen auf dem Spektrum, aber es war noch mehr davon: Angst und Geld - die beiden Motoren, die die ganze Menschheit zu bewegen schienen.\n\n\"Hallo, Chief.\"\n\nRadu blickte von seinem Mobi auf. Es gab keinen Zweifel an dieser Stimme. Madrigal war ein kleiner Schl\u00e4ger f\u00fcr die NovaRiders. Ger\u00fcchte besagen, dass Madrigal fr\u00fcher CCS war, die zivile Abteilung von Hurstons Unternehmenssicherheit, aber wegen zu starker Gewalt entlassen wurde. Sammlungen waren seine Spezialit\u00e4t, was Radu leider auf den Plan gerufen hat. Zwei seiner Vollstrecker warteten an der T\u00fcr, vermutlich dort, um Radu davon abzuhalten, eine Pause einzulegen.\n\n\"Hey, Ayrs\", sagte Madrigal, als er sich auf den Platz neben Radu setzte. \"Lass mich einen Rost holen.\"\n\nDas Kind hinter der Bar l\u00e4chelte und verbrachte eine weitere lange Zeit damit, die richtige Flasche zu identifizieren.\n\nIn der Zwischenzeit seufzte Madrigal theatralisch und wandte sich Radu zu, der die ganze Zeit \u00fcber einfach voraus starrte.\n\n\"Ich habe geh\u00f6rt, dass du vielleicht etwas f\u00fcr mich hast.\"\n\n\" Ja?\" Radu antwortete und nahm einen Schluck von seinem Getr\u00e4nk. Das Eis hatte die Kraft des Gins reduziert. Oder vielleicht war es die wachsende Wut....\n\n\"Ich habe von einer Person geh\u00f6rt, die von einer Person geh\u00f6rt hat, dass du gerade einen Geisterjob gemacht hast.\" Madrigal starrte Radu an, ein selbstgef\u00e4lliges Grinsen auf seinem Gesicht. \"Ich meine, du wei\u00dft, was f\u00fcr ein geselliger Typ ich bin. All die Freunde, die ich habe.\"\n\nRadu hat nichts gesagt. Madrigal beobachtete ihn.\n\n\"Ich warte\", sagte er schlie\u00dflich.\n\n\"Die Credits wurden gerade \u00fcbertragen. Ich wollte sie schicken.\" Radu brachte seine Mobi zur Sprache und schickte den Lohn auf das Dummy-Konto, das die NovaRiders f\u00fcr das Inkasso eingerichtet hatten. Er beobachtete, wie sein eigenes Konto auf zweistellige Werte zur\u00fcckfiel.\n\n\"Gut, wirklich gut.\" Ayrs lieferte ein Glas Rost. Madrigal schaltete ihn sofort aus und \u00fcberpr\u00fcfte seine Mobi. Er sah nicht beeindruckt aus. \"Sieht ein wenig kurz aus.\"\n\n\"Das ist es, was sie bezahlt haben.\" Radu nahm noch einen Schluck. \"Du magst den Preis nicht, mach es mit ihnen.\"\n\nMadrigal packte Radu an der R\u00fcckseite des Halses und schlug seinen Kopf gegen die Stange. Alle in der Bar sprangen auf den Sound, aber niemand tat etwas. Der junge Barkeeper wandte sich ab, um nach weiteren Gl\u00e4sern zum Reinigen zu suchen.\n\n\"Lasst uns eine Sekunde innehalten und zusammenfassen. Du schuldest uns etwas, also geh\u00f6rt du uns. Du h\u00f6rst auf zu bezahlen? Du stirbst. Hast du versucht zu fliehen? Du stirbst. Gef\u00e4llt es dir nicht? Vielleicht h\u00e4ttest du nicht tun sollen, was du getan hast. Also achte auf den verdammten Tonfall mit mir. Du lebst, weil du n\u00fctzlich bist und mir glaubst, das kann sich sehr schnell \u00e4ndern.\" Pl\u00f6tzlich war das selbstgef\u00e4llige Grinsen wieder da. \"In Ordnung. Gutes Gespr\u00e4ch. Du hast noch zwei Tage, um uns f\u00fcr diesen Monat zu bezahlen. Ich bin sicher, du wirst das schon hinbekommen.\"\n\nMadrigal packte Radus Glas und schlug auch das nieder.\n\n\"Danke f\u00fcr den Drink.\"\n\nMadrigal ist weg. Niemand sah ihn an, als er aus der Bar kam. Die beiden Muskelpakete an der T\u00fcr folgten ihm nach drau\u00dfen.\n\nRadu setzte sich auf. Nach ein paar Augenblicken kam der junge Barkeeper r\u00fcber, als w\u00e4re nichts passiert.\n\n\"Noch einen?\"\n\nRadu sch\u00fcttelte den Kopf und traf stattdessen die Jobb\u00f6rse auf seinem Mobi. Als er die zuf\u00e4lligen und anonymen Jobs durchsuchte, die die lokalen Server bev\u00f6lkerten, sprang eine Schlagzeile auf ihn zu.\n\n\"Ich habe es vermasselt.\"\n\nDie Aufgabe schien einfach: Holen Sie sich ein NavDrive aus einem Wrack und geben Sie es ab, um es zu l\u00f6schen. Das Geld war auch richtig, aber es war mehr. Das Angebot wurde mit einer Verzweiflung geschrieben, auf die Radu sich beziehen konnte.\n\nEr nahm den Job an. Wenige Augenblicke sp\u00e4ter str\u00f6mten alle relevanten Daten zu seinem Mobi.\n\n\nRadu hielt bei seiner Gewohnheit an, um seinen Fluganzug und seine Waffen zu ziehen. Speed Grind Musik schlug auf der einen Seite durch die W\u00e4nde. Die starke Verzerrung und der treibende Beat deckten fast das schreiende Argument ab, das auf der anderen Seite tobte.\n\nEr zog das Brustst\u00fcck seiner R\u00fcstung an und schnallte es fest, als er pl\u00f6tzlich stehen blieb. Radu st\u00fcrzte auf den Rand des Bettes und blickte auf das winzige Zimmer um ihn herum, das \"zu Hause\" geworden war. Er suchte all die winzigen Details aus: die tagealten Lebensmitteltaschen, die sich in der Ecke stapelten, die alten Blutflecken an den W\u00e4nden, alles davon, und sah sie an, als w\u00fcrde er sie zum ersten Mal sehen.\n\nDas Gewicht der letzten sechs Monate dr\u00fcckte auf ihn. Er erkannte sich selbst kaum noch. Wie konnte er so weit von dem entfernt sein, was er einmal war?\n\nAll die Schuld, Frustration und Wut wirbelte um seinen Kopf, bis schlie\u00dflich ein einziger Gedanke an die Oberfl\u00e4che kam: Es ist Zeit f\u00fcr Ver\u00e4nderungen.\n\nEr w\u00fcrde diesen Job machen. Was auch immer n\u00f6tig war, um ihm bis zur n\u00e4chsten Zahlung eine kleine Atempause zu verschaffen, aber er w\u00fcrde diese Zeit nutzen, um zu entkommen, um einen Weg aus der Schlinge zu finden, die ihn langsam erw\u00fcrgte.\n\nAuf die eine oder andere Weise, entschied Radu, w\u00fcrde er frei sein.\n\n\nRadu wob seinen Weg durch die Hallen von Grim HEX, vorbei an den Besetzern und Nine Tails-Killern, den zerbrochenen T\u00fcren mit undichter Atmosph\u00e4re, und ging auf sein Schiff zu.\n\nAu\u00dferhalb der Luftschleuse zu seinem Pad sch\u00fcttelte Madrigal einen anderen armen Trottel f\u00fcr jede Art von Creden, die sie herumtrat. Radu dr\u00fcckte den Knopf f\u00fcr die Luftschleuse und wartete. Madrigal bemerkte ihn schlie\u00dflich.\n\n\"Sicheres Fliegen\", schrie Madrigal mit einem Grinsen.\n\nDie Luftschleuse beendete das Radfahren und die T\u00fcr zischte auf. Radu trat hinein und dr\u00fcckte den Knopf. Die Au\u00dfent\u00fcr \u00f6ffnete sich schlie\u00dflich und enth\u00fcllte sein Schiff.\n\nEr lagerte die Gewehre und kletterte auf den Pilotsitz. Die Kappe k\u00e4mpfte um das Schlie\u00dfen, w\u00e4hrend er die verschiedenen Schiffssysteme einschaltete. Die Multi-Displays flackerten zum Leben, w\u00e4hrend die Motoren zu brummen begannen. Er schlug gegen die Triebwerke und sp\u00fcrte den ersten Ruck der Bewegung, als sich die Kufen vom Deck hoben. Er hat nach einer offenen Flugroute gesucht. Der Raum um Grim HEX war ber\u00fcchtigt f\u00fcr faule Gesetzlose, die versuchten, leichte Morde von Piloten zu erleiden, die dachten, sie seien \"sicher\".\n\nSchnell heben, schnell klar, das war das Mantra. Radu entdeckte einen leeren Weg aus dem Asteroidenhaufen und blitzte die Triebwerke auf. Die G's haben sich in die Brust geschlagen, als das Schiff von der Station weggeschlagen wurde.\n\nDer leichte K\u00e4mpfer webte sich m\u00fchelos durch die massiven Asteroiden und tanzte langsam durch die Leere. Die Scans waren klar, aber Radu machte visuelle Suchvorg\u00e4nge, um zu sehen, ob irgendwelche M\u00f6chtegern-Hinterh\u00e4ltige Low-Sigs ziehen, um n\u00e4her heranzukommen. Zufrieden war er allein, gab er die Koordinaten f\u00fcr den Suchauftrag ein. Es war immer noch in den Asteroiden um Yela, aber auf der anderen Seite, also musste er den Mond umqueren, bevor er einen direkten Schuss machen konnte.\n\nDer erste ausgew\u00e4hlte Orbitalmarker, der Quantenantrieb, drehte sich auf und trat ihn in eine Unsch\u00e4rfe. Das umliegende Stanton-System verwandelte sich in einen Lichtschimmer, bis der Antrieb ihn automatisch herausfiel. Er positionierte das Schiff auf den n\u00e4chsten Marker und stellte es wieder auf die H\u00f6he.\n\nMinuten sp\u00e4ter stieg er in den Asteroideng\u00fcrtel zu seinen Koordinaten hinab. Die Scans waren klar, aber Radu wurde trotzdem langsamer. Es macht keinen Sinn, in eine Falle zu tappen, falls der Job an andere Piloten vergeben wurde. Tats\u00e4chlich begann er, verstreute Tr\u00fcmmer zu sehen, was ihn zum dezimierten Wrack einer Connie f\u00fchrte.\n\nEr begann, das Wrack weitr\u00e4umig zu umrunden, um sicherzustellen, dass er wirklich allein war.\n\nDa sah er den zerkl\u00fcfteten Freibeuter, der drau\u00dfen mit eingeschaltetem Strom parkte, Lichter, die in das Wrack leuchteten und keinen Piloten zu sehen war.\n\nVerdammt, dachte er. Ich wollte heute wirklich niemanden t\u00f6ten m\u00fcssen.\n\nWIRD FORTGESETZT.....\nUMFRAGE\nEs scheint, dass sich unsere beiden Hauptfiguren, Radu und Clara, bald kreuzen werden, und wir wollen Ihre Hilfe bei der Entscheidung, was als n\u00e4chstes passiert. Nehmen Sie an der Umfrage unten teil und lassen Sie uns wissen, wie sich die Aktion Ihrer Meinung nach entwickeln sollte. (Wenn du eine Auffrischung dar\u00fcber brauchst, was in Teil Eins des Kollisionskurses passiert ist, kannst du es hier lesen.) Die Umfrage endet am Freitag, den 18. August um 18:00 Uhr PST.","zh_CN":"Radu Ghazi settled into the bunk, letting the mattress conform underneath him. He was impressed by the support. Most ship designers couldn\u2019t care less about mattress strength. They seemed to spend all their time pouring credits and attention into the sexier aspects of the ships; the hull, the guns, the engines. The marketing points, he\u2019d once heard them called. That was back on Prime, in some high class bar that he had no business being in. The thing these companies didn\u2019t seem to grasp was that when you spend months on the drift, a comfortable mattress could save your life just as well as an armored hull.\n\nThe airlock lift hissed and opened. A short man in an expensive but ill-fitted flightsuit rose into view on the lift near the bunks. The man turned towards Radu.\n\nRadu snapped off a shot with his pistol. The energy round punched through the small man\u2019s faceplate and popped into his head. He dropped in a heap and was still. A thin strand of smoke rose from the wound.\n\nRadu climbed out of the bunk, dragged the body off the lift and took an appraising look around the interior of the Constellation. He might have to buy one of these when he gets the credits.\n\nHe hit the descend button on the lift. The platform shook gently and began to descend.\n\nOutside, the sun was just beginning to rise on Daymar. Swirls of dust danced in the predawn light. Radu crossed the landing platform, keeping an eye on the dark buildings dotted around the edge of the outpost complex.\n\nBased on his recon, the target (learning their names just muddled his thinking) was always the first one up, so he wasn\u2019t expecting any witnesses, but you had to be ready for anything. That type of flexibility had seen him through some pretty dicey situations.\n\nRadu trudged towards the jagged peak behind which he\u2019d parked his ship. Gravel crunched underneath his boots as he glanced back at the closest building. A faded logo for Rayari Inc. was barely visible under the weathered dirt. He\u2019d heard the company mentioned on the spectrum from time to time, but had no idea what it really did, even less of what it would be doing all the way out here.\n\nWhat do you gotta do to get sent out here? Radu wondered as he climbed the hill. Trying to figure out the stories that led people to where they were was one of his favorite hobbies. Six years in the Bremen militia watching people come and go provided a lot of opportunities for people watching. That was a long time ago, however.\n\nHe reached the top and did a thorough scan around the outpost to make sure no one had stirred. The light from Stanton\u2019s star had now crept across the horizon. The moon was peaceful and quiet.\n\nRadu glanced back at the Constellation waiting on the pad, wondered briefly about how long it would be before anyone discovered the body he left inside, then turned and walked down to his own ship. The old Gladius had been his father\u2019s, the same model as the one his old man had flown back in the service. Radu and his dad had picked it up at a reclamation sale and spent two years fixing it up. When Radu joined the militia, his dad passed the ship onto him.\n\nMoments later, after the flare of his thrusters had merged with the canopy of stars, the outpost was still again.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe credits hit his account by the time Radu entered the main sprawl of Grim HEX. The central hub of the dilapidated station was bathed in the flickering light of the massive community screen that loomed above. What had once been used by the station administration to post updates, job opportunities, ads, local events, et cetera, was now a wash of digital noise, fractured imagery and the occasional Nine Tails symbol.\n\nHe didn\u2019t understand why the outlaw pack felt the need to take over the signs. It\u2019s not like there was any confusion that they were running this place now. Looking around, he counted eight armored thugs bearing Nine Tails tags, fully loaded and looking for trouble.\n\nA junkie raced out of a nearby abandoned storefront with that feverish excitement that comes right after scoring a hit. Radu weaved out of his way and watched him disappear down one of the winding back halls. Turns out Radu wasn\u2019t the only one watching. He met the gaze of a pair of squatters dressed in ragged oil-stained clothes. Their hands twitched sporadically. They seemed to be waiting to see if Radu was going to move on the junkie. When Radu turned away, they skulked down the hall after their prey.\n\nOl\u2019 38 was pretty empty, so Radu could grab a seat by the end of the bar. The bitter old man wasn\u2019t working the bar today, it was that kid, the one who looked like one bad day away from the junkie Radu just saw.\n\n\u201cGet you somethin\u2019?\u201d he asked as he polished up a dirty glass.\n\n\u201cGin and Pips,\u201d Radu responded.\n\nThe kid nodded and slowly started to make the drink. Radu couldn\u2019t help but watch him check each and every bottle in the speed rail until he found whatever cheap gin they had. Then he checked three freezers before he could find a can of Pips. The mixture was even more baffling to him.\n\nFinally, the kid put the glass of mostly gin in front of Radu.\n\n\u201cLet me know if that\u2019s okay,\u201d he said with a tinge of hope.\n\nRadu took a sip and winced. It was a lot of gin.\n\n\u201cYeah, sure. It\u2019ll do.\u201d\n\nThe kid bartender grinned, gave a thumbs up, then went back to \u201cclean\u201d more glasses.\n\nRadu brought up his mobi and skimmed through the headlines on the spectrum, but it was just more of the same: fear and money \u2014 the two engines that seemed to drive all of Humanity.\n\n\u201cHey there, chief.\u201d\n\nRadu looked up from his mobi. There was no mistaking that voice. Madrigal was a two-bit thug for the NovaRiders. Rumor was that Madrigal used to be CCS, the civilian division of Hurston\u2019s corporate security, but was let go for being too violent. Collections were his specialty, which unfortunately put Radu on his radar. Two of his enforcers were waiting by the door, presumably there to keep Radu from making a break for it.\n\n\u201cHey, Ayrs,\u201d Madrigal said as he settled onto the seat next to Radu. \u201cLemme get a Rust.\u201d\n\nThe kid behind the bar smiled and spent another protracted amount of time trying to identify the right bottle.\n\nIn the meantime, Madrigal let out a theatrical sigh and turned to face Radu, who simply stared ahead this whole time.\n\n\u201cI hear you might have something for me.\u201d\n\n\u201cYeah?\u201d Radu replied and took a sip of his drink. The ice had cut down the potency of the gin. Or maybe it was the growing anger \u2026\n\n\u201cI heard from a person who heard from a person that you just pulled off a ghost job.\u201d Madrigal stared at Radu, a smug grin on his face. \u201cI mean, you know what a social guy I am. All the friends I got.\u201d\n\nRadu didn\u2019t say anything. Madrigal watched him.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m waiting,\u201d he finally said.\n\n\u201cThe credits just transferred. I was gonna send \u2019em.\u201d Radu brought up his mobi and sent the pay to whatever dummy account the NovaRiders had set up for collections. He watched his own account drop down to double-digits.\n\n\u201cGood, real good.\u201d Ayrs delivered a glass of Rust. Madrigal immediately downed it and checked his mobi. He did not look impressed. \u201cLooking a little short.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s what they were paying.\u201d Radu took another sip. \u201cYou don\u2019t like the rate, take it up with them.\u201d\n\nMadrigal grabbed Radu by the back of the neck and slammed his head to the bar. Everyone in the bar jumped at the sound, but nobody did anything. The kid bartender turned away to look for more glasses to clean.\n\n\u201cLet\u2019s pause a sec and recap. You owe us, so we own you. You stop paying? You die. You try to run? You die. Don\u2019t like it? Maybe you shouldn\u2019t have done what you done. So mind the goddamn tone with me. You\u2019re alive because you\u2019re useful and believe me, that can change real quick.\u201d Suddenly, the smug grin was back. \u201cAlright. Good talk. You got two days left to pay us for this month. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll work it out.\u201d\n\nMadrigal grabbed Radu\u2019s glass and downed that too.\n\n\u201cThanks for the drink.\u201d\n\nMadrigal left. No one looked at him as he strode out of the bar. The two lunks of muscle by the door followed him out.\n\nRadu sat up. After a few moments, the kid bartender wandered over like nothing had happened.\n\n\u201cAnother?\u201d\n\nRadu shook his head and hit the job board on his mobi instead. As he scanned through the random and anonymous jobs that populated the local servers, one headline jumped out at him.\n\n\u201cI messed up.\u201d\n\nThe job seemed simple enough: retrieve a NavDrive from a wreck and drop it off to get wiped. The money was right too, but it was something more. The offer was written with a desperation Radu could relate to.\n\nHe took the job. Moments later, all the relevant data flooded to his mobi.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRadu stopped by his hab to pull his flight suit and guns. Speed grind music hammered through the walls on one side. The heavy distortion and propulsive beat almost covered the screaming argument that was raging on the other.\n\nHe pulled on the chestpiece of his armor and strapped it into place, when he suddenly stopped. Radu slumped down on the edge of the bed and looked at the tiny room around him that had become \u2018home.\u2019 He picked out all the tiny details; the days-old foodstuff bags piling up in the corner, the old blood stains on the walls, all of it, and looked at them like he was seeing them for the first time.\n\nThe weight of the past six months came pressing down on him. He barely recognized himself anymore. How could he have strayed so far from who he used to be?\n\nAll the guilt, frustration and anger swirled around his head until finally, a single thought pushed to the surface: it\u2019s time to change.\n\nHe\u2019d do this job. Whatever it took to get him a little breathing room until his next payment was due, but he\u2019d use that time to escape, to find a way out of the noose that was slowly strangling him.\n\nOne way or another, Radu decided, he would be free.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRadu weaved his way through the halls of Grim HEX, past the squatters and Nine Tails killers, the broken doors with leaking atmo, and headed towards his ship.\n\nOutside the airlock to his pad, Madrigal was shaking down some other poor sap for whatever creds she had kicking around. Radu hit the button for the airlock and waited. Madrigal finally noticed him.\n\n\u201cSafe flying,\u201d Madrigal yelled with a smirk.\n\nThe airlock finished cycling and the door hissed open. Radu stepped inside and punched the button. The outer door finally opened, revealing his ship.\n\nHe stocked the rifles and climbed into the pilot\u2019s seat. The canopy struggled to close while he powered on the various ship systems. The multi-displays flickered to life while the engines started to hum. He struck the thrusters and felt the first lurch of movement as the skids lifted off the deck. He checked for an open flight path. The space around Grim HEX was notorious for lazy outlaws trying to score easy kills from pilots who thought they were \u2018safe.\u2019\n\nLift fast, clear fast was the mantra. Radu spotted an empty route out of the asteroid cluster and flashed the engines. The G\u2019s hit his chest as the ship punched out away from the station.\n\nThe light fighter effortlessly weaved through the massive asteroids, dancing slowly through the void. The scans were clear, but Radu did visual sweeps to see if any would-be ambushers were pulling low-sigs to get close. Satisfied he was alone, he input the coordinates for the retrieval job. It was still in the asteroids around Yela, but on the far side, so he\u2019d need to quantum around the moon before he could get a straight shot.\n\nThe first orbital marker selected, the quantum drive spun up and kicked him into a blur. The surrounding Stanton system turned into a smear of light until the drive automatically dropped him out. He repositioned the ship to the next marker and quantumed again.\n\nMinutes later, he descended into the asteroid belt towards his coordinates. The scans were clear, but Radu slowed anyway. No sense wandering into a trap in case the job had been shopped to other pilots. Sure enough, he started to see scattered pieces of debris, leading him to the decimated wreck of a Connie.\n\nHe began to a wide sweep around the wreckage to make sure he was truly alone.\n\nThat\u2019s when he saw the ragged Buccaneer parked up outside with its power on, lights shining into the wreck, and no pilot to be seen.\n\nDamn, he thought. I really didn\u2019t want to have to kill anyone today.\n\nTO BE CONTINUED \u2026\nSURVEY\nIt seems that our two main characters, Radu and Clara, are about to cross paths and we want your help in deciding what happens next. Take the survey below and let us know how you think the action should unfold. (If you need a refresher on what happened in Part One of Collision Course you can read it here.) The poll will close Friday, August 18th at 6:00pm PST."},"links_count":1,"comment_count":75,"created_at":"2017-08-16T00:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"8 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-07 23:56:16","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":16070,"next_id":16072}}