Stardate 2355.43
The void hums. The Phoenix is a familiar armchair now, each creak and groan a language I understand. Hydra and Tanker are trailing behind, dutiful as ever. Another run to Cygnus Minor today, hauling processed agri-waste – thrilling, I know. The haggling with the station master was… energetic, let’s say. It’s always the same dance: they claim a surplus, I claim a need, and we both meet somewhere in the middle with a few less credits than either of us wanted. It’s enough. Barely. Enough to keep the ships running, keep me fed. But I feel like I’m scraping the hull of existence, constantly patching leaks. I hear whispers of the “real” money, the fast runs, the goods that aren't on the manifest. I tell myself I’m being ridiculous. But the whispers are just that… whispers are starting to be louder.
Stardate 2355.44
Had a close call today. A patrol frigate from the Rim Authority intercepted us near the Pavo Jump Gate. Routine scan, they said. They were thorough, I’ll give them that. My heart was hammering in my ribcage – not like when I'm negotiating, this was a cold, fear, in the pit of my stomach. They found nothing, of course. "All in order, Captain" the officer said, but his eyes, they lingered, like he expected something he didn't find. Makes you wonder what they're really looking for. It’s this constant low-level dread that gnaws at the edges of me when I see them. Its a new dread. It’s an unnerving feeling. The feeling of being watched.
Stardate 2355.45
The idea’s been nagging at me – a little worm in my brain, growing bigger with each credit I don't make. If I could... diversify my cargo, so to speak… A contact on Kepler 186f mentioned “certain opportunities” for discreet deliveries. I know its not my kind of thing, but we are talking about the survival of the ships, and myself. It's just not profitable doing it this way. Time to start research. The plans are old, from my grandfather's time, the legendary 'Ghost holds'. Hidden compartments, false bulkheads, the whole shebang. Spent the day reviewing the old schematics, adapting them to my ship. It's a gamble, a big one, but I'm starting to think its a gamble I need to take.
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Stardate 2355.46
Started the modifications today. The Phoenix is my home, so its scary taking her apart. I had to remove the bulkheads, build the hidden compartments. The construction is... tedious, especially working alone. The Ghost holds are deeper, narrower, in non-traditional places even I find peculiar. I’ve built two new holds into the keel next to the main engine conduits, and another two above the hydroponics bay, and one behind the forward scanner system. I've built in pressure seals for each, just in case. They were ingenious back in the day, hope they still are now. I’m working in the quiet moments between the runs. No one ever suspects that. Its my safety, my secret. I just hope it's enough.
Stardate 2355.47
The contact on Kepler 186f came through. This time, its not processed agri-waste. It’s… volatile. Military-grade synth-stimulants, the kind the corpos use to keep their miners in line on the frontier, or for special forces. Small packages, easy to conceal, but they’re like little suns of illegal credits. The risk is terrifying, but the payoff is... tempting. Took on a small sample, just to see if the holds work. Packed them in vacuum-sealed containers and stashed them in the keel compartments. They’re undetectable to basic sensors. They feel heavy in my ship, like something wrong.
Stardate 2355.48
Made the delivery to the designated drop point on the edge of the Alcor system. Quick and quiet, or so I hope. Received twice what I'd usually make on a run on the legal stuff. The credits are burning a hole in my pocket, and yet also a weight in my chest. Even with the high cost of synthetic stims. I feel like I've stepped onto a different path now, one with a whole new set of dangers. But I also have a sense of... possibility. I can keep the ships afloat, maybe even start expanding again. I need to be careful, though. The Rim Authority doesn't take kindly to smugglers. I'm no smuggler, I keep telling myself. I'm simply diversifying.