CW 39

To no one in particular,

Tonight there's little time to discuss things in depth. I want to put this wire out tonight.

The past couple of weeks have been difficult. We were infected with the Illness. It started with my eldest child. She spiked a high fever one night but was fine the next day. I didn't think much of it until I began exhibiting symptoms a day later. Then my wife got sick. We did our best to protect our youngest child, but she fell ill too. Once I understood that we had been infected with the Illness, I feared the worst for her. But we were fortunate and no one was severely ill. Hopefully, we won't suffer any long-term consequences.

It put things into perspective about what matters and what matters less.

I'm moving everything up on my timeline. I asked for this three-solar cycle posting, but I don't think we'll be here past the two cycle mark. Everything that needs to get done will have to get done between now and then.

Because we're constraining our timeline, we're accelerating on some of our plans. We're settling on a name for our little side hustle teaching Main and we hope to have a linkpage up soon. It won't take us too long before we can reach other people in other systems looking to learn Main to advance their careers or travel. There are credits to be made doing that and with the interlink nowadays, intersystem communication is seamless.

Yeah, we're moving everything up because this place isn't good for us long-term. What little atmosphere the people on this planet have is being poisoned by Corp. and the senators and a population that's just too busy and too tired surviving the dysfunction to care. Corp.'s made a mess of this planet and everyone I come into contact knows it. The question is why keep working for Corp. It's a good job in terms of money and prestige. Corp. puts on a good show for the politicians and the donors. Employees get some money and a little bit of protection in their old age if they stay on planet. I don't have time for lies. My life is too short.

I met up again with the spies I spoke about last time. It was a reminder to always have an elevator speech ready if you're fishing for opportunities. When it came time to speak to them to let them know that I was looking for a hustle, I stumbled. There might be another opportunity to make up for my lack of eloquence, but first impressions matter, and if I'm going to be moving my timeline up, I need to be ready for opportunities when they arise.

Fortunately, I've got a new friend. She's well-connected and has been happy to introduce me to people who can help me get reach my research objectives and financial goals. She recently introduced me to a commissioner back on Earth and I'm scheduled to speak with this commissioner soon. We'll see what comes of it. But, while I can appreciate that not pitching B'tul the right way was a mistake that I can forgive myself, making the same mistake twice is not an option.

I caught E's friend, T-D, on the shuttle the other morning. We chatted on the way to the structure that houses our interlinks. It's always good to speak with people who are on a similar journey. It's even better when you meet them by chance. She teaches Main' at Corp. which is very different than Main. Main' is also one of the more common dialects for intersystem communication. Anyway. She's also a traveler, looking for new experiences, and she makes her way from one system to the next by teaching Main'. She's about our age, and like us, she wants to quit what they called the "rat race" in a few years.

It's not all bad. This morning, our friend who helps us get around stopped by our compound to bring us some local sweets. They were so tasty, but what I appreciated most was our friend's gesture. He is also kind and hardworking and is doing the best he can for his family. Like us, he's working hard to own his life. And I know he'll get there.

The house geckos are still around as I type this message out. According to the people who've been on planet the longest, their presence is good luck.