Hello, My name is Jack, and if you're reading this...

[Medron Pryde]

Hello. My name is Jack, and if you're reading this, I really hope it's a few thousand years from now. They say we should start at the beginning, so here goes. It all started at First Contact. They brought us medicines, and now we live a long time. A few of us, we don't age at all. I was one of the lucky ones. I was an adult. I feel sorry for the kids.

[Medron Pryde]

Hello, my name is Jack.  They say I should tell you more about my self, so here goes.  I was born in Mayo Tower.  I grew up fishing in the Boundary Waters.  The traditional way mind you, no stun grenades for me.  Then the Shang came and killed my parents and a few trillion others as refused to bow before 'em.  I fought.  History says we won.  Fact is, we survived.

[Medron Pryde]

Hello again, my name is Jack. They want me to be more positive, so here goes. For a century now we've had peace, I'm hoping a few more millenia of that have passed by the time you read this. We did good back then. We smashed them up so badly they've still not come back. The Peloran still stand with us. The Arnam...well...I hope they've rebuilt by the time you read this.

[Medron Pryde]

Hello, my name is Jack.  They want me to say what it's like to be immortal.  Fact is, it's pretty normal.  We've had the treatments for three centuries.  Barring violence, it'll be another five before people start dying.  To scientists, we're awful interesting.  Maybe in a thousand years I'll agree, but for now at least I'm just another child of the Second Age of Methuselah.

[Medron Pryde]

"Hello.  My name is Betty.  Jack spends so much time talking about himself, politics, war, and peace that I feel like I'm in some Russian tragedy.  But when does he talk about his ship?  That's me by the way.  I chose him to be my captain, my pilot, my closest friend and ally in the universe.  It was, I think, the best choice I have made in my life."

[Medron Pryde]

Hello, my name is Jack.  A long dead man said we had to water the tree of liberty with the blood of patriots.  Well, that happened in the 18th Century when we stood up against the Kings, and the 21st against the Socialists, and the 24th against the Shang.  I watered a fair bit in that last one.  I really hope I don't have to again.  Difference is, I'm prepared to.  If you're reading this, I hope I watered well.

[Medron Pryde]

Hello, my name is Jack, and I think I need to clarify something.  We aren't united.  The Terran race.  It started during the Second American Revolution.  We stopped buying.  They stopping making.  Global Depression happened.  The United Nations turned into a bi...bicker fest.  It didn't last.  We almost didn't make it back to space.  We DIDN'T go out together.  And the Shang didn't unite us.

[Medron Pryde]

(OOC - I wrote the timeline for this over six years ago.  Trust me.  No current events are changing anything here.  hehehe)

[Medron Pryde]

"Hello, my name is Jack, and I was an American soldier.  Yes, I signed my name on the check that says 'payable up to and including my life.'  A lot of my friends paid in full.  After the war I met Betty and we've been flying throughout all civilized space ever since.  I've seen things...talked to people...far beyond the knowledge of most Terrans.  I hope by the time you read this that has changed."

[Medron Pryde]

Hello, my name is Jack, and they want me to tell you about fighting for truth, justice, and the American way.  It was dirty, hot, and dangerous, dodging bullets, watching friends...But you don't want to know that.  It's the confetti streamers, the bands, and all those thankful California girls waiting to thank us victorious uniforms they want me to talk about.  It's not those dreams that wake me up at night though.

[Medron Pryde]

Hello, my name is Jack.  I haven't seen a Terran world in twenty years.  The last time I did, a lot of people died, some of them my friends.  I'm sure you've read their stories.  We can be hard to kill cause of our training, but a bullet to the heart will still kill us dead.  We all die sometime.  Even me.  You are after all reading this.

[Medron Pryde]

Hello, my name is Jack. I'm 5,000 Lights from Terra now, haven't seen a Terran in 1,000 Lights, a Peloran in 500. I think I'm finally outside their zone of influence. So now I can start digging for history. There's something the Peloran haven't told us. Our governments haven't told us. I can feel it. And out here I think I can uncover it.