You’d have thought by the 31st century we’d have it all worked out. Robots doing all the menial work, super intelligent computers bending the laws of physics to our whims. Mankind zipping around the galaxy all square jawed and perky, making love amongst the stars and having first contacts for breakfast.

But no, a thousand years of drudgery and nothing much has changed. Ok, so yes, the galaxy has got a fair bit smaller and I’m sure there have always been those annoying, square jawed, perky bamsharks who like to lord it over the rest of us. But without us, the sol to sol everyman (and woman), who keep the place running, who work the dead-end jobs and zero tick contracts. Without us, where would the galaxy be?

Well, to be honest, I don’t really know. I’m just a dead end everyman. My name’s Derek Darke and one of these sols I’m sure that’s going to mean something.

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