Back in the Saddle

When I woke up, it seemed as though I had only been gone a moment, as if I'd been cloned immediately after a pod breach.  I had a nagging suspicion, however, that something was amiss.  I hadn't died in my pod.  I died on the floor of The Last Gate, and I could recall the moment as vividly as though it had just happened.  How long had I been gone?

"What's the date?" I asked.  Much to my dismay, I was informed that I had been dead the better part of a year.  Foremost on my mind were how I found myself amongst the living after being dead for so long and how I could remember with such crystal clarity every moment until my last breath.  Shouldn't I, at best, have been cloned from some backup scan that predated my unfortunate demise?  I had a great many questions, but comprehensive explanations weren't forthcoming.

Dwelling on the how and why of my return doesn't seem particularly productive to me, so I've decided not to do so.  As it happens, I've been resurrected at a rather auspicious time.  Noriko seems to have closed up shop at Venture Racing when the league stagnated, but as luck would have it, the league is back under the direction of Gyra Rho.  I've taken the liberty of reorganizing Venture Racing's corporate operations; the privilege of managing the team falls to me.  I'm already hard at work raising money, recruiting racers, and planning our public relations campaign.

My friends' loyalty has transcended my death.  Most of my possessions were kept exactly as I had left them.  Louella Dougans returned my main fleet at Aunia and auxiliary ships at Fricoure and Inoue, and Math'ra Hiede gladly handed back the Oberon, carefully maintained and in beautiful order.  As Venture Racing's chief executive, I've also been granted the pleasure of taking command of the Victory, and I look forward to making a few modifications to upgrade her hardware.  Most surprisingly, the SCC didn't raid my accounts when I died, and all outstanding market transactions were credited to my estate, so I woke up with 43 million ISK to get back on my feet.

Many people are surprised to see me walking around again, but none so much as Mother.  Capsuleers tend to find such delayed returns uncommon but not impossible.  To most people, however, this sort of event is nothing short of miraculous.  After the initial shock and a long conversation, I think she's finally realizing that she doesn't have to worry about me so much.  If I can spring back to life after months in the grave as if nothing happened, then she needn't concern herself with how I'll survive the typical dangers of space.  Nevertheless, she was very disappointed that death gave me a haircut; she truly loved my fabulous hair.

I'm not quite sure why the powers that be have seen fit to place me back amongst the living, but I know that my experience has incited a fresh enthusiasm for life and a new perspective on what is truly important.