going solo

the buggers are crawling around on the hull .....I can hear the scratching and clinking.....they probably think this old tub is derelict, and they are starting to tear it apart for salvage.....maybe I should just let them.....I paid extra last time in port for shielding to hide biological signature, so I guess it would be my own fault if they do tear into life support systems....but they won't get that far I don't think, 'cause I'm powering up a direct hull charge off the quantum core.....that should fry them.....but I won't really do that, I'll warn them first, just because I'm such a nice guy.....actually, they are probably already starting to feel the vibes from the charge-up.....if they are savvy buggers, they will just slough off and back to their barge, and let me be.....leave me in peace and quiet, slipping alone along the edge of the frontier, like I've been doing for decades now.....back a long time ago, I used to cruise with other persons aboard, but that always ended up in problems.....people can't seem to agree about things all of the time....or even much of the time....not enough of the time anyway......the bugger noise is starting to stop I think.....passive sensors are getting the warmth of a pile drive, they must be going to leave me alone .....buggers don't make very good company anyway, always just clawing and chewing , muttering strange things about their genetic destiny as revealed to them by God-the-Machine.....I've heard enough of that crap in my day......some humans aren't much better, going on about Natural Humanism, and the glorious golden age of the Treaty Powers which is upon us.....bullshit I say, things are just like they always were.....the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.....death might take longer to get here than it did in the olden days, but it will get here.....and taxes are carefully hidden, but they are still there nonetheless......so to get along you still have to keep a stiff upper lip and a tight asshole, unless you just say to hell with 'em all and go solo into the deep dark night between the stars......