The September Spacing

August 2nd, 2040:
The September Spacing - A Look Back
A VR News Special Retrospective
By: Bryan Whalen
January 4, 2038 is a day that will live in infamy. Ish. Maybe it isn't celebrated, or mourned, but it was certainly a major starting point in the war against the Long Dragon Syndicate. Why was it so memorable? More importantly, why has it been forgotten? For that day, that was the day of the September Spacing.
Outer Satellite Station 754F-B - Stopping Point for Comet Hopper Shipments, SK Mining
7:38 PM, Orbital Time
43 Minutes Prior to S-Time
Outer Satellite Station 754F-B was an unassuming place. It was a stop-off point for SK Mining between the low hanging asteroids of the inner system and production facilities on Earth. These asteroids had been severely exploited, and now produced very little in the way of higher quality minerals. It's said the total contents of the station cargo was under $100,000 dollars at the time of the robbery, which is partly why it being a chosen target was so confusing. 
Let's try and get into the mindset of the small group of L.D.S. thugs who boarded the station.
What do we know? There were six members of the Syndicate who boarded the satellite via the induction port. All of them were wearing protective suits, and carrying Strommon Assault Rifles. Upon boarding they ditched their suits and proceeded to commandeer the station (all three employees). Their craft, a lightweight transport ship, had been attached to the port... but when they commandeered the station, thankfully a quick thinking staff member (Nicole Langley) hit the emergency release and caused the ship to drift away, leaving the L.D.S. members trapped on board the station until the next ship came along. 
Let's hear it in her words. This is a segment from an interview with Langley, later that day, conducted by the Newswire: "They charged into the control room, screaming and waving weapons. No one understood a word they were saying! It was all in Chinese, or something. We never really got that far in translating what they were saying, but when a screaming man waving a gun at you then waves it at the ground, I'd say it's a pretty universal statement!" 
They boarded the satellite and began to make demands for a shuttle to come and get them. Remember, this was in the days before the Orbital Authorities, and SK Mining had little in the way of a security force. SK Mining was at a loss, and called in the Consortium for help. This was also in the days before the death of Bishop Two, and their request for help was put in a queue (as all of their forces were currently committed in other places and the station wasn't near enough to Earth for a short trip). This did not sit well with the kidnappers.
At this point the kidnappers grew extremely agitated and confined two members of the staff to their rooms. Ms. Langley, who they had decided was the leader on the satellite, was enlisted to help them understand their newfound "riches". From what she was able to understand, they wanted to see the cargo. She led them to the hold, and all six of them went inside to examine the chunks of unprocessed metal. 
Langley, standing by the door, saw her chance. She stepped into the hallway, slammed the door closed and vented the hold into space, sending all six members of the Long Dragon Syndicate out into the void.
It was quickly dubbed the "September Spacing". A few things happened shortly after.
1. Nicole became something of a hero among satellites who were frequently terrorized in this way. When interviewed, she said she felt no remorse over her act, as "they would have done the same to us. I know about the Syndicate! I've got a family to think about!"
2. The process for establishing the Orbital Authorities began. The need for an independent group in space to stop criminal activates had been long talked about. It was time.
3. The Consortium began to really crack down on L.D.S. ships being sent to orbit. Followed by the murder of Mason Grey, Bishop Two, a month later this was the real start of open war with the L.D.S. 
The September Spacing has been all but forgotten now. The war against the L.D.S. is over, and the six who got tossed out the airlock remain anonymous to this day. It's quite possible that without the September Spacing, the Orbital Authorities would not have been created and the L.D.S. would have continued with a strong presence in space. This could have changed the entire dynamic of the struggle between the two groups. 
It's these small, defining moments that create history, and seem to usually be accompanied by the actions of complete idiots.
Category:January 4, 2038
Category:Long Dragon Syndicate
Category:Orbital Authorities
Category:Outer Satellite Station 754F-B
Category:SK Mining
Category:Mason Grey
Category:Nicole Langley