The Rat Winked

Although we frequently celebrate New Order victories, and the fact that the CODE always wins, it's easy to forget that continually winning over time is itself a victory. The New Order has been winning for more than three years. What does that look like for the average bot-aspirant? As time goes on, more carebears experience being ganked over and over again.

Consider PieRatt, who has been a highsec carebear for six and a half years. He has suffered repeated losses to the New Order. That takes a toll. Finally, after many lost ships, he found a target for his anger: Agent Boarat Saagdiyev, who ganked one of PieRatt's Retrievers and, three days later, one of PieRatt's empty pods.

Two days after losing the pod, PieRatt began sending strange EVEmails to Boarat. Many New Order Agents have developed similar "pen pals". PieRatt challenged Boarat to go to the Peyiri system, the same place where Boarat had ganked PieRatt on the two prior occasions. Boarat declined to do so.

The next day, PieRatt sent another message, for no apparent reason.

Half an hour later, the situation became more clear. PieRatt was angry about losing a freighter in lowsec. Though Boarat was not actually on that kill, PieRatt now projected all of his problems onto him, and saw Boarat as the culprit.

Later that evening, PieRatt again EVEmailed Boarat, bragging that his freighter had been replaced. The invitation to join PieRatt in Peyiri was extended once more.

A week later, PieRatt renewed his one-sided correspondence with Agent Boarat. It became clear that PieRatt was one of those "I'm mining right now and you can't stop me!" types. He failed to absorb one of the great lessons of the Code, which is that our Agents are the ones who set the terms of engagement. We attack our enemies at the time and place of our own choosing.

When Boarat didn't appear in Peyiri, the carebear taunted our Agent. PieRatt couldn't understand that our Agents only show up when they feel like it. They may choose not to discipline a particular bot-aspirant at a given moment. Our most stubborn enemies sometimes take advantage of that fact to deliver taunts, as PieRatt did.

However, sometimes our Agents do appear after they have been taunted. PieRatt was flying his freighter through Peyiri when it was suddenly bumped by two of Boarat's friends, Failkin and Emelie Petra. Incensed, PieRatt challenged them in local to try ganking him.

Failkin left Emelie to continue bumping PieRatt's freighter alone. Failkin had other business to attend to. Specifically, he needed to change corps. Even more specifically, he needed to go join the 1-man alt corp that was currently at war with PieRatt's corp. Then he returned to say hello to PieRatt.

Failkin, flying a Skiff, was now at war with PieRatt. After destroying the Veldspar-laden freighter, the Skiff podded PieRatt for good measure. See? Mining ships can shoot back, when piloted correctly.

PieRatt attempted to log out, but his ship was destroyed anyway. He logged back in and sent another EVEmail. He knew Boarat was behind the whole thing.

PieRatt raged in Peyiri local. He cursed the New Order for its lack of intelligence.

Being ganked had taken its toll on PieRatt. He admitted that he'd already started petitioning us years ago. Having denied the petitions, CCP surrendered the game to his hated enemies. According to PieRatt, The WINKIES always win. AWAYS!

There are only two options for a carebear in PieRatt's position: Give in to the Code or give in to madness. PieRatt's choice was clear.