During the covid lockdown I’d play a ton of NMS with my father. Living overseas it was a great way to connect. We built these crazy settlements and massive towers. I had about 150 hours in the game. He had well over 3000 hours, was a billionaire infinite times over, every ship, carriers with farms of every crop in the game as far as the eye could see. He had about 400 bases, all decked out in the pimpest shit in the game, and probably the biggest water base I’ve ever seen in NMS as well. Guy was 78 and gamed hard.

He passed away few months ago and it hit me pretty hard. I completely forgot about NMS as we hadn’t played for a while together. He told me in a casual conversation previously that he had deleted his NMS account completely becasue he wanted a new challenge. I was a little disappointed he had done it because it meant the bases we built together would suddenly be half built, but I understood.

A week ago I logged in just to check if it was all gone and it was. Just open fields and trees. Still looked beautiful so I accepted it.

Off the cuff I decided to look at the first base I had built. My dad had also built a base nearby but I had forgotten about it.

I landed in an acid storm. I had forgotten the buttons and my suit wasn’t ready for it and was dieing quick. Just as I was about to die I spotted a hologram of a buggy. But I didnt own a buggy at this base.

I turned the corner and there was his first base. I ran inside just before I died. For whatever reason his first base was still there and it saved my ass just in time. Still full of all his statues and gardens and exotic ships.

I sat on the couch upstairs. As I stared out the window, the acid rain stopped and the sun came out.

Definitely one of my favorite moments in gaming.