Barnacles - something gone in or something coming out?
01 Feb 2016Digitarry
BARNACLESTook a trip to Merope to see what the discovery was.
Winged with a couple of others in case of unwanted disruption, we landed close by, after a couple of flybys to inspect from the air. "Barnacle" isn't the right word. A central "pillar" surrounded by spikes that all curve slightly inwards as they get taller. To me it suggested that they continue underground to a larger core, a body if you will. It's almost like a crustacean version of a squid or cuttlefish shape, with the centre core the beak.
Is it a structure emerging from the surface, or a structure that has impacted the surface and embedded? Really hard to tell
With lights off it was clear that an iridescent green light was coming from the features, and close up in the SRV you can hear it is making a noise. Whether this is an internal rumbling or a transmission isn't clear.
A few other CMDRs were in the vicinity. Their inquiries included shooting the object, and landing an ASP on it, bouncing up and down. This thing is tough. It's inertness whilst clearly being active, is certainly frustrating!
CANYON RUNNING
Several mining sites were nearby. At least until one of our number decided to see what was being mined. I wonder if the mining sites have anything to do with the barnacle. Was there a mining site where the barnacle now is?
After chatting with a few other CMDRs, leading them to the barnacle, and a bit of fun with a spell of aerobatics, it was time to head home. Technical difficulties meant our wing split up before reaching the Maia system. After refuelling, I decided to get the journey home out of the way. A poor decision as it turned out.
GUTTER SLIME
After such a pleasant time encountering other CMDRs up in the Pleiades I'd grown complacent, and did the 400ly trip home without a stop. Jumping into the home system I was interdicted by neanderthal pond scum, repeatedly, as I made a course for the station. Despite help from a friendly CMDR in a superior ship the interdicting spunktrumpet kept jumping out focusing on me in my bounty-less Asp. (He seemed to prefer being behind me. Maybe we should pity him. Perhaps he's been affected by childhood issues, face down in a pillow with his father behind him... that kind of trauma would affect anyone.) I didn't make it home, and was forced to eject as my trusty craft was destroyed below me.
An expensive error, and one that left me back in the Pleiades with the whole journey to make again.
To calm down I took a swift trip out to meet a hardy explorer from my group. He was scanning some fantastic blue/white stars, the youngsters of the Seven Sisters, complete with the blue haze you can see in a telescope from Sol. We took a trip down to a moon, and the light from the star made for quite a beautiful show. It certainly improved my mood no end.
I think I'll find a new home system. I'm too old to be watching my back, and the system is rather dull to look at. All it has going for it is the camaraderie of the regulars, and the garage for my ships. There's so much more to see out here in the black and life is short. A new day tomorrow.