Outer Rim Stations Tour photo journal 11: California to Hind Nebula
29 Jul 2018Thunktone
3304 July 25, Wednesday20:10
Fighter club are up to something a little different tonight and since we are so close to the core now I was able to join in properly. I have been hearing stories about the guardian ruins since I was just a boy in Forward Horizons. They live up entirely to their mysterious reputation, seemingly wanting to give us their technology but to test us in strange ways first. But they don't seem all that dangerous after a few months traveling the galaxy in my own ships.
After we got the blueprint segments there was even time for some larking about as we gathered materials. I hope those religious nuts aren't right, because we weren't exactly respectful.
21:00
A second, undefended site provided even more opportunity for goofing off. It looked like a theatre from one of those old earth dramas and we had fun racing around and performing stunts in the low gravity.
3304 July 26, Thursday
08:34
Back at Mic Turner Base a day early. I've already seen the Bark Mounds and paid the fines for harvesting from them. So I spent a bit of time trying to get my Scarab on top of the big research institute building. I got very close jumping from this radio array - if that's what it is. I had a few attempts but kept bumping the wall over the big vents and bouncing off the top on the way down.
14:53
My ship's computer won't acknowledge a landing on a building, so I couldn't just drop my scarab on top. That wouldn't have been as satisfying anyway.
19:39
It took a while to find a way to the top of a nearby tall building. But from there I managed to jump on to one of the pressurised tanks. You can just see my Scarab under the big 2. But I couldn't get from there to the higher ones next to the 8.
3304 July 28, Saturday
15:00
I missed yesterday's meetup after eating some bad cordyceps. But I'm on my way again today.
15:51
By sheer fluke, the first system my nav computer took me to had two black holes. One was too far away to bother with but here is a shot of Barnard's Loop viewed through the other's lens.
15:57
At the recommendation of CMDR Dan Bender I took a look at BD+30 623 "Little Blue" with its planetary nebula.
16:02
16:28
The expedition organiser took the others through a few systems after the last meetup. I checked a couple out including this one with its agricultural installation.
18:24
18:29
It's not valuable, for mining or exploration, but the waypoint system T Tauri is stunning.
3304 July 29, Sunday
16:21
A well-placed tourist beacon guided me to an even better view.
17:16
We went for something a little different on this last stop.
17:21
17:24
17:34
Alone again, heading down for one last look.
It's been an interesting voyage. It felt like much less of a chore than ferrying researchers around the galaxy. I guess because becoming a pilot really does separate you from non-pilots. I signed up for a much longer expedition that starts around the end of the year. Much larger too with over 2000 sign-ups. As fond as I have become of this Diamondback I don't think it'll be coming with me. There just aren't enough internal slots, especially since I fitted a guardian frameshift drive booster.
I'm just waffling now. o7 everyone, maybe see you out in the black.