12 January 3308 - A neglected Vulture and an impromptu journey
12 Jan 2022Edwore Golores
Today I went to visit an old friend, The Intrepid Impala. This was the first combat ship I truly loved: a Federation-red Core Dynamics Vulture.
Quick note for those with no interest in astrozoology: the name Impala refers to an agile, wild quadruped that was native to Earth up until the early 2100s
After a recent incident on the carrier made me realise that I had some reaction time issues to work on (I rambled excessively about this in my last journal entry and don't feel the need to do so any further), I decided that I needed to challenge myself by revisiting the Impala. Essentially to see whether I am still fit to pilot her.
As luck would have it, our carrier jumped into Delta Muscae today, which is just a short hop away from my old home in Rhea where the Impala lives. After getting the hell out of Eranin during the civil war of '00, my family had settled on Ito Orbital, and I got my first taste of action escorting mining vessels in the extraction systems around Rhea. That's where I fell in love with the Vulture.
I vividly remember laying in bed in my windowless shoebox apartment on Ito, realising that I needed a bigger ship, but being utterly disgusted by the thought of trading in the Impala. So I didn't.
It took me a long time, but I eventually saved enough to buy a new AspX outright, and put the Impala in storage with the idea of returning to her in a few months. As it turns out, I got caught up in a friend's crazy plan to visit the far side of the galaxy, and two weeks after mothballing the Impala, I sold my apartment and everything I own that doesn't fit into an AspX. We were headed to Beagle Point! I never set foot on Ito Orbital again... until today.
I was a bit worried about how the Impala might have aged, but when I laid eyes on her this morning, I felt a wave of optimism. She looks like new... if you squint a bit.
My confidence quickly evaporated when I tried to fire her up. Electrical power was fine, but not even a whimper from the thrusters. Tracked down a certified technical team in no time (this is the heart of Federal space, after all!) and they got some new thrusters fitted same-day. Apparently the old ones were done in by excessive moisture in the hangar and were beyond saving. Unfortunately, the technicians identified an issue with the power plant which they didn't feel comfortable working on themselves, but they told me I would be okay as long as I keep the temperature in check. The Impala is alive for now!
So, now I faced a dilemma: seven jumps back to the TFCS Seemeeu so I don't miss my ride back to Ross 991, or six jumps to the home of Core Dynamics to get the Impala the TLC she so desperately needs. You bet your ass I'm off to Mars for
This is my first visit to Mars High and I have to say, it's elegant in the clinical Martian fashion. Nowhere near as lavish as Carter Port, of course, but the history and culture is certainly without parallel, and I'm not necessarily in a hurry to get the Impala fixed now... Mars itself is also beckoning below.
What is next for the Impala? That I will need to consider over a couple of cocktails on the famous red sandy beaches of Mars. To the shuttle!