EXPLORATION LOG 12 : The needel
10 Apr 2022Creamy Goodness III
07 - 04 - 08 22:30
This morning, I got up and jumping soon after my morning workout. While I jumped from system to system with nothing but ordinary stars and no other bodies to investigate, I finally remembered to check on the state of the Ass's internals.
Judging by the scant few patches of paint left on the Ass, I imagined the report would be much worse, but then Ninette would have told me to sort it out if the ship was in any real trouble. I think the hardiness of the internal components is down to Wiggys' knowledge of what a long range exploration ship needs.
Thinking about a knowledgeable old hand like Wiggy, I can't help but remember Nerys asking me if I knew anything about exploration while she was generously transporting me to Robigo from Citi Gateway. I'd lost everything again, and all my remaining assets were unreachable unless I got to Robigo and claimed them. If it wasn't for the kindness of a stranger, I would have been in quite a bit of bother, so I gifted her my old DBX in gratitude. I still remember her pretty face stuck between surprise and happiness.
That was... goodness me, almost two years ago now, and I haven't seen her since all that whoo-ha on Citi. I hope she is out there somewhere sating her wonder lust, and perhaps if the galaxy is feeling kind, I'll run into her out in the lonely black.
Goodnight Log.
I enjoyed looking up previous Citi Gateway & Off Station RPs. I look forward to getting back on those pages once Creamy is back in the bubble.
08 - 04 - 08 23:05
I keep saying it, but I really should stop. The 'usual' out here can quickly become the unusual again. I'd landed on a .. High Metal, or Rocky? One of the planets that usually (there's that word again) comes with a noticeable bit of gravity, because it had a generous sprinkling of bio-returns.
I took the buggy out after landing on a vast hilly plane rife with patches of plant-life. Close to the ship, I was sampling what I jokingly call pienushroom for obvious reasons, when I noticed something new about them. The SRV lights were on, as they are when one unpacks from the ship, and they were pointed at the patch I was going to sample. The fungus looked perfectly normal from that view, but it was a different story from the other side.
The similarity between that vision and holding one's finger over a powerful light made me regret the puerile name I gave this fungus. From now on, I shall call them unpleasantly fleshy tendrils, as I don't want to associate Mr Goodtimes with anything capable of looking both alive and rotten depending on the lighting direction.
The unpleasantness was not over for the day. I did not foresee another plant awakening such a strong repulsion in me again any time soon, but the galaxy does like to prove a chap wrong. Again, I halted my hurry towards the next waypoint in deference to my agreement with Wiggy, to sample and log another spattering of bio-returns on an Ice Moon. One of them was a form of Cactoida I was yet to encounter.
The rigid body fringed by yellow veins put me in mind of dead bones and puss filled blood. Between the bones, clashing fowl with the veins, spongy purple bulbs spat out long needel-like spines that glistened wetly in the starlight, forcing one to imagine a necrotic disease gifted by the plants' venom. The bulb on top is even worse to behold. The spines curl inward on gnarled knuckles, putting one in mind of Witch Fingers. What's more, those long clawer fingers curled towards something that looks very much like a lure growing from the purple sponge. Needless to say, I didn't get to close to that monstrous tragedy.
Fortunately, that thing was not my last experience for the day. I topped off my working hours with something much more pedestrian, and I'm happy to put the more esoteric samples of natuers endless diversity behind me.
Tomorrow, I will hunt for my sangria sky and a G or two to help one enjoy a weekend treat. For now..
Goodnight Log.
09 - 04 - 08 22:44
I can't believe it, I found a camp out here on a rocky planet! Simply on another jump'n'honk when Ninette told me a couple of the planets were worth a probe or two for carto-data, so I popped along and got mapping. When she said there was an irregular return, I just looked at the words Irregular Marker on the nav-pannel for a few moments before I got around to pointing the Ass at it and land close by. Natrally, it is on the dark side of this rocky planet, but the Ass has powerful lights and this is what I was greeted with.
The structure is a lot bigger than I imagined Uncles' base-camp would be, so I didn't think I had found a marker from his expedition. Ninette once again corrected me; the inflatable habitat can be set up with haste by very few people, and the rest of the units are modular and can be added over time. I had m'self a little walk around and there are lots of footprints; I'd estimate four people made them. There are also tyre marks around the shelter, so at one stage there must have been a buggy.
On my preliminary inspection, I noticed a patch job around the back, well, what I'm calling the back of the structure. It looks like a hasty repair was made, so what ever happened wasn't fatal to everyone.
I do hope I don't find a corps inside, especially if it happened to be one's uncle, but that will have to wait for tomorrow. It's quite late in the day and there is no power. While I could cut into the tent with minimum effort, Ninette has warned me that the atmosphere here has the potential to damage unprotected sensitive electronics, so breaching the hab in such away could destroy clues as to the where abouts of uncle Creamy. I honestly would be cast adrift on a sea of mistakes without the Ninette program looking out for me.
While Ninette compiles a 'how to break into an air lock' step-by-step guide for me, I'm going to bed. I just hope the excitement of a possible link to my uncle will allow me to sleep.
Goodnight log