FC journey diary 037 - Hawking's Mystery - Core Regions 3307
17 Feb 2021Godthab
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The density of stars between the expedition waypoint #3 and #4 was sufficient enough to plot a personal fleet route and that idea was lingering in this one's head. However there had been too much things to work on and finish in the carrier cabin, so before the idea was realized Blodeuwedds Branch was already in Plaa Aec sector. The first DSSA fleet carrier during this expedition, DSSA Ironside was awaiting arrivals of Blodeuwedds and TFS Quantum Harmony.
Mysterious unregistered comms beacon
In the carrier-anchoring system and other several systems holding abandoned sites there were a number of mysterious beacons found here and there. On Diamondback Explorer this one approached then scanned several of them, hoping to retrieve data - to no avail. Beacons were all quiet, just emitting flickering lights intermittently.
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System: PLAA AEC RY-B B41-1
Planet: 2B
Place: DSSA Ironside (QLZ-NQZ)
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Having docked onboard DSSA Ironside I cashed out a good amount of cartographics data collected over the past few days. It appeared nobody was on the pad, yet the carrier operation crew was active.
Commander Matteo Vann, an expediton crew shared precise location information of the reported abandon sites nearby with other crew. Very nice of him it was. This one visited the 4 sites one by one, checking exact coordinates of each slowly approacing to the moon/planet/satellite surface level on supercruise mode.
Each site had active log uplink devices. Running around in the site on SRV this one retrieved all the logs stored.
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System: PLAA AEC IZ-N C20-1
Planet: A1A
Place: Hawking's Gap Alpha Site
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Hawking's Gap Alpha mission logs:
Expedition Log: 21 AUG 3270
"Damn we've come a long way. I really should have looked at the galactic map before I signed up to this. Weeks of endless travel and hyperspace jumps just to get into the vicinity of the place, and that's before we get down to the work."
Expedition Log: 29 AUG 3270
"Cargo hold is rammed full of strange tech. Looks like a bunch of satellites to me, but it's all very hush hush. Normal crew like me ain't allowed anywhere near them. Don't know what they're for, other than we have to drop them off in very specific locations. Weird, eh?"
Expedition Log: 15 SEP 3270
"Bored right now, can't wait to turn around and go home. I don't care how good the money is, nothing is worth this tedium. We haven't even started the return journey yet... Randomius Factoria - save me!"
Expedition Log: 13 OCT 3270
"Still, it could be worse! I could have pulled the Formidine Rift gig. Rumour is they're having to double up on ships for that one as the crews are going void-mad and ejecting themselves into space because they've seen ghosts. Word is there's something out there."
"Damn we've come a long way. I really should have looked at the galactic map before I signed up to this. Weeks of endless travel and hyperspace jumps just to get into the vicinity of the place, and that's before we get down to the work."
Expedition Log: 29 AUG 3270
"Cargo hold is rammed full of strange tech. Looks like a bunch of satellites to me, but it's all very hush hush. Normal crew like me ain't allowed anywhere near them. Don't know what they're for, other than we have to drop them off in very specific locations. Weird, eh?"
Expedition Log: 15 SEP 3270
"Bored right now, can't wait to turn around and go home. I don't care how good the money is, nothing is worth this tedium. We haven't even started the return journey yet... Randomius Factoria - save me!"
Expedition Log: 13 OCT 3270
"Still, it could be worse! I could have pulled the Formidine Rift gig. Rumour is they're having to double up on ships for that one as the crews are going void-mad and ejecting themselves into space because they've seen ghosts. Word is there's something out there."
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System: PLAA AEC XZ-Z B41-0
Planet: 2
Place: Hawking's Gap Beta Site
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Hawking's Gap Beta mission logs:
Expedition Log: 30 AUG 3270
"Strange mission this, though the pay is good. Nobody seems to know who's footing the bill, but Sirius Corp is favourite. Whatever this trip is, it's expensive. It's also hush hush. Even the captain doesn't know what we're carrying and he's not happy about it."
Expedition Log: 12 SEP 3270
"Big bust up today. Apparently this ship is flying without shields and without guns! We had an escort for the first few hundred light years, but then they peeled off and we're on our own out here in the void! If we do come across anything nasty we're going to have to hope we can run..."
Expedition Log: 18 SEP 3270
"Not a happy ship. Crew is grumbling. Captain hasn't been seen for weeks. Cargo bay is guarded by these very unfriendly types. Don't know what they're protecting, but it's enough to get a man killed over, that's for sure."
Expedition Log: 01 OCT 3270
"Cargo dropped. Turned about and on our way back to civilization. What it was, nobody knows and nobody is asking. It's a bit more relaxed now, whatever that cargo was it was something important. Can't see what use it would be this far out, but maybe someone knows something we don't..."
"Strange mission this, though the pay is good. Nobody seems to know who's footing the bill, but Sirius Corp is favourite. Whatever this trip is, it's expensive. It's also hush hush. Even the captain doesn't know what we're carrying and he's not happy about it."
Expedition Log: 12 SEP 3270
"Big bust up today. Apparently this ship is flying without shields and without guns! We had an escort for the first few hundred light years, but then they peeled off and we're on our own out here in the void! If we do come across anything nasty we're going to have to hope we can run..."
Expedition Log: 18 SEP 3270
"Not a happy ship. Crew is grumbling. Captain hasn't been seen for weeks. Cargo bay is guarded by these very unfriendly types. Don't know what they're protecting, but it's enough to get a man killed over, that's for sure."
Expedition Log: 01 OCT 3270
"Cargo dropped. Turned about and on our way back to civilization. What it was, nobody knows and nobody is asking. It's a bit more relaxed now, whatever that cargo was it was something important. Can't see what use it would be this far out, but maybe someone knows something we don't..."
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System: PLAA AEC TT-B B41-3
Planet: B2
Place: Hawking's Gap Gamma Site
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Hawking's Gap Gamma mission logs:
Expedition Log: 30 AUG 3270
"Beautiful part of the galaxy this, really dense clusters of stars, pretty much halfway to the core. Been one long trip though. We're out here dropping off a series of beacons. Randomius Knows what for, but they're paying, so no questions asked!"
Expedition Log: 12 SEP 3270
"Funny thing is, I've asked a few of the other hands about this mission and no one seems to know who's behind it. We all picked up bulletin board adverts promising big credits for a long haul and kind of just ended up on board. Not sure if it's the Feds, the Imps or the Alliance. Still, credits are credits!"
Expedition Log: 18 SEP 3270
"Arrived on site today. Bunch of guys had to go EVA to drop off the beacons. We're jumping around a bunch of systems here in the gap. One of the beacons activated all on its own, started squawking some weird code before it got switched off. We were told we hadn't heard anything."
Expedition Log: 01 OCT 3270
"I'm logging this, but I shouldn't be. Bunch of guys were talking about the beacons yesterday and then there was a mysterious accident in the airlock - they're all dead! Feeling aboard is mutinous. Just want to get back home. I ain't doing no top secret missions again, that's for sure."
"Beautiful part of the galaxy this, really dense clusters of stars, pretty much halfway to the core. Been one long trip though. We're out here dropping off a series of beacons. Randomius Knows what for, but they're paying, so no questions asked!"
Expedition Log: 12 SEP 3270
"Funny thing is, I've asked a few of the other hands about this mission and no one seems to know who's behind it. We all picked up bulletin board adverts promising big credits for a long haul and kind of just ended up on board. Not sure if it's the Feds, the Imps or the Alliance. Still, credits are credits!"
Expedition Log: 18 SEP 3270
"Arrived on site today. Bunch of guys had to go EVA to drop off the beacons. We're jumping around a bunch of systems here in the gap. One of the beacons activated all on its own, started squawking some weird code before it got switched off. We were told we hadn't heard anything."
Expedition Log: 01 OCT 3270
"I'm logging this, but I shouldn't be. Bunch of guys were talking about the beacons yesterday and then there was a mysterious accident in the airlock - they're all dead! Feeling aboard is mutinous. Just want to get back home. I ain't doing no top secret missions again, that's for sure."
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System: PLAA AEC RY-B B41-1
Planet: 2B
Place: Hawking's Gap Delta Site
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Hawking's Gap Delta mission logs:
Expedition Log: 30 AUG 3270
"This is a bigger operation than I thought it was. A massive fleet of Anaconda's all prepped for long endurance travel out to the edge of beyond. No ships have markings, no emblems, no political affiliation. Somebody with deep pockets must be paying for this, but who?"
Expedition Log: 12 SEP 3270
"Judging by the way the fleet deployed I would say there were three main destinations, all a long way outside of the core world. We got our orders today, we're making for a zone called 'Hawkin's Gap.' It's a seriously long way, not even the explorers have been out this way before. Strange mission."
Expedition Log: 18 SEP 3270
"Our little armada split up today, so we're on our own now. Just us and the void. Still a lot of speculation as to what we're doing. Cargo hold is full, that I do know. My guess is some kind of deep space survey, but I can't figure out why we'd need to be so far out..."
Expedition Log: 01 OCT 3270
"Cargo is being deployed. A series of artifacts of some kind. The handling bods aren't part of the ship's crew, so we don't know what they're doing. Captain has told us to turn a blind eye and wait for them to be done."
"This is a bigger operation than I thought it was. A massive fleet of Anaconda's all prepped for long endurance travel out to the edge of beyond. No ships have markings, no emblems, no political affiliation. Somebody with deep pockets must be paying for this, but who?"
Expedition Log: 12 SEP 3270
"Judging by the way the fleet deployed I would say there were three main destinations, all a long way outside of the core world. We got our orders today, we're making for a zone called 'Hawkin's Gap.' It's a seriously long way, not even the explorers have been out this way before. Strange mission."
Expedition Log: 18 SEP 3270
"Our little armada split up today, so we're on our own now. Just us and the void. Still a lot of speculation as to what we're doing. Cargo hold is full, that I do know. My guess is some kind of deep space survey, but I can't figure out why we'd need to be so far out..."
Expedition Log: 01 OCT 3270
"Cargo is being deployed. A series of artifacts of some kind. The handling bods aren't part of the ship's crew, so we don't know what they're doing. Captain has told us to turn a blind eye and wait for them to be done."
By reading all the logs, the whole picture become clearer.
- In the period between August through October 3270 (37 years ago) a mysterious project was held in Plaa Aec sectors
- A big pay promise on the ads attracted a lot of freelancers and brought them in the project, but least was told to them about the objective
- The participants were ordered to drop off the beacons in serected systems
- To keep silent was expected to all the participants; some of who didn't care about it seemed to have paid for it by their own life
Would it be something related to Raxxla? Or Dryman's Point?
Apart from this riddle.
Captain and bridge announced the carriers were planning to stay in this sector for a couple of days. As a first activity in Plaa Aec this one chose to dive deep down to the lower latitude levels, intentionally choosing A (Blue-White) stars only for jumping. No Earth-Like, but a number of Water Worlds were discovered for the first time by this one on the route.
| System | Planet | Type |
|---|---|---|
| NYEAKEIA SL-J D10-3 | 8 | Water World (ringed) |
| NYEAKEIA VB-J D10-25 | B3 | Water World |
| NYEAKEIA VB-J D10-25 | B4 | Water World |
| NYEAKEIA GT-G D11-6 | 7 | Water World |
| NYEAKEIA IX-S C20-18 | A1 | Water World |
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System: NYEAKEIA SL-J D10-3
Planet: 8
Place: Water World (ringed)
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One of Water Worlds was with a ringed one. This smooth type of Water Worlds were the ones not often seen in the Bubble if this one was right. This one calls it as "Blue Pearl."
CMDR Godthab out.
:||: LOGBOOK MODE SHUTTING DOWN. RECORD ENDS HERE :||:
=== CORE REGIONS 3307 - Expedition to the Galactic Core ===
- Departed on: February 3rd 3307
- Details on Frontier Forums
- More detailed summary on EDSM