S.L.S. Crew Log, 6/3/3302 - Operation Miller, Spirograph Nebula
03 Jun 2016Ardos Hammur
Begin Entry6/3/3302 - 14:47
D.S.S. Sword of Damocles - Private Terminal C-A1
Usr: Cmdr Ardos
I should begin by saying that we arrived in the Spirograph Nebula yesterday, finally. Myra ran the diagnostic check on the navigation computer then our sensor array and found there were no errors which then prompted us to reach out to OpCom and share what we were seeing. Data transfer took a couple of hours but in a shorter amount of time we received some startling news from home. Apparently the navigation information our computers use to plot routes, provided from Universal Cartographics, was missing for hundreds of already charted systems. Here's the kicker, it's not just the Damocles, it's everyone. Huge sections of space just became unreachable because of a computer glitch that requires a permit to reach empty systems. Sounds like some conspiracy type stuff to the crew and I but we were able to overcome the obstacles and arrive safely after a detour. Once we entered the system I had Everson package the flight details up and tightbeam them to Magnus just in case more DSR ships head in this direction.
Our first stop at BD-12 1172 2 is complete and flagged as "all clear", there was nothing at the landing site that stood out as odd or interesting. With that stop out of the way we were quick to move on to the core of Operation Miller and cataloged all of the bodies in the system. We then compared the planetary stats to the details we were given by OpCom, a comprehensive breakdown of all barnacle host planets in the Pleiades nebula that we will be using as a guide for the rest of the trip. Using that information we were able to locate a handful of planets that met the criteria needed to host LB's and began to survey the planets in closer detail. Canonn scientists are claiming that they prefer mineral rich areas in dried up riverbeds and craters, our own analysis also finds that areas high in sand and silt appear to be ideal likely because they can take hold into the ground easier in these areas. These findings narrow down search areas to a laser focused area and drastically cut down on the time we are required to spend on each planet.
So far we have surveyed four planets with no results and it's beginning to raise some questions from Everson and Myra. The Canonn information seems solid, there are dozens of examples we can compare and see the same details. Everson raised the interesting question of whether the artefacts surrounding the Pleiades Nebula were in fact related to the barnacles and if we should instead be looking in space still for nebula with a UA shell. Great points but Myra and I were quick to agree that the difficulty reaching this are of space indicated that there had to be something in this region. Maybe not Spriograph but another neighboring system or Nebula.
To add to the already tedious search effort, we have realized that we will need to be more careful using the Hare and second SRV for surface recon. We have already burned 30% of our fuel in the Hare and could potentially be out here for another couple of weeks. Ray and Everson think we should limit EVA's to a short range around the ship for materials and we could ration fuel for weeks this way. Longer EVAs would be allowed for planets we were sure had something noteworthy to see. Ray is also concerned about the effects of high gravity on the chassis and equipment. They are built to take the gravity but rough terrain in high G, like we experienced on our first stop, could push the limits of what they were designed to do safely. No chance in risking an SRV if we don't need to, plus it saves Ray from having to do extensive repairs.
I started this by saying nothing long and drawn out but it is easy to get carried away when I think about where we have been and what we have and have not seen. Perhaps there are no barnacles or points of interest out here. Our only clue out here was a first hand account from a pilot we never actually met and it turned out to be a dead end. We've agreed to give the rest of the planets flagged by our data a quick look and do fly-overs only, after that we will move on to our next stop in the operation. I'm inclined to agree with Everson and look closely for some UA's out here in this region. Either way, UA or not, we will continue to check the planets that fit our parameters and hope for the best.
Still, the sights in the Spiro alone have made this trip very rewarding, sometimes we have to remember we are here to work and not admire the sights. I've sent some pictures back home with our last batch of information, maybe one of them will get them in the next Beacon. We've landed on the edge of a canyon on 10c and will be ending operations for a while so we can get some much needed rest. Ray also expressed some concerns about dust and debris buildup in the intakes from all of the low flying we've been doing. After some shut eye and a quick once over of the Damocles we will be on to the next stop, hopefully up and running by 2300 for a midnight run.
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