CMDR's Log IV: The Voyage Home
15 Mar 2021Tobias Von Brandt
Couldn't resist a reference to one of my favorite 20th Century Sci-Fi films. No whales in the cargo hold here though...In my last entry, I wrote how curiosity had gotten me into trouble when I went to investigate a non-human signal source while making my way into the Pleiades Sector. A pair of Thargoids attacked, but I managed to escape and get the Chelone to Stargazer base in Pleione to get patched up. I vowed to be more careful and not let my curiosity get the best of me. But now that I am wrapping up my meandering tour of the nebula and preparing to return to the bubble, I can't help but reflect upon my time here and see that curiosity is the lifeblood of exploration.
The entire purpose of coming to the Pleiades was to obtain some Meta-Alloys, as they are the price of admission to Felicity Farseer's workshop. I could have just flown out and back, and it wouldn't have taken very long with the Chelone's jump range. I could have been back already and doing other things. But I didn't, because I was curious.
It was curiosity that led me to take the eco route, making a trip in 45 jumps that I could have done in 9, just so I could see more along the way. (Which ended up earning over 30 million Cr in exploration data too...)
It was curiosity that led me to visit all of the named stars in the Pleiades, seeing some truly breathtaking sights of the nebula up close, especially at places like Stargazer and Titan's Daughter.
It was curiosity that led me to patiently make the 300 kLs journey out to see the black hole at Maia and get unsettlingly close to it because the gravitational lensing effect was mesmerizing.
It was curiosity that led me to randomly landing on several bodies to investigate biological and geological features my DSS picked up, finding things like fumaroles and bioluminescent anemones, and gathering materials that have already proven valuable for synthesizing needed supplies.
It was curiosity that led me to seek out every known shipwreck in the region, which in turn led to my first non-hostile Thargoid encounter as they investigated me (and I didn't start shooting at them for it!).
It was curiosity that led me to following the coordinates in logs I recovered at the crash sites, where I unexpectedly stumbled upon Thargoid structures.
It was curiosity that led me to risk landing so I could explore those structures, finding numerous Scavengers that (thankfully!) seemed oblivious to my presence, Thargoid Uplink Devices that I scanned and uploaded the mysterious data output to the Codex for study, and biological structures that, much to my surprise, yielded Meta-Alloys when shot with my Scarab's plasma repeater. (I don't even know what made me think to try that, especially when I didn't know how the teeming Scavengers would react...)
You get the idea. I should note it hasn't been all smooth sailing though. I did require more repairs after a rough landing (I simply screwed up) when I went to explore a planet that my FSS tagged with metallic magma volcanism, hoping to find a lava spout, but it turned out to be yet another silicate vapor fumarole. And, in Delphi, I apparently pissed somebody off by getting too close to a scientific installation and was attacked by at least a half-dozen ships that came out of nowhere. That one cost me my ship and I had to file an insurance claim at The Oracle to replace her. (I was furious. I have half a mind to go back in something with guns and get even with those bastards.) But, on the whole, it has been an enjoyable and rewarding trip in terms of sights seen and discoveries made. Not to mention making almost 40 million Cr in cartographic data profits, and 50 million from harvesting and selling two ship-loads of Meta-Alloys. (Though I did end up going on a bit of a wild goose chase trying to catch some fleet carriers for the best price on that last haul.)
It's been an eventful few months out here, but I'm ready now to make the voyage home. I miss flying my speedy, maneuverable Cobra and going bounty hunting. I'm eager to start outfitting my racing Viper and try her out in some canyons. I think my next destination will be Deciat, for that very purpose. I have no doubt, however, that my trusty DBX and I will set out for distant locales many times again, and who knows what sights, discoveries, and adventures curiosity will lead us to. There will probably be misadventures too, but the rewards are certainly worth the risk.
Maia Black Hole, up close and personal
Rings and Anemone on Taygeta 4
"I swear if you so much as scratch my paint..."
Hoping nobody is home
Exploring a starlit canyon with the Chelone