Octobre 31st 3302. Project Glorious - Entry #1
31 Oct 2016Torrente
I knew the risks of outfitting an exploring ship. Finally, it is done and I'm out in the black.With the lockdown lifted on Paras (showing my combat skills still have to get better) it was only fitting I looked for an exploration opportunity. And I was clueless. I'm a big ignorant of what lied beyond the bubble, so this was the opportunity I was waiting for. A quick check of Paras' luxurious Passenger Lounge in Wilson Orbital and I was introduced to an explorer looking to reach the Glorious Nebula, 8 thousand light years away, and willing to pay 20 million for it. Quite a bargain.
I also don't know how much I'll be pocketing with the extra exploration data. To be honest my priority the last few days has been charting a proper course not to get us too stray. Upon closer examination of the surrounding cluster to the nebula, I see that the closest star I can take fuel from is an A-class, so nothing to worry about. But the star density diminishes more and more as we run the arm of the the galaxy, leaving the bubble far behind.
We're almost halfway. Kristine, my new co-pilot that has been helping with the Bounty hunting, watches my back. I've got a couple of mecanics handling the few "whoopsies" that have damaged the hull (minimal paint scratches, really. Nothing even noticeable for the time being), and Marshal Gurakuqi, the explorer's crew, stay out of our way in the passenger cabin where they've installed their cartographic equipment. Drain on the Pedro Duque's power is minimal and they run on a spare generator anyway.
So far the trip is uneventful. Due to haste to reach the nebula I'm barely setting milestones and ignoring detailed scans of everything but the closest suns and, if they appear on the scanner, any Earth-like or water worlds. The few I've seen were already charted, sadly, but it comes to no surprise, as this region of space is next door to the bubble.
I don't think I'll reroute much, however. This is a sort of maiden voyage for the Pedro Duque as much as for its Commander. We'll get the job done and perhaps examine the areas around the 1k-light years milestones, to bring back some data home.