Out into the open ocean.
06 Dec 2020Teafox
Well, regardless if that was a waste of money, I hope we never find out. Heading on up towards the coalsack nebula, but we're taking a less direct route now, always making sure to keep the tank at least half full, picking systems that should be more off the beaten path as we go. I don't like to say that we've lost it, them or whatever the hell it was, but it's hard to tell either way. No interdictions, barely any other ships, and when we double back, no engine trails other than our own.It's difficult to not appreciate the silent beauty out here, and I know this isn't even a particularly pretty region of space. Still, ostensibly, we're here to scan ammonium based worlds, so we're stopping off to fire out a few probes. Not exploring too far off into the wilderness yet, but the more we talk about it, the more we're both thinking that some genuine deep space exploration might be the way to go.
Should have heard the kid when he first saw barnards loop from this angle. What with the orion nebula in the way, it looks a lot like an eye just floating there in space. Freaked him out for a minute or two... Some day we're going to have to go there and see it close up.
I showed him how to use the planetary scanner, and he picked it up right away. Then figured, what the hell, he's good with the multicannons, he's good with probe placement, and it's not as if there's much we can smack into without the prox warning pulling us out of supercruise, may as well give him a tour of the controls and let him fly for a bit. Not as if the Pilots federation really have any way of knowing, probably wouldn't care even if they did know.
He's a dab hand at it too. Kid's got a promising future in a cockpit. If we find a ring that's not too dense, maybe we'll see how well he manages weaving between rocks. Hell, if we find a good spot, we've got some hand drills, maybe I'll take him prospecting, get him a little souvenir of the trip.
It's getting hard to stay on guard. I'm tired, he's tired, and there's only so long before you've got to give up on the paranoia and get some rest. If he's up for it, which I'll bet he will be, I'm going to suggest we take it in shifts flying and sleeping. It doesn't really matter if he gets us lost... If we can't find where we are, well maybe if they really are still following us, they won't be able to find us either.
I'd like to say I'm being responsible and watching his flying from the bunk, or sleeping in the co-pilot's chair, but... Stuff it, I'm bushed. If something goes wrong and we die and don't wake up? At least it'll be a good long sleep.