Aborovi Causeway 1 : an explorer daily routine and an ethical dilemna
08 Apr 2023Claude Lecardunoie
It had been a week since I took off from Aborovi for an exploration journey comissioned by Farseer Inc. And although this kind of endeavour means a solitary life, I had been enjoying these days of an austere routine so far: basically one day to reach a new system, to refuel when possible while scanning the system and mapping the more promising stellar bodies, then I would land to the closer one for 24 to 48 hours and finally move to the next one and then to the next system.Planets surface expeditions is when I get the adrenaline, because you really are on the edge then. I strolled through amazing landscapes, huge craters only lightened by the few star beams coming from above the rim or narrow passes between gigantic rocks, but always an eye on my SRV fuel gauge. I always made sure I had enough sulfur and phosphorus to synthetise fuel before leaving my ship, but still there was always the chance of a mechanical failure, especially since I only used basic propellant synthesis, which increased the risk of injection pipes and circuits wear. And in these remotes systems I was then, there were no support or rescue to expect.
Light and dark inside a crater
I didn't make any major discovery so far. All the systems I visited had already been signalled, their bodies detected and mapped, although I couldn't find any info about Col 359 Sector PB-T b5-5, my last location, on my external database. But still, I contributed to update data and also confirmed geysers and fumaroles coordinates. I also extended my raw material inventory which will be usefull when back in the bubble.
Geological survey
Another enjoyable moment of a daily surface exploration shift was actually each time I would return with my SRV to the relative safety of my ship, the Steve Zissou Explorer. Farseer Inc. made a great job upgrading its cabin, life support systems and embedded maintenance workshop! I'll try to describe it in a future logbook entry.
------------------------------------------------------- An ethical dilemna ----------------------------------------------------------
But science is not all in these exploration missions. I landed on Col 359 Sector FL-X d1-61 3 a, near geological signals I picked up earlier while scanning the planet's surface from above. Just before landing in a wide crater, I spotted a beacon, not far away. I first analysed fumaroles, and then flew toward this beacon. It was another crash site. There were about 6 or 7 escape pods, occupied this time. And that was a situation: my 14 tons of cargo were already almost full: valuable minerals like jadeite, far less valuable scrap and computer components that I salvaged 4 days before on Col 285 Sector SC-O b21-10 C 1. So well, I did what I would hope other pilots would if I were stranded on a remote planet in a pod: I got rid of the scrap canisters and the computer components to make room for 4 escape pods.
I could probably take more, but to what end? I previously took pods in my ships, but that was back in the bubble, in inhabited systems, where I could drop them within a couple of hours at the nearest spatioport. But this time I was on a several weeks journey, with very little chance to encounter any station and these escape pods, as great as were their technology needed some power alimentation, minimum o2 supply and nutriment fluids to sustain the life of their occupant. So, I worked on my ships main circuits to divert some its flow in order to maintain 4 pods operational.
And then, the dilemna: which ones to bring back in my ship? I tried to stay as cold blooded as possible: I was having to decide who would live and who wouldn't. Who were the occupants of these pods? Smugglers, explorers, Feds, Impies, pirates, ? Well, trapped in these boxes they were like this cat of that antic philosopher from Earth : they were all of this at the same time! With this in mind, I just decided not to choose and picked the first 4 pods on my path.
Who I saved and who I left was not my business no more and only when dropped in a spatioport and their pods opened, would be revealed who these people were.
And this, only if I make it back at all in any port. Because, as rather uneventful this journey had been so far, I nonetheless had to deal with a pirate attack back in Col 285 Sector SC-O b21-10. And he didn't had to interdict me at all: I just had suffered an emergency supercruise exit because I was clumsy to refuel on a non scoopable star when he opened fire. Well, I fled, but not without any damage: minor impacts on my hull. Nothing serious, but I might have been somewhat careless not embedding reparation limpets and an AFMU module for this trip.
Well, I would just have to be more cautious. Time to take off, ship recalled!
