Exploratory Rambles
30 Apr 2023D'ko
As I swap my Asp Explorer for my Conda, aka The Big Mistake, I have to laugh at the absurdity of my financial situation. After parking the Explorer, I connected to the Redemption Office and cashed in my latest exploration credits. It was a good haul. So good that when the credits transferred, my account surpassed 10 billion. Yes. 10 billion. Ha! It had seemed a false goal (heck 1 Billion seemed impossible) back when I was a rookie pilot who had started from scratch in a tiny rinky dink ship (I still have my old SideKick). And that wasn't too long ago. All it cost me was my friends (ha!) and family (even funnier), and the ability to visit with the "immobile" public.
Don't get me wrong, i completely understand that pilots and public can't mix. We would be the prime vectors of disease, natural or political, between planets and stations. The death toll could be immense. So, yeah, I get it. But when I see a beautiful station, such as the Leonard Nemoy, under my landing gear, I just want to go sit under a tree!
I realized that is part of the reason that I ran off to The Black. If I can't walk amongst the flowers, I'll go find my own. And it pays, VERY WELL.
If they ever let us colonize the ELWs that we discover, I already have several picked out. I had a fun argument with myself if the system I found with 2 ELWs would be a good or bad thing. On one hand, it's two inhabited worlds in one system with great trade opportunities. On the other hand, it would attract a LOT of people. Not sure I can handle crowds anymore.
That part of the comprehensive application and test requirements to becoming a space pilot. "No psychological herd necessity." Basically, I'm good at being a loner. Which is really convenient after what happened back at my planetary "home". Best not to dwell on that.
I wonder if I'm becoming a jaded Billionaire. At this point, credits have no practical value. However, I have converted some of it into fun piles of metal and electronics! I've got a fleet of 15 ships, including 2 Imperial Cutters. Yep, I got a 2nd one. Why? One to haul trade goods and the other to laser mine. The dump truck, which I named the Big Big Bus, is a necessity when loading the carrier up with Tritium. One day, our society will be advanced enough to mass transfer fuel to carriers, but meanwhile we will struggle through the dark ages, and trying our best not to get stuck in the mail slots.
I am headed back into the Bubble after a decent trek out in the Dark. Since I am still gaining experience (and credits!) exploring systems, I jump my carrier ahead and take the slow route to it with various ships. So far, I've used my Courier, Eagle, Krait Phantom, Viper Ml IV, Dolphin, Asp Explorer and now an Anaconda. I think the Python will be next. I also have a Mamba, my classic Sidewinder, a Krait Mk II, a Cobra Mk III, a Type 9 Heavy, and the 2 Cutters; however, none of those are outfitting for jumping for or fuel scooping.
Each ship has good and bad points. I'll admit it isn't a fair comparison yet, as my ships have various levels of engineering. I was halfway through upgrading my fleet when my Squad asked for help gaining exploration reputation. That's part of the reason I am heading back, to finish collecting everything for those greedy engineers.
For exploring, I actually enjoy several of the ship options. The Courier is fast, nimble, and can land almost anywhere. It has been my go-to on the hourly out of the Bubble. The Krait, Dolphin, and Asp Explorer are probably the best all around explorers, with the Krait getting the nod for long, carrier-less flights. But let's be honest, why not bring the entire fleet on my trips? I can afford the fuel and the labor to load it. I love walking into the hangers of all my different ships.
I'm currently using the Anaconda on my current leg inbound. Pros: great jump range, massive fuel shop and incredible heat tolerance. Cons: flies like a boulder and shields a bit weak (which you notice when trying to find clear ground to drop onto). It is making easy work of the jumps between carrier stops, but I may change back to something with a shorter range, just to cataloge more systems. As I start getting more and more systems that have already been explored, I'll start making the big jumps again.
Looks like I've finally made it out to the new water world to scan, only 500,000ls away from the star. Back to work.
Enjoy the stars!