DISTANT WORLDS 2 - DAY 3 - FULL SPEED AHEAD
15 Jan 2019Zak Starfall
Galactic stardate 15JAN3305Finally, Galactic Mapping is stable, and we're underway.
Made good progress today, got to Shapley 1 in double quick time, then headed on to HR 6164. We're not scanning much at the moment. This close to the bubble everything is already discovered and mapped, especially as we're towards the back end of the 10,000 commanders that have passed this way in the last 48 hours. We're just running the systems through their paces and trying to get the processes down as natural routines, these new FSS scanners need some time to get slick with them.
Usually, it's a quick scan of the system, check the FSS for important signals, and move on. If we find a system with an ELW, WW, or AW in, then we stop and do a full system planet scan and map the ELW, WW or AW, plus any terraformable HMCs nearby. Cathy is getting her eye in with the mapping probes and the Engineering I got done to extend their range was well worth the time and effort.
Had a few nervy moments, I haven't got back into the habit of keeping an eye on the fuel usage yet, and had several times when we couldn't do the next jump due to lack of fuel. Fortunately every time we were in a system with a scoopable star, but I need to get the fuel check into my subconcious asap otherwise it will catch me out.
HR 6164 was impressive, the Tourist installation is a fabulous but slightly scary place, orbiting as it does right between the cones of a neutron star. Not sure I'd want to holiday there, but it's probably great for the tan. The Pilots Federation recommendation of 2 days maximum stay makes complete sense. A slow careful approach in SC dropped us in nicely, and I took the opportunity to get a feel for the condor fighter around the installation. she flies very responsively with flight assist off, and I think I'll enjoy flying her on this trip.
Cathy took solo control of Star reaper for the first time, and didn't do anything stupid or crazy, so that's a relief, and another box ticked.
We followed on to check out 'The View', a tourist beacon on one of the planets. The 3.3G gravity made the approach a little tricky, but Star Reaper handled it superbly, and The View was certainly stunning. A few pics for prosperity, a gentle take off and cruise to orbit and then on to Cycladia in Blu Thua GI-B b55-2, a twin ringed ELW whose inner ring orbits fast enough to see visually.
Cycladia is another gem of a place, and we dropped into the inner edge of the outer ring to be able to see the inner ring speeding by. In fact the ring gap was small enough that we were able to travel across in normal space in about 10 minutes, watching the inner ring orbit as we went.
Finally we headed off to Traikaae CH-Y c10 and planet 1 A, aka Labirinto, due to the extraordinarily deep canyons that scar it's surface. We're currently perched on the top of an escarpment between 2 such canyons and will soon shut the systems down for the night.
Tomorrow, we'll see how deep these canyons really are, then head off to Thor's eye and onwards.
4kly from Eleu now, and feeling like the journey has barely begun.
o7