The Infinite Interkosmos
25 Nov 2024Hollisuchticus
CMDR Holli, Mandalay-class exploration vessel, InterkosmosStardate: Who Even Knows Anymore
Location: Somewhere deep in the black. Probably. My nav computer gave up keeping track 15 systems ago.
Today, the Interkosmos proved yet again why it deserves every credit I poured into its shiny hull. With a jump range that could make even a fleet carrier blush, we’ve been hopping from system to system like a kid skipping stones across a pond. Except, you know, the pond is a void of eternal nothingness, and the stones are dozen light-years apart. Details.
Exploration is… complicated. There’s a certain poetry to the solitude, sure. It’s you, the hum of the engines, and the endless glitter of stars. But there’s also a very real chance you start naming your shipboard AI after three jumps without comms traffic. For the record, the FSD is now "Becky." Becky and I have been having some very philosophical discussions lately about the meaning of existence. Spoiler: Becky thinks the universe is an indifferent void, and I’m starting to agree. But then there are moments that make it all worthwhile. Moments like landing on an uncharted planet and being the first set of boots to disturb its untouched surface. Today, I found a strange, coral-like organism growing in the shadow of a massive canyon. It glowed faintly in the dark, like a soft, blue pulse. The bio-scanner pinged it as new, and I promptly named it "Glow-Moss Hollius." Not exactly scientific, but hey, it’s my discovery. Glow-Moss tastes... weird, by the way. (For science.)
Neutron stars are both magnificent and mildly terrifying. I scooped up their furious energy like a kid at a lemonade stand, boosting my jump range to absurd levels. But then the Interkosmos reminded me that proximity matters. Arriving too close to a star is like being welcomed into a system by a flamethrower. Becky screamed warnings at me in her usual "I told you so" tone, and I had to corkscrew out of the fire zone before my shields peeled off like an onion. There’s something intoxicating about the freedom of exploration. No stations, no rules, no engineers telling you your thrusters aren’t good enough. But freedom comes at a price. Out here, you’re your own engineer, fuel rat, and therapist. Every jump is a gamble, every scan a small triumph. And every discovery is a reminder of just how tiny and fleeting we are in the grand cosmic ballet.
Tonight, the stars feel closer. Or maybe I’ve just been staring at them too long. The Interkosmos hums softly, ready for the next leap. Becky has gone silent, perhaps contemplating her role in this grand journey.
The galaxy is vast, and my path is uncharted. Who knows what I’ll find tomorrow? A supernova? A black hole? Another lonely outpost of Glow-Moss?
Whatever it is, I’ll face it with an explorer’s heart, a trusty ship, and just enough sanity to keep going.
CMDR Holli, signing off.