The remnants of the fourth expedition
07 Dec 2023Ashlett Stargast
It hurts, it really hurts.It had been a while since I left Galilei Ring in 6 Andromedae. After stocking up the Solaris Endeavour with the necessary supplies and equipment for the trip to Ishum’s Reach, which is, I think, primarily known as Semotus Beacon. Of course, many Commanders have made this trip before, but for me it’s a first and it’s something I’ve had on my bucket list for a while now. Very much in the knowledge that such long periods of travel in space do seem to affect one’s mind-set. In one way or another, and I’m certainly no exception, as I have experienced on my 3 previous deep space expeditions.
I managed to reach Beagle Point several months back, but this time it’ll be all the way to the edge of the Galaxy. This planned trip, the fourth in my exploring career, is to first fly to Colonia, then on to Sagittarius A*, before carrying on to Beagle Point and then to Semotus Beacon. Returning to Colonia before flying back home. The calculated distance is around 150.000 Light Years, so I’ll be away for a couple of months or maybe longer. I don’t know and at the moment and I don’t really care. Time will tell.
Stardate: 29.09.3309
I finally set out on Friday 29.09. towards Colonia. The paintwork of my Krait Phantom, the “Solaris Endeavour”, shining in the gleam of the nearby star. This will of course change, as I have noticed on previous Expeditions.
After leaving the Bubble plus several thousand light years out and flying below the galactic plane, I visited many, as yet undiscovered systems and scanned a lot of planets and moons. I landed on quite a few bodies, of which many boasted different forms of life. These were of course sampled, as I find exobiology fascinating and of course it brings a very decent financial gain with it too.
On my way to Colonia, I stopped over in the Prai Hypoo GF-E c10 System, which has guardian ruins on the Planet B4. These ruins are apparently common knowledge although I heard about them from a fellow Commander some time ago and I thought it would be a good idea to visit the site on my way up to Colonia. It turned out that it was highly interesting and I’ll make a point in the future of visiting more of these historic guardian sites as there seem to be a lot. But later. I managed to gather a large number of valuable guardian items, so it was definitely worth the stop.
Stardate: 03.10.3309
I docked at Jaques Station in Colonia on Tuesday 03.10.3309, so 4 days travelling so far and flying a total 24.307,12 light years. The paintwork is still pretty much ok. Both heat sinks are still unused, as are both AFMU’s and the repair limpet controller, so that’s a good thing. But necessary repairs from the usual wear and tear from space travel are carried out, and the paintwork shines again, which I am very finicky about. I do love a shiny spaceship.
So after completing unfinished business in Colonia, visiting a couple of engineers to fine tune the Solaris Endeavour’s modules and a couple of long nights at the bar on Jaques Station, it was finally time to head out to the galactic centre. Even with a jump range of over 69 Light Years, it is still a very long way and it remains a daunting task to travel such long distances. So on Friday 13.10. we finally bid Colonia farewell and set course for Sagittarius A*, the very centre of our own galaxy, the milky way, after which it’ll be a stop at Explorer’s Anchorage.
I’ll be doing some sightseeing on the way out to the galactic centre so it’ll break up the monotony (I hope):
1. Greeroi MT-O d7-3 (Greeroi Veil)
2. Pru Bre PM-W e1-11 (Baade & Zwicky's Eye)
3. Wepooe AA-A h509 Chief's Pride, Black Hole
4. Choomee HR-N e6-8992 Rati’s Egg
I always find the first couple of weeks of travelling in space relaxing, enjoying the peace and tranquillity, alone with my thoughts. Stopping overnight on different types of planets and moons with fantastic views of the sheer endlessness of space is always a feeling of utter satisfaction for me. The complete silence is absolutely amazing. Of course, my ship is very seldom silent, there is always some sort of ticking, clanking and such, which never seems to cease, but over the weeks and months living in her, I can actually blend these particular noises out.
Some of the views are to die for, honestly. So beautiful, tranquil and awe-inspiring. Just to take in the wonderful vistas before I turn in for the night. This is my destiny; to discover new systems, where no one has been before, to land on planets, that have yet not been visited by man and to be the first to set foot on the virgin soils of new worlds. To find new forms of life and to see the diversity of new variants which have somehow found a way to exist and thrive on such cold, barren and dry planets. I remember watching an old movie, where one sentence was spoken and stayed in my mind: “Life always finds a way”. A sentence with a great deal of truth.
Stardate: 23.10.3309
So the journey from Colonia to the centre of the galaxy has a few notable sights on the way, which I previously mentioned and these points of interest break up the monotony somewhat and after 10 days (I spent 3 days on different planets for some rest and some surface travel, so it was 7 days’ travel from Colonia to Explorer’s Anchorage) I finally arrive on 23.10., once again at Sagittarius A*, a truly magnificent sight. I had seen this twice before on the first expedition up here, but one never seems to tire from such wonders of the universe. After a while, it’s once again on to Explorer’s Anchorage, which is just a short jump and here I’ll be staying a couple of days to get the paintwork nice and shiny again, and of course the repairs on my ship also need to be carried out. A short visit to the bar, just a short one, maybe. I’ll be on my way the very next day.
Stardate: 24.10.3309
So off we go, onto Beagle Point. Definitely spent too long at the bar last night, but you know how it is, right? I could now really do with some fresh air and another coffee. Coffee works right now, but unfortunately no fresh air here. A little later I discover an ELW; the first on this journey so far. After 37,694.21 light years.
During the next few days I discover another 2 ELW’s, 2 neutron stars, I also found guardian sensor fragments on the surface of a planet which were duly collected.
After several days of jumping scanning, landing and so on, I seem to lose my concentration in the latter part of the day, and what happens? Yes, too close to a very large Y class star, which of course means an emergency stop due to the immense heat radiating from the star, ouch. I manage to draw far enough away to carry out the “on the fly” repairs to the affected modules. Well, it happens, right? That’s why I take all the necessary precautions with my equipment and this always works for me. It’s all extra weight but one never knows what will happen and being this far out with no hope of help, no, I do not want to think about it. Let’s not go down that road. Good thing a Krait Phantom has enough space and capacity, which is why I now fly her instead of her predecessor, the Asp Explorer, although she was indeed a good ship.
I finally enter the Abyss region on 01.11., with just another 50 jumps to Beagle Point.
Stardate: 02.11.3309
Arrived at Beagle Point at 13:40 today. Total travel distance so far is 80,413.25 Light Years. Distance to 6 Andromedae stands at 65,300.02 Light Years. The view back to “civilization” is really something very exceptional, it makes you feel so small.
Landed on the Fleet Carrier “Distant Worlds D.S.S.A.” to say hello and to make a few repairs which did include the paintwork. Need the shiny paintwork for the photos at Ishum’s Reach.
After leaving the Carrier, we head on to Ishum’s Reach and pick our way through the sparse systems here at the very edge of our galaxy. Using synthesis for the one big jump of around 82,6 light years before arriving in the System Oevasy SG-Y d0 which also goes by the name of Ishum’s Reach or Semotus Beacon. With a total travel distance of 81,571.43 Light Years and the distance to 6 Andromedae is 65,667.57 Light Years. We are a very long way from home right now. I cannot get any further away than this. The Fuel Rats Fleet Carrier is parked up in the system, so I’m not alone. So I decide to land and pay my respects to their outstanding work for the community of exploring Commanders. Sold my exploration data here too.
The planet/moon 9F is the farthest point from home at this very moment due to its orbit, so here is where we go. I land with the cockpit facing home and take in this breath-taking view back towards home and it brings tears to my eyes. I feel so small and lonely and…, it’s hard to describe how one really feels after travelling such a long way to the very edge of our galaxy and looking back towards home. I guess every true explorer yearns and hopes to get here at least once in their career and to be honest, I am very much overwhelmed with emotion right now and so glad I made the journey and arrived safely. I do not yet want to think about the journey home, I really don’t. Not yet anyway.
I’ll be staying a while; how long I don’t yet know. I intend to do some surface exploring with the SRV and perhaps a little on foot, although here I’ll be in the immediate vicinity of my ship. I do not want to die out here, so I shall not wander too far on foot.
I spend a total of 5 nights and 4 days on 9F. I’m in a sort of a daze most of the time, I find it hard to concentrate and find the right things to do, so I spend some time on a few repairs and such stuff, change a couple of filters, clean out my cabin, fine tune some controls and just generally past the time before I head out for a ride or a short stroll, always looking up into the black emptiness of space, which out here really is black and empty. With only the system’s star, planets and moons in the immediate vicinity and the galactic arms in the far distance and the odd star here and there, the rest remains totally black. A truly wonderful and awe inspiring vista which will certainly remain in my memory for a very long time. Will I come back one day in the future? I don’t know. I just don’t.
Stardate: 07.11.3309
Time to head back home. Well, to Colonia first anyway. Whether 6 Andromedae or Colonia, it doesn’t make a lot of difference in the distance right now, it’s a long way away, whatever way you look at it. It’ll be nonstop without stopping over at Explorer’s Anchorage, so it’s around 46,530 light years of travelling in a more or less straight line. Just the very thought of all those jumps makes me feel very apprehensive, but that’s the way back, so off we go.
After leaving the Abyss region, we drop several hundred light years below the galactic plane, so we’ll be travelling off the “beaten track”, as so many Commanders have been on this route and I do want to explore undiscovered systems.
I make a few interesting discoveries on my journey; biological discoveries to be precise `Recepta Conditivus´ and Crystalline Shards with Antimony to name just a couple that stand out. The latter albeit with crashing the SRV on a dark night, down a steep ravine and ending upside down with a damaged hull and its integrity down to 78% which was not a big problem. The big problem was being down a ravine with sheer drops and stuck at the bottom pretty much without orientation, struggling to get out. Leaving the SRV and returning to my ship on foot was not an option as the temperature was way below the safe zone. I managed to drive and boost out with the thrusters and after slipping and sliding on the frozen surface for what seemed an eternity, and I finally reached the Solaris Endeavour. That was a close shave and I wonder whether or not it was worth the risk, just to collect Antimony and sample the shards. Probably not, but then we humans tend to make mistakes. I know I do.
Later on in the day we reached a system with 2 ELW’s which were of course mapped. This was a first for me, I have never seen 2 ELW’s in one system. I wouldn’t know if this is rare or common.
Stardate: 11.11.3309
I discovered and mapped another 2 ELW’s today. Another system had 6 stars but no planets and of course no moons.
I’m already finding it hard to concentrate after 4 days but it can’t be helped, the journey continues. I remember an old song from way, way back. The phrase “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going” still sticks in my mind to this very day. I’m not that tough and I manage to continue but the repetitive monotony is already getting me down. It gets a bit better when I’ve set down on the surface of a planet or moon for the night and I can get out and stretch my legs, walk around and enjoy the views and peacefulness for a couple of hours before turning in for the night. It helps a lot. I try not to think of the following days in space and how long I will need to get to Colonia. Perhaps another 2 weeks or so, we’ll see.
Stardate: 18.11.3309
It’s hard, so hard. Still around 280 jumps to Colonia. I had a 2-day layover on the 14th and 15th, I was just not able to concentrate and before I end up crashing into a star, I decided to take a break for a couple of days. It helped. A bit anyway. I try to take my mind off of the distance and the amount of jumps left. I pull up the galaxy map and take note of 3 nebulae, which were visible. Pretty colours and weird shapes. I took note of their respective locations, so who knows, I might just visit them one day. Not in the immediate future but sometime at a later date. Perhaps.
I only manage 35 jumps today, this will need to get better or I’ll be out here for far too long. Tired, very tired. I hope it gets better tomorrow, I really do.
Stardate: 20.11.3309
I’ve done well the last couple of days. Struggling? Yes, but we’re getting along and we’re getting along fairly well. Entered the Odin’s Hold region and stopped over for the eleventh and most probably final time before reaching Colonia. I’m feeling a lot better now. Managed a total of 113 jumps today and it’s another 68 jumps to Colonia, so that’s about another day’s travelling. Wow, this feels good. What will I do, once we arrive at Jaques station? Well, does it matter? No, it does not matter. I’ll be staying a while before we had back home, so we’ll see what turns up.
I must say that I’ve been lucky with my ship so far on the return journey. No emergency stops and no excessive heat, which means no AFMU’s, heat sinks or repair limpets used, so that’s good. But perhaps I shouldn’t speak too soon. The paintwork is suffering badly but this is pure cosmetics of course. It still bugs me nevertheless. I do like a nice shiny ship.
Stardate: 23.11.3309
Stayed a couple of days on A9 in Wepua PM-G c25-148. After all this time travelling and wanting to get back to civilization so badly, I somehow did not yet want to leave. Strange. So I spent some time running around in the SRV and enjoying my own company, knowing that it won’t be long until I’m back with humanity, so this makes it easier. At least for me.
Finally arrived at Jaques Station in Colonia.
But unfortunately not the way I had expected.
While passing through the airlock and looking for my allocated landing pad, I made the fatal mistake of hovering over the wrong landing pad for too long and a chain of events occurred, which left me without my ship and waking up a day later in the med bay at the station.
Well, whatever happened, it’s history now; the Solaris Endeavour destroyed, the ship’s computer with all the exploration and exobiology data from around 50,000 light years lost forever, which would have amounted to around a billion credits earned. It hurts, it really hurts. I could cry. But hey, I’m still alive and kicking, so life goes on, right? It must. I was extremely unlucky but was also extremely lucky. I survived. I was pretty shaken up with a few minor cuts and bruises and a slight concussion but overall in pretty good shape, considering.
The insurance claim went through without hassle, I decided to have the engineered modules removed and stored and sell the ship. I was definitely not in any way ready to fly back home alone. I desperately needed to come to terms with my new situation.
Stardate: 06.12.3309
Well, it’s been 2 weeks since I left Colonia. Hitched a ride back home to Galilei Ring, which I call home. I bought a new Krait Phantom and she goes by the name of Solaris Endeavour, so she’s my old ship but new. I had the costly and engineered modules transferred from Colonia and fitted the Solaris Endeavour with them, so she’s ready for action again. Shame I’m not. At least not for long exploration trips. Some day in the future.
So it’s back to cargo runs, collecting materials in the bubble and some mining. Tried tourist runs in Robigo and failed some, but this wasn’t for me anyway, so I stopped this.
So I’m generally earning money and living a good life. The memory of my personal tragedy still hurts, but it fades, albeit very slowly.