CMDR Eldrich Thames logbook, entry #13, March 22, 3303
22 Mar 2017Eldrich Thames
During the last six days I've been busy surveying all systems within one jump from Maia. Taking into account that my max range is currently very close to 22 LY, this allows me to reach a lot of systems easily. I've already visited sixty-nine systems (including those on my way to Maia), and I plan to visit twenty nine more. If I keep this rhythm up, I might complete this list in three days at the very least.
Besides collecting tons of planetary and stellar data in Greedy Mamba's computer, I've also taken lots of pictures of the most interesting and promising finds. Some of the views I've managed to get are really breathtaking! This expedition has really inspired me, and once I'm back at the Bubble I'll start looking for a ship better suited for exploration.
I docked at Darnielle's Progress in Maia for repairs and restocking, as well as accessing Gal Net to check on the ship market and other worhtwhile news.
I flew an Asp Explorer once, but I used as a long-range cargo hauler only. I was considering buying a new one for exploration when I read that Lakon Spaceways announced an update to the Diamondback Explorer design. Lakon's engineers managed to remove some redundant parts of the main spaceframe, lowering its mass a bit, while also opening up enough space to allow fitting a Class 2 module slot.
The shipbuilder also confirmed that current DBX owners can head to any authorized shipyard to have their ships updated to the new design by Lakon technicians at no cost, as a way of saying thank you for being their valued customers. These upgrade options will be available at the same time the new design hits the market, which is currently being tested by the Pilots Federation to certify its space-worthiness.
I like the Diamondback a lot better than the Asp from an aesthetics standpoint. But the lack of enough module slots meant exploring with one was a matter of compromise. If you want to bring an SRV with you, you had to either sacrifice self-repair ability or shields. The classic "three features, pick two" dilemma. With the new slot, you can now bring both a Discovery scanner and DSS, as well as shields, an AFMU, and a vehicle bay. And with a slightly bigger jump range to boot!
So this is the plan: I finish my Pleiades survey, return to Farseer with the Meta-Alloys to gain access to her workshop, and start looking for a good deal on a DBX.
By the way: I received a comm from my crew back at Kokojina. The three of them decided to buy second-hand Viper Mk. 3's and headed to Andhrimi to participate in the combat operation organized there by the Federation to undermine Imperial efforts to build a new outpost in that system. They report having a lot of fun over there! They assured me Gipsy Danger is fine and well taken care of.
CMDR Thames signing out!