Long Distance Vip
30 Nov 2016Wyvern sieyes
Set off from Eravate @ 03:00z 24/11/3302.Famous Explorer Stefan Sweeny on board.
On route to the Binary Planet Rings of HIP38064.
Should be a relatively quiet journey, and the first time going over 1000Ly from the Bubble.
Our passenger isn't the only one looking to collect interesting data.
Half way point for this journey will be at Wregoe CU-Z C13-22.
All going well, we should arrive at our destination in 2 days.
Arrived at HIP 38064 @ 18:23z 25/11/3302.
A bit quicker than expected. Our passenger was eager to collect his data, and so we didn't hang around
Wregoe CU-Z C13-22 for too long. Completed the final 23 jumps swiftly.
The binary ringed plants are quite amazing. Only being a few Ls from the O class white-blue star, it surprised me at how the two planets kept hold of their rings, in such close proximity to each other, let alone being so close to the star. Gravity here is high though, as i found out when our passenger wanted to land on the second of the two planets, HIP 38064 2. i was hesitant to try a landing, this is a luxury liner and not really designed to enter atmosphere of unknown planets. Coming out of cruise, and entering glide, was simple enough, abate a bit on the rough side.
It was getting close to the target that things started to get hairy. It wasn't long before the "terrain" warning lights were going off, and my lateral and vertical thrusters were at max, with little effect. The ground was coming up at us too quickly, and i had to rapidly maneuver the ship so the main thrusters were pointing straight down. Giving everything to my main engines, along with exta from the boost systems, i was able to counter the gravitational pull and recover a few 100 metres above the surface.
Of course Stefan was not the happiest about such a sudden maneuver, and complained bitterly. I of course nodded, smiled and apologized. Internally i was seething. But what the customer requests, shall be met. Within reason.
we were unable to land due to the extreme geography. I was however, able to get close enough to the surface, so Stefan could get data and photos.
With our passenger satisfied, we will now head back to civilized space.
Arrived back to Eravate 29/11/3302. time unknown. Just want this idiot off my ship.
The plotted route home took us near some stars, that Stefan requested we go to, so data can be gathered. I of course, obliged.
Jumping into a system with, I have to admit, a spectacular White Dwarf, Stefan moaned that the ship was too far from the star to get accurate readings.
And so i plotted a route as close to the star as safely possible. Being this close meant my heat alarms would go off, and cause minor "singeing" to some systems.But for the time required at that range, this was all in safe parameters.
In hindsight I should have advised Stefan this would happen, as when the alarms did go off, Stefan panicked and bolted for the escape pods, crying out, "I'm not dying on this tin can".
I of course, was offended by these words.
If it wasn't for me locking down some bulkheads, he would have made it to his goal of the escape pods, on the wrong side of the ship. If he fired off in one of those, at such close proximity to the star, he would have shot himself straight into it!
For a slight moment, i was tempted to let him go (out of the frying pan, into a star), but he hadn't paid me yet, and i didn't want to buy a new escape pod either.
And so with Stefan calmed down and restricted to certain parts of the ship, I cancelled all detours and plotted a direct route home.