Stop - Bubble Time! And a new face...
22 Sep 2017LongDistanceClara
Soooo....pretty busy coupla days
First things first - the Clair needed some TLC! I got the guys at Gorbachev to knock out all the dings and scrapes she'd picked up on the last run, then I jumped back in the hot seat for a quick hop over to Shinrarta. Got her refit back to her normal exploration loadout, toys all back in place and a fresh lick of paint, and she's good to go again. But she's sitting snug in her berth at Jameson for a coupla days - I need some bubble-time!
Jumped a clipper to hitch a ride back to Sol and got treated to a nice little sunrise through the rings of a nearby gas giant - doesn't matter whether you're 65,000 ly from Sol or 65 ly, there's always something glorious to see and it's no less pretty for having been seen by many folk!
We docked up at Galileo and I legged it (cough cough FDev space legs yes please!) to the hangar to grab the Jackrabbit. It looks like a stock, elegant, civilized courier - and it's a horrible, horrible lie! It's basically a stripped down barebones chassis with a terrifyingly stupid thruster assemblage courtesy of those magicians in Deciat bolted on to it.
This in turn has been juiced at the Palin Research Center and then hooked up to a custom distributor that shovels ridiculous amounts of power down its throat. Everything else has been put on a diet to such a degree that I feel guilty hopping on board after a heavy lunch! It doesn't even have to be powered, just sitting on the pad it has me buzzing with equal parts excitement and terror
There's faster ladies out there, but "this one is mine!" She'll perma-boost and she'll carry a few toys at 832m/s; I used to race an eagle that would run faster, but that was all - it needed pampering, refitting in system, struggled on the long stretches etc. The Jackrabbit can boost till the cows come home (or the drive tears itself apart!), doesn't need refits - hell I can even use her for wake scanning. But for right now - she's my ticket to high-speed fun!
Off we go, launch from the pad and (I'm sorry tower, I can't resist!) gear up, nose to the stars and hit the boost. Must've shaken up the Orca in the mailslot as I go streaking past at over 700m/s, I can barely hear the flight controller screaming at me as the enhanced thrusters melt my earballs
Quick plot to Ariel via Jupiter as I leave masslock, flip an FA-off pirouette that damn near scrambles my rusty brains - you don't pull a lot of g in an exploraconda! - and fire the friendship drive.Even in supercruise I love this little bird - the canopy gives the most amazing view of Earth as I glide by. Don't get me wrong, I love scooching around the vastness of space but it's nice to get a peek at the old homestead once in a while:
Hi, Ma!
Just a few minutes later and I'm flitting over the surface of Jupiter's rings. As I glance backwards, I get a great view of the mesmerizing clouds of ammonia, hydrogen and helium coiling around in the upper atmosphere (bit too mesmerizing, damn near plastered myself into the main ring while looking in the rear view!):
All very pretty, but I'm here to wake the neighbours, not sight-see! "Hello Ariel old buddy - I owe you some paint!"
If you've not been, I can't recommend this moon enough - screaming down these incredibly deep canyons, skipping over the peaks and troughs along the ravine floor - it's just too much fun!
There's even a pocket or two for you to go explore, if that's your thing:
A while later the fuel's getting low and so are my chances of making it out in one piece, so it's back to station. I'm just relaxing after my adrenalin fix, reading the news - and its pretty grim, all this talk of thargoids and imminent threat; must be bad if the Imps and Feds are burying the hatchet. Decide that if it comes to it and I need to "do my bit", I'd best be ready!
Back to the hangar and I dust off the Charybdis.
I haven't used this old beast in anger in quite a while, much preferring the peace and quiet of deep space; but needs must as the devil drives! Only problem; I parted ways with my last fighter pilot a few months back when I'd settled on the quiet life and didn't need a combat pilot riding shotgun out in the far reaches.
Alex Something-or-other (really, really bad memory for names!) wasn't a bad sort and it was a shame to split after being crewed from a complete harmless rookie right up till he got his Elite classification; but he'd wanted action and (not wanting to be too stingy) I didn't fancy forking over a 10% slice of my exploration income for nothing!
That empty seat needs filling though...
Things got a bit silly at this point. I'm probably being insanely fussy but good god - I got through a LOT of candidates. As in, a stupid amount. Like over 2000. Stats dont lie and I was pretty horrified to see how much I'd dropped on going through candidate after candidate (really couldn't be bothered station hopping so I'd just "hire'n'fire"!). Was about to jack it all in when I came across Laney ("say hi Laney!"):
Very similar history to my own - started out smuggling, not a fan of pirates and bullies and just a general need to know what's out there! Think we'll get on famously - but she's a complete rookie and we're going to have to start from scratch. Hopped into the Charybdis, few tweaks here and there to re-familiarize and off out to the nearest compromised nav beacon - she's getting thrown in at the deep end
And did damn well! Only lost a coupla fighters, dinged the hull of the 'vette on a couple of occasions but on the whole, a really really good outing - didn't feel like we were out for long but by the time we came back, some eager beaver from the Pilots' Association had informed us that Laney was now officially classed as an "Expert"! Long way to go yet, if memory serves - but already very promising.
As the man said, "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship"