How to Build a Party Bus :)
24 Aug 2018LongDistanceClara
I've been posting quite a bit lately, which I try not to do as I don't want to spam the list too much; I've just really enjoyed being back in E:D and this week was just a bunch of stuff that seemed to happen quite naturally one thing after another! I'll give it a bit longer to the next one, promise!
This one however ended up being a bit of a monster and I do ramble on more than usual in this log, so apologies!Exploration.... is boring.
Before I get burned at the stake by an angry mob of explorers wiedling pitchforks and scanners, I should clarify! I love exploring, don't get me wrong; but let's be perfectly honest, it's very much an 80:20 perspiration:inspiration thing? Or more, or less - whatever, the point is you have to slog through a whole bunch of "ugh" to get to the "oooh!"
And that's part-and-parcel of the excitement - if every system had something that set your hair on fire, the thrill wouldn't be as great. So for that little adrenalin kick of finding some amazing thing or other, you have to endure a whole bunch of snooze.Why am I waffling about this? I'll get to that eventually, promise! After resting up in Foster Terminal, we woke up next morning and after that bizarro day of exploring, decided to head back to the bubble and see if we couldn't futz with our lovely newly-named Beluga, the Ylva. I fired up her engines and as we left that gorgeous station, we took one last look at the beautiful view; if ever I was to be station-bound, Foster might be the one...
We nipped over to Jacques and while the ship was being readied for the return leg, I quickly popped out and arranged for delivery of a few Quinentian stills - the Beluga might be a gorgeous ship but it's sadly lacking in a well-stocked bar or three! That done, back to the docks and very soon we were heading out of the mailslot and setting course for home.
The ship ate up the light years and there was nothing we could do about her petite fuel scoop; but the heat - I guess all that environmental support and what-not really churns out the toasty! On the other hand, it meant that we weren't doing the usual quick slingshot-jumps on the way home and as we slowed down to cruise and scoop, that vast cockpit canopy really allowed me to go full-mesmerized goofball, staring at the stars.
Despite the slower jump rate, it wasn't long before we were half-way...then three-quarters...and before we knew it, we were back in the bubble with plenty of "daylight" left. I really wanted to do something about the toasty, so a quick check in with one of the bubble's foremost powerplant specialists, Hera, and we nipped off to a popular derelict base with a shopping list, to scavenge up some knick-knacks that would be needed to cool down our ship.
I parked her up and again, it was only once I was out in the srv and scooching around that I noticed just how huge the Ylva really was. It didn't matter where I went in town, poking around old wreckage behind abandoned buildings, her huge gleaming hull just loomed over the whole base. She's still no prettier than before but I must admit she has a "look" at least, and a big honking one at that!
Right - scavenging done, dust off and head over to Hera's; and this is where I started to feel horribly out of touch. I remember when "the Engineers" came on the scene, revolutionising space-tech to the point where the improvements in the ships were almost absurd. And it would appear that during my hiatus on my little vacation world, another ludicrous leap in technology had occurred. My old power plants had been tinkered with literally over a hundred times to tweak out just the coolest running, most efficient setup possible; and by comparison with the new industry standard, they were archaic ovens blasting out heat!
Price of progress, I guess. Time to update! As Hera went off tinkering and we sat in the waiting lounge, Coral nudged me and pointed at a monitor on the wall, running some story about the Gnosis, that itinerant behemoth wandering around the galaxy. As we watched, it became clear that the Gnosis had received clearance to jump into previously uncharted space, the Cone Sector just a handful of lightyears away from the bubble. Of course we got pretty excited hearing about this news - "uncharted space" are two words that are more or less guaranteed to make most explorey types drool! - and couldn't wait to get back to Jameson to find out more.
Soon, Hera had our power plant done; and I can't thank her enough, this thing almost defies the laws of physics - if it were any cooler it would suck in ambient heat, it's just ridiculously efficient! We took our brand spanking new Saud-Kruger fridge and headed off towards Shinrarta.
Jameson was no different than usual at first glance; but the favorite hangouts of the explorers were a-buzz with the news of the Gnosis jump. And here's where my random nonsensical musings from the start of this log kick in...
Exploration is a niche - just like anything else in a pilot's life. Some pilots are fighter jocks, excelling at the art of war; some are trading moguls, hauling goods to wherever they're needed and will turn a pretty penny. Explorers are no different, they just go out into the cosmos and poke around the wilderness, looking for - well, anything and everything! Humans are a fairly tribal bunch, we all like to "belong" to a family - nothing wrong with that! Only problem is, some people can take that a little too seriously for my liking and you'll sometimes find that some explorers consider themselves a "special breed", just a little smug and superior to the Average Joes off out scratching an honest living by hauling beans and fertiliser across a handful of light years.
We're all just meatbags, puttering around the galaxy in our own little ways
Why am I saying this? Because I like to think I'm a fairly easy-going brainless space monkey, but if there's one thing I can't stand, it's pretentious asshattery. And peacocking. Ok, two things. I really think sometimes if people worried less about what others thought of them and just let their hair down and relaxed, they might find life a lot easier! I mean it's absolutely up to them of course and I would never try and force my braindead half-baked 'philosophies' on them, that would be kinda hypocritical! But I'd at least like to give them the opportunity to try out the breezy-easy once in a while
SO - after I'd wiped the preachy from my chin and finished putting my soapbox away, I nattered with Coral for a bit. It was a foregone conclusion that we'd be hopping on this little jaunt into the unknown; but we decided that as serious-a-business exploration could be, folks needed somewhere to let their hair down too
I think Coral could see where this was going, as her grin was almost as daft as mine. The plan would be to convert the Ylva into a bit of a party bus - somewhere any and all could come at the end of a hard days 'Cone-ing', kick back and go wild Alrighty! What does a party bus need? A bar. A big bar. A ridiculously well-stocked, massively ostentatious, drink-everything-here-and-die type bar. So we'd need to stock it with every conceivable type of liquor from every corner of the bubble and beyond. Thankfully I had the Jacques stills in my hold already, but a little bit of research later and it became evident that the really "good stuff" was sold only at a few installations. We'd have to do several hours of jumping and supercruising to stock our bar, but by the end of it, we'd have one of the best stocked floating dives in the galaxy!
Some of this booze was not exactly legal in some systems we'd be jumping to; some was only to be found on tiny outposts that couldn't possibly support a full-grown Beluga. So we jumped aboard the Krait, a brief bit of tinkering to make her ready for smuggli-discreet trading, and we were good to go!
I'll spare you the HOURS of interminable cruising through millions of light-seconds of space and the crazed pin-balling we did back and forth, criss-crossing the bubble. And yet it was some of the most fun I'd had in ages - there was a definite party vibe in the air and I'm not sure the Pilots Federation would have approved us trying to wiggle our Krait in time with some old earth classics like "Jump Around" and "Tequila" while blazing through systems at a couple of thousand times the speed of light!
Eventually though, after a LOT of heatsinks and boosted scuttling out of stations ("nothing to see here, offliser!"), we were back home. A discreet shuttling of cargo over to the Beluga, and we were starting to make progress - forty tons of literally every type of booze that could be bought in the bubble now sat on board the Ylva. Technically there was some other stuff in there, because you can't fly to Hutton and not pick up a mug or two to set adrift in uncharted space, and I'd thrown in some of that crazy Orrerian goop to keep everyone wide-eyed and awake the next morning!
Coral had been busy knocking up a drinks menu as we went along buying up our supplies; and good grief some of it was weird
Drinks Menu
Saxon Wine
A near perfect replication of the famed 2093 vintage wines produced on ancient Earth. That year's wine was universally declared the best ever produced, and has yet to be topped. Scientists on Hill Orbital station were able to replicate the famous wine, and now guard the secrets of their formular with great care.
Chateau De Aegaeon
Wines from Aegaeon are some of the most valued and prized possessions greatly in demand across the whole galaxy, rarely actually drunk.
Centauri Mega Gin
This chemical distillate is almost pure Alcohol, but with subtle, prized flavors. Often used as an ingredient in more dangerous cocktails. The exact details of the distillation process are a closely guarded secret.
Bast Snake Gin
Traditional cure-all and cocktail ingredient. The venom of the snake entombed in the bottle adds to the intoxicating effect of the drink.
Jaques Queintian Still
A pocket sized one shot distillery, hand crafted by the legendary Cyborg bartender Jaques. This device is capable of turning almost any combination of liquids into 10ml of highly concentrated alcohol in just 3 minutes.
Indi Bourbon
Originally used as a medicine to revive those who have suffocated in dust storms, the restorative effects of this potent drink are almost as famous as the hangovers.
Eranin Pearl Whisky
Created to celebrate 30 years of Eranin independence in Alliance, this specially created whiskey was created in limited supply and is expected to increase in value over time.
Gerasian Gueuze Beer
Geras 3 A supports life in the form of large algae like plankton, whose bioluminescent digestive system excretes a complex protein that can be used in the brewing process. The resulting beer is famous for it's strength, heady aroma, and luminescent color.
Harma Silver Sea Rum
Based on a secret 24th Century recipe taken from the log of one Captain Smolenski, Harma Silver Sea Rum has been developed by blending a range of rare alcohols to create a beverage any corsair would be proud of. The Harma Silver Cartel, who manufacture and distribute the potent brew, enjoy the controversy their product has gleaned after it became a favourite among pirate gangs across the galaxy..
Burnham Bile Distillate
The use of 'donated' human bodily fluids in the distillation process for this potent liquor causes a strong variation in flavours from vintage to vintage, and widespread outcry about the ethics of the production. The producers of the drink report that each slave used agrees to the extraction progress, but this has not stopped some having a bitter taste left in their mouths.
Kongga Ale
The hops of Kongga provide a deep, satisfying flavour to the locally brewed ale, but seem to wither and spoil rapidly when removed from their native climate. Due to this Kongga Ale is renowned for its authentic flavour and traditional production methods. Served at room temperature with a decorative umbrella.
Lavian Brandy
A highly valued liquor from the old world of Lave. Using ancient breeds of grains grown in it's tropical climate, under a permit from the government, the distillate is kept in old earth oak barrels and held in an orbital maturing facility for decades to achieve maximum richness.
Leestian Evil Juice
Leestian evil juice acquired its name from local security forces, claiming that those intoxicated with this powerful liquor seem to be possessed with a pure evil.
Orrerian Vicious Brew
This drink is so high in caffeine and Natural sugars that it is often classed as a Narcotic. The addictive properties and resulting sleep deprivation are famed.
Thrutis Cream
A curious mix of fermented Thrutis Giant Rat milk and raw turtle egg yolks produces a potent mix similar to Ancient Advocaat. Each bottle is provided with a ceremonial tasting spoon, to ease the pouring of this viscous, but delicious drink.
Wuthielo Ku Froth
Not strictly a beer, this light alcoholic beverage is made from fermented frog spawn which is then filtered through rush mats.
Liquor
A range of luxury drinks made from distilled, fermented grains and fruits, usually containing a high percentage of alcohol. The narcotic effect means it is illegal in some jurisdictions.
Wine
A luxury drink made from fermented fruits, containing alcohol, a mild narcotic, and is grown organically. Occasionally illegal because of the alcohol content.
Beer
Traded under a variety of brands. A very mild narcotic. Occasionally illegal due to its association with antisocial behaviour, but also widely consumed in many cultures.
(//Taken from in-game, via the wiki, many thanks!))
The Burnham Bile Distillate? REALLY? People really drink this stuff? I mean, no judgement but I almost hurled just reading about it. And we'd have to keep an eye on anyone ordering the Leestian Evil Juice, that's for sure!
ANYWAY - great, so we have booze, but no bar. What we do have is room for a couple of the biggest, most luxurious cabins money can buy. SO! Next on the ticklist - install two class six luxury cabins. One will be our own personal sanctuary, the other? After throwing credits (and some spare exotic booze) at the Jameson deckhands, a few days of butchery and a WHOLE lot of importing later, the second suite had been converted into a glorified mess of neon and shiny - aka, "The Bar"
Ok. Now we're ready to do some exploring!
But how would Ylva perform with all the modifications and added weight? One way to check! A quick confab, and we decided to take her on a little speedy shakedown cruise; we'd nip out to VY Canis Majoris (seemed a fun way to test out the new power plant by sunbathing in the biggest lightbulb around!), scooch around the back of all those permit locks to our best guess of the Gnosis possible exit in October, then see if we couldn't plot a course home with the dinkiest of jumps - I knew a few friends going on the trip wouldn't have the biggest range and wouldn't want to see them having to ride the hulk all the way out to the Rift and back!Bar secured, booze locked down tight, departure authorized and boop - out the door. It was a very quick trip to VY Cm and holy cow - that new power plant! The old one had been no slouch but the ship was now running a lot cooler, must remember to send Hera a bottle of her favorite poison
Very quickly we were dropping out in front of that gargantuan beast, VY Canis Majoris.
I've been here a few times, even logged about it, but every time, this thing blows me away. The numbers involved are just mind blowing - each CME ejects hundreds of billions of tons from it's surface. If it were to replace the sun in the solar system, the surface of the photosphere would reach out past Jupiter. The heliosphere is just immense, almost beyond comprehension; and if, as some have surmised, she goes hypernova at the end of her life, she could let loose one of the most energetic events in the known universe, a gamma-ray burst. It is impossible not to be just floored by this monster and we stayed there in silence for a good long time, just awestruck
Before the crazy (and the blindness!) set in, we reluctantly turned around and headed out south-west; we sped past the Col 121 sector, rounded M41 and soon were just south of the target destination of the Gnosis - just a few hundred light-years of permit locked space between us and the sector. Excitement building, I had a peek in the navcomp and re-computed our route back home, albeit with a honking great dogleg to skirt around the locked NGC sector between us and the bubble, and dropped our calculated jump range as low as possible. As we sailed back into Jameson soon after, it seemed quite possible for anyone heading out there to make the return trip in a low thirties jump-ready ship. That is of course, assuming the Gnosis didn't pull a Jacques and end up on the other side of the galaxy! We'd joked about how fun (and scary!) it would be if the megaship made the jump, we all looked out the window and someone said "Y'know, that galaxy over there looks an awful lot like the Milky Way..."
OK - so that's that! The Ylva is good to go and ready to provide some much needed R&R to weary explorers out there in the wilderness! But...hmm...the jaunt doesn't start for another coupla weeks. Oops. May have jumped the gun a bit here. So what do you do when you have time on your hands and a ship full of luxury and booze....
Time for a sneaky trip
A quick scoot north to drop in on Marimba, our private vacation ELW up near the core. And I had a plan - two birds, one stone! "Coral - you did a great job taking the 'vette out the other day, if we're going to be whooping it up in the Cone Sector you might have to take control if I'm sleeping off a hangov-otherwise indisposed. So - take us out!"I think she was equal parts thrilled/terrified - the Ylva had been on a diet, so her thrusters weren't exactly beefy and that shield was eggshell thin; and getting her (forgive me, lady!) rather large butt out of the mailslot wasn't the easiest thing you could ever do! I'll be perfectly honest, I was a little nervy as Coral brought her up to the port exit.
Sailed through like a dream
She's such a superstar!So yep - here we go again! I think we've got time for a nip up north, a few days lying on our private beach to charge the batteries; then back down in time to hitch a ride on Canonn's jalopy and start a four-week party. Cone Sector '04 baby - see ya there!
On a side note, it was a bit of a beast getting all that stuff together,but I will absolutely be bringing it on the Gnosis jaunt, so if you're on the pc side of things, feel free to gimme a boop and swing by any time, be happy to jettison a drink or two for the weary explorers out there once we get into the sector!