EXO pilots going on a "road trip." I got a promotion! What are "barnacles"?
16 Jan 2016iModar
January 7, 3302CMDR Angushawk received an anonymous transmission.
"Would you be interested in knowing a region of space that is likely to contain barnacles?"
"Nebulae are good places to look, especially the one with seven sisters in it."
The Unknown Artifacts point to Merope, one of the stars in the Pleiades, a nebula containing seven bright stars often referred to as the "Seven Sisters." Are these things alien in origin? My investigations into the UAs have shown a series of scientific transports traveling in that sector. Might definitely benefit us.
Only so much I can hear when at the various stations in this sector. Here at home, I'm granted access to (almost) all areas of The Dive because of my EXO status. Out there, the docking area and mess halls are all I get to see.
There is a whole group of scientists researching the artifacts, and I'm worried that extended exposure will do to them what happened to some of us. Then there's the matter of whomever used some of the UAs against us. If the artifacts are pointing towards the Pleiades, anyone traveling out there could be in danger ...or worse, mad.
January 9, 3302
CMDR Angushawk announced that he will be planning an exploration trip and invited many of the residents of Wolf 1301 to join him. Their primary goal is the galactic core, with Angushawk going even further with anyone who decides to also trek on past Sagittarius A*. A date has not been set at this point.
Because of my recent acts of "above and beyond the call of duty" in regards to defending Saunders's Dive from attack, I have been given a field commission as an officer the rank of Wingman. I'm no longer just a civilian member of the faction, I'm involved in official operations now. As such, I have been mingling with the higher ups and senior officers in the lounge and mess hall. Hell, I even opened up my quarters to a weekly poker night.
I have been with EXO since last August, and as such, have seniority due to time and activity over some of the new people. CMDR Urik has helped me brush up on combat and ship outfitting for that role. I winged up with some new recruits for some bounty hunting in one of the Resource Extraction Sites in the outer planets. A CMDR by the codename "Mmhmmsteve" decided to interdict and attack the recruits, yet leaved me alone. I attempted to contact him as he was on the EXO roster, but my hails weren't answered. My assumption was that he didn't know they had moved in and tried to "play cop." However, according to him, as told to me by CMDR Nerth, he is not a member of the faction and will interdict whomever he pleases. Why was he on the roster then?
Later this evening I was given an assignment to go along with my promotion: Part of the EXO freight "space trucker" flight. I'm excited to be a part of this flight, and it means I actually hand out missions much like the ones I took from the bulletin board only until recently.
January 11, 3302
Trade deals have fallen in quality. For the sake of my shop I try to stick to general goods; however, just about all I can get are contracts for (not so great) ship parts. There's a little "war" going on between two of the minor factions in the system, and the increase in bounty hunting to combat the trade of illegal goods is leaving the repair teams overworked and relying on the parts I bring back.
CMDR Urik gave me a glimmer of hope:
Well Modar I can assure you the top brass is working on a deal with representatives of Li-Yong-Rui to help retake Tote. That way we can get some fresh trade agreements in!
Trying to keep Wayalit afloat is proving to be a tough task. I sent my chief assistant Alec out to Plexico tomorrow to see if there are any new routes going through that sector.
Which means he'll be taking The Scrubs Dream out there. I'm told, however, that the whole galaxy has a note next to Wayality saying, "Fuel Station." Humorous, but not wrong. Why must this sector be filled with brown dwarfs?!
I was also assigned officer's quarters and my promotion comes with Level 3 security clearance. Hot damn!