A slow return and a plea from Merc
10 Jan 2016Jim Beaumont
A new day dawned, and after a few minor repairs with the AFM, I plotted my next stop and started the jumping to home, these early stages done 30Ly at a time. I rigged the Nav comp to F and G class stars as these had offered me the best chances of discovering Earths and Waterworlds the previous day. I'd had no luck with K class at all. System by system I was still making new discoveries, finding some of those most elusive's on the way.The plan wasn't to do this all the way home, that would be crazy. But I was slowly rising away from the galatic middle, until the star density thinned to the point where I could trust the Nav comp not to get bogged down when plotting 1000Ly ahead.At 500 Ly above, I was able to plot 200Ly ahead and upwards still so greater leaps were being made, still making the detailed scans of bodies as I went.
I then got a texted message from Merc. Something was afoot at home. -10%, 50. +10% 20. I ran up the comms channel.
'Merc, how's you? That's a bit cryptic. What goes?' I asked.
'Speaking to Samson in the bar last night. Apparently the natives are getting a little restless again. Only this time it's the 2 major Facs. Something to do with a lack of security out in the rings. The miners are threatening strikes. That was the poll results on the channels this morning.'
'They'll settle down soon enough.'
'Not sure about that this time Jim. Your courier man has been floating around a lot, looking decidedly twitchy. Samson seems to think this could be a big issue. Your lady friend was back again. She's taking refuge here once more after getting beat up in the RES as well. She hasn't seen chaos in there like this before apparently. Looks like the miners are getting plenty of support from the Inc at the outpost. Speaking to the commodities office, the mined stuff is being sold over there and not at the station.'
'Gincha feeling the pinch is he?'
'Stuffs leaving station okay but he isn't purchasing much.'
'So what is your plan? You sticking around for the fun?'
'Yeah I'm staying. And Oppo. You might want to make haste on your return. I think the CW is less than a week away the way things are going.'
'Ok. I'm 22k Ly away at the minute, but I'm starting to make good headway. I'll rush it on a bit. Keep me posted fella.'
'Will do. Fly safe.'
'And you.'
So it transpires that I'm having to make a quicker return than originally planned due to some 'friction with the factions'. Just when you think you've put the politics behind you it finds you 20k Ly away.
I had a system lined up to return to on the way home, I'd scanned it, but was hurrying to get to the meet up at Sag A*, so didn't detail the bodies of which 2 were ELW/WW. Now going to have to leave them again now. Oh well it's an excuse to come back.
And now for a fast run back. I made for the roof, got to about 1100 Ly above the middle plane and then woosh away we go, 1000 Ly plots for home.
Cmdr Beaumont (In a rush)