Commander's log: Day eight
06 May 2017EpicH29
Week two - let's do this. I took off this afternoon at approximately 15:06 after a delay. Feeling quite lethargic, I decided to relax a little as I cross the field between Gagarian Gate and Polo Harbor - 4000 light years in total. I still haven't arrived at the penultimate stop to Colonia - I've been preoccupied with other things. For instance, I spent an hour or two navigating the dense star fields to discover some interesting sights. I did find four undiscovered neutron stars, and a black hole. Finally, I found something that I have yet to see on my journey. Afterwards, I scanned a few High Metal Content planets, and a couple of moons - one of which had been an ammonia world. I sit in the enclosed cockpit, somewhat smug with myself as I chart these new discoveries Maybe a little too smug. Due to this distraction, I had a minuscule issue when I got too close to a Red Dwarf (Which there are hundreds of in this general area, I might add), However I combated this easily, still with 99% of my hull intact.
Currently, my system location is unknown. As I use the last of my cigarettes, I request the computer to inform me of my current location. I was informed that I was in the Blaa Phoe sectors, some 16,000 light years from Sol. I then checked my distance from Colonia.
'Only 5,500 light years away' I thought. I opened the system map and studied it. Several High Metal Content worlds. No surprise there. At least they're not ice planets, like the systems closer to the bubble.
I grunted, and opened the Galmap, and began to search for any interesting systems. More neutron stars to my left. As interesting as they are, I'm already bored of seeing them, due to the large amounts of them some 1300 light years behind me.
'Where are all of the black holes?' I yelled to nobody in particular, assaulting the control panel.
I then picked up my old bobble head from the floor and placed it neatly back onto the cockpit window, before sulking in my chair. They said there were dozens of them around here back at the port. A black hole was the only thing I have yet to get my name associated with, and I'd be damned if I wasn't going to find one on this trip! Defeated by the air to get moving, I stop sulking and plotted another 1000 light year course to Boewnst KS-S C20-959, the star system that Polo Harbor resided in, in the lush-looking Boewnst AA-A H87 nebula, and engage my frame shift drive. just another 23 jumps.
Suddenly, I get the urge to ask the computer to run diagnostics - possibly due to immense boredom.
Hull integrity - 90%
Hull health - 99%
Shield health - 100%
Life support - 6:47 remaining
Fuel - 0.91/h
All is fine. I thank the computer, and ask it another question in my curiosity.
'Scan for signs of life'
Bridge - 1
SRV bay - 0
Upper deck - 0
Lower deck - 0
Once again, all is nominal. Yet still, I feel uneasy, and proceed to run the diagnostics again, and get the same reply. When the diagnostics were read, I looked out at a blue jewel of a water world that I was resting by, and turned the radio back on. The Galnet news was being read, mentioning of the weekly expansion report. It was at that moment, I realized that there was no voice assisted computer on board the 'Stargazer II'.
I had been talking to myself, and creating my own responses.
Space madness was getting to me, and I now realize that it is very, very real.