DW2 A BRUSH WITH DEATH
01 Feb 2019Traf1805
I’ve never been happier to be writing a log entry from CMDRs quarters on a station. I usually prefer writing these on board my ship while staring out at the infinite expanse of the galaxy. Today is feels good to be on more stable footing.We made a brief stop at the Arkgamanon Mountain Range on our way to our real first stop, IC 4634 in system BD-21 4483. Janessa mocked me for my cautious flying through some of the canyons and begged to be handed the controls. But I didn’t want to waste time on canyons. I knew she was going to be impressed with what was ahead. I asked her to enter the coordinates so the route could be plotted and prepped the “MOTHER of DREAMS” for Witch Space.
The trip out to IC 4634 was mostly uneventful. The few systems that had anything interesting had already been tagged and mapped by other explorers. I could tell Janessa was starting to question signing on to a deep space exploration trip. Ahh the impatience of youth, I couldn’t believe she wasn’t noticing what was happening as we climbed every so slightly away from the Galactic Plane.
I had to wake her after we jumped in system. Her eyes went wide with a mix of initial terror at the massive Wolf-Rayet star that filled the view out of the canopy and then wonder as she took in what was around. I set the super cruise to take us out to one of the ringed planets as she gazed at the bizarre shades of green cast by the nebula. She thanked me and apologized for dozing off which I brushed off, I was just happy to have her attention for what came next. We got in to our seats I plotted the course and we jumped.
As we emerged in to the next system and out of the nebula the true scope of where we were hit her. Sitting in a system 1,500 LYs above the plane the view was both impressive and terrifying. Seeing the galaxy laid out below us was a reminder of how audacious this expedition was going to be. We made a few more jumps before setting down on a moon orbiting a Water World we had come across. I advised Janessa to get a good nights rest as we had a big day ahead of us.
The next day we got ourselves settled in. I could tell that while Janessa was still impressed with the pervious days experiences she was also getting ready for a long day of jumps and scans, but I had something better planned. I was going to show her just how exciting an explorers life can be. I opened the navigation panel and looked at the next system on our journey, a Neutron Star, perfect.
We had jumped Neutrons a few times since leaving Omega Mining, but it had been one every so often. Janessa had always put on a brave face, but I could tell it was something that put her on edge. Well she was going to have to get used to it.
The next 5 jumps were all Neutron Stars before we stopped at a K class do fill the fuel reserves. I heard her let out the quietest sigh of relief before she released her straps and said she had to verify the fuel scoop efficiency in the hold. I waited for her to come back from collecting herself. Before resuming our journey I explained to her that as long as we’re careful and follow procedures Neutron Boosting wasn’t that dangerous. Safer even than the normal jumps back in the early days of FSDs when ships would vanish in Witch Space or were left stranded in distant systems far from home.
We jumped to the next star and I handed over the controls to her. If anything was going to make her comfortable it would be doing it herself. Fortunately it was a powerful star with long arching tails. While the ride was going to test her mettle at least there would be little chance of getting close to the exclusion zone. Her approach was tentative but she kept the nose pointed in. Then just like a hand grabbing us we were pulled in to the tail. Janessa fought with the controls to steady the ship and try to keep our bearings. As soon as the supercharge was confirmed she throttled up and we were clear. She let out a cry of excitement. My gamble had paid of and she was hooked.
I let her make the next few jumps before we hit another scoopable star. There was a bonus as the system also boasted a ringed Water World orbiting a ringed Gas Giant. Off we went to map out our discovery. It was also a time to change pace. We dropped out of supercruise above the rings and told her to take the Condor out and practice some maneuvers while the AFMU repaired some of the stress fractures in the FSD drive caused by the overpowered jumps. Then it was time to make our final leg to Rohini.
I had retaken the helm for the last few jumps. There were still a few Neutron on our course but the atmosphere on the flight deck was relaxed and maybe a little too carefree. I have to review the flight recorder to know exactly what went wrong, but either we jumped straight in to the exclusion zone of the Neutron or the throttle was stuck at full upon entering the system. Whatever it was our laid back chit chat was interrupted by flashing warning screens and heat sirens as we were thrown out of supercruise. Janessa’s face went drained of color as I brought the MOTHER of DREAMS to a halt, my finger on the trigger for the heat sink launcher. Our immediate demise adverted I took stock of our situation. We needed to get back to SC to charge the FSD for the next jump, but it was going to be a close call. I told Janessa to sight tight and tried to be convincing when I said everything would be ok. I Pointed the ship towards the escape vector and began charging the FSD and the heat levels started rising. 50%...70%...90%...110%... The environmental controls of my exosuit struggling to keep my body temperature within parameters…115%... I think about checking on my co-pilot but I can’t spare any focus from the task at hand… 120%... I prep a heat sink to launch at 125%, before I pull the trigger COVAS begins the count down and I relax knowing the worst is past. The MOTHER of DREAMS jumps to SC. A quick touch to the tail on the way out to boost the FSD and we get our asps out of there.
Fortunately as we jumped closer to Rohini it was more and more main sequence stars. There was no more chatter between Janessa and myself though. We jumped in to the system and our approach in the Eudaemon Anchorage could have been mistaken for something done by a docking computer how business like it was. Once the docking clamps had locked her on the pad and we were pulled in to our bay it felt like a hatch had blown out the way the tension left the flight deck. We both sat there for some moments checking systems and shutting them down before we both went to gather items we’d need or want for our stay. We met up on the stairway out of the ship and made out way to the security checks. Once through and in what could barely be called a pilots lobby Janessa suddenly turn and through her arms around me before taking off towards a mag-ride heading to the entertainment district of the station. No doubt off to find some distractions to calm her nerves… or perhaps something to numb them entirely.
I made my routine stops and the Interstellar Cartographics office and the dock masters to order repairs and replenishments. I even decided to have a fresh coat of paint done. Perhaps trying to wash away our brush with disaster. I located my assigned quarters and settled in to record our journey. Usually I avoid the teeming masses of humanity, but this is one of the furthest inhabited systems in the galaxy and is still but a fraction of the distance out that we are going to travel. Maybe for tonight at least I’ll enjoy the comfort and relative safety of my fellow humans.