Learning Is Fun!
27 Oct 2015Calteru Taalo
So I get this courier run assigned to me, right? Simple gig - head on down to 59 Virginis, drop off some contracts. I'm reading over the particulars - 19 minutes to do the run. "Easy," I thought, "I can make that run in 10 flat." So I leave the mission file up on my screen, ready to accept, and step over to the smokers' lounge for a puff before takeoff. (I don't like smoking inside the ship - well, not tobacco, anyway.) I come back, take my seat in the cockpit, affirm I will deliver the goods... and get a timer of 9 minutes to complete the run.
I blinked. "Nine? Butbutbut... Nine is not nineteen..." Then I realized it took 10 minutes to have that puff.
Oops. Jamming it into gear, I took off and aimed for the mailslot right about the same time some schmoe's Type 9 decided to hog every available bit of space.
"WATCH IT YOU BLOATED SPACE COW I'M LATE" I screamed into the comm.
"Huh?" came the eventual staticy reply. Too late. Smack, scrape, 350 credit fine. Because, of course, it's MY damned fault. Stupid space cow...
"...I don't have time for this," I growled, stabilizing the Python before she could hit the wall and hitting the gas. Her power plant roared smoothly to life, kissing the station with her thrusters as she angled cleanly around the oblivious metal manatee and its equally unwieldy pilot. Another shot of turbo, a flick of the wrist, and Guarantor was aimed properly at the first leg of her journey.
I smirked and activated the frameshift. Nothing to do now but try and do the run faster than I ever have.
First two legs of the trip go smoothly. Guarantor handles heat well, so I was able to get right back to jumping as soon as the FSD cooled down despite being relatively close to the stars. Then Murphy and his dumbass Law decided to start poking around.
Third jump: "OMG HEY STOP GUY I WAS SENT TO FIND YOU AND STUFF!" No time for ya, buddy. I'm late. Jumped and gone.
Fourth jump: "OOOH LOOKIT ALL THOSE SHINIES IN YOUR CARGO GOTTA HAS" Yeah, guess what. It's just a contract, and while you're getting around that star Im'ma ignore ya and bounce. Bye.
Fifth jump: "OMG NO REALLY GUY STOP I WAS SENT TO FIND YOU AND SO ON" Don't stalk me, pal, or so help me I will end you as soon as I drop this off.
Finally, I get in system. 1 minute remaining to get to port. I let the navcom do the work for me since I didn't know the area and didn't have the time to learn. A little under 1000Ls. I can do this. I push it.
500Ls to go. No idea how much time is left - all I know is it's under a minute. 400Ls. 300. 200. 100. I ease the throttle down a bit, but I'm still coming in way faster than most station managers would prefer. 50Ls. 25. 10. The Mms start counting down... 10... 5... I've almost got my safelock established...
"MISSION UPDATED: DELIVER CONTRACTS TO 59 VIRGINIS"
I very nearly put my fist through the console as I hit the FSD drop. "DAMMIT DAMMIT SON OF A DAMMIT" The tunnel forms, the turbulence of exiting witchspace hits, and I resign myself to opening my mission log and seeing that I effed up and failed.
"HEY GUY IT'S PROBABLY ROUGH OUT THERE HUH WHY DON'T YOU TAKE ANOTHER 7 AND A HALF HOURS TO MAKE THE DELIVERY LOLOL THANKS AND STUFF"
So yeah, I had another smoke before dropping off the damned contract. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to see if the Mining Division has any openings. -Sid