001 - Return from Sag A*
23 Oct 2024S_OLDIER_X
I recently returned from my first major expedition beyond the Bubble - the pilgrimage to the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy, Sagittarius A*. I'd wanted to make the trip for quite a while, and hesitated for more than a year because it just seemed like such a daunting and intimidating endeavor, when you consider not just the trip itself, but the overall state of the galaxy at large. I've only ever had one Thargoid "encounter," if you'd even call it that; I was surveying a planet for data for an exobiology study I was working on, when in the distance I noticed wreckage left behind by a Cobra that had crashed down to the planet's surface. Then I saw it - a Thargoid ship, with that distinct freaky appearance, appeared suddenly, hovered some meters above the wrecked ship and "scanned" the debris. Once it was done it departed as quickly as it had arrived. It was an ordeal that lasted a total of maybe 30 seconds, but it was a terrifying experience, and I was grateful for the distance that separated me from the alien craft, otherwise it would have spotted me and then... who knows.
The notion of bumping into more of those guys (or worse) out in the Black gave me pause on undertaking my journey for some 18 months before I finally said "flux it," hopped into my Diamondback Explorer that I'd engineered specifically with this expedition in mind, plotted a course towards the nearest neutron star - PSR J1752-2806 - and set off.
I arrived at Sagaittarius A* less than 48 hours later, stopping to sleep and rest as needed. It wasn't nearly as long, daunting, or mind-meltingly dull of a trip as I had feared, and it was more than worth it to watch the interactions between spacetime and the event horizon; I circled the dead and ancient star for hours, mesmerized by the sight.
I returned home to Carter Port a few days ago without mishap - no Thargoids, pirates, or any other interference with the trip.
Since there's little else to do on such a lengthy run, the journey provided an opportunity for some self-reflection. I spent some time thinking about my father, who recently passed some months ago, and the state of our relationship at the time of his passing. I came out of the center of the galaxy with some much needed insight into several areas of my life.
Stars whipping by in hyperspace almost seem to strip away the funk and negativity that life can so often shackle us with.