Into The Abyss - Log #001: First Steps and Second Places
17 Nov 2024Alpha Panda
[Audio Log Start]Alpha Panda: Alright, Log number one for this new adventure—Commander Alpha Panda reporting from the edge of the galaxy, kicking things off in The Abyss. It’s a fresh start, a clean slate, and I’m determined to make this the best damn journey yet. So let’s dive in.
First things first, I’ve decided that the DSSA Distant Worlds Fleet Carrier is going to be my “home base” for this trip. The crew there? Solid. The ship services? Top-notch. And, frankly, The Silver Doe could use a place to rest her wings every now and then. Plus, it’s nice knowing there’s somewhere to run to if—when—things go sideways.
Now, I had a look at the Codex to see what’s already been discovered in The Abyss. Out of the gazillions of potential finds, I’ve only seen 17 of them, all planets or stars. That’s... kinda embarrassing. There’s a lot more out there, and I intend to find it. So, I set a destination to keep me on track: Pyrie Eurk QX-U e2-0, a black hole in the sector. Because hey, nothing screams adventure like flying toward an existential void.
First system of the day? Ceeckia KS-S c20-0. Found a terraformable high-metal-content world. Already tagged by Commander Kamzel—yes, that Kamzel—and mapped by Commander Rampant Haggis. Still, scanning it banked me a cool 900,000 credits. I’ll take it.
Next stop: Ceeckia MU-M d8-2. Again, not a first discovery, but this system was a goldmine for scan data. Planets 1 and 2? Terraformable metal-rich worlds. Planet 4? A beautiful water world. This system practically threw credits at me, and who am I to refuse?
Then came Ceeckia CK-Z c16-0, where things got interesting. Planet 1 was a high-metal-content world with a single biological signal. Landed to investigate and found some Magenta Bacterium Tela. Cool, right? Except it’s already been logged by Commander Completenoob—three years ago. [groans] I mean, come on! I’m out here trying to be the next great explorer, and I’m stuck being the second guy to the party. Still, the scan earned me a tidy 2 million credits, so I can’t be too mad. But note to self: Next time, aim for the dark side of a 501K planet. I was practically melting out there.
Finally, I hit Ceeckia DK-Z c16-0. Planet 1’s Moon A had some geological goodies—Water Ice Fumaroles and Geysers. Fun stuff, but nothing groundbreaking. Then Moon E caught my attention with two bio signals: Amethyst Fonticula Campestris and Cyan Bacterium Vesicula. The Fonticula? Easy peasy. Three samples, in and out. The Vesicula, though? A whole different story. I had to fly low and slow, eyeballing every flat surface to find patches of the stuff. This moon is not what you’d call “smooth terrain.” Eventually, I nabbed my first sample and took the SRV out for a joyride to find the rest. Let’s just say, using the SRV’s thrusters to leap over rocky patches? A total blast. Just as I was about to call it quits, I spotted the final clump of bacteria—pure luck!
There are still moons F and H in this system with bio signals calling my name, but for now, I’m taking a break. Gotta let The Silver Doe cool off and give myself a breather. This is just the beginning of my journey into The Abyss, and I’m already loving it.
Alright, that’s it for today. Panda out!
[Audio Log End]