Flight log: Jay Anderson
Last night I took a new ship in Ageira fleet for a flight in Alberta system. My goal was to help out the Science Division in the Dark Matter Survey initiative. They are extremely interested in the dark matter storm that is approaching Alberta from galactic West.
The vessel in question, dubbed Ageira~Oort, based on proven Grizzly shuttle. This particular ship was designed and outfitted as a research vessel and carries a team of our best field scientists.
The first objective was to make a long range observations of the whole Alberta system in different wavelengths. This will allow our team to evaluate the general composition of the dark matter storm and it's position related to other stellar bodies in the system.
Here are two of the images in visible light range of the spectrum taken during the mission, among thousands of others:
Range: 150k
Range: 200k
The second objective of the mission was to explore the internal structure of the storm and obtain samples of particles and matter it consists of. This objective was only partially successful due to violent conditions within the storm.
Upon entering the cloud, I started to notice that all systems are dangerously overloaded by the radiation. Its gradient quickly raises from the front shockwave of the storm inwards, and stabilizes at the level of 4 kR/h. At this level, navigation systems were jammed to 21%, communication from within the cloud was impossible, and the power core of Oort was overloaded by about 31%.
Moreover, behind the initial shock wave, the storm incorporates an asteroid cloud of very hot and quick objects. They probably are remains of stellar bodies the storm has dragged and destroyed in systems it passed before. The objects vary in size from a mere dust particles to rocks of hundreds meters radius. The largest object caught by our sensors was roughly 800 meters in diameter.
Taking a huge risk, I decided to send a survey team with several hazmat containers to collect samples. This operation was a success and containers with dark matter particles and other components of the cloud where secured in the cargo hold of Oort.
Another attempt at different spot in the cloud was not as successful. A whole survey team was lost to the terrible explosion when they tried to extract samples from one of bigger objects.
Given the damage sustained by the systems of Oort from radiation, static discharges and the explosion, I decided to abort the mission at this point and return to Camrose Depot for resupply and repairs.
The samples and observations of the expedition were handled to science teams on Leduc station, Planet Denver and Pueblo station.