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Reporter: Captain John MacRae Subject: Mission Status Report
Ships involved: DSM)-T_C-25.Altair
Captain's Log:
Entry JMR002MSR01 Location: Colorado, Planet Denver MacRae, signing in.
My continual bugging of the team to get to mining & personal cooperation with our business partners had apparently been noticed by the President and did not go unpunished. I'm dubbed a Senior Trader now, hence the report. Gotta be more subtle about the job next time, I guess - getting a desk duty is not on top of my priority list.
Still, a promotion's a promotion. Should get to Elysium and make the credits rain on the Metro bartender.
Additionally, received a communique that company's got some more new blood, and that's what I love to hear. Guys need a welcome.
Not to go empty-handed, I'll probably grab a full load of Pharmaceuticals - there's a pretty high demand for it on California Minor.
Entry JMR002MSR02 Location: Colorado, D3, Alamosa Asteroid Field
Now that was some real weird stuff. After I left my quarters, I went to the commodity shop to grab the meds, but - the commodities list was empty, like nothing was for sale at the planet at all! The manager was moving in a repeated series of motions like an automaton, and so were the people around. Whatever that was, at that moment I decided to get out of there as quickly as possible, so I got into my Mastodon and was off.
But - I'm now not in space outside the planet, but instead inside the Alamosa Asteroid Field, 30k away from Denver!
I have no idea what just happened, but I'm starting up my cruise engines and setting course towards the planet. Even if I don't find anything out, I sure hope to get the merchandise on board.
Entry JMR002MSR03 Location: Colorado, Planet Denver
There seemed to be a major blackout on the planet during the time from my walk to the commodity shop up until my launch to space, so no logs or records of me, or anyone, for the matter, is available for that period of time.
Not being able to get to the bottom of this, I still loaded the ship to the brim with Pharmaceuticals. The man at the shop was different from my morning encounter, and did not recall my previous visit earlier today.
If it's just me, the only thing I could attribute this to is my frequent in-space collisions with the Ion Storms. It seems to really play jokes on me.
Anyway, back to space now.
Entry JMR002MSR03 Location: Colorado, C5, Copperton Asteroid Field
Decided not to go via New 'Pirate Central' York system and take a detour via Ontario Jump Hole instead. I know guys sometimes shun the jump-hole business and look down on using them, being a Liberty Corporation and obliged to proudly walk out in the open, but I prioritise the goods, credits and my life above being a model corporate worker.
Caught a notice about a lane hacker operating in Magellan. Will have to be extra careful, since there's no way around the system.
Entry JMR002MSR04 Location: California, B4, California -> Cortez Jump Gate
Code orange - the hacker is here, in California. No way for me to get to Minor, after all, - Planet Los Angeles it is. Fingers crossed not to run into the him on the last Trade Lane...
Entry JMR002MSR05 Location: California, Planet Los Angeles
I made it to Los Angeles, and got a tidy profit for my goods - the meds are needed here as much as on Minor.
Since I'm here, contacted Lourens for a permission to grab a full load of FWO package for Elysium, to which got a negative. Well, VP know better, that's for sure.
Now the question is, how do I get home with the pesky pirate roaming around California? If I was him and out to get me, I'd stick to the Magellan Jump Gate & adjacent lanes. To make sure, I'll risk a detour via Cortez, with Magellan JH as a next stop. The communications tap should allow me, by then, to see how will the guy react, and to plan my next move.
Entry JMR002MSR06 Location: Magellan, D3, The Barrier
The jump hole brought me to the wasp hive, it seems. The place is crawling. Hacker base is bound to be around in the Barrier. Luckily, with a few bumps - thank the creation for the shields, - I'm successfully negotiating the asteroid field.
The hacker from earlier has been sighted in Pennsylvania system, according to the latest reports, so my fears were misplaced, after all. Going through the system towards the Vespucci JH, where home is.
Damn it, Ion Storm warning, again! With nowhere to dock at, I'll just have to brace myself for the, already, routine rough-up. It's still good I'm in a well adapted transport, not in a scout ship begging for repairs...
Entry JMR002MSR07 Location: Vespucci, Elysium
Right, final entry for today. Heading to Metro while I'm at it.
The Ion Storm actually helped me out - the path was clear after it, which helped me get home safely.
The new guy, Dan Michael Quartz, was eager to respond to my usual call for some much-needed mining, so I actually had to launch back to space after barely setting my foot on Elysium. Dan is new to Vespucci system, but once we got to Sonora Silver mining field he quickly got up the pace and was piling up the ore in Altair's hold in that all-too-familiar 'miner trance', while I was on a holo-meeting with the President to set the Miner's Pay per Silver Ore when mining for Elysium (as you are well aware, it's now set to 1.500 credits per unit).
I left Dan in the field with his well-earned 7.5mil credits, and got to Elysium to store the goods. Good job, that guy. He was too tired from their journey to the HQ, so I didn't insist on the second run. You don't go too far on the first date, eh?
This is it. R&R time. MacRae, signing off.
Commodities Delivered: 5000 Pharmaceuticals to Planet Los Angeles 5000 Silver Ore to Elysium