Albert McKenzie '\S/' Arcturus
Preparing Planetary Expeditions
Our routine flights around Sirius pickup various amounts of data on multiple subjects, our last one being the Neutron Star within Omega-41. After dropping off the information on our Research Complex within Inverness, I had the thought of testing our scanning suites on planets with different climates and weather to learn how to utilize our suites on many more kinds of items. Planet Elgin within Inverness proved to be the best subject at this time due to it being located not too far from our own base. Flying out there I discovered a Technocracy pilot was chatting to what I believe to be an Insurgency ship, though this ship was giving me mixed signals. Insurgency designation but Technocracy IFF. In any case this minor detail was not important enough to me to press on.
I asked the Technocracy pilot about Elgin, and to scan the planet due to it being covered in ice. I was informed that there are multiple thousand settlements on the planet, and one such settlement could interfere with my proving of Elgin. THis pilot advised to use analogue equipment as an alternative if the scans came back inconclusive or incomplete. I later landed on Valravn to pickup this equipment to start my ventures.
[17.09.2023 00:27:32] IN|INS-Dragonfly: Hm. Greetings.
[17.09.2023 00:27:33] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: Greetings, pilots.
[17.09.2023 00:27:36] A/)-Gestalt: Starflier vessel, hail. Transmit designation and present purpose.
[17.09.2023 00:28:14] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: Research Team Arcturus, testing scanner suites. Subject is Elgin.
[17.09.2023 00:28:43] A/)-Gestalt: Copy that. Proceed. Let us know if you need anything.
[17.09.2023 00:29:09] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: Just one inquiry. Anything I need to know before I setup my probes?
[17.09.2023 00:29:31] A/)-Gestalt: Our shielding arrays over Ismara may interfere heavily with standard navigation protocols.
[17.09.2023 00:29:42] A/)-Gestalt: If you get too close, you may need to rely on analog.
[17.09.2023 00:29:56] A/)-Gestalt: Your probes may also have trouble finding their way back without manual guidance.
[17.09.2023 00:30:22] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: We scrapped analogue equipment for our current systems. I will return later.
[17.09.2023 00:30:32] A/)-Gestalt: Alright.
[17.09.2023 00:30:44] A/)-Gestalt: Sorry for the inconvenience.
[17.09.2023 00:31:06] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: Not at all. Any other planets you know of that are covered in ice?
[17.09.2023 00:31:12] A/)-Gestalt: Hmm...
[17.09.2023 00:31:20] A/)-Gestalt: Out of curiosity, why ice planets specifically?
[17.09.2023 00:32:15] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: Testing our suites on planets with extreme weather and tempratures. Starting with ones that are cold.
[17.09.2023 00:32:57] IN|INS-Dragonfly: Gestalt, is Valravn ready to receive me? It's been quite a day today. If anything, I might even request a few hours of rest-
[17.09.2023 00:33:01] A/)-Gestalt: Got it. Colby, moon of Wichita in Kansas, is ice, but it's small.
[17.09.2023 00:33:04] IN|INS-Dragonfly: - before I get into all the procedures that are necessary.
[17.09.2023 00:33:10] A/)-Gestalt: Also possible danger from Navy and Insurgent patrols in the system.
[17.09.2023 00:33:20] A/)-Gestalt: Oh, of course. Feel free to moor.
[17.09.2023 00:33:37] A/)-Gestalt: I'll let them know that you're to be given a full night's rest before procedures are initiated, though you'll need to be
[17.09.2023 00:33:39] A/)-Gestalt: searched first.
[17.09.2023 00:33:46] IN|INS-Dragonfly: Thank you, Gestalt.
[17.09.2023 00:33:57] A/)-Gestalt: Naturally.
[17.09.2023 00:34:06] IN|INS-Dragonfly: I believe we'll see each other sooner rather than later.
[17.09.2023 00:34:12] A/)-Gestalt: Message me on our IMS if you need anything.
[17.09.2023 00:34:23] A/)-Gestalt: I'm looking forward to working with you. Welcome to your new home.
[17.09.2023 00:34:26] IN|INS-Dragonfly: On our... Ugh... A what?
[17.09.2023 00:34:37] A/)-Gestalt: Internal messaging system.
[17.09.2023 00:34:43] A/)-Gestalt: You know. Like, with a PDA?
[17.09.2023 00:34:45] IN|INS-Dragonfly: Oh, right, of course.
[17.09.2023 00:34:47] IN|INS-Dragonfly: Yeah.
[17.09.2023 00:34:52] A/)-Gestalt: Jeez, you must really be tired.
[17.09.2023 00:34:53] IN|INS-Dragonfly: I'm sorry. I'm really tired.
[17.09.2023 00:34:56] A/)-Gestalt: Go get your rest.
[17.09.2023 00:35:01] IN|INS-Dragonfly: Thank you for welcoming me.
[17.09.2023 00:35:13] 2023-09-17 00:35:10 SMT Traffic control alert: IN|INS-Dragonfly has requested to dock
[17.09.2023 00:35:15] A/)-Gestalt: Congratulations on making the right choice today.
[17.09.2023 00:35:20] A/)-Gestalt: Sleep well.
[17.09.2023 00:35:32] IN|INS-Dragonfly: One again, thank you for even allowing me to see what the right choice was.
[17.09.2023 00:35:38] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: You mentioned "Ismara". Am I right to assume the planet has a settlement?
[17.09.2023 00:35:44] A/)-Gestalt: Aye.
[17.09.2023 00:35:50] A/)-Gestalt: Several thousand.
[17.09.2023 00:36:27] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: Without any point of entry onto the surface, this gives me several questions to ask.
[17.09.2023 00:36:45] A/)-Gestalt: Mmh. Not sure how many I could even answer right now.
[17.09.2023 00:36:48] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: Though I will not bore you as you have given me a job to do before I start my expeditions.
[17.09.2023 00:37:44] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: Albert McKenzie, my name. I do not believe I have seen your name before.
[17.09.2023 00:37:58] A/)-Gestalt: Sentinel Gestalt will do.
[17.09.2023 00:38:09] A/)-Gestalt: Pleased to meet you.
[17.09.2023 00:38:21] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: The same for myself too.
[17.09.2023 00:38:22] A/)-Gestalt: It's always nice to work with the Starfliers.
[17.09.2023 00:38:48] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: Yes, I do appreciate it the same with the TEchnocracy too.
[17.09.2023 00:39:18] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: You may be glad to know we have had an influx of new pilots join recently.
[17.09.2023 00:39:28] A/)-Gestalt: Oh? Done a recruitment drive?
[17.09.2023 00:40:01] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: Others who find our goals align with their own. They have already put in some work.
[17.09.2023 00:40:46] A/)-Gestalt: That's great to hear.
[17.09.2023 00:40:46] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: More of us to assist anything that the Technocracy may have in progress.
[17.09.2023 00:41:12] A/)-Gestalt: Hmm. I may have some use for volunteers for a project of mine, but we'll have to see.
[17.09.2023 00:41:20] A/)-Gestalt: I can reach out to your people about that later.
[17.09.2023 00:41:42] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: Research or exploratory related?
[17.09.2023 00:41:46] A/)-Gestalt: Research.
[17.09.2023 00:42:12] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: Understood. A handful of us are licensed to operate ships like mine. We can lend a hand.
[17.09.2023 00:42:12] A/)-Gestalt: I can't... really talk about it right now, but if I end up contacting your org about it, that message will have more details.
[17.09.2023 00:42:25] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: Yes, we shall wait on that.
[17.09.2023 00:42:42] A/)-Gestalt: Anyway, if you don't feel like braving the warzone of Kansas, there are some other options not too far away.
[17.09.2023 00:42:42] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: Do you have analogue equipment on board Valravn?
[17.09.2023 00:43:16] A/)-Gestalt: I would imagine so. I'm not sure if your group are usually authorized to moor with the Citadel, but I'll let the quartermaster
[17.09.2023 00:43:24] A/)-Gestalt: know and give you a one-time auth if nothing else.
[17.09.2023 00:43:58] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: If not, I can fly over to Sierra and see if they have anything.
[17.09.2023 00:44:10] A/)-Gestalt: Don't worry about it, let me just...
[17.09.2023 00:44:43] A/)-Gestalt: [There's the electrical crackle of radio interference as the Technocrat pilot switches her comms feed briefly to an encrypted
[17.09.2023 00:44:50] A/)-Gestalt: one for a moment, then back again.]
[17.09.2023 00:45:10] A/)-Gestalt: Alright. You're good to moor and pick some stuff up. They should have it ready for you within a few minutes.
[17.09.2023 00:45:37] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: Understood. Will prepare the docking clamp shortly.
[17.09.2023 00:45:58] A/)-Gestalt: But, yes, as I was saying, the Ross Planetoid in Cambridge might prove suitable, though of course it's, well.
[17.09.2023 00:46:00] A/)-Gestalt: Quite small.
[17.09.2023 00:46:07] A/)-Gestalt: I'm not sure if that would interfere with your scans or not.
[17.09.2023 00:46:35] A/)-Gestalt: There's also Planet Ayr in Edinburgh. However, limited terraforming has taken place, and that might also give sub-par
[17.09.2023 00:46:36] A/)-Gestalt: results.
[17.09.2023 00:46:44] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: If it doesn't release radiation pulses akin to a Neutron Star, I do not mind it's size.
[17.09.2023 00:46:51] A/)-Gestalt: But Ayr is still all ice. Just a bit of a warmer atmosphere than you might expect.
[17.09.2023 00:47:45] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: Thanks for the short list. I'll add those to my future expeditionary ventures.
[17.09.2023 00:48:08] A/)-Gestalt: No problem.
[17.09.2023 00:48:26] A/)-Gestalt: Anyway, I'm sorry to cut this short, but I've had quite a long day. I'll be docking now, but if you need anything, do feel free
[17.09.2023 00:48:40] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: Not a problem.
[17.09.2023 00:48:41] A/)-Gestalt: to send us a comm or message any Technocrat ships you see in space.
[17.09.2023 00:48:48] '\S/'Arcturus: Albert: Godspeed, Gestalt.
[17.09.2023 00:49:05] 2023-09-17 00:49:03 SMT Traffic control alert: '\S/'Arcturus has requested to dock
[17.09.2023 00:49:07] A/)-Gestalt: Likewise, McKenzie.
[17.09.2023 00:49:13] A/)-Gestalt: Keep safe.