"The purchase of my new ship went smoothly! I’m the proud owner of an E78-12 Spatial explorer, and once my old crewmates pay off the last of the debt they owe on the Heron, they’ll pass me the scrip I need to get it all kitted up. And since it’s an auspicious occasion, no better time to start up my log!
"Running helium to Emlenton with the fellas might’ve been good gig, but I feel like I’m finally taking a step forward. I closed my practice on Erie for this – it was a fine ten years I devoted to helping folks close the book on parts of their lives that were holding them back, and opening up new ones. But this is gonna be my very own fresh start. I can’t wait to get out there, and see the stars on my terms!”
ENTRY 002 – MANHATTAN ORBIT
“Thanks to Captain Ustich coming through for his old skipper, the 78’s loaded up with all the necessary equipment mountings and provisions for extended intersystem travel. He insisted I load up with plenty of guns, too. I protested, but he says after seeing just how dangerous the other Houses can be, going unarmed into uncharted space would be like doing a cannonball into a draining swimming pool. So I paid to absolutely cover the ship in armaments. Let’s just hope I won’t have to use them.”
“While taking her on her first flight, just around Manhattan’s orbit to get a feel for the controls, I passed the time chatting with a Serenity captain from Bretonia. His accent is a bit hard for me to keep up with, but he was good company. He gave me a nice lead on a place to start flying off the standard civilian nav-map, too!”
[18.01.2023 03:03:31] Aspen.Harlow: Howdy, transport. Hope the lanes are nice and safe.
[18.01.2023 03:03:50] Zetland: Too right, i hope so too
[18.01.2023 03:04:08] Zetland: Getting a bit fed up to here with it!
[18.01.2023 03:04:29] Aspen.Harlow: I've been lucky enough not to run into trouble these last few weeks.
[18.01.2023 03:04:50] Aspen.Harlow: I'm glad too - I'm fresh off Erie, everyone had me worried with all this talk about Rogues!
[18.01.2023 03:05:04] Zetland: Ha, weeks you say, we get it every other day
[18.01.2023 03:05:37] Zetland: Not had the pleasure of the Rogues yet tho
[18.01.2023 03:05:44] Zetland: Ha, yet!
[18.01.2023 03:05:54] Aspen.Harlow: Hey, perish the thought!
[18.01.2023 03:06:02] Zetland: It's on the cards tho no doubt.
[18.01.2023 03:06:17] Aspen.Harlow: Yeah though, it's been nice and quiet in Penny, bless us. Big ship like that though must get you all around the Houses.
[18.01.2023 03:06:30] Zetland: Sods law it's their turn. *laughs*
[18.01.2023 03:06:59] Zetland: Aye, we do get about the place a bit.
[18.01.2023 03:07:26] Zetland: Got to take the rough with the smooth tho eh.
[18.01.2023 03:07:43] Zetland: It just gets a bit much at times thats all.
[18.01.2023 03:07:55] Aspen.Harlow: If you get around, what do you think your favorite place in House space might be?
[18.01.2023 03:08:12] Aspen.Harlow: I'm plannin' this explorer's maiden flight, could use some reccomendations!
[18.01.2023 03:08:25] Zetland: That be home son, Newcastle.
[18.01.2023 03:09:07] Zetland: for me anyway
[18.01.2023 03:09:23] Aspen.Harlow: Newcastle, I think that's... Bretonia? Never been!
[18.01.2023 03:09:47] Zetland: There you go then, something nice to explore eh
[18.01.2023 03:10:14] Zetland: Tho there might be some shocks for you in there.
[18.01.2023 03:10:41] Zetland: If you go there, hope you have a strong heart.
[18.01.2023 03:10:45] Aspen.Harlow: Shocks huh? Like, of the overbearing government kind, or the angry people with guns kind?
[18.01.2023 03:10:57] Aspen.Harlow: We get both of those here in Liberty. Sometimes they're the same people.
[18.01.2023 03:11:07] Zetland: Erm neither mate.
[18.01.2023 03:11:24] Zetland: You scared of spooks son?
[18.01.2023 03:11:53] Zetland: Ghost trains, that sort of thing?
[18.01.2023 03:12:11] Aspen.Harlow: Ooh, you had me wondering there for a second if you meant ghosts.
[18.01.2023 03:12:30] Zetland: A fair bit of hauning in the toon aye.
[18.01.2023 03:13:09] Zetland: As long as you lock n load up, you'll be ok
[18.01.2023 03:13:10] Aspen.Harlow: People in my hometown on Erie would tell stories about missing colonists out in the forest sometimes.
[18.01.2023 03:13:20] Aspen.Harlow: But I was never much into ghost stories.
[18.01.2023 03:14:05] Zetland: Aye, don't sweep all the rumors under the carpets
[18.01.2023 03:14:49] Zetland: If you go goto Newcastle tho, careful of the Mackems eh.
[18.01.2023 03:15:19] Aspen.Harlow: Oh yeah? What's a Maccam then?
[18.01.2023 03:15:32] Aspen.Harlow: Lay the spacer knowledge on me, friend.
[18.01.2023 03:15:37] Zetland: You don't know what a Mackem is?
[18.01.2023 03:15:53] Aspen.Harlow: Maybe it's lost in translation?
[18.01.2023 03:15:59] Zetland: Oh well thats a funny one to tell
[18.01.2023 03:16:07] Aspen.Harlow: Ooh, I'm all ears.
[18.01.2023 03:16:15] Zetland: You know what a monkey hanger is?
[18.01.2023 03:16:26] Aspen.Harlow: Sure do!
[18.01.2023 03:16:44] Zetland: Well same for the Mackems
[18.01.2023 03:17:00] Zetland: but only from a different town
[18.01.2023 03:17:04] Aspen.Harlow: Aaaah, ok, it's all clicking with me now.
[18.01.2023 03:17:32] Aspen.Harlow: Like the difference between Lebanites and Webers. I'm graspin' it.
[18.01.2023 03:17:52] Zetland: Get around newcastle, when you see them shooting at you, they're the dirty stinking mackems!
[18.01.2023 03:18:23] Zetland: YOu heard of the Webers then aye?
[18.01.2023 03:18:46] Zetland: You know the score then, more or less the same idea.
[18.01.2023 03:18:59] Zetland: *laughs*
[18.01.2023 03:19:15] Zetland: I like you son, you're a canny kid.
[18.01.2023 03:19:15] Aspen.Harlow: Yep, they're bad business, sure as sure gets!
[18.01.2023 03:19:52] Aspen.Harlow: Well shucks, don't go inflatin' my ego before I actually come back alive from a flight, heh.
[18.01.2023 03:19:57] Zetland: Aye, it's a funny old world.
[18.01.2023 03:20:10] Aspen.Harlow: How 'bout Zoners? Got any of them snoopin' in Newcastle?
[18.01.2023 03:20:35] Zetland: Nah, don't see that lot hanging about.
[18.01.2023 03:20:44] Zetland: Very rare
[18.01.2023 03:21:08] Zetland: Maybe they hate the mackems n'all.
[18.01.2023 03:21:20] Aspen.Harlow: If they know what's good for 'em, that is.
[18.01.2023 03:21:22] Zetland: more than likely
[18.01.2023 03:21:46] Zetland: well i best get down to Pennys
[18.01.2023 03:21:58] Zetland: it's getting a bit light now
[18.01.2023 03:22:12] Zetland: the moons are coming round eh
[18.01.2023 03:22:28] Aspen.Harlow: Hey, fair's fair, captain. You stay safe now.
[18.01.2023 03:22:29] Free_Riki_Multi: hey all
[18.01.2023 03:22:39] [Traffic control alert: Free_Riki_Multi has requested to dock]
[18.01.2023 03:22:40] Zetland: Aspen, i'll catch you around aye.
[18.01.2023 03:22:41] Aspen.Harlow: Howdy, transport.
[18.01.2023 03:22:42] [Free_Riki_Multi suffered a self-inflicted catastrophic decompression. Vessel cargo spilling into vacuum.]
[18.01.2023 03:22:50] Zetland: FFS!
[18.01.2023 03:22:58] Zetland: You see that.
[18.01.2023 03:23:07] Aspen.Harlow: Ooh... bit of a bumpy entry, isn't it?
[18.01.2023 03:23:19] Aspen.Harlow: You're supposed to moor at the moor!
[18.01.2023 03:23:23] Zetland: waste now want not
[18.01.2023 03:23:46] Zetland: dropped quite a bit too
[18.01.2023 03:24:06] Zetland: can't seem to grab it tho, he must have hit it hard
[18.01.2023 03:24:30] Aspen.Harlow: I'd be surprised if any of that is reachable before it burns up in the ol' atmo.
[18.01.2023 03:24:49] Aspen.Harlow: A little somethin' for New York pedestrians to gawk at, huh?
[18.01.2023 03:24:49] Zetland: not getting any closer or i'll end up in the bastard.
[18.01.2023 03:25:14] Zetland: aye, sod that for a laugh
[18.01.2023 03:25:32] Zetland: well, im off for a drink to set me up for the night
[18.01.2023 03:25:32] Aspen.Harlow: Hey, if what I got a scan of in the guy's hull was accurate, they're better off watching it burn.
[18.01.2023 03:25:42] Zetland: Ha aye
[18.01.2023 03:25:55] Aspen.Harlow: Alrighty cap'n. Have a good one!
[18.01.2023 03:25:57] Zetland: you have a good one anyway Aspen
[18.01.2023 03:26:11] Aspen.Harlow: That I'll do, that I'll do.
[18.01.2023 03:26:16] Zetland: Be safe now, you hear bonny lad.
ENTRY 003 – PLANET ERIE
“Repositioned to Erie today for my first expedition. Something was nagging at me to take the ship for a ride in the outback systems bordering Penny before I head all the way to Bretonia, so I listened!"
“After offering to buy lunch for a shipping manager here in Wyandot City and some casual conversation, he ponied up the location of the Kansas jump hole, but I’ll be on my own from that point onward. I’ve only paid a little attention to what’s been going on in the news lately, but if LibGov is really pushing hard against those insurrectionists in the outback, I’ll have to be extra careful. It shouldn’t be too crazy, not like I’m flying with no IFF, but I better steer clear of any fighting; trusting Liberty gunners to not assume I’m with the rebels is a heck of a tall order."
“Just finished my first sweep of the Kansas system – what a rush! All this wide open space is exhilarating to burn through. Gives me those warm fuzzies I used to get gliding on Erie back in Rock Creek. No roads, no ships crowding the sky, just endless miles of forest underneath your wings. The difference here is I can’t see my fellow Zoners staring up at me, flying low near town – I guess the laws of physics are my dispassionate observer now.”
“Learned that quick when I tried to inspect a wrecked rebel battlecruiser in low orbit above Wichita. I was so focused trying to match velocity with the wreck to get a good look, didn’t notice my orbit degrading! If I didn’t correct it, I’d have broken atmo and probably smacked into the ocean, drowned, watery grave, picked apart by sea creatures… eugh."
"I swear, since I was born, water and gravity have been gunning for me, backed by their inside man, lack of survival instincts.”
“I’ve been following the trail of wrecks from Topeka to Wichita, into this ice field. This jump hole seems to head to Vespucci, where the bulk of the action is, says CNS. Definitely putting on my cautious pilot hat, for real this time.”
ENTRY 005 – INVERNESS SYSTEM
“It’s going down, all right. There’s a huge battle happening between the jump hole and Veracruz! I kept well away from that on my first pass, keeping to the Sonora ice field so I don’t end up a fly on some battleship’s windshield."
"That worked out for keeping me safe from all the guns, but sensors pinged a jump hole near me to a system I didn’t recognize. Figured what the heck, it’s stable, let’s see where it goes.”
“It spat me out on the edge of a spooky nebula, lots of electrical activity, but the kicker was that there was supposedly a structure or station deeper inside. There was way too much interference to get a solid lock. It seemed fishy, like Liberty Rogue fishy, but crazy as it was, staring into that nebula it felt like a part of me was being… pulled inside? Like a little piece of my awareness was saying ‘come on in, the water’s fine’. Thankfully after the Wichita incident, I’m sworn off listening to myself when water’s in the picture (ha), so I backed out of the nebula for now.”
“Docked for repairs at this Junker station that’s absolutely swanky (for Junkers). They said welcome to Inverness, and pointed me in the direction of a Zoner Freeport. My first Freeport visit, and they say it’s the most recent one built!”
ENTRY 006 – FREEPORT 14
“I got a warm welcome from some fellas in the station lounge, who were happy to meet a kindred spirit from back in Penny. For my part, I was happy to meet some folks I could diss Liberty with and have them get it on the same level as me. Thankfully, we still self-govern on Erie (most places), but in another 50 years? I don’t know."
“These Freeport guys though might have it worse – sure, there’s no corporate infrastructure springing up around their ears sucking away their independence, but they say they had to tow the station here from a system named Alberta to get away from a dark matter storm, which sounds pretty vicious."
"They managed that with the help of the Carrier Tarrafal just outside, this Bustard-class that apparently zips around Sirius like an avenging angel for Zoners in need. Hearing that from them lit a little fire in my heart – that’s real Zoner community right there. We might pride ourselves on making our own way, but we also never withhold a helping hand when it's needed."
“They told me to head to Omega-48 if I ever wanted to hear more stories of the Great Houses mulching up a good thing. I know they were talking about Gran Canaria, we heard plenty about it back home, but real little when it came to Bretonia’s business there. I’ll take ‘em up on it, but I gotta get back to Erie. After finding my first Freeport, this little sojourn has been a success in my eyes. Although, after mapping the rest of the system, I do think I’ll head back to where I first came in, and do a little peeking…”
“I said before that I was never much for ghost stories. That’s still true, I think. Maybe there’s worse than ghosts out here.”
“I told a station security type in the Freeport lounge I was going to investigate the nebula, and he gave me this deadly look. Asked me how much I knew about Nomads. Confused, I told him I knew a little from history and what mom told me about her life out in the Omicrons, and that they’re ruthless killers, but that’s it. He just shook his head and said if I don’t want to get a very intimate lesson, think twice about poking every nebula I see.”
“I knew I should’ve listened to him. Instead, I listened to that damned intuition.”
“The jump hole, back to Vespucci, I passed it up, went deep into the nebula. Sensors said the structure was ahead of me, but I still couldn’t get readings on it.”
“I was about three kilometers from the object when it happened. There was a flash, and I saw the silhouette of something huge in the light. After it faded, something pounded on the hull. Weapons fire maybe? And it was like my shields weren’t even there, just exposed to the void. So I turned and burned. Sensors went haywire, registering new contacts. Two, then six, then twelve. Unknown configurations, from multiple directions. I was terrified, but at this point I was in ‘oh shit’ piloting mode – shaky but focused.”
“That stopped right after I felt them behind me. Don’t ask me how, but I mean felt them. The bloodthirst, the outrage, the disgust at a trespasser fiddling around your bedroom window. And I could feel them coming closer. Radar had them clocked at four kilometers back, but I knew they were closing in around me. Around my spirit, and they wouldn’t let go. I was in tears, I couldn’t do it – my life was in the autopilot’s hands. I must have bawled for another ten minutes before I realized I was still alive. In Vespucci, away from them.”
“For the first time out here in space… I feel very, very small.”
ENTRY 008 - KANSAS SYSTEM
“Made it back through Vespucci in one piece. Not that I didn’t have a close call. I was still so out of it from what happened, I zoned out and flew right into a skirmish. Pulled myself out of the line of fire and got to watch a bunch of angry flag-wavers hurl ordnance at each other – what a waste. Both sides barked at me over comms to clear the area, so I did.”
“Passed by the Ohio’s battlegroup and went back through the jump hole. Still can’t shake the thought I haven’t seen what I needed to see out here, even after that. It’s that feeling again, like something’s pulling me away. I keep wondering this, but… why does it feel so familiar?”
“I knew something was up, so instead of laughing off that… sensation I got, I followed it. It's difficult to put into words, but after I stopped overthinking it, I just understood where I was going, or where I needed to go, I guess. It sounds crazy, and it is. It felt like I was in a daze the whole trip here."
"Maybe whatever happened in Inverness messed with me worse than I thought? I've never had a history of delusions, and my nav-map can't even place me anywhere in Sirius. If I'm suffering an acute psychosis capable of hallucinations like this, being lost is the least of my worries. My provisions should last for several weeks, at least."
"Anyway, assuming what I found is real, what I saw at my destination blew my socks off."
“Before I arrived… wherever I'm at, there was another nebula, spooky as usual. Another structure, deep inside. I went. This nebula was volatile, radioactive, putting a lot of strain on the ship’s systems, but the Spatial was built to take it. Found a derelict fighter that wasn’t. Poor guy.”
“Then, another freelancer, a freighter! I was relieved, because I had discovered something insane, and I needed a human to talk to that wasn’t me. It was this massive gate structure, which my console tagged as a jump gate. But it was seriously scuffed up, and definitely not like any jump gate I'd ever seen. It was... calling me to enter, and at that point, I wasn't about to turn back."
[20.01.2023 01:31:55] Aspen.Harlow: That's unexpected. Howdy spacer. Can you read?
[20.01.2023 01:32:02] Gulliver: I think so
[20.01.2023 01:32:18] Aspen.Harlow: I entered this nebula about half an hour ago and-... what?
[20.01.2023 01:32:24] Aspen.Harlow: You... you still there buddy?
[20.01.2023 01:32:38] Aspen.Harlow: There you are. Nebula's messing with my systems, lost you a sec.
[20.01.2023 01:32:57] Aspen.Harlow: Where's that gate structure lead to?
[20.01.2023 01:33:02] Gulliver: yeah, this place is kinda funky
[20.01.2023 01:33:13] Gulliver: no idea
[20.01.2023 01:33:43] Aspen.Harlow: Me neither. I think you can interface with it same as any other jump gate, but it seems pretty dangerous.
[20.01.2023 01:34:13] Gulliver: yeah, I'm not game to jump through, ive got other places to go
[20.01.2023 01:34:30] Aspen.Harlow: That's probably safe. I'm... still mulling it over.
[20.01.2023 01:35:00] Gulliver: given the ship your in you'd probably be ok
[20.01.2023 01:35:06] Aspen.Harlow: I'm just the slightest bit curious. Feels a bit easier to decide now that I've shared the moment, you know? *laugh*
[20.01.2023 01:35:23] Gulliver: he, yeah.
[20.01.2023 01:35:35] Gulliver: you'll be fine if there's a way out
[20.01.2023 01:35:57] Aspen.Harlow: Yeah, "if". At least this thing has cold sleep beds, but I don't fancy losing a couple centuries in deep space.
[20.01.2023 01:36:42] Aspen.Harlow: Well, hey friend. If I never come out, tell my folks on Erie that Aspen Harlow couldn't take a hint.
[20.01.2023 01:36:52] Aspen.Harlow: Here I go, I guess!
"I've learned much. Much more than I wanted to know. Many answers, but so many more questions."
"That's definitely not somethin' you want to say after a test flight. After I arrived in the system, I felt that familiar calling pulling at me again, which was starting to feel almost... comfortable. The ship's sensors were picking something up too by this point, but it was spotty, indecipherable. I was hearing it loud and clear, though, almost like music..."
"The system had extremely high levels of background radiation, and I was having no luck finding a way out. I either approach or my rad-shielding slowly degrades and I cash my last check. The source was this bizarre station, with a similar make to the jump gate that led me here. I was worried about whether I could even dock, but as if it had known, it guided me inside."
"It was even stranger within the interior. The corridors of the station seemed to bend and shift if you blinked or looked away, and so much was impassable, blocked off by these force shields. I was expecting the unexpected, scared skinless as I was, but what I didn't expect to find was other people."
"They welcomed me, and said I was hearing the same beckoning that they had heard, though some were surprised when I told them how intense it was. For some of these pilgrims, from all across Sirius, it took them living their whole lives in space to eventually hear this station reach out to them, calling them to a new way of life - I'd barely been in space for over a year. In that moment, I felt like I had actually been hearing it my whole life."
"Some humans, they said, possessed a mind that was particularly attuned to the way those that were 'here before us' would perceive and communicate. It was no wonder, they said, that I was pulled here like I was, though it's oddly a rare occurrence. This all sounded like insanity to me, but I didn't know how to answer to it - what could I say? It was better than my explanation of suddenly losing my marbles."
"Instead, I asked what they meant about those 'here before us'. And they told me. About the Nomads. About humanity's great theft, our fruitless resistance, the dark tragedy we wreak on each other and how unworthy we've been to inherit what we have here, in Sirius. This place, they said, was a place to escape that, and to soon embrace something new entirely. I would understand, soon, if I stayed."
"It felt so right to see where this was going, but I couldn't shake the memory of what I felt in Inverness: that indiscriminate anger and hatred. It gave me some pause, knowing the people here were identifying with that. I think I should be damn glad that it did, or I don't think I'd have ever left that place."
"I told them that whatever this was, I clearly wasn't ready for it, and they were surprisingly understanding, even guaranteeing that I would be able to leave the system. One of them though, an older man, passed me a haunting comment as we parted: that the more of humanity I saw across the stars, the more I would want to return."
"I'll be keeping this little excursion to myself for a long time, I think. But I know that I would very much like to prove him wrong."
“Been a little while now since I updated this log. It’s so odd to think about, going back to the mundanity of day-to-day living after walking away from… a whole lot of something that’s bigger than I am. But that’s just how things shake out in space, I reckon. I’ll process it with time. Who knows, maybe learn a thing or two meanwhile."
“Leaving that system via a stable anomaly spat me out in Rheinland somewhere, not the most desirable first-time visit. Managed to bumble my way to Planet Hamburg and back onto the lanes, back to Liberty, back to Erie. Had a cold shower in my own apartment, that was a blessing from on high. Honestly, it was tempting to stay, but I’d peeled off my blinders a bit too far on what’s going on out there to just drop everything. Besides, I had a bet to think about now. So I said goodbye to those blue skies, and made for Bretonia like I’d planned ‘fore I left.”
“Checked out a whole batch of new systems and met some interesting folks, like a smooth operatin’ fighter pilot from the Crayter Republic. They watched my back and guided me into the Taus a good way. Very ‘to the point’ with their words, but fine company. Discussed the wars that had torn up the region with me a short while, the scars of which we’d been seeing all over. It… wasn’t the best showing in favor of humanity.”
“The real kicker though was a lead I’d gotten via a friendly Interspace captain named Forrest, about a Zoner research group that might be looking for explorers and pathfinders. This was good news because supply and upkeep on the ship is startin’ to squeeze me good; I had to play scout for that fella to earn the cash to stay in the green, and solo spelunking hasn’t paid the bills very well. I haven’t heard from Jax and company in a while, so I don’t know if I can keep relying on them to cover me.”
“I’ll be laying over at Freeport 10 for a bit, so I’ll look ‘em up. I could really do with flying among friends again.”
[22.01.2023 05:06:29] AWES-Aspiration: Good day, Aspen.Harlow!
[22.01.2023 05:06:42] Aspen.Harlow: Howdy Interspace. How's the lanes been treatin' ya?
[22.01.2023 05:06:55] AWES-Aspiration: Pretty decent today.
[22.01.2023 05:07:15] AWES-Aspiration: Are you patrolling on contract? Or looking for next trade?
[22.01.2023 05:07:49] Aspen.Harlow: I'm a freelance space explorer, actually. A Bretonian from Newcastle said there was a lot to see there, just came back.
[22.01.2023 05:08:07] AWES-Aspiration: Nice work, sounds like an exciting career.
[22.01.2023 05:08:11] Aspen.Harlow: He didn't tell me the spooky nebula at the edge of the system had *horror stories* about it, though.
[22.01.2023 05:08:39] Aspen.Harlow: It's alright so far. Never a dull moment, but pay is hard to come by.
[22.01.2023 05:08:50] AWES-Aspiration: There are quite a few stories I've heard as well about that area.
[22.01.2023 05:09:11] AWES-Aspiration: What kind of clients do you typically have?
[22.01.2023 05:09:37] Aspen.Harlow: I skirted the edge but couldn't convince myself to go inside. I've had a lot of bad luck with nebulas in the last week or two.
[22.01.2023 05:10:00] Aspen.Harlow: Clients? Well, I haven't actually taken any. I'm definitely in the early days here.
[22.01.2023 05:10:12] AWES-Aspiration: Ah, I'm understanding.
[22.01.2023 05:10:27] Aspen.Harlow: I mostly explore for myself. Used to be a psychotherapist, actually, but owning my own ship was always a dream of mine.
[22.01.2023 05:10:56] Aspen.Harlow: I did some helium hauling for a bit to pay my way with an old crew, but they're off doing transport work now.
[22.01.2023 05:11:20] Aspen.Harlow: How 'bout you? Big House corp, they gotta pay well for good captains, yeah?
[22.01.2023 05:11:37] AWES-Aspiration: I can attest that transport work is at least steady, but not exciting. Unless there are pirates.
[22.01.2023 05:12:03] AWES-Aspiration: We get paid fairly well. Plus there are decent benefit packages with Interspace.
[22.01.2023 05:13:26] AWES-Aspiration: We do have different areas and some executives have called in outside contractors to assist with projects, on occassion.
[22.01.2023 05:13:27] Aspen.Harlow: That's good to hear! They got their own security too, right?
[22.01.2023 05:13:39] AWES-Aspiration: If you are looking to corporate work on a per job basis.
[22.01.2023 05:14:14] AWES-Aspiration: Yes, we try to have as many escort ships as we can, but there's so much traffic, its never enough to cover all trade out there.
[22.01.2023 05:15:21] Aspen.Harlow: It was never somethin' I really thought about, pulling jobs for the big names. I try to stay away from violent encounters, too.
[22.01.2023 05:15:57] Aspen.Harlow: But, I'm also runnin' out of scrip on operating expenses... I'd hate to see the day I end up some space merc, heh.
[22.01.2023 05:16:36] Aspen.Harlow: Got any tips on orgs looking for exploration vessels? That'd save me a load of trouble.
[22.01.2023 05:16:49] AWES-Aspiration: Good question.
[22.01.2023 05:17:06] AWES-Aspiration: There is a research firm in Tau-23 we've done work for.
[22.01.2023 05:17:31] AWES-Aspiration: Goes by the name of Starlight Research Consortium I think?
[22.01.2023 05:17:59] Aspen.Harlow: Can't say I've heard the name. What'd they have you getting up to?
[22.01.2023 05:18:35] AWES-Aspiration: They are deep into discoveries and research, and their onboard equipment needs a special power source.
[22.01.2023 05:18:52] AWES-Aspiration: We have been contracted in the past to make deliveries of these power source modules.
[22.01.2023 05:19:35] AWES-Aspiration: I used to worry about hauling those things - if they shorted out or something I figured we'd be done for.
[22.01.2023 05:20:31] Aspen.Harlow: Looks like transport services has some excitement besides pirates after all!
[22.01.2023 05:21:05] AWES-Aspiration: The only excitment there is my paranoia
[22.01.2023 05:21:28] AWES-Aspiration: But no accidents so they must engineer them well
[22.01.2023 05:21:39] Aspen.Harlow: Heh, we'll call it your well-honed survival instincts, captain.
[22.01.2023 05:22:01] AWES-Aspiration: I suppose one can't be too careful.
[22.01.2023 05:22:16] Aspen.Harlow: You headed towards the Taus yourself?
[22.01.2023 05:22:59] AWES-Aspiration: Yes, to Crayter space. This Iridium gets alot of use in Coronado.
[22.01.2023 05:23:58] AWES-Aspiration: Did you have enough adventures yourself today with the Nebula?
[22.01.2023 05:24:07] Aspen.Harlow: Yeah, I stopped by there on my way, actually, but I haven't been any deeper into the Taus.
[22.01.2023 05:24:55] AWES-Aspiration: Well, we travel the Tau Highway a lot, often running Gold from Dublin to Honshu. Usually it's safe.
[22.01.2023 05:26:10] Aspen.Harlow: Must be safer than Vespucci at least. I got a firsthand look at the Liberty operation going on there. Huge mess of ships.
[22.01.2023 05:26:43] Aspen.Harlow: And about that nebula, nah. I *wanted* to go inside, but the last two times I went into dark nebulas with electrical storms...
[22.01.2023 05:27:13] Aspen.Harlow: I nearly died both times! Something about the #3 and tempting fate came to mind...
[22.01.2023 05:28:17] Aspen.Harlow: If you ever frequent Inverness, just stay away from the jump hole to Vespucci, is all I'm saying.
[22.01.2023 05:28:22] AWES-Aspiration: Best to not make learning that lesson your last lesson. Good call.
[22.01.2023 05:29:03] AWES-Aspiration: We seldom get that way, and part of that is the conflict. It's dangerous, I agree.
[22.01.2023 05:30:15] Aspen.Harlow: The Taus sound like my place to be then! I owe ya for the tip, so I could watch out for you on the way to Coronado if ya want.
[22.01.2023 05:30:57] AWES-Aspiration: I'm not one to turn down a good escort. How much would you like in pay for your services?
[22.01.2023 05:31:55] Aspen.Harlow: Oh, lessee... just covering my expenses, I'd only need maybe 650,000.
[22.01.2023 05:32:28] AWES-Aspiration: Ah, well I believe that will be fine by us.
[22.01.2023 05:32:28] Aspen.Harlow: S'enough to keep me flying a while, if I'm careful.
[22.01.2023 05:33:53] Aspen.Harlow: Roger that. I'll form on you once you send it and your flight plan on over.
[22.01.2023 05:34:12] [2023-01-22] You have received 650.000 credits from AWES-Aspiration
[22.01.2023 05:34:23] AWES-Aspiration: Payment sent.
[22.01.2023 05:35:27] Aspen.Harlow: Alrighty! Will you be headin' through Newcastle?
[22.01.2023 05:35:53] AWES-Aspiration: Sure, we can go that way.
[22.01.2023 05:36:25] Aspen.Harlow: Only askin' since if you wanted to stay on the lanes, best way would be back the way you came.
[22.01.2023 05:36:41] Aspen.Harlow: But, there's a hole in Newcastle that'll get us into the system.
[22.01.2023 05:37:03] AWES-Aspiration: Well, we can still connect though Leeds to Newcastle
[22.01.2023 05:37:37] Aspen.Harlow: Yep, I think it ends up bein' a bit shorter. I'll squawk if I see trouble.
[22.01.2023 05:37:54] AWES-Aspiration: Roger!
[22.01.2023 05:38:52] Aspen.Harlow: I'll be honest... I really had to resist letting the words "Leeds seems quiet" escape me earlier.
[22.01.2023 05:39:19] Aspen.Harlow: That'd have been pretty insensitive. I can't believe something like this happened.
[22.01.2023 05:39:36] AWES-Aspiration: Yes, quite the tragedy
[22.01.2023 05:40:48] Aspen.Harlow: Clear so far.
[22.01.2023 05:41:37] Aspen.Harlow: The lane to Scarborough will put us right near it.
[22.01.2023 05:42:43] Aspen.Harlow: Alrighty, follow me.
[22.01.2023 05:43:03] AWES-Aspiration: On your tail. Into the ice
[22.01.2023 05:43:21] Aspen.Harlow: Ice fields I actually like. Reminds me of Penny.
[22.01.2023 05:43:28] Aspen.Harlow: I'll go first.
[22.01.2023 05:43:38] AWES-Aspiration: Understood
[22.01.2023 05:44:40] Aspen.Harlow: You're bound for Yuma, then?
[22.01.2023 05:44:45] AWES-Aspiration: Yes
[22.01.2023 05:45:00] Aspen.Harlow: Nice, should be a nice straight shot.
[22.01.2023 05:45:00] AWES-Aspiration: They want this cargo at Sabah
[22.01.2023 05:45:46] Aspen.Harlow: Military applications I reckon? I heard Crayter skirmishes with the Outcasts plenty.
[22.01.2023 05:46:13] AWES-Aspiration: Then they need all the help they can get. That's a violent group.
[22.01.2023 05:46:56] Aspen.Harlow: Yeah, 'tween the sniffers and their home planet here being a pain in the butt to colonize, they got a handful.
[22.01.2023 05:47:23] Aspen.Harlow: And there's Sabah, nice and pretty.
[22.01.2023 05:48:25] Aspen.Harlow: Said I wouldn't end up a space merc, and then I pull an escort right after. Space does weird things to you, man.
[22.01.2023 05:48:25] AWES-Aspiration: Excellent. Thank you for the escort, and the conversation. Always good to make great acquitances on road.
[22.01.2023 05:48:35] AWES-Aspiration: It sure does *laugh*
[22.01.2023 05:48:59] Aspen.Harlow: Say, what's your name, captain? We should chat more some time if I see ya around.
[22.01.2023 05:49:48] AWES-Aspiration: I'm captain Forrest Logan. I usually got this boat heading around the Tau areas due to being based in Convergence in 31
[22.01.2023 05:50:53] AWES-Aspiration: Safe travels to you out there. I hope we cross paths again.
[22.01.2023 05:50:58] Aspen.Harlow: Hey, right on. I'm Aspen Harlow - couldn't think up anything witty enough callsign-wise, so there ya go.
[22.01.2023 05:51:09] Aspen.Harlow: I'll be around the Taus some, so I don't doubt it.
[22.01.2023 05:56:44] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: Still around freelancer, not off to a new adventure?
[22.01.2023 05:57:08] Aspen.Harlow: Had to spend all that escort money fixing up the radiation damage. Probably off to the Taus here in a second, though.
[22.01.2023 05:57:37] Aspen.Harlow: How's your day treatin' you, Crayter? Gotta admit, don't know much about your place here.
[22.01.2023 05:57:51] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: It's been fine
[22.01.2023 05:58:09] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: nothing out of ordinarey
[22.01.2023 05:58:42] Aspen.Harlow: That's good to hear. As the independent worlds go, this is the safest system of 'em I've been to.
[22.01.2023 05:58:44] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: But that's just here in Coro, things get less secure out there
[22.01.2023 05:59:10] Aspen.Harlow: Got that right. Inverness is pretty crazy.
[22.01.2023 05:59:49] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: Not just there, once you move into the Taus. You don't know what you'll find.
[22.01.2023 06:00:44] Aspen.Harlow: No kiddin'? Don't know much about the area except what I read on CNS.
[22.01.2023 06:00:56] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: We colonists out here are more loose than the houses. Far wider and wilder
[22.01.2023 06:01:37] Aspen.Harlow: It's a little like that in Penny, too, but Liberty's workin' on spreading all over the system. I'm a Penny Zoner, myself.
[22.01.2023 06:02:03] Aspen.Harlow: Is it true you guys came from a whole other sector?
[22.01.2023 06:02:08] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: I see, then what brings you out here?
[22.01.2023 06:02:42] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: it was a long time ago, but as we remember. Yeah
[22.01.2023 06:03:25] Aspen.Harlow: That's wild! Explains why your ships are a lot more stylish than what we get here.
[22.01.2023 06:03:51] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: diffrent cultures I guess
[22.01.2023 06:04:19] Aspen.Harlow: As for myself, I'm an independent explorer. S'always been a dream of mine to check out space on my terms, y'know?
[22.01.2023 06:04:46] Aspen.Harlow: I used to do hang gliding on Erie so this is like a version of that writ large.
[22.01.2023 06:04:56] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: Most of my memories are OF space now
[22.01.2023 06:04:59] Aspen.Harlow: Just... *way* more expensive and deadly.
[22.01.2023 06:05:32] Aspen.Harlow: Not the first time I heard a spacer say that, weirdly enough.
[22.01.2023 06:05:45] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: Yuma beaches can be just as rough
[22.01.2023 06:06:23] Aspen.Harlow: Yeah I read about the wildlife down there while I was on one of those floating cities. You guys picked a heck of a place.
[22.01.2023 06:07:00] Aspen.Harlow: Say, what would you say is your wildest memory of space then? Like, out of everything you've seen.
[22.01.2023 06:07:01] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: It's home, and it's our little place
[22.01.2023 06:07:48] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: Here in the Taus? Once I ran into a whole group of diffrent people
[22.01.2023 06:08:42] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: One and Auxian, another an outcast, a third a gen'an girl, and then a kusari policeman who had lost him mind
[22.01.2023 06:09:06] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: All around an anomoly in Tau-23
[22.01.2023 06:09:09] Aspen.Harlow: Sounds like the start of a "walked into a bar" joke.
[22.01.2023 06:09:32] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: It played out like one
[22.01.2023 06:09:44] Aspen.Harlow: So what were they doin'?
[22.01.2023 06:10:06] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: Don't know, I high tailed it out of there
[22.01.2023 06:10:21] Aspen.Harlow: Oh, right, yeah, they all have guns.
[22.01.2023 06:10:42] Aspen.Harlow: Flying circles around the anomaly singing kumbaya?
[22.01.2023 06:10:45] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: And I had a funny feeling they didn't like me either
[22.01.2023 06:11:27] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: Yeah, about to join hands and say purge the crayterian
[22.01.2023 06:12:22] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: Never found Sirians too welcoming to us.
[22.01.2023 06:12:39] Aspen.Harlow: Well, hopefully you get better from us Zoners.
[22.01.2023 06:12:58] Aspen.Harlow: Hey, fellow Zoner, help me out and give the Crayterian an e-hug.
[22.01.2023 06:13:04] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: gotta remember him for later
[22.01.2023 06:13:27] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: don't think He wants to stop
[22.01.2023 06:13:33] Aspen.Harlow: Yeah, there he goes. Bye, friend!
[22.01.2023 06:13:49] Aspen.Harlow: So hey, Tau-23, I'm headed exactly there. Remember the grid by chance?
[22.01.2023 06:14:04] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: I can guide you
[22.01.2023 06:14:21] Aspen.Harlow: If you don't mind, I'd be glad to have the help.
[22.01.2023 06:14:40] Aspen.Harlow: These guns are mostly for show anyway. I ain't ever shot anybody.
[22.01.2023 06:14:58] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: Well stick with me and you'll be fine freelancer
[22.01.2023 06:15:19] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: heading to Tau-31
[22.01.2023 06:15:35] Aspen.Harlow: On your wing, buddy. If we're formin' up, now I gotta know your name!
[22.01.2023 06:15:59] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: You can just call me thunder wolf freelancer
[22.01.2023 06:16:29] Aspen.Harlow: Sticking to the tac-names, righteous. Couldn't think anything witty up for mine.
/…/
[22.01.2023 06:25:29] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: welcome to Tau-31
[22.01.2023 06:25:39] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: This is also Crayter space
[22.01.2023 06:25:56] Aspen.Harlow: Real neat seeing the Gallic architecture in the trade lanes. They came right through here, huh?
[22.01.2023 06:26:11] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: In the war
[22.01.2023 06:26:20] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: Let's move on
[22.01.2023 06:26:26] Aspen.Harlow: Copy.
[22.01.2023 06:26:34] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: And that was a long time ago
[22.01.2023 06:26:56] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: We just kept the infurastructure intact
[22.01.2023 06:27:00] Aspen.Harlow: Yeah, hadn't even gotten my license from Valley Forge when that was happening.
[22.01.2023 06:27:32] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: Be glad you didn't live it
[22.01.2023 06:27:56] Aspen.Harlow: I'll take it to heart. You fight in the war yourself?
[22.01.2023 06:28:08] Aspen.Harlow: Reckon you must've.
[22.01.2023 06:28:12] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: No, but I felt the effects
[22.01.2023 06:28:21] Aspen.Harlow: Ah, I getcha.
[22.01.2023 06:28:32] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: Too young to fight
[22.01.2023 06:29:17] Aspen.Harlow: Living planetside is like living in another universe when you hear about stuff like that going on in space.
[22.01.2023 06:29:22] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: This is also the border of Crayter space, from here it's wild untamed and unpredictable
[22.01.2023 06:29:32] Aspen.Harlow: Unless you're the subject of the news. Then it's personal.
[22.01.2023 06:29:54] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: I find planetside life less scary
[22.01.2023 06:30:12] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: let's jump
[22.01.2023 06:30:17] Aspen.Harlow: Try scuba diving some time and then we'll see how ya feel.
[22.01.2023 06:30:22] Aspen.Harlow: Right on ya.
[22.01.2023 06:31:05] Aspen.Harlow: This is... ominous.
[22.01.2023 06:31:20] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: Not what you expected huh?
[22.01.2023 06:31:31] Aspen.Harlow: Didn't expect so much wreckage.
[22.01.2023 06:31:45] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: You know of a war, but it wasn't the only one here
[22.01.2023 06:31:49] Aspen.Harlow: And apparantly some research group has a headquarters here, or thats what that Interspace guy told me.
[22.01.2023 06:32:11] Aspen.Harlow: There was more than one?
[22.01.2023 06:32:24] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: Yes, I know of them. Silent bunch
[22.01.2023 06:32:54] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: Kusari had greedy hands and wanted revenge on Gallia
[22.01.2023 06:33:37] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: And the Taus burned once more in war
[22.01.2023 06:33:45] Aspen.Harlow: Revenge for the war? Didn't Kusari turn coats and back Gallia for a while?
[22.01.2023 06:33:55] Aspen.Harlow: I swear I heard about that around when it started.
[22.01.2023 06:34:29] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: They turned coat because they couldn't fight anymore
[22.01.2023 06:35:04] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: They were at war with Bretonia when gallia invaded
[22.01.2023 06:35:25] Aspen.Harlow: On two fronts, huh? So something had to give.
[22.01.2023 06:35:53] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: We even were aiding Kusari in fighting bretonia at the time as well
[22.01.2023 06:36:18] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: But when Gallia invaded, no one was ready
[22.01.2023 06:36:18] Aspen.Harlow: And an embarassment like that for a proud people... slow-burning resentment is understandable afterwards.
[22.01.2023 06:36:54] Aspen.Harlow: Yeah, looking at the state of things now, you'd never guess the allies were at eachother's throats.
[22.01.2023 06:37:15] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: These are wild times
[22.01.2023 06:37:17] Aspen.Harlow: There's got to be a better way to unite people than a common enemy.
[22.01.2023 06:37:39] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: good luck with that freelancer
[22.01.2023 06:38:15] Aspen.Harlow: Yeah... hey, you never know, answer could be hiding under a rock out here.
[22.01.2023 06:38:37] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: all of them have their own version of peace
[22.01.2023 06:39:01] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: rarely do they align
[22.01.2023 06:39:27] Aspen.Harlow: On the other hand, there's rarely more of a will for peace to win out than just after a war.
[22.01.2023 06:39:50] Aspen.Harlow: Guess the challenge for us is keeping the memory fresh, so nobody goes thinking it's such a good idea - again.
[22.01.2023 06:40:14] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: anyways, there isn't much here of interest
[22.01.2023 06:40:25] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: unless you're a miner or merchant
[22.01.2023 06:40:47] Aspen.Harlow: Yeah, I was gonna ask about where you spied that outlaw friendship ceremony, but I reckon the anomaly is gone by now.
[22.01.2023 06:40:55] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: It's rich in rocks, not much else
[22.01.2023 06:41:11] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: Follow me then
[22.01.2023 06:41:40] Aspen.Harlow: On the other hand, know where those researcher types are based at here?
[22.01.2023 06:41:50] Aspen.Harlow: Trying to remember the name...
[22.01.2023 06:42:23] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: It's name is Ikuras something and it's on the east side of Tau 23
[22.01.2023 06:43:06] Aspen.Harlow: I'll have to go lookin' for them. Think I might want to sign on.
[22.01.2023 06:43:27] Aspen.Harlow: Pretending I'm an escort is gonna fall apart once I have to fight something.
[22.01.2023 06:43:32] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: It's up here
[22.01.2023 06:44:07] Aspen.Harlow: Tau-37... the standard nav-map seems kinda incomplete, that'd be a neat place to check out.
[22.01.2023 06:44:11] Aspen.Harlow: So they were right here?
[22.01.2023 06:44:39] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: Like I said, you won't know what you'll find out here
[22.01.2023 06:45:08] Aspen.Harlow: Aside from Outcasts and cardamine smugglers. Those seem like a given.
[22.01.2023 06:45:46] Aspen.Harlow: Thanks for bein' willing to watch out for me all this way! Giving me a lot of places to snoop around.
[22.01.2023 06:46:03] Aspen.Harlow: Definitely gonna linger here for a while and map things out.
[22.01.2023 06:46:26] =CR=Thunder.Wolf: Alright, I'm heading back. Farewell freelancer
[22.01.2023 06:46:44] Aspen.Harlow: Stay safe, buddy! Lemme buy you a drink if I'm back on Yuma sometime!
"My duties kept me on the run-around, but now I'm getting in some free time based here on Canaria for my little Omega safari. Joining up with SLRC sure has kept me busy, but it's got to be the smartest decision I've made yet. No way I could have gone much further just on my own before I'd have to turn back and sell the boat, or become the Border Worlds' most timid pirate ever. Ha, God knows I'd never have that in me."
"None of that for me, though! I've been scoping out space all across the Taus, even examining Gallic space for a time, generally being a fresh pair of eyes and a 'hands-on' pilot for the Consortium, which has been great fun and is immensely rewarding work. Dr. Montgomery and Dr. Wright are both pretty hands off about pursuing personal interests as long as I contribute to the organization frequently, and I've sent a point of scientific concern or two their way already for potential investigation. That, and I've sounded the alarm on danger."
"Yeah... I got a front-row seat to the Bretonian and Crayter fleets trashing Bregancon in Orkney. Half my reason for being down this way, really, getting away from that. I can't believe after a whole decade of war and the worst massacre in human history, the Taus are seeing another border conflict. I actually mouthed off to a BAF officer about it a little while takin' the new security officer, this kid named Karl, out to see the sights - stupid of me."
"It's not unreasonable for the Bretonians to feel backed into a corner after Leeds, panicked and aggressive like a wounded badger. That's why they invaded here, I guess, left a bunch of scars and pain behind when they realized it was shortsighted. I'm sure they'll learn that lesson again, but how far are their new victims going to continue that trauma conga-line...?"
"Well, it's not all so depressing. The Zoners here were able to pick up the pieces and at least try to build something new out of the rubble. We should all aspire to be so dauntless. Y'know, even House citizens, living and working in the areas between their governments' influence, have been some of the nicest and most self-sacrificing people I've met in space so far."
"You'd think seeing how big the universe is would make us realize we're all one people in the end, but that's what we get when we don't leave the thin-air border-drawing tribalism back on Old Earth. I have to admit, if there is a way to deprogram us of that nonsense, I don't think I can blame the people back on that station for wanting it."
"There's a lot to see in Sirius yet, though. Maybe the Omegas are a step up on the whole."
ENTRY 013 – FREEPORT 5
"Wow, this place is a dump."
"I know they're making do with what they have here, but whoever would want to live this close to a neutron star in a hollowed rock, sloshin' down potassium iodide tablets after every meal, must not have thought things through very far. The 'Freeport' (suuure) at least plays host to some cadres of independent researchers here to see the neutron star up close. These guys will be real useful to have around if SLRC wants to coordinate a joint survey in the region, so I gave some of them my contact info and a link to Starlight's Neural Net."
"Among these scientists, yet another person called me 'Mister' Harlow while I was still rocking my EVA gear (for the radiation protection), then I take it off to eat in the food court and she gets all embarrassed and tosses out 'ma'am' and 'miss'. I don't really let it bug me, but damn if it doesn't happen all the time in space too."
"You know what? I think when I get back to Ikarus, I'll tell Monty I'd like to ID as Dr. Harlow after all so I can just sidestep this moment forever. I used to think it was vain to insist on 'doctor' when I'm just the same as the next spacer, but damn if I don't miss avoiding the headache like I did on Erie. Who cares if the education isn't space-related?"
"Anyway, sorry for the ramble, Omega-41 just really isn't very interesting. The researchers here would put me on a spit if they heard me say that, but beyond the surely inarguable scientific value and obvious visual beauty of the Omega-41 star, I'm the wrong person to appreciate it. I haven't even seen any Corsair patrols to donate this bread and salami. Maybe they think it's boring too. I suppose it is really neat to consider that this is an Edge system, but that's really reaching."
"Wait, who am I even apologizin' to? Jesus, I'm getting out of here. I'm goin' to O-55 to continue my initial surveys."
"My recon through the Omegas and a little beyond is all tidied up now. Made some professional contacts on Freeport 5 and got to pass some food onto a pretty reasonable Corsair. Fella had to run, but he implored me to try the local beverage of choice in Heraklion planetside. Didn't want to ruin the friendly atmosphere by saying 'I don't drink', so I just smiled and nodded."
"I did pick me up a single alien artifact while visiting the spaceport, though - just a little bauble as far as I can tell, though it's sporting beautiful etchings on it, in spiral patterns. It's weird to consider how the species that made these must've manufactured them - surely no interstellar society would make all these things by hand, after all. And what were they for? It'd have to be weird if the most common archeological... well, artifact, that they left behind was just a pretty paperweight."
"Heck, even poked around the Omicrons a bit, at least around the edges. Visited a few of Crete's outposts in Omicron Xi, a system with some huge planets, and got to visit Amorgos. Everyone's really anxious about the Core there. I got a lot of dirty looks, I guess because for all they know, I could be a spy. Wasn't quite as friendly of an atmosphere as on Crete! Well, as friendly as you could expect from a pirate state."
"The bartender passed some chatter my way sayin' the 'Sairs have been making a killing off moving some different kind of artifacts, from a planet they call Knossos in that system somewhere. Had to be in one of the nebulas, so I hard passed on it for now - too soon, eugh. Maybe later."
[11.02.2023 19:35:18] SLRC-XPS>Attlerock: Oh, finally, a Corsair. Howdy there!
[11.02.2023 19:35:31] Corsairs-Carlos~Benitez: Hola....uhh.. Zoner
[11.02.2023 19:35:44] Corsairs-Carlos~Benitez: What brings you to our space?
[11.02.2023 19:36:20] SLRC-XPS>Attlerock: I'm a deep space explorer fresh over from Canaria. I wanted to donate a little something.
[11.02.2023 19:36:36] SLRC-XPS>Attlerock: Since I've been traipsing up and down the Omegas, felt wrong not to pass a little something your way.
[11.02.2023 19:36:45] Corsairs-Carlos~Benitez: Scanning
[11.02.2023 19:36:55] SLRC-XPS>Attlerock: Yep, go ahead. Engines hold.
[11.02.2023 19:37:20] Corsairs-Carlos~Benitez: All clear. You're travelling without armament, Zoner. A brave choice in this area of space.
[11.02.2023 19:37:21] SLRC-XPS>Attlerock: I'd have brought a lot more food, but I had to give up a lotta my hold space recently...
[11.02.2023 19:37:57] SLRC-XPS>Attlerock: Yeah, I'm not really looking to shoot anybody.
[11.02.2023 19:38:07] SLRC-XPS>Attlerock: I count on being able to duck out before that becomes a problem.
[11.02.2023 19:38:22] Corsairs-Carlos~Benitez: So are we all. And yet... trouble always finds us.
[11.02.2023 19:38:43] Corsairs-Carlos~Benitez: There are threats in these systems that even Zoners cant negotiate their way out of.
[11.02.2023 19:39:09] Corsairs-Carlos~Benitez: That is not a threat from myself... merely a warning to have your wits about you.. and that fancy engine primed.
[11.02.2023 19:39:35] Corsairs-Carlos~Benitez: You're all clear to proceed, as far as I'm concerned.
[11.02.2023 19:39:51] Corsairs-Carlos~Benitez: Where are you headed? Happy to escort.
[11.02.2023 19:39:51] SLRC-XPS>Attlerock: Very much appreciated, buddy. And in the spirit of good faith...
[11.02.2023 19:40:07] SLRC-XPS>Attlerock: That's for you fellas.
[11.02.2023 19:40:09] Corsairs-Carlos~Benitez: Gracias.
[11.02.2023 19:40:25] SLRC-XPS>Attlerock: Should be enough to feed a wing or two for a day, at least. Sadly I'm not a freighter.
[11.02.2023 19:40:40] SLRC-XPS>Attlerock: As for where I'm headed, do you mind if I survey the planetoids here?
[11.02.2023 19:40:49] Corsairs-Carlos~Benitez: By all means.
[11.02.2023 19:40:55] SLRC-XPS>Attlerock: I don't want to accidentally run into anything restricted, is all.
[11.02.2023 19:41:26] SLRC-XPS>Attlerock: Will do! Just never seen your homeworld up close, it's exciting!
[11.02.2023 19:41:37] Corsairs-Carlos~Benitez: In that case I recommend avoiding sector 2F. Spatial anomalies... missing patrols. Navigational hazards.
[11.02.2023 19:42:03] SLRC-XPS>Attlerock: Keeping a wide berth from Foxtrot 2, roger.
[11.02.2023 19:43:13] Corsairs-Carlos~Benitez: We're now headed out on a covert mission. Fly safe Zoner.
[11.02.2023 19:43:24] SLRC-XPS>Attlerock: And you, buddy! Keep your head on a swivel!
[11.02.2023 19:44:50] Corsairs-Carlos~Benitez: We recommend the tequila at the bar at the main Heraklion spaceport.
[11.02.2023 19:44:59] Corsairs-Carlos~Benitez: Adios amigo.
[11.02.2023 19:45:07] SLRC-XPS>Attlerock: See ya on the flipside!
ENTRY 015 – BATTLESHIP HOOD
"So. Spacecraft racing? It's a goddamned whale of a time."
"Work was getting really exciting. We were making some contact with the alien artificial intelligence in Kappa, but in between consulting around about that, I finally got out to Barrier Gate and managed to snag a good deal on a small personal craft from a freelancer who was trading up, for running short errands."
"It's a CLI-11000, one of the pricier ships for how small it is, but damn if it doesn't ignore petty things like 'inertia' or 'the concept of physics' when it gets going! It handles real similar to Valley Forge's trainers too, so it's fittin' me like a glove."
"So, bein' the new owner of this little model and having meandered past the IMG's racetrack in Dublin a few times, I found myself out that way. I must've been running time trials on this track for almost a week now. And go figure, AWES says they've got plans for this track come next month."
"I say, bring it on! I never figured myself for bein' competitive about racing, but hey, you discover all sorts of things about yourself in space!"
ENTRY 016 – CHARTRES SPACE COLONY
"Turns out racing is really dangerous, even before you add in autoturrets to the mix. Which is exactly what AWES did. They're insane, and it's kind of beautiful! I really shouldn't be admiring a Liberty corp this much, the machinery of House capitalism being what it is, but hey, if they ain't tellin', I ain't tellin'!"
"But, yeah, the track is getting progressively more deadly. And apparently the turrets are going to be firing live ordnance during the event. They want to cut down on the danger by having the pilots fly their ships as drones remotely from the Hood. I'm... ambivalent about it. The experience of racing from the cockpit is almost meditative, trance-like: you simply become speed, motion, reaction, split-second thinking. It's a unique experience I've fallen in love with here, and I'm not sure would be preserved from flying via a console."
"A little chat with some folks by the track might've inspired me to look into a little something in that regard... we'll see if it pans out. That's why I'm up here in Gallia, even if I can't speak a lick of French - need to get my hands on some bio-neural arrays to toy with. Always a pleasure to see new stations that aren't in ruins, though. Got enough of that in this neighborhood."
[11.02.2023 21:06:21] AWES-Resolution: go go go!
[11.02.2023 21:06:42] RACE-"Sunshine": Phew, holy moly!
[11.02.2023 21:06:50] AWES-Resolution: Nice run!
[11.02.2023 21:06:58] RACE-"Sunshine": Thanks, buddy!
[11.02.2023 21:07:03] RACE-"Sunshine": Missed two gates though, tsk tsk.
[11.02.2023 21:07:06] AWES-Resolution: We may have some adjustments required yet...
[11.02.2023 21:07:10] RACE-"Sunshine": Those guns really add to the pressure...
[11.02.2023 21:07:18] AWES-Resolution: That's the idea!
[11.02.2023 21:07:36] AWES-Resolution: And there's more weapons to come!
[11.02.2023 21:07:41] RACE-"Sunshine": You guys set that up? Man, what /don't/ you fellas do.
[11.02.2023 21:07:59] AWES-Resolution: We like to keep busy and be unique!
[11.02.2023 21:08:13] AWES-Resolution: Just wait for the first event!
[11.02.2023 21:08:25] AWES-Resolution: It'll be crazy..
[11.02.2023 21:08:36] RACE-"Sunshine": And hey, we appreciate every moment of it. Beverage delivery, racing events...
[11.02.2023 21:08:54] RACE-"Sunshine": I won't ask whether Liberty knows an Interspace-affiliate is sponsoring asteroid racing, though.
[11.02.2023 21:09:18] RACE-"Sunshine": Got any idea on the ETA for that event?
[11.02.2023 21:09:21] AWES-Resolution: As long as corporate taxes are paid..
[11.02.2023 21:09:34] AWES-Resolution: Within next few weeks, I hope!
[11.02.2023 21:09:56] RACE-"Sunshine": Ohohoho, you're getting me fired up.
[11.02.2023 21:10:10] AWES-Resolution: I love it! Hope to see you here for it!
[11.02.2023 21:10:13] RACE-"Sunshine": Glad I bought this little spaceframe when I did then.
[11.02.2023 21:10:20] RACE-"Sunshine": You can count on it, pal.
[11.02.2023 21:10:35] RACE-"Sunshine": Time to grab some lunch. Fly safe!
[11.02.2023 21:10:45] AWES-Resolution: Safe skies to you, and good lunch!
[15.02.2023 00:10:48] RACE-"Sunshine": Tsk, missed a ring in the middle of my run.
[15.02.2023 00:10:53] RACE-Alpha: Damn!
[15.02.2023 00:10:53] RACE-"Sunshine": Howdy, though.
[15.02.2023 00:11:10] RACE-Alpha: Hi! That was a horrible run for me.
[15.02.2023 00:11:30] RACE-"Sunshine": Are you the test pilot? Making sure the platforms are in nice spots?
[15.02.2023 00:11:52] RACE-Alpha: Yeah, I try my best to see how the new setups work out.
[15.02.2023 00:12:04] RACE-"Sunshine": Howdy, Eve.
[15.02.2023 00:12:06] RACE-Alpha: This latest one is fairly challenging, but not impossible.
[15.02.2023 00:12:15] RACE-Alpha: Good day!
[15.02.2023 00:12:20] Eve.Taylor: Good evening.
[15.02.2023 00:12:33] RACE-"Sunshine": Yeah, I like that the beam turret's back in the lineup.
[15.02.2023 00:12:40] Eve.Taylor: IC and a Zoner?
[15.02.2023 00:12:44] RACE-"Sunshine": I'm gonna give it a shot and see if I can top my par.
[15.02.2023 00:12:47] Eve.Taylor: You two make quite the combo.
[15.02.2023 00:12:53] RACE-Alpha: Everything was moved further out. For survivablility
[15.02.2023 00:13:10] RACE-"Sunshine": You know, you're right about that, Taylor. But I think the race takes all comers.
[15.02.2023 00:13:15] RACE-Alpha: We have been enjoying trying out the raceway.
[15.02.2023 00:13:38] RACE-"Sunshine": Yeah, I passed it in my Spatial and couldn't help but nab an Arrow to give it a go.
[15.02.2023 00:13:48] RACE-"Sunshine": Great fun, if you're interested!
[15.02.2023 00:13:57] Eve.Taylor: Ah, indulging in Dublin's main past time.
[15.02.2023 00:14:13] Eve.Taylor: Well, aside from separtist backed terrorism slash freedom fighting.
[15.02.2023 00:14:32] RACE-Alpha: We have coords for two different setups - one with the guns about 1000M away from 4 keys points along the track, another only
[15.02.2023 00:14:46] RACE-Alpha: at 500M. The latter is VERY challenging alone.
[15.02.2023 00:15:13] RACE-"Sunshine": I miss the setup when you had the anti-capital turret smack in the middle of the path. That was a doozy.
[15.02.2023 00:15:14] RACE-Alpha: What's this about terrorism?
[15.02.2023 00:15:40] RACE-"Sunshine": The 'lancer is talking about the Mollys, Alpha.
[15.02.2023 00:15:40] Eve.Taylor: Seriously?
[15.02.2023 00:16:12] RACE-Alpha: Of course, heads in racing, not politics. Dunno what I was thinking being in Dublin.
[15.02.2023 00:16:28] RACE-"Sunshine": Yeah, they swing by the Hood sometimes actually. Do they give you trouble working on the track?
[15.02.2023 00:16:44] RACE-Alpha: They actually haven't bothered our efforts out here much recently. We've been lucky.
[15.02.2023 00:16:58] Eve.Taylor: Shit.
[15.02.2023 00:17:13] Eve.Taylor: One of their guys is the champion from that rally in Baffin a while back.
[15.02.2023 00:17:19] RACE-Alpha: Sometimes they ask for 'taxes' but we aren't working gold here, so it's not much.
[15.02.2023 00:17:24] Eve.Taylor: Can't imagine they'd give you guys much trouble.
[15.02.2023 00:17:56] RACE-"Sunshine": There was a race in Baffin? Dang, that's much closer to home for me.
[15.02.2023 00:19:11] RACE-"Sunshine": Alright, I got a par of two twenty three and four milliseconds to beat. Be right back.
[15.02.2023 00:19:21] RACE-Alpha: Good luck!
[15.02.2023 00:19:44] RACE-Alpha: There they go - firing away!
[15.02.2023 00:20:31] RACE-Alpha: What a light show!
[15.02.2023 00:20:43] Eve.Taylor: So uh...
[15.02.2023 00:20:57] Eve.Taylor: What is with the extra weapon platforms in the race track anyway?
[15.02.2023 00:21:44] RACE-Alpha: AWES is having racing events using the Dublin track in the near future. The weapons provide something 'extra' to make it
[15.02.2023 00:21:50] RACE-Alpha: exciting!
[15.02.2023 00:22:32] RACE-Alpha: The base has the ability to change the location of the emplacements during or between scheduled events - should be fun!
[15.02.2023 00:22:37] RACE-Alpha: how'd you do?
[15.02.2023 00:22:58] RACE-"Sunshine": My God, that was too close... you got 'em placed just right, that's for sure.
[15.02.2023 00:23:23] RACE-"Sunshine": No way I'm gonna be making 2:23 again on this configuration. Too much to dodge!
[15.02.2023 00:23:35] RACE-Alpha: I find the hairpin curves at the three quarter mark always gets me stuck or hung up - tough.
[15.02.2023 00:24:17] RACE-"Sunshine": Hey, by the way, these turrets - they're not like, full military-grade ordnance right?
[15.02.2023 00:24:23] RACE-Alpha: It should be interesting to see the difference on event day with multiple ships trying to get through same rings.
[15.02.2023 00:24:41] RACE-"Sunshine": If I get hit, I'll just be disabled right? Not, y'know.
[15.02.2023 00:25:09] RACE-Alpha: Well, we've dumbed them down for testing, but during events, for effect on the drones used, they'll be full power.
[15.02.2023 00:25:29] RACE-"Sunshine": Ah. Ah, ok. Right.
[15.02.2023 00:25:40] RACE-"Sunshine": *Gulp*
[15.02.2023 00:25:43] RACE-Alpha: So, yeah, you'll be ok for testing..
[15.02.2023 00:26:09] RACE-Alpha: The idea is that ships will be flown remotely from the Hood, for safer races.
[15.02.2023 00:26:33] Eve.Taylor: Right...
[15.02.2023 00:26:36] RACE-Alpha: The corporate would rather keep drunken deaths from happening during events.
[15.02.2023 00:26:47] RACE-"Sunshine": Aw, but then where's the thrill?
[15.02.2023 00:26:54] RACE-"Sunshine": I mean, I don't like to explode.
[15.02.2023 00:26:59] Eve.Taylor: Pretty sure some of the bookies on the Hood will have a thing or two to say about that.
[15.02.2023 00:27:11] RACE-"Sunshine": But racing from a console can't beat being in the cockpit.
[15.02.2023 00:27:39] RACE-Alpha: Maybe so. If a pilot wants to do that, I guess, maybe we can just have them sign a waiver.
[15.02.2023 00:27:56] RACE-Alpha: I'm sure the Insurance side will think of something.
[15.02.2023 00:28:19] RACE-"Sunshine": Hm. I wonder if it's possible to use bio-neural processors to somehow simulate pilot awareness of being in the craft.
[15.02.2023 00:28:56] RACE-"Sunshine": Like a psuedo-connection to the ship. Safe on the Hood, but it "feels" like you're flying it.
[15.02.2023 00:29:04] RACE-Alpha: Perhaps. I'm sure they've made advanced in the holoimaging that could help with the realism factor.
[15.02.2023 00:29:05] Eve.Taylor: Asking the wrong mercenary there.
[15.02.2023 00:30:05] RACE-"Sunshine": That could be something worth looking into... I'll have to ask my boss about sourcing some processors when I get back.
/.../
"Every time I read this log, I feel embarrassed with myself for ever being so naïve. Treating this trek out into space like it's going to be some kind of safari. See a new planet here, take pictures of a new station there, maybe find something new. I thought I was a pretty quick learner, but when it comes to this, I just couldn't take a hint."
"The universe did try to warn me damn quick, to its credit. The way I found the Shrine, what I walked away from there, that was my chance to just change my mind and stay home. But I wasn't going to listen, was I? I'd been puffing myself up to see the stars my whole life, resting on that rock in the middle of the lake, just watching the galaxy spin in the endless black above me. Hell, circling a new sun is routine to me now."
"Well, now instead of living my sleepy life in a sleepy city, silently dreading my parents dropping by for a surprise visit and a lecture about my life, I get to fear for theirs. I get to know that the magnificent, luminous creatures that swim among the stars want them dead or gone, to atone for some stupid victimless crime committed centuries ago, among even worse things living just outside my window here on the station. Things without shape or form that would see us washed away."
"That's not even considering what I've learned from most of the people I've met. This talent I'm discovering in myself. Every day, I meet someone who makes me question how much I really know, what I believe, both in and out of the Consortium. Reminds me of the rookie I still am when the sun sets."
"That, at least, isn't a bad thing. The bedrock of all the sciences are laid by asking the question 'why?'. And I've got no shortage of threads to pull on there. There's a certain elegant potential in every 'why?', that folds out into a tapestry of new experiences. I like to think that same potential exists for us all, too. Humans I mean, our species. That if we were to just vanish, the stars would be dimmer for what they'd miss out on, what we could be. That much I feel like I still have to prove to myself, 'fore all is said and done. I still want to believe we're worth it."