Well, that's new. As I glanced at the nearest system list in the cockpit, it took me a moment to realize what had happened-- it was almost blank, save for the system I was in and two small systems out at 9 and 10.6 light years away.

Time to get used to it. The closer we get to Beagle Point, the more of this there will be. Or less of this, come to think of it.

Appropriate, I suppose.

John Masefield

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by; And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking, And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied; And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying, And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life, To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife; And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover, And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

Well, the fleet has two weeks to knock out 14,000 light years, so, like any big task, the best way of tackling this is to break it into small chunks and deal with them individually. Hence, the first small chunk, 4,000 light years to PRU AUB DL-P E5-35, or the slightly easier to pronounce Aristo and the first rest stop on this block of travel.

14,000 isn't much considering I did that much and more just to hit Explorer's Anchorage to replace my SRV, but we've still got a ways to go until Beagle Point-- and then the voyage back.

You don't get a good sense of lonliness, of being ALONE, when you're around a lot of people and then... they're all gone. Maybe you'll see them on the way, maybe you'll see them at the next waypoint... maybe not. Or maybe you'll log into EDSM one day and see your friends tens of thousands of lightyears away, back in the bubble.

Oof. Onwards.

This is the aforementioned quaternary system. I know EDSM rates systems GREEN if they have enough jumponium in them, but I'd support the formation of a new rating system: BROWN, for the color of your trousers after you drop into one of these stellar ovens.

SO THERE I WAS, hauling ass out to WP10 from a fast backtrack to EA to replace my damaged SRV, and I dropped into this quaternary star system. Left, right, up-- unless I got out of there I'd be boiled like a pot of Goman Yaupon Coffee. Throttle zero, slam the nose of the Orchid Dreaming straight down and hope for the best. Well, now that I'm here, why not give the system a scan? Took a gander at the FSS and... wow, that's neat! A nice landable rock with massive rings and a few rare hotspots. Sweet!

Blistered the paint off Orchid Dreaming, but 180 jumps later and I zipped through the mailslot on Explorer's Anchorage to repair and re-stock my SRV. In and out just long enough to cash out my discoveries, while the techs slapped duct tape on the parts that move but shouldn't and some WD40 on the parts that don't move but should.

Now I'm back out into the black, full throttle back to WP10. Well, maybe after a quick nap.

Well, I'm at WP10, and if we're going to be here for the next two weeks, why not take the time to swing back to EA and grab another SRV? There are bark mounds and other biosites on this planet, and if I don't take advantage of the opportunity to stock up on materials, well, I'll kick myself.

Not only do we have to cope with a paucity of A-rated modules out here, but all the ship prices are so much more expensive. "The food in this restaurant is terrible!" "I know, Myrtle, and the portions are so small!"

If you're in the Colonia region, come on down to Kyloalks DL-Y g17, and enjoy a nice morning stroll on The Mighty! With a refreshing, brisk 96.6 Earth masses, you won't even feel the 9.9gs. Actually that's a lie. You'll feel it, and so will your ship-- as it's stripped of 64% of its hull integrity!

But it's a lovely trip. Just don't take any passengers who get finicky about broken components or rough rides.

So folks got a little nutty at WP9 before tomorrow's jump, and, well, Lavian Brandy and driving (and flying) just don't mix. So there I was, about to land this sweet reverse 720 and... well, someone else's SLF had other ideas. A ship-launched fighter with full shields at maximum velocity slamming into a gracefully pirouetting SRV doesn't turn out well for the SRV.

Now I've got no SRV, but that's fine. I've got enough materials for about 40 standard FSD injections, and with the lower mass due to not having to lug around a vehicle, I've got more than enough range to get to Beagle Point. If this happened 5 days ago, I'd take the time to hop back to Explorer's Anchorage and grab another SRV, but with the new waypoint being revealed tomorrow, I don't feel like making that much of a trek. It's not necessary. What IS necessary is getting to Beagle Point and back.

Eyes on the prize!