I don’t expect to make entries with so little time in between them, but this log couldn’t wait. Two things of note have occurred.

First: I just completed my first exploration tour. It was a short one, really, less than a hundred systems visited. But being that it was my first foray in the role of an explorer, I was excited for the accomplishment. I even got a quick glimpse of the Sol system on my stopover in Alpha Centauri.

The second event was even more exciting: early in my excursion I got a personal invite from the famed engineer Felicity Farseer. And by happenstance a passing pilot dropped a hint that I would need to donate some meta-alloy, so I made sure to include Maia in my flight plan before ending my tour in Deciat.

The end result of all my work? Engineer Farseer has given me full access to her workshop and services; I’ve attained Pathfinder status, which is more than halfway towards reaching Elite rank; and the large amount of exploration data that I sold left me with flush with credits.

All that remains now is to decide how I will spend my earnings. Maybe another ship upgrade...

Today, I’m just bursting here. This is huge, a monumental moment. Right up there to when I graduated from the pilot academy, or when I was offered my first job. Nothing will be the same after this...

My first ship upgrade.

Alright, I know: in the grand scheme of things, this is small pea. But it’s a big deal to me. I had grown quite attached to my Sidewinder; it was the very first ship that I could call me very own. But as much a I was fond of it, that little vessel could only take me so far in this big huge universe. I needed something with more capabilities, in every aspect, to take me to the next level.

So it was with a heavy heart that I traded in my firstborn for... a second, bigger child? That doesn’t sound quite right...

In any case, I’m already quite fond of my brand-new Adder. Sure, it’s not the most stylish ship; its design reminds me of those old, primitive space shuttles that I’ve seen in historical holovids. But compared to the Sidewinder, it’s got it where it counts: larger cargo room, farther jump range, and room to install more toys.

There is one thing that this Adder will carry over from my last ship: its name. I’ve decided to christen all my ships after my wife’s favorite flower; this one will be the Blue Orchid II.

Wow. I still can't believe I'm here. All the classes, the training, the simulations, the testing... it all seems a blur, here and gone in a blink of an eye. Now I find myself in the cockpit of my very own Sidewinder, and I can't help but think: How the hell did I make it here?

I still remember the day when I received that unexpected offer through the datamail: a full scholastic grant to attend the Pilots Federation Academy, including the one-way ticket to Eravate, where the school was located, and a modest finance package upon graduation to purchase my first ship. I had immediately called my aunt to thank her; she was the only one amongst the family who could afford such a gift. But to my surprise, she denied it was from her. If not her, then who?

That mystery, plus the unexpectedness of the proposal itself, was enough to give me and my family pause. So many questions were raised: Why the offer? To what purpose? What was the risk, if any?

At the end, though, the decision to accept was a forgone conclusion. My parents, already past the age of retirement, continue to work just to make ends meet. And they also share their small home with me, my wife, and my sister; none of us can afford a place of our own. We do our part to pitch in: both my sister and my wife are nurses, and they pick up whatever extra nurse shifts they can grab at the local clinic where they work. I used to do the same back at the chip fab factory where I used to be employed; that was before I accepted this mysterious offer.

I won’t lie: the pressure on my shoulders was tremendous. Finishing the course and becoming a pilot would open up opportunities for my family and I. It could be the ticket out of our financial straits, if I managed to make the grade. More than once I found myself daydreaming in the middle of my studies, fantasizing of making Elite and relocating my family away from Hooke City in Khepri and onto Founders World.

I’m still surprised I made it through, much less graduated in the top ten percentile.

So here I am now: a fully licensed pilot, Sitting in the driver’s seat, and the open space before me. A dozen questions still remain concerning my mysterious benefactor and their actions, and a dozen new ones join them, one above all:

What now?