Sagittarius A : The Expedition

[Adrift in Obscurity]

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[Reynolds]

Hello.
My name is Gallen'Varr. I am the Owner and Director of Varr-Core Mining Co.

I have a very good friend, Tom Chevron, who operates under the handle 'Scrinsons'. Tom is essentially an explorer. He likes nothing more than heading out into the black and seeing what's out there.
Of course, people back in civilisation, such as those that own and operate mining companies can pay a small fortune for stellar information that could led them to the next big pay-out!
Tom has recently returned from a journey that took him six thousand light years out. He made many new discoveries and more to the point saw many wondrous things.
It seems he doesn't get on with life back home so well. So the upshot is that he has decided to journey into the black once again. He knows that I have dabbled in the exploring game myself, but nowhere near the extent to which he has. Still, he has invited me to join him on an epic journey.
He, or rather we, as I have agreed to his proposal, are travelling to the centre of the galaxy to see first hand the awesome sight that is the supermassive black hole at Sagittarius A.

I am both nervous, and excited by the prospect.

We are looking at breaking the journey into 1000ly pieces, setting a specific waypoint to meet up at. We will then take an arcing route from waypoint to waypoint (so that we don't end up discovering the same things!), with the intention of meeting at the waypoints and travelling together for a bit before splitting up and heading for the next.

I will be broadcasting the highlights of my journey each time we reach a waypoint, and I am sure that Tom will be sending some of his own.

For ease I am going to list our Waypoints here:

• WP1: SWOILZ OU-M D8-30
  WP2: AUCOKS ZV-T D4-10
  WP3: DROJAEA XL-Q B11-3
  WP4: NGC 6188 SECTOR KX-T B3-6
  WP5: THAILAE LV-N C23-5
  WP6: SYRALIA XD-K D8-0
  WP7: LYSOONTS MS-U D2-152

I hope you enjoy our journey.

[Reynolds]

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

TANGUA SYSTEM, IMPERIAL SPACE TO WAYPOINT 1: SWOILZ OU-M D8-30 (VIA SWOILZ OQ-G C13-11)


Well, made it to WAYPOINT 1 safe and sound.


Allow me to introduce you all to the SS Stellar Core. I have already taken to calling her just, Stella!
She is pictured here in space dock just prior to launch.

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I met up with Tom at Wegener Orbital, and we started our journey out together.

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Not far out, about 240ly I came across what is basically a rock, but the rings were such a brilliant white colour I thought I'd share them with you.

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Just the beginning I know, but hey, I'm excited!

So the tally for this leg is:

NEW DISCOVERIES:
4 new systems explored
1 Class 1 Gas Giant
2 High Metal Worlds.

See you all at WAYPOINT 2: AUCOKS ZV-T D4-10

[Reynolds]

DISASTER @ BLU THUA IF-A D66

I am sending this newscast not from Waypoint 2, but from a location quite some distance short of it.

After meeting up with Tom and exploring a couple of systems together (that's him pictured below waving back at me) we parted ways again heading for the next waypoint. I decided I'd like to get a couple of good shots to transmit back and thought it would be great to get a shot from the surface of one of my discoveries.

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What I neglected to react to was the extremely strong gravitational pull of the relatively small rock I selected. The I took my eye off the ball and the ship slammed into the ground like a cannon ball. The result was a badly damaged ship.
My readout indicated that I was already down to 46% structural hull integrity. This was a disaster at this early stage of the mission.
I managed to contact Tom and let him know what had happened.
We agreed that he would plod on slowly towards WP2 and then select WP3. I would hightail it back to a friendly port for some rapid repairs.

I selected the JOH System, as an Imperial port right on the edge of populated space.

I did however manage to get a shot or two from just above the surface before ploughing into the planet!

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Also on the section of the journey I had come across:

NEW DISCOVERIES:
23 High Metal Worlds
2 Class I Gas Giants
1 Class II Gas Giant
1 Class III Gas Giant
2 Water Worlds

I turned my nose back towards civilisation and jumped away.

[Reynolds]

EARLY PAY DAY @ JOH SYSTEM

Well, as you will see by this transmission, I made it back safely.
The ride home was strenuous and nerve-wracking, as Stella wasn't impressed with me bruising her behind!
Otherwise though it was pretty uneventful. And it was tiring. Keen to get back out and catch Scrinsons, I hardly slept. It was just jump..... quick scan, check navigation, jump again.

Still, I've managed to get the station to patch the old girl up and she's looking good as new!

The navigation data I sold netted me jus over 2 million credits too, which took the sting off the early return somewhat.

A few days later and I am heading back out. I am heading out to WP2 and hope to catch Tom at WP3.
It shall mean some hard flying, and I'll avoid planets completely!!

My next transmission will be from WP2. See ya there (I hope!)

[Reynolds]

WAYPOINT 2: AUCOKS ZV-T D4-10

Hello again!
After a thunderous journey through the stars I have made it to Waypoint 2 and caught up with Scrinsons.

Thankfully there is nothing to report on the damage front!

Even though I haven't been hanging around I have managed to explore some previously unexplored systems.

Noteworthy finds, JOH to WP2
1 Water World
5 Class I Gas Giants
1 Class II Gas Giant
1 Class III Gas Giant
1 High Metal Worlds

Many of the unexplored systems I pass through contain nothing more than rocky or ice planets. I won't be detailing all of those and normally just scan the star before moving on, so in fact I am exploring more new systems than get mentioned in these newscasts.

Although most of what I have explored will have been seen many times before in similar systems, I like to share the odd find that piques my interest. I have a bit of a fascination with ringed worlds (maybe it's the miner in me seeing credit signs every time I see metallic rings!!) but what I found at SWOILZ WG-J D10-4 was in fact a Y Class Brown Dwarf Star with an enormous ring around it. If I had ever seen one like it before then I hadn't paid it any heed.

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Right then, Scrinsons has set the new Waypoint as: DROJAEA XL-Q B11-3. See you there!

[Reynolds]

WAYPOINT 3: DROJAEA XL-Q B11-3 (VIA AUCOKS VJ-R B37-2)

Hi all!
Glad to be reporting to you from WP3.

Both Tom and myself are keen to be aiming for that bright smudge of stars we call the Milky Way, but we aren't letting that stop us from exploring new systems as we go.

Unexplored bodies - WP2 to WP3:
31 High Metal Worlds
12 Class I Gas Giants
2 Class II Gas Giants
3 Class III Gas Giants
2 Gas Giants with Water Based Life
3 Water Worlds.
From 10 unexplored systems

Well, it seems I wasn't looking hard enough before! I report on finding a ringed star, and bam! there is another one just a few systems on!

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I was on my way back out of AUCOKS EB-X B34-2 when I noticed the rings around planetary body 10 - a Class III Gas Giant. You know me and ringed worlds - well these where gleaming so bright that it looked like some giant space cyclops had fixed me with it's steely gaze!

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Another ringed world with some contrasting colours. Very beautiful to watch as I silently glide past.

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I took some time to picture the Water Worlds too. As I swooped below one of the two I found at AUCOKS RF-C D14-28 I noticed a land mass at the southern pole. I was tempted to try a landing there, but my previous disastrous landing was still too fresh in my mind.

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Next stop.... WP4: NGC 6188 SECTOR KX-T B3-6

[Keeper]

***NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS RECEIVED***