(Since I'm new to the forums, I cannot edit my posts and I botched the other one by using the embed feature from Flickr instead of the BBCode. Moderators please delete my old thread if this one goes through showing actual pictures)
Some weeks ago, when passengers became available, I saw quite a few of them wanting to take a trip to "The Center." Paying quite a bit too - about what you could make on a Sothis run with a good ship. So, after a first "The Center? You gotta be kiddin' me..." a get rich (erm... richer?) quick scheme formed into my mind. I'll load my Anaconda with passenger cabins and take as many crazy tourists with me as they can fit inside.
It didn't work that way.
Turns out, all these "famous explorers" hated any arrangements I proposed except one in each cabin. And they all came with extras too. Retinues, families, kids, not sure yet. One of them had 7 (seven) people with him... So, no. no get rich quick scheme. I had 3 cabins, so I took 3 explorers. I was in Aditi, and I didn't want to trek all the way back to Jameson Memorial to fit more cabins as I thought it takes too long - yes, the irony is not lost on me... 2 wanted to go to the Center, one to Black in Green (close enough). 150 mil credits in total. About half the price of my Cutter's new Fuel Scoop (that I left home - yes, I know). But hey, I long since wanted to add my name to the list of bold adventurous people that trekked the void and saw the supermassive black hole that keeps us all together. Only this time I was going to make money doing it too. Great.
Thus, CMDR R. Cartesius (aka Romeo Charlie Alpha for some reason, I don't even want to try and interpret that, but I guess I must look sexy enough), on a "Nameless" Anaconda class ship, set off into the great unknown, to boldly go where no one has gone before... well, maybe very few did, or more, anyway... was thinking in broad strokes back then.
It started off well. With my name plastered all over an ELW very close to home:
AUCOKS JX-T C19-2 A 1 A by Valid User Name, on Flickr
...and a ringed Ammonia:
AUCOKS SM-W C4-12 4_1 by Valid User Name, on Flickr
I saw this beauty:
BYEIA EUQ AG-W D2-26 4_3 by Valid User Name, on Flickr
... and thought to land on it and play with its geography a bit:
BYEIA EUQ AG-W D2-26 4_1 by Valid User Name, on Flickr
By the DUMBOOE sector I was already staring in awe at what I thought were many many very bright stars all around me. Until I hit what I called back then, alone in the void (those passengers never even visited the bridge, I had two extra chairs in my Anaconda waiting for them), "The Blanket:"
EOS AOWSY XE-P D6-2567 by Valid User Name, on Flickr
Note to self: I really have to learn how to do panoramic shots, this photo doesn't do it justice. I tried my hand at a gas giant wrapped in this blanket though:
EOS AOWSY TU-T C18-184 2 by Valid User Name, on Flickr
Of course, like a kid in a candy store, starry eyed, I started dreaming of ELWs in this vast expanse of blinking lights. And I found a few:
PUELOE PV-H C25-11 1 by Valid User Name, on Flickr
...and:
MYRIELK WH-I C23-7457 A 1_1 by Valid User Name, on Flickr
...some Ammonia Worlds, and Neutron stars (was trying to avoid those, as I heard of other CMDRs being roasted by them quite often at that time), and even a Water Giant (unassuming, brown, ugly). I visited the Black in Green for one of my passengers, and realized that black holes are world of difference when that close to the Center and in a nebula:
Black in Green by Valid User Name, on Flickr
And then I saw it. Distant and distinct, a bright foggy sphere, Sagittarius A:
approach by Valid User Name, on Flickr
I entered the system trembling in expectation, the void opening its secrets to me, the anchor of the galaxy, the nothingness that keeps us together, how will it be? What will I experience? What will I see?
Well, I saw my comms filling up with cruise ship chatter. I looked around in horror at the countless line of Belugas and Orcas touring the huge sphere of concentrated void. Announcing that they are late. Advertising their on-board entertainment facilities. Signaling gymnasium malfunctions. My passengers wanted to reach a beacon placed on the edge of the supermassive black hole (strategically so, as coming from the Bubble, you had to tour the hole first before reaching the beacon). I dropped out of Super Cruise into the beacon. Normal space and the hole. And debris. Lots of them. Spare parts. Biowaste canisters. Ship parts. Other canisters. Wait, ship parts? Did an Orca hit a Beluga?
"Scan detected." My passengers start yelling at me on the comms that they've been scanned. They don't like that apparently. Unhappy, all of them now. One threatens she'll not give me any money. Unwise, I think, but can't say anything. Who's scanning ships in Sag A? A Viper. MkIII. Some pirate named Willie. He spouts some derogatory comment about how I don't have any cargo and flies away. I fly an Anaconda. With weapons, lots of them, burst turrets and multicannons (lightweight modded), with shields, lots of them, and boosters, and heavy duty lightweight armor. I could just ram the fool, splattering his ship on my canopy, and my shields wouldn't even budge. But the passengers are yelling and I'm staring at this:
sag A 1 by Valid User Name, on Flickr
Do I really want to chase that little mosquito of a ship next to this huge nexus of light eating void? I swallow my pride and jump away.
ship by Valid User Name, on Flickr
On the return trip I found more ELWs, and Water Worlds, lots and lots of Water Worlds. I especially liked this particular ELW with a huge continent, strangely shaped mountains, and interesting weather:
ZUNI FM-C C13-154 A 1_2 by Valid User Name, on Flickr
But I was looking for something else. Something more peculiar. And I found it:
ZUNI UK-V C16-2127 2+1_1 by Valid User Name, on Flickr
Both were landable so I landed on both. And was finally able to see how a night under the starry blanket of the Center looks like:
ZUNI UK-V C16-2127 1_1 by Valid User Name, on Flickr
By contrast, on the other planet, I saw the day:
ZUNI UK-V C16-2127 2 by Valid User Name, on Flickr
I was, in the end, satisfied. I raced back home and smuggled the passengers into their station (apparently they can't get their fix of adventure unless you act all secretive and all), and they reluctantly payed me the 150mil they owed me. I sold the cabins after that. (Bought them again to transport workers into nearby systems for engineering materials).
The moral of the story? If you go to Sag A bring weapons. And blow that Willie fellow out of the sky for me while you're at it. But maybe that's too petty. Maybe this is more fitting instead:
SHROGEA OM-W C1-633 by Valid User Name, on Flickr
(you can find the full 4k pics on Flickr - they're enormous, even as png's)
Some weeks ago, when passengers became available, I saw quite a few of them wanting to take a trip to "The Center." Paying quite a bit too - about what you could make on a Sothis run with a good ship. So, after a first "The Center? You gotta be kiddin' me..." a get rich (erm... richer?) quick scheme formed into my mind. I'll load my Anaconda with passenger cabins and take as many crazy tourists with me as they can fit inside.
It didn't work that way.
Turns out, all these "famous explorers" hated any arrangements I proposed except one in each cabin. And they all came with extras too. Retinues, families, kids, not sure yet. One of them had 7 (seven) people with him... So, no. no get rich quick scheme. I had 3 cabins, so I took 3 explorers. I was in Aditi, and I didn't want to trek all the way back to Jameson Memorial to fit more cabins as I thought it takes too long - yes, the irony is not lost on me... 2 wanted to go to the Center, one to Black in Green (close enough). 150 mil credits in total. About half the price of my Cutter's new Fuel Scoop (that I left home - yes, I know). But hey, I long since wanted to add my name to the list of bold adventurous people that trekked the void and saw the supermassive black hole that keeps us all together. Only this time I was going to make money doing it too. Great.
Thus, CMDR R. Cartesius (aka Romeo Charlie Alpha for some reason, I don't even want to try and interpret that, but I guess I must look sexy enough), on a "Nameless" Anaconda class ship, set off into the great unknown, to boldly go where no one has gone before... well, maybe very few did, or more, anyway... was thinking in broad strokes back then.
It started off well. With my name plastered all over an ELW very close to home:
AUCOKS JX-T C19-2 A 1 A by Valid User Name, on Flickr...and a ringed Ammonia:
AUCOKS SM-W C4-12 4_1 by Valid User Name, on FlickrI saw this beauty:
BYEIA EUQ AG-W D2-26 4_3 by Valid User Name, on Flickr... and thought to land on it and play with its geography a bit:
BYEIA EUQ AG-W D2-26 4_1 by Valid User Name, on FlickrBy the DUMBOOE sector I was already staring in awe at what I thought were many many very bright stars all around me. Until I hit what I called back then, alone in the void (those passengers never even visited the bridge, I had two extra chairs in my Anaconda waiting for them), "The Blanket:"
EOS AOWSY XE-P D6-2567 by Valid User Name, on FlickrNote to self: I really have to learn how to do panoramic shots, this photo doesn't do it justice. I tried my hand at a gas giant wrapped in this blanket though:
EOS AOWSY TU-T C18-184 2 by Valid User Name, on FlickrOf course, like a kid in a candy store, starry eyed, I started dreaming of ELWs in this vast expanse of blinking lights. And I found a few:
PUELOE PV-H C25-11 1 by Valid User Name, on Flickr...and:
MYRIELK WH-I C23-7457 A 1_1 by Valid User Name, on Flickr...some Ammonia Worlds, and Neutron stars (was trying to avoid those, as I heard of other CMDRs being roasted by them quite often at that time), and even a Water Giant (unassuming, brown, ugly). I visited the Black in Green for one of my passengers, and realized that black holes are world of difference when that close to the Center and in a nebula:
Black in Green by Valid User Name, on FlickrAnd then I saw it. Distant and distinct, a bright foggy sphere, Sagittarius A:
approach by Valid User Name, on FlickrI entered the system trembling in expectation, the void opening its secrets to me, the anchor of the galaxy, the nothingness that keeps us together, how will it be? What will I experience? What will I see?
Well, I saw my comms filling up with cruise ship chatter. I looked around in horror at the countless line of Belugas and Orcas touring the huge sphere of concentrated void. Announcing that they are late. Advertising their on-board entertainment facilities. Signaling gymnasium malfunctions. My passengers wanted to reach a beacon placed on the edge of the supermassive black hole (strategically so, as coming from the Bubble, you had to tour the hole first before reaching the beacon). I dropped out of Super Cruise into the beacon. Normal space and the hole. And debris. Lots of them. Spare parts. Biowaste canisters. Ship parts. Other canisters. Wait, ship parts? Did an Orca hit a Beluga?
"Scan detected." My passengers start yelling at me on the comms that they've been scanned. They don't like that apparently. Unhappy, all of them now. One threatens she'll not give me any money. Unwise, I think, but can't say anything. Who's scanning ships in Sag A? A Viper. MkIII. Some pirate named Willie. He spouts some derogatory comment about how I don't have any cargo and flies away. I fly an Anaconda. With weapons, lots of them, burst turrets and multicannons (lightweight modded), with shields, lots of them, and boosters, and heavy duty lightweight armor. I could just ram the fool, splattering his ship on my canopy, and my shields wouldn't even budge. But the passengers are yelling and I'm staring at this:
sag A 1 by Valid User Name, on FlickrDo I really want to chase that little mosquito of a ship next to this huge nexus of light eating void? I swallow my pride and jump away.
ship by Valid User Name, on FlickrOn the return trip I found more ELWs, and Water Worlds, lots and lots of Water Worlds. I especially liked this particular ELW with a huge continent, strangely shaped mountains, and interesting weather:
ZUNI FM-C C13-154 A 1_2 by Valid User Name, on FlickrBut I was looking for something else. Something more peculiar. And I found it:
ZUNI UK-V C16-2127 2+1_1 by Valid User Name, on FlickrBoth were landable so I landed on both. And was finally able to see how a night under the starry blanket of the Center looks like:
ZUNI UK-V C16-2127 1_1 by Valid User Name, on FlickrBy contrast, on the other planet, I saw the day:
ZUNI UK-V C16-2127 2 by Valid User Name, on FlickrI was, in the end, satisfied. I raced back home and smuggled the passengers into their station (apparently they can't get their fix of adventure unless you act all secretive and all), and they reluctantly payed me the 150mil they owed me. I sold the cabins after that. (Bought them again to transport workers into nearby systems for engineering materials).
The moral of the story? If you go to Sag A bring weapons. And blow that Willie fellow out of the sky for me while you're at it. But maybe that's too petty. Maybe this is more fitting instead:
SHROGEA OM-W C1-633 by Valid User Name, on Flickr(you can find the full 4k pics on Flickr - they're enormous, even as png's)
