Expedition II: Operation "Persera"

[Deluvian]

[Comms]
- Commander. what are you trying to do? - Lori's voice was trembling with fear
- Something that I intended a long time ago - my response was calm and firm
- I know.. but - Lori did not know what to say - .. good luck out there.. and please come back
- I will.. at least I intent to
[Comms]
- Deluvian..for god sake - Allitnil did not sound very happy at all - what a hell are you trying to do now?
- Well, I think I know what I'm doing.. just wish me luck Master - I answered
- I do not know what to tell you, but one thing is clear.. you are stretching it.. you are stretching your luck - his voice was very concerned

[Comms Out]

The Goal

** classified **

Pre-expedition Research

** classified **

Photo Documentation

https://photos.app.goo.gl/nnBjgtGmzq2X8JBB2

The Ship

** classified **

The title should be "Expedition III (...)", and I did not pay attention.. sorry for that

 

[Deluvian]

Eagle's Landing.. Eagle Sector IR-W D1-117 3 got stuck.. now Customs has a problem because of "unusual amount of fuel".. ychhh

I did not make it... well I was not following news, so I woke up way too late to participate in this epic rescue mission.. but what's important Cmdr Persera was saved.. unbelievable achievement.. and luck, it is not easy out there.. nor safe
Looks like I can strip everything now... fuel limpets controller etc. won't be needed anymore, nor the instruments.. I think I am ready

As I am stuck because of the paperwork, I am going to collect some Arsenic.. my storage is almost empty

 

[Deluvian]

Day 4 - VFR

All the clouds in the sky.. Everything seems so simple, but it is going to be extremely tricky.. I am looking at the constellations, like I am trying to ensure myself, that I know which way to go.. Ehhhhh, never mind. Last check.. FSD preheated.. time to go

At least Customs agreed to let me go.. after some small "contribution"

 

[Deluvian]

Day 5 - Bad dream

"41.34.. 41.34.. 41.34.. aaaaaa" - What a hell? - I opened my eyes and realized, I was sitting at the controls of the ship.. my forehead was covered with sweat..
"Rocinante" was slowly cruising towards Skaudai CH-B D14-34, I must have passed out.. well I needed sleep, that's for sure. Instrument cluster.. empty, nothing on the radar.
Sensors? Sensors are OK, you cannot go wrong with engineered 8D.... but no scanners? that's a joke. I cannot even "honk" the system I am entering..


"What was that damn dream all about.. 41.34, what is that number?" - this thought was still in my head

switched my panels to Modules and started reviewing my configuration and power draw.. "I have to come up with the perfect configuration" - jingled in my mind
- Thrusters 5D Dirty Tunning - I said slowly - cannot do better.. nothing with less mass at least, no direct influence on FSD.. at least to my knowledge
- AFMU 6A, turned off.. no actual mass influential to FSD performance, it is a life saver... the only benefit, ability to load more fuel........


- Wait a second - I said loud - what's my current jump range?
I switched quickly to Functions panel..


"45.57(68.43)LY" - something started slowly clearing in my mind - "Where are we now?"


I switched to Navigation panel.. "8,445.61LY from Sol.. I should be still able to use comms"

[Comms]
- Allitnil for Deluvian - I repeated this sentence like dozen times.. nothing, silence.. he must be completely out of range

- Lori Jameson for Deluvian
- Lori Jameson for Deluvian Reyes Cruz - I said impatiently.. noise and a few glitches, but then something like a voice.. I fine-tuned the radio

- This is Lori.. Commander - her voice was audible enough
- Lori, I cannot get hold of Allitnil.. he must be on some of his escapades "out of range" - I said quickly - could you do me a favor and find me the latest information about the optimized route to Semotus Beacon?
- Commander.. - she laughed quietly - I can tell you on top of my head.. since you departed like crazy, without even letting me look at "Rocinante", I've been only studying this insane area.. The Death Zone
- I am guessing, you are asking just for few last jumps, correct? - she asked
- Correct - I admitted firmly
- I think you are looking for this:
MYEIA THAA QI-B D13-0 - MYEIA THAA QI-B D13-1 (50.03LY)
MYEIA THAA UO-Z D13-0 - CEECKAEA QK-C D14-0 (56.10LY)
CEECKAEA QK-C D14-0 - OEVASY MA-A D0 (66.32LY)
OEVASY MA-A D0 - OEVASY NA-A D0 (53.7LY)
OEVASY NA-A D0 - OEVASY RG-Y D0 (82.68LY)
OEVASY RG-Y D0 - OEVASY SG-Y D0 (50.07LY)

Some more noise on the radio...

- Perfect, lemme analyze it - I answered with satisfaction
- Where are you actually headed? - asked Lori
- I need to visit one of the bases in Colonia, I still need to do some fine tuning of my outfitting - I answered - Thank you, for your help
- You are very welcome - she said - you know, that I am always there for you

[Comms Out]


I looked at my notes and started scratching my head.. well I know this route, I've been there.. done that.. yeah, and this big jump.. 82.68LY.. well I have enough of Premium material but...


- Sometimes you feel like Archimedes, wanna jump of your bathtub and scream "Eureca" like crazy - I said to myself - but it just because you are an idiot..
- 82.68LY is possible only with FSD boost right? - I continued this rhetorical discussion with myself - by half.. 41. damn 34 LY.. isn't it? This means, even if I leave my SRV Hangar behind and replace it with a fuel tank.. I am simply not gonna make it to Semotus Beacon


- Thank you for waking up on time Commander - I said to myself and knocked on my forehead - and who's gonna say that dreams are stupid...

 

[Deluvian]

Day 6 - Colonia Hub

Landed early in the morning.. the first thing I did, I put "Rocinante" into the outfitting hangar. Long hours of work... I am very tired and dirty.. but finally in the evening, well the results are promissing. My ship truly reminds an empty shell now.. looks like I remove literaly every ounce of spare weight from it (including removing perfectly comfortable sleeping place from my cozy cabin)
I just landed eventually in a local tavern, few drinks.. I could not even get drunk properly.. and you cannot even imagine how badly I wanted.. considering that I am going to start the longest journey with nothing but air on board my ship... hmm, and fuel.. a lots of it actually..
There is no Universal Cartographics facility here.. so now I am about to fly to Jaques Station. I really need to check detailed records of Sagittarius-Carina Arm and The Solitude Void, just to be sure.. just to make sure I can come back... if possible...

 

[Deluvian]

Day 7 - Into the dark

[Msg to: Allitnil]
Title: a leap of faith

Commander,
I hope I considered everything.. 29th Dec 3303, just past midnight.. I am leaving Jaques Station towards The Death Zone.. I am flying a huge can of fuel. As committed long time ago, I am going to stretch that limit..

Wish me luck

[End of Msg]


Jaques was busy with flight traffic... even this early in the morning. "Rocinante" slid slowly through the air dock.. and then towards welcoming darkness. I really hope I am ready for this journey.. Also my intention is not to call for aid. The epic rescue of Cmdr Persera was already tough enough for The Fuel Rats.. I am also afraid that I am going way farther beyond their reach..
Small mistake - nobody's gonna help me.. let us see..

 

[Deluvian]

Day 9 - Into 3304

44,630LY away from Sol, somewhere in the galaxy.. a small bottle of champagne in my hand, I did not forget.. quite lonely celebration of a new upcoming 3304.. but it's actually not very uncommon for me. I guess I prefer the things that way..
3303 was a good year for me, finally I managed to set myself on the exploration path (and I crossed 1 million LY traveled). Visited a lot of interesting places, flew the farthest distance from the Sol system than anybody else before.. but this distance record got beat by Cmdr Persera on 18th Dec 3303. It was not supposed to be my "last word" in this matter and it isn't.. I also visited the Amundsen's Star discovered by Cmdr Allitnil. With this being said, I covered two out of "Six Corners of the Galaxy" so far. My expedition "The Diagonals" to visit the remaining four was postponed as I was waiting back in The Bubble for the release of Type-10 Deffender.
The thing with a Type-10 Defender.. hmm, I was hoping for a ship that could be used for trading.. the biggest one so far. Well, Type-10 is good for what it was designed (that's what I am hearing) but it is not good for cargo hauling.. not good enough, not better than Imperial Cutter.
This year I bought and engineered really well DEL-77 "Rocinante" - presonalized version of already a pretty good damn multipurpose package from Faulcon DeLacy. Every Commander braggs about their ships.. so do I.. I love "Rocinante".. and I think that she is the best in the galaxy
I enhanced my experience as well as my contribution to the Explorer's Community by using ED Discovery.. a huge bonus to regular controls and a really good comprehensive way to have your historical records and a lots of useful information within a grasp of your hand.

Thargoids.. I try to stay away from this entire story. I do not think we as humanity did a good job during the first encounters. Now, there is no way back.. now the are or became hostile and we have to defend our world

Now I am focused on a different goal, as mentioned before 65,652LY from Sol was not my last word.. I am flying to stretch that distance as much as it'd possible and more importantly: not to lose my head, not to lose the ship and to come back to the world on my own..

Counting down the last few hours, minutes and seconds of the year..

Happy New 3304 Commanders
Fly safe

 

[Deluvian]

Day 10 - Sharp turn

Pyroo Eohn XW-N C9-0 I had to take a small detour.. it is not yet the time to use FSD boost.. The travel to The Death Zone will be just a bit longer, but I will leverage density of the systems in the Sagittarius-Carina arm. I hope my calculation is right..

 

[Deluvian]

Ribbon In The Sky

Semotus Beacon.. Here I am again at the doorstep to the Death Zone, 65.647LY away from Sol. The last dozen jumps or so was quite difficult.. especially that I was trying to save as much materials as I possibly could. "Rocinante's" hull is not in a perfect shape (few scratches here and there), modules are in a decent state though.. I guess both of us are ready for the last part of the mission..
Just still enjoying the view.. it's truly amazing to be in a place that our galaxy looks like a ribbon in the sky.. let me contemplate for a little while...

 

[Deluvian]

Day 10 - 00:00:02:26 in Supercruise

"Rocinante" refueled and preheated. All the system in a full energy saving mode, what's not necessary - simply turned off. I am cruising, engines need some time to reach the full speed

 

[Deluvian]

Day 10 - 00:01:04:17 in Supercruise

"Rocinante" is at her maximum cruising speed.. It took quite fast, considering my terrible mistake.. I turned off my FSD accidentally while turning off other modules for energy saving.. The ship coughed and dropped drastically from supercruise to normal space speed.. I lost additional 3% of hull as well as module health.. what an idiot...
Well, now everything seems to be fine and she is just cruising away from the Milky Way into the "blackness" (quoting Cmdr Persera here.. I love that term, that she used to describe what you actually see out here)

 

[Deluvian]

Day 11 - 00:20:14:11 in Supercruise

4.66LY into the void beyond Semotus Beacon .. I've just evened out my own record of 65,652LY from Sol. "Rocinante's" engines rumble quietly, my fuel tanks look almost full, the fuel economy is unbelievably good..
Now forward into the darkness...

 

[Deluvian]

Day 12 - 02:02:06:00 in Supercruise

11.7LY beyond Semotus Beacon.. at 11.6 I switched on the sensors hoping to pick the signal of the canister with The Hutton Mug left somewhere over here by Cmdr Persera. Either because of my low wattage on sensors or slightly different travel vector.. I did not pick on anything.. or maybe a big cosmic fish swallowed it already.... no idea
I really wanted to find it and then celebrate for a moment her achievement.. still, I bow my forehead deeply.. respect Commander.. for you having the passion

Sensors off, I keep on flying.. into the great darkness, into the darkness beyond..

It's January of 3304.. from now on, everything is supposed to be "Beyond".. right?

 

[Persera]

Congratulations on making it this far!

Too bad you didn't spot the mugs - I'm still sad I couldn't send them off with more ceremony then I did.

Looking forward to your future updates, and best of luck out there in the deep dark.

Fly Safe,
-Persera

 

[Deluvian]

Day 14 - 03:18:40:26 in Supercruise

90 hours in supercruise, 20.8LY beyond Semotus Beacon.. 65,668LY away from Sol... I've never thought, I'd suffer from agoraphobia.. but I have to admit that with every light year into this nothingness I feel growing anxiety.. all this time, all those thoughts.. "Would I be able to come back!?"

There is only one way to figure it out.. just by doing it.. 'cos there is no try..


Post Scriptum: Thank you Cmdr Persera

 

[Numenor1379]

Just got to say... you're insane.

How much more endurance do you think you have, 60-70ly total in SC?

 

[Deluvian]

yet to be determined

 

[Deluvian]

Day 16 - 05:09:37:50 in Supercruise

Almost 130 hours in supercruise.. 30LY beyond Semotus Beacon.. 65,677LY away from Sol... I am soooo tired

 

[LifesAJourney]

Hope you won't turn into xenomorph or something...

If you do, please don't go back.

 

[Deluvian]

I do some random checks.. if I am turning into something "interesting", does not look like so far

One thing is sure however, my brain is turning into a pulp.. after this challenge, I am not going to visit any stellar body which is farther than 100Ls from the entry point for at least like a year [big grin]