Expedition VI: The Longest Journey

Day 144 - Explorer's Anchorage - 25,899.71Ly from Sol

Due to all my main modules being on a very low level I made the decision to attempt landing at the new station next to Sagittarius A - Explorer's Anchorage in Stuemeae FG-Y d7561 system. The landing was successful and I managed to repair ship integrity and all the modules.. I did not touch the paint-job which is at 0%
Also using this opportunity I dumped all of the optional fuel tanks and bought a much better (7B) fuel scoop.. Now the travel will be so much easier, safer and faster.
Good broadcast, thank you for joining me on this journey. I should post the recording of it not later than tomorrow late night Sol time.
Already on my way back to the Bubble, pulled ~50-60 jumps.. it feels great to be able to function normally ;)

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The Expedition has to end where it started - Jameson Base as always.. even if Lori is not very happy with me. Later on we will see.. The epilogue of this story is coming soon

Its been a wonderful story to witness. Glad to see the Anchorage mechanics did you well. That'll make the final leg more bearable!
Fly safe!
 
Day 148 - I can see your house from here - 231.1Ly from Sol

[Comms]

- Gutamaya Delta Echo Lima, you are entering The Safety Zone of The Inhabited Space, please identify yourself immediately - voice of the System Security Officer did not sound friendly - Destination and the purpose of your travel please!

- This is Delta Echo Lima One Three Soledad, Commander Deluvian Reyes Cruz en-route Shinrarta Dezhra A 1 - Jameson Base - I responded calmly
It took a good couple of minutes for them to respond
- We heard of you Commander.. - the voice was not at all more pleasant or friendly - Aren't you the one who spent months in The Void Beyond The Dark Edge?
- Yes, that would be myself - I said
Another few minutes of silence
- Please take your vessel to HIP 83983, Rubruck Terminal - said officer
- Rubruck.. is an outpost, I could not land Imperial Cutter over there - I said surprised
- We are sending necessary route plot to your computer - said officer almost ignoring my statement - You are not allowed to land anywhere until we complete full xeno-contamination check of yourself and your vessel
- Do not deviate from your course or you will be fired upon - this sounded really serious
- I understand.. - I answered - Roger that, Deluvian out..

[Comms Out]


The world was on fire.. dozens of stations were burning, covered with acid fumes. A lot changed since the last time I was here. Occasional Thargoid raids turned into an invasion. Is this the moment that we shall all join our forces and fight the insects back? I have never encountered them myself, no idea how to fight them.. but if this is what needs to happen.. I hoped my return will be a celebration, meetup with my friends.. and then small rearrangement in my life. We shall see.. for now I have to go through the quarantine.. ridiculous...
Are they right or this entire xenophobia is a huge exaggeration..
We shall see..


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Day 151 - Quarantine: Rubruck Terminal - 211.22Ly from Sol


Haz-mat suit guys visited Soledad like 3 times a day.. They finally gave up on checking the ship as it was pure and clean as it could be, but they gave me a few injections and said: "If you are good by the 16th 2000 Sol time, you'd be release to go"..
Well I am sure that I am not going to turn into the Thargoid.. but this is just me. I just hope for the best.

I sent a lot of messages to all of the Commanders involved in my rescue.. I am not that much important, but it would be still such a privilege to have my rescue team watching me making this one last final step

If everything goes fine and I am clean.. we will be broadcasting at 2000 Sol time on Sat 16th Mar 3305.. please join us, all the commanders who supported my trip.. and the rescue.. it is the time to conclude this story.. I cannot do it without you

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Day 154- The Epilogue - 64.43 ly from Sol

Hangar first officer, Deepak Kalyanshetti was standing inside the main gate resting his body against the doorframe. More than usual, his face was decorated with a wide smile.. Bangalore, Karnataka… yes, that’s where he was from. An old Sol information hub in the middle of our old cradle planet Earth..
- Namaste - I said smiling gently

- Namaste SahabJi - Deepak responded quickly trying to clean his greece hands with a super dirty cloth - Good to see you in one piece
I looked around a bit disoriented.. ‘Where was Lori?’ I thought.. Quickly realizing, I should not count on her being around here

- She isn’t here, is she? - I looked at Deepak calmly He hesitated for a moment..
- No sir.. - he said - she took her Mamba and departed two days ago
I nodded slowly.. Actually it was expected, the rescue was all over the news and she knew I was coming back

- Did she say anything.. Any comment? - I just wanted to make sure
- She did say that she needed to improve her skills and knowledge in scanner technology - Deepak responded quickly
I smiled and shrugged

- You are very polite SirJi - I said - so I am guessing she went to visit Tiana Fortune, or?
- No sir, I think she actually went to visit Professor Palin - Deepak was moving his head very confidently indicating that he knows what he was talking about
- Alright then.. Do me a favor please - I pointed at the hangar - ‘Soledad’.. Full recycle, I do not want anybody flying her after what we both together went through
- I am not surprised - Deepak was nodding with understanding - will be done.. Are you staying?
- No Deepak, I do not think I should - I responded - there is a big debt that I have to pay off.. And I cannot do it living around here
- Are you planning on moving completely? - he was clearly not surprised
- Yes, I move all of the assets to Fuelum, Plancius Penal Colony - I said - not very welcoming, but quiet and isolated.. I will be better off living over there
I could tell from Deepak’s face that he understood my reasons.. However he did not necessarily agree with me

- Don’t give up on us Sir - he said quickly
- I don’t Ji, and I will be back.. One day.. Probably when Zorgon Peterson launches their Panther Clipper - I responded with a wide smile
- I understand Sir - Deepak started laughing out loud - I know where you mind is going with this..
- Thank you for everything - I shook Deepak’s hand firmly - tell her… just tell her that I understand
Deepak nodded slowly and touched his forehead
Namaste Sahab..
- Do you need a ride? - he was genuinely concerned

- No, thank you.. I am going to take a shuttle to Jameson Memorial and start making my fleet ready to move - I said
I did not wait for Deepak’s response.. Did I understand why Lori left before my arrival? Of course I did.. But it does not mean that I did not hurt. I turned around and walked away towards shuttle terminals..


154 days… This expedition was definitely the one that I’d never forget. I would like to say: “Good to be home”.. but indeed, this place does not feel like home anymore. After what happened to me out there in the void, after my rescue, I realized how desperately I needed a “change of life”. Maybe it was actually the same reason why I was doing all the crazy things and why Extreme Navigation became “the thing” for me at the first place.. The record.. Well, no the record is not mine.. Against all the news from different agencies, I did not have a chance to beat it.. When my expedition started Cmdr Kenneth Mcgrew was already on his way in the ship that I personally believe its build cannot be challenged. Some may think that his success pushed me beyond my ship’s capacity and that is how the disaster happened. The answer to this is: “No, that is not true”. It is not very encouraging, when in a meanwhile of the most important of your own trials you learn that somebody just did better, and quick calculation shows that you do not have a chance to come even close to this result. But in my opinion it helps us to maintain our sanity and decent level of humility. It helped me for sure to realize how much there is still for me to learn and how much I still need to improve my engineering and piloting skills. I am very happy for Kenneth and his astonishing accomplishment. I am actually glad that he took it so far, that it seems truly impossible to match his result with a single ship challenge. Of course 2-3 staggered ships could take it further.. But does it really count this way and where is the end of this madness..? I do not know.. If there was a chance to beat the record, I would probably do it again. There is no bigger benefit of my journey that my actual rescue.. And what I mean by that is my first ever interaction with the Fuel Rats. I have no words to describe how I feel, but here is a few words for those who have never had a chance to interact with those selfless and very skilled pilots of the Galaxy: It is amazing community/faction of devoted to the cause individuals with one of the highest morales I have ever seen. I hope none of you Commanders shall need their help.. But if you do - do not hesitate to reach out.. And just ask for it. The response is just stunning. It is also important to say, that this is an organization without organization, very well structured and disciplined group of people with no actual commander or leader.. nor structure/hierarchy if this makes sense.. Their values are pretty much up high, higher than any other group I have ever interacted with. I know how you feel sometimes, when you get stuck and there is no hope.. It took me awhile to convince myself to contact them.. But that was one of my best decisions ever. First and the most important: I got rescued from the mess that nobody would have believed that the rescue was even possible. I got to know a really wonderful group of people with a very clear mission.. I gained a couple of very good friends that I can always ask for advice/help.. and simply count on.. Fuel Rats.. I do not believe that they ever turn anybody down.. and they never ask for anything in return. How do I pay this debt off?
Well…. There is essentially only one way: to help others, the way I was helped. I have been already preparing for this and slowly training. I have been reading all the Fuel Rats SOPs.. sooner or later I hope you will see me with “my own tail”..
For now, I can only say: “Thank you Mischief”.. /me bends his head in a deep bow /me throws snickers all over the place Special thanks to Cmdr CrunchyBatton for entire planning and putting the Operation: Beyond The Dark Edge into motion. Thanks to 5 fearless commanders (Cmdr Veristhea, Cmdr Highwaywarior - actual rescue, Cmdr Idianeira, Cmdr Numerlor - refueling team, Cmdr Falcon JSDF - support/repairs) who decided to volunteer and to spend almost two months total time to execute Crunchy’s plan.. Unforgettable experience and honor to work with such outstanding individuals. Big thanks to this very forum Explorer’s community.. Tones of good thoughts and encouragement.. especially after things went south on 24th Nov 3304.. 53k views, some good comments, a lot of PMs, it helped me a lot not to go completely crazy out there. Thank y’all.. . And finally this is how the expedition ends. Time to go back to standard routines although those will be now a bit different than before. Back then, when I was trying to come up with the title for this journey I thought about the record run.. the longest ever supercruise travel.. and then, for completely different reason it turned to be the longest journey out in the black. Maybe one day I’ll be back Beyond The Dark Edge.. who knows.. maybe one day..

Fly wild Commanders


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[Comms]

  • Cmdr Deluvian.. - Lori’s voice was trembling a bit
  • Yes? - my response was very calm
  • I have to say.. I am sorry I was not there.. But... I could not stand this entire situation.. I told you… you shouldn’t have…. - she was stuttering a little
  • Do not feel bad about it, I do understand - I said
  • I heard, you’re moving to Fuelum system, is that right? - she asked quickly
  • Yes Lori.. I am going to change my life a bit.. And I have a huge debt to pay - I said
  • I hope.. I will see you again - she replied carefully
  • You will.. For sure, it may just take a while - I responded

[Comms Out]
 
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I have been berthed at Shinrata for a couple of days; I would like to think that my Commander would be there in the bar awaiting your safe arrival with a well-deserved drink and hearty congratulations on your epic return.

May fortune favour you wherever you travel, commander - your story has been inspring and gripping for all the long months it has been in the telling.

o7
 
"It is time to strike a line of hope through a galaxy bleak and cold, through the densest of starfields and the most terrifying of regions, devoid of light and joy, towards a commander driven by eagerness and wanderlust, deceived by the endless darkness of the deepest regions of space."
-Idianeira, shortly before departure

It has been an honor to be a part of this rescue, from the beginning of it all all the way up to the final docking at Jameson Base today.

I am happy to say that as far as I'm concerned, the mission was an absolute success, with only a couple of hickups on the way there on my part, but nothing that put the mission itself at risk!

I am walking away from this mission with new experience gained, a job well done, and most important of all, a new group of people that I can call my friends. We have been through a lot these past months, and it was an absolutely amazing experience. Cmdr Deluvian and I will hopefully enjoy some Lavian Brandy after he gains his tail and after I return home.

Though, as much fun as this rescue was to conduct, and seeing the amazing support and exposure it received leading up to the final rescue, I can't help but feel lost. This monstrosity of a rescue took up most of my time in january, and it has been on my mind through february, until the rescue finally took place. Now, going back to... the normal times, as Highwaywarrior told me, you just feel somewhat off, or aimless, rather.


That being said, I want to thank some people for one last time:

The rats that joined me on the flight off the galactic plane: Cmdr Highwaywarrior, Veristhea and Numerlor, for always being there for a chat, and for being so incredibly understanding after my mishap that forced me to return to Colonia 2 days after departing Jaques Station.

Cmdr FalconJSDF, the support vessel, for taking 3 hours of his time to get me the germanium I needed for the trip home, and for repairing the fleet after successfully jumping back into the Milky Way galaxy.

Cmdr Deluvian, the damsel in distress, for reaching out to us and for always putting faith in us, even if his situation was grim.

Cmdr Wgrates, the doge in space, setting up a bot to handle all the questions coming in on Highwaywarriors chat shortly before and during the big finale.

Cmdr CrunchyBaton, the unsung hero, crunching numbers so we didn't have to.

And, last but not least, the community, for always being there to support us and getting the story out there for others to hear!


It has been a truly epic journey, thank you all so much, and I hope to see some of you out there in the black (but hopefully not as a client ;) )!

-Cmdr Idianeira
 
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