Sidewinder Mk. I Galactic Circumnavigation Attempt

[Commander William Diffin]

Day One thousand four hundred and twenty-six:

Waypoint №42 - [1,883.64ly from DSSA Jolly Roger] 2,275.92[ly from Waypoint №41] - 166,741.95 - Lady Huggins' Cluster, Chu Thaa GG-Y d0

Immediately after leaving the DSSA Jolly Roger I discovered the unmapped Water World Ooctarbs ZY-R d4-1 8, one of three such worlds in this Type A unary star system, and then had to immediately return to the Jolly Roger 33.35Ly away to cash in the data and get my mapped tag in the system. The data turned out to be worth CR1,385,225.

After leaving the DSSA Jolly Roger for the second time, only twelve jumps out I discovered my first Earth-Like World since leaving Explorer's Anchorage, at Ooctarbs CN-V c2-1 1 orbiting a Type K Orange star. The system was pretty dull otherwise.

(Enterprise fresh from servicing at the Fleet Carrier DSSA Jolly Roger, at the previously undiscovered Earth-Like World Ooctarbs CN-V c2-1 1)

Not much by way of interest the rest of the way to Lady Huggins' Cluster.

The cluster itself is actually more interesting than it first appears, and is a handful of Type A Blue and Type F White stars orbited by different coloured solid planets, some still unexplored. The central system is not spectacularly colourful, but closer inspection can yield rewards.

(The planets of the Chu Thaa GG-Y d0 system)

(Stretching my legs on the rim of a crater at the edge of the ice cap of Chu Thaa GG-Y d0 7)

Having done some mapping and established first footfall on one or two of the system's landable planets, I went on to survey four other systems in the cluster. Chu Thaa GG-Y d3 was more colourful than Chu Thaa GG-Y d0, with a couple of water worlds:

(The planets of the Chu Thaa GG-Y d3 system)

(Investigating bacterium on Chu Thua GG-Y d3 1)

Other systems visited included Chu Thaa GG-Y d8, Chu Thaa GG-Y d6 and Chu Thaa GG-Y d1. Chu Thaa GG-Y d0 6 had a number of biological signals to investigate and I gathered data on Cactoida Lapis, Fungoida Setisis, Frutexa Metallicum and Stratum Tectonicas.

(Investigating Cactoida Lapis on Chu Thaa GG-Y d0 6)

The uneven terrain in the mountains where Chu Thaa GG-Y d0 6's White Fungoida Setisis grow proved awkward to land in, and whilst I made it safely down in the end it was at the cost of 3% Hull damage.

(Investigating Fungoida Setisis on Chu Thaa GG-Y d0 6)

Returning to the ship after investigating Fungoida Setisis, I realised I had brought her down directly on top of some species of shrub:

(Investigating Frutexa Metallicum beneath Enterprise on Chu Thaa GG-Y d0 6)

Finally I investigated a Green Stratum on the edge of a wide plain:

(Investigating Stratum Tectonicas on Chu Thaa GG-Y d0 6)

There are still a number of systems to explore in Lady Huggins' Cluster, with some unexplored planets. But I plan to leave these for the next deep space traveller, and push on to the next Waypoint on my itinerary. Certainly it is not worth travelling all the way back to Explorer's Anchorage at the centre of the Galaxy just to pick up an Artemis suit with Genetic Sampler. I can scan any alien biology with the Short Range Composition Scanner on Enterprise and a steady hand at the controls.

 

[LifesAJourney]

Day One thousand four hundred and twenty-six:

 

[Commander William Diffin]

Day One thousand four hundred and twenty-eight:

Waypoint №43 - 1,116.90 - 167,858.85 - Silentium Shores, Hyphielia QH-K c22-0

Suffered an Emergency Stop whilst fuel scooping at Hyphielia YC-E b53-0, another Type M Red star with 0.3633 M☉ and 0.5728r☉. After repairs Hull Integrity is down to 97%, AFMU and Power Plant are both at 99%.

Silentium Shores is not really worth listing as a Galactic landmark, other than it has an Earth-Like World, two Water Worlds and an Ammonia World, and was one of the first systems to be surveyed in this region. As such all of the planets in the system are scanned and mapped, by the likes of Commanders Akira Makasari, Melan Six, Johnson Sky, Ryoken, and who could forget Commander Mr Korma 666. None of the planets in the system are landable.

(EV Enterprise at the Earth-Like World Hyphielia QH-K c22-0 2)

(EV Enterprise at the Ammonia World Hyphielia QH-K c22-0 8)

This remote and rarely visited region is reported to have a higher than usual concentration of Ammonia Worlds. Moving straight on.

 

[Commander William Diffin]

Day One thousand seven hundred and one:

Waypoint №44 - 3,857.80 - 171,716.65 - Fireshadow, Qauthai PX-U e2-0

Not a long journey, but a lot of brown dwarf stars to negotiate with the Sidewinder's limited fuel supply, awkward even with the luxury of an extra fuel tank. But it's dismal out here. Took the time to stop at the Ploxuia TI-Z d1-3 binary system, consisting of a neutron star primary and a Type M red star secondary. The secondary has a planetary system including the double planet 5 & 6, which yielded biological signals. There were a few Water Worlds along the way, many of which were already explored. Considering I'm so far out from the Core, this still seems like a route well-trodden. And if you actually check the Galactic astrometric data, you find that the arc following along the centre of the Sagittarius-Carina Arm from Beagle Point around towards the Core really is one of the Galaxy's major routes now. I'm beginning to feel like a generation ship.

And so there it is. Planet Fireshadow. Orangey.

(EV Enterprise at Qauthai PX-U e2-0 2 'Fireshadow')

 

[MacHurto]

Wow. I salute your commitment. o7

 

[LifesAJourney]

I wonder how many Sidewinders will OP be able to buy when the exploration data is sold.

 

[Commander William Diffin]

Day One thousand seven hundred and three:

Waypoint №45 - 1,556.27 - 173,272.92 - Furthest Fireflies, Byoo Chraei AA-A f0

First jump out of the Fireshadow system managed to Emergency Stop whilst fuel scooping the type M star at Quathai SW-J b23-0. I was making a conscious effort not to get too close to the star so I'm not sure what happened. The star is mass 0.2344M☉ and radius 0.4095r☉, typical statistics for an Emergency Stopper star. Hull Integrity is now down to 95%, whilst Auto Field Maintenance Unit is at 96% and Power Plant 98%. Have not had to refill the AFMU since leaving the DSSA Jolly Roger yet.

And another Emergency Stop just two jumps later at Quathai NK-N b21-0, an unusually small type M star with mass 0.1992M☉ and radius 0.3600r☉. Hull Integrity is now down to 94%, whilst Auto Field Maintenance Unit is at 92% and Power Plant 97%. Another stop like that and I will have to refill the AFMU.

Soon settled into the routine and failed to find anything of interest along the route to the next Waypoint. A pageant of M type stars and the odd G or K type star with no planets of special interest, just the odd Water World that is already scanned and mapped. So far the Sagittarius-Carina Arm is as dull as it is well-travelled.

The 'Furthest Fireflies' is a welcome exception, being the furthest type O system discovered in the Sagittarius Arm. Also being orbited by nine T Tauri stars of different rosy hues it is quite the spectacle. I am the one hundred and first visitor according to EDSM.

(The luminaries of the 'Furthest Fireflies' System Byoo Chraei AA-A f0)

 

[Chrystoph]

I tend to find that the majority of explorers move through the thick band and that as a result the deeps and the heights are both largely unexplored.

 

[Commander William Diffin]

I tend to find that the majority of explorers move through the thick band and that as a result the deeps and the heights are both largely unexplored.

Yes, of course. Good tip, thanks. I will be heading for the heights presently.

 

[Commander William Diffin]

Day One thousand seven hundred and fourteen:

Waypoint №46 - 2,513.26 - 175,786.18 - Teliki Carina Depot ('The Galactic Byway'), Praei Bre FO-P c19-2

On the advice of Commander Chrystoph, some way out from the 'Furthest Fireflies' I took a detour of some 420 light-years above the route to the next waypoint, to Truechea YW-A d14-1, then headed for the next waypoint from there. Immediately I found that every system I entered was unexplored, and began clocking up virgin Ammonia and Water Worlds in more interesting A, F, G, and K-type systems, rather than the usual icy and rocky worlds in M-type systems that seem to lie along the main routes between the more interesting systems on the plane of the Sagittarius-Carina Galactic Arm.

Another Emergency Stop at Truechea UL-T b18-0, a type M star of mass 3164M☉ and radius 5146r☉, the first M-type I encountered after moving above the plane of the Galaxy, taking me by surprise. Had to refill the AFMU at last, leaving my Inventory stocks with 286 Nickel, 236 Zinc, 236 Chromium and 229 Vanadium. Still plenty. Meanwhile Hull Integrity is now down to 93%, AFMU to 90%, and Power Plant at 95%. This ship will last a good while yet.

Immediately after the Emergency Stop and descending towards the waypoint, I found myself ploughing through a massive red dwarf field, and headed back up out of the Galactic plane again to type A system Truechea LL-X d1-3 to try to avoid the field. Coming down again towards the next waypoint I passed through the Praei Bre SU-G d10-22 binary system and investigated biological signals on AB1b, a rocky world with a thin ammonia atmosphere, making the first footfall there and discovering instances of Turquoise Osseus Spiralis.

(EV Enterprise landed in an Osseus Spiralis field on Praei Bre SU-G d10-22 AB1b)

(Osseus size comparison with human)

(Close-up view of Osseus' porous exoskeleton)

Following the encounter with Osseus Spiralis, it was not long before Enterprise arrived at the Teleki Carina Depot. This is a green system with all Jumponium materials, situated at a good crossing point between the Sagittarius-Carina and the Scutum-Centaurus Galactic Arms, by way of the Tyros Ridge. However, having already left the SRV Herbie all the way back at Explorer's Anchorage, there is no way for me to take advantage of this system's Jumponium. But then again I shouldn't need it since Enterprise's stocks of Jumponium are still nearly full.

So as not to simply pass the waypoint by, I took a trip to Praei Bre FO-P c19-2 4b, an icy moon with a biological signal. This turned out to be a basic Bacterium Bullaris Gold.

(Approaching Praei Bre FO-P c19-2 4b, Class I Gas Giant Praei Bre FO-P c19-2 4 in the background)

(EV Enterprise landed before a colony of Bacterium Bullaris on Praei Bre FO-P c19-2 4b)

(Close-up view of the bacterial colony)

Having plenty of Jumponium already, and wishing to avoid the well-travelled road, I plan to head for difficult to reach neutron stars at the edge of the Galaxy directly above my present position, before heading to the next waypoint.

 

[Commander William Diffin]

Waypoint №47 - 4,586.31 - 180,372.49 - Don Quijote, Suvaa NL-P d5-29

Leaving Teliki Carina Depot, I was faced with the well-charted Teliki Carina Neutron Belt close to the Galactic plane. Rather than take advantage of it, I chose to avoid the road well travelled and instead head directly up out of the plane of the Galaxy.

I soon found myself in rich fields of unexplored systems of the more interesting stellar types, discovering a number of Water Worlds, and finally an Earth-Like World at Praei Bre DV-Q c20-0 BCD2. Not an especially interesting Earth-Like, but is in an interesting system with the Earth-Like World being binary with a Water World with both planets orbiting a triple star, consisting of a Type M red dwarf binary with a Type L brown dwarf, both stars being orbited by a third Type L brown dwarf, this triple itself being double with the primary Type G yellow dwarf of the system, which has its own small planetary system too.

(EV Enterprise heading into orbit of Earth-Like World Praei Bre DV-Q c20-0 BCD2, double with the Water World Praei Bre DV-Q c20-0 BCD3 on the right, with Type L star Praei Bre DV-Q c20-0 D to the right again, and binary pair Praei Bre DV-Q c20-0 BC above)

After pulling into orbit around the Earth-Like World, to save fuel whilst recording data on the Earth-Like for my records, unwisely I switched off the FSD, causing an Emergency Stop. After on-board repairs, Hull Integrity is down to 92%, AFMU at 89% and Power Plant at 93%.

Having travelled 860Ly from Telika Carina Depot above the plane of the Galaxy, I found that I had to use FSD Boosts to travel any higher. A combination of 3 Premium Boosts, a White Dwarf Boost (having managed to overheat the ship whilst jumping too close to the white dwarf, I lost another percentage point of AFMU integrity which is now down to 88%) and a Neutron Boost finally took me to the dizzy heights of Praei Bro KI-K d8-0, a green neutron star system with a Z-co-ordinate of 1389.40625. Between the K-type companion and the few planets in the system, it has refuelling and all Jumponium elements to be able to get well clear of it with a FSD Boosted neutron jump. And no one else had been there before I arrived.

(EV Enterprise cruising nearly 1,400 light-years above the Sagittarius-Carina Arm at neutron system Praei Bro KI-K d8-0)

From Praei Bro KI-K d8-0 it was tricky navigating back to the main stellar population of the Galactic Arm. No less than 6 Premium, 2 Standard and 3 Basic FSD Boosts, and 5 Neutron and 3 White Dwarf Boosts were required, although one of the Premium boosts was unnecessarily wasted on a neutron jump. By the time I reached Praei Bre GV-U c4-0, I found I could plot a direct route to the next Waypoint. I am now left with 241 Arsenic, 198 Cadmium, 286 Carbon, 236 Germanium, 189 Niobium, 141 Polonium, 224 Vanadium and 141 Yttrium. Loads of Jumponium.

There is an Earth-Like World at Praei Bre GV-U c4-0, unfortunately now that I am closer to the Galactic plane it had already been discovered, by Commander Chankk Saotome. I secured the first mapping of the planet for myself.

(Earth-Like World Praei Bre GV-U c4-0 A1)

Now that I was back down into denser regions of the Sagittarius-Carina Arm, I tried plotting a neutron route using Spansh's Neutron Router. It doesn't work any more. Whilst every new system I discover is still immediately updated on EDSM, the Neutron Router apparently doesn't update any more and has never heard of any of the systems I try to plot a route from. So now I shall have to simply follow the route given by the Galactic Map.

The Galactic Map route descending towards the next Waypoint was not particularly exciting. Soon after crossing from Acheron into Mare Somnia, there was just one neutron star on the route, Suvaa WZ-G d10-9, discovered by Commander Theophilus, which gave a boost into a region of red dwarfs before I finally arrived at Suvaa NL-P d5-29, Don Quijote.

The Don Quijote System was a waypoint on the historic Sagittarius-Carina mission, and is one of those systems of landable ice worlds that are supposed to be multi-coloured but which are actually all quite similar. Moon A1a is reported to have a canyon system that resembles a giant from Cervantes' classic novel El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha of 1605. As luck would have it, I arrived at Suvaa NL-P d5-29 A1a whilst this reported region was in total darkness, and I was not about to wait three days to see the region in daylight, but something of the abstract flowing form of a giant figure with enormous outstretched flapping arms raised is still plain enough to see.

(EV Enterprise over Suvaa NL-P d5-29 A1a Don Quijote , 'tilting at windmills') [Horizons]

The other ice worlds of the system were less colourful than expected [Odyssey], being mainly white ices with Suvaa NL-P d5-29 A1b featuring large clearings of dark brown and beige, A1c appearing to be entirely white ices, and A1d with a light smattering of dark brown peaks.

(Suvaa NL-P d5-29 A1b, A1c with A1ca in the background, and A1d)

A1c had yet to be set foot upon and so I took Enterprise down to the surface, at the edge of a large walled plain with a ray system dominating one hemisphere of the planet like the ray system of Tycho on Luna, which also had an immense graben running through it. Somehow I managed to lose another 2% of Hull whilst settling on the narrow ridge running around the crater, leaving the ship at 90% Hull Integrity now. Leaving the spacecraft I headed down on foot some 500 metres into the rift in the crater wall caused by the graben, for a spectacular view of the walled plain within. Returning to the spacecraft was a little nerve-wracking as I was unable to clamber back up the way I came to return to my ship, with my oxygen supply depleting all the time. However I was able to find a route back up the crater wall around the far side to reattain the narrow summit and re-embark with plenty of oxygen to spare.

(The view of the ray crater of Suvaa NL-P d5-29 A1c)

Finally I headed some 72,000 light-seconds out to the outermost planet of the secondary red dwarf star of the system, to investigate Suvaa NL-P d5-29 B8a, which was supposed to have a pattern of dark grey-red canyons and rifts, but instead found a dingy purplish-brown and beige world of small craters and etched with narrow rilles. It still has never been set foot on.

(Suvaa NL-P d5-29 B8a)

However I did make first footfall on Suvaa NL-P d5-29 B7, which features the only signal source in the system, indicating the presence of some species of Bacterium, although I wasn't actually able to locate any.

(First footfall made on Suvaa NL-P d5-29 B7)

Certainly this system would bear much further exploration, but I must press on. The next Waypoint is two blue supergiant stars separated from each other by 500ly.

 

[Commander William Diffin]

Day One thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven:

Waypoint №48 - 414.29 - 180,786.78 - Alatar and Pallando, Suvua FG-Y f0 & Plua Chruia MS-U F2-0

Just 11 jumps from Don Quijote to Alatar, crossing from Silentium into Viatori Patuit, although I had to stray from the Galactic Map route to avoid a patch of brown dwarfs that would have left me out of fuel. There's not a lot to say about Alatar. It's a Type B supergiant. That's about it.

(EV Enterprise 392Ls from Suvua FG-Y f0 A 'Alatar')

Just another 14 jumps including one Neutron Boost to get to Pallando, ignoring an opportunity to Supercruise over 268,000 light-seconds to investigate a moon with 5 Biological Signals. Again, there's not a lot to say about Pallando, other than it's a Type B supergiant. Apparently these two unrelated blue supergiant stars have been equated with two 'Blue Wizards', by contemporary students of the mythology of twentieth century author J. R. R. Tolkien.

(EV Enterprise 395Ls from Plua Chruia MS-U F2-0 A 'Pallando')

As luck would have it, Pallando treated me to a spectacular mass ejection at the stellar limb whilst I was watching. Flying in close, I was only able to image the end of the eruption.

(Dissipating mass ejection from the surface of Pallando)

The next Waypoint is not far now, only 1145.13ly from Pallando.

 

[EdzUp]

Nice another Sidey pilot, been out exploring in my old Sidey called "Reaper"

 

[Commander William Diffin]

Nice another Sidey pilot, been out exploring in my old Sidey called "Reaper"

Be careful, Explorawinders often have a tendency to disappear forever o7

 

[EdzUp]

Be careful, Explorawinders often have a tendency to disappear forever o7

Its the only ship i fly at present, ive owned loads of the other ships but nothing is as fun as flying a small fighter

 

[Commander William Diffin]

Its the only ship i fly at present, ive owned loads of the other ships but nothing is as fun as flying a small fighter

Plainly you recognize the finer qualities of The Starting Ship. Not everyone does. Any Elite pilot can fly a Conda around the Galaxy or into a High Intensity Combat Zone. But a Winder? You don't see it very often. Such a pilot is of no ordinary breed.

 

[EdzUp]

Plainly you recognize the finer qualities of The Starting Ship. Not everyone does. Any Elite pilot can fly a Conda around the Galaxy or into a High Intensity Combat Zone. But a Winder? You don't see it very often. Such a pilot is of no ordinary breed.

Were all a bit unhinged to be honest, its more hectic if your ship is held together with duct tape and blutac

Its also much more fun if your not a kill all with one shot ship and you have to work for those kills

 

[Commander William Diffin]

Day One thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven:

Waypoint №49 - 1,657.30 - 182,444.08 - Sacrebleu, Grie Prao LH-E b59-1

Didn't hang about on this leg either, completing it in 26 jumps including 5 Neutron Boosts. Making progress.

The Sacrebleu system is unusual in that in spite of being a unary red dwarf system, it is orbited by a number of large ringed worlds, including an Ammonia World and several Gas Giants, between them with 23 orbiting landable bodies. Discovering this for the first time, Commander Herzbube muttered the exclamation 'sacrebleu'. The discoverer then repeated this phrase as he scanned moon after moon in vain for the missing Polonium that would make the system a green system, finally shouting it when he at last discovered Polonium on the outermost moon of the outermost planet of the system.

Whilst every body in the system has been explored, not all of them have been mapped yet, and none had been set foot on before my arrival. I began making my own mark in the system by making First Footfall on Grie Prao LH-E b59-1 2a, a beige icy body orbiting a large ringed Ammonia World.

(Approaching Grie Prao LH-E b59-1 2a)

Then I mapped the Class I Gas Giant Grie Prao LH-E b59-1 3, flying between the rings and the planet to map the far side.

(Approaching Grie Prao LH-E b59-1 3, Grie Prao LH-E b59-1 4 in the background)

Next I headed out to the Class I Gas Giant Grie Prao LH-E b59-1 6, and mapped the first icy moon Grie Prao LH-E b59-1 6a

(Approaching Class I Gas Giant Grie Prao LH-E b59-1 6a)

Finally, I investigated a Biological Signal Source on Grie Prao LH-E b59-1 6g, one of only two in the system on this small Icy Body with a thin argon atmosphere. I did not have to cruise around the surface for long before discovering a fine field of Fonticulua Campestris Amethyst.

(EV Enterprise landed before a field of Fonticulua Campestris Amethyst)

Examining this life form on foot revealed a glistening icy surface.

(Examining Fonticulua Campestris Amethyst on foot)

Finally, looking more closely revealed a cluster of spiky structures, which I have not seen described anywhere before. Possibly they are aerial rootlets, which penetrate the icy ground if and when the branch they are on collapses under its own weight by way of propagation. But then they should be on the underside of the branch. Perhaps they serve some other function. In any case, I was careful not to interfere with the needle-like spines in my pressure suit.

(Spike cluster on branch of Fonticulua Campestris Amethyst)

(Existential contemplation of a lone pilot in a field of alien plants tens of thousands of light years across the Galaxy)

I now intend to take another small detour to the DSSA Stellar Oasis for servicing. The Fleet Carrier is more or less directly between Sacrebleu and the next Waypoint anyway.

 

[Commander William Diffin]

Day One thousand seven hundred and seventy-three:

[Waypoint №50 Detour - 2,068.22ly from Sacrebleu - n/a - DSSA Stellar Oasis, Ihab JI-B D13-16]

This run was shortened by quite a number of Neutron Boosts, my apparently having caught the tail of the Teliki Carina Neutron Belt. Not a lot to report, discovered a single Water World, many other systems encountered are already explored now that I am back on the Galactic plane. Foolishly synthesized an AFMU Refill at Phlaudgoo WX-U d2-2, the eighth since leaving Explorer's Anchorage, forgetting that I could have effected repairs and refilled the AFMU at DSSA Stellar Oasis if I could have put up with the increasing FSD malfunctions before then. It's not important though, I still have 221 Vanadium, which is the limiting factor on all of the kinds of synthesis I need to make use of.

And so I soon arrived at the DSSA Stellar Oasis in the Ihab JI-B D13-16 System.

(EV Enterprise approaching DSSA Stellar Oasis, Water World Ihab JI-B d13-16 2 in the foreground,
its twin Water World Ihab JI-B d13-16 3 in the background)

Having docked, it was apparent that the Enterprise was somewhat the worse for wear, having travelled 19,653.99ly since her last service at DSSA Jolly Roger.

(EV Enterprise immediately after arriving in her hangar at DSSA Stellar Oasis)

The first thing to do was cash in my exploration data, some 576 systems-worth. This amounted to a modest bonanza of CR65,064,151, bringing my liquid assets up to CR562,662,066.

Now I had hoped that I might be able to procure an Artemis exploration suit with Genetic Sampler at the DSSA Stellar Oasis, but was disappointed to find that Pioneer Supplies are absent from this Fleet Carrier. Apparently Pioneer Supplies are unprofitably expensive for Fleet Carriers to maintain, so there are no Pioneer Supplies outlets at any of the deep space Fleet Carriers in the Galactic Eastern Quadrants that I am passing through. In fact the nearest Pioneer Supplies outlet is the DSSA Endeavour at Beagle Point, 31,079.33ly from DSSA Stellar Oasis. However, what DSSA Stellar Oasis does have is a Shipyard. With Ship Transfer facility.

So now I have another decision to make. I could summon one of my long range exploration ships, the CA Pourquoi pas ? or the RV Abeona, then use her to make a trip to Beagle Point to pick up an Artemis Suit, then return to DSSA Stellar Oasis to resume the Circumnavigation in the Enterprise. Checking the Shipyard, it seems that transferring the Anaconda Pourquoi pas ? with her jump range of 84.11ly from her current location at Pilkington Orbital, Einheriar to DSSA Stellar Oasis will set me back CR574,174,592, more money than I have unless I sell some assets. Transferring the Asp Explorer Abeona from her berth at Jameson Memorial, Shinrarta Dezhra will cost CR129,782,928, more than three times what she is worth. Last time I checked, Abeona was not fully engineered or stripped down for exploration, and had a maximum jump range of 67.31ly.

You know, I think I can live without the Genetic Sampler until I reach the next Pioneer Supplies at Waypoint №69 - Station X, and will keep on going with Enterprise.

(Contemplating returning to Beagle Point in the DSSA Stellar Oasis Concourse viewing area)

Finally, Enterprise completed her service and is now ready to take on the rest of the Sagittarius-Carina Arm Stage of her Galactic Circumnavigation. DSSA Stellar Oasis is a very useful stopping-off point for explorers and is in a prime location... if the golden age of exploration of the Sagittarius-Carina Arm had not already passed. Apart from security, the Fleet Carrier was dead. I was the only visitor, and I expect it has been some time since the Fleet Carrier has seen another explorer. This region really needs another expedition to pass through it, and DSSA Stellar Oasis really needs a Pioneer Supplies to set her apart as serving explorers, regardless of profit.

(EV Enterprise fully serviced)

The next Waypoint, №50, is an interesting Water World moon with a moon of its own, orbiting a Gas Giant. Near to the system are a number of interesting systems with neutron stars, a black hole, an orange giant, and an Earth-Like World, which may have bodies that yet need to be tagged.

 

[Commander William Diffin]

Day Two thousand one hundred and thirty-seven:

Waypoint №50 - [2650.66ly from DSSA Stellar Oasis] 4,711.42[ly from Waypoint №49] - 187,155.50 - Muntasir, Chraichoi ZF-L d9-58

Made very slow going indeed, with little to break the monotony. Decided to land on a dull High Metal Content World orbiting the neutron star Ihascs OJ-I d9-39 A, just to tag it with my First Footfall. Surface temperature was dangerously high and I didn't stay outside of my ship for long. Also my attempts to hover my Sidewinder over the pit of a small cinder cone and scan it led to 3% of Hull Damage. The reverse thrust toggle switch on my controller has a poor contact. Also I had an issue with my camera so my image of the cinder cone was lost. Scanned a small number of other worlds orbiting neutron stars along the route, just to leave my tags out here.

Approaching the Muntasir Waypoint with my FSD failing at 75% what with all of the neutron-boosted jumps I had been making, I began looking for the interesting systems that had been reported in the vicinity that may yet be unexplored, beginning with the neutron star at Chraichoi ZF-L d9-54. This had been entirely discovered. And whilst the three planets of the system had each been discovery tagged by three different commanders who had thoughtfully left space on the wall for future visitors in the form of the ten moons of the system, every last one had thereafter been discovery tagged by a Commander Eagle131. So well done that commander. I scanned the Gas Giant with Water-Based Life Chraichoi ZF-L d9-54 1 for my own mapping tag, then repaired the FSD with the AFMU.

(Gas Giant with Water-Based Life Chraichoi ZF-L d9-54 1, neutron star in the background)

Leaving Chraichoi ZF-L d9-54, I neutron-jumped to a nebulous star at Greou Ploe CL-Y g2. This turned out to be a quaternary system with a Type O primary doubled with a Herbig Ae/Be star, doubled again with binary Type B stars. The entire system is orbited by a single High Metal Content World, previously discovered and tagged. It is too hot to land upon and claim a First Footfall. There were no other interesting systems in the vicinity of Muntasir. There are no black holes nearby. The report was false.

Having said that, the Muntasir System itself is quite interesting, and I spent some time there. Of course, everything had been scanned already by prior visitors, and the worlds with geological and biological features had all seen first footfalls, but there were still two or three landable worlds that no one had yet set foot on. I decided to make my mark on Chraichoi ZF-L d9-58 3, a Metal-Rich World with a large Metal Rich ring system; I spotted five Platinum hot spots. I brought my ship down on the inside edge of a large ray crater on the dawn terminator, and headed out on foot to claim my First Footfall tag. But I didn't stay out long, even in the shade the surface temperature was more than 1000K, and the sun hadn't even finished rising yet.

(Enterprise parked in an enormous amphitheatre at Chraichoi ZF-L d9-58 3, ring system arcing overhead, the sun rising above the horizon)

I am now at the half-way point of Stage 5. I have still yet to acquire an Artemis Suit, and according to EDAstro there now follows along the rest of the route a trail of DSSA Fleet Carriers every 5,000ly or so, that all appear to have Pioneer Supplies services which will sell basic Artemis Suits, but I am skeptical. Other sources of information vary; Inara doesn't seem to specify Pioneer Supplies as a service at any station even though you can search for it, and EDSM often seems to contradict information given by other sources. I suspect that this is because EDSM is kept up to date, and Carrier owners have been neglecting the upkeep of their Carriers; even DSSA Carrier owners complain that Pioneer Supplies is too expensive to maintain and they won't bother with it any longer.

The nearest Fleet Carrier to Muntasir is DSSA Deep Space 12 managed by Commander Urania Minora, but she has apparently been deleted from the Frontier Forums, and her Carrier does not currently show Pioneer Supplies on EDSM, although it does on EDAstro. I don't really know if any of the DSSA Carriers still maintain Pioneer Supplies. Their Frontier Forum thread is not very active, and the only query there about the availability of Pioneer Services on DSSA Fleet Carriers was met with a definitively unhelpful out of date spreadsheet, in a format that my software won't read. They couldn't just reply with a simple list, and I don't feel like asking for one.

I think I will pass DSSA Deep Space 12 by; it's somewhat off my course. I will simply head straight on for Waypoint №51 Penguin's Rest, 4,898.05 ly distant. There is another Fleet Carrier near to Waypoint №52 that is supposed to have Pioneer Supplies; I will hold out on the Artemis Suit until I reach that.