start transmission
2 May 3311
I am Commander Tom Bacon – and I've been out here for weeks now.
After a long career as the captain of a mining vessel in service of the Federation, loyal to President Winters, I finally hung up that job for good. The payouts were always solid, often even excellent – but my life? A daily grind of jump plans, laser noise, and supply routines.
With my severance package, I bought myself a brand-new Corsair.
Not a ship that excels in any one field – it's no superior fighter, no top-tier freighter. And there are far better options for long-range expeditions. The Series 5 FSD barely manages 44 light-years per jump. There are faster ships, tougher ships, more efficient ships.
But this one? She's a beautiful all-rounder. And I like her. I like my Normandy.
Why? Why would someone like me need another ship?
Because I'm on the move.
Finally free to do what I want.
So I just went – headed for Colonia, without the Colonia Highway, without the Neutron Superhighway. I went straight through the middle, jump by jump. The Normandy behaved admirably: when I arrived in Colonia, the damage was minimal, the FSD still at 89 %. A good ship – no miracle of engineering, but my home.
Colonia was… a success, yes – but oddly unfulfilling.
Missions, unlocking engineers, more mining – again? No. That’s not why I left.
I have no concrete plan. No map, no target, no noble research project.
But there’s a hollow place in my chest that I want to fill.
I don’t want to hear the sound of limpets anymore, or the dull hum of mining lasers, or deal with the constant alerts caused by idiots trying to steal my cargo.
I want to experience something that men my age are usually denied.
I know I’ve been lucky.
Being able to afford a ship like this is a privilege. Most workers out there couldn’t dream of it. But so what – I have it, so I’d better make something of it.
I added an Auto Field-Maintenance Unit to the Normandy – and just took off again.
Jump by jump – and I’m currently in the Dryoea Flyuae SA-K C10 system.
I was used to logging my mining results – the onboard computers make that easy.
But keeping a log of a journey that has no destination? That feels strange.
Only today did I think: Maybe I should do it anyway.
By now, I’ve discovered countless new planets, scanned all sorts of biological life – and even charted three Earth-like worlds.
We’re not allowed to land on them, of course. But I would have loved to.
I don’t really know what drives me.
Maybe it’s the emptiness. Maybe it’s hope. Maybe just the need to leave something behind – even if it’s only this record of my journey.
If you’re interested, I’ll post occasional FTL fragments and thoughts from my log here on the net. Not always spectacular. Not always structured. But honest.
Because sometimes, when the sky gives you no answers,it helps to ask a question.
end transmission
2 May 3311
I am Commander Tom Bacon – and I've been out here for weeks now.
After a long career as the captain of a mining vessel in service of the Federation, loyal to President Winters, I finally hung up that job for good. The payouts were always solid, often even excellent – but my life? A daily grind of jump plans, laser noise, and supply routines.
With my severance package, I bought myself a brand-new Corsair.
Not a ship that excels in any one field – it's no superior fighter, no top-tier freighter. And there are far better options for long-range expeditions. The Series 5 FSD barely manages 44 light-years per jump. There are faster ships, tougher ships, more efficient ships.
But this one? She's a beautiful all-rounder. And I like her. I like my Normandy.
Why? Why would someone like me need another ship?
Because I'm on the move.
Finally free to do what I want.
So I just went – headed for Colonia, without the Colonia Highway, without the Neutron Superhighway. I went straight through the middle, jump by jump. The Normandy behaved admirably: when I arrived in Colonia, the damage was minimal, the FSD still at 89 %. A good ship – no miracle of engineering, but my home.
Colonia was… a success, yes – but oddly unfulfilling.
Missions, unlocking engineers, more mining – again? No. That’s not why I left.
I have no concrete plan. No map, no target, no noble research project.
But there’s a hollow place in my chest that I want to fill.
I don’t want to hear the sound of limpets anymore, or the dull hum of mining lasers, or deal with the constant alerts caused by idiots trying to steal my cargo.
I want to experience something that men my age are usually denied.
I know I’ve been lucky.
Being able to afford a ship like this is a privilege. Most workers out there couldn’t dream of it. But so what – I have it, so I’d better make something of it.
I added an Auto Field-Maintenance Unit to the Normandy – and just took off again.
Jump by jump – and I’m currently in the Dryoea Flyuae SA-K C10 system.
I was used to logging my mining results – the onboard computers make that easy.
But keeping a log of a journey that has no destination? That feels strange.
Only today did I think: Maybe I should do it anyway.
By now, I’ve discovered countless new planets, scanned all sorts of biological life – and even charted three Earth-like worlds.
We’re not allowed to land on them, of course. But I would have loved to.
I don’t really know what drives me.
Maybe it’s the emptiness. Maybe it’s hope. Maybe just the need to leave something behind – even if it’s only this record of my journey.
If you’re interested, I’ll post occasional FTL fragments and thoughts from my log here on the net. Not always spectacular. Not always structured. But honest.
Because sometimes, when the sky gives you no answers,it helps to ask a question.
end transmission
