The story of the Perseus/Orion-Cygnus Prospecting Operation (in progress)

[Ranek Eisenkralle]

Below I am going to post the story of the Perseus/Orion-Cygnus Prospecting Operation which is intended to take you along for the journey on what may well be the longest mining trip to date.
The story is complemented by log entries and where appropriate I am also going to add in some screenshots of interesting things encountered along the way.

Hope you are going to enjoy the journey.

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Standing on the bridge of his new Beluga-class Liner Ranek Eisenkralle cast his gaze out over Long Sight Base and the surrounding planetary surface. His ship was ready to take on the uncharted void. Turning his head he briefly read over the first entry in his ship's log which he had completed only minutes prior.

Electronic log of the Daikoko Maru
Entry #1
Entry by: Ranek Eisenkralle
Date: Dec 2nd 3303

“Alright - here we go. Basic outfitting done and initial engineering modifications as well. Wish I could have gotten some proper range-modification to the Frameshift Drive on this baby, but alas right now the necessary materials are in short supply so it'll have to wait. Good thing is: I already found someone wanting to charter my ship for an exploration trip. A group of prospectors wants to check out the resources in an area around the connection between the Perseus Arm and the Orion-Cygnus Arm. That's going to be quite a trip since I am not exactly looking forward to risking my ship by jumping through Neutron Stars. Regular jumps may be much slower, but they are generally much MUCH safer. And since the prospectors have not given me a timetable I am free to set the route as I see fit – so long as I get them to their destination.
Additionally the conditions are quite acceptable to me: I get a share of the resources they uncover and they cover the costs for refitting my ship for this mission. With the exploration data I am going to gather on my way there I should turn a neat profit.”

With the preparations made he now just needed to have the heavy machinery installed which is required for the prospecting job he is taking. To this end he strapped into his pilot's seat and initiated the launch sequence and headed for Savitskaya Ring where prospecting and mining equipment were installed.

Electronic log of the Daikoko Maru
Entry #2
Entry by: Ranek Eisenkralle
Date: Dec 6th 3303

“Refit is done. Now all we need is get those prospectors aboard and head out. I'm going to use Colonia as a way station to resupply if necessary. Retrieving the mined minerals is going to be a pain though. This ship got plenty of room, but most of it is reserved for passenger amenities – which is probably why they hired the Daikoku Maru instead of the Musashi, my Anaconda-class vessel. Musashi would handily fit all the modules necessary including my exploration equipment. But I can hardly blame them for their choice. It's going to be a long trip – a very long one. And the prospect of spending that time in nothing more than their passenger cabins is not exactly thrilling. Well now they got quite a selection of entertainment at their disposal, ranging from holographic theater to a spa area all the way to a decently stocked library. If that helps them pass the time aboard I'm sure they won't mind their samples requiring some more time to be brought aboard. After all it is quite evident that they are not in a rush to get them. I have to admit though, that my ship now feels more like a mining barge than a passenger liner with all the heavy machinery installed down on the lower decks. I'm not going to haul a lot of prospecting limpets out there though. No need to weigh down my ship on the trip out there when I can always produce more on demand thanks to the nano-assembly plant down there. Now I just need to wait for my passengers to arrive here and we are ready to leave.”

A few days later the prospectors arrived and boarded the Daikoku Maru. Upon departure Ranek decided to put on some music which at this point was considered antiques. The tracks were at this point over a thousand years old, yet he enjoyed them every once in a while. The music had in its time been called “Metal” for reasons now lost to history. With this ancient music thundering throughout the bridge the Daikoku Maru slid from the docking bay of Savitskaya Ring and soon after made the first jump on its maiden voyage into the great unknown.

Electronic log of the Daikoko Maru
Entry #3
Entry by: Ranek Eisenkralle
Date: Dec 7th 3303

“The passengers have arrived and we are on our way. I'm going to steer a fair bit off the direct route though. After all my passengers are not in a hurry and you never know which previously undiscovered things you might find. I really like being out here. Pushing the border of known space a little further and all that. But mostly because I don't have too many people getting on my nerves all the time.”

Addendum:

“I am really beginning to love the huge fuel tank on this ship. No more having to stop by a scoopable star every ten or so jumps.”