Forlon's fly log 0011 - Elite Dangerous: Expedition "Palin"

Journey - hyperspace jump ...

I enjoyed my spare time in the bar at Greeboski's Outpost in Phiagre system like usual, but something was a little different. Difference was, that I finally decided on an idea which occupied my mind for quite some time already. That idea was about leaving the bubble and spend some time exploring. Final gentle push which persuaded me to "give it a go" was information, which I received during one of my visits at Qwent Research Base in Sirius system, about a mysterious person named Professor Palin. A guy with a reputation for being the best engineer for ship engines. I left the station bar and headed to my ship, entered the cockpit and sat down in the pilot chair. Console on the left has showed latest technical reports and also one private message. Friend from an nearby Atfero system sent me information about few passengers which want visit places distant only few thousand ly, and which are offering generous payment for safe and secure_transport. My ship "Dark Queen" (rather heavily equipped with maximum jump range slightly above 32ly and fully armed, both scanners, hangar with 2xSRV, fighter hangar and 7A fuel scoop) was refueled and rearmed, my fellow crew member Deborah Weber came into ship cockpit and reported that the fighter bay is fully operational. It was the right time to announce ship departure to the Greebo station control.


Visit in Atfero was this time really short one, two passengers group awaited my arrival and they arrived on board only few minutes after we docked at Wales City. First "stop" was only 1.8k ly far and we arrived there in less as two hours ... it was also not too much out of the bubble, so systems which we passed were mostly already explored. Tourist spot, HIP 75762 Visitor beacon, offered very nice view on an partly snowy planet and I "jumped" for a moment into one our small armed fighter for enjoyment from fast "adrenaline" flight.

Further journey was more "teaching", appeared more and more never before visited (or not yet claimed as visited) systems and we also spent some time flying inside small, but really nice looking Veil West nebula. First day I decided finish somewhere half way to our second tourist destination, on a planet located on low orbit of the ringed gas giant. After landing were repaired all small damages to ship systems coming mostly from heat. During two jumps on our journey I've activated the ship's FSD engines too close to the star, and in second case it forced me use one from our three heat sinks. ... when looking back I had feel that it was a mistake, but it is my first longer trip into black, so small mistakes are unavoidable.

Second day continued through mostly "unexplored" space and we passed through numerous systems as first humans visitors. I've decided to stop and fully scan few systems, some systems were only quickly basic-scanned (used advanced_scanner for taking system bodies overview), and in some systems I piloted my ship for deep scanning to only few chosen planets, mostly heavy-metal Worlds, Water_Worlds and huge planets. We were circa 4k ly out and reached the zone of space where were numerous so called "unscoopable stars" = stars where cannot be restored fuel, and it had forced the path changes. During one from "forced" path changes to "scoop-able" star we were really lucky and we found a gem ... a very rare ELW (Earth_like World) and it was enjoyment fly closer and observe how it shines in the dark space. Few hours later was finally reached system close to our second destination, over 6k ly far from Sol_, and ship systems displayed a hyper-jump to the star which I saw never before. I worried little how will this "last" jump end, because I've heard more scary stories about many ships lost in systems with white dwarf or neutron stars. But luckily that was not this time. We arrived to the system with very unusual "blue" shining star. Local space there was very special, it was like flying through the blue "fog" to the only planet of the system. Quick scanning revealed tourist beacon, which was this time positioned on planet surface, and our second passengers group was very satisfied once we landed there. After I did small recon around this beacon in SRV (surface vehicle) was a time to start with return. Our second expedition day ended in system distant only little more as 5.3k ly from the_Sol.

This journey will continue. How it will end is not known yet ...