Going to post a new entry in a few hours I hope (I already played it, but after work I have time to either post or play, so yesterday was play
).@Triaxx2: yes, I am pretty happy GP II is still alive! Let's hope he stays that way for a long time!
Gon Persius' possibly short life [DiD]
Moderators: TheElf, Moderators for English X Forum
Thanks shaun bergin! Glad you like it
Going to post a new entry in a few hours I hope (I already played it, but after work I have time to either post or play, so yesterday was play).
@Triaxx2: yes, I am pretty happy GP II is still alive! Let's hope he stays that way for a long time!
Going to post a new entry in a few hours I hope (I already played it, but after work I have time to either post or play, so yesterday was play
).@Triaxx2: yes, I am pretty happy GP II is still alive! Let's hope he stays that way for a long time!
"Eventually we must leave Earth--at least a certain number of our progeny must as our sun approaches the end of its solar life cycle. But just as terrestrial explorers have always led the way for settlers, this will also happen extraterrestrially. Earth is our cradle, not our final destiny."
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
Opportunities
Gon Persius II Personal Log
Entry 6: Opportunities
So after a bad night's sleep (my cheap room was pretty much next to the flight deck and freighters were constantly loading cargo on and off) and a decent breakfast I hopped on board of my "Pride and Joy" and exited the hangar.
I had thought about what to do next and decided I would explore more. This way I can build knowledge of the universe while at the same time hopefully coming across some nice opportunities.
I set course towards Bright Profit, as that at least isn't Split or Paranid or Xenon space, which is what the Boron Sectors seem to be bordered by.
Just there in Faded Dreams however, a bunch of Split escorts and trade vessel are fighting with Boron customs, and winning. I stay a safe distance and check for any loot.
Soon a Thresher moves in and the escorts are all but done for. No crates so far.
With only 3 Split M5's remaining, and them all occupied by the Boron, I decide to risk attack one.
I win, but no drops or bail.
By then only 1 is left and I kill it as well. The Boron thank me for the help, my rank in fighting is now Novice and I have gained some recognition.
Again no drop or bail by the way.
As I fiddle with the display of my hull and shields I notice in % viewmode that my hull only has 99%. I repair it quickly and decide to leave it on percentage view from now on.
I fly to Queen's Harbour and emboldened by my success and pushed by my desire to advance my position I attack a Paranid Weapons Dealer.
He packs some sort of flak-like explosive that he shoots at me, which I manage to dodge for quite a time, whittling down his shields, but then I get hit!
Ouch! my 2 shields down and only 30% hull left. From 1 shot!
My top speed is now 161 m/s which feels slow as snails and I quickly turn away and weave and strafe and get the heck out of there.
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/5848/entry00601.jpg
Safe... phew.
Hop out and repair, hop back in... Let's be very careful! I decide to let the Trader go, who by now is close to a gate anyway.
Another escortless Paranid... An Energy Trader this time... I can't resist it... it's so dangerous but I want a new ship, a bail, a crate... anything.
I devise a new tactic: get real close and match speed, then start firing and strafing.
This turns out to be a good idea: the flaklike canon isn't good at close range and doesn't hit me when I thrusterstrafe.
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/8509/entry00602.jpg
He just won't bail so I blow him up, even though he already jettisoned 2 crates for me to take (yes, against Paranid or Split I am coldhearted like that).
I turn back to take a closer look at the crates: Energy Cells.
Bah... not worth much..., my hold can only hold 7, which is about 80 Cr worth, but I do scoop them in my hold.
So that's what an Energy Transport means... could've figured... too bad the Cells seem unsellable so far. I dock at various places but no one wants them.
Then I see a mission in Q's Retribution: Trivial, they call it.
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/5458/entry00603.jpg
Well, it doesn't pay much, but it's more than I have on my account and it's probably safer than attacking Traders: Accept!
I find I am to bring back a ship from Thyne's Excavation, which turns out to be a Split sector beyond a Split sector, and we all know how it went the last time with the Tiger and his Hurricane missiles...
Still, I will try. Mercenary honor and my wish for higher Boron standing demand it.
Possessions:
1 x Boron Octopus "Pride and Joy"
4 x IRE
2 x 1 MJ Shield
7 x Energy Cells
295 Cr
Entry 6: Opportunities
So after a bad night's sleep (my cheap room was pretty much next to the flight deck and freighters were constantly loading cargo on and off) and a decent breakfast I hopped on board of my "Pride and Joy" and exited the hangar.
I had thought about what to do next and decided I would explore more. This way I can build knowledge of the universe while at the same time hopefully coming across some nice opportunities.
I set course towards Bright Profit, as that at least isn't Split or Paranid or Xenon space, which is what the Boron Sectors seem to be bordered by.
Just there in Faded Dreams however, a bunch of Split escorts and trade vessel are fighting with Boron customs, and winning. I stay a safe distance and check for any loot.
Soon a Thresher moves in and the escorts are all but done for. No crates so far.
With only 3 Split M5's remaining, and them all occupied by the Boron, I decide to risk attack one.
I win, but no drops or bail.
By then only 1 is left and I kill it as well. The Boron thank me for the help, my rank in fighting is now Novice and I have gained some recognition.
Again no drop or bail by the way.
As I fiddle with the display of my hull and shields I notice in % viewmode that my hull only has 99%. I repair it quickly and decide to leave it on percentage view from now on.
I fly to Queen's Harbour and emboldened by my success and pushed by my desire to advance my position I attack a Paranid Weapons Dealer.
He packs some sort of flak-like explosive that he shoots at me, which I manage to dodge for quite a time, whittling down his shields, but then I get hit!
Ouch! my 2 shields down and only 30% hull left. From 1 shot!
My top speed is now 161 m/s which feels slow as snails and I quickly turn away and weave and strafe and get the heck out of there.
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/5848/entry00601.jpg
Safe... phew.
Hop out and repair, hop back in... Let's be very careful! I decide to let the Trader go, who by now is close to a gate anyway.
Another escortless Paranid... An Energy Trader this time... I can't resist it... it's so dangerous but I want a new ship, a bail, a crate... anything.
I devise a new tactic: get real close and match speed, then start firing and strafing.
This turns out to be a good idea: the flaklike canon isn't good at close range and doesn't hit me when I thrusterstrafe.
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/8509/entry00602.jpg
He just won't bail so I blow him up, even though he already jettisoned 2 crates for me to take (yes, against Paranid or Split I am coldhearted like that).
I turn back to take a closer look at the crates: Energy Cells.
Bah... not worth much..., my hold can only hold 7, which is about 80 Cr worth, but I do scoop them in my hold.
So that's what an Energy Transport means... could've figured... too bad the Cells seem unsellable so far. I dock at various places but no one wants them.
Then I see a mission in Q's Retribution: Trivial, they call it.
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/5458/entry00603.jpg
Well, it doesn't pay much, but it's more than I have on my account and it's probably safer than attacking Traders: Accept!
I find I am to bring back a ship from Thyne's Excavation, which turns out to be a Split sector beyond a Split sector, and we all know how it went the last time with the Tiger and his Hurricane missiles...
Still, I will try. Mercenary honor and my wish for higher Boron standing demand it.
Possessions:
1 x Boron Octopus "Pride and Joy"
4 x IRE
2 x 1 MJ Shield
7 x Energy Cells
295 Cr
"Eventually we must leave Earth--at least a certain number of our progeny must as our sun approaches the end of its solar life cycle. But just as terrestrial explorers have always led the way for settlers, this will also happen extraterrestrially. Earth is our cradle, not our final destiny."
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
Missiles
Gon Persius II Personal Log
Entry 7: Missiles
I manage to make it through Contorted Dominion (Split space) remarkably well: hardly any red Split, and if there are, it's easy to avoid them with my 313 m/s top speed and they're not interested in me anyway, it seems.
Also, they're mostly traders.
I do avoid the center of the system and skirt around the edges, which helps a lot.
I then enter the gate to Thyne's Excavation, and on exiting immediately see a Split military outpost. It's blue to me though, strangely enough, and I see no real immediate threat on my very basic, 10km range scanner, so I decide to just take a direct course to the target ship I see in the distance.
Bad choice.
A few Sezuras later Betty the board computer suddenly warns me that a missile is launched at me: it seems the military outpost is defended by orbital weapons platforms.
And they are red to me.
And they waste no time stating their intentions (which, granted, are abundantly clear now).
It is a pretty slow missile however, and because I immediately changed course to stay away from the platform they only have time to launch 1, and I outrun it.
I arrive at 'the ship', as they call it: It's a Pegasus Vanguard, pretty damaged.
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/9370/entry00701.jpg
As I only know about Boron ships, I cannot repair it (furthermore, I only ever carry tools for the ship I am currently flying).
It will be a hassle getting it out, but if I make a big enough arc it shouldn't be too hard.
I claim it after the missile that was still trailing behind has had enough and auto-terminates.
I steer away from the plane most stations and the gates lie in, and set course for open space, telling the Pegasus to follow me.
Blasted! It seems my presence was broadcast throughout the Sector, and I see a strong force approaching:
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/8581/entry00702.jpg
They are too slow to catch me, but seem happy enough to go after my slow Pegasus Vanguard.
There is nothing I can do, really.
* I am far away
* Even if I wasn't, there is no hope whatsoever to win against a Raptor (M1 - Carrier Class) and two Escort Dragons (M6 - Corvette Class) in the lousiest M5 (Light Fighter Class)
* Trying to draw fire away from the Pegasus would be Mad Suicide, even if it did work, which it won't, as those ships undoubtedly have guns and turrets aplenty to shoot at both ships simultaneously
So yeah... BOOM goes the Pegasus.
Bah. Another failed mission.
But wait:
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/6088/entry00703.jpg
That's nice! He doesn't seem to blame me, and even pays me 10% for my effort.
That's only 65 Cr in this case... Well, better than nothing.
I check and confirm: no hit to my Boron reputation. I am happy.
Now to quickly get out of here!
After giving the military outpost and trade routes a wide berth and easily outrunning the Raptor and Dragons I enter the gate to Contorted Dominion.
There, I spot a Boron Kraken (M7M - Missile Frigate Class) and escorts. Cool. I figure that's some sort of punitive expedition for the Split killing Boron customs in Faded Dreams (See Gon Persius II Personal Log, Entry 6), and decide to follow, hoping to scavenge for crates after the battle.
I follow them for a bit and suddenly I see a crate with a Poltergeist missile directly ahead!
I dump the Energy Cells that I have no luck selling anyway and scoop up the Poltergeist, hoping it will sell for a decent amount.
Then, an old acquaintance shows up, heading straight for the Kraken:
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/1925/entry00704.jpg
This will be good... let there be many crates! I grin in anticipation, not in the least because I am fairly confident the Kraken will make mincemeat out of the Tiger (M7 - Frigate Class), if only because the Tiger is all alone and the Kraken has many escort fighters. Plus, I still have a beef with that particular Tiger who made me lose a mission and launched Hurricanes at me.
They can engage any moment now, and my Boron brothers will be triumphant!
...
"Warning: missile closing"
What the? The Tiger ignores the Kraken, wasn't coming for it, but was coming for me all along. Me, neatly tucked in behind the Kraken. The Boron ignore the Tiger as well and the only one who may get his ass handed to him is me.
Shucks!
That Tiger sure can hold a grudge.
Well, I am not *that* afraid of Hurricane missiles anymore. I know the drill and turn my vessel around to Faded Dreams, wait till the Hurricane is almost there, turn around, shoot it down, loop back to the gate in a big arc, dodging any Split and specifically that Tiger and vanish through the gate.
Now I do not want to make it sound too easy, shooting down Hurrican missiles is still something I'd rather not do... just suppose you miss at a few crucial moments... then it's bye bye Gon Persius II.
I need to remind myself of that, lest I become overconfident.
Anyway, I manage to sell the Poltergeist missile at Queen's Retribution's EQ for about 3,300 Cr, nice.
I then look up a Cargo Lifesupport System (CLS) in my ships computer and it tells me I have registered 2 being sold, but not at any Boron station. Bah.
It costs about 2,800 Cr, so I decide to keep my money in my pocket for now and be on the lookout for a CLS: I only have enough credits for 1 engine tuning anyway, which isn't too impressive, and I could use the easy-looking passenger transport missions for more Boron rep and credits.
Speaking of which, I check my recognition and am happy to note that I am a Trusted Courtier again (barely, at 2%, but still).
I also would like a bigger radar range. I haven't seen any Duplex scanners yet (20 km range instead of 10), but I have seen some Triplex ones (30 km). However, those are over 9,000 credits and cannot even fit in such a small ship: they need Cargo Class M (wares have size classes, S is smallest, then progressively larger you have M, L, XL and ST (which are entire station segments)).
Next begins a period of exploration: I go to Bright Profit and then follow through to Belt of Aguilar, Black Hole Sun, Omycron Lyrae (get a comm hail from an Argon who wants me to go help the Terran: no thank you!) and so on.
I don't really have a method and generally just enter the first gate I see in a system, although sometimes I have to double back as some systems just don't seem to have other gates (Elysium of Light, for example). In the meantime I still have to avoid the Split and Paranid M3's, M4's and M5's and also Pirates. Not really a problem as long as I keep paying attention.
I do shoot down a Paranid or Split courier, as that seemed to me to be worth the risk. No drops nor bail, but the Argon government thanked me for the deed. Seems they dislike the Split or Paranid too. In the meantime I am also on the lookout for any abandoned crates and signs of fights, but no luck there. Of course I refuse to do any missions for non-Boron, so the only thing I do gain is knowledge of the universe.
So I find myself after a long wandering trek in PTNI Headquarters: Teladi space. While there, I finally get a lucky break: I see a fight between Pirates and Teladi. The Pirates do not stand a chance:
http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/4620/entry00705.jpg
They even drop stuff:
* Wasp missile - SCOOP!
* Hurricane missile - SCOOP!
* Aurora missile - SCOOP!
Docking, I find that this nets me a cool 8,000 Cr, bringing my total to 11,140 Cr.
This can really improve my ship speed a lot, and I still value speed above all else.
Now I really want to find Boron space to tune my engine. I do know the Boron have more Sectors than just those I started in. The question is: where?
I can do 2 things: either go back through 15 Sectors to get to Queen's Retribution, or push on: explore and try to find other Boron territories.
I actually prefer the second option, also because the Sectors around Queen's Harbour feel like the kiddie pond after seeing so many others: I want some Boron Sectors with new opportunities.
This decision turns out to have profound consequences for my future and leads to a very harrowing experience...
Possessions:
1 x Boron Octopus "Pride and Joy"
4 x IRE
2 x 1 MJ Shield
11,140 Cr
Entry 7: Missiles
I manage to make it through Contorted Dominion (Split space) remarkably well: hardly any red Split, and if there are, it's easy to avoid them with my 313 m/s top speed and they're not interested in me anyway, it seems.
Also, they're mostly traders.
I do avoid the center of the system and skirt around the edges, which helps a lot.
I then enter the gate to Thyne's Excavation, and on exiting immediately see a Split military outpost. It's blue to me though, strangely enough, and I see no real immediate threat on my very basic, 10km range scanner, so I decide to just take a direct course to the target ship I see in the distance.
Bad choice.
A few Sezuras later Betty the board computer suddenly warns me that a missile is launched at me: it seems the military outpost is defended by orbital weapons platforms.
And they are red to me.
And they waste no time stating their intentions (which, granted, are abundantly clear now).
It is a pretty slow missile however, and because I immediately changed course to stay away from the platform they only have time to launch 1, and I outrun it.
I arrive at 'the ship', as they call it: It's a Pegasus Vanguard, pretty damaged.
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/9370/entry00701.jpg
As I only know about Boron ships, I cannot repair it (furthermore, I only ever carry tools for the ship I am currently flying).
It will be a hassle getting it out, but if I make a big enough arc it shouldn't be too hard.
I claim it after the missile that was still trailing behind has had enough and auto-terminates.
I steer away from the plane most stations and the gates lie in, and set course for open space, telling the Pegasus to follow me.
Blasted! It seems my presence was broadcast throughout the Sector, and I see a strong force approaching:
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/8581/entry00702.jpg
They are too slow to catch me, but seem happy enough to go after my slow Pegasus Vanguard.
There is nothing I can do, really.
* I am far away
* Even if I wasn't, there is no hope whatsoever to win against a Raptor (M1 - Carrier Class) and two Escort Dragons (M6 - Corvette Class) in the lousiest M5 (Light Fighter Class)
* Trying to draw fire away from the Pegasus would be Mad Suicide, even if it did work, which it won't, as those ships undoubtedly have guns and turrets aplenty to shoot at both ships simultaneously
So yeah... BOOM goes the Pegasus.
Bah. Another failed mission.
But wait:
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/6088/entry00703.jpg
That's nice! He doesn't seem to blame me, and even pays me 10% for my effort.
That's only 65 Cr in this case... Well, better than nothing.
I check and confirm: no hit to my Boron reputation. I am happy.
Now to quickly get out of here!
After giving the military outpost and trade routes a wide berth and easily outrunning the Raptor and Dragons I enter the gate to Contorted Dominion.
There, I spot a Boron Kraken (M7M - Missile Frigate Class) and escorts. Cool. I figure that's some sort of punitive expedition for the Split killing Boron customs in Faded Dreams (See Gon Persius II Personal Log, Entry 6), and decide to follow, hoping to scavenge for crates after the battle.
I follow them for a bit and suddenly I see a crate with a Poltergeist missile directly ahead!
I dump the Energy Cells that I have no luck selling anyway and scoop up the Poltergeist, hoping it will sell for a decent amount.
Then, an old acquaintance shows up, heading straight for the Kraken:
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/1925/entry00704.jpg
This will be good... let there be many crates! I grin in anticipation, not in the least because I am fairly confident the Kraken will make mincemeat out of the Tiger (M7 - Frigate Class), if only because the Tiger is all alone and the Kraken has many escort fighters. Plus, I still have a beef with that particular Tiger who made me lose a mission and launched Hurricanes at me.
They can engage any moment now, and my Boron brothers will be triumphant!
...
"Warning: missile closing"
What the? The Tiger ignores the Kraken, wasn't coming for it, but was coming for me all along. Me, neatly tucked in behind the Kraken. The Boron ignore the Tiger as well and the only one who may get his ass handed to him is me.
Shucks!
That Tiger sure can hold a grudge.
Well, I am not *that* afraid of Hurricane missiles anymore. I know the drill and turn my vessel around to Faded Dreams, wait till the Hurricane is almost there, turn around, shoot it down, loop back to the gate in a big arc, dodging any Split and specifically that Tiger and vanish through the gate.
Now I do not want to make it sound too easy, shooting down Hurrican missiles is still something I'd rather not do... just suppose you miss at a few crucial moments... then it's bye bye Gon Persius II.
I need to remind myself of that, lest I become overconfident.
Anyway, I manage to sell the Poltergeist missile at Queen's Retribution's EQ for about 3,300 Cr, nice.
I then look up a Cargo Lifesupport System (CLS) in my ships computer and it tells me I have registered 2 being sold, but not at any Boron station. Bah.
It costs about 2,800 Cr, so I decide to keep my money in my pocket for now and be on the lookout for a CLS: I only have enough credits for 1 engine tuning anyway, which isn't too impressive, and I could use the easy-looking passenger transport missions for more Boron rep and credits.
Speaking of which, I check my recognition and am happy to note that I am a Trusted Courtier again (barely, at 2%, but still).
I also would like a bigger radar range. I haven't seen any Duplex scanners yet (20 km range instead of 10), but I have seen some Triplex ones (30 km). However, those are over 9,000 credits and cannot even fit in such a small ship: they need Cargo Class M (wares have size classes, S is smallest, then progressively larger you have M, L, XL and ST (which are entire station segments)).
Next begins a period of exploration: I go to Bright Profit and then follow through to Belt of Aguilar, Black Hole Sun, Omycron Lyrae (get a comm hail from an Argon who wants me to go help the Terran: no thank you!) and so on.
I don't really have a method and generally just enter the first gate I see in a system, although sometimes I have to double back as some systems just don't seem to have other gates (Elysium of Light, for example). In the meantime I still have to avoid the Split and Paranid M3's, M4's and M5's and also Pirates. Not really a problem as long as I keep paying attention.
I do shoot down a Paranid or Split courier, as that seemed to me to be worth the risk. No drops nor bail, but the Argon government thanked me for the deed. Seems they dislike the Split or Paranid too. In the meantime I am also on the lookout for any abandoned crates and signs of fights, but no luck there. Of course I refuse to do any missions for non-Boron, so the only thing I do gain is knowledge of the universe.
So I find myself after a long wandering trek in PTNI Headquarters: Teladi space. While there, I finally get a lucky break: I see a fight between Pirates and Teladi. The Pirates do not stand a chance:
http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/4620/entry00705.jpg
They even drop stuff:
* Wasp missile - SCOOP!
* Hurricane missile - SCOOP!
* Aurora missile - SCOOP!
Docking, I find that this nets me a cool 8,000 Cr, bringing my total to 11,140 Cr.
This can really improve my ship speed a lot, and I still value speed above all else.
Now I really want to find Boron space to tune my engine. I do know the Boron have more Sectors than just those I started in. The question is: where?
I can do 2 things: either go back through 15 Sectors to get to Queen's Retribution, or push on: explore and try to find other Boron territories.
I actually prefer the second option, also because the Sectors around Queen's Harbour feel like the kiddie pond after seeing so many others: I want some Boron Sectors with new opportunities.
This decision turns out to have profound consequences for my future and leads to a very harrowing experience...
Possessions:
1 x Boron Octopus "Pride and Joy"
4 x IRE
2 x 1 MJ Shield
11,140 Cr
Last edited by Godani on Mon, 10. Sep 12, 23:08, edited 1 time in total.
"Eventually we must leave Earth--at least a certain number of our progeny must as our sun approaches the end of its solar life cycle. But just as terrestrial explorers have always led the way for settlers, this will also happen extraterrestrially. Earth is our cradle, not our final destiny."
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
-
KingsMongoose
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Tue, 4. Sep 12, 00:02
Thanks! I appreciate you posting to tell me that, it makes me happy and makes me want to keep posting
"Eventually we must leave Earth--at least a certain number of our progeny must as our sun approaches the end of its solar life cycle. But just as terrestrial explorers have always led the way for settlers, this will also happen extraterrestrially. Earth is our cradle, not our final destiny."
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
Harrowing Descent
Gon Persius II Personal Log
Entry 8: Harrowing Descent
Alright, so I head out from PTNI Headquarters to find Boron space. I comm some friendly Boron traders, but apart from telling me where the nearest Equipment dock and Shipyard is they keep silent about the surrounding sectors.
Hmpf. Makes sense I guess, I see that information sometimes being sold for about 2,000 Cr per sector. Information is valuable, it seems.
I head out to a neighbouring sector and discover a Pirate base there! Moreover: it's blue!
http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/682/entry00801.jpg
It also offers a mission, so I hail it, but it turns out to be something I cannot complete. Too bad. Well, this is something to keep in mind to build Pirate rep.
Too bad the rest of the stations are red to me, as are the fighters... Time to get out!
I explore some more Teladi Sectors and then end up in Patriarch's Keep. It sounds like Split, and it is Split. It says it's a Border Sector, though, so to me that indicates it's bordered by non-Split space and I can probably find Boron (or at least safe) Sectors just one gate away.
(This tacit assumption marks the beginning of my true descent.)
I circle carefully around the center, where the busiest trade and the Space Stations and such are located, and enter the next gate: Cho's Defeat.
That sounds like some bigwig Split got it good, so that probably means it's now non-Split space!
(This fantasy plants my feet squarely on the slippery slope leading down the dark cave.)
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/904/entry00802.jpg
Border control! Uh oh. Now, the Mamba are M3 Fighters: Heavily armed, well-shielded, but slow, so I do not mind them that much.
The Recon Jaguar is a ship that can be a lot faster than my 313 m/s though.
I quickly set course for Deep Space, and avoid their attention.
I loop to the next gate, and am happy to find a Teladi M2 Military Phoenix, escorted by a Shrike (M7) two Escort Peregrines (M8) and a smattering of M3's and M4's.
I feel safe, and interpret their presence as an indication Teladi space is just beyond the next gate.
(This misjudgement is me closing and locking the door of the cave (with me on the inside) and throwing away the key.)
I enter the gate to Tharka's Sun.
Split space again! Still border! How long IS their border? Surely it must end soon (Stumbling and falling further down the slippery path).
Loop, avoid, be scared. Find gate.
Ronkar's Clouds. That doesn't sound Split at all, they have these names like Cho, T'sit, Ch'ek (I deliberatly sprain my ankle and proceed stumbling forward, downward, into the dark. Only my flickering torch to light me).
Enter gate: Split! Darn it! Same routine of looping around the center, avoiding any red ships, finding the next gate, I am by now sitting on the edge of my seat: this is tricky!
I find the next gate: Family Pride.
This does sound like Split, but... maybe it's the last Border Sector before I find the Boron! (I throw away my torch for the heck of it)
I manage to enter the gate just in front of a big Split patrol: hahaa! Too slow, suckers!
"You have 1 mizura to get out! You are not allowed here! We will open fire!"
Shit. A Split core world. No choice: gotta turn around... and probably exit the gate in the middle of that patrol! But I have to try.
I do manage to get away from the patrol in Rhonkar's Clouds, using the gate as partial cover, and thanking my speed.
I proceed to try the other gates there, pretty desperate to find non-Split (or Paranid, for that matter) space, always hoping, instead of doing the sensible thing of doubling back. Of course, that isn't without risk either, as I really am deep in enemy space now.
No dice. I am all alone in a big, evil dark place. (And I stabbed out my eyes. Just to be sure.)
I encounter many core worlds, and always turn around immediately when I hear their threats.
Many are the times I see a fast red Split approaching, and then I immediately change course.
It's a truly harrowing experience.
I end up finding only dead ends this way, and then find myself back in Tharka's Sun:
http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/4093/entry00803.jpg
I read my ship's entry on it and conclude Boron space can't be far. There's one branch I haven't tried yet: Onwards! (I leave a trail of breadcrumbs and blood, to make sure some monster will find me)
Nope... another Split border world leads to another Split core world: Rhonkar's Might.
Bah.
Well, by now I feel pretty confident I can traverse Split border Sectors, but at the same time I am still tense: there is still danger everywhere. Apart from knowledge I haven't advanced one iota though: not one Mosquito missile, not even an Energy Cell or two were found.
With no other option I return to Teladi space, and take another route from there: South from PTNI Headquarters instead of West, through Scale Plate Green and into...
(Yes, I am now mimicking, very loudly, mating calls from each and every horror ever devised, existing or otherwise)
... into a Xenon Sector.
Worse yet... They have a Station there.
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/860/entry00804.jpg
It piques my interest. (... I give up with the metaphor. Why I do this? ... It... really... just... piques my interest.)
As I approach it (the rest of the sector seems empty), I see another gate.
Looping around a big Xenon K (M2) that lies between me and the gate I enter it, hoping it won't be a Xenon Core World...
Possessions:
1 x Boron Octopus "Pride and Joy"
4 x IRE
2 x 1 MJ Shield
11,140 Cr
Entry 8: Harrowing Descent
Alright, so I head out from PTNI Headquarters to find Boron space. I comm some friendly Boron traders, but apart from telling me where the nearest Equipment dock and Shipyard is they keep silent about the surrounding sectors.
Hmpf. Makes sense I guess, I see that information sometimes being sold for about 2,000 Cr per sector. Information is valuable, it seems.
I head out to a neighbouring sector and discover a Pirate base there! Moreover: it's blue!
http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/682/entry00801.jpg
It also offers a mission, so I hail it, but it turns out to be something I cannot complete. Too bad. Well, this is something to keep in mind to build Pirate rep.
Too bad the rest of the stations are red to me, as are the fighters... Time to get out!
I explore some more Teladi Sectors and then end up in Patriarch's Keep. It sounds like Split, and it is Split. It says it's a Border Sector, though, so to me that indicates it's bordered by non-Split space and I can probably find Boron (or at least safe) Sectors just one gate away.
(This tacit assumption marks the beginning of my true descent.)
I circle carefully around the center, where the busiest trade and the Space Stations and such are located, and enter the next gate: Cho's Defeat.
That sounds like some bigwig Split got it good, so that probably means it's now non-Split space!
(This fantasy plants my feet squarely on the slippery slope leading down the dark cave.)
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/904/entry00802.jpg
Border control! Uh oh. Now, the Mamba are M3 Fighters: Heavily armed, well-shielded, but slow, so I do not mind them that much.
The Recon Jaguar is a ship that can be a lot faster than my 313 m/s though.
I quickly set course for Deep Space, and avoid their attention.
I loop to the next gate, and am happy to find a Teladi M2 Military Phoenix, escorted by a Shrike (M7) two Escort Peregrines (M8) and a smattering of M3's and M4's.
I feel safe, and interpret their presence as an indication Teladi space is just beyond the next gate.
(This misjudgement is me closing and locking the door of the cave (with me on the inside) and throwing away the key.)
I enter the gate to Tharka's Sun.
Split space again! Still border! How long IS their border? Surely it must end soon (Stumbling and falling further down the slippery path).
Loop, avoid, be scared. Find gate.
Ronkar's Clouds. That doesn't sound Split at all, they have these names like Cho, T'sit, Ch'ek (I deliberatly sprain my ankle and proceed stumbling forward, downward, into the dark. Only my flickering torch to light me).
Enter gate: Split! Darn it! Same routine of looping around the center, avoiding any red ships, finding the next gate, I am by now sitting on the edge of my seat: this is tricky!
I find the next gate: Family Pride.
This does sound like Split, but... maybe it's the last Border Sector before I find the Boron! (I throw away my torch for the heck of it)
I manage to enter the gate just in front of a big Split patrol: hahaa! Too slow, suckers!
"You have 1 mizura to get out! You are not allowed here! We will open fire!"
Shit. A Split core world. No choice: gotta turn around... and probably exit the gate in the middle of that patrol! But I have to try.
I do manage to get away from the patrol in Rhonkar's Clouds, using the gate as partial cover, and thanking my speed.
I proceed to try the other gates there, pretty desperate to find non-Split (or Paranid, for that matter) space, always hoping, instead of doing the sensible thing of doubling back. Of course, that isn't without risk either, as I really am deep in enemy space now.
No dice. I am all alone in a big, evil dark place. (And I stabbed out my eyes. Just to be sure.)
I encounter many core worlds, and always turn around immediately when I hear their threats.
Many are the times I see a fast red Split approaching, and then I immediately change course.
It's a truly harrowing experience.
I end up finding only dead ends this way, and then find myself back in Tharka's Sun:
http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/4093/entry00803.jpg
I read my ship's entry on it and conclude Boron space can't be far. There's one branch I haven't tried yet: Onwards! (I leave a trail of breadcrumbs and blood, to make sure some monster will find me)
Nope... another Split border world leads to another Split core world: Rhonkar's Might.
Bah.
Well, by now I feel pretty confident I can traverse Split border Sectors, but at the same time I am still tense: there is still danger everywhere. Apart from knowledge I haven't advanced one iota though: not one Mosquito missile, not even an Energy Cell or two were found.
With no other option I return to Teladi space, and take another route from there: South from PTNI Headquarters instead of West, through Scale Plate Green and into...
(Yes, I am now mimicking, very loudly, mating calls from each and every horror ever devised, existing or otherwise)
... into a Xenon Sector.
Worse yet... They have a Station there.
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/860/entry00804.jpg
It piques my interest. (... I give up with the metaphor. Why I do this? ... It... really... just... piques my interest.)
As I approach it (the rest of the sector seems empty), I see another gate.
Looping around a big Xenon K (M2) that lies between me and the gate I enter it, hoping it won't be a Xenon Core World...
Possessions:
1 x Boron Octopus "Pride and Joy"
4 x IRE
2 x 1 MJ Shield
11,140 Cr
"Eventually we must leave Earth--at least a certain number of our progeny must as our sun approaches the end of its solar life cycle. But just as terrestrial explorers have always led the way for settlers, this will also happen extraterrestrially. Earth is our cradle, not our final destiny."
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
LooManckStrat's Legacy
Gon Persius II Personal Log
Entry 9: LooManckStrat's Legacy
I enter the gate in the Xenon Sector and.. Eighteen Billion: I am in Teladi space! Good... so I can continue my exploration and do not have to turn all the way back.
One would maybe think that in these safe sectors I would find some reprieve and take some time to enjoy the relative safety, but no: I want Boron space more than ever! And the speed upgrades that go with it.
So I enter random gates and it leads me to Ianamus Zura, Homily of Perpetuity and Acquisition Repository.
http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/3126/entry00901.jpg
The latter sounds very Teladi, but has been run over by Pirates and seems some sort of wild contested warzone... interesting. I still want to find Pirate missions I can do to gain standing with them. The sector however, contains quite a lot of red... and on my simplex scanner that's bad news, as it means they're close.
No missions either.
Then I enter Spaceweed Grove, another Pirate sector, with very low visibility, and what I do see offers no missions. I fly towards the cardinal points that may hold gates, and just as I am about to give up a gate silhouette shines through the mist.
I enter LooManckStrat's Legacy:
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/1563/entry00902.jpg
I immediately notice the words about Boron, and happily conclude that now, finally, Boron space cannot be too far away.
I also somehow completely miss anything about a minefield.
Yay! Well standard procedure: loop around center, look for gates.
There are actually two,
http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/8743/entry00903.jpg
but one is between asteroids and tradelanes and Pirates probably, so I choose the other one.
Almost at the gate I see a Boron Military patrol!
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/8571/entry00904.jpg
I expect them to engage those Pirates and a lot of crates to drop... but no, again I make that same mistake. Too late do I notice that the Pirates are coming for me alone, and the first hits of IRE fire damage my shield as I quickly enter the gate.
They don't follow.
Mi Ton's Refuge: Pirates again... Bah.
Although, I still do need to gain rep with them...
I do not see any opportunity for this however, so continue to Moo-Kye's Revenge: Pirates.
Next gate: Cardinal's Domain.
"Get out now! You have 1 Mizura before we annihilate your ship"
Great, a Paranid Core Sector... I am not getting a lucky break, am I?
It just had to be the other race I am on hostile terms with. I do not fancy a trip all the way back through Pirate and Xenon space, but, there are still some gates I can try:
One more gate in Moo-Kye, then also that other gate in LooManckStrat and a gate in Ianamus. I vehemently hope one of those leads to the Boron...
In Moo-Kye I see that Boron military patrol again... still a good sign, I think.
Not for me though: through the other gate is another Pirate Sector (Desecrated Skies), with two more Paranid Sectors attached to it.
Since I really do not fancy another harrowing descent, into Paranid space this time, that means back to Mi-Ton's Refuge, which used to be Boron, I read.
http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/1592/entry00905.jpg
On to LooManckStrat's Legacy.
Exiting the gate I see, for about the hundredth time, a swarm of red (Pirates, this time) approaching me fast.
Instinctively I jerk my flight controls to the left and veer out of their path.
And then it happens:
I see a ship.
I click it, as I usually do, just out of curiosity.
I notice some anomaly at the top:
http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/6048/entry00906.jpg
NO PILOT!?!?
Could it be true?!
One of the legendary Abandoned Ships, scattered around the universe.
I had given up hope AGES ago to find one randomly, as it seemed nigh on impossible to me.
Yes it is true... I have found a ship!!!
Suddenly paranoid fear strikes me: the Pirates that I evaded are surely on top of me? A whole fleet of Split must be just around the corner... Is this a Pirate ambush/trap?
No, no, and no... it doesn't seem to be.
I come to a full stop 60 meters from the ship, eject, spacewalk over, and claim it...
...
No nuclear explosions... all stays quiet?
Really?
Really.
Woohoo!!
I now own a Mamba, a Split M3 Fighter. I cannot fly it, but it's in perfect condition, so it should fetch me a neat price!
I check out its hold and it has:
2 x 25 MJ Shield
4 x Banshee Missile
8 x Fighter Drone
2 x Pulsed Beam Emitter
SETA
Video Enhancement Goggles
Nice!! I transfer the Goggles and the Missiles over to my Octopus, so that even if the Mamba gets blown up I have some profit out of this. The rest is M class Cargo, so I cannot fit it.
I do make a mental note about the Drones though: I had forgotten about them, but they are dangerous, and Traders sometimes carry them as protection. So that means ships without weapons are NOT automatically defenseless. Good to know.
I am still paranoid and start to think about what to do next.
The ship is slow, you see. 109 m/s top speed. And I am not exactly close to friendly space.
Teladi space is 3 jumps away... It will be a challenge getting it to safety!
I do not want a repeat of what happened with the Pegasus in Thyne's Excavation (Personal Log Entry 7).
Possessions:
1 x Boron Octopus "Pride and Joy"
4 x IRE
2 x 1 MJ Shield
4 x Banshee Missile
1 x Split Mamba "Your Mamba"
2 x 25 MJ Shield
8 x Fighter Drone
2 x Pulsed Beam Emitter
11,140 Cr
Entry 9: LooManckStrat's Legacy
I enter the gate in the Xenon Sector and.. Eighteen Billion: I am in Teladi space! Good... so I can continue my exploration and do not have to turn all the way back.
One would maybe think that in these safe sectors I would find some reprieve and take some time to enjoy the relative safety, but no: I want Boron space more than ever! And the speed upgrades that go with it.
So I enter random gates and it leads me to Ianamus Zura, Homily of Perpetuity and Acquisition Repository.
http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/3126/entry00901.jpg
The latter sounds very Teladi, but has been run over by Pirates and seems some sort of wild contested warzone... interesting. I still want to find Pirate missions I can do to gain standing with them. The sector however, contains quite a lot of red... and on my simplex scanner that's bad news, as it means they're close.
No missions either.
Then I enter Spaceweed Grove, another Pirate sector, with very low visibility, and what I do see offers no missions. I fly towards the cardinal points that may hold gates, and just as I am about to give up a gate silhouette shines through the mist.
I enter LooManckStrat's Legacy:
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/1563/entry00902.jpg
I immediately notice the words about Boron, and happily conclude that now, finally, Boron space cannot be too far away.
I also somehow completely miss anything about a minefield.
Yay! Well standard procedure: loop around center, look for gates.
There are actually two,
http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/8743/entry00903.jpg
but one is between asteroids and tradelanes and Pirates probably, so I choose the other one.
Almost at the gate I see a Boron Military patrol!
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/8571/entry00904.jpg
I expect them to engage those Pirates and a lot of crates to drop... but no, again I make that same mistake. Too late do I notice that the Pirates are coming for me alone, and the first hits of IRE fire damage my shield as I quickly enter the gate.
They don't follow.
Mi Ton's Refuge: Pirates again... Bah.
Although, I still do need to gain rep with them...
I do not see any opportunity for this however, so continue to Moo-Kye's Revenge: Pirates.
Next gate: Cardinal's Domain.
"Get out now! You have 1 Mizura before we annihilate your ship"
Great, a Paranid Core Sector... I am not getting a lucky break, am I?
It just had to be the other race I am on hostile terms with. I do not fancy a trip all the way back through Pirate and Xenon space, but, there are still some gates I can try:
One more gate in Moo-Kye, then also that other gate in LooManckStrat and a gate in Ianamus. I vehemently hope one of those leads to the Boron...
In Moo-Kye I see that Boron military patrol again... still a good sign, I think.
Not for me though: through the other gate is another Pirate Sector (Desecrated Skies), with two more Paranid Sectors attached to it.
Since I really do not fancy another harrowing descent, into Paranid space this time, that means back to Mi-Ton's Refuge, which used to be Boron, I read.
http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/1592/entry00905.jpg
On to LooManckStrat's Legacy.
Exiting the gate I see, for about the hundredth time, a swarm of red (Pirates, this time) approaching me fast.
Instinctively I jerk my flight controls to the left and veer out of their path.
And then it happens:
I see a ship.
I click it, as I usually do, just out of curiosity.
I notice some anomaly at the top:
http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/6048/entry00906.jpg
NO PILOT!?!?
Could it be true?!
One of the legendary Abandoned Ships, scattered around the universe.
I had given up hope AGES ago to find one randomly, as it seemed nigh on impossible to me.
Yes it is true... I have found a ship!!!
Suddenly paranoid fear strikes me: the Pirates that I evaded are surely on top of me? A whole fleet of Split must be just around the corner... Is this a Pirate ambush/trap?
No, no, and no... it doesn't seem to be.
I come to a full stop 60 meters from the ship, eject, spacewalk over, and claim it...
...
No nuclear explosions... all stays quiet?
Really?
Really.
Woohoo!!
I now own a Mamba, a Split M3 Fighter. I cannot fly it, but it's in perfect condition, so it should fetch me a neat price!
I check out its hold and it has:
2 x 25 MJ Shield
4 x Banshee Missile
8 x Fighter Drone
2 x Pulsed Beam Emitter
SETA
Video Enhancement Goggles
Nice!! I transfer the Goggles and the Missiles over to my Octopus, so that even if the Mamba gets blown up I have some profit out of this. The rest is M class Cargo, so I cannot fit it.
I do make a mental note about the Drones though: I had forgotten about them, but they are dangerous, and Traders sometimes carry them as protection. So that means ships without weapons are NOT automatically defenseless. Good to know.
I am still paranoid and start to think about what to do next.
The ship is slow, you see. 109 m/s top speed. And I am not exactly close to friendly space.
Teladi space is 3 jumps away... It will be a challenge getting it to safety!
I do not want a repeat of what happened with the Pegasus in Thyne's Excavation (Personal Log Entry 7).
Possessions:
1 x Boron Octopus "Pride and Joy"
4 x IRE
2 x 1 MJ Shield
4 x Banshee Missile
1 x Split Mamba "Your Mamba"
2 x 25 MJ Shield
8 x Fighter Drone
2 x Pulsed Beam Emitter
11,140 Cr
"Eventually we must leave Earth--at least a certain number of our progeny must as our sun approaches the end of its solar life cycle. But just as terrestrial explorers have always led the way for settlers, this will also happen extraterrestrially. Earth is our cradle, not our final destiny."
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
All things Boron..
Gon Persius II Personal Log
Entry 10: All things Boron..
So here I am... next to my ship, terrified something will come my way and shoot it to into tiny worthless bits.
So far so good, but let's get this ship to a safer spot first, so I can think in peace.
I program the Mamba's autopilot to follow me and set course for open space, away from the plane LooManckStrat's asteroids lie in and, well.. basically away from everything:
http://imageshack.us/a/img822/5466/entry01001.jpg
Then, far away, as I wait for the Mamba to come to where I am, I start breathing normally.
http://imageshack.us/a/img208/1054/entry01002.jpg
Wow... a Mamba... this will net me some nice money... hopefully enough to buy me a Boron M3, at least I'll be able to get an M4.
As I look down (or up, but it feels down) at LooManckStrat and see that one gate I haven't tried yet. Let's scout that one first. Have to be careful though! Apparently there are mines here?
So I move on over and once above the gate I go vertically down and enter it. I did see some structures in the distance, so this probably is a neat Pirate sector when they finally recognize me as a friend.
I exit the gate in... Teladi space!! Woohoo, lucky!
I see a trading station there, and I decide to immediately turn back to dock the Mamba there... that will protect it from all danger. Well, from all but the most serious Xenon or Kha'ak incursion anyway.
So I head back, tell the Mamba to follow me again and sit there waiting halfway between Mamba and gate.
And then I see some tiny movement.
I look closer: weapons fire!
Wow... let's check it out and hope for some Remote Guided Warheads.
I tell the Mamba to hold position there and speed over, staying far above (or below).
It seems the Boron (*finally*, I might add) are attacking the Pirates. And they're not just kidding, but obviously intend to wipe them all out.
Awesome, go Boron! Although... I still kind of harbour the dream of becoming a Pirate myself someday... not against the Boron, but raiding Split and Paranid.
In any case, I am definitely not getting myself mixed up in this!
The Boron have at least a Shark and a Hydra, and LOTS of Barracuda's. The Pirates have 2 or 3 fighters that I can see, and Orbital Weapons Platforms, with maybe some Laser Towers or so as well.
As I get closer, I see the Pirates have something called an Anarchy Port there... that looks interesting! The Weapons Platform is getting hit hard:
http://imageshack.us/a/img145/29/entry01003.jpg
I observe the fight for some time. When the Shark has only about 10% hull left the Platform finally caves:
http://imageshack.us/a/img843/3756/entry01004.jpg
Seeing as how the Pirates have nothing that potentially kills anymore and me and the Boron go way back it's time to scour for missiles!
I find another Banshee and scoop it up (after NINE tries! - I started getting worried the Pirates were coming back by then!), but the rest seems to be too big for my hold.
Meh, I should have left the Banshees in my Mamba... oh well, can't be too fussed about it because I have a MAMBA!
Speaking of which: time to get it to safety!
After some nervous moments (and quite a lot of waiting in SETA) I finally see it enter the Teladi Station:
http://imageshack.us/a/img255/7236/entry01005.jpg
With it safe, I decide to explore the gates leading from there.
First one I try: BORON SECTOR OMG YES, YES, OMG YES!!!
I feel like the king of kings
Exhilarated!
Long story short: I tell my Mamba to dock at the EQ in Great Trench, sell the PBE's (that cannot fit Boron ships, I checked in my ingame encyclopedia, and which are worth 250k a piece), the 25 MJ Shields, Drones and Banshees (the latter of which net me 13k a piece!) and after that even find a Shipyard and more Boron space!
So I sell the Mamba and seriously research every Boron ship I can buy.
I'd like an M3, but I do not have high enough Rep yet... bummer.
The Mako M4... meh... it seems slow! I am used to speed being my lifeline.
Then I notice something interesting: an Octopus Raider comes with a pre-installed Triplex scanner! Nice! I really want one of those!
So in the end I decide to buy myself an Octopus Raider, tune it to full speed, and use that to scout for more opportunities to increase my Rep. Maybe asteroid scanning.
I buy a mineral scanner as well (37k, but I can afford it now), but note with dismay a Frieght scanner is not possible at my Rep level of Truster Courtier.
I sell my old trusty, the "Pride and Joy", with a tinge of regret.
And then I blast away in my "Lightning Bolt"!
Top speed: 543 m/s
It even looks awesome:
http://imageshack.us/a/img607/3450/entry01006.jpg
Only downside (besides a cargo bay of only 13 -- not much loss there) :
It can only fit 1 1 MJ Shield.
... well, it's only paper anyway!
I scout the nearby sectors and then decide to call it a day.
Possessions:
1 x Boron Octopus Raider "Lightning Bolt"
4 x IRE
1 x 1 MJ Shield
1,588,470 Cr
Entry 10: All things Boron..
So here I am... next to my ship, terrified something will come my way and shoot it to into tiny worthless bits.
So far so good, but let's get this ship to a safer spot first, so I can think in peace.
I program the Mamba's autopilot to follow me and set course for open space, away from the plane LooManckStrat's asteroids lie in and, well.. basically away from everything:
http://imageshack.us/a/img822/5466/entry01001.jpg
Then, far away, as I wait for the Mamba to come to where I am, I start breathing normally.
http://imageshack.us/a/img208/1054/entry01002.jpg
Wow... a Mamba... this will net me some nice money... hopefully enough to buy me a Boron M3, at least I'll be able to get an M4.
As I look down (or up, but it feels down) at LooManckStrat and see that one gate I haven't tried yet. Let's scout that one first. Have to be careful though! Apparently there are mines here?
So I move on over and once above the gate I go vertically down and enter it. I did see some structures in the distance, so this probably is a neat Pirate sector when they finally recognize me as a friend.
I exit the gate in... Teladi space!! Woohoo, lucky!
I see a trading station there, and I decide to immediately turn back to dock the Mamba there... that will protect it from all danger. Well, from all but the most serious Xenon or Kha'ak incursion anyway.
So I head back, tell the Mamba to follow me again and sit there waiting halfway between Mamba and gate.
And then I see some tiny movement.
I look closer: weapons fire!
Wow... let's check it out and hope for some Remote Guided Warheads.
I tell the Mamba to hold position there and speed over, staying far above (or below).
It seems the Boron (*finally*, I might add) are attacking the Pirates. And they're not just kidding, but obviously intend to wipe them all out.
Awesome, go Boron! Although... I still kind of harbour the dream of becoming a Pirate myself someday... not against the Boron, but raiding Split and Paranid.
In any case, I am definitely not getting myself mixed up in this!
The Boron have at least a Shark and a Hydra, and LOTS of Barracuda's. The Pirates have 2 or 3 fighters that I can see, and Orbital Weapons Platforms, with maybe some Laser Towers or so as well.
As I get closer, I see the Pirates have something called an Anarchy Port there... that looks interesting! The Weapons Platform is getting hit hard:
http://imageshack.us/a/img145/29/entry01003.jpg
I observe the fight for some time. When the Shark has only about 10% hull left the Platform finally caves:
http://imageshack.us/a/img843/3756/entry01004.jpg
Seeing as how the Pirates have nothing that potentially kills anymore and me and the Boron go way back it's time to scour for missiles!
I find another Banshee and scoop it up (after NINE tries! - I started getting worried the Pirates were coming back by then!), but the rest seems to be too big for my hold.
Meh, I should have left the Banshees in my Mamba... oh well, can't be too fussed about it because I have a MAMBA!
Speaking of which: time to get it to safety!
After some nervous moments (and quite a lot of waiting in SETA) I finally see it enter the Teladi Station:
http://imageshack.us/a/img255/7236/entry01005.jpg
With it safe, I decide to explore the gates leading from there.
First one I try: BORON SECTOR OMG YES, YES, OMG YES!!!
I feel like the king of kings
Exhilarated!
Long story short: I tell my Mamba to dock at the EQ in Great Trench, sell the PBE's (that cannot fit Boron ships, I checked in my ingame encyclopedia, and which are worth 250k a piece), the 25 MJ Shields, Drones and Banshees (the latter of which net me 13k a piece!) and after that even find a Shipyard and more Boron space!
So I sell the Mamba and seriously research every Boron ship I can buy.
I'd like an M3, but I do not have high enough Rep yet... bummer.
The Mako M4... meh... it seems slow! I am used to speed being my lifeline.
Then I notice something interesting: an Octopus Raider comes with a pre-installed Triplex scanner! Nice! I really want one of those!
So in the end I decide to buy myself an Octopus Raider, tune it to full speed, and use that to scout for more opportunities to increase my Rep. Maybe asteroid scanning.
I buy a mineral scanner as well (37k, but I can afford it now), but note with dismay a Frieght scanner is not possible at my Rep level of Truster Courtier.
I sell my old trusty, the "Pride and Joy", with a tinge of regret.
And then I blast away in my "Lightning Bolt"!
Top speed: 543 m/s
It even looks awesome:
http://imageshack.us/a/img607/3450/entry01006.jpg
Only downside (besides a cargo bay of only 13 -- not much loss there) :
It can only fit 1 1 MJ Shield.
... well, it's only paper anyway!
I scout the nearby sectors and then decide to call it a day.
Possessions:
1 x Boron Octopus Raider "Lightning Bolt"
4 x IRE
1 x 1 MJ Shield
1,588,470 Cr
Last edited by Godani on Sat, 22. Sep 12, 17:09, edited 1 time in total.
"Eventually we must leave Earth--at least a certain number of our progeny must as our sun approaches the end of its solar life cycle. But just as terrestrial explorers have always led the way for settlers, this will also happen extraterrestrially. Earth is our cradle, not our final destiny."
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
-
Nathancros
- Posts: 674
- Joined: Tue, 30. Nov 10, 04:46
Entry 9 had me rolling on the ground in fits of laughter, ive been in those situations before where even I know i REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY shouldnt be going there. but then saying *surely theres light at the end of this tunnel* And continuing on my foolish way
keep up the story, i'm definitly gonna keep reading this!
keep up the story, i'm definitly gonna keep reading this!
Nullam et arcu vitae magna instabilitate omnia solvit
Am a recovering Addict of the CREATIVE FORUM.
Long live X3
Am a recovering Addict of the CREATIVE FORUM.
Long live X3
-
blackmilan
- Posts: 124
- Joined: Sat, 22. Jan 11, 21:13
Hm-ness and Phew-ness
Gon Persius II Personal Log
Entry 11: Hm-ness and Phew-ness
Plan: Gain some Boron rep asap. Do this by taking on asteroid scanning missions.
In my new "Lightning Bolt" I hurl from Boron sector to Boron sector, looking for asteroid scanning missions.
I find two, eventually.
They are given out by a Paranid and an Argon, on Boron stations.
Bah.
((Note: I specifically want to deal only with Boron on Boron stations. Or Pirates. I guess I didn't write down the latter specifically as an exception in my rules, but it's a natural result of me wanting to become a pirate, and it's an oversight on my part when writing the rules, not an amendment on my intentions.
Now that that's out of the way: ))
Out of spite I attack a lonely Paranid Scout and take him out (no bail, no crates). Then... I notice the Boron police is red to me! Crap! I apologize, lying that the weapon's fire was in error, instead of coldblooded murder. These particular Boron seem to dislike the Paranid as well, because they are okay with my explanation and go on their merry way.
But this kinda sucks. I can apparently kill Split in Boron space, but not Paranid.
Well, that's better than nothing I guess.
I keep going back and forth, hoping someone suddenly urgently needs asteroid data, when I see an opportunity of an entire different kind: a Yaki Fujin Sentinel offers me a mission!
Now, the Yaki are Pirates, and I want to get on their good side, so this is on opportunity. However, the mission may be pretty hard in my M5:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/998 ... 985432.jpg
I seriously think it over. I really want to gain pirate rep. But I also really want to gain Boron rep. What if the trade ships are Boron? Then I am really screwed... The mission takes place in an Unknown sector, so at least I wouldn't anger police there.
Basically... Argon, Paranid, Split, Teladi, Boron. A chance of 1 in 5 to be in a pickle.
Nothing ventured nothing gained, they say, right?
Fortune favors the bold, right?
Who dares, wins, right?
Right!
[ external image ]
The mission takes me via New Income, and shows me a nice shortcut that I could have taken from Ianamus Zura. However, then I wouldn't have eventually bumped into the Mamba, so all's good.
New Income holds another surprise for me as well: a blue Pirate Station! And it's offering a mission! However, that will have to wait: first things first.
I enter the Unknown Sector.
I see a Teladi Caiman Super Freighter, a Teladi Caiman Super Freighter XL and a Teladi Dolphin.
Alright! Good news: no Boron. Now let's hope that because this sector is Unknown it won't effect my Teladi rep.
I make a pass at one of them, shooting my IRE's at his shields.
O bugger!
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/999 ... 991109.jpg
Bad news... The Teladi immediately release a bunch of drones, and they immediately bite into my hull (paper being paper my shield is virtually worthless).
Ouch.
Also, my Teladi rep has definitely taken a hit.
One good thing: I am still faster than the drones! Ah.. speed! Lovely speed!
So I loop back to the freighters and shoot at one of them.
*CLUNK*
No! One of them has some turret and one hit brings my hull down to 50%!
My top speed is now significantly lower than the drone top speed... and they're about 4 km away!
FFFFFFFFFffff....
Okay... Not all is lost yet: I turn and weave and then I hear the board computer say target is outside firing range. I think it over... It could work... if I do it, I should do it now, they're gaining on me.
I hit the brakes hard and eject.
Floating in deceptively peaceful surroundings I do not know where the freighters are, where the drones are, and, most importantly, how much hull I need to repair before my top speed is higher than 400 m/s.
Well, repair laser is getting empty, so I enter the ship, blast to full speed (thanking myself I did buy that Boost Extension) and then allow myself to check:
I have 78% hull now, with a top speed of 487 m/s.
Phew.
Hm. This is bad. 5 drones... I am 99% sure I cannot take them. Speeding away I have nothing else to do but check things out, and then I notice the drones have energy! That's right... I remember now. These have 58% energy left by now... so I will just have to wait it out. Hmm, maybe I can even pick them up, that would at least give me some profit.
Quite some time later, after a big loop and seeing a UFO, the drone energy is running out and... they blow up. Well, I finish repairs to my ship and with 100% hull I can now finally concentrate on the freighters! Who in the meantime are pretty close to the gate to New Income, a Teladi sector.
I hope to be able to dodge that turret... If I can see it coming it shouldn't be too hard, right?
I make a pass again, and: Drones Mk II!
No!
... yes.
Gah! Well, they only go 200 m/s and I loop around again.
By now the freighters have entered New Income and I am really getting fed up with this mission. Lost a bunch of Teladi rep, something I am beginning to regret as there are quite a number of Teladi sectors between these Boron sectors and the ones I started out in.
Well, I emerge in New Income, and decide to concentrate on the Teladi Dolphin. It has no weapons. Quite quickly I manage to isolate it from the other two and start blasting it, noting with glee it doesn't release anymore drones! It doesn't want to bail or release cargo either, suggesting I am making a joke! So I drive my point home and after quite a while it goes down, together with another big chunk of Teladi rep.
Hm. I am now a Teladi Mercantile Rebel.
____________________________________________________
Gon Persius vocabulary guide:
"Hm.": signifies a definite case of Hm-ness.
Hm-ness: Feeling that a situation is not a complete failure, and there might possibly be a silver lining you're still unaware of, but definitely nowhere near a success and probably a big step down from where you were.
"Phew.": signifies a definite case of Phew-ness.
Phew-ness: Feeling that a situation isn't quite as bleak as feared, but there's no reason to rejoice (yet) either.
____________________________________________________
Well.. let's try to dock at that Silicon Mine. They accept me! Phew. So it's not that bad yet...
I ponder for a while, but ultimately decide I had it with this mission. I intend to let the other two transports get away, to avoid making the Teladi declare full on war on little old me, and in hopes that the Yaki I did this for considers a 1-in-3 result acceptable.
We'll see! I am not feeling too certain about that, but.. Maybe I can do another Pirate mission from that Pirate station I saw earlier!
I fly to it, but it doesn't have any available missions at the moment... Meh.
I do dock and to my surprise see quite a lot of interesting goods on offer!
[ external image ]
Most notably:
* a Cargo Lifesupport System: So I can finally do those passenger transport missions! It's size S so that's great. I also check the cargo size of slaves, and that's S 2, meaning that with my 8 spare cargoslots I can transport 4 humanoids. Sweet. Insta-buy.
* a Freight Scanner: Means I can check what a potential target is carrying, to judge the threat and avoid those nasty drones in the future. Grab.
* System Override Software: I do not know what this does, but the ingame description sounds awesome!
[ external image ]
It sounds like I can use it to hack ships! It's about 607,611 Cr though, a very sizeable part of my total fortune. Hmm, well I can always try it and then sell it back, right? Wrong: I almost forgot, you cannot sell systems.
Hmm, well.
Nothing ventured nothing gained, they say, right?
Fortune favors the bold, right?
Who dares, wins, right?
Right!
So I buy it and fully plan on using it (once I figure out how)!
(And in the meantime, the freighters still haven't reached their destination, so I still don't know whether that Yaki will be happy or angry with me..)
Possessions:
1 x Boron Octopus Raider "Lightning Bolt"
4 x IRE
1 x 1 MJ Shield
951,099 Cr
Entry 11: Hm-ness and Phew-ness
Plan: Gain some Boron rep asap. Do this by taking on asteroid scanning missions.
In my new "Lightning Bolt" I hurl from Boron sector to Boron sector, looking for asteroid scanning missions.
I find two, eventually.
They are given out by a Paranid and an Argon, on Boron stations.
Bah.
((Note: I specifically want to deal only with Boron on Boron stations. Or Pirates. I guess I didn't write down the latter specifically as an exception in my rules, but it's a natural result of me wanting to become a pirate, and it's an oversight on my part when writing the rules, not an amendment on my intentions.
Now that that's out of the way: ))
Out of spite I attack a lonely Paranid Scout and take him out (no bail, no crates). Then... I notice the Boron police is red to me! Crap! I apologize, lying that the weapon's fire was in error, instead of coldblooded murder. These particular Boron seem to dislike the Paranid as well, because they are okay with my explanation and go on their merry way.
But this kinda sucks. I can apparently kill Split in Boron space, but not Paranid.
Well, that's better than nothing I guess.
I keep going back and forth, hoping someone suddenly urgently needs asteroid data, when I see an opportunity of an entire different kind: a Yaki Fujin Sentinel offers me a mission!
Now, the Yaki are Pirates, and I want to get on their good side, so this is on opportunity. However, the mission may be pretty hard in my M5:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/998 ... 985432.jpg
I seriously think it over. I really want to gain pirate rep. But I also really want to gain Boron rep. What if the trade ships are Boron? Then I am really screwed... The mission takes place in an Unknown sector, so at least I wouldn't anger police there.
Basically... Argon, Paranid, Split, Teladi, Boron. A chance of 1 in 5 to be in a pickle.
Nothing ventured nothing gained, they say, right?
Fortune favors the bold, right?
Who dares, wins, right?
Right!
[ external image ]
![[ external image ]](http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/9985727/img/9985727.jpg){kind=link}
The mission takes me via New Income, and shows me a nice shortcut that I could have taken from Ianamus Zura. However, then I wouldn't have eventually bumped into the Mamba, so all's good.
New Income holds another surprise for me as well: a blue Pirate Station! And it's offering a mission! However, that will have to wait: first things first.
I enter the Unknown Sector.
I see a Teladi Caiman Super Freighter, a Teladi Caiman Super Freighter XL and a Teladi Dolphin.
Alright! Good news: no Boron. Now let's hope that because this sector is Unknown it won't effect my Teladi rep.
I make a pass at one of them, shooting my IRE's at his shields.
O bugger!
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/999 ... 991109.jpg
Bad news... The Teladi immediately release a bunch of drones, and they immediately bite into my hull (paper being paper my shield is virtually worthless).
Ouch.
Also, my Teladi rep has definitely taken a hit.
One good thing: I am still faster than the drones! Ah.. speed! Lovely speed!
So I loop back to the freighters and shoot at one of them.
*CLUNK*
No! One of them has some turret and one hit brings my hull down to 50%!
My top speed is now significantly lower than the drone top speed... and they're about 4 km away!
FFFFFFFFFffff....
Okay... Not all is lost yet: I turn and weave and then I hear the board computer say target is outside firing range. I think it over... It could work... if I do it, I should do it now, they're gaining on me.
I hit the brakes hard and eject.
Floating in deceptively peaceful surroundings I do not know where the freighters are, where the drones are, and, most importantly, how much hull I need to repair before my top speed is higher than 400 m/s.
Well, repair laser is getting empty, so I enter the ship, blast to full speed (thanking myself I did buy that Boost Extension) and then allow myself to check:
I have 78% hull now, with a top speed of 487 m/s.
Phew.
Hm. This is bad. 5 drones... I am 99% sure I cannot take them. Speeding away I have nothing else to do but check things out, and then I notice the drones have energy! That's right... I remember now. These have 58% energy left by now... so I will just have to wait it out. Hmm, maybe I can even pick them up, that would at least give me some profit.
Quite some time later, after a big loop and seeing a UFO, the drone energy is running out and... they blow up. Well, I finish repairs to my ship and with 100% hull I can now finally concentrate on the freighters! Who in the meantime are pretty close to the gate to New Income, a Teladi sector.
I hope to be able to dodge that turret... If I can see it coming it shouldn't be too hard, right?
I make a pass again, and: Drones Mk II!
No!
... yes.
Gah! Well, they only go 200 m/s and I loop around again.
By now the freighters have entered New Income and I am really getting fed up with this mission. Lost a bunch of Teladi rep, something I am beginning to regret as there are quite a number of Teladi sectors between these Boron sectors and the ones I started out in.
Well, I emerge in New Income, and decide to concentrate on the Teladi Dolphin. It has no weapons. Quite quickly I manage to isolate it from the other two and start blasting it, noting with glee it doesn't release anymore drones! It doesn't want to bail or release cargo either, suggesting I am making a joke! So I drive my point home and after quite a while it goes down, together with another big chunk of Teladi rep.
Hm. I am now a Teladi Mercantile Rebel.
____________________________________________________
Gon Persius vocabulary guide:
"Hm.": signifies a definite case of Hm-ness.
Hm-ness: Feeling that a situation is not a complete failure, and there might possibly be a silver lining you're still unaware of, but definitely nowhere near a success and probably a big step down from where you were.
"Phew.": signifies a definite case of Phew-ness.
Phew-ness: Feeling that a situation isn't quite as bleak as feared, but there's no reason to rejoice (yet) either.
____________________________________________________
Well.. let's try to dock at that Silicon Mine. They accept me! Phew. So it's not that bad yet...
I ponder for a while, but ultimately decide I had it with this mission. I intend to let the other two transports get away, to avoid making the Teladi declare full on war on little old me, and in hopes that the Yaki I did this for considers a 1-in-3 result acceptable.
We'll see! I am not feeling too certain about that, but.. Maybe I can do another Pirate mission from that Pirate station I saw earlier!
I fly to it, but it doesn't have any available missions at the moment... Meh.
I do dock and to my surprise see quite a lot of interesting goods on offer!
[ external image ]
![[ external image ]](http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/9989396/640/9989396.jpg){kind=link}
Most notably:
* a Cargo Lifesupport System: So I can finally do those passenger transport missions! It's size S so that's great. I also check the cargo size of slaves, and that's S 2, meaning that with my 8 spare cargoslots I can transport 4 humanoids. Sweet. Insta-buy.
* a Freight Scanner: Means I can check what a potential target is carrying, to judge the threat and avoid those nasty drones in the future. Grab.
* System Override Software: I do not know what this does, but the ingame description sounds awesome!
[ external image ]
![[ external image ]](http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/9989709/img/9989709.jpg){kind=link}
It sounds like I can use it to hack ships! It's about 607,611 Cr though, a very sizeable part of my total fortune. Hmm, well I can always try it and then sell it back, right? Wrong: I almost forgot, you cannot sell systems.
Hmm, well.
Nothing ventured nothing gained, they say, right?
Fortune favors the bold, right?
Who dares, wins, right?
Right!
So I buy it and fully plan on using it (once I figure out how)!
(And in the meantime, the freighters still haven't reached their destination, so I still don't know whether that Yaki will be happy or angry with me..)
Possessions:
1 x Boron Octopus Raider "Lightning Bolt"
4 x IRE
1 x 1 MJ Shield
951,099 Cr
"Eventually we must leave Earth--at least a certain number of our progeny must as our sun approaches the end of its solar life cycle. But just as terrestrial explorers have always led the way for settlers, this will also happen extraterrestrially. Earth is our cradle, not our final destiny."
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
Light at the end?
Gon Persius II Personal Log
Entry 12: Light at the end?
Ah, the life of a Boron privateer is no cakewalk over a bed of roses.
Filled with disappointments and setbacks, the best reward after a hard day's work is usually just being able to do it again tomorrow.
I risk life and tentacle for a few meager credits, and then just throw it all away!
You see, I bought this awesome sounding software: System Override Software. It cost me around 600K Cr, which is an absolute fortune... I could buy an M4 for that.
So, naturally, I try it out. I approach some Paranid and see no new option to hack it. Hm... maybe I need to take down the shields. So I do. Nothing. After a while trying to find a way to do something with it I blow up the Paranid Practice Courier.
A definite case of Hm-ness. I vainly hope that it's use will become clear to me at some point. Maybe against the Xenon?
It's also 'Illegal' by the way... but, I don't get scanned often, and should be able to avoid the customs, right?
Wrong. Just back in Great Trench I get scanned and busted: the Boron demand I drop the crate, which I do once I am far away. I do not know if I was in time... I double back to allow them to scan my now empty hold, but I don't know if they do.
Then, fearful it might have been picked up by someone else, I race back to where I dropped it. Luckily my 600K investment stills floats there peacefully. I grab it again and decide the software will have to wait till I can do some dedicated experiments with it.
So I buy a Boron Octopus, stow the Software inside it, name it "Black Tentacle" (it's my Pirate ship after all), and send it to dock with that Pirate base I got it from.
Alright, with that sorted, let's do some passenger transport missions!
Wrong.
I take one on that sounds good: just some guy and documents to be flown somewhere, but the annoying flipper doesn't want to board my Raider. Says his 'tentacles will clack'.
Hm.
Well, I guess the wording of the text could be seen as that I have to deliver more people than one, so maybe my bay is not large enough. I eject my weapons and try again, now having 12 spaces, enough for 6 slaves or persons.
Nope doesn't work. I quickly pick up my weapons again, before they get jacked.
So I fail the mission, and my Boron rep takes a hit.
What could be wrong!? I try again, this time it's definitely a mission where I just have to transport one passenger, it doesn't ask for any special transport, so it should be okay, right?
Wrong again. I don't know why but they don't want to board my ship. I fail another mission, more lost rep.
Apparently Slaves and Free Persons are not the same size. I.. could kinda understand... but hey, if they guy is in such a hurry, he should be able to stand it for those 5 minutes, right?
Well, they don't and I am nothing closer to be able to do Passenger Transport missions.
Well, at least I still have money enough to buy a third Octopus and set it to explore the universe. So I buy it... and discover that in order to command a ship to fly through a gate you need explorer software... which isn't sold by any Boron stations I know of!
So... I sell the raider again, making a loss.
In the meantime I keep looking for asteroid scan missions in Boron space, but I only find other races offering them..
But then... good fortune strikes!
The Transports apparently finally made it to their destination, and the Yaki pirate seems satisfied enough, and pays me for the one detroyed ship.
[ external image ]
Unfortunately there is no way to check on your pirate or Yaki (a special brand of pirates) reputation, but I am happy knowing I am now even more on their good side.
And then suddenly I find a Rapier missile in a crate. I scoop it up and sell it for only 1,300 Cr, but at least it's something.
Could this mean the sun is shining again and my life is finally taking a turn or the better?
Not long after I encounter an old Boron scavenger hauler broadcasting on all channels, wanting to sell his rickety Dolphin for a sum of about 100K Cr.
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/104 ... 440034.jpg
It's damaged and it smells, but as I plan to just serve as middle man I take it.
It's a gamble, granted, but you know how it goes: Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
This time it pays off, they offer me 116K for it in return.
I also have the option to repair it... Hmm, maybe that will increase the price I can ask for it?
I repair it for 5K, but my selling price only goes up by 3K, so I just sell it like that: probably they just want to scrap it for the metal, can't say I blame them.
Then another ship is being sold: a Manta Hauler, for 180K this time.
A larger investment, but maybe it will also give me more profit than a paltry 10K?
I decide to take the plunge, wishing my encyclopedia would remember ship prices...
Phew! I can sell it, damaged as it is, for 445K!
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/104 ... 440706.jpg
But!... It's a TP class ship. That means Passenger Transport. A wretched plan is taking shape in my mind...
Yes! Let's patch it up (I can if I fly it), and use that one to do those transport missions!
Thing is, it cannot carry weapons.
Not one.
Usually, these things have a turret at least, to shoot down missiles or so. But this one hasn't. It's quite fast for a TP though: 120 m/s. But that's not enough to outrun M3's.
Well... I will still try. It's been a while that Paranid or Pirates have actively sought me out and tried to kill me, so maybe they will just be polite and not fire if I don't start it.
In any case, I fully intend to buy full shields for it, and fighter drones, so I have at least a little defense/offense.
So after repairs (I docked my Lightning Bolt at the Shipyard) I tune it to maximum, buy a Triplex scanner and 2 5 MJ shields, and set course in my new "Luxury Cruise" for the Fighter Drone manufactureing facility!
Possessions:
1 x Boron Octopus Raider "Lightning Bolt"
4 x Impulse Ray Emitter
1 x 1 MJ Shield
1 x Boron Octopus Raider "Black Tentacle"
1 x 1 MJ Shield
1 x Boron Manta Hauler "Luxury Cruise"
2 x 5 MJ Shield
553,804 Cr
{Oversize images changed to links - Terre}
Entry 12: Light at the end?
Ah, the life of a Boron privateer is no cakewalk over a bed of roses.
Filled with disappointments and setbacks, the best reward after a hard day's work is usually just being able to do it again tomorrow.
I risk life and tentacle for a few meager credits, and then just throw it all away!
You see, I bought this awesome sounding software: System Override Software. It cost me around 600K Cr, which is an absolute fortune... I could buy an M4 for that.
So, naturally, I try it out. I approach some Paranid and see no new option to hack it. Hm... maybe I need to take down the shields. So I do. Nothing. After a while trying to find a way to do something with it I blow up the Paranid Practice Courier.
A definite case of Hm-ness. I vainly hope that it's use will become clear to me at some point. Maybe against the Xenon?
It's also 'Illegal' by the way... but, I don't get scanned often, and should be able to avoid the customs, right?
Wrong. Just back in Great Trench I get scanned and busted: the Boron demand I drop the crate, which I do once I am far away. I do not know if I was in time... I double back to allow them to scan my now empty hold, but I don't know if they do.
Then, fearful it might have been picked up by someone else, I race back to where I dropped it. Luckily my 600K investment stills floats there peacefully. I grab it again and decide the software will have to wait till I can do some dedicated experiments with it.
So I buy a Boron Octopus, stow the Software inside it, name it "Black Tentacle" (it's my Pirate ship after all), and send it to dock with that Pirate base I got it from.
Alright, with that sorted, let's do some passenger transport missions!
Wrong.
I take one on that sounds good: just some guy and documents to be flown somewhere, but the annoying flipper doesn't want to board my Raider. Says his 'tentacles will clack'.
Hm.
Well, I guess the wording of the text could be seen as that I have to deliver more people than one, so maybe my bay is not large enough. I eject my weapons and try again, now having 12 spaces, enough for 6 slaves or persons.
Nope doesn't work. I quickly pick up my weapons again, before they get jacked.
So I fail the mission, and my Boron rep takes a hit.
What could be wrong!? I try again, this time it's definitely a mission where I just have to transport one passenger, it doesn't ask for any special transport, so it should be okay, right?
Wrong again. I don't know why but they don't want to board my ship. I fail another mission, more lost rep.
Apparently Slaves and Free Persons are not the same size. I.. could kinda understand... but hey, if they guy is in such a hurry, he should be able to stand it for those 5 minutes, right?
Well, they don't and I am nothing closer to be able to do Passenger Transport missions.
Well, at least I still have money enough to buy a third Octopus and set it to explore the universe. So I buy it... and discover that in order to command a ship to fly through a gate you need explorer software... which isn't sold by any Boron stations I know of!
So... I sell the raider again, making a loss.
In the meantime I keep looking for asteroid scan missions in Boron space, but I only find other races offering them..
But then... good fortune strikes!
The Transports apparently finally made it to their destination, and the Yaki pirate seems satisfied enough, and pays me for the one detroyed ship.
[ external image ]
![[ external image ]](http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/10439488/img/10439488.jpg){kind=link}
Unfortunately there is no way to check on your pirate or Yaki (a special brand of pirates) reputation, but I am happy knowing I am now even more on their good side.
And then suddenly I find a Rapier missile in a crate. I scoop it up and sell it for only 1,300 Cr, but at least it's something.
Could this mean the sun is shining again and my life is finally taking a turn or the better?
Not long after I encounter an old Boron scavenger hauler broadcasting on all channels, wanting to sell his rickety Dolphin for a sum of about 100K Cr.
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/104 ... 440034.jpg
It's damaged and it smells, but as I plan to just serve as middle man I take it.
It's a gamble, granted, but you know how it goes: Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
This time it pays off, they offer me 116K for it in return.
I also have the option to repair it... Hmm, maybe that will increase the price I can ask for it?
I repair it for 5K, but my selling price only goes up by 3K, so I just sell it like that: probably they just want to scrap it for the metal, can't say I blame them.
Then another ship is being sold: a Manta Hauler, for 180K this time.
A larger investment, but maybe it will also give me more profit than a paltry 10K?
I decide to take the plunge, wishing my encyclopedia would remember ship prices...
Phew! I can sell it, damaged as it is, for 445K!
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/104 ... 440706.jpg
But!... It's a TP class ship. That means Passenger Transport. A wretched plan is taking shape in my mind...
Yes! Let's patch it up (I can if I fly it), and use that one to do those transport missions!
Thing is, it cannot carry weapons.
Not one.
Usually, these things have a turret at least, to shoot down missiles or so. But this one hasn't. It's quite fast for a TP though: 120 m/s. But that's not enough to outrun M3's.
Well... I will still try. It's been a while that Paranid or Pirates have actively sought me out and tried to kill me, so maybe they will just be polite and not fire if I don't start it.
In any case, I fully intend to buy full shields for it, and fighter drones, so I have at least a little defense/offense.
So after repairs (I docked my Lightning Bolt at the Shipyard) I tune it to maximum, buy a Triplex scanner and 2 5 MJ shields, and set course in my new "Luxury Cruise" for the Fighter Drone manufactureing facility!
Possessions:
1 x Boron Octopus Raider "Lightning Bolt"
4 x Impulse Ray Emitter
1 x 1 MJ Shield
1 x Boron Octopus Raider "Black Tentacle"
1 x 1 MJ Shield
1 x Boron Manta Hauler "Luxury Cruise"
2 x 5 MJ Shield
553,804 Cr
{Oversize images changed to links - Terre}
Last edited by Godani on Tue, 2. Oct 12, 20:22, edited 1 time in total.
"Eventually we must leave Earth--at least a certain number of our progeny must as our sun approaches the end of its solar life cycle. But just as terrestrial explorers have always led the way for settlers, this will also happen extraterrestrially. Earth is our cradle, not our final destiny."
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
-
Nathancros
- Posts: 674
- Joined: Tue, 30. Nov 10, 04:46
Thanks a lot
Next chapter soon (I hope)!
Next chapter soon (I hope)!
"Eventually we must leave Earth--at least a certain number of our progeny must as our sun approaches the end of its solar life cycle. But just as terrestrial explorers have always led the way for settlers, this will also happen extraterrestrially. Earth is our cradle, not our final destiny."
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
Detour
Gon Persius II Personal Log
Entry 13: Detour
So there we are, en route to the drone facility, which is over in Great Trench (I am currently in Lucky Planets, so that´s 2 sectors away, with Rolk´s Legacy in between).
And rather quickly I see Pirates, which, I am loath to notice are still red to me. Luckily the Boron forces take care of them.
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/107 ... 736656.jpg
I mean... my poor friends who don't return my friendship are massacred! Oh noes! But I cannot do anything! Awww, too bad.
It does net me a Wildfire Missile, which I can easily scoop up (this TP has a lot more bulk and less speed, so that helps a lot (yeah I know there's a throttle on my Octopus Raider, but... I never, well.. hardly ever use it)).
Over in Rolk's legacy I get even more lucky:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/107 ... 736853.jpg
Now my TP might not be the fastest, but 120 m/s is still respectable, and 53 minutes to carry a passenger to the next sector? Yes, I do believe I agree with it being easy!
So I grab the guy and his documents, and then I notice: Passengers are M size cargo... Apparently they don't like to be stowed between the missiles in some dank corner of the hold but want chairs and legspace and such, which increases the necessary space quite a lot. Well at least I now know why the Boron couldn't enter my ship earlier.
The trip is fast and happily uneventful and I deliver the passenger. "Please tell your friends about Luxury Cruises by Gon Persius II!" I call after him, but I don't know if he even hears me.
Minutes later I dock at the Drone facility, and later check the Military Outpost, but they're out. Well. 8 Drones it is. Not that much, but it'll have to be enough.
The Detour:
I am now ready to go transporting For Real!
Although,.. that time limit reminded me... I'd better have a jumpdrive. That's also useful for getting away from misguided pirates and Split or Paranid bastards.
I am a Boron guy that likes to go off on tangents. Or maybe I don't, but it just happens anyway, like that time in high school with Bolo Wi, oh man! Bolo Wi by the way, later became a real celebrity, have you heard of him? He made it to governor of Wild Shore and owns his own themepark. It's about kittens. They're this weird Argon animal, rumoured to have come from their ancient planet. They're really cute, but they need oxygen to breathe... that's a pity, really. I would like to have a kitten accompany on my starry travels... Anyway, all the kittens in his themepark are made of plastic, fake.
Uh... Where was I?
Ah yes, the Detour. I capitalize that. It's going to be a big one.
First things first: I buy about 500 energy cells, since I will need them anyway and have the cargo space, then return to the Shipyard in Lucky Planets... pff, slow!
So in Rolk's Legacy I order my Lightning Bolt to come to me, and then I hop out of my Luxury Cruise, and hop in my Octopus Raider and blast off, yay speed!
I see a Boron Dolphin (freight transport) being offered for 21K Cr, that's really cheap... I probably cannot make a loss on that, so I purchase it, and tell it and my TP to dock at a station right there, because there's quite a lot of red on the radar.
Now I will need to go to Atreus HQ in Queen's Harbour, which is on the other side of the X-Universe. But luckily I can get there without going through enemy territory (well, 1 Xenon Sector, but that's not much).
Wrong.
I pissed off the Teladi, remember? Suddenly I hear I am required to turn around immediately and leave their core sector in that typical Teladi ssslur. Bah.
At a Teladi border Sector I dock in a station, and to my surprise I see I can still buy a police license. So surprised by this (I am hated after all) I do so, in that moment totally forgetting my money isn't meant for them... well it's going to be my only exception, sorry!
In any case, I really do not want to piss them off anymore by flying through their core sectors without permissions, so I take a good look at the map.
It seems as though the Paranid south of Moo-Kye's Revenge may connect up with Contorted Dominion... hmm, it's my only alternative, so I decide to investigate.
Underway in a Pirate Sector I see someone offering an asteroid scanning mission. Since they're Pirates that's ok, so I take it (a paltry 450 Cr per asteroid, 10 asteroids).
It was a Split pirate offering... or was it a regular Split? Afterwards my relations with the Split improved.. Darn! Well no doubt I'll attack them soon enough or piss them off flying through their sectors or whatnot. Still, it's weird... I may have to change my rules, if the sector doesn't determine the rep gain but the race of the missiongiver.
I also buy some pirate station hacks: the more pirates are blue to me the better!
After a whole round trip of dangerous exploration through enemy (core) sectors I find an unknown system with a pilotless Pericles Vanguard!
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/107 ... 742095.jpg
However, it's in the middle of Paranid space and it's not that fast a ship. I decide to just leave it there until I can use the jumpdrive to get it out (I do take the wildfire missiles to sell later).
Eventually I manage to find the connecting sectors and make it to Faded Dreams, hurray!!
Now for the inevitable disappointment (twofold this time): A jumpdrive is size M cargo, and I do not have enough Rep to buy one.
Hm.
Well, let's do some asteroid scanning missions for the rep, I am close to the next rep level. I search everywhere but the only ones offering me asteroid scanning missions are non-Boron, sigh. This stays that way for such a long time (I see 9 roid scan missions, never from Boron) that I am convinced asteroid scanning missions are only given by foreigners (makes sense: they don't know the area that well). This combined with the fact that apprently I was mistaken about how the rep system works makes me decide I can accept missions from Boron outside of Boron sectors.
So, I head to the nearest Teladi border sector (they tolerate me there): Bingo! First mission I see is a Boron wanting me to scan asteroids. I check, but none are in Teladi core sectors, so I accept and complete the mission, nice!
I now have the required rep and buy a Boron License, being able to scan ships legally will help me a lot when I go full Pirate (I'd have to then only prey on Split of course, since that's the only Race the Boron don't mind me to shoot).
On the way back in Queen's Retribution I see a Dolphin super freighter for 280K, with 80% hull... bit of a gamble, but I have a good feeling about it, so I buy it.
There are some pirates in the sector and for some reason they are aggressive towards me, firing and heading towards me when I come too close. So I tell the freighter to quickly dock at some station. I go explore some more for asteroid scan missions and find a return ship mission that seems doable, so I take it. It needs to go to the Shipyard in Queen's Retribution. I scout the sector: pirates are gone.
I tell the Super freighter (so slooow!) and the mission ship both to dock at the shipyard and then wait in Seta, keeping eye on the mission ship.
It's over before I can unSeta, not that I could have stopped it if I had.
Yeah, you guessed it: Boom goes my investment!
The pirates suddenly reappeared out of nowhere and blasted my super freighter to smithereens. Noooo that's 280K... plus eventual profit!!!
Effin bastards!!... I think I will decide the Yaki are ok, but the other pirates will just be enemies as well..!
Well, no. I am very tempted to do this, but I don't, keeping true to my intentions for my life here in space.
Now they launch a Wasp at me though, but I outrun it... just.
Also, I have to keep them busy or they will kill my mission ship as well. The mission succeeds, but it really sucks to have lost that freighter... I can't afford an M4 now!
Then I see a Boron asking for an Octopus Raider:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/107 ... 743245.jpg
Yay! They sell them for 60K just one sector away (I have 80K by now (yes, funds have dwindled a lot))! This cannot fail!
Yes it can.
I go to the shipyard and... have apparently misremembered: normal Octopusses are about 60K, but Raiders cost 90K.
Well, I can sell my guns, I guess?
I almost do so, but then decide I'd rather keep 1 gun and sell my shield, remembering the start of my space adventure, here, (what feels like) ages ago.
So I buy the ship (cannot tune it for lack of money, plus I doubt the missiongiver will reimburse me for that, and it's all about profit now).
Well, there we go, I tell the spare Octopus Raider to dock at the station it needs to be delivered at.
I undock myself.
The pirates are STILL there.
And they're apparently close.
And they're turning, coming straight for me and my mission ship (which has a top speed of 175 m/s).
And now they're launching missiles at me, which are faster than I am, and they're just 2.50 km away... For the love of all I am *so* glad I didn't sell all my guns, but will 1 IRE be enough to shoot down 2 fast missiles launched at about the same time?
Possessions:
1 x Boron Octopus Raider "Lightning Bolt"
1 x Impulse Ray Emitter
1 x Boron Octopus Raider
1 x Boron Octopus Raider "Black Tentacle"
1 x 1 MJ Shield
1 x Boron Manta Hauler "Luxury Cruise"
2 x 5 MJ Shield
1 x Boron Dolphin (53% Hull)
1 x Pericles Vanguard
1 x 1 MJ Shield
2 x 5 MJ Shield
2 x Fragmentation Bomb Launcher
3343 Cr
Entry 13: Detour
So there we are, en route to the drone facility, which is over in Great Trench (I am currently in Lucky Planets, so that´s 2 sectors away, with Rolk´s Legacy in between).
And rather quickly I see Pirates, which, I am loath to notice are still red to me. Luckily the Boron forces take care of them.
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/107 ... 736656.jpg
I mean... my poor friends who don't return my friendship are massacred! Oh noes! But I cannot do anything! Awww, too bad.
It does net me a Wildfire Missile, which I can easily scoop up (this TP has a lot more bulk and less speed, so that helps a lot (yeah I know there's a throttle on my Octopus Raider, but... I never, well.. hardly ever use it)).
Over in Rolk's legacy I get even more lucky:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/107 ... 736853.jpg
Now my TP might not be the fastest, but 120 m/s is still respectable, and 53 minutes to carry a passenger to the next sector? Yes, I do believe I agree with it being easy!
So I grab the guy and his documents, and then I notice: Passengers are M size cargo... Apparently they don't like to be stowed between the missiles in some dank corner of the hold but want chairs and legspace and such, which increases the necessary space quite a lot. Well at least I now know why the Boron couldn't enter my ship earlier.
The trip is fast and happily uneventful and I deliver the passenger. "Please tell your friends about Luxury Cruises by Gon Persius II!" I call after him, but I don't know if he even hears me.
Minutes later I dock at the Drone facility, and later check the Military Outpost, but they're out. Well. 8 Drones it is. Not that much, but it'll have to be enough.
The Detour:
I am now ready to go transporting For Real!
Although,.. that time limit reminded me... I'd better have a jumpdrive. That's also useful for getting away from misguided pirates and Split or Paranid bastards.
I am a Boron guy that likes to go off on tangents. Or maybe I don't, but it just happens anyway, like that time in high school with Bolo Wi, oh man! Bolo Wi by the way, later became a real celebrity, have you heard of him? He made it to governor of Wild Shore and owns his own themepark. It's about kittens. They're this weird Argon animal, rumoured to have come from their ancient planet. They're really cute, but they need oxygen to breathe... that's a pity, really. I would like to have a kitten accompany on my starry travels... Anyway, all the kittens in his themepark are made of plastic, fake.
Uh... Where was I?
Ah yes, the Detour. I capitalize that. It's going to be a big one.
First things first: I buy about 500 energy cells, since I will need them anyway and have the cargo space, then return to the Shipyard in Lucky Planets... pff, slow!
So in Rolk's Legacy I order my Lightning Bolt to come to me, and then I hop out of my Luxury Cruise, and hop in my Octopus Raider and blast off, yay speed!
I see a Boron Dolphin (freight transport) being offered for 21K Cr, that's really cheap... I probably cannot make a loss on that, so I purchase it, and tell it and my TP to dock at a station right there, because there's quite a lot of red on the radar.
Now I will need to go to Atreus HQ in Queen's Harbour, which is on the other side of the X-Universe. But luckily I can get there without going through enemy territory (well, 1 Xenon Sector, but that's not much).
Wrong.
I pissed off the Teladi, remember? Suddenly I hear I am required to turn around immediately and leave their core sector in that typical Teladi ssslur. Bah.
At a Teladi border Sector I dock in a station, and to my surprise I see I can still buy a police license. So surprised by this (I am hated after all) I do so, in that moment totally forgetting my money isn't meant for them... well it's going to be my only exception, sorry!
In any case, I really do not want to piss them off anymore by flying through their core sectors without permissions, so I take a good look at the map.
It seems as though the Paranid south of Moo-Kye's Revenge may connect up with Contorted Dominion... hmm, it's my only alternative, so I decide to investigate.
Underway in a Pirate Sector I see someone offering an asteroid scanning mission. Since they're Pirates that's ok, so I take it (a paltry 450 Cr per asteroid, 10 asteroids).
It was a Split pirate offering... or was it a regular Split? Afterwards my relations with the Split improved.. Darn! Well no doubt I'll attack them soon enough or piss them off flying through their sectors or whatnot. Still, it's weird... I may have to change my rules, if the sector doesn't determine the rep gain but the race of the missiongiver.
I also buy some pirate station hacks: the more pirates are blue to me the better!
After a whole round trip of dangerous exploration through enemy (core) sectors I find an unknown system with a pilotless Pericles Vanguard!
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/107 ... 742095.jpg
However, it's in the middle of Paranid space and it's not that fast a ship. I decide to just leave it there until I can use the jumpdrive to get it out (I do take the wildfire missiles to sell later).
Eventually I manage to find the connecting sectors and make it to Faded Dreams, hurray!!
Now for the inevitable disappointment (twofold this time): A jumpdrive is size M cargo, and I do not have enough Rep to buy one.
Hm.
Well, let's do some asteroid scanning missions for the rep, I am close to the next rep level. I search everywhere but the only ones offering me asteroid scanning missions are non-Boron, sigh. This stays that way for such a long time (I see 9 roid scan missions, never from Boron) that I am convinced asteroid scanning missions are only given by foreigners (makes sense: they don't know the area that well). This combined with the fact that apprently I was mistaken about how the rep system works makes me decide I can accept missions from Boron outside of Boron sectors.
So, I head to the nearest Teladi border sector (they tolerate me there): Bingo! First mission I see is a Boron wanting me to scan asteroids. I check, but none are in Teladi core sectors, so I accept and complete the mission, nice!
I now have the required rep and buy a Boron License, being able to scan ships legally will help me a lot when I go full Pirate (I'd have to then only prey on Split of course, since that's the only Race the Boron don't mind me to shoot).
On the way back in Queen's Retribution I see a Dolphin super freighter for 280K, with 80% hull... bit of a gamble, but I have a good feeling about it, so I buy it.
There are some pirates in the sector and for some reason they are aggressive towards me, firing and heading towards me when I come too close. So I tell the freighter to quickly dock at some station. I go explore some more for asteroid scan missions and find a return ship mission that seems doable, so I take it. It needs to go to the Shipyard in Queen's Retribution. I scout the sector: pirates are gone.
I tell the Super freighter (so slooow!) and the mission ship both to dock at the shipyard and then wait in Seta, keeping eye on the mission ship.
It's over before I can unSeta, not that I could have stopped it if I had.
Yeah, you guessed it: Boom goes my investment!
The pirates suddenly reappeared out of nowhere and blasted my super freighter to smithereens. Noooo that's 280K... plus eventual profit!!!
Effin bastards!!... I think I will decide the Yaki are ok, but the other pirates will just be enemies as well..!
Well, no. I am very tempted to do this, but I don't, keeping true to my intentions for my life here in space.
Now they launch a Wasp at me though, but I outrun it... just.
Also, I have to keep them busy or they will kill my mission ship as well. The mission succeeds, but it really sucks to have lost that freighter... I can't afford an M4 now!
Then I see a Boron asking for an Octopus Raider:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/107 ... 743245.jpg
Yay! They sell them for 60K just one sector away (I have 80K by now (yes, funds have dwindled a lot))! This cannot fail!
Yes it can.
I go to the shipyard and... have apparently misremembered: normal Octopusses are about 60K, but Raiders cost 90K.
Well, I can sell my guns, I guess?
I almost do so, but then decide I'd rather keep 1 gun and sell my shield, remembering the start of my space adventure, here, (what feels like) ages ago.
So I buy the ship (cannot tune it for lack of money, plus I doubt the missiongiver will reimburse me for that, and it's all about profit now).
Well, there we go, I tell the spare Octopus Raider to dock at the station it needs to be delivered at.
I undock myself.
The pirates are STILL there.
And they're apparently close.
And they're turning, coming straight for me and my mission ship (which has a top speed of 175 m/s).
And now they're launching missiles at me, which are faster than I am, and they're just 2.50 km away... For the love of all I am *so* glad I didn't sell all my guns, but will 1 IRE be enough to shoot down 2 fast missiles launched at about the same time?
Possessions:
1 x Boron Octopus Raider "Lightning Bolt"
1 x Impulse Ray Emitter
1 x Boron Octopus Raider
1 x Boron Octopus Raider "Black Tentacle"
1 x 1 MJ Shield
1 x Boron Manta Hauler "Luxury Cruise"
2 x 5 MJ Shield
1 x Boron Dolphin (53% Hull)
1 x Pericles Vanguard
1 x 1 MJ Shield
2 x 5 MJ Shield
2 x Fragmentation Bomb Launcher
3343 Cr
"Eventually we must leave Earth--at least a certain number of our progeny must as our sun approaches the end of its solar life cycle. But just as terrestrial explorers have always led the way for settlers, this will also happen extraterrestrially. Earth is our cradle, not our final destiny."
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
-
blackmilan
- Posts: 124
- Joined: Sat, 22. Jan 11, 21:13
Hey guys, sorry, real life is busy lately, and this weekend I've been playing XCOM
It's definitely my intention to post sometime in the next week.
...also, now that I'm posting anyway... I was thinking about a stylechange.
I began writing this as a gamer, which was my intention: focus on my experience and the way I immerse myself as I play.
But lately I've been thinking about doing something new, something more.
Also, I have quite a backlog now... I might want to speed things up and tell more in less detail.
Does anyone have an opinion on this?
Greetings
It's definitely my intention to post sometime in the next week.
...also, now that I'm posting anyway... I was thinking about a stylechange.
I began writing this as a gamer, which was my intention: focus on my experience and the way I immerse myself as I play.
But lately I've been thinking about doing something new, something more.
Also, I have quite a backlog now... I might want to speed things up and tell more in less detail.
Does anyone have an opinion on this?
Greetings
"Eventually we must leave Earth--at least a certain number of our progeny must as our sun approaches the end of its solar life cycle. But just as terrestrial explorers have always led the way for settlers, this will also happen extraterrestrially. Earth is our cradle, not our final destiny."
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, The Way of the Explorer, 1996