Dear Lhorndra,

I made it! I arrived at Jaques Station. Woohoo! I can’t quite believe it yet. Hopefully the locals here will be nice, and less interested in power games and wars than in the bubble. At least the access corridor of Jaques Station says “Friends Welcome!”

So, I’m here now, in Colonia. I don’t know what I’m going to do here yet. Maybe I’ll continue doing exobiology. Maybe I’ll write about my experiences, so that other people (without a lot of money either) can follow my example. Maybe I will start my own business. But first, I will look for a new home.

I can’t believe my tiny Hauler has lasted this long without maintenance. It seems that the hull damage wasn’t critical at all. However, I have to admit the cramped conditions on board and the lack of comfort were getting on my nerves. Mom’s Cobra had a decent galley at least with real coffee and real food. On board a Hauler, you don’t have any creature comforts. I’m beginning to understand why many commanders fly larger ships.

Well, I guess that’s it for now. You are welcome to visit me, if you feel like it. And if your obsession with adventures, Thargoids and hunting for shiny medals hasn’t already killed you.

Yours, Kira

Dear Lhorndra,

I did something stupid. I landed over-tired and without shields. There was a lot of crackling and creaking, and now my hull is down to 95%. I don’t think the damage will increase over time, but I don’t have that much experience with this. It is annoying.

The Hauler’s fuel tank is so damn tiny! Even while supercruising within a system, I have to keep an eye on my fuel supply. That’s why I usually switch off my shields to save every bit of fuel I can. Well, and today I just forgot to switch them back on. I didn’t even want to explore this stupid moon, I just wanted to sleep with a little bit of gravity.

Anyway, I’ve now completely crossed the Temple region. I’m in an unremarkable nebula within the Bya Phlai sector. For the love of space, who named these things?

Tomorrow I will finally be travelling to Colonia on a straight line. Well, more or less, depending on the cosy neutron stars on the way.

Yours, Kira

Dear Lhorndra,

I haven’t written you in a while because there isn’t exactly exciting news to share at the moment. A few days ago, I finally left the Inner Orion Spur and its squabbles for good. What a relief! I am in the Temple region now. As far as I (and the Galactic Exploration Catalog) can see, there aren’t many tourist attractions on my way in this region. So please keep your surely insatiable desire for new exciting photos at bay.

Being a space pilot involves a lot more down-to-earth work than I thought. Well, down-to-planet, I suppose. Maybe I was slightly wrong about all you pilots being flashy and aloof. Besides my new hobby exobiology, I’m now used to finding and collecting raw materials, because I have to. Yesterday, I refilled my AFMU for the first time.

While all the mapping, landing, searching and collecting makes my journey much more bearable, it delays my arrival in Colonia considerably.

Oh! And on a completely other note: I wasn’t prepared for weeks of zero g toilet. It’s tedious business. Every time I have to go to the loo, I’m tempted to land on some barren rock, just to have at least a tiny bit of gravity.

Yours, Kira

Dear Lhorndra,

I’m beginning to doubt whether the decision not to take the Colonia Highway was the right one. I can handle the Hauler and the neutron stars alright, but the prolonged loneliness is getting to me. I’m used to people, and even a small outpost offers more social interaction than a COVAS.

Also, I don’t know how often a spaceship like this should be serviced. Lise appears to be in good shape, except that the paint is peeling off. Does that matter? I don’t want to find out the hard way.

On the bright side: I’ve seen things I couldn’t even imagine! Yes, space is black, but damn, when it’s not, it’s bloody beautiful! I found bark mounds near the Traikeou Nebula. Well, at least that’s what my scanner calls them.

Oh, and get this! I saw huge metallic crystals in a Lagrange cloud. Just floating around in the vaccuum, you know, as one does. What are these? Are they alive? You never told me anything about what’s out there.

Speaking of huge: I visited the absolutely humongous Traikeou Goliaths as well. My COVAS pointed them out to me, so I took a quick detour. Utterly incredible. The radius of the secondary star is over 450 times larger than that of Sol. Four. Hundred. And. Fifty!

So yeah. If it weren’t for the isolation, I could almost get used to space. I think.

Yours, Kira

Dear Lhorndra,

it’s been a while. Right now, I’m somewhere in the middle of the Inner Orion Spur. It took a lot longer to leave the bubble than I expected. My flight instructor Theo Arcosta didn’t tell me anything about plotting a long-range course or how to use neutron stars. Do you know this lazy guy? Naturally, I made some mistakes that almost forced me to call the Fuel Rats. But only almost!

Supercharging my FSD for the first time was scary as hell. Lise creaked and rattled as if Anduliga Fire Works were going off right in my engine room. I thought I was done for. Nevertheless, the Hauler holds up surprisingly well. So far, all systems – including the hull – are still nominal.

Sigh. I did underestimate how lonely it would get out here. To distract myself from the endless Black, I started to teach myself a little geology and exobiology. So I’ve been mapping, landing, scanning and taking notes like a proper explorer. Can you believe it! I’ve even found whole systems where no one has gone before! At least that’s what Universal Cartographics says. Although this prolongs my journey, it makes it less desolate. Good thing I brought a SRV with me after all.

Some human company would be nice, but do you know why I wanted to avoid the Colonia highway? Because the last thing I need right now is a bar on a megaship full of veteran pilots, going on and on about how much harder it was in the Olden Days. How they flew a shoebox to Sagittarius A* and back, with no megaships or carriers along the way, before Felicity Farseer was even born, scooping up planetary raw materials with a spoon, fuel scooping stars with a straw, and how much easier I have it today, yadda yadda. I couldn’t bear it. So desolation it is.

Yours, Kira

Dear Lhorndra,

Surprise! It’s me, Kira. I’m still alive. Yay! And I guess you are, too. Long time no see. How should I even begin to talk to you? Anyway, I have some news.

Ever since mom died, I haven’t felt that I belong here. Or anywhere. The ongoing Thargoid war made things worse. I want to get as far away from this war, from everything, as possible.

Though to honest, that feeling started even earlier, I think: after you left us, years ago, in a pathetic attempt to become Elite in some pompous space race competition. Well, it looks like you’ve achieved that. How? Did you join whatever cause you deemed lucrative enough? Good for you, I suppose. And these days, you’re even into suicidal thrills? I’ve seen that Thargoid Titan in your personal InstaGal feed. You are totally insane. These things will kill you.

See? Even though these are my words, it’s all about you again. As long as I can remember, you were always ahead of me. Mom told me to follow your footsteps sooo many times. Well. Guess what? I will. In a sense.

I’m going to leave the Bubble for Colonia, and I’m not coming back.

Remember our trips in the Stella, mom’s old Cobra? Remember playing in zero g during those boring trade missions? Fun times. Stella is gone now. Before mom died, she sold Stella to pay off debts I didn’t even know about. So I’m not taking Stella to Colonia. All I can afford at the moment is… a Hauler. I know you’re going nuts right now, and I know what you’re thinking. But please! Do not contact me to offer me some of your millions. Or is it billions now? I don’t want any of your comfy long-range vessels either. That’s exactly my point. It’s not about you. It’s not about you saving me or whatever. I have to go on my own journey alone.

At least mom left Stella’s old AFMU behind, so that should help. Oh, and some stuff that I took to those creeps Farseer, Martuuk and, um, Dweller. (Seriously, this dude has issues.) Enhanced my Hauler quite a bit, though.

I named my new ship Lise, after Lise Meitner. I’m sure she would understand. Lise even features a SRV bay now, though I have to admit it’s rather cramped. Nevertheless, I should have installed everything I need.

Lhorndra, I thought it only fair to tell you I’m leaving for good. I’ll also keep you updated if I can. I have to admit that I’m scared. But I have to do it. Alone. I will get to Jaques Station! And my way, not the Colonia Highway way. Who knows, maybe I’ll even meet some famous Colonians (is that the right word?), like Petra Olmanova or Ian Doncaster.

Since I didn’t want to spend my last night in the Bubble on a space station, I went to Pestille’s Anvil on Cordenses 5 d. As you may have guessed, I will start my journey at Jackson’s Lighthouse. Lhorndra, I really do want to see you again sometime. Maybe after you’ve come down from your high horse.

By the way, I have painted the Lise purple. I know you hate purple.

Yours, Kira