Captain's Log, Stardate 6 APR 3305

As I continue my voyage through the core, I've stopped briefly to scan and analyze the creatures that live beyond the bubble. There are a few variations of them all, but here are my results.

We of course know quite a bit about the Thargoids because they are actively engaged in a war of attrition with the human sphere. I have left the confines of our bubble only a small handful of times:

• to explore the Pleiades Nebula many times
• to explore the sectors in and around the Vela Dark Sector and other spheres containing the remnants of the Guardian civilization with the goals of extracting samples of their technology from the ruins
• To visit the edge of the Perseus arm of the galaxy and cross one of the vast, dark galactic voids between arms for a secretive scientific passenger
• to travel to Colonia and Sagittarius A* and the Great Annihilator

I have discovered many forms of life out here, most habitating the Lagrange Clouds between galactic points of gravitational equilibrium or between the asteroid rings around planets of various types. The bell and umbrella molusks superficially resemble the space faring thargoids, but are harmless and non-aggressive. The curious variations of the energy anomalies that flicker and play, alive with some form of animating energy and create disturbances with my ship's shields like the thargoid weaponry almost. The solid and lattic mineral spheres that actually house swarming microscopic creatures that appear to live and maintain them, similar to space bees. Then there's the metallic crystalline entities, and I suspect that these are perhaps a photosynthetic organism that provides food to the more mobile of xeno biological creatures amongst the stars.

I am unsure if these are merely superficial similarities to various aspects of the thargoid biological technologies and completely unrelated or if they harvest them as raw materials for their war efforts somehow, I don't know. None of my research appears to indicate anything other than superficial biological construction using raw materials available in space, and the only compelling evidence is the similarity to the reaction of my ship's shields and systems malfunctioning in a manner similar to the thargoid lightning weapons, and that is not enough for me to see a direct link between the two.

I have completed a thorough log of photographs to my superiors within the Independent Defence Agency xeno research archives, and the constant link over the galactic discord tight beam has been a true lifeline for my sanity out this far. I have never been this far again, and it will be a long time before I embark on a similar long range mission of this sort again. I long to return to our efforts to police the sectors that have recently become infested with the criminal behavior typically only reserved for the Community Goal systems that we typically patrol. I have developed a new fighting style since operating in Colonia and refined my preferred loadout of engineered weapons, and I am eager to test it out again, soon.

For now, good night. I will write again soon, perhaps even getting permission to submitting my xeno biological research to the public at the end of my tour in the galactic core.

Captains log - 2 Apr 3305

I just finished finished off turning the last of those bounties to Mel Brandon, and that concludes the last of my Colonia requirements that I set for myself when I came out here, well, other than breaking Elite in exploration. I was skeptical that this long of a journey would be worth it, but it has. For the CMDR that thought he's seen everything, this long range trek truly paid off. Not only did I get to make contact and establish myself amongst the colonial factions out here, I've seen things that other CMDRs only dream of.

If you haven't seen the light glinting of a purpeum metallic crystal formation light up the nearby sphere-hives of those space micro-organisms, you haven't truly lived. Maybe the light from a P-type anomaly giving the asteroid nearby an eery green glow. Maybe the crackling of electricity off of the tentacles of an umbrella molusk floating through the roseum Lagrange cloud as it basks in the starlight from the nearby sun. These are things I had dreamed of seeing myself after the first CMDRs reported their findings.

I have 24 hours left until my lighter shield system arrives from the bubble, and I continue my trek to Explorer's Anchorage to visit Sagittarius A* and the Great Annihilator on the way. I must return to the bubble by the end of May for the Independent Defence Agency hulk championship competition, and then a new trek out in the opposite direction to investigate a recent clue in my hunt for Raxxla as well as our anit-xeno containment efforts.

I have since returned to civilization, and I have continued to improve my mastery over the GalNet systems at my disposal. Now back, I have connected with a group of like minded CMDRs that I met out in the void while exploring the Guardian ruins. I have flow for their assessments, and they have even helped some with backup and run a Thargoid interceptor combat training mission.

I actually have a Thargoid interceptor's EMP pulse disable my ship. It was scary, but having a number of other human CMDRs backing me gave me the confidence to handle the situation. I have experimented with ship configurations and loadouts to accomodate the new power demands of the Guardian hybrid technology, and it has educated me further on a subject I believed myself to understand well already. I definitely feel like these experimental systems have unlocked a new level of potential for the Aether, and this ship truly feels like mine like only my late Vulture before felt like. Perhaps I could have made a Fer-De-Lance feel like this with enough work, but it just never seemed right no matter what I did to it.

I am currently in Maia and other systems in the Pleiades Nebula working on restoring order. I had wanted to retrieve some materials from a Thargoid structure for Professor Palin, and unless I have the chance to figure out how to do that and go about doing so tonight, I will miss the deadline and need to focus on the trade protection aspect of this currently community goal.

There have been a few wanted CMDRs of the steely eyed variety typically referred to as gankers. One even got me at a point in a Fer-De-Lance that I just could not shake. I spoke with the other CMDRs I fly with, and they advised some additional evasive maneuvers when dealing with a CMDR I cannot take on in combat. Another tried to get me and failed miserably even though he was flying a Krait MkII just like mine and it flew significantly faster than me.

Until this effort in Maia wraps up, I will be there. After that, I'll get that old man Broo his damn tea.

I am eager to return to human habitated space by way of Canopus. I have spent the better part of the past two months exploring the Synuefe, Col 173 Sector, and Vela Dark Region on an exploration mission for artifacts and materials leftover from the Guardian civilization. I have been working with Ram Tah, and I am eager to negotiate terms with the GalNet guardian technology traders.

I have met a surprisingly large number of other CMDRs out on the edge of this ancient civilization, and it does appear the word has gotten out about the efficacy of these hybrid alien developments. I am eager to empty my holds and databanks in the pursuit of this goal, also.

I have been working with Ram Tah on exploration the ruins of an ancient civilization he is calling the Guardians. Their ruins span worlds in a fashion similar to ours, but they lived a far more austere and trusting lifestyle of one another than humans ever did. Perhaps that was the source of their downfall. Their technology is world class, and I have been collecting artifacts and scans for the engineer, and he has agreed to assist in significant compensation at the conclusion of this voyage beyond the bubble.

I sometimes wonder how few commanders actually bother with the trek this far out. Would they simply be content to watch the recordings of others exploring these areas? Not I. I have put far too much time and profit into the continuation of humanity in this galaxy to lie back and wait for the Thargoids (or other threats) simply come and meeting humanity without an appropriate military response. I am glad for humanity's distrust of AI and fully automated systems in our history for aeons, too.

Soon I will return to the bubble, Sol, perhaps other places, and I hope to throw my weight behind the efforts of the few intrepid alien hunters in this galaxy, too.

I have been long travelling the galaxy now, and I have my ship modified in the appropriate ways to have a ED Market Connector link up to EDSM and Inara and EDDN. It is good to see that I am actually helping the GalNet with my explorations, and a proper scientist must keep thorough notes!

Upon my return to the bubble, I began to gather the materials I needed after Marco Quent handed the information on Professor Palin to me, and I traveled to Maia and Asterope and the rest of the Pleiades. I met with Palin and finish up modifications of my recent capital expenditure on the Krait Mk. II as well as the time necessary to properly engineer this beauty of a ship. It hums.

On my way out of the base, I caught a return ping signal from a science vessel. Thinking that I could pick up some quick firmwares from a ship satellite or comms array, I dropped down to investigate. What I found was a vessel in a state of corruption and decay and venting some sort of atmosphere and fuel mixture. As I closed further I noticed the familiar shape. A Thargoid detached himself and began to approach my vessel. Panicked, and unsure how to deal with the potential threat, I retreated and ran. While they're fairly agile and quick, I do believe that I could successfully engage smaller specimens with an appropriate wing of commanders and some anti-xeno modifications.

I'm currently engaged in a CG in the California Nebula, and it seems to be a quiet one from being so far out. I like that. When it concludes, perhaps I shall seek out some anti-xeno modifications and pursue some further investigation in more coordinated CMDR wing operations for this threat.

As I return to the Orion-Cygnus arm of our galaxy from the edge of the Perseus arm, I am lingering through a void mostly composed of brown dwarfs and some other stars. It is not so expansive to cause me concern for fuel capacity, but each few hundred light years has me counting down the distance to home. I have business first in Imperial regions, but after that, I will re-evaluate my priorities after securing the sale of this trove of scan data and a quiet return of this odd passenger.

I arrived at my destination, and I have had the chance now to encounter not just one, but two tourist ships. I have spoken with another commander I know that is out in the void, and he is taking the free Sidewinder back to the bubble. That is a terrible way to travel, and I would miss out on my passenger credits!

Nonetheless, I have turned back towards civilization, and I hope that these runs have provided more than enough credits to pack away a tidy, small fortune. I hope to atleast double the credits offered by the passenger on exploration scans, so we'll see how that pans out.

Until next time, CMDR Chuckination

I am only 3 jumps away from arriving at IC 1805 Sector AV-O C6-6, and I still have a few systems to scan on the way in. I have had to pass up some planets beyond the 100 ls threshold in some systems to optimize for travel time, but I am nearly there.

I will complete this passenger mission and then have a black hole and two blue stars nearby the target objective to scan. Then begins the journey back to the bubble. Having been my first long range exploration mission, I am rather enjoying myself and look forward to the payout of all this excellent exploration data. Here's to good flying!

CMDR Chuckination out.

I have succeeded in reorienting myself to the GalNet updates of my navigation systems. Piloting with the additional layers of databases and online query systems that supplement the core ship systems has been significantly useful, and I am not certain how I piloted without them before. I suppose that dumb luck can really take you places sometimes.

In the pursuit of a system favorable to my efforts to befriend the Alliance Independents for a permit to Alioth, I have jumped around the surrounding systems. It does not seem that Sobek offered much in the line of pirate infested space to patrol, but the rings of the third and fourth planets of HDS 1879 have.

I have amassed roughly 1.5 million in bounty credits so far, but it is has been slow without system response or a concentration of wing operatives close at hand to assist. I have also called for both my Fer-De-Lance and Asp Explorer to Shaikh Dock as a primary base of operations for the present. I have found both mercenary work as well as trade and passenger transport to help out with my current goals. I have met enough commanders that I am sure one or two might come out, but it is not likely since I am not chasing a community goal at this time.

Perhaps there will be a primary ship upgrade to better manage a fleet of operatives. I very clearly have a small set of pilots that I would gladly work with again anytime, even to the point of a long and grueling jump to meet them for assistance. I suspect that the same would be true for them, and it would be beneficial if FDev would help support this. Until them, I will keep doing what I am doing, and I suppose that they will, too.

This is CMDR Chuckination, in the areas of Alliance space. Their trust is hard to gain, and I hope that it will pay off profitable for all of us when it is done.