Updates from the Edge: #1 Operation : Outer Limits Expedition : Perseus Arm

Waking up out here on the edge is different than it is in the bubble. Usually the first thing you think about waking up is breakfast, how bad you need to pee, or how badly you don't want to get out from under those blankets. But out here on the edge - the first thought when you wake up is, "I'm out here - on the edge of the galaxy."

It's a strange feeling I'm still learning to deal with personally, but I know this is a mission that is necessary, not only for my family but for the families of all who know that our purpose out here lies far beyond the normal scope of human exploration...

The trip so far has been a beautiful one, words like amazing and fantastic fall far short of truly communicating some of the breathtaking views I've seen on my journey out here, and although at times it does have that distant 'lonely' feeling to it, our small expeditionary force has started to actually really grow. The international coalition is working across nationalities, connecting together different cultures and languages with translators helping to facilitate the flow of information, and that loneliness seems to get farther and farther away with each passing moment now - just as home gets a lil farther away with every jump. It's a bittersweet feeling, but I'm grateful to have those human voices with us out here in the blue.

We're far short of the armada-size caravan I was wanting to have before starting out, but as more of us trickle in, there's more of that hope that it will grow to the full sized scientific exploration effort we were wanting it to be before leaving the bubble. And that's a good feeling.

We need more emergency response anacondas to act as a sort of in-house fuel rats (go fuel rats! we love y'all!) to help stranded pilots in our party, as well as carrying some repair limpets probably. We need more help in our archives and records team, more navigators, astro-biologists in case we come across organic life, more everything. But that hope makes us march forward with a spring in our step like we were a half dozen formations of full wings, and like I said - it's a good feeling to know you're not alone this far out on the edge.

Station X will be our final launch point for the Perseus Arm Expedition we're undertaking now and we'll be making a few 'camps' along our route throughout the edge of the arm itself. This will take us - quite some time of course. It's a walk through the galaxy, not a sprint. We're really taking our time to stop and do this the right way, so we're prepared for the long haul.

My stomach is telling me it's time for breakfast, and after that we're going to have a lot of exploration to do today. I'd better get to it. Hope everyone back in the bubble is safe - and to all the other pilots and commanders out far from home like we are, a hearty salute o7. Be safe, fly careful, and kick ass ladies and gentlemen.

Signed, Commander omegamann,