Yesterday I had decided to head back out into the black for a little while. I wanted to check the heart and soul nebula out but overshot my destination by a few hundred LY and wound up in Eafots LZ-H b10-0. Call it regaining my space legs. While scanning planets I happened across two transmitter beacons near the fourth star in the system. They look quite old and seem to be inactive with no sign of who left them or when.

After flying around for a while in search of clues, I decided to set up camp for the night on D-1 since it was close by but it wasn't long before a signal source was detected by my DBX's onboard systems. I targeted the source of the signal and began my landing maneuvers. When I arrived I found what appears to be an abandoned settlement complete with intact structures and datapoints. I've scanned the datapoints and read the logs and now feel uneasy about being near the rift. The idea of coming out this way didn't bother me before but now I can't help but think that maybe the stories aren't just space farer folklore after all.

Either way, the desolation of this place has me a bit rattled. Being at the edge of the rift with the void in front of you is like standing at the edge of an unfathomably tall and steep cliff. It's enough to make any seasoned explorer uncomfortable. Reading those comms set my imagination running wild and a feeling of unease has set in like I haven't felt before in any other part of the galaxy...

There is something wrong with this place and I can't put my finger on what it is.

o7

I got myself a brand new Anaconda from the Jameson Memorial shipyard today. After spending over a quarter billion credits it's all outfitted and customized to my liking. It even includes the coffee maker I had hoped for! Wonderful.

I took it back out to Col 285 Sector CC-K a38-2 for more LTD mining. I wasn't getting as much loot from these rocks as I was the previous day in my Python, but I still managed to get 117t in my cargo holds before running out of limpets. This was a far cry from the 228t capacity but I can't complain since I still made back more than what I put into the ship...

Except I could complain about Alexander Strange and his pirate goons chasing me all the way from Col 285 to Solati!! I tried to return fire on them after their first interdiction but almost lost my hull! They were able to out maneuver me in those smaller, more combat-oriented ships. After recognizing that I couldn't take this beating they were dishing out, I pointed my large nose at the next jump and mashed the afterburner until my FSD spooled up. I really need to visit Professor Palin in Arque to see if maybe he can do something for my thrusters. I'm sure he could improve the 'conda's handling capabilities with a dirty drive modification... Besides, I haven't paid him a visit since 3305 anyway. It'd be nice to see an old friend.

All in all, I am very happy with this ship. It does handle well for it's size which is appreciated in dense asteroid fields, it has great range with full cargo holds and has all of the hardpoints, internals and utilities I could possibly want! Once I engineer it's shortcomings in combat away, this will absolutely be my favorite ship in my fleet.

o7

Well today was the single most rewarding day of my entire career! Today, June 27, 3306 is the day I made my first billion credits AND was awarded my first ELITE ranking from the Pilot's Federation. They even granted me an honorary permit to the Shinrarta Dezhra, which is home to the Pilot's Federation Headquarters and the famous Jameson Memorial. My next ship is definitely going to be coming from there! Everyone says there is a 10% discount at that station, but from my observations, it seems like the discount could be as high as 12.5% on some ships!

I'm also well on my way to my ELITE rankings in exploration and combat as well. I'm somewhere around the halfway mark to ELITE in combat but in exploration I only have to make about 118mm credits before I hit ELITE! If you had asked me which would come first when I was first starting out, I'd have swore my first ELITE would have been in exploration instead of trading. I guess you just never really know where you'll wind up when you take that first flight into the black.

o7

So the LTD market demand at Auld Dock in Mosche did in fact crash. Fortunately I can still sell my LTD hauls from Col 285 Sector CC-K A38-2 and wind up making even more of a profit! From what I hear around the stations, there's a dock willing to take them out of my hull to the tune of 1.6mm credits per ton! Sure beats Auld's 1.2mm! That extra ~400k/ton really adds up with a minimum of 192t on board...

So I'll hopefully be making my first billion continuing to trade LTD's at Erikson Port in Vulganji. It's a 380ly journey there from Col 285 CC-K, but I think it's worth the trip!

I think I have some plans for when I get those credits too...

o7

After putting most of my Sag A* exploration money down on a python and outfitting it for mining I made back more than 2x the credits I put into the thing... in ONE RUN. Excluding exploration data sold at Auld Dock, I managed to bag over 188mm credits in one go! I can't believe it. My python is already one of my favorite ships I've ever flown! She has modest jump range but three 2D mining lasers and enough cargo space to bring back a hefty load of materials to the right buyer... The one real downside I can think of is how vulnerable I was when those pirates were trying to get their hands on my haul en route back to Mosche. This just makes me think I may need some fire power in the future... maybe after another run or two out to Col 285 sector CC-K A38-2 I can afford a nice Anaconda with plenty of cargo storage, more limpets and lasers... and some big guns. Maybe a coffee maker, even.

Now I just have to hope that the market demand for LTD's at Auld Dock in Mosche holds up for a little while longer. That run is almost TOO good and I can't be the only cmdr who has been running it! It seems inevitable that the demand in that system will dip.

o7

So I decided to undergo a bit of a career change after laying low for a while. Since it's at least tangentially related to my experience in exploration I figured why not give mining a shot? I've heard so much boasting in the station lounges about the profits these guys are making lately. 200mm credits/run? How could I afford to not give it an honest try? Especially with the Low Temperature Diamond boom going on that they won't stop talking about... from what they say, lots of new hotspots have been cropping up in systems all over the bubble and every miner in the Orion Spur is going to be all over them. It doesn't hurt that there's an exceptionally high demand for LTD's as well...

Although I have to say with all honestly, after spending so much time outside of the bubble it's hard for me to say for sure what is "in" these days. Whether it's fashion or commerce.

o7

I've landed at Lave Station. Time to sell this data and get a fresh meal... Maybe even try to mingle with the locals a bit.

o7

Found a nice spot to hunker down on the last leg of the journey home. I couldn't help but feel myself drawn toward the coalsack nebula on my galaxy map so I've decided to make my way there before finally heading home. It's been almost 8 months since I've been in the bubble so what's another few days sightseeing? I don't miss the sounds, sights or the chaos of civilization anyway.

o7

I've made it to the center of the Milky Way and have seen Sagittarius A* with my own eyes. I think I'll be hanging around in the core for the next few days to really take it all in. The core is the most beautiful part of the galaxy by far.

Now to find a place to park my ship and rest.

o7

The final pit stop before making the last 25 jumps to Sagittarius A*. So far my ship & modules have held up rather well through this journey. The paint job however... not so much. I think this bird deserves a fresh coat once I'm back in the bubble.

o7