Today I attempted to get involved with the community at large and try helping out with the new Community Goals that have appeared. To do my part in assisting against whatever famine or plague has hit the bubble's agricultural industry. Well, this was the first time I attempted such an endeavor in open play and whilst I expected to be pirated by a group such as The Code, what actually happened was much worse.

No chatter. No demands. Just an interdiction that ended with my ship being blown to smithereens within but a few moments of conceding. 9 million credits later and 750 tonnes of cargo lost I decided to get involved with the community goal but in solo play this time.

It is a pity my first experience with open play ended the way it did and only enforced my play style to remain outside of that game mode. Shame.

CMDR Umbra Lupis signing off.

After many delays, arguably all caused by myself, I finally got together with CMDR Peter Tanner for a long-awaited trip to the ether. Mentions of Saggitarius A* or Colonia were had and entertained - certainly perhaps someday, but not today. Instead I had an idea...

HIP 63835.

An old friend of mine showed me this when I was young and had a bucket of bolts Cobra Mk III, Christ the trip was long and arduous in that thing. Absolutely nothing like today's trip. Thankfully, CMDR Peter Tanner and I were kitted out in something more appropriate, a couple of ASP Explorers - one of the better-designed ships by Lakon if I do say so myself. We got our supplies and made the trip.

I have to say, despite already seeing the marvels this system has to offer, it was still as stunning as the very first time I laid eyes upon her. The sheer size of the alpha star mixed with the intimidation had when approaching a black hole. The way they bend the space around them... there's really no way of determining its exclusion zone by eye. So, of course, you either stay far away or your ship drags you out of supercruise dramatically because you got a little too close. The latter only happened once. This time.

That's all I have time for, for now. It was a fun trip and really reminded me how great exploring the deep black is. Here's to plenty more interesting and intimidating ventures in the future!

CMDR Umbra Lupis, signing off.

The first entry. The beginning, one may say. Will this simultaneously be the end due to a futile attempt at starting some form of a diary? Probably. But we all must start somewhere. Only time will tell, and boy do we have time to kill in this near-infinite expanse we call home... the Milky Way.

CMDR Umbra, signing off for now.