Профиль пилота Richard Voorheez > Дневник

Профиль
Имя пилота:
Текущий корабль:
2nd star to the right [rv-exp]
(Asp Explorer)
 
Дата регистрации:
23 янв. 2016 г.
 
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Preparation for Circumnavigation expedition Sep 3303

CMDRs log 01: Voorheez R. Date: 33030805. Location: Founders World/Shinrarta Dezhra System/Commanders Ward room. Topic: Pre Circumnavigation expedition preparation

Resting after a long week of permit gathering and engineering. I have decided to recommission my aging Anaconda the "Terra Nova". She is a faithful boat, a veteran of the Distant Worlds expedition of 3302 and as such a ship which has special meaning and purpose to me. The problem I am facing now is her previously 'long' exploration legs are decidedly shorter in comparison to her peers who will be participating on the circumnavigation expedition planned for mid September 3303. This expedition will be the longest and furthest commitment I have ever been mad enough to participate in and as such my ship needs to be suitably engineered to reflect that.

The plan is to keep the exact same build that I used on the Distant Worlds exped, It worked well after all. The build reflects the following:

Light weight power plant Light weight drive engines Maximum range FSD Light weight shields Light weight fuel tank Light weight sensors life support and power distributor Maximum fuel scooping ability Twin AFMUs Surface reconnaissance vehicle (SRV) Cargo hold (64t) Advanced scanning suites (system and surface)

Engineered modules have improved dramatically in the last 12 months, opening up ranges to explorers unseen before. When I traversed the galaxy in the Terra Nova she was un-engineered with a then mighty 37ly range. Cmdrs now are not wanting to leave 'the bubble' without engineered ranges in excess of 55ly. I have work to do to make the Terra Nova mighty again.

So far I have been lucky. I have managed last week to gain the introduction of certain reclusive engineers. Those being namely Marco Qwent, Selene Jean, Liz Ryder, Lori Jameson and Professor Palin himself. I had already gained the patronage of Felicity Farseer and Elvira Martuuk to give me access to an engineered FSD. This has given me an optimised mass on my aging 6A FSD of 53.4%. Not too shabby and after a good service the veteran drive purrs again. I have additionally enhanced my shields giving me a stronger but lighter defensive suite.

Significant engineering 'wins' have been seen with reference to my power distributor and my sensor suite. For a big ship like the Anaconda to have any boosting ability a 5A distributor is needed, a heavy piece of kit. I have managed to get a 5D distributor engine focussed by 'The Dweller' an engineer residing in the Wyrd system saving me considerable weight and still giving me that all important boost capability. The sensor suite on the Anaconda is huge, an 8D sensor suite weighs 64t. The engineer Lei Cheung managed to reduce this mass to 17.5t, significantly increasing my overall range.

I learned from my experiences on Distant Worlds that replacing the stock 32t fuel tank (a very heavy piece of kit which significantly impacts on overall range) with a 16t tank and then adding 12t in additional tank space gives a capacity of 28t. This is significant as it gives the same jump capacity of a 32t tank but with the added advantage of a weight reduction of 4t increasing overall range.

My main effort now is to squeeze as much range out of available modules as possible utilising the engineers available to me. My current range is now a mighty 63ly but I know I can improve on this by gaining patronage access to Prof Palin Selene Jean and Lori Jameson. These engineers will give me access to a lighter life support module a lighter hull and lighter more efficient drive engines. Hopefully this will happen before the scheduled expedition start date of mid September. Final details of my fully engineered ship will be published to expedition organisers before our launch date.

CMDRs log 02: Voorheez R. Date: 33030806. Location: Earth/Sol System/Abraham Lincoln station. Topic: Leave

If I am going to be stuck out in the deepest loneliest regions of space for an unspecified period of time then I need to spoil myself. I boarded my trusty Python 'The Black Pearl' and jumped over to Abe Lincoln station in Sol. Two weeks of old Earth cuisine and good old fashioned getting trashed in a random bar with some random filthy minded woman who should know better all sounded good to me.

After disembarking from the Black Pearl I made my way over to the 'processing suite': An impersonal, armoured grey tunnel, unmanned and filled with an array of senors, scanning suites and heavy weapons ready to neutralise any fool who decided to be a hero that day. Once a Commander entered this suite the door behind them closed and until appropriately processed would not open again. You passed through the usual checks: bounties and fines outstanding, credit balance, retinal scans, biocontagion scans, narcotic scans, weapon scan and declaration and finally the verification of my name, Pilots Federation ranks and title as a blue holofac appeared a meter in front of my face:

CMDR RICHARD VOORHEEZ COMBAT RANK: MASTER TRADE RANK: TYCOON EXPLORATION RANK: ELITE

I confirmed the displayed information which faded into nothingness and moved forward past the now open processing suite into the opulent arrivals lounge of Abraham Lincoln station: An atrium filled with old world architecture and oozing nostalgia and atmosphere. Today it was full of a combination of passengers, businessmen, station staff and a smattering of Commanders who where going about their daily business.

A concierge approached me and appraised my flight suit and Pilots Federation rank immediately, as was customary in any station, more so in the luxury stations in Federal controlled space. Flight suits are heavily personalised and reflect the mood and temperament of a Commander. My flight suit was of the 'Explorer' pattern: a simple black design with red and white trim, it displayed two red decals: Elite Exploration rank on my left shoulder and my political allegience to Aisling Duval and the Empire on my right. The concierge changed his demeanour immediately on seeing my Elite rank. "May I show you to the Commander's wardroom Sir?" I thanked him and followed his lead.

As I entered the wardroon I received and returned a nod of acknowledgement as I passed a fellow Commander. A female in a 'Raider' pattern flight suit bearing the decals of a Deadly ranked combateer and her allegiance to the Zac Hudson and the Federation. Despite our political differences we exchanged respectful glances. Station space is neutral ground and fighting is strictly frowned upon and brutally suppressed.

Pilots Federation (PFed) wardrooms or Commander's wardrooms as they are commonly referred as are exclusive clubs where all Commanders of all ranks can meet, network and rest. The entry criteria for admission is to hold any rank with the PFed, a very difficult thing to attain in the first place and even harder to progress and to keep without being murdered in the harsh vacuum of deep space. I sat there and remembered my own flight training and graduation from PFed flight school back on Mars 2 years previously. I held my 'Harmless' rank with reverence, knowing that the real training and the real acquisition of flying skills would begin from that moment on. And it had. I had achieved Elite rank in Exploration 12 months later after an epic run to the super-massive black hole Sagitarriis A* in my trusty Asp Explorer 'The 'Damocles' cataloguing neutron stars on route and on return.

I logged into my personal PFed account via the holofac in my seat and looked up old earth shuttles. One was leaving in an hour bound for Barcelona station. An old Earth European tour it would be. No better place to start than an ancient city full of good food good wine and beautiful senoritas.

CMDRs log 03: Voorheez R. Date: 33030810. Location: Earth/Sol/Eixample/Barcelona. Topic: Barcrelona and Anabella

Spent the evening/morning in the famous Bar Mutis in Barcelona. This invitation-only speakeasy is hidden above the excellent Bar Muttapas in the Eixample District. It was accessed through the doors of a residential apartment block where a concierge checked to see if I was on the guestlist (I had been invited by the local Police Chiefs wife, Anabella, who i had met over drinks and tapas earlier in the evening) Heading up the stairs we entered a tiny cocktail bar where live soul, funk and jazz musicians entertained us through the night and until sunrise. We embraced, kissed and exchanged contact information as we parted company in the coolness of Barcelona's dawn.

A very good night had been had by both of us. Anabella knew full well that I was the Commander of a starship who would be leaving Spain, Earth, Sol and the whole of inhabited space for a very long time, with a high probability of never returning to Sol again. To that end she had no inhibitions fun with me. Inappropriate fun but fun nevertheless. I also knew Anabellas husband was a high ranking local Police Chief who could make my life very difficult if he discovered I had shared the night and a bed with his wife. "Life is short and I could be dead tomorrow" I told myself as we kissed passionately outside of the hotel room Anabella had earlier arranged. She had gone out that evening with the intention of spending the night with another man, and I was lucky enough to fullfill that criteria.

I smiled as I entered the taxi I had called for through my personal communicator. The taxi driver spoke to me in Spanish asking where I wanted to drive: "¿Dónde quieres que te lleve?" I replied in Spanish resisting the urge to speak in the universal language of English I knew full well he could speak: "Llévame al puerto estrella por favor" He replied with a smile and a nod in perfect English : "Star port it is Senor".