“I am alone now, truly alone, and absolutely isolated from any known life." ~ Michael Collins - Apollo 11

I've traveled 7,000 light years, now I have 15,000 to go before I get to Colonia. But the trip is relaxing and the pay is damn good. There is something about traveling by myself. I get to see sites no one has every seen, can take my time just setting and taking it all in. The main thing I have to worry about is smashing into things. Got to make sure the hull and definitely the canopy doesn't get damaged. Oh.....and scooping fuel when I need to. When exploring.....map only the planets that's worth good credits. Pay attention to what the scans are telling you. Especially the planet's gravity. Don't try to land on any planet that has more 2.0 gravity. Unless there is something worth a good risk. If you're the first to discover a system then map as much of that system as you can or want to. Some planets may not be worth many credits, but having your name associated with that system and planets is priceless. Free advertisement is never a bad thing........right?

Doing Exploration in Elite Dangerous is a blast. Totally relaxing.

Completed a long Explanation run. Got a nice payday. 42,000,000 credits. 😎

Incoming transmission...........................

Date: Aug 13th, 3305 Time: 04:35 GT Location: Smojue MM-L c21-0, 2nd Planet

This is Commander Dutch Mitchell heading towards Attenborough's Watch in the Lagoon Sector FW-W d1-122. This evening at 22:30 I landed on Smojue MM-L c21-0 2 looking to mine some raw materials. I left Dave, my Jack Russel aboard my ship, got into the SRV and then dismissed the ship into orbit. Dave has always been good by himself while I'm down on the surface of some planet.  

I was rolling around doing pretty good mining, next thing I knew, it was about 02:45. Surface was pitch black with out the SRV's lights or Night Vision on. I was pretty tire and decided to spend a few hours sleeping. Done it many times on many other planets.....no biggy. Around 04:00 I was awoken by a noise. I didn't think much of it at first. The SRV makes noises when it's been sitting awhile. But....it just kept making three slow knocks.

Knock....knock.....knock....

This was a dead planet...no life! Not even microscopic. But that knock...knock...knock would just not stop. I lit the control panel and run a diagnostic.....Nothing. All systems checked out. 100% on all systems and the hull was at 100% as well. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. I....just needed more sleep. So I turned of the control panel and was back asleep. Probably 10 minutes later the SRV was rocked, I was totally awake. Flipped the control panel checked everything....again NOTHING!

I switched the exterior lights on and checked all cameras. Nothing..... There was nothing around the SRV. Was it a planet quake? Or my imagination screwing with my head.....

I was looking out the right side of the SRV when I noticed it....

Human footprints... Bare footprints of a human being.... No boots, just footprints in the soil of a dead planet. Was I still asleep? Dreaming? Or going crazy? Now.....I'm just not sure which.

As I was looking out the right side....there were three knocks on the left side of the cockpit. I quickly turned my head and what I saw will forever haunt me. Standing there was a human being that looked as dead as the planet it was standing on. It was wearing a flight suit, and a helmet with a smashed face shield. The eyes were pitch black and the mouth was slowly opening and closing.  I stared at it for what felt like eternity. Chills going up my spine. then it banged on the cockpit door three time....knock...knock...knock. I was petrified, I couldn't move. All I could do was just set there. Then....it started turning the cockpit door handle. I grabbed the handle so it couldn't open the door. With the other hand I flipped on the cockpit power. The SRV was fully powered within 10 long agonizing seconds. I pushed to the SRV power to the max leaving IT behind me.... My heart was beating harder then it ever had. Even when I was serving the the Allied military flying combat missions, I never felt that much fear.

I hauled ass over the planet surface kicking up dust trying to put distance between my and.....IT.....whatever IT was.      

I traveled a good 10 miles, stopped, checked all cameras. Nothing! My heart was still beating a mile a minute. I looked down to recall my ship... Computer showed no option for recalling a ship. Fear escalating. I run another diagnostic...... "Communications offline" SHIT! I started running system repairs. 20%......30%.....55%.....

KNOCK...KNOCK...KNOCK. It was trying to open the hatch again. Pushing to controls to max again, dust flying up behind the SRV.

72%.....86%.....94%......100%. FINALLY! Communications Online.......................

I pushed Recall ship........

In the distance I seen it coming in to land. I headed fast as could to the ship, weaving around rocks trying to not crash.  Rolling under neath my ship to re-board. I was home. Slowing the SRV loaded into the ship. I climbed out of the SRV and climbed to the ships cockpit seat. Launched into space and left that god forsakened planet behind me........

It's now 04:27......

The knocking started about 20 minutes ago. At first Dave was growling at the hatch, now he's setting by me whining. I've done four jumps. I've done a fuel scoop at low level hoping....maybe the heat would destroy....IT. It had no effect.

I've got over 700 light years to go before I'm at the next station. The hatch door is locked, but IT keeps causing damage. I'm having the repair limpets constantly fix the hutch.

I'm putting Dave into a one person life pod, if the hatch blows open, Dave and this recording is ready to be launched.

Whoever finds Dave..... Please take good care of him. He's been a good friend during the five years we've been exploring.

I only have one repair limpet left....

It's been a pleasure Dave. I hope you find a good person and are able to live the rest of your days in comfor..........................................

Ship diagnostics report.......

Hatch breached......... Life support failure............. Life pod launched with Dave (K9) Commander Dutch Mitchell (Human).........Death Unknown Entity......................@$%#^$&%..............#$#$&............................

Knock...knock...knock........................

End of transmission..............................................................................................

Total systems discovered 29. I'm having fun, seeing a lot, having a blast landing on planets and rolling around on the surface for awhile. Learning to mine and how to use raw material to use the FSD Injection. Currently in Smojue SX-L d7-32.  o7

Wow.... I've discovered 6 more systems this week.

I'm first human being to travel among those stars....and land on new worlds never seen by another person.

The universe is getting a lot smaller today....

I've decided to explore for a while after being able to upgrade my Python's FSD. Traveled a bit, then I seen that I was the first to discover a planet/System (Col 359 Sector TO-Y a45-1). So I decided to make a bee line to the Mammon Monitoring Facility in the Mammon system. It's was the nearest system with a station to dock on. It's a Military station inside an asteroid. Nothing else near by so the Mission board is pretty worthless and no Shipyard. So now I've plotted a path headed to Colonia. My path is just about about halfway...476 jumps from the Mammon Monitoring Facility.To break up the cycle of jump after jump after jump. I'm also landing on a planet every now and then just to roll around in the dirt...or dust, or whatever it is. It can really help you're spirit feeling like Neil Armstrong being probably the first human being on a planet.

I've gone back to flying the ASP Explorer. The Python is a great ship, but it's main drawback is it's starting jump capacity.... 9.0. My ASP right now is almost 14. I was flying the Python a few days ago and got stuck between two stars. I couldn't jump any farther. Luckily I was in a system that had an Orbital station with a Shipyard. I had my ASP transferred. I had been jumping to Deciat (288ly)to get 1 unit of Meta-Alloys for Felicity Farseer so I could increase my Python's jump capacity. I'm working on the getting my Python and ASP right now. Nut yeah, I'll be using the ASP most of the time. More good news. I was able to decrease the heat in my ASP. Safer to scoop fuel now. Just need to earn more credits to buy a better scoop.

Just bought a Python. Loving it!!!!