A Matter of Protocol

SpyGlass III mission day 128.  The Cantankerous Astrolabe is 24Klys out from the Bubble, on a meandering return arc, cataloging non-sequence stars, water worlds and earth-likes.  That’s 128 days of talking to machines and debating the metaphysics of the galaxy with the ship’s cat.  I’m firmly convinced the cat believes it is telepresenced aboard my ship and can escape to his cat palace aboard Mansfield Orbiter at a moment’s notice.  Either that or he has proven himself to be the superior being which cat’s know themselves to be, and is using telepresence as the appropriate psychological coping mechanism for life in the void.

It’s been 128 days since the scanner reported any other ships in my vicinity.  There have been no hollow or filled blocks to grace the screen.  Only the orbs of various types of astronomical bodies juxtaposed against the emptiness of the void.  128 days since leaving Jacques station with a fresh coat of paint on the hull, which has long since degraded due to the number of jumps on this exploration mission.  Still it’s good to see the ship’s new name plate has managed to fend off the rigors of hyperspace travel and continues to be legible.

The mission has undoubtedly been a profitable one so far, both in terms of credits and the intangible immeasurable beauty of the galaxy I have witnessed, to which the ship’s recording systems cannot really do justice.  However I am nervous of the actual value of the data I now have aboard as it’s fair market rate will not be revealed until I dock.  The uncertainty creeps its way into my piloting abilities as I cautiously begin to plot an expedited route back to The Bubble and that small habitation pod aboard Mansfield Orbiter that passes for home away from home, because as most pilots now know our home is truly among the stars.

Given my route for the SpyGlass III mission, and the uncharted areas of the galaxy it has taken me through, I want to believe that I am quietly confident about the payday that will arrive once I dock.  I want to believe.  I want to believe.  I said the same thing about the SpyGlass II mission, but that saw me return to the Epsilon Indi system in an escape pod as I was being greedy with my margins and hauling rare goods back from Jacques Station to accompany all the exploration data I had acquired from the core systems.  This time is different.  This time my hold is empty and so those pilot’s with a curious and wayward moral compass will be less likely to unleash their frustrations upon me if they chose to drag me out of supercruise.  That should swing the odds in my favor and leave me only two concerns outside of my control: the marauders of the galaxy who follow no code and shoot on sight just for thrills, and the growing alien presence in the galaxy.  Returning to the Bubble brings me home to friends and family but also places me in the stomping ground of the Thargoids, whose foot steps I have not seen elsewhere in my galactic wanderings.  My hope is I can claim the fair market rate for the data and be given the opportunity to prepare for what comes next, that is if the analysts on the news feeds are to be believed.

The goal for the remainder of this mission is simple, and not unlike the general premise of every mission taken by any member of the pilot’s federation, to make it home alive.  That and I need to remember how to land.  Don’t get me wrong.  It’s not like I haven’t made planetfall recently to explore surfaces rich in materials and minerals.  After all neutron stars can play havoc with your frame shift drive and the ship’s maintenance units need to be kept appropriately stocked (unless of course you want this to be a one way journey).  So at least I remember where the landing gear controls are.  However I am rusty on the whole docking thing.  Those star ports and space stations take their territorial mandate seriously and are not afraid to take appropriate measures to protect themselves from unauthorized vehicles.  I instruct the ship’s computer to restart the docking simulation again and will keep doing so until it is once again second nature.  It is, after all, just a matter of protocol.  A protocol so simple yet so extreme in it’s outcome: light to dark, right to wrong, life to death; waiting for the all clear where station traffic control graces you with a pad assignment and you are free to proceed.

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Bow Lof Petunias

Bow Lof Petunias

Bow Lof Petunias is a player character in the galaxy of Elite Dangerous, specializing in long range exploration, cartography & prospecting. When he's not aboard his Fleet Carrier, the "DSSA Chrysaetos Refuge", this commander is a confirmed screenshot junkie, a random scribe and an occasional video creator.

“The 400B” was created using assets and imagery from Elite Dangerous, with the permission of Frontier Developments plc, for non-commercial purposes.
It is not endorsed by nor reflects the views or opinions of Frontier Developments and no employee of Frontier Developments was involved in the making of it.

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