"Recover a black box for the insurers"

[Amah]

> „Welcome to Ceesxe RRS space, Commander Amah“
> „Ceesxe Waystation, this is the „Laenina Crowne“, Yasen-N class vessel. Requesting permission to dock“

After the last disastrous cargo run, having to get a new ship, losing almost all platinum I had to deliver and not hitting the deadline in time, I was now on my way to the Pulsar Worlds like I initially intended. Though there are still times I miss my old Ophidian class, I feel now a little more at home with the „Laenina“. The pirates which ambushed me at Anbeen had more trouble with her than they (and to be honest also I) expected. Her shields even coped with an ecm hardhead without a scratch… Shields went a little down but that was all...


> „Yasen-N Class „Laenina Crowne“, you are clear for docking bay 7e. - Squeeze her right in next to the Arafura and the Medical Morays, We're a little crowded atm. One of our wings just returned home from a mission.“

I confirmed to flight control and brought her slowly in.

The waystation was busy with life. RRS staff in orange spacesuits hurried along the corridors, docking crews preparing and refuelling ships for immediate launch, pilots and wingmans were discussing routes and mission plans.

> „Sorry for all the turmoil.“

Surprised I turned and faced a blue bony feline in the typical RRS dress, watching me curiously. Before I was able to respond, she continued.

> „Normally it's not like that, but we had a sudden outbreak of space plague in a Mining Outpost in a nearby system. We are establishing now a supply line of neccessary medications and try to prevent spreading it to other Hermits. Most of our pilots on a tier contract are now occupied with this.“

I tried to answer, but again she went on...

> “Fancy a job? We always need freelancers for transporting some low priority materials to other waystations or placing probes. And don't worry, nothing too dangerous. For these tasks we try to assign only our pilots to. If you consider to work for us on a regular base, we would even offer you a tier contract, along with all sorts of benefits. You won't get rich, though.“

She made a pause and eyed me anxiously and her words sunk in. Working for the RRS was always something I was interested in, since I followed the search and rescue efforts on Fractalus all over the screens when I was a little hatchling long time ago.

> „Well.. yes.“

> „Really… er... I mean good.“

For a split second she seemed to be surprised, but then she checked herself, and then busily addressed her pad.

> „Glad you like to help us. Well, welcome to the RRS. Hm, we currently have two missions we're looking for capable pilots for. You were doing cargo runs with outstanding reputation, maybe transporting a blackbox and debris to another waystation would be something right for you.“

A cargorun… Yet another cargorun. Not quite the start I was hoping for when working for a Safe and Rescue team. I slowly shook my head and prepared to answer, when I was interupted again by her.

> „Ok, thought it's something you'd like, but let's have a look for something else… In 14 ly a ship is reported to be missing. Last signal was before entering an asteroid field. We'd like you to go out and find the ship or its blackbox and bring it back here. But...“

> „I'll do it!“

She raised an eyebrow.

> „But we were reported it was destroyed by pirates.“

> “I'll really want to do it!“

She sighed, looked at me and over to my ship and then back to me.

„Normally I wouldn't give a rookie a first mission like… Oh, well… alright, it was vonfirmed the pirates were destroyed by the missing traders escorts, so I think I can sent you out. But be careful all the same though Edorte is a corporate system. You'll operate all on your own and all alone far from the spacelanes and help will be little if you run into trouble. I have all neccessary information transferred to you ship's computer, now. A fuelscoop is mandatory, an advanced space compass recommended and a cargo spotter might be handy to sift through the vast asteroid field.“

> „All right! I see to it! Thanks!“

I tried to smile convincingly, but she stared at me gravely...

> “Good luck Commander and get back safe... At best in time until 2084597:15:11:34 to get paid, or at least in one piece. Take no risk!“

[Disembodied]

A promising beginning! One typo though: "space plaque" should be "space plague" (I think - unless there's a terrible dental problem )

[Amah]

corrected. Thanks disembodied! But I'm sure there are more typos and expression mistakes in there. I plan to continue it and write down what I encounter ingame when I'm playing..

[Cody]

But I'm sure there are more typos...

<grins> Indeed... desastrous should be disastrous.

[Amah]

thanks, cody. also corrected. *Sigh* seems we took the spelling from the french, while the english took it from italian/latin. Again something learned (tick)

[Norby]

Nice! Can't wait to the next chapter.

Arufa is probably an  Arafura just some letters are unreadable on the scratched hull.

[Amah]

Thanks Norby, yeah, it should have been an Arafura Rescue boat.

[SteveKing]

Welcome to the casual ranks of RSS. I think the RSS co-ordinators are all a little reticent before they get to know you. Safety first I suppose It's hard to impress on them that perhaps you've been flying the charts for a little more than just Lave to Leesti

[Amah]

Anbeen, TL9 Confederacy, mainly agricultural, docked.

The journey had been eventless so far. I seemed to be lucky, the RRS Raven squadron gave me a lift from Ceesxe to Veis, a mainly industrial TL7 Dictatorship so I was able to save up my witchdrive fuel.

As always described Veis prime was a boring world - a grey rock with thick clouds hanging over it all tinted in blue by its sun. At the witchpoint a Cobra Mark3, a Mk1 and a Moray were all heading off in different directions, as if to get away as quickly as possible. So, I was glad to jump right on to Anbeen.

On arrival two other Moray SAR ships jumped in and heading right off into deep space. All was unusually bright due to the current extraordinary solar activity. Even from far away Anbeen's tropical forests slighlty covered by light orange clouds could be seen.

I'd need to refuel and get a maintanance overhaul before making the jump on to the next system on my route, so I set course for the Main Station, passed Anbeen Prime's moons Io and Europa on my way, got masslocked once by a Python and a Cobra1 heading in the same direction.

Finally reached the main station's aegis and docked a short time later at the old Grey Coriolis.

Next system will be Ordima. A low tech multigov System noted for its speciality some kind of exotic goat soup. Plans are to jump right on to Edorte and start the search for the black box. And if it can't be avoided at least to have just a short stop at a Hermit.

Log end.

I leaned back and watched the flightdeck out of the front window. Dock personnel was busy loading and unloading goods from all over the galaxy from different trade vessels. Towering like a fallen giant an Anaconda parked in the background and various other ships stood next to the „Laenina“.

Announcing the beginning of the maintanance overhaul and refuelling a small blinking message appeared on the hud.

I was wondering if I should disembark, when a battle-worn Cobra Mk3 rushed into the docking area on injectors, docked hard and quickly came to a halt. Engines still running in standby, its hatch opened, a small fat rodent appeared and jumped down with some parcel under his arm not waiting for the stairs to be lowered completely. He nervously pushed the package into the arms of a Human Colonial waiting half in the shadows, exchanged at most two words, turned, ran back and embarked on his ship in no time. Engines roared up and the Cobra3 was leaving again, only shortly afterwards to be followed by an Asp, a Moray and a Fer-de-Lance. Excited GalCOP officials came running in where a moment ago the courier had stood seeing all but the engine plumes of the departing ships. When I looked into the shady corner the Human colonial was also gone.

Shaking my head and having mixed feelings about all this, I decided to stay onboard and launch as soon as possible. I programmed the navigational computer with my next stop, and when the overhaul and refuelling was finished I immediatley requested permission to launch and set out for the stars again.

No other ship but a lonely Viper patrol was in the station's aegis. I sighed, no free ride this time. I activated the weapons, engaged the witchdrive, listened to the countdown slowly to go down and was anxious what I would encounter at Ordima.

[Cody]

... when a battle-worn Cobra Mk3 rushed into the docking area on injectors, docked hard and quickly came to a halt. Engines still runing in standby, its hatch opened, a small fat rodent appeared, not waiting for the stairs to by lowered completely and jumped down with some parcel under his arms. He nervously pushed the pack into the arms of a Human Colonial waiting half in the shadows, exchanged at most two words, turned, and ran back and embarked onto his ship in no time. Engines roared up and the Cobra3 was leaving again, only shortly to be followed by an Asp, a Moray and a Fer-de-Lance.

<grins> Sounds like my standard drop-off procedure, does that - for an interstellar courier, every second counts!

[Amah]

Have to confess, I was inspired by reading your accounts of being a high class courier, especially the docking on injectors stuck to my mind.

[Amah]

> „Hello Rock Hermit Milford's Pit, this is the „Laenina Crowne“, requesting docking clearance.“

When I had arrived on 2048586:23:06:56 at Ordima, the Mainplanet with continents and extensive oceans had been almost completely covered in thick dirty unhealthy looking clouds – most likely pollution as a result of many political forces, unable to work on a common cause, combined with the limited technical means they still had.

I had checked the advanced space compass where to go next, but all I had found were a Tetraheadron depot far away at Ordima II, and even further out at Ordima III a lonely Octahedron Outpost. Time had been pressing so I had set course for the Main Planet, which had been closest and had engaged torus speed. From experience with such low tech system I had expected trouble along the way or at least one of those frequent furball brawls in the aegis, so I had put weapons online and had armed a missile. In the distance the three moons Nikkal, Yarik and Napir had grown larger and larger, when on port some rocks had appeared on scanner and I had fallen back to normal speed. After I had scanned the rocks, I had been reliefed when one of the bigger chunks had appeared to be hollowed out and one of those uncharted rock hermits...

After some pause after my initial call, finally a voice crackled on the comms...

> „Ah, yeah, Laenina Crowne. Just come in as you like, plenty of free space left.“

The Rock Hermit's docking area was almost empty. I brought her in and landed at docking bay RT-C-254. In the huge cavernous hall in some distance stood a Bushmaster called „Loursby's Cash“, belonging to a miner who was scrutinizing the unloading of the minerals, some precious metals and the gems from the hold of his ship.

I made quick entry at the ship's log about the current stage and then I disembarked. The miner, obviously an anbeenian black frog, gave a grim look and called out.

> „Here for the Blackmarket? Don't look like a miner, do you. And bounty hunters rarely stop here.“

> „Jus… just refuelling. Errand for RRS“, I stuttered irritated

> “Your neighbour is here for it, I reckon.“, he said ignoring what I said looking straight at the classic Fer-de-Lance at docking bay RT-C-05. „Is one of those green bony birds from around here, offender that fellow, is he. Anyway, it's in one of the narrow side tunnels going off from the main hall where they usually offer the mining contracts and the resting pods. Tedious work it is… mining I mean. A tedious but honest one. Not like those fellows...“

He paused and stared again at the Fer-De-Lance. After a while he continued…

> „Positions of other places to sell contrabands, smuggling compartments and things those lot are interested in. Shady fellows, all of them. Don't like them. Would keep clear if I were you. Keep your nose clean, RRS.“

He looked at me and I hastily replied.

> “O...Ok. Will remember that. I'm going to Edorte trying to find a black box of a missing trading ship near the sun in a vast asteroid fie...“

> “We shouldn't discuss such things here in the open, if you don't want miners to swarm that place and leave a mess before you have found what you are after… But if you like I have some Rizalaian lethal brandy onboard the „Cash“. Edorte you say? Edorte… Have to fullfill my contract first, yeah have to...But maybe you care to tell me more… Have also some hints for you in return, so you don't get lost among the pebbels, hehe… “ The old miner continued to mumble to himself when we entered his ship.

[Amah]

I arrived at the witchpoint Edorte. Only the crescent of Edorte prime hung in front and I half expected the old miner's bushmaster to appear here too, after I had seen it on scanner launching shortly after me from the rock hermit back in Ordima, but no other ship came... When we emptied his bottle of lethal brandy, he had told he wanted to fulfill his obliging mining contract first before travelling to Ordima, though silently I had doubted he could have resisted the chance to follow me through the wormhole.

I checked fuel and was relieved that another stop in this system wasn't neccessary. Enough to jump right back to Ordima and save some time, though there was the Main station, an Octahedron Outpost orbiting Edorte II and even a waystation station. Well, it was good to know, just in case.
I set course towards the sun on the Advanced Space Compass and engaged the torus drive. Slowly the pale disc of the Edorte's sun grew larger.

A viper on patrol on the sun to witchpoint route briefly masslocked the „Laenina“. We greeted , passed each other and eventually I was able to re-engage torus speed again.

No asteroids on scanner or visible on display yet. I got a bit anxious, and I have to confess I even grew a little doubtfull this was the right area at all. When I was almost about to change course and head for the main station, some few small specs appeared on front screen, all black against the brightness of the sun. Finally!
The closer I got the more black spots appeared, obviously I was approaching an extensive and dense asteroid field. Though nothing showed on the scanner yet, some really huge chunks were definitely there.

> „Always have the sun in your back, like a fighter pilot. You won't see anything against the glare of the sun.“

I remembered an advice the old miner gave me while drinking, and decided to pass the field and then have a u-turn. When the first white dots appeared on the scanner, I fell back to normal speed and navigated among the drifting rocks.

>„Computer, activate Cargo Scanner“ The computer confirmed and some blinking white lights on the HUD indicated scoopable asteroid splinters nearby… I reduced speed, changed course and locked target onto one of them. I'd promised the old miner to collect a sample for him in return for his hints, and it also prooved a good practice of the scooping procedure. After one miss and several successful tries, several tons of minreals in the hold I felt content and changed to the initial course across the asteroids.

A faint glinting on starboard front caught my eye… It looked so completely out of place, but I was doubtful already having so much luck just findig the blackbox without searching.
I deactived the cargo spotter again, but the faint light was still there, so it was glowing all by itself. Changing course towards it I was slowly leaving the asteroid field again. The closer I got the more the glinting intensified and it was hard to discern what kind of translucient shape floated in front. On the brink of the field the ID finally locked and to my amazement it read: „Male Star Jelly“.

>„Computer full stop, weapons offline.“

A Star Jelly - I heard many wild spacefarer's tales yarned over these creatures being born, living and dying in deep space. You rarely encounter them these days, and spoiled brats in ironassed flashy ships hunted these peaceful organism just for fun, gleefully watching them dying with a huge quirium blast.

This was the first time to meet one and I couldn't say how long I watched almost in trance the huge rolling body drifting in space in front of me. Random thoughts ran through my mind and all was calm and peaceful. After a long while which felt like seconds, I had to force myself back into reality and focus back to my current mission.

>„Computer, activate Cargo Spotter. Speed back to normal. We are leaving.“

I crossed the asteroid field with the sun in full front of me. From time to time when course looked clear I couldn't help to watch the Star Jelly on aft view getting smaller and smaller, until it was just a mere glinting again.

I finally got through and I finally turned, the sun lighting the rocks now, when I reentered the field heeding all the miner's tips: I looked for a distinct shaped rock, set scanner zoom showing only the closest surrounding objects, locked target and began to approach it.
When I was close I turned away in a different angle, always staring at the hud for a blue glow of the cargo spotter and listening for a blackbox if the blue. It was the search of a drop in the ocean.

I repeated this procedure many, many times, and I was about to give up thinking I was searching the wrong place, suddenly a „Ping!“ from the black box transponder was heard.

> „Computer. Full stop!“, I shouted.

It seemed the signal came from port. I turned the ship and saw nothing but rocks. It had to be somewhere here. I waited for another pulse, when suddenly a small blue pulsating glow was seen when one of the huge rock drifted slowly away.

I set course towards that glow on slow speed and waited it to get in distance to get a target lock… A bit of rolling and pitching was needed to compensate the blackbox' inertia. The pulsating grew more and more intense when it came nearer and nearer. Crashing into it or a collission with one of the rocks flying around here would mean all the effort so far was in vain.

The blackbox was very near of one of the bigger asteroids, I slowed down even more, watching smaller objects drifting towards the flight path. Manoeurvering carefully I finally my ship aligned at close distance and the scooping process commenced. After what felt like a long time, a status message of the blackbox now being onboard appeared on screen. I sighed with relief, took a deep breath to ease all inner tension. „success!“

> “Computer, half speed, course set to Ordima.“

The "Laenina" sailed past some chunks at close distance, eventually left the asteroid field and reached free space. I engaged witchdrive and waited for the countdown to finish to leave this system.