Reaching the Center and Beyond

I have spent a great deal of energy devoted to getting closer to the center. I create warp cells for fuel, top off the warp reactor, plot a course for the system furthest away, and go. On occasion, though it has proven to be tough on the systems of my ship, I have used a few black holes, as well. I passed by more systems than I’ll ever be able to explore, but I am getting closer to the center.

Since leaving the Iziereneil-Enbas system, I’ve passed through many others, just putting distance behind me and stopping to explore the planets of Puqingaina-Enqj to gather more resources. I moved on immediately, hopping from one system to another, bouncing through some more black holes and repairing broken systems. For the sake of my ship, I should probably stick to warp jumps, as I have not suffered any malfunctions from anything else. Black Holes torture a spaceship’s systems.

I have sped past scores of planets in my mad pace. I am driven to find the center of this universe and I have no clear idea why. I just know that it must be done. My urgency is such that I have trouble remembering which planet I found my latest ship. Was it planet Manumrerins or Romyandinge of the system Okinankokut VIII? I simply cannot recall. The ship is a relatively large cargo vessel with a very comfortable living space set behind the cockpit. The armor is superior, and I have rebuilt its systems to their maximum potential and efficiency. I have engaged many spacepirates with this Embokune S29 and have yet to incur any damage.

After the beating of a great number of black holes and warp jumps, I have decided to explore just a little of the system Vogadreast-Akslo XVIII before moving on. At 106424.0 light years from center, I am feeling less of the pressure I was putting upon myself to make my way, but finding the center of this universe is still my priority.

I find this ship to be most comfortable. In its livings quarters, though still hardly more than a single occupant cabin, I can stand. It is four long strides from end to end, and the bed is quite gentle on an aged, though recently regenerated, spine.

Update:

After reaching the 100000 light year mark, I was overcome with the need to get to the center of this universe. I don’t know if I have been getting complacent in my routine explorations or if the feeling I’ve had that fellow Ko’Leekoh-ah are in pursuit of me. I cannot believe that they would find me important enough to travel to the center of another universe to do so, but I have plenty of time to think, so my thoughts inevitably return to the possibility.

I have bounced through dozens of star systems, gathering only what I need for warp cells on elements I need to maintain the ship. Using both warp jumps and black holes, I quickly counted off the light years. Using a store of warp cells and whatever black holes I could locate, I could make tens of thousands of light years until I needed to rest. In this way I reached the center of the Euclid Galaxy in a matter of sols.

During this last round of jumps that brought me to within 8000 light years or so from the center, I became exhausted and landed on planet Xalamdunxiex of the system Rotuinseehof. I awoke that morning and refueled my ship, anxious to make it to the center.

After just a handful of jumps and the help of a couple of black holes, I made it to a system that another traveler, xcit or something like that, had named ‘Dad??’ Considering my urgency to reach the center, I dismissed it and found another system in the star map that was previously discovered by yet another traveler. The distance was indeterminate, but the computer insisted that I could make it. It was at this point that I engaged the warp drive and headed in.

After a few moments, the stars disappeared into the whiteness of the center and there was nothing but silence surrounding me. I could not even hear myself breathing.

I lost consciousness. At some point, I awakened to a pink sky with white clouds. I was utterly disoriented and though my exosuit computer was speaking to me, I could not understand it for several seconds. My head hurt and I was extremely dizzy. It took a moment to remember who I was or that I had left my ship at some point. At that rediscovery, I was brought to near-panic as I began to wonder how I had exited the craft and where it was. I turned my gaze to the left and breathed several sighs of relief when I found the ship sitting just a short walk away.

It was then my mind cleared enough to understand what my computer companion was saying. One by one, the exosuit’s systems came back online, at least enough to relay to me a list of malfunctions. The shield was down, the jetpack was down, the life support units were all offline, and the stamina enhancements were unavailable. As I walked to my ship and entered the cockpit, I heard the droning alarm from its computer, indicating the shields on that were down as well. In fact, everything was down. Every last system, just like my exosuit had been damaged during this movement from the Euclid Galaxy to this new one.

Fortunately, my stores of elements and spare parts remained in the pockets of my suit and in the storage slots of the ship, so I immediately began repairing key systems of the suit, the multitool, which had also been rendered completely inoperable, and the ship itself. Once I was able to make it flyable, I took the ship to a ruin and discovered that I was in Vy’keen territory once again.

All this way. All this great distance that I traveled through the Euclid Galaxy and into this one and the Vy’keen are here, too. Amazing. I suspect that the Korvax and the Gek are here, as well. I named the system and this planet for my people. The system is now the Ko’Leekoh Domain and the planet, I named Ko’Leekoh Minor.

Curious about the locations I would find on the starmap, I dared to achieve orbit and have a look. Of course, I was jumped by a group of four spacepirates, which I was able to destroy in short order, even with much of my weapon, shield, and engine upgrades still offline. Once in the map, I could see that I was more than 179000 from the center of this new galaxy.

I have to laugh. So it begins…yet again.

The Instabilty of Idleness

My leisurely exploration of Untemba Umull was quickened to completion by an event that I cannot fully comprehend. As I explored caves and mined gold, I lost my footing and fell. The distance of this fall was quite surprising, as I had been able to see the floor of the open-mouthed cave beforehand. As the descent continued, I watched as the ceiling of the cave disappeared, a glow of yellow and gold clouds erupted from nowhere and surrounded me, and almost as strangely, I heard and felt myself fall in water.

My suit reacted, switching my air supply to its rebreathing apparatus as I stood on this body of invisible water. I looked at my feet and found nothing but these brilliantly lit yellow clouds. I was, in appearance, floating in the gaseous mess, yet, I was standing upon solid ground. Above me, bits of the cave’s ceiling appeared in parts incomplete, and beyond that was the rest of the surface of Untemba Umull.

I engaged my jetpack, hearing the rush of water work through the system, verifying further that I was indeed submerged, and in a few seconds, broke an unseen surface. I aimed for what appeared to be open space, trying to get to the surface my eyes told me was there, but I impacted upon the invisible ceiling. My jet pack temporarily exhausted itself, and I fell once again toward the brilliant golden glow, heard the splashing of water, and felt the coolness envelope me. I repeated this several times in different places upon the unseen ceiling, only to drop into the water again.

At this point, I recall the feeling of fear ensued. I had not felt it so strongly since I was a child hundreds upon hundreds of sol circuits ago. I thought it was possible that I would be trapped here, only to have the resurrection device awaken me in the same place and have the horror begin over again.

I concentrated on my predicament and calmed myself. I decided to fire my multitool’s  plasma grenade launcher several times into the unseen cave, hoping that it’s physical qualities would still be effected by the weapon. It worked. I jetted out of the semi-visible expanse and ran as fast as I could, away from the entire area.

System Fuxiazakunshan consists of three planets. On planet Dumoximeke Enjin, there is a portal. I perused around it awhile, tying to see if there is something around that will activate it, but I found nothing. I’m guessing that it is some sort of exit portal, given the fact that there are no controls or interactive panels.  I bounced around to the other planets in the system, noticing one thing compares to some engravings repeated along the portal’s stone. A solar system consisting of three planets and three moons is depicted everywhere. I’m thinking it’s no coincidence the Fuxiazakunshan featured exactly that. One planet was without a moon, while a second had one and the last had two. On the last planet, Avetogochekams, I found a crashed ship I could not help but trade my Kiryugai for. It is a Okegatan S55, a fighter-styled ship with slightly augmented space for myself and cargo. It took a while to get it going, but I did and slipped through the black hole to the Nadtekoekje-Bize system. I found the four planets there fascinating, and took the time to explore them.

After an extensive period of fighting sentinels, which added to the spice of mining, I fueled the Okegatan’s hyperdrive to capacity and warped to Zeliskitin. I visited the one planet Etzenutenn Mont, which is rather unremarkable. So, I think I’m moving along.

I found another black hole location on my star map, so I warped to it. Located 151702.2 light years from the center, I’m going right through it. What joy! I have found Nada the Korvax and Polo the Gek at the Space Anomaly. I had thought I’d never see them again. I gave Polo some information about some rare species of animals I’ve encountered and Nada has given me yet another black hole location. I have been deposited in system Backensterlam, some 150222.7 light years from center.

I am warping to the next location of black hole, eager to make some distance before I need to refuel.

Upon flying through the black hole, my ship’s shield enhancement theta unit failed, and I was deposited in the middle of a firefight between cargo ships and pirates. Requiring emeril to repair the shield unit, I am heading down to the Uhshingnamgyang system’s nearest planet, Napandari Oisari. At least I am 148342.5 light years from center. I have passed through a few systems to get here: Kayushunamako, Backensterlam, and Kawasebono.

I found the emeril I needed on the second planet and left immediately, with Sentinel units on my tail for picking up an Albumen Pearl. Sentinel ships were scanning me, even while I picked out a system with a black hole to warp to, which I did. After a brief exploration of the two planets of this system, I bounced once again, ending up at the system, Iziereneil-Enbas, where I found a wonderful planet that I called, “Ichi’s Glory”. It has fantastically colorful flora, no animals, and nothing much to mine. I rested here for a time, accumulating warp cells and took off again.

I found a system of 5 planets that I took great care to explore at length. I am having a wonderful time, now at 143071.5 light years from the center of the universe.