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.
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