Solar Storms and Starlight

Delivery Operative 3478

ID: Vita Tharran

Space Bucket Log: Day 12

Delivery to planet Jeggan complete. One Thermal Radiator with Plasmatic Regulators received by a rather nice Yegganite with long golden hair - no wonder they are featured in the latest fashion and beauty treatment magazines.

Thermal protection suit works well. Deputy Dex did not sabotage. Pleased with myself for seeing through his scheme this time. Hope he doesn't make my life worse.

Ran into a spot of trouble with the capacitor but it should hold at least until I can get to the Yae star outpost. Battery fading but should be enough. Sarahbeth is a good old girl. We've made many trips together - this should be another good one.

Solar winds detected from the nearest star to this system. Shouldn't be an issue with the FD fuel I have left. Can make about one more jump before I'm in trouble. Overall, not a bad mission.

Delivery Operative 3478

ID: Vita Tharran

Space Bucket Log: Day 15

Spoke too soon on the trouble front - it always seems to find me. Sarahbeth seems to have fizzled out of juice before I've reached my destination. Checked the fuel gauges - all seems to be well. Checked the fuses - nothing off (except for the usual). She should be back up in a few hours.

Solar flares are meant to hit in about forty minutes. Haven't been in a solar storm before. Need to re-check the ship for protective measures. I'm sure, at least on that front, she won't let me down.

Now that I'm not whizzing through the cosmos, I realise how truly peaceful it all is... what would Earth-Prime, the planet of our Ancestors have been like before the Exodus?

I only hear stories and I'm not certain half of the history books are accurate. It's hard to imagine a time without spacecraft, without holo tech, without instant mail and without the Universal Government. How would the first humans have felt, travelling through the galaxies, coming across other life, engaging in peaceful and sometimes less peaceful negotiations?

Solar Storm warning blaring - need to make my final checks. If I survive, this will be my legacy: I went out with flare!

Delivery Operative 3478

ID: Vita Tharran

Space Bucket Log: Day 17

Solar storm is still going strong. Supplies running low but I seem to have discovered a new way of working through Sarabeth's wiring. Perhaps I can recharge her batteries without needing to go outside. Protocol states that the storm should last a few hours but this is more than a few.

Desperate times and all that.

Small panel behind pilot's seat opens to the rest of the ship's wiring. No lights so far, no flares in sight - they would be useless in a solar storm anyway - and one beacon available. I struggle to think of a time I've been in a worse situation.

Even delivery to hub, the darkest recesses of space in the inky blackness beyond, was not this bad. Speaking of which, when I get out of here, must remember to hit up Ray for that drink he owes me. Maybe we can make it a date? He seemed nice.

Ship operation manual is toast so I have to wing it. Confused currently about whether the life support systems were the colourless tube with the blue or the green wiring. The battery wiring is yellow with interlaced red and there's another glowing tube - no doubt the FD liquid. Mustn't touch that one.

Going to give it a bit more thought before I make the attempt at fixing Sarahbeth and potentially kill myself... or blow myself to bits. If this is the end, old girl, it's been a good run. But, I found a snack bar in my pack (thank you Gail! I owe you one if I live!) so there's that at least.

Delivery Operative 3478

ID: Vita Tharran

Space Bucket Log: Day 18

Little sign of the storm abating but I did make some headway. We don't make discoveries by sitting pretty. I found out how to shut out Deputy Dex from my comms! Amazing!

But also, I didn't die. Yay!

Green wire is definitely life support. I have about three hours of oxygen to get the wiring back together. I should probably have slept before I took the ship apart and not after (ugh!).

Blue wire leads to the signalling systems. Battery shouldn't be too difficult to fix. Just have to tap the green support systems into the battery and recharge it a bit for a jumpstart.

I will also have to somehow engage the ignition as I do. Currently doing test runs of how fast I can make it before the battery drains the emergency life support power source. I am almost out of here... or dead. These entries are getting more morbid.

Does playing with life feel this way? Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't dare, but considering in three days I have not had company in this area of space (or my space bucket is too small to be seen and wouldn't show up on monitors anyway on account of the solar storm - thanks Yae. Thanks.), I think it's safe to say that help won't be coming.

That said, I haven't died so far. Here's to one more try!

Delivery Operative 3478

ID: Vita Tharran

Space Bucket Log: Day 19

I didn't die. Again.

Also, managed to reconnect life support systems in time so I should be good until the outpost at least. Got comms back on with the receding storm. Heard a bit of garbled chatter but nothing definitive. Ate the last of my rations yesterday - no telling when my next meal will be.

Water supply still good for another day or so. Hope the storm leaves altogether. I need to check Sarahbeth for damage from the storm before I attempt a jump and obliterate myself.

Emergency situation over - mostly - and battery should be good to go in a few hours. Managed to start ship for a few minutes. Giving Sarahbeth a rest now before we reattempt ignition. The solar winds are rather pretty - never noticed until now. Early Cartographers of the Intergalactic Cartography and Universal Delineation Society must have watched in awe at the first one.

If I wasn't dead in the water with no food and not a lot of options, I would vacation here, I think. Deputy Dex will have a conniption fit when I get back.

This makes me happy.

Delivery Operative 3478

ID: Vita Tharran

Space Bucket Log: Day 20

Finally made it to the Yae Star Outpost after Sarahbeth came back from the dead. The connection here is excellent so I could see Deputy Dex in full colour yelling at me about being MIA. The outpost clerk was nice enough to speak to him on my behalf. She seems to have belonged to the General Health and Iatric Unit of the Universal Government.

She also has that Zrydzekian glare that even Deputy Dex can't fight, so it looks like I'm staying put for now.

The mechanics working on my ship are piecing her back together - it will cost about another paycheck and a half but the Insurance Regulators should be able to cover much of that cost. Still, I'm glad she'll run better. We still have a long way to go before I can get that promotion to Class II Delivery Operative...

Still, after battling solar winds and contemplating the universe in the vast, deep silence of space, I think that perhaps this wasn't so bad after all - near death experiences and hunger pangs aside, that is.

Mail Delivery Operative Vita Tharran, signing off before the Zrydzekian outpost clerk returns. She was very clear about my resting fully, being on the verge of starvation and being exposed to the solar winds and all. Until the next adventure!