Almost getting what I wanted
2nd August 2013 – 5.48 pmI actually won't mind a stunted constellation terminating in null-sec today. After behaving with a rather cavalier attitude to my security status by attacking a few pilots in low-sec empire space in the past few days, I could probably use a relatively quiet evening ratting back some of it back. But the one new signature in the system resolving to be a second wormhole puts a crimp in my straightforward goal before I've even left home. Damn you, space.
Still, as much as I don't want to be seen as criminal scum, my cloaky Loki strategic cruiser has an 'I brake for industrial gooers' bumper sticker. The K162 from class 2 w-space could offer some activity and be a better option than ratting. Or it could be an inactive system with three towers. You never can tell, not until you look and become disappointed.
I'll scan, I suppose. Eleven anomalies and four signatures resolve to be two more wormholes and some relics, and having another C2 K162 to explore through is a better result than being stuck with the second static connection to high-sec. I poke through the exit first, though, just to be safe, and bookmark the K162 in the system in Domain full of bunnies. Now back to C2a and onwards, or backwards, depending on your viewpoint, to C2b.
My directional scanner is clear from the wormhole, and exploring the three planets out of range finds a tower with two unpiloted ships. Scanning the three anomalies and seven signatures gets me a wormhole, a data site, and relics, relics, relics. Come to think of it, that first site may have held relics too. I really wasn't paying attention. On top of that, the wormhole I resolve is just a dying exit to low-sec.
Home I go, and definitely onwards this time to our neighbouring class 3 system. My journey this way was straightforward after all, just time-consuming. My notes even say that C3a has a static exit to null-sec. Maybe my plan is coming together after all, a little later than expected. I have no current location for the tower on d-scan, though, where a Helios covert operations boat appears to be sitting. But that's easily found.
The Helios is at the tower, but not for long. As I warp there the Helios warps out, launches probes, and stays out. Let me scan and loiter on our K162, as it seems like he may head this way. I initially cluster my probes around a signature roughly in the direction the Helios warped and, sure enough, I resolve what looks to be the system's exit to null-sec. There's another wormhole out there too, and I finish scanning as the Helios does indeed appear at our K162 and jump through.
Will the Helios come back polarised? Did he see my probes in the system and infer my presence? Or does he have the explorer spirit and I won't see him until he hits the dead end of C2b? By the time my creaking thought processes have considered all of this the Helios is still in our home system, apparently having a good look around. I'll let him, as maybe he'll find the high-sec connection and want to take a hauler that way. I can go ratting.
Balls. The exit to null-sec is dying, naturally (or should that be 'dying naturally'?), hence the Helios coming this way to see if it still lived. That somewhat thwarts my plans to go ratting, on the assumption that I also wanted to come home afterwards. On top of that, the second wormhole is a K162 from high-sec, and to Caldari space, judging by the bland greyness seeping through. So I can't rat, and the locals already have a connection to high-sec to use. Well, maybe I can sit patiently on our K162 and wait for the Helios to come back.
Well, shit. I can't even do that right. I warp back to the wormhole home, after only a quick jaunt around C3a, just in time to see the Helios warping very quickly away from it. I can tell myself that I wouldn't have caught it anyway, because admitting my own failings is bound to cheer me up. At least I note that the Helios didn't go to the tower but to the null-sec wormhole, and as I also see that he returns to the tower pretty quickly and without launching probes I think I can assume the wormhole lives. I think it's time to call it a night.
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