Interrupting rock chomping

Moving on, I think I'll explore C5b. The wormhole to that class 5 w-space system is a K162 in this one, meaning the wormhole was opened from the other side, giving the possibility of activity. Then again, there is a potentially active pilot idling in an Anathema covert operations boat in this C5 system, who latched on to the wormhole I came through from class 2 w-space, thanks to the silly discovery scanner. If he's on top of wormhole appearances, I can probably assume that either nothing is happening in C5b, or the C5b locals are aware of the Anathema and won't be caught in a compromising situation.

Maybe not C5b. That still leaves me the static wormhole in C5a, leading to C2b. Kinda, I suppose. The C5a scout has probably gone that way too, but I can't say how deep, and more wormholes may have opened further down the chain. Or I could keep going until I hit k-space and scan for wormholes out there. I don't think there is a good option, really, but I'll go to C2b anyway.

Jumping to class 2 w-space and updating my directional scanner sees nothing, and the system map shows just the one planet out of range. I launch probes and perform a blanket scan, revealing nine anomalies, four signatures, no ships. Warping to the far planet finds occupation, at least, and as no one is home I sift through the signatures looking for wormholes.

The static exit to high-sec from C2b leads to a system in Sinq Laison, much as the one from C2a did. Indeed, the two exit systems are five hops apart, both close to Dodixie. That's not terribly interesting, though. The other static wormhole in C2b leads to, ooh, class 1 w-space. In I go, hoping to surprise someone, but only seeing a tower, lots of bubbles, and no ships on d-scan from the K162.

Scouting C1a finds four more towers, still no ships, and my notes point towards a static exit to high-sec. I'm bored of this system already, but with probes launched I can't help but poke the signatures for possible K162s. Resolving three wormholes is mildly interesting, finding a K162 from class 4 w-space, the high-sec exit, and a second K162 from class 4 w-space, this one at the end of its life. I'll hit C4a, through the healthy wormhole.

A tower, no ships. Warp, launch, scan. Three anomalies, fourteen signatures. This being class 4 w-space, and having entered backwards through the static wormhole, I feel safe just poking the chubby signatures looking for K162s, and I find one. Another K162 to class 4 w-space. I continue my scouting in to C4c, where—hello!—there are three Retriever mining barges visible on d-scan, along with a clutch of mining drones. That's it, not even a tower.

It looks like I've found activity, and miners at that, right when I appear in the system well under two kilometres from the wormhole. I do what I can with the situation, bookmarking the anomalies—three ore sites, one combat site—and moving from the wormhole, pulsing my micro warp drive to get clear as quickly as possible, and cloaking.

As I move and cloak I am in the system map, pointing d-scan at the anomalies. I find the mining operation, and I accelerate in to warp. It seems, though, that the mining operation has seen me too. Even as I enter warp, d-scan now only shows me one Retriever, two drones. The ships aren't split amongst the anomalies either. One drone. The best I can hope for is that the pilot of the one ship left is asleep, but I doubt that. No drones. I drop out of warp in the rock field barely in time to see the warp trail of the last Retriever leaving.

I don't suppose there is much I can do now but revert to scouting. There are a mere two signatures in the system, and my curiosity at least wants me to find out if the miners are local or from another system further back. I warp away from the rocks and answer my question before launching probes, by bumping in to a tower holding the three Retrievers, plus a Buzzard cov-ops. If these aren't the same ships, that's one hell of a coincidence.

The four ships become five, making me briefly wonder where the new contact came from and why, until I realise the immediacy of the barges' departure. The locals had eyes and ears on the wormhole, and my entrance was seen directly, not merely caught on d-scan. Good for them. A minute passes and the ships blink off-line in succession, soon leaving me alone. I suppose I can poke that other signature, but I already know it won't be a wormhole. Probably a data site. Yep, a data site. Time to head back.

C4b to C4a, to C1a, to C2b, to C5a, to C2a, and one jump from home I see scanning probes on d-scan along with an Imicus frigate. It's late, I'm tired, but I can't resist. D-scan doesn't show the Imicus on a wormhole but at the system's star. He's not there for long, at least not long enough for me to see him, and the frigate blips off d-scan. I have no idea which wormhole he's jumped through, or if he simply cloaked, and I know I should forget it and go home to rest, but the silly discovery scanner is showing me a new signature. I really wish it would just shut the hell up.

I launch probes and scan what is obviously a new wormhole, and warp across to see a K162 from more class 2 w-space. I have to investigate. Jumping to C2c and punching d-scan sees towers and ships, the interceptor and assault frigate in a good position annoy my strategic cruiser if I got caught in the wolf-rayet system behind me, and seeing the message in the local communications channel doesn't so much rattle me as convince me not to get embroiled in the middle on whatever's happening.

I have no idea who the speaker is, or who he's quoting, or who they are expecting. I do know I'm not staying to find out. I turn around, jump back to C2a unmolested, and warp across to the wormhole that takes me safely home.

Posted in Gaming |
Tags: anathema, buzzard, eve online, imicus, mmorpg, penny ibramovic, retriever, scanning, w-space