Current Status: Alive and Well.
Ship: Dromedary (designation Delta 7)
Home Port: FP 9, Omicron Theta
Crew:2
>Mr. Koch- Handles most things involving cargo, manifests etc.
>Mr. Smith- Maintains equipment, engines etc.
Current Business: small-time trading
First Entry in Log. An introduction perhaps would be appropriate. I am Ivan Ilyich, captain of this vessel. Currently we are engaged in small time trading, mostly of raw materials such as silver and supplies like food and oxygen. Business is slow but good nonetheless.
Most of our funds presently go towards improving the ship to enhance survivability. Funds are not very high but always sufficient. Apart from work on the ship itself, we are traveling throughout Sirius attempting to get all house stations/planets and a large portions non-house stations/planets registered on our computers, to better coordinate future trade and travel.
Current Status: Alive and Well
Ship: Dromedary (designation Delta 7)
Home Port: FP 9, Omicron Theta
Crew:2
Current Business: small-time trading
Mr Koch informs me that we now have sufficient funds to purchase a small transport-class vessel. The life of trading abroad has been good thus far and so I deem it a proper investment. Before we purchase a transport, we will hire two or three more crew members. Better to briefly have a couple extra hands than to briefly be a few short.
According to our neural net freeport database, Freeport 6 currently has around a dozen or so zoners actively seeking work as spaceship crewmen, so it is there we will look first. We'll go to FP6, relax a few days, interview candidates, and hopefully hire some good people. Once that business is finished we will go and purchase our new ship.
Current Status: Alive and Well
Ship: Dromedary (designation Delta 7)
Home Port: FP 9, Omicron Theta
Crew: 5
>Mr. Koch- Chief Cargo manager
>Mr. Smith- Mechanical Engineer
>Ms. Tanaka- Communications Officer
>Mr. Sato- Electrical/Optronic Engineer
>Mr. Campbell - Assistant Cargo manager
Current Business: Hiring Crew/Purchasing ship
The hiring process was both quicker and better than expected. When we arrived at Freeport 6 and posted the job offer, seven applied and we hired three of them. Overall qualifications were excellent and I don't believe there is a skill needed by the travelling transport ship that we do not possess. Mr. Sato, Mr. Campbell, and Ms. Tanaka are our new crewmembers.
-Mr. Sato's primary job is maintenance. While it may seem strange, given that Smith already handled maintenance, it actually works out quite well. While Smith is quite knowledgable about mechanical systems, Sato has an extensive knowledge of electrical systems and optronics. So Sato will work more with wiring, computers, ect, while Smith can focus more on engines, the oxygen recycling system, etc.
-Ms. Tanaka will serve as the communications officer. (Another strange note: A Kusari [or Kusari-descended, in her case] Zoner is a somewhat uncommon sight, and to see two, especially on the same ship, is quite exceptional I do believe.)
-Mr. Campbell will serve as Koch's assistant. Since we will be carrying more cargo, an assistant cargo manager seems a logical step.
I should note that we are not each performing a single task. Rather, the "job title" is more of what each person is usually doing and responsible for. Apart from the more complex maitenance, we can all pretty much cross over and do cargo work, communications, navigation, etc. There is an order to things , but not a rigid one.
Now that we have the crew, we are finally en route to pick up our new ship.
Current Status: Alive and Well
Ship: Armored Transport (designation Delta 7)
Home Port: FP 9, Omicron Theta
Crew: 5 (4 Aboard, 1 Abroad)
Current Business: Adjusting to new ship
We have now purchased our new ship, an armored transport. And I must say we are all quite pleased, if a bit short on cash now. For one, each crewmember can have their own quarters, which is a vast improvement over the the single room crammed with cots we had on the Dromedary. Our individual quarters are not exactly spacious, but more than sufficient for a real bed and some personal belongings.
For an extra $100.000, we installed a small galley. Now the common impression is that most everyone, and spacefarers especially, lives entirely on Synth Paste. More or less this is true, but I really do not care for the stuff. Sure, Synth makes a multitude of flavours, but most stations we pass through carry only three or four kinds, and, regardless of chemical flavoring, paste is paste. Texture is quite difficult to replicate. So we can actually cook some meals ourselves. Granted ingredients are a little more expensive than paste, and that the quality is not quite as good as luxury foods, but I think the morale boost from the food will be worth it. Of course, there will always be synth paste kept onboard, as the galley is a supplement, not a replacement.
Normally, when one buys a ship, one also sells the previous one. In this case we did not. I had promised my younger brother, Peter (who still lives on Freeport 9), that he could have the Dromedary (not that he'll go very far, unless he has suddenly lost his cowardice). Plus there is sentimental value attached as well. The Dromedary was the first new ship I purchased myself (prior to this, I had been given a starflier for flight training, and had bought a near-ancient used rhino that was always on the verge of falling apart).
Thus Mr. Smith has flown the Dromedary to FP9. It will take a day or two to get everything on our new ship set up and for us to get the hang of it. Once we are set, our maiden voyage will be to Freeport 9 to pick up Smith. After that it's business as usual.
Current Status: Alive and Well
Ship: Armored Transport (designation Delta 7)
Home Port: FP 6, Tau-29
Crew: 5
Current Business: Trade
Back to business. The new crew, the old crew, and the ship are all working together quite well. All things in order, we have returned to our regular activity of trading. We have moved from the movement of mostly raw materials and basic supplies to the movement of finished goods, such as machinery, though we still do a little bit of everything.
One other event of note, we have re-registered the ship. Instead of Freeport 9, our home port is now Freeport 6. The reason for the change is that most of our business has been in the north and east, rather than the south and east as it was before, though again, we will go wherever shipping orders come from. Rather than purchase quarters for everyone, we purchased one slightly larger room for the entire crew. This is more a lounge/storage space than quarters, as most of us will continue to sleep on the ship when we are on the station.
Current Status: Alive and Well
Ship: Armored Transport (designation Delta 7)
Home Port: FP 6, Tau-29
Crew: 5
Current Business: Trade
Buisiness is booming. Everywhere there is great demand for goods, and rarely enough ships meeting that demand. We are making a better living than we had imagined we would. We are currently debating amongst ourselves whether to acquire a new ship with more cargo space.
However there is more danger than expected as well. This is particularly true in the Nomad-infested space in the far omicrons. Supply runs to the Order are among the most dangerous one can make, but the Order are more important now than ever. I don't say much except to my crew, not wanting to spread alarm, but I think the Nomads and Wild are stronger than anytime since the Nomad War almost 15-16 years ago.
We cannot risk infestation. To prevent this, we have installed a nuclear device in the ship. When travelling through nomad space, we put the arming device in. All of the crew know the detonation code, save for Campbell who has proven.... inept at best. At any rate, in the event that we are attacked by nomads and cannot fight them off or get to safety, we will detonate the nuke, destroying our bodies, the ship, and everything within a 1-2k radius.
Current Status: Alive and Well
Ship: Border Worlds Transport (designation Delta 7)
Home Port: FP 6, Tau-29
Crew: 5
Current Business: Trade
After considerable debate, the crew and I have chosen a new ship: the Series DL Border Worlds Transport. The ship, like most Border Worlds designs, is a marvel of space-craft design. It has generous armour and defensive armaments (in our case more to allow for an escape than to anihilate an enemy) as well as a sizeable cargo hold. After a few days of customization, the ship is finally complete and ready for its maiden voyage from Gran Canaria.
Though it is a larger ship, and we will be handling more than four times as much cargo as before, we have decided against taking on more crew members for now. If we need more later we will hire of course, but we think we can handle it as is, albeit with everyone busier than before.
Current Status: Crew is alive and well. A few minor injuries here and there.
Ship: Border Worlds Transport (designation Delta 7)
Home Port: FP 6, Tau-29
Crew: 5
Current Business: Repairing and refitting ship
We had a close encounter in Omicron Delta today. While taking a shipment of Deuterium to the Order, we came under attack by a swarm of nomad ships, the likes of which we'd never seen before. We were dropped out of cruise, and despite liberal use of countermeasures could not manage to restore it. These nomads hit harder than any we'd previously fought.
We came very close to death, and my hand hovered over the self-destruct much of the time. Fortunately, it didn't come to that. Koch and Campbell manned the gun controls and did superbly, managing to destroy some of them. Sato and Smith kept the engines intact, and we were able to limp towards Freeport 11 on thrusters.
Once we moored, the damage became very apparent. Two of our rear guns had been reduced to slag. The engines that hadn't been shot up were worn from overexertion. Large sections of the outer hull plating had melted. The repair bill will probably run over 1.000.000 Credits, but at least we are alive and FP11 has an excellent supply of replacement parts.
When we cleared medical exams, we headed to the bar for a drink. Apparently, the ships that attacked us are what are being called "Nomad Assassins". They seem to be a new craft, having appeared only in the last few months. This only confirms our suspicions that the nomads are getting stronger, not weaker, and perhaps are growing to again be a serious threat.
Whatever the case may be, more protection is needed. We're debating sacrificing some of the bulk H-Fuel storage space to make room for increased armour plating. In the mean time, some rest and recuperation are needed for both my crew and myself.
Current Status: Koch and Sato dead. Myself, Tanaka, and Smith injured. Campbell unharmed.
Ship: None
Home Port: FP 6, Tau-29
Crew: 3
Current Business: Recovering from attack.
Omicron Delta, the edge of human settlement, has been under siege in recent weeks, particularly Freeport 11. The Keepers have launched wave after wave of attacks, the early attacks resulting in severe damage to the facility. In an effort to help with repairs, we began hauling needed supplies to Delta from all over Sirius.
We were on our final run, to pick up H-Fuel the GMG, when the infested liberty cruiser, the LNS-Tundra, attacked us in Omicron-74. We didn't stand a chance, and our vessel was clearly going to be destroyed. How the vessel got into 74 is beyond me, but any patrols that had attempted an interception must have been lost as well. During the attack, the infernal creature played with my head, feeding me images of Freeport 11 burning, and of... other... strange, uninterpretable things. Concentrating was difficult, and I'm amazed I was able to keep giving orders.
I had long ago planned how to deal with such a situation: Detonate an onboard nuclear device, killing ourselves and the closest Nomads to us. But when I entered the detonation code and pushed the activation button, nothing happened. I am guessing that some of the cruiser fire severed the line between the command centre and the nuclear device.
The failure may well be a blessing, at least for Tanaka, Smith, Cambell, and Myself: we managed to eject the working escape pods; and the Tundra did not attempt to infest us, but simply moved on after destroying the ship. Unfortunately, Sato's pod was cracked by flying debris, and he either froze to death, or died of oxygen deprivation. Koch's body was not found, nor was any pod bearing him. Presumably, he was killed onboard in one of the many secondary explosions.
The loss is very painful. I had known Koch, ten years my senior, for all of my life, and he was very much a mentor of sorts. Though I had known Sato for a shorter time, a few months shy of a year, we had nonetheless been good friends. We had all grown on each other, and though I've known Smith and Koch for as long as I can remember, even with the three "recent" additions it felt as if we had all known each other so long. Our crew was, and is, a tight-knit one.
But we have to move forward. 817 is set to be the most perilous year since the Nomad War, and we can't be caught sulking about. More supplies need moving, more ships need building. Everyone else is falling apart; the houses are all at war, the Order is dealing with a rebellion, increased nomad activity, and the continual onslaught of the Guild Core. Meanwhile, the Nomads gain strength and the Wilde spread ruthlessly. We Zoners may one day soon find ourselves alone, and none of us can shirk his duty.
We have already ordered a new BWT to be built. Our accounts will be strained, considering that it will cost $40.000.000-$55.000.000 depending on modifications, and our sponsoring of a new Fearless-class vessel, but it will be worth every single credit. After we recuperate from our injuries, we will go to Freeport 9 and select 2 or 3 more crew members. Since Campbell was unscathed, he offered to go ahead of us and scout out any prospective crewmembers.
Current Status: Improved.
Ship: BWT (Delta-7)
Home Port: FP 6, Tau-29
Crew: 5
>Mr. Smith- Mechanical Engineer
>Ms. Tanaka- Communications Officer
>Mr. Campbell - Head Cargo Manager
>Mr. Harris- Assisstant Cargo Manager
>Ms. Davis- Electronic/Optronic Engineer
Current Business: Preparing new ship, getting new crewmembers accustomed.
We have gotten the new ship set up. Cost ran high because of our customizations, but it shall be worth the cost. Better armour, a stronger power core, and enhanced sensory equipment should provide us with somewhat enhanced survivability.
The new crew members have also been selected. We had fewer to choose from this time around, but thankfully I think we've got what we need. Admittedly the adjustment is not quite as smooth as it was last time.
Once we see off the destroyer we sponsored, it will be back to, at least by Zoner standards, business as usual.