Beyond Amarr: A Worthwhile Adventure
Over the past several days I have been engaged with a personal project to visit different regions around New Eden. My mission was to salvage relics and acquire data from various pirate factions in order to restock dwindling supplies in Amarr VIII (Oris) Emperor Family Academy. Starting this endeavor required me to utilize the Noise-5 ‘Needlejack’ Filaments so that I may reach parts of space that were isolated and otherwise unreachable by standard warp gates due to Capsuleer activity. I piloted my newest vessel TES Solitaria VII (Magnate Class), with only five Filaments, sixteen Scan Probes, and a Medium Standard Container for the materials I intended to gather, as well as all necessary modules. I sought out to complete my goal, though I knew very well that it may never be achieved, but by risk of ship and clone, I set out.
Start Date: YC123.03.21
My journey took me through Impass, where I navigated across the EK-NQ2 constellation. It is there that I began scavenging abandoned vessels and hacking into data sites owned by the Angel Cartel. This area of space was relatively safe for me, though I was able to pick up Capsuleer activity via my scan. Capsuleers were warping back and forth between systems. I often saw pilots from the Brave Newbies Corporation warp out towards the ZYR-NF constellation, though I soon picked them up on my scan again, heading in the opposite direction with nothing more than their pod. I realized through conducting research about the area via my Neocom, that there was actually a gate-camp in the IRE-98 system. I felt it reasonable to assume this was why many from the Brave Collective seemed to be losing their ships. I did not stay very long.
Using another filament I managed to reach Cobalt Edge. I explored the DA0V-R constellation and it was here that I had discovered a massive and abandoned rogue drone station, which even in its abandoned state, was quite a threatening sight. Though a real threat did lurk in that desolate place, for one of the locals had caught onto my activities and was heading straight for me. By the grace of God I was able to swiftly hack into the computer systems within that abandoned station. I acquired some rare drone schematics and made my retreat without so much as even making contact with the enemy, a Capsuleer bearing a name I do not recall, piloting an Astero – a much deadlier vessel than I. I felt that it was time I moved on.
Venal was where my next Filament had taken me, within the E-I1JW constellation. I managed to hack into many sites under the control of the Gurista Pirates. After some time, very little remained for me here, so I had moved on rather quickly. No noteworthy encounters were had.
Stain, the last stretch of Null space that I visited. I was brought to the VH1-NS constellation. There were many relics here from past encounters with Sansha Pirates, perhaps even dating back to the days of Sansha himself? Needless to say, that therefore meant that I had much to salvage. I spotted only a handful of hostile Capsuleers, each of which only warped through the systems I inhabited, never lingering. Thankfully, they were not interested in me. Having ventured out farther than I ever have before, narrowly evading capture and doing my best not to arouse suspicion from the dwellers of this most hostile space, I began to feel homesick and longed for Amarr. Although thus far my mission has been successful, I had amassed the largest haul of data and relics that I ever had, and I began to fear its loss. Knowing that another Filament would only exacerbate my distance from home and thus my feelings of paranoia and isolation that began to set in, I decided to try the only method that I knew might allow me safe passage – wormholes.
I explored constellation VH1-NS in its entirety, finding myself at a dead end in the S-DLKC system, with no wormhole in sight and not wishing to risk exploring further into another constellation. I had to pray for God to guide me, for I knew that whatever I do now will lead me to my fate, which I prefer to lie solely in his hands. I decided to patrol the constellation I was in, in the hope to discover something new. On my trek back through VH1-NS I visited the system 42-UOW and to my surprise, a wormhole had appeared.
I was most fortunate to find one which brought me to J113653, a C1 system. This was the very kind of system in J-Space that might allow me a safe route through HiSec and back home to Amarr. I got to work immediately scanning every anomaly in system. In the end, there were over half a dozen relic and data sites, four wormholes – including mine which brought me here, and a few combat sites which I had no interest in. I visited a few of the relic and data sites, but my paranoia increased…I had too much cargo and gone too far to risk being vulnerable at these sites. I felt a predator may be lurking anywhere…just waiting for me. So, I decided to check each wormhole instead. I began warping to them at 100 meters – for safety and to gather information on each one. Two to unknown, one to Null (my entry point) and one to LowSec. I had noticed that the wormhole to LowSec, although perhaps just what I was looking for, was actually red in color. This could only mean that it will lead to my enemies’ territory, Minmatar space.
I risked all that I had achieved by going through this gateway to my enemy, but in good faith, I pressed on. I made entry into the Odebeinn system, within the Hulf constellation, that further lay within the Metropolis region. In the local area there were only a few unsuspecting Matari, unphased by my presence. I plotted a route and saw that it would be over forty jumps through incredibly hostile systems that were not only out to destroy me on sight, but also consisted of systems that were actively camped by Capsuleer pirates. I could not take such chances, so I fled back into the portal I came out of – back to J113653.
I was not going to get lost into the maze that is wormhole space, so I had decided not to explore further past this one system. Knowing the ever shifting and changing nature of wormholes, I knew that at some point there will be a connection to home. I just had to wait. From within this safe location on the edge of J113653, I decided to sit very still in my dark corner of the abyss, until such a connection could be made.
This persisted for over a day, but I had the utmost faith that I would see this through, and I knew that patience would light my way.
God blessed me with, and I do not embellish here, that my very first scan on this day YC.123.03.23 was a wormhole leading me unto not only HiSec, but the Gaknem system, within the constellation Rifanda, in the TASH-MURKON region, praise be! I had made it home!
A short jump through six systems and I had journeyed across New Eden and back.
-Vintus Paulus Turgalium YC123.03.23
