At four days before the largest recorded expedition in the galaxy sets out from Distant Worlds Tourist Beacon in the Pallaeni system, all the major news outlets are abuzz with stories of intrepid commanders making final preparations for this extraordinary endurance exploration event. As a Trucker, Cmdr Bow Lof Petunias has a typically Hutton approach to this endeavour and takes a few moments away from negotiating engineering enhancements to his much traveled exploration ship.
Q: What’s your jump range looking like commander?
I’ve been working with Elvira Martuuk to update the original legacy modifications on the Frame Shift Drive. The ship’s base build is going to clock in at around a 80 LY maximum with the addition of a Guardian FSD booster, however the final laden jump range will come in below that once all the Fleetcomm role modules are added to the load out.
Q: Speaking of Fleetcomm roles, how are you contributing to this expedition?
In true Hutton style, it’s time to help all the new and inexperienced commanders in the galaxy, so I’ve enrolled in the Fleet Mechanic Arm of the Logistics Division. That’s what really drove the decision to use the Anaconda for Distant Worlds 2. It’s not about bragging rights and showing off that the trade and exploration business has been good to me. It’s more about having the module capacity to repair some of those lightweight hulls which don’t respond well to collisions, asteroids and high gravity planets. Beyond maintaining the health and durability of the fleet, my focus, as usual, will be on exploration and the Boreas Expanse Mapping project in particular.
Q: There seems to be many ways Commanders choose to explore the galaxy. Do you have a specific method?
With the recent Pilot’s Federation upgrades to the ship’s scanners there really isn’t an excuse not to scan everything in a system, however only the career explorers may have the tenacity to map everything in each system. This go around though, I’m going to deliberately not take advantage of the extended jump range of the Anaconda unless there is a large expanse to cross. So that mean’s I’ll be plotting the route between each waypoint using economical jumps. More systems and more planets to scan. It’s an appropriately Hutton approach.
Q: Apart from repair limpets and materials for synthesis, is there anything else you’re going to be bringing along to the Distant Worlds 2 expedition?
One mug and one gin, of course!
Thanks for your time Commander, and fly safe. o7