Diary Entry – Cycle 784, Day 12

Finally got some downtime after my last survey run. Gave the crew some leave. I'm still aboard the phoenix, the hum of her engines in the background. I opted for an episode of “Chem-Runners” tonight. Ridiculous, I know, but strangely captivating. This week, Rax, the main character, was in a particularly tight spot - needing to synthesize a batch of 'Stardust' to pay off some Triad goons. He’s using old-school kitchen implements, like a pressure cooker and some sort of modified food processor. The show always tries to give the impression it's "not quite real", they are making illegal substances after all, but the way Jax talks about the chemical reactions is rather… specific. I have to admit, there was a spark of recognition in the way he talked about molecular bonding that resonated with me. The entire episode left me with this uneasy curiosity, like a persistent hum in the back of my head.

Diary Entry – Cycle 784, Day 13

The hum from last night has intensified. Rax’s "Stardust" synthesis… it’s been circling in my thoughts all day. I know they’re just trying to make drama for the series, but some of the basics are there. I haven’t touched a proper chemical set since my school days when we worked on the basic molecule reconfigurations, before they automated everything. But I have access to the database – the old records and schematics the school used. What if…. What if I tried something similar, even on a smaller scale? No, that’s foolish. Incredibly foolish. But, I already started pulling the schematics and comparing them to what Rax was doing on the show. I do have a few of those old cooking tools the show used still kicking around, mostly for nostalgia.

Diary Entry – Cycle 784, Day 14

I did it. I actually did it. Last night, sleep was out of the question. Armed with those schematics and Rax’s show as a very loose guide, I repurposed my old nutrient processor, on board the phoenix. I carefully measured out the base compounds, the ones I had, which is not all of what Rax was using. I found the compound list for "Stardust" in the restricted area of the database, which didn’t give me the exact formula, but enough to deduce some core properties and a possible process. The pressure cooker, modified with an old temperature sensor, served as my reaction vessel. The extraction process was… messy. I used a centrifuge from my old protein refiner and then some filters I adapted from my water purification system. It took hours, the apartment smelling of ozone and burnt sugar and who-knows-what-else. The result? A small vial filled with a shimmering, pale purple crystaline substance. It looks… surprisingly like what Rax created. I dabbed a tiny bit on a disposable biosensor and ran a quick analysis, just to make sure it wasn’t toxic. It showed similar properties to the data I'd pulled. Stardust, of course.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Diary Entry – Cycle 784, Day 15

The euphoria from yesterday has faded, replaced by a strange mix of excitement and apprehension. I created a very small amount of Stardust, in a process that actually worked. I can modify the molecule to get different effects. I’m not a ‘Chem-Runner’ like Rax on the show, but… the fact that I was able to do this feels… powerful. I shouldn't do it. It's clearly illegal. I obviously earning bank being a space trader. my mind however, is already calculating the profit. A neglible amount of resources spent to create it, without spending a dime on the market. Upselling, and I already have the contacts... No, its too risky. This isn't simple smuggling, this creatign a source. The penalties would be way harsher.

Putting the decision off for now, I found some kind of joy creating it. The way the compounds reacted, the different sub-molecules that formed, it was like watching code writing itself. That feeling, that satisfaction...

I mean I have the "acquaintances", who wouldn't ask too many questions. They might be interested in something like this. I won't sell to just anyone of course, I don’t want to get caught. Only people who I can trust. Maybe this can be my side hustle, for now at least. Stardust was expensive. I could be making it myself. All legal of course. I need to write more of this down before I start thinking of production lines and distribution channels. That’s what Rax would do, isn’t it?

I think I'll keep this to myself. Only on my encrypted logs.