Diary Entry 1 (Gaelan Nebula)
Stardust and static, that's the view from my viewport today. I’ve been crawling along at half-thruster for what feels like an age. Gaelan's a backwater, but it's a necessary stop. The fuel cells are sucking fumes and the rations are starting to resemble the ship's cleaning fluid in hue. Found a signal, though. A small, independent station orbiting a dead moon – the Rust Bucket. Let’s hope they have what I need and aren’t trying to squeeze the last cred out of a desperate traveler like me. I’ve been practicing my haggling tone; the one that says “I’m poor, but I’ll bite if you try to gouge me.” Wish me luck. It's been a long trip.
Diary Entry 2 (Rust Bucket Station)
Rust Bucket lived up to its name. A clanging, cobbled-together mess of salvaged metal and flickering neon. The station was swarming with folks like me, all with that desperate gleam in their eyes. Surprisingly friendly, though, in a "we're all in this scrap heap together" kind of way. Managed to secure some decent fuel cells – the Krellonite type, thank the stars. Cost me two weeks' worth of dehydrated algae, but it was worth it. What was not worth it was the price of protein paste. Gaelan, it seems, is suffering a protein shortage. Rumor is a plague wiped out the nutrient farms on the outer colonies. They’re selling what looks like brown, vaguely meaty slop at exorbitant prices. I passed. Better to stick to my algae and start cultivating my own protein in the hydroponics bay. I saw some interesting ship modifications advertised in the mess hall too. Armor plating, a new kind of engine dampener, and some dodgy looking ECM package. Tempting.
Diary Entry 3 (Leaving Gaelan Nebula)
The Phoenix feels...lighter. No, not lighter. Sturdier. That might have been the best decision I've made in a while. I spent my last spare credits installing the insulated engine dampeners on the Phoenix. They said it would improve fuel efficiency, but I'm already seeing the difference. Less turbulence, less strain on the engines. It will also give engines more durability if hit by a missile. Furthermore, the sensor rating his halved, for trade under the radar. I still can't afford the armor plating or the ECM package. Maybe next stop. I’ve decided it’s time to head towards the Seraphim Cluster. Heard they deal in high-end tech. The downside is the "high-end" comes with "high-end" price. I hope I can make some profitable hauls before the money runs out. Maybe I can find some old tech to scavenge and sell.
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Diary Entry 4 (Approaching the Seraphim Cluster)
The Seraphim, as advertised, is indeed a jewel box in the void. Glittering stations, sleek transport vessels, even the debris fields look expensive. I'm circling a smaller, independent dock. The main hubs are out of my price range. This one is called The Tinker's Yard. The advertisements promised modifications of all kinds. I even saw one claiming "Hyperdrive optimization: faster jumps, less fuel!" That sounds too good to be true; I have to go and take a look. Fuel is stable, enough dehydrated algae to last another week, and I managed to cultivate a small batch of protein fungus in the hydroponics bay, so I’m doing a little better. It's time to see what this station has to offer.
Diary Entry 5 (The Tinker's Yard)
The Tinker's Yard was a sensory overload. The sights, the sounds, the smell of welding and ozone... I was like a starving man in a bakery. They had everything:
* Weaponry: Gatling plasma cannons that could melt through a ship hull, point-defense lasers, even some ancient, but powerful railguns that looked like they were pulled from a museum. Way out of my budget.
* Maneuverability: Gyroscopic boosters that promised hair-trigger turns, advanced thruster arrays for maximum acceleration, and some wild-looking contraption they called a "Gravitic Skimmer" for flying through asteroid fields.
* Defenses: Reinforced armor plating, not just standard stuff either. They had ablative plating, even a stealth cloaking system. Too expensive by far.
* ECM (Electronic Countermeasures): The full suite. Missile decoy systems, signal jammers, even a device that could scramble targeting systems on enemy vessels. Something I've added to my wishlist.
* Miscellaneous: I saw some things I couldn't even identify – weird energy conduits, strange glowing crystals, and a device that supposedly "recalibrates temporal drift". Who knows what they were for?
I spent hours just browsing, mostly making faces at the prices. I did find a slightly used maneuvering thruster that should boost my handling in asteroid fields and a couple of reinforced shielding panels. Not as good as the full plating, but better than nothing. The dealer told me the shield panels were removed from a ship that was hit by a small missile when the ECM package had a malfunction. The warning was noted, but the price was too good to pass by. It seems like a few of these sellers are taking advantage of the shortages in other regions while selling less than desirable products, but it's the only option I have.
Diary Entry 6
The Pgoenix feels more responsive, more...mine. I still have a long journey ahead and I may need to find a way to make more money in this area. Maybe some of the wealthier stations in the Seraphim will require the minerals I can harvest from minor planets. It’s a long shot, but at least I’ll be doing something. I may even invest in a mining laser, if I can find a cheap one. Time to move on. The stars are waiting.