//------------------------------//
// Day 4: Encounters 
// Story: Through the Darkness of Space 
// by Lt Rainbow Slash 
//------------------------------//

16 November, 3603
Day 4
1,342LY from Cel

Saw the first other ship I've seen since I left the Bubble. The pilot hailed me to have a chat. CMDR Trailblazer was her name, pilot of the Asp Explorer New Horizons. Yes that CMDR Trailblazer. The one who mapped the neutron highway to Colonia. She's famous in the exploration community.

She told me she was heading the opposite direction back to civilization after a five month expedition. She asked if I wanted to share a cup of tea and talk. Of course I accepted. We made our way to one of the planets in the system. A water world called Syra. She led me down to the southern icecap and we set down next to one another.

I hopped in my SRV and drove over before boarding her Asp. Really nice ship. I hope to own one of my own one day. She greeted me and we sat down. The Asp certainly has a much spacier crew compartment than my little Cobra. She even has a sitting area with a small table.

Trail brewed us some tea and we got to talking. She had a ton of great pointers and advice for me. There's a ton of little things that will make my journey so much easier. Then she asked me something: "Why do you explore?"

She told me: "When I started it was for the money. But now it's to satisfy my curiosity. But what about you?"

Why? I suppose for the same reasons our ancestors set out in their great sailing ships thousands of years ago. There is the sense of wonder and curiosity about what there is to find out there. There is of course the monetary gain. There is the fame to be gained. And most important: I get to slap my name all over stuff!

She laughed at the last one.

It was a good conversation. I actually learned a lot. I thanked her for the tea and we went our separate ways.

It's only now I think about how low the odds of the two of us being in the same system at the same time were. That was a one in a million encounter. I think I'm still a bit star struck, no pun intended.

Until next time,
-Con