The Final Push

I woke up on the planetoid SCHEE FLYI JV-G C26-1337 AB 1 E A (catchy name, I know) to the briught glow of the milky way. It's strange, the glow from the stars almost seemed brighter than the light of the sun last night. I was feeling pretty good so decided to go for a quick morning flight through some of the canyons. After a little while I noticed something twinkling in the distance. Originally I thought that this was the starlight reflecting off mineral outcroppings, but when I got closer I realised that the mountain was on fire.

The field of fire

All across the canyon floor and right up the sides of the cliffs, vents in the rock belched out gas and liquid rock. It was quite a spectacle, and one for which I was not truly prepared. I'd heard stories of the geysers and fumeroles that explorers had found dotted about the landscape, but the story they told is that I'd have a better chance of getting a date with Aisling Duval than just randomly happening across them. Well, I guess remind me to look up Princess Duval when I get back to the bubble, because here I'd stumbled across a whole field of fire.

OK so I didn't get OUT of the SRV to heat up the water, I'm not STUPID.

I parked up next to one and decided to heat some water to cook some porridge (yeah yeah, call me sentimental, call me old fashioned, I don't care. I heated the oats and sat back in my SRV, just smiling at the wonders the universe had shown to me. I thought back to the decision I'd made to leave Worlidge Terminal over a year ago, considered how far I'd come since then, the adventures I've had, and realised it was the best decision I ever made. I think sometimes the best course of action is cutting free and getting out, even if it feels like you're running away at first. Knowing that I can never go back is what keeps me driving forward.

Ever onward. It's the only way I know.

I plotted a course. I should reach the centre in a day. After that... Well, that's a bridge I'll burn when I get there.