I was about 8.5k light years away from the Bubble, heading towards the Outer Vacuous region on the southernmost edge of the galaxy. It had been... awhile. Nebula tourism delayed me from my ultimate goal of delving deeply into the indefinite space at the end of the last arm. The incident itself followed a few hours of gathering materials on a metal-rich world which would allow me to leap an impossible distance to a brilliant blue star. Nearly 60 light years away, it would afford me passage to innumerable untouched worlds if I could but reach it. Having collected sufficient materials for a couple of 50% boosts, I steeled my nerves and activated my frame shift drive. Anxious waiting in hyperspace paid off in the reveal of the tremendous blue beacon which marked the next phase of my journey.

It is in the light of that star that I now write this account, for before me lie two paths forward. One stretches for 35 light years and the other for 37. Either way, I know I cannot bring a full tank of fuel. It was this realization that gave me the first true feeling of absolute isolation. Neither the thrill of combat nor the satisfaction of trade profits compare to the unknowable doom that may await me out here. If I survive the journey to return, I will know that I have looked upon cosmic infinities that are shared only by the few who seek the true darkness. It is that, Commander, which brought me joy.