One-way to known space

2nd July 2009 – 5.20 pm

I find myself alone at the corporation's POS in w-space with information that a new wormhole to known space has opened up and that we should start shipping out, preparing to move to a new system. The wormhole leads to low-sec Caldari space, but only a couple of hops to high-sec, making it quite suitable for me. As it is a couple of hours before the daily galactic shut-down I consider it a good time to get myself out and to try to haul some ore with me.

Scouting ahead seems like a good idea, as I don't relish finding out how safe the low-sec systems are between the wormhole and high-sec space in a cargo ship filled with valuable ore that belongs to the coporation. I am not convinced that my Drake is the best ship to be navigating low-sec either, but at least it is my ship and if I get caught and destroyed I won't have too much paperwork to fill out. Besides, with a solid tank and plenty of warp core stabilisers I should be relatively safe. I warp to the wormhole and jump through to low-sec, which turns out to be surprisingly busy.

My first task is to get my ship in to a safe-spot, preferably one where I can monitor the relevant stargate to the next system in my route. The wormhole exit itself is fairly safe, being an arbitrary point that needs to be scanned to be found, but it is possible that other capsuleers already know its location so it is best that I move. I have my EVE Online Strategic Maps handy, offering an overview of the systems and linking stargates at a glance. The constellation I have jumped in to through the wormhole couldn't be much better situated for getting out in one piece. There are plenty of stargates connecting the low-sec systems together and two potential exits to high-sec. Indeed, one of the low-sec systems even has a gate to each of the high-sec systems, so I am confident that there will be an exit route for me.

It is fairly straightforwards to create some arbitrary safe-spots sitting within scanning distance from the stargates, although I find I have to get relatively close to provide some separation between the gates and nearby asteroid fields. When positioned, I get an accurate reading on what ships are on the gate and which are just in the general chunk of space I'm scanning. All gates appear quite clear and it is not long before I am back in high-sec space with a handful of safe-spots in the low-sec systems bookmarked for safe travel on subsequent trips. It is only now that I realise my first task should have been to bookmark this side of the wormhole when I jumped.

I have only just been rewarded a decoration by the corporation for my services to wormhole operations, and as it is my first decoration I am really proud. Then, like a muppet, I forget one of the fundamentals. My plan to start hauling materials out of w-space falters when I make the newbie mistake of failing to have a bookmark on both sides of a wormhole, a mistake I have successfully avoided making so far. At least I am 'stuck' in high-sec known space rather than deep in w-space, I suppose, and as the wormhole is known to others in the corporation I just need to wait until more people turn up before continuing the operation. For now, I may as well head back to my base of industrial operations and take care of business, putting modules on the market and creating new manufacturing jobs to replenish stocks.

As luck would have it, later on in the day, when everyone is around, a wormhole leading directly to high-sec space is found. My earlier error is forgiven by the vagaries of wormholes. Ships are mobilised, the POS is dismantled and the task of moving everything back to high-sec is in full swing. I grab a Badger and make the trip to help with what I can, ending up taking a ship maintenance hangar and packaged ship back through to known space with me. I believe the plan is to find a new system in w-space to start exploiting. Although I don't know how soon the second operation is expected to begin I am certainly going to volunteer for further adventures.

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