Clear two, clear a third free

24th July 2014 – 5.54 pm

I look to be alone to start the evening. But, then, I did yesterday too, and there turned out to be a substantial fleet in the middle of our system. Launching probes and performing a blanket scan doesn't return any ships, but that doesn't mean there are no ships. Not that I'm paranoid, but I can't help wondering if my interrupting the fleet's plans caused enough resentment for them to plant a ship or two in the system to interrupt me.

I know how to find out if there's anyone out there. As it's just me, some gas, and our static wormhole, I warp to our tower, swap my scouting boat for the Golem marauder, and take it out to the one good anomaly we have available. Nothing so far, but I have only just got here. I target the Sleepers, start shooting missiles, and launch the silly mobile tractor unit in preparation of raking in the wrecks.

New signature alert! The discovery scanner pings another anomaly at me, similar to this one, in fact. Damned discovery scanner, encouraging me to continue making ISK when I just wanted to start the evening feeling productive. I can't ignore the opportunity, though, although I can accidentally ignore my weapon timers. I think the blinding cloud my Golem is sitting in has something to do with that.

The first anomaly is almost clear when a new contact appears! It's okay, it's just my glorious leader turning up. Fin should help speed this up too. I finish the final Sleepers, drop the gathered loot at our tower, and warp out to clear the second anomaly whilst we're on an isk-making roll. No interference yet. I'm not even interfered with by a Tengu strategic cruiser, Fin suffering from the same problem I had when looking to take one of the Tengus to the neighbouring system recently. It seems neither of us can remember how to fit it for local repairs.

Golem versus the Sleepers again

It's just me and the Golem in the second anomaly, not even a blinding cloud to obscure my presence. I'm exposed! But the Sleepers are converted to wrecks without problem. A bit of minor sweeping up in a destroyer and I've finished my ISK-generation for the evening, bringing back a tidy 180 Miskies. Or so I think. Fin has accidentally taken her Tengu in to a third anomaly, thinking we'd be continuing. Well, never mind, we're not always in control of our destiny.

Back in to the Golem and to the third anomaly. We're getting more familiar with this type, and although the Sleepers seem tougher than in the previous anomalies the combat is just as straightforward. Pick a target, shoot a target. Fin cleared the frigates before I got here, which was thoughtful, although doing so has left a bundle of wrecks on the other side of the anomaly. That's okay, the MTU can sweep up the new wrecks and we can loot and salvage the others afterwards.

The third anomaly is cleared of Sleepers. We wait for the guns to evaporate and I head back in to the site in a Noctis salvager. It's been a while since I've used one, and in doing so I realise that it really is a shame. The range of the tractor beams, the cycle time of the salvagers, it really is a salvaging machine. The mobile tractor unit now feels even more of a travesty to w-space life, after just five minutes in a Noctis. But whatever.

I get home safely, all the wrecks looted and salvaged, the third anomaly pulling in about cool hundred million ISK for us. That's over a quarter-of-a-billion ISK in potential profit collected this evening. Maybe we didn't leave our home system, and neither did I yesterday, but there are still activities to keep us engaged.

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