We have entered the target system. From the mission descriptions, Sol once was a hub system before the Galactic Federation was established. Home to the planet Earth that is the planet humans originated from. I've heard of Earth, but given the abandoned state of the system, I've never gotten the opportunity to explore it. I will request clearance after this mission.

Our target is at the center of the system. Colloquially referred to as a 'sun'. Even from the farthest reaches, its unusual activity is very noticeable. From reference pictures, the star is supposed to be white or yellow, but it is a dark reddish orange. I note it is reminiscent of a dying star. Minali agrees, but A.N.IM.US corrects us by reminding us dying stars don’t exhibit random power sinks.

He is correct. Stars when they die explode.

I alerted the crew of our proximity to our target. This prompted all but Dr. Blackwell to join me on the bridge. We stared out of the solar window at the sun. We all made our hypotheses, knowing we would never gain clearance to know the truth. Nor do I think any of us will linger upon it long after docking. A.N.IM.US asked me about the investigation. I reported it closed and already submitted the incident report. It is suspicious. I received a lengthy lecture about due diligence.

I have done my due diligence. I asked the crew and reviewed the security footage. Graham looked through the panel for damage and found nothing. It was nothing but random chance. That being said, I should undoubtedly have Graham inspect the console before we get too close. Boosters have many fuel lines and if one ignites in the heat of the sun, it could be trouble.

Under normal circumstances, it is protocol to dock and inspect the booster itself. However, there is nowhere to dock in an abandoned system. Sending Graham out in full gear is an option. Not one I am likely to use, however. It would be unwise to have a crew member out of the ship in an untamed and unpredictable system. There are plenty of asteroids and debris that bounce off our shields every few seconds. It would be unwise to risk Graham’s safety without more concrete evidence.

However, I am concerned. Machines don’t send strange readings for no reason. Perhaps we will get lucky and find a docking station on Earth we can use for a brief inspection.

I brought this to Graham’s attention, to which he is very nonchalant. Again bringing up his childhood nickname. He is more than willing to go out full suit, but understands why I am not comfortable with it.

Dr. Blackwell interrupted our conversation in the cantina. Again, he scoffs and calls me redundant. They are adamant that any good captain would have let this incident go, as it is inconsequential and my meddling will cause us to fail our mission. Their mask turned up so high his gray skin was almost visible. I counter it is better safe than dead. He is not amused. Neither am I.

Having someone undermine my authority is irritating. But I will take this as a challenge to overcome.. I just need to reach a middle ground. The best captains have crews that are extensions of their family. They all work together like well programmed code. Any crew I take on could become permanent if the crew runs well enough.

I have decided to have Graham inspect the panel and task A.N.IM.US with monitoring the boosters readings. A.N.IM.US is not pleased with this. Instead, challenge me with ‘if you suspect something is wrong, then why not do a full inspection?’ I point out Dr. Blackwell’s theory and A.N.IM.US says that an excellent captain wouldn’t listen to the gripes of a crew member intent on being miserable and making everyone else miserable. I will bridge the gap between both pieces of advice and stay my current course.

Graham’s inspection was quick and none of the boosters were exhibiting unusual readings. I can’t quite shake the worry, but since everything is checking out, I’ll ignore it for now.

The planets we pass are very fascinating. We’ve passed arctic planets, ringed gas planets, storm planets and desert planets. All completely uninhabited. All but two of the planets have any hint of colonization to them. They are locally called Earth and Mars. Minali and Graham started screaming when our pings were picked up by long forgotten comms on these planets. Dr. Katida wasn’t happy with the screaming, but was just as impressed. She postulated how eerie it would be if our joke communications were answered. It silenced Minali and made her tentacles wrap around her chair. Her colors have been icy blue for the rest of the day. My attempts to explain the Dr. Katida wasn’t being genuine, was ignored. Dr. Katida has no plans to apologize and explain it was a joke..

A.N.IM.US tells me we are close enough to the star that our data collection has begun. I am infinitely relieved. This mission has been exhausting. If I were to request which of this crew, I would like to carry with me permanently. I think I would only request Graham.