Boldly going again

After a final night in Kemah at T-Bone Tom's Steakhouse we were on the road again. The logical way to get back to San Antonio airport would be to take the Toll Road around Houston and then the Interstate directly back from Houston to San An, but I'll be buggered if I let the Texians charge me for travelling on their linear lunatic asylum. Luckily, the Sat-Nag and my new wonderful Nexus 10 tablet provided a low-stressed escape westwards. Or it would have been if the local council had decided not to waste public money on simple street signs. Of course, it wasn't our first experience with the concept that "everybody already lives here so why should we tell them where they are going?". I mean, they have an internationally-famous space centre museum, so it's unlikely stupid tourists will drive into the non-touristy area of their proper establishment, isn't it??! "Pass?", says the guard. Already resigned to the fact that we've driven into a one-way entrance to the Restricted area, I offer my best cheesy tourist smile. "We get this a lot", says the guard good naturedly, "back out, next right". "So why don't they put a simple sign out explaining that there are two entrances?", I add, helpfully. He sighs. "We keep telling them that but they say it's too expensive." Three minutes later we are at a museum celebrating the umpteenth year of a multi-multi-billion dollar space investment (see last post for the irony).

So it is that the Starship Lampen ploughs further into the uncharted southern territory of Texian space supported by its prettily efficient (but sometimes over-critical) Science Officer, Linda. Seeking out new life, civilisations, some fun and a place to sleep.
"Alien life from ahead, Captain", she reports. Actually, it's a rather large snake panicking in the middle of the highway. I don't think I hit it but wasn't going back to check. It looked pretty cross.
Approaching the target Victoria system: "Scanners show no intelligent life, Captain", the SO reports. Sure enough, we drive by a giant graveyard. On to the next system.
Refugio: "Evidence suggests this system has been assimilated by the Burger Borg, Captain". Maybe so, but this doesn't stop me from using their restrooms. T-Bone Tom served a lot of food last night.
We stopped hopefully at the Sinton system to examine what looked looked like a derelict Deep Space station called Economy Inn. "Sensors are picking up a Kockcroachian infestation, Captain". Sure enough, the dilapidated structure of the station and the state of the ships surrounding the boggy parking area suggested that any night's rest there would be unpleasantly eventful.
After seven hours of interstellar flight my Science Officer was showing signs of Denebian Fatigue. In a last ditched attempt to find a Class M planet we put into orbit around the Corpus Christi star. Landing safely at the Quality Inn on Northbeach we saw the now familiar sight of the ancient battle cruiser, the USS Lexington, at its permanent spacedock. Some friendly aliens fed us in the famous Blackbeard's restaurant by the holodeck sea. Unfortunately, the Universal Translator was malfunctioning because phrases like, "Can we have chips with those prawns?", and, "Oh, go on then, twist my arm", failed to make an impression when the cute little alien inquired whether sir wanted another beer? Ah well, it had been a long day. Finally, we retired to our bunks to recharge the dilithium crystals for the last flight home tomorrow.