Etherium: A Kerbal Space Program Story (Chapter 43: The Final Push, part two)

[DarkOwl57]

16 minutes ago, Draconiator said:

Look very close, and you'll see I have 2 0.625 tanks under the wings attached to the fuselage.

oooohhhh I see it now... That's cool!

[TheEpicSquared]

Moar, @Draconiator?

[DarkOwl57]

MOAR! MOAR! MMMOOOOOAAAARRRRRRR ETHERIUM!!!!!!!

[Draconiator]

Hey guys!  I haven't forgotten about this, just RL is sort of hectic right now.  used my spare time for the Dakar, because it was damn interesting.  Etherium is not a priority right now but I have not forgotten about it.  We're really close to the end and I know you guys want to see what happens, but...this is kind of another one of my slumps unfortunately lol

[DarkOwl57]

*Forums* Draconiator has commended on "Etherium: A Kerbal Space Program Story (Chapter 38: KSS Wernher)

Me: "YYEEEEESSSSS HE'S GOT THE NEXT CHAPTER UP!!!!!"
*1 minute later* "Well that was a disappointment...

1 hour ago, Draconiator said:

used my spare time for the Dakar, because it was damn interesting.

ooohhhh.... Dakar.... Shoot I haven't started Stage 1... sheeeee

1 hour ago, Draconiator said:

Etherium is not a priority right now 

HOW DARE YOU?!?!?!?!

1 hour ago, Draconiator said:

but I have not forgotten about it.

Ah. Cancel previous statement

 

1 hour ago, Draconiator said:

We're really close to the end 

NUUU DON'T LET IT END!!!!!

1 hour ago, Draconiator said:

I know you guys want to see what happens

Well duh

1 hour ago, Draconiator said:

but...this is kind of another one of my slumps unfortunately lol

#CtriticsAreCritical

[DarkOwl57]

Okay, Dakar's coming to a close... WHERE IS ETHERIUM!!!!!!!!!

[Draconiator]

Okay I'm soooo sorry for the hiatus....I'm done the next chapter but RL has been really hectic lately, so there ya go.  Not finished all of the pictures BUT...this will advance the story!  Oh and also this is where my retcons come into play.

 

Gene hated night shifts.  They always left him tired and screwed up his natural rhythm.  But this particular night would prove to be unlike any other boring night, when he got an unusual blip on radar.  "What?  She heard?  But how?"  That blip turned out to be none other than the Grand Kerbal herself!  He hopped on the PA system: "Gene to all Kerbal Space Center employees, prepare for royalty!  The Grand Kerbal is coming!"

That touched off a flurry of activity to prepare for the arrival of the most respected Kerbal in the land, the head of the United Kerbal Governates.  The runway was prepared, and powerful water cannons were set out along it's length to salute the Grand Kerbal.  Gene had to wonder...he kept the operation secret as to not cause panic - how did she find out?

She landed on the runway , and taxied to a special parking spot.  In the morning, she was to bestow a special honor onto a certain Kerbal...

The hapennings during the night were suprisingly kept secret from Jeb.  He woke up, thankful to have a regular day, FINALLY.  That notion was shattered with a call from Gene.

"Jeb's Junkyard, Jebed-oh Hi Gene!  Who?  The GRAND?  What does she want?  how did she hear about that?  Be right there!"  Jeb hung up and got dressed as fast as he could, then hopped on a transport for the ride there.

"Jebediah Kerman.  Soon you will be going into the unknown, where no Kerbal has ever gone before.  Before you do, I would like to bestow a special honor upon you.  I have heard of the recent developments, and it has not escaped the ears of the United Kerbal Governates.  Therefore, I am honored to present you with the "Medal of the Kraken."

Jeb was flabbergasted.  The Medal of the Kraken was no less than the highest award a Kerbal could recieve from the High Governate, civilian or military.  Jeb could hardly get the words out.

"Th...thank you Madam Grand Kerbal.  I humbly accept this, and rest assured we WILL come home victorious."  Even Jeb was a bit unsure of his words, as he and his crew INDEED will be going beyond the unknown.

Later that day, Jeb barged into Gene's office, proudly wearing his medal.  Gene was startled by the initial barging-in, but smiled huge when he laid his eyes on the medal.  "The Grandkerb, huh?  You deserve it."

Jeb still could not believe it.  "The Medal of the Kraken?!?  Really??"

"Hey," Gene started, "The way I see it, you have had a very successful career here at KSC, and you probably know the ins and outs of anything that flies even better than our other top pilots.  This is just the icing on the cake."

"It wasn't easy Gene...this mission was full of hardships.  Haydi..." Jeb sniffed.

Gene was at a loss.  They would be launching in a couple weeks, so Jeb would not be needed until that time.  so he had no choice but to dismiss Jeb for the time being. "Jeb, as a friend, take some time off.  Go to the island and unwind."

"Thank you Gene, I'll need it...I'll take one of the old Aeris trainers."  Jeb saluted and was gone.

The lifter required to loft the KSS Wernher needed to be massive, and so the World Firsts Society created a contest for the worlds largest lifting booster.  A little-known subsidary of Rockomax, RockoNorth, accepted the challenge.  Reportedly they had to expand their facilities in order to produce parts for the rocket.  Another company called Kerbomax supplied RockoNorth with various pieces, such as structural elements.  Launch clamps for example.  Moving the massive rocket and final assembly were other hurdles that needed to be overcome, and they eventually decided to build it right at the launch pad, a decision that was not missed by a certain kerbal...

Jeb was at the island airstrip to unwind, and he never saw such a commotion at the launch pad in his life.  Were they upgrading it?  But he thought it could not be upgraded any further...  They actually went bankrupt the last time they upgraded it, and fortunately their loan was paid off last year.  So what would be going on there?  Whatever it was, he feared KSC might go bankrupt again...and with it his retirement.  He had built up a pretty sizable retirement income, and was worried that as much as he has done, all of that would be worth nothing.

He shrugged, and lay back in the cockpit of the Aeris.  No sense in worrying about that now...he had bigger fish to fry soon.  Instead, his mind wandered to this beautiful trainer.  The Aeris had been the craft in which he first flew with Valentina.  Bill had installed an extra-wide seat for the both of them, and they loved it.  That flight was the moment Jeb knew that he wanted to marry Valentina, and she probably felt the same way.  In fact, when all of this was over, he planned to make a stretched version of the Aeris, just for him amd his wife...Jeb drifted off and went into a deep and restful sleep.

He was awakened from his slumber by the sound of the Aeris warning alarm going off.  He sat bolt-upright and shouted into the radio.  "Jeb here!  Is it the damned Reds?"

Giggles could be heard coming from the other end, and Jeb knew then it was some kind of prank.  But then Gene could be heard.  "Jeb, I have new information.  The Cercani system DOES INDEED exist, but...the Etherium do not hail from there."

"But...what...?"  Jeb was furious.  Everything Four told them...0003 gave them...everything was a lie.  Four had gotten onto his good side and for once he was relieved that he was deleted.  But then Gene had more startling news.

"Listen.  A few hours ago, we detected an explosion within the vicinity of Dres.  We believe it to be your Queen impacting the surface, because immediately after it hapenned, we found a new planet between Kerbin and Duna orbit that wasn't there before.

Further, we believe that the Etherium were stalling us not to buy them time, but hopefully to kill you and your crew.  Pequar's atmosphere is full of a powerful molecular acid, and that desert moon you were to base from...its sands are a deadly poison to Kerbals."

Jeb had heard enough.  More than ever he wanted to bring the fight to these Etherium, but now they were back to square one.  "Gene, I am coming back to KSC.  Time to kill some robots."

 

***EDITOR'S NOTE***

I now have 1.2.2, and it seems like ships with tons of parts lag the game out again, so I will try to get the screenies I need.

Edited January 29, 2017 by Draconiator

[DarkOwl57]

GAH CURSE THE FORUMS FOR NOT TELLING ME @Draconiator POSTED!!!!!

[DarkOwl57]

On 1/28/2017 at 10:53 PM, Draconiator said:

Gene hated night shifts.  They always left him tired and screwed up his natural rhythm.

hahahhaahhahahahahhaha #Relatable

On 1/28/2017 at 10:53 PM, Draconiator said:

But this particular night would prove to be unlike any other boring night, when he got an unusual blip on radar.  "What?  She heard?  But how?"  That blip turned out to be none other than the Grand Kerbal herself!  He hopped on the PA system: "Gene to all Kerbal Space Center employees, prepare for royalty!  The Grand Kerbal is coming!"

So that's what that ship is!

On 1/28/2017 at 10:53 PM, Draconiator said:

That touched off a flurry of activity to prepare for the arrival of the most respected Kerbal in the land, the head of the United Kerbal Governates.  The runway was prepared, and powerful water cannons were set out along it's length to salute the Grand Kerbal.  Gene had to wonder...he kept the operation secret as to not cause panic - how did she find out?

well if she's the head of the government, shouldn't she be allowed to know everything about the military?

On 1/28/2017 at 10:53 PM, Draconiator said:

 

 

How does it steer? Those nose landing gears don't have a steering range stat..... the yaw flaps?

On 1/28/2017 at 10:53 PM, Draconiator said:

"Jeb's Junkyard, Jebed-oh Hi Gene!  Who?  The GRAND?  What does she want?  how did she hear about that?  Be right there!"  Jeb hung up and got dressed as fast as he could, then hopped on a transport for the ride there.

You know, with all that "Saving the world" business, you'd think that Jeb would've let the 2nd in command take over... Or at least take a break

On 1/28/2017 at 10:53 PM, Draconiator said:

Therefore, I am honored to present you with the "Medal of the Kraken."

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

On 1/28/2017 at 10:53 PM, Draconiator said:

He was awakened from his slumber by the sound of the Aeris warning alarm going off.  He sat bolt-upright and shouted into the radio.  "Jeb here!  Is it the damned Reds?"

Wait, was there a war against the Reds?

BACKSTORY TIME!!!!!!!

On 1/28/2017 at 10:53 PM, Draconiator said:

Giggles could be heard coming from the other end, and Jeb knew then it was some kind of prank.  But then Gene could be heard.  "Jeb, I have new information.  The Cercani system DOES INDEED exist, but...the Etherium do not hail from there."

"But...what...?"  Jeb was furious.  Everything Four told them...0003 gave them...everything was a lie.  Four had gotten onto his good side and for once he was relieved that he was deleted.  But then Gene had more startling news.

"Listen.  A few hours ago, we detected an explosion within the vicinity of Dres.  We believe it to be your Queen impacting the surface, because immediately after it hapenned, we found a new planet between Kerbin and Duna orbit that wasn't there before.

Further, we believe that the Etherium were stalling us not to buy them time, but hopefully to kill you and your crew.  Pequar's atmosphere is full of a powerful molecular acid, and that desert moon you were to base from...its sands are a deadly poison to Kerbals."

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!! HOW COULD FOUR LIE?!?!?! Does this..... Does this mean that Four is really the bad guy?!?!? IS ALL THAT I KNOW A LIE?! A SCHEME?!?! A FAKE?!!?!?!?!?

Edited February 6, 2017 by DarkOwl57

[DarkOwl57]

So just to ask @TheEpicSquared, is this a good time to ask for 'Moar?' 'cause if so, could we please have some?

[Draconiator]

Heeeey guys, I've started writing again as soon as I discovered that KSP plays nicely now with a vital ship.  So stay tuned!  Finale flurry shortly!!

[Draconiator]

HELLLOOOOOOOOOOO Kerbonauts, FINALLY the finale is upon us, because KSP suddenly stopped being weird with my ships.  SOOOOOOOO....

Chapter 40:  The Launch of KSS Wernher.

When RockoNorth heard about the abrupt change in plans, at first they did little to acknowledge it.  They knew the Wernher was to launch no matter what happenned, because the KSC had put tons of effort into the launch, and KerboNorth's own director was in charge of the building of it.  But then came the knowledge that they will use the warp drive anyway to get to the newly-discovered world in hours, and hopefully the Wernher crew will be back for Snacktime.

Also, a world record needed to be set at the same time, and so a very large rocket was constructed to hold the Wernher as its payload.  Predictably, this put enourmous strain on the launchpad, but predictably it held up well.  So well in fact that Gene deemed it indestructible.  At he watched from mission control, Gene felt proud of his KSC, but also sad as Jeb would be retiring soon.  He was, after all, the glue that held the early days of KSC together.

Launch day was penned in for the week after the Grand Kerbal's visit.  By this time the rocket was completed and stood on the launch pad in all its glory.  Gene called it the "Krakliathan", after two huge creatures in Kerbal mythology - the Kraken, and the Keviathan, both considered to be cousins.  According to legend, the two of them fought for control over Kerbin, resulting in a large crater with an island in the middle...

When Jebediah saw the rocket that was to loft the Wernher,  he stood motionless, mouth agape.  He had NEVER seen something so...huge in his life, and he wondered how the launchpad could support all that weight.  And then there was the issue of actually getting TO the Wernher - it must have been half a mile above the ground at most.  But as usual, Gene once again had the answer.

"Gene to Jebediah, come in."

"Jeb here, what's up?"

"Would you like to participate in something experimental?"

"Heading over to the hangar immediately!"

Gene knew this would get Jeb's attention - he had to design some very light aircraft that could fly very, VERY slowly.  The crew would then parachute onto the rocket and clamber inside of the Wernher.  "Gene, now is not the time!  Unless you have a way of getting up there..."

Jeb naturally was the first one to fire up one of the new aircraft.  Officially, they were known as the "Large Ship Boarding Assistance Craft", or "LSBAC" for short, but Jeb gave them a rather informal name - "Firefly".  He lamented the fact that there was no time to test these things, but Jeb has tested countless untested craft before.

"Remember Jeb," Gene reminded the hotshot pilot, "25 meters a second OR LESS before you jump.  If you make it, we have 8 others that will follow you.  Godspeed, Jebediah."

Gene saluted sharply and Jeb fired up the Seperatrons.  They were pretty efficient at getting the tiny craft airborne.  These things were designed for one thing only - get crew to the Wernher, and so did not need a lot of range.  the 4 Seperatrons burned out soon after ignition, and Jeb began his glide for the Wernher.

and then, he jettisoned!  The parachute opened and he began drifting downward - it was a good thing there was no wind this morning, or he would have missed the Wernher entirely.  He grabbed onto one of the exit hatches and watched as the now-pilotless glider crashed into a Kerbdog stand on the beach.  No one was hurt, thankfully.  And then, one by one, more gliders came.  One by one, the crew dropped onto the Wernher and crewed her.  Once all were aboard, the mighty rocket came alife as systems booted up, and made ready for departure.

"KSS Wernher to KSC, Preflight checks complete, we are go for launch.  you MIGHT want to clear an area around the launch pad temporarily, as we will be basically riding a volcano into orbit."

"KSC to KSS Wernher, Gene here.  Your reccomendation is duly noted.  Prepare for doomsday."  Gene thought a little humor was due, so "Doomsday" was the term he used to describe the immediate area around the launchpad in a few seconds.

"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, LIFTOFF!"

With the launch, a world record was broken, and at the awards ceremony Gene gushed about the crew of the Wernher.  That they were the best he had to offer, and he hoped that they would see the mission through, for ALL Kerbals.

 

Edited March 2, 2017 by Draconiator

[DarkOwl57]

YAY NEW CHAPTER!!!

NO NEXT TO THE END!!!

MY FEELINGS ARE BEING CONFUSED!!!

[DarkOwl57]

On 3/31/2016 at 3:33 PM, Draconiator said:

Chapter 1: Mission to Arctica

Chapter 2: Mactop To the Rescue!

Chapter 3: What Is It?

Chapter 4: Meanwhile at Duna...

Chapter 5: The Rescue at Duna, Part 1

Chapter 6: The Rescue at Duna, Part 2

Chapter 7: In The Shadow of Duna

Chapter 8: Cat Out of the Bag

Chapter 9: Seclusion

CHAPTER 10: Accedens Ignis

Chapter 11: Kerb Zero

Chapter 12: Adventures in Babysitting

Chapter 13: Missing

Chapter 14: Firebird

Chapter 15: Never Corner a Big Cat

Chapter 16: Close Encounters

Chapter 17: Jeb's Revenge

Chapter 18: Onward and Upward

Chapter 19: Riding the Phoenix

Chapter 20: Top Gun

Chapter 20.5: Elsewhere...

Chapter 21: Alone

Chapter 22: The Aftermath

Chapter 23: A Major Setback

Chapter 24: Kerbal Down

Chapter 25: For Jeb!

Chapter 26: Hackin' It

Chapter 27: Superunit 0003

Chapter 28: The Launch of KSS Haydi

Chapter 28.5: Before the Beginning

Chapter 29: Return to Flight

Chapter 30: Elysium

Chapter 32: The Flight to Ike

Chapter 34: The Battle for Ike

Chapter 35: Wernher's Decision

Chapter 36: Chasing Evil

Chapter 38: KSS Wernher

Chapter 40: The Launch of KSS Wernher

YOU STILL FORGOT TO INCLUDE CHAPTER 37!!!!! *triggered*

[Draconiator]

Helloooooo Kerbonauts!  Another update this week, so I can pen Saturday as update day, and also, first use of GIMP for special effects too.  Probably not gonna do that too much, takes ages to find the right effect.

 

 

As soon as the Wernher made orbit, a series of scans were started to ascertain where exactly they would be headed.  The cloaked planet, Ascelpius it was called, was now in full view to the scanners, and apparently it had one moon.  It looked eerily similar to the Duna system, and another revelation was that Ascelpius had a "shell" of oxygen, meaning that this was not a planet, but a ship of some kind.  And it was right under their noses the whole time.

Jeb wandered into the main bridge and configured the warp drive for the jump.  He was angry that Four had basically pulled the wool over all of their eyes, and angry that HE of all people had fallen for the ruse.  He just sat for a while and relaxed before the jump window...even having forgotten that Wernher was on board.

 

Wernher, who had snuck onboard was sure that no one had caught him doing so, and he was snuggled up in his small escape pod waiting for the right moment. He kept monitoring radio communications to make sure his abscense went un-noticed until he was well on his way.  Fortunately, no one noticed he was gone - yet.  But then Jebediah had been given access to all of the ship's systems, and he would detect an undocking event.  But Wernher had his mind made up.

 

Trebelle, the engineering officer on board, noticed first.  "Uhhhh Jeb?  Undock event detected.  uhhh...did you authorize the inclusion of that docking port?"

"Gene built the ship itself, not me.  Probably for the best, that thing would be a drag on the vessel."  Jeb shrugged.  Wernher could only laugh, things were going according to plan.

 

He would slowly slip out of scan range, and then head to Duna to begin his exile.

 

Meanwhile, Jeb was warming up the warp coils for the jump, when he got an urgent message from Gene.  Apparently, he couldn't find Wernher anywhere at KSC, and wondered if he had stowed away on board his namesake.  Jeb didn't really know, but he would initiate a wide sweep for the renegade pod.

 

 

But what Jeb didn't know is the pod was long gone by now, beyond the orbit of the Mun, and he could not spare the fuel required to go after the pod.  They had to destroy an entire race of robots that were hell-bent on the destruction of Kerbalkind, and as the warp window neared, the warp drive began warming up.

 

"Jebediah to all crew, brace for immediate jump.  Repeat, brace for immediate jump!  Inertial dampeners are online, but just extra precaution here..."  The 8 crew members then began buckling in, hiding behind other Kerbals, and one dove into a storage bin, but all were prepared, in one way or another.

 

"Jump in 5!  4!  3!  2!  1!  JUMP IN PROGRESS, REPEAT, JUMP IN PROGRESS!"

 

It took just 12 seconds to get there, and soon they were in orbit around this strange...thing that had appeared.  Tomorrow, a select few would head down to the surface to see what could be done about the Etherium menace.

 

[DarkOwl57]

NIIIIIICCCEEEEE!!!

[Just Jim]

Great jump effects!!!!  

[Draconiator]

5 hours ago, Just Jim said:

Great jump effects!!!!  

Inspired by YOURS actually.  the Kraken Lord creeps me out...

6 hours ago, DarkOwl57 said:

NIIIIIICCCEEEEE!!!

Thank youuuu!

[Draconiator]

HELLOOOOOOOOOOO Kerbonauts!  Update on the backlog on my hard drive - nearly done the story, and since I don't think I need to build any more ships for Etherium, I'm starting to build for Strange New Worlds.  I've decided to name some of them after prominent forum members - this one is the KSS Kuzzter, a cargo ship:

I'm not sure what role it will play in the story, but I'll figure it out later.  Resupply maybe.

 

Also, you saw the main ship in the trailer, and Kerbin Science Station in the trailer too, but we have a story to finish here before that, and I had to split the chapter up because I wrote too much.  heh.  So therefore:

 

Once everything had settled down from the jump, Jebediah called a briefing to let the Sprite pilots know what they should expect from Ascelpius's strange atmosphere.  The "planet" itself was looking more and more like some kind of station, based on the way the atmosphere was distributed.

"Alright!  Now that everyone is here, lets go over some pointers.  From the information we have gathered about Ascelpius, only the canyons have a thick atmosphere.  It has oxygen as well, but we didn't know that when we designed the Sprites, so they're equipped with rockets only.  We'll be going into this blind, so we will spread out on the planet.  We are looking for some kind of tower called "The Nexus".  I don't know if I can trust Four now with his deception, but he said that it is the center of Etherium society."

Jeb paused.  The enemy was down there...and they would pay dearly.  He would even blow up the entire planet if he knew how.

"Sprite pilots.  You are to immediately board your craft and descend into one of the canyons.  Look for a tall tower.  May Kerblord be with us all.  Dismissed."

4 Kerbals immediately ran out of the briefing room, and the others just wandered out, leaving Jeb alone.  He sank into one of the briefing chairs, thinking about the mission ahead...he was not trained for this.  But he will give it his all, and he was sure the Sprite pilots would as well.

 

A Kerbal called Desbles was the first to undock a Sprite.

"Sprite 1 to Wernher, Sprite away!!!"  

"Godpeed Sprite 1, you are the tip of the spear!"

An hour later, Desbles had gotten closer to the planet, and prepared his assault on a canyon.

 

 

 

 

Desbles noticed a strange tower on an island in the middle of a lake.  Was this the Nexus?  Or another decoy?  Why had they decieved them about where they lived?  He was also concerned that there were no Etherium around too...where were they?  It was oddly quiet for an important Etherium installation.  He was extremely low on fuel too, so he had no choice but to contact the Wernher to send another Sprite.

"Desbles to Wernher, I found a tower but I landed far from it.  Requesting another sprite!  Oh, and sending landing coordinates."

"Jeb here, will send one, over!"

But the next pilot to fly a Sprite misjudged how close the canyon wall was to the top of the thicker atmosphere, and was killed when his Sprite slammed into the ground.

"Jeb, I saw a sprite plow into the ground!  Be careful!!!"

"I briefed all of you on the dangers of the mission before we left.  Kerbals were bound to die on this mission...the reward was worth the risk.  You made it down okay, and it's not worth it if the two remaining Sprites crash as well...so Desbles, before I disptach any more, what do you see?"

 

Desbles pulled out some high-powered binoculars.  "I see...something that looks like the warp drive with 4 large bell-structures on top.  It's emitting a red light...and there are tiny flying drones depositing stuff into the bells.  Raw materials maybe."

Jeb sat scratching his chin.  1 sprite on the surface, 1 lost, 2 in reserve...what should he do?

[Angelo Kerman]

Looks like the end game is here! Good luck to the remaining pilots...

What is Strange New Worlds? I think I missed the trailer...

[DarkOwl57]

It feels so weird to know that this is near the end.... I came in after Chapter....... I think 30, but I still feel like I'm a part of this in some stupid insignificant way. GOOD LUCK JEB!!!

(I swear if you kill Jeb I'll walk to your house and hit you.)

[Draconiator]

HELLOOOOOOOOOO Kerbonauts!  RL has reared its ugly head again, but I have generated a bit of a buffer, so the story can continue!  Also, a question for you guys.  After this is finished, I will get started on building more ships for SNW, and due to computer issues, would  it be too strange to use only the planets in OPM for my new worlds?  I'm just wondering because it's in lots of other stories and I'm concerned it's become a bit stale....Anywhoooooo:

 

 

Just then, an eerily familliar monotone voice was heard on the Wernher's PA system, seeming to mock Jeb.  "JEBEDIAH KERMAN.  WE THOUGHT WE COULD GET ONTO YOUR GOOD SIDE, AND THROUGH THAT TRUST DESTROY KERBALKIND FROM THE INSIDE.  WE WERE NOT PREPARED FOR THE RESISTANCE OF YOUR FILTHY STINKING SPECIES."

it was Four.  Jeb was FURIOUS.  Never in his many years at KSC had he been duped as well as Four duped him.  "I COULD HAVE DESTROYED THE HAYDI WHILE I WAS IN HER COMPUTER SYSTEM...BUT I RESISTED TO FURTHER GET IN YOUR GOOD GRACES...BUT I HAVE FAILED."

"Okay you ingrate," Jeb sneered, "How did you get here from Kerbin?"

"I COPIED MYSELF BEFORE THE MISSION...THAT COPY OF ME DID INDEED MALFUNCTION, AND I MYSELF TURNED IT OFF."

"So, if you are not Four...WHO ARE YOU?!"

"I AM THE CENTRAL NEXUS, THE RULER OF THIS SOLAR SYSTEM.  WE WILL BUILD OUR FORCES UP AGAIN, AND WHEN WE ARE READY WE WILL ATTACK KERBIN IN FORCE!!!"

Jeb had heard enough.  Time to destroy this thing once and for all!  He ordered the third Sprite undocked, and this time infected it's main computer with the virus developed at KSC.

 

"Calgar to Wernher, Sprite away."  Calgar was another one of KSC's top pilots, but nowhere near as good as Jeb.  Still, he could hold his own.  "Will I have problems flying this down there with the infection?"

"Negative, Sprite 3.  It all hinges on you now..."

Calgar burned to an entry point within the canyon.  It seemed that he would be alright this time.

 

The atmosphere at the lower levels would slow him down enough so he could make a pin-point landing on the island under parachute.

 

Calgar breathed a sigh of relief when he finally saw that he would slow down enough to not end up as a green smear on the planet, and started approaching the island.  And when he successfully landed on it, Jeb breathed a sigh of relief.  A pretty, pinpoint landing too.  

 

Calgar began to fire up the transmitters on the small craft.  He wanted to scan the thing to see what EXACTLY it was, and what he got back made his mouth drop open.  The robotic Etherium were nothing more than simple exosuits for an advanced alien race.  But what puzzled Calgar was that these beings were so tiny, no more than a quarter of a meter tall.  But then, how could they cloak a whole planet?  It seemed a return to Dres was in order to find the wreckage of the Queen to figure this out.

One task remained here though.  Calgar loaded up the viruses, hit TRASNMIT, and soon they were assaulting the systems of the Nexus, and just like that it powered down.  He also hacked into any engine systems it had - maybe he could smash it to pieces with force?

 

"Wernher to Sprites 2 and 3, mission accomplished.  Finally...We are however left with more questions, ones I hope to answer.  Get back to the Wernher, lets go home."

Calgar was all too eager to leave this hellish place, and took off first.

 

Shortly followed by Desbles, who had found the emergency fuel supplies.

 

"Jebediah to all crew, return to the Wernher, we are leaving behind all Sprites.  Even the one we never used.  Mission accomplished, everyone.  Great work!"  Jeb could not get out of his mind that maybe he was missing something...and if this...thing WAS a cloaked ship...how did it get here?  `But then...it seemed like a bonefied planet too.  Hopefully the trip to Dres will clear some things up.

[DarkOwl57]

moar?

[DarkOwl57]

*Twiddles thumbs*

Plz? I'm running out of reading material

[DarkOwl57]

@Draconiator. Where oh where has my Etherium gone? *Plays sad guitar music on corner*