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The Saga of Emiko Station - Complete

Just Jim

By Just Jim
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Just Jim

Just Jim

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16 minutes ago, HeronRocketry said:

Btw, it says on the mod page that OPM is compatible with it.

It's not compatibility... it's the Emiko Station plot. 

I can get away with some pretty wild stuff... but suddenly adding a bunch of new planets (again) is really pushing it...

Well, unless you're Dr. Who  :rolleyes:

 

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Mrcarrot

Mrcarrot

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5 minutes ago, Just Jim said:

I can get away with some pretty wild stuff... but suddenly adding a bunch of new planets (again) is really pushing it...

Just say that Emiko or someone discovered a new star... shouldn't be too wild.

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Just Jim

Just Jim

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Hey everyone... quick update. The screenshots for the next chapter are done. But tomorrow and Friday are end/beginning of the month, and Friday especially is going to be busy. So I'm aiming for having the next chapter finished and posted sometime this weekend.

Until then... a small teaser to think about...

What the crap is he launching now???

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Lithobrake

Lithobrake

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18 hours ago, Just Jim said:

Hey everyone... quick update. The screenshots for the next chapter are done. But tomorrow and Friday are end/beginning of the month, and Friday especially is going to be busy. So I'm aiming for having the next chapter finished and posted sometime this weekend.

Until then... a small teaser to think about...

What the crap is he launching now???

6gAVigX.png

Exciting! I wonder what @Just Jim has in store for us now!

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Just Jim

Just Jim

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I'm losing track of time...
                                                               King Diamond, "The Eye of the Witch"

Chapter 96
The Eye of the Witch

 

For what felt like micro-seconds that lasted an eternity, Werhner drifted in the weird weightless ether, until he felt himself falling gently back to the ground in front of Emiko's Magic Boulder at the Kerbal Space Center, after his third, and by far most shocking visit with the "Kraken Lord" on Bop.

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"Odd..." he thought to himself as he landed. "Am I really falling? Or is it in my mind??? I must remember to check the security cameras sometime..."

So caught up was he that Werhner didn't notice for a few seconds he wasn't alone, until he turned and saw Kerenna and Obney Kerman standing and waiting patiently behind him.

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"Are you all right, professor?" Obney asked with a concerned voice as von Kerman walked quietly up to the waiting pair.

"Yes... yes, I'm fine, thank you." Werhner replied, then looked at Kerenna and asked softly. "How is Gene?"

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"Resting," Kerenna smiled weakly. "I... I hate doing it... but I slipped one of those pills the doctors gave me into his dinner snacks... and he was finally nodding off when I left a few minutes ago."

"Good..." Werhner smiled back. It had been three... no... no it was four days... since Gene had been stripped of his title, and placed on house arrest. But while several of the personnel had been rounded up and ordered to appear before the "Acting" Grand Kerbal Samantha Kerman... including many of his key staff and friends... so far she had not summoned Gene. And this just made him more anxious and depressed, until finally Kerenna broke down and asked the facility doctors what she could do, and they gave her "something to help him sleep".

As for the others... yesterday was the worst by far, when they Imperial Guard summoned both Angelo and Kuzzter Kerman to appear before her "Inquiry..."

Oh, how Kuzzter howled in defiance! Ironically enough, just after the brave rescue on Kokomo island, Angelo signed over a newly formed branch of his industries to Kuzzter, and even named it after the ex-pirate that had risked so much to save everyone.... Kuzzter Instruments.

But somehow word got out that Kuzzter Instruments was working on a top secret project, with the assistance and guidance of Kerbnet itself, designing a new and radically more powerful computer mainframe affectionately nicknamed the "Kray Kray"...  which was all the excuse the Grand Kerbal needed to put Kuzzter on her hit-list.

And in the end they had to nearly drag Kuzzter away... cursing and screaming obscenities at the guards and Samantha that would have made Piper Kerman proud.

For a moment no-one said anything, until everyone's headsets bleeped, and a call rang out.

"T-minus 15 minutes to launch."

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"Oh, good, I didn't miss it.' von Kerman smiled weakly. 

"No... Uh... I really should get back to Gene," Kerenna smiled back, then unexpectedly reached out and gave Werhner a big hug, and whispered softly. "I love you, sir... thank you."

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Before he could react, Kerenna turned and walked back inside.

"May I give you a ride over to Mission Control?" Obney asked after she was inside. "We still have time."

"What?" von Kerman shook his head. "Oh, no... thank you. But if you don't mind, would you give an old kerb a lift over to the observatory? I can watch just fine from there."

"Yes, sir," Obney nodded briskly. "It would be my pleasure. "

And with that he drove Werhner over to the rear of the observatory facility,  and near the entrance to the auditorium.

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"Thank you," Werhner smiled as he climbed back out of the Buffalo Bug. "Would you care to join me? You're more than welcome."

"I would like that very much, sir" Obney replied. "But I'm conducting a surprise Banshee drill during the launch."

"During the launch?" Werhner shook his head. Talk about catching his squad off-guard. "You are going to make an outstanding captain, young kerb. But don't push them too hard..."

"Understood, sir." Obney nodded. "Just hard enough..."

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"T-minus 10 minutes to launch."

"I'd better be going... I want to get a good seat," Werhner smiled, then turned and walked into the building. Obney just stood and watched... then turned back to the Buffalo Bug, and switched on his mic...

"Alpha Squad, Code: Banshee... repeat Code: Banshee. I want all personnel assembled in the SPH in 10 minutes!"

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Inside it was dark, and quiet... and Werhner was grateful for the privacy as he walked down to the front row.

"Ahhh, best seats in the house," he chuckled, then sat down and hit his mic. "Would you please ask Dr. Linus to join me in the auditorium?"

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For the next few minutes Werhner just sat and thought about what had occurred on Bop... the horrifying revelation concerning the fall of Laythe... and the ominous warning that the Kraken Queen might attempt... what did the Kraken Lord say???

"Another clumsy attempt at subterfuge..."

What was that supposed to mean??? Another clumsy attempt... wait...

Suddenly several recent, and not so recent, events came to mind... The appearance of Sanny the Ghost, trying to trap Emiko into going to Ovok... The rogue Mun-saucer Thompberry swore had been deactivated... the cut fuel line on Jeb and Val's Raptor returning from Duna....

All near fatal "accidents"... but luckily averted. But not accidents... not at all, and now he knew who... what... was behind all of them!

But what would she attempt next? If it wasn't an attack, then what??? He considered putting the base on alert, then rejected it. Everything around him seemed normal enough... well, as normal as it could be, given the circumstances. He would have been notified instantly if something were amiss... But so far, nothing. No need to panic everyone... at least not yet.

Just then his chain of thought was interrupted as the door behind him opened, and Dr. Linus Kerman, head of the R&D Science division, strolled down with a smile, and sat down next to Werhner.

"Did I miss it?"

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"No, we have a couple minutes..." Werhner smiled back, switching the widescreens to show the launchpad, and the monstrosity sitting atop it. It had no name, just the designation Supply-4, and as it's name suggested, was the fourth such rocket launched in as many days. The VAB crew had worked furiously to assemble them, in no real fashion, just throw them together and get them in orbit, before the "Acting" Grand Kerbal showed up and shut them all down.

Destination: Emiko Station.

T-minus 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Liftoff!!!

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The launch was perfect, despite it's tremendous size, and both Werhner and Dr. Linus were relieved when the first, and then second stage boosters fell cleanly away, and the supply ship began it's gravity turn. This was by far the largest type vehicle KASA had ever launched, a prototype actually, but Werhner didn't care. His only concern was getting as much of the parts and equipment needed to rebuild Emiko Station off-world as fast as possible, whether the "Acting" Grand Kerbal liked it or not!

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And before he knew it, the monster ship had finished circularizing it's orbit, and was deploying the huge shrouds to reveal the parts stored beneath it... Parts that would be later removed, and re-assembled into Emiko Station itself. Parts that were also now out of the reach of the "Acting" Grand Kerbal.

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"I never get tired of watching those," Linus smiled, then looked over at Werhner. "Now why did you really call me down here?"

"I talked with... it... again," Werhner shivered. "Earlier tonight. And it... well... I'm not sure how to begin..."

Then Werhner switched the widescreen's to display an image of Laythe... and he did his best to keep a steady voice as he explained to Linus about what he had discovered. 

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"Poofed? All of them, poofed???" Linus shook his head in disbelief. "No... No... I cannot accept that any intelligent being could be so..."

But his voice drifted off in stunned silence as Werhner switched to a topographical map... and Linus looked at it in a whole new light... and the truth suddenly became all to clear... 

"Noooo..."

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"Goddess preserve us," Linus whispered. "That... that's an impact crater???  Almost as big as Laythe itself??? WHAT???"

"I can't explain it..." Werhner shook his head. "Something that large should have shattered Laythe in half. But there it is... plain as day... I don't know how... But... well..."

Werhner just drifted off, not really knowing what to think. It defied all laws of physics... but then so did the Magic Boulders... and the Monoliths.

 "And this thing... this Kraken Lord... he said once there were more than just these... Laytheans???"

"Yes," Werhner whispered. "5 races, it said... So if there was us, and the Laytheans, then who... or what... were these other three races? And on what worlds did they live???"

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"I... I don't know..." Werhner scrolled through some of the planets and moons with atmospheres in the Kerbol system, but all seemed impossible.

Duna was just a desert, and seemed completely sterile. Eve, on the other hand, had a think and poisonous atmosphere, but also vast oceans and lakes of nearly pure explodium... which was not only highly volatile, but also an organic molecule!!! But Harfield had been to Eve, and saw no signs of life.

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Then there was the Sarnus system. They knew from Sanny the Ghost that a monolith was on Ovok. but Ovok was tiny, and could never support life. And nearby Eeloo... which had no atmosphere, but most likely harbored an ocean of liquid water under it's vast ice sheets. Oceans life could evolve in... maybe???

But of all Sarnus's moons... the most suspect was quite obviously Tekto. Curious and bizarre, it had a thick atmosphere, and dark oceans of an unknown liquid... and most important, according to Emiko, was home to a strange and terrible... city??? The Kerbs in the lab called it the "Kraken Necropolis"... but what was it, really???

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Finally there was Neidon, and Thatmo... a small moon that evidence suggested also harbored an underground ocean similar to Eeloo, only Thatmo also appeared to have an atmosphere. Unfortunately no probes were ever sent out that far, so their data was sketchy, and most of what they were going by was still just theory.

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"I don't know..." Werhner began... but was suddenly cut off by the main SPH tower.

"Banshee B-7, this is tower control... why are you leaving the hanger??? You do NOT have clearance..."

"Someone shut those hanger doors!!!"

"Too late, sir..."

"Banshee B-7... do you read... who is that??? Banshee B-7... BANSHEE-B-7 RESPOND!!!"

Suddenly a horrible thought occurred to him... and Werhner switched over to the tower camera to watch the scene unfold, and switched on his mic.

"Banshee B-7..." Werhner said softly. "It's von Kerman. Obney... talk to me... what is the meaning of this?"

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"Banshee B-7 to von Kerman," Obney replied softly. "I'm... I'm sorry, sir. We talked it over... and we both agree, Gene cannot be allowed to fall into her... IT'S... hands!"

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"It???" von Kerman was confused. "Explain."

"IT! THEM!!!" another voice cut in... the trembling voice of Kerenna Kerman!!! "Those... things!!! What if... What if the "Acting" Grand Kerbal... is one of them!"

"Kerenna, listen," von Kerman now understood her fear, and tried to calm her down. "There is no evidence to suggest..."

"No!" Kerenna nearly screamed. "Sir... please... She's acting all crazy... and I... I can't take that chance... Not Gene.... I'll do anything... sacrifice anything... I don't care..."

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"Kerenna... please... you don't have to..." von Kerman tried his best to talk her down. "Let me speak with Gene."

"I'm sorry, sir," Obney answered instead. "I'm afraid Gene is... is still sleeping... and I... I hereby resign my commission."

And without another word he slammed the throttle to full and executed a nearly suicidal turn onto the runway.... without taxiing to the end first!!!

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"Banshee B-7... STOP!!! Obney, you'll never make it!" the tower watch screamed to no avail as Obney pushed the engines to critical, and pulled back on his stick as hard as he could.... and felt himself sink back further and further into his seat as the G-forces began to crush into him, and his vision began to blur...

For several terrifying seconds Werhner sat frozen, horrified they would plunge off the runway into a fiery poofing... but then the Banshee began to lift off, and a howl rang out through the Space center... a howl of... of... could it be??? The space center personnel were... cheering!!!

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Throughout the space center chants of began to ring out...

"Go, Go, Go, Go!!!"

True, what had just happened violated every rule in the book... and under other circumstances Obney and Kerenna would have been instantly court marshaled and thrown into the deepest borrow available for the rest of their lives. But this... well, the simple truth was Obney and Kerenna just did what every other Kerb in the facility secretly wanted to do... save Gene from the "Acting" Grand Kerbal.

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Once they had achieved orbit, Gene began to wake up... but was still groggy, and didn't realize what had just happened... or where he really was...

"Ohhh, look at the pretty stars..." he whispered as he peered out the window... "I feel all... floaty... Where are we?"

"Safe, dearest..." Kerenna smiled back. "Safe..."

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Back at the space center Werhner watched the Banshee fly off, then paused the live-feed, and just sat there trying his best to decide what to do next... and failing miserably!

Deep, deep inside... he felt as the rest of the space center did... His best friend Gene was safe, even if he didn't really believe Samantha was possessed. True, she was behaving quite erratic. But they had now learned possession by one of those... monstrosities... has obvious side-effects, the weird, dead eyes being the most obvious. There was no-way one of those could possess the "Acting" Grand Kerbal without anyone noticing.

Still, Gene was beyond her grasp, at least for the time being, and for that he couldn't be mad at either Obney or Kerenna... But officially... Werhner dreaded when word got back to Samantha. Like it or not, he would be forced to break both of them... something he just didn't think he could do.

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"I... should get back to the lab," Linus said softly, and without waiting for an answer, quietly got up and left poor Werhner alone to his thoughts...

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"What to do... what to do???"

For nearly an hour Werhner just sat and tried to come to grips with everything... The "Acting" Grand Kerbal's temper-tantrum... the Krakens... Laytheans... Gene... and, most important... Emiko... Gods how he missed her, and wished he could rely on her somewhat off-beat, but always sound, wisdom right now.

Finally, with no-more solution than before, Werhner got up and wandered outside into the pre-dawn morning...

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Outside Kerbol was just starting to turn the horizon red... and it was utterly silent... not even the platypus's down near the shore were chattering... or the birds singing... or the moonkrickets chirping... nothing... deathly quiet...  far, far too quiet!!!

And Werhner instantly froze as a cold, cold wind seemed to suddenly blow up out of no-where... and he thought he heard... something... coming from the water tanks a little ways from him... 

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What was that??? Something was standing atop the tanks... Werhner felt it even more intensely, and strained to make out who, or what, it was... then finally thought he recognized it.

"Sanny??? Saffron???" Werhner called out, but got no reply... at first... 

Until a sort of chittering laugh seemed to both scream and weep through his mind... and Werhner knew instantly this was indeed Saffron, only Sanny was no longer possessing her... the thing inside her now was something far, far more terrible... and dangerous...

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As carefully as he could, Werhner reached down and switched on his microphone and whispered softly....

"Code 7... repeat... code 7... NOW!!!"

But his eyes never left... it... and in his mind the laughing/screaming/howling continued to grow stronger... as if there were not just one mind, but many, all now possessing Saffron at once...

And suddenly Werhner remembered... and he know just who... what... this one was... and the laughing-howl grew to a cacophony in his mind... and through it all he remembered the last warning spoken to him by the Kraken Lord earlier the night before...

"Beware... beware the handmaiden, von Kerman... for that one is both possessor and possessed, and is truly insane..."

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The Saga of Emiko Station, and the strange tale of Emiko and Chibi Kerman, are still far, far from over...

Go to Chapter 97
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Edited by Just Jim
adding in the missing song quote
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adsii1970

adsii1970

Posted
Posted
42 minutes ago, Just Jim said:

"Odd..." he thought to himself as he landed. "Am I really falling? Or is it in my mind??? I must remember to check the security cameras sometime..."

Don't do it. You don't want to see what really happened... :D

46 minutes ago, Just Jim said:

"Ohhh, look at the pretty stars..." he whispered as he peered out the window... "I feel all... floaty... Where are we?"

So that's what happens when you binge eat sea bugs and tacos... :D

A really great chapter! What a cliffhanger...

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TeslaPenguin1

TeslaPenguin1

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Just Jim said:

"IT! THEM!!!" another voice cut in... the trembling voice of Kerenna Kerman!!! "Those... things!!! What if... What if the "Acting" Grand Kerbal... is one of them!"

 

I seriously said this, like, 3 chapters ago.

I think that Samantha is a kraken...

And that she "doesn't believe" in them because she doesn't want people to find out she is one!

On 4/11/2018 at 3:16 PM, TeslaPenguin1 said:

My theory is that Samantha is a Kraken!

Why?

Well, there is evidence that Krakens exist, but she still doesn't believe in them.

Maybe she doesn't want people to know she is a kraken, so she is trying to make people not believe in them!

:o

Edited by TeslaPenguin1
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HeroBrian_333

HeroBrian_333

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Posted
1 hour ago, TeslaPenguin1 said:

I seriously said this, like, 3 chapters ago.

I think that Samantha is a kraken...

And that she "doesn't believe" in them because she doesn't want people to find out she is one!

:o

One problem with your theory:

2 hours ago, Just Jim said:

True, she was behaving quite erratic. But they had now learned possession by one of those... monstrosities... has obvious side-effects, the weird, dead eyes being the most obvious. There was no-way one of those could possess the "Acting" Grand Kerbal without anyone noticing.

Soo..... <o/

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obney kerman

obney kerman

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Posted
1 hour ago, HeronRocketry said:

Now we just have to wait to see who picks Gene up because that SSTO didn’t look like it could get far past LKO... :confused:

Agreed. I also noticed the lack of an inline docking port, so they'll we'll have to use KAS pipes. Maybe they're we're headed to Kerbin station? After all, they left the Duna raptor there.

The pronouns are really confusing when I'm part of the story.

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