The Saga of Emiko Station - Complete

[Just Jim]

3 minutes ago, DualDesertEagle said:

I've read in the TIME threadthat ur about to upload?

Yes and no... I think I wrapped up the screenshots last night. I say "I think" because there's usually a few I have to go back and re-do.

But I'll be sorting and Photoshopping today, and uploading tonight or tomorrow.  

[Just Jim]

Hey everyone, quick update... I just finished sorting and uploading everything for the next chapter, and I ended up with a lot! But there's no way to split this without the first half being boring, so this is looking like it's gonna be a long one... with a little bit of everything...

Fun, Drama, Action... maybe a little romance... definitely a gratuitous explosion... hehehe... tacos... skydivers... T-Rex's.... wait... what???  

[Thedrelle]

16 minutes ago, Just Jim said:

Hey everyone, quick update... I just finished sorting and uploading everything for the next chapter, and I ended up with a lot! But there's no way to split this without the first half being boring, so this is looking like it's gonna be a long one... with a little bit of everything...

Fun, Drama, Action... maybe a little romance... definitely a gratuitous explosion... hehehe... tacos... skydivers... T-Rex's.... wait... what???  

That explosion had better BE Gratuitous!

[Just Jim]

16 minutes ago, Thedrelle said:

That explosion had better BE Gratuitous!

Hehehe... OK, tell ya what. Without giving anything away, I obviously have to write in some sort of reason for it. But after you've had a chance to read the chapter, I'll let you decide for yourself just how gratuitous it really is... 

[obney kerman]

3 hours ago, Just Jim said:

T-Rex's

error: does-not-compute

error code 1336

[CatastrophicFailure]

26 minutes ago, obney kerman said:

error: does-not-compute

error code 1336

Life finds a way. 

occasionally, so do stubborn jarified brains...

[Mr. Peabody]

3 hours ago, Just Jim said:

T-Rex's....

As in a literal dinosaur? I find that highly unlikely. Probably an acronym or the name of a craft or engine.

[adsii1970]

8 minutes ago, The Dunatian said:

As in a literal dinosaur? I find that highly unlikely. Probably an acronym or the name of a craft or engine.

Hehehe, yeah, go ahead. Continue to think that...

[Geschosskopf]

3 hours ago, The Dunatian said:

As in a literal dinosaur? I find that highly unlikely. Probably an acronym or the name of a craft or engine.

It's actually one of the biggest platform aerial fire trucks in the world.  So I'm guessing the VAB is gonna burn down again  

[DualDesertEagle]

On 11.1.2018 at 6:43 PM, Just Jim said:

I just finished sorting and uploading everything for the next chapter

Then why is it still not here? 

 

JK, guess it's gonna be any minute now...

[Just Jim]

We'll put out to sea and we'll perfect our chemistry
And by and by we'll defy a little bit of gravity
                                                                             The Beach Boys: "Kokomo"

 

Chapter 91
Kokomo

Kerbol was just setting beyond the western mountains when Werhner von Kerman came strolling out of the Astronaut Complex and walked up to Emiko's enigmatic Magic Boulder.

"Well," von Kerman smiled. "We've just received word. Emiko is safe!"

For a moment Werhner paused and stood still, but nothing happened.

"The transmission was pretty garbled..." he continued. "Apparently Thompberry's EMP burst did more damage to the Platypus electronics than we had anticipated."

Werhner paused again, but nothing happened.

"Yes... well..." von Kerman continued. "The Annabel Lee just arrived, and is being loaded with every conceivable thing we can think of to help repair the Platypus. If they fly straight through the night, they should be able to get back to Kokomo in 2 days"

"I'm told the only causality was Saffron Kerman, ironically enough. I don't have any specifics, but Jandolin says she's in pretty bad shape... Despite her crimes, I've given orders to send what we can to help."

.... nothing...

"OK," von Kerman sighed. "I had better get back to work. I'll... update you... if anything significant occurs."

... still nothing...

And with that Werhner von Kerman turned and walked back to the Astronaut complex. But despite being a little disappointed at not having a second vision, a grin still started to spread across his face... again. His sweet Emiko, and the rest of the crew, were alive and safe... and Werhner couldn't be happier!

 

Meanwhile, out on Kokomo island, the crew of the Platypus were all inside, trying their best to restore some power and lights before sunset. Luckily the solar array managed to survive, so they were able to start recharging those batteries that still worked. But nearly 70% of the electronics were useless, and they would have to make do with what they had until replacement parts arrived.

Earlier that morning Bill had inflated two more smaller Chuckwagon warehouse domes to act as temporary holding cells for both Fritz and LoVar. Theo, however, was furious at the idea, because these two domes had been modified into what he and Angelo had jokingly called P.O.T.A.T.O. greenhouses, short for Portable Organics Transformer for Anaerobic Tasty Organisms. And these domes were meant to be part of Theo's hydroponic experiment, if they had the chance to set them up.

But now they were being used as a makeshift jailhouse, and Theo wasn't happy. But Emiko and Chibi, both sensing Theo's displeasure, scrounged around for a couple of thorny bushes, which they quickly threw into pots and presented to Theo. And once Emiko started making jokes about them being "Scrub Bushes of Unspeakable Shame", Theo's mood quickly brightened back up, and with a laugh they carried the bushes into the greenhouses where LoVar and Fritz sat alone.

The ironic part was while Fritz was definitely in a lot of trouble, LoVar wasn't, and really didn't need to be isolated. The second he realized Saffron intended on poisoning an island that was almost sacred ground to legitimate sailor and pirate alike, he balked, and turned against her, only to find himself a captive as well. As far as the Platypus crew was concerned, LoVar was pretty much off the hook.

But while Bill was assembling the dome for Fritz, a fascinating, and somewhat comical, argument had taken place between LoVar and Geschosskopf over who would be stuck caring for the now semi-comatose Saffron. And while Geschosskopf made a compelling case that LoVar was still her captain, and therefor responsible for her well-being, LoVar countered that he was, in fact, still under arrest for attempted kidnapping, and therefor wouldn't be able to care for "poor Saffron"... and then played the ace he had hidden up his sleeve and "innocently" asked if Geschosskopf and Saffron were actually ever legally divorced...

And when Geschosskopf turned several odd shades of dark emerald, but didn't respond, LoVar turned to Bill with a laugh, and requested he set up a second isolation dome for LoVar to reside in until they departed.

 

After the isolation domes completed, Bill dragged out an extra cement slab, and fashioned Thompberry a tie-down for the hover-rover, joking the whole time how they needed to keep him on a leash.

But it as after that Bill made a somewhat startling discovery when Thompberry thanked him for the tie-down.

"Ahhh, that's better, friend William," Thompberry almost seemed to purr. "This craft his rather difficult to control, and had a tendency to drift if I'm not paying attention. But now perhaps I can shut down and take a short nap..." 

"Wait... what?" Bill gasped. "You take... naps??? You... sleep... inside that... thing???"

"Yes, William," Thompberry chuckled. "I am, after all, still an organic brain. And while I no longer have a body that requires rest, I do still find the need now and then to power down my external cameras and monitors and... well.. relax, if you will."

"Fascinating!" Bill exclaimed. "I have got to remember to mention this to Bob. Well then, Thompberry... I suppose I should wish you pleasant... dreams???"

A little while later Kuzzter hopped aboard the Platypus's trailer-rover and headed down to the beach. Luckily the rover was almost entirely mechanical, and had no fly-by-wire system like the Platypus, so it sustained no serious damage from Thompberry's blast, and just needed a couple quick repairs before being fully operational.

Down at the beach, the massive submarine Mariner now floated a few dozen meters off shore, dwarfing the beautiful steamship Chalupa Queen, on which Captain Kuzzter met with the venerable Captain Fengist, owner and operator of the famous Fengist Shipyards, by far the largest and most successful shipbuilders in modern history.

"I don't know how to thank you, sir," Kuzzter smiled at his mentor, who had long ago traded in his tricorne for a hardhat, claiming a real ship-builder didn't need no fancy captain's uniform. "You took a big chance, you did."

"Aye, I know," Fengist smiled and looked over at his share of the gold bars. "But you've never steered me wrong before, lad. And this time... well... it may have been your biggest gamble yet. But the booty??? That's most, most welcome, lad, and may pay for whole a new dry-dock!"

"And better yet," Fengist grinned. "You finally managed to get those blockheads at KASA to listen to my proposal to build them a submarine of their own! You know, lad, that we know more about outer space..."

"...than we do about the bottom of our own oceans..." Kuzzter laughed. "Yes, sir, you've told me a thousand times."

"Well... It's true!" Fengist huffed, then smiled again. "Any-who, we're starting negotiations on a contract in the next few days... and I have you to thank!"

"It was my pleasure, sir, " Kuzzter smiled. "And thank you, again."

And with that Kuzzter, accompanied by the Rocklady, who had remained on-board the ship the night before, headed down the gangway, while Fengist turned and began barking orders to the crews of the Chalupa Queen and Mariner to prepare for immediate departure.

 

As they headed down the beach and then back up the hill to the Platypus camp, the Rocklady turned to Kuzzter and smiled.

"May I ask you a... personal question?"

"Anything, m'Lady," Kuzzter smiled back.

"About Geschosskopf... I know you and he have a... shall we say, colorful past?"

"That's one way of putting it," Kuzzter laughed.

"But neither of you seems terribly wicked," the Rocklady continued. "So how is it... well..."

"Ahhh..." Kuzzter now guessed where this was going. "Geschosskopf and Saffron?"

"Yes," the Rocklady smiled. "How did they... well... Geschosskopf doesn't seem nearly as... well... evil, I suppose, as she apparently is."

"Actually," Kuzzter began. "Geo and Saffron are a lot alike... much, too much alike, for their own good. And at first I do believe they truly loved each other. But one thing you have to understand about Geschosskopf... he is only interested in one thing, and that's Geschosskopf. And the same can be said of Saffron."

"Then, if I may be so bold," the Rocklady asked. "Why are you and he helping us... and KASA?"

"Ahhh," Kuzzter smiled again. "Quite simply, because neither of us is too terribly fond of the idea of these Kraken things coming back."

"All-right," the Rocklady nodded. "I can accept that. But back to my original question, if they were in love, what happened between Geo and Saffron to make them hate each other so?

"Exactly what happened here, only about 20 years or so ago," Kuzzter shook his head. "At first things were great, but then Saffron got too greedy for her own good, and, well... let's just say things turned ugly... fast."

"Ohhh," the Rocklady nodded sadly. "You needn't say anymore, I think I understand."

 

By nightfall the crew had managed to repair and replace most of the light fixtures, but it really didn't matter. After the fear and stress of being under Saffron's captivity, each of the crew was asleep as soon as they hit their bunks, and everyone slept like the poofed until well after sunrise the next day.

But later that next day Bill and Bob, accompanied by Pappy Kerman, discovered they were in more trouble then they realized when they tried to restart the Platypus reactor...

... and nothing happened!

"Damn..." Bill started to curse uncharacteristically. "Damn, damn, damn, damn...."

"Hey," Bob interrupted. "Language... Now what's wrong with it, can you tell?"

"I'm not sure..." Bill frowned. "But I think the control rod drive mechanism is fried..."

"Meaning?" Pappy interrupted. "For those of us that ain't rocket scientists."

"OK, real simple," Bob explained. "The reactor has this thing inside it called a control rod, which is inserted into the central core. And by moving it in or out of the core, we can control the reactor itself, and how much power it produces. Now this is a really, really over-simplified explanation, but I believe will be sufficient."

"And the drive mechanism," Pappy now thought he understood. "That's what moves this... control rod thing... in and out?"

"Exactly," Bob nodded. "Only it looks like Thompberry burned out something inside it with his EMP burst."

"And I have no idea how to get to it!" Bill turned away and dropped his wrench in frustration. "This is so far over my head..."

"OK... Now calm down, boy," Pappy said slowly. "First thing I do with vehicles I ain't never seen before is find a manual, and start reading. Do we have any kind of plan, or schematic, for this... thing?"

"Maybe..." Bob shook his head sadly. "If we could get one of the monitors working."

 

That evening Bob and Pappy tried to get one of the repair dome's laptops to work, while Bill called Jeb back and tried to explain the situation.

"So we're still stuck here?" Jeb sighed after hearing about the reactor, but was interrupted by Bob's excited shout across the dome.

"Oh... wait... come on... come on..." Bob tried goad the laptop into booting up... But then it froze up on the loading screen... for the third time... "Awwww... Kraken Krap!!!"

"Yeah, boss," Bill shook his head. "I think we're stuck."

 

But the next morning everyone's mood improved greatly when they awoke to see the massive airship Annabel Lee now resting down at the beach, and her small rover already headed up with a fresh load of supplies and, even more important, repair parts!

The crew had also decided to send the Platypus trailer-rover home, having served it's purpose... and more importantly, because the Annabel Lee had more than enough room to carry her back safely. So while the smaller supply rover ran back and forth between the base camp and beach, Jeb drove the trailer-rover down, secured her in the Annabel Lee cargo hold, and then hitched a ride back to camp.

 

Up at the camp, Bill, Bob, and Pappy were back on top of the Platypus, wrestling with the problem of the fused drive mechanism, when Bob started to fidget, and cleared his throat, but was a little afraid to say what he was thinking.

"OK, spill it," Bill knew his best friend far too well. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well," Bob hesitated. "Late last night I had a thought."

"And???"

"And... well, It occurred to me we've had a replacement reactor available all along," Bob grinned feebly, and then slowly looked over at... Thompberry!

"Oh... Ohhh, no!" Bill choked. "You're not thinking..."

"Yup," Bob nodded, then called over. "Thompberry, have you been monitoring our conversation?"

"Now, friend Robert," Thompberry chuckled in his weird, electronic way. "You know I try not to eavesdrop."

"But you did hear what we've been talking about, yes?"

"Correct, Robert," Thompberry replied. "And yes, you are correct in your assumption. This hover-rover has a reactor quite similar to the Platypus's. Next generation, in fact."

"No!" Bill shouted, but Bob ignored him and continued.

"And can you dock to the Platypus, Thompberry?"

"I have to means to dock, correct," Thompberry responded. "But you will need to fasten some sort of clamps to the top of the Platypus, then wire an interface, and... in theory... I should be able to power both quite adequately."

"OK, then. We just need to rig up a docking clamp..." Bob started, but was cut off by Thompberry.

"One moment, Robert... I am now accessing the Annabel Lee cargo manifest... accessing... accessing..." Thompberry paused a second, then laughed in his weird way. "Remarkable... There it is."

"There what is?" Bill asked suspiciously.

"Starboard side, cargo container 4F-37... Contents: parts for Mk-2 docking clamp, one each (some assembly required)," Thompberry chuckled. "It appears our friends Werhner and Angelo have indeed thought of everything."

 

So instead of trying to repair the reactor, they carefully unattached it as a complete unit instead, which proved to be quite simple compared to trying to open it. Then they lowered it gently down off the Platypus, onto the back of the Annabel Lee's cargo-rover, and finally drove it slowly down to the waiting airship, where it was safely fastened down in the cargo hold

But once they were finished, Pappy took a look around the massive cargo hold, and shuddered violently.

"Gods... what a monstrosity," the grizzly old Kerb grumbled. "How in the Kraken's hell does something this big get off the ground?"

"Would you like to go for a ride before it leaves?" Bill playfully asked his mentor, already knowing... and bracing... for the answer.

"What, me???" Pappy growled. "Are you mad, boy? I prefer my wheels firmly planted on the ground! Now, let's find that container and get out of this... this whale's belly... and back to work."

"Yes, sir," Bill chuckled. "Right away, sir!"

 

So Bill spent the rest of the afternoon assembling and installing a docking port onto the back of the Platypus, where the communication tower once was, while Pappy and the rest of the crew turned their attention to repairing what they could inside the Platypus, in hopes that Thompberry would have something resembling a working rover once he was attached. Luckily, the back of the Platypus was lined with solar panels, so even without the reactor, she had some electrical power to work with.

 

Later that evening, as Kerbol was beginning to set, Emiko came out of the main dome to let everyone know she and Chibi had made tacos (again). But when she saw what her friends were now working on, she stopped... and nearly dropped her taco!

"Is... Is that a... a sleepy tube?!?" Emiko gasped.

"Now, Emiko," Geschosskopf turned to her and said as gently as he could. "Please, don't be upset... I know how you must feel about cryo-tubes. But I can explain."

"Emiko not upset..." Emiko shook her head. "OK, maybe a little... More curious. Why?"

"Well, first off, it's more than just a "Sleepy-tube", as you call it," Geo explained. "It can also function as a medical bay, and even a life support pod... R&D has been working on it since... well... since you and Werhner had the... incident... on the Mun."

"Werhner?" Emiko was a little bewildered. 

"Yes, Werhner," Geo continued. "Luckily your Magic Boulder managed to get everyone back in time to save him from poofing. But this got some of the med-techs to thinking about an alternative plan... And that, along with what you told us of your experience with the ET's cryogenic chamber, inspired the R&D medical division to design this... An emergency cryo-med pod."

"Ahhhh, Emiko understands..." But then she realized why they were setting it up, and gasped again... "Ohhh... Sleepy-Med-tube is for... Saffron?"

"We have no choice," Jandolin answered from behind the tube. "She's gone into a coma, sort of... And with this we can safely monitor her until she's back home, and the medical staff can take over."

Then Geschosskopf went and brought out Saffron, who was walking, more or less, but stiff as a zombie, and just staring off into space. Jandolin opened the unit, helped lie Saffron down as gently as they could, and re-activated the pod, which almost immediately frosted back over.

"Readings are nominal... life-signs stable... brain functions are... well, two out of three isn't bad, I guess" Jandolin read from the pods back readout panel. "I'm not putting her into full cryo, but I am lowering her vitals to 1/3rd... Maybe it'll help her rest."

"Well, if nothing else" Geschosskopf tried to joke. "It should keep her out of trouble."

 

The next morning Gem went out and tried her best to get the Platypus to start. But it flatly refused to cooperate, until Pappy walked over and gave it a swift kick in the tire!

"I don't know how you do that..." Bill whispered to himself as the Platypus suddenly turned over.

Then Gem slowly let off the brake, and did her best to perform a simple k-turn, and line the Platypus up with Thompberry, prior to him attempting to dock to it. But she had no dashboard monitors, and it felt like half the wheels weren't responding either, and it took all her skill and experience just to get the wounded Platypus turned around, and not go tumbling down the hill they were camped out on.

As soon as she was close enough, Bill ran over and tied the Platypus down, as a precaution. Then Thompberry ordered everyone inside the dome, except Bill, before he un-linked the anti-grav rover. The twins were a little disappointed not getting to watch up close, but Thompberry told them he had enough problems hovering around without having to worry about knocking one or the other of them in the head. Besides, they could watch just fine from any one of a dozen windows.

Then Thompberry slowly powered up the anti-grav pods, and used his on-board thrusters to spin 180°, and line himself up as exactly as possible with the docking port, before slowly thrusting forward, and finally down onto the docking port.

He had to be exceptionally precise and straddle the Platypus perfectly... if any of the pods got too close to the Platypus he could go tumbling out of control, which could prove quite... inconvenient. But he was able to get himself lined up perfectly and about to lower himself down when Bill called out from below.

"Hey, Thompberry... Probe!!!"

"Oh, yes..." Thompberry was actually a little embarrassed he hadn't noticed it was still extended, and quickly the probe back before settling down onto the docking port, and clamping the two tightly. "That could have been... unfortunate. Thank you, William"

As soon as the clamps were secure, Bill ran up to the front of the Platypus and installed another tie-down, again at Thompberry's request. The Platypus was quite large and heavy, but Thompberry honestly didn't know if the anti-gravs could lift it or not, and preferred to be cautious until he could get the pods re-configured.

Then Bill got to work with the wiring harness, and interface, that would connect Thompberry into the Platypus systems.

First he installed a couple temporary ladders, then re-located Thompberry's port to better align with the Platypus's port, and spent the afternoon connecting wires, until finally, the Platypus began to surge once again with power, and Thompberry was able to begin scanning systems, and locating all those circuits and components that needed repair.

Then Bill re-adjusted Thompberry's central control pod better onto the Platypus fuel cell, and also moved his probes into a better position. Bob was also able to begin checking the remaining scanners, and got to it as fast as he could.

As the afternoon crept on, Thompberry finally announced he was totally integrated, and had already scanned and isolated 98.8% of the remaining problems... And with a little work, they should be able to have everything back up and running in just another day or two.

Bob and Bill then climbed down, and were quite proud of their accomplishment... for all of about 20 seconds.

Until Kuzzter and Geschosskopf came strolling out, took one look, and shook their heads.

"She'll sink for sure," Geschosskopf clucked his tongue. "Y'all might be clever mechanics, but sailors you are not!"

"What do you mean?" both Bob and Bill asked as one.

"Just look at her," Kuzzter laughed. "With Thompberry up there... looking like some hideous stern-castle... she's way too top heavy, and probably back heavy as well. Geo is right, she'll topple for sure, soon as she hits the water."

"Aww, no..." Bill tried to hide his disappointment. "I hadn't considered... Thompberry, can you calculate your approximate center of mass?"

"Working..." Thompberry replied, then sounded a little worried himself. "Oh... Oh, that's not good."

"Yeah," Kuzzter looked the Platypus over. "Those under-carriage compartments, they can hold supplies?"

"A small amount, yes," Bob nodded.

"OK, here's what we need to do. First, unpack everything. Then repack it, only make sure to move the absolute heaviest stuff to the bottom, and the lightest to the top, to help move the COM as low as possible..." Kuzzter looked around. "We need something really, really heavy up front, to offset the balance... Some sort of ballast..."

Then he looked over at the pile of cargo containers, and a mischievous smile crossed his face... "Oh... yeah... I know..."

"You aren't thinking..." Geschosskopf also began to smile. "Oh, that's beautifully ironic, it is..."

"What's so ironic???" Bob began, then realized what Kuzzter was implying. "No... you mean, use the remaining gold bars for... for ballast?"

"Yup..." Kuzzter grinned. "Why not? It just might be enough."

 

By this time the twins, Gem and Theo, had also wandered out to see what was happening, and stood for a couple minutes just looking up at Thompberry, and giggling to themselves.

"OK, children," Thompberry finally demanded playfully. "And just what, might I inquire, is so very amusing?"

"You..." Gem tried so very hard not to laugh... and failed "You're a... a... hehehe"

"An Antigravipus," Theo snorted, and the two erupted into hysterics...

... and needless to say, the name stuck.

 

After this things really began to move, and most of the crew spent the rest of the day inside the Antigravipus, armed with soldering irons, fixing damaged systems as Thompberry scanned and pinned them down.

But in the domes, the rescued scientists, Dr. Herbert, Dr's Froderick and his wife Dr. Zelberta, and most importantly, Dr. Frank N. Kerman, who Fritz had once assisted... And who's fate they were now discussing. 

"Until now he's never done anything wrong," Froderick said sadly. "I... I can't just abandon him."

"No, we understand," Zelberta replied gently. "Even the others... that Geschosskopf fellow... He said we can't blame Fritz too much for falling under this Saffron's spell... Apparently he's far, far from being her first... victim."

 

"Zelberta and I will go back with you," Froderick continued. "We've also known Fritz off and on... and we can see how this is weighing on you, old friend. We'll be there for you when you testify."

"And I will stay on with the Antigravipus  and carry out our observations, so the investigation can continue," Dr. Herbert smiled. He really never worked with young Fritz, so there was little he could contribute to Fritz's defense. And yes, while it was true Herbert had been through far more than the others, having survived Ground Zero, he was as devoted as any scientist on the planet, and shrugged it all off for a chance to continue studying Emiko and Chibi... and now, perhaps, investigate Thompberry as well! He was actually quite excited to stay with the Antigravipus and continue his work, despite all the recent events. "You all go back and do what must be done, I can attend to matters here."

"Thank you, my friends," Dr. Frank looked around and then smiled again sadly. "I... I am indebted to you all."

 

And so for the rest of that day, and the morning of the next, the crew clamped down and were able to fix every blown, fused, or otherwise malfunctioning piece of electronics in the entire Antigravipus, and finally get her back into working condition. Now Bill could start hauling the cargo containers, filled with the broken electronic parts, back down to the Annabel Lee, where they could be flown back home and disposed of properly.

After a couple trips, Kuzzter volunteered to drive so Bill could take a break, and along with the cargo, he began shuttling the three scientist that would be returning home down to the Annabel Lee as well.

Finally, as the sun began to set, they were down to just the two large containers, and lastly Saffron's cryo med-tube. With luck the Annabel Lee could be in the air and headed back home in just a couple more hours. But when Kuzzter climbed out of the cargo-rover, his eyes lit up at the sight of Emiko, Chibi, and Geschosskopf... all holding freshly made tacos!!!

"Kuzzter Captain better hurry, or Emiko eat them all up!" Emiko called over to him with a laugh!

"Oh, no you don't, Miss Emiko..." Kuzzter laughed back, then ran as fast as he could inside. "I'm packing a few up to take with us!"

Once he was inside, Emiko turned to Geschosskopf, and asked in a somewhat embarrassed voice.

"Geo-cough... Emiko is... well... was wondering...."

"Oh, spit it out, girl," Chibi laughed. "You're just too polite!"

"What Emiko is trying to ask," Chibi turned to Geschosskopf,. "Is what's the deal with Kuzzter and LoVar? We had to separate them twice today... What gives? Why do they hate each other so much?"

"Oh... that," Geschosskopf walked closer, as if he were afraid someone would be listening. "I wondered when someone was going to ask."

"So what happened?"

"Well," Geschosskopf lowered his voice to just a whisper. "It all began about 20 years ago, when LoVar took Kuzzter's hat..."

"What???" Emiko jumped back and shouted... "A hat??? Dumb fight is over a... hat???

"Shhhhh...." Geschosskopf hushed her. "Emiko, please, you have to understand. This wasn't just any hat. This was a Kalvary Kolor Guard Kaptain's hat... One of the grand Kerbal's Kalvary Kolor Guard..."

Emiko let out a low whistle. "Really? Kuzzter Captain was in Kalvary Kolor Guard? Oh, Chibi,.... Kalvary Kolor Guard so cool... Ride huge, shaggy Borses in parades!!! Emiko take you some time."

"But... wait," Emiko suddenly paused. "Why doesn't Emiko remember Kuzzter back then? Emiko loves Kalvary Kolor Guard..."

"This would have been a couple years before your space agency was founded," Geschosskopf thought back. "I believe you were in the desert at that time, at the pyramids of Tut-Un Jeb-Ahn."

"Oh, that explains it," Emiko nodded. 

"So back to the hat," Chibi whispered eagerly.

"Yes..." Geschosskopf looked around again. "Back then Kuzzter and LoVar were best friends. Kuzzter had just been promoted to Kaptain, and LoVar was his primary squad leader. But then there was the night of the Grand Kerbals birthday ball... and there was a huge party on her private yacht..."

 "Uh oh..." Chibi whispered. "I think I see where this is heading."

"Yup, sometime during the evening, LoVar snatched Kuzzter's hat from his head...." Geschosskopf paused and shook his head sadly. "It was all so... stupid... just a prank... LoVar never meant any harm. But the two got screwing around over it, when a sudden gust of wind blew up, and the hat went sailing overboard, and was never seen again..."

"Sometime later that evening... I can't remember exactly when, this huge fight breaks out over the lost hat," Geschosskopf frowned. "I honestly don't know who threw the first punch, except to tell you, here and now, I know for a fact it wasn't Kuzzter or LoVar. It started somewhere else inside the ship between rival squads... I think."

"But they got blamed... didn't they?" Emiko asked sadly.

"Oh yeah, they did," Geschosskopf whispered back. "The next morning both were summoned before the Grand Kerbal. LoVar was stripped of rank and expelled; Kuzzter severely reprimanded and demoted. And he resigned a couple days later as well."

"Oh, man... that's so tragic..." Chibi thought she might start to cry.

"It was, little one, it truly was," Geschosskopf shook his head. "And their bitterness towards each other continues to this day...  all over a long-lost Kalvary hat."

 

But before Emiko and Chibi had a chance to break down into tears, the three were interrupted by Jandolin Kerman, coming out to check on Saffron and the cryo med-pod, in preparation to her being moved to the Annabel Lee. Emiko and Chibi quickly re-composed themselves, and Emiko began to look around and whistle, until Chibi elbowed her in the ribs with a laugh...

"Quit that!"

But when Jandolin walked around and inspected the monitor, she frowned... then she walked over, wiped away the frost from the front of the pod... and let out a yelp!

"It's empty!!!" Jandolin screamed. "Oh my... No! Saffron... She's gone!

"WHAT?!?" Geschoffkopf roared, running up to the pod to see for himself. "How is this possible???"

"I... I don't know," Jandolin studied the readout monitor in complete bewilderment. "This is all wrong... Someone... hacked into it... I think."

"But who? How?" Geo was horrified now. "Thompberry, did you see anything up there?"

"I'm afraid much of the day my attention was focused on scanning the Platypus internal systems, my friends," Thompberry sounded generally disappointed. "I am... intrigued... whoever has done this, did it quietly enough that I... well... embarrassing as this is... I seem to have missed it."

By now Jeb & Val, along with Kuzzter, were scrambling outside, only to learn the terrifying news.

"She has to be on the island..." Jeb looked around. "But it's almost dark... we'll never find her until..."

But just then he was cut off by a frantic call from the Annabel Lee, down at the beach.

"Hey... Jeb... Val..." Kerenna's voice was audibly shaking over the speakers. "We have a... a situation... down here..."

"Oh... My... God..." young Obney Kerman's voice cut in uncharacteristically. "Ma'am... Look at her eyes!!!

 

 

For a moment everyone froze, understanding instantly the implications! But how? How could a Kraken suddenly appear on the island. Granted, Thompberry had been busy concentrating on the Antigravipus diagnostics. But even as preoccupied as he was, there was absolutely no way a Magic Boulder could have dropped a Kraken off without his scanners going crazy!

A cold chill seemed to ripple through the group, while Jeb and Kuzzter looked at each other, both thinking the same... But it was Kuzzter who spoke first.

"Captain, you and Captain Val need to get these people on-board the Antigravipus, and be ready to evacuate as soon as possible!" 

"Agreed!" Jeb nodded fiercely. "Thompberry, start powering up your reactor. I want everyone on-board and ready to go in 5 minutes!"

"Geo!" Kuzzter called out. "You and I need to get down there and access this situation closer."

"Wait..." Geschosskopf choked. "What??? Oh, no!"

"Come on... You know you're the only one that can tell if this is real, or just another one of your crazy ex-wife's schemes!"

For a moment Geschosskopf stood and thought about it. Saffron pretending to be a Kraken, trying to hi-jack the Annabel Lee??? Yeah.... it was just about nutty enough...

"Damn..." he growled, then followed Kuzzter to the small cargo-rover. "Fine, I didn't want to live out the night anyway... Let's get this over with."

 

But as they arrived at the beach, and began to draw close to the Annabel Lee, Kuzzter and Geschosskopf realized something was quite out of place... 

"Is that Saffron?" Kuzzter asked as the climbed out of the rover.

"I.... I think so," Geschosskoph answered as he reached back inside and pulled out something... heavy... just in case.

"Saffron?" Kuzzter called as they walked slowly up to the wraith-like figure, still standing motionless in front of the Annabel Lee's command gondola. "Saffron??? Is that you?"

"Hey!" Geschosskopf then yelled. "It's me... Saffron... remember me? The Kerb you love to hate?"

Then the haunting figure slowly turned and faced them, and instantly both knew this was no charade...

"You... Troublemaker," Saffron, or whatever she was, smiled horribly. "And the other troublemaker... good... good. Please tell these... idiots... we need to go back, now."

"Uhhhh..." Kuzzter was really puzzled now. It was clearly Saffron, or the face was, but her hair was bleached as white as the purest snow, and her eyes definitely looked like one possessed by a Kraken... but her voice... That was what really threw them both... something about her voice... it was almost familiar...

"Come on," the specter of Saffron stomped her foot. "Don't just stand there like a couple of silly boffins, I want to go back, now!"

"Boffins???" Geschosskopf had heard the word before... and then it hit him like one of the gold ballast bars along side the head, and he let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Boffins!!! Of course... Sanny!" 

"Sanny?" Kuzzter echoed... "Oh... Sanny! Whew... This may sound strange, but am I glad to see you!"

"Well, duh!" Sanny/Saffron grinned. "Everyone is glad to see me!"

"OK," Kuzzter tried to think of how best to handle the unpredictable ghost. "You're looking... different."

"I know!" Sanny/Saffron beamed. "Look at me... I'm sooo hot!"

"Ahhhh, yeah..." Geschosskopf tried not to sound too sarcastic. "About the body..."

"What, this old thing?" Sanny/Saffron giggled. "Just something I threw on... Now can we get going, please?"

"Well..." Kuzzter was still trying to wrap his brain around all this. "The truth is, we have just one last load of cargo to bring down, and then we were leaving. Shouldn't take more than an hour at most."

"I don't know..." Sanny began to object.

"Tell you what," Kuzzter cut her off with a smile. "Why don't you go inside and relax... You can even sit up front with Geo... I mean troublemaker, if you wish. I know you like him..."

"Hey!" Geschosskopf shouted, but Sanny grinned and nodded approvingly.

"Only an hour?"

"Promise," Kuzzter crossed his heart. "Quite likely less..."

"All right, then," Sanny turned and began to walk to the Gondola, but then called out behind her. "But no tricks... don't make me haunt you!"

Once Sanny/Saffron was aboard Kuzzter pulled out his headset and switched the mic on.

"Jeb, Val, you can all stand down..." Kuzzter tried his best not to start laughing. "Situation is... well, you are NOT going to believe this..."

 

"It's WHO???" both Jeb and Val exploded simultaneously, and Emiko burst into laughter...

"Silly Sanny-Ghost!"

"I... I don't think I understand," Jeb shook his head. "You mean Sanny is... possessing... Saffron?"

"Essentially, yes," Kuzzter nodded.

"Nature does abhor a vacuum," Chibi whispered.

"Yes... exactly!" Geschosskopf nodded back fiercely to Chibi. "My thoughts exactly!"

"Excuse me?" Val asked.

"You all said Saffron's mind is gone, or buried really deep inside herself, right?" Chibi explained.

"And along comes Sanny," Geschosskopf finished for her. "A half-crazy spirit without a body..."

"Oh, I get it," Val whispered. "How could she resist?"

"So now what?" Jeb wondered. "This is a little... unorthodox... to say the least."

"You said she wants to go back?" Val asked Kuzzter.

"That's right," Kuzzter nodded. "In fact, we should probably get moving, before she changes her mind."

Val thought about for a second, then looked at Jeb.

"I say let her go. If she's cooperating, and in a good mood... I honestly don't know what else to do.... Like you said, it's a little unorthodox... I don't believe there's anything in the manual that covers goofy ghosts."

"Agreed," Jeb nodded. "If she's already willing to go home, then I don't think we should interfere... I'm not sure what she's capable of. I'm not one to normally pass the buck, but this is all just so... bizarre. Let Gene figure this one out."

"All right, then," Kuzzter nodded. "Then let's get these two crates on the back of the rover so we can get a move on..."

 

And with everyone's help, the little rover was loaded up in just a few minutes, and Kuzzter and Geschosskopf turned to say goodbye.

"We can't thank you both enough," Val beamed. "What you did..."

"Stop, please..." Kuzzter shushed her. "None of that... Let's just say adios until you get back home, before our nutty... friend... get's too impatient."

And with an extravagant swirl of his hat, he and Geschosskopf turned and boarded the small rover, and headed down to the waiting Annabel Lee, where they quickly docked and secured the rover, then climbed down to their seats, and informed Kerenna they were secure and ready for lift-off at her command.

Now normally Obney, being second in command, would ride up front with Kerenna. But he was more than happy to give up the seat so Kuzzter could enjoy the view. And within a few minutes the airship was increasing buoyancy, and lifting off into the night sky.

 

"Now this is sailing..." Kuzzter chuckled over to Kerenna.

But above him in the VIP deck, Geschosskopf was trying to adjust to the fact that his ex-wife, who he hated, was no possessed by in ghost he thought was quite insane... And now she began babbling something about... what???

"In the beginning, there was a monolith, and it was good... no... great... no... awesome!!! Yeah, and it was awesome!!!"

"Then the Monolith created Kerbs... probably as a practical joke... Then the Pony-People..."

"What ARE you talking about?" Geschosskopf asked the grinning ghost.

"My church..." Sanny smiled. "I'm starting a church... So all the silly Boffins can learn the truth about my wonderful Monolith... duh! And I found the perfect place to build it!!!"

"Oh..." Geschosskopf shook his in amazement. Just when he thought things couldn't get much stranger. "Of course... How silly of me..."

""That's better," Sanny hushed him. "Let me finish... Where was I?  Oh... Then the Monolith created the animals.. and the fishes... to provide Snacks unto the starving Kerb's... Oh, and cheese!!!"

"This is going to be such a long ride," Geschosskopf groaned to himself...

 

The next morning on Kokomo, the crew boarded the Antigravipus, and finally... finally...prepared to leave! It had been far too long, and even though the space-center had successfully air-dropped food and supplies to two of the remaining scientists, the third was proving quite difficult, and it was feared he would run out of snacks in just a few more days.

But before they left, they had to deal with the campsite, which was still only half functional, and required many more days of repair-work. The Annabel Lee brought all new domes for the Antigravipus, so it was decided the easiest, and most fun, option was to just blow the whole thing up... lest it fall into the wrong hands.

So once Gem had maneuvered the Antigravipus to a safe distance, Bill set three large demolition charges around the camp.

Then he took a deep breath... counted to three... hit the activation button... and ran as fast as he could to the second charge!!!

"Man, I hope Bob didn't see that!" Bill panted as he hit the second activation button, then sprinted to the third and last charge, activating it as he ran past and continued out to the waiting Antigravipus.

"Three... two... one..." Bill counted to himself...

Blam... Ka bla bla bla BLAM!!!!!!

"Now THAT'S how to blow something up!" Bill chuckled, then turned and crawled into the waiting Antigravipus, and called up to Gem that he was ready whenever she was to get off this rock.

Slowly Gem released the parking brakes, and let the Antigravipus start down the hill towards the beach using just her weight, while Gem got used to the new feel of the now much heavier rover.

"We may have to re-adjust the brakes a little to compensate for the weight," Gem called back to Pappy. "But otherwise she feels OK."

Then they hit the beach, and gem brought the Antigravipus  to a halt, so as to give Thompberry a moment to adjust his anti-grav pods. They had done everything they could to re-adjust the Antigravipus center of mass, and while Thompberry had re-calculated it would stay upright and not roll over, it was still too far to heavy in the rear, even with the added gold bars up front. But he also calculated setting his rear two anti-grav pods to 33% could... hopefully... compensate enough to level them back out.

"Powering Tornado fans..." Gem called out. "Thompberry, are you ready?"

"Affirmative... Captain Gem," Thompberry called back, a mixture of amusement and pride in his weird electronic voice. "Anti-Grav's at 33% and holding... We may depart at you're discretion, ma'am..."

"Bringing tornadoes up to half thrust... releasing parking brake... Hold on..."

For just a brief second there was a weird sort of pulse, as the anti-gravs readjusted to the less dense water... But then they kicked in, and the Antigravipus leveled off perfectly.. and Val let out a tiny sigh of relief.

"We're a lot lower in the water," Gem called out as she brought the engines to full throttle. "We're not going to make the same speed as before."

"Understood," Val called back. "Setting course to 225°... Looks like we're going to make about 16 meters per second. I re-calculate we'll hit the next island in... hmmm, what do you know, just about sundown!"

"That works," Gem smiled back.

Once they were underway, everyone settled in for the trip. In the back, Piper, who had decided she should come along to keep Thompberry out of trouble, was riding in the back... and enjoying herself immensely at Jeb's expense!"

"What? "Piper laughed as Jeb looked overhead nervously... "Are you afraid you'll grow a third eye?"

"Are you sure it's... safe... under those things?"Jeb tried not to let his nervousness at being so close to the anti-grav pods show.

"I don't know," Piper smiled evilly, then called up to Thompberry.. "Hey, bubble-brain... is there any danger being down here?"

"Actually, my dearest Piper," Thompberry answered as innocently as he could. "I calculate a 42.7% chance one of you may grow a third eye..."

And they both broke out into hysterical laughter... while Jeb just growled, and looked up one more time...

In the hydroponics bay, Theo was thrilled to find LoVar had a keen and genuine interest in the garden... and was finding his company quite enjoyable!

"It's so simple..." LoVar shook his head. "I've hauled seeds... plants... packaged food... But it was all cargo... hands off. In all the years, I never once thought of growing my own food, not on-board... Genius, lad... genius!!!"

In the next compartment up, Bob, Harfield, & Jandolin sat in the lab, trying to re-assess all they had learned. There was already the mystery of Emiko and Chibi's matching DNA... and the recent discovery that Emiko had some sort of empathic ability. Now they had a whole new added phenomenon of Sanny/Saffron to analyze... And quite honestly, they didn't really know where to begin there.

Below them, Dr. Herbert sat in silence... which he preferred... and was also thinking about recent events. But Herbert didn't think like the other... Or like any other scholar on the planet. While most scientists tried to think a century or two down the road, and how to best get there, Herbert found the idea of thinking ahead a century, or even a millennium, insulting, and not worth his time.

Trying to imagine life 25,000 years into the future? For Dr. Herbert, that was a pretty good start.

Now he found the rumors he had been hearing for the last couple years were true. Thompberry Kerman did, in fact, survive all those years ago, and now existed as a disembodied brain in some mechanical device of alien design... Wow! Just the thought gave Herbert Kerb-bumps, and made him feel like an excited nibling, and he couldn't wait to talk for a chance to talk with Thompberry face to... pod.

In the conference room, Bill and Pappy were joined by the Rocklady, as they monitored the Antigravipus readouts. Pappy was frowning... but nothing out of the norm, and Bill was satisfied they were doing all right so far. And much to her surprise, the Rocklady found she rather enjoyed this gnarly old mechanic... Yes, he was grouchy. But she found it... honest. This was a Kerb who didn't mince words, much like her dear friend Piper, and she found it... oddly refreshing.

And finally, once they were comfortably underway, Emiko excused herself from up front, and crawled back to the upper office, where she was thrilled to finally be able to communicate with her beloved Werhner!

"Emiko miss Werhner sooo much!" Emiko tried hard not to cry. "Thank you for guitar! Emiko love it more than anything!"

"I missed you as well, my darling," Werhner grinned back. "You... You're all OK now?"

"Yes... everyone fine... well, sort of..." Emiko paused, trying to think of how to explain what had happened with Sanny/Saffron... "Things got a little... weird... last night."

 

So while Emiko and Werhner caught up on the events of the last few days, several hundred kilometers to the east, the Annabel Lee was now flying over the huge crescent island that marked the western edge of the great Implodium Sea, and would be reaching land just after Kerbol set behind them.

In the VIP section, Sanny/Saffron had been silent for the last few hours, and Geschosskopf wasn't sure she was sleeping... or if she even could sleep... or what. All he knew was he was enjoying the quiet while night fell, until Kerenna called out from below.

"We will be approaching Ground Zero in roughly 55 minutes. Climbing to 5,000 meters. Prepare test equipment."

Besides the rescue, if the mission had been successful, Werhner gave Kerenna the optional secondary mission of gathering air samples as they passed by Ground Zero, which she was now preparing to do. It was routine enough, and wouldn't effect their trip home one way or the other...

...except when Sanny/Saffron suddenly "woke-up". 

And the closer they got to Ground Zero, the darker the night became... and the more restless Sanny/Saffron seemed to become as well.

"Can you feel it?" Sanny/Saffron seemed to almost shiver in delight. "Can you???"

"Feel what?" Geschosskopf asked, a little worried about how agitated she seemed to be getting.

"The energy, silly! The magnificent positive energy!!! I can feel it from here..." Sanny/Saffron giggled, and then with no warning got up and ran to the ladder. "Scuse me, I have to go now..."

"Oh no...." Geschosskopf just sat for a moment and scowled. "What is that psycho-psychopomp... hey, that's pretty good... What's she up to now?"

And with a groan he got up and went to find her... which could be just about anywhere on such a massive ship.

 

Back at the Antigravipus, Kerbol was just beginning to set as well, and their next island destination was now coming into view.

"Ohhhh, pretty," Emiko smiled.

Even from this distance they could make out the silhouette of the next Ground-Station jutting into the evening sky, and Val estimated they were only 10-15 minutes or so from their target...

When suddenly a terrified voice came ripping across the cabin speakers...

"Rick... you idiot!!!" the Kerbette screamed. "Oh... Oh, nooo you don't... Help... HELP!!!"

Emiko and Chibi listened in horror, while Val looked over at Gem, who was already throttling up to 110%, and cried out.

"Punch it!"

 

Back on the Annabel Lee, Geschosskopf was starting to really grow concerned. He checked in with the rest of the passengers, but no-one had seen Sanny/Saffron all evening. Then he looked in all the empty compartments, as well as the flight deck crew quarters... but found nothing.

 "Where are you, you nutty ghost?"

Now he was in the vast cargo hold, which was once Sanny's favorite place to bounce around. But she wasn't a ghost anymore... nor was she hiding behind any of the cargo crates, or under either rover.

"Damn..." Geschosskopf whispered to himself. The only place left he could think of was the flight deck,... and with a sinking feeling in his guts he turned and headed towards the ladder up to the conning tower. 

But when he went up into the conning tower command compartment and looked out over the flight deck, Geschosskopf saw nothing except for the shattered mountains of Ground Zero passing below them.

Then Geschosskopf suddenly heard a tapping... as if someone were gently rapping... rapping upon his...

"Oh, no..." he whispered, and slowly turned out towards the co-pilot seat... already half-knowing what he was going to see...

"Bye..." Sanny called out, and waved... and then let go!

"Weeeeeee......................" was the last thing Geschosskopf heard, fading swiftly into the dark...

 

Back at the Antigravipus, Gem pushed the Tornado fans as hard as she could, and barreled the rover up onto the beach and over the small dune, all the while the screaming was growing louder, and more frantic.

"Hurry... please... it's... it's squishing meeeee!"

But then a shape began to appear in the distance... Towering... terrifying... and familiar???

Up in the VIP gondola Chibi squinted as hard as she could, trying to make out the familiar silhouette, then reeled back and screamed in utter amazement.

"No... NOOOO!!! It... can't be... Not here..."

Then Emiko recognize the monster before her as well... and realized what it was holding in it's massive... jaws???

"Help me!!!" the terrified voice screamed... while Gem brought the Antigravipus to a stop, too stunned to move.

"By the gods..." Emiko whispered... "Impossible... That's a...a... a T-Rexasaurus!!! And it's going to eat that poor Kerbette!!!"

 

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

Go to Chapter 92
Return to Index

Edited December 7, 2019 by Just Jim
this is a long one, and I probably missed a few... pm me if you find any

[JK_Kerbineer]

Cool!

 

[Geschosskopf]

2 hours ago, Just Jim said:

and then played the ace he had hidden up his sleeve and "innocently" asked if Geschosskopf and Saffron were actually ever legally divorced...

Finders keepers, LoVar    But OTOH, "possession" is 9/10 of the law....

 

2 hours ago, Just Jim said:

"This is going to be such a long ride," Geschosskopf groaned to himself...

Understatement of the thread, but worth it.  Happy landings, "Safny"!   C'mon, fellas, who among us hasn't wished to see their ex-wives take a swandive into a pit of radioactive slag?   

 

2 hours ago, Just Jim said:

Blam... Ka bla bla bla BLAM!!!!!!

Bravo!  AWESOME gratuitous explosions!

 

2 hours ago, Just Jim said:

"What? "Piper laughed as Jeb looked overhead nervously... "Are you afraid you'll grow a third eye?"

Given that having the proverbial "3rd eye" (as in, the ability to see into the Otherworld) is a useful survival adaptation in this story, Jeb should welcome the opportunity 

 

2 hours ago, Just Jim said:

"By the gods..." Emiko whispered... "Impossible... That's a...a... a T-Rexasaurus!!! And it's going to eat that poor Kerbette!!!"

I need some of those critters!

Edited January 15, 2018 by Geschosskopf

[Torgo]

5 minutes ago, Geschosskopf said:

who among us hasn't wished to see their ex-wives take a swandive into a pit of radioactive slag?  

Do they have to be ex-wives first?

[Just Jim]

7 hours ago, Geschosskopf said:

But OTOH, "possession" is 9/10 of the law....

Oh yeah... Sanny needs to use this line soon!

"Sanny, you need to give Saffron her body back..."

"Hey... Possession is 9/10th of the law, and I'm possessing her... So I win... naaa naaaa!!!"  

7 hours ago, Geschosskopf said:

Understatement of the thread, but worth it.  Happy landings, "Safny"!   C'mon, fellas, who among us hasn't wished to see their ex-wives take a swandive into a pit of radioactive slag?   

Hehehe... I thought you'd enjoy that part.  

[adsii1970]

10 hours ago, Just Jim said:

"Oh... wait... come on... come on..." Bob tried goad the laptop into booting up... But then it froze up on the loading screen... for the third time... "Awwww... Kraken Krap!!!"

Must be using Kindows 10...

Good chapter, and fun, too!

7 hours ago, Geschosskopf said:

Understatement of the thread, but worth it.  Happy landings, "Safny"!   C'mon, fellas, who among us hasn't wished to see their ex-wives take a swandive into a pit of radioactive slag?

Hahaha... this is too funny. There are some students I'd like to offer the same opportunity to...

7 hours ago, Geschosskopf said:

Given that having the proverbial "3rd eye" (as in, the ability to see into the Otherworld) is a useful survival adaptation in this story, Jeb should welcome the opportunity 

I dunno. Jeb is also kinda funny about things that funny. While he might welcome the new information, I could see him making jokes about the new anatomical feature.  "Hey, do the eyes really have it?" Or even, " Piper, do you really have your eyes on me?"

41 minutes ago, Just Jim said:

"Sanny, you need to give Saffron her body back..."

"Hey... Possession is 9/10th of the law, and I'm possessing her... So I win... naaa naaaa!!!"  

Only to be followed a few chapters later by:

"Sanny, what are you looking for? Why are you tearing apart the Platypus?"

"I'm trying to find the receipt. I am sure this body came with a 30-day money back guarantee..."

[obney kerman]

12 hours ago, Just Jim said:

"What is that psycho-psychopomp... hey, that's pretty good

Of course you couldn't resist.

Also, A T REX?!!?!? WAT?!

[JK_Kerbineer]

Hey @Just Jim, what mod is the Annabel Lee blimp from?

[Just Jim]

52 minutes ago, JK_Kerbineer said:

Hey @Just Jim, what mod is the Annabel Lee blimp from?

That would be @Angel-125's Heisenberg Mod... Really fun, and not terribly hard to fly, once you get the hang of them. I highly recommend this one. 

 

[Mr. Peabody]

13 hours ago, Just Jim said:

We'll be there for you when you testify."

"And I will stay on with the Antigravipus  and carry out our observations, so the investigation can continue," Dr. Herbert smiled. He really never worked with young Fritz, so there was little he could contribute to Fritz's defense

Great chapter, though I found the whole "law and order" element sort of weird. I guess I always thought of kerbin as the wild, wild west; every man for himself with no "official" law institutions. I may need to re-adjust my timelines. 

[Just Jim]

1 minute ago, The Dunatian said:

Great chapter, though I found the whole "law and order" element sort of weird. I guess I always thought of kerbin as the wild, wild west; every man for himself with no "official" law institutions. I may need to re-adjust my timelines. 

In many ways it is... But Fritz choose the wrong side, and got caught... time to face sheriff Gene... lol...  

[LordOfMinecraft99]

Hey @Just Jim, you should make a "making of" post or thread. That would be very interesting!

[Just Jim]

1 hour ago, LordOfMinecraft99 said:

Hey @Just Jim, you should make a "making of" post or thread. That would be very interesting!

There isn't that much to see...  mostly me sitting around thinking of what to do next... lol 

 

Edited January 15, 2018 by Just Jim

[JK_Kerbineer]

2 hours ago, Just Jim said:

That would be @Angel-125's Heisenberg Mod... Really fun, and not terribly hard to fly, once you get the hang of them. I highly recommend this one. 

 

Thanks!

I was also wondering what mod those crates of gold came from.

[Just Jim]

5 hours ago, JK_Kerbineer said:

Thanks!

I was also wondering what mod those crates of gold came from.

Those are part of @Angel-125's Buffalo Mod:

FYI... I believe the crate is actually "Exotic Metals" or something like that... I did a little altering to the label for the last chapter so they look more like gold bars

 

Edited January 16, 2018 by Just Jim