VelocityPolaris

(How do you use Kerbnet for this, by the way? I actually kinda don't know how to do this.)

If that doesn't work out, I recommended Fust from the extrasolar mod, it's an ocean planet with a few somewhat green islands dotting the surface.

Ooh! I second the motion! EDIT: Yep, I'm pretty far behind on reading posts.

Well, like you said, the english, is, well, at least it's better than youtube automatic subtitles. And your trying is appreciated. I did have a giggle at "Skanish, but backwards", though it also confused me, because I thought that meant the probe's writing was in a language native to Kerbin, not that there was an alien language that just happened to be exactly like a Kerbal language, but backwards. I am definitely overjoyed that it's 4546B, though, looking forward to seeing what planet pack you use for it. One thing I definitely recommend is giving some characters unique personalities. I know Valentina is the person in charge, but not much about the others, besides their names. Here's an idea, if I may: Jondun is a skeptic, but not just someone who reasonably questions crazy ideas. No, he has to believe that there has to be a normal, logical explanation, and is unwilling to admit it's aliens, even when they're literally staring them in the face. Maxble is relaxed and chill, but in an unfamiliar situation he doesn't know what to say or do, and has to be given orders. Dooduki is another kind of skeptic, who is reasonable and logical, but is disdainful of what he perceives as other people's stupidity. Rondard is a down-to-earth employee who doesn't really know what's going on, and just wants to do his job so he can go home. Just random ideas. Also, look forward to seeing where this is going!

You're fine, m8, 750's the max.

Eh, I'd say sure.

Ooh! Ooh! I gots a question. Weren't we going to do stuff besides the minichallenges? EDIT: Oh yeah, I think I said that I would only be willing to participate if we used the word "muggle" at least once. Muggle. Ah, there we go.

There we go! That's a pretty amazing mission - I mean, I know the probe exploded, but those pictures gave the feel my first time in the KSP tutorial brought out. The idea of being the first to explore amazing mysteriousness, all while having absolutely no idea what you're doing. And for that, I vote Ole'um 1's landing 10/10. Eyep. Beat the full game, it was an emotional experience (mostly fear). Avoided using the Cyclops as much as possible, that thing is a monster magnet. I had plans with a friend to use the old terraformer to build an artificial island castle, even drew so blueprints on paper, but we lost interest. Now I'm just waiting in anticipation for the Arctic DLC.

Reacting to the above rover reports:

Amazing screenshots! That subtle variation in Vall's shades of blue, the dust, those bright rocks - yep, that's one sweet moon. And then as soon as I got a feel for the scale of that basin, there's that image of the reset of the Jool system that threw my perspective into confuzzles. *clap clap clap clap clap clap*

This is the best visual mod I've ever seen that isn't guaranteed to cause my computer to explode, then melt, but I have one question. Are there any bioluminescent thingies around Laythe?

Whoops. No, I don't think I read any of the prequels. Also, that poor, poor custodian.

Thanks. I'm a bit like a toddler in that I like to read things with pictures in them (With the exception of works by our lord and saviour, KSK), but judging by the first few chapters, it looks like a pretty cool read regardless.

Does anybody have a KSP fanfic that they might want someone to read? I like to read.

Story 8: Housekeeping, Chapter 2: Going Coastal (Author's note: This chapter does not contain anything that could be remotely construed as going postal. Also, I'll be spending some time from now on to restore some of the lost images from the previous chapters.) Today's fun fact: A Terefwirr is a small burrowing creature which cruises through Kerbin's soil and sand. On the frontal section of the Terefwirr is what appears to be a bone / keratin drill with a beak in the centre, protecting an 8-legged body. While most subspecies of Terefwirr grow to be no more than 5 cm in length, some rarer subspecies, such as the "Partycrasher", can grow up to 100 times that length. And the latter species, in recent years, has taken a liking to hanging out at the beach. Most Kerbals think they're gross. KSS Rubber Ducky, south coast of Auclal "Starboard! Turn us to starboard!" From his perch atop the mast, Macberry spun the wheel a bit to the right, thus dodging a shallow patch of sand. This area was once called the Kape of Knope, but the geographical guild had recently won a petition to remove a K, spelling "Nope". As a result of the cataclysm, ocean currents had shifted a bit, and now a great deal of sediments were deposited here. This watch shift was proving to be particularly stressful for Macberry and Felix, who had to be constantly on the alert for unexpected shallow patches. Macberry: Well spotted, sir. Felix: Just keeping an eye out. Stay focused. Macberry: Aye, but mayhaps I should steer further out to sea? Felix: Brrrr... are you sure that's necessary? Macberry: I understand hesitation about leaving view of the coastline. Stars covered by clouds, water pitch-black... it could certainly be considered sensory deprivation. Felix: I know you've been out there. I've just heard tales of sailors gone mad, and, well, you were so eager to get back that you almost rammed the beach at full speed. Macberry: I have learned from that experience. And you, sir, are one of the most professional people I know. A brief foray to deep water holds less risk for us than the odds of running aground. Felix: Can't argue with that, but we're not turning around. Once we make it past the island ahead, we'll go a bit further out to sea. I'm always wondering what's wrong with the water, though. Macberry: I cannot cease my curiosity about the oceans, either. At night, completely absorbent of light? There are many items which defy immediate explanation, but it must drive scientists mad, how inexplicable something so clearly visible can be. Felix: Not that I have an answer for you, but maybe it's related to the monoliths. They don't reflect much either. Macberry: So you would claim that every night, the properties of the monoliths somehow bleed into the entirety of the oceans of Kerbin? Felix: Heck, I'm not an ancient alien, Macberry, I can't say. Maybe it's just some undiscovered property of matter. What bugs me, though, is that we're still seeing our floodlights reflecting off of the bottom. Macberry: Oh! I hadn't thought - nothing incredibly absorbent would allow the illumination of the surface behind it! Tell me, Felix, do you believe that a light shined at one of the monoliths would go right through? Felix: I don't know, that's not my job. You could totally call the exhibit, though, maybe they haven't tried that. Oh - there's the island - steer us to port! Hard to port! Macberry: The island is clear! But tell me, was it there before? Such a lump of sand could be a relatively new formation. Felix: Well, the latest map is from an orbital survey last week, so I wouldn't know. I think you'd have to be an oceanographer to know, though. Macberry: Shall we proceed away from the coast? Felix: Check your screen. See what the SONAR scans are saying. Macberry: Hmm. It cannot find any unexpected shallows ahead of us. Felix: No chance of the Commodore getting mad about a beached boat, then. Let's keep hugging the coast. Felix: Do you see something? Macberry: Scientifically speaking, yes. Could you please be more specific? Felix: Looks like some sand is being churned up, on the beach alongside us. Macberry glances over to the beach, where a few clouds of sand and faint flailing of appendages catch his eye. Macberry: I should think that those are Terefwirrs, Felix! Felix: Ah, it's those freaky critters cruising along, huh? Macberry: Indeed. They can be quite majestic, in their own way. Felix: I'll take your word for it. What do you suppose they're doing? Macberry: They certainly could be chasing a quirm (worm). Or perhaps they could be mimicking us, attempting to understand the strange passerby to their beach. Felix: Could be. I read an article about one that nabbed someone's picnic basket. The two stout Kerbals kept up a near-silent watch for the rest of the night, wearily guiding the boat past the Kape of Knope, and up the east coast of Auclal. While keeping up a dialogue would have been a decent way to keep one another from nodding off, Macberry had a tendency to blather, and if he didn't know it, he at least knew that other people thought so. Felix stared out ahead at a void darker than the actual void, thinking. If he were asked to describe his thoughts at the moment, he would have been ashamed to admit that it wasn't anything profound. The status of the ship's engine, what day it was, the price of hair dye, his son's upcoming sportsball game. But at least there were no telepaths around. A while later, as the first hint of sunlight began to appear on the water, Stachell's alarm rang. Like most, she wasn't a morning Kerbal. She tried her level best to be, though, and stumbled out of the bunk as soon as her eyes were able to identify the corners and edges of surfaces. After returning from the head (a sailor word for bathroom), her first duty was to check on the four patients. Only one problem. They weren't there. She stumbled over to the bridge, partly from lack of coffee, partly from seasickness, and partly from surprise. When someone's been in zero-g for a year or two, standing up is one of those things that's technically feasible, but definitely a last resort, as there's quite a lot of effort involved. Imagine a group of bedridden patients simultaneously deciding to go for a walk, all while not informing the nurse. Perry: Doctor Stachell. What seems to be the problem? If it's breakfast that's the matter, you'll find it belowdecks, though you'd better hurry before Ensign Lagerbro eats it all. Stachell: Well, um, the thing is, Commodore, my patients seem to have all vanished. And I was hoping that before I start panicking over paranormal kidnappers, you might have some clue as to what happened to them? Perry: You're in luck, ma'am. They just so happen to be on deck right now. The Medic had a look through the window, then looked again. They were indeed seated on deck, staring out ahead at the water. Stachell: But - sir, how did they get from there to here? Perry: Well, you could ask them, but I suspect they got out and walked. She made her way onto the deck. The former Azade crew were all silently staring ahead, so she respectfully took a seat next to them. Felix and Macberry were still there, mostly because they were too tired to get up. Finally, Lancott saw her, and gave a sheepishly apologetic look. Stachell: What are you doing? Lancott: Watching the sunrise. Stachell: Ah. Bet you haven't seen one of those in a while. Lancott (nodding): Always had this view to look forward to. Plus it's probably a metaphor for something. A little later in the day, they found themselves in want of more entertainment than staring at the sun could provide. Fortunately, there was something interesting on the radio, namely a new launch. Jim: Hello everyone... if you're just tuning in, welcome back to treetop news, with the live launch coverage of the Orst rocket. Now, as I understand it, this launch is also funded entirely by a private company. Tim: That's right. This one was actually built by Orzel Organisation, an engineering firm with some roots in the astronomer's guild. Jim: So, I think the real question is... why is the KSP selling out? Admit the truth! Tim: Aah! I don't work there! Jim: Ah, there's the liftoff. There lies a greater mystery, what contraption lies behind that rocket's sinister shell? Tim: Glad you asked for the audience, Jim. That rocket is carrying a probe meant to survey the sun. It's carrying a bunch of telescopes and scanners and such. Jim: Indubitably. Hopefully this spacecraft will reveal the mysterious goings-on behind the sun's crazy antics lately. With any luck, we'll be able to find out what the sun gods want, and appease them. Tim: And there goes the rocket, whooshing up towards the heavens like... er... a rocket. Jim: Reminds me of those screaming Scurrbirds that hang out near the mountains, personally. Except those aren't usually on fire. Jim: ...and that's why so many birds of prey are endangered- Tim: Jim, the fairing's releasing! Jim: Oh, right. After that, the trajectory planners had a look at the numbers. It was decided that they would perform the Kerbol orbital burns once Kerbin's SOI had been exited, so it didn't really matter if their exit angle was affected. With that in mind, they decided to pay a visit to an old friend. Given that the Orst probe was going at Kerbin escape velocity, they couldn't exactly slow down and land, but either way, Kerbin's closest pal didn't mind visitors.

I vote Endurance, but only because I was just reading a book on Shackleton.

Most excellent use of equipment, mate, that's a pretty impressive feat! Do you happen to have a picture of the station, by any chance?

Cool rover, good sir. Best o'luck to ye, I've always thought that Vall was underappreciated. I might be a little biased, though, given that what persuaded me to originally buy Kerbal Space Programme was a video of a rover driving on Vall. Also, Sci-FiVE is the best.

I don't know the answers to the Duna questions, but I'm thinking that most of their habitats would be underground, since there's not a great deal to protect them from space rays. Obviously, KSP doesn't really have underground buildings, but the capsule corp. moon village mod seems to give off that subterranean-y feel. Also, here's a bit of trivia I saw in a Mars book, maybe it also applies to Duna. Without dust, Mars would have a black or whitish sky. But dust storms send static-charged dust to hang in the sky, and another dust storm inevitably sweeps the same spot before the dust can settle. That lead the author to speculate that Martian colonist farmers would almost-instinctively know when the next dust storm would be about to hit, just by looking at the shade of colour of the sky.

Huh, looks like the trailer for that new Doom sequel is out.

Just stopping by to give an excuse for the lack of chapters - this month's exam month, so I need to spend pretty much every waking hour studying.

Story 8: Explore from a Safe Distance, Chapter 1: Recover vessel* *Vessel recovery not included (Author's note: The first screenshot in this chapter was accidentally taken with scatterer off. Also, if you happen to be reading this, I'd like your advice on something. Should I continue the screenplay-style "charactername:dialogue" talking, or switch to something more along the lines of "Bob's face scrunched into the grimace of grimaces, barely managing to grunt 'This food is really good'"?) Today's Fun Fact: Kerbal technological development is quite weird. See, there hasn't been a war on Kerbin for the past 300 years, but about that long ago, the first and only global conflict took place. Early propeller and screw-driven vehicles had only recently come into widespread existence, and due to the necessities of the conflict, they rapidly progressed to the early forms of the ubiquitous jet engines we know today. To this date, the development of pure propeller propulsion is stagnated due to a lack of interest, and although some mechanically-inclined civilians have dabbled in the field, their engines remain relatively unreliable and impractical. "Azade Abort System crew log, Captain Valentina Kerman. It's been about 1 and a half days since touchdown, and we've just been laying here like nauseous refrigerator magnets. We all had our expectations about how getting used to Kerbin gravity again would feel, but suffice to say, it's pretty bad. Standing up is like trying to sit up on one of those centrifuge rides, you suddenly lose almost all sense of balance. Plus, I'm used to just tapping an object and having it slowly float over, instead of having to put effort into every mundane task. This would all be fine, negligible, completely expected, were it not for one small problem. Nobody's come to pick us up yet." Bill: It's morning, crew! Melfrey: Ugh... sorry, but what does it matter? We've all read through every book in the escape pod, there's not much to do. Bill: It's all in the manual. If you're stranded, go over systems and resources every morning. Power's good, food and fresh water should hold us a little longer, floats and hull integrity - Val: -are low, it's starting to get a bit damp in here. We've lost connection to heatshield sensors and RCS thrusters, not that it helps much, though the monopropellant tank's seal remains intact, thankfully. Lancott: Is the emergency transmitter still... Melfrey: Burned up on re-entry, yep. Completely unsalvageable. Lancott: ...and the satellite phone is still broken from when the parachutes deployed? Bill: I still can't get over that. Lancott: I feel pretty bad for Mr. Von Kerman. He was so excited about modular spaceships assembled in orbit, reusable interplanetary motherships, that sort of thing. But instead of Warbler II picking us up from Kerbin orbit, we had to go and trash the EV-1, the first prototype. Of course we had no choice, though. Bill: Maybe it's for the best. It was a great proof-of-concept, but the connection between CSM and propulsion sections was too shaky. If the Azade had just been handed a better engine stage and another mission, the strut linkage would have eventually snapped. Melfrey: So... not that I don't like being back on Kerbin, it certainly beats being stalked by aliens / mad scientists, apparently, but is the plan to just sit here? Val: Well - if rescue doesn't arrive, we won't just wait to sink. During our descent, I saw we were coming down along the west coast of Auclal. Now, even with the flotation devices on our flight suits, swimming all the way to land is a long shot, so maybe if just I go, I'll get help - Lancott: Belay that, skipper. Who's to say you've got a better chance of making it than I do? I doubt any of us would make it if the oceans suddenly froze enough to walk on. Bill: I could do it. Val: Bill, just because you've spent more time on the exercise bike doesn't mean you can suddenly swim that far. What's the distance - 20 kilometres, minimum guesstimate? Bill: With flotation devices. I know I probably missed the deadline for Todd's "run a kilometre" challenge, but I still feel like I could do it. Either way, I've got a better chance of making it than any of you, so if we're going to have one Kerbal swim to shore for help, I should do it. Melfrey: You... do have a point. Val: It's our best option. Get some gear together first, though. Then you can go for a little test swim around the capsule, inspect the pod from the outside. I've already got the little EVA suit beacon on top of the lander-can, just in case anybody happens to pass by here. Later that afternoon... Bill is outside of the escape pod, slowly and strenuously swimming in a circle around it. Suddenly, he catches a brief flash out of the corner of his eye, and, after peering at its source, he whirls back towards the pod, knocking on the hatch. After fumbling with the door handle, Lancott gets it open and pokes her head out. Lancott: Good day, neighbour. Bill: Lancott, you guys should have a look out of the cupola window, maybe about 160 degrees. Val: Alright, let me have a look with the little telescope... oh! Bill: What is it? Val: Ship ahoy! My guess is that they're headed this way! Melfrey: Sorry, Bill, looks like you'll have to save your heroic long-distance swim for later, because we're saved! Bill: It's flashing again. Do you think they're signaling us? Val: How many flashes? Do they vary in duration? Bill: Um, just four short flashes, a pause, then two more. Val: Okay, that's H-I. Lancott: So that means they've definitely seen us! Melfrey: Bill, do you wanna get back in? It'll be a few, they must be several kilometres out. Bill: No thanks. I don't have to tread water, so it's almost as good as zero-g, as long as I don't have to go anywhere. Over the span of several minutes, the helpful boat closed towards them, the first physical reminder of the existence of civilisation, proof that, despite all they've seen and been through, home still existed, not just some deserted look-alike. Bill: Unknown vessel, this is the spacecraft EV-1 Azade, are you here to help? Unknown vessel: That's affirmative, Azade, moving in on your position now. Lancott: Quick, do we have anything we could give them a present? Melfrey: Give a gift to the rescuers? Is that a cultural thing? Lancott: Uh, no, I just thought it'd be a nice thing to do. Val: I don't think we have anything. All public pictures, data, and theories were already shared with the publics, and it's not like we brought back space samples. And any experiments, well, they're sailors, not sciencers. Melfrey: If you have to look through the storage compartments, try to hurry - the floor's going to go from damp to waterlogged really soon. Val: There she is, Lancott. What do you think of our new ride? Lancott: Looks like one nice party barge, skipper. Bill: EV-1 Azade to party barge, please identify yourself. Unknown vessel: This is the rescue vessel KSS Rubber Ducky, at your service. Melfrey: KSS? No country's name starts with a K. KSS Rubber Ducky: "Kerbal Sailing Ship", we're with the KSP recovery team. Val: We have a boat? I didn't know we had a boat! KSS Rubber Ducky: Yep. Ever since the engineers had to improvise the BoatDuck on the spot, we've been trying to get a proper ship. This old survey vessel is a recent donation from the coast guard. And by recent, I mean last week. Sailor with a hat: Why, hello there. We couldn't help but notice that you seem to be in a spot of bother. Bill: Yep, you know. Engine trouble. I don't suppose you could give us a ride to the space centre? Sailor with a hat: What a lucky coincidence! We happen to be headed there ourselves, hop aboard! Bill: Guys, get out of the escape pod, I found a more seaworthy raft. Melfrey: Alright, let's get out of this coffin before it sinks. Lancott: Uh, that involves some amount of walking/climbing/swimming, though, doesn't it? Val: Afraid so, Lancott. Think you can manage it? Lancott: I can, but my stomach won't be too happy about it. Sailor without a hat: Astronauts, sir! We get to rescue astronauts! Sailor with a hat: Indeed we have. Give them some space, though, they've had quite the trip. Melfrey: What's up with your uniforms? Are you military? Sailor with a hat: Commodore Perry Kerman, Auclal coast guard, and this is Ensign Lagerbro. Since it was our ship originally, we're here to assist the recovery team with it's operations. Lagerbro: How d'ya do? (Author's note: Recovery team engineer Hilltrice, pictured right, is frowning for a very good reason. The life preserver/toridal fuel tank mounted on the side of the hull, when she ejected it, went right through the water and towards the seafloor. It appears to be a KAS-related glitch that items released by it don't acknowledge the existence of water.) Hilltrice: That is not good. Person inside of the bridge: I'm sure our guests would appreciate being helped aboard, Felix. Felix: Roger that, Macberry. Stachell, you and I give them a boost up the ladder. Lagerbro, you help them climb onto the deck. Hilltrice: May I help? Felix: We've got it under control, Hilltrice. Lancott: Hi, Stachell. Stachell: Hi, Lancott. Welcome back. Val: Felix? What are you doing out of mission control? Felix: This is actually my main job, ma'am. Val: You just don't get a lot of astronauts in need of rescue? Felix: Exactly. Up you go, then. After a climb up a ladder that felt like scaling a cliff face, Stachell helped the exhausted astronauts to the medical bay for examinations. Feeling bad about her wanting to help, Felix assigned Hilltrice to first watch as the boat pulled away. Stachell: So, uh, Lancott, how was your trip? Lancott: Hold on, do you know about the, er... The Bridge: Felix here, be advised Medic Stachell is not informed of the, er... Stachell: Noodle incident? Val: Something like that. Stachell: So, good news - none of you are in immediate mortal danger! How do you all feel? Bill: Well, I feel really weak, I'm starting to lose my hair, and my vision's not as good as it used to be. Stachell: Oh - gosh, that's really bad! The toll of radiation and zero-g must have been worse than predicted - Bill: Actually, I was going to say that I'm getting older. Stachell: Ah, understood. Still, medical operating procedures are to assume that whatever state you're all in, it's not perfect health. Lancott: Makes sense. By the way, the KSS name? I like that it reflects the international nature and unity of the KSP, but I couldn't help but notice that there's no sails on this ship. Stachell: Yep, you guys should have taken the acronym before we did. "Kerbal Space Ship" makes way more sense. ...are you all alright psychologically? All four of you have looked kind of... distant. More than usual with you, Lancott. Melfrey: We're, uh, we're all fine. Just... reflecting upon the noodle incident. Lagerbro: Commodore, sir? Now that Hilltrice's left the engine room for the first time, permission to attempt conversation? Perry: By all means. Just don't get distracted from your job. Lagerbro: Understood, sir, I'll keep an eye out for boats, rocks, storms, and sea monsters. So, uh, Hilltrice, nice job getting the engine going again. Hilltrice: I am very sorry that I allowed it to fail at all, Ensign. Lagerbro: No, don't apologise! I'm sorry for not properly maintaining the ship late in its coast guard service life. Hilltrice: Then I am not sorry. Lagerbro: So, uh... how's the place which you're from? Aleviff, right? Hilltrice: It is fine. Lagerbro: So... uh, what's in your country? You know, unique food, sports, uh, trees - Hilltrice: Yes, we have those things. Lagerbro: ...and I assume the trees are also fine? Hilltrice: No. The great citame trees are now endangered. Much of their former land can no longer support them. Lagerbro: Huh, that's actually really cool! I mean, bad for the trees, but it's interesting to learn about. That's because of temperature change stuff? Hilltrice: And because of too much rain, yes. Lagerbro: So, uh, are there any anomalous things near your home? Hilltrice: There is not actually magic in Aleviff. Odd terrain is natural, like the gravity hill effect. It is annoying that everyone assumes paranormal involvement. Do you want paranormal? Look down at the ocean. Lagerbro: Well, it brings in the tourists, right? Hilltrice: This is true. Lagerbro: So, about the life preserver, I just wanted to say that it's not your fault - nobody knows what happened, and you're doing a great job keeping everything running. Hilltrice: How long will the conversation continue? Lagerbro: Not one for small talk? Hilltrice: No. Lagerbro: You're right. Let's just sit here and contemplate, while quietly appreciating the wonder of this sunset. Lagerbro: Argh, nevermind this is boring. Macberry, you're on the bridge, right? Macberry: You are indeed correct. Lagerbro: Alright then, tell me some random medieval trivia. Macberry: Er, very well. The greyfirs line of Flesen implemented forts guarding their water pipelines, which were just far enough apart for a signal flame to be seen on the edge of the horizon.

Thanks, I'll give it a try, then. Do the dust/geysers/skyplankton still work without scatterer?

Looks like more technical difficulties. The image host site stopped working, so hardly any of the images from any of the chapters are working. I'll get out the next chapter *tomorrow, then I'll start working on salvage / maintenance. EDIT: I stupidly deleted all images from my computer as soon as the chapter with them comes out. Bad idea.