CatastrophicFailure

... that's the last time I let Mark Watney in on the design team.

Do not confuse skill with stubbornness. Since it's drummed up so much interest (and because I spent way too much time on it when I should have been USPing), here's some better shots. This is the "cosmetic" model. The "flight" model with big lift fans and VTOL jets... doesn't actually fly. Like, at all. Couldn't get the "bulk" I wanted quite right. It's actually kinda dainty. Forgot to turn a couple of the Vulcans on here. There is a real reactor buried in there from the Mk2 Expansion mod. In theory, to make it work in game, the reactor runs a cheaty power-to-fuel generator that feeds the stock engines, with just enough fuel on board to start. In practice, true to form the reactor just overheats and shuts down. It does actually fly. Sorta. It's about as unstable as it's crew. With those big, drooping wings and tiny tail it wants to snap roll anytime you pull up. This ended the flight shortly after the pic. Size comparison. The little VTOL is actually a joy to fly. Not much endurance but it turns on a time while still being very forgiving. ETA: I got carried away & threw them up on KerbalX. https://kerbalx.com/metalhead47/Ceriman-Gunship https://kerbalx.com/metalhead47/KCPD-VTOL-Police-cruiser The missing parts for the Gunship are from:

Thought I'd point you to this: it's saved my borscht more than once. Them krakens is pesky.

Well it doesn't technically "fly," it's just so ugly the ground repels it.

. . . Your Kerbals have made it to the Mün & back but haven't figured out what a cupboard is?

Because, mhysa, such, you would have need of.

Following this properly now. Tell me, how'd you do the grainy TV effect on this one?

Um, control... Is this supposed to be a convertible?

I see that solid did come in handy, after all. This one positively screams "WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECRAPCRAPCRAPHOTHOTHOTOWOWOW!!!!!!!"

Camerakerb got a little too close to the launch... Hope he wore his brown pants that day.

Chapter 77: Monster "...series of gas line explosions throughout the downtown area, apparently originating due to a fire at the City Café on West Fifth Avenue. Reports of an 'aerial chase' and gunfire are largely being attributed to mass hysteria, likely the result of bystanders inhaling the leaking propellium gas just prior to the explosions. No casualties were reported and damage is being termed as minor. Kerbin City Power & Gas CEO Bernie Kerman announced he was, quote, sorry, unquote, for the damage. "In related news, an existing bid by mega-conglomerate Layland Wutani to acquire KSP&G is expected to move forward briskly. "Reporting live from Fifth and Main, I'm Kevin Kerman, KRBL On-The-Spot News." "Thanks, Kevin. And now over to ace reporter Kent Kerman with our top story this afternoon. Kent?" "Thanks, Kim. Chaos broke out earlier today at City Hall when a group of concerned citizens gathered to protest the apparent detonation of an atomic bomb on the East River only a few kilometers from the city. Mayor Mike McKerman, however, quickly defused the situation once he explained that the explosion was a simply a test of an experimental project by the Public Works Department to create a new harbor on the river. The mayor stressed that this project had actually been in the works for some time, and that the paperwork to all the relevant regulatory agencies had simply been mis-filed. He went on to say that there is absolutely no cause for concern, as the blast was in an unpopulated area, and, after all, Kerbals are remarkably resilient to radiation. The last few dissenters were quickly swayed when the Mayor began handing out some of his famous homemade snack cakes. "Kent Kerman, KRBL News. Back to you, Kim." "Thanks Kent. And now, over to Gregner with the weather, Gregner?" "Cloudy with a Chance of fallout!" "Thanks Gregner. In other news, the MonéyPoke OW phenomenon continues to captivate the country. While they have not yet been able to discover trespassing laws, wandering MonéyPoke hunters have managed to uncover thirteen dead bodies, five heavy weapons caches, three lost civilizations... and Jimmy Hoffa." Valentina rolled her eyes, and moved to put her hand to her face, but had to brush the hair away first. She let out a defeated sigh. Such a stupid, petty thing to even think about at a time like this, but still... As usual, it all happened so fast. In the handful of hours it had taken Valentina and Anastasia to trudge to the highway, covered in at least their own body weights in smelly mud, and hitch a ride to this travel plaza, the entirety of today's events had been swept away like so much radioactive dust. A building destroyed, half the city torn to shreds, even a nuclear explosion, all of it reduced to nothing but-- ...fairy tales... She blinked at the odd thought. All these people, all these good, honest people, simply believing what they're told to believe, and doing so without question. It wasn't just here, it wasn't just the Union, but the whole world... That was a frightful power to even contemplate. And yet... something was off. Such a blatant, overt act... it didn't seem right. This adversary had always been subtle, hiding in shadows, like sending assassins to stalk their charge in dark, deserted places. The sniper could possibly have been hidden well enough, the evidence destroyed by a "gas line explosion." But... why not a dark alley, or poison, or-- ...an airliner falling out of the sky... She jumped at the thought. ...Gene... And that gunship. That could only have come from the mind of a madman. Something tickled a memory deep her own mind. Something about Cerimans disliking snipers, something about honor and proud warrior race and such. Or was that just another of Dibella's silly foreign movies? Dibella. Valentina hoped she was alright. But there was nothing she could do, right now. Dibella was smart, resourceful, connected... and stubborn as an ox. She would be ok... Right? Valentina shoved all the thoughts away. Something was wrong, something was wrong about the whole thing. But... not "here, there be monsters" wrong--though that, too--more like... the monsters weren't... Bah! She was still so exhausted she couldn't think straight. She had closed her eyes for a time, riding in the back of the truck that brought them here, but that was less proper sleep and more simply passing the STДLIЙ out. The adrenaline of arriving once again in a public place had quickly brought her back. At the time, it had seemed unnecessarily risky, but they needed to clean up and recuperate. And this place had, of all great mercies, showers! After the last couple of days, it had simply been ecstatic. It was warm and wonderful and clean--at least it had been, she'd left the attendant an extra bill for that--layers of filth and sweat and blood simply melting away. Valentina had used enough soap to bathe a yak, which somehow seemed appropriate. Then she had given herself a nasty abrasion trying to scrub away a smear of dirt that was actually a bruise. Those, she was covered with. And her back looked like she'd been flogged. The pain was less, now, and that was good. It didn't seem to have bled much, either, but the wounds looked deep nonetheless. She would have to keep a close watch for infection, especially after marinating in mud and yak juice. Infection killed slowly, from the inside out, and was nothing to be taken lightly. She caught a glimpse of herself in a nearby mirror. But... there were other things more... (de)pressing. Valentina Kermanova had never been the fashionable sort. She had no use for such petty frivolity, and it certainly wasn't a very Ussari thing to be concerned with. She had always worn a ponytail. It was simple, practical, and absolutely within Personal Grooming Regulations. She raised a hand to the fuzzy hair at the nape of her neck, and felt her lower lip tighten just slightly. Now, her hair fell in sheets on either side of her head, drooping down to two points at her chin and tapering up towards the back, where it was left very short indeed. She'd managed to wash out most of the singed bits and burnt ends, but otherwise couldn't do a thing with it! There was simply no keeping it out of her face at all, and that one obnoxious stray lock that had always plagued her had somehow managed to survive. It hung there now, dangling in front of her face. Mocking her. She frowned at her own reflection, her lower lip quivering just a... hair. And of course, adding insult to injury, she was wearing... sigh... a dress. She wasn't Tercella, after all, she could wear a dress when a situation clearly warranted it. But she simply didn't fit into anything in the store's meager Kerbelle's selection. So this had come from the Junior Miss rack. A thought about "getting any worse" tried to materialize in her head but she quickly snuffed it before it could. She knew better than to give form to that temptation. Instead, a scowl twisted her face. STДLIЙS SШЗДTУ SФCКS, the first person who says anything about her clothes, or especially her hair--not that she would ever be self-conscious about such a silly thing, not she--is getting a swift kick in the shin! One thing was for sure: no one would recognize her like this. A girlish giggle drew Valentina's eye. She sighed again. And then, of course, there was Anastasia. She was dressed in denim slacks and a very plain shirt--from the, ugh, Kerbelle's section--with her golden hair tucked up under a KSA ballcap. She still managed to look radiant. Maybe even more so. So much so, in fact, that she had attracted not one but two admirers from whom she clearly needed to be rescued, what with the way she was twittering and doing that thing with her hair, the bit that had somehow escaped the hat. Putting on a proper disapproving glower, Valentina stepped up to the trio and loudly cleared her throat. "Whoah, is this your sister?" said one of them, "you didn't say she had short hair!" He grinned at Valentina and raised an eye... bulge, "heeeeeey," then wiggled it, "how you do--ouch, my shin!" and proceeded to limp away. Anna's jaw fell open. The other fellow just blinked at Valentina. Channeling her best Igor and drawing herself up to her full height, she looked him square in the chin. "Boo." He took a step back, "oh, wow, wouldyoulookatthetimeIgottagonowsorrybye!" and was out through the door with a little tinkle from the bell hanging there. Anna's jaw flopped wider. "You are supposed to be keeping low profile," Valentina said, tugging down the brim of Anna's cap, "besides, is too old for you." Once more displaying its snake-like range, her jaw flopped even wider, then opened and closed like some bizarre snake-fish hybrid. Finally she threw her arms up, "ugh, I can't even!" "Even what?" Valentina blinked. "What?" "What?" "What?" "Can't even what?" "What?" Valentina's eyes rolled, "nevermind. Come, the bus is leaving." *** "What will you do now?" Anna asked as they reached one of the idling coaches outside in the lot. "I will go and see Edmund Kerman. Somehow," Valentina shook her head, "he is the key to all this. He is my friend, or used to be. Perhaps I can get through to him." An uncomfortable silence stretched out before Valentina spoke again, "you are sure you will not come with me?" Anna's huge, beautiful eyes fell, "I'd never see my brother again, would I?" "I do not know," Valentina said softly, "I will find some way to talk to Edmund, but..." against her skin, the Münstone had begun to cool, "somehow, I do not think it will end well. Beyond that, I just do not know." "I can't do that," tightness crept into Anna's voice, "Billy only ever had one friend in the whole world, and he abandoned him, right when he needed him the most. I can't do that." "The Kerbs, they will come for you again. You know this. If they..." Valentina swallowed, "will it not be the same?" "I won't run. I won't abandon him. I won't be like Edgas," then she looked up with a fire that nearly made Valentina flinch, and spoke despite the creaking of her voice, "if... if they get me, then it's because they beat me, not 'cause I ran away. I will stand for my brother, because no one else will. And if I fail then... well at least I've tried. And maybe I'll just surprise them, too!" Valentina forced a smile, and clapped her hands on the girl's shoulders, "you are brave girl, Anastasia Kerman." Her own eyes widened, "ah! I nearly forgot..." She reached into her--sigh--purse, and handed Anna a small, grey, sparkly object. "My münrock!" squealed Anna, "you did find it. Oh!" she peered more closely at it, "it's cracked in two..." She thought for only a moment before handing the piece still on chain back to Valentina, "here, you keep this half. It will bring you good luck." Valentina raised an eye... bulge at the comment, but fastened the chain around her neck. Another awkward silence was cut short by a boarding announcement. "Take care of yourself," Anna said soberly, "and be careful. Something about Edmund... doesn't feel right." "Edmund is my friend, he would never harm me," Valentina said, then added, "But I will be careful. And you do the same." Anna smiled, "I guess this is good--" A hand came up, "I have never liked the word. Is too final. Do svidaniya, Anna Kerman. I am sorry I could not be more help to you." "Do svidaniya, Valentina Kermanova," then she winked, "and it's not over yet." They hugged for a moment, before parting ways, each boarding a different bus. They kept smiling and waving at each other, until one bus turned this way, and the second another. Then, Valentina's smile faded and grew cold like the fleeting taiga summer. A tear threatened, but she tensed her face into a sneer and forced it back, where it burned like fire. And by that fire, it was forged into something new... and very, very old. She couldn't save the girl. All she had done was to postpone the inevitable. This burden now settled into place on her shoulders amidst all the others. She couldn't save them, she couldn't save any of them. She was never meant to be a savior. But the girl... the knife that twisted in her heart was especially jagged. This transgression, this sin, would not stand unanswered. There would be... vengeance? Retribution? Wrath? No, those were lofty terms for lofty beings, and she was a simple thing. She would pursue the darkness, hunt it down, tear shrieking from its holes, and stare into its empty gaze. And then, there would be a scourging. She understood. She had not believed, but now she understood. About the girl. And the truth about herself. Valentina knew she couldn't save her. She should deny the very idea, rage against it with every fiber of her being... but instead, she accepted it. She accepted it. And this knife dug deeper than any other. She understood. I am a monster. Above the distant mountains, a bloated gibbous Mün was rising, pale against the deep blue sky. Valentina fixed it with an icy gaze. I am a monster. And I am coming for you.

Got distracted from my usual game and started a little side project. More to follow.

It did come out rather well if I do say so myself. Really turns on a dime too. My unholy matrimony of Mi-24 & AC-130... not so much...

Congratulations! You have created space boo-- um... Hektor.

@kerbiloid

Hoping to have another one up tomorrow, but big maybe at this point. In the mean time, here's my vain attempt to recreate the chase scene. Unfortunately, BD Armory doesn't fly quite as aggressive as an actual Ceriman.

Doesn't the F9 second stage use hydrazine for attitude control? This sucks.

Not sure how to post tweets, don't usually even twitter, but this is from SpaceX official *I think*

Can't exactly say I "like" this, but thanks for the info. According to the livestream, it does look like it's still standing. How usable everything will be once the fires, out, tho...

M...MOAR solid boulders?? That canyon on Icarus just demands to be explored... or is it a mountain?

You can't stop the... oh, wait... @Ten Key ok so it's late and my mind isn't quite registering... A: There are cable splitters inside your walls? And you massuhcreed said walls to get to them? #2: two splitters is bad...? Um, how'd hours figure this whole thing out exactly? D: +1 for C&H. Moar, plz.

Throwing this up (pun intended) in case anyone else finds it useful. Apparently there's a difference between an em dash, an en dash, and a hyphen. And they're all used completely differently. English. SMH. Aaaaaand I forgot the garpaflarping link, too... http://www.thepunctuationguide.com/em-dash.html

Then someone's getting sued.

Wow.... Thats really gorgeous!