"Eve: Order Zero" -- a KSP Graphic Novel (POSTLUDE COMPLETE...bet you didn't see THAT coming.)

[Mister Dilsby]

Sorry if I appeared nitpicky, I just wanted to make sure I'm not missing something I should know. For the record, your original idea of having all the former KSC staff disguised as the tourists would have been perfect and would have made it all clear, even though the real tourists were great fun

No worries, actually I think putting Team Bobak in the plane would have better, but I wanted to go ahead with posting the comic and did not give myself time to do the custom artwork I would have needed to do...plan was to make a "Kabob Kerman" and somehow get a helmet on him in the IVA view, to hide the hair. Oh well. Don't worry though, sometimes when an airlock closes a cargo bay opens--I have some ideas for more fun given the status of the tourists going forward

To be honest, the very beginning, where Herr Wernher was talking about how impossible it is to get from the surface of Eve, was practically a foreshadowing of them having to get somebody out of there.

The Chekhov's Gun hint about the Dipperkraft - the actual trope implies the object (originally - hunting rifle, not really meant to be pointed at people) being used the way originally not intended (from the characters' point of view). The only way to work like that in this case was landing of the unlandable ship.

And, of course, the Order Zero - I was suspecting that it is what it actually is (maybe not the way it was introduced) for quite a while.

Of course, everybody running to KSC2 was a good surprise (on the other hand, M7 can launch from anywhere if it's meant to launch from Eve). Looks like Wernher had this planned for quite a while. And that's the answer to the question who is really in charge!

Oh well, still brilliant beginning, and now that being Kerbal for the purpose of the script is kinda mostly over... now the actual big mission the Kerbal way may start!

And what's the crew capacity of M7? 5 Kerbals? Holey Moho! Wasn't 1 Kerbal EAV already quite a challenge before? I definitely was expecting a 2-Kerbal ascent vehicle just to pick the guys up. But looks like there will be quite a trip on Eve.

Love these series and can't wait to see where it goes now!

Thanks! Well, of course you've been correct--saying something's impossible on Page 1 in an adventure story is a pretty good indication it's at least going to be attempted

And yes, the M7 really can carry 5. Remains to be seen whether it gets down and up, of course. I originally designed it with just the crew cabin and a probe core as I only foresaw needing to carry a maximum of four passengers. But I couldn't stomach having a probe fly the thing, even if I waved hands and said Jeb was really at the controls. So I added the Mk1, and like the look a lot. We'll see if that extra mass costs me

Appreciate the comments, thanks!

ETA and BTW since the barratry discussion I've been watching "Hunt for Red October" bit by bit, much of it with my 10 year old son. He's completely entranced, and now I have "Dosvidanya Rodina" playing in my head as the background music when the Mortingale launches.

Edited September 13, 2015 by Kuzzter

[Whirligig Girl]

I have to say that Eve: Order Zero is probably the most entertaining and thoughtful Kerbal fan work I've seen... perhaps eve. Followed by the Kappa thing by Parkaboy and the Duna Ore Bust.

It's got the perfect blend of drama, suspense, action, comedy, spaceflight, and a vision of Kerbalkind that would make Genlipe Roddenfalanghe cry tears of joy.

[Mister Dilsby]

It's got the perfect blend of drama, suspense, action, comedy, spaceflight, and a vision of Kerbalkind that would make Genlipe Roddenfalanghe cry tears of joy.

What a compliment, thank you! I learned a lot from Parkaboy about layout and about using the whole page to tell the story. When I look back at some of the earliest panels I cringe, cringe, cringe.

[Dman979]

Hey Kuzzter- Geschosskopf and I are having a legal discussion on barratry. Is Kerbfleet a for-profit company, a military organization, or something else?

[Mikki]

You got a amazing good story running, it`s just perfect to put the fans a big smile on their faces... Werner von Kermans statement is simply like in Real-Life, i had to laugh about it... GREAT! Good luck, EVE: Order Zero rules! :P

[Mister Dilsby]

Hey Kuzzter- Geschosskopf and I are having a legal discussion on barratry. Is Kerbfleet a for-profit company, a military organization, or something else?

It is, to use a word Geschosskopf knows well, a patois. It has elements of the military, a business, and a NASA-like government org. but it may be impossible to pin it down exactly since there is a lot missing. For one thing, kerbals in my Kerbalverse are incapable of using force on each other. It's hard to imagine any kind of criminal justice system that isn't backed up by a threat of force.

In other words,

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

.

[Parkaboy]

It's hard to imagine any kind of criminal justice system that isn't backed up by a threat of force.

Kerbal justice is based on the thread of withholding snacks, and of locking you up in the old Mk1 inline cockpit.

[Dman979]

Kerbal justice is based on the thread of withholding snacks, and of locking you up in the old Mk1 inline cockpit.

Well, that's called "vigilante," and it is illegal. But did Kerbfleet suffer any injury (legal injury) from the loss of the M7?

[Mister Dilsby]

Well, that's called "vigilante," and it is illegal. But did Kerbfleet suffer any injury (legal injury) from the loss of the M7?

Yes, all of those parts are Kerbfleet property with a value in Funds. Even if they landed it right now, the expended fuel has value.

[Parkaboy]

Well, that's called "vigilante," and it is illegal.

Not if it's the authorities doing it (insted of Bill and Val, of course). I'm just pointing out that a kerbal police can find ways to be very mean, even without the use of physical violence.

[Mister Dilsby]

Not if it's the authorities doing it (insted of Bill and Val, of course). I'm just pointing out that a kerbal police can find ways to be very mean, even without the use of physical violence.

True. Val and Bill "made" Gene get in the cockpit. We didn't see how they compelled him to do it. We have no idea what would have happened if Gene just said "no, I am not getting in there". This is an intentional omission. I intentionally leave a LOT of things out of the story and will always refuse to explain them. As GM of this Kerbalverse, the main rule I recognize is, "if it's funny and/or awesome, it's allowed".

[Sharkman Briton]

The tempted him in with hydrazine, and then booted him in there when he realized it was a trap.

[Deddly]

The part with the Mk 1 inline cockpit really made me laugh. They had mentioned it before, but I didn't actually expect it to happen, so kudos to you for that one.

[Mister Dilsby]

[Deddly]

T-t-terrifying!

[lajoswinkler]

That's a fatass rocket.

[smjjames]

'passing angels three-four', what's that code for?

Also, you should have included a 'alt+L' after Bill said 'don't stage'. Also, when he said that, I thought 'Jeb's gonna accidentially stage it at some point.'

[Starhawk]

Could maybe use a little more control authority.

Man, do I ever know how that feels.

Happy landings!

[Mister Dilsby]

'passing angels three-four', what's that code for?

Also, you should have included a 'alt+L' after Bill said 'don't stage'. Also, when he said that, I thought 'Jeb's gonna accidentially stage it at some point.'

Good idea, I may just edit that in. F5 is pretty much my stage lock so I never think to use Alt-L

"Angels" are thousands of meters altitude in Air Service speak, so 34km.

Edited September 13, 2015 by Kuzzter

[Scotius]

I hope maintenance staff packed extra barf bags for Bill I wonder how this barn-with-a-lot-of-engines will fly in Eve atmosphere?

[Mister Dilsby]

I hope maintenance staff packed extra barf bags for Bill I wonder how this barn-with-a-lot-of-engines will fly in Eve atmosphere?

Well, it'll eject the outer six by that point over Eve so hopefully the core stage will fly straight. M7, by the way, is for the 7xMammoths.

[Yukon0009]

Did you test it on Eve..?

[smjjames]

Did you test it on Eve..?

Well, in-universe, Bill said he did simtesting with the ship, so, maybe?

[Alchemist]

I'm afraid the side blocks might have better aerodynamics than the central. (And the wing parts on the craft on the top don't make it any better)

Looks like one of those ascent profiles: pitch a few degrees before reaching speed of sound, set SAS to surface-prograde and hope it doesn't do anything stupid before you clear the dense layers.

[Deddly]

How long does it take you to make these, Kuzzter? I would imagine that it all depends on the content, but I'm referring to the actual artwork, aside from gameplay?