After Time Adrift Among Open Stars: The Story of Kerbalkind's Reach into the Stars.

[VASMIR]

On 3/31/2016 at 4:57 PM, RocketSquid said:

Where are the hab and greenhouse from?

I got the Hab from the Interstellar Endurance pack, and the greenhouse from Lack Luster Labs.

[SpaceplaneAddict]

Moar?

I'm really trying to...

 

 

 

Stay Determined . . .

[VASMIR]

OPEN STARS: PART XIX- A Situation Here

DATE:  APRIL 3, 2095- APRIL 4, 2095

LOCATION:  ERIN SURFACE

JEB: Okay GaRus, what's the situation?

GaRus:  Get into the hab first.  I haven't filled out the rest of the crew rest.

JEB:  Alright.

GaRus:  Crew of Exodus, here's the deal-

BEATRIX:  Wait what happened?

JEB:  I don't know either;  GaRus told us after we landed Green-1.

GaRus:  Can you just let me finish. 

BOB:  Sure.

GaRus:  Well, the Lander used a lot of fuel to dock with Exodus and bring Green-1 down.  Not liquid fuel, but monopropellant.

JEB:  I had a problem with RCS-Unit-7 while docking.

GaRus:  Correct.  I analyzed the data and it seems that a monopropellant tank ruptured in the spacecraft.  Thankfully, the Lander vented the pressure out of the engines before it was too serious.

VAL:  The problem is that we don't have enough fuel to dock again?

GaRus:  Maybe.  You guys might just be able to dock once again, but no more.

JEB:  So what now?

GaRus:  I have a plan.

JEB:  Let's hear it.

GaRus:  Jeb, Bob, Bill, and Beatrix all fly up in a Lander.  Jeb and Bill dock with Hab-2, and bring it down.  Meanwhle, Bob and Beatrix EVA and enter Lander-2.  We'll use her to bring the other modules down.

STEPHANIE:  What about Cerberus-2? 

GaRus:  That'll be left at Exodus.

BOB:  So are we fixing RCS-Unit-7?

BEATRIX:  It might take a while, but I can do it.

BILL:  Take your time.  If we explode or can't dock, this trip would've been all for nothing.

BEATRIX:  You're fun.

BILL:  I just don't want my rocket exploding.  You know, the usual.

JEB:  So what's going on at Green-1?

VAL:  Not too much has gone wrong.  I mean, considering the fact that there's an RTG surrounded by plants and all.

BEATRIX:  Who built this damn thing?

BEATRIX:  So much for "venting the pressure".

BOB:  What?

BEATRIX:  I've mostly patched up unit, but half of the block is gone.

BOB:  You think we can fly?

BEATRIX:  Of course;  I'm heading into the Lander.

VAL:  You know, I could actually start unthawing some embryos right now.

JEB:  Wait 'till we bring Green-2 and Hab-2 down.

JEB:  Bill, are we ready to launch?

BILL:  Yep, but I don't think the idea of us flying three times in a week is good idea.

JEB:  Well, this is the last flight of our trusty Lander.  Let's make it a good one.

BILL:  Roger.

BOB:  Yeah, so you want Beatrix and I to do an EVA from the airlock of the Lander to the airlock of Exodus untethered?

JEB:  Spelled it right out?

BOB:  Sounds fun.

BILL:  Exodus Base, we are launching in 3, 2, 1-

 

So this was kind of a filler episode, but believe me, there is much more to come.

 

TO BE CONTINUED...

 

 

 

 

Edited April 7, 2016 by VASMIR

[VASMIR]

OPEN STARS: PART XX- Retirement

DATE:  APRIL 4, 2095

LOCATION:  ERIN SURFACE- ERIN ORBIT

BILL:  All engines on!

BOB:  We are off the ground!

BILL:  Altitude: Two kilometers.

JEB:  Turning on main engines.

BILL:  Getting some heat.  All good, don't worry.

BEATRIX:  Computer has plotted the orbital node.

BILL:  And?

BEATRIX:  We'll rendezvous in under an orbit.

JEB:  Nice.

(Half an Orbit Later)

JEB:  We've equalized our velocity with Exodus.  I'd suggest suiting up right about now.

BEATRIX:  Got it.  Standing in the airlock.

(A Few Minutes Later)

BOB:  We're good to go.

JEB:  Copy that.  Who wants to go first?

GaRus:  Sorry to interrupt, but there's a problem:  I can't stop the centrifuges from spinning.

BEATRIX:  Why?

GaRus:  Fault in the electronics.  This is an old ship, remember?

BOB:  Beatrix, I'll monitor your movement with the EVA pack.

BEATRIX;  Okay;  Stepping out of the airlock.

BEATRIX:  I'm going to do an inspection of the base parts.

BOB:  Right behind ya'

BOB:  Getting closer-

GaRus:  I have depressurized HabAirlock-2 for you.  She's all yours.

BEATRIX:  I can't see any problems with the modules.

BOB:  I'm waiting for you in airlock.

BEATRIX:  Got it, heading to you.

BOB:  Exodus crew, all members on board.

JEB:  Nicely done.  That was a pretty dangerous stunt you just pulled.

GaRus:  I'll let you guys get ready in here.  Jeb, I have a package for you-

\

GaRus:  -Hab-2 detached.

JEB:  Bill, you ready to engage the docking mechanism?

BILL:  What do you think?

JEB:  Just get it done, old man.

BILL:  You're a year older than me.

BILL:  GaRus, I want you to check something for me.

GaRus:  What is it?

BILL:  I have a "pressure-zero" alert on RCS-Unit 7 and 4.  Wait-  also on "LanderLFO-3".

GaRus:  I see the readings.  I'm also picking up debris with my scanner.

JEB:  Oh s**t.

BOB:  Do we abort mission?

BILL:  I can do this!  Pulling in to dock-

BILL:  And see, what did I tell you?

BOB:  Fine.

JEB:  I have full power on main engines; we're coming down.

VAL:  I see you with the Cerberus-A's radar. 

JEB:  Hey baby.

VAL:  Shut up Jeb!

JEB:  Hitting the atmosphere!

STEPHANIE:  You guys are right on target; Good work.

BILL:  I really hope we don't burn up.

JEB:  Well, we had a tank rupture in orbit, so I am not promising anything.

JEB:  I have control now, engines are on.

BILL:  I can't see a thing!

JEB:  We can do this.

JEB:  Exodus Base, we see you.

VAL:  Put her down easy.

JEB:  Speed is good.

BILL:  Watch out for that lateral drift-

JEB:  Taken care of.  Coming down-

BILL:  Sensors are recording touchdown!

JEB:  Detaching!

VAL:  Nice work Jeb, but could you have landed the hab a bit closer?

JEB:  No, we're good. 

STEPHANIE:  I'm going to inspect the hab.  You should come with, Val. 

JEB:  No thanks or anything?

VAL:  Believe me, you did just fine out there.

GaRus:  Nice reckless flying!  We have two up here that say that they can land closer to the target next time.

JEB:  Be my guest.

BOB:  This is Lander-2, we are undocking.

 

TO BE CONTINUED...

 

Edited April 7, 2016 by VASMIR

[VASMIR]

OPEN STARS: PART XXI- Building a Home part 1

DATE:  APRIL 5, 2095

LOCATION:  ERIN SURFACE- ERIN ORBIT

BILL:  Yeah, it seems that we'll never be flying her again.

VAL:  Why?

JEB:  An engine exploded during the descent.  Pretty cool, huh?

STEPHANIE:  Bill, since you're already on EVA, I want you to inspect Hab-2.

BILL:  On it.

BILL:  The external console says that "Hab Integrity 89%".  Should I deploy?

VAL: (To Stephanie)  89%?  That's not good.

STEPHANIE:  We can work with it.  Bill, hit deploy.  If the hab pops, you should be okay.

BILL:  Should?  Fine, I'll do it.

BILL:  I don't see it popping.

JEB:  Sorry to interrupt, but I think that we should take some parts off Lander-1, you know, because it won't be flying again.

VAL:  Wait for the equipment module to come down.

MEANWHILE IN ORBIT

BOB:  We're sitting in the lander, over.

GaRus:  Detaching Green-2 in 3, 2, 1-

GaRus:  We have a good detach.

BEATRIX:  I'll man the docking mode. 

BOB:  Roger, inching us forward.

BOB:  Check it out, you can see Sentar's rings!

GaRus:  I have some data on the Star-Planet-Moon interaction, but I'll tell you when you land.

BOB:  Thanks GaRus.

BEATIX:  Pulling in to dock- we're good!

BOB:  Roger.

BOB:  De orbit burn in T- 5, 4-

(Explosion)

BOB: S***!  My arm!

BEATRIX:  Exodus Base, do you copy!?

JEB:  We read.

BEATRIX:  Bob's console just exploded!  His arm has a giant metal bar running through it!

JEB:  Beatrix, you'll be doing the landing now.

BEATRIX:  Copy.

BOB:  We're hitting the atmosphere too early!

BEATRIX:  The lander must have fired too long;  I'm going to fire the landing engines to get us a bit closer so we don't undershoot!

BOB:  I think I ca-(Passes out)

BEATRIX:  Jesus Christ!

BEATRIX:  The lander is flipping out too much!  Using RCS to correct.

VAL:  We see you Beatrix.  Bring her down easy.

BEATRIX:  Lowering throttle- touchdown!

JEB:  Congrats!  You landed well.  Val and I are coming with a medkit for Bob.

BEATRIX:  Roger. 

(Lays head back)

BEATRIX:  Holy s***.

 

TO BE CONTINUED.

 

A fair warning, not everyone will survive the next few episodes.

Edited April 7, 2016 by VASMIR

[DMSP]

1 hour ago, VASMIR said:

A fair warning, not everyone will survive the next few episodes.

Yeah, it keeps getting riskier and riskier!

Nice pinpoint landings! I once built an Endurance similar to your Exodus and set up shop on Laythe. It was tough getting the modules down!

[VASMIR]

15 minutes ago, DMSP said:

Yeah, it keeps getting riskier and riskier!

Nice pinpoint landings! I once built an Endurance similar to your Exodus and set up shop on Laythe. It was tough getting the modules down!

I always loved the look of the Endurance.  Did you make it with stock?

Also, for all the viewers of this story, should I rename Episode-XXX?  (for obvious reasons)  Of course, I could always go along with the theme

Edited April 6, 2016 by VASMIR

[DMSP]

18 minutes ago, VASMIR said:

I always loved the look of the Endurance.  Did you make it with stock?

Also, for all the viewers of this story, should I rename Episode-XXX?  (for obvious reasons)  Of course, I could always go along with the theme

No, I used the same mod you do.

I wouldn't recommend doing it.

Can't wait to see what is next!

[VASMIR]

OPEN STARS: PART XXII- Building a Home part 2

LOCATION:  Erin Surface (Exodus Base)

DATE:  April 9, 2095

JEB:  Thank you, Bill, for removing the storage units.

BILL:  Don't mention it.  I'll be watching the ascent and descent from Cerberus-A.

JEB:  Oh yeah, also, nice work repairing the pilot's console in here after the "Bob Incident".

BOB:  Not funny!  Its been a week and my arm still hurts!

VAL:  So this will be the last flight of our lander? 

JEB:  Lander-2 at least, although I doubt we'll get Lander-1 into the air anytime soon.

VAL:  Hmmm.  Liftoff!

JEB:  Jeez!  Could you at least given a warning!

VAL:  Me?  Nah.

JEB:  Getting some shock heating- check this out.

VAL:  What?

JEB:  Our suborbital trajectory will let us rendezvous with Exodus without doing an orbital burn.

VAL:  I know what you're thinki-

JEB:  Let's do it!

GaRus:  You will be meeting me on your flight path down to the planet, so the velocity-match-burn will be pretty big.

JEB:  Burning!

VAL:  You can see Exodus.

GaRus:  Your burn was good.  That was a pretty ballsy move you just did.

JEB:  Thanks.

GaRus:  I'm undocking with the Cargo Module.  Have fun.

JEB:  Roger; Engaging docking mode.

VAL:  Equalizing velocity...she's all yours.

JEB:  Lining up...pulling in-

JEB:  Something's wrong.

VAL:  I see.  Hang on- I'm getting an "imperfect lock" message.

GaRus:  It appears that the Cargo Module suffered damage during our trip.

Val:  How do we fix this?

JEB:  There is a docking port at the top of the Lander.

VAL:  True.  GaRus, can you run a simulation of us re-entering and landing with extra mass on our lander?

GaRus:  Your good.

VAL:  That fast?

GaRus:  I'm a quantum computer, Val.

JEB:  I have us docking;  Let's roll.

VAL:  Re-entry burn is good.

VAL:  We have a bit of a roll going on.  I'm correcting it with the RCS.

JEB:  Initiating landing engines.

VAL:  Roll's getting violent!

JEB:  I see the base!

VAL:  Come on, just a little bit more distance!

JEB:  If I make it, will ya' kiss me?

VAL:  If you make it, I'm giving you more than a kiss!

JEB:  Nice.

VAL:  Touchdown!

JEB:  That's the power of love.

VAL:  Shut up.

BOB:  Fancy flying, but what the hell are we going to do with a module on top of our lander?

 

TO BE CONTINUED...

 

 

Edited May 22, 2016 by VASMIR

[VASMIR]

OPEN STARS: PART XXIII- Long Shot

LOCATION:  Erin Surface (Exodus Base)

DATE:  April 10, 2095

VAL:  So let me get this straight;  You want to go to flying again?  We've only been here for ten days!

JEB:  Skelton, the innermost moon of Sentar, offers amazing scientific benefits.

VAL:  I know what Skelton is.

GaRus:  You must realize that this will probably be the last flight of the mission.

VAL:  I know, we've landed all the modules and all.

GaRus:  Skelton has a mostly water atmosphere.  A mission there could see how the moons interact with their parent bodies.  Jeb, Bob, and Stephanie will pilot a Cerberus shuttle down from Exodus to the surface.

VAL:  How do we get up to orbit?  The Cerberus shuttles lack a remote system.

GaRus:  Beatrix will solo pilot the ascent one down.

VAL:  Alright.  (Leans in)  Who made this plan?

JEB:  I did.

BOB:  My arm is feeling much better.

JEB:  That came out of nowhere.

BOB:  Well I just saw that I'd be flying to another world with a bandaged arm.

BEATRIX:  So after I dock Cerberus-A, I'll be coming down to Erin.  Alone.

BOB:  You sure you can pilot her down on your own?

BEATRIX:  It's not like you helped me last time.

BOB: (Laughs)

BEATRIX:  Landing engine on.  We're flying.

JEB:  Initiate main engines.

BEATRIX:  Main engines on.

STEPHANIE:  We have some shock heating.  I think we should switch to chemical mode now.

JEB:  Copy.;  Chemical engines on.

GaRus:  I'm uploading an orbital node to the shuttle. 

JEB:  I see it.

BOB:  Engines on.

GaRus:  No fancy flying, Jeb.

JEB:  Roger.  Damn.

BOB:  Matching speed with Exodus-

BOB:- Going into docking mode.

GaRus:  Park her right next to the other shuttle.

BOB:  Can do.

STEPHANIE:  We have a good docking.

JEB:  See ya' later Beatrix. 

BEATRIX:  You too.

STEPHANIE:  I'll head over to the other shuttle.  Come on Jeb.

BOB:  See you later too, Beatrix.

BEATRIX:  Undocking.

BEATRIX:  Good luck up there.

(One Orbit Later)

BEATRIX:  I have a good landing at the base, over.

JEB:  Roger.  Prep engines for Trans-Skelton-Injection.

BOB:  Rog.

JEB:  Oh and tell Val I said hi.

 

TO BE CONTINUED...

 

Seriously, now I'm kind of feeling bad about

Spoiler

Killing off a few of these characters.

 

Edited May 22, 2016 by VASMIR

[DMSP]

I'm guessing 1.1 is putting a bit of strain on some of your mods, @VASMIR.

How's the crew doing?

[VASMIR]

19 hours ago, DMSP said:

I'm guessing 1.1 is putting a bit of strain on some of your mods, @VASMIR.

How's the crew doing?

The series is still going, and I am looking to put out a new episode today or Thursday.  Stay posted.

I'm looking at (maybe) 15 more episodes.

[VASMIR]

To all fans of this series,

This is by no means dead, just that IRL and mods have put quite a strain on this.

-VASMIR

[VASMIR]

OPEN STARS: PART XXIV- To Skelton

LOCATION:  Low Erin Orbit

DATE:  April 10, 2095

GaRus:  Orbital burn in one minute.

JEB:  Do we have compensation for the extra mass?

GaRus: The burn will be a bit longer, due to a lower throttle, but we'll be fine.

BOB:  Trans-Skelton-Injection burn in 3, 2, 1-

BOB:  We're burning.

STEPHANIE:  Burn was good-I repeat, we are on our way to Skelton. 

JEB:  Rog.

(23 DAYS LATER)

GaRus:  I've prepped the engines for the burn to orbit.

BOB:  How's the shuttle?

STEPHANIE:  Readouts are good.  We'll be able to land after an orbit.

JEB:  Just one?

GaRus:  You guys have work at the colony.  Besides, the shuttle can't sustain you three for more than a week.

BOB:  Look at that volcano!

GaRus:  Burn in an hour.

JEB:  Reaching periapse.

STEPHANIE:  Engines on!

GaRus:  Burn was good-we are in a low orbit.

VAL:  Nice fancy flying!  We won't have instant comms, but this is close enough.

JEB:  You'll be watching us?

VAL:  Yeah.

JEB:  Cool.  Let's prepare the shuttle for landing.

BOB:  I ain't complaining.

 

TO BE CONTINUED...

Edited May 22, 2016 by VASMIR

[VASMIR]

OPEN STARS: PART XXV- Cerberus

LOCATION:  LOW SKELTON ORBIT

DATE:  April 30, 2095

BOB:  Look at that cloud cover!

JEB:  Gonna' be one hell of a landing.

GaRus:  I will help input data from my RACON system on your landing heading.

JEB:  Cool.

STEPHANIE:  We have detach... prep engines for de-orbit.

BOB:  Engines on-

JEB:  Huh, I think the sandwich I ate went bad.

BOB:  -Shut up Jeb, I was trying to sound cool.

JEB:  Burn successful.

BOB:  You were just interrupting me to say that!

STEPHANIE:  Guys! 

JEB:  Hitting the atmosphere.

BOB:  Skelton has a thick atmosphere and low gravity.  Temperature at the surface is...-179 degrees?

GaRus:  Skelton could be made of mostly ices and frozen methane.

JEB:  Frozen methane?  Weird. 

JEB:  Atmosphere's getting thicker.  We can now fly the craft.

STEPHANIE:  No fire?

BOB:  The data here says that it was a gradual increase in pressure as we descended. 

JEB:  Punching through final cloud layer-landing engine on!

BOB:  The surface!

JEB:  We have good control...touchdown in 3, 2, 1-

JEB:  -Touchdown!

STEPHANIE:  Pretty cold out there.

BOB:  No s***.

 

TO BE CONTINUED...

 

Also, comment below what Exodus Base should be renamed.

 

Edited May 22, 2016 by VASMIR

[DMSP]

I think it should be renamed "The Sanctuary."

Nice chapter, Skelton looks cool!

[VASMIR]

OPEN STARS: PART XXVI- Surface of Skelton

LOCATION:  LOW SKELTON ORBIT

DATE:  April 31, 2095

JEB:  Pressure...good.  LS...Good.  Yeah, I'm stepping out of Cerberus-A right now.

STEPHANIE:  Roger. 

BOB:  How's it lookin' out there?

JEB:  Red.  Very, very red.  Probably the nitrogen in the atmosphere reacting with the sunlight.

BOB:  Mind if I join ya'?

JEB:  Be my guest.  I'm going to take a bit of a hike.

STEPHANIE:  Stay in the lign-of-sight.

JEB:  I will.  I'm just going to get some samples from that ridge.

BOB:  Woah!  It feels like walking through water!

GaRus:  It's the pressure. 

JEB:  When did you decide to show up?

GaRus:  Now.

BOB:  I'm going to meet you at the top of that hill.

JEB:  Alright.  I've set up some soil samples here and there, and the Geiger Counter is almost set up.

JEB:  You want to come out, Stephanie?

STEPHANIE:  No.  I don't.

BOB:  Some ice queen.  Anyhow, look at the view.

JEB:  You know what's weird?

BOB:  What?

JEB:  In all of our travelings across the planets, I've never felt as though we were on an alien world.

BOB:  I see what you mean.  Erin makes for a good Kerbin, but that's the only other place we've been.

JEB:  It makes you feel kinda small, doesn't it.

BOB:  It does.

STEPHANIE:  You guys should head back to the shuttle;  The equipment needs some time to record data.

JEB:  We're coming back.  Let's hope nothing goes wrong.

 

TO BE CONTINUED...

 

God, how long has it been since I made an episode for this?

 

 

[DMSP]

1 hour ago, VASMIR said:

God, how long has it been since I made an episode for this?

Almost one month now. I'm still here, and I hope you keep making this story.

[insert_name]

34 minutes ago, DMSP said:

Almost one month now. I'm still here, and I hope you keep making this story.

agreed

[VASMIR]

OPEN STARS: PART XXVII- Waiting in the Sky

LOCATION:  SKELTON SURFACE

DATE:  May 1, 2095

 

STEPHANIE:  Barometer says that there's a storm out there.

BOB:  How bad?

STEPHANIE:  Uh...it is- S***!

JEB:  What?

STEPHANIE:  We just lost contact with the barometer!

JEB:  We can't just abort...some of that data is incredibly useful.  I think I should do an EVA.

BOB:  In that!?  No, I'm coming with.

JEB:  Suit up.

BOB:  Damn!  Look at the wind!

JEB:  We.  Need.  That.  Data!  The Geiger Counter will tell us how much shielding Exodus Base needs!

BOB:  I have an idea!  What if we use-

JEB:  Bob!

JEB:  What's your status !?

BOB:  I was-(Cough)-hit by debris.  It went through my f*****g lung!

JEB:  Hang on, we're coming to get you!

STEPHANIE:  Visibility is zero!

JEB:  Use the IR sensor!

STEPHANIE:  No good.  It was mauled by the wind!

BOB:  Head-(Cough)-back to- God D****t!  Head to the shuttle!

JEB:  I'm not leaving you!

BOB:  Do it.  We need you to come back alive.  The colony needs you.

JEB:  Maybe if I home in on your suit ra-

BOB:  Leave me!  You'll get yourself killed!

JEB:  Don't do this.

STEPHANIE:  The wind is gonna render the engines inoperable if we don't launch soon!

JEB:  Damn you, Bob.  Heading to the airlock.

STEPHANIE:  Go for launch.

BOB:  Remember that poem they taught us?

JEB:  Yes Bob, I do.

STEPHANIE:  They taught you guys a poem?

JEB:  Words to live by.  I'm sorry.

BOB:  I love that poem.

STEPHANIE:  I'm so sorry Bob.  Engines at 100%

JEB:  After time adrift among open stars.

BOB:  Along tides of light, and through shoals of dust.

JEB:  I will return to where I began.

STEPHANIE:  Jeb, Bob's suit has stopped transmitting.

JEB:  (Silent)  Okay.  Dock with Exodus.  Let's get out of here.

 

TO BE CONTINUED...

 

Yeah I tried to put feels into this one.

 

Edited July 15, 2016 by VASMIR

[KAL 9000]

Is Bob gonna be 'The Martian'-esque stranded?

[VASMIR]

OPEN STARS: PART XXVIII- Landed

LOCATION:  ERIN SPHERE-OF-INFLUENCE

DATE:  May 28, 2095

VAL:  Jeb, I'm sorry about your brother.  He was a good-

JEB:  I know, I know.  I'd like to grieve, too, but we have a mission at stake.  Bob would've understood that.

BILL:  You know, he was my brother, too.

BEATRIX:  Really?

GaRus:  I recommend having a memorial service when we land.

STEPHANIE:  'kay.

GaRus:  I also ran a check of the engines while you were talking.  Orbital insertion is in T-12 minutes.

VAL:  Well at least you're coming back home.

JEB:  Yeah.  See you in a few.

GaRus:  Orbital insertion successful.  We'll do another orbit to execute an inclination change to match Exodus base.  I recommend running a system check on Cerberus-B.

JEB:  Can do.

(One Orbit Later)

STEPHANIE:  We are go for undock in 3...2...1- Goodbye Garus.

GaRus:  Goodbye?  I'll be dropping in while you guys make the base.  "Eye in the sky".

JEB:  Our de-orbit burn looks good.  We'll have to glide a few kilometers to the base, but that's for safety.

VALENTINA:  Nice.  Well, we've got some potatoes down he-

JEB:  You grew food already?

VALENTINA:  Yeah, while you were gone, we planted some crops.  Your arrival coincided with the harvest, so I'm here waiting on you.

JEB:  Hmmm. 

BILL:  What's the status of your burn?

JEB:  Good.  Pretty good.  Coming down right where we want to.  I'm just prepping the shuttle for re-entry.  Hitting the atmosphere in 5...4...3...2...1.  We are coming down.

BEATRIX:  Cerberus-B, your HeTank 4 is reading overpressurized.

JEB:  Roger.  Correcting. 

(BANG!)

STEPHANIE:  Woah!

JEB:  This is Cerberus-B, we have lost avionics.

BILL:  Reroute power to engines, and see if you can use the gimbal to-

JEB:  Engines are offline.

BILL:  What is working, then.

(SIlence)

BILL:  Jeb!

JEB:  Stephanie, we have lost radio contact.

STEPHANIE:  Are we f****d?

JEB:  I have once more trick, and if that doesn't work, then yes, we are colossally f****d.  Rerouting cabin oxygen to flaps 1-3, and 5-6!

STEPHANIE:  We have control again!

JEB:  Not for long.  I'm venting overpressured oxygen onto the flaps to turn them.

JEB:  I'm putting her down to land-

STEPHANIE:  We have no power to the engines!  We'll break apart!

JEB:  It just has to be slow enough that the suit can absorb the impact.

STEPHANIE:  What if the suit breaks...oh yeah, we can breath the air.

JEB:  Brace for impa-

STEPHANIE:  Jeb...Jeb!

JEB:  W-What.

STEPHANIE:  You good?

JEB:  Just fine-

JEB:- I think I'm the first person to ever land upside down on an alien planet.  History in the making.

STEPHANIE:  All systems are dead...no surprise.  Cabin is leaking, though.

JEB:  Get your helmet, and we'll head outside to assess the damage.

STEPHANIE:  You think they'll come for us?

JEB:  Of course.  Bill is a persistent SOB.

 

 

TO BE CONTINUED....

Edited July 21, 2016 by VASMIR

[VASMIR]

OPEN STARS: PART XXIX- Landed Part II

LOCATION:  ERIN SURFACE

DATE:  May 28, 2095

 

JEB:  This might be bad.

MEANWHILE, AT EXODUS BASE

VALENTINA:  So you're telling me that we have no way of contacting them?

BILL:  Well...uh...yes, I am.  GaRus can beam down satellite imagery, but he's on the other side of the planet.

BEATRIX:  We do, however, have an approximate area where they landed. 

VALENTINA:  Do their suit radios still work?

BILL:  We have no idea if they're even alive!  If they are, then we could possibly use the suit radio to get a more accurate location.  Of course, we'd have to be withing 10 Kilometers of them.

VALENTINA:  Hmmm.  Bill, go get the shuttle ready for flight.  We're getting our crew back.  Beatrix, stay back.  If anything goes wrong, I want at least someone still here.

BILL:  We have liftoff. 

BILL:  Engines running at 83%

VALENTINA:  83%?

BILL:  Any higher, and I get overheat warnings.

BILL:  I'm getting radar pings!

VALENTINA:  See if you can contact them?

BILL:  Jeb, can you read me?  Stephanie?  Over.

JEB:  This is Jeb.  Stephanie is here, and we're both unhurt.  The shuttle's tanks are going to blow in a few minutes, so hurry up.

BILL:  A lot of s**t just happened really fast.

VALENTINA:  Concentrate on landing.  We're almost there!

BILL:  There they are!

VALENTINA:  We're landing pretty soon.  Hold out 'till then.

JEB:  Coolbeans.

VALENTINA:  Almost there. 

BILL: What the hell happened to the other shuttle?

STEPHANIE:  Jeb landed her upside down!

VALENTINA:  On the ground.  Hurry!

JEB:  Stephanie, head back to the shuttle, now!

STEPHANIE:  What the hell are you doing!

JEB:  I need to grab Bob's data.  Make sure he didn't die in vain.

JEB:  Got it!  Heading over!

BILL:  I've connected to what's left of the other shuttle's computer.  She's going critical! 

JEB:  I'm running as fast as I can!

JEB:  Onboard!  Let's get the hell out of here.

BILL:  Liftoff!

BILL:  We've reached safe-distance.  I guess we- woah!

STEPHANIE:  What?

BILL:  I just read a temperature spike, and then all telemetry was lost with the shuttle

JEB:  I'm gonna' miss that shuttle.  Served us well.

BEATRIX:  I overheard comm chatter.  What the hell was that?

VALENTINA:  Long story.

BEATRIX:  Nice to see all of you are back in one piece.

JEB:  Agreed.

STEPHANIE:  Yeah, there's no place like...home.

 

TO BE CONTINUED...

 

I loved making this episode 'cause it let me explore a bit of Erin.  I admit, for a Kerbin-like world, it is still pretty different.  Other than the first Erin landing, I guess this episode really hammered home how far the Kerbals are from home...or at least their old one.

 

Edited July 27, 2016 by VASMIR

[DMSP]

Those guys are holding on, it seems. I wonder what Kerbin is like now...

[VASMIR]

OPEN STARS: PART XXX- Requiem

LOCATION:  ERIN SURFACE

DATE:  June 10, 2095

JEB:  You know what's funny?

VAL:  What?

JEB: I've been here for weeks, but I've never seen the night.  Ever.

VAL:  Turn on your lights.  We don't want an accident to, you know, happen because you tripped on a rock and-

JEB:  I get it.  I get it.

JEB:  You know that this sky is what keeps me going.

VAL:  Huh?

JEB:  I mean... see that bright star over there?  That's Kerbol.

VAL:  Makes you think.

JEB:  It does.

VAL:  I'm glad that the colony is going well.

JEB:  Yeah.  GaRus says that we can support a colony of thousands in just a few decades.

VAL:  So we made it?

JEB:  Not yet.  We are completely and totally ready to thaw the embryos, but we just need to set up more equipment.

VAL:  So when do you think we'll open these up?

JEB:  Probably once the Sun rises.

VAL:  The Sun?

JEB:  You want to call it Cercani for the rest of your life?

VAL:  Sure.

JEB:  (Laughs)

JEB:  The fact is, my brother is dead.  You can't bring him back.  But, he died with the greatest honor of all.  He'd never want me to mourn him, and that's why I won't.

VAL:  I'm glad you think that.

JEB:  For the past few months, we've been making our own air...or at least filtering what's here.  But for a colony, we can't do that.

VAL:  What do you propose?

JEB:  Watch this

VAL:  What the f**k!

JEB:  I'm not dead.

VAL:  You could've died!

JEB:  If I did, it'd prove that our whole journey was for nothing.

VAL:  Don't scare me like that.

JEB:  Can't promise it won't happen again.

VAL:  Was...that a joke?

JEB:  No.

VAL:  So is it safe to assume we're going to make it?

JEB:  I guess so.  For now.

JEB:  For now, we've made it.

 

TO BE CONTINUED...

 

Glad to be back.