totm aug 2016 Kerny Kerman's Journal (mission reports from a Kerbal's point of view) [Chapter 87: "Among the growing shadows."]

[roboslacker]

There's only one explanation: Katrine is working with the aliens, who replaced Duna with a perfect 1:1 replica, but that bit's not important.

[RealKerbal3x]

Pink slime???

ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY PINK SLIME!!!!!

*wolf whistle* Maxbas likes Kerny 

[adsii1970]

Moho 16, Y003 
" Ah Cancun is down! Repeat -- Ah Cancun is down!" _{(Part 2)}
Chapter 60

It is two hours after Kerbolset and the day is far from over. We remained at the location where we recovered Lieutenants Agay and Senfry for nearly forty minutes before any additional contact with the world beyond our own craft. There was really not much to do but monitor the radio communications between the space center and New Kerbin City.

/static/ "C Tracking... Reque.../static/...date on Senior Consul Maxbas.../static/...she on station?" an unknown voice called out.

"Negative, NKC Tracking. She was scheduled to arrive with /static/...flight carrying Senior /static/...Edmund." I immediately recognized the voice as Kuzzter's. But he had seen Senior Consul Maxbas and myself at the morning briefing. Why would he tell tracking she wasn't there and was scheduled to arrive on the same flight as Dr. Edmund?

"Kerny," Maxbas said, nearly in shock. "They think I was on that flight, too!"

"I know, Maxbas," I said, this whole thing is strange, I thought.

"Captain," Maxbas cried out, nearly in a panic. "What's that blue light flashing on the console?"

"That's a secure communications indicator," I answered her. "It means that someone is sending us an encrypted message that requires my encryption code to receive it."

"But," she began, "we have passengers, Kerny."

"It's a flash message, ma'am," I began. "that means it's in text. There's no audio or video. It's just text which will appear on the screen until I clear the screen. Once I clear it, there's no record of it. It's gone forever."

"Ah," she began. "Dr. Edmund told me about it---" and after a long pause, she continued, "he said Dr. Angelo and he and worked on it together as an extra security measure."

"Kerny, what do you think it means?"

"Maxbas," I began, "it means that Gene and Dr. Haywood doesn't want someone to know you weren't on that flight. I need to know --"

"Yes, Captain," she said, looking down at the message on the console screen. "I was supposed to be on that flight with Dr. Edmund. But I didn't want to wait until this morning. I wanted..."

"Well," I began, "I imagine Gene will take care of anyone who saw you back at the center. Our hardest part will be our two passengers here. Right now, though, Senfry is in no condition to remember much... if he survives whatever that pink slime did to him." It was time to get the message off the console screen. I reached over and cleared the screen and added, "the question becomes, what about Lieutenant Agay?"

"Kerny, she's asleep," Maxbas said, looking back into the passenger cabin. "We still have some time to figure it out before the Dres gets here."

"Last radio communication we heard says she's still thirty minutes out..."

"What's that ship over there?" Maxbas asked, pointing out to our northeast.

As if right on cue, our radio sprang to life, "Sea goose, this is the Auxiliary Vessel Emiko, Lieutenant Commander Baruki commanding. We've been monitoring communications and are here to offer assistance..."

"Commander Baruki, this is Captain Kerny," I began. "I'm sure you're aware of our situation --"

"Captain...Kerny!" the excited voice called back over the radio. "It's an honor to serve you. How can we assist? According to my first officer, Lieutenant Luddrin, we are about 3 kilometers from you. We'll be there in a matter of minutes!"

"Understood," I began. "But we still have to remain on site until the Dres is on station, commander."

Maxbas and I watched as the Auxiliary Vessel Emiko grew larger, then stopped to our northeast. We had heard the orders, same as her crew, ordering her to remain at that station until the Dres arrived on the scene. Gene and Dr. Haywood had made it clear they wanted to follow crash investigation protocol to the very letter. The captain of the refitted URKN Dres, Commander Hadfen Kerman, couldn't be blamed with making the voyage at a slow pace. At seven meters per second, or about thirteen knots, he was being cautious not to damage the new engines. Even Senior Consul Maxbas commented that Dr Edmund would never want an untested design to be pushed to its limits and at a great risk to the crew and craft if it weren't absolutely necessary. And at this point, the Dres' arrival here any sooner would not have prevented Dr. Edmund's appointment with death. 

"Captain," the voice of Commander Baruki came over the radio, "I've just received a large radar contact to our east-northeast. It's heading this way at seventeen knots. I've got my radio operator trying to establish contact now."

"Thank you, Commander," I replied. There's one thing about this. I hate the uncertainty and I hate just having to sit and wait for something to happen.

"Captain, Consul Maxbas," a scared and frail voice called from the back of the passenger compartment. "How long was I out?"

"Lieutanant," Maxbas explained, "you've had a rough day. Agay, no one expects you to remain awake or even --"

"Ma'am," it was clear she was still upset from her ordeal, "what's going to happen? I mean, the warning alarms went off. There was nothing we could do --"

"Captain," the voice of Baruki came through, loud and clear. "It's the Auxilary Vessel Harvester Kerman. Their commanding officer just stated they were pulled off off-shore research to conduct salvage and recovery operations on the orders of General Gene Kerman. This must be something big --"

"Yes, Commander," I explained. "It is. The aircraft carrying Senior Consul Dr. Edmund went down a little over an hour and a half ago -- "

"Oh, gods --" she replied. "That explains it. Did you know about twenty minutes ago, she named Consul Rayven as acting Senior Consul of the Triune Committee of the URK Defense Forces? The video news feed said they think Senior Consul Maxbas was on that plane, too!"

"But no --" Lieutenant Agay began, before being waived off by myself and Maxbas. Apparently she took the hint and began sobbing uncontrollably loud. "I met her one time. She was the most compassionate and smart Kerman female in politics I ever met!"

Maxbas couldn't help but to let out a little snicker.

"Commander," I began, "I'm going to have to sign off. The sea goose only recharges her batteries when the engines are running. And we can't leave the area until the Dres arrives on station. We'll leave our flash message system on, but if you hear anything --"

"You've got it, Captain!" Baruki replied. "Emiko out!"

"Ok," I began. "Lieutenant, if anyone asks you --"

"It was just you on the sea goose when Lieutenant Senfry and I boarded." Agay replied.

"I hate that we have to ask you to do this," Maxbas added.

"Ma'am," Agay responded, sounding completely irritated. Since Prime Consul Katrine became Prime Consul, she's denied every request I've put in for transfer. I've been ordered to fly Consul Rayven around to Tulum Station so many times in her attempts to meet J. Jim Kerman that it really sickens me. And each time, he tells her to go play in a Kerbite mound. And you know what? Do we get to rest after flying for four hours straight --"

"I'm taking that as a no?" Maxbas innocently asked. Big mistake. A real big mistake.

"No. No she doesn't. We have to immediately fly her back to NKC. And the entire time, she was blaming someone named Gilti for stealing her mate --"

"Oh, that doesn't sound good," Maxbas began.

"No, it doesn't," and yes, this is all I need, i thought to myself. A member of my crew caught up in some sort of battle over the affections of J. Jim. There's no good outcome for anyone, not even J. Jim! "Has anyone checked on Senfry in a while?" I hated to change the conversation, but the orders didn't leave any room for transferring our passengers to the Dres. We were to fly immediately back to the KSC once the Dres arrived. 

"Sea goose, this is the Dres," as a new voice came across our radio. "We will be arriving in the area within another twenty minutes. I have a message from the Old Kerman I need to give you personally."

"Dres," I replied, "This is Captain Kerny. Can you tell me the nature of the message?" What happened next was unexpected -- radio silence. No response.

"Captain," Maxbas began. "That isn't normal, is it?"

"Maxbas, there's nothing normal about any of this." The name, Old Kerman was naturally Gene. Within the Kerbin Defense Forces, General Gene was the highest ranking officer, only inferior to the members of the Triune Committee and the Prime Consul. And at the same time, as the Director of KASA, he was accountable to the Chair of the Committee on Aeronautics and Space Exploration. Literally, Gene, the Old Kerman, was in "the know" about everything.

As I explained Gene's role to her, we watched as the Dres came closer to our position.

Once the Dres was within a hundred meters from us, Maxbas and I watched as her crew tossed a small dingy off her deck into the water. Then a solitary Kerman, dressed in a dark blue jumpsuit, climbed into the dingy, and made his way over to our sea goose. Within a few minutes, he was near the starboard door, knocking on it. Lieutenant Agay reluctantly opened it.

"Captain, I was hoping to meet you under better conditions," the Kerman started. "I'm Commander Hadfen. Gene said for me to tell you to get underway now. Apparently, the Prime Consul thinks Senior Consul Maxbas was on the Dart with Dr. Edmund. And he wants her to continue to think that way --"

"Commander," Maxbas began. "What's your opinion about all of this --"

"Senior Consul, I believe," he began, "as do many others, that the plane was brought down. If she believes you both were aboard it, it just makes it too convenient for it to crash. Since the Dart has left experimental stage two years ago, there's only been one crash. And that was when Jebediah --"

"Oh, yeah, when he tried to land it between the vehicle assembly building and the space plane hangar --" Maxbas said, in a matter-of-fact-like tone.

"Captain, you'd better get going," Commander Hadfen interrupted. "I'll take Lieutenant Senfry with me; our ship's doctor is ready for him. Gene says to take Agay with you and Maxbas. Go to the center and taxi directly to the space plane hangar. Dr. Wernher has given all his crew the night off and there's a fresh sea goose standing by. Lieutenant Gilti is being replaced by Lieutenant Agay --"

"Good idea," I interrupted. "That's one less potential problem..." But now the question remains on how to get Maxbas away from the KSC without being spotted. But I am sure Gene will have something figured out by the time we get there.

"Gene also said to take your pink goo and give it to Dr. Zarkov." Commander Hadfen added. "He'll be waiting for you in the space plane hangar." And with that, he began to drag Senfry towards the rear passenger compartment door.

Maxbas and Agay helped Hadfen load the still unconscious Senfry into the dingy. Within a few seconds, the dingy turned away from the sea goose and made its way back to the Dres. It was now time for us to follow our remaining orders.

Within an hour, we were back at the KSC runway - where our journey had started earlier that day. Instead of the normal approach, I decided to borrow an idea taught by Jebediah - the half-runway approach. "TKSC Tracking, Khaob requesting back-half landing clearance."

"Khaob, this is tracking," Bobak's voice responded. "Permission granted. "Go for back-half landing clearance."

"Kerny," Maxbas began, in a cautious tone, "what does that mean?"

"It means we're not going to use the entire runway," I answered her in a playful tone.

"Oh, but, do we need to?" She asked. "I mean, should we?"

But before she could finish her question, our wheels touched the runway and we were already breaking. Now to taxi to the space plane hangar. By the time we pulled in front of the hanger, the electric motors slid the giant doors open wide enough to accommodate the sea goose's wings. As I powered down the engines, Gene, Dr. Wernher, and Thomberry approached the sea goose.

"Kerny," Gene began, "tomorrow at Kerbolrise, I want you, Senior Consul Maxbas, and Lieutenant Agay out of here. Over on that side of the hangar, there's another sea goose standing by. She's fueled up, the extra cargo bay has been turned into an extra fuel tank, and Dr. Wernher has changed the engine designs to give you better performance. Bad thing is all three of you are staying here --"

"Ok, Gene," Maxbas interrupted. "But I don't get it. How many Kermen saw me here yesterday and this morning?"

"Ma'am," Gene began, "earlier this morning Kuzzter came to me and asked to speak to me and Bobak in private. It seems his mother wanted to know who arrived on that flight yesterday evening. She knew that you were scheduled to fly with Dr. Edmund this morning and was unaware you had decided to order an earlier flight to the center -- "

"How do you know you can trust him?" I asked.

"At first, I didn't." Gene began. But after an awkward pause, he began again. "But it was he who approached me. And it was me he told that he believed his mother was behind the plane crash -- that his mother had Dr. Edmund killed and how the plane was supposed to be carrying both Dr. Edmund and Senior Consul Maxbas. And there's one more thing --"

"Gene --" I wasn't really sure what I could add to the conversation.

"Dr Haywood called me earlier this morning," Gene added, "didn't go into specifics, but said our suspicions about Kuzzter were wrong. His loyalties are with the Republic and not with his mother. He did say that Kuzzter had provided some valuable insight --"

"Such as?" I asked, not sure if I really wanted to know.

"Not now, Kerny." Gene whispered. "When the time's right. You'll know. I suggest you three get some sleep. It will be an early day tomorrow and a very long flight ahead of you. Commodore Valentina will be sending you coordinates in a flash message tomorrow once you're airborne."

"This is all fine and good," the familiar northern coastal voice from the shadows called out, "but I still haven't gotten my pink slime sample, Gene?"

"Oh, Dr. Zarkov," Gene called out, apologetically. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to know I'm not the only one who finds Prime Consul Katrina distasteful." He shot back. "Did you know she's wanting to shut down the Division of Biological Sciences funding?"

"Why is she wanting to do that?" I asked. Just one glance at Gene and Maxbas and I knew I might have made a mistake.

"Well, for starters," Dr. Zarkov enumerated, "she believes there is no other life in the universe but on Kerbin. She also believes all the life on Kerbin there is can be found in the Chilam Balam of Chumayel. But I know she's wrong --"

Yeah, at this point, I know I made a mistake. "Dr. Zarkov," I interrupted, "I don't know if this will help you, but I brought you this."

"What is it?" He asked, holding the specimen tube between his fingers.

"I dunno," I said. "But it was all over Lieutenant Senfry. Wherever it touched his skin, it gave him a greyish-green rash and knocked him unconscious --"

"He was even covered in a pink slime and foaming at the mouth," Lieutenant Agay added.

"And it was really strange." Maxbas added. "The slime was floating on the water near him, but none was near Agay."

"Now that is something strange," Dr.Zarkov added before disappearing out the door of the space plane hangar and towards the laboratory building.

"He's something else," Gene said, redirecting our conversation back to the new mission at hand. "After you take off tomorrow morning, you are not to mention you have Maxbas with you. Do you understand, Kerny?"

"Yes, Gene." Not much else I could say. I agree totally with this. And it was at this time, for the first time, I was aware that Maxbas was holding my hand.

For the remainder of the evening, Gene told us that the recovery would continue until every piece of the Dart which could be recovered was recovered. The Dres would remain on site and her commander, Commander Hadfen, was in command of the recovery mission. Not only was it going to be a long night for he and his crew, but the recovery operations were expected to last up to five days. The Harvester Kerman would be responsible for the actual recovery of the wreckage and would eventually bring the pieces back to the space center. From there, Major Thompberry would begin the process of reassembling as much as the craft as possible to learn what brought the craft down.

It's already two hours after Kerbolset and I'm still unable to sleep. Lieutenant Agay is now sleeping on a cot in the corner since she took a sedative given by one of Thompberry's medics. Shortly after Gene and Dr. Wernher left, Maxbas laid in the cot next to mine and fell asleep rather quickly. Right now, I have too many unanswered questions in my mind to sleep.

Return to the OP (Index)

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Edited June 5, 2018 by adsii1970

[RealKerbal3x]

Yeah!! New chapter!

Kerbin looks amazing with all of those visual mods installed. EVE+Scatterer, I assume?

[roboslacker]

So it's confirmed that the big boss got her hands dirty.

[adsii1970]

5 hours ago, RealKerbal3x said:

Kerbin looks amazing with all of those visual mods installed. EVE+Scatterer, I assume?

Almost. Here's what I am using:

Stock Visual Enhancements by @Galileo is a lot less processor-taxing than EVE. I've been using it for a while, since 1.0, or at least that's the first one I have kept an archive copy of. I highly recommend using all three of these mods together and follow the directions down to the letter for the best results. I've played with all three so long that it is hard to play a stock game any more. I will give up most mods, but not these. I cannot give these mod creators enough thanks for the work they do.

1 hour ago, roboslacker said:

So it's confirmed that the big boss got her hands dirty.

Hehehe, there's certainly seems to be some circumstantial evidence pointing that direction, eh?

Edited May 19, 2018 by adsii1970

[Angelo Kerman]

...Or she was framed...

[obney kerman]

Whoa, I missed a chapter!

[adsii1970]

2 minutes ago, obney kerman said:

Whoa, I missed a chapter!

How did you manage to do that?

[obney kerman]

1 hour ago, adsii1970 said:

How did you manage to do that?

I wasn't online Saturday.

[Thedrelle]

Fantastic!

Maxbas is in danger, and Kerny must keep her safe!

I wonder what the story is with that pink slime...

[Fraston]

u ArE bReAkING RUEl too Dawt ToO jay beCawz yU aRe Roplaeing aS a Kerbawl

You are breaking rule 2.2j because you are roleplaying as a Kerbal.

im joking...

[adsii1970]

16 minutes ago, Fraston said:

You are breaking rule 2.2j because you are roleplaying as a Kerbal.

im joking...

I'm only replying to the part I can understand.   I've been writing this as a first-Kerman journal for a while now and even achieved a thread of the month a while back. It's not been an issue before. And if memory serves me correctly, I was one of the first to do a fan fictuon story from a Kerman's point of view.

[adsii1970]

Moho 17, Y003 
"We just sit here and wait. That's our orders."
Chapter 61

It's a little past mid-day here. Kerbol is still high in the sky, yet I already feel more tired today than I ever felt while in space. The search and salvage teams are still recovering the debris from the crash which cost Dr. Edmund his life. And although there's yet to be an internment, already the Prime Consul has begun to make changes which impacts the Kerbin Defense Forces. Although Senior Consul Maxbas is here, on Chibi Island, there are very few outside of my immediate party and the space center who knows she iwas not on board. Katrine has assumed she died in the plane crash also and has now named her daughter, Rayven, as the acting Senior Consul of the Triune Committee. But that's not even the extent of what's happened since the crash.

Without any sort of warning, we had several visits from those unidentified alien craft. As we, Maxbas, Agay, and myself, were in the corner of the space plane hangar preparing for our flight this morning, the alarms began going off all over the space center. And Kuzzter's voice shouted out those words no one was really prepared to hear.

"Attention all Kermen," he began, not in his normally cool voice. "We have multiple inbound craft. Repeat, we have multiple inbound unknown craft! Defense Wing Three scramble! Defense Wing Three scramble!"

Immediately, both ground crews and their pilots headed towards the space plane hangar as a part of the alert. Normally, within five minutes, there would be five Koos in the air performing combat patrols over both the space center and New Kerbin City. But not last night. Although I am cleared to fly any craft on station, Gene had ordered me to remain with Maxbas and Agay. We were in the far corner of the space plane hangar, hidden from view by a few empty crates and the sea goose we'd be flying out on once dawn came. But no one expected what would happen next.

Over the KSC, one of those unidentified alien craft had dropped to a low altitude and changed course towards the island air field. But in the process, it knocked out all the electronics of every vehicle on the center! Nothing was working, including the new Koos! It was at this point I began to realize we know nothing about their technology nor their weapons systems. Without a shot being fired, they had somehow neutralized our defenses!

"Defense Wing Three, stand down!" the voice coming over the speakers was none other than Rayven. Both her and her mother doubted the existence of the unidentified flying craft, but I never expected to hear her next statements over an open channel. "We know General Gene is somehow responsible for the sighting above New Kerbin City. Well, I will not fall for it -- "

"Dammit," Maxbas called out. "So what about the second one --"

"We have another inbound!" Kuzzter's voice rang out over the space center communications system. "Now tracking a third unidentified alien craft heading towards the polar station. Repeat, third inbound heading towards the polar station!"

Lieutenant Agay, looking incredibly worried, cried out, "Oh, gods! What's happening --"

The intercom system continued to sound the latest unidentified alien craft happening. "General Gene to tracking operations! General Gene to tracking operations!" This time it was the voice of Bobak. Being about ten years older than Kuzzter, his voice was somewhat deeper. But it wasn't too hard to hear the sound of panic filling his voice. "Island Airfield has flashed a message, Defense Wing Seven unable to launch! Repeat, Defense Wing Seven unable to launch!"

Without having anything other than the description given by Bobak, we understood what was happening. Just as the unidentified alien craft had rendered the atmospheric craft here at the KSC powerless, it had done the same thing to the atmospheric craft there.

On my K-Pad, I watched as the live feed from the Island Air Field showed the same alien craft which had passed over us, now hover over the airfield. All this technology around us and not one craft was able to leave the ground to challenge these visitors. As Maxbas and I continued to watch the small screen, Kuzzter's voice filled the space plane hangar.

"The unidentified alien craft has slowed over the polar station," his voice beginning to return to a more calmed state. "Repeat, the unidentified alien craft has slowed over the polar station -- "

"Kerny, there's always been just one sighted," Maxbas started, "but this time, why three?"

I honestly couldn't answer, but I knew at that very moment, both Captain Bob and Jebediah were probably watching the approaching alien craft with the same frustration, fear, and anger all rolled into one.

"According to our northern tracking station," Kuzzter began, "it appears to have stopped moving directly over the station!" I could only imagine Jebediah, already not himself over the disappearance of Bill a few months ago. But now, the very thing which had taken Bill was now hovering overhead!

About that time, a flash message appeared on my K-pad, pausing the video feed Maxbas and I had been watching. A short and simple message from Bob, "Alien craft has now flown over to the crashed one, performing some sort of scan. Pass this on to Gene and Dr. Haywood --"

For the next two hours we listened as the three confirmed sightings from around Kerbin were studied. In each case, with the exception of the polar station, our atmospheric craft had been rendered useless. Satellite imagery was able to catch much of what happened with the craft at their various locations. But what struck me as odd is whatever scan Captain  Bob had observed happened at the crash site at the polar station. A second flash message from Captain Bob stated the alien craft scanned the crashed one for about ten minutes, then left as quickly as it had appeared. Whatever its mission had been, apparently it had completed it.

"Captain," this time it was Dr. Wernher talking to me. "The sea goose; we've got to get you three out of here! Senior Consul Rayven is on her way here to see Gene -- "

"Can we take off? I mean..." Maxbas asked, "the island airfiend defense wing? The wing here?"

"Ma'am," Dr. Wernher began, "the alien craft has already left the area around New Kerbin City and the Island Air Station. Both are reporting normal operations now that the craft have left --"

Any ideas as to why --?" I began. I really wasn't sure if I was ready to hear the answer.

"No, sir," Dr. Wernher began. "But all I do know is you three must get out of here before Rayven gets here. She can't know that Senior Maxbas is here --"

And with that, we were able to start the sea goose and taxi to the end of the runway. "KSC Tower, this is Sea Goose Six," I radioed out. "Requesting takeoff --"

"We've got incoming!" Kuzzter called out over the radio. And sure enough...

As quickly as it had appeared, it was gone. It was the familiar silhouette of an unidentified alien craft. But unlike what had been reported all across Kerbin, it never did whatever it does to disable atmospheric craft. It simply ignored us as it came across the eastern end of the runway, then headed into the upper layers of Kerbin's atmosphere, and eventually, into space.

"Captain," Kuzzter's voice called out, "get out of here. Rayven is about twenty to thirty minutes out..." And with that, we began our own journey to our destination.

"No wonder you wanted to become a pilot," Maxbas exclaimed. "I've flown more in the last two, um, three days than I have in the past year! I'll never get tired of this!"

The new and improved model of the sea goose Dr. Wernher had for us definitely was an improvement over the older models. The engines were stronger and the craft was lighter. Both of these meant the operational range of the sea goose had been extended by nearly 150 kilometers! The orders were simple when we left - head to Chibi Island and rendezvous with Commodore Valentina. Although Dr. Edmund was no longer with us, the meeting would continue as scheduled. My main concern was how to keep the crew of the Sinaan  from allowing it slip about Senior Consul Maxbas.

Off in the distance, and to our southwest, we could still see Nohochacyum, the angry blue-white star which Dr. Zarkov continues to study. He had approaced Dr. Edmund with the idea of launching a probe to go to the star system and study it, but now with the death of Dr. Edmund, it was doubtful Rayven or her mother would support such an effort. Since our flight began, Maxbas and Lieutenant Agay have monitored the video broadcasts from New Kerbin City. A new initiative had just been announced to dismantle both the KDF and the space program to focus on building more surface settlements. According to the broadcast, the Grand Committee would start hearings on it immediately. But that wasn't all. Rayven was calling for an investigation into General Gene and his unidentified alien craft!

For the next hour, we listened as many of the consuls and senior consuls objected to Prime Consul's plans. "Prime Consul," one Kerman began, "this is most irregular. Both Article I and Article II state the appointment to any committee must be approved by a vote of the Committee of the Five. This hasn't been done. And again, both state the requirements for being named as a Senior Consul for the Triune Committee --"

"These are special circumstances," Katrine interrupted. "It has come to my attention that General Gene may have ordered the downing of the Dart carrying Senior Consuls Dr. Edmund and Maxbas so to become named as the Senior Consul and chair of the Triune Committee --"

"Kerny!" Maxbas loudly yelled. "That's a load of Kerbite excrement! I'll be willing --"

"Senior Consul," Lieutenant Agay called out from the back of the sea goose, "General Gene never contacted us. And once we were assigned that flight, we reported to NKC operations and waited in the Dart until Dr. Edmund arrived. No one ever did anything to that craft after we arrived there. It's impossible --" After a brief pause, she continued, "General Gene never would do anything like that. Dr. Edmund was his friend -- "

"He was my friend and mentor, too." Maxbas added. "Kerny, do you think it was an accident?"

"Considering that both you and Dr. Edmund were supposed to be on that flight --"

"I was afraid you were going to say that," Maxbas began. "I just don't like any of this --"

The video broadcast continued long after we were out of range. After three hours, we were nearing our destination - Chibi Island.

"Ok, everyone," I called out. "It's going to get a little noisy!"

"Yeah, Agay, you might want to hold on," Maxbas added. "This part gets a little bumpy --"

"What gets bumby?" she asked. "Wait... we're landing in the... water?

Maxbas cheered in delight as Agay shrieked in terror. But within what felt like a few seconds, we were in the ocean making our way to the island shallows. We had arrived at the area where we were to meet Commodore Valentina. But that meeting was still another thirty minutes away.

"So, Captain," Agay asked from the back of the sea goose. "what are we going to do now?

"Lieutenant," I couldn't help but to chuckle a little at her. "We just sit here and wait. That's our orders."

"Ugh, I hate waiting, sir," she protested. And to be quite honest, I hate waiting, too.

We'd only been at the island shallows a few minutes when a flash message came across the sea goose's communications panel. The message required me to enter my encryption code and as soon as I entered it, I immediately understood why.

Commodore Valentina was not only changing the location of our meeting, but the date also. But she included Gene on the distribution.

"Kerny," Maxbas began, "what's the chance this flash message can be picked up by the Prime Consul's staff?"

"Impossible," I began to explain. "When Dr. Angelo designed this system, it is based off two things - the sender's authentication code and the receiver's authentication code. See this data stick? It is encrypted with my identification. And to fly any of the newer KDF forces atmospheric craft outfitted with the new communications equipment, it works to route any encrypted message directly to my data stick, if it can find it. If not, the message is stored until my data stick is detected."

"Oh," Maxbas began. "And once you've opened the message, it destroys the message?"

"it depends," I started to explain. "If it is a part of 'command discretion' messages, or other priority communications, then yes. If it is routine --"

"Then no," I added. "the message can be shared or forwarded. But that is determined by who sent it. Hang on, I've got to restart the engines and taxi onto the island."

After deploying the landing gear and revving the engines, we were able to bring the sea goose far enough onto the beach that the tide wouldn't carry it away. Agay was still getting out of the craft as Maxbas and I made our way up the shore. Staying overnight on this island wouldn't be too bad. During the early days of the space program, Chibi and a few other small islands had been scientific outposts to study Kerbin and to serve as emergency shelters for Kerbalnauts until they could be picked up.

Within thirty minutes, we had the geology lab unpacked and inflated. The crew quarters on the top floor would be our home overnight. Once that was assembled, the next thing we had to do was to deploy the solar panels for electricity and to connect the table to the habitat. Lieutenant Agay went inside to boot up the communications equipment so we could continue to monitor the Grand Committee meeting in New Kerbin City.

"Kerny," Maxbas asked, "you wouldn't mind if I went inside, would you?"

"No, ma'am," I began. "I need to check in with Gene anyway. I received an encrypted flash message from him right after we deployed the solar panels."

"Okay, well, I'll see you when you come in," Maxbas replied with a playful smile. "I know this isn't how I wanted it to be, you know --"

"What to be?" I asked. What had I missed?

"Spending time with you," she added. "But if I'm going to have to be 'hidden' from other Kermen, I am glad to be with you."

Immediately I felt my face grow warm. What was happening and why do I feel so... I watched as she entered the airlock into the geology lab. For some reason, being around her is scary, intimidating, and relaxing at the same time.

I sat down at the table and pulled out my K-Pad to read Gene's latest message. But this time, when I entered my encryption key, instead of being a classified or restricted message, it was a message sent to all senior officers of the KDF. While there is normally nothing unusual about these messages, this one was not the usual message:

This message was being sent out to every senior officer within the KDF. And as I began to read what had been learned about the slime, the more curious and horrified I became. Dr. Tesla Kerman^*, the chief biologist at the KSC Research Division, has been treating Lieutenant Senfry since we transferred him to the Dres. With him, he had brought nearly every type of neutralizer in his medial division. Yet not one of them was able to stop the painful rash caused by the pink slime. Senfry had slipped further into some sort of dormant state. The reports said that he began convulsing and foaming at the mouth around dawn. The green and grey rash was now spreading to areas that were previously unexposed to the pink slime. He was getting worse.

Dr. Tesla had included images of the pink slime. Placing it under her medical scopes and increasing visibility to +550, she was able to make a remarkable and concerning discovery. The pink slime was more than just pink slime - it was made of small, tiny creatures! She is now estimating that the pink slime patch we encountered when we rescued Senfry could have been millions of little micro-creatures! But these creatures were like nothing I'd ever seen before.

The only thing I could do was to just sit there, trying to understand what I had just seen. Sure, we all knew about the sea bugs. They're easily seen and aren't dangerous. In fact, Lieutenant Colonel Ralph had taught us how to prepare and eat them. Apparently where he was before the first anomaly, on his Kerbin, they were considered a delicacy. But these things are smaller than the sea bugs. A lot smaller! How could something so small be so dangerous to Kermen? Dr. Tesla's report did say that the pink slime is partially the small micro-creatures themselves and some sort of pink secretion which is both slimy and poisonous. And right now, there's no way to reverse the damage caused by exposure to the pink slime.

The message contained the instructions to share this information with the crew. Right now, my crew is Maxbas and Lieutenant Agay. I'm not really worried about how Maxbas will handle things since she's seemed to handle everything pretty well over the last two days. I'm just not looking forward to telling Agay. After all, she has worked with Senfry for the past four months and knew him since they were both in the flight training program. There are days I miss the solitude of space.

 

^* Tesla Kerman, thanks to @TeslaPenguin1 for the suggestion for the name. Congratulations, you are now the chief biologist in Kerny's world!
I'd also like to thank @Just Jim for his helping me with a couple of images in this story. Thanks again, brother! The images of the micro-creatures are from the Maxis game, Spore.

 

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Edited July 7, 2018 by adsii1970

[roboslacker]

[Stares breathlessly]

[RealKerbal3x]

WooHoo!! New chapter!!

[obney kerman]

Pink minibugs? RUN!

Also, Chibi island, nice!

[adsii1970]

1 hour ago, roboslacker said:

[Stares breathlessly]

Um... ok... I hope this is a good thing...

1 hour ago, RealKerbal3x said:

WooHoo!! New chapter!!

Yup. Fresh out of my messed up brain!

1 minute ago, obney kerman said:

Pink minibugs? RUN!

As the saying was when Jaws came out... don't go into the water! But we are far from discovering the truth about these micro-creatures. Far from the truth!

 

2 minutes ago, obney kerman said:

Also, Chibi island, nice!

I needed a name - and @Just Jim's character was the first name to come to mind... I'm hoping he doesn't mind too terribly much.

[Angelo Kerman]

Pink slime creatures, ewww!

”Defense Wing Three scramble! Defense Wing Three scramble!"

Reminds me of this

 

[roboslacker]

6 minutes ago, adsii1970 said:

Um... ok... I hope this is a good thing...

It was meant as one.

[adsii1970]

28 minutes ago, Angel-125 said:

Pink slime creatures, ewww!

”Defense Wing Three scramble! Defense Wing Three scramble!"

Reminds me of this

I'll never tell... Nope...

Ah, but don't you want a tank full of these little creatures of sickening poisonous slime?

27 minutes ago, roboslacker said:

It was meant as one.

Good, Hoping it was!

[Just Jim]

2 hours ago, adsii1970 said:

I needed a name - and @Just Jim's character was the first name to come to mind... I'm hoping he doesn't mind too terribly much.

I loved it, thank you!!!

2 hours ago, Angel-125 said:

Pink slime creatures, ewww!

Yeah, that stuff is starting to seriously worry me... 

As for the saucers... well... this immediately comes to mind...

 

[TeslaPenguin1]

Thanks for making me (or my kerbal counterpart) the Chief Biologist!

(I love science so... yeah)

[insert_name]

So katrine is seizing power in a manner seen by a significant portion of the government as illegitamate, and is also at odds with the military? I cannot see this going well for her.

[adsii1970]

On 6/5/2018 at 7:50 PM, TeslaPenguin1 said:

Thanks for making me (or my kerbal counterpart) the Chief Biologist!

(I love science so... yeah)

Not a problem. And she will be hard at work in future chapters... I think I am going to develop her character along the lines of Dr. House of the television show. Hates bureaucracy, loves puzzles and riddles to solve, but not too keen on bedside manners...  

On 6/5/2018 at 10:32 PM, insert_name said:

So katrine is seizing power in a manner seen by a significant portion of the government as illegitamate, and is also at odds with the military? I cannot see this going well for her.

Yes and no. Here's the paradox about her. She's doing all these things because she sees her mission as the Prime Consul to rebuild the surface of Kerbin. Any other thing besides that is extra expense and work she doesn't see as necessary. I am running with the story line that nearly 5,000 years ago, there was a massive war on Kerbin which forced the Kermen to live underground. And then that all changed - the surface became habitable again.

She doesn't see the need of a military or of a space program when there's so much surface building to do. So she sees it as her imperative to rebuild the surface civilization and allow the underground cities to be abandoned for good. But as you will see in the upcoming chapters, there are things she is forgetting - Kermen are naturally curious about everything around them from pink slime to stars in the sky. It is as if they are drawn to be explorers and discoverers.

There are a few different ways I could do this, but I've not yet decided on the one I'm going to take...