Ever Onward (or, my saves keep dying so here I go again)

[Vagrant203]

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Spoiler

A few worldbuilding notes. 

In this universe, Kerbals evolved from cavern fungi and, as will be mentioned, only recently emerged. For convenience sake, I've decided the in game calendar starts at Y1 because zero was spent building everything. There have been previous emergences but these were believed to be legend.

The starter tech level was found engraved on the monolith near the KSC, for lack of a better explanation. 

For no particular reason, I've decided that male Kerbals tend towards singleminded focus and will engage in daredevilry often. In contrast, the women have a broader view and less often but more risky/impressive stunts. This will mostly affect my characterization of the First Four, especially siblings Jeb and Val.

For this story, Ops is the Chief of Operations, basically me.

Valentina's Log; E+Y1D28:0340hrs

After a year of getting settled on the surface and building up our infrastructure, the Kerbal Space Center was given the green light for operations. After that, we practically flung ourselves at the sky, day in and day out, for the first twentyfour days.

After a while, Ops called for a break in official missions and set aside some funding for "discretionary" flights. Off the record, he explained that we had some time to goof around as long as we had a good excuse to put on the paperwork.

After one flight, my brother Jeb came back rather excited and eagerly thrust a picture into our faces.

Apparently he'd gone out to the desert and found a sort of stone pyramid complex. Bill and Bob went wild with speculation for a day or so before they all took off in a Fruitbat, towards a pretty far temp scan contract for lack of any better guidance, searching for any more archeological finds.

I was just gonna relax and familiarize myself with all the new tech, but we began picking up distress calls. From space. We're not the only Kerbals to have emerged recently (surprise) and other programs have also been flinging Kerbals up to the black. Trouble is, they haven't worked out how to get them back down. So, I headed over to the VAB and asked the hardhats to throw something together. I ended up with a Hitchhiker slapped on top of some rockets, with a decoupler taking the brunt of reentry followed by a smaller, proper heat shield. It worked. Had enough deltaV for two pickups. We sent a smaller can up for the third, using an OKTO model probe core to pilot. The missions themselves were rather unremarkable, unless you count the narrow fuel reserve margin we cut for the first reentry. The Strays were a bit worried about seeing all of 16 meters per in the tanks, but we managed.

The new kids agreed to join up, sending Ops into some sort of... weird cackling fit. After a bit, and the newbs slowly backing out of the office, Ops explained to me that these new recruits would be assigned to the boys as a team of six, two of each specialty, and assigned to the first long-service spaceship. Either my disappointment was obvious or Ops had anticipated it, because he quickly added that he needed me Kerbside, being the more levelheaded pilot. He also said I would be the first to command the third generation of that line, at which point it would be self-sufficient!

The boys returned and were introduced to the Strays. They get along pretty good, teamwork seems as solid as that weird monolith over yonder. So why does Ops look so nervous?

Spoiler

 

Edited February 15, 2020 by Vagrant203
Probe name correction

[Vagrant203]

Captain Jebediah's Log; E+Y1D43:0427hr

LSV01 Pathfinder; MET+1807hr

Another busy couple of days. Valentina was laid up for a while after some malfunctions with the first Munshot. The second, with yours truly at the helm, managed to land just fine.

The science data I recovered went really far. We ended up being able to research the tech for the long-service vessels Ops had planned. Even skipped right by the theoretical first generation since we got a command pod that can directly control probes. Right now me and Ludwin are sitting in that pod in a 151x148km orbit above Kerbin, waiting for the lab, habitation, and propulsion modules to be sent up. The first stop will definitely be Minmus, since it hasn't been explored yet and the nearest interplanetary transfer window is 107 days away, and that's to Moho. At least the scientists will be busy with all the data we'll get.

We've also got a new multispectral sensor. Bill and Bob tell me it can pick up structures from orbit, so we'll probably be seeing more archeological expeditions.

Ope, gotta go, the next module is about to come up and Ludwin can't steer the probe core all on his lonesome.

Captain Jebediah Kerman signing off.

[Vagrant203]

Operation Log - Orbital Assembly, Minmus Shakedown Cruise; E+Y1D 57:0054hr

LSV01 Pathfinder; MET+12D:0235hr

The LSV01 is finally complete. Some hiccups were encountered, but the challenges were overcome just as quickly as they came.

You may notice the peculiar arrangement with the mk1-3 command pod being slipped in the middle. This was the solution to the first hiccup, not mounting the pod directly to the drive section. This will be corrected in the third generation's design.

Another minor mistake was failing to seat the LSV's crew before launch, with the exception of the pilots. The obvious solution was implemented.

Finally, two problems, a lack of science equipment and radial docking ports for probes, were both solved with a final trailing section. In the future, the ports will be placed on the drive section's center tank and the science equipment will be mounted on the relay section.

As previously discussed, the Pathfinder's shakedown cruise will be a scientific survey of Minmus, gathering data to send back to Kerbin and to research aboard the vessel. Operation will have two phases; phase one being orbital survey and science transmission, followed by phase two, a series of landers piloted remotely and manned by a scientist, perhaps augmented by new technology researched with the science from phase one.

Even more importantly than the scientific data gained, this operation will establish a reliable set of procedures and test the practical extent of existing life support technology. The third generation of LSV will be outfitted with as yet unresearched technology to utilize local resources, but it will be important to know how much time can be spent between mining operations for purposes of interplanetary travel.

At the time of this log, Pathfinder has just entered Minmus SoI and is executing a burn into polar orbit, after which the multispectral sensor will be deployed to track down any anomalies.

End log

 

 

Now speaking as a writer, I would appreciate any feedback from any readers. 

[Vagrant203]

Captain Jebediah's Log; E+Y1D287

LSV01b Pathfinder; MET+D47

Someone once wrote, "The times, they are a-changing." As my crew and I settle into the new Model B Pathfinder modules, I find myself agreeing wholeheartedly. So much has happened in not even a year, and the Pathfinder-A was right at the center. 

What's this about A and B and all that, you might ask? Well, the science we've gathered and the research resulting from such have led to some pretty significant advances in propulsion, docking, comms, and more. The many probe launches and the operational experience we've gained aboard Pathfinder have taught us how to better use all the better gear.

In essence, we're better at everything we were capable of before. However, we haven't yet cracked the secrets of using what we find out there to keep going. All of this means that we have yet to make a leap far enough for our LSVs to be considered a new generation.

There is a nice consolation prize though. Pathfinder lives on. Indeed, if you operate under a conveniently loose interpretation of the Ship of Theseus concept, it's still the same ship since the modules have been docked to the tail end and replaced one by one. The mission timer might not not agree with me, but I'm using captain's prerogative to not give a flying fairing scrap. (That's right, computer, I laugh at your inflexible adherence to rules of logic that have no bearing on anything else! Ha! And again ha!)

Returning to the topic at hand, it's more than just Pathfinder that's changed. We're adopting a whole new mission approach. After consulting with several academics and authors of speculative fiction, Pathfinder will be making full use of the probe control option to lead a task force of drones, a marked shift from the previous single-package philosophy of Pathfinder A. 

A whole new chapter is about to unfold. And Pathfinder will be leading the way once more, with some new drone buddies!

This is Captain Jebediah signing off. 

[KerballingSmasher]

On 2/20/2020 at 2:34 AM, Vagrant203 said:

The obvious solution was implemented.

Alt-F9 intensifies...

[Vagrant203]

7 hours ago, Kerballing (Got Dunked On) said:

Alt-F9 intensifies...

Nah, I wouldn't have included that part if I'd reverted and loaded them. The obvious solution was to send the crew up in the latest tourist trap.