The Engineer’s Recall

[Selective Genius]

Chapter One: The Spark

On a small island not too far away from the crater rim, a young man of 15 years sat atop a hill reading a book underneath the shade of a tree. A light breeze rustled the leaves overhead and blew a few locks of his hair from side to side.

'Despite its small size Minmus is considered to be the most important cog for the future exploration plans for the Kerbals. Its low gravity and low orbital speed would make extracting resources and transporting it back to Kerbin's orbit for further utilization easy. Not to mention the potential of building spacecrafts from scratch from resources from Kerbin's moons.'

Dinas was disturbed by a small insect that crawled on his face out of nowhere. Flicking it away he went back to reading the book he was immersed in. The celestial objects which populated the Kerbolar system were bizzare to him. Some of them, like the Mun, held great religious importance to him and his people, while others like the faraway Bop and Pol only made him curious.

He made it through a few more sections of the thick tome of Kerbol system and its residents when he heard someone calling his name from beneath the hill. It was his brother, Simo.

He clicked his tongue in mild annoyance as he closed the book and with a heavy yawn, stood up and stretched his limbs. The consistent yelling from Simo and his sprint up the hill meant only one thing. Father needed his help in the Garage again.
His was a family of Engineers. One of the three primary castes in Kerbin. They were the lowermost rung of the caste structure in Kerbin. Grease and oil, smoke and metal was a staple of their life.

A second yawn escaped his throat as he starts up his homemade rover to take the meandering path back towards the village. On the way down he picked up the overenthusiastic Simo.

'So, it's already been a year now? Time flies faster than a Jet' He could not help but reflect upon the past year and the knowledge he gained, despite Simo's non stop blabelling.

Dinas knew there was something 'amiss' about his existence. He had vague memories of a different lifetime, when he saw the world through a different lens. He remembered laughing with his comrades, on a space station. He remembered smashing into the Mun's gravelly surface in a spacesuit, despite the fact that no one had landed on the Mun yet.

'Was it a different celestial body? Am I from the future? Am I seeing the future? Has my soul travelled through space and time to this body?' Dinas did not have a Gosh-Darned clue. Whatever garbled memories haunted his sleep, he dismissed them as mere figments of his overactive imagination.

Although, if he were perfectly honest with himself, he stopped caring a long time ago. Now was the time to focus on the task at hand. Namely, to go back to the garage as soon as possible and complete whatever task their father had for them. They bumped into the Rascos, the humble farmer of the village. Dinas had lent him his buggy a few times to transport his produce to the farmer’s market in exchange of fresh veggies and fruits. They exchanged a few pleasantries and the duo was back on their way.

He found Barba, his close friend putting up laundry to dry Dinas stopped his buggy and both Simo and him waved at her.

“It’s a nice day, isn’t it?” She chimed.

“Any day is beautiful whenever you are smiling.” A roguish grin wormed up its way to his lips as my Simo started giggling dramatically.

Barba laughed off that weak flirtation with a warm smile. “Careful now, you will have a girl fall for you if you keep saying stuff like that.”

The three of us had a hearty laugh at the interaction, right until Barb’s father walked up to us.

“Boys.”

“Sir.” Both Dinas and Simo spoke in unison.

“Nice day?”

“Yes Sir.” The boys agreed.

“Good.”

The conversation was brief, and mostly monosyllabic, but the boys were glad that the intimidating man left with his daughter in tow. The man looked middle aged, but he has always looked that old. It was like the Gods blessed him to not age. He was in the Army, and after the Kerbin Conflict and the subsequent Great Tranquility, he had retired to a simpler life in the small island of the Crater rim.

They continued their journey back to their house and after parking the electric rover near the garage, they headed in and found his father deeply engrossed in the damaged engine.

"Dinas! Simo!" He turned to them on hearing them enter the garage. "Boys, I know I am cutting in to your play time, but I need your help. I promise I will make it up for you soon!"

'Hah!' Dinas scoffed mentally at the act is father put up. His father, Conbas was one of the best engineers the town had ever seen. He was part of the Ground Crew that oversaw the launch of the first Kerbal rocket to space, and had taken a voluntary retirement when his joints started acting up. His 'request' for help was probably to help Simo and him learn through practical experience and get some free time to spend with their mother.

Simo instantly got to work, fiddling with his tools as Dinas observed him, and handed him the right tools and guidance, whenever required. Watching them repair something would be like watching a Chef and his sous-chef prepare a 7 star dish. It hurt to admit it, but Dinas was the sous-chef in this scenario.

After about half an hour of working on the engine, they shifted it to the dynamo for testing. A few successful runs later, the engine was fitted back to the boat it came from. The customer would be picking up the boat later on. Dinas absent mindedly started strolling around the boat at the dry dock. He was a curious lad, and started fiddling with the drawers and cabinets. Two small pieces of paper caught his eye.

"Ticket for one to the Machine Master Expo!" was printed in bold format on the two pieces of paper. The Machine Master Expo was the biggest congregation of engineers and manufacturers from all around Kerbin. He would learn a lot by just being there!

Dinas had a respectable Engineer Aptitude Score of 45, and he was proud of it. The engineer score was a measure of somebody's skill in handling machinery. His was the third highest in the town. Simo's was 62 and their father's was ... confidential. Surely it would be very high, considering his father worked on literal rockets. But for it to be confidential, he must have feathers in his hat that was beyond Dinas' comprehension.

Dinas was only adept at repairing small cars, marine engines and drones. Because that was all his tiny hamlet could offer him. He wanted more. MORE!

He was tempted to steal the tickets, but his conscience stopped him. He could ask the owner of the boat the next day and if the owner refused to part with the tickets, Dinas would accept his fate.

"Oi Dinas!" A voice called out, breaking him from his thoughts.

He swiveled his neck around to the sight of his mother, clad in a dress and an apron beckoning him to come back. "Its almost dinner time!"

"No Problem Ma! I would be right there!" Dinas shouted back, slipping the two tickets back in the cabinet he found them in.

************

The Next Day

Dinas watched the middle aged capatin of the boat shaking the hands of his father and Simo comically as he thanked and congratulated them for their brilliant work. As he reached his boat, Dinas intercepted him.

"I will not be beating around the bush." He started. "I want to attend the Machine Master Expo."

"Oh? Spied on the tickets did you?" The captain chuckled. His eyes sparkled with a mischievous light. "Well I am glad that you asked. My shipwright busted his leg really bad during the last storm, and I was already short staffed before that. Considering you are a very promising engineer already, I won't mind having you as an extra pair of hands. Just for the next trip to the Acacia kingdom. I will pay you fair and square, 200 funds for each day you spend on the ship AND the ticket as soon as we dock by Acacia."

Dinas choked on his words for a bit. He prided upon himself to make quick, well informed decisions. But this was big, this was him leaving the safety and sanctity of his home to pursue his dream. As the dry dock started filling up with water, Dinas gave a slight nod to the captain.

"I am agreeable to the terms."

"Ha! You are a lifesaver, kid. We are leaving in just under an hour. Grab whatever you need and meet me at the port." With that, the Captain sprinted in the other direction, presumably to take care of some other important task. Meanwhile, Dinas ran to his home, with a mental checklist of things he needed to do. Clothes? Check. Toolbox? Check. Food?Check!

He did not have the courage to inform his parents and brother about his endeavor, so he left them a note.

************

An hour later.

Dinas watched as the sun started setting beyond the horizon, and the ship's engine came to life. The boat peeled away from the docks and into the open seas. The boat was a 2 man sloop, with sails for primary propulsion and auxilary engines for precision use. The sails unfurled and soon the ship, named FireShot was flying. The Captain cleverly maneuvered the wind and Dinas could feel the sea's spray hitting him.

He watched his home shrink in the distance as the ship pulled further and further to the sea. The buildings were barely discernible now. b

Dinas had his apprehensions now at accepting the request. In the moment it appeared very straightforward and logical, and this was almost like a side quest. But a part of him wondered how it would have been to continue his lazy life on the tiny island where no trouble could ever find him. As of now, the only tangible memory of his village was his Buggy that he had smuggled on the boat.

But that's alright. He who never loses the sight of the shores can never discover new land. Dinas knew that this trip would have his own set of challenges. But that's okay. Anything worth achieving is supposed to be difficult. He WILL find his destiny at the Machine Masters Expo.

He was overdue for an adventure anyway.

He looked back at his home, and bid his final farewell to his home, his family and promised himself that he would come back.

'Look out, Kerbin! I am Dinas E. Kerman! Witness me!'

Edited September 24, 2023 by Selective Genius

[TheSpaceDinos4037]

this sounds great so far!! 

[Selective Genius]

Chapter Two: Trial by Sea
The journey to the Expo would not be a straightforward one. The ship he was on would escort him to Acacia, and from there he could either travel aboard another ship or travel by land as far as he could before he would need a boat...

'On second thought, the entire journey by a ship is a more reasonable and practical approach' Deep in thought, Dinas didn't even notice the horn of another ship as it sailed close to the FireShot.

"AHOY! It's the LavaNewt!" His Captain yelled at the top of his voice as he got out of the cabin.

On closer inspection, the ship was quite a bit larger and looked like the old ships before the Kerbal Conflict. Dinas admitted his knowledge of sailboats was limited. But this one looked like serious business. Guns were prodding out of the ship's deck. Big guns!

"Don't be scared boy, it's for protection." His Captain put a firm hand on his shoulder. "The pirates have been acting up lately, and a little firepower will keep them away from our boat." The Captain hailed one of the crew aboard the gunboat, "Eustass! It's been a while!"

"Likewise, old scoundrel!" The now-identified Eustass shot back. "It's been ages since you requested my services, Isaac. Have things gone downhill?”

'Oh, so my Captain's name is Isaac.' Dinas made a mental note.

"Yeah, more and more reports of Pirates overpowering Marines, ships getting burned, it's not looking good." Isaac grimaced. "We can never be too careful."

"Hah, as long as I am getting paid," Eustass grunted. "Who's the squirt?" He pointed at Dinas, who visibly cowered at the attention of this intimidating man.

"The new engineer!" Isaac beamed. "The boy's gifted, and I thought I could have him on board till Acacia."

Eustass glowered at Dinas, trying to gauge him. "What do you know about marine engines?"

"Umm... quite a bit. I can do regular maintenance, and if there are enough spare parts, I can rework and retune those engines as well." Dinas replied.

"How much do you know about guns?"

"N...Not much. I have studied whatever blueprints I could find, but I have no practical knowledge."

Eustass looked away from Dinas and went on with his business, commanding the vessel's crew.

Isaac assured Dinas that Eustass was cold to everyone he met, but was a great guy to be around if you managed to befriend him. Both Eustass and Isaac were remnants of the violent Kerbin Conflict wars. As the battles ended and the noise quieted down, Isaac chose the job of a traveling merchant while Eustass started providing security to ships over troubled waters.

It still shocked Dinas to the core that Eustass and Isaac had put so much fear and respect into the heart of enemy sailors over the years during the Conflict that they had been nicknamed ‘The Unsinkable Embodiment of Perfection’ and ‘The Malevolent Disgraced Eight-star General’ respectively.

‘A bit of a mouthful.’ Dinas mused ‘But Damn.. War heroes... Can I even dream of being as tough and strong as them?’

Throughout their journey, Isaac taught Dinas the basics of rigging and sailing. The young boy was befuddled at the fact that sailboats use BOTH lift and drag for movement. It did not take him long to grasp the basics. The FireShot traveled at a leisurely pace of 10-12 knots, and the LavaNewt lumbered behind. Whenever the winds were not in their favor, LavaNewt tugged them. Its two powerful diesel engines propelled it to 30 knots if the ocean was calm.

**********

Two days later

“DINAS!” Isaac bellowed at the top of his voice. “Where are you?”

Dinas who had been maintaining the pumps under the duck sneaked his head out of the access shaft. “What’s it?”

“There is some trouble with the freshwater generator at the LavaNewt. Why don’t you have a look-see?”

“Don’t they have their engineer?”

“He’s a drunkard. Eustass has been thinking of dumping him at the next port. Now, why don’t you take a look at the machine? If it stops functioning then we will be left thirsty!”

Dinas shook his head and hopped onto the raft stowed at the back of the FireShot and made his way to the bigger vessel. As he approached the LavaNewt, a sense of anticipation and apprehension washed over him. It would be his first time working on a military vehicle. He had never worked on guns and the like, and he probably won’t get a chance to work on them, but GOSH! He would give a limb to see the blueprint of the cannons mounted on the ship.

As he reached the hull of the boat, one of the crew threw a rope at him, that he tied promptly to the small raft. He climbed up a ladder affixed to the side of the boat and was greeted by a crewmember.

“Hey kiddo, you are the miracle engineer, right?” The guy beamed at Dinas. “I am Shabro, the first mate of the LavaNewt.”

Dinas gave a slight bow and introduced himself. “I am Dinas, and please, I have performed no miracles yet.”

Shabro laughed and smacked Dinas on his shoulder. “I have been hearing great reviews about you from Isaac. He says you are a fast learner.”

“That’s kind of him.” Dinas followed Shabro to the lower decks. They met the other two crewmembers of the vessel, one of whom threw a chilly look at him. Shabros glared at him and the strange man walked away.

‘That must have been the drunk engineer Isaac was talking about.’ Dinas mused as he made his way to the lower deck, which had the freshwater generator.

**********

Three hours later

It had been a grueling three hours but Dinas managed to find a fix for the problem. Sure, the flow rate would be lower, but at least the crew won’t be dehydrating themselves anytime soon. Wiping sweat off his brow, Dinas made his way to the bridge, when suddenly, the entire ship rocked violently.

“PIRATES! TO THE STARBOARD!” A yell echoed in the ship. Dinas ran back to the lower decks

The LavaNewt was a well-armed patrol boat with two 12.7mm machine gun turrets and a grenade launcher. It was not going to sink a warship anytime soon but against small-time pirates, it was more than enough. Grenades being lobbed at your dinghy from almost a mile away is not fun at all.

Dinas heard Eustass command his crew to man the station and soon the LavaNewt was firing back. The loud cacophony of explosions and the continuous fire of remote-controlled machine guns soothed Dinas, oddly. Explosions would dot the auditory landscape of bullets firing, followed by a few moments of gut-wrenching silence.

From his hiding spot, Dinas was sneaking peeks through a porthole trying to make sense of the situation. From what he could understand, there were at least three enemy ships, and judging from their log-range weaponry, these were not the usual run of the mil prates. The modus operandi of the pirates had always been boarding a vessel as fast as possible while raining small arms fire at the slightest resistance.

But this was different. Dinas could not know for sure what was happening outside, but he knew that he was on the losing side. Eustass ordered evasive action when a torpedo was launched in their direction.

‘A TORPEDO! We are NOT fighting pirates!’ Dinas panicked and ran towards the middle deck where he ran into Shabro.

“What's happening?? Where’s Isaac?” Dinas yelled, practically wailing.

Shabro stayed silent for a second and then dragged Dinas to the crew quarters. He told him to huddle up in one of the bunks with strict instructions to stay down no matter what. The urgency in Shabro’s voice was a far cry from the cheerful demeanor he had expressed a few hours ago. Dinas shrank into the bunks and closed his eyes.

Soon the familiar sounds of exchange of gunfire were interrupted by a loud bang, as the entire vessel jolted and shook its ever-last piece of nuts and bolts. The LavaNewt’s guns went silent, and Dinas felt the vessel *shift* as water gushed in from everywhere around him. He let out a scream, expelling every last bit of air in his lungs and fainting.

When he woke up next, he was staring at the sun.