[AAR] Construction: A Journey to Space --- WARNING: IMAGE HEAVY

[Fox62]

Any hints as to what those components are for? KEV "The Grand Idea"? Also, why are my reply comments the most common? Where'd everyone else go?

Edited July 17, 2013 by Fox62

[Mekan1k]

In Order; The Grand Idea, The Grand Idea, You seem to like repying (Thanks, bye the way), and who are you referring to? Jeb is the most talkative.

[Fox62]

I meant where did everyone else reading the story go. Also, the designation KEV stands for Kerbol Exploration Vessel, with "The Grand Idea" being designate as KEV-001. Just felt I needed to explain that. Also, the name, The Grand Idea is a reference to a scenario in Civ V.

Random News Person: In other news, Verolan Space & Aeronautics Ltd. CEO Vasquez Kerman has announced the preliminary development of a secondary autopilot to the MechJeb series currently being used in their spacecraft. Although he did not say in particular what other autopilot was being looked at for use as an emergency backup, he did make numerous references to Lazor-Tech Industries, a small company that produces the Romfarer Lazor System, a rudimentary flight computer system in use prior to the Mechjeb series overshadowing it. The autopilot is said to be set to be implemented as a secondary flight guidance computer aboard the primary flight control module of the recently commissioned KEV-001 "The Grand Idea".

Edited July 17, 2013 by Fox62
Making everything make more sense, and incorporating the decision for having two redundant autopilot systems canon-ish

[Itsdavyjones]

Love the Enders game reference. And I love the chapter. I sence that one way or another, Jeb will fly that ship, and remove the speed governor.

[Fox62]

Love the Enders game reference. And I love the chapter. I sence that one way or another, Jeb will fly that ship, and remove the speed governor.

What's the Ender's Game ref?

[Itsdavyjones]

What's the Ender's Game ref?

Jeb: Cool. Hey guys- remember, the enemy's goal is down!

[Fox62]

Huh. Never have read the book, maybe I should.

[Mekan1k]

Yes.

Yes you should.

[OrbitusII]

Huh. Never have read the book, maybe I should.

Same here. I've had a guy at work recommend it to me and now there's references in this story! How can I keep up?

One question though, if the Trawler in the Dark is a warship, who exactly are the Kerbals fighting? The aliens who gave them the Frameshift technology? I think you explained it to me in part via Skype, but this is a new twist I haven't foreseen.

[Fox62]

One thing I have noticed, no one has asked about the reference to a certain game by Sid Meyer (I think that's his name) in the name of the KEV-001, yet to be built.

[Mekan1k]

Purpose of the Trawler in the Dark is to act partly as a military presence, partly an experiment, partly a rescue ship, and partly a police cruiser.

There are going to be multiple companies in space given time, so the cruiser is there to help act as a preventative measure if necessary.

Oh, and the SWARM are still out there.

They will make an appearance soon >

And on that note, Fox62, I apologize in advance

EDIT: And the Kerbals are reverse-engineering the frameshift engine on the mun- no-one gave them anything. Yet. Expect shenanigans.

And explosions.

[OrbitusII]

Derp.

I forgot about the SWARM entirely! That makes me feel dumb.

[Fox62]

Does anyone hear either a) Play Civilization V, or Play the Empires Of The Smoky Skies scenario for the forementioned game? The refference to the scenario will be obvious towards the end of the tech tree.

Edited July 19, 2013 by Fox62

[Itsdavyjones]

I play civ 5, but I didn't get the reference, never did the scenarios, but I think it is related to the scientific victory.

[Fox62]

Nope. It does not require anything to get. Hint. You can get it more than once in the research tab.

[Itsdavyjones]

Well looks like I'm playing civ 5 just to find that reference. But if I'm right, it's related to future tech.

[Fox62]

Yup. It's that scenario's version of it. Apt, considering it has a very different tech tree. In fact, Empires of the Smoky Skies is the only scenario I know of that has an altered tech tree.

[Mekan1k]

Update will be running late, as I am having trouble getting the SWARM to co-operate.

Update will happen as soon as I can finish it (Expect late tonight or super-early tomorrow)

EDIT: Sorry guys. I am negotiating for n apartment off-campus, and I am trying to get things in order before friday, and I NEED to make a good impression. Everything that I do in my spare time is taking a back-seat.

Edited July 21, 2013 by Mekan1k

[Itsdavyjones]

no problem, take all the time you need

[Fox62]

As a very distant future set of spacecraft for Verolan Space & Aeronautics Ltd.'s "Grand Voyage" initiative, I have designed the KEV-X-1 Odysseus, and the KEV-X-2 Kadmos. The reason for their designation is that they are highly experimental (their development has not TECHNICALLY been started yet. Hope to have imgur screenshots of the Kadmos soon, it pretty much sums up what makes these 2 spacecraft special.

EDIT: Updated Grand Voyage/Grand Idea image thread. http://imgur.com/a/0rL6A#9

Edited July 21, 2013 by Fox62

[Mekan1k]

I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS A SIZE 7 FONT IN THIS FORUM!

Now, onto the chapter.

Chapter 6: Well, this can't be good

MC: Jeb, we have separation of the rendezvous stage. Do you have a visual?

Jeb: It's clear from our angle. Kirk, can you corroborate visual?

Kirk: Yes. It's coming in clear. Separation is clean.... We might want to re-calculate the first micro-burn, to make sure that the probe does not accidentally shove the probe into it's own ascension stage.

Jeb: Sure. B9K?

B9K: Pleased to be of service for once. Calculations and upgrade to programing complete. Ready for burn.

MC: Well, we are closing up for the night. I hope you all sky-side can take care of the rest.

Jeb: Of course we can. Get some rest.

MC: There will be a skeleton crew to take emergency calls.

Jeb: Sure. Fine. Now lets get this thing docked.

Jeb: Can you guys make this without me?

Kirk: Yes. We have it covered.

Bill: KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT!!!!!!!!!

Bob: It's not moving that much!

Lenwise: Bob, Please stop cooking.

Shepney: GET THIS THING OFF ME!

Lenwise: Especially meatloaf!!!

Bill: I'll get it with the culinary torch- Hold still!!!!!

Shepney: Dear KOD don't let him come near me with that thing!

Jeb: So... Can I take a nap?

Kirk: Go ahead.

B9K: Yes Jeb. Go get some rest. That is the last piece to get into the rendezvous area.

Jeb: Thanks.

*Sclurk!*

Shepney: At least it got off me.

Bill: KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT!!!!!!!

Bob: No... No!!! Don't come after me! I am your creator! You must obey me!

Meatloaf: RAWR!!!!!!

Jeb: That never works!

Bob: GET IT OFF ME!!!! GET IT OFF ME!!!!!

Jeb: Told you. Well, I'm going to go take a nap. Call me if there are any problems!

Meatloaf: RAWR!!!!

Bob: GET IT OFF ME!!!! GET IT OFF!!!!

Kirk: Right. B9K, lets get this done.

B9K: Starting now.

Kirk: It's coming in clean. Can you countdown B9K?

B9K: 3. 2. 1. Docked.

Meatloaf: SMRGL.......

Bill: Bob, why do you have tranquilizers?

Bob: I find it hard to sleep in space....

Kirk: Top connection piece is coming in clean.

B9K: 3. 2. 1. Docked.

Lenwise: That does not explain why they are injector tranqs.

Bob: I don't like pills....

Kirk: B9K, do you have any idea why that worked on Bob's cooking?

B9K: I have no idea. At all.

Kirk: I thought you had perfect recall of all information on the internet, and in your rather prestigious memory, both on the station, and on the control station.

B9K:I still know nothing about bringing things to life.

Kirk: Alright... Next component, Fuel tank, is in visual range.

Bill: Wow. It's squishy. I wonder if it's edible....

Bob: I don't think that's a good idea!

B9K: Docked. Decoupling primary pusher stage.

Bill/Meatloaf: Mrg. RAWR!!!!!! Blrk.

Bob: It got Bill!!!!!! Quick- use more tranquilizers!

Lenwise: But we don't have any more, Bob. We used up your supply trying to put it to sleep.

Bill: Get this thing off my head!!!!

Lenwise: Alright, let me see if I can get a grip of it....

Shepney: Let me get a crowbar.

Bob: I am going to get some morphine.

Lenwise: Why morphine?

Bob: Because I know we are going to need to vacuum this thing, and to do that, we need to get some bait for it and get it in an airlock.

Lenwise: Why morphine?

Bob: It's part of the bait.

Kirk: Engine segment aproaching... Wow. That's alot of nuclear material.

B9K: 2.3 tones in total, with roughly 2 of those tones in the engines.

Kirk: *Whistles*

Meatloaf: Whrrrr?

*BANG*

Kirk: What was that?

Bob: Here! I've go the... Bait..... Why's it humping the door to the observation cockpit?

Lenwise: Who cares! Get the sack, quickly!

B9k: Docking in 3. 2. 1.

Shepney: Got it!

B9K: Estimations for delta-V as of now are at ~7000 d/v.

Kirk: That's higher than any other commercial craft in development!

Shepney: Bob, get that bait over here! We need to pacify this thing.

Lenwise: Yeah, it looks like it is a bag....

Shepney: IT IS A BAG!

Lenwise: Filled with cats.

Shepney: It feels like that too Len.

Jeb: zzzzzz

Kirk: There is another module supposed to be launched, right?

B9K: That is correct. The final module is the package.

Kirk: So.... No decided component structure in the module on record?

B9K: Nope. The final component is, however, supposed to be able to do land/ascend missions from the lunar surface, so there will be a limited amount that can be pushed into orbit, but it can vary significantly.

Kirk: I think I get it. So the package will be whatever the next mission needs?

B9K: Yup! And best of all, since The Grand Idea is modular, it can make itself a station or other structure if need be when in orbit.

Kirk: That seems flexible.

Shepney: Guys...

Bill: Yeah?

Shepney: It's stopped struggling.

Bob: That's because it can smell the bait!

Shepney: Ok... I am putting the bag in the airlock.

Bill: Is that ketchup?

Bob: Can you think of anything else that could go better with meatloaf?

Bill: No, not really.

Shepney: Ok, I am in the airlock. Bill, get ready to close the inner door.

Bill: Ready. Bob, is the bait ready?

*SPURTCH*

Bob: It's ready!

Shepney: Before this goes down, I would just like to say that I have never seen morphine mixed with ketchup before.

Bill: Me neither. It looks like ordinary ketchup!

***

Meanwhile, in mission control, the Trawler in the Dark is calling.

Mekan1k: Come in mission control. This is Trawler in the Dark. Come in!

John: So... Who wants to get that?

Catrford: Not me.

Frank: Not me.

Holmes: Not me, and I call.

A chorus of groans come from the other players at the card table.

John: Well, I'm out. I may as well take his call.

Mekan1k: Come on guys, I know you are there. Answer my call! This is Trawler, and will you pick up the phone!

John: We read you Trawler. How's things while downtiming the night side?

Mekan1k: Boring, mostly. However, a number of sats around Eve have just gone down.

John: Trawler, can you repeat that?

Mekan1k: We had 8 sats in orbit around Eve 2 hours ago. They all went dark within the last 10 minutes.

John: Any readings before they went down?

Mekan1k: Several, all odd. I detected a gravioli surge near the alien craft on the mun below us, and then a series of surges around Eve.

John: Our readings on the munar probes are...

*John looked at the suddenly blank readings*

John: Dead. Wow, this is unfortunate, but not unexpected. We have planned for this contingency...

Mekan1k: A single probe around Duna just went dark. Are you seeing this?

John: Yes, I am. Guys- come check this out- another one went dark!

Mekan1k: We need eyes on the probe. Now.

John: Hold on- we have a signal from the probe around Eve- the near-polar-orbit one.

Mekan1k: Do you have telemetry data?

John: It's in now.

John: It looks fine. Gravioli readings are heavy all across the board though.

Frank: Yeah. Heavy spike in the GT band now!

John: Hey, where did the probe go?

Mekan1k: It's gone isn't it.

Frank: Yes it is. Nothing on any bands.

Mekan1k: I want eyes on the Buzzard Probe now!

Franks: I think I'll contact the commander, and wake him up.

John: He'll be pissed.

Frank: Oh yeah, he'll be pissed, but he'll be more pissed if he misses this.

John: That's for sure.

Franks: We have telematry. That dark probe is still missing.

*One short phone call and long drive later, Kirlak Kerman, Commander of Activity in the Spaceport is sitting in a chair, drinking coffee, looking rather annoyed*

Kirlak: So, will one of you explain to me why I awake now, becuase *sip* I don't think that communications issues would warrant this.

Mekan1k: Our probes are dying. Something is targeting them.

Kirlak: Proof?

Frank: The probes are registering intense Gravioli radiation before going dark. And we are picking up the same discharges from a distance.

Kirlak: Do we have pictures?

John: Onscreen now.

John: The pictures are being relayed from the remaining sats around the planet.

Kirlak: What's that?

John: I have no idea. It doesn't look like one of ours.

Al1c3: Commander, may I speak?

Kirlak: Granted Al1c3.

Al1c3: I have been running simulations on the emergent design patterns the SWARM may be developing, and that is a close resemblance to several of the designs. Data is being downloaded to B9K at your location now.

Kirlak: B9K, please clarify.

B9K: Commander, the ship seems to be of a simple 'impactor' design. The cone on top is a piece of solid metal, while the engine used is the same gravioli-ion engine that we have been testing for use in space-travel. It has no docking ports, so it is a fire-and-forget ship, with one use: seek and destroy.

Kirlak: That is not promesing.

B9K: However, spectrographic analysis of the image show a significant weakness to the lazor weapon currently equipped to the Trawler. We can take it out if it attacks, and we see it in time.

Kirlak: Mekan1k, I need you back in Kerbin orbit. I have no idea how many more of these things there are, but we need to get a defense ready.

B9K: The Buzzard Probe just went dead.

Mekan1k: My thoughts exactly- wait- what just happened?

John: Sorry, single images are all it can handle right now with a sat out of use.

John: The core of the Buzzard probe is still intact, as are it's solar panels.

Kirlak: So what- will it just float dead in space? Can we talk to it through the link?

John: We can only talk to the sat taking pictures, and only give it directions. Our link to the probes was supposed to utlize the quantum-relay inside the Buzzard, but that's gone now.

Kirlak: So what will it do!?!?!

John: It should... I don't know actually, I was not on it's design team.

Meka1k: I was. It will fast-forward it's landing sequence, first landing the glider probe "I AM BLINDED" keeping the "WHAT HAPPENED TO MY LEGS" On standby in orbit.

Kirlak: Did you name them?

Frank: That's the engine.

John: Shush!

Frank: My engine!!!! I spent AGES working to get it interfaced with the autopilot!

John: Shut. Up.

Mekan1k: No, they were randomly generated.

Kirlak: Well, that means I get to fire the programmer who made that one.

Mekan1k: Technically, I outrank you, and you did.

Kirlak: Alright- lets see if our creations can think well enough on their own.

Kirlak: Looks like it decoupled fine.

John: I am tracking the BLINDED now. That name is horrible.

Mekan1k: Yes. Yes it is.

John: I am setting it to auto-focus to the dragline camera feed.

Kirlak: It's transmitting?

John: Yeah... I am relaying the picture through the sat that we were using to watch the other probes.

Kirlak: So this is from the dragline camera?

John: Yes it it.

Frank: Nice picture.

John: Altitude is estimated at 30,000 m.

Frank: What happened?

John: We lost the dragline camera!

Kirlak: Is it smart enough to remember the secondary camera?

Kirlak: Apparently.

John: Tracking shows estimated alititude of 5000 m.

Mekan1k: Did it release it's wings yet?

Kirlak: Yes it did.

John: Looks like it's found a landing spot.

Kirlak: Will it crash?

John: Nope! This thing is pretty smart.

Kirlak: Well, at least we have a probe on Duna now.

Mekan1k: Gravioli surge! 50x background and climbing!

Kirlak: Well, this can't be good. Where?

Mekan1k: It is in-system! Surge location is indistinct, but it seems to be dropping into orbit near The Grand Idea!

Kirlak: How can you tell?

Mekan1k: With a name like that? I mean, come on. It was bound to be hit!

*Back on the Habstation*

Bill: Bob, you will never cook again.

Bob: But I love cooking!

Kirk: Hey- what is Gravioli radiation?

Lenwise: It is a type of radiation that those super-ion engines use and the ring-dives use. Why?

Kirk: Because the detector is reading 100x background gravioli radiation near The Grand Idea.

Lenwise: ....

Kirk: Lenny?

Lenwise: JEB! WAKE UP!

Jeb: Blarg! WHAT?

*Lenwise points*

Jeb: ... Get eyes on The Grand Idea NOW!

Jeb: MC, we have possible hostile. I repeat, we have possible hostile!

MC: This is Kirlak, Jeb. We know.

Kirk: Coms are registering suit-level communication handshake.

*Static over comms, then just enough of "We will rock you" to be recognized as a song.*

Jeb: Alright, lets hear it. Send the secondary handshake.

*The theme song from Pacific rim was played*

Voice on the Radio: We-e-e-e Are-e-e The-e-e-e SWARM. We-e-e-e Recognize-e-e-e You-u-u-u As-s-s-s A-a-a-a Threat-t-t-t-t. We-e-e-e-e Will-l-l-l Remove-e-e-e You-u-u-u.

Jeb: Wha-

*Shock-wave impacts the station.*

Jeb: Damage report!

Bob: No damage. Reactor is fine. Panels are fine. However, The Grand Idea....

Jeb: Get me a visual! ASAP!

MC: Is everything alright up there?

Jeb: No. Everything's not alright. The Grand Idea has been ripped in half!

MC: Re-dock what segments you can. We will be sending backup.

Jeb: You heard the commander- lets get this done. Kirk and B9K, send out the commands to the remaining segments. Everyone else, get checking for leaks. That.. Whatever it was, took out a good 10 tones of fuel in the tank it hit, and hit the tank fast enough that we felt the impact more than a km away. No leaks!

Bob: On it.

B9K: Commands uploaded.... Exectuted.... Docked.

*More static erupts from the EVA speakers*

SWARM: We will remove you from our night/You will blind us not/For throughout our sight/ You cannot find what you sought./

Jeb: Everyone, Brace for Impact! Get to the Aeries!

Jeb: Hold on... We have a visual. Long-range from a sat around the mun.

Kirk: we are just coming over the sunrise, right?

Jeb: Yes, yes we are.

Kirk: It's going to hit us isn't it.

B9K: Within 90% probability, yes it is.

Jeb: Then Everyone Brace for impact in.... When?

B9K: 2 hours.

Jeb: Alright. Wake me up when it gets here.

Kirk: .... What?

Jeb: zzzzz

Sorry it took so long. As I said, real life keeps getting in the way of the story.

Next update- as soon as I get a nap I will check my schedule. Thunderstorm just let up so I will try to get some sleep.

zzzzzz

*What's your favorite way to sleep in zero-g? Leave your answer in the comments! *

[Fox62]

Vasquez Kerman: Really, SWARM?! **** you too! Do you have.... (cue start of rant, 5 minutes later, rant over in 3, 2, 1).... Alright, I've calmed down a bit. I still want to fry those stupid probes' circuits, but at least I can talk sensibly.

Okay, when the SWARM went after The Grand Idea, I was going, "Oh boy, Vasquez Kerman and Fox62 (Chief Spacecraft Designer and head of the PR division) are going to be ticked the heck off." (Yes I have written my character into my interpretation of the canon (You have Mekan1k in their, so why couldn't I have myself in the fictional company I came up with)) (And yes, the CEO does use older swear words, (He's 65 years old, for heck's sake!) but he uses fewer of them.) On a different note, the CEO would likely authorize The Grand Idea to use it's long-range laser spectrometer (a science gadget engineered for analysing asteroids at a distance) to attack the SWARM. You could render this as a Sunbeam Lazor battery hammering the SWARM. The reason it has a lazor-tech beam has already been pointed out. It has lazor-system as a back-up flight control system.

Edited July 21, 2013 by Fox62

[OrbitusII]

This makes me want to come up with a faction plugin, complete with auto-aiming turrets and everything!

Maybe after Frameshift 2 is done...

[Tyber]

Damn, this is getting intense. I love it! Say Mekan, do you still take in ideas and .craft from public for the story?

[Fox62]

You could ask InfiniteDice for help, he's working on something like that for the CIWS systems in the Naval Parts Pack he's working on.