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

[Fox62]

Verolan Space & Aeronautics does have a trick up their sleeve.... they have developed their own Lazor-tech particle weaponry, and they also have railguns along with conventional missiles. They originally devised these things for scientific purposes (seismic wave studies, This, and for pulverizing asteroids to protect the spacecraft), however, after SWARM attacked, they prepared the (UNTESTED) prototype KEV-X-2 Kadmos (think TiTD, only much bigger, with enough DeltaV to make the Grand Tour) for an emergency launch. Fully armed. Cue SWARM going "Where the **** did these come from?!", and much lols.

Of course, if this is to much of an asspull, feel free to scrap it and just have them send up a fighter space craft.

[botse]

Who says the war isn't cold? Space is cold.

But yeah, it was their last line of defense.

I ment the clod-war IRL you know NATOvUSSR(and co) were we chould of wiped out all of humanity with all the nukes that were armed at that time. Well thats what this has been

[Tyber]

I think the public will be anxious but not scared out of their minds. I mean, SWARM claims ('claims') they just want space for themselves. Public would probably think that as long as they leave them alone it would save Kerbin from being attacked directly. That would lead to destruction of all space-faring vessels, disbanding KSP and ultimately leading to having the planet defenceless against attacks from space.

"Well, that escalated quickly."

[bellino]

Seriously? No one got the RvB reference in chapter 2? Wow

[Mekan1k]

...

I didn't even notice.....

[Fox62]

RvB?

10char

[bellino]

Lol, sorry then

[Mekan1k]

No, I mean where is the reference? I can't find it....

[Mekan1k]

The Interviews have been sent, CEO's and presidents of both Verolan Space & Aeronautics Ltd and New World Homes Inc have been contacted, and the next chapter should be up on Thursday/Friday as scheduled.

There will be Dragons.

EDIT: Oh, and I got the apartment, with a rather fetching lady as my roommate. She is amusing, and likes videogames, so I think we will get along well. I am going to start moving Friday!

Edited July 31, 2013 by Mekan1k

[Pigbear]

What. Dragons?!?!? Dragon SWARM?

[botse]

Seriously? No one got the RvB reference in chapter 2? Wow

What ref?????

[Fox62]

What. Dragons?!?!? Dragon SWARM?

He means Dragon Spacecraft.

[Mekan1k]

Chapter 8: Plans within plans within plans within cookies

3 weeks since the Kerbal Space Station HabStation had been knocked out of orbit by the swarm, the KSA was finally willing to host a press conference.

For those of you who cannot read Kerbbiyte, or cannot see the nametags, the one in the chair is Commander Kirlak, Head of the KSA. To his right, (screen left, facing the audience and camera) Mekan1k/Al1c3 (who have still not been able to get seperated yet) is farthest away, and closer is the announcer John Keman, from The Kerbal Show! To Kirlak's right, stand (in order from screen-left to screen-right) Captain Jebidiah Kerman, Dr. Bob Kerman (Yes, he has multiple doctorates in Geology, Biology, and Nutritionology- Don't ask about his meatloaf recipe. Just don't.), Dr. Bill Kerman (Yes, he has a doctorate in AI psychology), and Kirk Kerman (Comms specialist).

Kirlak: My fellow Kirbits, and Kerbytes. Today marks the 3rd week since we lost our footing in space. For throughout out history, we have looked up to great men of rocketry, from Goddard Kerman, who built the first Liquid fuel rocket,

Kirlak: To Felix Kerman. The First and Only Kerbit to ever re-enter the atmosphere without a pod.

Kirlak: And our own Ace Pilot, Jebidiah Kerman, who was the first kerbal on the Mun, and is our most seasoned kerbalnaut.

Kirlak: We have gone past the sound barrier, and turned out own atmosphere to plasma more than once...

Kirlak: Mostly by Jeb. Those of you who were living in the areas around the spaceport can thank him for your broken windows.

*annoyed grumbling and a little bit of laughter*

Kirlak: But most importantly, we have learned so much in our travels, that we have found not just one, but two alien spacecraft! One in our own orbit,-

Kirlak: And one on the Mun.

Kirlak: Thanks to our brave scientists and engineers-

*picture removed due to gore. This is the first image of a scientist poking an active supercharged ion engine, before being partially vaporized.*

Kirlak: they have continued to work through their setbacks-

*This picture has also been removed due to excessive gore. It's an image of a scientist after kicking the space-time-bending Frameshift test engine. He has been inverted. Believe me, that's all you want to know.*

Kirlak: our teams of engineers and scientists have been able to create some amazing things.

*The first kerbal-driven Super-Ion Spacecraft*

*The first Eve-landing (It has been destroyed by the SWARM, but it was still a monumental achievement*

*Duna's first visitors, with a buzzard-ramjet to power them on their way*

Kirlak: But we are only Kerban. We make mistakes. Some were merely costly...

Kirlak: And others were very impressive to see-

Kirlak: and some have been downright catastrophic. Yes, I am talking about the accidental corrupted Artificial Intelligence known as the SWARM.

*angry muttering is heard*

Kirlak: HOWEVER!

*the muttering stopped*

Kirlak: We are Kerban, and we are, if nothing else, stubborn. We fought back, in every way we could. Using Lazors

Kirlak: Using trickery!

Kirlak: And using nukes!

Kirlak: And we have lost our foothold to the stars.

Kirlak: For now.

Kirlak: And we have been watching.

A random reporter behind the camera-man: But how can we watch them? They took out the satellite network, and destroyed our space-based telescopes.

Kirlak: We have registered that their drive, a variant on the super-ion engines we have developed, utilize a specific type, or flavor, if you will, of gravioli particle, and since graviolies can move at effectively light-speed through most materials, we have distributed a number of 'observatories' around the planet.

Kirlak: Each BugsEye Class observatory is capable of sensing a gravioli emission in the Toblerone flavor from a two-particle collision from as far away as Eeloo. We have been monitoring for the last week, since the last telescope was installed, and we have a clear picture of what the SWARM is doing. We will have some time.

A different reporter: Mr. Kirlak-

Kirlak: It's Commander.

That reporter: Commander Kirlak, how do you know we have time to spend before the SWARM returns?

Kirlak: They are fighting a civil war. The ships that attacked us were 1/3rd of the SWARM's total fleet, according to the gravioli signatures, taking into account growth-rate and a few other factors. Now the swarm has broken into 2 distinct factions, each with roughly 50 ships. They have been destroying each other around Jool since we were knocked out of the sky.

That same reporter: That's more ships than we have had up at any one time!

Kirlak: That is true. However, a few hours before this press conference, we noticed that the SWARM had drastically dropped it's numbers. We have registered no more than 12 ships remaining, with only 7 active in the system. The rest seem to have been landed on several of the muns of Jool.

That reporter, again: What do you plan to do about the remaining SWARM Ships?

Kirlak: While the SWARM is less of a threat than it used to be, it is still a threat, and we have been set up a simple plan- we take them out of the picture.

A new reporter (at least that other one shut up): Will the other companies be going back to space? With the SWARM threat, and with most of the companies who went into the breach with you going bankrupt from the loss of their modules, and the mun has been effectively scraped clean of the alien craft, will their be other companies going back into the space-tourism/housing/construction business?

Kirlak: I think I will turn that question over to my newest business associates, The CEO's of Verolan Space & Aeronautics Ltd, and New World Homes Inc, Mr. Vasquez Kerman, and Mr. Jimmy "Legs" Kerman.

*Clapping from the audience, while Jeb and the other crew members clapped in unison. It was rather creepy.*

Kirlak: Oh, and that may not be the only alien craft out there. First up, the CEO if Verolan Space & Aeronautics Ltd, Mr. Vaquez Kerman.

John: Thank you for coming to the press conference.

Vaquez: I did honestly NOT want to be here. We have been planning on getting a spacecraft up by the end of next week, and then... This.

John: This?

Vaquez: I don't like press conferences. I prefer to do. Not talk.

Kirlak: I know, but it's not like we have a choice. Besides, I know you are tired. Why don't you let one of my officers pull up a chair-

Vaquez. I would rather stand, thank you.

Kirlak: *shrugs* alright. Anyway, since I know you want to get out of here...

Vaquez: I know the drill, commander.

*He sighs*

Vaquez: Reporters: ask away.

Random reporter 1: What is Verolan's plans for the future?

Vaquez: We plan to, in order: 1) re-build a version of the Grand Idea, this time armed to the teeth, and let it start it's mission. 2) Hunt down the SWARM, and 3) Start a grand-tour circuit. Then afterwards we will start hauling stations and other structures to dedicated points in the system.

Random reporter 2: Will the tickets be expensive on the grand tour?

Vaquez: Depends. Which planet or mun do you want to visit? Do you want to be brought back?

Random Reporter 2: I see.

Vaquez: Any more questions?

Random Reporter 3: Yes, But I should wait until the next CEO is up, so that I won't need to ask the question twice.

Kirlak: Yes... How did you know?

Random Reporter 4: I am a friend of a friend of the CEO's daughter's son.

Kirlak:.... Alright then. Next up is Mr. Jimmy,"Legs" Kerman, the CEO of New World Homes Inc.

*Clapping*

Legs: Hey everyone! Lets start this off quickly. Random Reporter #4, what is your question?

Random Reporter 4: I have heard rumors that both companies will be using Dragon-class space-craft to act as liferafts and landing vehicles. Is this true?

Legs: Where did you hear that?

Random Reporter 4: On the hills-reddit\subreddit\vally\-

Vaquez: WE GET IT.

Random Reporter 4: ... On the internet.

Legs: It's true. Check slide #... Whichever one has the 3 spacecraft lined up.

Legs: I said 3 spacecraft.

Kirlak: That blue box is a spacecraft.

Vaquez: How?

Kirlak: Don't ask me. Our pilot and head engineer got merged with a combat smart-AI, and now keeps building things like that. To be honest. it is the most sane thing that he has ever built, although it seems bigger on the inside....

Legs: Back to the question, The Craft in the middle is our Dragon, specifically The LazTek Dragon MK 3. We have designed specialized platforms to allow it to be a surface-to-orbit transport for munar and minnimus-ar journies.

Vaquez: And we are using the CBBP Dragon-class Rider Command Vehicle, for use as an escape pod, transport vessel, and all-purpose vehicle.

Random Reporter 5: Mr.... Uh... Legs! Can you comment on what new stations and components you will be feilding? What changes will you make to keep threats, such as the SWARM, at bay?

Legs: We will be modifying out station with cloaking 'Jammer' devices, making them hard to detect via the sensors that the SWARM seems to be using.

Random Reporter 5: Will these new stations be armed?

Legs: We are currently designing a lazor platform and missile platform that we will be able to use to protect ourselves when in orbit from a variety of threats. So yes, it will be armed.

Random Reporter 5: Will all ships be armed?

Kirlak: Until the SWARM is a negligible threat, yes.

Vaquez: What the commander said.

*Sound of a phone ringing*

Kirlak: Hello?.... Alright, just keep the alpha-values down. I am on-route. Keep it-

BOOM

Kirlak: Stable.... Hello? Hello?... Oh good. At least you are still alive.....

*Smaller boom sound*

Kirlak: Mostly alive. Right- shut it down, we need to ascess the damage.

John: What was?....

Kirlak: We need to leave now. Thank you for your time, I hope all the important questions were answered.

Kirlak: Press-conference adjourned.

****

****

I apologize for the abrupt ending of Construction, but mu schedule is hectic. I am moving today, to an apartment, I have two projects due next week, two finals next weekend, and after that I need to be on a plane and heading to see my girlfriend and my family.

The next part of the story, Vengeance: A Journey to Space, will start as soon as I can. At worst, this will be a 1-month hiatus, and at best, I will have enough free time to start the next story before flying out.

However, I will be doing very little posting when I start moving.

Thanks for reading!

THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE JOURNEY TO SPACE- IT WILL CONTINUE!

Please post any comments, recommendations, requests, or wild guesses on what will happen next in the comments. I love getting feedback, especially if it is Constructive!

[Itsdavyjones]

I loved this chapter, sets up the stage very nicely. Never knew that a rouge AI could have a civil war with itself, I wonder what other corruption has occurred.

[Mekan1k]

It can happen in narrative, just ask the geth.

[Fox62]

Z-Pinch fusion engine prototypes go boom?

[Tyber]

Seeing as Kerbals are going to war and plan on expanding, I can imagine automated orbital defence turrets of some sorts, cheap and easily replacable if the SWARM destroys one.

[Mekan1k]

Seeing as Kerbals are going to war and plan on expanding, I can imagine automated orbital defence turrets of some sorts, cheap and easily replacable if the SWARM destroys one.

That is the plan for general station defense.

Z-Pinch fusion engine prototypes go boom?

Yes, if someone spills a drink on the control circuit. Fusion reactions are tricky to get right, and the trick is rather complex...

The "BOOM" Is the sound of the engine evaporating at near stellar-level temperatures inside a vacuum chamber, and the chamber exploding due to the sudden change in pressure.

[Fox62]

Damn.

But hey, being able to do the Grand Tour without refuelling is worth it!

[Mekan1k]

The next story starts right here:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/44247-AAR-Vengeance-A-Journey-To-Space-WARNING-IMAGE-HEAVY

And although it will be a week before I write the next chapter (probably, but I might get some free time sooner), I will be continuing the story.