The Venturer Program: Mission one

[Danish_Savage]

Methinks something bad is gonna happen.

Methinks thou may be right

[The Error]

Methinks it won't, actually, be Kraken-related for once. Yay! Maybe.

[RogueMason]

CHAPTER 7: MISADVENTURES – PART 2

Mission Commanders log, entry 17: So, here we are. Duna. The Red Planet. Once a symbol of Kerbal ingenuity and spirit, but now it’s little more than another wandering point of light in the skies of Kerbin. At least, that’s what a lot of us were consigned to thinking after the lack of progress over the past decade. Now that we’re here again, I feel that we are taking steps in the right direction.

The mission so far has gone very well, I’ll admit. I’m still uncertain what the next four months are going to be like, and I’m fairly sure that Rodbald and Edory are also somewhat baffled. We do have plenty to be getting on with though, so I doubt there will be a quiet moment for a while. When one of those moments arrive, we have entertainment, though I will admit that I’ve blown through quite a few books already. I think Jeb’s autobiography was amongst them. Fascinating.

Tomorrow holds the start of our exploration of the Haemos region of Duna. We have our flags. We have the rover. Should be simple enough.

------------------------------

The next day…

Rodbald: “So I’m stopping off at this boulder, just to be clear?â€Â

Kirlin: “Yes. Run your experiments while Edory and I are out placing the rest of the flags that we can manage.â€Â

Edory: “Of which we have one each…â€Â

Kirlin: “We have more in the base.â€Â

Edory: “That is a big boulder.â€Â

Kirlin: “Rodbald, if you would?â€Â

Rodbald: “Alright then. Keep in radio contact, and I’ll see you two later.â€Â

Kirlin: “Yes, unless we forget you, of course.â€Â

Rodbald: “Which wouldn’t be too big a problem considering I can see the base from here.â€Â

Edory: “We aren’t going to forget you, Rodbald.â€Â

Kirlin: “No, I was just joking, of course.â€Â

Edory: "Wow, Kirlin making a joke? Not your style, really, is it commander?"

Kirlin: "No, which is probably why neither of you laughed."

Rodbald: “Joke or not, I didn’t want to have to walk that far anyway…â€Â

A few minutes later…

Edory: “Hold on, this seems like a good spot for my flag.â€Â

Kirlin: “I agree.â€Â

Edory: “Say, we’ll be heading past Rodbald on the way to your site. Maybe we should pick him up?â€Â

Kirlin: “We’re not leaving here just yet. Unpack some of the experiments.â€Â

Edory: “Oh right, ok.â€Â

Kirlin: “So, how are you finding it?â€Â

Edory: “Wait, you are asking me how I’m doing? You?â€Â

Kirlin: “I am the Mission Commander, I do need to know what’s going on with my team. However, this is a more casual question.â€Â

Edory: “Oh, umm… well, I guess I’m quite well at the moment. It’s incredible to actually be here, on Duna. Duna! The first planet to be landed upon in the 17th age, and the only other planet with which Kerbin had strong ties, before the war and all…â€Â

Kirlin: “It is remarkable to think that it’s been a decade since anybody has been here.â€Â

Edory: “Except for us.â€Â

Kirlin: “I thought I made that clear?â€Â

Edory: “I’m sure you did, but I just finished your sentence.â€Â

Kirlin: “Ok then…â€Â

A few hours later…

Rodbald: “So, get anything useful done up there?â€Â

Edory: “Yeah, we did. You?â€Â

Rodbald: “I broke a chisel trying to get a sample off that boulder.â€Â

Kirlin: “You didn’t use the core drill?â€Â

Rodbald: “I did, but only after the hammer bent the chisel out of shape.â€Â

Kirlin: “I think you’ll have to fix that once we’re back at base.â€Â

Rodbald: “Well, never…â€Â

Kirlin: “You giving me lip?â€Â

Rodbald: “What? No!â€Â

Kirlin: “I hope so. That attitude of yours is… troublesome.â€Â

Rodbald: “…â€Â

Edory: “Did sort of ask for that one, Rodbald.â€Â

Rodbald: “Hmm, I guess so. Sorry, Kirlin.â€Â

Kirlin: “Don’t worry about it, it’s fine. We should be getting to my flag spot in a few min--- WHOA!â€Â

Rodbald: “AAAAHHH!â€Â

Edory: “MOTHER OFâ€â€Ã¢â‚¬Å“

The three stumble back to their feet, somewhat dazed.

Rodbald: “Well, isn’t this fantastic? Good driving Kirlin, well done.â€Â

Edory: “Hey, be nice.â€Â

Kirlin: “No, it’s my fault. I should’ve been paying attention. Now, how heavy is this thing?â€Â

Rodbald: “Umm…â€Â

Edory: “About 800kg. Why?â€Â

Kirlin: “I reckon if we get underneath and try to flip it, we should manage to right it.â€Â

Edory: “Umm…â€Â

Rodbald: “800kg?â€Â

Edory: “That’s its mass, but its weight will be much less here than it was on Kerbin, so we should manage it, actually.â€Â

Kirlin: “Alright then, let’s sort this mess out.â€Â

The three of them crowd beneath the rover and really give a good push. The rover rights itself after much effort.

Kirlin: “There… done… want to… hop back on…?â€Â

Edory: “Phew… err, sure… one second…â€Â

Rodbald: “I think… I threw my… back out…â€Â

Kirlin: “Ok, just catch your… breath then…â€Â

A few minutes later…

Kirlin: “Alright, this flag marks the lowlands. I reckon we take a lunch break back at base.â€Â

Rodbald: “That is a very good idea."

After lunch…

Kirlin: “Ok, we have just two more locations to plant flags, and the most significant will be at the tropopause, or whatever constitutes the tropopause on this planet. I’ll sort that one out.â€Â

Edory: “You sure? That’s a bit of a dangerous drive.â€Â

Kirlin: “Exactly why I have to do it. I’m not about to lose a member of the team.â€Â

Rodbald: “I know I’m capable of pulling it off, Kirlin.â€Â

Kirlin: “I’m sorry, but I must.â€Â

Rodbald: “If you say so…â€Â

Half an hour later…

Edory: “Alright, that’s my flag done. Drop me off with Rodbald and then head up to the tropopause.â€Â

Kirlin: “Just as planned…â€Â

Another half an hour later…

Kirlin: “Alright, I believe I’ve been successful. Edory, Rodbald, I’m coming to pick you up.â€Â

Rodbald: “If you survive the drive back down that hill you went up…â€Â

Kirlin: “I’ll be fine.â€Â

[RogueMason]

Right, firstly, my apologies if some of the pictures in the latest chapter don't appear for you; imgur is apparently having a few issues. If it doesn't get resolved, then I'll see about sorting it out myself.

Secondly, I'm sad that science can't be done in sandbox 0.22. The Libra is a science vessel that can't do much science other than environmental readings because of this

I hope that gets fixed in the future. However, 0.22 is an otherwise good update, from what I've played so far

[The Error]

Good chapter.

And when you get to DAT SCIENCE in .22, I guess you can rebuild Libra for SCIENCE

[RogueMason]

Good chapter.

And when you get to DAT SCIENCE in .22, I guess you can rebuild Libra for SCIENCE

It's not that the Libra isn't capable of science, I could just dock a science module to the back of the ship. No, the problem is the lack of being able to do science in Sandbox mode of the game. You can try to ask the crew for reports, you can try the R&D facility, but no science in Sandbox 0.22, only in Career mode

Also, on an unrelated (well, potentially related, maybe...) topic, I am now on my half-term -- sorry, Reading Week. Gotta use the correct academic vernacular as set out by the university . Anyway, I have a week off from college, with work to be getting on with, BUT, and here's the part you'll like... I'll probably be rolling out a good few chapters, provided I can write them up. I'm not about to let a few nasty assignments get in the way of me writing classic literature!

Also, on a note completely and utterly unrelated to the original point, but most definitely related to the prior point ()... I'm going out to do something with the girl I mentioned. Probably wandering around Liverpool, just having a nice day out. At the moment, we are still friends, but like I said the first time I raised this point, I'm very much interested in her, and she seemed pretty enthusiastic about doing something together. Looks like everything might go well

(Basically, don't expect anything from me on Thursday next week)

Anyway, to those who have followed this story so far, I thank you for the support

To keep you occupied until the next chapter, please enjoy* the following image:

* When I say 'please enjoy', I mean 'You'd better enjoy it... or else.'

[Darndello]

You could always make Libra II. Just a few improvements, I presume.

P.S.: Awesome chapter BTW, I almost forgot. Keep it up.

Edited October 18, 2013 by Darndello
Added PS

[RogueMason]

CHAPTER 8: THE FLIGHT OF TIME

Nearly 4 months later…

Edory: “I can’t believe how quickly the time’s passed here. 4 months, just… gone. I guess we just had a good time down here, eh?â€Â

Rodbald: “I guess so. Kirlin still out there?â€Â

Edory: “Yeah, watching the sunset. Can’t say I blame him, really.â€Â

Rodbald: “He could help us get these samples and data drives over to the lander, though.â€Â

Edory: “I’m sure he’ll give us a hand. That said, have you seen him lately? It’s like… I don’t know. We started out on this mission and we thought he was a bit ruthless, too focused on the mission. Ever since we got here, though, he’s… he’s different.â€Â

Rodbald: “Yeah, I’ve noticed. I think it finally hit him squarely in the face that the mission isn’t just to yield results.â€Â

Edory: “I know he wanted manned spaceflight to continue, otherwise he wouldn’t have pushed us so hard. I agree, though, he’s become very distracted by it.â€Â

Kirlin walks back into the cabin of the habitation module, seemingly thoughtful.

Kirlin: “Who’s become distracted by what?â€Â

Edory: “Oh, nothing really.â€Â

Rodbald: “Any chance you could give us a hand with these?â€Â

Kirlin: “Oh, sure.â€Â

Kirlin takes a few data drives, but not in a purposeful manner, clearly still deep in thought.

Edory: “You alright, buddy?â€Â

Kirlin: “Hmm? Oh, yes, I’m ok. I’m just thinking…â€Â

Edory: “Thinking, eh? What’s on your mind?â€Â

Kirlin: “Just… the mission, I suppose.â€Â

Edory: “You still concerned that the government’s gonna stamp the space program out?â€Â

Kirlin: “I don’t know. I’m stood here on this extraordinary world, a member of the first mission to explore the planet in over a decade, and I can’t help but wonder why we were ever held back. I look out there, and I see nothing but the need to advance the exploration of the planets, the stars, everything. We, as a species, need this if we are to grow as a society, a culture. We need this to survive. Look at the Kraken war; had we not been dispersed around the system, the Kraken may well have put an end to us, but we made it hard for them. We survived because we had the means to survive, and those means were gained through our interplanetary exploration, our fascination with the cosmos. If we just surrender now because some bloody politicians are more concerned about their wallets than the species they’re a part of, then we’ve failed. I will not let that happen.â€Â

Edory: “That’s…â€Â

Rodbald: “Wow.â€Â

Edory: “Kirlin, that’s… I don’t even know what to say.â€Â

Kirlin: “There’s no need to say anything. These thoughts have been buzzing around in my head for the better part of a month, now, and it feels good to finally let them out.â€Â

Edory: “Kirlin, let me tell you this right now… we will not fail.â€Â

Kirlin: “I know we won’t. I'm not going to let us failâ€Â

A few hours later…

Edory: “Nice night out here.â€Â

Kirlin: “A shame we’re leaving tonight. Come on, Venturer is waiting for us.â€Â

Edory: “Aye.â€Â

Kirlin: “Alright, we all set for liftoff?â€Â

Rodbald: “Yep, we are clear to go whenever you want.â€Â

Kirlin: “Lower the landing gear, just to give us some ground clearance.â€Â

Rodbald: “Alright…â€Â

The sounds of gears turning are suddenly interrupted by a bang. The lander shudders.

Kirlin: “What the hell?! Edory?â€Â

Edory: “Umm… damn, one of the legs blew off!â€Â

Kirlin: “What?!â€Â

Rodbald: “Really?â€Â

Edory: “Yeah, look!â€Â

Rodbald looks out of his window, clearly seeing one of the legs of the lander rolling away from the vehicle.

Rodbald: “Damn…â€Â

Kirlin: “Will it affect performance?â€Â

Edory: “It shouldn’t do. We may have a slight imbalance when we thrust, but nothing major. I’m personally more concerned about any damage to the fuel tank it was attached to.â€Â

Kirlin: “See anything, Rodbald?â€Â

Rodbald: “No leaks that I can see, and my gauges aren’t changing. I think we’re ok to go.â€Â

Kirlin: “Ok, crisis over. Rodbald, take us to orbit.â€Â

Rodbald: “Aye.â€Â

Rodbald: “Successful liftoff.â€Â

Edory: “Fuel is a little concerning…â€Â

Rodbald: “We’ll make orbit, don’t worry.â€Â

Rodbald: “There, see? Sub-orbital trajectory with an apoapsis way above the atmosphere.â€Â

Edory: “Ok then.â€Â

Kirlin: “That was remarkably painless.â€Â

Edory: “Indeed.â€Â

A few minutes later…

Rodbald: “Orbit achieved. I’m setting up an encounter with Venturer.â€Â

Kirlin: “Brilliant, well done.â€Â

Rodbald: “Thanks…â€Â

Buzz: “Lander crew, we read you in orbit, good job if that’s the case.â€Â

Kirlin: “Confirmed, we’re in orbit. We should make rendezvous in a few hours, but we’ll keep you posted.â€Â

Buzz: “Roger that. Venturer out.â€Â

Several hours later…

Rodbald: “Rendezvous complete. Venturer, permission to dock?â€Â

Buzz: “Granted, bring yourselves in, guys. Can’t wait to see what goodies you brought up with you.â€Â

Kirlin: “I’m sure you’ll find something you like.â€Â

Edory: “We’re aligned, 20 metres.â€Â

Rodbald: “Here we go.â€Â

Kirlin: “Carefully…â€Â

Rodbald: “Yeah, because I’m going to do a Bob.â€Â

Kirlin: “A what?â€Â

Edory: “Bob Kerman rammed the rear docking port of Odysseus one time, around Bop. Didn’t make Lengas very happy.â€Â

Kirlin: “Oh, ok then.â€Â

Rodbald: “Docking successful.â€Â

Edory: “Equalising pressures now.â€Â

Kirlin: “Good work.â€Â

Buzz: “Welcome back. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?â€Â

Kirlin: “Just a bit. How have things been up here?â€Â

Buzz: “Things have certainly been interesting, haven’t they, Luner?â€Â

Luner: “Yes… I suppose you could say that...â€Â

Kirlin: “Something I should know?â€Â

Buzz: “Maybe you want to tell them too, like you told me, Luner.â€Â

Luner: “Buzz…â€Â

Kirlin: “Tell us? What’s going on?â€Â

Luner: “…â€Â

…

[Itsdavyjones]

oooo good chapter, cant wait for the next.

[RogueMason]

CHAPTER 9: THE TRUTH

Kirlin: “Something I should know?â€Â

Buzz: “Maybe you want to tell them too, like you told me, Luner.â€Â

Luner: “Buzz…â€Â

Kirlin: “Tell us? What’s going on?â€Â

Luner: “…â€Â

Buzz: “Alright, you rememâ€â€Ã¢â‚¬Å“

Luner gestures to Buzz to keep quiet.

Luner: “No, no, I’ll speak.â€Â

Buzz: “Ok then…â€Â

Luner: “Alright, do you guys remember that whole mess that got stirred up about a government agent being planted in the space program? The papers covered it a fair amount and KSC went full steam ahead into its investigation.â€Â

Kirlin: “Yes, I remember reading about this. That was half a year before Venturer even flew into Kerbin orbit.â€Â

Rodbald: “Surely this couldn’t have gone on for that long without someone finding at least a few bread-crumbs?â€Â

Kirlin: “You would be surprised at how ineffective the political affairs office is at KSC, despite them managing to wrangle an interplanetary mission out of the government.â€Â

Edory: “That’s beside the point. Anyway, wasn’t the rumour something like the agent being planted to monitor the Venturer program?â€Â

Luner: “Exactly that… and it’s all true. Every single scrap of it.â€Â

Kirlin: “Wait, what are you saying?â€Â

Luner rolls his eyes, throwing aside the datapad he was holding whilst also raising his voice.

Luner: “Oh, for pities sake, I’M the government agent, Kirlin! I’d have thought that one of the more observant members of this expedition would have been able to figure that one out on their own!â€Â

Edory: “…Frak.â€Â

Rodbald: “I did not see this coming.â€Â

Kirlin: “Why on Kerbin would you decide to tell us this?!â€Â

Luner: “Look, it’s been eating away at me from day one, alright! The secret operations department of the government, which I suddenly realise I should NOT have mentioned… well, they gave me my briefing around the time the Venturer program was being considered. They planted me in the roster for the first manned mission and wanted me to keep feeding reports back to them, as discretely as I could manage. Needless to say, I succeeded in doing that, otherwise those few breadcrumbs that somehow worked their way into the media would have pointed straight to me, straight to the masterminds behind this little scheme. I would not be here now, in Duna orbit, had I been discovered.â€Â

Kirlin: “Wait, wait, wait, I don’t see how this works. Your record shows you as having worked on the construction of the Lonestar LNS-038. How could you have wound up with a job like this after working on a project as big as that ship?â€Â

Luner begins to fiddle with some documents stuck on the notice board.

Luner: “Yes, I did work on the Lonestar, but that was, what, 5 years before we hit the 21st age? 5 years before the end of the Kraken War, 5 years before the cessation of most manned flights due to government restrictions. I was a spacecraft engineer with no spacecraft to engineer. I left the space program to work on fighter aircraft. Then, skip ahead 8 years and the bloody government is knocking on my front door, claiming that they have a position for me to fill. Look where that got me.â€Â

Edory: “So, why you, specifically?â€Â

Luner: “I worked on the one controversial aspect of the Lonestar; I installed the laser cannons, at the request of, guess who, the government. MSI was not happy with this, but the results spoke for themselves above Eeloo, above Duna, above Jool. I remained on government record afterwards, and clearly the SOD wanted someone they could trust. Seeing as I had no spaceflight experience either, I was the perfect candidate to scrutinise the Venturer program.â€Â

Kirlin: “What do they expect to achieve with this?!â€Â

Luner: “They want their money safe and their reputation intact. They don’t care for manned space exploration, but the one thing they wanted from me? Honesty in my reports. I’ve been very, thoroughly honest throughout the entirety of this mission. Unfortunately, there’s probably someone tweaking those reports back in some damned office cubicle that’s lined with post-its reminding them to get a new soul because theirs is a frozen hollow shell.â€Â

Kirlin: “What have you been telling them, then?â€Â

Luner: “The truth. I’ve told them that this mission has gone flawlessly, without a hitch, and the crew is incredible. The equipment is sound, the ship is sound, there’s no major threat to us… basically, everything they don’t want to hear.â€Â

Buzz: “Basically, he’s not the bad guy after all.â€Â

For a few seconds, silence reigns the cabin.

Kirlin: “I don’t even…â€Â

Rodbald: “Damn, I had you pegged as the spy, Kirlin! I’m sorry for thinking that way.â€Â

Kirlin: “Don’t worry about it...â€Â

Edory: “So, what happens now?â€Â

Luner: “I can’t lapse in my reporting. Anything even remotely suspicious and our access to space is gone. I heard a rumour that Firespitter Company* is being contracted to stop manned interplanetary flight. The government’s a mess. It may look orderly from the outside, but when you see it close up, you realise just how much corruption and playing with the rules there is.â€Â

Kirlin: “And you didn’t just quit?â€Â

Luner: “How could I? Without those reports, the Venturer program would be stopped dead as soon as we splash down back on Kerbin.â€Â

Rodbald: “I’m sorry, but what is Firespitter Company?â€Â

Luner: “Privateers, essentially. The government may or may not be hiring them. Too early to say.â€Â

Kirlin: “Well then, is that everything you have to say, Luner?â€Â

Luner: “I’m surprised you aren’t more upset.â€Â

Kirlin: “I’m still trying to get my head around this… I need some time.â€Â

Luner: “Of course, take all the time you need. I’ll still be here if you need to ask me anything.â€Â

Buzz: “Just be aware that we are transferring to Ike orbit soon, so I’ll need everyone focused for this burn.â€Â

Kirlin: “Of course, captain. Seeing as my authority on this mission is at an end now that we aren’t on Duna anymore, I defer to your command from here on out.â€Â

------------------------------

*Firespitter Company, as portrayed here, has absolutely no link to the Firespitter mod. The only similarity is the name. If anyone is upset with this, then I apologise.

[Danish_Savage]

I so got damned called it.

Thanks again for a very well written chapter.

[Itsdavyjones]

wow.... did not see that coming.

[Danish_Savage]

wow.... did not see that coming.

Well i did

Not that it was overly obvious, its all very well written.

[Needles_10]

Wow, Mason. You sure did stun me there.

[Bioman222]

Very Nice... Didn't see that plot twist.

[The Error]

And suddenly, plot twist.

That was...

...

twisty?

Good job, Rogue!

[SpaceSphereOfDeath]

Wow, DAMN GOVERMENTS!

Stealin' mah spaces, I wonts stand for it!

[RogueMason]

I've, umm, hit a snag. Nothing to do with this particular story, but one further along the road.

You guys know the Communotron 88-88? The gold dish? And you know how it's suddenly, umm... changed with 0.22? Yeah...

Nothing's broken; Venturer is still there, as is everything else, but how am I going to explain a sudden change in the appearance of the equipment??

Also, nice to see that the last chapter went down well

I'm actually not sure when I'll release the next chapter, but it will be Friday at the latest, and definitely will not be posted on Thursday due to... umm, look at my last announcement post, wherever it lies

[The Error]

The crew had some spare parts so while the d00ds were on Duna they updraded their equipment.

And no rush, mate.

[Danish_Savage]

I've, umm, hit a snag. Nothing to do with this particular story, but one further along the road.

You guys know the Communotron 88-88? The gold dish? And you know how it's suddenly, umm... changed with 0.22? Yeah...

Nothing's broken; Venturer is still there, as is everything else, but how am I going to explain a sudden change in the appearance of the equipment??

Also, nice to see that the last chapter went down well

I'm actually not sure when I'll release the next chapter, but it will be Friday at the latest, and definitely will not be posted on Thursday due to... umm, look at my last announcement post, wherever it lies

Some fool bumped it, and while reparing it, they accidently hit a better design, which then became the standard

[RogueMason]

Hmm, I may just call it a space-time anomaly that makes everything wibbly-wobbly and timey-wimey for a moment...

Sounds like as good a reason as any. All the gold dishes in existence get exposed and there's nothing we can do except gawk like idiots while the universe hands us couple of freshly prepared lemons. Shame they ain't combustible lemons, they'd make good rocket fuel...

[Needles_10]

Hmm, I may just call it a space-time anomaly that makes everything wibbly-wobbly and timey-wimey for a moment...

Sounds like as good a reason as any. All the gold dishes in existence get exposed and there's nothing we can do except gawk like idiots while the universe hands us couple of freshly prepared lemons. Shame they ain't combustible lemons, they'd make good rocket fuel...

Indeed they would. They'd make good devices for setting the home of the biosphere aflame.

[RogueMason]

CHAPTER 10: IKE

Rodbald: “Trajectory is confirmed, Buzz, we can commence the burn within the hour.â€Â

Buzz: “Alright, thanks Rodbald. Now then, Kirlin, could I talk to you for a minute?â€Â

Kirlin: “If you want to. What is it you need?â€Â

Buzz: “Well, I don’t see why you’re suddenly relinquishing command. You’re the mission commander, and you said yourself, back on Kerbin, that even if you landed on neither Duna nor Ike, you would still be in charge of what we are doing on the surfaces of both planet and moon.â€Â

Kirlin: “Buzz, I’m not going down to Ike, and as you’ll be the ranking officer on the surface, you’ll be the one handing out the orders on whatever silver platter you like. I may offer input and advice, but I’m not going to tell you to do something specific when I can’t enforce it, unless it is an abort.â€Â

Buzz: “I think an abort enforces itself.â€Â

Kirlin: “Heh, I suppose it does. Anyway, I still stand by my decision. You’re in charge of the Ike landing par-ty.â€Â

Buzz: “If you say so.â€Â

Almost 1 hour later…

Buzz: “TII in progress. Inform control.â€Â

Rodbald: “Control, this is Venturer, we are now in the middle of TII, over.â€Â

KSC: “Copy that.â€Â

Rodbald: “There, Ike encounter with a 30km periapsis.â€Â

Buzz: “Luner, Ike is your speciality, isn’t it?â€Â

Luner: “Well, I know a lot about it, but I’ve done so much other stuff the last few years that I can hardly call myself a specialist. That being said, I’m the most specialised out of all of you.â€Â

Buzz: “Do we know whether or not it still has that odd darkening effect when we get close?â€Â

Luner: “Currently, no. However, in 2 more hours, we’ll find out.â€Â

Kirlin: “Wasn’t there speculation about… what are they called, Space Snakes?â€Â

Buzz: “Oh please, Space Snakes? If they even existed, then they most certainly got wiped out by the Krakensbane device when it detonated.â€Â

Kirlin: “Hmm, that is a good point. Nevertheless, were there any other reputable theories?â€Â

Luner: “No other theories. It remains a mystery. A universal bug.â€Â

Rodbald: “Unless of course, Ike is no moon…â€Â

Kirlin: “…â€Â

Buzz: “…â€Â

Rodbald: “Oh come on, I quote Space Wars and you go silent on me?! What is wrong with you people?!â€Â

Buzz: “We’re having a scientific discussion and you throw in a reference to the Dread Star battlestation? I can’t possibly see why we’d go silent on you…â€Â

Rodbald: “Hmph.â€Â

Edory: “I thought it was a pretty good reference.â€Â

Rodbald: “Heh, thanks.â€Â

2 hours later…

Luner: “It’s not going dark. Ike is not going dark. I don’t even…â€Â

Edory: “Surely the Krakensbane couldn’t have done this?â€Â

Luner: “I don’t know. Maybe Ike was just geologically unstable for a time. Whatever it was, it’s gone now.â€Â

Edory: “Hmm…â€Â

Buzz: “Prepare for orbital insertion burn.â€Â

Rodbald: “There, we are now in a circular, equatorial Ike orbit 100km above the surface.â€Â

Buzz: “Alright then. Rodbald, Luner, suit up, we’re going down to the surface.â€Â

Luner: “Yes sir.â€Â

Buzz: “And Luner?â€Â

Luner: “Hmm?â€Â

Buzz: “Please don’t do anything government-oriented down there. You can do that when we get back here.â€Â

Luner: “Alright, captain, you have my word. No government stuff.â€Â

Buzz: “Good, glad to see you can see sense.â€Â

Luner: “I’ve seen more than sense the last few years…â€Â

Buzz: “I’ll bet you have.â€Â

Buzz: “Hold on, who lowered the landing legs? We only have three of them!â€Â

Rodbald: “Umm, yeah, one second… there, they should be raising up again.â€Â

Buzz: “Ok, thanks.â€Â

Luner: “Fuel levels looks good, and structural integrity is fine. No reason to abort.â€Â

Buzz: “Good, I need to stretch my legs down there.â€Â

Buzz: “Venturer, we’re down on the surface. See you in a day or two.â€Â

Kirlin: “Roger that, nicely done Buzz. I’ll let control know that you’ve set down.â€Â

Buzz: “Right then gentlemen, we have a moon to explore, so let’s get to it.â€Â

[The Error]

Hooray for Ike!

[Itsdavyjones]

they forgot about the landing gear.... woops. good chapter though.