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

[Mekan1k]

BaseCamp- A Journey to Space

The end of A Journey to Space

Kerbals have done the impossible- traveled in time, traveled in space, and blown chunks in a mach 2 turn.

Now, with the threat upon them, Jeb, Bill, Bob, and the AI B9k, will embark on their greatest adventure yet:

To hunt down the SWARM, and destroy them- once and for all.

But first... They are going to need a basecamp.

Or until I can figure out a greater adventure.

Third story: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/44247-AAR-Vengeance-A-Journey-To-Space-WARNING-IMAGE-HEAVY

Second story: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/35928-AAR-Construction-A-Journey-to-Space-WARNING-IMAGE-HEAVY

First story: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/28970-AAR-Development-A-Journey-to-space

WARNING: THIS STORY WILL BE PICTURE HEAVY, AND IT WILL BE CONTINUING FROM PREVIOUS STORIES- READ THOSE STORIES FIRST TO MAKE SENSE OF THIS ONE.

This story will be ideally updated 1x a week, possibly 2x a week if I get some extra free time.

I am a partner in a venture that is going to be opening a business in a few months, so I am doing that, schoolwork, and this.

[Fox62]

YEAH! Wooohooo! *1812 Overture plays* New Story!

[calkhi]

YEAH! Wooohooo! *1812 Overture plays* New Story!

And Resnat is hard at work. Trust me, they are. Do you know how damned hard it is to set up a manned mission to Jool. Project Eden, which for some reason, was given the nickname "S.S. Make **** up" by the captain. To say the least, the AI aboard is happy we installed a humor overlay before takeoff. Que Flight of the Bees.

[[ Jeremy ]]

A new story and unfortunately the final one. Hope this one tops the rest and more stories may come in it's wake!

[cziken20]

A new story and unfortunately the final one. Hope this one tops the rest and more stories may come in it's wake!

No! Don't even think about saying things like this! (google transalte says: ) Don't jinx!

[cziken20]

Sorry, but what is basecamp? Google translate won't tell me :/

[Itsdavyjones]

Nice to see this is upcoming and can't wait.

Sorry, but what is basecamp? Google translate won't tell me :/

A base camp essentially means base of operations for your task at hand.

[cziken20]

And Mekan1k, can you post mods list?

[Mekan1k]

This chapter will be late everyone- I finished writing it, and tried to send it... And it was lost due to an internet outage.

Oh, and an image of the gravioli

Just because.

EDIT: Sorry in advance, I need to put this out somewhere or I am going to punch a hole in a wall.

I spend 4 hours on this chapter. 1.5 hours setting up the scenes, and taking pictures. 2.5 hours writing it out... And then it just gets erased because I try to ppost it, and then internet says "NOPE" and 4 hours of work is gone.

I will write it tomorrow, after school is over.

Blerg.

Edited January 27, 2014 by Mekan1k

[[ Jeremy ]]

This chapter will be late everyone- I finished writing it, and tried to send it... And it was lost due to an internet outage.

Oh, and an image of the gravioli

*snip*

Just because.

The Internet can be so cruel to authors, always cutting when publishing their work.

Anyway, that gravioli particle looks interesting, as soon as I saw it I immediately started thinking of ideas for it...

*starts forming theories about the relationship between the flavours of the particle and it's properties*

[Mekan1k]

The Internet can be so cruel to authors, always cutting when publishing their work.

Anyway, that gravioli particle looks interesting, as soon as I saw it I immediately started thinking of ideas for it...

*starts forming theories about the relationship between the flavours of the particle and it's properties*

I look forward reading your theories- see which ones are right.

[cziken20]

One of our engineers, aksed an important question- are there POSITIVE gravioli particles? Now my mind is stuck, and i am searching my mind for any useful infrotmation, to find, and see if they exist. Do you know something about them?

[ramnrmeul]

Positive gravioli... Wouldn't that be, in effect, an anti-graviton? Theoretically, those aren't even supposed to exist.

[cziken20]

Well, antimatter exists, so why not anti-graviton? It could make so much possibilities...

[calkhi]

Theoretically, no. But in the line of thought, if something like that was to exists, it would have to have negative mass, with an opposite charge. But since there is no such thing as negative mass, we can assume that such a thing does not exist. However, if something were to have negative mass, or, rather, the lack of mass that should be there which is not, then yes. When viewed as a quantum object which, quantum science has already proved everything I'm about to say wrong, albite, with many holes due to other quantum theories that are rising up right now. Now, lets say, there is a way to measure a black hole, accurately, and without dieing, and we find that a black hole actually weighs nothing.(Which we know can not be, as they do exist and are actively "consuming" matter all the time.) Now, knowing that, we could indeed say that the black hole has negative mass, even though the mass is equal to zero, and simply can not go below zero. But we know that the matter is still there, but we can now assume that it is not there because the black hole weighs nothing. The weight, or mass, of the matter is placed in another dimension, while the existence of the matter, in a highly condensed form, is here in our universe. Therefor since something can not weigh nothing, but can be infinitely small, and yet here this black hole weighs nothing, we can assume that, around objects with a high enough gravitational force, so high that it wears a hole in the dimensional barriers of space, that it can deposit its mass into another dimension, that it can and will create an anti-graviton.

Long story short, massive, universe eating black hole that weighs nothing may generate anti-gravitons. This is most likely all bull****, but hey, it's a semi-plausible explanation.

Edited January 27, 2014 by calkhi
I made a spelling mistake. :P

[calkhi]

Note, an anti-graviton may produce a repulsing force on all the objects near-by. I have no idea because nothing has been recorded on them except that they don't exist.

[Mekan1k]

And Mekan1k, can you post mods list?

Sure. Here you go:

The Internet can be so cruel to authors, always cutting when publishing their work.

Anyway, that gravioli particle looks interesting, as soon as I saw it I immediately started thinking of ideas for it...

*starts forming theories about the relationship between the flavours of the particle and it's properties*

One of our engineers, aksed an important question- are there POSITIVE gravioli particles? Now my mind is stuck, and i am searching my mind for any useful infrotmation, to find, and see if they exist. Do you know something about them?

Positive gravioli... Wouldn't that be, in effect, an anti-graviton? Theoretically, those aren't even supposed to exist.

Well, antimatter exists, so why not anti-graviton? It could make so much possibilities...

Theoretically, no. But in the line of thought, if something like that was to exists, it would have to have negative mass, with an opposite charge. But since there is no such thing as negative mass, we can assume that such a thing does not exist. However, if something were to have negative mass, or, rather, the lack of mass that should be there which is not, then yes. When viewed as a quantum object which, quantum science has already proved everything I'm about to say wrong, albite, with many holes due to other quantum theories that are rising up right now. Now, lets say, there is a way to measure a black hole, accurately, and without dieing, and we find that a black hole actually weighs nothing.(Which we know can not be, as they do exist and are actively "consuming" matter all the time.) Now, knowing that, we could indeed say that the black hole has negative mass, even though the mass is equal to zero, and simply can not go below zero. But we know that the matter is still there, but we can now assume that it is not there because the black hole weighs nothing. The weight, or mass, of the matter is placed in another dimension, while the existence of the matter, in a highly condensed form, is here in our universe. Therefor since something can not weigh nothing, but can be infinitely small, and yet here this black hole weighs nothing, we can assume that, around objects with a high enough gravitational force, so high that it wears a hole in the dimensional barriers of space, that it can deposit its mass into another dimension, that it can and will create an anti-graviton.

Long story short, massive, universe eating black hole that weighs nothing may generate anti-gravitons. This is most likely all bull****, but hey, it's a semi-plausible explanation.

Note, an anti-graviton may produce a repulsing force on all the objects near-by. I have no idea because nothing has been recorded on them except that they don't exist.

*yet

There is a theory that gravity is actually a mix of three forces- the Yukawa forces-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukawa_potential

And that gravity as we experience it is a mix of two positive yukawa potentials and a negative potential, therefore gravity is positive.

Run with it guys- the concepts you come up with will help change the story, as the kerbals and SWARM will realize things at different rates.

And now, onto the show!

Chapter 1: An Unmanned Test

Kirlak: Are you sure this is the best Idea Jeb?

Jeb: We need a form of nuclear engine that will not rupture as easily as the last one did.

Kirlak: That's a given, but do we need to have an....

Jeb: Artificial Intelligence

Kirlak: Yes. That. Run the test?

Jeb: You have seen first-hand how helpful B9k is. Is there any other way to test the engine containment without an unmanned test?

Kirlak: Not without potentially contaminating our atmosphere.

Jeb: Exactly.

*Tap-Tap-Tap*

Jeb: B9k- are you awake?

B9k: Activating consciousness module.... Subsystems engaged.... Loyalty circuits... Nonexistent.

Jeb: ... Did we include a loyalty circuit?

Bill: I don't think so...

B9k: Just kidding guys! Everything is fine. I am ready for my mun-and-back test run.

Jeb: Right- everything is green on the pad.

B9k: I just said that.

Jeb: I need to double-check. Once you are away, B9k, you will be truly on your own. You will need to make adjustments to the course on your own volition, and you will only be able to communicate with us through the 2nd stage relay- once you are on the munar intercept course, you will be out of contact until you hit under 100km orbit.

B9k: I understand Commander. Mission Control, I am ready.

Jeb: Good luck.

Jeb: I'm behind cover. B9k- activate visual sensors.

B9k: ...

Kirlak: B9k: Status?

B9k: Director... It's full of stars.....

Bill: Turn down the gamma-sensitivity.

B9k: Ah. It's alright now.

B9k: Pulsejets are registering green. Control grates are responding through all degrees of freedom. Decoupling fuel line.

B9k: Connection clear.

B9k: Disconnecting Walkway.

B9k: Kirlak, could you countdown?

Kirlak: 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. Liftoff!

B9k: Activating pulsejets.

B9k: 1.8* gravity acceleration. We have liftoff mission control.

B9k: Is telemetry coming in clean on your end MC?

Kirlak: Loud and clear B9k.

B9k: Good. Beginning gravity turn.

B9k: MC, the pulsejets seem to be loosing thrust.

Jeb: That's normal- there is not enough air up here to properly use the jets.

Jeb: Decouple when the thrust gets to zero.

B9k: Understood. Decoupling first stage- firing griffinV engine.

B9k: Stage 2 operating within ideal parameters.

Jeb: When you drop this stage, we will not be able to contact you anymore.

B9k: Coasting to first munar intercept burn. I had a thought, Jeb.

Jeb: Yes, B9k?

B9k: Even if I fire the nuclear engine outside of the atmosphere, it will still contaminate the planet, right?

Jeb: Not with the new gravioli containment. When you fire, the heat is turned into electricity which is shunted to the gravioli spikes, which emit a mass-collection feild. The feild prevents matter that is above a specific mass from passing through the engine- keeping all the heavy, radioactive material, inside it's containment.

B9k: Ah. That... Sort-of makes sense.

Jeb: We tested it down here, but we wanted a practical test.

B9k: Well.... At least I am useful. Munar burn 1.

B9k: Drifting to position for burn 2.

B9k: Coming up on the day side...

B9k: Sunrise is beautiful up here. Orienting for burn 3...

B9k: Burning.

B9k: Fuel in stage 2 is nearing zero. Dropping in 5 seconds. See you later my friends.

Jeb: See you soon B9k.

B9k: Now I'm lonely.

****

3 hours later...

****

B9k: AI log- It has been three hours since I have left Kerbin for the Mun. I need to do a course correction, and I am really lonely.

B9k: Next time, I will recommend that Jeb either install better communications gear into my command segment, or a secondary AI core so we can play chess.

B9k: Or maybe a game of battleship. Maybe even Human Space Program!

B9k: It's a bit bright....

B9k: Circularizing...

B9k: Wait... What?

B9k: Nothing to do but wait until I can execute turnaround.... I am really bored.

**********

Back on Kerbin, on the launchpad

**********

Kirlak: Jeb, please walk me through what this monstrosity is.

Jeb: Sir, it's the gravioli engine.

Kirlak: And what is it supposed to do?

Jeb: The engine uses light as reaction-mass.

Kirlak: ... Jeb, Light is effectively mass-less.

Jeb: Yes, but not when exposed to a modulated gravioli field. We can give a photon 2*10^23 times it's mass for a fraction of a second.

Kirlak: And it exists the field with that mass?

Jeb: Yes. For a fraction of a second- then it hits non-distorted space, and slows down. That's where the glow is.

Kirlak: What glow?

Jeb: Bill, activate the engine to 60%.

Bill: Spooling up....

Kirlak:.... Ok, Jeb. I see the glow.

Jeb: That glow is the photons splitting into more photons, as the mass is too high for a single photon to contain and remain stable. After a meter or so the photons have degraded back to matter.

Kirlak: Why is there an engine on top too?

Jeb: I did not want it to rip off the gantry....

Kirlak: Good thinking.

Jeb: The isp on this engine is insane. Over 400,000 at last measurement.

Kirlak: What powers it?

Jeb: Electricity. Bill, increase the power to 100% please?

Bill: Done.

Jeb: As you can see, there is no smoke, and the light-rings don't interact with the air around the engine, meaning no change in energy on the ascent.

Kirlak: How did you figure this out?

Jeb: It came to me while I was reading the gravioli readouts from the Duna mission.

Kirlak: Really?

Jeb: Yup. I was also listing to music on FaceTube at the time.

Bill: Jeb- the battery is at 60%. I will need to start stepping-down the engine if we don't want to crack the gravioli ring.

Jeb: Start ratcheting down to 10%.

Kirlak: Can you make any bigger engines? If these can be used as primary lifter engines-

Jeb: The gravioli focusing ring is... Expensive, Kirlak. We are looking for more material, but... we need alot more.

Kirlak: How much more to make a 1 meter version?

Jeb: 10 times more ring material than what I have now.

Kirlak: How rare is this?

Jeb: The piece I used was the size of my eye before we reshaped it for the engine. We have two others.

Kirlak: Is there anywhere else we could harvest this?

Jeb: The crystals were in mun rocks and meteorites. We might need to go to the Mun or Minnimus to get some more.

Kirlak: I guess we need to go to the Mun. What if we meet the swarm?

Jeb: It's SWARM.

Kirlak: How could you?... Nevermind.

Jeb: Don't worry. We have been working with the Romfarer company, and have cobbled together a number of interesting weapons....

Kirlak: Good. Next stop- the Mun!

Jeb: What about the unmanned test?

Kirlak: Well, it should return soon.

*******

In munar orbit.

*******

B9k: I could watch sunrises all day....

B9k: But I won't. Burning for Kerbin re-entry.

B9k: Now a bit of a course adjustment...

B9k: On track for aerobraking.

*******

3 hours later

*******

B9k: AI's log, stardate whenever. I am entering the atmosphere of a life-sustaining planet- it seems too regular, possibly artificial in nature.

B9k: I will need to execute a burn to circularize around Kerbin- I am now attempting to contact mission control.

Kirlak: We heard your log entry B9k.

B9k: I AM BORED! Next time I run a mission, can I have some company?

Jeb: Sure. You can play chess!

B9k: I prefer Battleship. Or Human Space Program!

Jeb: I will see if we can work in a second AI core to the next ship.

B9k: I will be burning on the night side for circularization- containment seems to be holding on the engine.

Jeb: Good.

B9k: And another sunrise in 3. 2. 1...

B9k: Still beautiful. Can I land?

Kirlak: Sure- bring down the engine too. The gravioli containment should hold right?

Jeb: Yesssir. Come on down B9k.

B9k: Sure boss. Deorbiting....

B9k: Out of fuel in the nuclear stage. Decoupling so I can land...

*THUNK*

B9k: MC, we have a problem.

Jeb: What's the problem?

B9k: The decoupler is stuck somehow.

Jeb: That's not good. Bill- can you pull up the plans?

Bill: They are right here...

*Sounds of rustling*

Bob: Hey guys- check out these new snacks! They are called "Jimmies"

Bill: We are busy Bob.

Bob: Right.

Jeb: This design should not be an issue for the decoupler...

Bill: What if this bolt does not fire?

Jeb: That could cause it.

Bill: Or a shear-wave from the decoupling explosives damaged that wire cluster...

Jeb: That could have done it too...

B9k: It's getting hot guys.

Jeb: Is there anything he can really do to prevent imminent doom?

Bill: The heat-resistant coating we applied should keep him safe until impact.

B9k: I'm tumbling.

Jeb: Can he fire his command pod engines?

Bill: If he cannot decouple, his engines cannot possibly slow him down enough-

B9k: I hate to rush you, but I am going rather fast now.

Jeb: Bob! BOB!!!!

Bob: Yes?

Jeb: That project you were working on-

Bob: The collapsible space-toilet?

Jeb: No! And never mention that again. The crumple-zone study.

Bob: Yes? What about it?

Jeb: If this stage is all that is contained by the vehicle, will is be able to survive a...

B9k: 340 m/s. I will have slowed down considerably before impact.

Jeb: That speed of impact?

Bob:.... Maybe.

Jeb: Right. B9k, rotate so you are upright, and land on the engine!

B9k: Complying....

B9k: Right... Boosting torque power...

B9k: I hope this works Jeb.

Jeb: Me too.

B9k: Come get me, even if this does not work, alright?

Jeb: We will.

*BANG*

B9k:......

Jeb: B9k? B9?

Kirlak: I think he's gone Jeb.

B9k: No. No.... However, I may need some assistance...

Kirlak: How so?

B9k: I've fallen and I can't get up.... It's kinda embarrassing....

Jeb: We need a team out there. Bob, Bill, can you set up the retrieval?

Bob: No problem commander.

Kirlak: What about the radioactive material?

Jeb: The gravioli systems had a fail-safe- in the event of a catastrophic impact, the field increases the mass of the material and strengthens atomic bonds.

Kirlak: So?

Jeb: So... We just need to dig a bit and retrieve the nuclear core.

Kirlak: Get on it.

Jeb: Yessir.

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

I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!

I am honestly surprised that the gif of a gravioli got this much of a reaction.

Comment on whatever is on your minds.

Sorry it was late.

In other news the engines I sort-of-made (the gravioli engines (MK1 and MK0.5 Pipsqueek) and Arcform air-breathing engine) are here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/djyq1bqi5zlmszf/PuffinTech.zip

Requires http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/65754-HotRockets!-Particle-FX-Replacement to work properly.

If you want to play around with them, go ahead- they are not an official mod, yet, so go nuts. If you can come up with interesting variations, let me know! (I will work them into the story some how)

[cziken20]

If gravioli is produced by matter, as the same are bosons, and photons, then there is a chance that aniti-matter produces anti-photons, anti-bosons, and two important things for positive gravioli- anti-mass (negative mass), and anti-gravity, which would theoretically be simply pushed away by any gravity. Quantum physics was the thing that i never understood, but i noticed, about a year ago, that most of philosophical things i say, are connected with quantum physics. But ok- if negative gravioli exists,then the positive gravioli can exist, but with 0,01% chance of- but we all know that universe is HUGE so there must be probably a place where conditions are perfect (think- antimatter galaxy), and probably positive gravioli also exists, and in such place the chance of antigravity rises up to 5%, and if we see that antimatter, dark matter, dark energy, bosons all exist then why not positive gravioli? If we take such a way of thinking the probability of positive gravioli rises to 99,999999% chance. So what do you think?

I noticed one thing- i've got so much to say! So much theories are tumbling in my mind now! So much projects of antigravitomagnetical cars, hypothetical materials, bosons, gravioli, and antimatter! I love scientifical philosophy! And if kerbals develop an anti-gravity engine, they could simply have unlimited thrust at no-power (by no-power i mean with only electricity, but maybe even without it), can you imagine 10000000000000 kn of thrust? it could produce it!

Edited January 28, 2014 by cziken20

[Patupi]

OK, quick post BEFORE I read Mekan1k's post (Looks good! )

Technically there can't be such things as anti-gravitons, but there is something that is technically negative mass. When we measure 'zero' energy in the universe it isn't actually zero. There is a seething mass of energy present everywhere called the quantum foam (or zero point energy) that is responsible for some wierd stuff (spontaneous creation/destruction of matter/anti-matter pairs being one). If you close an area of space off, limiting it's volume, the frequencies of energy are limited to wavelengths of 4x the distance of seperation. This means that not all of the 'zero' level energy can exist, so we actually have, as we measure it, negative energy. As far as I know it's a bit of a stretch to really call it negative energy, but it is a real phenomenon.

Thus if you can have negative energy, you can have negative mass, via Einstein. Anti-gravitons? As I said, so far as I know not possible, but... Who knows?

Oh, and Calkhi? Black holes definitely have mass. Only the information about what went in is lost as matter goes inside the event horizon... and some recent theories are even suggesting that isn't quite true either. It seems that event horizons might (stressing the might here) not be as fixed as we thought.

Edited January 28, 2014 by Patupi
Take that, reverse it! *lol*

[cziken20]

An wait, i see you have RLA stockalike etc. Do they work on 0.23?

[Patupi]

Finally got the chance to read the next installment. Great stuff Mekan1k! Crumple zones for rockets! *lol*

[cziken20]

WE are proud to represent our new hypothetical particles collector (gravioli, dark matter, and bosons)- The Theoretor! It uses special detectros to determine the particle, puts it to a sorting machine which then puts each particle to it's own tank. It's also a device that we created to see if we can get at least one postivie gravioli particle (it really needs to be shorter- maybe NGP and PGP?), and understand the universe.

Here it is-

and from the up:

download:

http://www./view/p87i1k5trxec9k9/Theoretor.craft

Edited January 28, 2014 by cziken20

[Itsdavyjones]

good chapter, eager for more.

[calkhi]

(-snip-)

Ok, so, I recall a very important tidbit of information I mentioned, you know, the whole "this post is total BS and I know it" thing.

No to be insulting or anything, but often, when I mention that I know that I'm wrong by the laws of physics, and proven quantum physics, it often is ignored.(I have no idea why, though.) That being said, once I get home from this blasted place of "education" I am in, I will proceed to upload some pictures and a few craft files.

That being said, ever had a kerbal in interplanetary space, no Delta/V to spare, and a four year wait period for a return burn?

Don't ask, I hate explaining failures.

Edited January 28, 2014 by calkhi
That being said, ever make a spelling error? :P

[calkhi]

Quick question, do you use extraplanetary launchpads?

and for that matter, orbital construction?

I've got an idea for a Minmus surface base. The only thing missing is the defence towers for it.