The Venturer Program: Tour of the planets

[RogueMason]

I'm not sure if I am right, but there was a series (i forget the name) but I think an episode was named Reverend Jim: a Space odyssey.

So... yeah that's my guess:sticktongue:

EDIT: I did not actually watch this show, i looked up Jim and space so yeah...

Nope

He's not dead, Jim.

Have a cookie.

Next chapter later today.

[RogueMason]

CHAPTER 13: GILLY

A few hours later…

Cal: “We’re good.â€Â

Jim: “Ok, undocking now.â€Â

Jim: “Perfect.â€Â

Cal: “Right. Matton, you ready for this?â€Â

Matton: “Hell yeah.â€Â

Jim: “Good, because here we go!â€Â

Cal: “You don’t need to overdo it here. Just a couple of seconds on low thrust will get us down there.â€Â

Jim: “You know, I did sort of train for this landing back on Kerbin. I think I know what to do, Cal.â€Â

Cal: “I never said that you didn’t.â€Â

Jim: “You implied it.â€Â

Cal: “Well then, I apologise.â€Â

Jim: “Cool.â€Â

Cal: “Cool?â€Â

Jim: “Yeah, don’t sweat it, buddy, I know you’re just being careful.â€Â

Matton: “You did do the burn, right Jim?â€Â

Jim: “…Yes.â€Â

Matton: “I just didn’t feel it, that’s all.â€Â

Jim: “Well, it was only a small burn.â€Â

Matton: “I know, but usually whenever you’re flying, the ship is a lot noisier than it should be. Unless of course that’s not the engine making the noise…â€Â

Jim: “Very funny.â€Â

Matton: “I know.â€Â

Matton: “Kod… that view is what I’ve always wanted to see.â€Â

Cal: “It is beautiful, isn’t it?â€Â

Jim: “Is this why you like Gilly so much, Matton?â€Â

Matton: “It’s one of the reasons. I bet it’s even better when we’re on the surface. Speaking of which, who’s out the door first?â€Â

Cal: “You are.â€Â

Jim: “What?â€Â

Matton: “Oh?â€Â

Cal: “Yep, the mission plan has one Matton Kerman as the first on the surface for this mission.â€Â

Jim: “Whaaat?â€Â

Matton: “Oh, cool.â€Â

Jim: “Isn’t it usually the ace pilot that goes out first?â€Â

Cal: “No, that only applies if your name happens to be Jebediah.â€Â

Jim: “But, Buzz…?â€Â

Cal: “Hey, I don’t make the rules. You just focus on not crashing into Gilly, however impossible that might actually be considering what this rock is like…â€Â

Jim: “Err, right then.â€Â

Jim: “We’re almost there. Lots of boulders everywhere.â€Â

Matton: “I’m sure you can manage.â€Â

Jim: “Of course I can!â€Â

Jim: “And that’s it. See, I told you I’d manage it.â€Â

Cal: “Never doubted you for a second, Jim. Ok, Matton, you ready?â€Â

Matton: “Almost. Is my helmet on straight?â€Â

Cal: “Umm… yeah, you’re all set.â€Â

Matton: “Right, here goes nothing.â€Â

Matton: “Ok, it is officially awesome out here.â€Â

Cal: “The flag, don’t forget the flag.â€Â

Matton: “I’ll plant it in a moment, I’m just getting my bearings.â€Â

Cal: “Ok then.â€Â

Matton: “Hmm. Right, flag time.â€Â

Matton: “Ok, the flag is on the ground.â€Â

Cal: “I’m coming out now. How’s the gravity?â€Â

Matton: “Crazy low, you might want to watch your step lest you accidentally throw yourself into orbit.â€Â

Cal: “Got it.â€Â

Jim: “Crazy low? That sounds fun.â€Â

Cal: “It’s practically zero-G.â€Â

Matton: “Yep, that it is.â€Â

Cal: “Damn, you can just float out of the hatch here. I see Eve by the way, Matton, just over the ridge in front of you.â€Â

Matton: “I thought so. Well, I’m heading off the grab some samples.â€Â

Cal: “Copy that. Jim, you coming out?â€Â

Jim: “Right now, as a matter of fact.â€Â

Cal: “Well, this is nice.â€Â

Jim: “Feels funny.â€Â

Cal: “Funny?â€Â

Jim: “Yeah, there’s gravity, but there may as well not be any whatsoever.â€Â

Cal: “One of Gilly’s charms. Pol is a close second in the gravity department, according to data from the Odysseus mission.â€Â

Jim: “Ah, Odysseus. That’s a mission I’d have liked to go on.â€Â

Cal: “You’ll be exploring Jool’s moons later on in the mission, so you’ll get to experience the whole thing in greater comfort than was available to the Jeb and Co.â€Â

Jim: “This is true. Anyway, is there anything at all that I can do?â€Â

Cal: “Collect samples, set up the core drill, and don’t float off into deep space doing it.â€Â

Jim: “Understood.â€Â

Cal: “Meanwhile, I’m going to investigate that sensor blip over there.â€Â

Jim: “Sensor blip?â€Â

Cal: “Yeah. It’s not one of the manned landing sites, but there’s something there. I’ll be back later.â€Â

Jim: “Ok then.â€Â

Cal: “A Plan-Ex Gilly probe? Of course, it was meant to hop all over this piece of rock! Oh this is going to be cool.â€Â

Cal: “I think… yeah, that’s it.â€Â

Cal: “And it looks to be in great shape, all things considered.â€Â

Cal begins to circle around the old probe, admiring the design of the small vehicle before spotting a flashing red LED.

Cal: “Oh frak!â€Â

Cal: “I didn’t scare you, did I?â€Â

Jim: “Scare a probe? You monster.â€Â

Cal: “I guess it had inbuilt hazard detection and it didn’t like me. Wait, it looks like it’s heading for you guys.â€Â

Jim: “What?â€Â

Cal: “Yeah, it’s heading for the lander. Must have detected our touchdown. Just watch yourself.â€Â

Jim: “Ok, watch out for an IFO.â€Â

Cal: “IFO?â€Â

Jim: “Identified Flying Object. I’d have said UFO, but we know what it is, don’t we?â€Â

Cal: “Ok, fair point. I’ll follow it back now.â€Â

Cal: “Wow, Eve really is stunning from here…â€Â

Matton: “So you agree?â€Â

Cal: “I never disagreed.â€Â

Matton: “I suppose you didn’t.â€Â

Cal: “I’m nearly back now.â€Â

Jim: “Ok.â€Â

Cal: “You see that probe anywhere?â€Â

Jim: “Yeah, it landed to the left of what Matton’s decided to nickname ‘Eve Ridge’.â€Â

Matton: “Just for reference. It’s nothing official, and it wouldn’t work seeing as Gilly isn’t actually tidally locked to Eve.â€Â

Cal: “Ok then. Matton, how much longer do you need?â€Â

Matton: “A few hours and I think we can head off.â€Â

Cal: “Right. Do you need the core drill?â€Â

Matton: “No, I’m alright for now. Let Jim handle it for a little longer.â€Â

Jim: “Yay.â€Â

Cal: “Ok, I guess I’ll just wander around for a bit.â€Â

Several hours later…

Matton: “Well, goodbye for now, Gilly.â€Â

Jim: “For now?â€Â

Matton: “Like hell this is going to be my only visit here.â€Â

Cal: “Is everything ready?â€Â

Jim: “Yeah, we’re all set for lift off. And you just assume you’ll be coming back here, Matton?â€Â

Matton: “There will no doubt be further and more extensive missions to every celestial body, Gilly included. That’s how science works.â€Â

Jim: “You two strapped in?â€Â

Cal: “Yeah, we’re set.â€Â

Jim: “Ok, here we go.â€Â

Jim: “Well, there’s one thing I won’t miss about Gilly.â€Â

Cal: “And that is?â€Â

Jim: “It takes so long to orbit this damn rock. We are en route to the tug’s orbit, but it’s going to take ages.â€Â

Cal: “Damn low gravity.â€Â

Jim: “Hmm.â€Â

Matton: “At least I can look at it for a little longer.â€Â

A few hours later…

Cal: “We’re on final approach. The tug is aligned with us.â€Â

Jim: “Got it.â€Â

Jim: “Wait, you said it was aligned?â€Â

Cal: “Uh… oh wait, we’re in the same plane as the docking port on the tug. You’ll have to do some thrusting around.â€Â

Jim: “Thrusting around? Could you not have said translating?â€Â

Cal: “Yeah, that would have been better, now that I think of it.â€Â

Jim: “Ok then, beginning docking sequence… done.â€Â

Cal: “Transfer commands are being sent over to it now. We’ll be on the way back to Eve soon enough.â€Â

Jim: “Are we aerobraking?â€Â

Cal: “Just a little bit, nothing major.â€Â

Jim: “Right then…â€Â

[The Error]

Scare a probe? That's mean!

[RocketPilot573]

I have a bad felling about that little probe... It looks evil.

[RogueMason]

CHAPTER 14: SWITCHOVER

Cal: “Enterprise, we’re about to hit the atmosphere. Communication might be a bit difficult.â€Â

Bob: “Copy that, Cal, we’ll see you on the other side. Bob out.â€Â

A few minutes later…

Cal: “Well, we’re unscathed. I told you this was just a small aerobrake, Jim.â€Â

Jim: “I did believe you, but after the aerobrake on board Enterprise…â€Â

Cal: “That was rough. We were coming in at interplanetary speeds on that pass, but far from such velocities with this braking.â€Â

Jim: “Even so, I don’t trust Eve.â€Â

Cal: “Hardly anyone does. It doesn’t help when you consider the mythological ties with the name ‘Eve’.â€Â

Matton: “The Siren?â€Â

Cal: “Yep, the Siren.â€Â

Jim: “I think I heard Buzz talking about this a few weeks back. He was trying to get in the rate frame of mind about landing on this purple hell hole. Also, we’ll be conducting another few burns to get back on the right path.â€Â

Cal: “Inclination change included?â€Â

Jim: “Yeah, that’s in the mix.â€Â

Cal: “I’ll get the commands programmed.â€Â

Matton: “Hey, I don’t suppose you could toss that rock over?â€Â

Jim: “Err, sure. How did it get loose?â€Â

Matton: “Beats me, but I picked it up on Eve Ridge. I thought it looked good, so I decided to keep it.â€Â

Jim: “You’re not gonna get yelled at for keeping a sample?â€Â

Matton: “There’s an allowance per crew member that says how many souvenirs you can take from other worlds. I thought I’d get started on my collection.â€Â

Jim: “Oh, right. Say, you got any spare rocks? My kids would love some space rocks.â€Â

Matton: “I’ll have a look when we’re back on Enterprise.â€Â

Jim: “Cool.â€Â

A few hours later…

Bill: “Jim, we’re tracking your approach. Slow down a bit, would you?â€Â

Jim: “Err, copy that, Bill, slowing down a bit.â€Â

Bill: “A bit more, please.â€Â

Jim: “I’m not going to crash into the ship, ok?â€Â

Bill: “Yeah, well, I’ve got proximity sensors going crazy here, so if you don’t mind?â€Â

Jim: “Alright, I’m slowing down now.â€Â

Cal: “What are we gonna do with the tug?â€Â

Bill: “I’ll get Jeb to answer that one.â€Â

Jeb: “Just stick it in a different orbit, would you?â€Â

Cal: “Ok, Captain.â€Â

Jim: “Undocking complete. Cal, get that thing clear of us, would you?â€Â

Cal: “Already done.â€Â

Matton: “Yeah, it’s definitely floating away.â€Â

Jim: “Right, let’s knock on the front door, shall we?â€Â

Bob: “Docking port is primed. Bring yourselves in.â€Â

Jim: “Excellent.â€Â

Jeb: “Buzz, Ed, time to get in the other lander.â€Â

Buzz: “On it, Jeb.â€Â

Ed: “Yes, sir.â€Â

Cal: “5 metres… 4… 3… 2… 1… docking successful.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Confirmed, docking of Lander Alpha has been a success. Preparing to commence undocking of Lander Beta. Alpha crew, please offload all samples and data.â€Â

Jim: “Engine is offline, powering down remaining systems.â€Â

Matton: “Cal, help me with these, would you?â€Â

Cal: “I was planning to help, anyway.â€Â

Jeb: “Hey folks, welcome back. Did you miss me?â€Â

Cal: “Hardly.â€Â

Jim: “It was nice to be the best pilot on the ship for a change.â€Â

Jeb: “Ha, very funny guys. Pass me a few of those sample containers, would you? Lengas wants a look.â€Â

Cal: “Alright. Tell him the rest will be back with me in the hab.â€Â

Jeb: “Righty-o.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: Lander Beta, you’re clear to undock.â€Â

Buzz: “Copy that, thanks Stanley.â€Â

Jeb: “Good luck, Buzz. You’ll be alright, it’s just another planet.â€Â

Buzz: “Yeah, yeah, I’ll be fine.â€Â

Bill: “Remember, we’ll be in contact with you for the entirety of the mission.â€Â

Buzz: “Understood.â€Â

Ed: “We’re good to go, Buzz.â€Â

Buzz: “Right then, I’ll see you guys on the other side.â€Â

Ed: “We’re on the way. How are you feeling?â€Â

Buzz: “I’m ok. It’s a bit nerve-racking, but I’m holding up.â€Â

Ed: “We’ve still got a few hours before we reach the lander. Want to catch some sleep before then?â€Â

Buzz: “I, umm… yeah, I think I will, actually. Wake me up when we get there.â€Â

Ed: “Will do.â€Â

A few hours later…

Buzz: “Ok, well, that’s big.â€Â

Ed: “Did they literally just send an entire rocket up?â€Â

Buzz: “I want to know how they got it into Kerbin orbit, never mind Eve orbit.â€Â

Ed: “Is that the balloon?â€Â

Buzz: “Looks like it.â€Â

Ed: “Hmm, it’s kinda small.â€Â

Buzz: “You should see them when they’re inflated. They dwarf a lot of things.â€Â

Ed: “Oh really?â€Â

Buzz: “Yep. The folks back home were considering using these things on rockets in general. Not sure what changed their minds, but if I had to guess, it would be that they're a bit complex, these balloons. Ok, relative velocity is zero.â€Â

Ed: “Have you got everything?â€Â

Buzz: “Yeah, I’ve got everything. This is it. Keep my seat warm, would you?â€Â

Ed: “What about my seat? I’m not about to let it get cold!â€Â

Buzz: “Heh, alright. You’ll still be here later on?â€Â

Ed: “Damn right, and I’ll haul your ass back inside the cabin if I need to.â€Â

Buzz: “Good. Have fun while I’m gone.â€Â

Ed: “Good luck.â€Â

[The Error]

That looks ominous.

And very spiky.

[VelocityPolaris]

Looks... Threw-together?

[RogueMason]

That looks ominous.

And very spiky.

Looks... Threw-together?

Whatever works

So yes, the next chapter is... the Eve landing! :dun dun dun:

[Mohole]

[quote name=

So yes, the next chapter is... the Eve landing! :dun dun dun:

[wasmic]

Wow. That is a huge Eve lander, probably "slightly" overengineered. Take a look at the Eve lander in this video:

[RogueMason]

Wow. That is a huge Eve lander, probably "slightly" overengineered. Take a look at the Eve lander in this video:

Dat video... that is some seriously complicated stuff he/she pulled off.

As for my Eve lander, I don't do command seats for any spacecraft other than rovers; my Kerbals are privileged in that they have the finest quality refurbished tuna tin cans space-age capsules and habitats to keep them alive and give them control of their vehicle. Also, I wanted to make sure that I could actually get a Kerbal off that purple rock again, so big really was the only way to go despite me looking at Scott Manley's Eve or Bust ascent vehicle about half a dozen times.

[wasmic]

Dat video... that is some seriously complicated stuff he/she pulled off.

As for my Eve lander, I don't do command seats for any spacecraft other than rovers; my Kerbals are privileged in that they have the finest quality refurbished tuna tin cans space-age capsules and habitats to keep them alive and give them control of their vehicle. Also, I wanted to make sure that I could actually get a Kerbal off that purple rock again, so big really was the only way to go despite me looking at Scott Manley's Eve or Bust ascent vehicle about half a dozen times.

I generally follow the same principle. I'm willing to do an exception for Eve, though...

I'm currently designing a DIRECT ASCENT Eve mission. I use FAR and have an ion powered chair as final stage. This means that I have to put a fairing over the chair, but then the Kerbal can't get into the chair. So what I do is that I decouple the command pod on my third-last stage, decouple the fairings, and then move Jeb (of course it's Jeb) by EVA over to the chair while still high in the Evian atmosphere. I might end up totally redesigning it, though, as I want the science that you get for returning a pod from the surface of Eve. And then again, noone can beat the mass record for Eve Direct Ascent. AFAIK it's between 12 and 13 tons, before launch from Kerbin. It was made by that Seat-of-the-Pants-Industries guy over on reddit.

[The Error]

I'm working on a winged Eve SSTO (LV-N powered), but so far the main issue is losing the engine on liftoff (NERVA, you be lengthy).

[RogueMason]

CHAPTER 15: ONE WAY TICKET TO HELL AND BACK

EBL-Comp-3.7: [ALERT: COMMENCE LANDING SEQUENCE. AUTOMATIC ENGINE CUTOFF AT NECESSARY TIME WILL OCCUR]

Buzz: “Right then, let’s get this done. Commencing throttle-up.â€Â

Enterprise: “Copy that, Buzz, we’re tracking your descent. We’ll advise on any necessary corrections.â€Â

Buzz: “Got it.â€Â

Buzz: “Hmm, this is going to take a while. Computer, what is the current rate of acceleration?â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.6: [CURRENT ACCELERATION: 0.09G]

Buzz: “Oh yeah, this is going to take ages…â€Â

Enterprise: “Best not to damage the ascent vehicle with a higher acceleration.â€Â

Buzz: “Plus I guess it makes sense to use the transfer unit for the de-orbit burn too.â€Â

Enterprise: “Exactly.â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [ENGINE CUTOFF IN SIX MINUTES]

Buzz: “I should have brought a magazine…â€Â

A few minutes later…

EBL-Comp-3.7: [DE-ORBIT BURN COMPLETE. PERIAPSIS AT APPROXIMATELY 2215M ABOVE SEA LEVEL. ETA TO CURRENT PERIAPSIS IS 23 MINUTES]

Buzz: “Where’s the staging control… ah, there it is.â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [TRANSFER STAGE SEPARATED. PARACHUTES ENABLED]

Buzz: “I think I’ll sit back for a bit.â€Â

Enterprise: “Good idea.â€Â

Ed: “Think about it, you’re going to be the first guy to return from the surface of Eve. That’s one hell of an achievement.â€Â

Buzz: “Yeah, you’re right. Buzz Kerman, conqueror of Eve. I expect a fanfare when I return.â€Â

Enterprise: “All we’ve got is duct tape and compressed air canisters, but we’ll see what we can do.â€Â

Buzz: “Alright then.â€Â

Several more minutes later…

EBL-Comp-3.7: [ALERT: ATMOSPHERIC ENTRY IN PROGRESS. PLEASE KEEP THE LANDER ORIENTED TO RETROGRADE]

Buzz: “As if I didn’t already know that.â€Â

Enterprise: “Your trajectory is looking good so far. It doesn’t look like you’re going to need any adju---ents.â€Â

Buzz: “Err, Enterprise? Comms just got a little crackly.â€Â

Enterprise: “Hold on, we-----ry to sort it o-------ajectory is still ok.â€Â

Buzz: “Yeah, I’m really starting to lose the signal, guys.â€Â

Enterprise: “--------gain Buzz? We-----arely readi--------rselves no-----“

Buzz: “Damn it, this comms channel isn’t going to hold out!â€Â

Enterprise: “------------ing-----------ot much we ca-------[sIGNAL LOSS. ATTEMPTING TO REGAIN]â€Â

Buzz: “Frak.â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [EXTERNAL TEMPERATURES RISING. 1500K AT CURRENT TIME]

Buzz: “What is the maximum tolerable temperature?â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [MAXIMUM TOLERABLE TEMPERATURE IS 10000K]

Buzz: “Huh, that’s quite… high… hngh, it’s getting… hard to… breath…â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [WARNING: ACCELERATION RATE IS NEARING SAFETY LIMIT]

EBL-Comp-3.7: [PARACHUTE DEPLOYMENT IMMINENT]

Buzz: “Hnnghggh!â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [PARACHUTES DEPLOYED. EXTERNAL TEMPERATURE FALLING. ALTITUDE 40 KILOMETRES ABOVE SEA LEVEL]

Buzz: “AGH, THAT WAS ROUGH!â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [ENTERING UPPER CLOUD LAYER]

Buzz: “Oh Kod.â€Â

Buzz: “Oh Kod, it’s complete darkness out there. I can’t see anything. Easy Buzz, take a few deep breaths… calm, chill…â€Â

Buzz: “Yeah, yeah, you’ll get back there. You’ll get back home, Buzz. You just need to defeat Eve and then you’re home free.â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [EXITING CLOUD LAYERS. FULL DROGUE DEPLOYMENT IMMINENT]

Buzz: “Come on, you can do it, you can do it.â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [DROGUE DEPLOYMENT COMPLETE. MAIN CHUTE DEPLOYMENT IMMINENT]

Buzz: “…UH!â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [MAIN CHUTE DEPLOYMENT COMPLETE. PLEASE PREPARE FOR FINAL TOUCHDOWN]

Buzz: “Ok, touchdown, erm… descent rate is too fast, we need to slow down, but we need fuel. Computer, deploy the balloon to slow us down to 3m/s.â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [NEGATIVE. BALLOON DEPLOYMENT ON ASCENT ONLY]

Buzz: “Damn it, we’re going to hit the ground too quickly for my liking! Override!â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [OVERRIDING. DEPLOYING BALLOON]

Buzz: “Good!â€Â

Buzz: “Oof! That must be it, touchdown.â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [TOUCHDOWN COMPLETE. WELCOME TO EVE]

Buzz: “Welcome to Eve, geez… well, I suppose I’d best get started.â€Â

Buzz: “Oh Kod…â€Â

Buzz: “That’s it, I’m on Eve… I can’t believe it.â€Â

Evesuit PRO: [EXTERNAL TEMPERATURE 150 CELSIUS, EXTERNAL PRESSURE 4.2 BARS, INTERNAL TEMPERATURE 23 CELSIUS, INTERNAL PRESSURE 0.991 BARS. EXTERNAL SUIT COATING NOMINAL]

Buzz: “Oh my frakking Kod, this is… oh Kod, oh Kod, oh Kod… damn it man, pull it together! Now, get the flag out, and plant it into the ground of this demonic land. My Kod, where’s the sun?â€Â

Buzz: “Darkness, wrapped in clouds, hotter than hell, total isolation… damn it, why’d the comms have to cut out?! Right, let’s see, let’s see… that rock, that looks good. I bet Lengas would like some of it… hmm, I’d better get some of this sandy stuff, too.â€Â

Buzz: “It’s like walking… through syrup in this atmosphere… Kod, where’s the chisel? Ah, there we go… yes, yes, I can do this, just need to get the samples and go home…â€Â

One hour later…

Buzz: “…Wha… have I really been here… that long? I know I landed close to the terminator, but… oh screw it, I’ve gotta go! Computer, suit status, now!â€Â

Evesuit PRO: [EXTERNAL TEMPERATURE n/a, EXTERNAL PRESSURE n/a, INTERNAL TEMPERATURE 23 CELSIUS, INTERNAL PRESSURE n/a. EXTERNAL SUIT COATING IN SERIOUS CONDITION. PLEASE RETURN TO LANDER]

Buzz: “Ok, so that’s… most of the sensors dead… damn it. Time to get off this rock!â€Â

Buzz: “Oh geez, running… not advised on Eve… phew…â€Â

Buzz: “This thing had better bloody work.â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [WELCOME BACK. NEW SENSOR DATA RECORDED. ATMOSPHERIC SAMPLES STORED. PLEASE PREPARE FOR ASCENT PROTOCOL. WARNING, BALLOON OUTER LAYER HAS SUFFERED MINOR CORROSION FROM ATMOSPHERE]

Buzz: “Oh frak, I’ve been here way too long! Begin ascent protocol!â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [ASCENT IN 20 SECONDS]

EBL-Comp-3.7: [TEN SECONDS]

Buzz: “Damn it, get me off this rock NOW!â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [AFFIRMATIVE, IMMEDIATE LAUNCH AUTHORISED. COMMENCING LIFTOFF]

Buzz: “Oh Kod, not the clouds again! No!â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [ENTERING CLOUD LAYER]

Buzz: “No no no no no!â€Â

Buzz: “AH, come on and get me out of this atmosphere!â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [ASCENT IS PROCEEDING AT MAXIMUM RATE. PLEASE REMAIN CALM]

Buzz: “Wait, is that… yes, it is!â€Â

Buzz: “The Sun! Oh Kod, yes! I never thought I’d see it again! Come on, we’re doing it!â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [EXITING CLOUD LAYER]

Buzz: “Haha, yes, come on!! I can do this! I CAN DO THIS!â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [NEARING CEILING FOR BALLOON OPERATION. ENGINES IGNITING IN 3… 2… 1… IGNITION]

Buzz: “ARGH!â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [sTAGING WILL OCCUR AUTOMATICALLY. PLEASE REMAIN CALM]

Buzz: “Alright!â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [sTAGING]

EBL-Comp-3.7: [sTAGING]

Buzz: “Nearly there, nearly there…â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [bALLOON JETTISONED. ROCKET POWER ONLY. ORBIT ACHIEVABLE]

Buzz: “Orbit achieva… YES! COME ON!â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [sTAGING]

EBL-Comp-3.7: [EXITING ATMOSPHERE, PREPARING TO CIRCULARISE ORBIT]

Buzz: “Oh Kod, yes! I’m gonna make it! I’m gonna make it!â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [sTAGING]

Buzz: “…â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [sTAGING. ORBIT WILL BE ATTAINED ON THIS STAGE]

Buzz: “Oh thank Kod! THANK KOD!â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [ORBIT ACHIEVED. CONGRATULATIONS ON ESCAPING EVE]

Buzz: “YES! FRAKKING YES! WOO! OH KOD, I NEVER WANT TO GO BACK THERE! ENTERPRISE, YOU READ?!â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM DAMAGED, ATTEMPTING TO RECTIFY. DEPLOYING DISTRESS BEACON]

Buzz: “Oh, great, as soon as I know I’m safe, I can’t even tell them where I am! FANTASTIC!â€Â

EBL-Comp-3.7: [uNAUTHORISED EVA. PLEASE RETURN TO CABIN]

Buzz: “And you, little ship, you brought me back… oh Kod, you brought me back from Hell.â€Â

Buzz: “My one way ticket to Hell and back…â€Â

[The Error]

/gets airhorn ready

[RocketPilot573]

Whew... Good thing this ended well.

[wasmic]

/gets airhorn ready

"bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap!"

[Mohole]

Whew... Good thing this ended well.

*Ship suddenly explodes killing Buzz* uh-oh...

[cwheels32]

What mods are you using?

[RogueMason]

What mods are you using?

Here:

I've stripped some of them down quite a lot (B9 and LLL primarily) to just the parts I use.

[RogueMason]

CHAPTER 16: RECOVERY

Captain’s log, entry 8: He did it. Buzz actually returned from the surface of Eve. I can’t express how this feels. We finally defeated the most hostile planet in the system and got some fantastic science out of it. It wasn’t all good, though.

Buzz has come out of it… worse for wear, to put it mildly. Ed said that Buzz was seemingly paranoid upon collection, muttering under his breath. Isolation, darkness, surrounded by clouds, hotter than hell… Kod, it must really have been a nightmare down there. We’re going to review the footage from both the lander and Buzz’s suit to see just what it was like down there.

Mac’s worried, though, and I know why. Buzz is a solid guy with a very level head, and for him to come back from the surface in this fractured state. There’s got to be something more to this.

We’ve got him sleeping in the centrifuge right now and both Mac and Ed are keeping an eye on him. Maybe he’ll wake up feeling better. Maybe not.

On another note, all that’s left for us around Eve now is to refuel and we can head off to Moho, one of the least explored bodies in the system. They tried to put a probe around it a few years back. Tried. That’s not the most comforting thought, but I guess that probe didn’t have a fusion engine strapped to the back. I guess we’ll just have to see what happens.

-----

Jeb: “Mac.â€Â

Mac: “Oh, hey Captain. Sorry, you startled me. What’s up?â€Â

Jeb: “How’s he doing?â€Â

Mac: “Physically, he’s the spitting image of health. Psychologically, well…â€Â

Jeb: “It’s probably best until he wakes up to see what he’s like.â€Â

Mac: “Maybe so, but his brain functions seem to have been very slightly altered. My best guess is severe PTSD at this point. I’ve already run a bunch of tests to see what his body is doing, and it does appear to just be his head that’s gone down the drain. Ed’s helping out, seeing as he’s more oriented on this stuff than I am, but I’ll still be playing my part.â€Â

Jeb: “Oh, well, good. Have you had any rest whatsoever since he got back?â€Â

Mac: “Ed and I are working shifts. I’ll be done in 2 hours.â€Â

Jeb: “Alright then. Notify me if anything happens.â€Â

Mac: “Will do, Captain.â€Â

Jeb: “Mac, just call me Jeb, already.â€Â

Mac: “Uh, yes, Jeb…â€Â

Jeb floats back out of the centrifuge and to the hab at the back of the ship. Cal is sitting at his post, typing.

Jeb: “Cal?â€Â

Cal: “Jeb.â€Â

Jeb: “How’s the fuel tanker?â€Â

Cal: “It’s all good, but honestly, I’m more concerned about the Moho transfer.â€Â

Jeb: “How so?â€Â

Cal: “Fuel. Moho is a bit of a beast, Jeb. I was one of the guys in mission control when they tried to put that Plan-Ex probe into orbit all those years ago, and you can see how well that turned out.â€Â

Jeb: “I understand your concern, and don’t think I’m taking this next transfer lightly. We could wind up in solar orbit if we’re not careful, but we will be careful.â€Â

Cal: “Good to hear. I’ll blame you if I have to coordinate a rendezvous in interplanetary space.â€Â

Jeb: “By all means, but if that does happen, you’ll be the first person to ever set up such a manoeuvre.â€Â

Cal: “I’d rather not be.â€Â

Jeb: “You won’t be, I promise.â€Â

Cal: “Good. Ok, tanker’s on the way. It’ll be here soon.â€Â

Jeb: “Thanks, Cal.â€Â

Cal: “No problem.â€Â

One hour and twenty minutes later…

Bill: “Trajectory is good.â€Â

Bob: “Lengas, are the fuel lines ready?â€Â

Lengas: “Yeah, they’re all good to go!â€Â

Bob: “Good, I’m bringing it in now.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Docking ports aligned. 10 metres and closing.â€Â

Bill: “Slow down just a little bit.â€Â

Bob: “Ok…â€Â

Bill: “So, what do you think of this whole Buzz situation?â€Â

Bob: “I’m not sure. It’s certainly unusual.â€Â

Bill: “I know, right?â€Â

Jeb: “It’s too hard to say anything for sure at the moment.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “5 metres.â€Â

Bob: “Any idea when he’ll wake up?â€Â

Jeb: “Not at the moment. Mac and Ed are watching him, though, so we’ll know if anything happens.â€Â

Bob: “Hmm… ok, we’re docked. Lengas, you’re good to go!â€Â

Lengas: “I’m already on it. Sid, how’s it looking down your end?â€Â

Sid: “Everything’s alright so far.â€Â

Lengas: “Good. We’ll be here for a few minutes, same as last time.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Fuel transfer rate is nominal. No leaks detected.â€Â

Bob: “Cal, is this thing ready to go once we’re done?â€Â

Cal: “Not just yet, but I’m nearly done. You might want to stay there just in case you need to get it away from us while I finish off the commands.â€Â

Bob: “Ok, thanks. And here I was hoping to grab a snack.â€Â

Jeb: “I’m sure grabbing a snack won’t take you long.â€Â

Bob: “Hmm, I agree. Back in a minute.â€Â

Bill: “Jeb, is there anything else I can do?â€Â

Jeb: “Not that I can think of, unless you haven’t already planned the Moho transfer.â€Â

Bill: “I’ve done that. None of the scenarios looked too pleasing, but they’re done.â€Â

Jeb: “What do you mean none of them looked pleasing?â€Â

Bill: “Well, it’s Moho, isn’t it?â€Â

Jeb: “Oh, so you’re in the same boat as Cal, worrying about the transfer.â€Â

Bill: “Cal’s scared that we won’t make orbit. I know we can, but the fuel levels after we’re through are going to be dire.â€Â

Jeb: “Hmm… well, we are just going to have to wait and see what happens, aren’t we?â€Â

Bill: “That’s the good thing about being a trajectory planner; you have a very limited glimpse into the future, and I’m telling you we are going to need more fuel ready for us once we get there.â€Â

Jeb: “Ok, ok. Look, Bob’s busy, so do you think you could contact control and let them know we’re going to need that tanker?â€Â

Bill: “I’ll get right on it.â€Â

Jeb: “Excellent, that’s the Bill I know. Lengas, how are we looking?â€Â

Lengas: “Still ok.â€Â

Jeb: “Stanley, how long left until we’re fully fuelled?â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Two minutes, twelve seconds.â€Â

Jeb: “Right.â€Â

A few minutes later…

Bob: “And she’s away. Cal, are your commands set?â€Â

Cal: “Almost, just give me a minute.â€Â

Bob: “Right then, I’ll move it out to fifty metres.â€Â

Cal: “Got it.â€Â

Jeb: “Hey, you’re flying a little close to the bridge, Bob.â€Â

Bob: “No I’m not…â€Â

Jeb: “Well, I’m sat here looking face on at a docking port.â€Â

Bob: “It’s moving away, Jeb.â€Â

Jeb: “Thank you. I’d rather we didn’t get spaced today.â€Â

Bob: “Me too.â€Â

Cal: “Done! Commands are uploading now, Bob.â€Â

Bob: “Ah, thank you, Cal.â€Â

Jeb: “Stanley, how long until the Moho transfer?â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Estimated time to transfer is two weeks and one day. Control has been notified of the potential fuel issue and they are preparing another tanker.â€Â

Jeb: “Well, that should put a few minds to rest.â€Â

[Pyranz]

Will the new tanker be the first craft to use the Kerbodyne parts?

[The Error]

/checks air horn

HOOONNNKK

[RogueMason]

CHAPTER 17: TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN

Captain’s log, entry 9: It’s not good. Buzz woke up screaming and shaking. Mac and Ed tried to restrain him, and he managed to punch Mac square in the jaw. I intervened and we finally got him calmed down. He’s just sat there mumbling. Eve has ruined him. Mac said his jaw might actually be broken from that punch, and Buzz certainly fractured a few bones in his right hand. What the hell happened down there to change a man so drastically?

---

Captain’s log, entry 10: Control has been notified of Buzz’s condition. They’ve said to continue the mission, and honestly, despite opposing opinions from a few crew who think that maybe we should head back to Kerbin, I agree. The Moho transfer is before the next Kerbin window, and Ed seems to be making some headway in rehabilitating Buzz. He seems to have calmed down, at least, but he’s still incredibly paranoid. Looks like our medical staff are going to have their hands full. Mac isn’t fazed by it, though, despite having had his jaw beaten up (fortunately not broken, but badly bruised and mildly dislocated – he even relocated the bone himself, tough b******).

---

Captain’s log, entry 11: We’re one day away from the Moho transfer. Things haven’t changed much from my last entry. I’m not even sure why I made this one, to be honest.

---

ANSI/Stanley: “Moho transfer possible. I recommend we proceed as soon as possible.â€Â

Jeb: “Alright. Bill, you ready?â€Â

Bill: “And waiting.â€Â

Jeb: “Lengas, how are we looking?â€Â

Lengas: “Everything is good, Jeb. We can go when ready.â€Â

Jeb: “Bob?â€Â

Bob: “Systems nominal.â€Â

Jeb: “Alright then, folks, let’s get going!â€Â

A few minutes later…

Bill: “Well, we’ve done the first part of the transfer. Now can you see why I want more fuel waiting?â€Â

Jeb: “Yes, I can…â€Â

Lengas: “Good call, Bill.â€Â

Bill: “Don’t thank me yet, we’ve still got more to do.â€Â

Lengas: “I know that, but you suggested more fuel, so…â€Â

Jeb: “I’m sure he’ll let you thank him once we’re done fuelling around Moho.â€Â

Bill: “Probably.â€Â

Lengas: “I’ll probably have forgotten by then.â€Â

Bill: “I’ll be sure to remind you of it.â€Â

Lengas: “Ok then.â€Â

Jeb: “Well, at least we’re getting the hell away from this planet.â€Â

Lengas: “And we finally took some of it with us. Rock, soil, and atmospheric samples, plus all the date from the lander. This is a geologist’s treasure trove, almost. I’m going to have my hands full analysing it all.â€Â

Matton: “I hope you plan to include me in your analysis, Lengas.â€Â

Lengas: “Well, you’re the only other geologist on the ship, so yeah, I was going to have you help me, but now that you mention it…â€Â

Matton: “Don’t even think about it.â€Â

Lengas: “Ha, no worries.â€Â

A few hours later…

Jeb: “Ouch. That’s a lot of delta-V.â€Â

Bill: “I know.â€Â

Jeb: “Well, we have the fuel, so it’s alright.â€Â

Bill: “Yeah, we’ll be fine. Say, you checked in on Buzz at all?â€Â

Jeb: “Err, yesterday was the last time. I was going to have a look in a minute.â€Â

Bill: “Oh, right. It’s just that he seems to be talking a bit more calmly, now.â€Â

Jeb: “Good to hear. Keep an eye on the bridge, would you?â€Â

Bill: “Will do.â€Â

Jeb makes his way into the centrifuge and around to where Buzz is sat. Both he and Mac look up at the captain.

Jeb: “Hey, guys.â€Â

Mac: “Captain.â€Â

Buzz: “Jeb…â€Â

Jeb: “How are you feeling, Buzz?â€Â

Buzz: “…â€Â

Jeb: “Buzz?â€Â

Buzz: “…I’ve been better…â€Â

Jeb: “You seem to be getting better already.â€Â

Buzz: “Doctors… they’re taking good care of me… make me feel safe… secure… not like Eve…. Eve is horrible, Jeb. Total darkness, total isolation… it’s hell down there… don’t make me go back, please don’t make me go back…â€Â

Jeb: “Don’t worry, Buzz, you’re not going back down there. We’re heading to Moho, now.â€Â

Buzz: “Moho… tricky place, too close to the Sun… Icarus flew too close to the Sun and paid the price… like me and Eve… will be like you and Moho…â€Â

Jeb: “Nothing bad is going to happen to us, Buzz, I promise you.â€Â

Buzz: “Promises… empty… but I’ll play along, appease you… safety is a lie, Jeb, especially in Space…â€Â

Jeb: “Look, um, you just get some more rest, ok Buzz? Ed’s here and he’ll keep an eye on you. Mac, can I talk to you for a minute?â€Â

Mac: “Sure thing, what is it?â€Â

Jeb: “How is he doing, really? He’s talking, and that’s good, but what he’s saying… there are flickers of Buzz, but that’s not the Buzz I know.â€Â

Mac: “His mental health is sort of on the mend. Ed’s good at this. Even Dean’s trying to help out a little bit.â€Â

Jeb: “That makes sense, I suppose. If anything gets too bad, just do what you have to do.â€Â

Mac: “I hope that doesn’t mean killing him.â€Â

Jeb: “Kod, no! I just meant anaesthetise him or prescribe more meds or something.â€Â

Mac: “Right, because I wouldn’t have done that at all. I’m a doctor, Jeb, not an idiot.â€Â

Jeb: “I never suggest that you were.â€Â

Mac: “But your suggestion as to my course of action implied it.â€Â

Jeb: “Ok, I apologise. I didn’t mean it like that.â€Â

Mac: “I’m sure you didn’t. I’m stressed out, Jeb. I may have been selected as the chief medical officer for the most advanced spaceship in history, but I’m no psychiatrist. I’m in out of my depth, here, and I’m doing everything I can to try and stay afloat whilst keeping Buzz with me. So please, if you could, just leave me to do my job…â€Â

Jeb: “Alright. I’ll leave you alone.â€Â

Mac: “Thank you.â€Â

A few weeks later…

Captain’s log, entry 12: We completed the inclination change, today, and we have a Moho encounter. The Sun is getting unbearably bright, so I’ve asked Stanley to start polarising the windows. The plants in the greenhouses are loving it, though, just soaking up the rays. I’d say the radiation hardly bothers them, but Enterprise is equipped with electromagnetic shields that block out practically all external radiation. If they failed, we'd probably all be fried by the amount of charged particles and gamma rays that are around here. That’s not something I’d like to think about.

There’ll be one more manoeuvre before we enter Moho’s SOI, just to refine the trajectory and hopefully get us a lower periapsis. I’ve been looking at the trajectory data, and we’re going to have to expend near enough 5000ms-1 of delta-V. This is probably going to be one of the single biggest burns of the entire mission.

A few more weeks later…

Dean: “Now there’s a sight that no-one’s seen before… well, except for the Interplanet team that came here years ago.â€Â

Buzz: “It’s not Eve, which is good…â€Â

Dean: “Hey man, I told you not to think of that purple hell-hole.â€Â

Buzz: “I know, I know, it’s just that… argh, it’s always there, in the front of my head! I can’t stop thinking about it!â€Â

Ed: “Hey, hey, it’s alright, Buzz, this is normal. Just chill out, like I said. Calm thoughts. Peaceful thoughts.â€Â

Buzz: “Calm… peaceful… I’m trying… I really am trying.â€Â

Ed: “You’re doing well. Keep at it. I’m staying right here until you’re calm again, alright?â€Â

Buzz: “Ok…â€Â

Ed: “Dean, you ok?â€Â

Dean: “I’m just trying to help, that’s all.â€Â

Ed: “I know, and I appreciate it. Maybe talk about more normal things next time, like fighter jets or something. That ought to cheer him up.â€Â

Dean: “If so, then why haven’t you?â€Â

Ed: “I’m a doctor, not a pilot.â€Â

Dean: “I guess that’s true. Well, I think I’m going to get food. They’re showing a film in the hab, tonight.â€Â

Ed: “What film?â€Â

Dean: “Space Wars Episode 4.â€Â

Ed: “Awesome.â€Â

A few days later…

Jeb: “Bill, I thought we we’re coming in closer to Moho than this!â€Â

Bill: “I thought so, too! The damn computer must have messed it up.â€Â

Jeb: “Are you sure you didn’t read the screen wrong?â€Â

Bill: “I triple checked the numbers, Jeb!â€Â

Jeb: “Agh, alright, so what now?â€Â

Bill: “I’ll plot a manoeuvre node, just follow it.â€Â

Jeb: “Ok then. Lengas, is the engine ready to go?â€Â

Lengas: “It is indeed, Jeb.â€Â

Jeb: “Right, pack up whatever samples you and Matton have out, we’ll be commencing the capture burn soon.â€Â

Lengas: “Alright then. You heard him, Matton.â€Â

Bill: “Manoeuvre plotted, Jeb.â€Â

Jeb: “Good.â€Â

A few minutes later...

ANSI/Stanley: “Everything appears nominal at the moment. Estimated fuel remaining at the end of the burn is about 20%. This is not sufficient for either Kerbin or Duna windows.â€Â

Jeb: “Thanks for the info, Stanley.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “You’re welcome.â€Â

About 10 minutes later…

Bill: “There, we’re in orbit!â€Â

Jeb: “Cutting thrust!â€Â

Lengas: “Thank Kod, the fuel levels are horribly low! Get control to send that tanker, ASAP!â€Â

Bill: “I’ll get in touch with them now.â€Â

Jeb: “Just the inclination change to go, now and we can get to work.â€Â

[Razor235]

What did you have to change to get the Z Pinch rockets working? I'm trying to add them, but I can't figure out what's missing.