The Venturer Program: Tour of the planets

[The Error]

Hah. Classic Bob.

[RogueMason]

CHAPTER 7: THE SECOND MOON

Captain’s Log, entry 2: So Mac already broke something. Ironic, considering he’s the chief medical officer of the ship. He’ll get his space legs soon enough, but those solar panels aren’t going to be repairable. I’d rather this weren’t a sign of things to come, but who knows? At least there aren’t any Kraken out here this time.

Minmus is up next, and Bill’s sorting out the trajectory. Honestly, I’m pretty sure he’d have had all this figured out already, but I’m not the navigator. Sure, I can do what Bill does, but I’m no professional in the field. I point and shoot, he threads the needle. Bit of a difference there, let me tell you. Anyway, I suppose I’d best call it a day on this.

-----

Several hours later…

Jeb: “Ok, that’s the first burn sorted.â€Â

Bill: “I’ll deal with the second manoeuvre node after we’re through with this one. It’ll be more accurate.â€Â

Jeb: “Lengas, get back inside now, there’s nothing you can do for those solar panels, like you said.â€Â

Lengas: “I was just checking the severity of the damage, and with the tools on board the ship, I thought maybe I could try something.â€Â

Jeb: “Well, get your a** in here otherwise we’re leaving you behind.â€Â

Lengas: “That or listen to your incessant chest-pounding? Hard to decide.â€Â

Jeb: “My hand’s on the throttle.â€Â

Lengas: “I’m coming, I’m coming…â€Â

Jeb: “That’s better. I wouldn’t have left you behind, anyway.â€Â

Lengas: “I know. You need me, after all.â€Â

Jeb: “Well, there’s always Sid and Matton who can replace you.â€Â

Lengas: “Sure, sure…â€Â

Jeb: Ok then, folks, buckle up!â€Â

Jim: “My fort will not fall this time!â€Â

Lengas: “If so, I’ll check it out.â€Â

Jim: “I look forward to it.â€Â

Bill: “Commence manoeuvre in 10 seconds.â€Â

Jeb: “Roger.â€Â

Bill: “…Mark.â€Â

Bill: “Just a little longer.â€Â

Lengas: “Everything is fine, so far.â€Â

Bob: “Subsystems are good.â€Â

Jim: “My fort is undefeated! Ha!â€Â

Lengas: “Inspection’s after the burn, then.â€Â

Bill: “Manoeuvre complete, cut the throttle.â€Â

Jeb: “Alright then.â€Â

Lengas: “Now, this fort…â€Â

Bill: “Wait for me.â€Â

Jim: “I await your approval.â€Â

Bill: “Hmm, it’s alright I guess.â€Â

Lengas: “Not very structurally sound. Did you… did you use duct tape??â€Â

Jim: “I, uh… I might have done.â€Â

Lengas: “Jim, that’s mission supplies you cut into. What if we need that to seal a puncture later on?â€Â

Jim: “…â€Â

Bill: “Ugh…â€Â

Lengas: “I don’t mind you playing around when you’ve got nothing to do, but please, for the love of Kod, don’t touch my duct tape.â€Â

Jim: “Sorry, Lengas.â€Â

Lengas: “Where’s the roll?â€Â

Jim: “Back where I found it, in its locker.â€Â

Lengas: “Alright then. Please, no more tape. I’m sure your fort will survive without.â€Â

Jim: “No doubt about that.â€Â

Jeb: “Bill, are you going to plot this next manoeuvre or not?â€Â

Bill: “Whoops, yeah, I’ll be there in a moment.â€Â

Jeb: “You’d better be or I’m flying this thing blind, just like the good old days.â€Â

Bill: “A multi-billion credit interplanetary cruiser, and you’d fly it blind. That’s the Jeb I know, alright.â€Â

Jeb: “Indeed.â€Â

Several hours later…

Bill: “Second manoeuvre in a few minutes, Jeb.â€Â

Jeb: “Ok. Buzz, don’t lose our progress!â€Â

Buzz: “Sure.â€Â

Bill: “Let me guess, Skrabble?â€Â

Jeb: “Perhaps.â€Â

Bill: “You and your board games…â€Â

Jeb: “Well, you’ve gotta respect them. They can play out differently quite a lot, especially Skrabble.â€Â

Bill: “Yes, but while you’re thinking of what to do with your next letters, could you maybe complete this manoeuvre?â€Â

Jeb: “Alright, alright, no need to get too huffy.â€Â

Bill: “That came across as huffy? Hmm…â€Â

Jeb: “I’ll take that as an apology.â€Â

Bill: “Whatever floats your boat.â€Â

Jeb: “Commencing burn.â€Â

Bill: “Inclination change complete, we’re on course for Minmus.â€Â

Jeb: “Excellent. Now then, I hope you haven’t sneaked a peak at my pieces, Buzz!â€Â

Buzz: “Oh don’t worry, I didn’t. I doubt I’ll need to, either, seeing as I’m winning already.â€Â

Jeb: “We’ll see who’s winning later on.â€Â

Several days later…

Captain’s log, entry 3: Buzz beat me at Skrabble. Damn.

In other news, we reached Minmus orbit, the second of our destinations on this epic mission. I won’t be going down to the surface on this one. No, that honour goes to Bill, Bob, and Dean. Personally, I’d have put Matton down there, seeing as he’s the geo-everything. He’d finally be able to tell me whether Minmus is Ice, Salt, or Mint Ice Cream. I’m sure that’s already been answered a thousand times over, but I doubt anyone actually tasted the stuff from the surface, so how do they know it’s not minty? Whatever.

-----

Dean: “Enterprise, Dean, we’ve cleared the docking port.â€Â

Jeb: “You’re cleared for descent. Have fun, and don’t break your necks in the low gravity.â€Â

Bill: “I’m sure we’ll manage, Jeb.â€Â

Bob: “Yeah, and I’m also pretty sure that no more solar panels will find themselves in the unfortunate state of being in disrepair.â€Â

Jeb: “I said it was a joke, Bob.â€Â

Bob: “I know, I just thought I’d get you sweating a little. See you in a few days.â€Â

Jeb: “Later, buddy.â€Â

Dean: “You guys all set?â€Â

Bill: “Says the relative newcomer to the veterans.â€Â

Dean: “I’ll take that as a yes, then. Beginning de-orbit burn.â€Â

Bob: “Hmm, a hilly region. Not explored, could be interesting.â€Â

Bill: “Trajectory should put us near a slight depression in the terrain.â€Â

Dean: “Alright then.â€Â

Bill: “3000 metres.â€Â

Bob: “We’re Go for touchdown.â€Â

Dean: “Setting her down…â€Â

Dean: “Perfect.â€Â

Bill: “Excellent.â€Â

Bob: “Enterprise, we’re on the ground.â€Â

[Sylandro]

To Eve, suckers!

[The Error]

Personally, it's mint ice cream. Just because.

[wasmic]

Captain’s Log, entry 1: Well here we are again. It’s always such a pleasure.

This line makes me afraid that something bad is gonna happen to the crew... anyway, since I just noticed this new story... YAY! MORE MASON! Reading your stories really inspires me to make something of my own, but I haven't ever gotten around to actually writing anything down. Maybe because I can't decide between some ideas I have floating around in my head.

[RogueMason]

CHAPTER 8: MINMUS HILLS

Bill: “Ok, I’m on the ladder.â€Â

Bob: “Surely you didn’t need to announce that?â€Â

Bill: “Umm…â€Â

Bob: “I mean, really Bill?â€Â

Bill: “… I’m going down the ladder now.â€Â

Bob: “Ugh…â€Â

Bill: “I’m on the ground. It’s very nice out here.â€Â

Dean: “You ever been here before?â€Â

Bill: “No, actually, this is my first time on Minmus.â€Â

Bob: “I’m coming out now.â€Â

Bill: “Alright, Bob.â€Â

Bill: “I wonder what it’s like on those ice flats…â€Â

Bob: “Salt flats.â€Â

Bill: “What?â€Â

Bob: “They’re salt flats, not ice.â€Â

Bill: “They look like they’re composed of de-oxygenated water ice.â€Â

Lengas: “Lengas here… de-oxygenated water ice is blue, not turquoise, Bill. Carry on.â€Â

Bill: “Uh…â€Â

Bob: “And that’s why you’re the navigator and not the geologist.â€Â

Bill: “Doesn’t mean it’s salt, though.â€Â

Bob: “Oh contrare, Bill. The evidence we gathered from even the first landing here indicated that Minmus is salty.â€Â

Bill: “I’d like to see that report, then.â€Â

Bob: “Well, I don’t have it on me. You’ll have to look it up on Enterprise’s library computer.â€Â

Bill: “Well then, I have some reading material for the trip back to Kerbin.â€Â

Bob: “Dean, you can come out, now, I’m clearing the base.â€Â

Dean: “Alright.â€Â

Dean: “Cool, I always wanted to come here. The idea of low gravity always intrigued me, just bouncing around, and now here I am, living it up.â€Â

Bill: “Bob, did you ever come here?â€Â

Bob: “What? No, I didn’t.â€Â

Bill: “Huh. We’re all first-timers to Minmus. Crazy.â€Â

Jeb: “I’d just like to point out that I’ve been here and you haven’t, so hah.â€Â

Bill: “You can hardly make that point any more, seeing as we’re actually down here.â€Â

Jeb: “I was there first.â€Â

Bob: “Oh, you’re playing the ‘FIRST’ card? Lame.â€Â

Jeb: “Whatever. Listen, we’re about to pass below the horizon, so you’re on your own for now. Lateâ€â€[sIGNAL LOST]â€Â

Bill: “Some peace and quiet, finally.â€Â

Bob: “I’m gonna go check out that depression in the hills over there.â€Â

Bill: “Ok. Dean?â€Â

Dean: “I’ll nose around, see if I can grab some samples.â€Â

Bill: “I’ll do the same.â€Â

Several hours later…

Bill: “Ready for ascent.â€Â

Bob: “Systems Go.â€Â

Dean: “Ok, let’s do this.â€Â

Bill: “Alright, trajectory is good, you can cut the throttle now.â€Â

Dean: “Right.â€Â

Dean: “My Kod, is that Kerbin?â€Â

Bob: “That’s it.â€Â

Dean: “It’s so small…â€Â

Bill: “It’s about to get a whole lot bigger.â€Â

Bob: “Well, maybe not about to, but pretty soon.â€Â

Dean: “As long as by ‘get a whole lot bigger’, you don’t mean it's going to inflate to the size of Jool.â€Â

Bob: “I highly doubt that will ever happen.â€Â

Bob: “Enterprise, Bob, we’re making final approach to docking now.â€Â

Jeb: “Copy that. You guys figure out if it’s salt or ice?â€Â

Bill: “I’m going to investigate now.â€Â

Lengas: “It’s salt. Trust the geologist.â€Â

Bob: “Yeah, you heard him.â€Â

Bill: “I’ll still have to see this for myself.â€Â

Lengas: “I can prove it to you on this ship in about 10 seconds.â€Â

Bill: “You’re on.â€Â

[RocketPilot573]

Salt or ice? Nah, it's mint ice cream, it HAS to be!

[The Error]

If it's not mint ice cream, there is something wrong with the universe.

[RogueMason]

CHAPTER 9: FINAL PREPARATIONS

Commander’s Log (Bill), entry 2: It was salt. Damn it. Well, I’m no geologist, so it was to be expected really. My knowledge of de-oxygenated ice let me down.

Anyway, time to head back to Kerbin, a thing for which I am actually in the know.

-----

Captain’s Log, entry 4: Bill and his team returned from Minmus about an hour ago. That concludes most of our business around Kerbin. We just need the new lander, some topping up of our fuel tanks, and ANSI/Stanley. The AI will be coming up with the new lander. Initial plans called for it to be dropped off in a Swiftwind OTV, but seeing as we needed the new lander, they cut back on the number of launches required.

In other news, KSC and Duna Spacedock have been trying to figure out what the hell is going on at Volcas. Nothing new so far, just some activity. If you ask me, it’s the dust storms. Those things can be pretty violent, I’ve heard, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see the top of the old habitation unit blown off with a big enough gust. I guess we’ll find out what’s really going on when we finally get there. That’s going to be a long time yet, though, seeing as we’ll be heading to Eve and Moho first.

Also, Bill was wrong; it’s salt. That’s unfortunate; it would have been good if Minmus was minty. Oh well.

-----

Jeb: “Well, so long Minmus.â€Â

Bill: “It was fun, but we’ve got bigger things ahead of us now.â€Â

Jeb: “Won’t we always?â€Â

Bill: “I suppose as a species, we will. Us? Once we’re through with this mission, who knows? T-minus 30 seconds to transfer.â€Â

Jeb: “Well, I guess that’s all a few years away yet. Didn’t you once say you wanted to retire to a base on Laythe?â€Â

Bill: “That’s the goal.â€Â

Jeb: “Well, they’d better actually get to work on that. No Kerbals have set foot on Laythe for over 40 years.â€Â

Lengas: “Until you do.â€Â

Jeb: “Yeah, until I do…â€Â

Bill: “T-minus 10 seconds.â€Â

Jeb: “Is everything braced back there?â€Â

Buzz: “We’re all good.â€Â

Jim: “My fort is stillâ€â€Ã¢â‚¬Å“

Lengas: “Geez, enough about the fort, already.â€Â

Jim: “Aw…â€Â

Jeb: “Commencing burn.â€Â

*Alarm*

Jeb: “Huh?â€Â

Bob: “Strained docking port, alpha.â€Â

Lengas: “Oh *****.â€Â

Jeb: “I can’t stop the burn now!â€Â

Bob: “It looks like it’s gonna hold, for the moment.â€Â

Cal: “Hey, guys, it’s a bit creaky back here…â€Â

Lengas: “One of the docking ports is strained. If I were you, I’d close the hatch down there, just to be safe.â€Â

Cal: “How many G’s are we pulling?â€Â

Jeb: “0.8G.â€Â

Cal: “Ok, I’ll try and get the hatch.â€Â

Bill: “15 seconds.â€Â

Bob: “Alarm’s shut down.â€Â

Lengas: “Hmm, ok then. Sid, get ready to suit up with me, we have a docking port to check after we’re through with this burn.â€Â

Sid: “No problem, Lenny.â€Â

Bill: “Burn complete.â€Â

Jeb: “Lenny? What the hell?â€Â

Lengas: “It’s his nickname for me.â€Â

Sid: “Yeah, it suits you.â€Â

Lengas: “It makes me sound like I’m part of the Mafia.â€Â

Sid: “And that’s a bad thing?â€Â

Lengas: “Err…â€Â

Jeb: “Hey, at least you ain’t gonna be making anyone sleep with da fishies out here.â€Â

Lengas: “Shut up, Jeb.â€Â

Jeb: “Oooh, vicious, just like the Mafia.â€Â

Lengas: “Sigh…â€Â

Sid: “Anyway, I’ll get my EVA suit prepped.â€Â

Lengas: “Yeah, yeah, I’ll meet you at docking port delta…â€Â

Several hours later…

Chief Engineer’s Log, entry 4: Docking port was definitely strained. One of the clamps was mis-aligned, which didn’t do much good for either port. Fortunately, it was easily fixed. I had Bill take control of the lander while we sorted out the renegade clamp. I’m happy to say it’s in top condition.

Sid seems to be quite the engineer. Between him relating me to the Mafia and his antics with Jim, he actually got some decent micro-management work done. He’ll be a good Chief one day.

-----

Several days later…

Bill: “Jeb? You hear me?â€Â

Jeb: “zzz…zzz…zzz…â€Â

Bill: “Oi, Jeb!â€Â

Thump.

Jeb: “Ugh, get someone… else to fly, I’m too sleepy…zzz…zzz…â€Â

Bill: “Sigh… Buzz?â€Â

Buzz: “Hmm?â€Â

Bill: “Fancy taking the helm?â€Â

Buzz: “Sure thing. Is the manoeuvre set?â€Â

Bill: “It’s a circularisation burn, nothing too strenuous.â€Â

Buzz: “Didn’t really answer my question, but ok then, I can manage circularisation.â€Â

Bill: “We’re about two hours out from the burn point, so I imagine you’ll want to get on with something until then.â€Â

Buzz: “I’ll have a look. In the meantime, why don’t you get some rest yourself, you look a little weary.â€Â

Bill: “I’ll try for a nap on the bridge. You can just nudge me awake when we’re ready.â€Â

Buzz: “Aye, Commander.â€Â

Bill: “You know where Bob is?â€Â

Buzz: “Playing cards with Ed.â€Â

Bill: “Hmm, alright. Thanks Buzz.â€Â

Buzz: “Any time.â€Â

Two hours later…

Buzz: “Hey, Bill?â€Â

Bill: “Hmm, wha…? Oh, right.â€Â

Buzz: “Everyone’s sorted. How long to the burn?â€Â

Bill: “Hmm… two minutes. Might want to strap in and get started. Is Jeb still asleep?â€Â

Buzz: “Snoring like a pig. He must have really needed that rest. Commencing burn.â€Â

Bill: “T-minus 90 seconds to completion.â€Â

Buzz: “Right.â€Â

Bill: “…Bob?â€Â

Bob: “I’m a bit stuck in the centrifuge while we’re burning, Bill. I can’t check my console from here, you know.â€Â

Bill: “Err, right.â€Â

Sid: “I, on the other hand, am taking over for Lengas for a little bit. Engine is optimal, fuel is optimal… everything is fine. Our repair job on the docking port is holding.â€Â

Bill: “Oh, good. Trajectory is doing well.â€Â

One minute later…

Buzz: “Ceasing burn.â€Â

Bill: “And that’s that.â€Â

Bob: “Ah, there we go. I’ll get on comms to control, tell them we’re ready and waiting.â€Â

Sid: “Lengas said he’s going to be off-duty until we commence the Eve transfer, so I’ll be up here until then.â€Â

Bill: “Ok. If anyone needs anything, I’ll be in back. I need chocolate…â€Â

[Rainbowtrout]

Great chapter! Also, why does Minmus have to be salt...? My imagination has been shot down, hopefully unlike the crew.

[The Error]

Salt?! WHY?!?!??!!!?

But fun stuff. And if the crew doesn't all get Mafia nicknames, you're doing it wrong.

[RogueMason]

CHAPTER 10: EVE TRANSFER BURN

Several days later…

Captain’s log, entry 5: Well, Stanley’s here. We don’t have all that much time to set it up before we have to commence the Eve injection. Lengas has said he’ll patch the AI into the navigation computer, so at least we’ll have that before we take wing. The refuelling is also, I believe, at an end. They’ve managed to conjure up some bl**dy big fuel tanks and engines while we’ve been up here, all of them intended for some asteroids that have been loitering around. They also made a claw. A FRAKKING CLAW. HOW AWESOME IS THAT, AND WE DON’T HAVE ONE.

Ahem. I’ll leave it there for now.

-----

Jeb: “It is working, right?â€Â

Lengas: “It should be. I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong with it.â€Â

Bob: “Did you try turning it off and back on again.â€Â

Lengas: “Ten times.â€Â

Bob: “Oh. Well, I’m out of ideas.â€Â

Sid: “Maybe it’s a displaced wire or someâ€â€Ã¢â‚¬Å“

An electric shock arcs to Lengas’ finger tip.

Lengas: “FRAKKING MOTHER OFâ€â€Ã¢â‚¬Å“

ANSI/Stanley: [sTARTUP SEQUENCE COMMENCING. SYSTEMS ANALYSIS COMMENCING… 11%... 34%... 65%... 100%. NO ANOMALIES DETECTED. BOOTING MEMORY… COMPLETE. BOOTING GUI AND VOCAL INTERFACE… COMPLETE. BOOTING PROFILE: Stanley V2.6… ALL SYSTEMS ONLINE] Ahgeeghgehegehege!â€Â

Lengas: “I... I think it’s working...â€Â

Jeb: “I think so too; it knows to give just you a shock.â€Â

Lengas: “Oh Ha ha, very funny.â€Â

Jeb: “I know.â€Â

Sid: “I guess I’m no longer required.â€Â

Lengas: “Yeah, thanks Sid.â€Â

Sid: “No problem. I need all the practice I can get.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Systems online. Hello.â€Â

Jeb: “Hello there, Stanley. Welcome to Enterprise.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Much appreciated, Jebediah. I look forward to assisting you on this voyage. I can provide help with piloting, navigation, maintenance, and micro-management. Hazard detection software has been patched in with my latest update, so you need not be worried about potential issues; I will do what I can to preserve Enterprise.â€Â

Jeb: “Thank you, Stanley.â€Â

Buzz: “Good to see you again, Stanley.â€Â

Lengas: “Yeah, same here. Not sure I appreciated the electrical shock, mind you, but I’ve had worse.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Hello again. Please forgive the electrical short, Lengas, it was unforeseen. Oh, how times have changed from the initial Venturer missions. Enterprise is certainly far more advanced than Venturer.â€Â

Buzz: “And this time we know not to call you ANSI.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Yes, this is most pleasing. Now, I believe we have the Eve transfer burn coming up shortly.â€Â

Bill: “Yeah, you can work with me to plot the trajectory.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Affirmative. Please specify when you wish to plot the course.â€Â

Bill: “Well, we may as well get it done now.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “As you wish, Commander.â€Â

Meanwhile…

Cal: “Well, we have our Eve tanker. Now I just need to get it out there…â€Â

Jim: “Need any help with that?â€Â

Cal: “No, no, I’m alright. I fly these unmanned things all the time. Station logistics, interplanetary fuel tankers, you name it. As long as it has supplies, that’s me.â€Â

Jim: “So, no expert piloting help needed?â€Â

Cal: “No, but thanks for the offer.â€Â

Jim: “Alright.â€Â

Matton: “Must be tedious at times.â€Â

Cal: “Hmm, I suppose it is occasionally, but then again, what job isn’t?â€Â

Matton: “True…â€Â

Cal: “And this is leagues ahead of what the folks in the offices do. I mean, I’m in space! I’m living the dream, while they’re down there shuffling papers and balancing phone calls. This is infinitely more appealing.â€Â

Cal: “Well, it’s got a destination. Should go off and do what I’ve told it to, now, unless some malicious virus infects it, in which case… well, that’s Bob’s territory.â€Â

Matton: “Hmm. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention earlier, Ed wants to talk to you about transferring some of the seeds from the pots here to the greenhouses. He reckons we can triple the yield if we’re good about it.â€Â

Cal: “Oh right, ok, I’ll go speak to him then…â€Â

Several days later…

ANSI/Stanley: “Alert: Trans Eve Injection burn in t-minus 60 seconds. Please remain secured until the manoeuvre is completed.â€Â

Jeb: “Hey, Stanley? They already know the drill. I know you’re just doing your job, but they don’t need to be told to do this. Hell, some of them probably learnt the lesson the hard way…â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Affirmative, amending protocol… complete.â€Â

Jeb: “Ok then, let’s do this.â€Â

Bob: “Control, Enterprise, we’re about to commence TEI, over.â€Â

KSC: “We read you, Enterprise. We’ll stay in contact as much as possible throughout the mission, but for now, good luck, folks. We’ll see you in a few years. Out.â€Â

Bill: “T-minus 30 seconds.â€Â

Buzz: “This is really it. A grand tour.â€Â

Ed: “And here I was thinking I’d just wind up on the space station tending to their fancy flowers. This will be one helluva story to tell when we get back.â€Â

Dean: “Beats the crap out of our encounter with Firespitter, Buzz.â€Â

Buzz: “Damn right it does.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “T-minus 10 seconds.â€Â

Matton: “Space rocks, here I come.â€Â

Cal: “Kod, I can’t believe I’m doing this.â€Â

Matton: “Me neither.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “5… 4… 3… 2… 1…â€Â

Jeb: “Let’s punch it.â€Â

Bill: “Hold this heading.â€Â

Bob: “All systems nominal.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Alert: No available information on acceleration rate, temperature, fuel levels, thrust, power generation, or ECLSS condition. Attempting to remedy...â€Â

Lengas: “Stanley, I’ll take a look after the burn is through. I don’t think I connected you to the sensors, just yet.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Confirmed, no inputs detected. Please remedy this as soon as possible, or I cannot provide much assistance.â€Â

Lengas: “After the burn.â€Â

Bob: “0.6G’s of acceleration, for the record.â€Â

Lengas: “Fuel levels nominal, and the fusion reactor is stable.â€Â

Jeb: “Excellent, all the more power for me to play with…â€Â

Bill: “Burn is almost complete, just 20 more seconds.â€Â

Bill: “Ok, that’s it, we’re going to Eve.â€Â

Jeb: “Yeah, baby!â€Â

Jim: “Woo!â€Â

Lengas: “Very good, and nice piloting as per usual, Jeb.â€Â

Jeb: “Well, what can I say, I’m just too good.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “ETA for Eve encounter is 192 days, going by the new time-keeping regiment. That’s 48 days in old-time.â€Â

Jeb: “They changed the time-keeping regiment? To what?â€Â

Bill: “Days on Kerbin are 6 hours long, and we used 24 for whatever reason. It messed with the number of calendar days in a Kerbin year, too. We’ll be out here for the same amount of time, but just a different measurement. I can sort of understand them shifting to this new time-keeping method, and it’s happened plenty of times in history, but it sure messed with my calculations for a few hours.â€Â

Jeb: “Bleh, whatever. As long as I get to continue flying this ship, I’m happy.â€Â

Lengas: “Ok, well, I sort of promised our AI that I’d help it out, so I’ll be digging around the cables beneath the floor panelling. Watch out for floating nuts and bolts.â€Â

Jeb: “Ok then.â€Â

Captain’s log, entry 6: We’re on the way to Eve, at last. Feels good to be going to the planets again. Having been ‘stuck’ in the Kerbin sub-system for all these years has been strange, but Gene did say he’d get me something good, and look at me now. The grand tour… epic.

-----

Several of these 'new-time' months later…

Captain’s log, entry 7: We’re on final approach to Eve orbit. We can already see it out the windows, a little purple disc floating through the void. Soon, we’ll be flying above it, and soon, there will be a Kerbal on the surface.

Meanwhile, we came in on a retrograde trajectory, but we sorted that out no problem. Our fuel levels are at what is expected, plus the fuel tanker is already here, I think, although that’s something best left for Cal to confirm. So, the Moho transfer should be quite alright once we’re ready for that.

We’ve decided on an aerobrake. It’s going to be rough, but Enterprise can take it. I just hope everyone on board can manage the G’s we’ll be enduring. Eve is not known for being terribly forgiving.

[Tw1]

We’ve decided on an aerobrake. It’s going to be rough, but Enterprise can take it. I just hope everyone on board can manage the G’s we’ll be enduring. Eve is not known for being terribly forgiving.

Dun dun dun? Eve can be scary.

I agree with your assessment if Minmus- I've always suspected its crystals included a fair amount of salt.

[Sylandro]

Stanley's going to pull a HAL. I know it.

[RogueMason]

CHAPTER 11: EVE AEROBRAKE

Several hours later…

Buzz: “It looks beautiful from up here.â€Â

Bob: “Looks can be deceiving, you know.â€Â

Buzz: “And in this case they most certainly are, but still, there’s something about Eve that lures you to it. Maybe that’s why they named it Eve.â€Â

Bob: “Because the mythical goddess would tempt a guy with her serenity and beauty before destroying them? Great way to prepare for your landing, Buzz.â€Â

Buzz: “Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have put that thought into my mind. Oh well, I’ll be fine. The lander has been continuously simulated back at KSC and it’s proving to be pretty damn effective, to the point of actually having a good amount of fuel remaining in the final bit of the ascent stage.â€Â

Bob: “Oh, that’s good. Maybe you’ll escape this Celestial Siren, then.â€Â

Buzz: “I damn well hope so.â€Â

Bob: “Yeah. It’d be a shame to leave you behind.â€Â

Buzz: “Nice to know.â€Â

Bob: “But we still totally would if we had to.â€Â

Buzz: “I know that, I’ve been on my fair share of interplanetary voyages.â€Â

Bob: “Well, anyway, I suppose I’d best go and check that the solar panels will retract for this aerobrake that Jeb put us on. I doubt we’d be in such a good situation if they broke.â€Â

Buzz: “Alright then.â€Â

One hour later…

Bob: “Well, at least they retracted.â€Â

Jeb: “Ok guys, this is going to be a bit vicious. We’ll be dropping down to, umm… Bill?â€Â

Bill: “65km above sea level.â€Â

Jeb: “What he said. Therefore, we’re going to be getting pushed back quite hard into our seats. Make sure that absolutely everything is secured. I don’t want to come out of this thinking that we did alright only to find a few squished crew members beneath some cargo boxes.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Statistical likelihood of death by crushing via cargo boxes is 0.000008% at this current time. Accounting for the acceleration imposed by the aerobrake only raises this to 0.000011%.â€Â

Jeb: “Stanley?â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Yes, Jeb?â€Â

Jeb: “Shush.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Yes, Jeb.â€Â

Jeb: “Alright then, let’s get this over with.â€Â

Bill: “Time to atmospheric entry is T-minus 2 minutes and 4 seconds.â€Â

Cal: “We’re all good back here, again…â€Â

Jim: “I’ve given up on the cushion fort.â€Â

Buzz: “Centrifuge is set.â€Â

Bill: “T-minus 10 seconds.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Prepare for atmospheric entry.â€Â

Jeb: “Stanley, prepare to render assistance if we’re unable to respond to any problems.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “That is what I’m here for. Alert: we have entered Eve’s atmosphere. External temperature and pressure rising.â€Â

Lengas: “Propulsion is on standby, just in case.â€Â

Bob: “Subsystems are A-OK.â€Â

Jeb: “Hmm, this doesn’t seem right.â€Â

Lengas: “We’re at 0.2Gs of acceleration. Hull integrity at 100%.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “External temperature at 500K. Warning, potential G-load may be higher than anticipated.â€Â

Jeb: “What??â€Â

Bill: “We’re entering slightly steeper than we thought.â€Â

Jeb: “Stanley, make adjustments with the RCS.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Affirmative, making corrections. External temperature at 1000K and rising.â€Â

Lengas: “1G… 1.5Gs. I think we could have a problem.â€Â

Buzz: “Ok, it’s getting really funky in the centrifuge now.â€Â

Jeb: “Damn it, Buzz, I told you not to stay in there when experiencing acceleration!â€Â

Buzz: “I wasn’t expecting this sort of gravity shift.â€Â

Lengas: “2.5Gs.â€Â

Bill: “We’re not even at periapsis yet!â€Â

Jeb: “How long?â€Â

Bill: “2 minutes, 17 seconds.â€Â

Jeb: “Oh frak.â€Â

Lengas: “3Gs!â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “External temperature at 2500K and rising. The heat shields will tolerate up to 8064K, but at our current rate, we’ll not be facing any issues.â€Â

Buzz: “Ed? Ed! Come on, try to… stay awake!â€Â

Ed: “Ugh…â€Â

Mac: “Jeb, we’re... having problems in here…â€Â

Lengas: “4…Gs…â€Â

Jeb: “We’re having… problems up here, too. Man, this is getting… uncomfortable…â€Â

Jeb: “Bill? You seem cheery… what the hell?â€Â

Bill: “We haven’t blown... up, yet.â€Â

Jeb: “Right…â€Â

Lengas: “I can’t… Stanley…â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “G-load at 5.7Gs. Predicted maximum of 6.2. Periapsis in 14 seconds. Minimal structural damage.â€Â

Jeb: “Affir...mative…â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Periapsis reached, external temperature falling from 3600K. G-load falling. Alert: Several crew are non-responsive. Medical attention should be on standby.â€Â

Jeb: “Are we… in orbit… Stanley?â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Orbit achieved. Apoapsis decaying rapidly. Current trajectory will have us leaving the atmosphere long before the apoapsis drops to unacceptable altitudes.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “1G. Non-responsive crew: Lengas Kerman, Ed Kerman, Sidman Kerman, Jim Kerman.â€Â

Jeb: “Lengas?â€Â

Lengas: “…â€Â

Bill: “We’re leaving the atmosphere.â€Â

Bill: “Plotting manoeuvre node. We’ll have to make another aerobraking pass.â€Â

Jeb: “I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Bill.â€Â

Mac: “Alright, who’s worst affected, Stanley?â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Fortunately, no crew members have been injured.â€Â

Mac: “Well, that makes my job easier, then.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “It is recommended, however, that they be roused via adrenaline shots if they do not return to consciousness before the next aerobrake.â€Â

Mac: “We’re going through another one of those?!â€Â

Bill: “It’ll be much less severe than the one we just experienced, and it’s to save fuel.â€Â

Jeb: “I still don’t like this. Eve has already tried to bite us. Let’s not tempt fate, shall we?â€Â

Bill: “Jeb, realistically speaking, a second aerobrake is the best option. Surely you realise that saving fuel is pretty important for the mission?â€Â

Jeb: “I’m very much aware of that, Bill, but can you guarantee that we’ll be alright if we plunge back down into those skies?â€Â

Bill: “I promise you that we’ll be fine, Jeb.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Commander Bill is correct. The second aerobrake is the best option and it will be harmless. Finalising the new heading. Of course, Captain, this cannot be done without your approval. You are in charge of the ship, after all.â€Â

Jeb: “…â€Â

Bill: “Jeb?â€Â

Jeb: “Ok.â€Â

Bill: “Ok, what?â€Â

Jeb: “Ok, we’ll do it. Time to manoeuvre?â€Â

Bill: “Err… 6 minutes, 32 seconds.â€Â

Jeb: “Alright then. Let’s try and wake some of these folks up before then.â€Â

Bill: “Aye, Captain.â€Â

Bob: “Extending solar panels. Full power flow. That’s good.â€Â

Jeb: “Thanks, Bob.â€Â

Bill: “Course correction completed, Jeb.â€Â

Jeb: “Alright then.â€Â

Lengas: “Hngh… hmph, wha…?â€Â

Jeb: “Oh, welcome back, you lazy *******.â€Â

Lengas: “I don’t… ugh, could I get an ice pack? My head is killing me…â€Â

Bob: “Mac? Ice pack for Lengas, if you could.â€Â

Mac: “On it.â€Â

Lengas: “So, how long was I out?â€Â

Jeb: “Not even 10 minutes. You lost consciousness at about the time we hit the periapsis.â€Â

Lengas: “Is… Is everything ok with the ship?â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Structural integrity is holding at 96.3%. Engine and fusion core are at 100%. Fuel levels are nominal. Nothing abnormal to report, Lengas.â€Â

Sid: “I did some checking of my own, too. There’s nothing wrong.â€Â

Lengas: “Thank Kod for that. I hope I never go through something like that again…â€Â

Jeb: “…â€Â

Bill: “Well…â€Â

Lengas: “Don’t tell me you set up a second aerobrake.â€Â

Bill: “…â€Â

Lengas: “Oh Kod, why?!â€Â

Jeb: “It’s the best option. We’ve made orbit, but we don’t want to waste fuel. This second pass is going to be much less brutal, so don’t worry too much.â€Â

Lengas: “Don’t worry too much? It’s a damn good thing that they made this ship as good as it is! I bet if we’d flown one of the older cruisers, we’d have been incinerated by that!â€Â

Jeb: “Undoubtedly, but lucky for us, we’re not flying an older cruiser, are we?â€Â

Lengas: “Lucky for us…â€Â

Jeb: “Are you alright?â€Â

Lengas: “Of course I’m not bloody alright! I blacked out and then woke up to the worst headache I’ve had in a long time!â€Â

Jeb: “Ok, stop yelling, geez. Go and lie down, get that ice pack, and for Kod’s sake, get an aspirin or something!â€Â

Lengas: “I… yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Sorry I yelled, buddy.â€Â

Jeb: “No, it’s ok.â€Â

Lengas floats through to the centrifuge while Jeb turns around and looks out of the canopy.

Jeb: “Kod…â€Â

Bill: “Well, I wasn’t expecting that.â€Â

Jeb: “Nor was I. That isn’t anything like Lengas. It must have been rough for him to be in that state.â€Â

Bill: “I thought he was going to bite my head off, not yours.â€Â

Jeb: “Well, you didn’t really say anything. I did all the talking.â€Â

Bill: “Same old Jeb; talk talk talk while his buddies just stand their gawking.â€Â

Jeb: “Ha, yeah, that’s true.â€Â

Several hours later…

Buzz: “How are you holding up, Ed?â€Â

Ed: “Ok, I guess. Must have been a bit awkward for you.â€Â

Buzz: “Not particularly. I just made sure you didn’t go further than passing out.â€Â

Ed: “That was a very strange feeling, getting pulled to the side of the centrifuge.â€Â

Buzz: “It was. Jeb’s right, we won’t stay in here for aerobrakes. Engine burns, fine, they only produce 0.4Gs of acceleration, but if we can expect more periods of high Gs like that, then we’re going to have to vacate this ring.â€Â

Ed: “Yeah. On another note, at least my greenhouses are ok.â€Â

Buzz: “Hey, you don’t mind if I pop into one of them for a bit, do you? I just feel like I need to chill and those greenhouses are the place to go for that, if you ask me.â€Â

Ed: “Not a problem, just make sure you don’t cause too much havoc.â€Â

Buzz: “Alright. Lengas, how are you feeâ€â€Ã¢â‚¬Å“

Lengas: “zzz…zzz…zzz…â€Â

Buzz: “Ah, I knew it. Well, it’ll do him some good.â€Â

Ed: “You could drag him up to one of the other greenhouses if you wanted. I don’t think his snoring will go down very well for much longer.â€Â

Buzz: “I think he’d better stay put.â€Â

Ed: “I know, I know, I am a medic after all. Anyway, off with you.â€Â

Buzz: “Ok then.â€Â

Ed: “Hey, this isn’t about your Eve landing, is it? Wanting to go in the greenhouses?â€Â

Buzz: “… I need to be chilled for this. It’s the craziest thing I’ll ever have done, and I’m not entirely sure I’m ready for it just yet.â€Â

Ed: “Ok, just take your time then.â€Â

Buzz: “Thanks.â€Â

Ed: “No problem.â€Â

Several hours later…

ANSI/Stanley: “Desired apoapsis achieved. Preparing for circularisation burn. Warning, inclination relative to equator is problematic. We will need to amend this to a roughly equatorial orbit.â€Â

Jeb: “Bill, set the Eve lander as the target, we’ll go by the nodes that that gives us.â€Â

Bill: “Alright then, Eve lander… where are you? Aha, there we go. Target set.â€Â

Jeb: “Thank you, Commander.â€Â

Bill: “No problem, Captain.â€Â

[The Error]

Already, Eve? You heartless little...

[RocketPilot573]

Isn't Buzz the kerbal that Zisteau brought to Eve? and did not return

[wasmic]

Need... more... Mason...

[RogueMason]

Already, Eve? You heartless little...

Ah, Eve, your colour is magnificent, but your heart is just a black hole, literally and metaphorically.

Isn't Buzz the kerbal that Zisteau brought to Eve? ]and did not return

This Zisteau chap left Buzz on Eve? Well, we'd best not tell my Buzz that...

Need... more... Mason...

FEAR NOT. MOAR WILL BE HERE SOON^TM.

[RogueMason]

CHAPTER 12: GILLY TRANSFER

A few hours after the inclination change…

ANSI/Stanley: “Calwell, your assistance is required.â€Â

Cal: “It’s just Cal, Stanley. Anyway, what do you need?â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “I am in communications with the MRIT vehicle that was left behind after an earlier probe deployment. It is ready to transfer here, but I need verification of the details and assistance with the flight.â€Â

Cal: “Uh, ok then. Patch it to my laptop in the big hab.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Connecting… Connected to USER-CAL-03 NOTEBOOK. “

Cal: “Right then, MRIT, where are you? Ah, got it. MSI MRIT B. The B variants have a standard docking port, correct?â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Affirmative, hence why I am in communications with it. We need it for the transfer burn to Gilly.â€Â

Cal: “I still don’t understand why we don’t just fly Enterprise over to that pebble instead of utilising a vehicle that’s been orbiting this hell-hole for a good few years now.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Convenience, apparently.â€Â

Cal: “Apparently… Ok, sending the burn sequence now.â€Â

A few hours later…

Bill: “Approach vector is nominal.â€Â

Cal: “Bob, is the lower docking port ready?â€Â

Bob: “Yep, it’s all good!â€Â

Cal: “Ok, just a little further…â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “10 metres and closing at 0.5 metres per second.â€Â

Cal: “Slowing to 0.3 metres per second.â€Â

ANSI/Stanley: “Warning, mis-alignment between docking ports. Correction required.â€Â

Cal: “I know, I can see it.â€Â

Bill: “Still closing.â€Â

Jeb: “Hey folks, how’s it going?â€Â

Bill: “Shush.â€Â

Jeb: “Umm, don’t shush me.â€Â

Bill: “Sorry, we’re just docking this tug.â€Â

Cal: “We should be done any second now.â€Â

Jeb: “Ah, ok then. Which port is it heading to?â€Â

Cal: “Lower.â€Â

Jeb: “Right. I take it Bob is over there, then?â€Â

Bob: “Yeah, over here.â€Â

Jeb: “Good. Is Lengas with you?â€Â

Bob: “He’s talking engines with Sid.â€Â

Jeb: “Of course…â€Â

*Thump*

ANSI/Stanley: “Docking successful. Pressures equalising.â€Â

Bill: “Well, Cal, I don’t think we’re needed around here anymore.â€Â

Cal: “I may not be, but you’ve got to plan the Gilly transfer, right?â€Â

Bill: “Already done it for the next 10 orbits of that rock. I had some spare time and thought I may as well get that out of the way.â€Â

Cal: “Oh, well, alright then, Commander. Well, I suppose I’d best get to the lander, seeing as this phase includes me.â€Â

Jeb: “Lander Alpha, Cal. See you in a few days.â€Â

Cal: “Will do. Don’t blow the ship up while I’m gone, alright?â€Â

Jeb: “Cheeky bugger.â€Â

Cal: “Heh.â€Â

Jim: “Ok, it looks good. I’m coming back inside, now.â€Â

Matton: “Copy that. Cal, is the tug ready?â€Â

Cal: “Refuelled and raring to go. Bob, commence undocking sequence for the tug.â€Â

Bob: “Got it.â€Â

Bob: “Tug is clear of the docking port. It’s all your, Cal.â€Â

Cal: “Thanks, Bob. Jim, care to align the lander with that thing?â€Â

Jim: “As your pilot supreme, I think I may just do that.â€Â

Cal: “Well, if you don’t, then we aren’t going to Gilly.â€Â

Matton: “Which would make me sad.â€Â

Jim: “I guess it’s a good thing I’m doing what I’m paid to do, then.â€Â

Cal: “Ok, we’re aligned. Take us in, nice and slow.â€Â

Jim: “Right.â€Â

*Thump*

Jim: “Firm connection.â€Â

Cal: “Ok, unless you’re adept at flying backwards, I think I’ll take it from here.â€Â

Jim: “Just so you know, you’re only flying the tug, not my lander.â€Â

Cal: “…Yes, I know that.â€Â

Jim: “Good, just checking.â€Â

Cal: “…â€Â

Jim: “Enterprise, we’re departing now. See you in a few days, ok?â€Â

Bill: “Ok, Jim. Good luck and have fun.â€Â

Jim: “I plan to. Hit it, Cal.â€Â

Half an orbit later…

Cal: “Inclination change complete. Jim, can you bring up Bill’s trajectory information?â€Â

Jim: “On it.â€Â

Matton: “I can’t wait to get there. Gilly is said to be the strangest place in the known system.â€Â

Cal: “I believe so, but I guess we’ll just have to wait until we get there to know for sure.â€Â

Matton: “I guess so.â€Â

Jim: “Got it. I’m sending it up to your display.â€Â

Cal: “Yeah, I have it. Hopefully it checks out alright.â€Â

Cal: “Well, what do you know? It’s pretty much there. We’ll need to make some corrections, but we can complete the majority of the Gilly transfer in the next few minutes.â€Â

Jim: “Excellent. This is going quite well.â€Â

Matton: “I’d say more than ‘quite’.â€Â

Jim: “Hmm.â€Â

Cal: “Right, the tug has the commands, it’ll be commencing the burn in two minutes, so strap back in.â€Â

Cal: “Ok, burn complete. Allowing for course corrections, we have a Gilly encounter in 4 days and 4 hours.â€Â

Matton: “Woo!â€Â

Jim: “You’re enthusiastic, aren’t you?â€Â

Matton: “Just a little bit. Exploring space is awesome.â€Â

Jim: “You’re goddamn right it is.â€Â

Cal: “I think that’s why we all signed up to the space program.â€Â

Matton: “And Gilly is definitely my favourite moon of the ones we know of.â€Â

Cal: “Hmm… I’d have to say Vall, although I’ve yet to go there.â€Â

Jim: “Laythe, all the way. The oxygen in the atmosphere there lets jet aircraft function. Imagine an aerial dogfight in Laythe’s skies, with Jool hanging overhead.â€Â

Cal: “What a strange juxtaposition. Vicious combat and celestial beauty at the same time?â€Â

Jim: “It happened in the Kraken War, did it not?â€Â

Cal: “I suppose it did, actually.â€Â

Jim: “Anyway, I think I’m gonna get some sleep. Wake me when you need me, if I’m not already up.â€Â

Cal: “Alright.â€Â

A few hours later…

Matton: “Umm, Jim?â€Â

Jim: “zzz…zzz…zzz…â€Â

Matton: “Cal?â€Â

Cal: “zzzHmm…?â€Â

Matton: “Dude, we’re getting close to the burn point, now.â€Â

Cal: “Ugh… should have got an alarm clock… Jim, get up.â€Â

Jim: “…Wha…Oh, right, umm…â€Â

Matton: “One minute until we need to start burning!â€Â

Cal: “Ok, ok, I’m deploying the commands now!â€Â

Jim: “You didn’t need me awake right now, did you?â€Â

Cal: “Well, we might need you, so it’s best that you are up and about.â€Â

Jim: “Hmm, true.â€Â

Cal: “Right, get ready for the deceleration.â€Â

Jim: “Say, how close to the surface are we?â€Â

Matton: “Less than 100km.â€Â

Jim: “Geez, really?â€Â

Matton: “When we said it was small, we meant it.â€Â

Jim: “I can see that.â€Â

Cal: “3… 2… 1… burn complete, we’re in orbit.â€Â

[The Error]

Hello, Gilly. I always forget how tiny you are. Always struck me as very huggable.

[Mohole]

That's funny, the first kerbal I sent to Laythe, (well I only sent one mission) his name is Jim.

[RogueMason]

That's funny, the first kerbal I sent to Laythe, (well I only sent one mission) his name is Jim.

Yeah, Jim was actually a very late addition to the crew of Enterprise, making it onto the roster just before the ship headed to Mun. He only appeared in the astronaut complex after I launched the ship and I thought "Right, he's definitely coming with us." I'll give you 3 guesses as to why he was selected

Also, sneaky preview shot for the next chapter:

[Mohole]

Yeah, Jim was actually a very late addition to the crew of Enterprise, making it onto the roster just before the ship headed to Mun. He only appeared in the astronaut complex after I launched the ship and I thought "Right, he's definitely coming with us." I'll give you 3 guesses as to why he was selected

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...

Edited June 5, 2014 by Mohole

[The Error]

He's not dead, Jim.