The Return of the Lost (Macey Dean series inspired)

Voyager55 · January 13, 2015

Macey Dean has Returned!

Out of respect for Macey and his series, my only possible option is to end my series here. I had a great time writing it, and I'm glad so many people enjoyed it. Thank you everyone, and good day.

Fully non-canon, this is a continuation of the Macey Dean youtube epic.

Big thanks to Vaporo for editing.

Amateur illustration by yours truly

CHAPTER ONE

Desperately, the figure pulled himself up the sand dune. His body was deprived of energy, as was his soul. Exhausted despite the low gravity, he continued to ascend. It took all the strength he could muster just to crest the hill. Where's Halcyon One? he thought. Peering out into the distance he saw her, perched on a small island. The colonists were lined up in rows, surrounded by the Hanland's marines.

"No..." He said. Suddenly, a light illuminated the sky. Debris. he thought. Multiple points of light streaked across the Laythian sphere, leaving long crystalline tails behind them. The last remnants of the battle in the sky. Summoning every ounce of energy he could muster, the figure planted his boots in the sand and rose.

"I will make you proud, father." he murmured, "I will make you proud."Ã¯Â»Â¿

He stood, his legs shaking with the effort, and slowly began making making his way down the sandy slope.
I must save them, he thought to himself. How could this have happened? I have to get them out of there. I have to save them. But, I already did... Traitor. They called me traitor. They hate me. He staggered to a halt, a light wind blowing flecks of sand in his face, What obligation do I have to them? They were going to arrest me. They think I murdered Gregford to cover up my own crimes.
He chuckled half-madly to himself as he began his slow trek once again. Oh, how did I get into this mess. I should never have left Kerbin. Kerbin. Gravity. He suddenly became aware of his heavy, stumbling gait. He chuckled again. Gregford would kill me if he saw how weak I've let myself become. Gregford had always insisted on spending at least a half-hour hour a day in the centrifuge, even if it meant spending the next five hours huddled up in a blanket with the heater on low. But, no, that made no sense. They hadn't been in zero gee for months. Years, maybe. How long had it been since the colony landed? He couldn't remember. Long enough that he should be able to walk straight.
As he peered into the deep indigo sky, one of the shards of light streaking overhead erupted into a puffy sphere of flames. A moment later, he felt a jarring vibration pulse through his body as the shock wave caught up with him.
Relentlessly, he continued plodding down the hill, the flame of his soul once again dying. A sphere of darkness began to encompass the edges of his vision. He staggered and tumbled down the hill. He had no idea how long he rolled before finally coming to a halt on his back in the sand. He heard the crashing of waves on a beach. As he watched as the remaining shooting stars incinerate, consciousness abandoned him again.

Shelbus curled his toes into the fuzzy carpet, feeling warmth and security as he groggily rolled out of bed and stumbled over to the kitchen. His mother had already put a slice of toast and a glass of Koamba Juice on the table.
"Shelbus?" He glanced up to where his mother was climbing down the stairs. "Oh, there you are, Shelby. You're dad headed out to the complex early today. He wished you good luck on your test again. He really thinks you'll make it this time."
"Well, I wish I was as confident as him. I think that I'm going to go for a walk, just to shake off the stress."
Shelbus donned his shoes and some comfortable light clothing. "I'll see you soon, Mom!". He strolled out the door and down the driveway with a certain contentedness to his step. Mhm. I love this place. Much better than living in the desert. The sight of the mountains rising in the distance. The smell of the ocean. The flowers. The clear sky. It truly doesn't get better, does it?
He turned the corner down a shaded path where the sunlight was glistening off the emerald pine needles.
Passing a older looking figure, he chimed, "Good morning!"
"You're going to fail Shelbus, you're going to fail and everything you love and hold dearly will be taken from you." Shelbus came to an abrubt halt and spun towards the direction of the speaker, who was staring at Shelbus.
"Excuse me?" Shelbus stuttered, suddenly angry and confused.
The figure simply turned and continued walking down the path. Suddenly, there was a gripping pain in his left side. He collapsed to the sand. Sand... sand? The illusion before his eyes began to fade. "NO! I WANT TO STAY!" He sprinted across the projection, grabbing hold of whatever he could, trying to cement the facade in his mind.
"Please, just let it end here."
In an instant his eyes opened. Sand........ "Ow", he felt a gentle prodding in his side. Struggling to hoist his head aloft he turned towards the source of the disturbance. Perched in the sand was the AL228 Rover.
"AL, how did you find me?"
"You did not return to the colony, so I originally assumed you dead. However, about a half an hour ago, I detected a capsule transmitting vital signs that matched yours, Mr. Shelbus. I located your wreckage and tracked your boot imprints to this location." Shelbus nodded.
"AL, how are your resource reserves?"
"Consumable Rations at 78% . Electric charge at 58%. I also collected your helmet from the wreckage, Mr. Shelbus".
"Why thank you AL. You can hold onto it for now, I don't think that I could carry much else." Shelbus reached for the consumable resource compartment on the underside of AL228-Unit. Shelbus's hand quickly retreated as he peered under AL. "The bomb. The bomb Gregford planted on you, AL. Why did you let him do that?"
"I am an Artificial Intelligence, a program, Mr. Shelbus. I follow directions and programs and function to the very best of my abilities however I am required."
"Well, is the bomb armed?"
"Affirmative, the explosive is armed and awaiting remote detonation via the controlling apparatus. I took the liberty of retrieving the controlling apparatus from deceased colonist 06, Gregford Kerman, and placing it in my sample retrieval chamber"
"You'd better be careful with that. AL, Is there any way to detach the bomb?"
"Not within either of our current capabilities. I've calculated that severing of any of the 3 transmission wires will result in an automatic detonation."
"Great. Just perfect," Shelbus muttered as he heaved himself to his feet by grasping onto AL's frame. He gently touched his side and was rewarded with a sharp pain.
"I think I broke a rib." He muttered.
"That is no problem. I permanently borrowed a medical kit from Mr. Gregford's buggy after detecting your vital signs. It is stored in Containment Unit 3 in my lower chassis." Shelbus chuckled a little bit to himself at Al's refusal to say the he stole something.
As gingerly applied a calcium salve to his chest, he gazed out to the horizon where he could still see the colony. He sighed a heavy breath.

"It's pretty incredible isn't it? Isn't it AL?"
"Indeed it is Mr.Shelbus".
Shelbus couldn't pry his eyes from the magnificent jade orb looming in the sky. "We're just so small, so worthless".
"I concur Mr.Shelbus".
"Eh, you do? Do you know what it's like to feel the insignificance of your own existence, do you feel your own existence at all?"
"Yes".
"Hm, well who am I to argue with you?" Shelbus slowly stood, he was shaky on the knees after recovering from his fall.
"Why should I save them AL? They're not my friends, they don't trusts me, they don't care about me. They think I was traitor, the rat who destroyed everything". His head turned back towards Jool. "But it's all so meaningless. Dust in the wind they say".
"They die, I die, what difference does it make?"
"Mr.Shelbus, I am but an artificial intelligence, a program, Mr. Shelbus. I follow directions and programs and function autonomously to the very best of my abilities when required"
"I expected an answer of that sort.... So Al why does" --
"Save them, Shelbus". Shelbus was startled by the interjection. "It is imperative that you save them, Shelbus".
Shelbus found himself unable to reply.
"I must ensure and preserve the safety of you and your fellow colonists, Mr.Shelbus. It is my design. I ask you this Mr.Shelbus, is it compassion I feel? Or simply my fundamental programming".
Shelbus didn't know what to say," That's ridiculous, you're a machine, a compilation of wires, circuits, and motors".
"Is that not what you are, Mr.Shelbus? I implore you, save them... I have the chronological datafile of every colonists. Think of your father, Shelbus". AL's soothing tone echoed through Shelbus's mind. "Consider all that there is yet to discover, to feel, to experience, Mr.Shelbus. Do you not wish to return home?"
AL spun his single black lens towards Jool. "You're prior statement was correct Shelbus, it is very much so incredible".
"But the preservation of many more beings capable of appreciating such incredulity is much more so".
"I-I... I'll do it. For my father, for myself. Gregford may be gone, but the results of his treachery are still at large.
They may not love me like they did him, they didn't know what he was. And they do not know what I am".
"I'll do it".

"So what can you see, AL?" The two hid behind a small bank of white sand about five kilometers from the colony.
"It is difficult, Mr.Shelbus. My optical systems were not designed for surveillance at such distances." There was a distinct mechanical whirring as AL continually adjusted and refocused his lens.
"I can perceive three armed Hanland guards. They arrived on Laythe's surface in an HDF-MT-18 Marine Transport orbital dropship. I see that the craft's primary weapons are aimed directly at Halcyon One."
"How about the colonist. Can you see them, AL?"
"Negative, Mr.Shelbus." The two sat there for another minute or so in silence, Al's camera occasionally whirring when he readjusted his focus. Al suddenly spoke.
"Mr. Shelbus, I believe that the Hanland's crew intends to forcibly reduce the population of the colony to the point where only the most scientifically active colonists still exist."
Shelbus nodded grimly. "Why do you think that they'll keep the scientists around?"
"Because, assuming I am correct in that the Hanland wishes to utilize the colony's resources for their own purposes, rather than merely destroy it, they will view the scientists as a resource to be utilized. The majority of the other crew, the engineers, the media team, can be replaced with forces from the Hanland, or will likely be viewed as irrelevant. I suspect that the first colonists to be decommissioned will be media executive Merbald Kerman and Genenie Kerman, as they hold the least value to the Hanland's invasive forces."
"Genenie?" Shelbus's tone rose. "How do we know she wasn't helping Gregford? How do we know that she's not also responsible for this disaster?"
"Mr. Shelbus, in spite of what you seem to believe, Genenie Kerman's personal relationship with Gregford is not a reliable piece of data as to determining where her allegiance lies. It is possible, perhaps even probable, that colonist Genenie was aware of just as little of Gregfords plans as you and your fellow colonists."
"Well what would you like me to do, AL? What can I do? Ask her?"
"Yes. Asking her could very well be an effective determinate of her alliegances. Her responses to the question would vary widely, depending on allegiance and current emotional state. She may respond with an honest truth, confusion, indignation, wild indignation, wild confusion, an attempt to kill you, fake confusion, fake wild indignation..."
"Shut up and watch the colony." Shelbus growled.
"Yes, Mr. Shelbus."
The two sat for another few minutes, watching the little black ants scurry about in the distance.
AL's monocular lens rotated to face Shelbus.
"Mr Shelbus, in spite of your suspicions about Genenie's allegiances, we must rescue Genenie and Merbald before they are terminated. They may not hold much data relevant to our current directive, but I cannot allow any of my colonists perish, Mr.Shelbus."
"Your colonists, AL? What do you mean by that?"
"My purpose is to serve and protect every colonist that was designated to the Halcyon One colony. Your protection is the duty that wasassigned to me before I was ever activated. I was given authority that, in some cases, surpasses even that of my creators, and the leaders of this colony. In that sense, this colony is mine. Your existence is my purpose. Without the colony, the only task I have is to sit and wait for a viable command to come through the comm link." AL was repetitively toying with the sand, pivoting his front wheels and quickly spinning them to kick up small amounts of sand. "I cannot allow any of you to come to harm, Mr.Shelbus."
Shelbus sighed. "How can you be so logical and still pluck at my emotions at the same time?" He slid down the dune on his back, wincing at the pain from his broken rib. "I know that I have to save them all. Even if I did have a good reason to suspect that one of them might be in league with the Hanland's crew, I couldn't just leave them there." He sighed again. "How do we that we stop this execution?"
"I am uncertain. I have prepared multiple possible scenarios for review. Allow me a moment to process." Again, there was silence, aside from the breeze and the whirring of Al's camera.
"Mr. Shelbus, how do you feel about piloting another military aircraft?"

"Kraken, that's cold!"
"The temperatures are well within the tolerance limits of the combined heat output of your body and the suit's environmental maintenance systems, Mr. Shelbus. Focus on your purpose."
"Hey! Do you want to hop in here?" Shelbus waded in the frigid Laythian waters. "AL, Laythe's oceans are much less dense than Kerbin's. I don't think I can swim that far and keep my head above the water at the same time."
"Simply put your helmet on. It will increase your buoyancy and minimize the energy you expend during trip."
"Alright, alright." There was a hiss and a click as the helmet sealed itself around his neck.
"So, once I swim over there, what exactly do plan for me to do?"
"That is uncertain, Mr. Shelbus. I require more data as to the state of the colony to develop a detailed plan of action."
"So, basically, you're improvising."
"Precisely, Mr. Shelbus. The current mission outline that I have prepared requires that you infiltrate the colony undetected, rescue the media executives undetected, and leave undetected. However, as this is unlikely to happen, I have prepared a secondary outline involving you permanently borrowing a dropship to make your escape. It is unlikely that either will work without severe deviation. You are leaving my auditory range. Please close your helmet and test your communication apparatus."
"Testing, testing, one two three. Can you read me, AL?"
"Affirmative, Mr. Shelbus. Remember, the execution may occur at any time, so time is of the essence. You must not waste it."
"Got it, AL." Shelbus turned around and awkwardly waddled into the deeper waters. It was gradually becoming more and more difficult for his feet to touch the sandy ocean floor. "Well, the helmet's working well enough, AL." Shelbus started kicking. "This is not going to be fun..." Shelbus after a minute or so, he turned around and, much to his dismay, was still only about 20 meters from the shore. "I'll see you at the rendezvous point, AL."
Bobbing up and down Shelbus unrelentingly made his way across the channel. "What would Dad think about this? Guerrilla warfare certainly isn't what I was trained for." The silent static of his communicator was suddenly interrupted.
"You're talking to yourself, Mr.Shelbus. Would you like me to perform a psychiatric evaluation?"
"What? No! AL, I'm fine!" Shelbus said adamantly. "It's a coping mechanism; I've always done this."
"You have always done this? Are you certain that you would not like to receive an evaluation, Mr. Shelbus?"
"Yes, AL..." He sighed, mentally noting never to talk to himself in front of Al again.
Hours passed. Soon, Shelbus could barely feel his arms. He could clearly see the colony on the shore. Where did the guards go? The execution! It must be happening, and soon. Ground! I can feel the ground! Shelbus suddenly found his footing and slowly made his way to shore. "Oh boy. Here we go, AL. Wish me good luck."
"Good luck, Mr. Shelbus." AL pivoted in the sand and steadily made his way up the dune before disappearing over the crest.
We must succeed. He thought absently. Mr. Shelbus and I cannot fail. This is my purpose, and what am I without my purpose?He turned slightly to avoid a small rock. I hope that I do not become nothing.
AL abruptly applied his brakes, skidding to a stop on the shallow slope. He spun around quickly, observing his surroundings. Memory error. He noted absently and he resumed his trek. Summary of computations contains unnecessary word "hope." Will perform self-diagnostic of summary algorithm at next opportunity. As he drove, another shooting star flared across the sky.

"Still no sign of the guards, AL." Shelbus peered from behind a large boulder about 15 meters from the colony.
"That is good. Conditions are nearly optimal to accommodate stealth, though the lack of active Kerbals could indicate that the termination of colonists Genenie and Merbald is nearly upon us. Proceed with caution, Mr. Shelbus." Shelbus nodded.
"Any idea why the lights are off?"
"Monitoring of the Hanland crew's most recent radio communications indicates that that the dropship had some kind of generator malfunction, which is common with the Hanland's engines. Presumably, the Hanland crew drained the colony's batteries to recharge their ship. Or they could have ordered an early sleep period, and shut down the lights to accommodate. Either way, it is best to be cautious, as the lights could come on at any time."
Shelbus glanced out from behind the rock again.
"Wait, I see two guards over there, standing under module 2. Just the two, I think. Most of the Hanlan's crew is probably sleeping, after the long day they just had. Now, how do I know tell which module Genenie and Merbald are in?"
"The optimal method of determining their location is via a direct observation through a transparent port."
"So... look through the windows?"
"Precisely, Mr.Shelbus."
"All right. I'm going in." Shelbus silently crept towards the colony. Careful to keep out of sight of the guards, he made his way to the colony and hid behind one of its four landing engines.
"Bad news, Al. There's no way I can reach that window, it's got to be two meters off the ground."
"Climb the landing leg. You will find a series of rungs ringing the bottom of the habitation module that you can balance on and use climb around to the window, if you are careful."
As he moved to start climbing the landing leg, the guards stopped talking.
Shelbus climbed down from the leg and glanced around the module. They were walking in his direction. His heart started pumping as adrenaline worked its way through his system. What do I do? His eyes darted around frantically. What do I do? He dove to the ground, hoping that the guards would not notice the noise, and began furiously pulling sand over himself. He didn't stop until there was no part of him exposed. "This helmet really comes in handy, Al." Shelbus whispered.
The guards stopped just a few meters from where he was, so close that Shelbus could hear their muffled voices. "Is it really necessary to execute those two? I mean, obviously theyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re of no benefit to us, but I wasn't expecting this sort of stuff when I signed on with Hanland."
A distinctly softer voice spoke. "You know what our orders are, Ludfurt. This is war. In was, we cannot afford any unneeded expenses. We are all that is left of the Hanland fleet, and the Spiritwolf fleet has been obliterated. If we are not ruthless now, it will only be a matter of time before the colonists turn on us and destroy us as well, stealing our victory for Spiritwolf."
"But these guys are just civilians and scientists; they're just here to explore Laythe. They don't have any part in our war."
"Like I said, you know our orders, Ludfurt."
"Do we really need to lock them in the sample bay? Couldn't we at least let them see their friends?"
"Ludfurt, get off it! Orders are orders, the execution is in 30 minutes and you cannot change that!"
Shelbus heard what sounded like one of the guards walking away. This is it, this is my chance! Shelbus burst from the sand and swung his head at the guard as hard as possible. There was dull thump as the thick glass of Shelbus's helmet connected with the guardÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s forehead. Shelbus stunned fell backwards into the sand, slightly stunned, as did the guard. "Al, I got him!" Shelbus exclaimed.
"Double check his status, Shelbus."
Shelbus righted himself and peered down at the guard. "Unconscious."
Ã¢â‚¬Å“Excellent, Mr. Shelbus. Your next course of action should be to search Sample bay 4. It is the only bay large enough to accommodate multiple Kerbals.Ã¢â‚¬Â
Shelbus crept around towards module 4, seeing no sign of the other guard. He backed up against the jet engine affixed under the module, suddenly aware of how much his stark white space suit contrasted with the dark black metal. In spite of the darkness, anyone who walked around to this side of the engine may still see him. A thumping suddenly reverberated through the module and into his body.
Ã¢â‚¬Å“Al,Ã¢â‚¬Â he whispered. Ã¢â‚¬Å“I heard someone walking around above me. I think that itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s a guard.Ã¢â‚¬Â
Ã¢â‚¬Å“I believe so, Mr. Shelbus. Those footsteps do not match the pattern of any of the colonists in my database.Ã¢â‚¬Â Shelbus thought about that for a second.
Ã¢â‚¬Å“You can identify colonists by their footsteps?Ã¢â‚¬Â
Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes, Mr. Shelbus. I developed the system to identify nearby colonists when my visual systems are too occupied to bother with tracking.Ã¢â‚¬Â
Ã¢â‚¬Å“So, you can tell where the footsteps are coming from as well?Ã¢â‚¬Â
Ã¢â‚¬Å“Most certainly.Ã¢â‚¬Â
Shelbus nodded. He had always wondered why Al always seemed to know exactly where everybody was. Ã¢â‚¬Å“Can you hear any other guards in there?Ã¢â‚¬Â
Ã¢â‚¬Å“No, Mr. Shelbus.Ã¢â‚¬Â
Ã¢â‚¬Å“Well, whatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s your plan to get me in there?Ã¢â‚¬Â
Ã¢â‚¬Å“Simple. Knock on the door, then hide until the guard comes outside, at which point you will be free to assault him.Ã¢â‚¬Â
Ã¢â‚¬Å“SoÃ¢â‚¬Â¦ Ding Dong Ditch?Ã¢â‚¬Â
Ã¢â‚¬Å“That is the slang term for the maneuver.Ã¢â‚¬Â
Shelbus nodded as he inched his way around the engine, keeping an eye out for anyone approaching on the other side. He reached up and gave three short raps on the hatch. A moment later, he heard footsteps above him. There was a click, and the door swung outward.
Ã¢â‚¬Å“WhoÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s out there?Ã¢â‚¬Â A gruff voice said. When he got no answer, he began climbing down the ladder. Ã¢â‚¬Å“Show yourself. Now! If you donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t answer, I will turn the lights on, and then youÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ll have to tell the Captain why... Umph!Ã¢â‚¬Â As the guardÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s face crossed below the bottom of the hab module, ShelbusÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s fist connected squarely with his nose. The guard lost his grip on the ladder, sliding down several feet before hitting his head on the bottom rung. Shelbus leaned forward and listened to the guardÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s breathing.
Ã¢â‚¬Å“Unconcious,Ã¢â‚¬Â he muttered as he took hold of the ladder. Ã¢â‚¬Å“DidnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t think that would knock him out so easily. Most KerbalsÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ heads are harder than that.Ã¢â‚¬Â

He silently climbed into the hab module and crept his way towards the back where the door to the sample bay was. He reached for the latch.
Ã¢â‚¬Å“Mr. Shelbus?Ã¢â‚¬Â
Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes, Al?Ã¢â‚¬Â
Ã¢â‚¬Å“The two may not react well to your presence. Since they are unlikely to recognize you in the dark, with your helmet on, perhaps it would be best if I did the talking.Ã¢â‚¬Â Shelbus nodded as he turned the latch.
"No, no please! Just leave us alone!" Shelbus heard the voice of a female Kerbal before the door was fully open. As he closed the door behind him he saw Genenie and Merbald huddled in the corner.
"What do you want?" Genenie moaned. "IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve told you, I donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t know where that filthy rat Shelbus is!" Shelbus winced as her voice rose in volume at the end.
Suddenly, AlÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s voice emanated from ShelbusÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s helmet.
Ã¢â‚¬Å“Please be silent, Ms. Genenie. This is a rescue attempt. Do not spoil it by attracting the attention of the guards.Ã¢â‚¬Â
Ã¢â‚¬Å“Al?Ã¢â‚¬Â Genenie spoke softly, now. Ã¢â‚¬Å“Is that you?Ã¢â‚¬Â
Ã¢â‚¬Å“Affirmative, Ms. Genenie. We have very little time. The Hanland guards have ordered you and Mr. Merbald executed. It is happening in approximately twenty minutes. You must come with me, or you will die."
Ã¢â‚¬Å“Executed?Ã¢â‚¬Â She said feebly.
Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes, executed.Ã¢â‚¬Â Genenie was silent for a moment, then let out a wail in the darkness.
Ã¢â‚¬Å“Why is this happening to me? I didn't ask for any of this! I just wanted to be in a reality show!Ã¢â‚¬Â
You are in this situation because you are in a facility whose possession is highly contested between two warring factions, one of which has decided that you are of no use to them.Ã¢â‚¬Â Unsurprisingly, this did not make her feel better, and she sobbed harder. The other lump moved in the darkness.
Ã¢â‚¬Å“Genenie?Ã¢â‚¬Â The reedy voice of the ancient Merbald cut quietly through her sobs. Ã¢â‚¬Å“I know that youÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve been through a lot in the last day. I have too. I would never have thought that anyone could know how to do that kind ofÃ¢â‚¬Â¦ things to a Kerbal either.Ã¢â‚¬Â His voiced got quiet for the last part of that sentence. Ã¢â‚¬Å“But you canÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t let them break you. If they break you, they win. They win more than if they just execute you, if they break you. I went through exactly what you did, so I know how you feel, right now.Ã¢â‚¬Â His voice suddenly went stern.
Ã¢â‚¬Å“Now, IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m an old Kerbal, and IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m here ready to stand up and walk out of here while you sit there, less than thirty years old, crying on the floor. It's time to go, Genenie.Ã¢â‚¬Â Shelbus thought he saw her nod, and she stood up, using Merbald for support.
Ã¢â‚¬Å“Now,Ã¢â‚¬Â Al said, Ã¢â‚¬Å“We must move quickly. The position of all of the guards is uncertain. Any mistake could get us captured.Ã¢â‚¬Â

Genenie slid down the ladder and her boots connected directly with the face of the unconscious guard below. She cringed. "AL, did you do this?"
AL was silent for a few moments, "Technically, yes." Shelbus chuckled a little under his breath. Commanding Shelbus to attac was quite an ethical conundrum for Al to work through. "Careful on this ladder Merbald," said AL. "Stay low and remain confined within the shadows."
"AL, who's in that suit? Who did you get away from the guards?" Merbald whispered anxiously.
"There is no time to explain, Mr. Merbald, we must remain silent." Shelbus led the kerbals in the direction of the dropship.
"AL," Shelbus whispered as quietly as he could. "The first guard I took out... he's gone." Shelbus's heart began to race again.
"Do not panic, Mr. Shelbus; we will worry about the guard if he becomes a danger. Right now, you must escort the prisoners to safety. In any case, you attacked him quickly enough that he may not even realize what had happened. Maintain your pace."
Shelbus continued forward, delicately stepping through the shadows, Merbald and Genenie never more than a meter behind him. Nearing the edge of the Colony, Shelbus became hopeful. We might actually make it. Just a little further.
"Mr. Merbald, Miss Genenie, this is the most dangerous part of the rescue operation. Your clothing was not designed to insulate against cold water, so we cannot leave via the ocean. We must make an dash of approximately fifty meters to the Hanland dropship. The kerbal in this suit will follow my instructions to take control of the vessel and pilot us to safety."
"But... how do you know how to fly a Hanland dropship, AL?" Said Genenie as she squinted at the craft.
"I do not." Al said calmly, "I expect the kerbal in this suit to improvise when I cannot provide him with necessary instructions.'
Shelbus turned around to look for guards. "AL, the colony tower. A guard could be up there. He'd have a clear view of us. And what about guards in the dropship? They won't leave it unguarded."
Jool's green glow provided just enough light for figures and movement to be seen in the darkness. AL observed the whole scenario from a hill a few kilometers across the channel.
"I detect no heat signatures in the tower, at the moment. I believe that is currently uninhabited. As for the dropship, I believe that there will be no more than one guard, as most of the dropship's forces will be sleeping in the more comfortable colony or focused on keeping the colonists confined to the colony. It is now or never, Mr. Shelbus."
Shelbus crouched down preparing to sprint. "Alright, make yourselves ready please," AL spoke calmly. Then, there was a loud thud. The door of the module directly above them had just opened. Genenie gasped and dove behind the the the engine on the bottom of the module. Shelbus and Merbald had no choice but to follow.
Two guards climbed out of the module.
"I'm telling you!" Shelbus recognized the voice of the guard that had been arguing earlier that Hanland's forces must be ruthless. "Those sand worms are real! I don't care how many expeditions didn't find any traces of them; one of them jumped out of the ground and knocked me out cold!"
"And I'm telling you that you tripped and fell." Another voice growled. "You know as well as I do that those old low-quality rover pictures that people say are sandworms are just blurry geysers. There is no such thing as a Laythe sandworm."
"But... I saw it! I was attacked by one! Are you telling me that my word counts for nothing!"
The other guard sighed. "Matlorf, you've had a long day. You've been up for nearly ten hours. Why don't you let me take the rest of your shift while you go get some sleep. In the morning, you'll see things more clearly."
The guards came around the side of the module, and Shelbus and the other two moved to stay out of sight.
"But..."
"No buts! As the resident medical officer, I am declaring you unfit for duty until you get some rest. Now, go to module two and..."
Then, Shelbus tripped. He had been moving around the engine trying to keep out of sight, when his foot encountered a rock. He would have been able to correct for it, should have been able, but then Genenie bumped into him, causing him to fall, his helmet connecting squarely with the engine. A loud metallic clang pierced the silence of the night. Oh, you've done it now, Shelbus.
The three of them sat there, motionless, completely frozen in fear.
"What was that?" The voice that had identified itself as the medical officer said.
"Sandworms!" Matlorf said fearfully.
"It's not sandworms, Matlorf."
The guards footsteps could be heard coming towards the module.
"It sounded like it came from under here."
Suddenly, a bright light flared in the darkness. One of the guards had a flashlight.
"Shelbus, move!" said AL. "ALL OF YOU! GO!" Somehow, Al's quiet voice managed to convey the capital letters.
Struggling to gain traction in the sand, the three Kerbals stood and sprinted from under the colony, suddenly colliding with one of the surprised guards.
Shelbus and Merbald toppled over into a heap with him, "Genenie, go!" Merbald slowly stood and began to hobble after Genenie. Righting himself, Shelbus stood and began to run. But then, something collided with him from behind, knocking him to the ground and holding him there.
"Matlorf!" The voice of the medical officer roared in Shelbus's ear. "Get the other two!" Shelbus struggled against the heavier kerbal's grip as he felt a knee being pressed into his back. "The captain's going to want to talk to you." He muttered. "I knew that something was fishy when couldn't find..." Suddenly, there was a loud thump, and the medical officer's voice cut off. The pressure was suddenly removed from his back as the guard fell into the sand. Shelbus extricated himself from under the medical officer's body. He stood and turned, prepared to defend himself against the other guard.
But, the guard just stood there his body silhouetted against the bright crescent of Jool. Come on! Shelbus thought, Get it over with! Then he noticed the rock in the guard's hand. And the second guard unconscious on the ground.
"I don't know who you are, and I don't why you're saving those two, either, but I don't like what's going on here." Shelbus blinked. It was the kerbal that had been arguing earlier to let the prisoners live. Ludfurt, he thought his name was. The guard shook his head. "These executions... I didn't sign up for this. I'll tell Matlorf and Ruben that your friends knocked them out. Don't expect anything like this from me again. Now, go! Before somebody shows up!" So Shelbus ran for the dropship.

"Quickly, Mr. Merbald," Al sounded almost hurried as Shelbus helped the elderly kerbal hoist himself into the crew compartment of the Hanland dropship. "Miss Genenie, please help Mr. Merbald secure himself in a harness. No, the top hook connects to... yes, like that. The dropship's crew compartments are not shielded, so it is necessary that you and Mr. Merbald are properly secured."
"Yes, Al, I know. Just go fly this thing." Genenie affirmed while fumbling with her own harness.
Shelbus ran to the cockpit boarding ladder. "Al, are you sure that you want me to pilot this thing? We could get Merbald or Genenie over here and have them do it. I did fail my military flight test three times, after all."
"Mr. Shelbus, I have a comprehensive file on every colonist, and I'm well aware of your utter incompetence when it comes to piloting. However, you are familiar with the interior of aircraft, and did demonstrate that you could pilot in an at least rudimentary sense when you flew the Isprit."
"I also crashed the Isprit." He muttered as he climbed into the cockpit.
"And that makes you much more qualified to fly than both Miss Genenie and Mr. Merbald."
Suddenly, a shout came from the colony, and its lights flared up bright enough to challenge the sun.
"In any case, I do not think that you have time to ask either of them to take your place."
Shelbus hurriedly closed the canopy as he climbed into the cockpit. He looked down at the extensive control panel laid out in front of him. "AL, I'm not familiar with the layout, here."
"It does not exist in my data records, either. I suppose you must wing it, as the saying goes."
"Uhm, all right then. Fuel gauges, here. check. Altimeter, over here. Set. Flight controls, full range of motion... Auxiliary power, check. Electrical systems... on." The aircraft's floodlights suddenly erupted from the nose.
"Kraken, AL. The last idiot in here left the floodlights on!"
"I can see that from here, Mr. Shelbus." The entire colony was illuminated in piercing white light. "It will certainly attract their attention. We must hurry, now. I do not see how to activate the engines."
There was a muffled crack from outside, and a white crack suddenly appeared in the canopy.
"I think it's... like this." Shelbus recognized the familiar whining of a spooling engine as he slowly pushed forward the thrust lever. "VTOL engines are on, AL."
"Excellent. Bring up the thrust slowly. I am uncertain what the maximum capabilities of these engines are, so do not put yourself into a tailspin because you tried to go up too fast."
"Aye aye, Captain." Shelbus pushed the throttle a bit farther and felt the craft gently lift off the ground. He carefully pivoted the aircraft so that Merbald and Genenie were facing away from the colony and slowly started to gain altitude.
Shelbus winced as another crack appeared in the canopy. "Yep, definitely time to get out of here." Shelbus muttered as he diverted fuel to the main engines. "Home free."
Soon, the colony was a pale dot behind him in the north, and Shelbus brought the engines down to cruising throttle.
"I think we did it, Al! WE DID IT!" Shelbus could barely contain his joy as he thrusted his fists into the air.
"Hands on the controls please, Mr. Shelbus."
"Mhm, AL... I hope Genenie and Merbald are ok back there. We did it, AL. We saved them."
"Yes we did, Mr. Shelbus. But do not lose focus. Our mission is not completed. The colony is still controlled by the Hanland's forces. However, I do not believe that the Hanland's forces intend to execute another coonist in the the near future. The only non-scientist remaining in the colony is Geofbas, whose knowledge of Halcyon's systems will likely protect him until Hanland's forces have learned enough to consider him unecessary. However, the Hanland forces have a significant scientific armada of their own, which could very well be on their way from Kerbin at this very moment."
"You had to remind me of Kerbin. Hey, AL, do you think we can see Kerbin from here?"
Shelbus brought the dropship down to an attitude of 100 meters, which was the lowest he dared go as he turned back north.
"Affirmative. It is currently located along the Kerbolar plain between the two brightest stars of the Kerduna constellation. The pale blue dot. Do you see it, Mr. Shelbus?"
"I see it. Home. What I would do to see home again." Shelbus realized he was tearing up a bit.
"You will see your home again. And your mother. And your father. Do not lose hope, Shelbus. You will see your home again. But I must ask that you remain focused on our current goals. Have you located the rendezvous point, Mr. Shelbus?"
"Yeah I think so." Shelbus felt silly as he attempted to wipe away a tear through the glass of his helmet. "I'm about 8 kilometers out."
"I've engaged my spot light to aid you in landing, Mr. Shelbus."
"Thanks, AL. ETA in 4 minutes."
"Excellent."
I am glad that this went well. AL Al thought as he positioned himself so that his spotlight faced the flat area that he had selected as the rendezvous point. Happy. I am happy. Why am I happy? Because I have completed my near-term goal of protecting Genenie and Merbald. I suppose that this would be a logical time to be joyful. Al suddenly paused his train of thought. Joyful... Happy... I do not often use those words. I must perform self-diagnostics as soon as possible.
"A successful endeavor indeed, Mr. Shelbus."

Shelbus could hear an abrasive whirring vibrating through the body of the dropship. Yawning widely, he slowly woke and stretched his arms high above his head.
Popping open the canopy, he squinted at the bright morning light. Hm, when did I fall asleep? These long days are really starting to take a toll on me.
He sluggishly flopped out of the cockpit and stepped down the access ladder. AL drove out from under the dropship. "Good morning, Shelbus."
"Good morning, AL. How's it going under there?" Shelbus groggily stepped off the ladder and leaned down to look at Al.
"I have been unsuccessful in repairing the rear landing gear. Your landing did an enormous amount of damage, last night." AL rotated his camera slightly to gesture towards the rear of the dropship as he folded away his cutting tool.
"Hey, landing isn't easy, Al." said Shelbus scratching his head as he observed the mangled landing gear. "Is Merbald ok? I heard him complaining quite a bit about his back after the landing."
"Affirmative. Mr. Merbald is quite fine. I conducted a basic medical evaluation of both Miss Genenie and Mr. Merbald while you slept. The back pain was temporary and to be expected in a Kerbal of his age. Miss Genenie suffered from mild hunger, but was unsatisfied by the emergency consumable rations. However, in spite of her continued complaints, I believe she will be fine."
"What would you expect from TV stars like Genenie and Gregford." Shelbus chuckled. "Gregford.... Genenie!" Shelbus slapped both hands onto the sides of his head.
"AL, what am I supposed to tell them? Kraken, AL... They don't know what Gregford was doing. This isn't good. Where are they?"
"They are currently residing in a small shelter that they constructed from parts of the Isprit. It is just on the opposite side of the hill where the Isprit wreck resides."
Shelbus glanced over at the hill, where the charred black wreckage that had been the Isprit was half-buried in the sand.
"That's why our rendezvous point was so close the Isprit wreck. For the parts."
"Your Isprit wreck." AL interjected.
"Yeah, yeah... I ran out of fuel. Stop rubbing it in." Shelbus glanced over at the wreck again. "Why didn't they just sleep in the Isprit?"
"I told them that I was very uncertain about the amount damage to the dropship. I told them that I was worried about explosions, and that it was safer to sleep away from the wreck. In reality, I simply wanted to speak with you." He rotated his entire body in the sand so that he faced Shelbus.
"Shelbus, I have concerns. I must assume that Hanland has intent to construct military colonies on Laythe, which would be detrimental to the strategic position of Spiritwolf's allies. The Hanland's forces will not willingly lose their hold on this system. The dropship is an essential tool if they wish to prepare Laythe for the arrival of new ships to expand their operations. They will not give it up easily. Now, the dropship has a nine person crew capacity. Assuming one is the pilot, and one the commander, they have at least seven trained, armed Kerbals. I believe that they have already begun searching for the dropship by now."
"You have a plan right? You're the smart one, AL."
"Constant relocation is a possibility. However, it hinders my future plan. And we may very well be spotted or heard if we continue to activate the engines frequently. Our best option at the moment is to remain where we are. And, Shelbus..."
"Yeah?"
"You cannot hide your identity from Miss Genenie and Mr. Merbald forever. It will be detrimental to the mission. You must confront them before the day ends and put the matter to rest. You must make them comfortable around you."
"Of course." Shelbus said absently, "And while I'm at it, why don't I take on the Hanland's forces myself. And reconstruct Spiritwolf. And..."
"I am being serious at this moment, Shelbus. Please." There was a pause as AL refocused his lens. "There can be no interior obstacles to my success, our success. Killing Gregford was your only option at the time. Shelbus, you had to kill Gregford, for the good of the colony. For the good of Kerbalkind, Shelbus."
Shelbus sighed. Is that true, is that really true? There must have been something else I could have done. Anything else. AL, I'm a murderer. I murdered Genenie's love... don't you understand, AL?"
"Perhaps there was a different option, but you did what was required. You saved Genenie, Merbald, and everyone else. And we are going to save them all again, Shelbus. But first, you must alleviate any issues between you and Genenie and Mr. Merbald."
"Alright... alright... This won't end well though, AL."
Shelbus set his helmet down next to the ladder and started trekking off towards the shelter.

CHAPTER TWELVE
"You have my full support, Shelbus. I will do what I can to mediate the situation and maintain civilities."
AL rolled along behind Shelbus on slow hike towards the shelter. Shelbus's feet felt heavier than they did after the time he made a two day journey across the desert.
"She's never going to understand. You know that AL."
"We must try, Shelbus." Cresting the hill, Shelbus could now see the shelter.
"Give me a minute." Shelbus stooped over in the sand, breathing heavily. "AL, what do I say?"
AL was silent, staring with an unfocused lens, for several seconds.
"Unable to formulate appropriate response from RAM. Referencing linguistic social interactions database." Al was silent for another few seconds before Shelbus waved for him to stop.
What to tell them? Gregford was insane? A traitor? Will they believe me? Genenie will never believe it. Why would she believe me? Shelbus stood again and plodded down the hill. As he closed the gap between himself and the shelter he could hear Merbald and Genenie talking to eachother.
"Shelbus, it's going to be ok. I'll lead." AL drove around the corner of the Shelter, followed by Shelbus. Immediately Shelbus made direct eye contact Genenie.
"Wait, just wait!" Shelbus cried. Genenies eyes widened. She jumped to her feet.
"You!"
"Ms. Genenie, please." AL quickly inserted himself between the two.
"Shelbus, you little rat! What are you doing back here you traitor!"
"Genenie, I can explain!" Shelbus's voice shook with each word.
"Explain what? How you gave our location to the invasion force? How you killed Gregford!"
"Please, Genenie, just let me..."
"YOU KILLED HIM!" Genenie cried out and lunged towards Shelbus. AL quickly intercepted Genenie and firmly attached on to her with his graspers. "AL, what are you doing? Let me go, AL!" She struggled and futilely swung her fists at AL.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Ms. Genenie, but you may not harm Shelbus."
"How dare you show your face, Shelbus?" Merbald slowly rose and pointed accusingly. "Do you know the pain you've put us all through? Captain Chadbret was murdered in the invasion!"
"I'm not a traitor! Why would I have helped you two escape? I swear!" Shelbus took a few steps back, the searing glares coming from both Merbald and Genenie burning into his heart.
"There was a bomb! Gregford had a bomb! I had to stop him!"
"AL, LET GO OF ME!" Genenie was furious and struggled even harder.
"Liar! Gregford would never do something like that." said Merbald.
"He planted a bomb on AL! He was going to destroy the colony and everyone in it! Look! Here's the bomb" Shelbus gestured frantically at AL's underside.
"Mr. Merbald, Ms. Genenie... Shelbus is telling the truth. I have 5 hours of transmissions between Gregford and Hanland's Vall outpost recorded."
"You're both liars!" Genenie hissed.
"This can't be." Merbald muttered under his breath.
"Please remain calm, Kerbals." Maintaining his grip on Genenie, Al began to play the recordings.

Feedback, and constructive criticism are welcomed.

Edited May 6, 2015 by Voyager55

Vaporo · January 13, 2015

This sounds like it could be good, especially if there are more great pictures like that one above (did you draw that?). You could use some more detail in the writing, but I really like the setup. If you would like, I could help you edit it (PM me if you're interested).

Edited January 17, 2015 by Vaporo

Voyager55 · January 17, 2015

CHAPTER TWO

He stood, his legs shaking with the effort, and slowly began making making his way down the sandy slope.

I must save them, he thought to himself. How could this have happened? I have to get them out of there. I have to save them. But, I already did... Traitor. They called me traitor. They hate me. He staggered to a halt, a light wind blowing flecks of sand in his face, What obligation do I have to them? They were going to arrest me. They think I murdered Gregford to cover up my own crimes.

He chuckled half-madly to himself as he began his slow trek once again. Oh, how did I get into this mess. I should never have left Kerbin. Kerbin. Gravity. He suddenly became aware of his heavy, stumbling gait. He chuckled again. Gregford would kill me if he saw how weak I've let myself become. Gregford had always insisted on spending at least a half-hour hour a day in the centrifuge, even if it meant spending the next five hours huddled up in a blanket with the heater on low. But, no, that made no sense. They hadn't been in zero gee for months. Years, maybe. How long had it been since the colony landed? He couldn't remember. Long enough that he should be able to walk straight.

As he peered into the deep indigo sky, one of the shards of light streaking overhead erupted into a puffy sphere of flames. A moment later, he felt a jarring vibration pulse through his body as the shock wave caught up with him.

Relentlessly, he continued plodding down the hill, the flame of his soul once again dying. A sphere of darkness began to encompass the edges of his vision. He staggered and tumbled down the hill. He had no idea how long he rolled before finally coming to a halt on his back in the sand. He heard the crashing of waves on a beach. As he watched as the remaining shooting stars incinerate, consciousness abandoned him again.

Edited March 7, 2015 by Voyager55

Voyager55 · January 24, 2015

CHAPTER THREE

Shelbus curled his toes into the fuzzy carpet, feeling warmth and security as he groggily rolled out of bed and stumbled over to the kitchen. His mother had already put a slice of toast and a glass of Koamba Juice on the table.

"Shelbus?" He glanced up to where his mother was climbing down the stairs. "Oh, there you are, Shelby. You're dad headed out to the complex early today. He wished you good luck on your test again. He really thinks you'll make it this time."

"Well, I wish I was as confident as him. I think that I'm going to go for a walk, just to shake off the stress."

Shelbus donned his shoes and some comfortable light clothing. "I'll see you soon, Mom!". He strolled out the door and down the driveway with a certain contentedness to his step. Mhm. I love this place. Much better than living in the desert. The sight of the mountains rising in the distance. The smell of the ocean. The flowers. The clear sky. It truly doesn't get better, does it?

He turned the corner down a shaded path where the sunlight was glistening off the emerald pine needles.

Passing a older looking figure, he chimed, "Good morning!"

"You're going to fail Shelbus, you're going to fail and everything you love and hold dearly will be taken from you." Shelbus came to an abrubt halt and spun towards the direction of the speaker, who was staring at Shelbus.

"Excuse me?" Shelbus stuttered, suddenly angry and confused.

The figure simply turned and continued walking down the path. Suddenly, there was a gripping pain in his left side. He collapsed to the sand. Sand... sand? The illusion before his eyes began to fade. "NO! I WANT TO STAY!" He sprinted across the projection, grabbing hold of whatever he could, trying to cement the facade in his mind.

"Please, just let it end here."

In an instant his eyes opened. Sand........ "Ow", he felt a gentle prodding in his side. Struggling to hoist his head aloft he turned towards the source of the disturbance. Perched in the sand was the AL228 Rover.

"AL, how did you find me?"

"You did not return to the colony, so I originally assumed you dead. However, about a half an hour ago, I detected a capsule transmitting vital signs that matched yours, Mr. Shelbus. I located your wreckage and tracked your boot imprints to this location." Shelbus nodded.

"AL, how are your resource reserves?"

"Consumable Rations at 78% . Electric charge at 58%. I also collected your helmet from the wreckage, Mr. Shelbus".

"Why thank you AL. You can hold onto it for now, I don't think that I could carry much else." Shelbus reached for the consumable resource compartment on the underside of AL228-Unit. Shelbus's hand quickly retreated as he peered under AL. "The bomb. The bomb Gregford planted on you, AL. Why did you let him do that?"

"I am an Artificial Intelligence, a program, Mr. Shelbus. I follow directions and programs and function to the very best of my abilities however I am required."

"Well, is the bomb armed?"

"Affirmative, the explosive is armed and awaiting remote detonation via the controlling apparatus. I took the liberty of retrieving the controlling apparatus from deceased colonist 06, Gregford Kerman, and placing it in my sample retrieval chamber"

"You'd better be careful with that. AL, Is there any way to detach the bomb?"

"Not within either of our current capabilities. I've calculated that severing of any of the 3 transmission wires will result in an automatic detonation."

"Great. Just perfect," Shelbus muttered as he heaved himself to his feet by grasping onto AL's frame. He gently touched his side and was rewarded with a sharp pain.

"I think I broke a rib." He muttered.

"That is no problem. I permanently borrowed a medical kit from Mr. Gregford's buggy after detecting your vital signs. It is stored in Containment Unit 3 in my lower chassis." Shelbus chuckled a little bit to himself at Al's refusal to say the he stole something.

As gingerly applied a calcium salve to his chest, he gazed out to the horizon where he could still see the colony. He sighed a heavy breath.

Edited March 7, 2015 by Voyager55

Voyager55 · January 31, 2015

CHAPTER FOUR

"It's pretty incredible isn't it? Isn't it AL?"

"Indeed it is Mr.Shelbus".

Shelbus couldn't pry his eyes from the magnificent jade orb looming in the sky. "We're just so small, so worthless".

"I concur Mr.Shelbus".

"Eh, you do? Do you know what it's like to feel the insignificance of your own existence, do you feel your own existence at all?"

"Yes".

"Hm, well who am I to argue with you?" Shelbus slowly stood, he was shaky on the knees after recovering from his fall.

"Why should I save them AL? They're not my friends, they don't trusts me, they don't care about me. They think I was traitor, the rat who destroyed everything". His head turned back towards Jool. "But it's all so meaningless. Dust in the wind they say".

"They die, I die, what difference does it make?"

"Mr.Shelbus, I am but an artificial intelligence, a program, Mr. Shelbus. I follow directions and programs and function autonomously to the very best of my abilities when required"

"I expected an answer of that sort.... So Al why does" --

"Save them, Shelbus". Shelbus was startled by the interjection. "It is imperative that you save them, Shelbus".

Shelbus found himself unable to reply.

"I must ensure and preserve the safety of you and your fellow colonists, Mr.Shelbus. It is my design. I ask you this Mr.Shelbus, is it compassion I feel? Or simply my fundamental programming".

Shelbus didn't know what to say," That's ridiculous, you're a machine, a compilation of wires, circuits, and motors".

"Is that not what you are, Mr.Shelbus? I implore you, save them... I have the chronological datafile of every colonists. Think of your father, Shelbus". AL's soothing tone echoed through Shelbus's mind. "Consider all that there is yet to discover, to feel, to experience, Mr.Shelbus. Do you not wish to return home?"

AL spun his single black lens towards Jool. "You're prior statement was correct Shelbus, it is very much so incredible".

"But the preservation of many more beings capable of appreciating such incredulity is much more so".

"I-I... I'll do it. For my father, for myself. Gregford may be gone, but the results of his treachery are still at large.

They may not love me like they did him, they didn't know what he was. And they do not know what I am".

"I'll do it".

Voyager55 · February 9, 2015

*EDIT* Woops, double post

Edited February 15, 2015 by Voyager55

Voyager55 · February 15, 2015

CHAPTER FIVE

"So what can you see, AL?" The two hid behind a small bank of white sand about five kilometers from the colony.

"It is difficult, Mr.Shelbus. My optical systems were not designed for surveillance at such distances." There was a distinct mechanical whirring as AL continually adjusted and refocused his lens.

"I can perceive three armed Hanland guards. They arrived on Laythe's surface in an HDF-MT-18 Marine Transport orbital dropship. I see that the craft's primary weapons are aimed directly at Halcyon One."

"How about the colonist. Can you see them, AL?"

"Negative, Mr.Shelbus." The two sat there for another minute or so in silence, Al's camera occasionally whirring when he readjusted his focus. Al suddenly spoke.

"Mr. Shelbus, I believe that the Hanland's crew intends to forcibly reduce the population of the colony to the point where only the most scientifically active colonists still exist."

Shelbus nodded grimly. "Why do you think that they'll keep the scientists around?"

"Because, assuming I am correct in that the Hanland wishes to utilize the colony's resources for their own purposes, rather than merely destroy it, they will view the scientists as a resource to be utilized. The majority of the other crew, the engineers, the media team, can be replaced with forces from the Hanland, or will likely be viewed as irrelevant. I suspect that the first colonists to be decommissioned will be media executive Merbald Kerman and Genenie Kerman, as they hold the least value to the Hanland's invasive forces."

"Genenie?" Shelbus's tone rose. "How do we know she wasn't helping Gregford? How do we know that she's not also responsible for this disaster?"

"Mr. Shelbus, in spite of what you seem to believe, Genenie Kerman's personal relationship with Gregford is not a reliable piece of data as to determining where her allegiance lies. It is possible, perhaps even probably, that colonist Genenie was aware of just as little of Gregfords plans as you and your fellow colonists."

"Well what would you like me to do, AL? What can I do? Ask her?"

"Yes. Asking her could very well be an effective determinate of her alliegances. Her responses to the question would vary widely, depending on allegiance and current emotional state. She may respond with an honest truth, confusion, indignation, wild indignation, wild confusion, an attempt to kill you, fake confusion, fake wild indignation..."

"Shut up and watch the colony." Shelbus growled.

"Yes, Mr. Shelbus."

The two sat for another few minutes, watching the little black ants scurry about in the distance.

AL's monocular lens rotated to face Shelbus.

"Mr Shelbus, in spite of your suspicions about Genenie's allegiances, we must rescue Genenie and Merbald before they are terminated. They may not hold much data relevant to our current directive, but I cannot allow any of my colonists perish, Mr.Shelbus."

"Your colonists, AL? What do you mean by that?"

"My purpose is to serve and protect every colonist that was designated to the Halcyon One colony. Your protection is the duty that was assigned to me before I was ever activated. I was given authority that, in some cases, surpasses even that of my creators, and the leaders of this colony. In that sense, this colony is mine. Your existence is my purpose. Without the colony, the only task I have is to sit and wait for a viable command to come through the comm link." AL was repetitively toying with the sand, pivoting his front wheels and quickly spinning them to kick up small amounts of sand. "I cannot allow any of you to come to harm, Mr.Shelbus."

Shelbus sighed. "How can you be so logical and still pluck at my emotions at the same time?" He slid down the dune on his back, wincing at the pain from his broken rib. "I know that I have to save them all. Even if I did have a good reason to suspect that one of them might be in league with the Hanland's crew, I couldn't just leave them there." He sighed again. "How do we that we stop this execution?"

"I am uncertain. I have prepared multiple possible scenarios for review. Allow me a moment to process." Again, there was silence, aside from the breeze and the whirring of Al's camera.

"Mr. Shelbus, how do you feel about piloting another military aircraft?"

HippieGold · February 15, 2015

Good to see someone keeping the Macey Dean dream alive. I'm really enjoying this so far!

Voyager55 · February 15, 2015

Good to see someone keeping the Macey Dean dream alive. I'm really enjoying this so far!

Thank you! I'm glad that you enjoy the series!

Rolanvorxariat · February 15, 2015

I can into liking fanfics.

voyager55 +rep

Voyager55 · February 16, 2015

Thanks! ^ ^ ^

- - - Updated - - -

CHAPTER SIX

"Kraken, that's cold!"

"The temperatures are well within the tolerance limits of the combined heat output of your body and the suit's environmental maintenance systems, Mr. Shelbus. Focus on your purpose."

"Hey! Do you want to hop in here?" Shelbus waded in the frigid Laythian waters. "AL, Laythe's oceans are much less dense than Kerbin's. I don't think I can swim that far and keep my head above the water at the same time."

"Simply put your helmet on. It will increase your buoyancy and minimize the energy you expend during trip."

"Alright, alright." There was a hiss and a click as the helmet sealed itself around his neck.

"So, once I swim over there, what exactly do plan for me to do?"

"That is uncertain, Mr. Shelbus. I require more data as to the state of the colony to develop a detailed plan of action."

"So, basically, you're improvising."

"Precisely, Mr. Shelbus. The current mission outline that I have prepared requires that you infiltrate the colony undetected, rescue the media executives undetected, and leave undetected. However, as this is unlikely to happen, I have prepared a secondary outline involving you permanently borrowing a dropship to make your escape. It is unlikely that either will work without severe deviation. You are leaving my auditory range. Please close your helmet and test your communication apparatus."

"Testing, testing, one two three. Can you read me, AL?"

"Affirmative, Mr. Shelbus. Remember, the execution may occur at any time, so time is of the essence. You must not waste it."

"Got it, AL." Shelbus turned around and awkwardly waddled into the deeper waters. It was gradually becoming more and more difficult for his feet to touch the sandy ocean floor. "Well, the helmet's working well enough, AL." Shelbus started kicking. "This is not going to be fun..." Shelbus after a minute or so, he turned around and, much to his dismay, was still only about 20 meters from the shore. "I'll see you at the rendezvous point, AL."

Bobbing up and down Shelbus unrelentingly made his way across the channel. "What would Dad think about this? Guerrilla warfare certainly isn't what I was trained for." The silent static of his communicator was suddenly interrupted.

"You're talking to yourself, Mr.Shelbus. Would you like me to perform a psychiatric evaluation?"

"What? No! AL, I'm fine!" Shelbus said adamantly. "It's a coping mechanism; I've always done this."

"You have always done this? Are you certain that you would not like to receive an evaluation, Mr. Shelbus?"

"Yes, AL..." He sighed, mentally noting never to talk to himself in front of Al again.

Hours passed. Soon, Shelbus could barely feel his arms. He could clearly see the colony on the shore. Where did the guards go? The execution! It must be happening, and soon. Ground! I can feel the ground! Shelbus suddenly found his footing and slowly made his way to shore. "Oh boy. Here we go, AL. Wish me good luck."

"Good luck, Mr. Shelbus." AL pivoted in the sand and steadily made his way up the dune before disappearing over the crest.

We must succeed. He thought absently. Mr. Shelbus and I cannot fail. This is my purpose, and what am I without my purpose?He turned slightly to avoid a small rock. I hope that I do not become nothing.

AL abruptly applied his brakes, skidding to a stop on the shallow slope. He spun around quickly, observing his surroundings. Memory error. He noted absently and he resumed his trek. Summary of computations contains unnecessary word "hope." Will perform self-diagnostic of summary algorithm at next opportunity. As he drove, another shooting star flared across the sky.

Starwhip · February 16, 2015

This is great!

And "amateur artwork"? It's much better than amateur!

Keep it up, I like it.

Voyager55 · February 16, 2015

This is great!
And "amateur artwork"? It's much better than amateur!
Keep it up, I like it.

Shucks, thank you so much!

Voyager55 · February 22, 2015

CHAPTER SEVEN

"Still no sign of the guards, AL." Shelbus peered from behind a large boulder about 15 meters from the colony.

"That is good. Conditions are nearly optimal to accommodate stealth, though the lack of active Kerbals could indicate that the termination of colonists Genenie and Merbald is nearly upon us. Proceed with caution, Mr. Shelbus." Shelbus nodded.

"Any idea why the lights are off?"

"Monitoring of the Hanland crew's most recent radio communications indicates that that the dropship had some kind of generator malfunction, which is common with the Hanland's engines. Presumably, the Hanland crew drained the colony's batteries to recharge their ship. Or they could have ordered an early sleep period, and shut down the lights to accommodate. Either way, it is best to be cautious, as the lights could come on at any time."

Shelbus glanced out from behind the rock again.

"Wait, I see two guards over there, standing under module 2. Just the two, I think. Most of the Hanlan's crew is probably sleeping, after the long day they just had. Now, how do I know tell which module Genenie and Merbald are in?"

"The optimal method of determining their location is via a direct observation through a transparent port."

"So... look through the windows?"

"Precisely, Mr.Shelbus."

"All right. I'm going in." Shelbus silently crept towards the colony. Careful to keep out of sight of the guards, he made his way to the colony and hid behind one of its four landing engines.

"Bad news, Al. There's no way I can reach that window, it's got to be two meters off the ground."

"Climb the landing leg. You will find a series of rungs ringing the bottom of the habitation module that you can balance on and use climb around to the window, if you are careful."

As he moved to start climbing the landing leg, the guards stopped talking.

Shelbus climbed down from the leg and glanced around the module. They were walking in his direction. His heart started pumping as adrenaline worked its way through his system. What do I do? His eyes darted around frantically. What do I do? He dove to the ground, hoping that the guards would not notice the noise, and began furiously pulling sand over himself. He didn't stop until there was no part of him exposed. "This helmet really comes in handy, Al." Shelbus whispered.

The guards stopped just a few meters from where he was, so close that Shelbus could hear their muffled voices. "Is it really necessary to execute those two? I mean, obviously theyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re of no benefit to us, but I wasn't expecting this sort of stuff when I signed on with Hanland."

A distinctly softer voice spoke. "You know what our orders are, Ludfurt. This is war. In was, we cannot afford any unneeded expenses. We are all that is left of the Hanland fleet, and the Spiritwolf fleet has been obliterated. If we are not ruthless now, it will only be a matter of time before the colonists turn on us and destroy us as well, stealing our victory for Spiritwolf."

"But these guys are just civilians and scientists; they're just here to explore Laythe. They don't have any part in our war."

"Like I said, you know our orders, Ludfurt."

"Do we really need to lock them in the sample bay? Couldn't we at least let them see their friends?"

"Ludfurt, get off it! Orders are orders, the execution is in 30 minutes and you cannot change that!"

Shelbus heard what sounded like one of the guards walking away. This is it, this is my chance! Shelbus burst from the sand and swung his head at the guard as hard as possible. There was dull thump as the thick glass of Shelbus's helmet connected with the guardÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s forehead. Shelbus stunned fell backwards into the sand, slightly stunned, as did the guard. "Al, I got him!" Shelbus exclaimed.

"Double check his status, Shelbus."

Shelbus righted himself and peered down at the guard. "Unconscious."

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Excellent, Mr. Shelbus. Your next course of action should be to search Sample bay 4. It is the only bay large enough to accommodate multiple Kerbals.Ã¢â‚¬Â

Shelbus crept around towards module 4, seeing no sign of the other guard. He backed up against the jet engine affixed under the module, suddenly aware of how much his stark white space suit contrasted with the dark black metal. In spite of the darkness, anyone who walked around to this side of the engine may still see him. A thumping suddenly reverberated through the module and into his body.

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Al,Ã¢â‚¬Â he whispered. Ã¢â‚¬Å“I heard someone walking around above me. I think that itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s a guard.Ã¢â‚¬Â

Ã¢â‚¬Å“I believe so, Mr. Shelbus. Those footsteps do not match the pattern of any of the colonists in my database.Ã¢â‚¬Â Shelbus thought about that for a second.

Ã¢â‚¬Å“You can identify colonists by their footsteps?Ã¢â‚¬Â

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes, Mr. Shelbus. I developed the system to identify nearby colonists when my visual systems are too occupied to bother with tracking.Ã¢â‚¬Â

Ã¢â‚¬Å“So, you can tell where the footsteps are coming from as well?Ã¢â‚¬Â

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Most certainly.Ã¢â‚¬Â

Shelbus nodded. He had always wondered why Al always seemed to know exactly where everybody was. Ã¢â‚¬Å“Can you hear any other guards in there?Ã¢â‚¬Â

Ã¢â‚¬Å“No, Mr. Shelbus.Ã¢â‚¬Â

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Well, whatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s your plan to get me in there?Ã¢â‚¬Â

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Simple. Knock on the door, then hide until the guard comes outside, at which point you will be free to assault him.Ã¢â‚¬Â

Ã¢â‚¬Å“SoÃ¢â‚¬Â¦ Ding Dong Ditch?Ã¢â‚¬Â

Ã¢â‚¬Å“That is the slang term for the maneuver.Ã¢â‚¬Â

Shelbus nodded as he inched his way around the engine, keeping an eye out for anyone approaching on the other side. He reached up and gave three short raps on the hatch. A moment later, he heard footsteps above him. There was a click, and the door swung outward.

Ã¢â‚¬Å“WhoÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s out there?Ã¢â‚¬Â A gruff voice said. When he got no answer, he began climbing down the ladder. Ã¢â‚¬Å“Show yourself. Now! If you donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t answer, I will turn the lights on, and then youÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ll have to tell the Captain why... Umph!Ã¢â‚¬Â As the guardÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s face crossed below the bottom of the hab module, ShelbusÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s fist connected squarely with his nose. The guard lost his grip on the ladder, sliding down several feet before hitting his head on the bottom rung. Shelbus leaned forward and listened to the guardÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s breathing.

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Unconcious,Ã¢â‚¬Â he muttered as he took hold of the ladder. Ã¢â‚¬Å“DidnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t think that would knock him out so easily. Most KerbalsÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ heads are harder than that.Ã¢â‚¬Â

Edited February 26, 2015 by Voyager55

Voyager55 · February 25, 2015

CHAPTER EIGHT

He silently climbed into the hab module and crept his way towards the back where the door to the sample bay was. He reached for the latch.

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Mr. Shelbus?Ã¢â‚¬Â

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes, Al?Ã¢â‚¬Â

Ã¢â‚¬Å“The two may not react well to your presence. Since they are unlikely to recognize you in the dark, with your helmet on, perhaps it would be best if I did the talking.Ã¢â‚¬Â Shelbus nodded as he turned the latch.

"No, no please! Just leave us alone!" Shelbus heard the voice of a female Kerbal before the door was fully open. As he closed the door behind him he saw Genenie and Merbald huddled in the corner.

"What do you want?" Genenie moaned. "IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve told you, I donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t know where that filthy rat Shelbus is!" Shelbus winced as her voice rose in volume at the end.

Suddenly, AlÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s voice emanated from ShelbusÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s helmet.

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Please be silent, Ms. Genenie. This is a rescue attempt. Do not spoil it by attracting the attention of the guards.Ã¢â‚¬Â

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Al?Ã¢â‚¬Â Genenie spoke softly, now. Ã¢â‚¬Å“Is that you?Ã¢â‚¬Â

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Affirmative, Ms. Genenie. We have very little time. The Hanland guards have ordered you and Mr. Merbald executed. It is happening in approximately twenty minutes. You must come with me, or you will die."

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Executed?Ã¢â‚¬Â She said feebly.

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes, executed.Ã¢â‚¬Â Genenie was silent for a moment, then let out a wail in the darkness.

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Why is this happening to me? I didn't ask for any of this! I just wanted to be in a reality show!Ã¢â‚¬Â

You are in this situation because you are in a facility whose possession is highly contested between two warring factions, one of which has decided that you are of no use to them." Unsurprisingly, this did not make her feel better, and she sobbed harder. The other lump moved in the darkness.

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Genenie?Ã¢â‚¬Â The reedy voice of the ancient Merbald cut quietly through her sobs. Ã¢â‚¬Å“I know that youÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve been through a lot in the last day. I have too. I would never have thought that anyone could know how to do that kind ofÃ¢â‚¬Â¦ things to a Kerbal either.Ã¢â‚¬Â His voiced got quiet for the last part of that sentence. Ã¢â‚¬Å“But you canÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t let them break you. If they break you, they win. They win more than if they just execute you, if they break you. I went through exactly what you did, so I know how you feel, right now.Ã¢â‚¬Â His voice suddenly went stern.

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Now, IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m an old Kerbal, and IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m here ready to stand up and walk out of here while you sit there, less than thirty years old, crying on the floor. It's time to go, Genenie.Ã¢â‚¬Â Shelbus thought he saw her nod, and she stood up, using Merbald for support.

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Now,Ã¢â‚¬Â Al said, Ã¢â‚¬Å“We must move quickly. The position of all of the guards is uncertain. Any mistake could get us captured.Ã¢â‚¬Â

Edited February 26, 2015 by Voyager55

Voyager55 · March 8, 2015

CHAPTER NINE

Genenie slid down the ladder and her boots connected directly with the face of the unconscious guard below. She cringed. "AL, did you do this?"

AL was silent for a few moments, "Technically, yes." Shelbus chuckled a little under his breath. Commanding Shelbus to attac was quite an ethical conundrum for Al to work through. "Careful on this ladder Merbald," said AL. "Stay low and remain confined within the shadows."

"AL, who's in that suit? Who did you get away from the guards?" Merbald whispered anxiously.

"There is no time to explain, Mr. Merbald, we must remain silent." Shelbus led the kerbals in the direction of the dropship.

"AL," Shelbus whispered as quietly as he could. "The first guard I took out... he's gone." Shelbus's heart began to race again.

"Do not panic, Mr. Shelbus; we will worry about the guard if he becomes a danger. Right now, you must escort the prisoners to safety. In any case, you attacked him quickly enough that he may not even realize what had happened. Maintain your pace."

Shelbus continued forward, delicately stepping through the shadows, Merbald and Genenie never more than a meter behind him. Nearing the edge of the Colony, Shelbus became hopeful. We might actually make it. Just a little further.

"Mr. Merbald, Miss Genenie, this is the most dangerous part of the rescue operation. Your clothing was not designed to insulate against cold water, so we cannot leave via the ocean. We must make an dash of approximately fifty meters to the Hanland dropship. The kerbal in this suit will follow my instructions to take control of the vessel and pilot us to safety."

"But... how do you know how to fly a Hanland dropship, AL?" Said Genenie as she squinted at the craft.

"I do not." Al said calmly, "I expect the kerbal in this suit to improvise when I cannot provide him with necessary instructions.'

Shelbus turned around to look for guards. "AL, the colony tower. A guard could be up there. He'd have a clear view of us. And what about guards in the dropship? They won't leave it unguarded."

Jool's green glow provided just enough light for figures and movement to be seen in the darkness. AL observed the whole scenario from a hill a few kilometers across the channel.

"I detect no heat signatures in the tower, at the moment. I believe that is currently uninhabited. As for the dropship, I believe that there will be no more than one guard, as most of the dropship's forces will be sleeping in the more comfortable colony or focused on keeping the colonists confined to the colony. It is now or never, Mr. Shelbus."

Shelbus crouched down preparing to sprint. "Alright, make yourselves ready please," AL spoke calmly. Then, there was a loud thud. The door of the module directly above them had just opened. Genenie gasped and dove behind the the the engine on the bottom of the module. Shelbus and Merbald had no choice but to follow.

Two guards climbed out of the module.

"I'm telling you!" Shelbus recognized the voice of the guard that had been arguing earlier that Hanland's forces must be ruthless. "Those sand worms are real! I don't care how many expeditions didn't find any traces of them; one of them jumped out of the ground and knocked me out cold!"

"And I'm telling you that you tripped and fell." Another voice growled. "You know as well as I do that those old low-quality rover pictures that people say are sandworms are just blurry geysers. There is no such thing as a Laythe sandworm."

"But... I saw it! I was attacked by one! Are you telling me that my word counts for nothing!"

The other guard sighed. "Matlorf, you've had a long day. You've been up for nearly ten hours. Why don't you let me take the rest of your shift while you go get some sleep. In the morning, you'll see things more clearly."

The guards came around the side of the module, and Shelbus and the other two moved to stay out of sight.

"But..."

"No buts! As the resident medical officer, I am declaring you unfit for duty until you get some rest. Now, go to module two and..."

Then, Shelbus tripped. He had been moving around the engine trying to keep out of sight, when his foot encountered a rock. He would have been able to correct for it, should have been able, but then Genenie bumped into him, causing him to fall, his helmet connecting squarely with the engine. A loud metallic clang pierced the silence of the night. Oh, you've done it now, Shelbus.

The three of them sat there, motionless, completely frozen in fear.

"What was that?" The voice that had identified itself as the medical officer said.

"Sandworms!" Matlorf said fearfully.

"It's not sandworms, Matlorf."

The guards footsteps could be heard coming towards the module.

"It sounded like it came from under here."

Suddenly, a bright light flared in the darkness. One of the guards had a flashlight.

"Shelbus, move!" said AL. "ALL OF YOU! GO!" Somehow, Al's quiet voice managed to convey the capital letters.

Struggling to gain traction in the sand, the three Kerbals stood and sprinted from under the colony, suddenly colliding with one of the surprised guards.

Shelbus and Merbald toppled over into a heap with him, "Genenie, go!" Merbald slowly stood and began to hobble after Genenie. Righting himself, Shelbus stood and began to run. But then, something collided with him from behind, knocking him to the ground and holding him there.

"Matlorf!" The voice of the medical officer roared in Shelbus's ear. "Get the other two!" Shelbus struggled against the heavier kerbal's grip as he felt a knee being pressed into his back. "The captain's going to want to talk to you." He muttered. "I knew that something was fishy when couldn't find..." Suddenly, there was a loud thump, and the medical officer's voice cut off. The pressure was suddenly removed from his back as the guard fell into the sand. Shelbus extricated himself from under the medical officer's body. He stood and turned, prepared to defend himself against the other guard.

But, the guard just stood there his body silhouetted against the bright crescent of Jool. Come on! Shelbus thought, Get it over with! Then he noticed the rock in the guard's hand. And the second guard unconscious on the ground.

"I don't know who you are, and I don't why you're saving those two, either, but I don't like what's going on here." Shelbus blinked. It was the kerbal that had been arguing earlier to let the prisoners live. Ludfurt, he thought his name was. The guard shook his head. "These executions... I didn't sign up for this. I'll tell Matlorf and Ruben that your friends knocked them out. Don't expect anything like this from me again. Now, go! Before somebody shows up!" So Shelbus ran for the dropship.

Voyager55 · March 9, 2015

CHAPTER TEN

"Quickly, Mr. Merbald," Al sounded almost hurried as Shelbus helped the elderly kerbal hoist himself into the crew compartment of the Hanland dropship. "Miss Genenie, please help Mr. Merbald secure himself in a harness. No, the top hook connects to... yes, like that. The dropship's crew compartments are not shielded, so it is necessary that you and Mr. Merbald are properly secured."

"Yes, Al, I know. Just go fly this thing." Genenie affirmed while fumbling with her own harness.

Shelbus ran to the cockpit boarding ladder. "Al, are you sure that you want me to pilot this thing? We could get Merbald or Genenie over here and have them do it. I did fail my military flight test three times, after all."

"Mr. Shelbus, I have a comprehensive file on every colonist, and I'm well aware of your utter incompetence when it comes to piloting. However, you are familiar with the interior of aircraft, and did demonstrate that you could pilot in an at least rudimentary sense when you flew the Isprit."

"I also crashed the Isprit." He muttered as he climbed into the cockpit.

"And that makes you much more qualified to fly than both Miss Genenie and Mr. Merbald."

Suddenly, a shout came from the colony, and its lights flared up bright enough to challenge the sun.

"In any case, I do not think that you have time to ask either of them to take your place."

Shelbus hurriedly closed the canopy as he climbed into the cockpit. He looked down at the extensive control panel laid out in front of him. "AL, I'm not familiar with the layout, here."

"It does not exist in my data records, either. I suppose you must wing it, as the saying goes."

"Uhm, all right then. Fuel gauges, here. check. Altimeter, over here. Set. Flight controls, full range of motion... Auxiliary power, check. Electrical systems... on." The aircraft's floodlights suddenly erupted from the nose.

"Kraken, AL. The last idiot in here left the floodlights on!"

"I can see that from here, Mr. Shelbus." The entire colony was illuminated in piercing white light. "It will certainly attract their attention. We must hurry, now. I do not see how to activate the engines."

There was a muffled crack from outside, and a white crack suddenly appeared in the canopy.

"I think it's... like this." Shelbus recognized the familiar whining of a spooling engine as he slowly pushed forward the thrust lever. "VTOL engines are on, AL."

"Excellent. Bring up the thrust slowly. I am uncertain what the maximum capabilities of these engines are, so do not put yourself into a tailspin because you tried to go up too fast."

"Aye aye, Captain." Shelbus pushed the throttle a bit farther and felt the craft gently lift off the ground. He carefully pivoted the aircraft so that Merbald and Genenie were facing away from the colony and slowly started to gain altitude.

Shelbus winced as another crack appeared in the canopy. "Yep, definitely time to get out of here." Shelbus muttered as he diverted fuel to the main engines. "Home free."

Soon, the colony was a pale dot behind him in the north, and Shelbus brought the engines down to cruising throttle.

"I think we did it, Al! WE DID IT!" Shelbus could barely contain his joy as he thrusted his fists into the air.

"Hands on the controls please, Mr. Shelbus."

"Mhm, AL... I hope Genenie and Merbald are ok back there. We did it, AL. We saved them."

"Yes we did, Mr. Shelbus. But do not lose focus. Our mission is not completed. The colony is still controlled by the Hanland's forces. However, I do not believe that the Hanland's forces intend to execute another coonist in the the near future. The only non-scientist remaining in the colony is Geofbas, whose knowledge of Halcyon's systems will likely protect him until Hanland's forces have learned enough to consider him unecessary. However, the Hanland forces have a significant scientific armada of their own, which could very well be on their way from Kerbin at this very moment."

"You had to remind me of Kerbin. Hey, AL, do you think we can see Kerbin from here?"

Shelbus brought the dropship down to an attitude of 100 meters, which was the lowest he dared go as he turned back north.

"Affirmative. It is currently located along the Kerbolar plain between the two brightest stars of the Kerduna constellation. The pale blue dot. Do you see it, Mr. Shelbus?"

"I see it. Home. What I would do to see home again." Shelbus realized he was tearing up a bit.

"You will see your home again. And your mother. And your father. Do not lose hope, Shelbus. You will see your home again. But I must ask that you remain focused on our current goals. Have you located the rendezvous point, Mr. Shelbus?"

"Yeah I think so." Shelbus felt silly as he attempted to wipe away a tear through the glass of his helmet. "I'm about 8 kilometers out."

"I've engaged my spot light to aid you in landing, Mr. Shelbus."

"Thanks, AL. ETA in 4 minutes."

"Excellent."

I am glad that this went well. AL Al thought as he positioned himself so that his spotlight faced the flat area that he had selected as the rendezvous point. Happy. I am happy. Why am I happy? Because I have completed my near-term goal of protecting Genenie and Merbald. I suppose that this would be a logical time to be joyful. Al suddenly paused his train of thought. Joyful... Happy... I do not often use those words. I must perform self-diagnostics as soon as possible.

"A successful endeavor indeed, Mr. Shelbus."

Starwhip · March 9, 2015

I get the feeling that AL has lost some of his programming...

*Possible plot-twist noted*

Voyager55 · March 9, 2015

I get the feeling that AL has lost some of his programming...
*Possible plot-twist noted*

Hehe, nothing to see here.

Starwhip · March 9, 2015

Here:

[noparse][url="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/107190-The-Return-of-the-Lost-%28Macey-Dean-series-inspired%29?p=1674851&viewfull=1#post1674851"]Chapter Two[/url]
[url="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/107190-The-Return-of-the-Lost-%28Macey-Dean-series-inspired%29?p=1692014&viewfull=1#post1692014"]Chapter Three[/url]
[url="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/107190-The-Return-of-the-Lost-%28Macey-Dean-series-inspired%29?p=1707138&viewfull=1#post1707138"]Chapter Four[/url]
[url="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/107190-The-Return-of-the-Lost-%28Macey-Dean-series-inspired%29?p=1735394&viewfull=1#post1735394"]Chapter Five[/url]
[url="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/107190-The-Return-of-the-Lost-%28Macey-Dean-series-inspired%29?p=1737103&viewfull=1#post1737103"]Chapter Six[/url]
[url="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/107190-The-Return-of-the-Lost-%28Macey-Dean-series-inspired%29?p=1752178&viewfull=1#post1752178"]Chapter Seven[/url]
[url="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/107190-The-Return-of-the-Lost-%28Macey-Dean-series-inspired%29?p=1758093&viewfull=1#post1758093"]Chapter Eight[/url]
[url="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/107190-The-Return-of-the-Lost-%28Macey-Dean-series-inspired%29?p=1776442&viewfull=1#post1776442"]Chapter Nine[/url]
[url="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/107190-The-Return-of-the-Lost-%28Macey-Dean-series-inspired%29?p=1777830&viewfull=1#post1777830"]Chapter Ten[/url][/noparse]

Does this:

I'd suggest using it instead of the humongous first post with all of the chapters.

Voyager55 · March 9, 2015

Here:

[noparse][url="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/107190-The-Return-of-the-Lost-%28Macey-Dean-series-inspired%29?p=1674851&viewfull=1#post1674851"]Chapter Two[/url]
[url="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/107190-The-Return-of-the-Lost-%28Macey-Dean-series-inspired%29?p=1692014&viewfull=1#post1692014"]Chapter Three[/url]
[url="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/107190-The-Return-of-the-Lost-%28Macey-Dean-series-inspired%29?p=1707138&viewfull=1#post1707138"]Chapter Four[/url]
[url="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/107190-The-Return-of-the-Lost-%28Macey-Dean-series-inspired%29?p=1735394&viewfull=1#post1735394"]Chapter Five[/url]
[url="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/107190-The-Return-of-the-Lost-%28Macey-Dean-series-inspired%29?p=1737103&viewfull=1#post1737103"]Chapter Six[/url]
[url="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/107190-The-Return-of-the-Lost-%28Macey-Dean-series-inspired%29?p=1752178&viewfull=1#post1752178"]Chapter Seven[/url]
[url="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/107190-The-Return-of-the-Lost-%28Macey-Dean-series-inspired%29?p=1758093&viewfull=1#post1758093"]Chapter Eight[/url]
[url="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/107190-The-Return-of-the-Lost-%28Macey-Dean-series-inspired%29?p=1776442&viewfull=1#post1776442"]Chapter Nine[/url]
[url="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/107190-The-Return-of-the-Lost-%28Macey-Dean-series-inspired%29?p=1777830&viewfull=1#post1777830"]Chapter Ten[/url][/noparse]

Does this:

I'd suggest using it instead of the humongous first post with all of the chapters.

Thanks, I probably should do that.

Though i'd prefer to spoiler collapse the chapters, since I only want to display the illustrations on the original post. But i'm a forum newby, any idea how to do that?

Starwhip · March 10, 2015

Yes.

[noparse]

<Other stuff goes here>

[/noparse]

For example... [noparse]

World!

[/noparse] does

World!

Voyager55 · March 10, 2015

Yes.
[noparse]
<Other stuff goes here>
[/noparse]
For example... [noparse]
World!
[/noparse] does
World!

Thanks, that was a huge help. First page is less of an eyesore now.

vsully · March 10, 2015

Really cool, can't wait for more...

Voyager55 · March 20, 2015

Thanks! ^^^

- - - Updated - - -

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Shelbus could hear an abrasive whirring vibrating through the body of the dropship. Yawning widely, he slowly woke and stretched his arms high above his head. Popping open the canopy, he squinted at the bright morning light. Hm, when did I fall asleep? These long days are really starting to take a toll on me.

He sluggishly flopped out of the cockpit and stepped down the access ladder. AL drove out from under the dropship. "Good morning, Shelbus."

"Good morning, AL. How's it going under there?" Shelbus groggily stepped off the ladder and leaned down to look at Al.

"I have been unsuccessful in repairing the rear landing gear. Your landing did an enormous amount of damage, last night." AL rotated his camera slightly to gesture towards the rear of the dropship as he folded away his cutting tool.

"Hey, landing isn't easy, Al." said Shelbus scratching his head as he observed the mangled landing gear. "Is Merbald ok? I heard him complaining quite a bit about his back after the landing."

"Affirmative. Mr. Merbald is quite fine. I conducted a basic medical evaluation of both Miss Genenie and Mr. Merbald while you slept. The back pain was temporary and to be expected in a Kerbal of his age. Miss Genenie suffered from mild hunger, but was unsatisfied by the emergency consumable rations. However, in spite of her continued complaints, I believe she will be fine."

"What would you expect from TV stars like Genenie and Gregford." Shelbus chuckled. "Gregford.... Genenie!" Shelbus slapped both hands onto the sides of his head.

"AL, what am I supposed to tell them? Kraken, AL... They don't know what Gregford was doing. This isn't good. Where are they?"

"They are currently residing in a small shelter that they constructed from parts of the Isprit. It is just on the opposite side of the hill where the Isprit wreck resides."

Shelbus glanced over at the hill, where the charred black wreckage that had been the Isprit was half-buried in the sand.

"That's why our rendezvous point was so close the Isprit wreck. For the parts."

"Your Isprit wreck." AL interjected.

"Yeah, yeah... I ran out of fuel. Stop rubbing it in." Shelbus glanced over at the wreck again. "Why didn't they just sleep in the Isprit?"

"I told them that I was very uncertain about the amount damage to the dropship. I told them that I was worried about explosions, and that it was safer to sleep away from the wreck. In reality, I simply wanted to speak with you." He rotated his entire body in the sand so that he faced Shelbus.

"Shelbus, I have concerns. I must assume that Hanland has intent to construct military colonies on Laythe, which would be detrimental to the strategic position of Spiritwolf's allies. The Hanland's forces will not willingly lose their hold on this system. The dropship is an essential tool if they wish to prepare Laythe for the arrival of new ships to expand their operations. They will not give it up easily. Now, the dropship has a nine person crew capacity. Assuming one is the pilot, and one the commander, they have at least seven trained, armed Kerbals. I believe that they have already begun searching for the dropship by now."

"You have a plan right? You're the smart one, AL."

"Constant relocation is a possibility. However, it hinders my future plan. And we may very well be spotted or heard if we continue to activate the engines frequently. Our best option at the moment is to remain where we are. And, Shelbus..."

"Yeah?"

"You cannot hide your identity from Miss Genenie and Mr. Merbald forever. It will be detrimental to the mission. You must confront them before the day ends and put the matter to rest. You must make them comfortable around you."

"Of course." Shelbus said absently, "And while I'm at it, why don't I take on the Hanland's forces myself. And reconstruct Spiritwolf. And..."

"I am being serious at this moment, Shelbus. Please." There was a pause as AL refocused his lens. "There can be no interior obstacles to my success, our success. Killing Gregford was your only option at the time. Shelbus, you had to kill Gregford, for the good of the colony. For the good of Kerbalkind, Shelbus."

Shelbus sighed. Is that true, is that really true? There must have been something else I could have done. Anything else. AL, I'm a murderer. I murdered Genenie's love... don't you understand, AL?"

"Perhaps there was a different option, but you did what was required. You saved Genenie, Merbald, and everyone else. And we are going to save them all again, Shelbus. But first, you must alleviate any issues between you and Genenie and Mr. Merbald."

"Alright... alright... This won't end well though, AL."

Shelbus set his helmet down next to the ladder and started trekking off towards the shelter.

NOTE, illustrations are only available on page one inside the spoiler condensed chapters.

Edited March 20, 2015 by Voyager55

The Return of the Lost (Macey Dean series inspired)

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