Space Voyage #1

[IDMclean]

Doctor Emmet Brown, and Back to the Future. Flux capacitor. 'nuff said.

[Boerseun]

Whats a flux capacitator?

It's a machine that says you never saw the eighties!!! :eek:

[ronthepon]

Oh. I see.

Bad luck for my imagianation then, It's another one of those scientific fairy tale goods...

 

Anyway, I guess I'll see it work here.

[Jay-qu]

Whats a flux capacitator?

:)

[ronthepon]

:)

All right! All right! I did not see the eighties!!

 

So is it my fault that I don't see the good movies??

[Pyrotex]

Okay, rocket dudes and thruster dudettes,

It's getting awfully close to Launch time and we gotta get organized.

We are currently in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 222 miles.

Unless ordered otherwise by the commander (whoever the hell that is!!!) I intend to light up the nuclear engines for 1/20 G thrust (50% throttle) for the time necessary to build speed up to 28,000 MPH, with the intention of achieving lunar orbit for a little "play time". This is the Shakedown Cruise.

 

If you forget anything, it better be damn important, cause we're very unlikely to jump back to LEO to pick up your favorite sand-washed bluejeans with the embroidery on the butt pockets. I mean it.

[TheBigDog]

Oh I would like to ask, How will justice be handled, in the odd chance that someone does something that is... wrong. What kind of code will the mission go by seeing as we are going to be traversing intrastellar space.

 

Do we use capitial pushment, will there be hazzing? Are you innocent until proven guilty or guilty until proven innocent?

 

What kinda on board economy would we maintain? Are we Socialist or Capitialist? Are you my comrades or bussiness partners?

 

What is the Mission statement, what is our goals?

 

How would a mutiny be handled? If we were to encounter an alien life form how are we to approach, if we are to approach it? Do we have a prime directive or what?

You raise some great questions here KAC. I am going to answer them in two ways. First in my regular voice, and then in a kind of silly high-pitched squeal.

 

Justice and Punishment: We have a crew with a common purpose. We are not an open society full of miscreants. Our need for a justice system will be minimal. That being said, we will have a tribunal system for determining guilt and adminitering punishment. In the very worst cases of people trying to sabotage the ship and kill eveyone onboard we would first try to isolate them so they could do no harm, and then resort to putting them out an airlock. I am naming InfiniteNow as our presiding magestrate. He is not going to put people out the airlock unless it is REALLY needed. I don't think we will have any issues.

 

This is however a great question when it comes to generation ships where there will be a whole society living inside a confined space with limited resources. It is part of what we will be exploring as a sidebar of our trip in space as a group.

 

Economy: We are volunteer space explorers. The Prophesy is the interplanetary research platform of the planet earth. The ship is not indebted to or beholden to the wishes of any individual or organization other than myself and the crew joining me for the mission. We will be the designers of our mission, and have full authority to change and modify those plans as our voyage progresses. All investors, both individuals and countries are investing based upon their faith in our crew to deliver spectacular scientific study that will be published equally to the whole world via Hypography - our exclusive media outlet.

 

Mission Statement: "The next giant leap for mankind."

 

Prime Directive: I will address this in more detail in a later post.

 

Bill (t-12)

 

eeEEesaawwea eaaaeeeeHHAAAAaaee OOooaoaEESsoooahhh... EEchEEAAsaaeEEE ooeeey yaaeeeseeaaoo oiaseeeeeeeeelleeeeeEEesaawwea eaaaeeeeHHAAAAaaee OOooaoaEESsoooahhh... EEchEEAAsaaeEEE ooeeey yaaeeeseeaaoo oiaseeeeeeeeelleeeeeEEesaawwea eaaaeeeeHHAAAAaaee OOooaoaEESsoooahhh... EEchEEAAsaaeEEE ooeeey yaaeeeseeaaoo oiaseeeeeeeeelleee eeEEesaawwea eaaaeeeeHHAAAAaaee OOooaoaEE Ssoooahhh... EEchEEAAsaaeEEE ooeeey yaaeeeseeaaoo oiaseeeeeeeeelleeeeeEEesaawwea eaaaeeeeH HAAAAaaee OO ooaoaEESsoooahhh... EEchEEAAsaaeEEE ooeeey yaaeeeseeaaoo oiasee eeeeeeelleeeeeEEesaawwea eaaaeeeeHHAAAAaaee OOooaoaEESso ooahhh... EEchEEAAsaaeEEE ooeeey yaaeeeseeaaoo oiaseeeeeeeeelleee

 

EEEE (t-12)

[ronthepon]

What was the high pitched squeal for?

[Jay-qu]

All right! All right! I did not see the eighties!!

 

So is it my fault that I don't see the good movies??

no its your parents fault - they should educate you on all the cool stuff you missed while you where not here..

 

OHHH BigDog I told you no beer on the bridge!!! rrrr you *#$% wait till pyro heres about this.. we were about to do our test shakedown, with luck this wont set back our launch day - but I might have to pull a few all nighters to repair the custom made parts

[TheBigDog]

BODACIOUS SPACE VOYAGE BASH

 

The invitation reads black tie. The event is one of the most historically significant of any generation - the send off party for the crew of the Prophesy. An amazing private venture that will have a select group of explorer/scientists spending the next 5 years conducting first hand experiments on the planetary bodies throughout our solar system. Dignitaries and investors from around the world were flown in for the festivities. Expectations of pomp and circumstance abounded. But what actually happened was entirely unexpected...

 

From the beginning the mission of the Prophesy has captivated the public. The steady stream of launches from every capable space agency as the ship had been under assembly in orbit. The open call to the scientific community for the most essential questions to be asked in search of answers during the mission. The fund raising contests for the opportunity to visit the ship in orbit. And the mind boggling diplomacy that achieved unprecedented cooperation from governments and industries around the globe. All culminating with this final party just 12 days before the launch of the mission.

 

The menu promised to be authentic meals that will be served on the ship itself with festivities beginning at sundown. And that was all the detail given. Guests gathered at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas at 5:00 PM. Everyone was issued an official pass as hors deuvres were served in the ballroom. Several of the members of the Prophesy were mingling conspicuously among the guests. But curiously, there were no tables or any other indications that meals were going to be served. This continued for about an hour when an announcement was made that we need to go outside for transportation to the dinner. In hindsight I recall mischievous grins on the faces of the Prophesy crew, but only in hindsight. A murmur went through the guests, and the expected well choreographed evening began to take its first turn from the expected.

 

In the valet area of the hotel were a line of luxury busses. The guests began to filter onto the busses. There were over 1000 guests in all plus a hand full of press to cover the festivities. In addition there were many lingering security types on the fringes who seemed to have some information about what was happening next, but apparently were keeping quiet about it, even to those they were protecting.

 

It was a long wait for our turn to board the 10th bus before heading away from the Luxor. Many others followed after us. everyone onto the stream of busses. Our destination was just a short trip away. Nellis Navel Air Station just outside of Las Vegas. Our bus pulled right onto the base past security and onto the tarmac. From there we drove the length of the runway skirting past row upon row of parked fighter aircraft from around the world. At the end of the runway were four Boeing 747's. The busses were stopping at the foot of these giant planes and the guests were being escorted onboard. Where exactly was dinner going to be served? And what other surprises lay in store for us?

 

It took about two hours for all the guests to arrive by bus and board the planes. They were equipped with comfortable business class seating throughout. Cocktails and snacks were served. The buzz among the guests at this point was electric. Soon the flight attendants got everyone seated and buckled in, and the giant planes began to roll toward the end of the runway. Destination unknown.

 

The flight was perhaps the shortest I have ever taken. From takeoff to landing was less than 30 minutes. Nobody was exactly sure where we were when we landed although there was some speculation among the guests. As we disembarked the aircraft the truth was revealed by the logo on the stairs we descended from the plane. We had flown to the one and only Area 51!

 

Trams that you would find at an amusement park were waiting to whisk everyone away from the edge of the runway to a distant gathering point. The sun was just going down over the horizon leaving a orange glow in the western sky above the mountains. And stars were already twinkling in the east. The night was warm and dry, and the desert was as still as can be, disturbed only by the gathering excitement of the guests.

 

There was a red carpeted area where the trams stopped. It was covered with round dinner tables. A raised dais at one end held several more tables and a podium in the middle. There were also several tents along one side where servers bustled in preparation for the meal. More drinks and snacks were being circulated. In the middle of the tables was a wide pathway that lead all the way to the podium. There was a large round carpet in the middle of the pathway with the Prophesy logo emblazoned upon it.

 

Just before the final light from the sun was disappearing we were informed on the loudspeakers to be seated. The passes that we had been issued back at the hotel indicated where our seats were located. The noise from the crowd built again as everyone began to move to their assigned seats. As I sat down I noticed that there was a gentleman waiting to speak at the podium. He introduced himself, as all Prophesy crew members do, with his "call sign" - InfiniteNow. He joked that among his many duties on board the Prophesy was that of being the entertainment director. And as such he hope we had found the evening entertaining. As he spoke a screen lifted up behind him and a movie began to show. In perfect synchronization with the movie, he handed the show off to another crew member on the screen who gave us a tour of the ship. The gardens. The research payloads. The crew quarters. The command center. The exercise areas. The zero G bay. Those in attendance got a tour from one end of the ship to the other.

 

Then as the tour ended, the screen folded down and another speaker was at the podium. He introduced himself as "Jay-Que" - Astrophysicist for the Prophesy. A surprisingly young man for such an enviable position. He spoke with an Australian accent about the current orbit and position of the Prophesy. He spoke of the new technologies being employed by the ship for landing probes on all sorts of differing environments. About the final preparations for launch from orbit, and that during the movie meal we had all been waiting for had been sent from the Prophesy and was currently descending toward the earth for imminent consumption by the guests. As he said this he pointed toward the sky. Circling toward the area were bright colored lights. As it grew closer we could make out the cone shape of a lander. Spotlights on the top of the lander shined up into the canopy of a large shaped parachute. It was clearly steering itself to the end of the runway adjacent to the dinner area. Seconds before touchdown landing gear folded out of the cylinder. As it made contact the long legs of the landing gear cushioned the craft to a gentle stop. A few moments later the parachute was jettisoned clear of the craft and it stood shining and glorious not 300 feet from where I sat. At this point I began to notice that I had been cheering loudly along with the crowd for some time. This cheering went on for a long minute. Then the craft lifted slightly as wheels pushed down through the gear. This brought fresh energy to the crowd and cheering became intense again. Then the craft began to move. Rolling slowly toward the seating area. As it got closer headlights turned on lighting its path. It was not moving more than a slow walk, but was magnificent to see in motion. It maneuvered skillfully to the edge of the area and stopped. Then lowered itself almost to its belly. And paused. I was now less than 50 feet from the lander. It was about 30 feet in diameter at the base and 30 feet tall. It was shaped like the old landers from the early days of space exploration - a wide cone of a bottom with a cylinder top. It had the emblem of the Prophesy emblazoned on the side and shined like nothing I have ever seen before.

 

It paused for a long while. The crowd waited and buzzed. Nothing happened. We waited longer. Voices began to whisper and then rose above whispers. People began to look toward the dais, but all the crew members just sat grinning, enjoying the moment of anticipation. Over the next few moments I became aware of a low rumble coming from the direction of the lander. It had not been there before and soon it became a loud low sound that rose above the excited anticipation of the now hushed crowd.

 

And suddenly, a burst of light and sound came from the top portion of the craft. Five bright colors and five distinctive notes from the mind of John Williams. The five signature notes from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and as the last not rang out in deafening volume over the crowd they erupted in cheers all over again. This simple musical phrase repeated several times as the crowd continued to cheer. I was getting dizzy from the excitement of the moment. When suddenly it stopped, and the craft got dark. It took a few moments for the crowd to quiet again. Another long moment passed when the clear sound of mechanical noises came from the craft, and the front panel began to swing open from the top, hinged near the bottom, and unfolding into a ramp. An intense bright light came out of the craft blinding those who looked toward it. In the background from the main sound system, the theme from "2001: A Space Odyssey" began to come to life. And movement came from the top of the ramp and a wheeled vehicle that looked like one of the Mars explorers rolled down the ramp. As the music peaked more crawlers followed out of the lander and onto the red carpet. As the last vehicle left the lander the lights inside extinguished and everyone's attention moved hypnotically with the line of rovers working their way down the aisle. They slowly worked their way to the open center section onto the rug with the Prophesy logo and arranged themselves, twelve in all, in a circle around the logo.

 

The crowd was now horse from cheering. Hands were sore and arms exhausted from clapping. I cannot remember such a feeling of exuberance in my lifetime.

 

Suddenly spotlights from the dais shined across the tops of the crowd illuminating the open door of the lander. All heads turned in unison to see four figures standing side by side at the top of the ramp. Four pure white space suites with reflective gold bubble helmets. And four fists going into the air in celebration of the ride of a lifetime. The cheer at that moment was like none other. In all of history that moment shared by those 1000 plus people will live forever as the crescendo of ecstasy and exuberance that is humanly possible to experience. The four men removed their helmets and their smiles shined brighter than the spotlights. The cheers lasted as they moved down the ramp and through the crowd, as they shook hands with everyone who rushed toward the aisle to touch immortality, and continued as they reached the podium and pumped fists into the air again and again, and embraced their fellow crew members. Those cheers will last forever in my heart as the greatest moment I can ever hope to experience.

 

As the four men reached the dais they were introduced by InfiniteNow as "Racoon" the man in charge of the onboard agriculture, "Boerseun" and "Pyrotex" who had prepared the meal, and "Janus" who had engineered the landing craft that had carried them to the earth. And with the words "RonThePon, got those landers opened so we can serve our guests", dinner had begun. As things were being served it was explained that there are 12 agricultural pods on the ship. Each of the 12 rovers had a dish prepared from food from each of the pods. Included in that were 3 different micro brews from the ship. As a young crew member attended to each of the rovers so the service staff could begin serving, music started and a party atmosphere took over. Before long the decorum had completely evaporated away, and the crowd was laughing and drinking and partying and dancing like teenagers with no parents around.

 

And on the dais, the crew of the Prophesy partied like rock gods. It was like "Revenge of the Nerds" meets "Animal House". A daring few managed to last with them for a short while. But these men and women of great purpose were getting a chance to let go for the last time for several years. With only 12 days until launch, the crew of the Prophesy is showing the whole world who has layed so much trust in their possession, that they can execute a plan of such timing and complexity as this dinner, and at the same time exalt in success and celebrate as any human wishes they could do. By four AM the trams were taking people back to the waiting 747's. Back to the busses. Back to the hotel. Back down to earth and away from the celebration of exploration and space. All that is except for the crew of the Prophesy. They were still goinng strong when I left. And were showing no sign of stopping.

 

Congratulations go not just the the crew of the Prophesy, but to all of mankind, for all that we have done in our history on this planet has elevated us to this moment. And this moment is the launching point for the next great leap for mankind.

 

William Benton - Staff Writer for Forums.Hypography.com

[Boerseun]

Good going, Bill! ROCK ON!!!

 

Glad you could remind us what happened at the party - it's all a bit hazy to me... :D

[Jay-qu]

If your thinking of skipping over that post DONT! just one question what is the Prophesy logo?

[Pyrotex]

Wow! Outasite, Bill! Just flamin outasite!

Bravo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TheBigDog]

If your thinking of skipping over that post DONT! just one question what is the Prophesy logo?

Logo's are always a challenge to me. Simple is usually better. I had a vision of something symbolizing man's conquest of the solar system. I made this, but it looks like an ad for a palm reader. I am open to suggestions for the logo.

 

I am glad you guy's enjoyed the party as much as I did. Can't wait to observe and report on the progress of the mission.

 

Bill (t-11)

[Racoon]

Big Kudos BigDog!! :cup:

 

Can't hardly wait! :)

 

Nice Logo... does that come in XL??

[ronthepon]

Or how about a this logo, atleast one of this style.

 

I kinda dislike logos which remind me of astrology.

 

Ready to do the dirty work commander!:cup:

[ronthepon]

Or you could consider these ones.

 

Slick! ShinY!

 

The kind of logos that'll make our ship look less geeky...