[O - E02] Another one bites the dust

[LucasLaughing]

Location: Jurin II - E02

Tags: Exploration, spaceship

Lu's Log - 02 Augustali 3815

I'm finally back on Jurin II. I found an artifact here about a month ago and I've been wanting to return to see what kind of progress the science team has made. The initial news is disappointing: after observing the artifact for several weeks, and watching at least three scorpion creatures pass into the field and slowly disappear, the science team sent in one of Dr Long's probes. Unfortunately, the field around the artifact reacted violently and disappeared, taking the artifact with it and injuring several team members.

Not to worry, though; our engineers have upgraded a Mudskipper with an array of powerful sensors and magnetic field detectors. If there are any more artifacts in the area, we should be able to find them. I'm lucky enough to take this ship on it's maiden run and I'm looking forward to a day spent flying over beautiful oceans and islands.

The cockpit is a bit cramped - the engineers had to run a lot of the wiring through the wall, but the team assures me that the equipment poses no danger to the pilot...

...despite several warning labels stating otherwise.

Still, I'm not too worried about it - the engineering team knows what it's doing. And I - whoa -

Note from Octan Administrator: at this point, a loud cracking noise is heard, and Ms Caslaug-Hing's audio log shuts off. The next few minutes have been reconstructed using the "Mudskipper's" cockpit voice recorder.

14:23:22 - Lu: What the [expletive redacted] was that? Did we hit something? CLAPPIE, I've got a ton of alarms going off - can you tell what's going on?

14:23:35 - CLAPPIE: Lu, it appears that the weight from the side-mounted scanning unit is damaging the main power conduit. Power levels are dropping rapidly.

14:23: 51 - Lu: Are you able to fix it?

14:23:56 - CLAPPIE: I'm afraid not. It's a mechanical problem, and I'm not yet able to interact with ordinary matter.

14:24:04 - Lu: Mudskipper 4 to JTC [Jurin Traffic Control] Maianday Maianday Maianday, I am losing power and multiple systems are shutting down, over.

14:24:15 - JTC: Mudskipper 4, JTC. Acknowledge your Maianday. Are you able to return to base, over?

14:24:25 - Lu: Negative, JTC. I think I'm going to have to ditch, over.

14:24:31 - JTC: Copy, Mudskipper. We have a fix on your beacon and - [loss of radio signal]

14:24:36 - Lu: [expletive redacted] We're coming in too fast -

14:24:52 - Onboard computer: Altitude low. Altitude low.

14:25:00 - CLAPPIE: [singing] We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when -

14:25:06 - Lu: Not helping, CLAPPIE. CLAPPIE: [singing] -but I know we'll meet again some sunny day...

14:25:18 - Onboard computer: Pull up! Pull up! CLAPPIE: [singing] KEEP SMILING THROUGH, JUST LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO - Lu: Aaaaaaah

14:25:25 - [sound of impact. Recording ends]

Link to full sized pics:

Overall crash scene:

The white flowers and the trees were inspired by Goatman's excellent E02 builds.

Edited August 3, 2015 by LucasLaughing

[mccoyed]

Nice story, landscaping, and vehicle.

[woofmcmoose]

Wow. Very cool build, the trail of debris and displaced sand is great and very convincing.

[Big Sal]

Amazing crash site! I like all the different kinds of trees

14:23:56 - CLAPPIE: I'm afraid not. It's a mechanical problem, and I'm not yet able to interact with ordinary matter.

I love CLAPPIE! I included him (her? it?) in a small way in my build this week, hope that's ok? Loved the singing as the ship goes down, was it an intentional Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference?

[goatman461]

i really like the shape and asymmetry of the ship and the greebling you did on the back end. everything is well connected so it looks like it actually has a function. the crash was well done too, which i know can be hard to accomplish with pieces that separate in ways are typically not realistic to a crash site.

[LucasLaughing]

Nice story, landscaping, and vehicle.

Wow. Very cool build, the trail of debris and displaced sand is great and very convincing.

Thanks guys!

I love CLAPPIE! I included him (her? it?) in a small way in my build this week, hope that's ok?

Totally okay with me! I imagine that there are many different versions of CLAPPIE, with varying degrees of sentience (and benevolence?)

Loved the singing as the ship goes down, was it an intentional Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference?

Yep! I'm a big HHG fan, and I've always loved the image of the robot singing cheerily while the ship goes down.

i really like the shape and asymmetry of the ship and the greebling you did on the back end. everything is well connected so it looks like it actually has a function. the crash was well done too, which i know can be hard to accomplish with pieces that separate in ways are typically not realistic to a crash site.

Thanks! I definitely spend a lot of time on the greebling trying to make it look plausible. I hope you don't mind that I borrowed your idea of a crash landing near the beach...

[mrcp6d]

Well that ended badly.

The striping along the sides is quite well done I'm not sold on the big honkin' outrigger, I think it probably would've been better on top--but then again I'm generally fairly anti-asymmetrical.

[LittleJohn]

Excellent crash site and I like the water

[Kodan Black]

The striping along the sides is quite well done I'm not sold on the big honkin' outrigger, I think it probably would've been better on top--but then again I'm generally fairly anti-asymmetrical.

I'm pretty anti-asymmetry myself, but I like the AWACS feel to this. The crash site is . Great dialogue too. I love the landscape with the beach and the scattered parts... kinda reminds me of LOST a bit.

[Bob De Quatre]

The judges awarded you 5 points.