The Scholar and the Professor (Auhtafaél 3rd, 2213)
Two kerbals are on an important mission. They will not be famed, but the work they do is invaluable. History will know them only by what they call eachother; The Scholar and The Professor.
- Screenshot 2026-06-25 231709.png (2.1 MiB) Viewed 45 times
"What are we looking for anyways?"
The terrain levels out and inertia makes their ionsan briefly take flight
«That depends. Are we still in comms range?»
"No but why does that matter?"
The ionsan loudly slams down again
«They don't want you to know what I’m about to say. The astrofleet records are incomplete. It doesn’t mention one we lost in like 38, around Tylo I think. When the accompanying ships moved in to collect survivors it was gone. No debris or anything. Swallowed by the kraken as they say.»
"Are you sure you're not just talking about the ghost ship?"
The professor shrugs
"You're saying it's true..!?"
«Of course I'm not. Two-hundred years of theorisation and not one instance of a wormhole or transdimensional travel or anything like that has been accomplished. But what is true is there's something weird where we're going, and they think they might as well send us over.»
"But why mention it if you don’t believe it..?"
Having exhausted anything of note to talk about a silence developes between the two, and the Scholar slowly drifts to sleep.
«Wake up, look, over there!»
The scholar stifles their frustration and attempts to make out whatever the professor thought was so important.
«Yeah you see it right? It's Phoenian!»
"Wha- So that interdimensional ghost ship stuff was all true?"
«Hell no. Probably just set down on autopilot or something and some salvager cut it in half to steal the RTGs. But it might have what we want.»
- Screenshot 2026-06-26 000604.png (2.33 MiB) Viewed 45 times
The professor turns the ionsan side on to slowly brake, finally sliding to a halt just before the wounded beast.
«You check the bridge. Try to find clues on where the aft section went.»
The professor carefully maneuvers the mangled mess of girders and shattered plating which made up the fore, while the scholar forces the bridge open with little effort; these older designs had very interesting ways of shaving off weight.
«Damn, they took everything! How are things on your end?»
A few displays are somehow still working after decades, and on the largest one is a projection of Bop with a waypoint near the north. It reads ‘UNKNOWN LIFEFORM, HUGE’. The scholar stands there paralyzed in a flavour of terror they have never known before.
«Scholar! Listen to me!»
The professor’s rebuke seems to break the trance.
“Oh…Yeah there’s nothing of note in here…”
«The aft section couldn’t have gone too far. We’ll continue searching tomorrow.»
- Screenshot 2026-06-25 231500.png (1.43 MiB) Viewed 45 times
Neither of them sleep long. The scholar can’t reconcile the known laws of the universe and the monster on Bop’s northern pole. The professor’s scarred mind physically cannot let them sleep long either. Within only two hours, another night terror gets them both searching again.
They head north in silence. The professor only wants to get the job done and go home. The scholar can only try to avoid dwelling on their shrinking distance to that monster.
- Screenshot 2026-06-26 001155.png (2.56 MiB) Viewed 45 times
The landscape is dark now, and only helmet lights illuminate their way. Neither of them say anything when the wreckage comes into view. The professor immediately gets to work while the scholar wanders around looking at the ship. This section seems to have still legible writing on it.
“...PAS Un–”
«Hey get over here. I need you to help me get this engine.»
The professor interrupts, having successfully separated their prize from the fallen star. In the low gravity they still struggle to secure it onto the trailer, but are ultimately successful.
- Screenshot 2026-06-26 002848.png (2.65 MiB) Viewed 45 times