'pk' <Lena first contact>: revision, add a paragraph

master
BodgeMaster 2025-07-09 18:54:45 +02:00
parent f63cdb43aa
commit da99774cd7
1 changed files with 55 additions and 30 deletions

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@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
parts and follows them. Annie follows not long after, carrying a stack of
thick binders of documentation. They walk up the stairs and set their
things down somewhere off to the side. Then, they go for round
two, fetching a generator, some tools, <span class="comment">two other
things</span> from the truck.
two, fetching a generator, two fuel canisters, a toolbox,
<span class="comment">something else</span> from the truck.
<!--
Things they will need later:
- oscilloscope
@ -23,55 +23,79 @@
<span class="comment">They have tried cranking the dish around by hand
at some point before this. The tilt mechanism is completely seized up,
the pan mechanism spins freely and doesn&apos;t work.</span><br />
Jack begins to disassemble the gearbox for panning the dish around.
Michelle looks up at the tilt mechanism and gets an idea.<br />
Jack begins to disassemble the gearbox in the floor that used to pan
the dish around. Michelle looks up at the tilt mechanism and gets
an idea.<br />
<span class="quote speech">James, help me up there.</span><br />
With his help, she jumps up to the dish and clings to its underside.
From there, she climbs up to the center.<br />
With his help, she jumps up to the lower side of the dish and clings to
a structural beam on its underside. From there, she climbs up to a thick
cable hanging near the center.<br />
She calls down to James: <span class="quote speech">Can you pass me
a screwdriver? Need a large flathead.</span><br />
He gets one from the toolbox.<br />
He grabs one from the toolbox.<br />
<span class="quote speech">Catch!</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Thanks.</span><br />
Sitting on a thick cable hanging from the dish, she begins to remove
the cover of the gearbox in front of her.<br />
Jack looks at her and says: <span class="quote speech">Be careful with
your fingers up there.</span>
<span class="quote speech">Whoop... Thanks.</span><br />
Sitting on the cable, she begins to remove the gearbox cover in front
of her.
</p>
<p>
After a while, she gets the cover loose and it falls towards her.
After a while, she gets it loose and it falls towards her.
She struggles to keep her balance for a moment as the cover lands wedged
between her legs and the central <span class="comment">post? beam?</span>
holding the dish. With some effort, she manages to wrangle it to th other
side of the cable.<br />
<span class="quote speech">James, Annie, can you catch this? Careful,
it&apos;s heavy.</span><br />
They do and Michelle turns her attention back to the gearbox in front of
her. It is completely dried out and the large gears appear to be stuck
together with some dark brown gunk.<br />
The two stand across from each other and extend their arms. Michelle
lets go and they catch it. She turns her attention back to the gearbox
in front of her. It is completely dried out and the large gears appear
to be stuck together with some dark brown gunk.<br />
<span class="quote speech">I think this one just needs to be cleaned and
lubricated.</span><br />
Jack says: <span class="quote speech">Wish I could say the same for down
here...</span><br />
She looks at the gearbox Jack had been taking apart.
One of the gears inside has been partially stripped of its teeth and
another one is broken. Jack has already removed one of the gears and
is using a screwdriver as a pry bar for the next one.
<!-- something something "I'm not putting my fingers in there" -->
Jack says: <span class="quote speech">Wish I could say the same...</span>
<br />
She looks down at the gearbox he is taking apart. One of the gears
had been partially stripped of its teeth and another one is fractured
right through the middle. Jack has already removed some of the gears
and is using a screwdriver as a pry bar for the next one.<br />
Michelle says: <span class="quote speech">You gonna break that
thing.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">I&apos;m sure as fuck not putting my fingers
in there.</span><br />
He walks over to the toolbox and grabs a much bigger one.
</p>
<p>
Michelle begins to scrape off some of the brown gunk but can't get the
gears to move. Meanwhile, Jack finishes taking his gearbox apart and
organizes the parts on the floor, laying them out in rows. She climbs
down and they discuss what to do next.<br />
Jack says: <span class="quote speech">This one could probably be welded
back together.</span><br />
He picks up the pieces of the split gear.<br />
<span class="quote speech">No clue what to do about that one
though.</span><br />
He points to the one that had some of its teeth stripped.<br />
James asks: <span class="quote speech">Without the gears in there,
can&apos;t we just push the dish around?</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Dunno, we can try &ndash; though it might
just be too heavy.</span><br />
<!-- They mount a log/beam to the outside of the lower part -->
<!-- no workie -->
</p>
<p>
<span class="comment">missing section</span>
</p>
<p>
The oscilloscope shows a thick wobbly line. Michelle slightly adjusts
the knob for the trigger frequency and the image turns into a continuous
sine wave, slowly rolling to the left.<br />
the knob for the trigger frequency until the image turns into a
continuous sine wave, slowly rolling to the left.<br />
She says: <span class="quote speech">I think that&apos;s their carrier.
It worked.</span><br />
Jack flips a switch on the project box.<br />
<span class="quote speech">Ringing.</span><br />
Michelle picks up the receiver and listens.<br />
<span class="quote non-speech">Beeeeep. Beeeeep. Beeeeep. Beeeeep.</span>
<span class="quote non-speech">Beeeeep.&emsp;&emsp;Beeeeep.&emsp;&emsp;
Beeeeep.&emsp;&emsp;Beeeeep.</span>
<br />
It takes a while for someone to pick up.<br />
A female voice greets her: <span class="quote speech">Hello?</span><br />
@ -79,8 +103,8 @@
phone:
<span class="quote speech">This is ground support facility 53. Do you
hear me?</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Yes, I can hear you. So good to hear
someone&apos;s voice.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Yes, I can hear you. So good to hear a human
voice.</span><br />
Jack hears it and says quietly: <span class="quote speech">And I thought
we were the ones facing unexpected difficuties...</span><br />
Michelle notices the carrier strength gradually dropping and says:
@ -95,10 +119,11 @@
She looks at the oscilloscope.<br />
<span class="quote speech">... three minutes until the connection
drops out.</span><br />
The voice on the other end quietly mumbles to herself:
The voice on the other end frantically mumbles to herself:
<span class="quote speech">How&apos;s this thing work...</span><br />
Michelle turns the receiver away from her mouth.<br />
<span class="quote speech">Jack, I need the manual.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Jack, I need the manual. Radio panel.</span>
<br />
He opens it at one of the bookmarks and hands it over. The page depicts
the control panel on the other end.<br />
Speaking into the phone again, Michelle says: