<!DOCTYPE html><html><head><title> Telescope </title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="html_resources/style.css"></head><body><div class="back"><a href="index.html"><</a></div>
<h1>Telescope</h1>
<p>
Michelle says: <span class="quote speech">I know the way.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Wanna drive?</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Sure.</span><br />
Jack hands her the keys and the four get in the truck. James joins
Michelle in the front, Annie and Jack take the rear seats.
A few moments later, Michelle pulls onto the street in front of
the bunker.<br />
James asks her: <span class="quote speech">How far is it?</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">A decent bit. Used to be about an hour on the
highway. If it's in even somewhat decent shape, I'd say
we're gonna make it there in about that time.</span><br />
She turns right at an intersection onto the on-ramp, saying:<br />
<span class="quote speech">Gonna find out very soon...</span>
</p>
<p>
The pavement is cracked and has potholes, and the highway is partially
overgrown but, despite this, its condition is somehow good enough.
Michelle floors it and the truck rattles and shakes as it accelerates
on the uneven asphalt. James <span class="comment">hangs on to the handle
</span>in the door as the remains of the city outskirts fly by.
Michelle takes notice:<br />
<span class="quote speech">James, relax, that seat belt is gonna hold
you.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">How are you not absolutely terrified by the
speed?</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">You get used to it after a while... Also,
I know very well what I can or can't do with this car –
I used to drive the same back then.</span>
</p>
<p>
Within a few minutes, they make it out of Ivydale, leaving its valley
behind. The mountains make way for an area of plains and shallow hills.
The large, rusty signs above still indicate the proximity of
Sentinel Shores where they haven't faded completely. Following
them, Michelle takes an exit onto another highway that takes them north,
around the western part of Ivydale's lower side.
</p>
<p>
After a while, they approach what used to be the outskirts of
Sentinel Shores and Michelle takes an exit, getting them onto
a rural road. The observatory is located on a hill, now ahead of them
– a small group of buildings in the distance.
As they get closer, the buildings take distinct shapes. Two of them
stand out: The one in the center holds a large geodesic dome and another
one off to the side behind it is a smooth round dome with a slot cut out
of it for a telescope to peek through. Well, it <i>was</i> smooth at one
point – now, it has many holes with a tree growing out of the
largest one. The geodesic dome has ivy vines clinging to it but looks
otherwise surprisingly intact. The other buildings look like mostly
unremarkable ruins in various stages of decay.
</p>
<p>
Michelle says:<br />
<span class="quote speech">James, I'm sorry, but it doesn't
look like you'll be able to look through that telescope – or
anyone for that matter...</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Aww, what a let-down. Might still find
pictures there... Didn't you say you also need a telescope?</span>
<br />
<span class="quote speech">There are two telescopes here: The optical one
back there and the radio telescope in that ball of triangles in the
middle there. That's essentially just a really big antenna.</span>
<br />
<span class="quote speech">How does that work?</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Stars emit light, but also other kinds of
radiation. Radio telescopes were used to image that.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Can we do that?</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">A lot of things would have to go right for
that.</span>
</p>
<p>
She drives through what remains of an open gate, onto a large,
overgrown paved area inbetween the buildings. She drives around
the radio telescope and parks the truck between it and the optical
telescope. They get out and look around. Trees and bushes grow all over
the place, some even out of the buildings' walls. Dora runs up
to one of the bushes and barks at it. A young fox jumps out and runs
away.<br />
<span class="quote speech">Dora, c'mere!</span>
</p>
<p>
They start by exploring the optical telescope. The lower part of the
building is filled with <span class="comment">some technology stuff,
preferably not all computers</span> and filing cabinets. Most of their
contents are rotting sheets of paper holding documents and logs.
Annie finds a folder with photos that are partially stuck together.
The ones in the front depicting the outside of the observatory but
there is at least one depicting a nebula.<br />
<span class="quote speech">James, look what I found.</span><br />
He puts it into his backpack.
</p>
<p>
Meanwhile, Jack has found a way upstairs. The stairs are partially
collapsed so he moves one of the filing cabinets in their place and
climbs to the next floor.<br />
<span class="quote speech"></span>
</p>
<p class="comment">
Plot hole: geodesic dome bad.
They start exploring in the optical telescope building - not wasting
too much time there. Then, they go into the radome.
</p>
<p class="copyright">Copyright © 2023-2025 Jan Danielzick (aka. BodgeMaster) – All rights reserved.</p><script>let spans = ["<span class=\"paper green\">", "<span>"]; let pre_texts = document.getElementsByTagName("pre"); for (let i = 0; i < pre_texts.length; i++) {if (pre_texts[i].className != "paper") continue; let lines = pre_texts[i].innerHTML.split("\n"); let result = ""; for (let j = 0; j < lines.length; j++) {if (lines[j].length >= 80) result = result + spans[j%2] + lines[j] + "</span>\n"; else result = result + spans[j%2] + lines[j] + " ".repeat(80-lines[j].length) + "</span>\n";} pre_texts[i].innerHTML = result;}</script></body></html>