115 lines
6.3 KiB
HTML
115 lines
6.3 KiB
HTML
<!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>
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<h1>Telescope</h1>
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<p>
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Jack grabs the map from the center console.<br />
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Michelle says: <span class="quote speech">I know the way.</span><br />
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<span class="quote speech">Wanna drive?</span><br />
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<span class="quote speech">Sure.</span><br />
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He puts the map back, hands her the keys, and the four get in the truck.
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James joins Michelle in the front and has Dora jump in
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<span class="comment">translate: in seinen Fußraum</span>, Annie
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and Jack take the rear seats. A few moments later, Michelle pulls onto
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the street in front of the bunker.<br />
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James asks her: <span class="quote speech">How far is it?</span><br />
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<span class="quote speech">A decent bit. Used to be about an hour on the
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highway. If it's in even somewhat decent shape, I'd say
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we're gonna make it there in about that time.</span><br />
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She turns right at an intersection onto the on-ramp, saying:<br />
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<span class="quote speech">Gonna find out very soon...</span>
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</p>
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<p>
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The pavement is cracked and has potholes, and the highway is partially
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overgrown but, despite this, its condition is somehow good enough.
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Michelle floors it and the truck rattles and shakes as it accelerates
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on the uneven asphalt. James <span class="comment">hangs on to the handle
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</span>in the door as the remains of the city outskirts fly by.
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Michelle takes notice:<br />
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<span class="quote speech">James, relax, that seat belt is gonna hold
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you.</span><br />
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<span class="quote speech">How are you not absolutely terrified by the
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speed?</span><br />
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<span class="quote speech">You get used to it... Also, I know very well
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what I can or can't do with this car – I used to drive the
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same back then.</span><br />
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<span class="comment">Maybe add a section about Dora acting up?</span>
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</p>
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<p>
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Within a few minutes, they make it out of Ivydale, leaving its valley
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behind. The mountains make way for an area of plains and shallow hills.
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The large, rusty signs above still indicate the proximity of
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Sentinel Shores where they haven't faded completely. Following
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them, Michelle takes an exit onto another highway that leads north,
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around the western part of Ivydale's lower side.
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</p>
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<p>
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After a while, they approach what used to be the outskirts of
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Sentinel Shores and Michelle takes an exit, getting them onto
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a rural road. The observatory is located on a hill, now ahead of them
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– a small group of buildings in the distance.
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As they get closer, the buildings take distinct shapes. Two of them
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stand out: The one in the center holds a large geodesic dome and another
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one off to the side behind it is a smooth round dome with a slot cut out
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of it for a telescope to peek through. Well, it <i>was</i> smooth at one
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point – now, it has many holes with a tree growing out of the
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largest one. The geodesic dome has ivy vines clinging to it but looks
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otherwise surprisingly intact. The other buildings look like mostly
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unremarkable ruins in various stages of decay.
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</p>
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<p>
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Michelle says:<br />
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<span class="quote speech">James, I'm sorry, but it doesn't
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look like you'll be able to look through that telescope – or
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anyone for that matter...</span><br />
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<span class="quote speech">Aww, what a let-down. Still gonna look for
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pictures there... Didn't you say you also need a telescope?</span>
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<br />
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<span class="quote speech">There are two telescopes here: The optical one
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back there and the radio telescope in that ball of triangles in the
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middle there. That's essentially just a really big antenna.</span>
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<br />
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<span class="quote speech">An antenna but you call it a telescope?</span>
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<br />
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<span class="quote speech">It works similarly, just for imaging a much
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lower part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Stars give off a bunch more
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than just visible light.</span><br />
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<span class="quote speech">Can we try that one?</span><br />
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<span class="quote speech">A lot of things would have to go right for
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that.</span>
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</p>
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<p>
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She drives through what remains of an open gate, onto a large,
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overgrown paved area inbetween the buildings, going around
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the radio telescope and parking the truck between it and the optical
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one. They get out and look around. Trees and bushes grow all over
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the place, some even out of the buildings' walls. Dora runs up
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to one of the bushes and barks at it. A young fox jumps out and runs
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away.<br />
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<span class="quote speech">Dora, c'mere!</span>
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</p>
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<p>
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They start by exploring the optical telescope. The lower part of the
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building is filled with <span class="comment">some technology stuff,
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preferably not all computers</span> and filing cabinets. Most of their
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contents are rotting sheets of paper holding documents and logs.
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Annie finds a folder with photos that are partially stuck together.
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The ones in the front depicting the outside of the observatory but
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there is at least one depicting a nebula.<br />
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<span class="quote speech">James, look what I found.</span><br />
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<span class="quote speech">Oooh thanks!</span><br />
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He takes it and puts it into a bag.
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</p>
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<p>
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Meanwhile, Jack has found a way upstairs. The staircase has partially
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collapsed so he moves one of the filing cabinets in their place and
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climbs to the next floor.<br />
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<span class="quote speech"></span>
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</p>
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<p class="comment">
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Plot hole: why geodesic dome?
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They start exploring in the optical telescope building - not wasting
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too much time there. Then, they go into the radome.
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</p>
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<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>
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