The aliens explain that their ship is almost out of power. They get their energy from crystals. The crystals are on an asteroid not far from this location, but the alien ship doesn't have the power to reach it. Could your spaceship get the crystals for them?\n\nAs the most junior astronaut you, along with Ensign Chemise-Rouge, are ordered to go down to the [[asteroid]] to get the crystals. This is exciting! A real space mission! Nothing could go wrong!\n\n
Hey! You're an astronaut!\n\nThis is your first mission in space, so you're extra nervous, but everyone says that if you just work hard, pay attention and never EVER touch the [[red button]] you'll be fine.\n
\n\nThe lander is ahead! You're going to make it!\n\nExcept what that big dragon-looking shape in front of it?\n\n“Oh hey,” it says, “I'm a space dragon. How are you?”\n\n“Aaaah!” yells Ensign Chemise-Rouge and faints.\n\n“Wow, that guy's annoying,” says the space dragon, “Can I eat him?”\n\nYou think about it, but “No, he's really close to retirement anyway, so he won't bother you.”\n\n“So,” says the space dragon, “What are you doing here? I'm not used to visitors.”\n\nYou wonder if you should tell the space dragon about your mission to get the crystals. He seems nice, but he is a space dragon (which you didn't even know existed until just now) and you are on an official mission.\n\nShould you tell the [[truth]] or [[make something up]]?\n\n
The glue doesn't seem to be setting properly. It's slowed the leak, but only a little. You'll have to get back to the [[ship]] fast!\n\nYou start dragging the ensign back to the lander as fast as you can bounce.\n\n“Hey! Ow, watch it!” says the ensign.\n\nBut you ignore him and keep moving.\n\n
“Yes!” you shout, “I'm stuck out here!”\n\n“Hold on,” the alien voice says, “We'll pull you in. By the way, is that a space wrench in your hand?”\n\nIt turns out the space wrench is just the thing the aliens need to repair their ship! By the time the shuttle arrives you've fixed an alien spaceship, made a bunch of new friends, and negotiated an interstellar trade agreement. You get promoted to lieutenant (completely bypassing the ensign rank) and a space medal.\n\nNot bad for a first mission!\n\nEnd\n
Wait what? Weren't you paying attention? Don't mess with that button! Now get back to [[work]]!
The inside of the cave is super dark but you do have lights on your space suits. All that the light seems to show is more rock though.\n\n“This is useless,” says the ensign, “We should go back.”\n\nYou want to explore a bit more, but before you can say anything you feel a rumble.\n\n“Earthquake!” the ensign yells.\n\nYou think that it's probably more of an asteroid-quake but you don't really have time to argue.\n\n“Run!” the ensign cries, before shoving you aside and running (as fast as you can in low gravity, so it's more of bounce-run) towards the cave entrance. It may be a good idea - except that you see briefly a flash that looks like it could be from a crystal. Do you [[look]] or [[run]]?\n
You hit the other button - the almost-but-not-quite-Red button (it's more of a magenta) - and alarms sound!\n\nEveryone on the ship springs into action - which causes a lot of bouncing around because there's no gravity in space and springing really sends you flying.\n\nHailing frequencies are opened to try and talk to the ship.\n\n“Hi,” says a voice from the alien ship, “Are you the aliens?”\n\n“No,” says the pilot, “You're the aliens.”\n\n“Huh,” replies the other ship, “We always thought of you guys as aliens. Funny that.”\n\n“Are you going to attack?” asks the pilot nervously, “Maybe attempt to kidnap and/or probe us?”\n\n“Uh, no thanks… but we are looking for some [[help]].”\n
You and Ensign Chemise-Rouge take the landing module down to the rather large asteroid and step out on to it in your suits. It's pretty cool being in outer space, even if the place you're standing on is just a big rock. It's still a big rock in space!\n\nLooking at all this rock, it's kinda hard to see any crystals. You do however see a dark shadow, that looks to be the entrance to a cave. There's also a big hill in the distance. Should you check the [[cave]] or see what's behind the [[hill]]?\n
It works! The tape stops the leak entirely. You can now focus on getting the ensign - and the crystals - back to the [[ship]].
You head over to the hill, ignoring Ensign Chemise-Rouge who is yelling he wants to see the cave.\n\nThere you are quite surprised to find something that looks like a giant dragon.\n\n“Hey,” it says, “What's up?”\n\n“Um, hello,” you say, “Are you a dragon?”\n\n“Yes,” the dragon says, “Technically I'm a space dragon. What are you?”\n\n“I'm a junior astronaut,” you say.\n\n“Well, Junior Astronaut, what brings you to my asteroid?”\n\nYou're about to tell him about the aliens and the crystals when suddenly Ensign Chemise-Rouge comes round the hill.\n\n“What are you doing?” he says but then he sees the space dragon. “Aaaaah!”\n\n“Aaaah!” the dragon yells back and then opens his mouth very wide and swallows the ensign whole.\n\n“Avenge me!” you hear the ensign cry from somewhere in the dragons stomach.\n\nWhat do you do? [[Vengeance]]? Or should someone try and [[calm]] this situation down?\n\n
Space! An All-Ages Astronaut Adventure
“Whoa!” you yell, “You didn't have to eat him!”\n\n“Oh sorry,” says the dragon, “He scared me and I'm a nervous eater.”\n\nWith an asteroid-rattling burp, the space dragon coughs up the ensign. His suit is slimy but he's unharmed. \n\nThe dragon is so embarrassed he shows you where to find the crystals you need. The aliens are grateful, the space dragon is an okay kind of creature, and Ensign Chemise-Rouge decides to retire very soon after. Not you though! After one successful space mission you can't wait to have more!\n\nEnd\n
“We're not here to fight!” the aliens insist, “We need [[help]].”
You run after the ensign as fast as you can bounce. Some rocks come loose from the entrance and almost block your way but being a small junior astronaut you're able to wiggle through.\n\nYou head back to the lander, narrowly making it onboard before the ensign starts taking off (you do have to wonder if the ensign would have waited for you). As you look down at the asteroid you think you see something moving - it almost looks like a dragon. But that's crazy, best not to mention it. Bad enough that you're going back to the ship without the crystals. Your first space mission hasn't turned out very well at all.\n\nEnd\n
You turn and run and manage to make your way back to the lander and to the ship. There you tell everyone onboard about what happened.\n\nYou end up leading an interstellar war against the space dragon and his people but you make sure that the name of Ensign what's his name is never forgotten.\n\nEnd \n
Oh no! Firing the thrusters causes your ship to sail well past the docking bay, and past the space station!\n\nThe pilot takes back the controls. “Nice going, Junior Astronaut! Do you know how long it's going to take me to turn the ship around and get back to the space station?”\n\nYou don't know, but think it may be a while. The pilot sends you to clean out air vents. Your first mission isn't going so well!\n\nYou get to work cleaning - which is not easy in space, everything floats. While you're working you look out one of the windows. It's a nice view. Space sure is big! And dark. Except for that ship moving out there - hey, wait! What is that ship?\n\nIt's like no other spaceship you've seen. In fact you might even call it… alien? No that can't be! Except-What do you do? [[Alert]] the crew and risk them thinking you're messing up again? Or say [[nothing]] and get back to work?\n\n
It's better not to call attention to yourself. You're in enough trouble as it is. Besides you probably had space dust in your eye or something. Except that ship - which you're sure really isn't an alien ship - is getting closer.\n\n“Hey what's that?” asks the pilot.\n\n“What?” you ask scrubbing harder at the windows.\n\n“That.”\n\n“I missed a spot.”\n\n“No, not that. There. That spot. The one that's getting bigger and is shaped like an alien ship.”\n\n“Oh, that,” you say, “I was hoping it would go away.”\n\nYou don't get into any trouble though because the pilot sounds the alarm and tells you to get ready to fight. You're not sure what to fight with because all you have is some window cleaner and a paper towel, but you try to look prepared.\n\nYou do wonder if someone should try talking to the aliens first. Then you realize that you didn't say that to anyone, just said it to yourself. It takes a few tries before you're heard over all the alarms, but finally the pilot turns to look at you.\n\n“Talk?”\n\n“Yes,” you say, “There's the radio?”\n\n“Okay,” the pilot says, “At least we can tell them we won't give in without a [[fight]]!”\n
“We were just passing through,” you say, making sure the crystals are behind you, “Just got out to change a tire on our space rover.”\n\n“You're lying,” the space dragon says, “You've taken my crystals. I can smell them on you.”\n\nYou want to ask how the dragon can smell in space where there's no atmosphere, but there's no time because the dragon has opened his mouth very wide and it's full of very sharp teeth.\n\nYou don't think Ensign Chemise-Rouge is going to make it to retirement. Who would have thought your first space mission would end so badly?\n\nEnd\n
“No, thanks,” you manage to say, “I'm waiting for someone.”\n\n“Okay,” says the voice, “We have to go repair our ship anyway, we're almost out of power.”\n\n“Well, good luck,” you say.\n\n“You too.” And with that the ship is headed away.\n\nLooking back towards the space station, you see the shuttle on its way towards you. When you're back onboard you tell everyone about the alien ship but no one believes you. That and Ensign Chemise-Rouge tells everyone it was your fault about the tether (he doesn't want to get in trouble before his big retirement). It's decided that you need more training before your next mission, so it's back to astronaut school for you!\n\nEnd\n
The rumbling is getting worse, but you could swear you saw something shiny against the wall. You step closer towards it.\n\n“What are you doing? I'm not waiting!” the ensign yells and goes through the cave entrance. Just as he does, a tumble of rocks come down on him, trapping him and blocking the entrance.\n\nThe shifting rocks also reveals a bright shiny crystal against one of the walls. The very crystal you need!\n\nYou grab it and hurry over as fast as you can bounce to where Ensign Chemise-Rouge is groaning. His leg is trapped by rocks.\n\n“Why? How could this happen to me? I was so close to retiring!”\n\n“Retiring?” you ask, “You're just an ensign!”\n\n“I've been an ensign a long time! It's very hard to get promoted you know. And now I'll die on a space mission! Oh why? Why?”\n\nYou really think that the ensign needs to stop yelling and save his air - it looks like his suit is leaking.\n\n“It's okay,” you tell him, “I'll get you out of here.”\n\n“I don't believe you!” the ensign wails, “You're only a junior astronaut!”\n\nYou focus on moving the rocks. Since there's little gravity they're not too heavy. The real problem seems to be the air leaking out of the big gash in the ensign's suit. You check your space backpack. You have some [[tape]] and some [[glue]] - one of those things will likely seal it up. But which?\n\n
The wrench is beyond your reach so you push off from the side of the space station after it. It's just like being in a swimming pool, except much faster because there's no water holding you back. You zoom out and grab the wrench in your gloved hand. Got it! Now you just wait for your tether (the rope thing tying you to the space station) to pull you back.\n\nYou wait. Still going…\n\nYou turn to look back at the space station and see that your tether, like you, is floating free.\n\n“Oh darn,” says the ensign over the radio in your helmet, “I knew I forgot something.”\n\nYou're flying through space, with nothing to stop you. I'd ask what you should do, but there's not much you can do. You do yell at Ensign Chemise-Rouge a bit. It makes you feel better.\n\n“Oh sure, blame me!” the ensign says, “Just hang on. I'll have them send the shuttle out to get you.”\n\nYou have nothing to hang on to except the wrench, so you do that and enjoy the view while you fly through space. It is pretty cool to be all alone out here. Just you, the stars and that - hey what's that?\n\nA large ship is coming towards you. Except that it's not coming from the space station. And it's not like any spaceship you've ever seen.\n\n“Oh hey,” a voice says over your radio, “What are you doing out here? Do you need a lift?”\n\nYou try to remember your astronaut training for encountering aliens. The problem is you're pretty sure it wasn't in any of your training\n\nShould you say [[yes]]? Or [[wait]] for your shuttle to come and get you?\n\n
As official Junior Astronaut 1st Class (that's actually an official rank, it doesn't mean you were first in your class or even first to arrive to your class) aboard the spaceship Laika I, your job is to help the pilot steer the ship. You've never had the chance to fly the ship yourself yet, but that could happen at any moment. You have to be prepared! In fact-\n\n“Junior Astronaut,” the pilot says.\n“Yes, sir?”\n“Do you want to try docking the ship?”\n\nYou do! You really do.\n\nThrough the viewing window you can see the space station spinning against black space. You have to line your ship up with the docking bay - but that space station is spinning pretty fast. Do you use your [[thrusters]] to try and match the speed? Or do you [[turn]] the ship on an angle and wait for the docking bay to line up?\n\n
You're suited up in your spacewalk suit and put in the airlock with Ensign Chemise-Rouge. \n\n“Oh, man,” says the ensign, “I hate spacewalks, I always want to throw up.”\n\nYou're excited about the spacewalk but you also don't want to barf inside your helmet so you stay very calm and think about your astronaut training and focus on the mission. You and Ensign Chemise-Rouge are to fix a broken solar panel on the space station - except it turns out that the ensign is fixing the panel and your job is to listen to him complain.\n\n“Here, let me fasten your tether. Okay. So as I was saying, I'm only a few days from retirement,” the ensign tells you, “And I know what you're thinking, why retire as only an ensign. Let me tell you getting promotions only means you have to do more stuff. You're lucky you're only a junior astronaut - no one's going to let you do anything.”\n\nThat doesn't sound very lucky at all, it sounds boring. You look around instead. Space is awesome! It's big and black and big. There's nothing around except for you, the ensign and the entire space station. Oh and what's that spinning thing flying by?\n\n“Oh no, I lost my space wrench,” the ensign yells, “[[Grab it]]!”\n
You turn the ship so that it lines up with the dock perfectly! \n\n“Great job, junior astronaut,” the pilot says. You've done so well that you've been asked if you want to try to go on a [[spacewalk]]. You'll be outside the ship which is scary but you'll have an experienced astronaut with you to show you the way. It sounds great!\n
You show the dragon the crystals you found.\n\n“I'm sorry for taking them,” you say, “I didn't know that anyone lived here. It's just that the aliens need them to power their ship.”\n\n“Oh, those guys?” the space dragon says, “They're cool, I guess. I just wish they'd give me something in exchange for them.”\n\n“I could ask them if you like.”\n\n“Sure,” the dragon says, “You could be like an ambassador or something.”\n\nAnd that's how you end up negotiating a trade deal between the aliens and the space dragon. You get a medal and a promotion. And if Ensign Chemise-Rouge forgets to thank you in his retirement party speech that's okay, you're already busy on your next space mission!\n\nEnd \n
NoHotDrinks