TALL TALES

[Grier]

With all tests done satisfactorily including a special stealth coating to the main ship, the shuttle craft and the dozen big Dart drones, all was ready. Dr Wellham and his engineers had designed and built his big Dart drones with small fusion motors. They tested perfectly.

Traveling from Earth to Mars at its closest approach—approximately 54.6 million kilometers—with a constant acceleration and deceleration of 1g
would take approximately 41.4 hours (about 1.72 days).

However the Military officers Major Steve Manners, Captain Wally Gustafson and Col Dunning suggested a quieter approach first Surveying Mars' two small moons Phobos and Deimos with their large Dart multifunctional drones/escort craft that have a smaller Wellham Fusion power box. Quiet, camouflaged, well armed, multi tooled, a titanium shell, powerful arms and many senses and geological sampling abilities and best of all an automatic dome shielding system.



The Crimson Stalker

I got the name off the web. I forget where ...

Peter and Richie discuss the ability of the Darts with fusion powered thrusters to work in deep dust drifts.

I just googled this Craig:
A drone controlled by remote control and powered by a fusion engine could potentially achieve high accelerations, like twenty gs. That would require a very robust and responsive control system, as well as a structure that can withstand those kinds of forces. The fusion engine would need to be highly controllable and efficient to provide the necessary power. If achievable, such a system could enable high-speed, agile drones for various applications, including research, surveillance, or defense. The remote control system would need to be highly reliable and have low latency to maintain stable control at those accelerations.

 

[Grier]

---

Mars has two tiny, irregularly shaped moons—Phobos and Deimos—discovered in 1877 and believed to be captured asteroids or impact debris. Phobos is the closer and larger moon, orbiting just 6,000 km above the surface and destined to crash into Mars, while Deimos orbits farther out. NASA Science (.gov) +4
Key Facts About Martian Moons

• Phobos (Fear): At roughly 22 km in diameter, it orbits Mars three times daily. It is moving closer to Mars at a rate of six feet every hundred years.
• Deimos (Terror/Dread): Smaller at around 12 km across, it takes 30 hours to complete one orbit.
• Appearance: Both are heavily cratered, look like giant space rocks, and appear much smaller than Earth's moon from the surface.

From a distance the Crimson Stalker sent out two drones to do a stealthy reconnitor of Deimos the smaller and outer moon of Mars, only 12 km across.
Gliding in gently the drone started their hyperspectral passive scanning. 34 seconds later the drones spotted the recessed Antenna and Sensing dishes in Deimos' craters

 

[Richie]

Terry have you forgotten that the DARTS are troop carriers so are quite large. Crimson Stalker can carry the smaller reconaissance drones.

 

[Grier]

Terry have you forgotten that the DARTS are troop carriers so are quite large. Crimson Stalker can carry the smaller reconaissance drones.

Opps, sorry about that. Six Darts, that's good. I guess they're all armed and shielded.
I put an 8 person shuttle on the Crimson Stalker which would be smaller than your Darts, and made it shielded and lightly armed.

Technical blurb
Knowing the Physics and Maths, a journey to Mars would take 6 months using current technology. Initially accelerating to cruising speed and then decelerating using the gravity of Mars to help slow down.
That's all based on fuel hungry rockets.
However a Fusion powered craft uses very little fuel and could keep accelerating to a half way point and then turn around decelerating towards Mars.
Getting slack I got Meta AI to calculate the time it would take to get to Mars with a constant acceleration of 1g and then a deceleration of 1g.
1.76 days! .... One g acceleration is our normal gravity on Earth. That's too quick for our story.
However, there's issues with going so fast in our busy Solar system, like asteroids, meteoroids, asteroid belts, dust belts and general space dust that is deadly at hyper speeds. Going slower allows detection of dangers ahead, running in the fusion engines, better scanning, ability to change course and even brake. And little fuel used.
Gliding in stealthily, quietly, maybe a 3 month journey?

 

[Grier]

Just recapping, tying up loose ends, ... and rolling on a bit Craig. I'll be more succinct next time. Cheers

After a 3 month journey to Mars the main Earth ship Crimson Stalker and six Darts did a big loop inwards to Mars space quietly shedding off speed and mapping as they went with Peter wanting deep scans of the South poles where two Advanced Martian societies are thought to exist, deep underground.

From a distance the Crimson Stalker sent out two drones to do a stealthy reconnitor of Deimos the smaller and outer moon of Mars, only 12 km across.
Gliding in gently the drones started their hyperspectral passive scanning. 34 seconds later the drones spotted the recessed Antenna and Satelite dishes in Deimos' craters.

Seeing the footage of the drone Peter was controlling Col Dunning ordered the Convoy to raise their shields immediately just as 2 Martian craft came out of Deimos firing at the fast and nimble drones turning at 20 g's.
Captain Wally Gustafson was flying the other drone even firing back at the Martian craft as he dodged like an expert.

Too late the 2 Martian Craft sensed the Crimson Stalker flanked by 2 Darts surprise them first destroying their shields followed by a salvo of heat seeking missiles. The dark sky lit up.
The Martians did return fire that bounced off shields.

Meanwhile the other four Darts got closer to Deimos, the Moon of Dread and Horror. Open were two large doors where the 2 Martian craft appeared from, but quickly closed as the Darts got closer. Then gun hatches opened.

 

[Richie]

Dart drone First Squadron leader Col Orville Tex Dunning told Steve Manners and Wally Gustafson to immediately activate their ASA protective domes as suddenly yellow/orange laser beams ricocheted off the domes. The Darts returned fire with their EMP pulse gun obliterating the laser gun. Then the large doors reopened and four Martian craft, the same as those that invaded Earth, appeared. Then a further four, all hovering but when the Darts opened fire with their green pulse, the Martian ships suddenly altered course and in a heart beat sped off into the Martian atmosphere. Tex Dunning set off after them and the universes first ever Earth versus Martian dog fite was in play, except this was to be no game for the Martians as they did not know that these invaders had found a way to render their craft obsolete....

 

[Grier]

Dart drone First Squadron leader Col Orville Tex Dunning told Steve Manners and Wally Gustafson to immediately activate their ASA protective domes as suddenly yellow/orange laser beams ricocheted off the domes. The Darts returned fire with their EMP pulse gun obliterating the laser gun. Then the large doors reopened and four Martian craft, the same as those that invaded Earth, appeared. Then a further four, all hovering but when the Darts opened fire with their green pulse, suddenly altered course and in a heart beat sped off into the Martian atmosphere. Tex Dunning set off after them and the universes first ever Earth versus Martian dog fite was in play, except this was to be no game for the Martians as they did not know that these invaders had found a way to render their craft obsolete....

View attachment 3776

Great Post Craig!
I wouldn't call the Darts drones, they're tougher, manned, have shields, fusion engines, and a selection of weapon systems ... for sure even given they're mostly Troop Carriers as you designated. I like them. It was my own confusion earlier, mea culpa.

Following Col Dunning's lead with six Darts chasing after the 8 fleeing Martian craft, the Crimson Stalker was soon following with shields up and bristling weapons.
From it emerged 4 remote controlled drones, multifuction, lightly armed and lightly armoured but very fast as they caught up with the 8 fleeing Martian craft pinpointing their locations to the 6 Darts and the Crimson Stalker.
From a distance in stealth mode the drones followed the Martian craft.
"Pay back time" said Wally Gustafson.

 

[Richie]

Great Post Craig!
I wouldn't call the Darts drones, they're tougher, manned, have shields, fusion engines, and a selection of weapon systems ... for sure even given they're mostly Troop Carriers as you designated. I like them. It was my own confusion earlier, mea culpa.

Thats ok Terry. Great post too.

 

[Richie]

It certainly was payback time as the Darts soon had the Martian craft in their sights, and following Dunnings order to firstly deactivate their domes then he Manners, Gustafson, Lennie, Roberts and Wang let then let them have the Darts full array of weapons sending the aliens into oblivion and the six reinforcements that followed them.

Back on Mars Spring, Wellham plus German, Danish Astrophysicists, Lukas Webke and Frida Pederson alomg with Japanese Aerospace avionics expert Kenjo Takita and American/Puerto Rican Astrobiologist Valentina Sanchez were studying the maps of Argyre Planitia and Hellas Planitia der termining them to be the most likely places for an underground Martian colony. Very soon a scouting party of 50 special forces personnel led by Wally Gustafson was sent out in 5 person armored Rovers to locate any entrances to the colonies. Meanwhile two separate 5,000 man contingents of special forces were readied for a probable assault on both locations in 24 hours. The clock was ticking.

Brandishing portable ASA electromagnetic pulse guns Wally Gustafson and his second in command former IRA operative Lt. Paddy O'Donnell address their men.

 

[Grier]

Hi Craig,
Your Dart Troop Carriers must be big for 5000 Marines plus in six Darts with ~ medium armour, shields , ~ medium weapon array, ~ medium powered fusion engine ...
Thats ok, and for such a force of Earth's best Marines they would be fully equipped with all sorts of weapons, tech, vehicles, drones, shuttle craft, survival suits, ... supplies of all sorts... but the Bulbous Darts would not be as fast nor manoeuvrable nor armed nor armoured as well as the Crimson Stalker, the fleet's tried and tested flag ship.
I pinched the name off the net about a Sci Fi novel dealing with belligerent Aliens from Mars.

 

[Grier]

It certainly was payback time as the Darts soon had the Martian craft in their sights, and following Dunnings order to firstly deactivate their domes then he Manners, Gustafson, Lennie, Roberts and Wang let then let them have the Darts full array of weapons sending the aliens into oblivion and the six reinforcements that followed them.

Back on Mars Spring, Wellham plus German, Danish Astrophysicists, Lukas Webke and Frida Pederson alomg with Japanese Aerospace avionics expert Kenjo Takita and American/Puerto Rican Astrobiologist Valentina Sanchez were studying the maps of Argyre Planitia and Hellas Planitia der termining them to be the most likely places for an underground Martian colony. Very soon a scouting party of 50 special forces personnel led by Wally Gustafson was sent out in 5 person armored Rovers to locate any entrances to the colonies. Meanwhile two separate 5,000 man contingents of special forces were readied for a probable assault on both locations in 24 hours. The clock was ticking.
View attachment 3782
Brandishing portable ASA electromagnetic pulse guns Wally Gustafson and his second in command former IRA operative Lt. Paddy O'Donnell address their men.

"That advantage we have in negating thier shields has really given us the upper hand" said Col Dunning, "and best we press that advantage hard while it lasts".

Peter's keen eye noted some swirling patterns of loose sand with large spout holes from drone records that looked suspicious to him, not a natural event, even on Mars. That was in the Argyre Planitia Region near Mars' South pole with icy loose sands.

"Can we get closer to that point " asked Peter.

 

[Richie]

Hi Craig,
Your Dart Troop Carriers must be big for 5000 Marines plus in six Darts with ~ medium armour, shields , ~ medium weapon array, ~ medium powered fusion engine ...
Thats ok, and for such a force of Earth's best Marines they would be fully equipped with all sorts of weapons, tech, vehicles, drones, shuttle craft, survival suits, ... supplies of all sorts... but the Bulbous Darts would not be as fast nor manoeuvrable nor armed nor armoured as well as the Crimson Stalker, the fleet's tried and tested flag ship.
I pinched the name off the net about a Sci Fi novel dealing with belligerent Aliens from Mars.

Lets not worry about incidentals mate. Ok half the special forces are in Crimson Stalker 1 and the other half are on their way in Crimson Stalker 2. The Darts are purely fighting machines and we have another six escorting C S 2. Does that satisfy you.

 

[Grier]

Lets not worry about incidentals mate. Ok half the special forces are in Crimson Stalker 1 and the other half are on their way in Crimson Stalker 2. The Darts are purely fighting machines and we have another six escorting C S 2. Does that satisfy you.

Hi Craig, here's snippets of your previous posts about the Darts which leaves me a bit confused :

Leading the F W S F were the US/Canada North American combined forces, with additional soldiers from France, Germany, UK, Poland, the three Baltic States, Ukraine, Scandinavia, India Japan and South Korea. They were to travel in six fusion powered armed DART craft, built at ASA Cape York.

Terry have you forgotten that the DARTS are troop carriers so are quite large. Crimson Stalker can carry the smaller reconaissance drones.

In addition to Peter and Richie, there were two other Australian scientists on the Crimson Stalker 1 Mars Probe expedition, noted biologist Dr Mary Adams, the eminent surgeon Mr Charlie Tsi. An additional 51 others also, the Aussie contingent of special forces of the Free World Space Force led by Orville 'Tex' Dunning'

Having 2500 marines on board each CS1 and CS2 is a massive number, unless the Crimson Stalkers are huge.

As a solution, let's have both, those purely fighting machine escort Darts, and the big troop carriers with medium fire power, shields, medium armour, able to take damage well due to its size and bulk but big and slow even with fusion engines. Also I suggest they'd have shuttles, drones, machines of all sorts, stores of essentials, workshops,
Perhaps a new name for the transport ships?
"Troop Carriers" is a bit bland ...

Your fighting Darts, as their main purpose, would be highly Armored, Fast with medium fire power.
But are the fighter Darts manned? For tight turns and accelerations a human in an anti g seat could at best handle 10g's, but if remotely controlled the Dart could turn up to 30g's I estimate. That'd make them very fast!
Such remote control commands lag microseconds only in close combat and is safer for pilots.

Pardon my detail Craig but I know about Physics and Astronomy from my Uni studies. More relevant, over decades, I've run many Role Playing Space Operas based on numerous Sci Fi books I've read spending $$$'S on Gurps RPG books. Even incorporating Eienstien's rule of Special Relativity when and how time dilation occurs in long Space journeys.
Sorry to be a prig.

 

[Richie]

Hi Craig, here's snippets of your previous posts about the Darts which leaves me a bit confused :

Leading the F W S F were the US/Canada North American combined forces, with additional soldiers from France, Germany, UK, Poland, the three Baltic States, Ukraine, Scandinavia, India Japan and South Korea. They were to travel in six fusion powered armed DART craft, built at ASA Cape York.

Terry have you forgotten that the DARTS are troop carriers so are quite large. Crimson Stalker can carry the smaller reconaissance drones.

In addition to Peter and Richie, there were two other Australian scientists on the Crimson Stalker 1 Mars Probe expedition, noted biologist Dr Mary Adams, the eminent surgeon Mr Charlie Tsi. An additional 51 others also, the Aussie contingent of special forces of the Free World Space Force led by Orville 'Tex' Dunning'

Having 2500 marines on board each CS1 and CS2 is a massive number, unless the Crimson Stalkers are huge.

As a solution, let's have both, those purely fighting machine escort Darts, and the big troop carriers with medium fire power, shields, medium armour, able to take damage well due to its size and bulk but big and slow even with fusion engines. Also I suggest they'd have shuttles, drones, machines of all sorts, stores of essentials, workshops,
Perhaps a new name for the transport ships?
"Troop Carriers" is a bit bland ...

Your fighting Darts, as their main purpose, would be highly Armored, Fast with medium fire power.
But are the fighter Darts manned? For tight turns and accelerations a human in an anti g seat could at best handle 10g's, but if remotely controlled the Dart could turn up to 30g's I estimate. That'd make them very fast!
Such remote control commands lag microseconds only in close combat and is safer for pilots.

Pardon my detail Craig but I know about Physics and Astronomy from my Uni studies. More relevant, over decades, I've run many Role Playing Space Operas based on numerous Sci Fi books I've read spending $$$'S on Gurps RPG books. Even incorporating Eienstien's rule of Special Relativity when and how time dilation occurs in long Space journeys.
Sorry to be a prig.

agree. Now let our scientists and special forces prepare to meet the Martians face to face. Back to this post.

Very soon a scouting party of 50 special forces personnel led by Wally Gustafson was sent out in 5 person armored Rovers to locate any entrances to the Argyre Planitia colony but not to engage unless engaged first.. Back at base 5,000 special forces were ready for a probable assault on both southern polar locations when the order was given. The clock was ticking.
View attachment 3782
Brandishing portable ASA electromagnetic pulse guns Wally Gustafson and his second in command former IRA operative Lt. Paddy O'Donnell address their men.

Your turn Terry. Captain Wally Gustafson and his troops are at Argyre Planitia...

 

[Grier]

agree. Now let our scientists and special forces prepare to meet the Martians face to face. Back to this post.



Your turn Terry. Captain Wally Gustafson and his troops are at Argyre Planitia...

Captain Gustafson and Lt. O'Donnell remembered Dr Spring's warning about deep dust pits on Mars so had his 10 Armoured and armed Rovers fitted with large soft tyres and small fusion motors to give lift as needed. Shields too. It also helped that Mars' gravity was almost a third of Earth's. Towards the frozen South Pole the surface was more solid, usually but Peter had warned of the possibility of very deep sand pits and dunes. Worse than anything comparable on Earth, but the Moon had some where trials and tests that were well done at a sixth of Earth's gravity. Mars was different of course.

Peter Spring and 6 Marines were in a fighter Dart keeping an eye on Gustafson's convoy from above.
Peter sent out 6 fast, stealthy drones tosurvey the way for the Convoy ahead and to take soil samples with 2 skilled Marines and Peter each controlling one of the sampling drones.
Earlier Peter, as a renowned Geo Chemist, had from space noted some unusual patterns in the Argyre Planitia so sent off 3 of the drones to further explore those areas and take soil samples.

Sniffing like a blood hound Peter sent his drone to areas that he suspected from unusual swirls in the tundra in Planitia Argyle. Two Marines controlled the other 2 drones on his flanks, one being Sgt. Turnbull from Warburton.

Getting a soil sample at one area Peter's Drone transmitted a vast cloud of icy Matian dust blasting out of the surface at it, then a flash, then dead blank.
"Scram!" yelled Peter at the two Marines controlling his 2 flanking drones, from safely inside their Dart. Doing 20g's the 2 drones fled Back to the Captain Gustafson's Convoy.
"I got it all on Tape Dr Spring" said Sergeant Turnbull.
"Well done, the slow motion replay strongly suggests an Attacking Martian space craft." said Spring, " Mal, Can you update Captain Gustafson and the Crimson Stalker 1."
"My pleasure Dr Peter" said Sgt. Turnbull smiling at his mate from Warburton way.

 

[Richie]

Peter String immediately turned the dart in the direction of the appearing Martian craft and with a press of the button obliterated it with a single pulse from his EMP gun. Spring then sat foned Gustafson to tell him to head post haste for his location at Argyre Planitia as an entrance to the Martian under ground colony had been located. Within 20 minutes the 10 Rovers of the scout party arrived and Gustafson and O'Donnell wasted no time in assembling their men for an assault thru the still opened metal door from where the Martian craft came. While addressing his troops Cpt Gustafson was interrupted by an alarmed Lt O'Donnell, "Wally aliens!" and he pointed to the entrance from where appeared several platoons of armed Martians.
"Engage the enemy men", Gustafson shouted as he turned and fired at the oncoming insect like aliens that were armed and creeching like banchees...

 

[Richie]

Terry I borrowed your aliens.

 

[Grier]

The Martian platoons were carrying an assortmen of weapons and were mostly clad in armoured suits.
As three platoons poured out of the Martians sunken Metal doors they flew up into the air using a back pack device, spreading out firing at Captain Gustafson's convoy with bazookas, heavy machine guns, lazer rifles, grenade launchers, ... and more.
Behind them came six armoured and shielded Martian Fighter craft firing as they rose out of their dark underground pit.

Peter Spring immediately flew his Dart towards the conflict with his 6 Marines remotely controlling his five remaining drones zooming in very fast on the Martian force at 35g's.
They headed towards the 3 unshielded Martian platoons without shields themselves, but very fast.
"Get those Bugs holding the bigger weapons first" called staff Sgt. Turnbull directing the drone attacks towards the 100 or so Martian Warriors. "A Good Bug is a Dead Bug!"

Watching it all unfold Col Dunning on Crimson Stalker 1 took decisive action.

 

[Grier]

Hi Craig,

I asked Meta AI more about the Argyre Planitia on Mars and this is what it said:

The Argyre Planitia region is a fascinating area near Mars' southern pole, located at approximately 50°S latitude and 45°E longitude. This vast impact basin spans around 1,700 km in diameter and drops 5.2 km below the surrounding plains, making it the second-deepest impact basin on Mars after Hellas.

*Geological Features:*

- _Gullies, Mesas, and Alluvial Fans_: Argyre Planitia showcases an array of features indicating a history of wind and water activity.
- _Fluvial Channels and Sedimentary Layers_: Evidence of past water flow and lakes or shallow seas.
- _Volcanic and Sedimentary Deposits_: Spectroscopic data reveals minerals like sulfates, silicates, and clays, suggesting a complex geological history.

*Scientific Significance:*

- _Evidence of Past Water_: Argyre Planitia is key to understanding Mars' hydrological past and potential habitability.
- _Impact Basin_: Formed by a massive impact around 4-3.8 billion years ago, offering insights into Martian crust and evolution ¹ ².

*Exploration:*

- _Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)_ and _Mars Odyssey_ have provided valuable data on Argyre Planitia's geology and composition.
- _NASA's Mars missions_ continue to unravel the region's secrets, shedding light on Mars' complex history ¹.

 

[Richie]

bazookas, heavy machine guns, grenade launchers

The Martians are not that backwards Terry. Remember they invaded Earth with craft a millennia head of our technology. Lasers and our equivalent of the EMP weapon is more what an alien civilization would be using as weaponry, dont you think.

What about PLANUM AUSTRALE. I will consult A1 on that. It may be significant for our narrative.