NationStates Jolt Archive

After several months of travelling through space, the Volaerian probe "Prometheus" has landed on Venus.

MVSA (Magas Volaerian Space Agency) has monitored Venus for some time because of its intriguing mineral deposists that have been seen on the surface by atmospheric probes.

Magas Volaer has launched "Prometheus" in hopes to identify this (these) mineral(s) by landing on its higly volatile and volcanic surface.

In a recent press conference with Praetor Saryn Sarethi, he made this comment:

"Though I cannot fully disclose what we plan to do on Venus aside from the identification of the unknown mineral(s), I can say that we plan on setting up an outpost on it to conduct... [pauses]... Research. That is all."

Due to the inhospitable atmosphere of Venus, some have speculated that Magas Volaer will use it's robotics to setup the outpost. Magas Volaer's close ties with The Iron Fragment lead many to believe this speculation to be true.

MVNN; Magas Volaerian News Network

The bartender hands you a glass, fizzing over with bubbles. It has a strong stench. Do you dare to drink it?

To drink it turn to page 127040 (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=127040)

To not drink it turn to page 116394 (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=116394)

I chose to drink it... NO!!!!! Hahaha.

Anyway....

In the MVSA the control crew eagerly anticipated the camera and logistics feed from the probe. Though it would be about 17 minutes past the time it was actually transmitted.

Suddenly an image of a red and orange landscape with rivers of lava appereared on screen. The control room cheered and operators patted each other on the back.

One operator was nervously moving a joystick, 34 minutes later the rover/probe started moving.

"Jenkins, looks like you've got your work cut out." A burly man said to the operator with the joystick.

"Yes sir. With a 34 minute delay before I actually see what the rover is doing... Well you get the picture, sir."

"Just get that damned thing to the mineral cluster and let me know what you get."

"Yes, sir."

After nearly six hours of moving the joystick and waiting for the camera feed to show the rover's position, Jenkins finally managed to get the rover to the mineral cluster... He pressed many buttons and moved the joystick this way and that and pressed one final button.

34 minutes later the camera showed the rover drilling the mineral. After 10 minutes of getting nowhere the rover intitiated laser-cutters and cut out a small block of the mineral, picked it up and started analyzing it.

17 minutes later, the Control Room's video feed was cut off and replaced by the statistics of the mineral:

[code:1:74d1be7ee2]Color: BLACK
Luster: METALLIC
Transparency: NONE
Crystal System: ISOMETRIC; 4/m bar 3 2/m
Crystal Habits: CUBES; OCTAHEDRONS; TWINNING
Hardness: 9.9
Specific Gravity: 3.5
Cleavage: NONE
Fracture: CONCHOIDAL
Streak: BLACK
Melting Point: ...ERROR... INSUFFICENT POWER TO MELT MINERAL[/code:1:74d1be7ee2]

The control room was speechless. The burly man got in front of the screen and said:

"Call the Imperator. We've got the mineral."

The Phoenixius Space Agency has found out about your Venus space probe. They are curious as to how you managed to prevent the rover being melted in the extreme heat of Venus. (OOC: Venus is much hotter tahn Mercury, the closest planet to the sun.)

Yes, the extreme temperatures of Venus posed to be a problem. However, the first use of the metal found on the meteorite that crashed into Magas Volaer was to research it.

The scientists of Technocon Inc. (Magas Volaer's priemer government sponsored technology company) found that this metal was extremely akin to diamond. Having many of the same properties but lacking the distinct weakness of being able to be cleaved easily in four directions.

It was finally determined the meteorite came from Venus and then the heat test was intiated. The metal has the same melting point of diamond (3820 degrees Kelvin) and the surface temperature of Venus is only 755.15 degress Kelvin. As you see, this metal has no trouble surviving the surface of Venus.

However... The main concern was pressure. The atmospheric pressure at the surface of Venus is 92 times that of the atmospheric pressure at Earth's sea level. It took many simulated tests (about 109) before Technocon Inc. had devised a sufficient design that allowed the rover to move on the surface of Venus easily without being crushed like a grape.

A man in a pressed business suit strode through the Halls of the Ancients, a Grecian like hall leading to an obsidian black door.

2 Sarduakar stood at the double-door, barring it from intruders.

A voice spoke to the suit, "The Imperator has been waiting for you. You are 3 minutes late."

The man in the suit couldn't tell which guard was speaking and frankly he didn't care. The two Sardaukar swung the doors open and the man in the business suit gazed in.

A giant room, very reminescent of Roman architecture, the distinct difference being in that instead of the room being made of marble and granite... It was made of obsidian.

In the circular room there was a single desk with two chairs in front of it, there were also some couches, a large flat-screen T.V., a bar, and various other royal assortments. At the desk sat Imperator Revan Uvirith; 30 years old, short blonde hair, green eyes, and a pale complexion that was accented by his black robe...

He held a pen in his hand and appeared to be signing some papers, while occasionally glancing up at his computer screen. With his left hand he waved the suit in.

"Saryn Sarethi... It is not usual for you to be late... What news do you bring me that appears to be very important?"

"Imperator, as you know Prometheus successfully landed on and conducted the required test of the mineral cluster on Venus...."

At this the Imperator sat up and anxiously spoke, "Yes... And the results of the test?"

"All but the results of heat test matched those of the mineral we found in the meteorite."

"And why didn't the heat test match?"

"Prometheus' fuel cell didn't provide enough power to melt the mineral."

"Excellent. Prepare a telegram to The Iron Fragment. We could use their expertise in the next phase of this operation."

"Yes, Imperator."

With that Quaestor Saryn Sarethi turned around and left the room, the obsidian doors closing behind him...