Obscure Observations (Crews 1 & 2)

[aurora.]

Spoiler: Gulliver's Map

Thud.

I was so excited. We had just touched down on a planet that had only been explored by the one and only Gulliver. I looked around at my fellow crew mates, each with big beaming smiles and wide eyes as they peered through the round windows of our space ship.

"I can't believe we're here! I hope we get to see them!" squealed one.

"Me too! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!" said another.

I stepped off the ship. It was the most beautiful place I had ever seen. There were glistening, crystal clear lakes, winding and twisting through tall, luscious trees. There were glowing, mossy pathways leading to unexplored, shadowy caves. I reached down to touch the grass. It left dew on my fingers that shimmered like turquoise glitter. I couldn't wait for us to look around, but we had to be careful and extremely quiet. We weren't alone here.

We walked for miles through the forest. The trees blocked out the majority of the light, but the glowing moss on the ground helped guide the way. Eventually, we came to a thick, high wall of bushes and brambles.

I turned to look at the crew. "Where now?"

"Gulliver's map says this is the place." Ione responded reassuringly.

I looked closer at the dead end in front of us and noticed a tiny, glimmering light poking through a hole in the leaves. As I reached down to move the branches, something brushed my hand and I quickly pulled back.

"There it is!" Filbert yelled excitedly. He quickly softened his tone to a whisper. "Sorry, I didn't mean to shout. Keep quiet everyone. Did you see it? It ran through through that hole."

We each took turns to look through the space in the trees, hoping to catch a glimpse of this rare, mysterious creature. Finally, it was my turn. I put my eye up to the gap and there it was. In fact, there they were. There were hundreds of them, dancing and swimming in the lake, their tails swishing and swirling in the water. Their pearlescent, smooth skin was a greyish blue-green colour, which we decided to name Lunar Sheen, after a lengthy discussion on our journey home. Their eyes were small and beady and they had big purple gills that covered their entire head like a crown.

I turned to the crew and smiled. I couldn't believe it. We traveled so far, flew thousands of miles in our ship, walked for hours through the forest on a magical planet, and finally, we were lucky enough to see a real-life Galaxolotl.

---

I also feel the need to say I never take part in the writing challenges because I'm not really a writer and it's also kind of intimidating because so many of you are amazing at this!! I didn't really think I'd be any good with this challenge but I gave it a go and I actually don't hate what I wrote. Anyway pls be kind.​

 

[tessa grace]

Spoiler: Zero Stars If I Could

View attachment 504613
I’m so disappointed. I booked what I thought was your typical run-of-the-mill “Space Camp”, thinking that it would be an innocent, sweet, little space-themed retreat in a forest somewhere. However, when I showed up to the address that I was given, all of my belongings were packed into crates and lugged inside an actual spaceship piloted by a literal seagull. I seriously doubt this guy was even certified to fly the thing. But I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, I thought, “Well, maybe we’re role-playing and we will simply just sleep in the spaceship”. WRONG. AGAIN. An hour later I find myself strapped in, hanging on for DEAR LIFE as we are propelled into outer space at the most intense speeds. I actually PASSED OUT a couple times until we finally made it out of Earth’s atmosphere.

After that, I tried to speak to a manager as soon as possible but I was immediately sorted into a team with some random people. I was really concerned but no one else seemed to feel the same way because my team and the 3 other teams immediately accepted the fact that we were in OUTER SPACE and began discussing colors, names, and flag designs. Why?????

Oh, and if that wasn’t ridiculous enough, suddenly we were FORCED to collect dust which the staff kept telling us was actually “”“stardust”””. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but if it is, then I think I’m going to file a lawsuit because that means I would have been exposed to HARMFUL RADIATION! The dust got literally EVERYWHERE!! Even now, weeks later, I keep finding flecks of dust in my fur. DISGUSTING.

As for the spaceship itself, the captain – his name was something weird like Gorliver or Ghoullifer – anyway the captain took off on his own to “see the sights” - whatever that means - and of course the staff kept losing contact with him and somehow made it OUR problem by making US decode HIS messages. Why don’t you do your job!! WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE CAMPING! The messages took FOREVER to decode and they weren’t even anything important!

Before this Gullergrove guy came back, staff continued to EXPLOIT us by making us retrieve all kinds of odds and ends, some of them literally IMPOSSIBLE to find! They called it a “scavenger hunt”. How am I supposed to scavenge for a body of water or a streetlight while I’m on a SPACESHIP? They also asked us to decorate the COMPLETELY EMPTY common room! So this spaceship wasn’t even FINISHED before we got on it! SO UNPROFESSIONAL.

When the seagull “pilot” finally made it back, well, he acted really inappropriately to say the least. He kept weirding me out with his alien stones. I think he crash-landed the mothership on purpose. Rescue services are taking FOREVER. In conclusion, I have NOT ENJOYED my time on this excursion. DO NOT RECOMMEND. I would give ZERO STARS if I could!!!!!!!!!

Note: This fictional account does not reflect my feelings about this event just FYI, I love Space Camp ​

Ok this is so clever and cute! I love it

 

[themysterybidder]

My Space Journal entry

Spoiler

Dear Diary, it's my first camp and certainly my first time in space, so a little unsure what to expect. Everything looked a little daunting to begin with as I looked out of the window of 'The Lopez' to see space, but I soon overcame my fears and started to get down to work with my fellow team members from 'Actually, Nevermind'. As I look down at my empty journal I proceed to record some of my findings so far. We had a battle on our hands between 'Actually, Nevermind' and 'The Galaxolotls'. After days of a high stakes contest 'The Galaxolotls' won the space dust battle, but they certainly haven't won the war, as the 'Neverminders' remain focused and determined to succeed in the race to the win. I wasn't sure how I would feel when I arrived in space, but it's been great fun with plenty of tasks to keep us all busy. One of my favourite tasks was decorating the Space Common Room. After a hard day of duties we can relax in our spaceship and get ready to start another day with all the challenges that face us. We share stories about items we have brought with us as a comfort. Some have brought teddies to cuddle, photos of beloved villagers to remind us of our home islands, as part of my kit I brought a Christmas tree. Maybe it sounds a little strange, 'Christmas in Space', but what is even stranger is the distance squawks of Gulliver. I shout for him only to hear the echoes of my voice. Where is he and will he ever show his face to help us leave space? I will leave this journal now, and go in search of my next space mission.

 

[Sharksheep]

Star Runway

Spoiler: Star Runway

We have been abroad the Starlight Space Station for a week now heading towards the lush tropical planet Verdantia. This space station is massive and there's a lot of things to do to pass the time. There are recreational rooms everywhere for people to do arts and crafts, play board games, or watch movies. My favorite area is the Star Runway. It's a long glass tunnel that connects the two halves of the station is one long clear glass tunnel. It is very relaxing staring out into literal space in the Star Runway. Everything outsides appears to move very slowly even though this station is moving at hundreds of kilometers per hour. The crew has music box versions of K.K. Slider's music to help set the mood.

Celeste is often spotted giving impromptu lectures to whoever is nearby whenever we get near interesting celestial bodies. We passed by an gas planet recently and she went into great detailed about each of its 17 moons and their compositions. But not all of her lectures are about scientific facts. She will sometimes go into the mythology about some of these planets to change things up. Both types of lectures are very popular but I think I'm more interested in hearing the myths.

 

[pipty]

Sorry I had to rush but spoiler alert we did not survive.

Spoiler

A Recount of Events

22 July 20XX: we were told to gather at the Dodo spaceports and told to bring nothing but our personal preference kits - 5 items that would make us think of home. This had worried me as there had been no mention of where or how long we'll be gone for. I'm also not sure who my crewmates will be or how many of us has been signed for this mission.

After an hour, people started trickling in and everyone split into different quarters. We were told to pick a quarter colour, and then a name for our crew. None of these had made any sense as the colour was not first choice and our name was.. Actually nevermind? This must be the psychological training they have mentioned in the brochure they sent us in the pre-mission briefings - to keep us on our toes at all times. Furthermore, just as we had taken off on "The Lopez", the captain Gulliver immediately decided to take off on his own and leave us to man the spaceship by ourselves. This must be the survival training mentioned in the brochure.

28 July 20XX: We have starting hoarding stardust. No idea where this dust comes from but crewmates have starting barging into each other's personal quarters yelling "Dust!" and then left with a handful of stardust. One crewmates has started a succulent trade for stardust. Instead of mission briefings crewmates were just polling each other on the most random things possible. Are these star dust used to fuel "The Lopez?" why is nobody worried about running the spaceship? Where are we going? Nobody seems really concerned. The alarm has started blaring every once or twice. I don't think anyone is attending to it.


6 Aug 20XX: The stardust were NOT used to fuel the spaceship. We are now hurtling through space and the only upside is that we may be crash landing on a planet instead of being stranded in space. Still no sign of Gulliver. Alarms have started blaring non stop. Everyone has started scrambling for items but I do wonder the purpose or utility of some of these as they sound like random items for a scavenger hunt. Is citrus scented soap any use for repairing a spaceship? Have been told to brace for the landing. Will update again.


6 Aug 20XX: Not sure if we will surviv-

 

[FrostyAlmonds]

.

 

[Chibi.Hoshi]

Spoiler: ✰ Escapades of Cadet Chibi ✰

✧✧

⋆ Date: 01/08/2023 Time: 20:12 Location: Kuiper Belt ⋆

Dear diary, today marks the end of my first week of space travel! After solemn goodbyes and exciting travels, it is safe to say that this is the most exciting thing that’s happened to me! I’m so grateful I was chosen for this journey, and I just finished exploring all the planets in our solar system. I can’t sleep knowing due to excitement, knowing how much more awaits me in the infinitely spanning galaxies! So far, my favourite adventure happened today with my trip through Pluto! Who wouldn’t be ecstatic to see their favourite PLANET up close and personal? Such a small and cute planet deserves the number-one spot for this week. Anyways, this is Cadet Chibi signing off!

✧✧

⋆ Date: 2303/1993/032523 Time: Lunch Time! Location: Planet Poptart ⋆

Dear diary, today marks the end of my travels through Planet Poptart, a mysterious dreamland-like planet. Planet Poptart housed some of the tastiest- I mean kindest creatures I have met throughout my travels, including "Karby"! He’s a friendly little cream puff in the shape of a perfect sphere with little nubs for arms, and oh boy, does he have an appetite! Planet Poptart has been so kind to me, letting me stay in their system for the last few weeks! It’s been relaxing, especially after my last foray into Bowser’s Galaxy Reactor… Err, anyway! Cadet Chibi signing off!

✧✧

⋆ Date: XX/XX/XXXX Time: XX:XX Location: The Edge of the Universe ⋆

Dear diary, well… the fun times couldn’t last forever, right? Next month marks the end of my intergalactic travels. I’ve learned so many new things and had so much fun exploring the universe! I still remember it like it was yesterday, my travels through Pluto, Planet Poptart, and Grandmaster Galaxy. I’ve met so many new friends, whom I will be keeping in touch with using the new intergalactic Nookagram App! There are only a few more times I get to say this before I return home, but… Cadet Chibi Signing Off!

✧✧
​

 

[skarmoury]

"I'm assuming you're one of the chickens who crossed the road to avoid me, then."
I let out a hum. "Avoiding is a heavy term; I don't not like you, Dr. Shrunk."

A small story about meeting Dr. Shrunk and how he grew on me.

Spoiler: double negatives

I saw him sat by the space bar alone at 2 AM, coffee cupped in both hands as he bowed his head beneath the dimming light.

"Mind if I take a seat, doctor?"

He looked up from his slump, mildly surprised by my approach.

"As a therapist, I am obliged to ask you to "please, take a seat", heh."

I give a polite chuckle and climbed on the bar stool.

"Not a fan of expressing emotions, I see?" He follwed up.

I shrugged. "I could do better."

I waved my hand at the barista at the other end of the island table; he glanced at me as I mouthed the phrase "mocha beans, a little milk, and two teaspons of sugar".

"You too, huh?"

"What?"

"I know that coffee order from anywhere. It's the "I need to stay up 2 AM to write terrible jokes for my audience" recipe."

I rolled my eyes. "I thought you were retired?"

"Not until your team decided to tag me along this one heck of a space ride," he replied. "I'm assuming you're one of the chickens who crossed the road to avoid me, then."

I let out a hum. "Avoiding is a heavy term; I don't not like you, Dr. Shrunk."

"Two negatives form a positive, so I'll take that."

The barista comes over and slides me my coffee.

"How are you enjoying the space station?" The comedian followed up.

I looked around. "Um, it's okay. Been hard to keep track of a lot of things. I'd love to interact with people more, but..."

"Emotionally constipated, I can see it." He nodded. "Here's my prescription as a doctor: listen to one of my stand-up comedies, you'll learn a thing or two."

I chuckled.

"Now there's a genuine smile!" He perked up. "It's always satisfying to see a frown turn upside down."

"Is that why you've never truly left the comedic scene?" I asked.

"Hmm, pretty much." Dr. Shrunk shrugged. "My wife didn't believe in me, said all my jokes were lame, but look at me now. My jokes probably didn't land because they were meant for outer space!"

That was a good one.

"Hey, for old time's sake," he said, looking to the other area of the bar where a small stage with a mic, "How about I tell you a really good joke tonight? Just you, me, and the stars outside. And Brewster over there."

Playing into his antics, I nodded.

"Alright! I have to get ready first, so you just wait right here a sec!"

He scurried off into the small backstage. A few minutes later he emerged from the shadows, spotlights flashing on entrance.

"Thank you! Thank you! Dr. Shrunk is in the house!" He clapped. "My old teacher's Expressing Joke is the thing to CURE what ails you!"

Well, he wasn't that bad after all.

 

[Roxxy]

Writing is not my strong point but, Actually, Nevermind, I tried


It was a beautiful morning on the island of Bayside. Roxxy was so excited! It had been months since she had applied to join the first ever TBT space camp. The day had finally arrived! She was heading into space with her new crew mates. Excited but nervous of the adventure ahead she packed her bag and went outside to wait for the rocket.

She had been informed that her crew had been named “Actually, Nevermind”. “Thats a strange name” Roxxy laughed to herself, hopefully they will be good fun.

She heard a whirring noise and looked up to the sky. A huge rocket was beginning to land. Roxxy took a deep breath and got ready to begin this amazing adventure.

She boarded the rocket and was relieved to be greeted by lots of friendly faces. Everyone introduced themselves and the nerves soon vanished. We were all excited to explore our new home. The rocket was cool. It even had a space deck and a chill out room. Everyone got to know each other and we just chilled and ate tasty snacks.

Suddenly there was a crash and the rocket was shaking violently. We all clung together. We had hit a huge asteroid. After checking everyone was ok, we landed safely on the moon. Everyone was excited to explore. The moons surface was covered with bowl shaped craters. No plants or animals, foot prints stayed on the moons soil for a long time as there is no wind to blow them away.

We looked up and behind a rock spotted a small, green shape. A blob? No, it must be an Alien! We waved over and the alien just looked wide eyed and floated away. Wow, that was exciting! We tried to find it again but had to give up as it was time to go home.

We had a smooth journey back although it was a little bumpy as we touched back down on Bayside. I was sad that the journey had to come to an end and I said goodbye to my new friends. Thanks guys, I had a blast!

 

[dino]

Stardust Officer's Log. Stardate: 974.8-6>>>

>>>

Our destination remains unclear.

We drift through far-charted space with the deliberation and speed of a space cetacean, safely ensconced in our welcoming space station, BTF. Intermittent reports from our missing Captain Gulliver have seeded apprehension amongst some of the crew, but we remain stalwart.

The emission nebula we are currently passing (heading 34-99) boasts an exquisite concentration of ionized photons from the nearby red giant (C1.2023, named Shrunk). Time passes in slow tides, staring out at its expanse. I often remove my HUD to see the resplendent rainbows of clear mint, vivacious cerulean, and amethyst with my bare eyes. Space seems so comforting, from under the nebula's wing. I hope we can engage in chemical survey of its far reaches.

Improvements in the station accommodations, courtesy of Supply Officers like Firesquids and LoserMom's diligent work, have crew chatter at a high. The comms lines crackle with laughter and plotting each new 24 hour cycle. The faint squeak of playing Galaxolotls dances across soft-carbon floor panels. On the aft side of the station, Moon Bunnies thump like asteroids on the hull. The station too, seems to delight in our presence, responding to our efforts with plips and beeps of all sort, guiding us from one task to the next with gentle floor lights and clear mission alerts.

The time in the observatory has filled all stellar tupperware containers to bursting. Trails of stellar dust stream across the mess and common room in iridescent, xanthic waves that, despite my years serving on crews, makes me stop and stare. On Stardate 974.7-29, I passed Extraterrestrial Ensign MagicalDonkey attempting to clear up a massive spill of buttermellow dust by shoving handfuls of it into a mint stuffed donkey backpack. The donkey's face looked beleaguered, but the mess was shortly gone, leaving only smears of sparkling pearl behind. Crew Officer Dinosauuur snagged the leftovers with a fine tooth comb.

The station begins to feel lived-in. A force-field and a resource against our perilous trajectory. Combined with Command Lieutenants Kikotoot and R A T's ongoing organization efforts in the station's intranet, we have been successful at maintaining a schedule and open communication lines for the crew, even on planetary surveys or during meteor showers. In fact, on Stardate 974.7-23 Engineering Officer Biyaya made the funniest joke. It was about -- actually, nevermind. I don't believe it will translate well to a log. But it brought us so much joy.

Even in the silence of space, there is laughter. Even in the absence of light, there is art.

Even in the mossy stones we are discovering, there is life.

I remain intensely curious about the state of these green orbs and will continue to report my findings on their miraculous properties. What a wonder to be a crew member on BTF. These memories, I know, will remain brilliant and clear in my mind, and I will continue to make more.

Stardust Officer dino out.​

>>>

End of log>>>​

 

[rosetti]

Spoiler: gulls just want to have fun

“Dear campers and party guests, this is your deputy captain speaking. Please return captain Gulliver to the spaceship IMMEDIATELY. Abducting and coating him in glowing moss was enough (and quite funny) however this has gone too far now as he is actually needed URGENTLY!”


Huhh?? I woke up to the itchy raucous from the comms speaker and red alarms flaring. The disco lights were no longer on, the fire flares and confetti canons had come to an unfortunate stop. It was just me and a couple of creatures (aliens?) in the common room. How long have I been passed out on the floor for? Where is everyone else?!

I think I had way too much vacation juice…

Confused and nauseous, I staggered on over towards the couple of alien chums. I then see what they’re looking at. Gulliver is right there, outside, floating in space. WITH A FREAKING SPACE WHALE HEADING RIGHT TOWARDS HIM AND THE SHIP.

“I rEcKoN tHaT He UsEd HiS fAr OuT fReQuEnCiEs To CaLl FoR hElP..”

“wElL cLeArLy He wEnT a BiT tOo FaR!”

There was nothing I could do. I came to space camp for fun and games, not to witness a savage death of our useless captain.

However, before I even comprehended what day it was, Gulliver teleported right back into the ship in a flash of blue beams.

“Attention crew-mates, we are no longer in need of Captain Gulliver. Please do not bring him back onboard as the crisis has been averted. Continue whatever you were doing..”

The international space cetacean SAVED him! In awe, we watched it swim away amongst the same blue beams that teleported the captain. It was a beautiful spectacle, shame it didn’t save my hangover.

 

[Brickittybrick]

Mission Log: Stardate 8.6.2023

Time seems strange here aboard "The Lopez." Our crew simply cannot agree with what time it is. We all have synced to the internal "Clocking System", but when asked any time sensitive questions, well... this is where the anomalies can be readily spotted.
For example: A crew member was asked to show a new camp member to their cabins, they responded "While I would love to do so, would either of you mind if we were to show them to the Cafeteria? Breakfast is about to end soon"
But by further inspections an referring to the clock on the wall, it was nearing curfew. I pointed this out, but when all three of us looked at their watch and then back to the clock on the wall... Why, we were all late for the "Newcomer's Welcoming Lunch". Our clocks have appeared to sync with each other's rather than to the internal "Clocking System" as intended.
We skipped breakfast, bedtime, and lunch and headed straight for the Captain's quarters to see if they could advise or apprise us of the situation. As we approached the deck and neared the destination, we couldn't quite comprehend what we were seeing.
The lights were dimming and fading in rapid succession. Now we knew it couldn't be a ghost of some kind of malevolent sprit. (Whoever's heard of a Space-Ghost anyway?)
I spoke into the intercom by the door, holding down the transition button, ear angled toward the door to listen in at the same time.
"Uh...Captain? There may be an anomaly in the ships systems. Can we speak to you?"
After several pleas and no response, we feared the worst...
I was about to enter the private quarters to see if the Captain was alright, when they where briskly walking down the hallway- approaching from the same direction we just taken.
"What are you three doing here? If you have a question or something, I'll have to ask that you return later unless it's extremely urgent.. If you'll excuse me." And with no explanations they entered their quarters as we tried to get a peak inside to see what they might be referring to or any clue as to their own odd behavior.
We couldn't catch anything out of the ordinary, and in less than another minute, the lights returned to normal, and our clocks had once again synced to the time I had expected it to be earlier. It's hard to tell time in the darkness of space, but I will keep a look out for any more desynchronizations incase the rest of the ships systems are acting weird.

 

[Coach]

Spoiler: Alien induced dream

MISSION LOG - COACH AN001

Yesterday, we set sail on our journey into the skies. Me and my crewmates piled into our lovely common room which was packed with beds, entertainment stations, a full kitchen and more! I swiftly claimed a bed right next to a window, and the view was stunning. Even though I had thought the excitement and nerves would have kept me up all night, the exhaustion from the day combined with the lovely bed sent me off to bed swiftly... But just before I nodded off, I was sure I saw something outside in the nights sky. It was just brief, a blur of neon green, but it also seemed to shoot out a beam of some sort... straight towards me! Even still, I didn't have any more willpower and was out cold.

When I awoke, or *thought* I awoke, I was on a taxi to a very strange place an very strange body. A man was driving me, wearing a blue coat and blue hat. He kept asking me all these strange questions, almost like a personality test, and seemed very forgetful overall. Even more bizarre, I was in a body that was fluffy! I had paws on my hands! I had to remind him where I was going in this dreamworld of sorts, and very time I spoke it seemed to be absolute gibberish which he somehow understood. Anyway, we pulled up into this tiny little town... almost phasing through the high walls, into a stone plaza of what I could only assume was a town hall. I arrived, and entered to be greeted by more humans. They seemed almost stunned to see an animal moving into their home town, but welcomed me nevertheless which was kind of them. I met an odd man called Tom, who showed me to my new house. It had cockroaches scuttling about, but it was mine! One room with a bed and a telephone upstairs. He brought me outside and informed me of the price of my loan with himself, and it rattled me to the bone! I was so shocked, so very gobsmacked that it tore me straight out of the dream!

Jolting up in bed, I was so confused by the dream I'd just had. A town full of humans with a single animal inhabitant? Preposterous! Upon reflection, I think my dream was caused by or related to the tiny alien I saw just before slumber. Something to study during our space voyage, I think!

 

[Azzy]

Can I come out now?

Spoiler: Cactus Fiend

Azzy lifted the lid of the crate once more to double check that she was seeing things right. It was a crate completely filled with itty bitty potted plants. While she didn’t quite understand where it had come from or why it was there to begin with; she knew what had to be done. It started creeping into the common space. The desk that housed their communication equipment being brushed onto the floor as succulents amassed on the desk’s surface.

It was just for the night, wasn’t it? Almost everyone else was asleep or working on their stardusting and thus she had the space to work and plan. Each succulent had a ribbon tied around it with a small message of greeting. Some of them were grouped into bunches as she planned which plant went to which home.

Finally it was time.

Azzy set off down the hallway, placing at least one plant in every bunk. In some cases there were specific ones left or large groupings of them.

Their stardust meter steadily ticked up as Azzy rushed around.

Finally, she’d finished off her initial rounds and settled back in the common room. “Who wants a plant?! Why dust when you can have a succulent? Do you have a favorite? A specific kind you prefer? I can handle it!” She made her sales pitch from the confiscated communications desk.

This is where she sat for the rest of the night, well through the next wishing window, and even through their assignment changes.

“Um, Azzy?” Her attention was drawn to one of her fellow Neverminders.

She perked up, purple eyes sparkling. “Plant?”

They shook their head. “No. We, um, kind of need the communications station back online.”

She blinked owlishly in response. “....plant?”

“No.” They insisted. “You need to move.”

More blinking. “Plants are love. Plants are life.” She held out a small cacti as an offering.

It wasn’t until the threats to lock her in her bunk began to become a reality and she was being carried down the hallway that sense seemed to return to the redhead. “Actually, nevermind! We can move the plants! It’s fine! Put me down!”

She’d since settled down, staring at the bed above hers in boredom. “Plants.” Was what she grumbled under her breath as she waited as patiently as she could for someone to come and let her out again.

 

[ZeldaCrossing64]

Spoiler: New Friend

Day 18 at Space Camp - Galaxolotl Headquarters - 07:21 PM

My past two weeks in space camp were truly something else. While I was often feeling overwhelmed and tired, I was still enjoying myself and having a lot of fun. I missed my villagers back home, but at least I have Apollo's photo safely tucked in my bag. I knew that I'd be back soon, so I might as well enjoy my time here while I can.

One cool evening, I went to the storage room to get some snacks for my crew members. Throwing on a sweater for warmth, I grabbed the list of supplies and my flashlight and walked down the steel corridors.

As I was getting the last bit of supplies, I heard a clanking noise from the other side of the room. I turned on my flashlight and pointed the light beam at the corner. "Who's there?" I squeaked.

There was no response, only a flash of blue-grey that darted behind the boxes of food. I was scared; I wasn't alone in the room, but I didn't know who - or what - it was. However, I wasn't expecting what I was about to see.

A small creature skittered towards me. It looked like an axolotl. This couldn't be a regular axolotl from home, I don't think it would be able to survive in this environment. Perhaps it was a space axolotl from some faraway planet, but how it got in our station is beyond me.

It approached me slowly, making cute chittering noises. I lowered myself onto my knees to face the creature's level. "What are you doing here, little guy?" It said nothing, only eyeing the box of space cookies I was holding.

I got the hint. "Oh, you're hungry!" I said with a chuckle, opening the box and handing a cookie to the axolotl. It devoured the food as I continued feeding it for the next few minutes.

I looked at my watch, realizing how much time had passed already. "Yikes, I gotta go!" I stood back up, grabbed my things, and headed for the door. When I looked behind, the axolotl was trailing behind me.

I frowned. "I'm sorry, but I don't think you can come with me. I don't know how my crew members will feel about you." I said to the creature sadly. "However, I'll be sure to tell my captains about you so we can figure this out." The axolotl seemed quite upset, but understood what I was saying.

I placed the opened box of cookies in a dark corner for it. "Just stay here, little guy. I'll be back soon," As I placed a hand on the door handle, I looked back with a smile. "I think I'll call you Gaxo." Then I left the storage room.

I hope Gaxo is doing okay. It's getting late, so I better stop writing before I doze off. Sweet dreams to my axolotl friend...

-Zelda, Resident Representative of Newgrounds

​

 

[kikotoot]

My entry:

(was not expecting this to turn dark but ran out of ideas about halfway through )

Spoiler

Mushrooms drip,
like cobweb's dew,
on this one,
of Saturn's many moon.

The sky's bright grey,
and turns to green at dusk,
as the sun sets,
on this stony husk.

In each crater's caldera,
lies a cheese scented sprout,
the likes of which you'd imagine swaying in the wind were it on a planet with an actual atmosphere and wind,
like the fin of a trout.

I'd like to run 'round those rings,
graded in pink,
running in circles and circles,
like a bug down the sink.

There's just one small issue,
with these space fantasies,
and that's the towering graggleback,
that eats ones like me.

It comes out at night,
covering kilometers in strides,
rendering recklessness risky,
lest it find and take you like tides.

I lost my friend the other day,
or night, I suppose.
We were chased, but they couldn't run!
as they had broken some toes.

Oh,
how they broke their toes?
well.

They were running around the rings,
dusting their space boots in pink,
caught a glimpse of a cheese plant,
and leapt for it in a blink.

I remember the green sky,
when the crust, their boot broke,
revealing this planet's interior,
with an upwards puff of smoke.

It was later that night,
we were found and were chased,
from behind a mushroom's dried drip-wax the graggleback revealed itself,
and my friend just couldn't make haste.

 

[himekirako]

Spoiler: my letter

Dear Isabelle,

How has the island been? It's been a week since I received the letter of selection and left Asteria. I still can't believe I was selected for this trip, I was sure my letter would have been lost somewhere along the way. Anyways, I hope you haven't missed me too much haha

Let me fill you in with my life out in space! I will start by thanking you for what you packed for me, I saw your note and it was lovely. On the very first day, we were given loads of time to decorate our living quarters so I was able to put that up on my wall along with the picture of all of us together.
Don't you worry, there's a common room where we get to hang out and they have good food, I promise. The other selected members have been really friendly and some have even said they would want to visit the island after this space trip!

Some of us go out to explore, there are puzzles to solve, and there are so many other different fun activities to do. There's never a dull day on the ship, but I really do miss home and simply can't wait to get back.

Your friend,
Kirako

 

[Sheando]

This was a lot of fun! I spent about 30 minutes writing it and about an hour trimming 110 extra words so it would meet guidelines because that's just who I am as a person, I guess.

My story is entirely based off the mysterious transmissions we've been getting in the Frequencies event.

Spoiler

“Make yourself useful!” cries Gulliver, hauling his latest bag of “specimens” up the spaceship ramp, clanking with every step.

I push myself off the sleep-pod-turned-couch, already missing the cool press of its absorbent, flight-safe gel. What’d they say this planet was? 1.4 earth Gs? My muscles weigh a lot more than they did back home.

I’m too proud to wince as I heft the bag. “What’s in here, anyway?”

“Stones. We’ll be studying the moss on these rocks for years to come, breaking down the minerals to understand what this planet is made of. Does that excite you?”

It doesn’t. Should have been a pilot by now, but my nearsightedness put the X on that real quick. Took three years to convince BTF to process my application, and they only obliged because I slapped on a Zoology major.

“Yes,” I reply, after a beat too long. “Yes! Rocks. I love them.”

Gulliver rolls his eyes, plucks a rock from the bag, and tosses it into the air, catching it with one hand. “I’ll be in the lab.”

...​

One of us is required to be awake at all times. Fine by me; I’m a certified night owl. Literally certified. I took a 30-day prep test, perhaps the first one I’ve ever passed with flying colors.

Gulliver snores, but whatever. The touchpad on the wall can be activated to provide three types of background noise: “soothing,” “energizing,” and “inspiring.” Just one of many ways BTF nurtures its employees!

In the center of our common room, Gulliver’s left the mossy rock on an observation table. Earlier today, he said a lot of fun-at-parties things about geology while I used a thin metal blade to scrape the moss into a jar for preservation. I guess he’s going to press it like a flower or something.

Earlier the rock was a sharp, shining black, but now it’s the brown of dirt after a hard rain.

There’s a crack across the top.

...​

As you might imagine, BTF has a pretty strict code of ethics around “Engaging With Alien Life-Forms.” Best we can guess, that moss was feeding the beaky grub-creature inside, and when we removed it, the little guy had no choice but to crack its way out.

Gulliver’s been frantic for days. He’s been fielding BTF conference calls “out the wazoo,” as he likes to say, about the best way to safely replace the rocks–eggs, I guess—so that they don’t die in the wild untended.

Me? I’m doing fine. Dusted off that Zoology degree and built a temperature-controlled containment chamber, brought in some soil and native flora, and added water in a ration-lid. I’m gonna keep this weirdo alive.

Gulliver clears his throat from the doorway, startling me as I’m lowering the grub into the moss. “So,” he says. “Aliens. Does that excite you?”

The grub inches forward, prods a frond, then tugs the leaf into its mouth with little fleshy protrusions.

I grin up at him. “Yeah,” I reply. “It does.”

 

[LateGamer]

YOU MUST BE DREAMIN'
​

Spoiler

I am dreaming… I can hear someone singing…way off key, and what they are singing makes little sense…”The Bird is the word, the bbbird is the word!” I search for the source and see a seagull dressed in a space suit? There is an electric air of excitement and a cacophony of high pitched voices chittering “you must join our space camp!” you will have a “blast!” I don’t know what they are talking about and I am trying to ask questions, but before I can think, I am thrust onto a….spaceship! Someone is hollering out who has to team up with whom into 4 groups and another is demanding my passport. I don’t have a passport…..wait, what’s this in my pocket?

My dream flashes to another scene. I and my team mates are frantically trying to gather dust, but I can’t figure out why….Are we trying to save someone with star dust? What is star dust??? As we run about we are continually reminded to find…..space eggs! So we have to find these eggs out in the void with no idea where to look? I am feeling more exhausted by the moment. All of this time, our space ship is hurtling I know not where and we don’t appear to have a captain? Who is steering this thing?

My dream is so confusing! Why are we on a space station called “The Lopez”? Now there are more tasks to accomplish and I’m feeling overwhelmed and I am tearing my hair out trying to solve puzzling transmissions from that Seagull named Gulliver. I am so grateful I have amazing team mates and we work together on all of our difficult duties. But now I am worried because this Gallivanting Gulliver is describing horrendous creatures and he says he is bringing them back to us?! Now I am not sure….am I dreaming? Or am I having a nightmare? I am panicking! THUD! I open my eyes and look around and see the shadows of my dresser, my big stuffed Teddy in the corner and I feel relief, it was just a dream! And then I hear noises…..cracking noises…..they are coming from my closet!.......

​

​

 

[airpeaches]

My entry! Just a simple little piece reflecting on the excitment of our space travels

Spoiler

Data Log 18. August 7th. It has been 14 days since my crew has left the comforts of our terrestrial home. The crew assigned to our spaceship is made up of some wonderful, mischievous mates with a great sense of humor; between them and my knapsack of travel essentials, I hardly feel like I'm light years away from that thin atmosphere that separates this world and the planet I'm most familiar with. I must say, although I enjoyed the luminant beauty of the starfield we traveled through on the first week of our expedition, I have enjoyed being holed up with my crewmates. Bonding time with those around me has been priceless. I am quite curious about all those machines over in the bridge, though. I heard we may even be able to transported down to planet surfaces through?! I simply cannot contain my excitement, who knows what uncharted worlds lie ahead? Although someday this whole trip will be a distant memory, I hope to experience as much that this galaxy has to offer while I remain aboard The Lopez as humanly possible. There's so much to see and explore--what a truly lovely and life-changing journey. As much as I anticipate what's ahead, I'm very much looking forward to the trip back home. Passing through the starfields again will be lovely, I feel so lucky to be able to see them more them once during my lifetime. I really hope to see the lighted lily constellation again, as well!