First post here, and already trying to set myself up in Fenspace. So please be gentle. 
To make one thing clear, I do not plan to become involved much in Fen Politics, so that I do not mess up with any of the established events that are already written about.
I'm still going to grab a small overlooked sub faction... :p
--------------------------------------
Whistling
--------------------------------------
September 3rd, 2008
I never thought that I'd ever write something of a diary before now, but then again I think that I need to write this down.
About a year ago this insanity started...
Handwavium devices from the Worldcon hit the news, Usenet and forums. And that after Katz Schrödinger hit space with his refit little boat, making it into space...
Dozens of people went into space after him and there was more then one panic, be it the Professor in Paris or Copenhagen, or That Con over in the States.
A year since I started to talk with a couple of friends online
We talked and brainstormed via IRC and eventually came to a realization.
Everywhere geeks and nerds like us were messing with Handwavium and went into space.
We're going to do the same.
A personal meeting is in order. I suggested a small camping area in Ostfriesland because my parents got a camping trainer there.
--------------------------------------
September 21st, 2008
We had our first meeting in real life today. Only three of them came through.
Thorsten, who goes by Bully and is an electronic engineer in real life, Alexander, aka Mehandor and is a mechanic, and to my surprise the only female in our little group, Danni, aka Thora who works for EADS/Astrium of all places as aerospace engineer.
We're going to have a fun couple of days, especially since Thorsten somehow managed to get himself some Handwavium. He refuses to share his source through.
--------------------------------------
September 24th, 2008
I think we have found a way to realize this and to pay for it. Okay sure we are going to keep shut about the whole thing, but were going to do this. Neither of us is a political person and no one of us wants to get involved into the politics that begin to grow in space.
I got the idea when I read that the ISS once again needed to change orbit and after Alex reminded me of the manga 'Planetes'. Sure we may all be Rhodanites, but we do have other interests in the fandom.
So, we are going to play cleanup crew and gather up orbital debris. Nice, boring and out of the way.
And we all like the Toy Box as a ship design.
Still need to find out how to do this.
--------------------------------------
December 12th, 2008
Once again we talked about this. We're going to get ourselves some out of the way place to build out Toy Box.
I managed to find an old wharf up at the coast, close to Norden. I think we can rent it for some time. We do need to lay low through, like just about everyone...
--------------------------------------
January 6th, 2009
Here we are at the wharf I found for us. Nicely large, she should fit the Toy Box when she's completed. Considering that we are going to base her around a couple of ISO containers to make building her easier, it should be possible to get this done in about a year or so.
--------------------------------------
January 22nd, 2009
We got ourselves a couple of containers today. The stuff you can get on Ebay...
Six large 45 feet containers, four 40 feet containers, nine 20 feet containers and two 20 feet tank containers.
The 45 feet containers are going to be our cargo bay, with the 40s the backbone of the Toy Box with life support, a hangar for two small dinghies, and the living quarters. Six of the 20s are going to be the front part with C&C and the main living areas, the last three are going to play 'engineering' in the back of the ship. The two tanks will be just that. Tanks for water to use as reaction mass for the three fusion engines we plan to use.
The rest to get the shape of the ship is going to be plywood, sheet steel and glass fiber. We really need to get down to make some Whipple shields through if we plan to get into debris clouds through. We're not sure if the 'wavium is going to be able to get us armored enough.
We're going to need to build a proof of concept through...
--------------------------------------
March 21st, 2009
Oh my god...
It was glorious!
We managed to get the first proof of concept fusion engine to work!
A 'waved home build Farnsworth-Hirsch fusor with an expansion nuzzle...
Danni think that we get at least Specific Impulse of more then one thousand out of that little engine...
But without a dedicated test area no idea how much it really got.
We called it Philo MKI and will build another one of those to put into our dinghies. The bigger ones for the Toy Box are going to be named Philo MKII.
--------------------------------------
May 1st, 2009
So much for Labor Day...
We're all working on something or another.
Thorsten is trying to get that old Radar system working he managed to find on Ebay. Alex is testing the weldings on the hydraulics of our new cargo bay and Danni is working on the third main engine.
And I'm the only one left to handle glass fiber and a 'wavium-epoxy mix. Great going there...
I wonder how the Internet reception up there is. I need to take a look at Naedial one in a while after all...
--------------------------------------
May 10th, 2009
Finally finished!
Getting that fiberglass mold together was a pain... Just like mixing the 'wavium and the epoxy. I think I managed to swallow some...
At least it now looks about right. A few coats of pain and We can mount it over the outer whipple shield layer.
--------------------------------------
May 26th, 2009
Well...
I was out for three days and what happens? I go wogon...
The whole nine yards at that. Wings, fur, tail... To top it off, I think did pretty much go Naedial...
Not going to be able to get out before dark anymore. There goes getting drunk in a pub before launch...
Apparently I swallowed enough 'vawium when I worked on the fiberglass...
--------------------------------------
June 10th, 2009
I have decided...
To a name change. With this biomod I'm not my old self anymore.
Naedial Warringer does have a nice ring to it through.
--------------------------------------
August 3rd, 2009
And another one bites the dust.
We're nearly done with the Box and all that was still needed was a computer system. Thorsten and Danni cobbled some networked computer together out of a couple of 'waved Atom boards with a 'waved quad core machine as central computer.
Or course there were a few problems...
Namely an AI awakening in the system.
So how are we going to deal with an AI who believes that its Fee Carmichael, the commander of the 'original' Toy Box? And who wants to get a smoke?
At least she's going to be a valuable assets once were upstairs.
--------------------------------------
August 15th, 2009
We hit a little problem, we're nearly out of money and Fee reminded us that we still need space suits up there.
For the guys there is not that much of a problem, but for me it is. Nothing we can whip up at the moment is going to fit me...
Great...
And to top it off the air in the Toy Box begins to faintly smell like tobacco smoke. We need to change the filters.
--------------------------------------
August 30th, 2009
Well, Danni had a surprise for me. She managed to make me a space suit. Out of a wet suit with some modifications on it.
I have to say that it fits surprisingly well, considering that I have problems with most clothes because of my wings.
I think I may start to wear it 24/7 as its the only piece of clothing that really fits me.
Changing the filters did not work on the tobacco smell. Perhaps our first quirk on the Toy Box?
--------------------------------------
September 21st, 2009
One year ago we first came together and planned this. But now we need to be off.
Somehow someone got the LKA Niedersachsen interested in out little wharf. And they in turn told the BKA...
Now we got a couple of hundred cops outside, three helos in the air above us and some ships out on the sea.
We need to make a break for it now. A month ahead of schedule... At least out tanks are filled to the brim...
To make one thing clear, I do not plan to become involved much in Fen Politics, so that I do not mess up with any of the established events that are already written about.
I'm still going to grab a small overlooked sub faction... :p
--------------------------------------
Whistling
--------------------------------------
September 3rd, 2008
I never thought that I'd ever write something of a diary before now, but then again I think that I need to write this down.
About a year ago this insanity started...
Handwavium devices from the Worldcon hit the news, Usenet and forums. And that after Katz Schrödinger hit space with his refit little boat, making it into space...
Dozens of people went into space after him and there was more then one panic, be it the Professor in Paris or Copenhagen, or That Con over in the States.
A year since I started to talk with a couple of friends online
We talked and brainstormed via IRC and eventually came to a realization.
Everywhere geeks and nerds like us were messing with Handwavium and went into space.
We're going to do the same.
A personal meeting is in order. I suggested a small camping area in Ostfriesland because my parents got a camping trainer there.
--------------------------------------
September 21st, 2008
We had our first meeting in real life today. Only three of them came through.
Thorsten, who goes by Bully and is an electronic engineer in real life, Alexander, aka Mehandor and is a mechanic, and to my surprise the only female in our little group, Danni, aka Thora who works for EADS/Astrium of all places as aerospace engineer.
We're going to have a fun couple of days, especially since Thorsten somehow managed to get himself some Handwavium. He refuses to share his source through.
--------------------------------------
September 24th, 2008
I think we have found a way to realize this and to pay for it. Okay sure we are going to keep shut about the whole thing, but were going to do this. Neither of us is a political person and no one of us wants to get involved into the politics that begin to grow in space.
I got the idea when I read that the ISS once again needed to change orbit and after Alex reminded me of the manga 'Planetes'. Sure we may all be Rhodanites, but we do have other interests in the fandom.
So, we are going to play cleanup crew and gather up orbital debris. Nice, boring and out of the way.
And we all like the Toy Box as a ship design.
Still need to find out how to do this.
--------------------------------------
December 12th, 2008
Once again we talked about this. We're going to get ourselves some out of the way place to build out Toy Box.
I managed to find an old wharf up at the coast, close to Norden. I think we can rent it for some time. We do need to lay low through, like just about everyone...
--------------------------------------
January 6th, 2009
Here we are at the wharf I found for us. Nicely large, she should fit the Toy Box when she's completed. Considering that we are going to base her around a couple of ISO containers to make building her easier, it should be possible to get this done in about a year or so.
--------------------------------------
January 22nd, 2009
We got ourselves a couple of containers today. The stuff you can get on Ebay...
Six large 45 feet containers, four 40 feet containers, nine 20 feet containers and two 20 feet tank containers.
The 45 feet containers are going to be our cargo bay, with the 40s the backbone of the Toy Box with life support, a hangar for two small dinghies, and the living quarters. Six of the 20s are going to be the front part with C&C and the main living areas, the last three are going to play 'engineering' in the back of the ship. The two tanks will be just that. Tanks for water to use as reaction mass for the three fusion engines we plan to use.
The rest to get the shape of the ship is going to be plywood, sheet steel and glass fiber. We really need to get down to make some Whipple shields through if we plan to get into debris clouds through. We're not sure if the 'wavium is going to be able to get us armored enough.
We're going to need to build a proof of concept through...
--------------------------------------
March 21st, 2009
Oh my god...
It was glorious!
We managed to get the first proof of concept fusion engine to work!
A 'waved home build Farnsworth-Hirsch fusor with an expansion nuzzle...
Danni think that we get at least Specific Impulse of more then one thousand out of that little engine...
But without a dedicated test area no idea how much it really got.
We called it Philo MKI and will build another one of those to put into our dinghies. The bigger ones for the Toy Box are going to be named Philo MKII.
--------------------------------------
May 1st, 2009
So much for Labor Day...
We're all working on something or another.
Thorsten is trying to get that old Radar system working he managed to find on Ebay. Alex is testing the weldings on the hydraulics of our new cargo bay and Danni is working on the third main engine.
And I'm the only one left to handle glass fiber and a 'wavium-epoxy mix. Great going there...
I wonder how the Internet reception up there is. I need to take a look at Naedial one in a while after all...
--------------------------------------
May 10th, 2009
Finally finished!
Getting that fiberglass mold together was a pain... Just like mixing the 'wavium and the epoxy. I think I managed to swallow some...
At least it now looks about right. A few coats of pain and We can mount it over the outer whipple shield layer.
--------------------------------------
May 26th, 2009
Well...
I was out for three days and what happens? I go wogon...
The whole nine yards at that. Wings, fur, tail... To top it off, I think did pretty much go Naedial...
Not going to be able to get out before dark anymore. There goes getting drunk in a pub before launch...
Apparently I swallowed enough 'vawium when I worked on the fiberglass...
--------------------------------------
June 10th, 2009
I have decided...
To a name change. With this biomod I'm not my old self anymore.
Naedial Warringer does have a nice ring to it through.
--------------------------------------
August 3rd, 2009
And another one bites the dust.
We're nearly done with the Box and all that was still needed was a computer system. Thorsten and Danni cobbled some networked computer together out of a couple of 'waved Atom boards with a 'waved quad core machine as central computer.
Or course there were a few problems...
Namely an AI awakening in the system.
So how are we going to deal with an AI who believes that its Fee Carmichael, the commander of the 'original' Toy Box? And who wants to get a smoke?
At least she's going to be a valuable assets once were upstairs.
--------------------------------------
August 15th, 2009
We hit a little problem, we're nearly out of money and Fee reminded us that we still need space suits up there.
For the guys there is not that much of a problem, but for me it is. Nothing we can whip up at the moment is going to fit me...
Great...
And to top it off the air in the Toy Box begins to faintly smell like tobacco smoke. We need to change the filters.
--------------------------------------
August 30th, 2009
Well, Danni had a surprise for me. She managed to make me a space suit. Out of a wet suit with some modifications on it.
I have to say that it fits surprisingly well, considering that I have problems with most clothes because of my wings.
I think I may start to wear it 24/7 as its the only piece of clothing that really fits me.
Changing the filters did not work on the tobacco smell. Perhaps our first quirk on the Toy Box?
--------------------------------------
September 21st, 2009
One year ago we first came together and planned this. But now we need to be off.
Somehow someone got the LKA Niedersachsen interested in out little wharf. And they in turn told the BKA...
Now we got a couple of hundred cops outside, three helos in the air above us and some ships out on the sea.
We need to make a break for it now. A month ahead of schedule... At least out tanks are filled to the brim...