Etherium: A Kerbal Space Program Story (Chapter 43: The Final Push, part two)

Welcome to my humble story! This was created in Sandbox mode useing most of the mods listed above. I started this in Notepad with the intention to post it when I was finished, and it's actually easier for me because I can go at my own pace with the story while STILL hopefully giving you all a thrilling storyline! Enjoy!

Edited March 18, 2017 by Draconiator

Draconiator · April 10, 2016

This particular post is no longer needed.

Edited April 18, 2016 by Draconiator

SpaceplaneAddict · April 10, 2016

pls i beg gif moar.
It's hard to wait so long without my...

*Determination.

Draconiator · April 10, 2016

On the surface, Gene Kerman ran a successful space program. Everyone knows about the hotshot pilots that fly...and some of them fail; quite spectacularly too. But no one at KSC knows that he has his hands in OTHER projects as well, not even Jebediah, which he was thankful for. His best pilot would likely blab it all over Kerbin if he found out. But he had to keep silent. Since national security is at stake. A group called the "Kerbin Spy Agency" also worked at KSC, but clandestinely, protecting Kerbin from all manner of threats.

And the threat he was assessing now was worth looking into. That is why he was sending a team of crack commandos to Arctica, where he had picked up a strange blip on radar...

The pilots currently aboard were the finest pilots the Kerbin Spy Agency had, but even they were unsure of the current mission.

"What do you suppose Gene found?" Magi finally piped up after a long silence.

Melgun looked at Magi. "I don't know, Magi. Must be important though, or else he would never have scrambled the Green Monster."

The Green Monster, the finest spyplane the KSA has. Of course, it's just a codename, but what it is designed to do is top secret to anyone not in the KSA. It is mainly used for espionage against foreign enemies when a credible threat is found.

It is designed to go extremely fast, with an official cruising speed of [CLASSIFIED], enough to literally bake the outside of the craft, and make civilian Kerbals below think it was just a passing meteorite.

The Green Monster spyplane was designed to break apart and land the crew module, to make it look like a bonefied plane crash and hide the KSA's existance to the public. The ruse has worked for years, and many attacks from extremists have been foiled, thanks to the Monster. There are always five ready to go at any time. However, the Monster was not designed for trans-continental journeys like this, nor was it any sort of airliner.

But today, an uneasiness exists; this mission feels so much different than others the trio had been on.

"What is puzzling me, why are we going to ARCTICA? Nothing lives up there. Well besides the Squarehead Penguins." Haydi wondered.

Melgun frowned. "I don't know that either, Haydi. All we know is it seems to be a matter of urgency. Maybe some snacks will help calm our nerves."

Magi and Haydi agreed, and they ate in silence, but all that did was to make them full. The closer they got to Arctica, the more nervous they got. All they could do at the moment was watch the flames out the window from going hypersonic.

After 15 minutes, they saw Arctica coming up in the distance.

Somewhere down there in that frozen wasteland was what Gene said he'd found. But what was it? Slowing down so they could search more effectively, they started a search pattern.

Soon, a yelp from Magi jolted Haydi and scared Melgun so much that snacks went flying everywhere.

"There it is!!"

Haydi sat wide-eyed staring out the window. "What in Koverlord IS that thing? We need to take another look. Magi! Melgun! prepare for breakup!"

The...thing was glinting like a star in the Arctica sunlight as the trio descended in the Monster, each of them both eager and scared to find out what it was.

As soon as breakup was initiated, it could not be stopped. First, both engines were jettisoned. The Monster, now a glider, continued on for a few minutes.

Then, the command pod separated from the rest of the aircraft. The remaining aircraft body is what crashes, creating the illusion of a plane crash during a normal mission, But this one was anything but normal. The separation did not go as planned however, and the entire living quarters were destroyed. They were on their own. They had a few stores on the bridge, but only enough to last a few weeks.

They were used to this however, as they were well-trained for extreme cold weather survival. Their mission now was to find the...thing, whatever it was. For a while they just stared out at the frozen wasteland, wondering what was in store for them...

A few minutes later, and using some metal supports that had survived, Haydi hopped up on one and began to speak.

"Melgun...Magi. You two do know our mission objective right? find that...thing, and if it is a threat, destroy it. Since we are alone, I can tell you what Gene thinks it may be.

"Gene thinks it is a huge probe from another world, based on the pulses it gave out as it landed. Perhaps to scan for signs of life. But if the thing is hostile...

"I fear for us all."

What they never realized...while they were talking, the thing took off silently...

Edited April 18, 2016 by Draconiator

Angelo Kerman · April 10, 2016

Welp, there goes my story idea, heh. Looking forward to what you do with this.

Draconiator · April 10, 2016

31 minutes ago, Angel-125 said:

Welp, there goes my story idea, heh. Looking forward to what you do with this.

I hope you love it. I'm nearly done the story on my hard drive...so it was time to start posting.

SpaceplaneAddict · April 10, 2016

YUS!

I FOUND the patience to wait and my....!

*Determination.

Draconiator · April 10, 2016

Chapter 2 tomorrow as well, since it would mesh well with the update frequency

Draconiator · April 11, 2016

Good Morning, here's another chapter for you guys the next update will be Friday from here. Ran into a problem with Mechjeb docking while working on my latest chapter on my hard drive, I may have to learn manual docking after all...yay lol Anyway...

Back at KSC, Gene was concerned. It had been a few days since he had heard from the three he sent to Arctica, and he wondered if they had found the target yet. After a while he had had enough of this, and called on a young up-and-comer in the Kerbin Spy Agency, Mactop Kerman.

Mactop had just been snarfing on a burger when Gene called him into his office, and he dropped everything to see what the big boss wanted.

"Mactop, here's the situation. Melgun, Magi and Haydi have not checked in at all from their mission. All we know is that they are alive. I want you to go check on them, and see if anything had hapenned to them. Use any transportation you see fit. I'm counting on you."

Mactop gave a sharp salute. "Yes, Sir! I will find them, don't you worry!"

Now, by "any transportation", Gene meant "any transportation that will make it there AND back". But as smart as Mactop was, Kerbals are not known for their choices, and he chose the Fishtail. A trainer with barely enough fuel to make it all that way.

And sure enough, he ran out of fuel and ended up merely kilometers from the commandos.

Mactop could see their ship, and he tried to get a tiny bit extra out of the engines. But try as he might, his tanks were bone dry. Thankfully though, he established radio contact with them, confirming that they were alive and well.

"Mactop to Monster Crew. Do you read?"

Haydi answered the call. "We read you loud and clear! Gene must have sent you to check on us. It's actually fortunate that you ran out of gas, we can scan more ground that way. Looks like you are our 4th member!"

Mactop thought this over for a bit. He was not a full-fledged commando like Haydi, Magi and Melgun; he just came out of the academy. And he was not briefed on the mission although he knew about it from Gene. He had no idea he would become a very important member to the commandos.

"Haydi, Mactop here. I am going to try to walk to your position, Over."

Haydi practically screamed back. "STAY WHERE YOU ARE, THAT'S AN ORDER. You can potentially help out there."

While complying, Mactop felt cramped from hours of sitting in a cockpit with not much room to move, so he just hung out on the wing, staring at the frozen featureless landscape.

Back at what was left of the Green Monster, Haydi was worried. Why did Gene send a mere recruit? And one that was probably NOT briefed on the mission? She knew he could help out regardless, however she feared for his safety. How could he survive out here with just the supplies offered by the Fishtail trainer?

Haydi and her team were much better off. The cockpit of the Monster was now serving as their home away from home. It was roomy, warm, they had power...the only thing they didn't have was a proper shower.

Creature comforts barely mattered on the mission however. This mission was urgent, according to Gene; they MUST find this...thing, whatever it was.

As Mactop stared into the gathering dusk on the frozen desert, he had no idea that he was to play a part in all of this...

Draconiator · April 11, 2016

SURPRISE UPDATE! I think I'll just do away with the update frequency and just go slow enough so I can get the story finished on my computer, but fast enough so as to not keep y'all waiting. Soooo....

As Mactop stared into the endless frozen abyss, suddenly...SOMETHING swooped in overhead and landed around 900 meters away. He immediately got on the radio.

"HAYDI!!! HAYDI COME IN! I have visual on...something!"

"We saw it come in, Mactop!" Haydi replied. "You're much closer than we are, so see if you can approach it on foot."

Mactop was nervous, but offered a "Roger" before beginning the long walk towards the strange object.

As he neared the strange craft, the profile of it came into view, and it was unlike anything he had seen before. It gave off an eerie blue light, and seemed to be waiting for something...

Mactop clicked on his radio. "Haydi...are you seeing this via suit monitor? I think we have first contact!!"

Haydi immediately replied, "Yes! I think this is the thing we were sent to find! but something doesn't feel right...I can't put my finger on it. Stand by..."

Even closer to the craft now, Mactop realized that the craft was clearly alien in origin. but why was it here? What was it doing in Arctica? He hoped to get more answers when he reached the strange vehicle.

At last, Mactop reached the craft, and clicked on his suit recorder.

"This is Mactop Kerman, Year 37, Arctica. I have been drafted into a mission I was not put on, but what I am looking at now seems to have made the situation worthwhile. It is a craft of unknown makeup, around 20 meters tall. Blue lights eminating from 8 light-pods, I see no evidence of habitation by life forms.

"Wait...the lights just turned off. My arrival seems to have affected it. I am now standing underneath the craft, and no further action has been seen.

"Mactop Kerman, of the KSA."

Mactop switched off the recorder and tuned to Haydi's personal suit comm. "Haydi, are you there?"

"I read you Mactop."

"Anything on your end?"

Haydi checked her readouts. Sure enough, some kind of transmission was coming from the craft, and a powerful one at that. Perhaps this was why Gene could not reach them; if this was a dampening field, the KSC would be much too far away.

"I'm getting some kind of massive reading, Mactop, on all radio frequencies. We're close together so it does not seem to be affecting our comms. I think that...thing is causing it. Can you see if you can find some way into it?"

Mactop didn't answer, because while he was conversing with Haydi, two of the "landing lights" came on.

"Haydi, something is happening. Two of the landing lights came on, and I think it's getting ready---

"---to leave..."

Mactop felt sick, as this was the closest he'd ever been to rocket exhaust, or whatever THEY called rocket exhaust. He was grateful to be alive, but now they had only more questions. They HAD to get to the bottom of this...

Draconiator · April 12, 2016

HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM

I was testing some more mods for the story, and I was exploring Other Worlds, when the Kraken got me and destroyed every crewed ship I had. Phoenix-Munhat, gone. It's a good thing most of my important ones are UNcrewed. I can bounce back from this. We still have quite a buffer to go too.

Draconiator · April 12, 2016

I FOUND A BACKUP, WE'RE OKAY!!!!!! I thought my story was dead in the water but I just merged the backup with my current craft files, and we're goooooood to goooo. To Celebrate, have Chapter 4!

Being the captain of your own ship felt very awkward to Jebediah. He was in charge of the Duna mission aboard the KSS Jeb, and as far as he was concerned, someone else could have that job. It also didn't help that he was expecting a delivery from KSC at any moment now. They should have been on Duna by now, doing science in a brand new base.

Waiting was the pits, Jeb thought, and it also didn't help that the buffoons over on the Grand Kerb which was also in orbit, did not send over a tender ship to ferry them all to the larger vessel. What was taking them so long?

On the Grand Kerb, Bob and Daphmy were enjoying their honeymoon, when Jebediah's angry yelling was heard throughout the ships intercom system.

"BOB YOU BOOB, PICK UP YOU GREEN PUKE!"

Bob grinned and answered. "Yessss, my master?"

"BOB. Grrrr nevermind, but WHERE THE HELL IS OUR TRANSPORT? We have been waiting YEARS, and DON'T get me started on the "fine folks" at KSC. Where is our base?"

Bob calmly replied. "Jeb, Gene has told me that Wernher is ironing out all the bugs. It won't be ready for another few months."

This absolutely enraged Jeb, as well as positively scared some of the girls on the ship. "BOB WHEN WE GET BACK I'M GOING TO HAVE YOU FIRED! F-I-R-E-D! You know I answer directly to Gene right?"

But the other passengers were used to what they called "Stompberries"; they happened all the time. Ego does that to you, they guessed. "Keep to yourself, and you will be fine," one of them always said. Still, these "Stompberries" bordered on harassment, and crude remarks to the girls on board.

About 30 minutes later, Jeb was still fuming, but he relaxed some when a blip came on radar. It identified as a base named "Duna Base", so Jeb thought Bob was wrong, and the base had finally arrived. The other Kerbals in the KSS Jeb were overjoyed as well.

As it got closer, Jeb had an eerie feeling. Something wasn't right. Something DEFINATELY wasn't right. The KSC did NOT send things to Duna unannounced.

Jeb got on the radio. "Jeb to Bob, you got a copy?"

"If you just wanna yell at me, DON'T, you nitwit." Bob was clearly still angry from when Jeb basically berated him.

"No. Bob, look at your radar, tell me what you see."

Bob went over to the radar console, and saw the mysterious blip coming in. "But Wernher...said his team is still working on the base...if the base is still on Kerbin and incomplete...what is THAT??? It's not the base...they would have announced it days ago!"

The realization that the blip was not what it seemed hit Bob the hardest. He began scouring through datalogs from back before the KSC started. Everything concerning spaceflight. If only he had access to the KSA data, as what was coming in was detected days earlier, in interplanetary space.

Whatever this thing was, it was making a beeline straight for the KSS Jeb!

Now both Jeb and Bob knew this was DEFINATELY not the base. but what was it? Girls aboard the KSS Jeb began panicking as the realization hit them. Jeb got smacked in the face by a few thrown Snacks, but kept his cool, even when the thing approached.

Now it was less than 20 kilometers away amd Jeb STILL did not know what the heck this thing was. He tried radioing KSC....and even Bob, but suddenly there was dead static on the radio. On all channels there was the same static. Then, a humming sound started through the radio. Quiet at first, but as the thing approached it got louder, and the humming turned into a pulsing. And still the thing came closer...

Jeb was puzzled. Until he saw the thing himself. It was some sort of...probe? Some sort of...thing? he didn't know what to make of it. But then came the headaches.

A blue beam had started to canvass the KSS Jeb, and suddenly it was being nudged by the thing! Was this...simply a curious mechanical life form? Or something more sinister?

Soon it became clear this was a serious situation. It RAMMED the KSS Jeb and she lost a solar panel.

It also seemed to have suffered damage; one of its lights were destroyed. It came for another run. This time a bonefied battering ram of a run which ripped the KSS Jeb in half, and thoroughly stunned Jeb himself. These were alien weapons!! The weapon itself was obliterated in the wreck, offering no clue as to whence it came.

Jeb sat back, seriously scared..."...These...whatever they are....are not friendly..."

Draconiator · April 13, 2016

You know what?

Sometimes you just feel like a nut...her chapter. Har har har *ducks tomatoes*

Jeb as a pilot has been through every conceivable situation....except this one. Their communication equipment was on the other section, so they couldn't exactly call for help...

Bob on the other hand, had seen the explosion and was coming to help with the tender!

"Jeb. This is Bob, I'm coming buddy!"

Once docked, Jeb and Bill, who was Jeb's copilot told him all that had transpired. Just who...or WHAT...were these aliens? Where did they come from? Why would they do this? But they would worry about that later. Those poor girls in the stern section of what was the KSS Jeb must be scared out of their minds...

All they could do was hope for the best...

They found the rear half of the KSS Jeb more or less intact, and Jeb let out a huge sigh of relief. He had feared the worst. Arrogant stand-up guy he may be sometimes, but he ALWAYS takes care of his own. The girls seemed happy to see him too. The only solar panel somehow provided enough electricity to keep the oxygen converters and the heater running.

Jeb took a moment to survey the damage to the ship. The hull was mostly intact, but the piece of the ship which connected the fore and aft section was twisted and damaged beyond repair. It would take an act of Kerblord to re-connect the two halves. So, it was decided to ferry the people in what was left of the Jeb to the Grand Kerb, and then bid farewell to the Jeb.

A Kerbal named Mosa was the first out. Over the radio, she could be heard making light of a bad situation by saying that the Ultimate Question had been answered, and that Gene should announce that to all of Kerbalkind.

After Mosa, they piled out in 3s, to board the waiting tender.

Suddenly, Gene was heard on Bob's secure channel. "Bob, this information is top secret. We have a situation on the ground here at KSC. As soon as you finish what you are doing, return at once to Kerbin. I repeat, RETURN AT ONCE TO KERBIN."

If it was Gene making the orders, this must be serious, Bob thought.

As Kerbals kept coming from the doomed ship, Bob told the existing Kerbals on the Tender that as soon as it was full, they would be heading back to the Grand Kerb to return to Kerbin, and he instructed the ones on board already to relay this information to new arrivals.

Mosa soon piped up. "What about the ones left on the Jeb if any?"

Bob answered matter-of-factly. "They will be on their own, sure. but orders are orders; I'm sure Gene saw this coming, he's been right about everything since KSC had been founded. He's very perceptive."

A few times the tender, docked to the cockpit section of the KSS Jeb had to make a small correction to keep the two pieces close to each other.

The final Kerbal in the forward compartment was so shaken up by what Jeb called the "Insanobeam", that blue light coming from the alien weapon. Jeb concluded that without proper KSC training, Kerbonauts exposed to the Insanobeam will indeed - go insane. This is what seemed to happen to Munhat, as he sat in his seat, foaming and drooling at the mouth, and rambling on about subjects that made no sense in context; for example, making rocket fuel from mushrooms that only grew on Gilly.

Like a zombie, he suddenly stood up, moaned, and headed for the airlock. Once out of the ship, he began screaming through his headset. "GET ME OUTTA HEEEEEEERE, HELP THEY WANNA KILL ME!!!!" and jetted off.

Draconiator · April 13, 2016

SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE A....AWWWW FUGGETABOUDIT....And now, the exciting conclusion! ( before I continue writing locally.)

"MUNHAT! JEB, we lost one! The damn Insanobeam!"

Bob was horrified, and looked as if he was going to chase after him with the Tender. but Jeb reasoned with him. "Bob, time is of the essence. Munhat is lost. What kind of life would he live on Kerbin in the state he was in? Focus on the mission."

Bob was upset at this, but not as upset when Munhat started going in the OPPOSITE direction. I.E. TOWARD Duna's surface.

A few hours later, Munhat found himself scared, and alone, muttering about cooking shows hosted by Kerbin bears, and his insanity only got worse.

He began to jet against the direction of his orbit, now muttering to himself that he wanted to marry Duna's atmosphere, that he loved "her", and the only way he could do that was to plunge into it.

A final plea from Jeb broke the silence. "MUNHAT! You are on a ballistic trajectory! You can still save yourself and we wouldn't have to tell your wife that you died! Come back, that's an order!"

But the only thing Jeb heard from Munhat was "I love herrrrrrr...love herrrrr....be oneeeee...."

Jeb looked on in horror, as Munhat descended.

Jeb hated telling the wives, or girlfriends that a new recruit had died. That was the worst part of the job for him. How could he tell anyone that Munhat was now a green smudge on Duna's surface? He just joined the space program a couple months ago, and he was an accomplished pilot even before joining. Jeb silently let tears flow, but only for a few moments, as the mission MUST be completed.

Fortunately, the last Kerbal out of the KSS Jeb was Matfry. That meant mission completed. Which meant they could go home.

The sight of the Grand Kerb coming into view was a source of great joy for the rescued Kerbals, as that meant they could finally go home at last.

Bob was concerned at the message he recieved from Gene though. What would be going on at KSC that would have them ordered home? As the last Kerbal came out of the fore section of the KSS Ex-Jeb, he wondered....what would he find on Kerba-firma? What was Gene so scared about?

"Bob, this is Jeb. I'm going to deorbit the tender remotely. We will not be needing it anymore. Did you get your stuff?" Jeb always made sure that his fellow Kerbonauts had everything they needed.

"Yeah Jeb, although I'm going to miss the old bird. I was the one that conceived her as well as the Grand Kerb, and I oversaw her construction. Goodbye old friend...."

Bob then watched, as his baby flew out of sight.

Jeb monitored the re-entry via remote cam. He wanted to be sure of the complete destruction of the craft, so it could not be used by...whoever destroyed the KSS Jeb. After this, Jeb would pilot the Grand Kerb on the way home.

When the camera assured Jeb of the destruction, he returned to the Grand Kerb's command module to set a course for home.

"Bob, Bill! Strap in." Jeb then clicked on the intercom system. "Passengers of the Grand Kerb, We have just set a course for home. Until the Kerbin return window, please do try to enjoy the stunning Dunar views. I realize you all are not going to live on a Duna base, but..." Jeb halted. Gene specifically told Bob that this is top secret, and Jeb intended to keep it that way. He continued. "...something came up that we must return home for. You all get to see your families, wives, husbands...although I cannot say the same about poor Munhat...He just wanted to be a Kerbonaut like the rest of us. But he would have wanted us all to continue, to move on from this, to thrive, to even fail. As if we did not fail, we would never have pushed forward in the first place. Even I, "The Great Jebediah" as some have called me, have failed at one time or another. Gene would have never founded KSC if he knew that space was not hard. Through sacrifices like Munhat, we Kerbals have reached the stars. Lets honor his sacrifice."

Moved by Jeb's words, Bob and Bill began sniffling, as Bob reached for a special console. They knew what Jeb wanted to do, he has done it many times before. Bob had even anticipated this and integrated a "wine bottle launcher" into the KSS Grand Kerbs design. And if old habits held...

"By the authority invested in me by the Kerbal Space Program and our founder Gene Kerman," Jeb paused for a bit, sniffled, then saluted, as did Bob and Bill "I hereby rename the 'KSS Grand Kerb', to the 'KSS Munhat'!"

Bob knew what this meant and hit the button on the console. A vintage bottle of Kobrut ale from 500 years ago shot out of the launcher mounted on the front half of the Munhat and shattered on the hull midship. There was a celebration on the ship that lasted well into the night. The next morning they would begin the burn to raise the Munhat's orbit for departure.

RocketSquid · April 13, 2016

It would be... interesting if Munhat survived. Kerbals do seem to do that quite often.

Draconiator · April 13, 2016

2 hours ago, RocketSquid said:

It would be... interesting if Munhat survived. Kerbals do seem to do that quite often.

It would, but...then there's no story heh. and you will LOVE the twists and turns before it is all over.

RocketSquid · April 13, 2016

7 hours ago, Draconiator said:

It would, but...then there's no story heh. and you will LOVE the twists and turns before it is all over.

I was thinking more a scene at the very end: We get a replay of Munhat's descent, showing him hitting the surface and bouncing. Then we see him sitting on the surface, days later, with the insanity finally having worn off. "[EXPLETIVE DELETED]!!" He shouts

Draconiator · April 13, 2016

1 hour ago, RocketSquid said:

I was thinking more a scene at the very end: We get a replay of Munhat's descent, showing him hitting the surface and bouncing. Then we see him sitting on the surface, days later, with the insanity finally having worn off. "[EXPLETIVE DELETED]!!" He shouts

LOL, FUN FACT, when I was getting screenshots for that, he actually did that, he landed on one of his RCS strut things first, sailed like 200 meters over the surface and then headfirst into the ground. I just may do that though.

Draconiator · April 13, 2016

And a double post, because NEW CHAPTER!

The next morning, Jeb, slightly inebriated from the festivities, stumbled into the command module. You could say he was a bit power-hungry, literally. The controls of the engine had him drooling more than normal in his drunken state.

"Two...mainsails...equals...POWER!!! I AM THE ALMIGHTY JEBED-"

Suddenly, Jeb fell over, knocked out by a hard whack to the head from Bill.

"Thanks Bill; he ALWAYS does that...remember at graduation last year and the training aircraft?"

Bill looked disgusted. "I remember full well, Bob. He got so drunk he started preaching that its engine was the source of ultimate power and only he must fly it, because no one else could. He'll come to in a couple hours."

Once that was over with, and preflight checks were completed, Bill and Bob sat at the controls, and waited for Jeb to regain consciousness. Then, in the shadow of Duna, the mighty Munhat lit her engines to head HOME.

Or more precisely, to raise her orbit to wait for the window.

Still, from out here, it gave a pretty impressive view of the Dunar system. And the Kerbals onboard could relax while waiting for the window. They began to slowly forget everything that had transpired. Began to forget about their predicament. But still, what had happened was only a thought away, even though life aboard seemed to be returning to normal. The only real happening of note is the gravity generation system momentarily failed, ruining a game of billiards and sending Bill to the infirmary for a couple days due to being hit by the cue ball in zero-G. And as the return window crept ever closer, smiles could be seen and laughter could be heard echoing across the ship once again.

Soon, the return window arrived, and across the ship it was celebrated like the New Year. Parties, and dancing in the main hall prevailed. Until that is Jeb came on the Intercom. "My fellow Kerbs. We are heading home! Travel time, 277 days. We will get to see that beautiful blue marble we call HOME once again." Jeb stopped for a minute. He was weary of putting on the cheery face considering what happened to them all, but at least it prevented mass panic. Lately though, he had been having nightmares. Nightmares full of blue light. And Gene being killed. Gene...what spooked him so much as to recall a Duna mission?

Jeb continued on the intercom. "Sit tight, men and ladies! We will be home before you can throw snacks at me!" Jeb himself even had to chuckle at that. He then settled back into his chair and sipped on a cool glass of water.

"Return to Kerbin Day" turned out to be another impromptu celebration aboard the Munhat, there were parties, stories, and even a drunk Jebediah telling Kerbals who would listen about the time he fought off the "gigantic Kerbin Warty Toad. It was a foul beast.". Still, Bob could not relax until they were in a stable orbit around Kerbin. He still wondered what Gene had found...and what it meant for their home.

Bob keyed on his radio. "KSS Ex-Grand Kerb is on approach, Control!"

Thees ees kontrol. Hai bub! Ve have been vaiting fur yoo." said a familliar voice.

Bob was now visibly excited. "Werhner!! How's the base coming?"

"Baze ees komplete. ees beeg zo vaiting fer lunch veeheecle. 'Ecz-Grund-Kerb?'"

Bob answered back the best way he knew how. "We lost a Kerbonaut to madness...somehow. He passed his entrance exam with flying colors..."

"Ahhhh I zee. I know vat afvected heem. Tup zeecret. Vill tell yoo, Bub, ven I zee yoo."

"Thanks Werhner! Bob out!"

Werhner von Kerman. the chief scientist of the Kerbal Space Program. Easily as famous as Jeb, if not more so. He practically discovered the Gravioli particle, and he also reports directly to Gene. He would know what all this is about, Bob thought.

Once the Munhat was in orbit, the crew began preperations to disembark. Some would remain aboard to help with keeping the ship running well. Immediately, Bob, Bill and Jebediah would need to leave the ship to head planetside, and their ride was currently being planned.

A few days later, the KSS Returner was ready for launch aboard the Kerb I launch vehicle.

The vehicle was called crude by some, sure, but it was more than adequate for the task at hand.

As it rose higher and higher, Gene looked on with concern...how would his colleagues and friends take the news? He would have to worry about those things later. Much later, he hoped...

Draconiator · April 14, 2016

Just got home, and I wanted to continue the story today! Also, local news from my hard drive, I am almost finished Chapter 32. Still quite a buffer to go. And I'm SURE you guys will enjoy what I've got in store for y'all!

Jeb, Bill and Bob could not WAIT to set foot on Kerbin again. Artificial gravity was okay, but they longed to feel the real thing. While Jeb got ready, various Kerbals said their goodbyes. One of them was Mosa, the one that was first out of the KSS Jeb.

"Bye, Jeb!" Mosa piped up. "I'm sure I'll see you on the surface soon!"

Jeb was pretty annoyed at this, as Mosa had been hitting on him the entire way home. He had a wife already - Valentina, his woman, his vision of loveliness. He didn't have time for this. He shooed Mosa out of his quarters and spent the next few hours alone.

Due to the speed the return capsule was readied, it had a mono propellant design error, which did not matter much as the trio could just space walk to it.

And before leaving, Jeb made absolutely sure the Munhat was in low-power mode.

As soon as the trio was aboard the small vessel, Bill fired up the monopropellant thrusters and soon they were on their way home. But questions swirled around that small vessel.

"Bob?" Jeb asked. "What was that thing? You were in contact with Gene, you MUST know something."

Bob just shook his head. "Gene didn't tell me anything. Just that it was important, and might have something to do with that thing that destroyed your ship. At least I think that is what it is. If not, I dunno."

Jeb seemed not to be satisfied with this answer, as he just shrugged his shoulders and sighed.

"...Jeb?"

Bob prodded, but Jeb said nothing, lost in thought. After a while, he sighed and said "Better get ready for entry. It can get rough."

A few minutes later, they were a fireball streaking through the sky above the largest continent.

Jeb had to yell due to this process being so noisy. "ENTRY! CONTROL, BE ADVISED WE'RE COMING IN HOT, REPEAT COMING IN HOT!"

"We see you Returner. Speed 2,300 kilometers a second, Over."

"Roger! We will need a rescue, this is over Red territory."

The Reds were an offshoot of Kerbalkind that had formed their own nation on the other side of the globe. They even had their own space center, the "KSC2", as Gene called it, though nothing of note had come from there. Only a few satellites.

"This is Command, we will mobilize, Command out."

Jeb felt so much better that he and his companions would be rescued. And as luck would have it, they were landing not far from land.

It only took a few hours before they were rescued. After they were back at KSC, they were immediately brought to a conference room that they never knew existed...which was right down the hall from Jeb's office, actually. As soon as Jeb, Bill, Bob, and Gene were situated, Gene brought in the team from the Arctica mission; Haydi, Magi, Melgun, and Mactop.

Jeb was puzzled. "Who're those people? I've never seen them before."

Haydi, commander of the Arctica mission took the question. "We're senior members of the Kerbin Spy Agency, and if this were a matter of national security, you would STILL be at Duna waiting for the base. but Gene saw fit to let you know. We are in grave danger. In Arctica, we saw this."

Haydi turned on a projector, and a slide came up that Jeb instantly recognized. "THAT is the thing that tried to destroy the KSS Jeb!" The picture was quite fuzzy due to distance, but the resemblence was undeniable.

"Or one of them." Haydi continued. "We believe there are more of these things out there, but where they are coming from, we haven't figured out as of yet. We know next to nothing about them. What they are, Who built them...All we know is we MUST get to the bottom of this before there are casualties."

Jeb looked down. "There already has been a casualty, ma'am. We had a Kerbonaut named Munhat, and he went insane from that thing's blue lights. He ended up as a stain on Duna..."

Haydi snapped her fingers. "That's It! The interference! We thought it was some kind of radio disruption...but...Jebediah, please tell us everything you remember!"

Jeb started to tell them all the info he had about the thing, about Munhat's insanity, that it only seems to affect new recruits, even about the very informal name he gave the blue light. Haydi listened intently to Jeb's story.

"...That truly matches the information we have gathered as well. Your 'Insanobeam' seems to be a mind disruption weapon that only affects non-trained perssonel. This is why you, or any other Kerbal aboard the Munhat were not affected, besides Munhat himself. We need more answers..."

At this point Mactop spoke up. "My...uhh...accident turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I ran out of fuel on approach and ended up some 30 kilometers from Haydi's team. That thing almost landed on top of me, and I was able to actually get UNDERNEATH it before it took off! I have some great pictures, that will hopefully shed light on what we are dealing with here."

Mactop put a series of pictures on the projector, that showed the alien weapon in great detail. Jeb was able to identify several key features that told him that this, INDEED, was the weapon that tried to destroy the KSS Jeb. But why did it resort to drastic measures, and furthermore, who designed the weapons themselves?

Jeb decided to be alone for a while to think, so in the early morning hours of the next day, he took one of the KSA's Fishtail trainers to the island airstrip. It was abandoned for decades, and was the perfect place to contemplate, with only the sounds of Kerbin's birds for company.

DMSP · April 15, 2016

I have a feeling the island might not be that abandoned anymore...

Draconiator · April 15, 2016

Good Morningggg! I've settled into a routine of one update per day. first off today though, SHOUT OUT time!

Just Jim, for inspiring me to write my OWN story in the Kerbal universe. And I have a pretty good imagination anyway, so it was a no brainer, thanks man!

Kuzzter, I sent the entire thing to him for review, and he likes it, further inspiring me.

And last but not least...

Everyone who reads this story. I promise an adventure full of twists and turns for you all, and I am humbled by the view count going up. Thank you THANK YOU TANKOO!!!

Once Jeb landed, he carefully rolled off the end of the runway to park the aircraft. He was the great pilot Jeb, he could take off from anywhere he figured.

He then got out and headed for the old runway to think. These decaying buildings predate the KSC for some years, and it was rumored that this was the ORIGINAL KSC, back when the government had denied the land sale where the current KSC now sits. The birds were especially energetic this morning, busy raising and tending to their young, and flying to and fro. Finally Jeb could think in silence, without the noise of the very operational KSC disturbing his thoughts. It was quiet here, aside from the occasional aircraft from KSC flying past. In short, the perfect place to think.

He could not get the destruction of the KSS Jeb out of his mind. He kept re-playing the scenario over, and over in his head, trying to come up with a solution...where...did the thing that destroyed it come from? And as Kerbol rose higher in the sky, he began to enjoy the silence as he thought. The ultimate stress reliever was right here. How he loved to relax, alone sometimes at the old airstrip...

It was close to dusk when he decided to head back, no closer to an answer than when he arrived, but at least his head was clear now.

When he reached the Fishtail, he took some time just to admire it. He loved the little plane, as it was just his style. Sleek, fast, maneuverable...it was said that it was a plane destined for Jeb. Every chance he had to fly it, he relished it. But now it was time to face reality, to head back to KSC, and face the horrors if any that awaited him there. And as Jeblike as ever, in a few minutes he was airborne. No one alive could do what he could with a plane, he thought.

And just like that, he was headed back to KSC.

Kerbol was low in the sky when he returned to KSC. Hopefully in his absence, a next move was figured out because he was drawing a blank as to what to do.

Back in the conference room, another meeting was taking place. Haydi was pointing at a projector screen when Jeb came in. It showed the continent of Arctica with X's on it, showing where her team had been.

"...Mactop landed HERE. My team was HERE. We were separated by 35 kilometers. Hello Jeb, glad you could join us."

Jeb looked over the map. Why did the aliens choose Arctica of all places?

"Mactop saw the alien weapon land HERE. Now as far as we know, his Fishtail trainer is still up there. We find it, we find the landing site, and hopefully some clues so we can finally put this to rest. We're going to Arctica."

Jeb sighed a sigh of relief. Finally, some movement.

Haydi strolled over to Jeb. "Hello Jebediah, my name is Haydi Kerman. I've seen you around, but I had to stay silent. I'm a member of the Kerbin Spy Agency, doubt you've heard of us. We prevent attacks on the government."

"Jebediah Kerman at your service. What can I do for you?"

Haydi thought for a minute. "Everyone at the KSC knows you are one HELL of a pilot. Would you be willing to fly a Monster? We have modified it so it can take off and land conventionally."

Haydi had Jeb's full attention now, and before long, Haydi would know about Jebediah Kerman and powerful planes. Depending on how you look at it, they either go together like peanut butter and jelly, or like mustard and marshmallows. Oh yes, she would...

Draconiator · April 16, 2016

Gooooooood morning Kerbalnam!!!!!

(that's "Near Fire" in Latin, thank you Google Translate, hahah)

The next morning, a beautiful new Monster waited on the runway. Jeb, Haydi, and Mactop were in one of the KSC's brand new top-of-the-line automated transports for the drive out to it. Of course, Jeb was giddy.

And it got even worse when he laid eyes on the Monster. FOUR....Whiplash engines. He had never heard of a thing in his life. That was just plain crazy even for him. Haydi speaking up made it EVEN WORSE.

"Cruise speed on that baby is 1 KILOMETER A SECOND. 15 minutes flight time to Arctica. We at the KSA need to go places extremely fast, you see. uh....Jeb?"

Jeb wasn't listening, having lost it at "one kilometer a second." So....FAST...Jeb didn't think he had EVER gone that fast in an aircraft before. He looked like he had just gone a few too many revolutions on the G-simulator.

Haydi frowned. So THIS was the great Jebediah she had heard so much about, huh? She was briefed by Gene on Jeb's...mannerisms, but she didn't know it was THIS bad...Still, she knew Jeb could make a submarine fly if he wanted to. He was the best pilot she had right now.

A few minutes later, and they were rolling down the runway. Jeb panicked a bit as the controls were not responding, but soon the sleek bird lifted off into the clear sky.

Haydi looked over. "Now remember our mission, Jeb. We are to find any trace of the alien weapon and report back to KSC."

Jeb saluted, complying with the order. His mind had been on the KSS Jeb all morning, and he knew the gravity of the mission. He just hoped nothing like that would EVER happen to anyone else...

Jeb watched the airspeed indicator go up...

And up...

...and he realized what a monster of a plane this was, and as flames formed around the craft, he couldn't hold it in any longer....

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

In the meantime, high over Kerbin, the KSS Munhat was being cleaned and prepared for any future departure. One could not believe the mess Kerbals make when partying sometimes. There were reports of confetti blowing out of cooling systems for days afterward. Commanding the ship currently was Bob's wife, Daphmy. She was sitting in the control room enjoying a Snackbar, when she saw something strange on the radar...

It identified as the "KSS Jeb"...but that couldn't be. How would this be possible, the Jeb was written off ages ago! But already it had circularized in an orbit beyond the Mun - somehow. Daphmy hit the alarm, and klaxons started blaring across the ship.

"Mayday mayday! This is the Munhat! KSC, Do you copy?"

Gene himself picked up the call. "Munhat, what is your situation, Over!"

Daphmy was clearly agitated. "We have identified something...wierd on radar, look for yourself!"

Gene looked at his radar. Sure enough there was a "KSS Jeb" in a high orbit beyond the Mun. He couldn't make heads or tails of this either, and he could not recall the party that went to Arctica, as whatever they find would be important.

Gene sighed. "We're stuck at the moment. Keep monitoring it and call for Command if anything changes. KSC Out."

Daphmy threw down the radio in disgust. if Gene would not help them, who would? No help would be coming, at least for a while. Daphmy cancelled the alarm, announced "False Alarm" over the Intercom system, and sunk back into her seat, playing with her long hair.

For hours, she kept a close watch on the radar, watching for any movement, but the "KSS Jeb" sat unmoving in its orbit. She noticed other orbits too, all unlabeled. Top secret KSC projects, she thought. More hours passed, and Daphmy was getting more than a little tired. But she couldn't sleep, she must stay awake. Must stay awake...must stay...a w a k e...The last thing she saw before she fell asleep, but did not percieve...was the shape of the orbit changing...

SpaceplaneAddict · April 16, 2016

Oh Mah GAWD. That's like, totes suspense. Scream, Jeb, scream with delight!

*But Nobody Came...

DMSP · April 16, 2016

Daphmy can't go crazy! She just can't! She needs to run! Hide behind Minmus!

Etherium: A Kerbal Space Program Story (Chapter 43: The Final Push, part two)

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Join the conversation