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The Kerbal Space Program: A Head-Canon Tale


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I thought about doing some creative writing, and I figured I'd share the prologue with you folks. Let me know what you think.

 

Prologue

 

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                For several millennia, the Kerbal race existed on their home planet of Kerbin in peace, harmony, and technological ignorance. This idyllic existence was broken only by the invention of writing. Armed with the capability of storing information, the Kerbals quickly mastered rudimentary stone-age technology.

                Centuries later, the invention of cans would forever change the face of Kerbin, as a deep ideological divide soon gripped the Kerbal race. New light-weight metals, combined with advances in industrial production led to the invention of a new type of Snacks. Sealed in an air-tight can, these new “Canned Snacks” boasted a stronger flavor, and stayed fresh longer.

                Now, I don’t have to tell you how much Kerbals love their Snacks, but their appreciation for this type of non-meal foodstuff approaches a religious fervor. With Canned Snacks threatening to displace traditional Bagged Snacks, the population became divided between the “Traditionalists” and the “Modernists”.

                Tensions between the two groups spread quickly, ultimately leading to a suspected fire-bombing attack on a potato chip factory. This act of apparent terrorism quickly led to open hostilities. The First Great Snack Crisis kicked off the first war the planet Kerbin had ever seen.

                The war lasted for dozens of years, until someone finally figured out the fire at the potato chip factory had been an accidental grease fire, resulting in peace being declared shortly after that revelation. The Traditionalists had come off well during the war, owing to their greater numbers, but a disturbing trend had been created. The “Modernists” had turned to new technological innovations to stave off defeat, and the late-war battlefields had crawled with crude armored vehicles and rickety airplanes made from cardboard.

                Despite the declaration of peace, tensions refused to calm down. Both sides sought to develop new weapons and technology, and an armed standoff persisted. A decade after the end of hostilities, the Modernists struck again. This new war, The Second Great Snack Crisis, proved even more devastating than the last.

                Aircraft controlled the skies, Bombers leveled entire cities, great Battleships ruled the waves, and Rockets screamed across no-man’s land. Tanks clanked across the battlefield, spitting fire from their many guns, while individual Kerbals fought and died for holes in the ground.

                The Traditionalists, despite their resistance to social change, had learned the lessons of the previous war, and soon used their greater numbers and industrial strength to beat back the Modernists. The Modernists resorted to ever more destructive technologies, and huge swathes of Kerbin were depopulated by chemical and biological weapons.

                The Modernists were beaten back to their last few strongholds, when suddenly, an asteroid struck Kerbin for the first time in several millennia. The impact effectively wiped out the Modernist Faction, and after the upheaval was finished, the few Traditionalists remaining attempted to reconstruct their civilization.

Recognizing the Extra-Planetary threat, the ideological divide between the Kerbals was finally healed.

Once sufficient repairs were done to social, industrial, and governmental systems, the Kerbal Space Program was founded as The First Line of Defense against Space Rocks. New scientific theories were developed, and the word Science was itself adopted as a measurement of scientific data. The technological revolution that had begun centuries ago had finally come to fruition.

For the first time since the invention of cans, the entire Kerbal race was united under a common purpose: to push the limits of technology, protect the planet Kerbin, and explore the Kerbol System.

 

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Not sure I really buy the idea of global war in the name of Snacks but hey - it's your head-canon. :) 

Apart from that it's well written and I'd happily read more.

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10 hours ago, KSK said:

Not sure I really buy the idea of global war in the name of Snacks but hey - it's your head-canon. :) 

Apart from that it's well written and I'd happily read more.

I developed the idea from an old Pringles commercial.

I do have some more written, I'll post some when I'm finished with it.

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 Chapter One: Requisitions

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“My fellow Kerbals, today we announce the creation of our Space Program…” the radio announcer droned on, for the fifth time today. Hopefully, the announcement would keep the public satisfied until we figured out exactly what we were supposed to be doing.

No Kerbal had ever attempted a technological or industrial feat like the one we were about to undertake. Even the invention of aircraft had been simple by comparison. Our Program was charged with the exploration of a completely alien environment, and we had to do so without knowing anything about what we were going to encounter. Clearly, this would require some real brains.

My official car pulled up outside Kerbin University. Thankfully, the official press announcement hadn’t included my name, because I didn’t need dozens of newspaper reporters following me everywhere. I wanted to assemble my team as quietly as possible, and get to work quickly. I walked through the entrance to the physics department.

“Vas ist los?”

I was greeted by a bespectacled, mustached Kerbal. Dressed in a rumpled brown suit, red bow tie, and ever-present white lab coat, Wernher von Kerman was the very picture of the ex-Modernist Scientist.

qf9mkAz.png

He had been the Kerbal most responsible for the invention of practical rockets, and the technology he created was used for warfighting almost immediately. My dreams were still occasionally haunted by the screaming sound of Wernher’s rockets.

“Hi Wernher, how’s the job treating you?”

After the war had finished, Wernher had been forbidden to work on practical technology, and had been relegated to a teaching role at the University. His first love was applied physics however, and rumor had it he was chafing under the restrictions placed upon him.

“Ze job is crap, but vat can I do? Mein rockets have been stolen from me, mein students sleep through Physics Class, and Kerbals vave signs at my house and call me murderer.”

Wernher was a controversial figure after the war. While his rocket technology had been adapted for weapons by both sides of the conflict, Werner had never wanted to build weapons. His first love had always been to push the boundaries of technology, regardless of what form that innovation took. While he had been exonerated by the post war justice system, people still blamed him for the rockets used by both sides as artillery.

“What would you say if I offered you a new job, working with rockets again?”

I had first met Wernher shortly after the war. I had taken a reconstruction job, re-building the Government Center down the street from the University. Turns out, we both shared an appreciation for the same kind of after-work drinks, and met at a small bar nearby. After swapping a couple war stories, we became irregular drinking buddies. When the construction job had finished, I had moved on, but we stayed in contact.

“I vould say you vere crazy! Rockets are verboten,” he sighed.

“It just so happens Wernher, that I have authorization from the government of the United Kerbal States to recruit anyone, and requisition anything, to get the Kerbal Space Program off the ground. That includes you.”

So, how did I get this job anyway? To be honest, it’s a strange story, even to me. After gaining some engineering experience in the reconstruction, I had gotten a job at an aircraft design firm, Dinkelstein Kerman’s Construction Emporium. I wouldn’t say I had been well qualified however, my lack of education, and general post-traumatic insanity had resulted in my sole contribution to the company: a rocket-powered aircraft. While it had successfully exceeded the speed of sound, subsequent loss of control had forced the Pilot to eject, and the craft had been destroyed on impact with a fuel storage bunker.

I was suspended from my position pending review, when out of the blue, I received a letter from the local government representative. I was to report to the Government Center for a new job. Apparently, my top-secret military record, and gung-ho design attitude were just what the President was looking for. So faster than I could blink, I found myself in charge of the most important technological endeavor in Kerbal history.

“If you vill give me back my rockets, I vould be ze happiest Kerbal alive!” Wernher lit up with an energy I had never before seen.

“Wernher, if you can get us into space, you can have all the rockets you could ever ask for.”

Three minutes later, we pulled away from the University. Wernher hadn’t packed a thing.

 

 

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Chapter Two: Recruitment

 

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The equatorial forest had been bulldozed flat, grassy turf had been planted, concrete foundations had been poured, buildings had been constructed, a rough runway had been put together, and the small concrete LaunchPad was waiting for us. When you are handed a blank check by the Government, you can get some serious work done, very quickly.

While the complex looked rather impressive, I knew we would need more personnel to get things running at full speed. I left Wernher at the Administration Building with a blank check, told him to ‘buy some rockets’, and headed out to find someone else. Thankfully, having easy access to a runway let me take an aircraft to my next destination: The Great Big Desert.

Dinkelstein Kerman’s Construction Emporium is buried in the middle of that huge desert. As the largest experimental engineering company on Kerbin, they specialize in off-the-wall thinking. The first Jet Engines for use in aircraft were tested here, as well as some early work on guided artillery rockets.

My time at the company had taught me a few very important lessons: there’s no such thing as too much power, you can always spend more time refining your design, and Gene Kerman is the finest crew manager in the world.

mAnDa0f.png

Gene Kerman was one of the first aeronautical engineers to design a practical artillery rocket. Unlike Wernher von Kerman, Gene was military first, engineer second. He served in the air force during the Second Great Snack Crisis, and got a job as an aircraft designer during the war. Helping to develop jet power for use in military fighters gave him the practical skills needed to work on rockets.

He gained notoriety for designing the spin-stabilized artillery rocket, paving the way for its mass employment in artillery regiments during the war. Having worked with Gene during my time with the company, I knew his experience with high-speed flight and rocketry would be valuable to the Kerbal Space Program. More importantly, Gene is a natural leader, and I wanted him for a management position.

I found Gene during the Snack Break, sitting at a patio table in the staff parking lot, enjoying his usual coffee and a cigar.

“Hey Gene, do you mind if I join you?” I sat down across the table.

“The crazy one returns! Planning on burning down our fuel storage again?” Gene looked amused while puffing his cigar.

“Geez, your plane crashes into one fuel bunker, and you never hear the end of it!” I joked.

    “What brings you by?” he said, getting straight to business.

    “I have been authorized by the government to run the new Kerbal Space Program.”

    You!?” Gene choked on his coffee, “I put a resume in for that job, why did they pick you?”

    “Apparently, most of the government considers this whole idea to be crazy, so who better than a crazy man to run it?”

    “I guess that makes sense, on some level,” Gene mused, “Well, if you’ve got the job, why are you here?”

    “Because if this Program is going to work, we’re going to need some people in it who aren’t crazy,” I explained, “Which is why I’m talking to you.”

“You’re offering me a job.”

“Yes I am.”

Gene leaned back, thoughtfully puffing his cigar. I was content to wait; Gene is not a Kerbal to be rushed.

“Who do you have on the team so far?”

“So far, I’ve picked up Wernher von Kerman, and I’m hoping to add you to the ranks.”

“You mean that ex-Modernist rocket genius? You’re crazier than I thought!”

“How so?” I was genuinely confused.

“Wernher has a lot of negative press circulating about him. The war might be over, but some people still blame him for a few things.” Gene explained, “His presence might generate some negative publicity, and that would be bad for a Program still trying to get off the ground.”

“That’s a good point. I hadn’t really considered the media impact. What should we do?”

“So it’s ‘we’ already, huh?” Gene said in amusement, “Okay, I’ll bite: what we’re going to need is a public face on this thing, someone we can parade in front of the newspapers.”

“How about Walt Kerman?”

“The Moving-Pictures actor? How are you going to get him on board?”

“With these Government Requisition forms, of course.” I said, holding up a folder full of documents.

“You are crazy, aren’t you?”

 

 

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18 hours ago, KSK said:

:)

Glad to see this taking off. I'm liking your Gene already!

Thanks. I've got 2 more chapters in the works. I'll get more done when I get back in July.

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Chapter Three: Building the Team

 

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The table in the Administration Building was hardly impressive, being a piece of plywood held up by two sawhorses. Four Kerbals sat around the table, perched on five-gallon paint buckets.

“You’ve already spent 12,440 SpaceBucks?!” I had a vision of the Space Program crashing into a fuel bunker and exploding before we had even started.

“You told me to buy ze rockets!” Wernher insisted. “So I bought zem!”

“Where did you get them on such short notice?” I had only been gone for 36 hours.

“I buy zem from ze military. Vith proper bribes, you can have anyzing.”

“You bought artillery rockets!? How did you find artillery rockets?”

“Zey are now reported damaged and scrapped from ze munitions storage. False papers have been filed.”

“You forged documents, stole artillery rockets from the army, and bribed the soldiers responsible for storing them,” I stated in disbelief, “And I thought I was the crazy one.”

“On ze plus side, ve now have rockets ready to launch!” Wernher was almost shaking with excitement.

“Alright, while I appreciate your enthusiasm, perhaps you should lay low for a few days,” I said, “We’re going to need a few more Kerbals on the team before we can really get moving.”

“I might have a couple of ideas,” Gene said, “I’d like to bring in a couple of kids from Dinkelstein’s Emporium, they interned on my old rocket team.”

“Sounds promising, who are they?”

“Well, there’s Gus Kerman. He’s a damned good Mechanical Engineer. Anything Wernher can put down on paper, Gus will make sure it gets built. The second one is Linus Kerman, but everyone calls him Mr. Wizard. He’s got three PhDs: Geology, Biology, and Chemistry.”

v1xthAH.pngcJDgAjW.png

“Take a Requisition Form and go get them, why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

“Well, I’m still not sure of the chain of command here.”

“Gene, the chain of command is very simple,” I explained, “I tell you what I want done, and you make sure it happens. The rest of these guys will have their own departments, but you’re going to run the day-to-day operations.”

“That is simple,” Gene smiled, “I’ll get started right away.”

Gene vanished from the building while I turned back to the other two Kerbals.

“As I said before Walt, you’re going to be the public face of the program. You’re already a Moving-Pictures actor, so this should play to your strengths. Besides, dealing with the newspapers is just like acting, isn’t it?” I asked.

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“Surprisingly, yes.” Walt replied, “You would be amazed what you can get away with if you just maintain a confident image.”

“I’ll leave that to you, the expert. Personally I can’t stand dealing with strange Kerbals. That does put me in a bit of a bind though.”

“A bind?” Walt asked, “In what way?”

“The way I figure it, we’re going to need someone who can manage our finances, and keep Wernher from spending all of it. The Government might have given me a blank check to get up and running, but that won’t last forever.”

“You know, I might have a suggestion for that. A lot of Moving Picture directors use an accounting firm to manage their finances. I could telephone them and see if they’d like some new business.”

“Take one of these Requisition Forms,” I slid the folder across the rough wooden table, “find me someone to hire as an accountant.”

I was genuinely happy to be relieved of that particular problem.

As Walt left the room, I looked across at Wernher.

“It seems like we can start launching your rockets sooner than I expected.”

    “Yes, ve have ze puzzle pieces in hand!”

73WJfPb.png

 

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2 hours ago, 123nick said:

those last 6 portraits, did u get those from KSP ingame or somewhere else? oh, and i love this! keep up the good work! :D 

That's from in-game. The Strategia mod changes the Admin Building around a bit.

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Chapter Four: Year One, Day One

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      I woke up to deafening silence, swung myself out of bed, and grabbed a cup of coffee. Even though we had officially begun working today, the Administration Building was empty. Barely awake, I stumbled across the complex to the Vehicle Assembly Building, where there was finally evidence of some activity.

      Gus Kerman had gained a reputation as a fine engineer over a decade of work at C7 Aerospace, and Dinkelstein’s Emporium. ‘If you can think it, Gus can build it’, was a common refrain at those two companies.

      Today, Gus was buried up to his elbows in electronic components.

      “Morning, Gus.”

      “Good morning, sir!”

      Gus was always on the go, no matter what time it was. Personally, I felt like I had been dragged across the parking lot on my face. I’m not a morning person.

      “How are things progressing?”

      “Well sir, we’ve just about finished the electronic flight computer. We’ve set up some basic data collection gear, a barometer and a thermometer. The data from these two instruments is being recorded by the computer, and will be transmitted to the ground with this antenna.”

      “The rocket will be able to carry this load?”

      “Sure, while it is bulky, the computer, instruments, and data package are a fraction of the weight of the original warhead. In fact, we’re going to have to limit the thrust of the engine to keep this in one piece.”

      Personally, I never did like the idea of going slower than one could be going, but I’m crazy.

      “Thanks for coming aboard Gus; we’ll see how this rocket works out, yes?”

      “Don’t worry sir, it’ll do just fine.”

One Week Later:

xssxmB2.png

      The A-1 Rocket had started life as a short-range artillery rocket. The rocket had been designed to be mounted on the muzzle of an artillery piece, using a special adapter. The solid fuel was ignited by firing a propellant charge from the gun breach. It carried a one-ton explosive payload over a range of 12 kilometers.

      Today, our A-1 Rocket had the job of carrying a half-ton payload straight into the air, hopefully without exploding.

      The rocket had been hauled out to the LaunchPad, and the ignitors had been wired up. I was in the blockhouse with Gus Kerman, when the phone mounted to the wall beeped.

      “Blockhouse.”

      “This is Mission Control, we’re receiving telemetry.”

      “Glad to hear it Gene, we’ve got the ignitors wired, and we’re ready to launch.”

      “Roger, Mission Control is standing by.”

      I hung up the phone, “Gus, we’re ready to go!”

      “You want to push the button?”

      “Nah, it’s all yours.”

      I picked up the phone again, “All stations, set recorders to fast, Launch in 30 seconds.”

      In Mission Control, Gene’s crew checked their telemetry recording machines.

T – 20 Seconds

      On top of the Tracking Station, Wernher’s crew trained cameras on the rocket.

T – 15 Seconds

      In the Blockhouse next to the LaunchPad, Gus and I turned our safety keys.

T – 10 Seconds

      Gus’s hand hovered over the ignition button.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

      Gus pressed the button, and the morning was shattered by a thumping roar from the LaunchPad.

      The A – 1 speared the sky on a pillar of flame, screaming upwards at supersonic velocity.

Wernher’s crew followed the rocket with their cameras and the Tracking Station’s radar sets, analyzing the rocket’s performance in order to refine future designs.

      Temperature and Pressure data was constantly received, and recorded on the tape machines in Mission Control. Gene’s crew monitored what data they got, and printed hard copy for Linus to use.

 

YGY2knY.png

A single exposure camera mounted to the rocket casing captured this image, later recovered from the wreckage.

      45 seconds later, the engine had burned out. The A – 1 coasted to an altitude of 14,142 meters, then began to descend. One and a half minutes later, the rocket slammed into the ground west of the Space Center.

      The celebration began immediately.

 

I'd like to thank everyone taking the time to read this. This will be the last chapter posted until I get back from Colorado in July.

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  • 2 months later...

If I have some time this weekend, I'll do some more writing.

EDIT: Upon further review, I need to completely rebuild my modded install, because the most recent game update broke everything. Hopefully, I can have everything back to normal during the weekend. The joys of running a modded installation! *sigh*

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6 hours ago, Omegagoldfish said:

I don't know why, but I don't like the term "Spacebucks" for money. I've always preferred Ker-bucks.  Also, I can't wait to see who'd be crazy enough to strap themselves onto one of those tubs-o-boom.

Well, there's only one Kerbal in the game who is a drooling lunatic...

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On ‎8‎/‎27‎/‎2016 at 8:12 AM, Omegagoldfish said:

Mortimer Kerman?

Nope, and I'm not going to spoil it either. I have something special planned.

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On ‎8‎/‎26‎/‎2016 at 9:45 PM, Crocket said:

Gosh, I love this.

Thank you. I was going for a "historically accurate Bizarro World" type of setting. Some of the themes and plot devices are actual history (like the artillery rockets from world war two, the rapid and dangerous world of aircraft development in the 1950's, and Gene Kerman being based on the real Gene Kranz), tempered by my own wacky ideas in the form of the narrator's personality. I'll be adding more to this story soon. It won't grow very quickly, but I hope you'll stay tuned.

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Chapter Five: Farther, Faster, Higher
 

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     “So what’s next?”

    Our morning staff meetings were becoming routine. The large piece of plywood was still doing duty as a meeting room table. With all the excitement of the recent rocket launch, no one had thought to requisition some furniture.

    “Vell, ve still have one rocket left,” Wernher stated, “Ve should launch it immediately!”

    “But to what purpose Wernher? We can’t just launch rockets without being able to explain why,” I said while pouring myself some coffee.

    “Indeed,” Walt interjected, “It wasn’t ten minutes after the launch of the A-1 and I was already fielding calls from the press about our future plans.”

    “We’re still incapable of manufacturing our own rockets, short of stealing more from the military; we only have the A-2 available to us.” Gus said.

    “We can go to space,” Linus muttered. Everyone turned and looked at him.

    “What?”

    “The A-2 was designed as a medium-range ballistic artillery rocket, but if we stabilize it and launch it straight up, we should be able to clear the atmosphere,” Linus explained.

    The implications exploded across my vision.

    “Gus?”

    “Well, we’ve already got fin-stabilizers, we could angle them very slightly to spin-stabilize the rocket,” Gus replied.

    “The press would certainly love that headline: 'KSP Goes to Space'." Walt wrote the line on his notepad, and underlined it. "I like it."

    “Alright then, let’s get to work.”

 

DFJDOh5.png

 

    The A-2 was on the pad, crews were at their stations, the ignitors were wired, and the countdown was on hold. Once again, I found myself in the blockhouse, listening to the communications loop while Wernher’s crew calibrated their radar tracking set. One small change struck me about the scene, a small group of journalists camped out on the roof of the Vehicle Assembly Building.

    “Hey Gus, what are the odds the rocket tips over and slams into the crowd on the VAB?”

    “Slim to none, sir.”

    “Shame that.” I had never held a good opinion of the news media.

    “Standby to resume the count!” Gene called down the intercom line.

    I picked up the phone, “Blockhouse is ready!”

    Wernher’s voice came next, “Ze Tracking Station is ready!”

    “Count resumed, T-minus One Minute, Mark!”

    The count proceeded smoothly, and as it wound down to one second, Gus prepared to push the button.

    “Liftoff!”

    The roar was deafening, the flame was so bright it hurt to look at, and for the first time since the war, the A-2 Rocket screamed into the heavens. In Mission Control, Gene’s crew monitored their telemetry.

    “Acceleration is increasing.”

    “Velocity is at Mach 2 and increasing.”

    “Sir, I’m getting a payload heat warning!”

    Gene sighed quietly to himself, “Solid Fuel, you can’t throttle solid fuel.”

    “What do we do, sir?”

    Gene puffed his cigar thoughtfully, “All we can do is hope Linus has done his math properly.”

    In the Data Collection Center, Linus wrung his hands in silent frustration, mentally re-checking his arithmetic.

    At the Tracking Station, Wernher watched the rocket through his telescope, shock heating was causing the rocket to shed flames in a spectacular display.

    In the Blockhouse, all I could do was listen to the Mission Control crew on the intercom.

    “Heat is reducing!”

    “Atmospheric Pressure is dropping!”

    “Altitude, 50,000 meters and climbing.”

    “Engine burn-out.”

    Wernher’s voice was heard next, “Engine burn-out confirmed.”

    “Atmospheric Pressure has zeroed, Altitude data has been lost.”

    “Temperature indication is fluctuating.”

    “Order a data dump,” Gene commanded.

    All telemetry from the payload dropped out as it diverted broadcast power to its data dump. Wernher’s crew at the Tracking Station watched their radar sets, and calculated the A-2’s trajectory.

wBX3N1z.png

This image was included in the air to ground data transmission.

    “Current Altitude, 75,000 meters, Projected Altitude, 188,000 meters!”

    “We’ve made it!”

    The sound of cheering from the Tracking Station drowned out the intercom loop. In the Data Collection Center, Linus Kerman breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

    He had been right after all.

 

 

I hope you enjoy this chapter. I don't think it's my best writing, but it's good enough to get back into the flow of things. The next chapter will follow in about a week, and we'll have some new developments along with a character flashback.

Some major awesomeness coming soon.

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Worked for me. :) Nice job on the flight controller chatter. Can just picture Gene in the middle of it all, in control, taking it all in but only issuing orders when needed.

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32 minutes ago, KSK said:

Worked for me. :) Nice job on the flight controller chatter. Can just picture Gene in the middle of it all, in control, taking it all in but only issuing orders when needed.

Thank you! That's the picture I had in mind.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Chapter Six: Above and Beyond

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“The latest news from the Kerbal Space Program: Was the last flight a fluke? Has the barrier to space really been breached? Is true space-flight really a possibility? These questions and more will be pondered on today’s program!”

I slapped at the clock radio to silence it. Damn those news people! We had successfully launched a rocket into space, and they were already questioning our abilities.

“We’re going to need something better,” I spoke to the empty room, "Maybe I should use it?"

The room’s answer was inaudible.

“…These questions and more will be pondered on today’s program!”

“What a load of nonsense! Hey Bob, check this out! These  crazy b*stards think they’re going into space!” Bill’s voice boomed across the employee lounge. Several other Kerbals looked up at the sudden noise.

“Well, Bill, technically they’ve already done it.” Bob stared into space, slowly rolling a coin over his fingers.

“They fired an artillery rocket straight up! How is that special?” Bill was the type of Kerbal unable to speak quietly. Bob, on the other hand, never spoke louder than a quiet murmur.

“I think the real achievement is found in the simplicity of the solution. The real test will be what they attempt to do next.”

Bill and Bob were complete opposites, and unlikely friends. The departure of Gene and Linus had left these two in line for the position of senior Scientist and Engineer.

“You really think there’s something to this?”

“Maybe.” Bob leaned to the side and started. “They’re launching it again?”

Bill turned around to look, “Holy sh*t!”

    Seen through the windows, a large aircraft rolled by, taxiing toward the main runway. A long, finned, cigar-shaped object hung under the wing. In front, a single seat cockpit could be seen, while in the rear, an unmistakable rocket nozzle poked out from the fuselage.

    The X-1 Rocket Plane, the crown jewel of Dinkelstein Kerman’s Construction Emporium, was built to propel a single Kerbal beyond the speed of sound. It had been flown only once, and after the engine had burned out, it tumbled out of control crashing into the fuel storage bunker. The resulting explosion burned millions of gallons of fuel, and led to the firing of the Project Engineer.

    However, the promise of the design had been realized by Dinkelstein Kerman himself and at enormous cost the aircraft had been redesigned, and rebuilt. Now, it was once again prepared to push the envelope, under the control of the original pilot.

Mach .9! Mach .95! Mach .99!

The shaking wouldn’t stop. The aircraft fought like it was possessed with an evil spirit. The pilot clutched the control stick with an iron grip.

Maximum speed! Engine burnout!

The loss of thrust changed the dynamic pressure on the airframe, control forces disappeared, and suddenly the craft whipped into a tumbling spin. The G-Forces tore at the pilot, who was unable to hold the stick against the weight of his own limbs. His head smashed against the instrument panel with a resounding CRACK. Whipped to the side, his helmet punched a hole through the canopy.

EJECT! EJECT! EJECT!

Straining every fiber of his soul, the pilot reached behind his head. Clasping the ejection loop, he pulled down as hard as he could. With a sudden roar, the canopy blew outwards, small rockets fired, then pilot and seat were blasted out of the aircraft. The opening shock of the parachute was too much for the tortured pilot, who slipped into unconsciousness.

He came back to himself, paralyzed, watching a fire that could only be classified as ‘volcanic’ creep across the desert towards him. With a rising sense of panic, unable to move, watching burning death creep towards him with inexorable force, the very sand beneath the fire seeming to fuse into glass before his very eyes, death turned towards him smiling, reaching out bony fingers that suddenly grabbed him around the neck…

“Hey, Jeb, you ready to get back up there?”

The voice of the transport pilot over the intercom snapped Jebediah Kerman back to reality. With a sudden feeling of ice in his veins, Jeb keyed his mic.

“Yeah, I’m ready.”

His hands shook, ever so slightly.

There's the next chapter. I'm not totally happy with it, but as a famous author once said, eventually you have to stop writing and print.

The forum has some kind of filter on it that changes cuss words to something else. Bill is supposed to be the type of guy who cusses casually. I might have to get more creative with that.

Also, just in case you were wondering, yes the underwing rocket plane did actually work (eventually, but it crashed horribly on it's first flight, ironic). That was the most fun I had testing an idea.

Every single craft that will be described in this story will actually function in-game.

Edited by Guest
Fixing dumb autocorrect nonsense.
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