[AAR] Jool of Kerbol system or There and Back Again

[czokletmuss]

JOOL OF KERBOL SYSTEM

OR

THERE AND BACK AGAIN

THREAD RECOVERED AFTER APRIL PURGE

WARNING! Thread recovered from multiple sources - that's why it looks very unpolished (for now).

http://youtu.be/jCAzor4jgD8

• Prologue
• Chapter 1. LOW KERBIN ORBIT – KERBOL SOI
  
• Chapter 2. KERBOL SOI – JOOL ESCAPE ORBIT
  
• Chapter 3. AEROBRAKING: JOOL'S ATMOSPHERE
  
• Chapter 4. JOOL – TYLO - LAYTHE
  
• Chapter 5. LAYTHE ORBIT – VALL TRANSFER BURN
  
• Chapter 6. VALL TRANSFER BURN - VALL ESCAPE ORBIT
  
• Chapter 7. MINING OPERATIONS: VALL
  
• Chapter 8. LOW VALL ORBIT - POL TRANSFER BURN
  
• Chapter 9. POL TRANSFER BURN - POL LOW ORBIT
  
• Chapter 10. MINING OPERATIONS: POL
  
• Chapter 11. TURNING POINT: LOW POL ORBIT
  
• Chapter 12. THE DECISION: LOW POL ORBIT
  
• Chapter 13. KERBOL SOI - EVE SOI
  
• Chapter 14. AEROBRAKING: EVE
  
• Chapter 15. LOW EVE ORBIT - KERBIN SOI
  
• Chapter 16. KERBIN SOI - KERBIN BRAKING BURN
  
• Chapter 17. TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR
  
• Chapter 18. KERBIN'S ORBIT
  
• Epilogue
  

http://youtu.be/3_x9cGOhtX0

Edited September 11, 2013 by czokletmuss

[czokletmuss]

***

PROLOGUE

Welcome, this is Jeb speaking. I have something to announce – we are going to Jool! Yes, you heard it – the most promising mission ever will finally take place. Take your seats and relax, your minds will be blown by this news. Behold the jewel in the crown of Kerbal Aeronautics and Space Agency fleet, the biggest and mightiest ship ever build - „Kadmosâ€Â!

Impressive, most impressive, isn't it? And it's me, captain Jeb Kerman, who will fly this baby to the very edge of Kerbol system. Years have passed since my famous first-Kerbal-on-Mun landing and technological development is significant. It's not like the old days anymore, when KASA (Kerbal Aeronautics and Space Agency, duh?) funded all the missions. Today there is a huge market of competing private companies, which are able not only of constructing parts for KASA but whole probes or ships as well. Though I have to say that sometimes I miss my old flights. You know, only you, your command pod, several tones of combustible explosives and joystick. Those were the days!

Anyway, thanks to this private companies we were able to dream about unreachable – the Jool system. Gas giant, three moons, two asteroids – think about the science! Costs would be astronomical of course, but so the awesomeness. Launching one probe or one lander would be pointless, much effective and cheaper would be sending one big ship to make grand tour in Jool sphere of influence. However any manned mission to such a distant object would be impossible without three key inventions, which made it imaginable:

1. The engine

The further you want to go, the more fuel you need. More fuel = more mass = more powerful engines = heavier and less effective engines = more fuel needed = more mass... you get the point. Travelling to the Mun is a piece of cake – you have to reach orbit, than burn for intercept, than burn for circulate orbit and finally burn for returning trajectory. Been there, done that. But Jool is completely different. If you want to investigate whole system, you need to repeat those steps few times. This plus trajectory corrections, changing inclination and so on results in a very challenging design requirements. Powerful engines are heavy and not efficient, efficient are heavy and not powerful.

It was the Luecome Nuclear Space Industries which delivered this so needed technology. Just take a look how gigantic improvement their engine was:

2. The hull

All motherships designs before K1 Truss Alpha were too delicate to support mass of the ship alone, not to mention surviving through aerobraking tensions. It was Fusty's project that finally was capable of meeting all the requirements.

But because of a modular structure it was not enough. There was needed some strut-like solution, but without struts – you know, how can you separate modules if you connected them with steel in a first place? The solution – cutting-edge Quantum Strut technology. Now we're talking – no wobbling, no falling apart (I hope so), no structural failure.

3. The inflatable modules

Ah yes, living space. Two days in a tuna can, I mean Munar Module, is ok but when the journey takes two years that's something completely different. Life support system is heavy and with crew quarters it means a lot of additional weight. Solution is simple and brilliant – inflatable modules! Light, safe (relatively) and even with some artificial gravity thanks to BobCat engineers. We will be sleeping in centifuge with nice 1G, but the rest of the ship is a non-G environment, included the 60m2 inflatable habitat modules.

So, to summarize this for you guys, some facts about our ship:

„Kadmos†- Interplanetary Mothership Vehicle Ares I–class

• crew - 5
  
• height - 112m
  
• diameter - 5m
  
• mass – 399,29t (modular structure)
  
• TWR on Kerbin – 2.06
  
• ÃŽâ€v (atmosphere) - 5227m/s, T 6m56s
  
• ÃŽâ€v (vacuum) - 10637m/s, T 15m10s
  
• engines – Z-Pinch nuclear fusion, two MPSS NERVA, two H.O.M.E. Radial aerospikes; during Kerbal ascent four Jool V boosters
  
• payload to Low Jool Orbit - est. 70T
  
• two Dragon Landers - with monopropelant-based engines
  
• two Thor Explorer Probes
  
• Kethane Miner – 36t vehicle launch separately, critical to the mission success
  
• MechJeb pilot assistant system
  
• ORDA docking assistant
  
• Romfarer's Lazor integration
  
• Protractor interplanetary navigation system
  

Kadmos was an ancient hero who defeated dragon by sowing the dragon's teeth in the ground, from which sprang a race of fierce warriors. And so we will sow probes around Jool. I don't really get the analogy, but the eggheads in KASA find it cool for some reason.

So who are those lucky Kerbals who will have chance to truly became a living legend? Except of me, of course, 'cause I already am. Not lucky, a living legend. Well, maybe a little lucky too. Anyway, here is the crew:

Jeb – Mission Commander

That's me. Pilot and navigator, top tier training, first Kerbal on Mun. I will be responsible for, what a shock, navigation, manoeuvres of „Kadmos†and probes and landers. I'm the boss, I mean if we somehow lost contact with Mission Control, my decisions will be final. No democracy in space, folks.

Buzz – Flight Computer Engineer

Buzz will take care of all those subsystems, namely Lazor, ORDA, in general all computer stuff. In case of unlikely event of malfunction, he will repair them. In case of extremely unlikely event of, uhm, well, let's just say he is second in command, ok?

Nedfurt – Flight Engine Engineer

Experimental fusion engine, two ol'fashioned NERVA's and H.O.M.E. Boosters. This plus fuel equals 220t of highly sophisticated machinery with possibility of big kaboom. Nedfurt will do his best to make sure this won't happen.

Maclorf – Flight Medic

Responsible for our physical and mental health, – I hope he would be bored. In charge of life system support and our supplies. Also responsible for contact with media and proper social interaction. Will be studying psychological and biological effects of prolonged space journey.

Sidely – Mission Scientist

He knows stuff. That's pretty much it. No, I'm kidding. Sid is responsible for experiment equipment, sample processing, logging and storage. He has a vast knowledge about Jool system in particular, he is also a specialist in geology, geochemistry, planetology and organic chemistry.

That's it for now. See you next time on Low Kerbin Orbit!

- And how was it?

- Jeb, you were supposed to follow the script, we don't have time to record this again

- Oh, gimme a break, I was trying. Ordinary Kerbals would prefer to listen about something else than all this science mumbo-jumbo.

- KASA public relations policy..

- Come on, everyone will be watching this on TV anyway. Mission to Jool, man! I'm going to Jool!

- Yes Jeb, you are. Turn off the cameras, will you? I have to talk with [...]

[czokletmuss]

CHAPTER 1

LOW KERBIN ORBIT – KERBOL SPHERE OF INFLUENCE

***

- This is Mission Control - „Kadmosâ€Â, you are go to trans-Jool injection burn.

This. Was. Awesome! We're going to Jool! I''M SO EXCITED!

Now, where is this checklist? Oh, here it is:

Mission checklist - Phase 1

• Do not explode on a launching pad - CHECK
  
• Do not fall apart during orbital ascend - CHECK
  
• Reach destination nr 1 - Low Kerbin Orbit - CHECK
  
• Randez-vous with cargo and fuel delivery - CHECK
  
• Check all systems - CHECK
  
• Randez-vous with Kethane Miner Unit - CHECK

[note: isn't it a little too heavy? I'm concerned about our delta V; on the other hand, we have potentially unlimited acces to fuel with this vehicle]

• Check all systems once again - CHECK
  
• Prepare for Jool Transfer Burn - CHECK
  
• Check all systems, just to be sure - CHECK
  
• Reach destination nr 2 – Jool Transfer Burn Point - CHECK
  
• Execute Jool Transfer Burn - CHECK
  
• Do not explode or fall apart during Jool Transfer Burn - CHECK
  
• Check all systems - CHECK
  
• Calculate course corrections if needed - CHECK
  
• Deploy solar panels above Low Kerbin Orbit - uhm...CHECK?

[note: micrometeorite or debris apparently destroyed one of Gigantor Solar arrays; no big deal though, we need only 2 of them and 3 out of 4 are still operational – near Jool we would have to rely on RTG anyway]

So far, so good. Ok, so what's next?

• Enjoy the view - ...
  
• Reach destination nr 3 – Kerbin Sphere of Influence border - ...
  
• Check all systems - ...
  
• Execute course corrections if needed - ...

END OF PHASE 1

Hmm, that sounds pretty..

- „Kadmos†to Mission Control, „Kadmos†to Mission Control. We remind you about scheduled mission plan review, you should finish it before you pass Mun orbit.

- Roger that.

***

- Guys, let's get this over with, I would love to take some pictures of Mun. Sid, as our Mission Scientist I guess it is you who have all the details.

- Affirmative, captain.

- Great, so show us what you got. And please, call me Jeb.

- Splendid, uhm, Jeb. First, let's take a look at this photos. I allowed myself to make some notes..

- Very professional.

- This is Jool system. Unfortunately we can't make any direct observations on Bop or Pol, but we are sure they are there due to some gravitational interactions between Jool and his three big moons.

- Don't worry doc, we'll make a lot of pics when we'll get there.

- Yes, yes. Our planned trajectory is simple, from the closest moon to the most distant, which is Tylo.

- No landing? What a shame.

- Well, since this is a first mission there it wouldn't be the best idea to take such a risk. Nevertheless, there is some landing planned on Vall.

- Wait, I thought we will be mining on asteroides due to almost negligible gravity. Why Vall?

- Good point Buzz. So why Vall, Sid?

- First of all, we do not know if they are kethane deposits on any of the Jool moons. But if we find them, then maybe on a way back from Bop and Pol we will use them. Our landers and kethane miner unit are not designed to land on Tylo or Laythe anyway. Speaking of Laythe..

- Damn, I want to land there so badly..

- I'm sorry cap.., I mean Jeb, but not this time. I firmly believe that next mission will land there.

- Yeah, sure. So we will aerobrake in Jool atmosphere, than aerobrake in Laythe atmosphere, than go to Vall, then Tylo and the asteroides. That's right?

- Exactly. And when we will refuel on Bop or Pol we will have to, how can I say it, make some decision. It's very..

- Great, great, wonderful Sid. Ok guys, that's it – you're dismissed.

- But..

- Dismissed I said!

***

- „Kadmos†to Mission Control.

- Roger Mission Control, go ahead.

- Everything is looking good, so we think it's the time to open this special locker in your cabin.

- Great, I was wondering why there is something like this on this ship in the first place.

- Okay. Listen Jeb, we will tell you what the combination is, so grab some pen, repeat after us and write it down.

- Roger, I'm ready.

- The combination is: one..

- One!

- ..two..

- Two!

- ..three..

- Three!

- ..four..

- Four!

- ..five.

- Five! So the combination is 12345. OH COME ON, that's the stupidest combination I've ever heard in my life! That's the kind of thing an idiot would have on his computer or something! Really, guys.. Guys?

- We hear you „Kadmosâ€Â.

- Ehm.. why don't I hear Flight Director?

- It's Flight Dynamics Officer speaking, Flight Director has to, hmm, change some security settings of KASA main server.

- …

- Open the locker, Jeb.

- …

- Open the locker, Jeb.

- …

- Hello, Jeb, do you read us?

- Affirmative.

- Open the locker than.

- I'm sorry FIDO, but I'm afraid I can't do that.

- What's the problem?

- Well, I already opened it. And could you tell me what the hell is this? Kadmos-the T-shirt, KW Rocketry-the Coloring Book, BobCat-the Lunch box, Lionhead-the Breakfast Cereal.. even Romfarer's Laser Gun! Hm, that's actually cool, but what the heck these things are doing here?

- As you know, „Kadmos†is a joint venture between KASA and top-tier private space companies. One of the conditions of our agreement is that at least 20% of each public transmission from „Kadmos†will contain some product placement.

- I don't believe it... And what is THIS?

- Are you talking about big metallic sphere by any chance?

- Affirmative.

- Jeb, this is Complex Robotic Assistant and AutoPilot.

- Oh crap..

- You are familiar with this model?

- No, no, just.. is it really necessary? Hello, I'm the first Kerbal on Mun? I know how to fly, goddamit!

- It also makes toastes and very good coffee.

- All right, I will give it a shot.

***

<establishing connection>

<executing Kerbin_r.exe>

/* compute additional coordinate points */

radius=sqrt(pos[0]*pos[0]+pos[1]*pos[1]+pos[2]*pos[2]); /* km */

declination=(180.0/M_PI)*asin(pos[2]/radius);

RightAscension=(180.0/M_PI)*atan2(pos[1],pos[0]);

if(RightAscension<0.0) RightAscension+=360.0;

/* compute date & UTC */

<connection established (Kadmos_ship; Interplanetary ComSat_pr; MissionCTRL_h)>

<commencing transmission>

- Wow. Mission Control to „Kadmosâ€Â, Mission Control to „Kadmosâ€Â.

- Yes Jeb, go on?

- Do I have to look at this computer gibberish everytime when we will talk from now on?

- Negative Jeb, it was just confirming your coordinates. And by the way, congratulations, you are in a deep space now.

- Oh my

<executing end_r.exe>

<end of transmission>

[czokletmuss]

CHAPTER 2

KERBOL SOI – LOW JOOL ESCAPE ORBIT

***

Captain's log, spacedate 2.50.987. Space, the final frontier. Its vast emptiness has been attracting Kerbalkind for eons. One can only dream to explore the magnificient secrets of Universe and oh screw this crap.

I'm bored. Really, really bored. Communication lag has grown so much, that we basically are limited to purely technical stuff. But hey, at least this terrible public transmission has ended as well! I like all of those private space companies, but commercials in space? Where is the adventure, where is danger, the adrenaline? Unfortunately we don't have much things to do in the next few months. I need some action. Boy, I miss the old days sometimes.

I know that „Kadmos†is a technological marvel, but during flight to Jool's SOI there is really nothing we can do. And speaking of technology, this robot assistant was a completely failure..

***

<source: kadmos_cam8>

<extracting audio files>

<processing>

<transcription ready>

- … AAAAAACE!

- Shut it down, shut it down!

- I'm trying!

- No, watch out!

- <noise and screaming>

- No, not the vending machine!

- <indistiguishible noise>

- No! That does it – Ned, Mac turn off this damn thing. Sid, do something with this mess. It's time to do something with this piece of junk.

- <source: archive/mission_com768>

- Mission Control to „Kadmosâ€Â. We have serious problems with this robot. Some malfunction or what, I don't know, but every single time it looks out of the window, it starts shouting about space and it doesn't allow us to touch it. It ruins our social room twice! Do you have any idea how hard is it to play yahtzee in zero G, even without damn robot? Oh, and thanks for this snooker table and everything, you have no idea how.. oh crap, here it comes

- SPAAAAAAACE! I'M IN SPACE! SPACE, LOTS OF SPACE! SPAAAACE!

- Get out of here! Mission Control to „Kadmosâ€Â, what can we do with this? Over.

- <source: archive/mission_com769>

- We read you „Kadmosâ€Â. Complex Robotic Assistant and AutoPilot is a valuable piece of experimental equipment, we suggest you make some repairs if needed but do not, repeat, do not do anything that could harm it in any way, over.

<source: archive/mission_com770>

- Mission Control to „Kadmosâ€Â, we need a green light to little course correction. It appears that mothership weights less than predicted; we estimated that we need to compensate with 1 or 2 m/s.

I hope we will reach Jool soon. I'm worried about the crew. Sid spends most of his time locked in his cabine calculating or reading, he barely speaks with us. Everytime I try to socialize with Ned he is trying to evade this with some bull**** about „being in the middle of some calibrationsâ€Â. What calibrations? We used engines days ago. Buzz seems normal but after he discovered fried moth inside of one of the computers and said that he found a real computer bug with histerical laugh I'm worried about him too. Only Maclorf appears to be normal, which is good but on the other hand shouldn't he be more interested in all this? He is our Flight Medic after all. Or is it all just a devilish scheme to test our mental resistance? Is Maclorf conspiring with KASA? I feel I'm slowly loosing it too.

Jool is bigger with every day. I feel kinda lonely, we rarely speak with home now. I have some bad feelings about this mission. I need some action, this whole waiting is killing me.

***

- Jeb.

- Sid, you came out of this hole of yours. What is it?

- Well, I bring two message, one good and the other, ehm, less good.

- Start with the good one than.

- Okay. We will enter Jool's SOI in 5 days.

- All right! At last. And the bad one?

- It appears that due to some miscalculation we will have some problems with inclination.

- What? What are you talking about? I personally checked it, our orbit will be flat as a pancake put on the plane of reference.

- Yes it will, but the point is that.. well, take a look.

- And? It seems normal, so.. no, wait..

- That's right – instead of 0,3° inclination we will have 179,07°. Probably.

- But.. that means that we will be moving in the opposite direction than the Jool rotates! And all the moons too! How is this possible?!

- It seems that during trajectory corrections instead of substracting 90° from polar orbit we add 90°.

- What? So somebody on this ship doesn't know the difference between adding and substracting?

- That is correct.

- …

- Jeb? Is everything all right? We can fix this somehow, maybe, I guess, and it shouldn't really change our plans so..

- I'll be in my bunk.

[czokletmuss]

CHAPTER 3

AEROBRAKING: JOOL ATMOSPHERE

***

- Listen up rookies, we are approching Jool. We still have some time left, so I suggest you prepare everything, including yourselfs, for some action. As you know, we have SLIGHTLY different orbit than we wanted to, so probably we will have to do more manouevres then predicted. Ned, how our engines are looking?

- Good as new and fully operational. MPSS Nervas can easily overheat though, so we should be careful. H.O.M.E. radial boosters could be quite useful in some extraordinary situation, so I prepared them too.

- Great. Buzz, what about Lazor system? Sid would like to gather some data as we go through Jool atmosphere.

- Sound and ready. Should I prepare kethane scanner as well?

- Sid?

- No need for it, we already now that Jool's atmosphere is in 64% pure kethane gas. How much kethane is on the moons surface is another question.

- It is settled then. Mac, is the life support system secured for aerobraking?

- Yup. All modules are ready to emergency decoupling. Though I would prefer them to stay where they are.

- Alright. Listen guys, we will finally start our mission, so I except you to be 100% ready. The plan is as follows: we aerobrake in Jool atmosphere nice and smoothly, gather some scientfic data by the way, and with some minor adjustments are going to Laythe's parking orbit. Second aerobraking will follow if necessary. Any questions? Yes Ned, what is it?

- Aerobraking.. has anyone done this before?

- Well, there were several crush.. I mean, planned deorbitations of probes in Duna's atmosphere and all our missions from Mun aerobrake in Kerbin's atmosphere as well.

- Ok, but we will be diving in Jool kethane layers slightly faster than 3000m/s. It will be what, like..

- 9500 to 10.000 m/s.

- Thanks Sid. So that's pretty fast, are we sure we wouldn't fall apart?

- Quite sure, yes. Anyone else?

- These course corrections after aerobraking – we will have to turn the ship around to do them, right?

- So what?

- Maybe we could use engines in Kethane Miner?

- Hm, that's a good idea Buzz. Can you do this?

- Switching control from Miner to „Kadmos� I will do my best.

- Ok guys, we have few hours left, so let's do it quickly. Dismissed.

***

- Jeb. Jeb? Hey, Jeb.

- Hmm? Oh, sorry, I was looking at this green bastard. Damn he's big. This clouds movement.. Mesmerizing.

- I fixed the engines on Miner, so we can use them after leaving atmosphere.

- Great. Think about it Buzz, we are the first Kerbals to see it like it is, without some fancy telescope.

- Yeah. Ain't that something?

***

…so the estimated 8,5 to 9 G's is correct. You shall end with nice eliptical orbit with apoapsis at 21.500 km above Jool. You are entering at the night side, so we will lost comunnication sooner than expected. We all here are somewhat nervous but we believe in you. And always reliable kerbal technology, of course. Be sure to contact with Flight Dynamics Officer as soon as you leave atmosphere. Good luck. Mission Control over.

<end of transmission>

- You heard it guys. That's what we were trained for. Fasten your seatbelts, check your suits and enjoy the view. T-50 seconds.

- T-40 seconds.

- T-30 seconds.

- You know, technically speaking „flying in space†is not an appropiate term at all. There is no air after all, only gravity and radiation. We don't fly, we just jump very high in gravity well.. or we fall down.

- Sid.

- Yes?

- Shut up.

- Quiet! T-6, T-5, T-4..

- Mommy..

- Quiet I said! T-2, T-1 and aerobraking!

http://youtu.be/ibf-6O3uU6Q?t=2m19s

- 1G! 2G!

- Lazor operational!

- T+5! 3G! 4G!

- Falling pressure in inflatable module D!

- 6G! 7G!

- Structural integrity 92%!

- T+10! 9G!

- Something's wrong!

- Main truss temperature's 4000 degrees!

- 10G! Hold on!

- Sid has passed out!

- We've lost hydraulics in H.O.M.E. boosters!

- Sid! Sid, wake up. Buzz, damage report.

- We're mainly okay, but look at our orbit – we're of course!

- Damn it! Switching to manual control, Miner engines operational. Hold on, that's not over yet guys.

- Jeb!

- Almost there!

- And engines stop! Trajectory raport. And patch me to FIDO.

- Calculating.

- I'M ALIVE!

- Sid, you okay?

- Yeah, yeah...

- Jool, you bastard.

- Look, that's Laythe!

- Wow, it's so blue, almost like Kerbin.

- Mac, Ned, check the engines and life support system status. Where is this trajectory report? When we will reach Laythe? I'm really not in the mood for another aerobraking.

- Jeb, look.

- Oh man... Mission Control to „Kadmosâ€Â, we need Flight Dynamics Officer right now.

[czokletmuss]

CHAPTER 4

JOOL – TYLO - LAYTHE

***

…so according to our estimations you should reach Tylo's SOI in less than 7 hours. When you will be approaching your periapsis, release the probe A and prepare to fire main engine for 2 seconds with 10% throttle in a direction which coordinates we're sending right now. Do not, repeat...

- Estimations as good as those about maximum 9G?

- Please, be quiet.

...do not change your trajectory in any other way. After aforementioned correction your trajectory in Jool's SOI will lead you to Laythe encounter after completing exactly 1,3 orbit.

Than another aerobraking will be necessary...

- Oh, that's just great.

We recommend retrograde approach. Due to almost 180 inclination your relative speed will be greater than planned. We're still calculating it „Kadmos†but it seems that you will have to go as low as 19 km. FIDO over.

<end of transmission>

- They have to be kidding! Nineteen? In an atmosphere as thick as back at home? This is..!

- Chill out, we will calculate this once again after they send us flight plan. Do not worry, we have time. We aerobraked at T+256 days and 9 hours, going to Tylo and completing more than one full orbit around Jool.. that gives us more or less 2 days. We should concentrate on repairs and probe preparation. Get to work.

***

- Everything's ready, Buzz is in the High Visibility Pod and he's waiting for confirmation.

- Good. Which model it is once again?

- Thor Pole Explorer made by Lionhead Aerospace Inc.

- Fancy name. Ok, we shall see if dragging it all the way here was worth it. Buzz, release the probe A.

- Solar panels properly deployed, all systems operational, looking fine.

- Ok, finish diagnostic, turn the autopilot on and let it go.

- Aaand.. done. Ignition.

- Report.

- Everything's okay, it's coasting to periapsis. Circulization burn in 50 minutes.

(...)

- And?

- Hm, it's suspicious but everything's fine, no malfunction, no trajectory error. Huh.

- You expected some fireworks too? Well, at least Sid will be happy. Ok, that's official than: probe A has reached Tylo's circular polar orbit. One small robot in space, giant leap in images resolution. Great day for kerbal science!

***

- Listen up, we will be in moon's atmosphere in less then 4 hours. Sid has triple checked data sent from Mission Control and they'are correct. Almost correct. Aerobraking this low and much quicker than the last time means much greater forces will...

- Boss, we know. We were trained for few years for this. Could you just tell what the g-force we'll have to deal with?

- :sigh: Well.. up to 18g.

- WHAT?!

- But very briefly! There should be no severe injuries and.. Sid?

- Loss of consciousness is expected, as well as some moderate pain due to expansion of capillaries in the eye. Experiments back on Kerbin showed that exposure to even as much as 20g for less than 10 seconds allows subject to perform simple tasks and in generall leaves cognitive functions intact.

- You see? Nothing serious. We should be okay. I'm more concerned about the ship to be honest. We can take 20g -we're skilled and trained kerbonauts after all – but hull's integrity may be a problem. What do you think about this Buzz?

- I dunno boss. We need structural integrity above 80% to survive aerobraking at home. After Jool we have 89%. We should be good. But 18g.. „Kadmos†wasn't designed for this.

- We will make it. Back in my days we used to fly to low orbit using parts from junkyard. For sure we can do it on the most advanced ship ever built. Ok, that's all, we have some time left, so we better prepare ourselfs to this one. Dismissed.

***

- Say what you want, but this moon is wonderful.

- At least we will crash on something nice.

- Cut the chat, gentelmen. I just finished configurating autopilot system. Even if we all pass out, it will still take us on a nice parking orbit.

- If we don't burn in the atmosphere.

- We won't. We have gone too far to end like this. And now please be quiet.

***

- We're in! Report!

- Hull's temperature is 500° C and rising.

- Steering error 9,1 °

- Increasing friction.

- 6G!

- 10 seconds to periapsis.

- Structural integrity 86% and falling!

- 10G!

- Buzz has passed out!

- Damaged sensors in lander A!

- 15G!

- Argh!

- My brains are going into my feet!

- Sid! Ned!

***

[Specialist290]

Nice to see this again!

One thing that's been bugging me lately: Do you think you could add dialog tags so we can tell who's speaking what lines? It's sometimes hard to follow who's talking to whom without them.

[Holo]

Can't wait for the next installment!

[czokletmuss]

CHAPTER 5

LAYTHE ORBIT – VALL TRANSFER BURN

***

- Uch, my head.. hey, look guys, we made it! Guys? Guys!

- What... what's going on?

- Maclorf, you all right?

- I guess.

- Help me with them, they're still unconsciousness.

- Kerbin to Ned. Wake up, buddy.

- Bleh?

- How many fingers can you see?

- Hmph? Fi-five?

- He's fine.

- Mac, why is everything red? Are we on Duna?

- Oh-oh.. Look at me. It appears that you have minor retinal damage. Don't worry though, it is not..

- Aaa! My face!

- Hey, calm down! Calm down.

- And my back. Auch! It hurts.

- It's all right Buzz, calm down. Bruising is a common effect of excessive g-force.

- Mac, come here.

- Ouch.. Not good. Severe head trauma. No blood loss. He's breathing, pulse normal. Sid, wake up. Sid!

- I guess this spare CO2 filter wasn't attached well enough.

- We need to transport him to medic bay now, I have to examine him.

- Ok. I will contact Mission Control and run diagnostics. Damn.. Buzz, Ned, help Mac with Sid.

- Computer, switch to voice control please.

- VOICE COMMAND MODE ONLINE. YOU HAVE TWO UNREAD MESSAGE.

- Later. Status report. Mechanical systems.

- NOMINAL

- Life support system.

- NOMINAL

- Reactor core temperature.

- NOMINAL

- Structural integrity.

- INTEGRITY 81%

- Engines.

- Z-PINCH FUSION OPERATIONAL. MPSS NERVAS OPERATIONAL. RADIAL AEROSPIKES NON RESPONSIVE.

- Hm, could be worse. Orbit status.

- CURRENT ORBIT 996x966 KILOMETRES. INCLINATION 164.4°.

- Not so bad. Okay, play the first message.

„Kadmos†to Mission Control. This is Flight Director speaking. Your autopilot confirmed that aerobraking manouvre was succesful. We are waiting for status report and further informations. Flight Surgeon asks about crew status, your biosensors seems to be malfunctioning. Important – we've received information about increased Kerbol activity level. We're monitoring the situation. Over.

- END OF TRANSMISSION.

- Play the second one.

„Kadmos†to Mission Control. We've confirmed X-class kerbol flare which will reach Kerbin and cut off our communication with you in 15 minutes after this message. Estimated communication disruption duration up to 8 hours. Follow the mission checklist, send us your status.

- Crap! When was this message received?

- MESSAGE RECEIVED T+13 MINUTES.

- Oh ****. Mission Control to „Kadmosâ€Â, Mission Control to „Kadmosâ€Â, our status is as follows..

***

- How is he?

- Still unconsciousness. Slightly elevated intracranial pressure, CT scan nonconclusive but cerebral edema is evident. I gave him dexamethasone and as you can see, I'm preparing him for electroencephalography.

- Okay and in Kerbalish? What does it mean?

- I suspect TBI.

- Kerbalish I said.

- Traumatic brain injury.

- Oh my..

- I need more data, it's to early for final diagnosis. After EEG I need to speak with Flight Surgeon.

- Yeah, about that. Kerbol flare has disrupted our communication, so we're on our own.

- How long?

- Up to 8 hours. It's big, X-class.

- Crap.

- I know. Where is Ned and Buzz?

- They're checking reactor and life support sys..

- ALARM. RADIATION LEVEL CRITICAL. ALARM. RADIATION LEVEL CRITICAL. ALARM..

- Crap!

- I'm going to bridge, you stay here. Ned, Buzz, get the hell out of service module and go to the command pod NOW!

***

- ALARM. RADIATION LEVEL CRITICAL. ALARM. RADIATION LEVEL CRITICAL.

- Computer, radiation status. And turn this damn alarm off!

- HULL'S SENSORS – 2.916 GRAY PER HOUR. CREW MODULE SENSORS – 157 MILISIEVERTS PER HOUR. REACTOR SENSORS – NON RESPONSIVE.

- Holy molly! We must've entered the Van Kerbollo belt!

- Wait, wait, wait. Alarm should trigger around 200 mSv/h, right?

- Or when the cumulative dose will be near 1 Sv.

- I know but with current level of radiation it would take hours to.. hours.. Computer, what is the time of the last orbital correction?

- T+5 HOURS 35 MINUTES 48 SECONDS.

- …

- We've been out for 5 hours?!

- This is impossible!

- Maclorf, do you read me?

- Yup. Is everything..?

- Stop whatever you are doing and immediately transport Sid to radiation shelter.

- Affirmative.

- This is more than 864 milisieverts!

- But how can it be? If there was any problem with magnetic shield we'll be dead by now. Shield should pass through 50 mSv maximum. Oh no..

- It's probably the reactor. Sensors are non responsive, so somebody has to go to the service module and check them manually.

- …

- I will go.

- No Jeb, you are the capitain, you can't. I'm going.

- No, no, no, you're second in command and I'm the Flight Engine Engineer anyway.

- Do it as fast as you can, ok? Buzz, prepare the probe. I'll check possible trajectories. We're going the hell out of here – if this is reactor, we can't do anything when we need the shield to not get fried by Jool.

***

- Ned, do you hear me?

- Loud and clear. I'm near the sensors. Normal radiation level 0,0002 mSv per hour. And here we have.. 146,78 mSv per hour. It's the reactor boss. It seems that the core is intact and fuly operational.

- Get out of there now! Buzz, what about this probe?

- All systems ready.

- Release the probe.

- Probe released!

- Ok. Guys, this is Jeb speaking. We're leaving Laythe, prepare to transfer burn. Is everyone in radiation shelter?

- Yes.

- Affirmative. Sid's with me.

- But Jeb, we still have inversed inclination, we can't...

- Yeah, but not for long. Watch this son. Switching to manual. Engines operational. And ignition! Ignition! What's going on?

- UNAUTHORIZED TRAJECTORY CHANGE DETECTED. CONFIRMATION BY MISSION CONTROL OR SHIP'S CAPTAIN REQUIRED.

- Eee..

- CHECKING „Eee..â€Â. VOICE AUTHORIZATION COMPLETE. TRAJECTORY CHANGE CONFIRMED.

- All right. Ignition!

- Wow, that was brilliant!

- I know. I'm switching to autopilot. Come on, we're going to radiation shelter, we're still in Van Kerbollo belt. We have to figure out what shall we do next..

[czokletmuss]

CHAPTER 6

VALL TRANSFER BURN – VALL ESCAPE ORBIT

***

- Let me sum up the situation. Our Mission Scientist is probably in comatose, we have no contact with Mission Control and we wouldn't have for quite some time, we've been seriously radiated as well as the rest of the ship. Without power from the reactor we're blind, deaf and dead very soon. With the working reactor...

- Assuming 0,2 Sv per hour, before we reach Vall we will get more than 1,6 Sv, which gives us 2,5 Sv total in less than 15 hours. And we cannot forget about cumulating effects of cosmic radiation – that's 1,4 mSv per day, which gives us another 0.36 Sv.. Take this, Jeb.

- Uh, why shall I need a plastic bag?

- Vomiting and nausea are the first symptoms of acute radiation syndrome. Listen, it isn't that bad as it sounds. First of all, we are in our spacesuits since before aerobraking. This gives us extra protection, so to estimate the dose I should check your biosensors. Second of all, we can stay here until we figure out something and here we are safe – we are surrounded by our water supplies, we have closed air-circulation system and hardened lead hatch.

- Okay Mac, but we can't sit here forever. We don't even know what is wrong with the reactor!

- Actually, I may have an idea.

- Go on, Ned.

- As you know, our energy source is a pool-type reactor. With core and control rods immersed, we use water as cooling agent, neutron moderator AND radiation shield. However, the core chamber isn't filled with water in 100%. Water is heavy after all and as experiments have shown, we don't need that much water to fulfil safety requirements. In fact, chamber is filled only in 2/3. So all we need to do is pump there more water.

- What water? We recycle everything, we can't just go on without few tones of H2O. Our life support system...

- Speaking of which, as a Flight Medic I would like to point out, that our biggest concern should be water and air contamination. We most likely will be okay, after all 1 Sv is a lethal dose in 5% of cases statistically. But if our supplies are irradiated..

- Well, we can use contaminated water to fill the reactor chamber than.

- Oh great, and then what? We will die few weeks before arriving at home because of dehydration?

- I don't think that we need..

- Wait, how are we going to put water in the reactor chamber in the first place? It wasn't designed for it at all.

- I'm sure we can do some workaround.

- Workaround on nuclear reactor? Do we even have tools? In my opinion we should wait until Mission Control...

- Guys! Guys! We have a problem and we have to solve it. We're highly qualified kerbonauts. I know this is a bad situation, but we will behave like Kerbals of reason should. - Now listen – we need water and probably some oxium, right? What about our food supplies?

- Supplies should be unaffected bet we should better check this.

- All right. So if all we need is water and oxium than I have a good news – we will be orbiting a really huge snowball.

- But our mining equipment was built to extract kethane only.

- Yes, but with some electrolysis we can easily get all we need. With KE-C190 Heavy Converter Unit we already can process kethane into oxidizer. Few fixes and we can combine oxium and hydrogen to water.

- Exactly Buzz. So this is the plan: Mac, you will check our biosensors. We will stay here until we leave Van Kerbollo belt. After that, you will take Sid to the sick bay, he needs some gravity. Ned, you will check our life support system and check if this workaround is possible at all. And you Buzz will help me reconfigure sensors and prepare Kethane Miner to work.

- And what if there isn't any kethane down there?

- It better be.

- Damn, this C.R.A.A.P. robot will come in handy now. Too bad we threw it out of the airlock.

- It was broken, rember? Would you want to have malfunctioning robot anywhere near the reactor? Shouting “Spaace!†at random objects wouldn't help much.

- Yeah. Complex Robotic Assistant and AutoPilot – ha, gimme a break. So what, now we just wait?

- Yup.

- :sigh:

- Ned, can you give me this bag please?

- Why would you.. oh, radiation kicking in?

- Just give it to me, okay?

- I wonder what will they do back home when they find out what's going on here..

***

- ...and as you can see, ladies and gentlemen, “Kadmos†has reached safe circular orbit over Laythe, Jool's closest moon and the only moon in our System with atmosphere. Now, before we will move on to our next topic, I'm sure there is a lot of questions. Yes, please?

- Hicks, “Kerbington Postâ€Â. Is there any chance that recent Kerbol activity will pose any threat to the kerbonauts?

- No, there isn't. Magnetic storm will occur only here, on Kerbin, so our boys are save. Yes?

- Vasquez, “New Kerb Timesâ€Â. Speaking of magnetic storm, wouldn't the Jool's magnetic field affect the crew or equipment?

- That is a very good question. Jool has magnetic field is 14 times stronger than Kerbin's and its Van Kerbollo belt has so much charged particles trapped in, that it will deliver lethal dose of radiation in hours. That's why “Kadmos†has special device powered by reactor, which generates magnetic shield. Thanks to this, the crew is completely protected from radiation. In fact, our previous missions to Mun has.. what?..when?..excuse me for a minute. What do you mean by that? Oh my.. Is it confirmed? All right, all right. My sincere apologies for this interruption. I've just received very important message. As you know, Kerbal Aeronautics and Space Agency has asked Valhalla Space Agency for help with this unprecedented communication problem. VSA has agreed that its communication relay satellite in polar orbit will be used by KASA for the time being. Yes. Ehm. This news can be shocking but.. we finally have official results of our international contest! Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of KASA's Contest to Design the Mission to Jool Patch is.. Freya Kerman, VSA Chief Admin and Project Izumo's mission commander. And here it is, the final patch for the mission selected by KASA committee:

- I'm personally very happy that after few years of hard work and countless sessions the committee has finally made the decision and chose one amongst thousands of sent patches. Previous patch will still be used in documentation and KASA's databases.

- All right than, last question anybody? Yes, sir?

- Gorman, “The Kerbolâ€Â. Is it true that there were some problems with special robot designed to operate in highly hazardous environment – radiation, vacuum, toxic gases – and that the crew will have to operate in such environment personally every time?

- No comment. All right, now we shall discuss mining operations, as well as mining equipment currently being developed by our engineers. But first, a word from one of the sponsors of “Kadmos†mission, BobCat Industries.

“Space exploration is a dangerous task. It requires technology reliable in even most harsh conditions. And special technology requires special people. We're one of the leading companies in the commercial speceflight sector. Our cooperation with KASA has brought to you rovers, orbital tug, artificial gravity technology and much more. Now is the time for a new step. Soyuz 18 is a cheap and effective method of transporting crew and cargo on low Kerbin orbit. Crew of three can safely return to home thanks to high performance heat shield. We use advanced technology to build the safest, most reliables vehicles ever flown. Opening space for everyone. BobCat Industries – building better future. Soon.â€Â

- Yes. So, mining in space. As you can see on this resources flow chart, we in KASA have prepared...

[czokletmuss]

CHAPTER 7

MINING OPERATIONS: VALL

***

- And.. 643 mSv of accumulated dose. That means that none of us absorbed more the 0,7 Sv.

- There will be more. We have to prep the Miner, check life support and finally do this workaround.

- If my calculations are correct, if we decrease reactor power level to 15%, everyone outside the radiation shelter will be getting circa 25 mSv per hour.

- Can't we just turn it off?

- Unfortunately no, so far from Kerbol we wouldn't have enough power to start the fusion after shutdown. Fifteen percent is just barely enough to power life support.

- Ok guys, everybody know what's his task. Two more hours.

(…)

- Computer, radiation report.

- HULL'S SENSORS – 40 MILIGRAY PER HOUR. CREW MODULE SENSORS – 161 MILISIEVERTS PER HOUR. REACTOR SENSORS – NON RESPONSIVE.

- We're out of the belt! Let's get to work, we don't have much time.

(…)

- Ok, RCS thrusters operational. Buzz, run some tests on telemetry. Ned, report.

- Life support is fully operational and it looks that air supplies are radiation free. But that was the good news. The bad news is almost 1/3 of our water supplies are glowy. Everything between science modules and reactor is good only as a reactor coolant. My Geiger counter is kinda crazy, I guess it's broken.

- Damn. What about this workaround? Can you do this?

- It will be a little tricky but with some help it should be doable. Jeb, since we already have some dead water maybe I will start right now?

- Negative. We need the reactor on 100% during braking above Vall. That's it for now, go back to the shelter. Buzz, help me with this.

(…)

- Miner is go for separation Jeb.

- Good. Now go to the High Visibility Pod and prepare the kethane sensor. After braking come back here, you will help me during descending.

- Okay. I really hope we find some kethane.

- Me too.

(…)

- Braking burn T-20. Everyone ready? Mac?

- Yup. We're in a shelter.

- Positive. Sensor almost ready.

- Okay than. Reactor power level 100%. T-5, T-4, T-3, engines operational, T-1 and braking!

- And engines stop. Reactor power level set to 15%. Beautiful orbit, gentlemen. How we're lookin Buzz?

- I'm picking something.. strange signature.. it looks like some kind of structure, I guess it's the interference. Oh, I lost it. Still no kethane tough – no, wait! I found it! - Ha-ha, I found it! Yes! We have kethane, quite a big pocket.

- Uff, that's great. At least one thing went as planned.

- And another one. And another! Wow, there's a lot of it.

- Pick some flat spot, we don't have time to do few orbits. I want to be on ground in 40 minutes. I'm preparing for EVA.

- Jeb, listen. Since you're going there anyway, maybe you should take geological hammer, few bags and some other lighter things?

- What for, Mac? We'll be landing there in Dragon in pairs and with full equipment, spectrometer, drill, complete Lazor..

- I know, just.. listen, just do it for Sidely, all right?

- …

- Jeb?

- I'll do it. Take him to the centrifuge. Ned, you can start messing with reactor now.

- Aye.

(…)

- Everything ready. Commencing EVA-01. I'm opening the hatch. Wow.. I'll never get tired of this view... Buzz, do you copy?

- Loud and clear.

- Ok. Propulsion unit operational. Before I go to the Miner I'll check the hull.

- Everything looking good. No, wait, they're some minor damage on both modular service units, probably micrometeorites. Nothing serious though. Hi, Buzz, can you see me?

- Well hello there.

- That's enough. I'm going to the Miner. By the way, it should have some name, don't you think?

- I guess.

- Hmm. The command pod is FLY module from BobCat Industries, right? So maybe.. “Firefly�

- Sounds good to me. But be so kind and board it already. I'm getting nervous.

- I'm in. Computer operational, kethane sensor on. Engines ready. RCS ready. Deploying solar panels. Ok guys, I'll see you in few hours. Commencing undocking procedure. Quantum struts gone. RCS operational.

- Releasing common berthing mechanism. You're free to go.

- Aand separation.

- All right! Gosh I miss some real flying.

- I'm sending coordinates and trajectory. Jeb, please be careful.

- Chill out, if there is one thing I can do, it's flying. Changing position for deorbit burn.

- Everything's ready. See you in couple of hours, “Kadmosâ€Â.

- Don't forget, when we will be behind horizon you will be all by yourself.

- Just like the old times, huh? Okay, engines check, coordinates check. Deorbit burn in three, two, one and ignition!

- Engines stop. Reorienting ship retrograde. Kethane converter unit operational. Everything's looking good.

(...)

- Descending. I'm slightly off course, I'll try to compensate this. Kethane pocket is just beneath me.

- Jeb, your landing zone, eh, terrain may be little more uneven than I thought.

- Nevermind kid. It's just like landing on a Mun once again.

- Remember, surface gravity is 2,31 m/s, not 1,63 m/s like on Mun.

- Relax.

- 5 clicks. I'm going down smoothly. 4 clicks. Correcting with RCS. 3 clicks. 2 clicks. 1000 metres. Slowing down. Eight hundred. Six hundred. Looking good. Four hundred. Two hundred metres. One hundred, killing velocity. 70 metres. I can see the shadow. 50 metres.

- Forty, thirty, twenty...

- Ten metres. Five, four, three, two and touchdown. “Firefly†has landed. Yeehaa!

- Uff. We're breathing again, Jeb!

- Turning engines off. Drill units working, solar panels 93%. Well, that's it for now. It will take two hours at least to full the tank. I'll check the systems and I'm going for EVA.

(…)

- I'm ready. Kethane tank 40% full. Leaving the command pod.

(…)

- Surface resembles Minmus a lot. Terrain looks surprisingly smooth. Perhaps tidal forces heat the core and somehow influence the surface. There maybe even subterranean ocean here. Shame than Sid can't see this.

- Jeb, this is Mac. Your Geiger counter shows 40 mSv/h, so I suggest you hurry up. We'll lost contact with you in ten minutes.

- Copy. I'm going to step off the „Firefly†now.

- Now that's a pretty snowball. I'm on a ground.

- THESE are your famous first words?

- I wouldn't figure out anything better after “one giant leap†on Mun anyway. It look's like Tylo is rising. Kerbol is so small from here...beautiful.. wish you were here guys..

- Jeb, the radiation..

- Ok, ok. I will collect the samples and go back to the ship.

(…)

- Kethane tank is full, I'm ready to launch. Guys? Oh, right. Maybe I'll play some music. Now where is it..

♫

“Black and blue.

And who know which is which and who is who.

Up and down.

And in the end it's only round and round and round.â€Â

♫

(…)

- “Kadmosâ€Â, this is Jeb. I have you on visual, prepare to docking.

- We read you “Fireflyâ€Â. Everything ok?

- Almost. It seems that the converter unit isn't properly connected to my fuel tanks. I tried to test it down there but I could only get some monopropellant. Which is good, it means that it works.

- We'll deal with it. Listen Jeb, you want to do this manually?

- Negative. With so much monopropellant I'll switch to ORDA. With 50 tones I'll rather use some computer assistance than risk a collision.

- Copy that.

(…)

- Ten metres “Kadmosâ€Â.

- Five metres.

- And contact. Berthing mechanism online. Docking.

- Checking.

- That was it for the fun party. Now the real work begins.

- Connection secured. Welcome home, Jeb.

***

[czokletmuss]

CHAPTER 8

LOW VALL ORBIT – POL TRANSFER BURN

***

- I say we do it. Maybe from higher orbit we'll have better chance of contacting Mission Control.

- I second that. Without Flight Surgeon's help I can't really help him by doing surgery and with every day Sid is without proper medical treatment..

- Look, we all know that we need to reestablish contact with home. But as an Engine Engineer I strongly recommend that we reconsider this. I can't guarantee that there wouldn't be any malfunction.

- I thought you said that everything will be okay, Ned.

- Should be okay, Jeb. Thanks to you we were able to fill the reactor chamber, that's right. But I'm not talking about radiation here, it's the service modules A and B I'm worried about. Doing this workaround wasn't easy and I had to use some parts from MPSS NERVAs cooling system.

- But you said that most of the parts you used were spare parts, didn't you?

- Yes I did but.. Listen, NERVAs probably will work normally, especially since we don't really need them operational for long periods of time. I just insist on making more tests before performing any orbital operations.

- We don't have time. Sid doesn't have time! What, we should stay here and do tests while his state is worsening?

- Computer, how long till the Pol transfer window opens?

- T+3 HOURS 8 MINUTES 21 SECONDS

- Don't do it, Jeb, I beg you. We can't just throttle up to the maximum almost the same day experimental, never tested before cooling system workaround on a goddamn nuclear reactor was performed!

- Friend, listen..

- Don't “friend†me! I know that transfer window to Pol is a rare opportunity. I know that Sid needs operation, hell, I myself have severe retinopathy and I'm more irradiated than any of you. But I tell you, this is a big mistake.

- Calm down, Ned. We really don't have a choice. You think I want to do this, put all of us at risk? The problem is, we've been orbiting this moon for almost two days and we still have no contact with Kerbin. On a higher orbit there will be less interference from Jool and we can't just wait here forever: we don't have unlimited supplies and we're out of schedule already. We have to try.

- Well, you are the captain. Just don't blame me if one of these NERVAs suddenly turns into radioactive dust.

- Ned, don't...

- I'll be in reactor control room if anyone need me.

- Mac, what are you doing here? I thought you will be with Sid.

- To do what, same test for the third time? I have all necessary data, I just need some guidance during surgery. Without this, I can as well start analysing some of your rocks. Showing some research results to Sid when we wake up should cheer him up. And shifting concentration from his condition to samples from Vall definitely will help. Here, take a look.

- Hm. They all look alike to me.

- Indeed? Tell me Jeb, what do you think about our current situation?

- What?

- I know that mission plan is no longer valid but still amongst my duties is monitoring crew mental status. So, how do you feel about all of this?

- Well I, to be honest I.. feel pretty lonely, I guess. I mean, no contact with home for three days, that's something new. During Mun or Minmus flights there was also some chatter with Mission Control. Hell, they never shut up. And now, all we can listen to is buzz from Jool's storms mixed with interplanetary white noise. When I look down at this big dead snowball it really hits me, ya know, how far from home are we.

- Only void.

- Hm, you were saying something?

- No, you must misheard something. Thank you for sharing this with me. Do you feel better now?

- I dunno, probably, I guess.

- Good. Now if you'll excuse me..

- Yeah, sure. One hour to transfer burn, remember to prepare Sid.

- Everybody ready? Mac?

- We're ready.

- Okay then. T-30 and counting. Buzz, check the RCS. Ned, report as soon as you spot anything down there.

- …

- Ned?

- Yeah, yeah.

- Ekhm. Yup. T-10 guys. Reactor level 100%. Computer, confirm target capture.

- AFFIRMATIVE

- RCS operational.

- Good. T-5. Engines ready. Commencing transfer burn – and burning! What's the situation Ned?

- Everything seems fine.

- Jeb, I'm picking again strange signals from the surface.

- What, this structure-like interference again? T+10.

- Yes, this is really strange..

- NERVA B is slightly overheating, within safety limit though.

- Chill, just few more seconds. T+20.

- Jeb, look at this.

- Okay, correcting. T+25. T+30. Almost there.

- I got some voltage spike.

- TARGET CAPTURE CONFIRMED

- Two, one and engines stop! See, I told you guys. Ned, check this NERVA B please, me and Buzz will check if there aren't any course corrections needed. Then we all should take some rest and in, let's say, 4 hours we're meeting in the centrifuge to discuss next steps. Get to work everybody.

- How are you feeling Ned? You see, you didn't blow us to pieces after all!

- I still think that was a bad idea.

- We took the risk. Let's just hope we'll get some overdue mails soon.

- All right guys. We're on course to Pol, where we shall look for some kethane and finally do some real science. I'm talking about taking those pretty Dragons for a ride. We should also plan a new trajectory – there is still one moon to explore.

- Two moons, we practically skip Vall.

- You're right. So, I suggest after Pol we should try to intercept Bop and then Vall, from where we'll start our journey back to home. We don't have that much time before our Kerbin transfer window closes and we really don't want to do transfer burn while on such elliptic and inclined orbit as Pol and Bop have. Therefore..

- You guys heard that?

- No, what are you.. WHAT WAS THAT?

- Ugh!

- ALARM. HULL BREACH IN SERVICE MODULE B. DECOMPRESSION IMMINENT

- Frak!

***

[czokletmuss]

CHAPTER 9

POL TRANSFER BURN – LOW POL ORBIT

***

- Computer, execute emergency procedure 26! Atmosphere status report!

- EXECUTING. CLOSING ALL SERVICE MODULES HATCHES. PRESSURE IN CREW MODULE 101 KILOPASCALS.

- Everybody put on your spacesuits! Mac, get some oxygen mask and go to Sid now!

- Got it!

- ALL HATCHES CLOSED. PRESSURE IN MAIN SERVICE MODULE 90 KILOPASCALS. PRESSURE IN SERVICE MODULE A 93 KILOPASCALS.

- Buzz, go to the High Visibility Pod! Ned, you will go with me to the service modules.

- I told you this can happen!

- PRESSURE IN SERVICE MODULE B 52 KILOPASCALS. WARNING. MULTIPLE STRUCTURAL FAILURES DETECTED.

- No time to argue now! We have to.. wait, you felt this?

- Yes. Listen!

- Crap, it's not the engine. Micrometeorites!

- Computer, what's the hydraulics status in service module B?

- NON RESPONSIVE.

- Damn it, we won't be able to open the hatch!

- WARNING. LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM DAMAGED. PROPELLANT LEVEL DROPPING. PRESSURE IN SERVICE MODULE B 34 KILOPASCALS.

- It must have hit fuel and O2 tanks in the module!

- Frak! Computer, isolate service module B and redirect O2 flow to main service unit.

- AFFIRMATIVE. ISOLATING. PRESSURE IN SERVICE MODULE B 17 KILOPASCALS

- We're bleeding out Jeb!

- I know! Mac, Buzz, report!

- I can't see any damage from here, there must have been direct impacts in the service modules. Command pod and “Firefly†look intact. We're leaving pretty big tail!

- SERVICE MODULE B ISOLATED. REDIRECTING O2 FLOW. PRESSURE IN SERVICE MODULE B 3 KILOPASCALS.

- Jeb, I can't fix this in vacuum and fuel flying everywhere. We have to seal the breaches..

- I'm with Sid, we're okay.

- Jeb, listen to me!

- Computer, life support system supplies status.

- O2 LEVEL 74 PERCENT. NITROGEN LEVEL 89 PERCENT. H2O LEVEL 76 PERCENT. WARNING. PRESSURE IN SERVICE MODULE B ZERO KILOPASCALS.

- Damn it!

- Jeb, are you listening? We have to seal these breaches!

- Computer, display hull breaches map.

- DISPLAYING.

- PROPELLANT LEVEL STABLE. O2 FLOW REDIRECTED. WARNING. CRITICAL EQUIPMENT FAILURE IN SERVICE MODULE B. ENGINES NON RESPONSIVE. HYDRAULICS NON RESPONSIVE. ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEM OFFLINE. SOLAR PANELS B1 AND B2 NON RESPONSIVE.

- There are too many, we have to..

- Forget it Ned, this module is dead. At least there are no more meteorites. We're lucky they didn't hit the main service module.

- Jeb, it seems that our tail has weakened, there is mostly small debris and some fuel I guess, almost no gases. Can we fix this?

- I'm afraid this is impossible. Am I right Ned?

- I will have to look at this closer but.. oh, who am I kidding.. this module is lost. Damn!

- Ned, Mac – go and check every corner of this ship. I want to know exactly what is our status and what we're capable of. Buzz, come here – we have a lot of programming to do.

- What exactly are you planning Jeb?

- Without any operational engine on the one side of the ship precise manoeuvring is not possible and we're heading right into the Pol's surface. I may be able to circularize but flying to Vall or back to Kerbin is impossible. Service module B is lost and now “Kadmos†is carrying a lot of dead weight.

- You're not seriously considering..

- It's time for this bird to lose some feathers.

- Ned, report.

- Main service module operational, there are some small problems with hydraulics however, sudden pressure drop in module B must have damaged it. We're not going to end in a big mushroom though, if that's what you're asking. Jeb, I need more time, this is very complicated machinery here. We better keep reactor power level as low as we can.

- In Pol's gravity well we don't need much. Watch it, I'll test fuel transfer. Computer, transfer 5% of propellant from service module A to main service module.

- AFFIRMATIVE. TRANSFERING FUEL.

- Ned?

- So far so good.

- FUEL TRANSFER COMPLETE

- Okay. Buzz, run some test on life support system in module A and after you finish transfer everything to core modules.

- Sure. Jeb, you do know that our high gain communication equipment is in these two modules, right? Without them we're left with basic antennas.

- And?

- We won't be able to receive anything from Kerbin.

- We can have no communication or no control over the ship. Considering that we either way didn't have contact with Mission Control and we're on a collision course, we don't really have a choice, do we?

- You know what, only one engine left, almost all solar panels lost, no SAS units. I have a bad feeling about this.

- After all what happened? At least it can't get much worse.

- All resources transferred, Jeb.

- Wonderful.

- You do realize, that without SAS units built-in the modules we have to recalculate time for every maneuver “Kadmos†will do?

- This isn't important, listen to this. Computer, structural integrity status.

- STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY 65 PERCENT

- So we'll burn 30 kilometres above home, that's your point?

- No, listen. Computer, structural integrity status without service modules A and B.

- STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY 78 PERCENT

- This is still not 80%.

- Yes but it clearly shows that this is the only option.

- Jeb is right. Besides, separated modules will fall on Pol, aren't they?

- So?

- So we can use Lazor system to collect some data about internal structure of this asteroid.

- Always looking at the bright side, huh?

- We're still alive, life support system is operational, there isn't any hull breaches in core modules. It could have been much worse.

- Mac.

- I understand. This was the only reasonable decision.

- Without Flight Surgeon will you be able to..?

- Perform surgery? I'm capable of doing it all the time. Contact with home will just improve his chances. Drastically.

- I believe you can do this.

- That's all we're left with, right? Hope and belief.

- It's something. We also have most advanced ship ever built and the one of the best men of KASA here. We can do it, Mac.

- Yeah. But will Sid make it?

- There will be no manual flying this time, Pol's SOI is too small and gravity to weak to risk any error. We will separate service modules and “Kadmos†will take care of the rest. Are you ready Ned?

- Nothing will surprise me today, so I guess I'm ready.

- Buzz?

- Aye.

- Let's do it then. Computer, commence separation procedure.

- AFFIRMATIVE. COMMENCING.

- SEPARATION CONFIRMED.

- Atmosphere status in main service module?

- PRESSURE IN MAIN SERVICE MODULE 101 KILOPASCALS

- Good. Guys?

- Everything fine.

- Same here.

- Huh... Computer, execute orbital manoeuvre C-03.

- AFFIRMATIVE. EXECUTING. RCS OPERATIONAL. REACTOR POWER LEVEL 22,385 PERCENT. Z-PINCH FUSION ENGINE POWER LEVEL 13,946 PERCENT.

- Wow, this breaches look really bad. I'm glad this is a modular ship.

- Future, Buzz.

- REACTOR POWER LEVEL 18,469 PERCENT. Z-PINCH FUSION ENGINE POWER LEVEL 4,821 PERCENT. ENGINE STOP. ORBITAL MANOEUVRE C-03 EXECUTED.

- That's it. So here we are boys, on the edge of Jool system.

[czokletmuss]

CHAPTER 10

MINING OPERATIONS: POL

***

- Man, it's even smaller than Minmus.

- Such a long journey to a small dark rock in the middle of nowhere.

- Sightseeing and taking pictures is scheduled for later, Buzz. Now please tell me there is some kethane down there, we really need more H2O.

- It's so tiny we should have scan results.. ha, guess what, scanning completed.

- And?

- And it seems that kethane is all over the place! How does it work anyway, on Kerbin it's almost non-existent but the further from home, the more you can find.

- Considering Jool's kethane atmosphere it shouldn't be a surprise.

- Why? Pol is a captured asteroid, what does Jool's composition have in common with this?

- Maybe kethane can be found only in the outer planets? Some mechanism in protoplanetary disk perhaps?

- Guys, I appreciate your scientific curiosity but you'll have plenty of time for it after landing. So maybe we just focus on what's important, okay?

- Oh yes Jeb, after surviving through multiple life threatening situations you definitely should deprive us of any fun. It's not like we were constantly thinking about surviving against all the odds or something.

- What? Ned, I'm not telling you..

- To sit on top of the reactor chamber filled with deadly radiation? Or maybe to fix something theoretically unfixable in a few hours? It's that what you wanted to say?

- Ned, dammit, just let it go man.

- Listen Ned, we're all in this together and despite of what you might be thinking we all breathe the same air. And we're short of it.

- Oh really? Tell me more, captain Obvious.

- What is wrong with you?

- Leave me!

- Ok, I'm done with this BS. You and Buzz are going down there to collect samples and do what we were sent for, got it? So you better start on preparing Dragon A for a ride. Dismissed! Buzz, get down here for a minute.

- Yes boss?

- I'm worried about Ned, I'm afraid he's starting to losing it.

- Can you blame him? After all of what we've been through.

- I don't blame anyone. But if we are ever going to come back, we have to work as a team, you feel me? So please keep an eye on him and if there will be any.. erratic behaviour, tell me.

-Okay.

- “Kadmos†has brought us here so we can do science. And we will. You two will go down as soon as I come back.

- Come back?

- Focus Buzz, we need kethane, right? You're a good pilot but I think some Jeb-less space will help Ned. Plus I'll need some assist and you're the computer guy. So I'm taking “Firefly†for a ride first.

- Well, okay, okay. I'll take good care of the ship.

- I know you will.

- And contact, engines stop. Buzz, this once again wasn't exactly flat landing zone.

- I'm sorry Jeb but this is the charm of low-g environment.

- Yeah. It's like Minmus all over again. Except for even weirder landscape.

- 0.37 m/s2, Jeb. Are you going to investigate those strangely shaped rocks?

- Drills operational. Sure, I took all the equipment once again, so some rock picking will help me kill some time before tanks will be filled. What the surface is made of once again?

- Probably phosphoric and sulfurous compounds but we don't really know, no instrument back on Kerbin was precise enough to give us an image or analize spectrum. We basically knew that it has to be here due to tiny preturbations in the orbit of Vall and that's it. Until our mission and arrival in Jool system, of course.

- Then how you know about these compounds?

- Visual identification.

- You mean looking out of the „Kadmos†window?

- If you prefer using layman terms.

- Ha, you sound almost like Si..

- Jeb?

- Let's focus on our job, ok? I'm preparing for EVA.

- “Kadmosâ€Â, I'm going out, you read me?

- Yup.

- All right. I'm checking the propulsion unit. The view is pretty amazing.

- Don't forget to use the KAS, missing your step in low-g could be disastrous.

- I know, I know. Ok, time for the first words.

- Tell me you prepared something better than last time.

- You may be surprized, but I did. Ekhm.

- I'm recording.

- So here we are, on the edge of known space, bravely pushing the limits of Kerbal knowledge, driven by everlasting curiosity and sheer power of Kerbal spirit.

- Wow, that was better than expected Jeb. Not as good as “one small step†but still quite impressive.

- Thanks. Time to collect some rocks.

- Jeb, we will loose contact soon.

- No problem, just finished taking samples from the landing site. What's the situation up there?

- RCS, SAS and ASAS systems are fully operational, fuel tank intact by micrometeorites, we'll check the engines and ORDA docking assistant and we're ready. I'm not sure about checking the kethane scanner though.

- Leave it, we already scanned the whole thing, next ships will have to choose exact locations anyway.

- If there will be any.

- Yeah. I'm intrigued by this weird rocks, I'll try to take a closer look.

- Jeb, the KAS line has only 50 metres, they're out of your reach.

- You kidding me? After months in space I'm going to stop few metres from them? No way.

- Jeb? Jeb, repeat. We're going beneath the horizon... Je? don't...line...repea....

- “Kadmos� Buzz, you copy? Well, it looks I'm on my own now. Like in good ol'times...

- Hey, hey, requesting permission for docking. I got enough kethane to produce air for everyone. Fresh delivery from Pol!

- …

- Come on, guys, don't fool around.

- …

- Guys?

[czokletmuss]

CHAPTER 11

TURNING POINT: LOW POL ORBIT

***

- "Kadmos" this is "Firefly", do you copy?

- …

- „Kadmosâ€Â, I'm a few klicks from you, I need docking confirmation.

- …

- Fine! Maybe proximity alert will wake you up.

- “Kadmos†this is “Fireflyâ€Â, do you read me?

- …

- Dammit, just look outside you fools!

- …eb? …hat's you?

- Never scare me like that again! What's wrong with you anyways, you should be listening constantly.

- …b? We have some... onics and communic... I'm prepping the docking... onfirm you got this message.

- Affirmative. Wonderful, more broken equipment – our multibilion credit ship is slowly falling apart.

- …? …peat?

- Nothing. Commencing docking maneuver.

- Switching to intercom. What's going on up here? Is the Dragon ready?

- Jeb, it's good that you're back! We don't exactly know what's wrong yet but our comms equipment is probably ok, Ned checked it. Personally I think there's some kind of error in the code, maybe a SEU.

- SEU?

- Single event upset. It occurs when highly energetic particle from cosmic rays causes ionization which affects the microprocessor and as a result... well...

- I get it. Can you fix it? I won't send anyone down without a working comms system.

- Sure, probably it will only take a small correction or two in the RAM memory before...

- Buzz, I don't need all the details, I just need to know that we can deal with it. Now, what about the Dragon lander?

- We checked all the systems twice but we still have some weird readings from the berthing mechanism, so probably... hold on, Ned wants to tell you something.

- Patch him in.

- Jeb. In my opinion the probable cause is mechanical damage to the CBM, likely a result of these damned micrometeorites. Could you check this while you're still in a spacesuit? Just a short EVA and we will know what the problem is.

- Good idea. You tell me what exactly I should be looking at, and make sure to put on your microphone and headset, I will be using my spacesuit's comms equipment.

- Roger. I will be in the High Visibility Pod.

- I'm out. I'll take a look at the inflatable modules and hull too since I'm out here.

- All right, nothing to report. CBM intact after separation with service module. I'm going to Dragon A.

- According to my schematics, you should see the “Kadmos†CBM connected with Dragon's built-in docking node with a 25cm wide gap between the CBM's bezel and the Dragon's Brain.

- Brain? You mean the ASAS control unit?

- Yup.

- Ok.

- Do you see a crater left by micrometeorites, or a hole perhaps?

- Negative, everything looks good save that I don't see any gap between the Brain and CBM.

- What? Look again, there must be a gap.

- Nope, there isn't any. Could this be the source of trouble?

- …

- Ned, answer me.

- I'll have to check this.

- Right. Okay, enough flying for today. Check this out and then tell Buzz to start processing our kethane. There's a meeting in centrifuge in one hour.

- Affirmative.

- The converter is online Jeb, a few more hours and all the kethane will be processed.

- Good, thank you Buzz. Mac, what about treatment? When you will be ready?

- Well, with the vibrations from docking, undocking and converting kethane I want to wait until there's at least 4 quiet hours. Even minimally invasive skull surgery requires a lot of skill and decompressive craniectomy in zero-g has never been attempted before. I want to minimise the risk as much as possible.

- How is he right now?

- Stable. I think in our situation we can consider this as good news.

- I see. Don't worry, as soon as... Ned, what about the technical issue with Dragon?

- About that... Well, I have some bad news.

- Oh dear. When will lander be ready then?

- I'm afraid this is much more complicated than just getting it ready...can I use the screen to show you?

- Here.

- Ok. I have to use schematics so you'll can understand it. So. This is “Kadmosâ€Â.

- We are equipped with two Dragons adapted as low gravity landers for Pol, Bop and Vall. Each Dragon contains a small kethane detector along with scientific tools, ORDA docking assistant and storage for samples.

- We all know this, can you get to the point please?

- In a minute, Jeb. Each Dragon is also equipped with ASAS control unit aka the “Dragon Brainâ€Â. It's ring shaped and surrounds the built-in common berthing mechanism.

- So what's the problem? This gap between it and the “Kadmos†CBM?

- Exactly. Look at this images from the Vehicle Assembly Building. That conjunction should look more or less like this…

- …but here with our Dragons it looks like this.

- And?

- Don't you understand? We're experiencing problems with Dragon not because of some mechanical damage or system error but because of the connection, or rather the lack thereof. “Kadmos†is connected not with the docking node but with the Dragon Brain, which isn't capable of decoupling. Someone in VAB back on Kerbin must've screwed it up, it's just a few centimetres after all. In other words, we're incapable of undocking any of our Dragons!

- Damn!

- Hey, at least we still have “Fireflyâ€Â, we can use it to land on all these moons.

- No, no, no! Don't you get it? The Dragons were supposed to get us down and back to the mothership with rocks and soil samples. But during flights they would've burned fuel, in the form of monopropellant specifically. If we don't use them – and we can't do this – this means that we're stuck with them and their full tanks.

- But… but that means…

- About how much mass we're talking about?

- Twenty tonnes. Twenty goddamn tonnes instead of predicted five. Fifteen tonnes not included in any of the trajectory or delta V calculations.

- Great Scott...

[czokletmuss]

CHAPTER 12

DECISION: LOW POL ORBIT

***

<source: archive/x8mg6/kadmos_cam2>

<extracting audio files>

<initializing voice recognition protocol>

<processing>

<transcription ready>

JEB: How much mass are we talking about?

NED: Twenty tonnes. Twenty goddamn tonnes instead of the predicted five. Fifteen tonnes not included in any trajectory or delta V calculations.

MAC: Great Scott...

BUZZ: Well that's great, that's just frakin' great, man. Now what the frak are we supposed to do?We're in some real pretty **** now man...

JEB: Calm down Buzz. Ned, did you calculate the effects of this additional mass on our home transfer burn?

NED: Yes, I run some simulations but they're not conclusive. Take a look at this:

NED: This is our current situation with the assumption of all tanks being full. Our total mass 224 tonnes. Our mission was to reach orbit above every of Jool's moon, save a fly-by in the case of Tylo. Then after completing our objectives “Kadmos†was to execute a transfer burn to achieve a Kerbin encounter with room for minor corrections followed by aerobraking to get us in a parking orbit above home. But all the calculations were made for such parameters:

NED: Total mass 203 tonnes, samples not included. Difference in delta V equals 3869 m/s.

BUZZ: That's it man. Game over man, game over! What the frak are we gonna do now? What are we gonna do?

JEB: Are you finished?! Panicking won't help us! Put yourself together!

MAC: Ned, will this 4 km/s fit within our fuel reserve? If I remember correctly, we have quite a big safety margin.

NED: Possibly but even if we lose just 10% of aforementioned delta V it means we'll be lacking about 400 m/s. And that's the difference between a parking orbit or zooming into empty space. Hell, it may not be enough to even get us into Kerbin's SOI.

JEB: Enough speculating, we need to find a solution and fast. Maybe we should just leave “Firefly†here, wouldn't that solve the problem?

NED: Yes... but then without “Firefly†and its ablative heat shield we wouldn't survive aerobraking. And speaking of which, there is one more thing.

BUZZ: What, there's more?!

JEB: Quiet you! What are you talking about, Ned?

NED: Our structural integrity in this very moment amounts to 78%. This is 2% below the limit, and we probably won't be able to slow down to compensate because of the Dragons.

MAC: Wait a moment. Can't we just dump this fuel or monopropellant or whatever?

NED: Yes, I thought about doing that. Unfortunately, Dragon's architecture and fuel tank localization make this impossible with the tools we have. Playing with the cooling system is one thing, but cutting through few centimetres of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic with combustible monopropellant beneath it, well that's something else entirely.

BUZZ: So if we enter Kerbin's atmosphere we burn up, if we don't we suffocate in the vacuum of deep space. Damned if we do, damned if we don't. Is there anything left which hasn't gone wrong yet? Damn it!

[silence]

JEB: Which structural elements are the weakest?

NED: Well, those which are furthest from the axis of “Kadmosâ€Â, so the scientific modules I guess. Why?

JEB: I have an idea. We simply cut off these modules, increasing our structural integrity and reducing our weight.

MAC: Yeah, it may work.

BUZZ: It damn well better work!

JEB: Run a new simulation, Ned.

NED: Wait a moment… done.

NED: Total mass 210 tonnes, the difference is 2483 m/s with respect to our current situation, so instead of being short of 3869 m/s we'll be short of 1386 m/s. Analysing structural integrity will take more time but I think that's the best course of action we could take.

MAC: But what about our scientific equipment? Or have you all forgotten that the science modules don't just contain things like spectrometers or radiation sensors, but two SAS units and Romfarer's Lazor system as well? Not to mention the High Visibility Pod or kethane scanner.

BUZZ: Are you kidding? What's the use of data we don't deliver? Coming home is top priority because of the data we have so far, let alone our own survival. We can move some instruments to those damn Dragons, we're stuck with them anyway.

JEB: All right. That's a pretty big decision we're about to make. Without the science modules or Dragons we basically can't continue our mission. We'll be only able to use “Firefly†to investigate Bop and that's pretty much it.

BUZZ: Screw Bop, we can't afford such a risk. What if the “Firefly†malfunctions with you on board, Jeb? A ship without a captain or heat shield is doomed.

MAC: I don't think that…

BUZZ: I didn't finish! Radiation, micrometeorites, computer errors and now the Dragons – how long can we go on like this? Sidely was unlucky but he's still alive – for now. Any moment now some crucial system may go haywire – hell, our life support system was damaged not that long ago! - and one of us may end dead. You're seriously considering going to Bop? We did our best, we collect some data and left probes above Tylo and Laythe to collect even more. We went further than any Kerbal has gone before. I don't think we have to continue to prove anything. I say we go home – now.

MAC: He has a point, Jeb. I have to agree that under the current circumstances we shouldn't pursue the remaining mission goals at the expense of safety. We should concentrate on survival.

JEB: Ned, what do you think about this?

NED: Whatever.

BUZZ: What?! Don't you care about going back to home?

NED: No.

BUZZ: But… oh frak it, I'm going home no matter what!

JEB: Calm down everybody. I need some time to think about this. In the meantime you all should calculate our structural integrity. Ned, you and Buzz go find out how much time we'll need to reprogram the navigation computer. Dismissed.

<end of transcription>

- DO YOU WANT TO OPEN A NEW FILE, YES/NO?

- No. Log me out.

- AFFIRMATIVE

- Jeb? May I come in?

- Yes, yes of course. What is it Buzz?

- First, I want to apologize for my behaviour. I just panicked a little, you know. I realize that it won't help crew morale, I'm really sorry.

- Don't be, we're all only Kerbal.

- Thanks. It won't happen again, I promise.

- What about our navigation computer?

- Well, it will take fair amount of work but it's doable. Plus Ned has finished structural integrity calculations.

- And?

- It seems that with those science modules attached “Kadmos†will die in flames no matter what we do.

- I see.

- Ahem. Have you... have you made a decision? About Bop and the mission? It's been few hours since our meeting.

- I know. I was listening to our discussion over and over again to think through all our options but it seems that there really isn't any choice.

- So what are we going to do?

[czokletmuss]

CHAPTER 13

KERBOL SOI – EVE SOI

***

- Play the entry number 36

- AFFRIMATIVE.

Captain's log, entry 36. Everything seems to be fine. As I record these words we're travelling further and further away from Jool. The transfer burn executed yesterday was successful, though we still need some course corrections to intercept Kerbin. I think my decision about abandoning the mission was right – we are unable to pursue what's left of our planned schedule without risking being stranded in space forever, a risk I can't take, not after what happened to Sidely. Mac has performed the surgery but there still aren't any signs of improvement. Our current lack of communication with Mission Control might cost Sid his life. We'll soon lose contact with even the probes above Laythe and Tylo. Our onboard comms equipment allows us to receive transmissions only at a the range of just 50 thousands kilometres, slightly more than the altitude of Minmus above home. We're truly alone this far out here.

- END OF RECORDING.

- Play the entry number 37.

- AFFIRMATIVE.

Captain's log, entry 37. It's been five days since the transfer burn. Sid's stable, but with no signs of improvement. We are all happy that we're going back home. Tomorrow we will lose contact with the probes; all the data received from them during our journey through the Jool system is safely stored in an onboard computer. I hope it will be worth the cost, both of Kerbals and money.

- END OF RECORDING.

- Play the entry number 41.

- AFFIRMATIVE.

Captain's log, entry 41. Jool is getting smaller and smaller every day, soon we won't be able to spot it with the naked eye. Buzz has reported some minor malfunctions in the navigation computer, he's checking it out as I speak. Sid's getting better and his EEG shows increased brain activity. Mac finds this very auspicious. Maybe all of this will end well after all?

- END OF RECORDING.

- Play the next entry.

- AFFIRMATIVE.

Captain's log, entry 42. We have a long journey ahead of us, but fortunately not one as perilous as exploring the Jool system was. We're just a tiny speck in a vast dark ocean out here. When I look at the map sometimes it really hits me...

- Pause. Open the trajectory simulation 18A.

- PROCESSING. SIMULATION FOUND. DISPLAYING.

- Play.

- AFFIRMATIVE

… how lonely our ship is in this unimaginably vast void. The nearest spacecraft are millions of kilometres from us. Jool ExoProbe I launched shortly after our departure from home and should arrive at it's destination in a few months, and Jool ExoProbe II is trapped in a solar orbit after a malfunction. After that, there's just our probes above Laythe and Tylo, “Kadmosâ€Â, and nothing but a cold, radiation-filled space. We're months from home but at least we're on a good course.

- END OF RECORDING. DO YOU WISH TO CLOSE THE SIMULATION?

- No. Open the entry number 63.

- AFFIRMATIVE.

Captain's log, entry 63. We're devastated. It turns out that there were serious malfunctions in the navigation computer, or maybe a mistake during impromptu reprogramming? We'll probably never find out, but it doesn't matter. The navigation hardware is fried and we are on a intercept trajectory with Eve. We can't correct it without computers, without which the sightliest error could devastate our chances of reaching Kerbin, and anyways we don't have enough fuel to compensate for it. The nearest place where kethane mining may be possible is Gilly, for that matter. Buzz and Ned are still calculating our options. This is bad.

- END OF RECORDING.

- Play the next entry.

- AFFRIMATIVE.

Captain's log, entry 64. We don't have enough fuel to reduce our speed so we can execute a transfer burn from Eve's orbit to home. We have to aerobrake in the densest atmosphere in the Kerbol system and with the interplanetary speed at that. May Kod have mercy on our souls.

- END OF RECORDING.

- Play the entries 65, 66, 78 and 84.

- AFFIRMATIVE.

Captain's log, entry 65. Sid has waken up. I still haven't decided whether to tell him what's going on or not. He's sad that the he's missed so much. I promised him that when he's feeling better I'll let him examine some samples. He was surprised that we no longer have science modules, to say the least. At least there's something good about all this.

Captain's log, entry 66. Calculations are finished. We don't have any other option: we have to aerobrake and then try and reach Kerbin's orbit and from Eve. Without a navigation computer it will be extremely difficult – luckily we still have one of those Protractor calculators. We still have months before we reach Eve, so there is plenty of time to do maths. Our aerobraking speed shouldn't be that bad. We'll probably have to give up aerobraking at Kerbin however, a second aerobraking would certainly destroy the “Kadmosâ€Â. I just hope we survive the first one

Captain's log, entry 78. The results are irrefutable. Maclorf has leukemia. Ironic considering that he spent most of his time taking care of Sid in the medic bay with quite good radiation shielding while Ned who was sitting near the reactor chamber the entire time feels all right.

Captain's log, entry 84. Ned has finished the aerobraking simulation. In our previous calculations we didn't include the slingshot effect of Kerbol. Our predicted maximum load is almost 40 G.

- END OF PLAYLIST.

- Play the last three entries.

- AFFIRMATIVE

Captain's log, entry 139. We barely see each other now. We don't talk anymore. The ship is silent. We are in a deathrap made of metal and plastic accelerated to thousands kilometres per hour. I continue my Kerbol studies – it has been what, 2 months since I started? I don't feel the passing of time any longer. The sun is magnificent.

Captain's log, entry 140. We will soon reach periapsis. We are closer to the Kerbol than Moho is and just few weeks ago we watched it's transit. It's indescribably beautiful, mesmerizing. I don't remember when I ate for the last time. I can't sleep – I keep thinking about the Sun.

http://youtu.be/dp7z8Gvexas

Captain's log, entry 141. Today we will reach the periapsis. Today I'm going to do this. When I look back at what we've accomplished...

- END OF RECORDING.

- Editing. Start from the end of the last entry. Commence recording.

- AFFIRMATIVE. RECORDING IN 3, 2, 1.

- … I can't find anything that could even begin to compare with this view. I understand now why for centuries all over the world the Sun was worshipped as a Kod. We're close and there is nobody to stop me now. I'm going out. Stop.

- ENTRY RECORDED.

- Close all the files. Log me out. Prepare the airlock for EVA.

- AFFIRMATIVE.

- Open the hatch.

- WARNING. RADIATION LEVEL ABOVE SAFETY LIMITS. EVA IMPOSSIBLE.

- Override. This is the direct command from the captain.

- AFFIRMATIVE. OPENING THE HATCH.

[czokletmuss]

CHAPTER 14

AEROBRAKING: EVE

***

<source: archive/kh9G3/kadmos_hatch_cam1>

<extracting audio files>

<initializing voice recognition protocol>

<processing>

<transcription ready>

KADMOS: CLOSING HATCH. EQUALIZING PRESSURE.

UNRECOGNIZED: [heavy breathing]

KADMOS: WARNING. CONTAMINATION DETECTED. RADIATION LEVEL ABOVE SAFETY LIMIT. PLEASE REMOVE YOUR SPACESUIT IMMEDIATELY AND PROCEED WITH DECONTAMINATION PROCEDURE.

UNRECOGNIZED: [gasping]

KADMOS: PLEASE REMOVE YOUR SPACESUIT IMMEDIATELY AND PROCEED WITH DECONTAMINATION PROCEDURE.

UNRECOGNIZED: [unrecognised]

KADMOS: PLEASE REMOVE YOUR SPACESUIT IMMEDIATELY AND PROCEED WITH DECONTAMINATION PROCEDURE.

CPT. JEBADAIAH: ...my Kod... I... I saw it...

- Pause it. You see? I told you, we have to do something about this.

- Do what Ned? What could we possibly do? He's probably the best pilot the space program has ever seen, do you really think that either of us is capable of aerobraking without his help?

- Dammit Buzz, you just saw him practically kill himself! He's unstable!

- So what? Maybe you want to control “Kadmos†while we burn to death in Eve's atmosphere? Huh?

- You're the second in command! You can do this. We'll have better chance with you behind the control panel.

- No, no. No. I can't. I won't. Don't ask for it.

- What, is that your guilt speaking again? We don't know what caused this trajectory change, do we have to go through this again? It was probably just the malfunction, it wasn't your fault.

- But it could be! It could be!

- Buzz, I beg you...

- FOR WHAT? I screwed up, okay?! We together were trying to figure this out before, remember? We just wanted to get home, but we messed up. Eve is closer and closer. We're going to burn. We will burn, Ned.

- Oh frak it!

- Where are you going Ned? You can't hide, not from the whole ship! There is no other way, you hear me?!

- Go to hell!

- Jeb? Jeb!

- Hmm? What were you saying?

- Kod damn it... Jeb! Get a hold of yourself! We're minutes from aerobraking.

- I know.. I know.

- Jeb, you're the captain. You have to snap out of it!

- Leave me alone, I'm fine.

- Are you sure?

- DON'T TOUCH ME. Tell everyone to prepare for aerobraking. I'm going to the command pod.

- Thank Kod...

- Ned? What are you doing here? Where's Buzz?

- …

- I see. If you want to be helpful you can check on the structural integrity and the accelerometers

- Okay.

- And turn on the intercom while you are there.

- This?

- Yes. Is it working? Okay. This is Jeb speaking. I know you're all scared. We all know what the situation is. “Kadmos†is about to slam into Eve's atmosphere with a velocity of 19 thousand km/h. We would be stupid not to be scared. We are the elites of the elites, though, the best; we are the kerbonauts. Not so long ago I saw something which helped me find the will to live again, and though I can't share my experience with you all, I can say this: the Universe is vast and full of miracles. We saw unimaginable things out there far beyond where any Kerbal hasn't been before, yet we didn't see even a tiny fraction of solar system's wonders. I want to live and see them for myself: I'm not letting this crew to die nor will I let “Kadmos†fall apart. We will survive! We will live, laugh, breath and explore, because this is the very essence of our souls. Prepare for the aerobraking, my friends! We are not going down! In this time of trials WE SHALL PREVAIL!

center]

- T-20 seconds. RCS operational. SAS ready. Main engine ready. Ned?

- Structural integrity 79,76%.

- Ok. Commencing countdown. T-5, T-4, T-3, T-2, RCS online, T-1, begin aerobraking!

- Structural integrity is 79,70% and falling.

- Ugh! It's harder to balance than I thought. Stabilizing.

- Integrity 79,5%.

- What the hell? Its denser than we thought!

- Structural integrity 79%. Five G!

- But we're barely skimming the atmosphere!

- Integrity 78,92% and falling!

- WARNING. STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY BELOW SAFETY LIMIT. PLEASE SUSPEND EXECUTING CURRENT MANEUVER.

- 10 G, integrity 78,13%!

- Come on baby, hold together!

- 15 G!

- WARNING. G FORCE ABOVE SAFETY LIMIT. PLEASE SUSPEND EXECUTING CURRENT MANEUVER.

- Ugh! Talk to me Ned!

- Integrity 77,5%, 20 G!

- ALERT. HULLS TEMPERATURE ABOVE SAFETY LIMIT. MULTIPLE STRUCTURAL FAILURES. INCREASING PRESSURE IN SECTION F.

- Ned?!

- …

- ALERT. G FORCE REACHING LETHAL LEVEL. PLEASE SUSPEND EXECUTING CURRENT MANEUVER.

- No! I... will... I... can't...

- WARNING. PROCEEDING WITH CURRENT MANEUVER MAY SEVERLY DAMAGE THE SHIP. MULTIPLE MALFUNCTIONS IN LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM. ABORT ALL ACTIVITY IMMEDIATELY.

- …?!

- ALERT. CONNECTION WITH MINER UNIT BREACHED. ALL MINER UNIT'S SYSTEMS NONRESPONSIVE. INCREASING PRESSURE IN ALL SECTIONS .ABORT ALL ACTIVITY IMMEDIATELY.

- ...no!...

- ...ugh...

- CRITICAL ALERT. HULL'S TEMPERATURE 2582 DEGREES. PRESSURE IN REACTOR CHAMBER ABOVE SAFETY LIMITS. ABORT ALL ACTIVITY IMMEDIATELY.

- ...argh!...

- CRITICAL ALERT. RCS NON RESPONSIVE. SAS NON RESPONSIVE. CONTROL OVER THE SHIP LOST.

- ...!

- CRITICAL SYSTEMS ENDANGERED. COMMENCING MAIN COMPUTER EMERGENCY RESET. HAVE A NICE DAY.

[czokletmuss]

CHAPTER 15

LOW EVE ORBIT – KERBIN SOI

***

- …HAS BEEN COMPLETED. PLEASE...

- …argh... my head...

- ...RESTART THE MAIN COMPUTER IMMIEDIETALY.

- Jeb? Are you alright?

- WARNING. ORBITAL TRAJECTORY COMPROMISED.

- Jeb?

- COLISION IMMINENT. PLEASE PERFORM...

- Jeb! Come on, wake up!

- …

- …ORBIT CIRCULARIZATION MANEUVER. ATTENTION...

- Jeb, for Kod's sake!

- …THIS IS AN AUTOMATIC MESSAGE. THE MAIN COMPUTER...

- Come on man, don't you dare die on me! Not know!

- ...HAS BEEN RESETED. THE EMERGENCY TRANSFER...

- …N...Ned?

- Thank Kod!

- Ned, you are... bleeding. Is this... smoke?

- …TO THE HEIGHT OF THE PARKING ORBIT HAS BEEN COMPLETED. PLEASE...

- That's nothing. We have to restart the main computer and execute the circularization burn.

- Circularization... burn?

- …RESTART THE MAIN COMPUTER IMMIEDIETALY. WARNING.…

- Yes. You did it, Jeb. We've gone through. Now we have to stay on the orbit. Come on buddy, get up.

- …ORBITAL TRAJECTORY COMPROMISED. COLISION…

- Okay, I'm.. I'm fine. At least once... zero-G will be... helpful.

- Yeah, aren't we lucky.

- …IMMINENT. PLEASE PERFORM ORBIT CIRCULARIZATION MANEUVER. ATTENTION. THIS IS AN AUTOMATIC MESSAGE...

- …ORBITAL TRAJECTORY COMPROMISED. COLISION IMMINENT. PLEASE PERFORM…

- Here we are. Enter the code, Jeb.

- You don't need... to tell me that. Check out... the others.

- …ORBIT CIRCULARIZATION MANEUVER. ATTENTION…

- I'm going.

- …MESSAGE. THE MAIN COMPUTER HAS BEEN RESETED. THE EMERGENCY TRANSFER…

- You're a stubborn... piece of junk... “Kadmosâ€Â.

- …TO THE HEIGHT OF PARKING ORBIT HAS BEEN COMPLETED. PLEASE…

- You just can't... let it go, can you?

- …RESTART THE MAIN COMPUTER IMMIEDIETALY. WARNING.…

- I hope... that after this ride through hell… you still have some life… left in you…

- …ORBITAL TRAJECTORY COMPROMISED. COLISION IMMINENT. PLEASE…

- And... done!

- Ned, I restarted the main computer.

- …

- Ned? Damn, intercom has broken too? Computer, status report.

- DIAGNOSTIC OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS.

- There's still some flying to do.

- DIAGNOSTIC OPERATIONS COMPLETED. RCS NON RESPONDING. SAS NON RESPONDING. WARNING. FIRE IN SECTIONS F, D, N. LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM DAMAGED. STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY 57,93%.

- Fifty sev… Computer, prepare the engine.

- NEGATIVE. MULTIPLE STRUCTURAL FAILURES. STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY 57,93%. WARNING. MANEUVERING POSE THREAT TO THE SHIP.

- Override. Prepare the engine.

- AFFIRMATIVE. ENGINE OPERATIONAL. WARNING. HIGH PRESSURE IN REACTOR CHAMBER. FIRE IN SECTIONS F, D, N. C02 LEVEL INCREASING.

- Shut up.

- Done. Computer, trajectory status report.

- PERIAPSIS 199.864 METRES. APOAPSIS 203.048 METRES. INCLINATION 0,2 DEGREE. WARNING. C02 LEVEL INCREASING. FIRE IN SECTIONS…

- It will never end, will it? Ned! I'm coming to you!

<source: archive/x8mg6/kadmos_cam2>

<extracting audio files>

<initializing voice recognition protocol>

<processing>

<transcription ready>

JEB: Tell me it worked.

MAC: G-LOC followed by cardiac arrest. There was without doubt some serious cardiogenic shock but he made it, though barely.

JEB: Thank heavens! You did well, doc.

MAC: He was really close. I'm afraid Buzz will have to remain intubated for quite a long time. And I can't guarantee he will be all right. This has never happened in space, we don't know how does weightlessness affect tissue regeneration.

JEB: And Sid?

MAC: Surprisingly good. We were really lucky that the highest g-force endured was 20 G.

JEB: Yes, we were.

MAC: But how is it possible? Our calculations were correct, we've been checking them over and over for days.

NED: I have no idea but the miner didn't make it. And “Kadmos†is barely holding together. There is no way we can survive another aerobraking.

JEB: We won't try it. We have enough fuel to decrease our speed using the Z-pinch engine.

MAC: But if we don't have the miner that means that if we screw up the transfer burn there won't be another chance, right?

JEB: Yes. Our supplies has to suffice to and after the fire we're running pretty low on air.

NED: Well, that's good we still have those damn Dragons then. They have unused CO2 filters.

JEB: How long would the repairs take?

NED: Normally I would say five, six weeks. Our transfer window opens in 34 days, so we have to be ready by that time anyway. We can't do much with the left equipment and with the two crew members incapacitated either way.â€ÂKadmos†is few malfunctions from becoming a shipwreck.

JEB: We will do our best, as always. I'm going home and you're going with me.

MAC: By the way, that was quite the speech Jeb.

JEB: Thanks. Let's get to work.

<end of transcription>

- It's funny how quick the time goes by.

- DO YOU WANT TO OPEN THE NEW FILE?

- Yes. Commence recording.

- AFFIRMATIVE. RECORDING IN 3, 2, 1.

- Captain's log, entry 164. As I say those words, we're still floating in a cold space above this peculiar alien planet. Its incredibly thick atmosphere surely hides strange secrets. Our reading indicate that the oceans are made of some kind of blutonium soup. Extreme pressure and temperature makes the Eve a barren radioactive wasteland, with rains of sulphuric acid and monstrous storms. There is no sunshine on the dark sky and the hellish surface is illuminated only by powerful lightnings. Certainly there is no life on this forgotten by Kod rock. And not so long ago we were thinking that maybe some other civilisation prospers on this planet so resembling Kerbin from distance! In few days we're leaving, finally on a trajectory that will lead us to home. Kerbin… After almost two years I still remember this spectacular view, when you look down from the orbit at this magnificent blue marble. I hope we all will see it soon. Stop.

- ENTRY RECORDED.

- So deadly, yet so beautiful from up here...

- Jeb?

- Nothing, Ned. I can't see any more damages to the main hull. I'm proceeding to the “Firefly†or rather what's left of it.

- It's amazing that the quantum struts withstanded this.

- Jeb, I don't want to hurry you up but we have a transfer window wide opened in 10 hours...

- Yeah, yeah.

- …and the next one in six months, so please just turn off these struts and come back here.

- Relax, this is the last thing we have to do. And it won't take long.

- There we go! Goodbye “Firefly†and thank you.

- And engine stop! Ned, report.

- We will need some corrections of course but it seems we're on our way. We're going back! My Kod, we made it.

- I told ya. And again several weeks of nothing but the empty void.

- I prefer the cold vacuum of space than this cursed planet. I don't even now why do you think it's pretty. It isn't. I mean, violet? Jool is green, this is a color I can respect. And it sounds just right. This? Come on, pink planet? How can...

- That's enough Ned. Come on, we may very well start working on this distress radio beacon right away.

- But we just...

- Come on. Without Buzz it will take a while and Mac is busy taking care of those two poor fellas.

- Ok, ok.

- Ned, is the distress beacon... Ned!

- Oh, I'm sorry Jeb, it's just, I mean, it's so beautiful! My Kod, it' so beautiful.

- Ned, listen to me.

- I've seen, we've seen things they wouldn't believe. I watched auroras glitter in the dark near the Jool's poles. And all those moments will be lost in time, like... like tears in the rain.

- Hey, Kerbin to Ned. I know we're close and that's precisely why I need this beacon working now. You are glued to this window for days.

- Ech, all right.

- I will turn it on and you check the sensors while you still sitting in MY chair.

- Yes, Jeb.

- Okay. Beacon's ready. How we're looking?

- …

- Ned, I asked you as simple question so please be so kind and... What is the meaning of this?

- I don't know. There should be tens of readings, communication satellites, weather satellites, Deep Space Network, orbital activity, MinmusSat array. But here's nothing, null, zero.

- Not exactly. Look at this, there is something close to Kerbin, although weak.

- But what happened to the rest of the spacecraft? You think... you think this solar flare could…

- What are you talking about?

- If it was followed by coronal mass ejection and it is quite possible with flare so big... so if this mass ejection was directed towards Kerbin and if it hit...

- Stop right there. I don't want to listen about it. We're going home, you hear me? WE'RE GOING HOME! Turn on the damn beacon!

[czokletmuss]

CHAPTER 16

KERBIN SOI – KERBIN BRAKING BURN

***

- What are you talking about?

- If it was followed by a coronal mass ejection, quite possible with a flare so big... so if this mass ejection was directed towards Kerbin and if it hit...

- Stop right there. I don't want to listen it. We're going home, you hear me? WE'RE GOING HOME! Turn on the damn beacon!

- Good. Now keep an eye on anything even remotely unusual, I'll be right back.

- Okey-dokey.

- Captain's log, entry 167. Is it possible? Could all this struggle, all our hopes be for nothing? Could the Sun really have destroyed our civilisation in one violent blast? Or maybe it's just our paranoia, delusions of a cosmic castaways? Kerbin is visible with a naked eye, soon we will pass Minmus orbit, than after a few hours Mun's and finally we will reach Kerbin itself. Whatever happens next, this is the end of our journey. I have to say that I couldn't have imagined better ship than „Kadmosâ€Â. Being the pinnacle of the spacecraft technology, he still barely made it. Against all ods, pierced by meteorites, bathed in deadly radiation, and almost torn apart by excessive aerobraking „Kadmos†still manages to get us here, to get us home. Before us lies the last obstacle on a very long list - achieving the parking orbit above Kerbin is our last task. This is probably my last entry, at least I hope so. What more can I say? We all did our best. Soon we'll see if there is any happy ending to our journey. Stop. Save and close the file.

- ENTRY RECORDED.

- Have you contacted the mission control?

- Not yet. I'm checking every channel used by KASA but so far there is only a white noise. Maybe when we will get closer our sensors will pick something.

- And what about our distress signal?

- The beacon is operational but it seems that nobody has detected us yet.

- Strange. As soon as you notice anything which could…

- Wait! Did you hear that?

- Here what?

- Listen!

…yuz…o for…mission…docki…epeat…

- My Kod…

- Checking the signal. It's definitely KASA! Weird though, it seems to be on one of this old emergency channels.

- Who cares! My Kod, a new voice after 12 months…

- You know Jeb, it doesn't mean anything. It could be some old message from broken comsat or something, we still don't know if this sun flare…

- Cut it out with this stupid doomsday theory of yours, will ya? We have lost the contact more than a year ago, we've just reached the Kerbin SOI and you think you know what happened here?

- Well, neither do you.

- But I'm not assuming anything, so don't act like you crazy idea is legitimate in any way. Now, can we send anything using this channel?

- Yes, we can use it.

- Ok, record this. Ready? Go. Mission Control, Mission Control, this is “Kadmosâ€Â, I repeat, this is IMPV “Kadmosâ€Â, captain Jebedaiah Kerman speaking. Our ship is in a critical condition, we request immediate assistance. This is captain Jebedaiah from “Kadmosâ€Â, two my crew members are badly injured and our landers are non operational, we require transport from to the surface. Mission Control, Mission Control, this is “Kadmosâ€Â. The ship is on an escape trajectory from Kerbin SOI and we're going to execute braking burn in a few hours, our current periapsis is almost 5000 km above Kerbin. Mission Control, Mission Control, this is “Kadmosâ€Â, please respond. Stop.

- Got it.

- Now play it after every three beacon signals. They have to notice this. I'm going to check out how Sid and Buzz are doing.

- Hey guys, how are you feeling? Everything all right Buzz?

- Come on Jeb, you know that we're all thinking now about one thing only: home.

- I know. And you Sid?

- I can't complain. I can see Kerbin out of this window and that's something you don't expect to hear from someone seriously injured far away in a deep space. When Mac told me what happened, I was pretty surprised I make it at all. And the fact that we're here, after all those misfortunes – that's quite astonishing, I would say.

- Yeah, that's true. But we did it and now there is only one thing to do before the happy ending.

- What? Did we regain communication with Mission Control?

- Not yet but don't worry, it will happen soon. In the meantime, considering “Kadmos†fragile state, I think we all should carry on accordingly to the emergency lifeboat procedure.

- What do you mean?

- We can't aerobrake nor we can land on Kerbin's surface. We have to wait for some KASA's vehicle and it may even require some extra-vehicular activity from us, so we need to be prepared. I want everyone to be fully suited and in the command pod during the braking burn. This way we will be back in home as soon as possible… what is it - Sid?

- Rescue mission? You think we need a rescue?

- I guess you can use the term “assistance†but does it matter?

- Oh yes it does. We weren't defeated, “Kadmos†is still operational and I consider this a huge success after all we've been through. We're not some helpless castaways in a derelict ship, we're the first mission to the very edge of Kerbol system returning safely to home after 2 years in space. You think we failed as a pioneers? I don't think so.

- Listen Sid, we can argue semantics all day if you want, but only after I inhale some good ol'Kerbin's air, okay?

- Good point Buzz. Okay, start prepping for the braking burn, I'll help you after I finish some engine calibrations. Mac, if you need some help ask Ned, he's not doing anything until we receive a response from home.

- All right Jeb.

- And how's it?

- Still nothing and we are very close now. I have a bad feeling about this.

- What about those readings we detected close to Kerbin?

- Whatever it is, it's on the other hemisphere now. On the other hand, KSC should pass the terminator soon, so we still have the chance to contact them before braking - burn.

- I don't think so, we are couple of minutes from periapsis. Well, first we shall worry about this maneuver – did you check the reactor chamber?

- Well, not when I was here trying to contact Mission Control, but I checked it this morning like always. You know the calculations, if we don't exceed 27% of reactor power level we shall be all right. There were some minor problems with pressure but I can't really do anything with it without tools and you know it.

- Yeah. Go tell them to come here, we're starting in a few minutes.

- Everyone ready? This is the last thing between us and home guys, cheer up. Sid?

- I'm ready, it's just a weird feeling to be in a spacesuit again.

- Are you sure you're okay?

- Yeah, don't worry about me.

- Okay then. T+5 minutes. The braking burn will take some time due to power limits.

- All right.

- It's a shame there ain't more windows here.

- By the way, have you closed all the hatches between modules?

- Err… no?

- Than what are you waiting for? Do it. Sid was right, we're not some desperate castaways, we're kerbonauts on a mission and we will do this last maneuver by the book.

- Aye-aye, sir!

- I will treat this irony as a sign of your recovery, Buzz. T+3 minutes.

- You know, we were lucky to stick with the Dragons after all, without those CO2 filters we will have some serious problems by now.

- And speaking of which, when will we have these problems?

- You mean increasing level of CO2?

- Okay, all hatches closed!

- Yup.

- Well, according to my calculations more or less in 3 days.

- Wow, we're really pushing it, don't we?

- You know, it could…

- Quiet everyone!

- Is this Mission Control?!

- Hush!

…tify yourself. Repeat, identify yourself immediately.

- That's them! Oh my Kod, that's really them!

- Mission Control, Mission Control, this is “Kadmosâ€Â, captain Jebedaiah Kerman speaking.

- This is CAPCOM from Mission Control. If this is a joke, it ain't funny. “Kadmos†was declared lost almost year ago and you know about it because there was a national mourning day. Identify yourself immediately! Using the KASA emergency frequency is forbidden by law and punishable by…

- No, you don't understand! This is not a joke, I am captain Jebadaiah from IMPV “Kadmosâ€Â. Didn't you receive our distress signal? We are…

- Jeb, the braking burn!

- Frak! Ned, talk to them!

- Mission Control, this is Flight Engineer Nedfurt speaking. Check our ID and trajectory if you don't believe us.

- Main engine operational!

- We require assistance immediately, our ship is badly damaged – send us someone!

- ID is correct, trajectory seems to be of an interplanetary origin… Great Scott, is this possible? "Kadmos"?

- Yes, that's really us!

- Buzz, give me the reactor power level, will you?

- But after this solar storm we thought you are dead, we were trying to contact you for weeks but you were not responding! We lost almost all the DSN satellites because of this flare and…

- 21%

- Listen, can you send any ship up here? There are two injured crew members here.

- 23%, be careful Jeb.

- Let me think, let me think… we can use the current Soyuz mission, we're preparing for a launch to the Beta Station right now. It would take some time though.

- 25%!

- I see, I see!

- Yes, yes, send to us whatever you have! Use our distress signal to determine our location, we're currently executing the braking burn, our expected orbit after the burn is 4992...

- â€ÂKadmosâ€Â? …mos? Repeat, I can't… sion Contro... repe…

- What the hell?

- WARNING. POWER FAILURE IN COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM.

- Oh come on, right now?!

- Buzz, talk to me!

- 26,78%, this ain't looking good!

- Come on baby, just a few hundred meters per second more!

- Mission Control, this is “Kadmosâ€Â. Mission Control, do you hear me?

- COMMENCING COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM RESTART.

- Look at the pressure readings!

- Jeb, we've passed 30%!

- I'm on a zero throttle already!

- The pressure is rising!

- Kill the engine!

- I can't, the reactor is...

[czokletmuss]

CHAPTER 17

TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR

***

Serenity. Tranquility. Quietude.

Only the calm rhytm of heartbeats.

And the black waves of space.

I feel deep inside me that there is something very important to do.

I don't want to do it.

I prefer the stillness here.

- OXIUM LE-VEL SIX-TY PER-CENT.

- Wha… what?

- Dear Kod…

- Ned, Buzz, do you hear me?

- …

- Sid? Mac? Anyone?

- …

- Respond!

- …

- I'm coming to you!

- WAR-NING. RA-DIA-TION ALERT.

- Oh Kod, please no!

- WAR-NING. RA-DIA-TION ALERT.

- I told them to put suits on!

- WAR-NING. RA-DIA-TION ALERT.

- Ignore! It's just depressurization, nothing serious, I got blown away and that's it, if only they all had their helmets...

- NOO! Buzz! Ned!

- They are gone, Jeb.

- No! No no no! We have, you have to do something, we can't let them...!

- I'm sorry Jeb, there is nothing I can do.

- What kind of a fraking medic you're then?!

- Jeb, I…

- Look! Didn't he moved?

- Quickly, grab Ned's arm, there is a split through which he's loosing pressure!

- Sid, give me the rescue gear! Jeb, I need some atmosphere to help him!

- Take him to the centrifuge and close the hatch, we still have standby generators, I'll try to give you some air! And take Buzz with you.

- But what if the hull...

- Do we have any other option?! Help me!

- Close the hatch!

- I'm closing.

Okay Jeb, calm down. Breathe. Inhale – exhale. Take it easy. You're the captain. They need you. Concentrate.

- OXIUM LE-VEL FIF-TY PER-CENT.

- Frak! “Kadmosâ€Â, I know you're dying pal but don't let me down now!

- …

- Restart, restart dammit!

- …

- Come on buddy!

- E...E...

- Come on!

- ...E...E...EEEE....EEEEMERGENCYPROTOCOLACTIVATEDCR ITICALALERTALLSYSTEMSNONRESPONSIVECONTROLOVERTHESH IPLOSTEMERGENCYPOWERSOURCEACTIVATEDWARNINGBATERRIE SCAPACITYLIMITEDOXIUMLEVELCRITICALPRESSUREINALLSEC TIONSZEROWARNINGHIGHRADIATION...

- Seal the centrifuge and docking module! Transfer there all the air reserves and equalize the pressure!

- AFF-FF-FIRMATIVE. SEALING ALL HATCH-ATCH-CHES. TRANSFERING. WARNINGINGING. LIFE SUPPO-PORT SYSTEM NON FUNCTIONAL. EQUALIZING PRESSSSSSURRRR... PRESSURE EQUALIZED-LIZED-LIZED-IZED-IZED-ED-ED-EEEDDDdddd-d-d-d-d-d...

- You did it! I love you, you ugly piece of... “Kadmos�

- …

- Computer, respond.

- …

- Jeb, the pressure is rising!

- How's Ned?

- It's to soon to say anything, I'll do my best. What next?

- “Kadmos†main computer has just shut down, apart from emergency lights and artificial atmosphere system it seems that everything else is just a piece of junk now. Our batteries won't suffice for long without our solar panels or the reactor – the former are scattered all around us and what's left of the reactor is making my Geiger counter crazy.

- What about comms system, can we contact KSC?

- We have only our suits comms now and they have the range of the average walkie-talkie. I'll try to find something useful in the debris. Don't let him die!

- We won't.

- Jeb out.

Okay Jeb, let's face it – this time we're really screwed. “Kadmos†is now just a cloud of debris half way to the Mun – Kod, I hope we managed to achieve orbit. If not, they won't find even our remains. Or “Kadmos†remains. Ok, that's enough – concentrate, you idiot. That's not the time for mourning. You're the captain, you can't panic. What do we have? Hmm. Some air and decent pressure in one module for a few hours and a tiny amount of power. We need to notify KSC about our position and wait for rescue – yeah, now we definitely need rescue. But how can we do this? Comms system is dead… wait, maybe we can use Dragon's comms!

- OXIUM LE-VEL FOR-TY PER-CENT.

Oh, think Jeb, think! Dragons are landers, they comms system was built to communicate with the mothership on a low orbit, its range doesn't exceed 500 km and we're ten times further from Kerbin. This won't help. Unless…

- That's it, thank you Sid. Ned, wake up. Ned, can you hear me?

- Yes… what happened?

- Critical reactor malfunction. Increasing pressure shred the reactor chamber to pieces and “Kadmos†with it. We're alive only because we had our spacesuits put on.

- Where's Jeb? And Buzz?

- Jeb was sucked away during decompression but he's okay, right now he's outside trying to find something useful among the debris and Buzz… Buzz didn't make it.

- Buzz is…?

- I'm sorry. For a moment we thought we lost you too but apparently your hypoxemic hypoxia wasn't that severe.

- But what are we going to do now!? We're on a ship?

- Yes, in what's left of “Kadmosâ€Â. I don't know whether we achieved orbit. We running very low on energy and air. We have only few hours I'm afraid. The Mission Control should…

- Woah, what was that noice?

- Guys, I think I found a solution.

- I just docked one of the Dragons to the command pod. They have short range comms system, however I think I may be able to use theirs propulsion system to put us on a lower orbit.

- That's a great idea! Are you sure they are both operational?

- This one has comms and RCS online but the engines are dead. We're about to find out how's the other one. What about Ned, is he…?

- I'm all right Jeb, only a little shocked.

- No, you aren't. Rapid decompression may have caused ebullism plus your spacesuit is punctured. You aren't going anywhere.

- He's right Ned, don't even think about it. I can take care of this.

- Jeb, what about the radiation? You can't be out there for long.

- I'll be quick.

- Yes! Second Dragon has fully operational engines. I'm going to dock him to the docking module.

- Great! Sid thinks that we could use the module's computer to link with the Dragon's sensors and check our orbital status.

- Good idea.

- That's it. Connect to the Dragon via onboard computer, I'm going to check out the debris field for the last time.

- OXIUM LE-VEL THIR-TY PER-CENT.

- Nothing here but radiation. I'm heading back.

- Have you checked our orbital status?

- It seems we're on a highly elliptical orbit. We need to lower the oribt while we're still close to the apoapsis.

- How much fuel do we have?

- I don't think we'll make it without using Oberth effect and we're slowing down with every minute! And than we have to circularize, our delta-V budget...

- How much Sid?!

- 741 metres per second.

[czokletmuss]

CHAPTER 18

HIGH KERBIN ORBIT

***

http://youtu.be/WtU_qAM7bIc

- How much fuel do we have?

- I don't think we'll make it without using the Oberth effect, and we're slowing down with every minute. And then we have to circularize, but our delta-V budget...

- How much Sid?!

- Enough to give us delta-V equal to 741 metres per second.

- That's enough?

- It depends on what orbit we're talking about. I calculated that this should let us set the periapsis at more or less 500-600 km and then circularize, but I don't know whether the KSC be in range.

- More than 500 km? Dammit, it might be too far for us to contact KSC .

- Mac and Ned are checking my calculations as we speak, so, we will know soon.

- We have to be absolutely sure Sid, if we won't contact the KSC when they find us it will be too late.

- OXIUM LE-VEL TWEN-TY PER-CENT.

- Sid, I don't have much more air left, can you give me some?

- Negative Jeb. The life support system is broken so we can't pump the air; however, you can use the supplies from Buzz's spacesuit, but we can't give it to you without decompressing the docking module, and Ned's spacesuit is punctured.

- Frak! Listen, can you transfer the oxium from Buzz's spacesuit to Ned's?

- Why should we… ah, I get it, you want Ned to wear Buzz spacesuit.

- Yes, and then you will give me his punctured spacesuit from which PLSS I'll get something to breath with.

- But… what about Buzz? Shall we… shall we put him in a sleeping bag?

- Do it.

- I'm in. How are we looking?

- Jeb, we can circularize at 555 kilometers. The fuel should barely suffice for that. Is this enough for the comms system to be in range?

- No.

- What?

- It's too far. That's what Dragon's computer tells me. Too far.

- OXIUM LE-VEL FIF-TEEN PER-CENT.

- So now what?

- First we change the orbit, and after that… I don't know Sid, we have to figure out something. Is the spacesuit ready?

- Yes, it's ready. You want to do it now?

- After the bi-elliptic transfer. You're ready? Is Buzz… is he secured?

- Yes.

- Then let's do it.

- Okay, I'm in the command pod now, I think I can control Dragon's engines from here. Prepare for the circularization burn!

- Jeb, I think...

- Not now!

- And engines stop! Parking orbit achieved and we're left with… well, without any fuel to be honest. Now what was it Ned?

- Listen, even if the KSC is out of reach, we can still try to contact the space station.

- Space station?

- You know, the one FIDO mentioned? It should be in orbit probably somewhere between 80-200 km, which means it will be 300-400 km from us.

- Great Scott, you're right! I'll start searching the station right away.

- Jeb, how much power do we have left? With those dying batteries we can't afford transmitting constantly.

- Not much but we still have enough for a few more hours. Thanks Kod, the Quantum Struts are still operational. Without them the Dragon would probably detach from the “Kadmosâ€Â.

- WAR-NING. OXIUM LE-VEL CRITICAL.

- Crap! Give me this spacesuit, will ya?

- How's it Jeb?

- Still nothing, but there are only several more frequencies left, so I hope that…

… debris in the location you gave us, Mission Control, nothing else. We're still looking out for the “Kadmos†but without…

- YES!

- WE'RE SAVED!

- Space station, this is “Kadmosâ€Â, captain Jebedaiah speaking.

…so we suspect that – wait, did you hear that KSC?!

- We're alive, I repeat, we are alive! We require immediate assistance. Our supplies of air will run out in a few hours. I'm sending you our current location. Flight Engineer - Nedfurt will answer for all your questions.

- Err… Jeb? What are you doing?

So we're finally here.

Home.

[czokletmuss]

EPILOGUE

***

- We're ready, you may commence the docking procedure.

- Roger.

- What spacecraft is this? I've never seen anything like it.

- I have no idea.

- I know what it is. It looks exactly like a Soyuz should.

- Soyuz?

- Designed by BobCat Industries to carry a crew of 3 and supplies to Kerbin's orbit. BobCat and few other companies were competitors in the KASA program for commercial orbital delivery. That means that they have won the COTS contract.

- How do you know about all this?

- Well, before we departed from Kerbin Buzz has seen few blueprin...

- Ned, are you okay?

- I'm fine, it's just... I mean, Buzz...

- I know pal, I know.

- Done. Open the hatch, “Kadmosâ€Â.

- My Kod, that's really you!

- Sir! Command pilot Rozer and pilot Neilgas reporting for duty, sir!

- Ned, are you crying?

- No, no, there's just something in my eye Sid.

- Sir, we brought you oxium supplies for a three days, food, water, tools to repair the punctures in the hull and...

- Wait a moment, why would we need that much air?

- Sir, our ship is capable of landing with three people, including the pilot. However, we've been ordered to transport you and your men to the Beta Station. Unfortunately, even using additional space in the orbital module we can only transport there three people at a time. This means that the 2 crew members of the "Kadmos" will have to stay here until the next Soyuz is launched. Sir.

- I see.

- We're also ordered to give you this, sir.

- A towel? And what's written here, "Don't panic"?

- Sir, it's 100% cotton. More importantly, studies have shown that a towel has immense psychological value. The Flight Director himself has decided that...

- Nevermind. My maen are eager to leave, so how soon can you depart?

- Sir, after our solar panels finish recharging your batteries we'll be ready.

- Good. Okay guys, you've heard it. As a captain I'm staying on this ship to the very end. This means that I need one volunteer who will stay with me.

- I'll stay.

- Are you sure Mac?

- In my condition few more hours with cosmic rays won't make a difference anyways, Jeb. And Buzz's cadaver should be transported to Kerbin immediately.

- I understand. It is decided then.

- Sir, do you still have the samples and data collected during the journey?

- Well, we were lucky to use those Dragons as a storage areas. The data on the other hand was copied and stored in the computer mainframe as well as in the few other memory banks, so it should be possible to recover it.

- That's great news, sir. You and your crew are lucky to be alive after being stranded in deep space for so long. I'm sure that you have quite a story to tell.

- You have no idea.

- Sir, we have properly undocked from the “Kadmos†and we're ready to take your crew to the Beta Station. Next ship will arrive very soon sir, please don't worry.

- After all we've been through sitting in a derelict ship for a several hours sounds pretty good, believe me.

- Sir. We're leaving sir.

- Fly safe.

- Jeb?

- Hmm?

- I asked what you're thinking about, glued to this window like Ned.

- You know what Mac, he was right. No planet nor moon can be compared to this view. This is so touchingly beautiful I wish every Kerbal has a chance to see it from here.

- Such a lonely marble in a deep dark ocean.

- Kerbin, the only rock in the system which harbors life. Mac, do you think that somewhere between the stars may be someone else looking down at his home planet?

- I would say that statistically, taking into consideration the size of our Galaxy and countless millions of others, the chances are pretty high. I wouldn't expect anything more developed then a bacteria though.

- Yeah, you're probably right... look, we've got incoming transmission. I bet this is our ride!

- No place like home, Jeb.

http://youtu.be/3_x9cGOhtX0

THE END?

***

FEW WEEKS LATER

- Please, take a seat.

- Thank you, Mr. President.

- Have you been introduced to each other?

- I believe we haven't, Mr. President.

- General Zod, Defence Exceptional Research Projects Agency.

- Chief Yoko, Public Security Section 9.

- The pleasure is all mine.

- Gentlemen, I have arranged this little meeting to personally announce the complete cancellation of KASA's manned spaceflight program. With the exception of Beta Station team, all personnel will be transferred to the new project immediately. It will be supervised by the top secret committee formed by DERPA, Octagon and few other agencies. The security and confidentiality of this project will be provided by the agents of the Section 9. You will be replaced on the position of KASA's director immediately and henceforth you will be the chief manager of the Project. Is this clear?

- Honestly Mr. President, I don't understand it at all. The "Kadmos" mission wasn't as successful as we would like it to be, that's true, but the cancellation of our whole manned program...With all due respect sir, I see no reason to take such drastic measures. Neither do I understand the de facto militarization of the program and this sudden secrecy. Why the...

- Mr. Yoko?

- Sir, are you familiar with the radio data collected by "Kadmos" on joolian moon Vall?

- Naturally. They've encountered strange anomaly there which still remains unexplained, if I remember correctly.

- Of course. Have you read the report about the malfunction in computer system of the Duna Reconnaissance Orbiter during his flight above the Duna's south pole?

- Well, to be honest I...

- It was suggested that the malfunction may have been caused either by a cosmic rays or some radiation source on Duna. Our experts have checked the corrupted data from the gamma ray detector in the satellite's memory. It turned out that when read in a different spectrum length, namely in radiowaves, this data has very interesting characteristic.

- Which is?

- The signature of the data from Duna's orbiter and the signature of the data collected by "Kadmos" on Vall are identical.

- But... this may mean that...

- Precisely. Thank you, Mr. Yoko. Do you understand now?

- Mr. President, I... I don't know what to say.

- Frankly, this was my first reaction too. As you can see, the mission of "Kadmos" doesn't mark the end of our space program. It is just the beginning.

[czokletmuss]

Nice to see this again!

One thing that's been bugging me lately: Do you think you could add dialog tags so we can tell who's speaking what lines? It's sometimes hard to follow who's talking to whom without them.

Probably yes but it would require some time I prefer to spare on a Grand Tour right now. Besides, this thread is a big mess, some chapters are checked and edited and some don't, some even have messed up images - so if I do this, it will be after all these things fixed.

Can't wait for the next installment!

Here you go: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/24560-AAR-The-Grand-Tour-Voyage-To-The-Planets

[Specialist290]

Probably yes but it would require some time I prefer to spare on a Grand Tour right now. Besides, this thread is a big mess, some chapters are checked and edited and some don't, some even have messed up images - so if I do this, it will be after all these things fixed.

Fair enough. Just thought I'd raise the point. Still a good story overall.