[Updated September 27th] A Planet Divided: The Story of the Kold War

[CalculusWarrior]

This is a really good story. I wonder what happened to the tapes for that interview with Desdin...

All will be revealed in time...

In other news, Chapter 3-10 is coming along nicely, and will be posted soon.

[CalculusWarrior]

At last, the kerbals are en route to the Mun! The finale of Chapter III is here!

USKK: Jebediah Kerman’s Office

Three hours after Caelus III docking.

“This is bad. This is bad. This is very, very bad.â€Â

Jeb paced around the room, unable to keep still. Bill worriedly looked on, concerned for his colleague.

“Relax, Jeb. Caelus III was just one docking maneuver, nothing really more technically challenging than our own.â€Â

“Yes, but it succeeded!†The Director of the USKK Space Program sat down behind his desk, rubbing his temples. Bill had known Jeb a very long time, and had rarely seen him this worked up. Most of the time, Jeb projected utter confidence in his goals and vision for the Program. Suppressing a smile, Bill realized that his friend was behaving very much like his counterpart, the anxious Director of the CKFN’s Space Programmeâ€â€what was his name, Dinfrid?

“Jeb, listen to me. The engineers have triple-checked the docking ports on Uranus IX, and we have a launch date all set up for two weeks from now. Plus, we’ve flown nearly three times as many missions as the CKFN!â€Â

Though we’re about even in terms of successful ones, he added to himself. Nevertheless, his words did have a positive effect on the Director, who even cracked a small grin.

“That is true. We’ll show the CKFN that their docking maneuver’s no big deal; we can put far bigger and better hardware into orbit!â€Â

Bob burst into the room, breathing heavily, evidently having run a great distance. “Jeb, I’veâ€â€huff huffâ€â€I’ve got an important bit of info for you, but you’reâ€â€phewâ€â€not going to like it.â€Â

“Hit me.â€Â

Taking a second to catch his breath, Bob continued. “The CKFN is going for the Mun. Caelus IV will be a Munar flyby, and they’re pushing towards an actual landing as soon as possible.â€Â

Bill frowned. “How do you figure that? Isn’t the CKFN focused on beating our orbital duration record? That’s practically the whole point of their docking in the first place. Wasn’t Janus built to carry supplies up to a long-duration Caelus capsule?â€Â

“Bob makes sense, BIll,†Jeb cut in. “If our estimates are right, Janus carries far more fuel than supplies. If they refueled Caelus in orbit, it should be possible to make it to the Mun with the capsule itself.â€Â

Bill scratched his chin. “So that was basically a Munar dry run. The CKFN has the capability for a Munshot.â€Â

“And I’m willing to bet they’re going to make it there next time they launch.†Bob broke in, much recovered from earlier. “But for some reason they decided not to pull the trigger, instead just undocking and returning to Kerbin. Perhaps they had some sort of malfunction they’re keeping under wraps?â€Â

Bill rolled his eyes. “You’re forgetting this is the CKFN. I bet their engineers don’t even eat dinner before constructing and testing at least ten prototype sets of cutlery. They’re probably going to launch the real mission sometime in the next couple of months.â€Â

“Though we mustn’t get too complacent,†Jeb pointed out. “The fact that they’ve done all those tests means that they should be able to build another rocket straight away. I wouldn’t bet on their launch date being more than four to six weeks away.â€Â

“Yeah, they could be trying to lull us into a false sense of security, make us think that there’s no way they’ll make it to the Mun before them, then blindside us, and beat us to it!†exclaimed Bob, punctuating his words with a series of rapid hand jabs.

Even Bill started to worry, his earlier good mood gone. What would happen if the CKFN managed to make it to the Mun first? The current wildly positive public opinion of the Space Program may vanish if the USKK didn’t paint itself as a leader in space exploration. And once the public left their side, so would the backing of their (somewhat shady, Bill had to admit) corporate friends. Without money, they couldn’t launch missions, and without those, why, it just devolved into a negative feedback loop which could end in a hundred different ways, none of them good.

“You’re the Director, Jeb,†Bill said. “What should we do?â€Â

Considering his options silently for a minute, Jeb then spoke. “First of all, modify Uranus IX. It’s a perfectly usable spacecraft, but it just doesn’t have what it takes to get to the Mun. Keep the crew capsule, but beef up the fuel supplies, and get Danbro cracking on making a rocket which can take it to the Mun. Finally, schedule a press conference. I want to let everyone know that we’re going to beat the CKFN one more time!â€Â

CKFN: Vehicle Assembly Building

Two hours after Jebediah Kerman’s press conference

“So the USKK’s going to the Mun too.†Danford mused.

“It was only a matter of time; we haven’t exactly been subtle about our Munar plans,†responded Dilbrett, as he eased a long-handled screwdriver into an odd-looking engine component.

Danford turned towards his Chief Engineer. “I have to confess, I’m worried we won’t be able to launch before the USKK does. They have consistently proven that they can build, test, and launch ships much, much faster than we can. What if that Jebediah is right? What if they beat us there?â€Â

“Then they beat us there. That won’t exactly change much; we’ll still launch our mission as planned.†Dilbrett began twisting the screwdriver with increasing efforts, a screw of some sort was evidently stuck.

“Brett, it could change everything. If the Advisory Council heard that the USKK beat us yet again, I thinkâ€â€I think they might just shut down this program.â€Â

“Oh come on.†Distracted for a moment by the stuck screw suddenly coming loose, Dilbrett paused before continuing, wiping sweat from his brow. “Scale back our funding, yes. Refuse us access to more suitable facilities, certainly. They’ve done that before. But they’d never go all the way to shut down the Programme. We’ve achieved too much, shown that there exists an entire universe out there just waiting to be explored.â€Â

Danford’s face broke into a faint smile at his old friend’s words. “So we have,†he whispered, staring wistfully into the distance.

Then he collected his thoughts and addressed Dilbrett once more. “There I go thinking about the future. This is now, and I need to hear how Caelus IV is coming. The Advisory Council certainly can’t revoke our funding if we do launch first, now can it?â€Â

Flashing a wry grin and withdrawing the screwdriver from the engine module, Dilbrett began listing the mission’s components. “The Caelus capsule is nearly complete, final vacuum checks are being done as we speak. Its launcher appears to have developed a small problem with the starboard fuel flow; fortunately that should be an easily solvable problem, the turbopumps just need readjustment. I estimate we’ll be able to launch on schedule.â€Â

“Good, good. Have you solved the power issues? I recall the first Janus needed several kilowatt-hours of batteries. That won’t last the whole trip to the Mun. Did you get the solar panels to work in a vacuum yet?â€Â

Dilbrett’s brow furrowed, as he unconsciously turned the screwdriver over in his hands. “Unfortunately, no. We are still dealing with outgassing in hard vacuum. The R&D wing is researching alternate sealants but they’re coming along slowly. Fortunately, they’ve got a prototype fuel cell which should fit our needs well enough. It doesn’t output much power, but it should be able to sustain Caelus on its way to the Mun.â€Â

“Excellent, and how about Janus? How’s its construction proceeding?â€Â

“Janus itself is complete. In fact, it’s proven so easy to build, we’re thinking of constructing a whole bunch to put into orbit. There’s talk about linking them all together and using their shared fuel supplies to move massive payloads.â€Â

Thinking about the size a Munar lander would have to be, Danford was glad his Engineering team was looking that far ahead. “What’s your ETA on the launch? Same as Caelus?â€Â

“Absolutely. We’re using the same lifter design for both this time, so no more polar launch sites nor SRBs. It’s such a well-used design, the chances of anything happening are really quite negligible. In fact, this has really shown off how standardized lifter designs really speed up the process of launching, not to mention the safety benefits. If we began Project Jupiter, we could have a whole family of lifters, not just the one!â€Â

“Easy there. We’ve still got to get to the Mun!†Danford chuckled. “Though you do raise an excellent point. Perhaps when Caelus IV has returned it might be worthwhile to look into building some larger rockets. We will have to send an entire lander to the Mun, after all.â€Â

“Very true. Alright then, I’d best get back to check on the engineers. Like I said, we will launch within six weeks.â€Â

Danford put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Let’s go to the Mun.â€Â

USKK: Rocket Testing Grounds

Three Weeks Later

Five Weeks after Caelus III docking

The LV-T45 sputtered once, and died in a billow of black smoke.

“Well, shoot,†said one of the engineers gathered around the test stand. Danbro thought that to be an very apt observation. He stepped forward and addressed the crowd.

“Given that enriching the oxidizer flow didn’t work, anyone else have any bright ideas on how to increase a T45’s thrust? That doesn’t involve nitric acid, thank you very much, Gilberry.â€Â

A mustachioed kerbal slowly lowered his hand, crestfallen.

“C’mon guys, we’ve got to figure something out by the end of the month, otherwise Uranus IX won’t be able to take off, let alone make it to the Mun!â€Â

There was much discussion among the crowd, but no new ideas. Most suggestions had already been tried, to varying degrees of success, most of which made today’s test look promising in comparison.

“What if we went bigger?†a voice rang out.

The Chief Engineer looked up. Slouching against a concrete retaining wall was Doodbro. After his appointment by Jebediah, the kerbal hadn’t really done much; he’d hung around with the engineers but never really offered solutions. This now appeared to have changed.

“Bigger how? We could widen the fuel tanks, sure, but what would lift them? There’s no way we could build engines big enough in the time we have!â€Â

“Nah, just cluster a bunch of T45’s together. You’ll have much more space on the bottom of a two meter tank; plenty of room to fit at least six engines.â€Â

“You know, that could work! Doodbro, you’re a genius!†Danbro began giving orders to the assembled engineers, who quickly scattered to work on the tasks he assigned.

USKK: Kerbonaut Training Centre

Two weeks later

Donnand Kerman walked into the spacesuit fitting room at the Training Centre, where his friend Rondred was currently locked in battle with a very harried-looking technician. He leaned against the wall, watching the ongoing dialogue with amusement.

“Now see here, if you’d just stop moving, I can get this on you.â€Â

“Nhhgh, I can’t help it! The straps on my legs are too tight; I can’t feel my feet!â€Â

“Just try to stand still? I need to get this glove on you, but I can’t when you’re flailing all over the place!â€Â

“I don’t see why I need another spacesuit! Can’t I just use my old one?â€Â

“I’ve told you, you are going to the Mun. If something goes wrong you need a suit which can survive for longer than half an hour or so. It takes about a day to get to the Mun and back, it would not do to have you asphyxiate on your way out there.â€Â

“Butâ€â€but I’ll have a capsule filled with air!†At this, Ron actually fell over, looking somewhat like a turtle on his back, as he waved his arms and legs helplessly.

“But if something goes wrong You know what? Forget it. You’re worse than my two-year-old. Just… Let’s try again in an hour or so, okay? I need a coffee…â€Â

The tech passed by Don, grumbling under his breath about adding something stronger to his coffee, and the other kerbonaut approached his friend, helping him to his feet.

“Hey fearless explorer! Has the dreaded Leg Strap finally beaten you?â€Â

“Ha ha, Don,†the other responded, with more than a touch of sarcasm. “They were on really tight! I think I’m lucky that I didn’t lose any toes!†With the straps unbuckled, he began rubbing feeling back into his foot.

“So in all seriousness, how are you feeling? I mean you’re going to the Mun. You’ll be the furthest kerbal from Kerbin in history!â€Â

“Don’t forget that other kerbal who’s going with me! What’s his name? Dodfrey? Dunfrod?â€Â

“Heh, you’d better learn it before you climb into the capsule with him, otherwise you’ll be in for a very awkward flight!†Don ribbed, but truthfully he had no better idea of what the kerbal’s name was. Something starting with B, maybe?

“Hey, I’ve got a whole week before we lift off, that’s plenty of time to learn his name!â€Â

CKFN: Mission Control

Three days later

“Final checks complete, we are clear for launch. Good luck you two.â€Â

“Fuel systems pressurized, final countdown commencing.â€Â

“Liftoff in ten, nine, eight…â€Â

“Spacecraft umbilical disconnected, tower retracted successfully.â€Â

“…four, three, two, one, liftoff! We have liftoff of Caelus IV on this beautiful summer day!â€Â

The rocket leaped into the air, in the same way as all its brethren before it. Danford watched the readouts; strings of numbers flew by almost faster than he could see. Based upon these numbers, the rocket was performing well. At the very limit of its weight carrying capacity, but it was flying well. Perhaps Project Jupiter was more necessary than he’d originally thought.

Despite himself, Danford grinned. This was it! They were finally on their way to the Mun, and before the USKK, to boot! He looked around the control room, filled with kerbals whose hard work had all led up to this moment. He turned to one of the lead controllers.

“How’s Janus doing? Ready for launch?â€Â

“Yes sir, she finished final structural checks hours ago and is ready to be rolled out onto the launchpad as soon as Caelus is away.â€Â

“What’s the ETA on that, an hour?â€Â

“Four, to be precise. We need to make certain that the launchpad is undamaged from Caelus’ liftoff.â€Â

Half of Danford wanted to just order the crews to roll out and take off straight away, regardless of launchpad condition, but he knew that it would take much more than a few hours to build a new launcher if it toppled over or blew up because the launchpad failed.

“Alright. Go oversee the procedure personally.â€Â

“Yes sir!â€Â

Danford stayed in Mission Control, keeping an eye on Caelus as it continued its burn towards orbit.

USKK: Kerbonaut Training Centre

Half an hour later

“We have confirmation of the CKFN’s Caelus launch. Repeat, Caelus has launched.â€Â

The loudspeaker blared overhead at the Space Centre. All over the complex, kerbals ran hurriedly to their destinations. Uranus IX stood proudly on top of the launchpad. Like ants, technicians swarmed around it, finalizing tests, taking measurements, and making sure the fuel pumps were operating at peak efficiency.

“‘We have over a week,’ eh?†Don said playfully, as Ron and he jogged towards the Launchpad. Due to the CKFN’s launch, pace had been stepped up, and Uranus IX was ordered to be launched immediately. Ron, not knowing of this fact, missed the bus which normally carried kerbals to the rockets, and had to run the distance himself. Like a good friend, Don was accompanying his Munar-bound comrade. Fortunately, it wasn’t too far.

Ron was still struggling with his helmet. While the technician from earlier had succeeded and the suit fit well, whoever had designed it certainly did not consider scenarios in which a kerbonaut would have to put it on while sprinting. As the two made it to the pad, Ron finally locked the helmet in place.

“Alright bud, you’d best get up into that rocket! That other kerbal is probably already up there!â€Â

“Right…His name’s Dâ€â€no. Bâ€â€oh dear. Do you know it?â€Â

Don shook his head. “Guess you’ll just have to call him ‘you’, like you did for Gene the first six months we were here.â€Â

“You know, that did turn out not too badly!â€Â

Don grinned, as their respective definitions for ‘not too badly’ evidently differed by a large margin.

“See ya, buddy.â€Â

As Ron turned towards the elevator, and began pushing the elevator button repeatedlyâ€â€as if it would make the car arrive fasterâ€â€Don spoke one more time.

“Hey Ron?â€Â

His friend turned towards him, mirrored faceplate obscuring his features.

“Fly safe,†Don said. Without needing to see his features, he knew Ron was smiling.

With a jaunty wave, the soon-to-be extraplanetary kerbal made his way into the elevator and began moving upwards.

USKK: Mission Control

Half an hour later

Jebediah sat back in his chair in Mission Control, taking a sip of coffee. It was going to be a long day.

“Alright people,†he spoke up. “Based upon the CKFN’s trajectory, it looks like they stuck with a standard zero-degree inclination launch. They’re definitely going to the Mun today. But we’ve still got a shot at this. Caelus can’t make it to the Mun alone, so their Janus spacecraft needs to link up with it. Our radar hasn’t picked up any other launches yet, so they’re going to have to loiter in Kerbin orbit for at least several hours while they get the other craft ready for launch.â€Â

One of the technicians spoke up. “That is unless the CKFN has invested in multiple launch pads. If they’ve done so, they’ll be able to launch immediately.â€Â

“Impossible.†Jeb countered. “The latest intel from the CKFN shows that their Space Programme is suffering from severe budgetary problems. That’s half the reason they launch as few ships as they do. Their initial launch site for Janus was only temporary, a base on loan from their military. Besides, it’s hardly optimal to launch from such a high inclination for a Munar trajectory.â€Â

Apparently satisfied, the tech turned back to his console and continued monitoring its data.

Jeb continued. “If we play our cards right, we should be able to launch and be on our way to the Mun before the CKFN can even dock their ships together! What’s the estimated time till launch now?â€Â

“Thirty-two minutes until liftoff, sir,†Gene called out from his position in the front.

“Let’s go to the Mun,†Jebediah Kerman said, a wide grin on his face.

CKFN: VAB break room

Fifteen minutes later

Danford whistled. “That’s a big rocket.â€Â

Dilbrett had to concur. “I’m always ripping on the USKK engineers, but if they managed to figure out two metre tankage in less than a month, they must have some serious skill over there.â€Â

“Are larger rockets really that complicated?â€Â

“For sure! It’s not just a matter of scaling up your tanks, you need to design a completely new class of engines to stick below themâ€â€though it looks like they’ve solved that problem by clustering them, very cleverâ€â€plus the issue of fuel flow, pogo oscillations, along with a higher mass in total so you have to design thicker walls, but not too thick, otherwise you’ll be too heavy to take offâ€â€Ã¢â‚¬Â

Danford sighed. Apparently he’d hit a sensitive subject with Dilbrett. He turned his attention back to the television as his Chief Engineer continued with his rant.

USKK: One Kilometer from Launch Pad

Seventeen Minutes Later

Don stood on the grassy knoll between the Centre and the ocean. After saying goodbye to Ron, he’d made his way out here, which offered a better view than the limited visibility inside the Space Centre. However, he wasn’t the only one who had thought this. Several thousand other spectators also shared this field. When news reached the media that the USKK was shooting for the Mun, they went into a frenzy. Already he had counted at least thirty-eight reporters interviewing various spectators as to what they thought of the impending liftoff, and he’d only just arrived!

The energy of the crowd was intense, a thick buzzing was the result of each kerbal talking excitedly to his or her neighbor about how they thought the launch would go, how the kerbals inside feel right now, or what they had for lunch that day. Seriously, an older gentleman was talking about his sandwich to whoever would listen. Don edged away from that fellow, before he could be subjected to tales of corned beef.

He managed to find a break in the crowd, and miraculously a clear view of the rocket. He checked his watch. Any minute now…

USKK: Mission Control

Fifteen Minutes Later

“We have liftoff! Uranus IX is on its way to the Mun!†Jebediah cried, the joy he felt clearly audible in his voice, and visible in the form of a wide grin from ear to ear, as he stood at the back of Mission Control.

It was a joyful sight, all seven LV-T45s burned skywards, in a display of pyrotechnics that was a sight to be seen by the several thousand spectators gathered around the Space Centre.

Gene was smiling as he turned toward a technician’s terminal, but that quickly faded as he noted how many gauges were in the red zone. Already.

“Why are the engines running so hot?†he demanded of the tech, who appeared just as bewildered as himself, stammering out a jumbled response. Unsatisfied, Gene barked to another tech, “Get me on the line with Engineering. Now!â€Â

It took a minute for the Space Centre’s internal intercom system to patch him through, and an even longer minute for the lead engineer to answer.

“H’lo?â€Â

“Danbro, we’re launching Uranus IX andâ€â€Ã¢â‚¬Â

“What, already? Isn’t that in another three hours?â€Â

“No, we’re launching now, and its first stage engines are running hot. I need to know why and what we can do to fix them.â€Â

“Oh it’s, I dunno, probably something to do with the heat conduction of the engines. We had a couple of issues with them during half-power tests.â€Â

“Okay, how did they behave at full?â€Â

“Oh… Right, weâ€â€ahâ€â€never got around to those tests.â€Â

Surely Gene had misheard the Chief Engineer. “What?â€Â

“Well, we were going to run the engines at full power, but the test stand wasn’t strong enough, so I told somebody to let the guys in Maintenance know, and soâ€â€Ã¢â‚¬Â

Gene never heard the rest of the kerbal’s response, as he dropped the receiver, leaving it dangling on its cord. He rushed back to the rest of Mission Control, turning various abort scenarios over in his mind. Uranus couldn’t fire up its orbital manoeuvring engines like the CKFN could with their Caelus, as the main engine was hidden inside the main structure and couldn’t be deployed until the second stage engine had burnt out. Perhaps if they shut down all engines when the ship was above the ocean, then detach Uranus’ capsule once it was in free fall?

Before he could reach Director Jebediah and let him know of the options available, one of the techs grabbed his arm.

“S-sir? I have anomalous readings from the engines and I-I’m not quite sure what to do.â€Â

Gene looked, and immediately wished he hadn’t. The monitor showed that at least three engines had failed to respond to throttle inputs, and two more had ceased providing thrust. Judging by the numbers, they had probably exploded, which explained the loss of throttle control in the others.

Damn. There went his abort plan. Maybe they could still ride it out until the first stage burnt out?

“Sir?†The call came from Trajectory Management and he somehow knew what the kerbal would say before he spoke. “It appears the rocket is suffering from a lack of control, it is beginning to experience a small-scale tumble.â€Â

This was apparently the understatement of the decade, as a wide assortment of warnings began appearing on monitors around the room. Alarms blared overhead, producing a tremendous din, which was not helped by kerbal after kerbal attempting to get his attention, each seeming to not comprehend that yes he was aware that the rocket would smash itself to bits in less than two minutes.

Finally reaching the Director, Gene spoke quickly. “Sir, as you can tell, we have suffered a loss of at least two first-stage engines. This will lead to Uranus IXimpacting the ground in less than one minute, thirty seconds. Our abort scenarios are all but useless, as they were designed for the previous eight Uranus lifters. What are your orders?â€Â

Jeb for once in his life seemed to not know what to say. “Iâ€â€ahâ€â€wellâ€â€Ã¢â‚¬Â

“Sir. We are under an extreme time pressure. What are your orders?â€Â

“Whatâ€â€are there any abâ€â€abort scenarios left?†Jeb croaked, the wide grin but a distant memory.

“There is one. We may be able to jettison the crew capsule and deploy parachutes, in the hopes that they would yank the capsule away from the rocket. Butâ€â€Ã¢â‚¬Â

“That sounds good!†Jeb brightened somewhat. Then he realized Gene hadn’t finished speaking. “But what?â€Â

“There are approximately seven thousand spectators on the ground outside the launch site. If a rapidly-spinning rocket impacted their group with enough fuel inside to make it to the Munâ€â€Ã¢â‚¬Â He swallowed, not having to finish the sentence.

“Then what do we do?â€Â

Gene’s mouth suddenly went dry. He barely managed to get two words out. “Range Safety.â€Â

Jebediah’s eyes widened. “No.â€Â

“Jeb, we have thirty seconds. It’s either the crew or the spectators.â€Â

While Gene had phrased it in the form of a choice, it was really no choice at all. The kerbonauts knew death was a part of the many risks space exploration carried, the ordinary civilians were just there for a rocket launch. Jeb knew this too, and his eyes hardened.

“Fine. But I’llâ€â€I’ll do it myself. I owe the crew that much. Have weâ€â€have we managed to establish contact with them?â€Â

Gene shook his head as he led the Director over to the Range Safety console. Hopefully they’ve blacked out due to g forces by now, he thought to himself.

Flipping back its protective plastic cover, Jebediah manoeuvred his hand over the Big Red Button. “Forgive me, Harv,†he whispered, before slamming his fist down.

Ka-thunk.

As had happened a year ago during Aether I’s first flight, a series of electronic pulses travelled from the Button, through Mission Control, to the rocket itself. This time, no welding accidents had severed the control lines leading to the explosives. This time, the command executed successfully.

For but a single instant, Uranus IX shone as bright as a star.

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Gif Version

CKFN: VAB Break Room

“â€â€and that’s not even taking into account vibration effects, I mean the larger tank means at least four times the surface area so you need to do a whole new set of scale model tests in order toâ€â€Ã¢â‚¬Â

Danford watched the television as Dilbrett prattled away in the background, unsure of what he was seeing. Did the picture glitch out? Where a rocket flew a minute ago, he could see nothing but white. Then the picture refocused on what was a smear of smoke across the sky.

Dimly Danford noticed Dilbrett’s voice trail away in the background. When he glanced over, he saw that the other’s eyes had become cold and steely, his earlier extension of respect towards the USKK’s engineers instantly revoked.

Danford raised a trembling hand to his mouth, not sure what to say.

USKK: One Kilometre away from launchpad

Donnand Kerman stared at the sky. Where once flew his best friend was now a mere puff of smoke. The shock wave hit him next, mussing his hair and imparting a ringing in his ears.

“NO!†he screamed at the sky. “No, no, nonononononono.â€Â

He broke down, falling to his knees in the grass, as the first bits of debris began raining down around him, lighting small fires in the grass.

The crowd had now realized fully what had happened, and muffled screams came from those assembled as they attempted to get out of the way of the bits and pieces of flaming rocket which came raining down like the world’s worst hailstorm.

Dully, Don reflected that Range Safety explosivesâ€â€as there was no doubt to what type of explosion that wasâ€â€attempted to vaporize as much rocket as they could, but were of course unable to annihilate every part of a spacecraft. No type of explosive was nearly powerful enough. Most big piecesâ€â€those larger than a kerbalâ€â€had been torn apart enough to not pose too much of a threat, but even a fist-sized chunk of metal could still do a fair amount of damage, especially if it’s on fire and travelling at half the speed of sound.

Most of the crowd around him had begun to hurriedly gather their things and depart before more rocket could fall on their heads, but Don cared little about his surroundings at the moment.

“Ron…†he whispered. “Ron, why?â€Â

CKFN: Caelus IV, Low Kerbin Orbit

Twenty Minutes Later

“Romfarer’s eye, where are those snacks?†Bilvin searched vainly through various nooks and crannies in her compartment of the spacecraft.

“Hee hee hee!†her co-pilot’s voice rang out through the intercom sounding suspiciously like his mouth was full.

“Dammit Jenfrey, you’d better not have taken them all! Can’t you spare me just one?â€Â

Before Jenfrey could respond, Danford’s voice came through her earpiece.

“Jenfrey, Bilvin, are you there?â€Â

“Roger that, boss, we’re here. Dealing with a bit of a missing inventory at the moment, but nothing too major.†She could hear Jenfrey munching happily on his pilfered stash, and resolved to get her snacks back somehow. She continued. “We’re still a good twenty minutes out from our plane-change maneuver though, why are you checking in so early?â€Â

“The USKK tried to launch a mission to the Mun as well, less than half an hour ago.â€Â

“Hah, let’s see them try! We’ve got a good head start alreadâ€â€wait, what do you mean ‘tried’?†Danford’s somber tone and use of the past tense suddenly hit home.

“Uranus IX exploded twenty minutes ago, with all crew aboard lost. The USKK is still reeling from the incident.â€Â

“Iâ€â€ohâ€â€d’you want us to abort?†asked Jenfrey.

“No, no, that’s not necessary. Justâ€â€just keep that on your minds during the mission.â€Â

“Ah, rogâ€â€roger that,†Bilvin said, and clicked off the comm. “Gee…†she remarked to Jenfrey, all snack-related escapades forgotten.

“Should we say something?†her companion asked.

“I wouldn’t know what to say. By Mu, what do you say in this case?â€Â

“I took Ancient Languages in university, I have something in mind.â€Â

“Go ahead then.â€Â

Jenfrey cleared his throat, then began speaking another language. Bilvin knew little of it beyond the fact that the CKFN named their rockets in it.

“Requiescent inter sidera, respicit in caelo,†the kerbal spoke slowly over the intercom.

“What does that mean?†Bilvin inquired, her curiosity piqued.

“They will rest among the stars, remembered forever,†Jenfrey responded. “I thought it was fitting.â€Â

“Fitting indeed,†Bilvin said, as she stared out her capsule window at the planet Kerbin, far below.

USKK: United News Network Broadcasting Station

Parking Lot

Two hours later

Erdan Kerman leaped out of his car and towards the station. It figured that the biggest news story to hit the USKK since the end of the War would happen on his day off! If he could maybe get an eyewitness interview, or bribe a reporter who had been on the scene for pictures of the explosionâ€â€this day might just be salvageable after all.

As he burst through the front doors, an intern stopped him.

“Sir, I have some news for you.â€Â

“What is it?†He dimly recalled that this kerbal worked in the main broadcasting centre, or something. It was hard to keep track of all the interns.

“Do you remember that kerbal you interviewed? About a month or two ago?â€Â

“I interview a lot of kerbals, you’re going to have to be more specific.â€Â

“That kerbonaut, you know, the one who left the Program?â€Â

“Right, Desdin. I never forget a face, did you know that? Wait. Did he contact us to ask for a second interview?†The gears of Erdan’s mind turned. If he could score an interview with this kerbal commenting on the Space Program now, why that would be a completely new angle on the story!

“Er…no sir. Anyways, he seems to have gone missing, sir.â€Â

Erdan’s mood shifted nearly as quickly as that rocket had exploded. “And you’re telling me this…why?â€Â

The intern now appeared to be realizing that interrupting Erdan today, at this time, for what appeared to be pointless nonsense was a Very Bad Idea. “I just thought…you should…know.â€Â

“Unless he wants another interview, don’t talk to me again. Got it? I’m very busy.†Erdan didn’t even wait for a response from the now-whimpering kerbal. He stormed by and began turning story ideas over in his mind again. Maybe he could find someone with singed hair, that would really add a personal touch to the story…

USKK: Space Centre

One hour later

“Iâ€â€I don’t think I can do this anymore, Erdrin,†Don said, shakily.

“What do you mean? We all saw what happened, but the two of us have got to stay strong. With Ron…gone, we’re the most senior members of the program’s kerbonauts. If you leave, who knows how many will follow suit? Without kerbals, this Space Program’s going nowhere.â€Â

“Heâ€â€he was my best friend, Erdrin. I need some time…some space to just deal with that.â€Â

“And I respect that. We can properly mourn Ronfred ourselves. But at the moment the other kerbonauts just saw two of their own die out there. We’ve got to reassure them, keep them in the program.â€Â

“He was my friend,†Don repeated, in a very small voice.

“I know.†Erdrin said sympathetically as she patted her fellow kerbonaut’s shoulder.

USKK: Space Centre

Three days later

“We are gathered here today to remember the loss of two of our own.â€Â

It was a beautiful day, with birds singing and not a butt in the sky. Rationally, Don knew it was unreasonable for the sky to be dark and pouring with rain just because a rocket blew up, but that didn’t change the way he felt.

He sat quietly among those gathered, as Jebediah Kerman led the memorial service. He mainly talked of the two kerbals, and their contributions to the space program. Don couldn’t bear to keep listening, so he looked around at the assembled audience. His gaze fell on a sobbing older female kerbal, dressed in black. Ron’s mother? he thought. But he told me his parents wereâ€â€oh. He realized that another kerbal was lost in the explosion, and mentally kicked himself. Of course the other kerbonaut also had a life, a family, and people who would miss him. It wasn’t all about Ron, was it? This added a spike of guilt to the grief he had been feeling constantly for the last few days. Another wave of guilt washed over him as he realized he still couldn’t recall that other kerbal’s name.

Jebediah did not forget though, and proclaimed that Rondred and Bobfrey Kerman would be forever immortalized on the grounds of the Space Centre by two kerbal-sized flags. Designed originally for a USKK kerbal to plant on the Mun once they got there, the first production unit would stand as a memorial for the two lost kerbals.

The flag itself was merely black fabric, broken up by a pair of stars shining brightly into the night, marking the two kerbals who had left this world forever.

USKK: Space Centre

Three hours later

Bob and Bill were arguing in one of the Centre’s meeting rooms.

“We can’t let this stop us from pressing onwards. We must try again.†Bob spoke in a clear voice, his stutter when talking to other kerbals than Jeb mysteriously gone. Stressful events can do a lot to a kerbal, Bill thought sarcastically.

“Try again? Bob, we lost two kerbals!â€Â

“And that’s a tragedy, but we mustn’t let this set us back.â€Â

“I can’t believe you’re willing to just write off this as a setback!â€Â

“That’s what it is! Those kerbals knew what they were signing up for! We can do more intensive tests next time.â€Â

“There won’t be a next time. We need to stop all launches, review all personnel, and make sure it never happens again! Like the CKFN, you don’t see their rockets blowing up!â€Â

“They have nothing they can teach us. By Harv, we’re the USKK, we should lead aerospace design!â€Â

“We are, but we can’t just go shooting off rockets blindly, we need to have some sort of idea of where we’re going!â€Â

“The Mun, or have you not been paying attention for the past year?†Bob said nastily.

Before Bill could come up with a suitably venomous retort, he caught sight of Jeb walking by the door, a large box in his arms.

“Director! Can we speak with you?â€Â

Hesitantly, Jeb walked into the room. “Hey Bill, Bob.†His face, once filled with joy at sharing his visions during these meetings, was blank. Bill and Bob immediately began bombarding Jeb with questions.

“Jeb, what are we going to do?â€Â

“Where do we go?â€Â

“Should we continue the Uranus rockets?

“Do we start anew?â€Â

“What about the engineering staff?â€Â

The Director held up a hand.

“Iâ€â€I don’t know. And it’s not my job to know, not anymore.â€Â

“What are you saying, Jeb?†Bill asked, cautiously, noticing that the box Jeb was carrying was filled with the contents of his Director’s office.

“As of twenty minutes ago, I have resigned from the post of Space Program Director. Bill, you’re my successor, and Bob, you will assist him. I’ve decided I’m no longer fit to lead the Program. Those kerbals died because of me.â€Â

“Jeb, you can’t leave! The CKFN just made it to the Mun, and they’ll surely land a kerbal there first! We need you now more than ever!â€Â

“I’m sorry, Bob, but this decision is final. Goodbye you two, andâ€â€ahâ€â€good luck.â€Â

With this, the former Director turned around and walked out of the room, deaf to any more of their pleas.

Bill and Bob glanced at each other worriedly.

“This… This isn’t good,†commented Bob, wide-eyed.

It was not often the two agreed on something.

As always, send me your questions and comments, as well as things you want to see in the story; I'm always appreciative of the ideas sent to me. Also, the more often I get replies/PMs, the more I get guilted into doing more writing.

Hope you're all still enjoying the story!

[Commissioner Tadpole]

Woah... now that's a wham episode.

Rest in peace Ron and Bobfred. You will be missed. I may root for the CKFN, but I hope the USKK can recover from this tragic incident. And I wonder where the former astronaut from the USKK went to...

Oh, by the way, how did you manage to control both Don and Ron in this screenshot?

[CalculusWarrior]

Woah... now that's a wham episode.

Rest in peace Ron and Bobfred. You will be missed. I may root for the CKFN, but I hope the USKK can recover from this tragic incident. And I wonder where the former astronaut from the USKK went to...

Oh, by the way, how did you manage to control both Don and Ron in this screenshot?

http://i.imgur.com/arrPOt2.png

Glad you liked it! The mod I'm using is EVA Followers, it hasn't been updated since 0.25 and is a little finicky, however.

[KSK]

Oh my...

Nope - don't have words for that. Superb chapter and a very bold bit of writing at the end. That's a version of Jeb that I've never seen before.

[Tw1]

Woah... now that's a wham episode.

You said it. It looked like a race to the Mun.. then when somewhere different entirely. That's quite a shake up for the USKK.

And Desdin is missing? Oooh, interesting....

[Rolanvorxariat]

That... That... That was amazing. Rep for you, mr. David Tennant profile picture.

I am thinking of Apollo 1 right now...

[Idrryl]

That's some quality writing done, hat's off to you

[SemiaCloud]

Can you post a list of the mods you are using?

[CalculusWarrior]

Can you post a list of the mods you are using?

I primarily used the Better Atmospheres pack for visuals, Kerbal Konstructs, with Kerbinside and KSC++, along with a few quality-of-life mods like EVA Followers, etc. Now that 1.0 is out and several mods haven't been updated in a while, I'm considering updating the modpack somewhat, such as including Scatterer and other more modern visual effect mods.

Story-wise, I have an outline for the next chapter complete, and I'm polishing up my outline for 4.01. Y'all shouldn't have to wait for the next update for too much longer now!

Edited June 25, 2015 by CalculusWarrior

[wossname]

Is there a PDF version of this epic tome? I'm going on vacation in a few weeks time and I'd like to have some KSP lore to read on my Kindle.

[CalculusWarrior]

Is there a PDF version of this epic tome? I'm going on vacation in a few weeks time and I'd like to have some KSP lore to read on my Kindle.

Glad you like the story! It is a long one, and by the time it is over will be longer still. Heck, we haven't even gone to the Mun yet! I blame my busy life and preference to playing KSP above writing. That being said, Chapter IV is on its way.

As for a PDF, I can certainly create one; it should make catching up on the story a lot easier. That being said, I may just be able to have the first part or two of Chapter IV out as well before you leave on your vacation.

Edited June 25, 2015 by CalculusWarrior

[wossname]

Great! I think a lot of Kerbal players would love a Kindle-friendly version of your work. If you're busy writing then I'd be happy to help preparing a PDF version (formatting and sizing pages etc) if you like. Let me know what you want to do

Fly safe.

[CalculusWarrior]

Alright, I have added links to EPUB, MOBI, and PDF format in the original post. Let me know if you have any problems with them!

[wossname]

Fantastic! I'll check it out this evening and let you know how I get on.

Thanks for doing this.

[wossname]

Hmm, those PDF file links don't seem to work as I would expect. My browser just fails to download anything and shows an empty page. Are those files made public?

[CalculusWarrior]

Hmm, those PDF file links don't seem to work as I would expect. My browser just fails to download anything and shows an empty page. Are those files made public?

Yeah, I screwed up the links. Sorry about that; they should work now!

[wossname]

Ahh, much better.

I'm really looking forward to reading this on my Kindle while I'm miles away from an interwebs. Thanks again for translating this into a Kindle friendly format

[Leoworm]

Ok, this is an awesome story. Can't wait for Chapter IV!

[CalculusWarrior]

Ok, this is an awesome story. Can't wait for Chapter IV!

Well, you won't have to wait much longer; the story's very nearly complete! All that remains is to take a few pictures. I always underestimate the time it takes to actually get images for Kold War (I'm basically having to design, build, test, and fly real missions, but make sure I get proper images of them). Not the sort of thing you can hammer out in one night, unfortunately.

That being said, I'm on target to post the first part of Chapter IV tomorrow evening, so mark your calendars and tell your friends! Or just check this page again tomorrow, either will do.

Edited August 2, 2015 by CalculusWarrior

[CalculusWarrior]

As promised, Chapter IV begins today! Get ready for Kold War's transformation into a geopolitical drama!

But seriously, I'm turning the politics and scheming up a level or two this Chapter, so hold onto your butts.

CKFN: Tracking Station

Five hours after Uranus IX disaster

“What is your current rotational velocity, Caelus IV?â€Â

“We’ve reached ‘bout…four degrees per second. What are the techs calling this again? The ‘barbecue’ manoeuvre? It’s starting to feel a lot like a barbecue in here!†Jenfry’s voice came through the radio.

Lizby Kerman did not approve of this attempt at a joke, the situation was a little too tense for her liking. Caelus III had steadily risen in temperature on its journey to and from the Mun, and this manoeuvre was the best chance at the spacecraft and its occupants surviving the trip home. The manoeuvre simply consisted of spinning Caelus along its main axis, to prevent any one side from getting too hot. Whether this had worked or not was her primary concern at the moment. She pursed her lips. “Right. What is the the change in the capsule’s thermal readings following the manoeuvre?â€Â

There was a significant pause. “Ah, they’ve definitely gone down. The heat looks like its increasing by ‘bout…point two degrees every minute? Maybe every two?â€Â

Lizby let out a breath. At least this had some effect on Caelus’ heating problems. “All right, I will check with the technicians to see if they’ve come up with anything more. You should still have a significant margin before critical spacecraft systems begin to overheat.â€Â

“What ‘bout us kerbals in here? I grew up in the northern CKFN, I’m just not used to this sorta heat!â€Â

“The capsule will return to Kerbin in less than two hours. You will be fine.â€Â

Lizby shut off the radio before Jenfry could respond. She did not have the time nor desire to listen to the kerbal whine any further about how hot it was getting inside the capsule. He’d been at it for a few hours now, and Lizby had been at several points sorely tempted to point out that perhaps some of the hot air inside the capsule was originating inside Jenfry’s mouth. Of course, while that would not be the proper thing for a Capsule Communicator to tell the kerbonauts, it certainly did not stop her from thinking it to herself.

She reached the conference room and opened the door. Within, a committee of technicians and engineers were set up, all discussing among themselves the best way to reduce Caelus’ heating problems. Upon spying Lizby’s entrance, a bunch of kerbals rushed up to her.

“Delta-t? Delta-t?†they asked, over and over.

Lizby’s brow furrowed. Delta-t? She’d heard engineers using the phrase ‘delta-v’ to refer to a spacecraft’s velocity change before, but this was new. Then it hit her. Of course. They were asking about the new change in temperature in the capsule. Engineers. Sometimes she thought it best if they just stuck to their job of building rockets, and left the communication aspect of it to others. That was her job, after all.

Still, she was stuck with them for the time being, and had to live with it. “The capsule has executed the… ‘barbecue manoeuvre’ as planned, and the temperature increase has gone down to nought-point-two degrees per minute.â€Â

There was much cheering and back-slapping among those assembled. Danford Kerman, seated at the far end of the table, even perked up some; he had been downtrodden ever since first learning of Caelus IV’s thermal issues.

“Excellent!†The Director said. He even stood up from his chair. “This gives them enough of a safety margin to make it back to Kerbin!†Then his brow furrowed. “Do we have a cause for the overheating problem in the first place, and how we’re going to fix it?â€Â

Dilbrett Kerman, scribbling furiously, looked up from his stack of papers. “Yes…and no. We do know what is overheating the capsule: that’s the Sun.†There were a few chuckles from around the room, but Danford merely raised an eyebrow. “Unfortunately, it looks like Caelus just can’t handle this sort of heat. We’ve got a mishmash of differently thermal conductive interior components, meaning that it’s next to impossible to model what the heat’s going to do, let alone dissipate it! With low orbit missions, we didn’t run into this problem because Kerbin blocked out the sun half the time, but with a multi-hour Munar transit time, the heat is just not leaving the capsule.â€Â

Danford stroked his chin thoughtfully. “So how do we fix that? Just reconfigure Caelus a bit?â€Â

“‘A bit’ would be, unfortunately, an understatement. The amount of work necessary to bring Caelus up to snuff would be on par to just building a whole new capsule altogether!â€Â

Lizby noticed that many engineers, including Dilbrett, were now looking at Danford expectantly. Danford noticed this as well, after a moment.

“What, you guys seriously expect us to build another capsule? Don’t you remember how long Caelus took to finish?â€Â

“If Caelus can’t safely make it past LKO, then a reconfiguration wouldn’t exactlyâ€â€Ã¢â‚¬Â

Lizby sniffed. More of those engineers’ terms and acronyms. She could tell that this would very quickly devolve into an argument quite full of them, and besides, she had far more important work to do back in the Tracking Station, rather than watching these clowns debating spaceship designs for hours.

As she returned to her post, she could hear the rising argument three corridors away.

CKFN: Border Guard Station

Two days later

Calbin Kerman lounged in the chair atop his guard tower. Guard duty here was a tremendously boring occupation; nothing of note ever happened on the border, least of all at night. At least he could look at the sky. The stars were visible above the trees surrounding him, and away from the bright lights and bustle of major CKFN cities, they shone especially bright. His attention was currently skywards, wondering about what might lay beyond.

Suddenly, he heard a noise from the woods, a strange crackling and rustling. Immediately springing to attention, he gazed out into the darkness beyond his post’s spotlights. Seeing nothing, he leaned back in his chair, but remaining mindful of his surroundings.

The noise returned. It sounded almost like an animal dragging itself through the underbrush. Sitting bolt upright, he reached for a pair of binoculars and twisted a dial on the side. This supposedly enhanced their image at night, but all he found it did was decrease the contrast and turn everything a sickly shade of green. Still, every little bit helped.

After warily searching the darkness for the source of this strange noise, he found it. A kerbal stumbling his way through the forest, who appeared very, very lost. From the style of this figure’s clothes, he evidently hailed from the

USKK, but they were so torn and covered in dirt you could barely see what colour they originally were. This kerbal must have dragged himself through the USKK’s barbed wire perimeter fence.

Calbin quickly pulled his jacket around himself, and put on his helmet. He needed to get down there and see what this kerbal wanted, be it good or bad. A thought occurred to him, and he grabbed his service revolver and slipped it into his holster, just in case.

Climbing down the ladder of his watchtower, he approached the gate. The mystery kerbal had slumped against its bars, looking disconcertingly like a prisoner. Calbin grimaced. Based upon some things he’d heard about the USKK, that particular description of the wasn’t terribly inaccurate. Approaching the figure, he called out.

“Who goes there? This is the border of the CKFN. What is your business here?â€Â

Not responding immediately, the kerbal coughed, then spoke in a croaky voice.

“Iâ€â€I need help.â€Â

Now that he was closer, Calbin could see that the kerbal was bleeding. Whether this was from crawling through the barbed wire or from another injury, Calbin could not tell, even under the glare from the spotlights.

Quickly, he scanned the surrounding forest for any others (he was still a border guard after all), but everything seemed clear. He opened the gate and helped the kerbal inside.

“What’s your name?†Calbin asked, half-carrying the mystery kerbal into the guard station’s break room. There was a couch there he could rest on.

His guest coughed once. “Desâ€â€Desdin.â€Â

“Wait a sec… You’re one of those USKK kerbonauts! From the Space Program!†Even out here, kerbals still got news of what was going on in that other country, albeit somewhat delayed.

“Notâ€â€not anymore…†Desdin began to cough, and fell to his knees. Quickly, Calbin lay him down on the couch and propped up his head.

“Hey, hey, hey. Stay with me. Help is on its way, you’re going to be just fine.â€Â

The former kerbonaut smiled faintly, but did not speak. Still, he seemed unlikely to fall into unconsciousness any time soon.

Turning away from the kerbal for a minute, Calbin went to his locker, where the manual on how to deal with such scenarios as this was stashed. Flipping through the pages, he found the chapter he was looking for: ‘Defection Directives: What To Do When the Other Side Comes To You‘.

He leaned against the wall and began reading. Fortunately, it was a short chapter, outlining the basic procedures of what would happen next. All he’d have to do was radio his commanding officer, and the authorities would soon arrive to pick his charge up. The kerbal would be collected and debriefed (naturally, one would want to get as much information as they could from the defector), then the kerbal would be integrated into mainstream CKFN society, under a new name.

It would be a bit of a turbulent time for the poor kerbal, but judging by his state, Desdin was used to it.

CFKN: Space Facility

One day later

“I can’t believe it.â€Â

“Yes, you’ve said that already, Bilvin. Just calm down, okay?†Gusbin told her.

“But these are actual pictures of the Mun! Up close, not through telescopes or anything!†The two were part of a small crowd clustered outside the Space Facility’s darkroom, where a technician was developing the photographs Caelus III took while on its historic mission.

“Yes, I know they’re exciting, but you were just there last week; why are you so excited to see it again? If anybody’s got a right to be excited, it should be Danford; he’s done the most work out of all of us!†Indeed, the Director of the Space Programme stood nearby, regarding the door to the darkroom patiently. The door looked more like an entrance to some sort of highly fortified bunker, with multiple locks and reinforced hinges, complete with a hand-lettered sign stating: “DO NOT OPENâ€Â.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the locks were undone and door opened up, revealing the developer, carrying a stack of photos. The largest ones he displayed at the front of the room, while a few smaller copies were distributed to the crowd. Immediately, there were ooohs and aaahs from everyone upon seeing the photos; this was the Mun, and while it did look an awful lot like a large potato someone had let fall into the dirt, these were the best photos of this celestial body anyone on Kerbin had ever taken.

Even more interesting were the images of the Far Side; while only illuminated partly by the sun, one could clearly see the increased number of craters and scarring caused by the Mun basically acting as a shield for Kerbin from the cosmic hailstorm of meteoroids and their ilk. There was even a long canyon snaking its way across the surface. Gusbin wondered what that would look like from the surface. Imagine the geological processes which must have taken place to produce such a distinctive feature!

Gusbin even let his mind wander a bit, imagining himself standing on the lip of that canyon, seeing its grey walls slope downwards. Of course, this was nearly entirely imaginary; the photos were not nearly sufficiently detailed to show much more than the canyon’s outline, but Gus did not let that stop him. For the first time since joining the Programme, he keenly felt that their goal was near. The fact that they got these pictures was proof that they were close. While Danford hadn’t revealed anything official, talk abounded throughout the Space Facility that work was soon to commence upon the rocket that would take kerbals to the Mun. There was truly so much to be learned out there, and they’d soon find out what!

USKK: Space Center Grounds

Three Months Later

Joliana Kerman, secret agent extraordinaire and current personal assistant to Bob Kerman, walked along one of the Space Center’s sidewalks. She pondered how unpredictable life could be; one day you were chasing down CKFN spies halfway around Kerbin, the next you were fetching papers for a Space Program founding member. Still, this was a good assignment, all things considered. At least no one was shooting at her. So far.

She noted the chill breeze at her back. Three months had passed since Uranus IX had exploded, and winter was fast approaching, with no plans to launch any more ships anytime soon. The effects of that explosion could be still felt; even now governmental agents walked the grounds, investigating various departments’ practices and determining whether the Program was safe enough to allow it to continue. They’d sent their preliminary reports to Parliament several weeks ago, and Joliana anticipated official word to come from the capital fairly soon.

She arrived at the Administration Building, greeted Bob’s secretary, and entered that kerbal’s office. Bob was seated at his desk, scribbling away at something when Joliana walked in. After a minute, the kerbal finished writing and looked up.

“Ah, what do you have for me, Joliana?â€Â

“First of all, sir, Bill Kerman has left for the capital on ‘urgent business’.â€Â

“Did he specify what sort of urgent business?â€Â

“No sir, he just up and left this morning. I have a few contacts in the capital; I could send someone to keep an eye on him when he arrives in Kolus City if you’d like.â€Â

“No need, he’s undoubtedly just meeting with the Prime Minister’s office again. I must say, Joli, he spends as much time over there as at the Space Center!â€Â

“He must be discussing important matters concerning the Space Program then, wouldn’t he?â€Â

“For certain, but the Program’s Director really ought to spend more time at the Space Center itself, don’t you think?†Bob snorted.“Hmf, regardless, I’m not interested in discussing Bill’s choice in travel destinations, what else do you have? Any more news from the engineers?â€Â

“Yes sir, but I’m afraid it’s not good. A further ten quit the Program this morning.â€Â

“Ten? That leaves nearly less than half as many workers as we had three months ago.â€Â

“Danbro’s trial and subsequent incarceration really shook many of the staff’s confidence, they are afraid the same thing could happen to them.â€Â

Bob sighed. “I’m not even going to get into how stupid that is.†He rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment, then spoke. “Ever since Jeb left, Bill’s been giving me side jobs, little projects to keep me busy. It’s obvious he doesn’t want me messing about with the Program itself. But I can’t keep doing nothing for much longer. Bill’s so busy with negotiation that he can’t see that the Program is breaking up right under his feet. Joliana, are there any senior engineers left? It’s past time to crack down on these quitting epidemics, rather than waiting for Bill to come through and actually make policy changes.â€Â

“Yes sir, there are in fact three crew chiefs working in the VAB right now.â€Â

“Then get my hat, we’re going to pay them a visit.â€Â

When the two arrived at the VAB, its atmosphere was a far cry from the bustling, energized hub it had been three months ago. It did not help that the place felt like a ghost town with half the original workers still there.

The crew chiefs sat on a few discarded boxes in front of Bob and Joliana. The one in front, in charge of Capsule Integration, addressed the two. “To be honest, Mr. Bob, it’s a bit of a relief to see you paying us a personal visit. There’s been a lot of talk among the workers that upper management has just forgotten about us.â€Â

“Is that so?†Bob responded, raising an eyebrow.

“Not only that,†another chief, from Propulsion, spoke up. “There’s talk you guys want to distance yourself from this department; given what happened with Uranus,†She sighed. “Can’t say I blame ya, though.â€Â

The third chief, Electrical Subsystems, added to this tale of woe. “That’s not all. I heard that you guys have been working pretty closely with Werhner’s labs on some of his inventions. Do you know how many stupid gadgets he wants to stick on our rockets?†He gesticulated wildly. “The Uranus V RTG incident is exactly why that’s a bad idea. We need more investment in rocket tech, so that we’re not forced to cluster out-of-date engines and wind up with overheating issues like on IX!â€Â

Joliana frowned. The engineers seemed to be annoyed about a lot of the administration’s decisions, but she wasn’t sure how much of this was even within Bob’s authority to fix.

Bob did not share this uncertainty, it appeared. “Don’t you worry. I give you my word I’ll look into these issues. In the meantime, I want to ask about the disappearing of our engineering talent. Where is everyone going?â€Â

“I don’t know sir, but without much of a goal, no one really knows what to work on anymore. We’re pretty hesitant to start work on anything new; remember what happened to Danbro?†Propulsion offered dejectedly.

“Nonsense. Whatever happened to the reason you got into the Program in the first place?â€Â

Electrical stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Well, now that you mention it, I remember staring up at the sky one night after a long shift at the chemical plant. This was when Werhner’s discovery was all over the news, so there was lots of talk about rockets and space travel, that sort of thing. I got to thinking, ‘What if I could make a difference? What if I could help explore what’s up there?’ I think with everything that’s happened, Iâ€â€I sort of lost sight of that goal; this just became another job to me. I think that’s probably the same story with a lot of other kerbals as well.â€Â

“There we go!†Bob said happily. “Remind your crews of why they wanted to join the Space Program in the first place, and all the things we’ve done so far. We’ve put kerbals in space, for Harv’s sake, something unheard of five years ago. This is the cutting edge of research and technology, after all.†The chiefs were smiling and nodding at these words. Bob continued. “However, the thing about the cutting edge, is sometimes we get cut. What happened with Uranus IX was regrettable, but we need to pick ourselves up and keep moving towards the future! The CKFN certainly hasn’t been resting on their laurels the past few months, have they? Let’s show them what rocket science looks like when it’s done right!†He punctuated this final word with a fist thrust into the air.

Some of the surrounding engineers had stopped what they were doing to listen. Listening to Bob’s words brought smiles and faraway looks to the kerbals’ eyes as they too remembered why they got into the business in the first place. When Bob finished, there were cheers and a general smattering of applause across his small audience.

Capsule Integration shook Bob’s hands, his eyes wet with what looked a lot like tears. “Well said, sir. Well said.â€Â

Electrical added to this. “I can’t promise you miracles, sir, butâ€â€but I’ll talk to my workers. We’ll do our best for the Program.â€Â

“That’s all I ask,†Bob responded. “Now, I have to go; let me know if you have any more issues, all right?â€Â

Returning to Bob’s office, the kerbal sat down at his desk, and turned his attention to Joliana.

“So Joli, what do you think of the engineers’ position? Are they ready to start building more rockets?â€Â

Bob rarely asked others for their advice, so Joliana answered warily. “I think your little speech today did revitalize the crews somewhat, but over a longer period, they will lose that motivation and workers will keep leaving the Program.â€Â

“Indeed? And how would you propose to fix that?†Bob asked. He appeared to be in a very good mood, he was leaning back in his chair and smiling, two rare characteristics of the kerbal. Joliana continued, she’d oblige him for as long as this mood lasted.

“Well sir, I believe the main problems with the engineers stem from both guilt for the destruction of Uranus IX, and the poor administrative policies enforced on them so far. You took care of some of that guilt, by replacing it with pride, but they will need something to strive for in the long-term. I’m not entirely certain of the specifics of what that should be, though.â€Â

“Interesting. And the administrative policies, how would you fix those?â€Â

“Well, I suppose the only real option would be to get Bill to give the engineers more funding, better equipment, larger and more strictly monitored testing setups, et cetera. Danbro was only a symptom of a larger problem; we need to fix the lack of support the engineers have been getting at its source, or we’ll just get more *Uranus IX*s.â€Â

“I agree with you on both counts, Joliana.†Bob then raised an eyebrow. “However, we can’t exactly just march up to Bill and ask him to change those policies. For one, Bill doesn’t even have that authority. Any changes will have to be extensively negotiated with the Board of Directors, as well as making sure the budget is balanced with our accountants, etc. Besides, Bill would have a fit if he knew I was pushing for such dramatic policy changes. No, it will have to be something else.â€Â

“Yes sir. If I may, why does Bill seem to dislike you so much? Surely it’s not beneficial to the Program if one of its senior members is unable to change its policies?â€Â

“Well, the kerbal’s never liked me much to begin with, but with the recent loss of Jebediah and the chaos consuming the Program, I actually think he’s afraid I’ll take over. That’s why he’s been assigning me these tiny jobs, in the hopes that it will keep me distracted.â€Â

“Well, to be completely honest sir, I’ve seen the efficiency at which you complete those tasks. I have no doubt that if you put your mind to it, you could replace Bill as Director. And quite frankly, do a much better job at it.â€Â

“Thank you for your confidence in me, Joli. I also don’t doubt that I could easily take over. But that’s not the way I want to go about things. Any old idiot can steal the spotlightâ€â€as we are seeing with Bill’s performance so farâ€â€but it takes far more skill to remain on the edge of the public’s eye, carefully staying out of full view, controlling events to be in your favour.â€Â

“So is that what we’re doing? Manipulating Bill into doing what you want?â€Â

Bob chuckled. “I suppose you could put it that way, but it sounds much better if you say we’re giving Bill the ‘guidance’ to do what’s best for the Program.â€Â

“Can’t argue with that, sir.â€Â

“Glad to hear it, Joli.†Bob paused for a moment. “Now, do you recall a conversation we had about five months ago? Where you passed on to me your employer’s most recent orders?â€Â

Joliana sighed. “As I said at the time, sir, they are not orders. As USI’s representative in the Program, I have a responsibility to pass on its wishes for paths they wish for the Space Program to follow at some point in the future. As they do not have direct control over the Space Programâ€â€your Board of Directors has gone so far as to patent any rocket tech, ensuring their continued dominance in the fieldâ€â€it is only natural they would want to have a bit more input, particularly with the more militarily-oriented applications.â€Â

“United Secret Intelligence. Not so secret if you keep letting me know you’re their representative, now are they?†Bob leaned back, grinning.

“We’ve been over this. I can’t exactly perform my job at maximum efficiency if you do not know the extent of my capabilities. Besides, I require some sort of official agency backing me up; you’d hardly listen to these recommendations if I told you they came from myself alone.†Joliana intoned, annoyed.

“All right, Joli.†Bob dismissed the explanation, then continued. “As I’m sure you remember, they most recently asked us to create a subset of the Program to launch their own types of missions. As you said, they’d be primarily focused on military applications.â€Â

“If I may, sir, why are you bringing this up now?â€Â

“Because this is how I’m going to fix the engineers’ troubles. They want and need better technology and testing procedures.â€Â

Joliana had no idea how this was in any way related, and said as such.

“It’s very simple, Joli. Making any direct policy change, such as the ones the engineers want, takes a whole lot of negotiation with accountants, the Board, and many other departments to make sure everything is in order. However, no such negotiation is required to create a new division of the Space Program, provided the necessary funds are already available.â€Â

“The only question is, why would you ever want to do something like that,†muttered Joliana, still very much confounded by Bob’s plan. “Are you seriously considering just putting all the engineers into this new department? Because Bill will most certainly hear about that, and USI won’t exactly give much of a choice in terms of missions; it will derail any Munar plans, for example. The suggested subdivision was intended to be an offshoot from the Program, not its replacement.â€Â

“What if I told you I wasn’t planning on transferring any engineers at all? As your agency will be providing funds, all we have to do is open the Division and request as much as we require from them in equipment costs, wages, and development work. Since this division is an official part of the Program, we could easily transfer those to the VAB.â€Â

“So you’re not actually planning on building rockets for USI?â€Â

“No. Well, at least not yet. The Program is far too fragmented to work on two major projects at once; our priority is still to beat the CKFN to the Mun.â€Â

“So if you’re not employing any engineers in this new division, then who is going work there?â€Â

“Simple. I’ll take the best of our rocket-focused scientists and technicians from Werhner’s labs. The old fellow doesn’t know what to do with them all, anyway. The engineers don’t want situations like Uranus IX to happen again, yet they want more advanced rocket technology. This division will do rocketry research, as well as testing this new tech to make sure it is safe for the mainstream rockets coming out of the VAB.â€Â

“And any technology the VAB doesn’t want will go to USI! This satisfies the engineers, the administration, and the agency, all in one. That’s–that’s genius!†Then Joliana’s eyes narrowed. “You can’t have come up with this all in the five minutes we’ve been talking.â€Â

Bob’s eyes twinkled. “You are correct; I did not.†He opened the top left drawer of his desk and withdrew several sheets of paper. Upon them was the early version of an official request to open this new division. “I first had the idea a couple of months ago, based upon your employer’s ‘recommendation’. From there, I simply tweaked the idea of a separate division to best suit our needs. And there we have it, the salvation of the Space Program. Today’s trip to the engineers was to make absolutely sure that they would be totally receptive to this plan.â€Â

“And I presume they were?â€Â

“Of course! The engineers are just begging for strong leadership; you saw how they reacted to my little speech in there.â€Â

“But I thought you said you didn’t like the spotlight?â€Â

“Which is why this division will take the place of a leader. Its designs will propel the engineers forward.â€Â

“You sound very confident that this division will produce things of value. What if there’s nothing new to learn in rocket science?†While in favour of the scheme, Joliana tried to poke any hole in it she could. If this new division flopped (or was vetoed by Bill), USI would be very annoyed, so Bob had to be prepared for any eventuality.

At this, Bob grinned. “Oh, I have my sources, primarily among those techs in Werhner’s labs. They inform me we’ve barely scratched the surface of the field; giving more priority to their research will unlock technology which will have us walking on the Mun while the CKFN is still floating about in low orbit.†Bob had evidently done his homework; he had an answer for every question Joliana threw at him.

Satisfied, Joliana acquiesced. “If you say so, sir.†She picked up the papers and scanned them. “In the meantime, how do we go about creating this division?â€Â

“Well, aside from finalizing the document here, all we really need is Bill’s signature. The Director’s authorization will give us all the clearance we need to open up the new division.â€Â

“How on Kerbin are you going to get Bill to approve this? He’ll take one look and rip this paper up.†She brandished the papers in question. “Looking at some of these terms, you’re asking for a great deal of control over the division. If I didn’t know you were doing this for USI, I’d think you were starting your own private space program here.â€Â

“Which is why I need you to translate it into something a little less readable, preferably full of very long words, so that Bill won’t even bother to read it. He’s been so busy lately, I’d be surprised if he had time to get through one paragraph.â€Â

“Very well sir, I will get right on it.â€Â

Two days later, Joliana approached Bill Kerman outside the Administration Facility. The Director was freshly returned from the capital and looking very tired and harried.

“Mr. Bill! Do you have a spare moment?â€Â

Bill stopped and turned, a long-suffering look on his face and bags under his eyes. “Yes, but I only have a minute or two. What is it?â€Â

“The engineers need authorization to open up a new dedicated testing division of the Space Program. They say it will prevent accidents like the one on Uranus IX.â€Â

“That sounds like a good plan. How’s it being funded? Will I have to talk to the accountants and work out a budget for the division?â€Â

“Actually, no. That’s taken care of, as you can see here, on Page 12.â€Â

Bill leaned closer, taking a look at the paragraph in question. “Ah yes…I, er, see.†The Director was obviously having difficulty deciphering the meaning of the words Joliana had enlisted one of her lawyer contacts to write. Finally having enough, Bill straightened. “Well, I, uh, presume everything else is in order; I’ll authorize it. Do you have a pen?â€Â

With a smooth motion, Bill signed the form Joliana and Bob had been working on for the past couple of days. Then, he set off again towards his office, leaving a very pleased kerbal behind.

Immediately after talking to Bill, Joliana joined Bob in the VAB. A makeshift podium had been set up, and the kerbal was preparing to make a speech to all the engineers, who were gathered together in the main assembly chamber, among various rocket bits and pieces.

With a sense of pride, Joliana spoke. “I’m pleased to report that Bill signed the document, sir. The Advanced Projects Division is now officially authorized. The timing worked spectacularly; Bill was in such a rush that he didn’t even read the fine print.â€Â

“Not that he would have found anything; your legalese was most impressive. Now, it’s time to share the good news with our crowd.â€Â

Bob walked to the podium, greeted by cheers from those who remembered his speech a few days ago.

The plan for this speech was to reveal the new division, or the Advanced Projects Division, as it was called. Had Bill had not signed the document, Bob would have had to speak more inspiration for the engineers to continue their work, while frantically drafting an alternate plan to achieve his goals.

“Hello, all!†Bob spoke into the microphone. “I’m pleased to report that myself and my colleagues of the administration have heard your complaints and are in the process of brainstorming solutions as I speak!â€Â

The engineers, already pleased by Bob’s return, began cheering louder.

“The first and foremost solution is as follows. As of this moment, the administration is opening the Advanced Project Division, a subset of your work here in the VAB. Its primary focus will be to research and develop new rocket technologies. No longer will you be forced to work with discarded tech from Werhner’s labs, or have to do all your testing on your own; this new division will provide everything you need. Now, all you have to do is what you do best: put rockets together!â€Â

The largest cheer yet greeted Bob’s words. Joliana smirked. The engineers had been ignored and patronized for so long that they were overjoyed when someone actually listened to their concerns. They would be loyal to Bob for a long, long time.

Honestly, for all that kerbal’s talk about not preferring the spotlight, he handled this sort of thing very well. Indeed, Joliana had been surprised when USI had made her the assistant of this seemingly quiet, unassuming kerbal in the Space Program. She’d argued that providing USI’s guidance would be a waste and that even if Bob would lack the authority to carry the advice out. However, she was never as happy to be proven wrong as he was today. With the access to space launch facilities and technologies granted by this department, USI would be able to finally mount some sort of defence against the CKFN’s military’s previously-unrestricted access to space.

Joliana would be keeping a close eye on Bob in the future; the kerbal had nearly single-handedly managed to turn a nearly untenable situation into a win for all parties involved. That sort of skill would be very dangerous if ever directed against her and USI’s own interests. Still, a new dawn approached for the Space Program; while a tremendous amount of work still awaited everyone, the USKK was back in the race to the Mun.

Additionally, I'd like to apologize for the extreme wait between Chapters. Fortunately, it's not been time wasted; I've built up a bit of a backlog of chapter sections now, and I'm aiming to release one per week. There are eight parts to Chapter IV, so the next two months should be full of Kold War! This is in no way a binding guarantee; life has a nasty way of interfering with my writing schedule. But I'll try do my best!

Edited July 30, 2015 by CalculusWarrior

[Bev7787]

KSC looks so cool. Is that KSC++

[CalculusWarrior]

KSC looks so cool. Is that KSC++

It certainly is! I love that mod.

Edited August 2, 2015 by CalculusWarrior

[Rolanvorxariat]

I love this story so much! It's my favorite fanwork on the forum (As the politics nerd I am).

Oh, and as a a side note, if you haven't noticed, my fanwork is NOT a sequel of yours, as it is probably very different of any future you imagined. And yours is better in every way.

[Guest]

This looks good, time to sit down and read.

And you posted an Epub? Awesome!