Dark Days--A Slightly Different Space Race Story (New Chapter+Contest!)

[The Jedi Master]

Welcome. You voted, and I shall deliver. This is a new, epic space race story. Why is it 'slightly different' as the title implies? I won't tell you anything, as spoilers may result! Just read it. The first difference will become clear when you read the prologue.

Let's get going!

Chapter Zero: A History Lesson

Today, Kerbin is ruled by a benevolent Federation, and there is no war. Kerbin is a utopia, with little crime and no poverty. No one is hungry, no one is homeless, no one worries. Everyone is happy.

It was not always this way, however.

Once, long ago, almost eight thousand years ago, Kerbin consisted of three superpowers and a few smaller nations that were mostly just puppets of the superpowers. There was the United States of Allertse, a bustling capitalist democracy, which was allied with Albuka. There was the Socialist Repubic of Onreivni, a communist dictatorship that ruled much of Kerbin and controlled Pyramidia. Finally, there was the Great Commonwealth, a grouping of several tiny nations that was a feudalism in all but name, and was allied with Meroc Island.

There was one other nation that refused to ally with anybody. This was Pockgrato. It was too small to be a superpower, but too big to require protection. It mostly just let the superpowers bicker amongst themselves.

Blue: USA

Red: SRO

Green: Great Commonwealth

Yellow: Pyramidia

Silver: Albuka

Orange: Meroc Island

Purple: Pockgrato

The superpowers hated each other with passion, but none could get rid of the others, for nuclear weaponry was now commonplace, and the stockpiles were growing ever larger. Kerbin was in a static state for many years, always on the brink of total war but never quite going over.

Then, in 8,000 BU (Before Union), which with the calender system of the time was called 1957, the space age began. This is the story of that time period. Read well, so that the sins of that terrible time shall not be repeated.

Hear of the time known as the Dark Days...

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That's all for now! Feedback is always appreciated! Thanks for reading!

Edited August 4, 2014 by The Jedi Master

[KSK]

You've sold me already - on the names! With all due respect to the folks that do use 'em, it's good to see 'non-K' names.

[VelocityPolaris]

MOAR

(That is a statement of approval!)

P.S. Feudalism and Futileism sound about the same. Coincidence? I think not.

Edited July 20, 2014 by VelocityPolaris

[The Jedi Master]

You've sold me already - on the names! With all due respect to the folks that do use 'em, it's good to see 'non-K' names.

Thank you! Fact: Allertse is backwards Spanish for 'star', and Onreivni is backwards Spanish for 'winter'. References Kerbal language and is a bit more creative than 'Kermarica' or 'the Koviet Union'.

MOAR

(That is a statement of approval!)

P.S. Feudalism and Futileism sound about the same. Coincidence? I think not.

MOAR shall be coming, my friend. I mostly choose feudalism because it was interesting, hasn't been done much in fiction outside of fantasy, and was easier for me to understand than a commonwealth.

[FishInferno]

this looks promising

- - - Updated - - -

err, i mean: promising, this is, Hmm?

[The Jedi Master]

Chapter One Soon^tm

[The Jedi Master]

Chapter One should come on Friday, promise this time!

[The Jedi Master]

Whoops, internet went out unexpectedly for two days. Sorry.

[The Jedi Master]

IT'S TIME.

Yes, after much procrastination and many delays, it's finally here: The real first chapter. I am The Jedi Master, king of missing deadlines but making it in the end. Look on my stories, ye mighty, and despair!

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Chapter One: An Era Begins

Lasum 3rd, 1957 (Corresponds to Earlydev 3rd, 8,000 BU)

Presidential Tower, Allertse City, USA (Corresponds to Green House, Kerbin City)

President Richard Kerman stood at his window, gazing out at the city below. Technically, he wasn't supposed to do this for security reasons, but in truth no one was going to assassinate him. He was the most successful president of the United States of Allertse since it's founding two hundred years before. He had brought Allertse out of an economic rut and created millions of jobs. He had averted global thermonuclear war three times. Known for his shrewd politics and never-back-down attitude, President Kerman was a man of legend.

And now he had a plan that would prove US superiority once and for all.

Someone knocked on the door. "Come in," he said, snapping out of his thoughts and sitting down.

It was his newest adviser, Chris Kerman, head of the Department of Scientific Endeavors. Chris was a young man, only just approaching his hundred twenties, but he had wisdom beyond his age. He was chosen by Richard himself as the greatest scientist in Allertse.

"All right, Chris," Richard said, taking a deep breath. "I'm sure you've heard that the latest Commonwealth ICBM test went just high enough to exit the atmosphere of Kerbin?"

"Yes, Mr.President. How could I not hear? Their barons keep going on and on about it."

"Well, they've started something. The SRO has started building its own, similar ICBMs. These things are supposedly going to be even better than the Commonwealth missiles, and they'll be able to actually orbit the planet so that they could target better."

"With all due respect, what is your point, Mr. President? We're already working on new weapons to--"

Richard raised a hand. "Yes, I know we're building bigger and better bombs. But if we want to match the other powers, we need more. We need a permanent presence in space. Something peaceful, so as not to incite the arms race further."

"And how shall we do that, Mr. President?"

"Ah, scientists, always asking questions. I have a plan, Chris. Here."

He handed the scientist a folder, with the words 'National Aeronautics and Space Administration' written across the front. Inside were blueprints for buildings, airplanes and rockets. There were even designs for manned capsules!

"Chris, I am founding this agency, NASA, and I want you to be its director. I want you to lead the USA into space."

Chris thought for a moment, then nodded his head. "It shall be done, Mr. President."

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Thanks for reading! As always, feedback is appreciated. And now, something special to make up for the delay: A CONTEST! Yes, we all love a good contest, don't we?

You see, all seven of the nations need flags. I could use the flags of their real-life analogues, but they don't all have those, and besides, it's a little uncreative. Sadly, I cannot make art for the life of me, so I'll need you guys to make some flags for me. I'll pick the best ones as canon flags. In addition to this huge honor, the winner(s) will get to create their own character, which will appear in the story! Get to it, flag lovers!

[The Jedi Master]

So, the contest didn't really attract much attention, huh?

[KSK]

So, the contest didn't really attract much attention, huh?

Sorry - I'm in the same boat as you. When I needed a flag for my story, I got somebody else to draw it.

[The Jedi Master]

Another chapter Soon^tm