Noisrevni

[Whirligig Girl]

Wernher was tired. He had just gotten back from a meeting with Rockomax Launch Conglomerate. He was keen on taking a short nap at his desk before his next meeting. Unfortunately, this just wasn't his day. A knock on his door, three knocks followed by a kick to the door.

"Come in, Linus" Wernher sighed.

"Good afternoon Dr. Von Kerman, how was your--" Linus started.

"Get to ze point please Linus." Wernher was too tired for small-talk.

"The United Kerbin Space Probe Agency's Joolno probe has found evidence of an entirely new type of anomaly in orbit around Jool. They've asked to schedule a meeting as soon as possible, their sensors seem to suggest it's going to be some pretty big news." Linus placed an envelope on Wernher's desk. Wernher looked at it, and decided to go through with the meeting.

---

The press conference at the Kerbal Space Center was held inside the Astronaut Complex. Walt, Wernher, and Bob Kerman were sitting at a panel, a crowd of photographers and news reporters eagerly awaited the announcement.

"Greetings Kerbelles and Kerbalmen, we have exciting news today about a new space probe program." Walt began. He motioned at Wernher to begin his announcement.

"Last week, the United Kerbin Space Probe Agency discovered a new type of anomaly. It was found near the Joolean moon Bop, and has been presumed to be a result of Kraken activity strong in the Boppian area of space.

As we all know, anomalies have been a major curiosity to the Kerbal Space Program and its related agencies for the past half century. They have ranged from mysterious spacecraft to magnetic abnormalities to SSTV transmitters. In what was thought to be an unrelated phenomenon, the Deep Space Kraken phenomenon has caused spacecraft mysterious problems related to some manner of spacetime distortions in physically stressful situations. For the first time a link between these two phenomenons, the Anomalies and the Krakens, has been found. A spherical object wandering around Bop has been detected that emits strange radiation.

We are now ready to unveil the latest Space Probe Program, the Inversion Program. The Inversion Program will attempt to make up-close observations of the anomaly and try to identify what it's relation to other anomalies is. Unlike any other Space Probe program since the Munar and Dunar explorations nearly 40 years ago, the Inversion Program will be crewed."

"Any questions?" Walt asked the audience.

One of the reporters stepped up to a microphone. "What is the current theory as to what the new Anomaly is?"

"The best explanation so far is that it is some kind of gravioli-funnel like a black hole or a neutron star, but much much smaller and less massive. But this is all hypothetical. The Inversion Program will greatly expand our knowledge on the subject." Wernher answered.

Another reporter stepped up. "Who will be the astronauts for the Probes?"

Bob stepped up to respond. "The veteran Astronauts Jebediah Kerman, Bill Kerman, and myself Bob Kerman will lead the first expedition, followed by a second crew led by Valentina Kerman, Halnie Kerman, and Kirrim Kerman."

A particularly angry sounding reporter then charged up to the mic. "Are you aware of the possibility that perhaps Space doesn't WANT to be Probed? Maybe the Space Kraken is INTENTIONALLY trying to keep our devices out of space? Have you and your United Kerbin Space Probe Agency ever considered that? What if..." At this point security escorted the man out of the complex.

---

4 months until launch date, Jebediah was at the Horizontal Integration Facility inspecting the vehicle. It was an otherwise conventional rocket, the front end of a Kerpollo Command/Service Module welded to a large LV-N Powered transfer stage, with a nuclear reactor attached haphazardly to the rear between the fuel tank and the engine block. Jeb did notice a peculiarity. Two large nacelles hung off of aerodynamic struts on the reactor. He pulled an engineer aside. "Hey, eh, what exactly are those two thingamabobs on the side of the rocket?" The engineer was just as puzzled as to the function. "I don't know, some part test contract from some Zephram guy who's paying high-dollar for a test near the Anomaly. They're not telling us what it does, just how it needs to go on. Needless to say, it's hard to work with something you don't understand." The engineer wiped his brow. Jeb was flabbergasted at this. "In my day" he thought to himself "We knew exactly what greeble was stuck to the side of our probes and ships!" He decided to find Wernher and confront him about that.

Edited April 10, 2015 by GregroxMun

[Rolanvorxariat]

Interesting. Is the anomaly perhaps... a wormhole?

[Whirligig Girl]

Wernher was sleeping, sweet dreams about krakensbane and snacks.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

Wernher woke up.

"Come in." Wernher groaned.

Jeb entered.

"Since when do we sell out payload capacity to this mystery junk experiment that they won't talk about?" Jeb confronted.

"Ever since we needed the funding for a space probe mission 10 times greater than any other mission in the past 50 years. We're pulling Sarnus-Fives out of mothballs but we still needed to develop the science hardware and the spacecraft and the lander. We're selling payload space and Dr. Zephram Kercrane payed for a lot. We're not going to risk that contract by being too nosy." Wernher explained.

Jeb was fuming.

"I am NOT going to risk the mission on a contract to test something that needs a metric crap-tonne of nuclear power! It could excite the anomaly, we don't know what it will do!"

Wernher rolled his eyes.

"Bob and I both agree it is safe. Bob is the scientific adviser for the Astronaut Corps. He's the authority on this matter. You'll have to bring this up with him."

Jeb fumed away.