totm aug 2016 Kerny Kerman's Journal (mission reports from a Kerbal's point of view) [Chapter 87: "Among the growing shadows."]

[adsii1970]

@Angel-125: Thanks for the encouragement! I will be glad when this year is over. Been a lot of changes at the homestead AND in the profession. I'm trying to work my way around the changes brought by 1.2 and am hoping that we won't see such carnage again - yeah, it's nice to have dreams, I know.

Right now, this story line is going to have to wait, in some aspects, until a handful of mods are updated. One day I might release a complete list of mods I use, but I do not want to get flagged for harassing mod builders right now. So, in the meantime, I will be working around them... I've even adopted a mod to update and will have to dust the cobwebs off of a skill set I have not used since the early 90s to get the mod to work in 1.2. Should be interesting to say the least...

[adsii1970]

Eeloo 19, Y003
"Hey, Jeb, Gene says you should ignore the Post-it note..."

Things are far from normal in the aftermath of the anomaly. There are still a lot of questions that remain unanswered. I am happy to report that Bill was found yesterday shortly after Kerbolrise. Bob and Thompberry were given permission to take one of the utility rovers out to see if there were any trails that would point the direction Bill went. While we were in our pre-flight briefing, we learned Bill had been found, curled in a fetal position at the foot of the monolith near the center. Rumors are already beginning to circulate that he was babbling about the monolith speaking to him. I did overhear a conversation between Bobak and Bob earlier this morning. While everyone doubts the monolith did talk to Bill, it was emitting a strange humming sound only noticeable once Bob and Thompberry were outside of the rover.

Bob took nearly a dozen readings on the normally silent monolith. Thompberry, who had volunteered to come because of his basic medical knowledge, was heard on Bob's video recording of the monolith to say, "My gods...it's full of stars!" I really don't know what to think of all the monoliths that's been discovered. Each new event, from the sighing of the one hovering nearly a hundred meters above the Münar surface that I saw, to the ones detected on the surface of Kerbin from satellite, to the discovery of a crashed alien spacecraft, it's nearly too much for anyone to fully understand.

Finding Bill was not the only good news from yesterday. After a few days of testing, the Kyap Mk 3 has been certified and is back in service. Compared to the Mk 1, it's a nimble fighter, can carry a heavy cache of weapons, but at its fastest, still flies under subsonic. This morning, shortly before dawn, Eribie performed the first air patrol in something regularly flown before the anomaly happened. It was nice to see the museum displays put back in the museum! Right now, there's a team of engineers working to certify the Knat Mk 4 so that it can be returned to duty.

After breakfast yesterday, Bobak met with Jebediah, Barcott, and me to inform us we were going into space today. There was no time for the normal number of simulations. The  Sub-Committee on Space Exploration and Colonization wanted a definitive answer on the Zebulan Kerman. There were those on the committee that believed the ground tracking station's readings could not be correct. Dr. Haywood, the chair of the Committee on Aeronautics and Space Flight, felt the only way to know for sure was to launch a kerbaled mission to confirm the status of the orbital station. This morning, shortly before dawn, we met at the VAB, climbed into a capsule, and made our way to the launchpad. Within two hours, we were on our way into space. The launch, from our perspective, was the perfect text book launch.

Within twenty minutes we arrived in a stable orbit of 120,000 kilometers with an orbital inclination of 30%. This was the suggested orbit given to Gene by Dr. Haywood. This altitude has given us the ability to track all the satellites, which according to Bobak, are now functioning perfectly. We tried the homing frequency for the Zebulan Kerman for the past two hours and have not been able to track her. Our orbit should have allowed us to pick her up on radar at some point so far, but again, no response. About an hour ago, Gene was on VOX, asked us to stand by for further instructions.

About thirty minutes after achieving stable orbit, Jebediah and I noticed something we had never seen before. A small yellow Post-it note was affixed to the top of a new panel on our control panel. "Roger, Kerny, That is a new feature to Kerbin Orbiter - it's what makes it a Mark 2." He then explained this model had larger batteries and its own set of solar panels. "Go ahead and tell Jebediah to take off the Post-it note and push the button..." and that's just what I did. Within a few seconds of Jebediah pressing the button, we heard a few clicks and the whirring of electric motors. Once the cycle completed the capsule was generating it's own power.

Twenty minutes ago, we overheard the comm traffic between the URKN Dres and the space center's tracking center. After a quick refit, the Dres was being returned to duty patrolling the waters of Kerbin.  Valentina requested to remain in command of the vessel, preferring the tranquility of Kerbin's oceans to the coldness of space. Paice, Johan, Alddred, Mertrey, and Phosan were assigned to serve on the ship as her crew.

It truly is amazing watching the deployment of those ships. Shortly after my arrival at the KSC in Jool Y003, I watched the launching of the Eeloo, a sister ship of the Dres. The ship has a set of wheels on the underside of the hull that allows the ship to be driven from the runway to the shoreline. Once the ship is in the water, the wheels are retracted and the ship begins operations on the open ocean. It's a really slow process but awesome experience to watch a new vessel settle into Kerbin's oceans.

We still have another three hours before we're scheduled to hear from mission control. Thank the gods Jebediah turned off his VOX before taking his nap. His snoring is loud enough without having to hear it through the headset too. Barcott and I laughed  when we heard Bobak say, "Kerny, is your mic feed picking up Jebediah's snoring?" Yea, even with a third of the capsule between us, his snoring was loud enough to be picked up by my VOX microphone! If Bobak thinks that hearing Jebediah's snores are loud over VOX, he should try being in a capsule with him!

Although things are far from normal since the anomaly, I'm actually amazed at the progress that's been made within such a short period of time. No one expected a return to space so quick, yet we are here, in orbit. Although we have not been able to contact the Zebulan Kerman as was hoped, we have been able to successfully test the solar power array on the Mark 2. Even before we launched, there were a fair number of scientists and engineers hoping our mission would not find the station so that a newer, better one could be built. It looks like they may get their wish since we have not been able to find any trace of the station. 

 

Edited December 22, 2016 by adsii1970

[AviosAdku]

Another intriguing and entertaining read, the whole mystery about what is going on really has me hooked.

Also, I loved the description of how the ships are launched, very Kerbal.
Quite clever too as I just realised (as I wrote this), Is it possible for them to go up onto land?

[adsii1970]

On 10/27/2016 at 3:36 PM, AkuAerospace said:

Also, I loved the description of how the ships are launched, very Kerbal.
Quite clever too as I just realised (as I wrote this), Is it possible for them to go up onto land?

[Edited by adsii1970]

Vehicle Mover isn't working working now, so I've sort of reverted in how I move the ships around. In the early days, I'd make strange contraptions such as drive-able gantry cranes using Infernal Robotics and Kerbal Attachment System to literally carry the boat into the water then lower it down using winches and magnets. One evening, as I was preparing to launch a boat, I thought why not... and then the idea of using aircraft landing gear was born. Since then, there have been a variety of gear configurations I have used to accomplish this task. If you'd like, I will take some screen shots of the next one I launch...

Yes, it is very possible for the ships to go onto land. Back when I was first playing around with @Fengist's mods, I actually made a transport and would drive her up on the beach (on her wheels) then drive the vehicle that was being carried off onto nearly level terrain. The ships engines generate enough thrust to actually make the beach landing and cruise across flat terrain at around 17 to 25 m/s. There was one time, during the 1.1.0 days, where I actually deployed the gear of the Eeloo and drove her across a low-lying isthmus rather than to simply cruise around it!

Edited November 15, 2016 by adsii1970

[adsii1970]

In spite of having to slow down the deployment of a rover with a certain crew (anything over 2.5 m/s at a seam in Kerbin's surface causes rovers to flip), I have managed to get the shots needed for the next chapter. I am excited because I discovered a "function" in one of my mods that I had no idea existed (way to go, @Angel-125!) and could not wait to write it into the story.

[Angelo Kerman]

50 minutes ago, adsii1970 said:

In spite of having to slow down the deployment of a rover with a certain crew (anything over 2.5 m/s at a seam in Kerbin's surface causes rovers to flip), I have managed to get the shots needed for the next chapter. I am excited because I discovered a "function" in one of my mods that I had no idea existed (way to go, @Angel-125!) and could not wait to write it into the story.

Hopefully it's not another bug report. Looking forward to the next chapter!

[adsii1970]

Eeloo 24, Y003
"Wanna take 'er out for a spin?"
Chapter 18

After spending nearly three days in orbit around Kerbin, Gene finally decided there was no point in trying to attempt to make contact with the Zebulan Kerman. We weren't given the chance to perform any space walks but we did continue to make contact with nearly every orbiting satellite. We were able to receive signals from each one - with the exception of two, Münar Explorer 1 and Duna Vanguard.  Since our return two days ago, Bobak has told us the anomaly wasn't just restricted to Kerbin - but appears to have impacted our entire known universe!

Our mission, according to Dr. Haywood, had been a mixed bag of successes and disappointments. There were no hardware failures and our craft did perform its mission perfectly. The addition of solar panels to the basic model actually enhanced our operational range since the CM main engine did not have to be operating to generate an electrical charge. Both Dr. Haywood and Gene were pleased with the design tests we conducted on the new CM. We were told there was going to be three more orbital tests of the design and at least two missions to the Mün before it would be used to land the first Kerbals on Minimus.

Both Gene and Dr. Haywood were rather surprised to hear Bobak's enthusiasm about the loss of the Zebulan Kerman. This particular part of the briefing was being sent, by video communications, to the Committee on Space Exploration and Colonization. It's kind of funny watching Gene trying to maintain a relaxed composure and appear unbothered at some of the answers Jebediah was giving in response to the questions asked by the committee members. I almost fell out of my chair, laughing, as we were told by Consul Rayvan Kerman that she would be going up on the next orbital mission. What made it funny wasn't her insistence that such a mission would allow her to understand the challenges of space flight.* It was at her insistence that Jebediah be the mission commander! Immediately, Jebediah moved out of the camera view and began begging Gene not to send him on any mission involving Rayven.

"Consul Rayven, I think that's a marvelous idea..." Gene added. "I'll have Bobak begin working on making that mission happen soon..."

"In fact, Gene," Bobak interrupted, "we've got another launch scheduled to take place in three weeks. I think it would be a perfect opportunity to arrange for Consul Rayven to participate..."

By this time, Jebediah began softly banging his head into the wood door that led to the hallway. "Dammit... Dammit..." was all he could muster.

After the video conference ended, Gene walked over to Jebediah, slapped him on the back and through his laughter, said, "You're the one that wanted to show her a good time in the simulator, Jeb..."

"It must have been a real, real good time..." added Bobak.

This had been one of the best stories floating around the KSC while I was in training. Nearly everyone had heard the story of Jebediah, a young pilot and kerbalnaut trainee and a young female engineering trainee being caught in a simulator after hours. They were discovered by Dr. Haywood back sometime in Y001 as he was preparing to program the simulator for the next morning's simulated mission. As he began the process of programing the computer, he overheard conversations coming from the mock Mark 3 command module. It was he who discovered Jedediah and Rayven. To this day, no one truly knows what was happening that night in the capsule except Dr. Haywood and the two stowaways. Gene and Bobak, with their great imaginations, filled in the blanks.

As we continued to laugh at the innuendo, Jebediah looked right in my direction and said, "Gene, this mission is going to need a chaperone err, copilot..." I couldn't believe Gene agreed with him. Bobak was more than happy to enter my name into his kPad as the final member of the three-Kerbal crew on the next mission. A new round of laughter broke out in the room as Jebediah added, "Thank the gods. Kerny, if there's anything I can tell you, just remember - she doesn't blink...!"

And with that, Bobak told us we would begin training for the next mission within two weeks. In the meantime, we were to return to normal duty around the KSC. I decided to head to the tracking center and catch up on the latest news from the various missions. The one that had my interest from the moment I saw it on the roster was the one being led by Ralph. He had been named expedition commander of the Akna I mission to survey key sites on Kerbin since the anomaly. His crew consisted of Podgel and Doodemone, a Kerbal whom I knew from introductory training.

The first site surveyed was a brief one-hour stay at the monolith near the space center. Although the humming was not as loud as it had been the moments after the anomaly, it could still be heard - barely - on the video feed coming from the ground rover. Once that part of the mission was satisfied, Ralph and the gang then turned their vehicle to the northwest and headed to the Karrackau Forest for further testing of the rover's capabilities. I couldn't help but to laugh when the internal cameras switched from the crew cab to the cabin - there, on the big screen for all to see was Doodemone, the mission scientist, sitting comfortably in his chair watching an episode of The Saga of Emiko Station on the video monitor!** 

"It's a good thing Dr. Haywood isn't here to see this..." Gene shouted out. He complains about how unrealistically that show portrays what happens at the space center..." Or so this was the excuse we were all given. I wonder if anyone else has ever been caught watching video broadcasts while on a mission besides those off-duty on the late Zebulan Kerman. After all, Doodemone was a scientist on a survey mission currently on the move. At least it was not as unnerving as having to listen to Jebediah snore inside a space capsule! I wonder if our passenger knows how loud his snoring actually is? During our debriefing, I actually heard Bobak describe it as one of the nine unnatural wonders of the world!

Earlier this afternoon, Jebediah and I attended the first briefing about the upcoming space flight and the test flights we would have to do between now and liftoff. Bobak told us that Kersplat Aerospace Industries had a new aircraft, the KAI - Kgar, a twin turbine aircraft designed for high maneuverability and speed. "Kerny will fly 'er..." Jebediah volunteered. "Wanna take 'er out for a spin? Sure you do..."

"Well, you heard 'im..." Gene added. "Go report to the hangar and take her out and up...and...no hotdogging it!"

For the next hour, I was briefed by Dr. Wernher on the peculiar of this new craft design. Once that was done, I climbed all over and under the craft doing the required pre-flight checks. "By the book, eh?" Dr. Wernher noted out loud. "Not even Jeb goes through the complete preflight checklist!"

Twenty minutes later I taxied to the end of the runway, and throttled up. Instead of lurching forward, as I was told should happen, the craft slowly began to increase its speed. I decided to activate the afterburners, and within a few seconds, had achieved 78 meters per second. I was not impressed. I continued to put the craft through the required tests but its speed never exceeded 178 meters per second and its maneuverability, well to be honest, wasn't very maneuverable. After nearly an hour of flight, I returned to the space center.

I hated to be the one that told Dr. Wernher the latest design didn't perform well. During our debriefing, he asked me the same question nearly four times. Jebediah was right; Dr. Wernher takes each failed craft design personally. I was sure that he was hoping each time he asked me the same question that I'd somehow give him a different answer. The debriefing ended with him saying, "Well, we'll have to see what the Mk 2 version can do..." Yeah, already Dr. Wernher was planning a second run at the design. And knowing how he worked, since I flew the test of the MK 1, I would be flying  every version of this design until it passes the trials. It then dawned on me why Jebediah was so quick to volunteer me to do this test flight. He already had two other craft he was testing for Dr. Wernher. A third craft would undoubtedly cause complications to his space flight schedule. A third craft also meant more time he would have to spend with Dr. Wernher - a Kerman who was not too appreciative of Jebediah's hard-at-play attitude.

Dr. Wernher has already scheduled the next test flight of this horrible craft. I'm not sure how long he will tweak it before he finally gives up on it. As Jebeidah said right after dinner, this one may take a while.

* For some reason a couple of days ago, I ended up with a Kerbalnaut in the kerbalnaut complex that was listed as "TOURIST." I have never seen that happen before in a sandbox game, but decided to take advantage of it anyway. This is the origins of Rayven Kerman. And what better way to incorporate a tourist in a sandbox game to make them into a politician!

** Image on the monitor has been used with permission from and is the intellectual property of @Just Jim, the author of The Saga of Emiko Station. The image is from Chapter 58 "Homecoming"
 

Edited November 15, 2016 by adsii1970

[Just Jim]

56 minutes ago, adsii1970 said:

"It's a good thing Dr. Haywood isn't here to see this..." Gene shouted out. He complains about how unrealistically that show portrays what happens at the space center..." Or so this was the excuse we were all given.

What's this???  Slacking and watching some campy sci-fi show on the job????   Get back to work, Doodemone!!!  

 

[adsii1970]

42 minutes ago, Just Jim said:

What's this???  Slacking and watching some campy sci-fi show on the job????   Get back to work, Doodemone!!!  

 

This was the discovery I made in @Angel-125's Buffalo mod. I accidentally discovered that two of the screens in the crew quarters can be changed to feature custom images. When I discovered it, I knew what had to be captured in a screenshot - a Kerbal watching The Saga of Emiko Station! Doodemonde, who was already in the compartment AND not essential to that part of the mission became the willing culprit.

[Angelo Kerman]

On 11/5/2016 at 4:22 PM, adsii1970 said:

This was the discovery I made in @Angel-125's Buffalo mod. I accidentally discovered that two of the screens in the crew quarters can be changed to feature custom images. When I discovered it, I knew what had to be captured in a screenshot - a Kerbal watching The Saga of Emiko Station! Doodemonde, who was already in the compartment AND not essential to that part of the mission became the willing culprit.

Oh yeah, those screens are a blast. I use them all over the place, and made external versions for @Kuzzter's Jool Odyssey as well. There's even a kPad version if you have KIS installed. Now I'm curious about the upcoming mission...

[Orion Kerman]

May I say that I have been reading this for some time and am incredibly enjoying it. I have just got an account. I really like the suspense since at the end of every chapter I am always thinking what is going to happen. keep up the good work!!

[Dman979]

Hi, @Orion Kerman, and welcome aboard!

P.S. INB4 @Starhawk

[Orion Kerman]

Thanks !!!! You commented like 1 second after that's quick

 

[TheEpicSquared]

Welcome aboard @Orion Kerman!  

[adsii1970]

@Orion Kerman  We aim to please! Welcome aboard and thank you for supporting this effort!

[adsii1970]

Eeloo 32, Y003
"But wait.. there's more..."
Chapter 19

The last six days have been incredible. I'm not sure where to begin, in all honesty. The 26th of Eeloo was definitely a day full of twists and turns. Jebediah and I had already begun training for our next space flight that had been planned to happen sometime near the end of this month. During the post-simulator training, Gene told me to meet him in the tracking center and released Jebediah to return to the flight line. Within half an hour, I heard the sounds of a Knat Mk 4 overhead, doing barrel rolls as it headed towards the Island Air Field - I'm pretty sure it was Jebediah. One thing about him, he is one of the best pilots I've ever seen. I can only hope to match half of what he does.

The meeting with Gene was normal at first. It was time for my first formal evaluation since completing the Kerbalnaut training program. For the most part, the evaluation was no different than the evaluations during the training programs. As the evaluation meeting was coming to an ending, Gene told me to report to Bobak immediately and he would begin my next briefing. This was unexpected - I knew about the evaluations. Bob had already told me that he and Jebediah had met with Gene earlier to complete them. But nobody mentioned that I would be sitting in another briefing that day.

As I made my way from Gene's tracking center office to the conference room just a floor below, there was commotion from the tracking center floor as Jebediah called in his latest observations. There was confusion on every face in the room as Jebediah's voice came from the speaker under the screen. "Joker to KSC..."

"Joker, this is KSC, over..." Melchek called back.

"KSC, the Island Air Field Station is...gone!" Even Jebediah sounded surprised at this latest discovery. "I know it was there after the anomaly, but now... it's...gone! No trace of the station anywhere!"

"Joker, we read you." Melchek's calm voice sounding out of place and automated compared to Jebediah's. "Will relay observations to the Old Man once he returns. Continue your patrol route."

"Roger, KSC. Joker out..." and with that, the blip on the tracking center display screen rapidly accelerated away from the island. Jebediah had finished that portion of his unscheduled patrol and was now heading towards the mountains to the west of the space center.

Once the excitement was over, I continued to the conference room for my meeting with Bobak. "Things haven't been right since the anomaly," Bobak said. "Starting to return to normal, more or less, but still a few things not quite right." And with that statement, he began to tell me that I would not be accompanying Jebediah on the mission in three weeks. I was scheduled to command an orbital flight that would launch in six days. Normally, we'd go to Jebediah but based on your evaluations, Gene and Dr. Haywood have decided to put your name in front of the Committee on Space Exploration and Colonization as a certified Kerbalnaut and command pilot. The announcement will not be official for another ten days, but at this point, it's more of a formality."

He then explained the mission Jebediah and I was scheduled to fly with Consul Rayven was going to be postponed until after the Zebulan Kerman was replaced. Rayven's directive, as a member of the Sub-Committee on Space Exploration and Colonization, had been overridden by Dr. Haywood. Bobak explained the space program didn't have time for joy rides into space. The Grand Committee has set the priorities for the Committee on Aeronautics and Space Flight as 1) get a replacement space station back into orbit, 2) continue the research on what triggered the anomaly, 3) continue with plans to establish a permanent settlement on the Mün, and 4) Kerbaled survey missions to Minimus.

With that directive, any mission that did not meet the criteria had been postponed. I was told that I had six days to prepare for my next orbital mission to test out the new launch system that would be taking Kerbals to Minimus. The flight was standard - achieve an orbit of 240 kilometers above Kerbin and report on remaining fuel in the second and third stages. But what made this mission special is that I was named the mission commander! Joining me on this flight would be Aldas and Karloff.

For three days, we did intense simulator training. Then, this evening at dusk, our craft roared to life. This was a lot taller and had a lot more power than the old Kerbin Orbiter Mk 3; within three minutes, we were heading towards our apoapsis, preparing for our first orbital maneuver. After what seemed like a long three-minute wait and an even longer one-minute burn, we were orbiting Kerbin at an altitude of roughly 240 kilometers. The new and remodeled first stage took our craft higher than the older Orbiter series before being jettisoned. When we reached our target altitude, we still had a second stage with roughly 2/3 of its total fuel remaining.

Bobak confirmed Gene's orders to jettison the second stage and to remain in orbit for three days. Tomorrow, I am scheduled for a thirty-minute space walk to check some attachment points on the exterior of the command module. The next mission for me, which is already scheduled for the 3rd or Urlum, will include taking the command module out to Minimus and orbit that moon for four days, then return to Kerbin.

Meanwhile, while listening to the KSC radio communications scanner, we all had a good laugh as we overheard Gene telling Jebediah not to scare the new pilot-trainees before they could complete their first solo flight. Two new recruits, Hadfin and Kerloff, have passed their simulator training. Unlike my class, which was given access to the Knat Mk 4, these Kerbals will be flying the slower and more stable Kyap Mk 4. Both will be flying using a technique that combines traditional computer navigation with ground-based observation.

We had an even bigger laugh after Bobak sent us some images of the pre-flight inspection training being taught by Jebediah. I could barely believe that Jebediah, the one Kerbal who hated pomp and formality, had Hadfin and Kerloff standing in formation in front of him! The sight of Jebeidah, standing in front of a two-man formation, was something we've laughed about for nearly an hour. Aldas, our mission scientist, added to the joviality of the moment when he asked if either Hadfin or Kerloff was anything like Jebediah. "Oh, gods... can you imagine Jebediah getting a dose of his own distractive behavior?" added Karloff. And with that, we were laughing again.

[Orion Kerman]

Sorry I'm late can't wait to start reading. looks good will edit when read.

Well interesting to say the least...

 

Yeah also anyone know how to add images on tablet because it always asks me for url... yeah 

Edited November 15, 2016 by Orion Kerman

[adsii1970]

Eeloo 34, Y003
"What the....  Gene, are you seeing this?"
Chapter 20

Yesterday was considerably uneventful compared to the events of today. Yesterday started after we completed our thirty-fifth orbit. We received word from Bobak that I was to perform a space walk and check the solar panel shroud for signs of metal fatigue. This was only my second space in the Kerbalnaut program. Once the tasks were completed, I was surprised to learn that I have a total of 45 minutes in EVA time!

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. By mid-day, based on KSC time, we had completed another nineteen orbits of the planet. One of the required tests required the deployment of the high gain antenna, which actually performed as per the design specifications. I don't know a lot about the engineers or what inspires them to make the designs they do. Unlike some of the aircraft designs Jebediah and I are performing test flights with, the space craft designs are very utilitarian. They are designed to complete one type of mission in a specific role. Everything we did yesterday was designed to test out the limits of the space craft and to prepare me for the next mission. Bobak had informed me before we began our second sleep cycle in space that my next mission would require five orbits of Minimus!

This morning, we were roused by the calls of the space center shortly after we had finished our morning meal. I disagree strongly with Jebediah - powdered kerbite eggs are the worst part of space flight. With all the money the Grand Committee allocates for space flight and research, you think they could have researched decent food to send into orbit! Anyhow, the VOX came alive with chatter from the KSC, the Akna I expedition, and later, Jebediah. Shortly after Kerbolrise a slight distortion was spotted on the space center's radar. Bobak's unmistakable voice could be heard over the speaker, "Gene, we've got something wrong with the radar system again..."

Then a second voice was heard, "KSC, this is Akna I, we're tracking a distortion on our ScanSat system. It's blurry and intermittent, but Doodemone has confirmed visually ..." I immediately recognized Ralph's voice. "It appears to be metallic based on the way it reflects light... and holy... kerbite! Gene...it's really moving!" Ralph continued to relay tracking information until whatever it was had left visual and radar range. Just as quickly as it was spotted, it now was gone.

"Gene, we're getting reports all over the center..." Bobak's normally cool voice had given way to a voice full of amazement with a hint of fear. "The ground crew near the SPH are reporting they've seen - based on their descriptions - something similar to what Ralph reported."

All Karloff, Aldas, and I could do was to listen to what was happening on the planet below. We listened as the reports continued to come in from the KSC, the Island Air Field, and near the Northern Relay Station. With the exception of the space center, each report was the same. The object seemed to distort radar, appearing as a smudge on the screen. If it could be observed, it appeared to be metallic, and when it decided to leave the area, it went extremely fast until it faded from view. Just as quick as the excitement began, within an hour it appeared to have ended, leaving a lot of questions unanswered.

Some forty-five minutes later, as my crew and I were preparing for the second space walk scheduled for the mission, a second unidentified craft approached the space center. Unlike last time, this time the craft hovered above the center. Immediately, VOX went active as we heard Gene ordering a change in Defense Condition and demanding someone call Dr. Haywood immediately. We even heard him order Jebediah to go up and take a look at this newest intruder.

We listened, helpless from orbit, as Jedediah chased the unknown object around the airspace above the KSC. Dr. Haywood could be heard over the radio encouraging Jebediah to resist the urge to fire upon it. "Simply fly as close as you can, get us some good images, and tell us what you see..." had been the instructions repeated to Jebediah several times as he pursued the alien craft.

It was Jebediah's comment that it reminded him of the crashed UFO in the arctic that caused more reaction than anything else he said. I remember sitting in that briefing room, watching the video feed and remembering the strange alien craft illuminated by the lights from an earlier ground exploration mission. "KSC, this is Joker..." Jebediah's voice was full of determination as he continued, "Gene...you want me to see if I can get closer?"

"Jester, this is KSC, be advised that Gene and Dr. Haywood have nixed that. Keep your distance..." Bobak's familiar voice was clearly heard over the background chatter of the space center. "Jester..." Gene yelled over the VOX, " Telemetry shows it has changed direction and is..."

"Gene, yeah, I see it..." Jebediah called out. "Gene... what the... Gene, are you seeing this?" Disbelief was clearly heard in his voice.

We could hear Gene, Dr. Haywood, and Bobak all describing as what must have been a spectacular sight. In less than five minutes, the object had changed directions three times and was now heading back towards Jebediah at nearly 120 meters per second! And just as quick as it had appeared over the space center, it began a rapid ascent, high into Kerbin's sky until it could no longer be seen visually or by radar.

"Um, Gene... it's gone. Requesting permission to return to the barn..." was the last transmission Jebediah sent about the alien craft. From what we heard on VOX, Jebediah had been chasing the thing at nearly 180 meters per second after it passed him. Now, even at maximum throttle, the Knat Mk 4 could not keep up with the alien craft.

I'm not sure what all impact this will have on the space center or Kerbin's Defense Forces. In another hour, we will enter the sleep cycle for today and tomorrow, around the space center's noontime, we'll begin our deorbit burn and descent into Kerbin's atmosphere. In the meantime, I am pretty sure that the center will be locked down tonight with armed patrols flying over the space center and the island airfields. The interesting thing about today's sightings is there were no reporting of similar craft near the URKN Dres or URKN Tekto. Both of these vessels are out on missions on the seas of Kerbin.

About ten minutes ago, I did manage to get a call through to Bob. He told me that since the first sighting, Bill disappeared, to be discovered sometime later this evening, sitting at the base of the nearby monolith. He was spotted by one of the air patrols flying above the KSC peninsula. He told me that Bill had been taken to the infirmary and was heavily sedated. Just like after the great anomaly, by the time the recovery team was able to get out to him this time, he was babbling something about the monolith being "full of stars" and "even now, they call out to me..."

I think that when I get back I will continue reading the various reports on these alien craft and their meanings. It's been a couple of months since I did any reading on the research conducted by Dr. Orson. Now, more than ever, do I feel the importance of knowing what the appearance of these craft mean, what their intent is, and the connection they have with Bill's odd behavior - if any. I also believe I am going to take Dr. Haywood up on his offer of allowing me access to the Library of the Grand Committee so that I can continue my studies.

Edited November 17, 2016 by adsii1970

[Angelo Kerman]

I'm not saying it was humans... but it was humans.

[Just Jim]

May I be the first to say:

Dun Dun Dunnnnnnnnnnn   

[KerbinNation]

Just finished reading all of the chapters, now I have to wait to see more aliens 

[AviosAdku]

Wow, that happened. Also, poor Bill, he really does seem to have lost it.

Looking forward to what happens next.

Aku

[adsii1970]

Hehehe.  Yeah, poor Bill...

[Orion Kerman]

WELL THIS is a surprise next there will be well here is what I think COULD happen

Spoiler

A. Nuclear orbital bombing

B. Bill is a weird alein

C. A resistance of scared kerbals fight the KDF  personaly my favourite.

Spoiler

 

 

[adsii1970]

To answer the observations I care to comment on from @Orion Kerman:

A. Nuclear orbital bombing: No. Not in this story... sorry, kiddies.

B. Bill is a weird alein: Hmmm, could be interesting, but I have other plans for Bill... Seriously, I do.

C. A resistance of scared kerbals fight the KDF  personaly my favourite. Yeah, I have had others send me a private message about this.  Again, not going to happen. Here's a little about the backstory I am using:

 

---

Adapted from A History of the United Republic of Kerbin (Y001). Ed. Herodikus Kerman. New Kerbin City: Central Kerbia University Press.

Since the emergence on Eve 3rd, Y001, the government of the United Republic of Kerbin has worked to ensure that such incidents that led to the Great Underground Migration never happens to the population of Kerbin again. It was the Fifth Great War and the widespread use of nuclear weapons that had caused a nuclear winter that lasted nearly three thousand years. It was only now, in the last three hundred years of the underground society and the Emergence that the surface of Kerbin truly had the ability to sustain life. The greatest accomplishment after the final Great War was the mass uprising of Kermen everywhere and the demand for a single, united planetary government that led to the creation of the Grand Committee of the United Republic of Kerbin.

Since that time, estimated to be Y-2991, every ten years, all Kermen above the age of service are eligible to vote in the planetary elections. Terms for consul are for ten years with a maximum twenty years of service. The only exemptions that apply are Kermin who are serving as consul who are elected by the Grand Committee to serve as various committee chairs (tenure as a chair does not count towards the term limit) with the heads of the committees voting on the Prime Consul and Associate Prime Consul - both of which are limited to one ten-year term. All Kerman who have reached the age of service are encouraged to serve the republic through government service.

It was decided in Y-200 that once Kerman society returned to the surface a global defense force would be needed. This was based on the work of Dr. Orson Kerman, an expert in Extra-Kerbanian affairs. Based on his research, it was concluded that at one time, aliens had visited Kerbin and may have manipulated the nations of Kerbin. This manipulation resulted in a coordinated attack on the largest nation, the Kingdom of Sa'arin by a number of smaller states. The war deteriorated into a nuclear exchange as Sa'arin launched all of its nuclear arsenal at its enemies. These nations responded by mass nuclear attacks of their own, with the final nuclear exchange triggering a massive set of Kerbinquakes and slight movement of the many tectonic plates of Kerbin. This war literally reshaped the planet's surface and lasted nearly three hundred years. Not only was the surface forever changed by the war's deadliest weapons, it also became uninhabitable for nearly 3,000 years.

It was Admiral Zebulan Kerman of the Kaskadia Republic who, upon seeing the damage done by the full nuclear exchange, assumed governmental authority once Kerbin society collapsed. He did not seize power, but was unanimously elected by the surviving members of the various military high commands. At first, he refused to assume a leadership role until the Crown Prince of Sa'arin, Prince Emikus, offered to step down if Admiral Zebulan would assume the role of Grand Consul for a ten year term. It was the ascension of Zebulan that brought the longest continuous era of peace to all of Kerbin. In his ten-year term as Grand Consul, a new government was formed and the Declaration of the Rights of Kermen was ratified.

Grand Consul Zebulan (the only Grand Consul ever named) was able to consolidate all Kermen under a centralized government through his popularity with the military and with the average Kerman. After forcing the militaries of every Kerbin nation to take an oath of allegiance to the new planetary government, Zebulan went about promoting the concept that any Kerman old enough to serve in the new military could also run for public office. Within six months of assuming power, he had overseen the election of the Grand Committee of the United Republic of Kerbin, had set aside many of the powers given to him by the former government. He insisted that the powers of planetary government be divided between the Grand Committee, the Prime Consul and Associate Prime Consul, and the Grand Consuls of Justice. At the end of his ten-year term, and in spite of populist demands, he surrendered the rest of his political authority to the Prime Consul and Associate Prime Consul.

@Just Jim:  left you a few breadcrumbs and a hat tip!

Edited November 17, 2016 by adsii1970