Pale Green Dot : The story of the Planet Kerbin

[Third_OfFive]

Hi guys! I've decided to start my own KSP novel. This novel was heavily inspired by CalculusWarrior's A Planet Divided: The Story of Kerbin's Kold War, and has a similar premise. I'll try my best to keep this story updated with at least a chapter per month, and hopefully we can keep this thread going for a few years. I'll also add in a bunch of lore as well (maps, history, etc.) If enough people request it.

Hope you guys enjoy!

NOTE: Some of the images in this novel were made entirely from scratch using blender. I just want to clarify that I make no legal claims to any of this material. You may use it however you like.

 

 

Download Link [PDF]: https://mega.nz/#!YVJwXTLR!6KOQ4n0U-uemPNVWB4xcBj-IatMJKbGtyj00si_lgeE

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

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Prologue

Chapter 1 : A New Era

Chapter 1.1

Chapter 1.2

Chapter 1.3

Chapter 1.4

Chapter 2 : The Green Stuff

Chapter 2.1

Chapter 2.2

Chapter 2.3

Chapter 2.4

 

 

World Map (Minor Spoilers):

 

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Old Screenshots:

https://imgur.com/gallery/6eOBJ

 

PROLOGUE

 

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PROLOGUE

 

Welcome to Kerbin. A tiny wet rock orbiting a slightly less tiny ball of burning gas, this seemingly insignificant planet is home to a race of amphibious bipedal ape-like creatures, known as the Kerbals. Hardy, adaptable, and slightly self-destructive, Kerbals are an.. “intelligent”species. Evolving under just the right conditions, they quickly learned how to fashion tools, and cooperate with each other. Gradually, these primitive, self-centered hominids began building civilizations of their own, carving out chunks of this tiny rock for themselves. These territorial conquests inevitably led to conflicts, which in turn led to long, often gruesome wars between the various ancient empires.

With the dawn of Kerbin's industrial revolution, however, these conflicts quickly became much more violent and destructive. Eventually, a series of minor skirmishes erupted into a worldwide brawl between the world powers, known today by most Kerbals as “the Great War”. This enormous conflict reached it's climax with the deployment of nuclear weapons, an event catastrophic enough to single-handedly end the entire war.

 

As the dust settled, two new world powers emerged from the chaos. In the west, the wealthy and imperialistic nations of the New Kolus continent, chief among them being the United New Kolus Kerbals (UNKK), came together to form the New Kolus Alliance. To the east, the United Federation of Kolusion Republics (UFKR) rose to power from the ashes of the old Firesvar Confederation. The rest of the planet became divided amongst various, mostly poor city states.

Wildly opposing in views but equal in military might, the new world powers quickly developed a distinct hatred for each other. The two became locked in a cold war, and both amassed an enormous arsenal of nuclear weapons; each willing to destroy every nation on the planet before they saw the other rise to power over them. Unable to sway this military stalemate, each side relies on propaganda to convince its citizens that the other is an evil totalitarian regime, bent on destruction and conquest. As the decades progressed, it seemed as if this cold war would never end, and a feeling of hopelessness descended over all of Kerbalkind.

However, all of this was about to change. Shortly before the Great War, it was discovered that the world was not a flat disk, as it was previously believed, but was actually a sphere. Now, at the dawn of the 53^rd century, it was discovered that not only was Kerbin a sphere, but one of many spheres, orbiting around the sun in the vacuum of space.

While this was still a controversial subject among the public, governments began developing secret programs to explore this new frontier, bent on finally tipping the scales in their favor…

 

 

CHAPTER 1

 

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CHAPTER 1 : A NEW ERA

 

 

 

 

UNKK: Kerbal Space Center

5220 YHD Day 1, 3:57 ST

“I assure you, Mr. President, you will be most satisfied with our progress.”

The first rays of dawn lit up the sky a beautiful red-orange as the President's aircraft prepared to land.

“Only the best top scientist and engineers in the Alliance have been selected for this program, and our facilities will more than suit our needs.” the General finished.

The President sighed. He knew the General was only trying to sell this to him. Without more funding, the Space Program would be forced to either turn to private investors, or shut down completely. Given the secrecy and enormous cost of the program, the latter was much more likely.

 

With a jolt, the aircraft touched down, and grumbled to a halt on the crude dirt runway. A cloud of dust fell over the airplane as the President stood up from his seat. As the door opened, a blast of warm humid air assaulted the cabin. Even at sunrise, the hot equatorial climate of the region could be felt, especially by the President, who was used to the much more moderate, tempered climate of the capital. Brushing aside his discomfort, the President stepped outside to get his first look at the facility.

 

As the dust cleared, he couldn't help but be impressed. Given the strict budget that the Senate had given the Space Program, he had expected to see little more than a handful of tents and a launchpad. Instead, the facility had not only a launchpad, but a fully constructed assembly building, hangar, R&D complex, administration center, astronaut training center, state-of-the-art tracking and communications building, and even a smaller building that he presumed was for viewing launches.

“Well… What do you think, Mr. President?” The General's voice betrayed apprehension.

“Has this facility been kept secret?” The President replied. He didn't want to give in to his optimism just yet. There had to be a catch. There was always a catch…

“Not entirely.” The General replied, “Given it's location, it was impossible to keep the facility itself a secret from the locals, so we told them it was an air force base.”

“Which, technically, it is.” Added a plucky intern.

A few minutes of boring conversation later, the President, along with what was now a substantial cluster of officers and staff members, approached the large assembly building. “And this” said the General, “is the VAB.”

 

Inside, the building was bustling with activity. Scientists and Engineers frantically rushed around, arguing and testing equipment. Workers carried building materials, skin and clothing covered in stains. Outside of the main construction area, the floor was a mess of parts, tools, and discarded blueprints. A faint smell, of what can only be described as gasoline mixed with the interior of a new car, permeated the enormous room. In the center of the room stood the center of all the hustle and bustle; a simple rocket.

 

The President turned to the General. “I have to admit, I'm impressed.” he said “Although I was expecting something a little…”

“Bigger?” the General responded “Don't worry, what you see here is a toy compared to what we have planned.” He smiled.

 

They stepped further into the large room. “Wernher?” the General called out.

“What?” a voice echoed back from across the room.

After a brief pause, a short man wearing glasses and a lab coat emerged from the swarm of engineers, and walked over to where the General was standing, clearly irritated.

“Can't you see I'm busy here?” His thick accent revealed his foreign origins “The rocket is scheduled to launch in a half an hour and I haven't even-” Wernher noticed the President.

“Mr. President!” he said, startled “I didn't think you would be here this early…”

“This is Dr. Wernher Von Kerman” the General interrupted “He's the head of our rocket science division.” There was an awkward pause. “Wernher, would you like to show the President what we've been working on?”

“Oh yes, of course!” Wernher turned and led the group toward the rocket. “This is Thumper. We've been scraping together- erm, I mean, constructing her, for the past few weeks. We hope to use her as a test for our rocket technology, and to gather valuable data from the upper atmosphere.” He led the group around to the other side of the rocket, revealing an open section of the nosecone. Inside, one could see a mess of electronic equipment, wires, and scientific instruments.

“She's not quite finished, but… we're working on it..” Wernher shot a nervous glance at the General.

“Thank you, Wernher.” the General intervened “Now if you'll excuse us, Mr. President, Wernher is very busy. Perhaps you'd like a tour of our research and development complex?”

Wernher let out a sigh of relief as the group left the building. He wasn't the best when it came to these kinds of overly formal interactions. Shaking off his embarrassment, he returned to his work. This rocket wasn't going to finish itself.

 

UNKK: Kerbal Space Center

30 minutes later

 

“Telemetry?”

“Go”

“Flight Control?”

“Go”

“Recovery?”
“Go”

Inside the tiny control room, the flight director, Gene Kerman, struggled to contain his anticipation. A potent mix of excitement and dread bombarded his nerves as he directed the handful of flight controllers, stationed at the handful of desks scattered around the room. He knew the President was watching outside.

“Ground control team reports they have cleared the launchpad.” one of the controllers said, eyes glued to the computer screen in front of him.

“Good” Gene wasted no time “Begin the countdown.”

 

“We are go for launch” blared the PA. The President sat up in his chair. “T minus 30 seconds and counting” The President, along with the General, and various officers and staff members, were seated in a neat arrangement of folding chairs on the lawn just outside of the mission control building. Most of the officers, as well as the President, had removed their coats, and were fanning themselves with clipboards to fight off the heat. All eyes were focused on the small rocket, which stood a safe distance away from them on the launchpad.

 

“T minus ten”

“Nine”

“Eight”

“Seven”

“Six”

“Five”

“Four”

“Three”

“Two”

“One”

The flight controller pressed the big red 'LAUNCH' button.

“Ignition!”

There was a pause. Nothing. The rocket sat quietly on the launchpad. Gene turned to the flight controller. “Bilford?” He said “What's wrong?” A faint murmuring could be heard from the spectators outside.

“I- I don't know”

“Is the button working?”

“Yeah..”

“Is it plugged in?”

“Of course.”

“Did you disengage the external inertial dampener?”

“..What?”

“Nothing. Is the key turned?”

“Key?… Oh right, the key!” Bilford shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small key. He inserted the key into a small keyhole in the dashboard, and turned it.

 

“Liftoff! We have liftoff!” the PA announced, as the rocket shot upward with a deafening crackle. Several staff members cheered and applauded, as Thumper ascended at breakneck speed, within seconds becoming little more than a tiny dot in the blue sky.

 

“2000 meters” Reported the telemetry officer, watching the steady stream of numbers appearing on his screen intently.

“5000 meters”

“Engine burnout” reported Bilford

“7000 meters”

“Instruments are reading a steady decrease in temperature”

“10,000 meters”

“All systems are nominal”

“15,000 meters”

“That's interesting, the temperature appears to be increasing now…”

“20,000 meters”

Gene heard applause outside as this was reported over the PA.

“25,000 meters”

“Pressure is now at 1/100th atmospheres”

“Nearing 30,000 meters..”

Printers began to noisily print out all of the data that was being received.

“Goo samples appear to have been liquefied by the acceleration.”

“35,000 meters”

“Decelerating rapidly”

“38,000 meters!”

“Temperature is decreasing again…”

“39,000 meters…”

“Down to 100 meters per second”

Everyone held their breath in anticipation.

“40,000 meters!”

More applause was heard from outside. Bilford jumped up from his seat.

“We've got a picture!”

 

UNKK: Aboard the President's airplane

~20 minutes later

The President stared at the small photograph in his hand. As the plane sped back towards the capital, the General was excitedly rambling on about the incredible military applications of this new rocket technology, and the Alliance's inevitable advantage over the UFKR, et cetera. But to the President, this was more than just a demonstration of new military technology. The picture he held in his hand was something far greater. It was a milestone for science itself. A testament to the bravery, curiosity, and hard work of Kerbals everywhere. The General just didn't seem to understand that.

The President sighed. He knew it was going to be difficult to convince the Senate to fork over more money to the Space Program. He also knew that as soon as he made this public, his corporate sponsors would be hounding him constantly for some kind of share in this new program. It was a long road ahead, for sure…

 

 

 

 

UFKR: Bealekor Kosmocentre

5220 YHD Day 5, 0:14 ST

“Vika”

“Sora”

“Senka”

“Silko”

“Von”

“Dura”

“Zura”

“Kri”

“Zu”

“Om”

With a thunderous roar, the engines of the Astra ignited. From far off, the Prime Minister watched as the enormous rocket ascended into the heavens. He smiled. Whatever object the UNKK had launched three days earlier, the Astra surely dwarfed it. Unlike the UNKK, however, he wasn't going to leave it to the enemy's spies to learn of their space launch; he was going to make the Astra a public spectacle.

“Liftoff!” the PA declared triumphantly.

“Heading is steady. Adjusting pitch to 65 degrees..” reported the flight officer.

In the center of the large mission control room, the Flight Commander stood surveying the room. On either side of him were rows upon rows of computer consoles, each station equipped with it's own assortment of buttons, switches, and lights. Various controllers and officers sat at their respective stations, rapidly chattering into their consoles' built-in microphones. On the wall to the left hung an enormous flag that covered the entire wall. To the right, various large metal boxes, covered in buttons and dials, dominated the right wall. To the front, a large projector screen displayed rows upon rows of ever-changing numbers and orbital data. The whole room was buzzing with activity.

“400 meters per second. Engines nominal” added the flight officer.

“Altitude approaching 10,000 meters” reported telemetry.

“Adjusting pitch to 60 degrees”

“Apoapsis at 20,000 meters”

“Hull is heating up” said system diagnostics.

“Begin sequence 2” said the Flight Commander “Throttle down to 66% and adjust pitch to 50 degrees.”

 

UFKR: Undisclosed Location

One week earlier

“Intelligence acquired this photograph a few hours ago.” an image appeared on the projector screen in front of the large table, at which the President General, Prime Minister, and various other high-ranking officers sat.

“They're building a space center, eh?” the Prime Minister said.

“It appears so” the intelligence officer continued “And given the spacious layout of the complex, it appears that they plan to expand it in the future.”

Several of the officers murmured to each other.

“The site itself is placed in a very unique location; a flat, low-lying peninsula located exactly on the equator. While this has made any attempts to keep the base a secret futile, it makes for the perfect launch location. According to the locals, the government says it is an air force base.”

“Well, when you think about it, technically it is..” chimed in one of the officers.

“Are they planning to launch anything?” asked the President General.

“Not that we know of” replied the intelligence officer “but it would not be unreasonable to assume that they are.”

“Might I just add” intervened the Prime Minister “that our space program is many steps ahead of theirs. Construction of our orbital rocket, Astra, is well underway, and we plan to launch it by the end of the week.”

The President General scanned through the file in front of him.

“I'm not so sure, Prime Minister” he said “this facility looks quite impressive. Far superior to our own facilities at Bealekor...”

“It makes no difference. While their facilities may look impressive, I assure you, our knowledge of rocketry is unsurpassed.”

“Very well” the President General concluded “We will reconvene tomorrow to discuss this further. In the meantime, I wish you all a happy new year. Dismissed.”

 

UFKR: Bealekor Kosmocentre

Present day

“Adjusting pitch to minus 10 degrees…” the flight officer said.

“60,000 meters” reported telemetry.

“Fuel is down to 1%”

The Flight Commander felt his pulse increasing. This was a crucial moment. The slightest mistake now could mean the difference between a stable orbit and burning up in the atmosphere. There was no room for error. He watched the projector screen intently. 2,000 meters per second. 2,060 meters per second. 2,100 meters per second…

“Flame out” reported the flight officer.

“70,000 meters”

High above the surface of Kerbin, the Astra's protective fairing separated, revealing a small probe. The probe itself was quite simple, equipped with only a few simple antennae and a small set of tiny mono-propellant engines. With a jolt, the clamps holding the probe down released, separating the probe from the rocket as it ascended to apoapsis.

 

“Confirmed stage separation” declared system diagnostics

The control room was now silent. Everyone watched the screen.

“Automated systems have taken over. Beginning OMS burn in 3.. 2.. 1..”

With one final (and rather anticlimactic) puff of it's engines, the probe achieved orbit. Shutting off it's engines and SAS systems, the probe activated it's tracking beacon, and began to emit a faint radio signal.

Although most were not aware of it, Kerbalkind had just entered a new age. No longer would the Kerbal be confined to this tiny blue ball; now he was ready to reach out, and conquer the cosmos.

The Space Age had begun.

 

 

UNKK: Presidential Residence, Kolus City

5220 YHD Day 6, 4:11 ST

 

The President sat in his office, reading aloud the headline of the morning news to the many officers seated throughout the large room.

“The UFKR has announced today that it has successfully launched the world's first artificial satellite into orbit 70 kilometers above Kerbin. A large, single-stage rocket boosted the craft into orbit at 2 kilometers per second, they said, at 0:17 ST yesterday afternoon; bringing Kerbalkind into 'a new age of exploration'…”

He put the paper down on his desk.

“This is a serious threat, Mr. President.” said one of the officers “Now that the UFKR has the ability to launch probes into space, what's to stop them from launching other things? Like spy cameras, or worse; warheads!”

“Our phones have been ringing off the hook.” said another officer “The public is in shock. They demand to know what you are planning to do.”

The President knew exactly what to do. Without hesitating, he picked up the phone on his desk, dialed a number, and put the phone up to his ear.

“Get me Wernher Von Kerman.”

 

 

 

 

Edited March 7, 2018 by Third_OfFive

[Starslinger999]

Looking good! Cant wait to see more. 

I see some USSR Vs USA rivalry going on here 

Now can we see something like the Vanguard 1 launch failure? Because i know Jeb would like that 

 

Edited June 20, 2016 by Starslinger999
Added Vangaurd Launch Failure Footage

[nosirrbro]

I like it! I like it alot! Make more.

I feel like I should make one of these, I have alot of political backstories for my space program and it would make sense to put it to good use

[Third_OfFive]

Thanks for all the support guys

Chapter 2 is on it's way.

Unfortunately, 1.1.3 broke a number of my mods, so I've been a bit delayed trying to work around it. It will be finished soon, though.

 

[Daeridanii]

I see what you did with the newspaper headlines... .

[CalculusWarrior]

Very nice! I can definitely see the similarities to Kold War, (not that I mind!) and I think that you handled the early introduction much better than I did; I do like the atmosphere the pictures of the Prime Minister's plane provide. I will definitely stay tuned for updates!

[Third_OfFive]

Chapter 2 1.1 is here! Thanks for all the feedback. Chapter 3 1.2 is already in the works.

 

CHAPTER 1.1

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Chapter 1.1

 

UNKK: Kerbal Space Center

5220 YHD Day 11, 4:34 ST

 

The General sat at the small meeting table inside of the cramped administration building.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

He put the paper down on the table. The other administrators in the room sat silently, avoiding eye contact.

“I can take an honest accident” he continued “But this is just pure incompetence. 10,000 funds and this is what I get? Two boosters bolted together?”

He stood up.

“Do you have any idea what this will do to our reputation? To our country's reputation!? This program was meant to represent the technological prowess of the entire free world! Of Capitalism! Of Democracy! ” the General pointed his finger at the window, out of which a plume of smoke could be seen still rising from the launchpad “And this is what you come up with!?”

There was a pause.

“I've already fired the people I need to fire, so I'll spare you my frustration. From now on, all final decisions regarding funding will go through me, and me alone. Is that understood?”

“Yes sir.” The group responded.

The General sighed “Wernher is going to be furious… “

 

“IDIOTS!” Wernher barged into the lab “What were they thinking? I leave for one Squad-damned day and this happens!? I TOLD them it would never work! The design was sloppy, and barely even a prototype! What did they think was going to happen!?”

He entered his office and slammed the door.

“'Oh, but we want to be more EFFICIENT' they said 'You just need a good work ethic' they said! Imbeciles! Those corporate sellouts!”

Wernher sat down in his chair and pouted. After a brief silence, there was a knock at the door.

“I swear, if it's that damned PR manager, tell him I've had it! I am not putting up with any more of that… sniveling little-”

“Sir, it's the President” replied the voice of Wernher's assistant “He's on the phone, he wants to talk to you. Something about an official statement to the press..”

 

 

 

 

UFKR: Bealekor Kosmocentre

5220 YHD Day 12, 1:15 ST

Inside of the VAB at the Bealekor Kosmocentre, workers and engineers worked tirelessly on the gigantic rocket that stood in the center of the single large room. Metal clanged, welders crackled, and drills whirred as, piece by piece, the engine came together. Everything ran like clockwork. Despite the noise, the room was surprisingly quiet, as it was virtually devoid of chatter, save for the occasional work-related question or command. In the adjacent facility, the UFKR's latest project, the Zara, was already being tested and prepped for flight.

The Prime Minister entered the room, trailed by his science advisor, Yugo Kerman.

“This is almost too easy.” the Prime Minister said “Already construction of our next rocket is well underway, and the UNKK can't even get off the ground!”

“That's what I wanted to talk to you about, sir.” Yugo responded “The UNKK may have failed once, but they may not be as inept as we think. I am concerned that if we get cocky, and let our guard down, we may face similar humiliation.”

“Oh? How so?”

“Science, sir. As you know, I am well versed in the scientific community, and while the UNKK's rocket program is at the moment quite pathetic, their research and development programs are quite formidable. Namely, their chief rocket scientist: Wernher von Kerman. He's a very famous scientist from the country of Svekka, and he is very good at what he does. We don't have anyone nearly that good. And according to what I have heard from the press recently, he never actually approved of the launch. What happened two days ago was a failure in management, not a technological one. The Union may have superior rocket technology, but ultimately this race will be won through science and exploration; and in that field, we are sorely outmatched.”

“Fair point, Yugo, but be realistic. This is a military program, you know that. Our primary goal is to gain an advantage over our enemies. Science and exploration are just a byproduct of that.”

“With all due respect, sir, don't be stupid. You and I both know that this is a war that can't be won with weapons. The launch of our nuclear arsenal alone would mean the end of life on Kerbin as we know it, let alone the retaliation from the enemy. Victory will only be ours when our programs can become the technological giants of the world. And besides, the more that we can understand about space, the better equipped we'll be to conquer it.”

The Prime Minister paused. “What do you propose?”

“I propose that we begin focusing on more science-related missions. I have discussed this with my peers in the science division, and we have agreed that we would like to begin the ground work for a separate line of space missions, alongside the currently planned ones, dedicated not towards military applications, but to science and exploration. We even gave it a name; we want to call it the Fraumhault Program.”

There was a pause. The Prime Minister stared at the rocket that towered before him.

“Very well.” he said “I will take this up with the President General. But I can't promise anything.”

Yugo smiled “Thank you, sir.”

“Don't thank me yet.” said the Prime Minister “For now, let's just make sure that we can handle whatever the UNKK throws at us next.”

 

 

 

 

UNKK: Kerbal Space Center

5220 YHD Day 20, 4:15 ST

“That's it?”

Wernher and the General stood inside of the large VAB room, examining the Space Program's latest project; the Hammer.

“What do you mean 'that's it'?” Wernher responded “I assure you, this is state-of-the-art technology, especially for something that we've only been working on for a week. Not to mention that our R&D people are working hard on our new orbital rocket design..”

“But.. this is the same rocket booster as before! Might I remind you, Wernher, that this program is funded by the tax money of hard working UNKK citizens!”

“Not to worry, General. I think you will find that your taxpayer money has been well spent.”

He led the general closer to the rocket.

“First of all, might I remind you that the boosters we had were crude, unrefined prototypes. Even I am surprised that we managed to perfect the design so quickly.”

Wernher navigated through a group of busy scientists to a large table at the other end of the room. Scientists and engineers sat at the table, tinkering with various pieces of strange electronic equipment.

“What is this?” asked the General.

“This” replied Wernher “is the payload.”

“Payload?”

“Yes. You see, we scientists at R&D realized very quickly that know almost nothing about space. So, while development of the orbital rocket is underway, we've decided to focus our efforts on developing scientific instruments to collect and transmit data from space. After all, the more that we can understand space, the better equipped we'll be to explore it.”

“And all of this will be sent up in the Hammer?”

“Precisely. We plan to launch tomorrow at dawn.”

The General examined the table before him. “Very well” he said, as he turned to leave “but I expect results, Wernher. Results.”

“Sir! Sir!” Wernher's assistant burst through the crowd.

“What? What is it?”

“One of the goo canisters burst again!”

“Oh, for fu-”

 

UNKK: Kerbal Space Center

5220 YHD Day 21, 4:17 ST

The President stepped out of his private plane to the now all too familiar sight of the Kerbal Space Center. Despite the many things that were on his mind, and the rather rushed circumstances, he tried his best to be cheery and in the moment. This was an important day for the UNKK; if all went to plan, this would be the day that they would finally enter space. In the distance, the President could see the Hammer, sitting on the now noticeably charred launchpad. Wasting no time, the President, along with his troop of officers, marched over toward the mission control building, and everyone took their seats.

 

Gene Kerman stood in the center of the crowded mission control room. In spite of having developed a routine, Gene still felt anxious, especially after last week's failure.

“Telemetry?”

“Go”

“Comms?”

“Go”

“Bilford, is the button working this time?”

“It is, sir.”

 

“T-minus 30 seconds to launch” declared the PA. A cheer emerged from the crowd of spectators. The President couldn't help but look around at the impressively large crowd of people that had gathered to witness the event. Unlike his previous visits, this wasn't a top secret project that only he and a few high-ranking officers were allowed to attend; now that the Space Program was public, all kinds of people, from news reporters, to scientists, to photographers and videographers, to average citizens, all sat, stood, and crouched all around him. All eyes were on the launchpad. All chatter quickly ceased as the countdown came to an end.

“Eight”

“Seven”

“Six”

“Five”

“Four”

The tension in the crowd was palpable.

“Three”

“Two”

“One”

 

Immediately, the engine roared to life. With a jolt, the clamps holding down the Hammer detached, and the rocket bolted into the sky, leaving a thick trail of smoke in it's wake. The crowd cheered ecstatically.

“Liftoff! We have liftoff!”

 

On cue, the officers seated around the President stood up, and he was quickly rushed away back towards his plane. It was best to leave now, while the reporters were distracted. The President had no time to deal with the press. The elections were coming up soon, and he had to focus on running for a second term.

 

“20,000 meters” reported telemetry, the controller's voice nearly drowned out by the frantic chatter and loud machines.

“Approaching 1,000 meters per second”

“Engine burnout”

 

As the Hammer penetrated through the upper atmosphere, the rocket's automatic systems activated its data transmitter, sending a massive stream of valuable scientific data back to the surface of Kerbin. Minutes later, the rocket quietly ascended into the vacuum of space.

 

 

Edited November 7, 2016 by Third_OfFive

[Third_OfFive]

Chapter 3 1.2 is here! Hope you guys enjoy

It's a bit on the short side, so I might add in a few bits later on.

 

CHAPTER 1.2

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Chapter 1.2

 

UFKR: Bealekor Kosmocentre

5220 YHD Day 23, 5:47 ST

“T-minus 1 minute to launch. All personnel, clear the launchpad area immediately.” blared the PA “This is not a drill. All personnel, clear the launchpad area immediately.”

The Bealekor Kosmocentre was bustling with activity as the Zara prepared to launch. Workers busied themselves with various tasks, soldiers directed spectators to their places, and state press reporters adjusted their cameras.

 

The President General stepped out of his private car. He knew his arrival at this event was of great significance; rarely did the President General make such public appearances. With the recent space launch from the UNKK, it was important for the Union to reassure its citizens of the UFKR's unfaltering superiority in space.

 

“Vika”

“Sora”

“Senka”

“Silko”

“Von”

“Dura”

“Zura”

“Kri”

“Zu”

“Om”

 

A plume of white hot flame erupted from the rocket, drawing “ooh's” and “aah's” from the crowd. Gracefully, the rocket ascended upwards as the clamps holding it down released it into the sky.

 

“Zara has cleared the launchpad. All systems nominal.”

The Flight Commander removed his hat and ran his hand through his graying hair. Mission control was even busier than before. The sound of radio chatter dominated the room, especially the radio feed from the state news broadcast.

“Liftoff! The rocket Zara blasts off from the launchpad at Bealekor Kosmocentre! The UFKR's latest satellite will soon circle Kerbin at more than five times the height of it's predecessor, the Astra, once again demonstrating the superiority of the Communist system. Dear leader himself is here to witness the event...”

“Engine gimbal looks good. Adjusting pitch to 20 degrees..” reported flight control.

The rocket tore through the sky, carrying its precious payload up through the atmosphere. Commands were received from flight control back on the ground to begin the gravity turn sequence, and the rocket complied.

As the Zara soared higher and higher into the sky and out of range of flight control, the probe's new and improved automated control systems took over. The rocket pitched downward and burned the final leg into orbit.

 

“Stage separation confirmed”

The fairing split in half, revealing a small probe, similar to the Astra but with a simple mono-propellant engine attached to it. As the probe separated from the main rocket, the new photovoltaic panels immediately began recharging the Zara's batteries, and the onboard systems began counting down to burn into a higher orbit.

 

“OMS burn in 6.. 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1..”

In the mission control room, everyone's eyes turned to the projector screen.

“Engine ignition successful, 12 seconds to cutoff”

The Flight Commander watched the data on the screen intently. This was the most critical point in the mission. Due to the enormous distances between mission control and the probe, it was impossible for the rocket to be controlled remotely from the ground beyond the upper atmosphere. As such, the tedious orbital maneuvers that the Zara was to perform had to be programmed in before the launch; and now, the flight controllers could only sit and watch, and hope that everything went according to plan. Furthermore, to save weight, the probe's innovative navigation systems lacked any telemetric equipment, instead relying on a set of simple timers to determine when to carry out it's next maneuver. This is what made this particular burn so crucial; everything had to be exactly right. If anything went wrong, anything at all, if the engine didn't consume exactly the right amount of fuel, or if the apoapsis didn't reach exactly the right altitude, then the probe wouldn't be able to achieve a stable orbit as planned.

“Engine cutoff.”

Now, they had to wait. As the Zara ascended to it's apoapsis, it flew well out of the range of the Kosmocentre. Now, they could only hope that the probe's automatic systems would work. If they did, then they would hear from the probe again in about 20 minutes when it circled back around the planet, and, hopefully, took a picture of the entire planet Kerbin.

 

 

UFKR: Mission Control, Bealekor Kosmocentre

24 minutes later

 

Nothing. The Flight Commander felt a feeling of dread swell up inside of him. Minute after minute passed, and still no sign of the Zara. The room was silent.

Suddenly, a button lit up on the flight controller's console.

“We've got a signal!”

Everyone in the room cheered, as a picture of Kerbin appeared on the screen.

The Flight Commander let out a sigh of relief. They had done it. Again.

 

 

 

 

UNKK: National Kakistocratic Party Convention, Kolus City

5220 YHD Day 37, 1:15 ST

 

The President paced nervously in his waiting room. Despite having spent months preparing for this moment, he couldn't help but feel petrified. At any moment now, he and the other presidential candidates would be called on stage, and the convention would begin.

In order to become the NKP's Presidential nominee, the President would have to best his opponents in a fierce competition to say the craziest things possible. As popular as the event was amongst the public, he detested it greatly. Last time, he had won the nomination by promising to double the UNKK's nuclear arsenal (He ended up tripling it).

The President turned to his campaign manager “I don't know, Donfal, do you think my proposals will be good enough?”

“Don't worry, you'll do fine.” Donfal reassured him “Your campaign staff have worked night and day to make your promises as generic and hollow as possible. The other candidates won't know what hit them!”

“Well, I.. I don't know.. do you really think I'll be able to keep all of these promises?”

“What?” Donfal snorted “You don't think you're actually going to keep any of your promises, do you?”

Everyone else in the room burst out laughing.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

“You're on in 5 minutes, Mr. President.”

 

 

“Good evening, dear viewers, and welcome to the 5220 National Kakistocratic convention!”

The enormous auditorium was suddenly filled with loud booming music, and the stage lit up with bright, multi-colored lights. The audience cheered.

“Now, for the first time on broadcast television! I'm your host, Ryan Kerman. And boy, what a fantastic night, folks!”

Ryan stepped unto the stage, queuing the spotlights, which revealed five podiums positioned at center stage.

“This program was brought to you by Frank's Crunchies! Nothing says 'Crunchy' like Frank's! But, without further ado, let's get riiiiiight into the convention!”

The audience roared in approval.

“Let's hear it for this year's Presidential candidates!”

The five candidates, the President included, entered onto the stage.

“Doodcal Kerman!”

“Gilhat Kerman!”

“Billock Kerman!”

“Grump Kerman!”

The cheering grew noticeably louder at the mention of that candidate's name.

“And last but not least, our current President, Dilfrod Kerman!”

The candidates walked to their designated podiums. There was a pause, as the host waited for the cheering to die down.

“Each contestant- I mean, candidate, has a button on their podium. When they wish to speak, they will push their button, and then they will attempt to make the stupidest, the craziest, the most downright moronic proposals they can think of! Are you ready?!”

The crowd replied with a resounding “Yeah!!”

“This convention is now in session!”

 

The President stood at his podium, surveying the crowd. He could feel his hands shake, as he desperately tried to keep calm. He was sweating, and his hearts were nearly pounding out of his chest. A bell sounded as one of the candidates pressed their button.

“Gilhat Kerman!” the host said “how would you like to start us off?”

“Well” replied Gilhat “I think that the globe is only a theory! I think we should be teaching the Flat Kerbin theory in our schools instead!”

“Wow!” said the host “How utterly backwards and ignorant! Ten points!”

Another bell sounded.

“Billock!” said the host “What do you have to say to that!?”

“I think that we should cut our excessive military spending, and spend the money on more useful things, like education and healthcare!”

A buzzer sounded.

“Sorry, Billock! That kind of logic and sound-minded reasoning has no place in this convention! You're out!!”

Embarrassed and dejected, Billock was escorted off of the stage.

“I don't feel sorry for him. His poll numbers were about as high as my income tax rate!”

The audience laughed. Another bell.

“Doodcal! What have you got?”

“I think that we should cut taxes, and triple our defense budget!”

“Dangerously stupid! Twelve points!”

Suddenly, Grump's hand hit the button. Not bothering to listen to the host's response, he continued:

“I want to build a wall, all across our southern border! A big, beautiful, 20-meter wall!”

“How intriguing! What would this wall accomplish?”

“Absolutely nothing. It would be completely ineffective, and would likely bankrupt the country!”

“Wow… wait, we don't have a southern border..”

“Exactly!”

“Amazing! Insane, xenophobic, and immensely stupid, all at the same time! I love it! Twenty points!”

The President took his chance, and pressed the button.

“President Dilfrod!” said Ryan “What's your response?”

The President quickly scanned through his list of proposals.

“Well, I.. uh.. I think that we should break down the barriers that separate us!”

“Wow! So nebulous and vague! I have no idea what that's even supposed to mean! Fifteen points!”

Another bell sounded.

“Gilhat! What do you have to say?”

“I think that people who like the color blue are an abomination, and shouldn't be allowed to get married!”

“How grossly intolerant! Twenty points!”

A bead of sweat trickled down the President's forehead. He was getting pummeled. He had to think of something, and fast.

Another bell. It was Grump.

“I want to bomb the UFKR!!”

There was an audible gasp.

“Unprecedented! I don't think I've ever heard something so stupid in my entire life! One Hundred points!”

The audience cheered. They began chanting: “Grump! Grump! Grump! Grump! Grump! Grump! Grump! Grump!”

Suddenly, it came to him. The President slammed his hand down on the button.

“I want to put a Kerbal on the Mun!”

 

UNKK: Kerbal Space Center

5220 YHD Day 38, 4:30 ST

“The President said WHAT!?”

Wernher Von Kerman stared in disbelief at the letter he had just read.

“You New Kolusians really know how to go off of the deep end! A Kerbal on the Mun!? Are you kidding me!?”

“Calm down, Wernher.” The General reassured him “It’s the NKP. They’re just saying whatever stupid rhetoric will get them votes.”

“But what about the UFKR? They don’t know that. What will they think, when they inevitably hear about this? Their rocket program is already miles ahead of us, and now we’ve challenged them to a race to the Mun?”

“Wernher, relax. This is a great opportunity to get more funding! I’ve already contacted some of my friends in the Senate, and private contractors have already been making offers. It’s politics, Wernher, that’s just how these things work.”

“Yeah, in your country, maybe…” Wernher muttered as he left the office.

 

 

High above central Kolus

5220 YHD Day 39, 5:06 ST

Jebediah Kerman’s K-2 Spy plane flew silently deep within the territory of the UFKR. 20 kilometers above the surface, the plane tore through the thin air of the upper atmosphere at supersonic speeds.

Jeb couldn’t help but feel a wave of exhilaration wash over him. High up in the atmosphere and flying at more than twice the speed of sound, his plane was virtually undetectable by the enemy’s radar. With no radio chatter to pummel his ears, the cabin was dead silent. Jeb smiled. He was untouchable.

 

UFKR: Bealekor Kosmocentre

Meanwhile

 

Viktor Kerman sat in the dimly lit radar tracking center, staring numbly at the screen in front of him. Another boring day. It would be several days before the launch of the UFKR’s next satellite, so Viktor was tasked with doing routine drills of the Kosmocentre’s advanced radar system. What fun. He took a sip of his tea and switched on the tracking system.

 

High above central Kolus

Meanwhile

As Jebediah flew over the large, sparsely populated plateau of central Kolus, he began to notice something rather odd. As he monitored the photographs being taken by the plane’s surveillance camera apparatus, he noticed a suspiciously large military truck carrying a large payload. What’s more, the truck was completely off-road, traveling on a narrow dirt path that was barely visible, even from the sky; as if the path had been deliberately hidden. Soon, he found another truck. And another. Intrigued, Jeb pressed onward, photographing the path as it wound up into the foothills.

 

UFKR: Bealekor Kosmocentre

Meanwhile

 

Out of the blue, Viktor’s monitor beeped. Puzzled, Viktor looked up from the checklist he was reading. Did he just hear a beep? He paused and listened.

 

Beep

 

A dot appeared on the radar screen.

“That’s odd...” Viktor muttered to himself. The area around the Kosmocentre was restricted airspace. No flights were scheduled to take place, and even if it were authorized at the last minute, he would surely know about it.

 

Beep

 

Could this be some kind of bird? No, it was moving much too fast.

This had to be some kind of glitch.

Could this be.. a satellite? No, not possible. There was no way the radar could pick up a satellite; that would just be too high up. This was definitely in atmosphere. Telemetry data placed the object at around 21,000 meters. That was far higher than any conventional aircraft. In fact, it was even higher than what most radars could detect. Hell, if it weren’t for the advanced tracking systems at the Kosmocentre, it wouldn’t even be…

 

Wait a minute…

 

High above central Kolus

Meanwhile

 

Jeb was onto something. The semi-hidden paths he had seen before had now been replaced by guarded checkpoints, placed intermittently along a small gravel path that ran deep into the mountains. They had to be hiding something. This much security, out in the middle of nowhere?

 

As he continued to photograph the area, he noticed something just beyond the ridge. A large facility, situated snugly in a valley surrounded by towering mountains. Tanks, military vehicles, and construction vehicles bustled about like ants, carrying out their various tasks about the facility. The complex itself seemed to center around a flat area, which appeared to be…

Is that a launchpad?

Could this be the UFKR’s space center?

 

Suddenly, Jeb’s head snapped up as an alarm went off.

Oh… s**t.

 

Jeb banked hard left, but it was too late. One of the missiles nicked his tail and exploded on contact, instantly crippling the plane. His vision blurred as the plane went into a spin. Wasting no time, Jeb steered the plane towards the mountains. Any wreckage the plane left behind, and the valuable secret technology it carried, would be buried in snow long before the patrols could reach it. Jeb took a deep breath. He knew what he had to do.

 

As the plane sped towards the ground, Jeb took one last look at the sky. Then, he armed the self-destruct button, closed his eyes, and pressed it.

 

 

Edited November 7, 2016 by Third_OfFive

[Mjp1050]

I have to say, this is quite a well-written story. I'm really enjoying the satire, too. 

[HoloYolo]

This is great!

[KSK]

Owww. The satire - it stings.

On the other hand, that has to be one of the craziest reasons I've read for putting a kerbal on the Mün. Thirty-five points and a well earned round of Internet applause to you!

[Andem]

Moar.

[Third_OfFive]

Hi guys

This is just a reminder to my readers that I have updated chapter 3 with more content.

[Andem]

  On 8/16/2016 at 1:30 AM, Third_OfFive said:

Hi guys

This is just a reminder to my readers that I have updated chapter 3 with more content.

Expand  

Jeb! 

[CalculusWarrior]

I hope we're going to see a Gary Powers-type situation and not the...alternative. Poor Jeb.

[TheEpicSquared]

Noooo! Jeb! 

[Third_OfFive]

Hello again

It's been a while since I've posted anything, so I thought I'd share what I have so far. I'll update the rest of the chapter when I've finished it.

Enjoy!

 

CHAPTER 1.3

  Reveal hidden contents

Chapter 1.3

 

UNKK: Kerbal Space Center

5220 YHD Day 39, 5:20 ST

“All personnel, clear the launchpad area. T-minus 30 seconds. All personnel, clear the launchpad area.”

A light gust of wind swept over the space center, bringing relief to the officers seated near the mission control building. The President unbuttoned his coat and rolled up his sleeves, in an attempt to escape the sweltering heat. Despite his discomfort, he felt relieved to be out of the public eye. It was as if a switch had been pulled, and all of the clutter and pestering that racked his mind abruptly shut off.

“T-minus 10 seconds. Stand by to commit turbo-pump.”

Wernher sat nervously inside the cluttered mission control room. For weeks, Wernher and his team had toiled over their new engine design, the LV. A completely different approach compared to their traditional solid-fuel rockets, the LV used a complex series of pumps to burn liquid fuel in a combustion chamber. The process was much more tedious, and very risky, but it was their only hope to beat the UFKR.

“Five”

“Four”

“Three. Pump committed.”

“Two”

“One”

 

With a flash and a loud sputter, the engine roared to life. A thick plume of dust and steam rose into the air, as superheated fuel gushed out of the nozzle at high speed. The structure holding the engine assembly struggled to hold it down, creaking and groaning as the engine pushed against it with considerable force. The noise was deafening. Unlike the previous engines that the staff were accustomed to, which consisted of a loud crackling noise, this was much more ominous; a low, booming roar that resonated across the entire complex. As the test continued, the noise grew louder and louder, reaching a crescendo before, as abruptly as it began, the engine stopped.

 

The officers applauded as the test came to a stop. A resounding success. The President nodded in approval. As the officers congratulated everyone, a messenger ran up to one of the officers seated next to the President. She whispered something into his ear. The officer leaned over. “Sir, we have a problem.”

 

Somewhere in the UFKR

Date unknown, Time unknown

An icy wind swept over Jebediah’s bare face. With a jolt, his eyes snapped open, revealing an image of snow-covered peaks through the cracked canopy. Dazed and barely conscious, Jeb slowly lifted his head, separating his face from the dashboard. His vision darkened as blood rushed through his head. He looked around. The cockpit was cold enough that his exhaled breath was visible. Blood seeped from a large cut in his forehead, coloring much of the dashboard a deep blue. His entire face was completely numb. His cheeks, his forehead, his lips, his nose…

Wait, what’s a nose?

Nevermind…

As Jebediah regained his bearings, he quickly realized what was going on. He sat up. Instantly, he screamed in pain. He looked down. A feeling of dread swept over him as he realized what was wrong. His left leg was disjointed from his pelvis. He whimpered as he felt around his thigh, trying to get a sense of where the bone was. He had to act quickly. Preparing himself, he took a deep breath, and pushed.

 

Jebediah opened his eyes, to a rather close-up view of the dashboard. He looked up. The sun was much lower in the sky than it was before. He checked his leg. It hurt like hell, but the bone was in its socket. He sat up and stretched. His face was now badly frostbitten, and it was starting to hurt. He quickly covered his cheeks with his gloved hand, and searched for the survival kit. There was barely anything in it. Made sense; not much to pack in a survival kit when, in the event of a mission failure, the goal was not to survive. Thankfully, though, there were some bandages, and some petroleum jelly, which he immediately applied to his face. He bandaged the cut on his forehead, which had now stopped bleeding. There was also a pocket knife, which he used to cut open the seat cushion. He crammed the stuffing down into his suit for warmth. Then, he ripped out the felt cover and wrapped it around his ears and forehead. He had to act fast. The sun was setting. If this is what the day had done to him, then the night would kill him for sure.

Fire. He needed fire.

As the sun disappeared over the horizon, he could almost feel the air temperature plummet. Jeb frantically searched through the cockpit for anything flammable. He found a small scripture book. Not much, but it would have to do.

Now he needed something to light it. He didn’t have any matches, or a lighter. Come on… there had to be something..

Jeb ducked under the dashboard. He pried open one of the panels, exposing a tangled array of wires. Carefully, he cut them. Then, he picked out two of them, and gently touched them together. There was a spark. He tore out one of the pages and held it up to the wires. After a few tries, it caught. He threw the blazing scrap of paper, along with the rest of the booklet, into the gutted frame of the pilot seat. Already shivering, Jeb huddled around his little fire for warmth. He sacrificed a few chunks of stuffing from his suit for the cause. Desperate for more fuel, he looked around for anything else he could put in the fire. He found a small wooden statuette of the Holy Kraken.

“I’m sure you won’t mind, will you?”

He tossed it into the fire.

 

 

Edited November 7, 2016 by Third_OfFive

[legoclone09]

Loving the story!

[Crocket]

Woo! Moar!

[Alpha 360]

Yes! Jebediah Kerman is in the Game! I was really upset in the Whispers of The Kraken that Jebediah was killed, so here we go!

[Third_OfFive]

Hi guys. I know it's been a while, so a quick update:

I've decided to postpone my work on Pale Green Dot until the official release of 1.2. I have a pretty solid story in mind for the next few chapters.

[Felsmak]

I really like those flags!

[Planetace]

Can I mod move this to mission reports...

@Red Iron Crown where are you?

[Third_OfFive]

  On 9/17/2016 at 4:51 PM, Felsmak said:

I really like those flags!

Expand  

Thanks

Here are the original image files, feel free to use them if you like.

  On 9/17/2016 at 5:26 PM, Galacticvoyager said:

Can I mod move this to mission reports...

@Red Iron Crown where are you?

Expand  

Why? It's a novel...

[Planetace]

  On 9/17/2016 at 5:29 PM, Third_OfFive said:

Thanks

Here are the original image files, feel free to use them if you like.

Why? It's a novel...

Expand  

Well, people seem to make similar stories like this into mission reports...