The last mission

[Kertech]

Chapter 1

 

"If the ground glitches I could end up flying into the air

If I walk into a landing gear it could explode

If the space bar is pressed the base could disassemble

 

Bill Kerman is the Dunian"

 

Bill stared at the words, the blurb for his new book. Stories of space had become just that, stories. For 5 years the program had run, stations set up in the sky moving at 2km/s, racing round the planet, able to see 10 sunrises a day! The space race had been won, against who no one knew but Jeb assured them it was a race!

The Valencia program had set up the biggest and most expensive ships the world had known, and in doing so bankrupt two nations and pushed a small family owned corner shop chain out of business. The final nail had been the station 3 disaster. Bill fought back the memory, the smoke pouring in the small cabin

Now things are different, space is considered to be sacrilegious, so kerbals keep their feet on the ground. The old team had parted, Bob had his own business, Val had become a tv star, Werner had gone mad and here’s Bill, now in Werner’s office, running a small airfield.

 

Today is a balloon launch. The Kerbin Meteorological society are sending up a weather balloon. No one is quite sure why they do this, as far as anyone can tell Kerbin has no weather. Bill didn’t even know what a cloud was until shown a misty box full of steam. They just keep saying that there could be clouds if the Ram would allow it and water would fall from the sky and wind would destroy everything.

Mad heretics, the church of the Ram thoroughly disapprove of such notions. The only tenants of their faith is “keep things small to please the Ram, As few things within 50km as possible and always try and control things from far away” (Jeb hated the last one).

Down at the pad Bill checked the balloon for its safety release

Releasing it, the balloon slowly drifts off. A sorrowful sight for the old buildings once so glorified now gathering dust.

Bill walked back his office, maybe time to write another story

[Chemp]

A very nice way to tell the story. I love the whole "please the Ram" approach on hardware limitations. Having been limited to play KSP in an old laptop myself, I definitely see where you're coming from. And who says that every story has to feature huge behemoths?
I'm looking forward to the next chapter!

[Kertech]

1 hour ago, Chemp said:

feature huge behemoths?
I'm looking forward to the next chapter!

Yeah my poor old laptop suffers but is a little trooper! There is one or two "huge behemoths" to appear but not for long. And thanks, I've been wanting to do this for a while but real life can get busy!

[Kertech]

Chapter 2

“So why we coming here anyway” Asked Jedke

“Wernher, Wernher has sent us” replied Bob.

They had arrived for the final flight north from the most northern most base. The poor compass just sat in the corner looking confused. Jedke a young pilot of Kerbin wide industries appeared obviously star struck by this timid looking kerbal. The Gull mk 2 was one of the newest planes around and looked ancient!

 

“Wernher, but he must be dead, he decades ago”

Bob rolled Jebkes comment in his mind. He had always hated having to be party to Wernher’s ‘retirement’. Wernher had actually retired from sanity.

“no, not dead, just old” Bob replied before settling into an uncomfortable silence. Bob was as normal scared, fear of what might be out there. At best nothing but a mad old man’s ravings.

 

The square red brick building nestled behind tree and seven foot walls, the doors and the burly nurses escorting him. The asylum was not somewhere bob ever felt comfortable, although feeling comfortable there probably meant you were due an extended visit! Bob had only come because Wernher had said his name. The first coherent thing he had said in decades “Bob Kerman”.  Wernher’s cell was covered in strange symbols and red lines across every surface. He had pointed at a series of numbers, and that was it.

It took a week to work out they were coordinates and a further three to get here. Three weeks, what Bob would have given for a suborbital rocket again!

“what amazing weather we’ve been having huh boss?” Jebke seemed to be one of those kerbals who couldn’t accept a silence, “not a cloud in the sky!”

“what is a cloud Jebke?” – This shut the young kerbal up.

They flew low and fast over the ice cap, only half an hour left now.

“Why are we flying out here, if you wanted ice surely you could have asked for it” Jebke asked. Bob started regretting not sitting in the passenger cabin.

“Hopefully nothing, just keep flying Jebke”

Soon they arrived at their destination, Bob having endured a substantial amount of the smallest talk imaginable!

They landed and Bob got out his rover. Made sure all the tires were up and the brakes worked.

“Right Jebke, you stay here, radio base and say we landed, I’m gonna drive the final part”

“You sure boss?” Jebke's voice crackled back on the radio. Bob thought about it but no the sooner they were done here the sooner he could get home.

He set out across up the hills to the west of the Gull, kerbol unmoving behind him.

Over the ridge a grey shape appeared, round looking like a boulder on the Mun. The only thing in the area other than trees and even they were few and far between. ‘Time to walk, don’t want to roll this rover into it’ Bob thought to himself. He scratched behind his ear and set off.

The shape became rounder, and more glossy. It looked like it was buried, some sort of dish. The itch was becoming worse and buzzing was growing around him. The air grew thicker with every step. Bob could hear his breathing fast and loud inside his helmet. 

Bob for the first time ever did not feel scared. He knew what he had to do. Just touch it.

He reached forward to lay his right hand on it.

A siren screams through the air, a noise awful to hear. Bob regaining his senses runs, backup the hill to his rover. Getting on board Bob madly dashed back to the Gull, ‘have to get away, have to flee’ the only thought in his head.

It was then the shockwave hit, the tires screeching as the car buffeted around. Another mile revealed the cause.

The thing was massive, the noise of ice cracking beneath it could be heard even from this far out. 

The plane, destroyed, Jebke dead. Bob fled south, the only real way to go from here

[Geschosskopf]

Well, this is certainly an interesting start.  Can't wait to see more.