A Mystery Beyond Science: A Kerbal Mystery Thriller (Ch. 42: Almost There)

[KerballingSmasher]

17 hours ago, Mars-Bound Hokie said:

Now, either you flirt with me or get back to reading Spaceplane Monthly.”

HA-HAAAA XD

[GuessingEveryDay]

Wow! I just finished all 39 (not couting prologue) chapters, and it took me 2 days! Can't wait for the next chapter!

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

On 5/25/2020 at 10:50 AM, GuessingEveryDay said:

Wow! I just finished all 39 (not couting prologue) chapters, and it took me 2 days! Can't wait for the next chapter!

Working on it - along with getting my private pilot's license over the summer.

 

After reading this story (so far), who in the Kerbal Space Program do you think causes more deaths? I just want to know your opinion/s.

1. Misty
2. Irpond
3. Terrible engineers

[GuessingEveryDay]

It's really more those who accidentally let details slip to Misty and Irpond who took advantage of these details, like with Misty and Debra, Misty had full access to the data and could find a way to sabotage it. Or when Matt left his kPad and Irpond got the data to hack the planes and passed it on to Misty.

Hope you'll be able to get that pilot's license. I'm also working toward mine. But the online lessons go haywire every few chapters.

[KerballingSmasher]

5 hours ago, Mars-Bound Hokie said:

After reading this story (so far), who in the Kerbal Space Program do you think causes more deaths? I just want to know your opinion/s.

1. Misty
2. Irpond
3. Terrible engineers

Why not all three?

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

CHAPTER FORTY: RETURNING HOME

 

(213 DAYS LATER)

It was two hours until morning for Dangerzone Air Force Base on Kerbin. Though the stars were lighting up the night sky above, almost all the exterior lights were on as several people and vehicles were moving in the area. This was unusual for the base personnel, as the night flying drills were not scheduled for another four days. Most of them guessed that there was a mission about to commence soon, but had no idea as to the nature. All they knew is that in involved a few spaceplanes – which had arrived weeks ago – some experimental weapons, and men from Special Forces. Once they noticed a Kerbal Space Program jet land earlier today, they figured that it was serious and would involve flying at high altitudes.

Inside the underground briefing room, 19 men – 8 pilots, 10 soldiers (2 of which trained medics), and 1 mechanic – were awaiting their orders. When they were summoned to briefing, they had been told that they had been chosen for a special mission. However, the only details they had been giving regarding the mission were that it involved a fugitive and a hostage.

“So, what do you think we’re gonna do?” asked Technical Sergeant Iceman Kerman.

“Who cares? I just want to get some air under my wings,” said Staff Sergeant Maverick Kerman, who had a reputation for being a hotshot pilot.

“Don’t tell anyone I told you this,” said Master Sergeant Manfred Kerman, “but Iceman and I have been drilling with a new plane for the past two weeks.”

“Like THAT’S a secret,” sighed Maverick. “Next time you want to hide a top-secret aircraft, don’t test it once a day and keep it in the maintenance hangar.”

“Tell me you didn’t take it for a joyride,” said Manfred.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t,” assured Maverick. “200 days of latrine detail taught me that.”

“Attention! Captain on deck!” someone shouted, then everyone stood in attention as Captain Henry Kerman arrived – along with a man neither of them had seen before.

“At ease, gentlemen,” said Henry, and the men sat down. “Now, this man here is Dr. Werner Von Kerman from the Kerbal Space Center in Krakopolis. In case you haven’t noticed already, some of you have been drilling with a new spaceplane for the last two weeks. As to why, we’re getting right to it. Doctor, if you please?”

“Thank you, Captain. Lights,” Werner requested, then the briefing room was dark as a projector activated and displayed a side-by-side image of a man and a woman on the IntelligentBoard. “You’ve all been told that this is a search-and-rescue mission involving a fugitive of the law.” Werner pressed a button on a small remote and the word “Enemy” appeared underneath the woman in all-capital letters. “This woman here is Misty Kerman. She has murdered several people on the planet Eve and kidnapped this man, Jebediah Kerman Senior.” The word “Hostage,” then popped up under the man’s photo.

“Jeb Senior?” gasped one of the soldiers.

“Not good,” murmured another.

“I heard that, and YES, it’s not good,” interrupted Werner. “During her escape, she stole an Eve Ascent Vehicle and blasted off in a trajectory heading back home.” The screen then changed to show Kerbin with a path of a pod going in a hyperbolic trajectory. What really got the men’s attention was the clock that was counting down.

ETA UNTIL 70 KM – 2:26:13.937

“She is currently in Kerbin’s sphere of influence. More specifically, she is expected to breach the atmosphere in less than… two and a half hours. If our calculations are correct, and if you guys do the mission right, her current trajectory will place her right with you mid-flight. Her periapsis is now at 55 kilometers.”

“Um, one question,” said Maverick. “How will we know when to launch and where she’s going?”

“I’m getting there, and please hold your questions until the end. The planes you all will be using have a tracking program that will show you her pod’s trajectory AND her ETA to your position. However, keep in mind that she will be going WAY faster than you… except for Master Sergeant Manfred Kerman, who will use the Laie plane.” He then changed slides to show a medium-sized plane on the runway of the Kerbal Space Center.

“That’s it,” Manfred whispered to Maverick. “That’s the plane.”

“Now, LISTEN UP!” ordered Captain Henry, then Wernher changed slides.

“As Misty will be entering Kerbin’s atmosphere in an initial hyperbolic trajectory, she will be going faster than any of YOUR planes can when she reaches periapsis – which, by the way, is now 55 kilometers above the surface. Even with the spaceplanes that most of you will be using for the mission, you can’t match her velocity by the time she reaches you. So that you all have a better chance of reaching each other as a group, you will all launch in separate waves before she hits the atmosphere.”

“Green Team, stand up!” said Henry, and the soldiers and six of the pilots obeyed.

“You all will launch first in your designated planes at the right time. Your mission: extract Misty and Jeb Senior and hold them until they can be picked up. Remember: Jeb Senior is the HOSTAGE while MISTY is the bad guy.”

“Maverick Kerman, stand up,” said Henry, and Maverick obeyed as Werner showed a picture of a one-man SSTO next to Maverick’s military ID photo. “Rank and name, airman.”

“Sir! Staff Sergeant Maverick Kerman, sir!”

“You, sir, will fly this spaceplane – also known as the L-2 Mercury – during the mission. You’ll take off soon after the paratroopers, eventually passing them. Your job: reconnaissance. Specifically, following the trail of the capsule after Manfred’s plane intercepts it.”

“Manfred Kerman, stand up!”

“Thank you, I already know who you are,” said Werner, but Manfred stood up anyway. “The rest of you guys will be airborne by the time he takes off.” His slide then changed to show the Laie. “If you read Spaceplane Monthly, or if you’ve been involved in the practice drills for this mission, you should already know what this is. If you don’t, this plane is called the Laie. Up to date, this is the fastest aircraft on the planet; capable of circling the entire equator in less than half an hour and landing in one piece.”

“Whoa!” gasped a soldier.

“You lucky son of a gun,” one of the paratroopers told Manfred.

“As Misty will be entering the atmosphere in an attempt to aerobrake – hence, lowering her orbital apoapsis – she will be decelerating whereas Manfred will be accelerating. In other words, he will need to take off BEFORE she breaches the atmosphere and gain enough speed to match hers when she reaches her periapsis. If you still don’t know what I’m talking about…” he then showed a drawing on the IntelligentBoard, “take a look at THIS.”

 

 

“Um… excuse me,” Maverick interrupted, raising his hand, “I thought the rules for the ‘Around the World’ aircraft race SPECIFICALLY STATES that you need to be below 35 km at all times. Why do you want to get up to 55?”

“Yeah. More importantly, how?” asked one of the troop transport pilots. “There’s no usuable air for the intakes.”

“For once, you pay attention to the rules,” sighed Werner. “To answer BOTH of your questions, the Laie CAN fly in rocket mode – which means it has oxidizer in its tanks. This means that, for as long as rocket mode is on, the rapier engines won’t need intake air. I need Manfred to get up to 55 kilometers because Misty’s trajectory puts her at that high a periapsis.” He paused as the two men nodded in agreement. “On the other hand, it IS possible for her to make a last-minute change in her periapsis before she jettisons her rocket. Either way, since she does not have enough fuel to achieve a negative periapsis altitude, Manfred would still be able to intercept her in the sky.”

“What do you want me to do with the capsule when I meet her?” asked Manfred.

“You should already know, Manfred – but, since everyone else wasn’t involved in your drills, I’m going to tell it anyway,” said Werner, showing a missile with what looked like airbrakes and parachutes deployed. “When you intercept Misty’s capsule, you should be matching her velocity at periapsis. You should be not too far behind her when you launch these. For those who don’t know what this is, this is the new DragOn air-to-air missile – built in a joint project between the Kerbal Space Program and BDArmory specifically for this mission.

“Once launched, they will lock on a target and fly towards it. When they catch up, they will orient themselves so that a powerful electromagnet on one of the sides will attach the missiles to the capsule. When both missiles are attached, they will deploy airbrakes in order to increase the capsule’s drag profile – hence increasing her deceleration rate.” A video then started, showing what Manfred was talking about. A computer-generated model of the Laie flew towards a Mk1-3 command pod and fired two missiles at the same time. The missiles then spun about their long axes mid-flight and attached themselves to the capsule before deploying two airbrakes and a parachute each.

“So, basically, you’re slowing down Misty’s pod,” summarized Captain Henry. “Manfred will follow Misty’s pod at a safe distance, but he will not go above 60 kilometers altitude after the missiles are fired. Should MISTY do so, Manfred will descend to 20 kilometers and return to base. As for the rest of you, if that happens, you will turn around and await my orders.”

“Ideally, the DragOn missiles would slow her down to the point where she won’t go around Kerbin again,” continued Werner. “If, however, she DOES – and her new orbital period around Kerbin is NOT a whole multiple of six hours – she’ll be crashing at a different location. Depending on that, you will either return to base or converge on that location at a specified velocity.”

“Should you be ordered to converge, Maverick will fly recon and scout ahead on the estimated landing spot unless otherwise ordered,” added Henry. “As for the ground forces, your job is simple: surround the capsule, arrest Misty and rescue Jeb Senior, and give them medical attention if necessary. Oh, and don’t forget to call it in when you do. I want to know when they’re in your hands.”

NAME	GENDER	STATUS	INSTRUCTIONS	IF MED NEEDED
Jebediah Kerman Senior	Male	Hostage	1. Separate from Misty. 2. (IF FUEL PERMITS) fly Jeb Senior to Baikerbanur. 3. (IF FUEL DOES NOT PERMIT) fly to nearest base. If you can’t, radio position and wait for law enforcement to extract him.	1. Have medic attend to patient. If the injuries are serious enough to warrant a hospital visit, radio it in. We will relay information to whoever’s receiving him.   -  if he needs two trained medics (and not just any other assistant), forget Misty getting any until one can be spared. 2. Fly to nearest hospital and drop him off. DO NOT LET HIM JUMP OFF THE PLANE.   -  if a base is nearby, pick that one. All air force bases should have hospitals on-site.
Misty Kerman	Female	Enemy (armed)	1. Force surrender 2. Restrain her 3. Check for weapons 4. (IF FUEL PERMITS) fly prisoner to base for holding 5. (IF FUEL DOES NOT PERMIT) radio position and hold her until law enforcement picks her up.   (LETHAL FORCE ALLOWED)	1. Have medic attend to patient. If the injuries are serious enough to warrant a hospital visit, radio it in. We will relay information to whoever’s receiving her.   -  notify law enforcement that patient is a fugitive of the law. 2. Fly to nearest hospital and drop her off. DO NOT LET HER JUMP OFF THE PLANE.   -  if a base is nearby, pick that one. Security personnel will watch her at all times.
IF YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN SAVING MISTY’S LIFE OR JEB SENIOR’S AND/OR YOUR OWN … KILL HER OR LEAVE HER TO DIE SHE DESERVES IT, ANYWAY

 

“Now that you get the jist,” said Captain Henry, “any questions?”

“Yes, is she carrying the Watneyvirus?” a paratrooper blurted out.

“No,” sighed Werner. “As it was an epidemic that broke out ON DUNA approximately 150 days ago, Misty would have still been in-transit FROM EVE by then. By that logic, she couldn’t be ANYWHERE NEAR anyone OR anything with that virus.” Someone else raised their hand, but Werner seemed to know what he was about to ask. “She’s not carrying anything from Laythe’s Fallout Zone, either. As far as we know, Misty doesn’t have ANY biological weapons with her.” Embarrassed, the soldier put his hand down. “Any other questions?”

“I got one,” said Iceman, “why don’t we just… WAIT for Misty to land?”

“For far too long, she – and her now-dead daughter, Irpond Kerman – has eluded justice for all her heinous crimes,” answered Captain Henry. “If you knew half of what Misty did – some of them before ANY of you were even born – you’d want her head on a pike too.”

“Besides an algorithm to more accurately predict her landing location, the centrals wanted Misty to land on THEIR terms instead of her own,” Werner added. “This kind of mission can also be helpful in retrieving capsules that have lost control or otherwise unable to safely land themselves.”

“Don’t you already have some kind of remote override program, or some automated emergency landing program?” questioned Iceman.

“Even the best spacecraft control systems can fail,” warned Werner, “or in some cases, get sabotaged TO THE POINT of complete failure. Any other questions?” All was silent for ten seconds. “Good, now get to your stations.”

“Captain? Dr. Werner?” said Maverick as the other men left the room. “Why’d you pick Manfred to fly the Laie?”

“Did you have another pilot in mind?” asked Werner.

“Well… ME!” emphasized Maverick. “I’ve flown the fastest planes in the air force – and a few spaceplanes, I might add – and I don’t even have an accident liability record.”

“But due to the incredible precision that this mission requires, I can’t have anyone with SEVERAL aerial tomfoolery and insubordination citations under his belt use the Laie and fire the DragOn missiles,” argued Werner. “Besides, it’s far too late to change anything now as you are not trained with using the Laie OR the DragOn missiles.”

“I understand, Dr. Werner,” sighed Maverick.

“Get to your plane, pilot,” ordered Captain Henry. “As soon as he says ‘go,’ you go. No time for lollygagging when the time comes.”

 

“Dangerzone ATC, this is Black One. Requesting clearance to takeoff on Runway 2-4,” reported Manfred, strapped to the cockpit seat of his plane.

“Runway 2-4 is clear. Standby to takeoff,” air traffic responded.

“Copy that. Moving into position.”

“Have fun catching up, Manfred,” bragged Maverick on the radio.

“T-minus 20 seconds,” a female computer voice said on Manfred’s headphones.

“Run a full diagnostic scan,” ATC responded, and Manfred hit a button on the control panel.

“All systems operational.”

“T-minus 10 seconds.”

“You really think this is going to work?” the captain asked.

“To be honest, Captain, I don’t know,” answered Werner.

“Go!” the female computer voice ordered, and Manfred pushed the throttle all the way.

“Just like you practiced, dude,” he told himself. “You got this.” Ten seconds later, he was already airborne and climbing at an angle of 10 degrees.

“You’re doing good so far,” Werner told Manfred. “Hit the autopilot.”

“Roger. Switching to targeting autopilot.” As soon as Manfred did that, the plane started to fly itself; his dashboard screen then showed his plane flying through a series of pink hoops.”

“We have confirmation; your targeting autopilot’s on, and you’re flying according to the specified instructions,” Henry told Manfred.

“Acknowledged.”

“Hey, Manfred,” Maverick said a minute later. “I got you on radar.”

“Same here,” he replied as he noticed the plane pitching up. He was not concerned about this, as the modified plane had been programmed to set off an alarm if it deviated from the path that would enable him to catch Misty at 55 kilometers altitude.

“Dangerzone ATC to squadron,” someone said on the ground, “we just picked up a new signal breaching the upper atmosphere.”

“Misty Kerman!” Maverick concluded in a dramatic voice.

“Proceed with the mission as planned,” ordered Captain Henry.

“ETA to rendezvous with target: one minute,” Manfred’s navicomputer told him.

“I see her,” said Manfred when his eyes met a capsule flying through the atmosphere with yellow flames trailing behind it. Several seconds later, his plane leveled out and aimed at the capsule. “Target locked.”

“Fire.” Manfred then pulled the trigger on the control stick, releasing both missiles before they started flying toward the capsule.

“IT’S AWAY!” As Werner had told him earlier, the missiles spun around before attaching themselves to both sides of the capsule. “Missiles attached. Repeat: missiles attached!”

“Fall back and follow her.”

“Copy that. Reducing speed.” He then saw airbrakes deploy on both missiles.

“It’s working,” Werner announced. “Her apoapsis drop rate has increased.”

“What does that mean?” asked Captain Henry.

“She’s slowing down faster than she normally would,” explained Werner. “Hopefully, slow enough to land the first go-around.”

“Sir,” one of the tower operators said, “we’re receiving a staticky transmission.”

“Where’s it coming from?” asked Henry.

“Either Manfred’s plane or… the capsule,” he said, confused.

“The CAPSULE?” gasped Werner. “On speaker.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Bill… up to…,” a woman’s voice said on the speaker.

“Manfred, any women on board your aircraft?” questioned Henry.

“Negative.”

“Mam, this is Dangerzone Air Force Base. Identify yourself,” a radio operator demanded.

“Mist… erman,” she responded amid the static.

“Say again. Repeat, say again. You’re breaking up.”

“It’s Misty,” said Werner.

“Target’s spinning out of control,” reported Manfred. “Repeat: target’s spinning out of control.”

“Is that good or bad?” Henry asked Werner.

“Depending on heat placement and whether or not the emergency landing program is intact, it can go either way,” answered Werner.

“Bill… e lost,” Misty’s voice.

“We lost contact,” an operator reported.

“It blew up! Repeat: target has exploded,” added Manfred.

“We have visual confirmation,” another man spoke on the radio. “Target was spotted exploding in Kerbin’s upper atmosphere.”

“No,” gasped Werner.

“What are the odds someone survived that?” Henry inquired.

“Honestly, I’m putting their chances of survival at… zero.”

“All right,” sighed Henry. “Attention all squadron aircraft, fall back and regroup!”

“Roger that, we’re turning around,” said Manfred.

“We’ll have to search the debris later to see what we can save,” said Werner, “but odds are their dead bodies are still plummeting towards the surface.”

“Jeb’s not gonna be too happy to hear about his dad,” commented Henry.

“Even though he has stated on interplanetary media that he wants nothing to do with his father?” questioned Werner.

“Better believe it, doctor. I had a strained relationship with MY father before he died,” said Henry. “When he DID die from a drunk driving accident, it took a while for the grief to hit me. However, when it did, it felt like getting hit by a truck.”

“I know at least ONE person who would celebrate,” sighed Werner. “Bill Kerman, Misty’s alleged arch-nemesis.”

“I’m sure A LOT of people will celebrate that she’s dead,” said Henry.

“Yeah… but at WHAT COST?”

 

Millions of kilometers away, on the surface of Dres, Jeb, Val, and Bob were now watching some Dick and Janey in Calculus Base’s rec room; Bill was nowhere in sight. While he and Val were dating now – much to the surprise of everyone within Dres’ sphere of influence – life had gotten quite boring for the other two. Jeb’s streak of boredom broke when he learned that he had been promoted to the rank of admiral. He was excited for a bit, but he then got disappointed when his rank (for the most part) prevented him from piloting spacecraft himself; rather, he would have subordinates do that for him.

“That blows, man,” he told Bill. “What’s the point of having a kick-ass rocket if you can’t even USE it?”

Aside from that, Hadgan’s court martial ended up with his conviction and him being confined to a makeshift holding cell in Dresden Base. Had his victim been someone other than Irpond (or Misty, if she was there), he would have either been executed or sentenced to life in prison on Kerbin. However, due to the heinous nature of Irpond’s crimes, Hadgan was only charged with manslaughter. Not only was he officially discharged from the Kerbal Space Program, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison – with the possibility of parole – after landing on Kerbin as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Irpond’s corpse was placed in a spacesuit – whose life support systems and batteries were completely drained – and buried 500 meters away from Dresden Base. Though it was marked with a flag and a grave marker some engineers made, many were questioning if she even deserved a burial.

Back in Calculus’ rec room, the Dick and Janey episode had just ended and was now showing a preview of the next one. In it, a girl was following a voice down to her garage and stopped 30 centimeters away from the workbench on the other side.

“I turned myself into a pickle, Janey,” said a pickle with eyes and a mouth sitting on a workbench. “I’m PICKLE DIIIIIICK!” Jeb and Bob laughed, but Val was confused.

“You know, I still don’t get why Dick would turn himself into a pickle,” she told her friends.

“Duh, to avoid therapy with his family,” sighed Jeb.

“Not that, Jeb. Of all the things a mad scientist like Dick can do just to ditch therapy, why go with turning himself into a pickle?” clarified Val. “I’d have just used a clone or an android as a stand-in.”

“Then it wouldn’t be as funny, would it?” argued Bob.

“Aw, man,” groaned Jeb, gesturing toward the monitor. “WHY are we getting commercials? I thought our KerbleTV subscription came WITHOUT ads.”

“Not anymore,” said Val, accessing a newsletter on her kPad. “The space program is saving money on all its KerbleTV subscriptions by allowing ads between scheduled shows and movies.”

“Yeah, like I’m gonna drive out to For-Mart and buy some toothpaste – in THE MIDDLE OF DRES,” complained Jeb.

“Not to mention a Congo order will take years to get here,” added Bob, then the monitor started showing a roofless car commercial. “Oh, man, we’re lucky Bill’s not here to see this.”

“Why’s that?” wondered Val.

“He’ll go on and on about how advertising a Fur Ari to Dres is a terrible idea,” answered Bob. “The short version: it won’t work at all here.”

“Speaking of Bill, where is he?” questioned Jeb.

“He’s at the control room, watching a mission to rescue your dad,” said Val.

“Honestly, I’d rather take commercials over watching some guys fishing Dad out of a capsule,” said Jeb. “The recovery crews should have no problem getting him, right?”

“Last I heard, they were trying to intercept it MID-FLIGHT,” Val told him, then shrugging her shoulders. “I dunno how, though.”

“If I were Misty, I’d think you were bluffing,” commented Bob. “Unless she was in a suborbital trajectory, she would be going at escape velocity – or higher – at periapsis. I could be wrong, but I don’t think ANY of our spaceplanes have that kind of acceleration.”

“You’ll have to ask Bill about that,” said Val.

“Hey, Bob, wanna look at some Watneyvirus memes while THIS goes on?” asked Jeb.

“Nah, I made my own yesterday,” replied Bob.

“Oh, really? Let’s see them,” said Jeb, and Bob showed him his kPad. “You know, the point of making a meme is to make people laugh. THAT just makes my brain fry to a crisp.”

“Like when you didn’t know what dihydrogen monoxide meant?” sighed Bob.

“Let me see that,” Val requested. “Huh, the ‘before quarantine’ and ‘during quarantine’ pictures look the same.”

“That’s because they ARE,” explained Bob. “Even without a virus spreading around Duna, you need to remain in a closed, regulated environment to survive. The only difference NOW is that the EVA and vehicular travel rate dropped.”

“Oh, I get it. Since you can’t go outside on Duna without a suit on, you’d be cooped in a surface base – pandemic or not,” Val figured out. “Let’s just hope that virus doesn’t reach Kerbin.”

“Given the choice between Duna and Laythe, I’d take… Duna,” stated Bob.

“Not me. Laythe is where the cool planes are at,” Jeb disagreed.

“And it’s a moon with breathable air and radioactive fallout,” reminded Bob.

“Last I checked – which was YESTERDAY – the fallout didn’t cover the ENTIRE moon,” said Val. “It was concentrated over the island cluster where Poseidon’s Palace… hey, look, the commercial break’s over.”

“Sweet,” cheered Jeb, then the next episode’s intro sequence began. “Cool, it’s KIA Note.”

“KIA Note?” gasped Bob. “How is THAT cool?”

“What do you mean how is that cool?” Jeb responded.

“I heard it was TERRIBLE,” explained Bob.

“Terrible? From who?” wondered Jeb.

“I first heard about it from Rob and some friends from Kerbin,” said Bob. “I even saw some clips of that movie, and it was just AWFUL.”

“Movie? Wait, are you talking about the animated show or the live-action movie?” asked Val.

“There was an animated show?” inquired Bob. “I never saw THAT.”

“Well, yes, the Catflix movie WAS bad – but the animated show is WAY better,” stated Jeb. “You are going to LOVE this.”

“Oh, and Jeb,” said Val, “I’m not gonna turn on the subtitles OR change the language. I’m sure you can understand what they’re saying.”

“Why is that important?” wondered Bob.

“The KIA Note series was originally made in Nye Island,” explained Val. “The voice actors had pretty thick accents, and Jeb used to have trouble understanding them when we watched it in high school.”

“Hey, I didn’t get why Lightyear would make someone hijack A BOOT,” countered Jeb.

“A boot… you mean Lightyear caused a BOATJACKING?” gasped Bob as the intro ended. The episode began with two men – a middle-aged brown-haired man with a mustache and glasses, and a young man in his late teens (presumably his son) – parking in front of a prison. Unbeknownst to the middle-aged man, but not to his son, a monkey-like creature with wings and a spike-tipped tail (known as a shinymonkey) was leaving the car behind them.

“So, Lightyear,” said Gobluk, the shinymonkey, “why were ye so happy to go to this place?”

“Chief Kermani,” said one of the guards, turning to the young man, “and Lightyear. What brings ye booth to this dump?”

“All I need ta do is lose Dud and access the inmet files before I start writing names,” the young man – who everyone knew as Lightyear – told himself.

“How’s he gonna do that?” wondered Bob.

“Just wait and see, dude,” said Jeb.

“Hey, guys,” interrupted Bill, then Val turned her head around.

“Hey, dude,” replied Jeb. “We’re watching the UNDUBBED KIA Note right now. Wanna join?”

“Actually, Gene just called; he has a status report concerning the rescue mission.”

“I’ll take it,” said Val. “Go on without me, guys.”

“Actually, he wants ALL FOUR of us,” corrected Bill. “Yes, Jeb, that includes you.”

“Fine,” groaned Jeb, “but I’m ditching you if Dad talks on the radio.” All three of Bill’s friends left the rec room and followed him to the control room.

“We’re here, Gene,” said Bill.

“Excellent,” replied Gene’s voice. “Val, Jeb, Bob, can you hear me?”

“Yep,” answered Jeb.

“I can hear you,” added Val.

“Good,” said Gene. “As I’m sure you three are aware, today was the day that Misty and Jeb Senior’s capsule hit its Kerbin orbital periapsis. In case Bill hasn’t told you yet, we have formulated a plan to intercept it mid-flight and force it to land under our control.”

“Well, well, how’d it go? Did you get Dad?” asked Jeb, getting confused looks from Bob and Bill.

“This is not going to be easy to accept,” started Gene. “An hour ago, we have received news that Misty Kerman’s capsule had exploded at 52 kilometers altitude over Kerbin’s southwestern hemisphere. Though debris location and recovery efforts are still underway, we’ll… have to… assume the worst.”

“So… Dad’s dead?” gasped Jeb.

“Until we get evidence otherwise, I’m afraid so. Doesn’t look like ANYONE could have survived that kind of explosion coming in at that high a velocity.”

“Then doesn’t that mean MISTY died too?” asked Bob.

“Yep, that’s right,” confirmed Gene.

“NO!” shouted Bill. “She’s still alive, I KNOW it.”

“How, can you sense her life force or something?” inquired Jeb.

“She’s been slipping past you guys for years,” complained Bill. “How do you know she didn’t do it again NOW?”

“Because the idea that Misty and/or Jeb Senior could have survived a capsule explosion at escape velocity 52 kilometers above sea level is RIDICULOUS,” argued Bob. “Come on, Bill. You know their death is the only logical outcome of that event.”

“Doesn’t exactly help that you guys BLEW HIM UP!” shouted Jeb.

“The missiles we launched were designed to increase her drag and slow her down faster,” argued Gene. “Seconds before the explosion, they seemed to be working as designed. However, that does not mean that they could have LED TO said explosion – as she was seen spinning out of control before detonation.”

“Have you considered the possibility that it was Misty’s ENDGAME?” suggested Val.

“You think Misty WANTED to get caught?” asked Bob.

“More like she wanted TO DIE,” clarified Val. “She and her captive boyfriend die together in that capsule, and Bill doesn’t get the satisfaction of defeating her.”

“Why do I get the feeling that’s not what happened?” countered Bill.

“You don’t think she’s STILL ALIVE, do you?” wondered Gene.

“She was a pioneering fuel scientist with some mechanical experience, not to mention she’s fooled the police for AT LEAST 30 years by now,” mentioned Bill. “Factor that in, and the notion of her survival doesn’t seem that far-fetched. Does it?”

“If we can’t find evidence indicating anyone survived – or if we find one or more bodies – we’ll have to just assume that Misty and Jeb Senior were both killed in the explosion that claimed the pod,” said Gene. “In the meantime, you’ll be getting your next planetary assignments in your emails soon.”

“Great, because this rock has gotten very boring lately,” complained Bob.

“Do you want me to spoil it for you, or do you want to wait?” inquired Gene.

“I can wait,” said Val. “What about you g… hey, where’s Jeb?”

“What do you mean where’s Jeb?” asked Gene.

“I mean he’s not here,” said Val.

“I vote wait,” commented Bill, and Bob nodded. “Any ideas where Jeb is?”

“Probably the rec room to watch KIA Note,” sighed Bob.

“And to change the language settings so he won’t get the Nye accents,” added Val.

“Anything else, Gene?” asked Bill.

“No, sir, that’s it,” said Gene. “Signing off.” Gene then disconnected, and Val, Bob, and Bill started running to the rec room.

“Why are we running?” wondered Bill. “We all watched the series in high school.”

“Bob didn’t,” said Val, then they arrived. “Hey, Jeb, don’t just ditch us to watch… VIXEN NEWS?”

“I’m here live at Dangerzone Air Force Base,” a red-haired woman spoke, “where the attempt to rescue Jeb’s Junkyard CEO Jebediah Kerman Senior – more commonly known as Jeb Senior – was just launched.” A picture of Jeb Senior then appeared beside the woman. “An hour ago, his capsule was seen high up in Kerbin’s atmosphere going EXTREMELY fast. Seconds after the air force intercepted it, it spun out of control and exploded. So far, it looks like NOBODY survived that.” The capsule then started spinning for a few seconds before blowing up mid-air. Val and Bob gasped in horror as debris scattered through the atmosphere in flames.

“Dad,” whispered Jeb before changing channel.

“This is a Kerbin News Network breaking news report,” a man said while the screen showed a frozen image of the capsule exploding. “Jebediah Kerman Senior, and alleged kidnapper Misty Kerman, have both died in a capsule explosion in the southwestern hemisphere. Though sources confirm a mid-air rescue mission was launched, it is unclear as to whether or not it caused the explosion.”

“Change it,” sighed Val.

“What the…,” gasped Bob after Jeb switched out of Kerbin News Network. “That lady’s my old school nurse.”

“Jeb was… my soulmate,” a middle-aged woman sobbed on-camera. “He was so young and… so warm!”

“Eesh, a little old for MY type, aren’t you?” cringed Jeb.

“She’s talking about YOUR DAD,” sighed Bill.

“Hold up, are you saying that Miss… dang it, I forgot her name,” stammered Bob. “Are you saying that she DATED Jeb Senior?”

“Probably,” said Bill. “He dated A LOT of women before marrying Jeb’s mom.”

“Weeping ex-girlfriends,” groaned Jeb as he changed channels, “another car commercial, and HELLO, what do we have here?”

“Misty and Jeb Senior had the perfect bond, and the prime minister’s henchmen MURDERED them for it,” said a slightly obese woman with purple hair. “Of course, what would you expect from Trunton’s successor.”

“Change, NOW!” ordered Val, and Jeb did so. “Honestly, who allowed THAT channel on our KerbleTV subscription?”

“This is Lois Kerman of the Daily Kerbin, coming to you from the corporate headquarters of Jeb’s Junkyard in Krakopolis,” a black-haired reporter said.

“The Daily Kerbin has a TV network now?” asked Bob.

“Shh,” said Jeb.

“Almost an hour ago, the capsule carrying the company’s CEO and his kidnapper, the notorious outlaw Misty Kerman, exploded high up in Kerbin’s atmosphere. Though sources confirm that a search effort is underway, chances are they died when their capsule blew up. Over at corporate headquarters, employees and board members alike have already taken leave to mourn the loss of the company’s founder and leader.” In front of the building, hundreds of men and women were gathered in silence. “We now take you to the company’s CFO, Bruce Kerman.” The screen then changed to show a man behind a podium standing in front of the building’s doors.

“I’ve worked in Jeb’s Junkyard since I was a teenager,” he started. “I never told Jeb Senior this, but he was like a father to me. I’m sure, in some way or other, he was like a father to all of you in the company.”

“More than to his OWN son, in fact,” sighed Jeb.

“Let us all remember that he started this company from the ground up, and it prospered under his leadership,” continued Bruce. “Though this may sound embarrassing in front of our competitors, I will admit that we felt… lost when we heard he was kidnapped. Now that he’s dead, I honestly have no idea HOW we will move on from this. What I DO know is that we will move on and prosper again, as he wanted it for all of us in Jeb’s Junkyard.”

“Not really confident, coming from a CFO,” said Bob.

“To his son, I say this: I know you and your dad may not have been on the best of terms, but I guarantee that the grief WILL hit you like a sledgehammer. However, you don’t have to face it alone. If you ever need our support, do not hesitate to contact us.”

The camera then showed Lois again. “It is currently unclear as to who will take Jeb Senior’s position as head of the company. Will Jeb’s Junkyard continue to…” Jeb changed the channel again, only to see another crowd.

“… Alpha Badger Hall to mourn the loss of a prominent former resident, Jebediah Kerman Senior,” a man said. “We have obtained the following quotes from other residents.”

“I’m glad that Misty Kerman’s dead,” said William Kerman, “but that victory came at too great a cost.”

“Dad?” gasped Bill.

“That guy’s your dad?” wondered Bob.

“I hope you’re watching, Jeb, ‘cause I’m here for you, bro,” said another man.

“Turn that off,” said Val, and Jeb switched off the TV.

“Seems a little early to mourn Jeb Senior, doesn’t it?” wondered Bill.

“Bill, we all saw that video of the EAV capsule going ka-boom,” said Bob. “There’s NO WAY he OR Misty could have survived that.”

“I will agree with Bill here,” said Val, “since we don’t even have confirmation that they’re dead yet. I mean, if they find bodies or body PARTS with the debris, then there’s NO DOUBT.”

“But what if they DON’T?” argued Bill.

“Misty’s and Jeb Senior’s remains could have DISINTEGRATED in the explosion,” reminded Bob, “so there’s a GOOD CHANCE they won’t find anything.”

“They WERE able to recover the bodies from the Rebel explosion,” countered Val.

“But that shuttle blew up LESS THAN A MINUTE after liftoff, and it was relatively low in the atmosphere,” said Bob. “Misty’s EAV capsule was WAY HIGHER and going WAY FASTER – not to mention some hotshots tried to intercept it with some experimental drag missiles. The chances of finding kerbal remains in THAT are lower.”

“How about that,” said Val, looking at her kPad, “they just mailed my next assignment.”

“Mine too,” added Bill.

“Mine three,” said Bob. Jeb, however, said nothing. “Well, let’s see them.” Val then showed her friends her email, which surprised the boys.

From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Carbon Copy:	Bill – [email protected]
	Bob – [email protected]
	[email protected]
	[email protected]
	Jeb – [email protected]
	[email protected]
Subject: Kerbalnaut Assignment (RESPOND ASAP)
Valentina Kerman,   As you may be aware by now, now-discharged kerbalnaut Hadgan Kerman was convicted of the voluntary manslaughter of mass murderer Irpond Kerman. He was sentenced to guarded solitary confinement in Dresden Base until the next tranfer window back to Kerbin, where he would serve 10 years in prison (with the possibility of parole) upon arrival.   Besides the fact that the central government has asked that Hadgan be escorted back to Kerbin until picked up by law enforcement, Mission Control has decided that it’s time that four of you – specifically, Bill Kerman, Bob Kerman, Jebediah Kerman, and Valentina Kerman – return home after over a decade. Below this message are the details regarding: ·         Crewmembers and roles ·         How long until blast-off ·         Which spacecraft you’re using ·         Expected time to arrival   Though you should know by now that you’re returning to Kerbin, it’s KSP procedure to give kerbalnauts about to be transferred the assignment details in a chart format.   Assignment Kerbin (HOME) Crewmembers Bill Kerman ·         Male ·         Chief Engineer Bob Kerman ·         Male ·         Chief Scientist Cassie Kerman ·         Female ·         Engineer ·         Specializes in in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) Hadgan Kerman ·         Male ·         Prisoner ·         For protocol purposes, treat as a tourist, but always watch him. ·         Don’t let him EVA for any reason. Jebediah Kerman (Admiral) ·         Male ·         Primary Pilot Maurge Kerman ·         Female ·         Scientist ·         Medical experience Valentina Kerman (Admiral) ·         Male ·         Secondary Pilot ·         Mission Commander Vehicle Interplanetary Travel Pod Mk. Vb – 5B31 ·         Fuel – 71% capacity ·         Currently docked with U.S.S. Defiant Estimated Transit Time 1 year, 75 days LAUNCH IN T-MINUS 62 days, 1 hour, 23 minutes, 41 seconds     If you have any questions/concerns/comments, please respond immediately as the launch date cannot be change. Otherwise, hit one of the buttons below to either confirm or object to this. ·         Should you hit “object” and “yes” to the are-you-sure prompt, be sure to give your reason/s. If Mission Control agrees with your objection, you will be notified immediately after a decision is made and/or a replacement crewmember will be assigned.     CONFIRM OBJECT       Sincerely, Office of Kerbal Space Program Personnel

 

“You too, huh?” said Bill.

“Wait, you’re going back home as well?” asked Val, then Bill held his own kPad next to Val’s.

“On the same pod, too.”

“What a coincidence, same here,” remarked Bob.

“What about you, Jeb?” wondered Bill.

“Man, you will NOT BELIEVE how many people blew up my inbox… in the LAST HOUR,” sighed Jeb. “Who even gave them my KSP email, anyway?”

“You did, of course,” said Val. “Our KSP email addresses are visible in the public kerbalnaut directory.”

“They are?” inquired Jeb. “I really need to change my privacy settings.”

“You can try, but the email addresses CAN’T be removed,” warned Val. “Mission Control got too many complaints about regular citizens AND other kerbalnauts not being able to reach each other.”

“So, I guess this means that some random guy from Gilly can email us, huh?” said Bob.

“Yep, pretty much,” confirmed Val.

“Oh, guess what, some random guy from Gilly DID email me,” commented Jeb. “Subject: My Condolences.”

“Try typing ‘Kerbalnaut Assignment’ on the search filter,” suggested Bill.

“Thanks,” said Jeb, then he read the message. “How about that, they’re sending me back home in… Pod 5B31.”

“Looks like we’re all going back, huh,” said Val.

“This is probably a bad time to mention it,” stammered Bob, “but your dad probably left you something in his will.”

“Boy, why should I care?” snapped Jeb. “He has nothing that I want.”

“He could have made you… a freaking BILLIONAIRE,” said Bill. “Heck, he could have made you heir to Jeb’s Junkyard – and that’s a freaking GOLD MINE.”

“And what would I buy with THAT?” sighed Jeb.

“Uh, your very own supersonic jet; heck, or even a COLLECTION of them,” said Bill. “Let’s not forget that you were one who loved to ‘cruise in style.’”

“Don’t get your hopes up on the CEO position,” remarked Val. “First off, it makes more sense to give it to someone who ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS and was very helpful during his or her time in the company. Second of all, since you’ve made it clear that you don’t want anything to do with your dad, he’ll have no reason to make you CEO of Jeb’s Junkyard. Third of all, your reckless nature would make you a liability.”

“Plus, he might have a secret that would only be revealed in case he died,” added Bob. “Rob had a cellmate who found out he had an illegitimate half-sibling after his dad died.”

“Like how my mom and sister died? I already know about that,” said Jeb.

“That might not be all, Jeb,” Bill told him. “Since your dad was quite the womanizer before he married your mom, there IS a possibility that he had children OTHER THAN Vanessa and you. Heck, there’s also a chance that he had affairs AFTER your mom’s crash.”

“Oh, please. A lot of women tried to blackmail Dad with false paternity suits before he started dating Misty,” scoffed Jeb. “Good thing we had DNA testing in our courthouse.”

“Although they WERE filthy gold diggers, I’d rather hang with them over a psychotic murderer any day,” said Val.

“Uh, Val, one of them WAS a psychotic murderer,” remarked Jeb. “No, Bill, it wasn’t Misty.”

“Well, if you don’t get back to Kerbin, you’ll never know if you have any half-siblings,” said Bill. “I don’t know the specific details of your next assignment, but I’m sure you’ll find some time to honor your dad’s final wishes.”

“And why would I honor that deadbeat?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, your father was NO deadbeat,” argued Bill. “He spent a good chunk of his own life PROTECTING YOU, making sure you didn’t end up like his wife and daughter.”

“Like I needed it.”

“Uh, yes, you did,” countered Bill. “After you put me in that coma, your dad forbade you from flying in anything without a license. Do you know why?”

“Because your parents threatened to sue him?”

“NO, because he didn’t want you to KILL YOURSELF. We BOTH could have died in that crash, dude. THAT’S why I started to fly with VAL. By the way, my parents threatened to press charges against YOU – not your dad – if I died.”

“Psst, let’s get outta here,” Bob whispered to Val.

“Why are you even bringing it up, Bill?” questioned Jeb. “He wasn’t YOUR father!”

“Because… I…”

“Because you WHAT?”

“Because I don’t want to see my friend regret hating his own dad for the rest of his life! Happy?”

“SHUT UP!” interrupted Val, and everyone was silent. “Bill’s right, Jeb. Take me, for instance. Whatever you think your dad did, MY BROTHER is guilty of WAY worse.”

“And he’s still alive,” said Jeb.

“But he’s still my brother, and he must have thought he had a good reason to do what he did. Even now, I regret not writing to him in prison.”

“Really, because he and his men exterminated an entire Laythan tribe.”

“Sure, that was disgusting, but that’s NOWHERE NEAR as bad as hiding your sister’s existence from you – or the fact that her death was YOUR MOTHER’S fault,” Val reminded him. “Yet, you’ve condemned him to death by crazyhead. Do you really want the final memories of your own father to be that?”

Bill was about to speak, but then Jeb cut him off. “DON’T compare Dad’s death to your mom’s, dude. You were close to her, AND the ones who killed her were STILL ALIVE after she died… from CANCER.”

“And I don’t regret missing your football game to stay with her that night,” said Bill, “because it was the last memory I had of her. Not only that, I was THERE for her in her final moments. You, on the other hand, WEREN’T for your dad.”

“Duh, how could I be there? I was on ANOTHER PLANET.”

“And the least you could do is pay your respects,” argued Bill. “You would have missed his funeral by the time you hit Kerbin’s surface, but you can always visit wherever they’re keeping his remains and say good-bye. What have you got to lose?”

“Letting Dad off the hook for lying and holding me back,” answered Jeb.

“You know, since I’m still acting commander, I could just ORDER you to visit your dad’s burial place – or urn, or box, depending on what they did to him – after we get home,” warned Val. “However, I WON’T. If you WANT a crater in your soul for the rest of your life, that’s fine with me.”

“Technically, Mission Control could bring it up if he…” started Bob.

“Not now, Bob,” sighed Val. “This is something Jeb needs to figure out on his own. If he wants our help, he could just ask.”

“So… KIA Note?” asked Bill.

“First, reply to Mission Control that you got your planetary assignments,” said Val. “DON’T forget to log them into your calendars. If you don’t have anything else on your duty rosters, THEN we can watch KIA Note.

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE: STILL ALIVE

 

(1 YEAR, 80 DAYS LATER)

Somewhere in Kerbin’s Scorcher Desert, dozens of men in orange jumpsuits were working alongside a small two-way road. Though they had earned the privilege to come here today, they were not there by choice. The men in jumpsuits were inmates from Seifert Prison, which was located almost 30 kilometers from where they were right now. To ensure that they would not attempt to escape and/or harm any passers-by, several guards with rifles stood watch over them – their leader being a former army captain named Cedric Kerman. He was rumored to have been harsher towards some inmates he didn’t like – and even making false accusations against his victims – while turning a blind eye to the actions of military veterans who were incarcerated.

Among these men was former Special Forces Major Victor Kerman.

After his court martial on Laythe ended up in his conviction for genocide and obstruction of justice, he was dishonorably discharged from the military and incarcerated in his own base’s brig. When the transfer window back to Kerbin had opened, he and several other prisoners – who were also convicted on charges related to the Clivar Genocide – were loaded on a troop transport and sent home. Though the captain of the ship had promised them that their shuttle landing would be private, he was mobbed by the press when he had disembarked on Kerbin’s surface. He was then kept in a holding cell for a week while the media demonized him – and his sister (and, for some reason, her alleged boyfriend) – and then flown to an undisclosed location for his appeal.

Unfortunately for him, the courts did not rule in his favor. His lawyers had argued that he was doing what he was assigned to do, which was heavily favored by the general public at the time. They also argued that he was a political prisoner of “traitors to our planet,” and “whiners who would rather let irredeemable savages kill our own species.” Though millions had expressed their support of Victor, millions more had strongly criticized his actions against the Clivar tribe and his involvement in covering them up. In the end, Victor was sentenced to 30 years in prison with the chance of parole after 20. He still had the chance to appeal it all the way up to the SCOK – the Supreme Court of Kerbin – if he desired, but that would take a long time.

It was no secret that Victor was Special Forces before his arrest, so he was generally avoided by the other inmates. In fact, in the first year since he arrived at Seifert Prison, he had risen through the ranks to become the leader of one of the more powerful prison gangs. Though he was known for directly ordering a genocide of an entire Native Laythan tribe, he had eventually learned about Irpond Kerman – the woman who had leaked the evidence of the Clivar Genocide to the public – and her crimes. He was disappointed that the media was still smearing him, yet Irpond had a higher kill count when a great majority of her victims were innocent kerbals.

Due to Victor’s good behavior during his incarceration, he had earned the privilege to be put on (supervised) work details 25 kilometers or more outside of the prison perimeter. Today’s assignment was to dig ditches alongside a back road in the desert, so that the road wouldn’t flood in the event of a heavy rainstorm. Just as Victor was done with a 10-minute drink break, a car had stopped near the prisoner transport van.

“Hello, officer,” a blonde woman in sunglasses and a red sundress said as she got out of her car. “Who are these fine young men?”

“Prison work detail, mam,” one of the guards answered. “I’d stay back if I were you. Most of these men are EXTREMELY dangerous.”

“Hmm… they don’t look that dangerous to me,” the woman told the guard. “Not with YOU around.” Victor then turned his head to look at her.

“That voice,” he told himself.

“What’s going on?” asked another inmate named Dustin Kerman.

“That woman who just stopped,” explained Victor. “I think I’ve heard her voice before.”

“In what, your dreams?” joked Dustin.

“No,” said Victor, then he dropped his shovel and approached the woman slowly.

“Oh, hello there,” she told Victor.

“Inmate, get back to work,” the guard ordered.

“Please, he doesn’t seem to be a problem,” the woman assured the guard. “And what might your name be?”

“Victor Kerman, mam,” he answered.

“Wait, you mean you’re… VAL’S brother?” she asked, surprising Victor.

“How do you know that?”

“EVERYBODY knows that… soldier,” the woman said, seeming to taunt Victor.

“Have you, by any chance, ever been part of the Kerbal Space Program?”

“Why, does she look familiar?” the guard wondered.

“As a matter of fact, I DID work at the KSP when I was younger,” she answered. “Too bad I was never a kerbalnaut, like your sister… and her boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend?” gasped Victor. “Val never told me she had a BOYFRIEND.”

“Hey, stop talking and get back to work.”

“Now, if you excuse me,” the woman spoke, “I have a man to please back home.”

“Wait a minute,” said Victor, leering at the woman. Before she knew it, he knee-jabbed the guard in the groin and swiped his gun before aiming it at the woman. “Where is he?”

“W… what?” she stammered.

“You heard me!” shouted Victor. “WHERE IS HE?!”

“Inmate, drop the weapon and get down on the ground, now!” another guard ordered. Victor fired a shot in the air before pressing the barrel against the woman’s head.

“Tell me where Jeb Senior is, or I’ll blow your brains out RIGHT NOW.”

“I… don’t know what you’re…”

“Drop it, or you die,” an officer threatened. Five seconds later, Victor surrendered as the guards restrained him.

“Put him back in the truck,” ordered Cedric. “My apologies, madam.”

“IT’S HER!” shouted Victor, headbutting one of his captors before running toward the civilian. Cedric then drew a handgun and shot him in the chest.

“Nice shot,” the woman told him.

“We need a medic here, NOW!” yelled Cedric. “Inmates, GET DOWN!”

“Mist…,” groaned Victor as a medic ran to him. He pointed at the woman, who was making a quick getaway in her car. “She’s… Misty.”

 

Outside of Kerbin’s sphere of influence an hour later, Pod 5B31 was still drifting through space heading for home. For the most part, things were quite uneventful for the crew inside. Hadgan was well-behaved the whole time; in fact, he had repeatedly told his teammates that he had predicted a hero’s welcome when he reached Kerbin’s surface at last. For the most part, aside from the usual maintenance to ensure the pod’s smooth operation, working out, photosynthesizing, and sleeping, there was not much for them to do.

For Jeb, the trip back home was more depressing than he cared to admit.

By the time the pod had made the interplanetary transfer burn from Dres’ orbit, there were still no signs that either Jeb Senior or Misty survived the capsule explosion. They were both declared dead after the search was called off, and Jeb Senior’s will had been put into effect. Bruce Kerman, the CFO of Jeb’s Junkyard, had been named the successor to the company’s CEO position. Though the will had mentioned that Jeb had stated he had no interest in the company, Jeb Senior had left him with some of the company’s stocks. He had also left Jeb his beachfront manor located next to Krakopolis while selling the other houses he listed as residences – sending the money to Jeb. Since the Krakopolis manor had a working runway and hangar, Jeb Senior had transferred ownership of his aircraft – which included a docking and refueling-capable three-person private spaceplane, a supersonic airliner along with a subsonic one, and even a Laie – to his son. Jeb was essentially a rich man now, provided he gave his father’s law firm proof that he watched a “post-mortem” video completely.

“Hey, Jeb,” said Jeb Senior when the video began. From the timestamp and the environment past the window, Bill had figured out that it was filmed on Eve before Misty kidnapped him. “In case you didn’t figure it out already, I’m currently on Eve trying to escape Misty Kerman. If all goes as planned, I’ll be safely off this rock, Misty will either be dead or incarcerated, and you’ll never have to see this video. However, if something DOES go wrong and she kills me, I want you and your two friends from school to watch this.” The video first thanked Bill and Val – and, later, Bob – for staying by Jeb’s side throughout his life. Jeb Senior then asked that the last part of the video be watched by Jeb only, but his friends stayed anyway.

“I know you might still hate me for not telling you about your mom and sister, and you have every right to be. When you found out about your mother’s crash, I guessed that, by saying that Vanessa was a stranger, you wouldn’t think that she was a bad mother and grow up to hate her. I now realize that it was wrong of me to hide the truth from you; had I told you this earlier, you would understand why I did what I did to keep you safe. Perhaps we could have come to an understanding… and we would have more open channels of communications. Who knows, maybe you could have warned me about Misty EARLIER – and I wouldn’t be in THIS mess.” Val saw a tear forming under Jeb’s eye as his father’s image continued. “I guess what I’m trying to say is… I’m sorry for not being upfront with you when I had the chance. I may not have been the coolest father in the block – nor did I care if I was the richest – but at least you’re alive and well. Maybe when you have your own children, you’ll understand exactly what I went through and won’t repeat the same mistakes I made.

“Jebediah Kerman Junior, best of luck. Love, your father.”

For almost ten days after seeing that message, Jeb said nothing to anybody. Even after that, he was way quieter than usual. Sometimes, instead of watching some shows or playing games with the other crewmembers, he would strap himself to his bag scrolling through his photo gallery and looking at pictures involving his dad. Now, he was asleep while his friends were watching KIA Note 2.0 on the pod’s television.

“Hey, Bob,” said Bill, then he noticed his friend reading something on his kPad. “Whatcha reading?”

“Nothing, just some tabloid,” sighed Bob.

“Some tabloid?” wondered Bill. “Why, do they have a science section now?”

“No, but it has a government conspiracy section,” answered Bob.

“Why am I not surprised?” commented Bill. “Let me guess, they’re making mind-control devices using technology from the Tundra UFO.”

“No, it’s that the military built a killer robot named ‘Kane,’” corrected Bob.

“Kane? What exactly is its function?” questioned Bill.

“According to this, it’s supposed to destroy all enemies of the central government,” said Bob. “However, I think that it’s an exaggeration.”

“Oh, you think?” sighed Bill.

“This article also mentions that they employed A CRIMINAL as its lead programmer,” added Bob, “but no names.”

“DEFINITELY bogus,” said Bill. “Everybody knows that the central government doesn’t allow convicted felons – or ANYBODY with criminal records, for that matter – into military projects.”

“You coming or what?” Val asked from across the pod.

“One minute,” replied Bill. “We’re about to watch the next episode of KIA Note 2.0. Wanna join?”

“Hold up, did you just say that there’s a KIA Note 2.0?” gasped Bob. “We finished watching the regular series months ago.”

“That’s right,” said Bill. “They made a sequel series, and so far it’s pretty good.”

“I’ll bite,” said Bob, then he pushed himself to where Val was working out. “Anything important happen that I should know about?”

“The first episode was somewhat like the original series; some guy finds the KIA Note lying on the ground and starts killing people with it,” started Val.

“It’s not Lightyear, is it?” inquired Bob. “I thought he died.”

“No, it’s not. He’s an engineer named Edison Komas, and the series takes place 10 years after Lightyear died,” clarified Val. “You do see Gobluk in this series, though. However, in the next two episodes, he did some experiments with the KIA Note. One of them involved putting pages of the notebook into a printer.”

“Oh, so you can print out many names at once,” Bob figured out, and Bill nodded. “Genius, except you forgot the part where you need the faces too.”

“When he tried that, only one of the criminals whose names he typed died,” explained Bill. “So, he had the printer print out the images right next to the names. That still worked when he shrunk the face pictures.”

“In the last episode, he was drawing plans for lead panels” said Val. “Hey, engineer-for-a-boyfriend, why he would need that?”

“I don’t know if the writers did their research prior to writing the episode, but it looks like he was working on… radiation shielding,” answered Bill, scratching his chin.

“Radiation shielding? Why would a KIA Note user need radiation shielding?” questioned Bob.

“Probably has something to do with him putting notebook pages into a printer,” said Bill. “Looks like we’re about to find out.” Bob strapped himself to the wall as the episode started.

“Why da ye need such large walls?” Gobluk asked a young man with glasses on. “I understand if ye trying to hide the notebook, but that size seems like overkill if you ask me.”

“Because I’m trying ta hide moore than just the notebook, Gobluk,” said Edison Komas, the man with the glasses. “Have ye ever been ta space?”

“No. Why would I?” wondered Gobluk.

“Two words: cosmic radiation,” explained Edison, showing the shinymonkey a hexagonal model on his computer. “Though I don’t plan to take it farther than low-Kerbin orbit, there will be some sensitive equipment inside this thing when it’s complete.”

“First, ya type their names and put pages of the KIA Note into your printer. Then, you paste the faces of your victims next to their names,” said Gobluk. “What exactly are ye planning?”

“The TL;DR version: a targeting satellite,” said Edison. “If everything works out as planned, I can use the KIA Note from anywhere at anytime.”

“Can’t you already do that?” questioned Gobluk, pointing at the notebook next to Edison’s computer.

“Yeah, Eddie,” agreed Val, raising an eyebrow. “Why do you even need a satellite if you can carry the KIA Note with you?”

“I can’t be seen carrying this around,” said Edison, holding the notebook in his left hand. “Already, Kerbnet sleuths have figured out that the cuel-prit lives in the same longitudinal zoon as Nye Island.”

“Already, huh? How did they do that?”

“Apparently, the times of death of my first few victims were outside of my day job,” Edison told Gobluk.

“The last user of this KIA Note could manipulate the times of death,” countered Gobluk. “Why not just do that?”

“I am aware of that feature, as I am using it to continue to kill criminals while I work on this project. If my targeting satellite works, I can kill MORE people FASTER… and I can pick out targets quicker.”

“Pause it,” asked Bill, and Val froze the image. “Anyone here know what he’s going for?”

“I do… not… know,” stammered Val.

“He’s going to hide the KIA Note in space,” said Bob, “and he… is… installing a printer.”

“Bingo, he’s installing a printer loaded with KIA Note pages,” confirmed Bill.

“But why not remotely control your HOUSE PRINTER?” inquired Val. “Seems like a lot of work just to kill your victims faster.”

“I could be wrong, but he wants the ability to select his victims from cyberspace while he himself looks normal in front of everyone,” Bill figured out. “He could have the satellite kill HUNDREDS of people while he’s at work for ONE DAY. Heck, he could even wipe out DOZENS of prison inmate populations in a matter of hours.”

“Assuming that killer satellite works as he planned,” said Val, then she received an email on her kPad. “Do you mind if I read this for a bit?”

“Go ahead,” said Bill.

“You know, this new series sounds awesome,” Bob commented. “I mean, the original Kiraken started out as an elite high school student who happened to be a cop’s son. This guy’s an engineer… and an adult.”

“And after testing out the notebook’s power, he made big plans for it,” added Bill. “Then again, it’ll take a lot of work – and trial and error – to program this thing… let alone BUILD IT. He’ll also need to launch it in a way that won’t look suspicious.”

“Oh no,” Val gasped in horror.

“What is it?” wondered Bill.

“Vic’s been shot.”

“SHOT?” replied Bill.

“He’s in critical condition, but the doctors think he’ll make it,” added Val, and Bill sighed in relief.

“How the heck did that happen?”

“A guard shot him while he was… assaulting a woman with a firearm,” read Val.

“Impossible,” said Bill. “Vic said only men were in that prison; both inmates and employees.”

“That woman was a civilian who passed by while he was placed on work detail,” explained Val.

“Sorry to interrupt,” said Bob, sounding drowsy, “but what’s this about a work detail?”

“Talking about Vic,” said Bill.

“That’s funny,” Val spoke, looking confused. “Vic asked that woman where… Jeb Senior was.”

“Why would he do THAT? Jeb’s dad’s ashes are EVERYWHERE by now,” questioned Bob.

“Indeed, Bob,” agreed Bill. “Why WOULD Victor attack some RANDOM woman and ask her where Jeb Senior was?”

“Uh… can one of you wake up Jeb, please?” Val requested.

“Will-do,” said Bill, then he pushed himself to the sleeping bags. “Jeb, wake up.”

“Uh… whazit, dude?” Jeb replied drowsily.

“You might wanna read this email Val received. It’s about your dad.”

“Pass,” sighed Jeb.

“Come on, Jeb. Just five minutes, and then you can get back to sleep,” Bill begged his friend.

“Why would I do that?” mumbled Jeb.

“Because Jeb Senior could still be alive,” said Val, and Jeb jolted out of his bag.

“WHAT?! He’s still alive?”

“What makes you say that?” wondered Bill.

“Before Victor lost consciousness, he said that the woman he attacked was MISTY KERMAN.”

“MISTY?!” shouted Bill.

“Why would he think she’s Misty?” asked Bob.

“Another inmate in Vic’s work detail said that Vic recognized her voice,” said Val.

“Her voice? You mean that your brother met her before?” inquired Jeb.

“I don’t know how Vic remembered that, but we met her at the space center when I was ten,” answered Val. “Maybe she said something that… oh no. She accused me of framing Irpond so I can cover for Vic.”

“Yeah, so?” wondered Jeb.

“My guess: she must have told Vic that she knew he was my brother. He then knew FOR SURE that the woman who stopped was the same woman who killed a lot of people – and the one our parents warned us about when I was a kid.”

“If what your brother said about that woman he assaulted being Misty is true,” gasped Bill, “then she must have stashed Jeb Senior somewhere.”

“Are you sure that claim is even accurate?” interrupted Bob. “Victor could have sustained some psychological damage as a result of his incarceration.”

“He didn’t hallucinate that woman, Bob. Everyone saw her,” argued Val.

“Who, for all we know, could ACTUALLY be some random passer-by,” countered Bob.

“Perhaps,” said Bill. “On the other hand, of all the women Victor could have imagined that woman as, why would he pick Misty?”

“Yeah,” agreed Val. “Vic reportedly made no attempts to seduce her, but he… ah, yes, he asked her if she ever worked at the KSP. After he stole the guard’s rifle, he pointed it at the woman and asked her where Jeb Senior was.”

“Which means that he knew that Misty was with Jeb Senior when the caps… WAIT A MINUTE,” stammered Bill. “Am I the only one asking himself how they survived the capsule?”

“Looks like you were right to assume they survived that explosion after all,” said Val.

“Or at least one of them,” reminded Jeb. “Even if that lady WAS Misty, there’s no guarantee DAD’S still alive.”

“Good point,” said Bob. “He could have died when the capsule went ka-boom, or she could have killed him sometime afterwards.”

“Now I wonder what exactly the recovery crews dug up,” said Bill.

“Or if the EVA suits were designed to withstand that kind of heat,” added Jeb.

“I’ll tell Mission Control about this,” said Val. “Bill, Bob, Jeb, know anyone who could help us look for Jeb Senior and Misty?”

“Rob’s a no-go,” said Bill, “and I don’t know anyone living in or anywhere near Scorcher Desert.”

“I do,” Bob told him. “Guscan’s living there now.”

“Great,” said Val. “We’d better move fast. If I was Misty and some inmate recognized me, I’d skip town… or even the planet.”

“And I think I know what plane she’ll use,” added Bill, accessing Spaceplane Monthly on his kPad and showing his friends a picture of a large spacecraft.

“What the heck is that?” asked Bob.

“If rocket boosters and private jets had a baby, that’s what,” said Jeb.

“Yeah, you gotta admit, those are some big rocket engines,” agreed Val. “What IS that plane supposed to be?”

“My pod’s alleged successor, the T-6 Cannonball,” sighed Bill. “Designed specifically to do the Jool-5 in one piece – with some docking capabilities on the side.”

“Well, that explains the giant rocket engines,” commented Jeb. “I’ll take one.”’

“Shouldn’t be too hard with your inheritance,” said Bob, “which… might… be… void if your dad turns up alive.”

“Technically, the will DID say it would take effect ‘In the event of my death or disappearance.’ I also recall the will having a contingency clause if he turns up alive after being declared dead,” Bill mentioned.

“How do YOU know all this?” wondered Bob. “You’re not his son.”

“I got bored and decided to read Jeb Senior’s will,” explained Bill. “Plus, he… paid for a new department in the KSC under my name.”

“Oh, so THAT’S why there’s a Bill Kerman Building at the space center,” said Bob.

“Hold up, Bill,” said Val. “What makes you think she’ll use THAT thing and not something… LESS obvious?”

“Oh, you mean like a smaller spaceplane?” asked Bill, and Val nodded. “The most popular docking-capable private spaceplane model – named the ‘Private Spaceplane,’ for some reason – can only do four out of five Jool moons.”

“Why does it necessarily matter?” questioned Jeb.

“Oh, I get it,” said Val. “Since that thing is supposed to land on THE FIFTH moon as well, few cops – if any – would DARE get near her if she landed on Tylo. Besides, since the demand for Jool tourism dropped after the Fallout Zone incident, not many people are going to be in the Jool system to capture her… or Jeb Senior.”

“That sounds like a great plan, only SEVERAL problems,” argued Bob. “For starters, has that thing ACTUALLY done the Jool-5?”

“Well… no,” Bill admitted, “but this article said that the ‘thrust and delta-V calculations seemed promising for a Tylo landing after all the fuel and oxidizer tanks were loaded on Minmus.’ In other words, the Cannonball looks like it should be able to land on Tylo after refueling on Bop.”

“But it hasn’t done it for real though, right?” asked Bob, and Bill nodded. “Second of all, wouldn’t that thing need to refuel on Duna or something before blasting off to Jool?”

“No, since one test run ended up with ‘enough delta-V to make it to Jool on nuclear engines alone after Minmus refueling,’” quoted Bill. “It can do a straight shot to Jool, if it wanted to.”

“Another thing: wouldn’t Misty get seen trying to hijack it?”

“And on the small chance Dad’s still alive, wouldn’t he run for the guards as soon as she sets foot in that hangar?” added Jeb.

“She could have brainwashed him, like she did to Dilford,” suggested Val. “Let’s just hope she didn’t skip to the part where she shoots him.”

“Bob, call Guscan and tell him to start looking for Misty,” said Bill.

“That would be great, but there’s no guarantee he will,” argued Bob. “Heck, he might not even know what she looks like.”

“Now that you mention it,” said Jeb, “wouldn’t he recognize DAD faster than he would Misty?”

“There’s a greater chance of MISTY being alive than your dad, since Victor recognized HER,” explained Bill. “Besides… wait, do you still have that email your dad sent you?”

“What email?”

“The one that came with a picture of him and Misty.”

“Forget it, Bill,” said Val. “If it was from his dad, he probably trashed it.”

“How do YOU know that?” asked Bill.

“He told me.”

“Uh… about that…,” stammered Jeb.

“What?” questioned Bill.

“I… might have… I… exaggerated… a bit.”

“You STILL HAVE your dad’s emails?” gasped Bill.

“He probably just forgot to trash them,” Val guessed. “I mean, when was the last time he cleaned out his inbox?”

“No, I didn’t forget,” confessed Jeb. “I… never deleted the emails from my dad.”

“You LIED to me?” gasped Val.

“We can deal with that later,” Bill told her. “Where are they?”

“I put them in a folder,” said Jeb, turning on his kPad and showing his friends his inbox. “See, I made a folder labeled ‘Dad.’”

“Just look for the one that came with a picture of him and Misty, and send the attachment to Bob,” said Bill. “Bob, when you get the picture, show it to me so I can make sure it’s her. Once you get confirmation, contact Guscan and send it to him.”

“You got it,” acknowledged Bob.

“We need to warn the manufacturer that their Jool-5 prototype is in danger,” said Val. “Bill, who’s making that plane?”

“Let me see… how about that, it’s a joint project between WinterOwl and C7,” answered Bill.

“Now we know who to contact,” smirked Val. “Let’s just hope Misty’s going for the Cannonball, or else she’s out of our reach for good.”

 

Meanwhile, back in a small town close to the Scorcher Desert, the woman whom Victor had threatened earlier was approaching her house after shopping at the grocery store. She had taken extra precautions to make sure nobody would follow her, but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary today. When she was done checking her house to make sure nobody had entered – or was still waiting inside – she unloaded her groceries from her car and locked the door behind her. She had been sure that nobody had followed her or intercepted her before removing a blonde wig, revealing jet-black hair underneath it. Looking at herself in a nearby wall mirror, she had a shocked expression on her face.

“Misty?” a man’s voice shouted across the room, and she ran over to kiss him.

 “We have a problem,” she told her captive husband. “Someone RECOGNIZED me.”

“Who?”

“Val’s brother, and he’s BOUND to have contacted Bill by now.”

“What do we do?”

“Not to worry, my love,” assured Misty, resting her hand on a stack of magazines. “By the time he gets here, it will be too late.”

[GuessingEveryDay]

Don't let this story dies, this is too amazing.

[GuessingEveryDay]

http://www.nooooooooooooooo.com

[obnox twin]

Nooooo this was so good @Mars-Bound Hokie can you please conutine this if you can.

On 9/13/2021 at 12:02 PM, GuessingEveryDay said:

http://www.nooooooooooooooo.com

This might be a long chapter.

[TheKspEngineer]

Jen senior might not be Misty's husband. We don't know the husband's name

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

AUTHOR'S NOTE

 

I sincerely apologize for not paying attention to this novel for years. I have been bogged down with college, job search, the actual job, and just life in general. One thing in particular that took my creative energy was my Air Force Museum replica showcase in the Spacecraft Exchange. While it was just copies of planes that already exist in real-life, making functional replicas and piloting them was no easy task - especially for older aircraft. It also provided a nice opportunity to write some more kerbal lore, especially in the years long before any of the Famous Four's parents were born.

 

That being said, due to popular demand, I've gotten back to writing the next chapter. In approximately three hours (2230 EST on November 9, 2024), I will post it on this thread. I'm waiting that long so that the two posts don't merge together, like with the prologue and Chapter One. So, get ready because the chase is back on.

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO: ALMOST THERE

 

On the surface of Kerbin, the sun was setting on the Wynter Kerman Industrial Airfield outside of Owl City. Originally a small industrial town, it eventually expanded into a fully functioning city that included a few schools, several parks and community centers – including its own library system – and many businesses, both small and large. The city’s most prominent business, and the reason for the city’s very existence, was the WinterOwl Aircraft Emporium. It was founded long ago, in the early decades of aviation, by a rebellious engineer named Wynter Kerman. Her company was often laughed at due to its founder being a woman, but it soon earned a reputation for consistently producing quality propeller-driven planes. When jet-powered aircraft became popular on Kerbin, WinterOwl shifted its focus to delivering small civil jets, though it still produced props. Sometimes, it would assist other companies in their research and development projects; for example, it recently accepted a partnership with C7 Aerospace in building a spaceplane capable of landing on all five of Jool’s moons. Today, WinterOwl is the oldest aircraft manufacturing company that’s still operational.

Wynter Kerman the Fourth, the current CEO of WinterOwl Aircraft Emporium, was sitting alone in the executive catwalk office of Hangar SP2. Many years ago, when WinterOwl accepted contracts for roles in spaceplane projects, the airfield underwent heavy renovation to accommodate the new spaceplanes, which included increasing the runway size and building some new hangars. This evening, Hangar SP2 – “SP” for “Spaceplane,” since it was one of the hangars that was built during the renovation – was housing the latest prototype of the T-6 Cannonball. It was a large spaceplane that could land on the surface of Minmus before refueling itself with its drills and ISRU equipment. According to the kerbalnauts who tested the T-6, it would have enough delta-V to blast off straight to Jool after leaving Minmus’ sphere of influence. Of course, they never actually sent it to Jool since the Kerbal Space Program wanted them to test re-entry and landing on Kerbin. The emergency cabin ejection system had already been tested before the mission, but the crew was able to return the spaceplane without any problems.

Recently, Wynter had received an urgent message from Val that Misty Kerman would attempt to steal the T-6 Cannonball soon. Although Wynter was honored to get a direct communication from one of the Famous Four, she dismissed Val’s warning. In her reply, she restated the commonly held belief that nobody could have survived the capsule explosion from over a year ago. The inability of the recovery crews to find kerbal remains was to be expected, as Misty’s and Jeb’s Senior’s bodies most likely disintegrated during re-entry. Regarding Victor’s claim that he saw Misty, Wynter scoffed at the idea that Val “… took the word of a convicted war criminal that some random woman passing by was a ghost.”

As for the spaceplane’s security, Wynter assured Val that stealing it and taking it to Jool was impossible – even if someone other than Misty was to attempt it. Since it was a brand-new aircraft, it would be difficult for a thief to figure out how to work all the complex controls before getting caught. Wynter even joked that a thief was more likely to detach the cabin before taking off. On the off-chance that someone did manage to achieve low-Kerbin orbit, however, not only would the aircraft be tracked, but the military would be scrambling to intercept it immediately. Furthermore, the farthest it could go was the surface of Minmus before it had to refuel, and even that would take days whereas soldiers stationed on Minmus would be able to reach it in hours at a maximum. Although the T-6 was capable of docking with other spacecraft – even though it shouldn’t have to for the mission it was designed for, which was landing on all five of Jool’s moons without outside help – orbital refueling stations would be on full alert. It would not be mistaken for a legitimate spacecraft in need of fuel, as its design was brand-new and hence recognizable.

Wynter sighed as she leaned on the window, looking at the T-6. WinterOwl Aircraft Emporium had already made all sorts of iconic aircraft in the past, but its spotlight was slowly fading thanks to the prominence of larger jet-powered airliners, supersonic aircraft, and spacecraft. Should the T-6 prove successful in landing on and taking off from all five of Jool’s moons – especially Tylo – before returning to Kerbin, it would cement WinterOwl’s legacy in the space travel industry; C7 Aerospace was already famous for other contributions to the Kerbal Space Program. The two companies would also make a lot of money producing and selling more T-6 Cannonballs to anyone who dared travel to Jool’s moons, and with complete mission independence too – albeit at a higher price than usual. The companies would also profit from maintenance contracts when the spaceplanes returned to Kerbin, and WinterOwl was planning on training kerbalnauts bound for Jool to perform regular maintenance on the spaceplanes. The entire project was a long and risky endeavor, but the rewards for completing it were too great to ignore.

“Turn around, and you’re dead,” a woman’s voice whispered behind her.

“Who are…?” asked Wynter, but she felt something press hard against her back.

“This is loaded,” the voice warned her. “If you scream or reach for your pockets, I’ll shoot.”

“Okay,” said Wynter. “What do you want?”

“I know you have a T-6 Cannonball in that hangar,” her assailant began. “We are going for a ride in that thing.”

“That’s a pretty specific request,” Wynter observed. “Why THAT plane?”

“Well, I have specific plans for that thing.”

“What are they?”

“All in good time,” her captor assured, “but first, you are going to do everything I say.”

“Oh, no, Val was right,” sighed Wynter.

“What? Val?” Wynter wanted to turn around to see her captor’s face, but she knew that she would end up with a bullet in her spine if she did. “Never mind that child. If you deviate from what I want, I will not hesitate to kill you.”

“Then what do you want?”

“First, you are going to order a full pre-flight check on your most successful T-6 Cannonball prototype. After that, you will order all runways cleared from now until the next day. Don’t even think about getting me a prototype that will FAIL, because you’re going down with it if it does.”

“Okay, I understand,” sighed Wynter. “I’ll need my cell phone for this, though. It’s in my jacket pocket.”

“Then get it out slowly. If I think you’re getting a weapon or calling for help, you’re dead.” Wynter obeyed, and carefully showed her captor her cell phone.

“Hey, uh… Ray,” she stammered nervously.

“Yes, boss?” a man replied.

“Which prototype has had the highest success streak so far?”

“Let me look… Version Eight, mam. We just need the okay to roll it out to the market.”

“Is it in the hangar you’re in now?” the lady with the gun whispered, and Wynter repeated the question.

“Yes.”

“Good, then I want a complete pre-flight inspection of that thing done,” ordered Wynter.

“Wait, now?”

“Yes, now.”

“Tell them you want that thing ready immediately,” the woman with the gun demanded, and Wynter complied.

“Okay, then,” answered Ray, then he hung up.

“Miss, it’s going to be a while before their inspection is finished,” said Wynter.

“Does your airfield have a runway with a heading of 90 degrees?” the assailant asked her.

“Yes, we do,” Wynter responded.

“Then clear the runways now.” Wynter then dialed Air Traffic Control.

“Yes, Mrs. Wynter.”

“I want all runways cleared now,” she demanded.

“Wait, all of them? Now?” The man at ATC responded.

“Yes, now,” clarified Wynter before her captor leaned in closer.

“Ask them how long and wide Runway 0-9 is,” she whispered. “Let me hear his answer.”

“Oh… and one other thing,” said Wynter. “What is the length and width of Runway 0-9?”

“The east-west runway is 3 kilometers long and 70 meters wide.”

“Okay, then. Resume clearing the skies and runway.” ATC acknowledged her commands before disconnecting. “May I ask why you want me to do all this?”

“I told you, all in good time. Now, Wynter, is the Cannonball REALLY capable of doing the Jool-5? Be honest.”

“I don’t know, it’s never actually been done before.”

“Then how promising were the test results? Be specific, and do not lie to me.”

“I heard that it should have enough fuel to get to Jool on nuclear engines alone after getting off Minmus,” started Wynter. “In another test run, the fuel-and-oxidizer engines were said to have enough to land on Tylo.”

“How about simulated runs for this model? Did you do any of those?”

“Yes, but they said that they did the Tylo and Laythe landings ‘By the skin of their teeth.’ You still want it?”

“Yes. Like I said earlier, you’d better not give me a dud or else you’re going down with it.”

“Okay, I get it,” sighed Wynter.

“Honey, you can come out now,” the assailant said calmly, then Wynter heard footsteps enter her office.

“Wynter Kerman?” a man’s voice asked.

“Be quiet,” the female assailant ordered. Wynter then gasped as she recognized the man’s voice.

“What? But you’re dead.”

 

A few days later, the kerbalnauts were having a rather uneventful time in Pod 5B31. Cassie and Marge were working out, Hadgan was asleep, Jeb had just finished cleaning up after finishing his own workout, Val was typing the mission log to send to Mission Control – this entry was short since nothing was happening – and Bill had just taken off his EVA suit after brushing space dust off the solar panels. Bob was on his kPad playing Cult Clash awaiting responses from Guscan and Rob. He had previously told them about Victor’s assault on the woman suspected to be Misty in the Scorcher Desert. While Rob had disagreed with the chance of Jeb Senior also being alive, he entertained the thought of Misty hiding after he recalled that someone in his cell block was – and still is – serving time for conspiracy to commit murder and insurance fraud after blowing up his own private jet to fake his death. Guscan had refused to talk to Victor since he didn’t trust him to tell the truth about anything, but he placed wanted posters and electronic advertisements in the towns in the Scorcher Desert with Misty’s photograph on them. So far, there was no sign of her.

It would not be long before their pod would reach Kerbin’s sphere of influence. Val was upset that Wynter had dismissed her warning about Misty attempting to steal the T-6 Cannonball prototype. Her email correspondence with the KBI proved less than fruitful as they were also not willing to believe that Victor was not just delusional. On a brighter note, Minmus Command promised her that the T-6 would be spotted if it attempted to land, and that the military would reach the spacecraft well before it could synthesize enough fuel to leave. Hadgan was satisfied with that response, but Bill was not and had cited Misty’s history of slipping past security on a regular basis. Jeb assured him that he was just being paranoid and that Minmus’ military forces would be better prepared this time.

“Wow, guys, take a look at this,” said Jeb, then he played a video on his kPad.

“What is it?” wondered Bill, but he soon got his answer.

“We have received a video message from a source within WinterOwl,” a man spoke. “Apparently, the company’s CEO herself, Wynter Kerman the Fourth, is taking on the Jool-5 challenge.”

“The Jool-5?” gasped Val.

“Let’s see the video,” the anchor requested, then the screen showed Wynter Kerman sitting inside what looked like a cockpit.

“This is Wynter Kerman the Fourth, the CEO of WinterOwl,” she started with a blank expression on her face. “After seeing the results of the T-6 Cannonball tests, I am confident that it is ready for what it’s designed to do. Therefore, I am doing the Jool-5 challenge in this plane. In the event I do not return, I have already named a successor to the company.” She paused for five seconds before speaking again. “Wish me luck.”

“There you have it, folks,” the news anchor said. “While many praised her for her bravery, others criticized her for being reckless. The most damning argument came from her personal physician, who said that she was not medically qualified…”

“What?” gasped Val. “Not medically qualified?”

“What’s the big deal?” asked Jeb.

“Regulations FORBID interplanetary travel for anyone who does not possess a current appropriate medical certificate,” explained Val. “In other words, she’s not allowed to leave Kerbin’s sphere of influence.”

“Aren’t there multiple classes of medical certificates for space travel?” questioned Bob.

“Yes, but if she doesn’t have the right one, she can’t leave Kerbin’s sphere of influence,” clarified Val. “Heck, depending on how bad her health is, she may not be able to leave Kerbin’s ATMOSPHERE.”

“Big deal,” Jeb scoffed.

“Jeb, this is serious,” argued Val.

“Not to me. I don’t wait for medical clearance to do anything,” replied Jeb.

“First of all, of course you don’t,” sighed Val. “Second of all, it shouldn’t be too hard… well… it WASN’T hard for YOU to get medical clearance. You’re an athletic young man with no allergies, disabilities, or other health problems that would impact mission performance.”

“Wynter could be feeling courageous today,” Jeb suggested.

“And spontaneously deciding to take a trip that will take up a good chunk of her life – if not outright ending it,” said Bill.

“Come on, dude. Why are you taking Miss Downer’s side?” Jeb asked his friend.

“Because the Jool-5 takes a LONG TIME to plan,” said Bill, “and it takes EVEN LONGER for a solo mission. Besides, there are a few things I find weird about that announcement.”

“Like what?” asked Bob.

“According to the latest edition of Spaceplane Monthly,” started Bill, “the Cannonball had some trouble during the initial ascent. More specifically, during some of the test runs, it did not have enough delta-V to make it to Minmus after reaching LKO.”

“Does it mean that she’ll crash or what?” sighed Val.

“It said that the programmers worked on an autopilot program designed to ‘maximize propellant efficiency enough to have more than enough delta-V for the Minmus refueling stop. That way, the Cannonball can be completely independent of other spacecraft – aside from relays – during its intended voyage.’” Bill then showed his friends a picture of the spaceplane. “This is a pretty big deal to her, since that plane won’t be able to fly on rapiers alone once fully loaded. It’ll need the large fuel-and-oxidizer rocket engines as well.”

“Does that article say whether or not that autopilot program works?” wondered Bob.

“No, it doesn’t say,” said Bill. “Even if it did work, don’t you find it the LEAST bit strange that the WinterOwl CEO – who’s not even medically qualified for spaceflight – just decided to do the Jool-5 when there’s no record of her plane doing it FOR REAL?”

“She could have FORGOTTEN the medical exam,” said Jeb. “Besides, couldn’t she just take it on Minmus while she refuels?”

“Which brings me to the next subject,” continued Bill. “She has… ZERO training OR experience in spaceflight, and there have been no records of the Cannonball ever being used to successfully complete the Jool-5, yet she wants to fly the PROTOTYPE to all five of Jool’s moons. Wouldn’t it be a better idea to send a TRAINED CREW to do it first… which would include an ENGINEER and a PILOT to help with the planetary landings and refuelings?”

“So? I was like that too,” Jeb replied. “Val, you said it yourself, Wynter’s great-grandma paved the way for women in the business world. Why should SHE not do the same thing with the Jool-5?”

“Because something is wrong here,” Val told him. “Bill and I warned her that Misty could steal the T-6 Cannonball, but she doesn’t believe us. Now, she’s using that same prototype without THE LEAST bit of evidence that she prepared for it.”

“I think it’s a GENIUS move,” argued Bob, getting confused looks from Bill and Val. “Misty and Jeb Senior can’t steal the plane if it’s not even on the surface.”

“Thank you, Bob,” said Jeb, pointing at him.

“Even so, you need a current medical certificate to pull that off,” Val told Bob. “Now, let me remind you that she needs THE HIGHEST-LEVEL clearance to leave the sphere of influence.”

“Who said she was ACTUALLY doing that?” smirked Bob.

“What do you mean?” asked Bill.

“She could have SAID she’s doing the Jool-5,” explained Bob, “but she’s actually hiding it SOMEWHERE ELSE.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” sighed Val. “First of all, where EXACTLY would she put it?”

“Duh, in orbit or on Minmus or something.”

“You know, now that you mention it, someone did leak the fact that the T-6 Cannonball was docking-capable,” said Bill.

“Even if hiding the plane was her intention, do you have any idea how much her stocks would tank if everyone finds out she’s not actually doing the Jool-5?” argued Val. “SOMEONE’S going to end up finding out, and her company’s reputation is ruined.”

“Until she tells them that she’s just HIDING it from Misty,” said Bob.

“Unfortunately, her customers aren’t going to believe that,” warned Val. “They’ll just think she chickened out or just did it as a publicity stunt or something like that… which brings us back to the ‘Why not have a crew do it?’ question.”

“Then just TELL the world that she’s just hiding the Cannonball,” suggested Jeb, “or just doing the Jool-5 FOR REAL.”

“On the off-chance that she’s not actually doing the Jool-5, by the time she may even reveal that fact, her company could be in shambles,” said Val. “Someone is BOUND to find the Cannonball being hidden – let’s just hope it’s not Misty – and spill the secrets to everyone. Worst-case scenario, she gets thrown out of her position for sabotaging her own stockholders and then maybe investigated for embezzlement.”

“Can we get back to the medical question, please?” interrupted Bill. “CAN she even get to low-Kerbin orbit, let alone out of the sphere of influence?”

“Dude, her doctor just said she’s not medically qualified to do the Jool-5,” sighed Jeb.

“I thought you were all FOR her doing that,” said Bill.

“Her medical certificate could have EXPIRED,” Jeb pointed out, “or she could just get the right exam on Minmus or something. Can she?”

“Okay, now I’m curious,” Bob conceded. “Val, do you have access to Wynter’s medical files?”

“You know, Jeb has that clearance level too,” reminded Val. “He’s an admiral now, remember?”

“Oh, yeah,” smirked Jeb. “Stephen, access Wynter Kerman’s KSP file. Password: I hate passwords.”

“Voice key approved… three matches to ‘Wynter Kerman’ found in database,” a male voice replied from the kPad, then the screen showed him the three names with general descriptions.

	Wynter Kerman III	Wynter Kerman IV	Wynter Kerman V
Alias(es)	Wynter Three	Wynter Four	Wynter Five
Status	(DECEASED)	Alive	Alive
Cause of Death (If Deceased)	Lung Cancer ·      History of smoking prior to death	N/A	N/A
Gender	Female	Female	Female
Role/s (Chronological)	·      WinterOwl CEO (former)	·      WinterOwl CEO ·      Tourist	·      Tourist ·      Piloting Cadet (KSID #: 193-519-572)

 

“Wynter Kerman has a daughter?” gasped Jeb.

“With the exception of Wynter Kerman the Fifth, all ‘Wynter Kermans’ listed have daughters,” said the kPad’s automated assistant voice.

“It’s… part of her family tradition,” stammered Val. “They name their firstborn daughters Wynter.”

“Try Wynter Four,” ordered Jeb.

“Affirmative,” replied Stephen, then the kPad displayed the first page of Wynter’s personnel file.

“Again, why does the space program have a personnel file on WinterOwl’s CEO?” asked Bob.

“I believe it’s protocol to have files on EVERYONE it does business with,” said Val. “I don’t know what it has on the third Wynter, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they had a file on the FOURTH since she was marked as a tourist. As for the FIFTH, she’s a cadet with a Kerbal Space ID number; they HAVE to have a file on her.”

“That’s weird,” said Bill. “If Wynter the Fourth’s already a tourist, then why did her doctor say that she wasn’t medically qualified to do the Jool-5?”

“Because she was REJECTED,” answered Jeb. “According to this, when she went to get her third-class medical certificate renewed a year ago, she applied for a first-class. HOWEVER, due to her heart condition as well as ‘family history of similar conditions,’ her first-class examination came back with a no-go.”

“Doesn’t a heart condition automatically disqualify you from going into space AT ALL?” wondered Bill.

“Well, they loosened up the restrictions recently,” explained Val.

“Um, what exactly does a third-class medical certificate mean?” Bob questioned, and his friends looked at him awkwardly. “What? Since WE’RE obviously able to leave Kerbin’s sphere of influence, lower-class clearances weren’t really an issue for me.”

“It means she can’t get higher than low-Kerbin orbit – or, more specifically, an orbit with an apoapsis of more than 200 kilometers,” answered Val.

“Then odds are that she’ll croak before…,” started Bill, then he noticed Jeb typing on his kPad. “What are you doing?”

“Maybe her daughter knows something,” said Jeb. “I’m gonna try to reach her.”

“You might want to wait a few hours,” Val told him. “It’s midnight in Krakopolis.”

“Yeah, so?” asked Jeb, and Val facepalmed herself.

“Duh, she could be ASLEEP.”

“Or she’s out taking the plane for a joyride,” said Jeb.

“Where would you get an idea like that?”

“I used to take the training jets out for night joyrides in Basic,” explained Jeb. “Well, that was until security caught me red-handed after the… seventh time. Huh, ironic that seven was my UN-lucky number.”

“Hmm…,” said Val, scratching her chin. “What do you think she’ll know?”

“Why her mom would do the Jool-5 all of a sudden when she’s not qualified,” answered Jeb as the kPad played a dial tone. “Kinda nice that her cadet file had her cell phone on it.”

“Good luck getting a response,” sighed Val.

“Hello,” a girl answered, surprising Jeb’s comrades.

“Are you Wynter Kerman the Fifth?” asked Jeb.

“I am,” she replied. “Who are you?”

“This is Cap… I mean ADMIRAL Jebediah Kerman,” he told her.

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, it’s really you,” she cheered. “I’m Wynter Kerman the Fifth, but everybody just calls me either Wynter or Wynter Five. I just want to say it is an HONOR to talk to you, sir.”

“Why, thank you,” said Jeb.

“Are you sure you got the time right?” Bob whispered to Val. “She seems kind of excited for someone who’s supposed to be asleep.”

“Yes, which is weird,” said Val, showing Bob a picture of the moon above a city labeled “Krakopolis” on her kPad.

“I can’t believe I’m talking to Jebediah Kerman,” Wynter Five continued.

“Could you calm down for a minute here?” sighed Bill.

“Who said that?” asked Wynter Five.

“Jeb’s lesser-known friend, Bill Kerman,” he answered, but that seemed to excite her more.

“You mean just the COOLEST ENGINEER EVER!”

“SHUT UP!” shouted Val.

“Okay, okay, chill,” said Wynter Five. “Who was that, by the way.”

“Elegail… uh, Kerman,” lied Val. “Yeah, I’m Admiral Elegail Kerman.”

“Really, V…,” said Jeb, but she covered his mouth.

“If she knew I was here, we’ll be stuck with introductions until we splash down,” she whispered.

“Why’d you call me?” asked Wynter Five.

“Are you aware that your mom is doing the Jool-5?” inquired Jeb.

“WHAT?!” gasped Wynter Five. “Impossible!”

“That’s weird, because she made a public announcement about it earlier,” said Jeb.

“Well, this is the first time I heard about it.”

“Hold up,” Val interjected, “are you saying your mom didn’t tell you?”

“No, she didn’t,” answered Wynter Five. “She’s not allowed to leave low-Kerbin orbit, let alone THE SPHERE OF INFLUENCE – and for good reason. With HER heart condition, that’s practically SUICIDE.”

“Thank you,” said Jeb.

“Let me get this straight,” started Bill, “your mother, who has a serious medical issue, just decides to do the Jool-5 and NOT TELL YOU BEFOREHAND?”

“Apparently,” confirmed Wynter Five.

“Did she tell you anything else regarding the plane she’s using?” asked Jeb.

“What plane?” inquired Wynter Five.

“The T-6 Cannonball.”

“Wait, so it was MOM’S company that made it?” gasped Wynter Five.

“Well, hers and C7,” admitted Bill.

“I saw some of the other kerbalnauts use some weird-looking plane a few months ago,” said Wynter Five, “but I heard that they were testing it. I had no idea Mom’s company actually MADE it.”

“Could you hold on a bit, please?” Bill requested, then he muted Jeb’s kPad. “What kind of mom doesn’t tell her kid that she’s doing a suicide mission?”

“Mine,” sighed Jeb, “only it was my DAD.”

“No, since your dad emailed you before he went off into space,” reminded Bill. “Aside from that, he was obviously qualified to leave Kerbin. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended up kidnapped on Eve.”

“Maybe she’s a negligent mother,” said Bob, “or she’s actually stashing the plane in LKO.”

“Then wouldn’t she have at least told her daughter that, or at least told her SOMETHING?” asked Val. “I mean… if I was Wynter Four, I’d at least tell Wynter Five that I was doing the Jool-5 just in case Misty captured her.”

“I’ll have to debunk your ‘hiding in LKO’ theories right there,” said Bill, “since a large plane such as the Cannonball can easily be tracked. If not a government-sponsored agency, someone else will and then tell everyone.”

“Hmm… can someone other than Jeb pull up the video Wynter Four made?” said Val.

“Can-do,” Bob acknowledged, then he found what Val was looking for. “There.”

“Hey, Wynter Five,” a girl’s voice said on Jeb’s kPad, “whatcha doing?”

“Oh my gosh, Jebediah Kerman’s talking to me,” Wynter Five replied.

“What exactly is she doing this late at night?” Val asked herself. “Start the video.”

“This is Wynter Kerman the Fourth, the CEO of WinterOwl. After seeing the results of the T-6 Cannonball tests, I am confident that it is ready for what it’s designed to do. Therefore, I am doing the Jool-5 challenge in this plane. In the event I do not return, I have already named a successor to the company. Wish me luck.”

“Jeb, you keep talking to Wynter Five,” said Val. “The rest of you boys, let me ask you this: how would you feel if you were about to do the Jool-5?”

“I’d either be totally stoked or scared out of my mind,” confessed Bill.

“And in a plane that’s never actually done it before, I’d be leaning towards ‘scared’ myself,” added Val. “I can only imagine what an older businesswoman with a medical issue is going through.”

“Maybe she’s trying to look calm for her viewers,” suggested Bob.

“Perhaps,” said Val, then she replayed the video again. “Huh, she seems… hold it.”

“What?” asked Bill.

“I got it,” interrupted Bob, snapping his fingers. “Wynter Four is DYING.”

“Dying?” inquired Val.

“She’ll either die doing the Jool-5 or from whatever problem she’s got,” explained Bob.

“Really?” sighed Val. “Well, if her condition involves eye twitching, that could be it.”

“Eye twitching?” wondered Bill.

“Look.” Val then pointed at Wynter Four, who kept looking to her left with her peripheral vision during her speech.

“That’s weird,” said Bob. “What is she looking at?”

“Come to think of it, she looks like she’s in a cockpit or something,” said Bill. “Why not do it in a studio, or at least somewhere more appropriate?”

“Yeah. If I was going to tell the world that I was gonna do something that risky, I would do it in a fancy studio WAY in advance – and with teleprompters, camera crews, makeup, and everything,” agreed Val. “Why do it in a cockpit immediately… before… takeoff?”

“When you’re likely to croak outside of a 200-kilometer orbit,” added Bill.

“And in a plane still in the experimental phase,” said Bob, then Jeb hung up.

“And not tell your daughter a thing.”

“UH OH!” Val and Bill said together.

“What do you mean uh oh?” wondered Jeb.

“I forgot to run software diagnostics today,” said Bill.

“Can it wait for ten minutes?” asked Val.

“Yes.”

“Bob, you said that Wynter Four could be lying and is just trying to HIDE the Cannonball,” said Val. “Is that right?”

“Yes, but you said that someone could find it and the hoax would ruin her company,” reminded Bob.

“Then why not tell US that?” Val pointed out.

“Because if she told everyone that she stashed the Cannonball in LKO, Misty will know where to look,” answered Jeb.

“I mean telling just Bill and I when we warned her,” clarified Val. “She blew us off, and then she suddenly decides to tell the world that she’s taking that thing to another planet days later – without even telling us that she’s fine.”

“Which would support my ‘doing it because she’s dying’ theory,” argued Bob.

“I would agree with you,” said Val, pointing at Bob, “but NOT from any medical conditions.”

“Uhh… I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure that if Wynter Four WAS dying, then a medical condition is pretty much implied,” said Jeb.

“Yeah, kinda like my mom,” agreed Bill. “What exactly do you think would kill Wynter Four?”

“A gunshot,” answered Val, shocking the men.

“GUNSHOT?” gasped Jeb.

“Are you saying that Wynter Four was HIJACKED?” said Bill.

“By none other than Misty herself,” finished Val.

 

Inside Kerbin’s sphere of influence, a T-6 Cannonball was in a Hohmann transfer to Minmus. As Val and her friends had predicted, Misty had forced Wynter Four at gunpoint to film herself inside the spaceplane’s cockpit announcing her attempt to land on all five of Jool’s moons. Misty also made Wynter Four request a copy of the full report on the simulated Jool-5 the engineers performed, which included instructions on how it could be accomplished. After all the pre-flight checks were done – with Misty and her partner staying out of sight – the T-6 took off, ascended to low-Kerbin orbit, and made a Hohmann transfer burn to Minmus. Misty had explained to Wynter Four that she wanted the T-6 specifically because it should be able to get on and off Tylo completely on its own.

Tylo was her focus because it was as large as Kerbin but without an atmosphere, which made ascent and descent extremely difficult for other spacecraft; they were also either multi-staged or dependent on Jool’s transport network. Few kerbalnauts dared set foot on the surface because of that, including level five veterans. This made Tylo the ideal place for Misty and her partner to spend the rest of their days at, and the T-6 was perfect in case they had to move. However, if the simulated Jool-5 mission report was an accurate prediction on how it would go, then the T-6 would have to land on Laythe first; it would then have to refuel and fly to Bop to refuel again before landing on Tylo. While this would slow down Misty’s plans for a Tylo getaway, her odds of getting arrested on Laythe were low thanks to Kerbin’s reduced military presence there. Political backlash from the Clivar Genocide had forced Kerbin’s central government to withdraw or decommission all their forces on that moon except for those necessary for base security, weather patrol, or light vehicle escort. The Fallout Zone surrounding Poseidon’s Palace also caused demand for tourism and kerbalnaut assignments there to drop, and since the T-6 Cannonball was designed for complete mission independence Misty did not have to worry about running into someone who would recognize her and ruin her plans. It also helped that she was presumed dead for over a year, which made Laythe a great romantic vacation spot for her and her partner while they weren’t on Tylo.

That partner was someone else everyone assumed to be dead, Jebediah Kerman Senior.

Unfortunately for all three of the occupants, Wynter Four suffered a heart attack a day after the spaceplane made its Hohmann transfer burn to Minmus. Despite Misty’s and Jeb Senior’s best efforts (short of calling for medical aid), they could not resuscitate her. On top of losing their best bet on knowing how to operate the T-6, Wynter Four’s corpse would become a health hazard if they left it in the crew cabin. At the same time, Misty did not want to risk sounding the alarm by ejecting the body there and leaving it for other kerbalnauts to find. Luckily, the engineers who built the T-6 included three body bags and some appropriately sized boxes in the cabin in the event of an occupant’s death; it was still an experimental spaceplane, so the risk of someone dying mid-mission was high. Misty was upset by this setback, but Jeb Senior argued that she was already planning to kill Wynter Four anyway.

“Not yet,” Misty had told him. “We needed her to tell us everything she knows about this spaceplane, not to mention leverage in case some snoopy kerbalnauts form a paparazzi. Good thing we got her email and phone login, or else we’re toast for sure.” With Wynter Four’s body in a vacuum-sealed body bag, which was locked in a secured crate, the next few days were relatively quiet. Before they knew it, they were hours away from entering Minmus’ sphere of influence.

“We should have enough fuel to land safely on Minmus before refueling,” Misty announced. “Once that happens, we shall be free at last to live our lives together.”

“Looking forward to it,” said Jeb Senior, “but must we do it in this spacecraft?”

“For the hundredth time, YES,” sighed Misty.

“But if your intention is for us to live in isolation forever, then wouldn’t it be better to do it in a more LUXURIOUS spacecraft?” argued Jeb Senior. “At the very least, we should have taken a spacecraft whose performance has REPEATEDLY been proven.”

“What do you mean by that?” asked Misty.

“The T-6 is still technically an EXPERIMENTAL spacecraft,” explained Jeb Senior. “How do you know this thing will actually make it to Jool, or stay in one piece after landing? It’s never done the Jool-5 before.”

“You can say the same about the first rockets that made it to the Mun before they pulled off that feat,” countered Misty, “or the first spaceplanes… or regular planes, for that matter. Besides, this thing had passed the simulated Jool-5 runs, so I’m pretty confident that it can do it for real.”

“You bring a good point, but why must we use THIS plane? Why not just take a spacecraft that’s ALREADY done the Jool-5?”

“Because everything else had to be done in pieces, like that one plane that sent multi-stage open-cockpit landers for Tylo. If we have to land there, then we can only do it ONCE.” She paused as she held Jeb Senior’s hand. “Also, we can’t use the KSP’s Jool transport network for obvious reasons – two of them being that they’re too slow for Tylo refuelings and that we’ll get captured. THAT, my love, is why we are taking a risk with the T-6 Cannonball.”

“Sounds great,” Jeb Senior conceded. “On a related note, aren’t you concerned that our docking capability would be a problem?”

“Well, Wynter told me that the monopropellant was mostly for fast maneuvering in case the reaction wheels didn’t cut it. The engineers then decided to add a docking port at the end in case ISRU refueling isn’t enough… and so that the plane can be used for more than just the Jool-5.”

“Speaking of Wynter, wouldn’t peo…,” started Jeb Senior.

“Alert: incoming vessel entering Kerbin’s sphere of influence,” a female computer voice interrupted.

“Ooh, I wonder who that could be,” said Misty. “Computer, identify vessel.”

“Vessel identified as Pod 5B31, coming in from Dres.”

“Bill,” sighed Misty. “I had calculated that he would be home by now to intercept me. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew I was in this plane already.”

“Then… I guess this means game over,” stammered Jeb Senior.

“Not yet, it doesn’t,” argued Misty. “If you remember the news from last year, you would have known that they were taking my daughter’s killer back home from Dres. Therefore, Bill and his friends HAVE to splash down and hand over the prisoner before he could get airborne again. Besides that, they’ve been away from Kerbin for almost a decade by now. By the time Bill’s cleared to get back into action again, we would already be out of his reach.”

“Bill and Val, maybe,” said Jeb Senior, “but not Jeb.”

“Again, stop talking about your son,” Misty sighed in boredom. “BOTH our old families are GONE. Sure, Jeb is still alive, but he wants nothing to do with you. Furthermore, you were once rich before you ‘died.’ I’m sure you left him SOMETHING to satisfy his greed – not that you owe him anything.”

“Jeb may be a knucklehead,” replied Jeb Senior, “but the only thing he IS greedy for is a high-risk thrill.”

“As far as you know; you haven’t talked to your son much BEFORE I picked you up,” said Misty. “Besides, he is BOUND to spend his inheritance on doing whatever dumb acrobatics he would otherwise get arrested for.”

“Would those ‘dumb acrobatics’ include flying to Minmus for me?” Jeb Senior pointed out, and Misty laughed.

“Surely, with as long as JEB’S been on the program, Mission Control would have gotten wise to his antics. Besides, you remember how lousy you felt after landing on Kerbin; your so-callled son would WANT some time off.”

“Good point,” agreed Jeb Senior, “but don’t expect him to take care of his own health before he does that. After all, he’s the kind to leap first and look later.”

“Assuming he still cares about you,” said Misty as she embraced Jeb Senior. “Just remember: if you turn up alive, he’ll have no choice but to give back everything he inherited from you. If anything, he’ll benefit more if he LEFT you alone.”

“Okay,” Jeb Senior conceded. “However, on the small chance that he DOES come for me – or if SOMEONE ELSE does – then shouldn’t we call for a fuel truck or an ore transport to meet us? It would speed up the refueling process.”

“And risk someone doing Bill’s job FOR him?” reminded Misty. “First of all, someone operating the fueling vehicles could see us and kill us – if not radio for more men. Second of all, this spaceplane is designed to be the pinnacle of space travel; the one that can do the Jool-5 and return in one piece ALL BY ITSELF. If it can do that, then we don’t need any stinking help.” Since Misty had already told Jeb Senior that she had “taken care of” the possibility that the press would want to see their craft in person, he figured that nobody would come for him.

“Misty,” said Jeb Senior, “I would like to send out another message… as Wynter Four.”

 

“Everybody strapped in?” Bill asked his fellow crewmembers.

“Dude, we’ve been strapped in for 20 MINUTES,” sighed Jeb.

“Perfect,” said Bill. “As we all know, Misty Kerman is heading to Minmus to refuel her plane. If we don’t catch her before her tanks are full, we can kiss her good-bye. At the same time, we have orders from the top to splash down within 50 kilometers of the Kerbal Space Center so that the military can take us in.”

“Yeah, yeah, we know they need to pick me up and debrief you guys,” said Hadgan. “Could you skip to the part where we… I dunno, DO SOMETHING?”

“As I was saying – before Hadgan interrupted me – we currently do not have enough fuel to circularize our orbit before making a transfer burn to Minmus,” continued Bill. “You might want to ask me ‘why not just use ANOTHER spacecraft to chase her AFTER we land?’ Answer: by the time the higher-ups give us the green light to do so, it would be too late. However, you might also be asking ‘then how does Bill expect to get to Minmus if he doesn’t have enough delta-V?’” Everyone started looking at each other in confusion, then Bill got their attention again. “I’ll tell you how I expect to get to Minmus while conserving fuel: we’re going to AEROBRAKE.”

“What?” gasped Bob. “Are you trying to blow us up?”

“Uh… question,” said Maurge Kerman, the pod’s medic, “why are we even chasing Misty?”

“She’s Irpond’s mother,” answered Val.

“Yeah, so?” questioned Maurge.

“She kidnapped my dad, blew him up while faking her own death, and now she’s trying to get away,” sighed Jeb. “Bill’s been out for her head for years.”

“ANYWAY,” said Bill, “at our current trajectory, we’re at great risk of either blowing up or staying in a hyperbolic trajectory by the time we get through the atmosphere. Heck, we’re at great risk of losing one or more engines during said aerobrake. Therefore, I’ve DISABLED the navicomputer’s automated landing sequence and implemented a NEW program. If I did the math right – and assuming the repeated simulations were accurate – the resulting circularization burn should give us a 55-kilometer periapsis while having an apoapsis on Minmus’ orbit at the time that moon passes through that particular point in space.”

“Can we get the TOO LONG, DIDN’T READ version, please?” Jeb requested.

“We should be able to rendezvous with Minmus while saving fuel,” Bill summarized.

“Um, excuse me,” said Cassie, “if this last-minute change in the mission is intended to intercept Misty Kerman, then how are we going to transport her back to Kerbin? We’re already at full capacity, not to mention we need to take ANOTHER prisoner too.”

“Who said we’re taking her in ALIVE?” replied Bill, tightening his grip on a screwdriver. “When we catch up to Misty, I’ll KILL her and leave her body there.”

“So, it’s a murder mission?” sighed Maurge.

“Count me in,” Hadgan commented.

“One problem: what about Wynter Four?” reminded Val. “What are we gonna do about HER?”

“Who’s Wynter Four?” wondered Cassie.

“CEO of WinterOwl,” said Val, “or at least she WAS. Now, we believe that Misty TOOK HER HOSTAGE as she made her escape in the Cannonball.”

“Odds are Misty killed her already,” Bill guessed. “However, if Wynter Four is still alive when we find her, we’ll transport her to an outpost for a medical assessment and then have someone take her back.”

“Why not just have one of us STAY on Minmus and have Wynter Four fly back with US?” questioned Jeb.

“Given her heart condition, I don’t know if she’ll make it unharmed if she rides in this pod. At least Mission Control will know what to do with her,” answered Bill.

“So, to recap,” started Bob, “we aerobrake, intercept Minmus, assassinate Misty and bury the body, and then leave Wynter Four there while we return to Kerbin.”

“You forgot making our partial de-orbit burn before the aerobraking part,” said Bill, “not to mention we actually NEED to find Misty and/or Wynter Four. Even if we DO find Wynter Four – and assuming she’s still alive – we’ll take her to the nearest medical station for a full assessment. We’ll then radio Kerbin and have THEM deal with her while WE get back home.”

“I’m in,” said Val.

“Same here,” concurred Bob, and everyone except for Cassie agreed.

“Why SHOULD we do this?” she argued. “You’re adding weeks to our mission time just so YOU can MURDER someone.”

“Who murdered hundreds of innocent people, including Jeb’s dad,” countered Bill. “If we don’t stop her now, she’ll MULTIPLY her kill count.”

“Then why not capture her?” said Cassie. “Killing a murderer is what got Hadgan in trouble with the law.”

“Because the bureaucrats who charged him are corrupt, and Irpond was ALREADY imprisoned – and facing a death sentence, by the way,” spat Bill. “Besides, the last time the cops tried playing fair with Misty DIDN’T WORK. If she wants to play dirty, then so will I. Now, are there any OTHER questions?” All was silent for ten seconds. “No? Okay, then. Now, hold on to something. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.” Almost a minute later, Jeb’s kPad buzzed.

“Ooh, an email,” he gasped.

“Who’s it from?” asked Val.

“Wynter Four,” answered Jeb.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Subject: Your Dad

Jeb,   I know you were not on the best of terms with your father. If anything, I wouldn’t be surprised if you thought he deserved to get blown to bits. At least read what I have to say and don’t delete this. You won’t regret it.   YOUR FATHER STILL LIVES – IN YOU   Sincerely, Wynter Kerman the Fourth

 

“That sounds so… fishy,” said Val.

“You’re telling me,” agreed Jeb. “It’s been over a year since Dad got blown up, and NOW she says that ‘he still lives in me.’ A little late to tell me that now, isn’t it?”

“Especially since Misty has Wynter Four held hostage in that plane,” reminded Val. “Why would Misty let her send YOU an email?”

“I dunno, probably to throw us off,” suggested Jeb.

“Then why email you SPECIFICALLY and not just… make it public?” countered Val.

“Hmm… I wonder if BILL got an email from her too,” said Jeb.

“Well, did she CC him?” asked Val.

“Nope,” answered Jeb.

“Hmm, that doesn’t mean she didn’t send him a SEPARATE email,” said Val.

“Why would Misty let Wynter Four send BILL an email?” Jeb mentioned. “Better yet, you said it yourself, why would she let her contact anyone at all?”

“Executing maneuver node in ten… nine… eight… seven,” the navicomputer started.

“Brace yourselves!” ordered Val, and Jeb secured his kPad to the compartment under his seat. When the countdown was over, the pod fired up its engines while MechJeb kept it on Bill’s plotted maneuver node. The pod was about 150 kilometers above Kerbin’s surface when the engines stopped.

“MJ, aim for the radial,” said Bill as he pressed some more buttons. “This should dissipate the heat while we aerobrake, but we need to spin the pod about it for a more even distribution. Jeb, you ready?” Jeb then flipped a transparent lever cover and pulled it from the center position closer to his own seat.

“Manual override engaged,” said the navicomputer.

“All ready, dude,” Jeb told Bill. “Just give the word.”

“The pod will tell us when we get below 70 kilometers altitude, which should be any second now. When that happens, I need you to keep rolling and not stop until I say so.”

“Should I roll left or right?”

“Hmm… doesn’t matter, but pick one and stick with it,” Bill answered as he made sure that all the solar panels, antennae, and radiators had been retracted.

“Got it.”

“Alert: you are now within Kerbin’s atmosphere. Altitude: 70 kilomters.”

“Hit it, Jeb.” Jeb began spinning the pod to the left as flames started forming around its exterior. A few minutes later, the flames subsided, and Bill told Jeb to stop and straighten out the spacecraft. He then checked their orbit with the navicomputer and gave a thumbs-up before entering some more commands into the MJ autopilot.

“What are you doing?” asked Jeb. “I thought we were good.”

“We still need a fine-tuning to get caught in Minmus’ sphere of influence,” explained Bill, “but this aerobrake saved us a lot of fuel.”

“Hey, Bill,” said Bob, “better extend the panels and antennae now that we’re out of the atmosphere.”

“Oh, right.”

“Pod 5B31, this is Mission Control,” a man’s voice crackled on the radio. “Do you copy?”

“We’re in trouble,” said Jeb.

“Since when has that concerned you?” smirked Hadgan.

“I’ll handle this,” said Val. “Affirmative, Mission Control. This is Admiral Valentina Kerman.”

“You were supposed to be on a splashdown trajectory now,” said the man at Mission Control. “Explain your course change immediately.”

“I knew this was a bad idea,” Cassie commented.

“Relax. If there’s one thing she’s good at, it’s getting out of tight spots,” Bob assured her.

“We’re talking MUTINY here. In the eyes of the law, we’d be pirates.”

“Pirates? Cool,” said Jeb.

“That doesn’t help.”

“Quiet, guys,” ordered Val before responding to Mission Control. “Uh… we’re making a stop at Minmus to refuel.”

“Good one,” whispered Bill, but Val gestured him to remain silent.

“Why? You were ordered to jettison the engines during re-entry, and your previous trajectory would have had them land safely in the ocean.”

“Right, but… why let this perfectly good spacecraft go to waste? I mean, can’t we use it again?”

“Negative,” the man at Mission Control answered. “All Mark V interplanetary travel pods in active service have been mothballed.”

“WHAT?! Mothballed!” Bill gasped in shock.

“Any Mark V pods returning to Kerbin are considered decommissioned and are to re-enter immediately unless doing so would endanger kerbal life.”

“You’re trashing…?” said Bill.

“Tchhh… what’s tchhh… say again, shhh…!” Val responded. “Radio… wor…” She then disconnected the radio.

“Did you just hang up on Mission Control?” asked Jeb.

“I learned from the best,” Val replied, winking. “Misty’s caused us enough trouble already, and I don’t need Mission Control helping her.”

“Just like when he ditched Jeb’s dad when we were kids,” Bill commented.

“Dad…,” muttered Jeb, and suddenly his eyes widened. “Dad’s STILL ALIVE.”

“What?” gasped Bill.

“MY FATHER sent me that email,” explained Jeb. “We’d better get him fast.”