totm may 2024 Operation Second Breakfast

[Uuky]

Operation Second Breakfast,

A short KSP screenshot novel

I-Covert operation

The dimly lit mess hall of the Kerbal Space Center was nearly empty, save for Major Jebediah Kerman, who sat hunched over a cluttered table in the far corner. Maps, digital pads, and open dossiers lay scattered before him, illuminated by the weak morning light filtering through the blinds. He was deeply engrossed in a satellite image when Captain Valentina Kerman entered, her footsteps silent on the cold linoleum floor. She approached, her shadow falling across the papers.

"Looks like you’re planning a rather bold flight, Jeb," Valentina observed, her voice low and steady.

Jebediah looked up, a hint of a mischievous grin playing at the corners of his mouth. "Val, I need to chase the horizon. Today's mission: a second sunrise for a second breakfast."

Valentina raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at her lips. "I’m your pilot then. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Jeb nodded, pushing the maps aside. "That keeps my hands free for important matters—like my breakfast."

Together, they finalized their plan, their whispers blending with the hum of the fluorescent lights overhead.

II-The  heist

Major Jebediah and Captain Valentina, dressed in flight suit, approached the high-security hangar that housed the Osprey MK I. The night was still, broken only by the distant call of a night bird. Using a cloned security badge, they bypassed the biometric locks at the facility’s entrance, slipping inside without a sound.

The hangar was a fortress, designed to protect some of the most advanced aircraft of Kerbin. The Osprey MK I sat under halogen lights, its sleek, supersonic frame casting long shadows on the polished floor. They climbed into the cockpit, a tight space crammed with state-of-the-art avionics.

Valentina keyed in the start sequence, and the engines roared to life, the sound muffled by the hangar’s soundproof walls. They taxied the aircraft out of the hangar, the massive doors sliding open silently, revealing daylight. The thrill of the heist pulsed through them as they lined up on the runway.

III-High stakes takeoff

Valentina strapped herself into the pilot’s seat, her hands steady on the controls. The runway  stretched out before them like a road to the stars. She glanced at Jeb, who nodded back, his face set with determination.

She pushed the throttle, and the Osprey leaped forward, its engines screaming. The g-forces pressed them into their seats as they hurtled down the runway. Valentina pulled back on the stick, and the aircraft’s nose lifted gracefully into the air. They were airborne, climbing rapidly, leaving the world behind.

 

The cockpit was bathed by sunlight, each gauge and display meticulously monitored as Valentina set their course eastward.

IV-Ascension tactics

With the coastline disappearing behind them, Valentina initiated the climb to 12,000 meters. The Osprey responded beautifully, its engines designed for both speed and altitude.

At 12,000 meters, she leveled off briefly, adjusting their trajectory for minimal radar signature.

Valentina was ecstatic. She felt like she was a part of the plane.

Then, pushing the aircraft to its limits, she climbed again, reaching 18,000 meters where the air was thin and the curve of the planet visible against the pale blue sky. The aircraft, now at speeds approaching Mach 3, sliced through the atmosphere, beginning to glow from the friction.

V-Into the Black

They pierced the night, the sky around them turning an inky black as they outran the spinning Earth below. The Osprey, like a comet, blazed a trail through the upper reaches of the atmosphere, its surface glowing from the heat.

Inside the cockpit, the temperature remained controlled, the only sounds the hum of the aircraft systems and their controlled breathing. Valentina watched the horizon intently, her eyes scanning for the first hint of sunlight.

VI-Dawn Chaser

As the first rays of the sun touched the peaks below, Jeb unwrapped his carefully prepared second breakfast. The cockpit was awash in a soft, orange glow—the reward for their daring night flight. Below them, rugged mountains gave way to the expansive ocean, the world seemingly unrolling beneath them.

"Perfect timing," Jeb muttered between bites, his eyes fixed on the breathtaking view as the Osprey sped across the sky.

VII-Fuel Critical

Alerts began to sound within the cockpit as their fuel reserves dwindled to critical levels.

Valentina’s training took over; her responses were calm, her actions deliberate. She began preparations for an emergency water landing, knowing that their chances were slim with the fuel running out.

The Osprey was now at the mercy of gravity, slowly losing altitude over the vast, unforgiving ocean.

She deployed the drogue chutes at 5,000 meters, stabilizing their rapid descent.

VIII-Emergency water landing

With a masterful touch, Valentina managed to hydroplane the Osprey onto the ocean’s surface. The aircraft skimmed across the water, its empty fuel tanks unexpectedly aiding in its buoyancy. Inside the cockpit, the mission computer lit up with the message: "Successful Landing."

"Not the typical runway, but it’ll do for breakfast," Jeb joked, relief evident in his voice.

"Next time, we pick a landing strip before we depart, maybe?" Valentina retorted, already thinking ahead to their next adventure.

IX-Epilogue: Stranded Kerbals

Adrift on the open sea, Jebediah leaned back against the fuselage, his meal finished. Valentina scanned the horizon, her mind racing through potential rescue scenarios.

"For our next sortie, we’ll need a craft with better amenities. And fuel," Valentina mused, her voice tinged with humor.

"Agreed. But you're still the pilot, Val," Jeb replied, his confidence in her skills unshaken.

Their laughter echoed over the waves, a sound of victory against the odds, as they awaited rescue under the vast, endless sky.

 

[BechMeister]

Thank you for a nice read - also what a sleek looking plane

[Vanamonde]

Nifty plane. 

[Uuky]

Thank you very much.

To be honnest the plane is not entirely from me. I made it but I saw a similar plane before in KSP1 long time ago, not exactly the same though.  it looks like more or less something I saw. More than less tbh.. Especially the engines position is copied from this original design I try to remember. That's a good design for high altitude flight. It is derived from the SR-72 drone. 

I think it comes originally from a design made by raptor9 but I can't confirm it as his thread has been cleared. But I'm pretty much sure he crafted something similar originally. 

Edited May 7 by Uuky