The Mean Space

[Darknote]

Hi all! I usually juggle between playing Stellaris/Starsector/KSP/Rimworld, and I've decided to create narrative stories based on the games I play.  I was almost finished with my Starsector Chapter 3, when I wanted to continue my March 2024 KSP campaign.

(Yes, I will get back to my Stellaris AAR story soon, no stress!)

Forewarning: Every story has a beginning, and I feel like also deserve an ending. At one point, they will all get endings and be self-contained in their Parts... Eventually. But, I must also warn that I write because I enjoy it and I hope you will enjoy reading it as well. A belated thank you you to HarvesteR and the team for creating KSP and to Blackrack, Lisias and the rest of the modding team for expanding it so much! Thank you! And a shoutout to For All Mankind TV Show for reigniting my love for rockets :D!

So where does our Kerbal story start? Well, let's find out.

 

The Mean Space
A Kerbal Space Program Narrative AAR

Prologue

Pictured: Kastronaut Class of 1969, representing the last Kastronaut crew roster.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? Heroes. The lot of them!"

There wasn't much else you could say, looking at the iconic photo.

 The young Kerbal looked at the photo, then at the gentleman who seemingly appeared to worship it.  "Who are they?" They asked.

"Uhh, huh?" He looked at the young Kerbal perplexed. "Heroes." He said. "I was there, when the Moon landing happened."

 "Moon landing?" The young one said, "Pfff." And took out its phone and started typing on it. Then showed it to the man in work overalls, "That was in 1969."

"Aye, little one. I was there." He crossed his arms, "In front of the TV, when the documentary began. Across Time and Space, The Successes of the Eurokerbal Space Agency."

 "But wait, I just read the Moon landing was faked."

"Haha, huh. Good one, little Kerbal. No. It wasn't. And by golly, I wish I was there live."

 "No. It was fake. This social media person said it was so. And I've been following them since forever now!"

"What?" When he turned his head, the little Kerbal walked away, disinterested in hearing anyone contradict its' theory. 

He walked towards the kid, not yet finished in trying to change their mind. The Moon landing was real. That he knew for certain, and as he walked past the memorabilia from a past era, he saw a photo of the last mission. The year, 1971.

He sighed and placed his small Kerbal hand on the frame of the photo. Was it unfair? Not only to him, but all of Kerbality, that they'd be stuck here, on Earth. The insanity. What he would not give to -- 

 "HEY! You there. " The man with glasses approached him, "Don't touch that! It belongs to our museum."

 "Sorry, sorry." He bowed, "I just... "

 "No. Excuses!" He looked at his badge, "Mr. Mancer."

 "My bad, Mr. Werner, sir."

 "It's Doctor! Doctor Wernher von Kerman! Now, get back to ze work."

 "Will do, herr Doctor." He bowed and started mopping the floor of the space agency's museum exhibit. For a few hours at least, before exiting for his lunch break. As he sat down to finish reading Elsa Silvestri's daring Moon landing, his eyes couldn't help but admire the sky above the space center. 

 "Oh, what I wouldn't give."

 "What I wouldn't give."

He basked in the newfound wind gushing his way.  His whole life he dreamed to be a Kastronaut, so when the only position available opened up, he was the first to apply. 
It didn't matter that the pay was attrocious, the conditions awful and the role... A janitor. He was working for KASA. His dream job... Ok, maybe not dream 'job', but dream 'location'.

 

 

Chapter 1
"Welcome to a new kind of Hell. My kind."
Wernher von Kerman, while manually calculating the landing sequence for Kerbal Aeronautics and  Space Administration's latest lunar probe, 1965.

All stories eventually end. With the Soviet Kunion collapse, the UKSA and the Eurokerbal Union emerged victorious after the Kold War. And as such, had no more a competition. The frontiers of space? Written off as conquered. Funding was slashed for both agencies and while the technologies brought much to the economy and ease of life for ordinary Kerbals, the spirit of exploration and discovery vanished overnight. Elsa Silvestri's name will echo throughout history as a result of her accomplishments. Just as the work of countless Engineers and Scientists that made it happen, will be remembered forever. In the museum. The space museum. All stories have an end, you see, and we have reached ours.

But, my dear reader. Earth's resources were not limitless. No. And soon, ambition will again pull Earth's governments from their lull state, into the one most preferred by scientists. One that Wernher von Kerman remembers all too fondly.

One story had to end, yes. So that ours may begin. In the year 2024.

 "But herr Mortimer, please. I beg of you! We barely have enough funding to keep the lights on in my office!"

"Doctor Wernher, you should be thankful the agency could even afford electricity in the first place! I can't believe you didn't quit after we slashed your salary by 90%."

 "I can't give up, herr Mortimer. It's my entire life. All my blueprints, the potential for discovery is nigh!"

"Sell your blueprints at the corner store, Doctor. You'll get a better deal than trying push this narrative to our Administration. The President made it abundantly clear, money for space is wasted space."

 "That makes no sense, how much have our technologies provided for the United Kerbal States of America? For all of Kerbality?"

"The funding was approved in the Senate. It's a done deal for all departments, not just yours." And with that, Mortimer closed the door.

 

Wernher dropped his head into his arms. His office, a depressing show of stacks of papers everywhere.

 

 "Fools. Fools! The border of space was barely scratched... " He wept.

 

On an inconspicuous afternoon, Dominik was cleaning the outskirts of the large antennae of the joint KASA space center. It wasn't used much at all even 60 years later, but tourists still come over to visit and admire the now relics of the past. And most of all, children love looking through the ancient telescope in the observatory. Coincidentally, this is where Dominik was. Slacking off.

 "Visiting hours are off today, might as well enjoy a bit of leeway." He said as he maneuvered the command sticks of the observatory.

It was huge, mind you. But rust never managed to make its way to ruin its usefulness for Dominik, who giggled like a teenager every time he used it. 
In just a few seconds, the Starwise-I Mk. 1 LEO Station would come inside the periphery of the telescope, and he'd observe it for at least a few good minutes, like he does most days. Dominik couldn't afford a telescope by himself, even a tiny one. And besides, nobody's using the big one anyway.

And he saw it. He had to zoom it just a little bit...

A bit more.

 "Such a beauty. A pity... "

It was Starwise's final station design, accomodating the Intralunar vehicle used by the Pegasus mission. The Moon landing. It was the KASA and ESA's most prestigious invention and commission.

 "Wait, what the heck?"

He thought he saw something. He zoomed in.

Then a bit more...

More...

 *Gasp!* 

And with that, Dominik was about to change the course of history, forever.

By the time Dominik made his way into the Administration building, rain started pouring. The clouds, appearing out of nowhere.

He knocked on Wernher's office door. No answer. He placed his ear to it, and heard, crying? He knocked again, harder this time.

 "Come in, come in already. *Sniff*."

He was never allowed in the good Doctor's office, and he now knew why. Stacks upon stacks of paper everywhere. No matter.

 "Herr Doctor! Are you alright?"

 "Oh Heavens, I thought it was Mr. Mortimer... Yes, Janitor. What is it." He wiped his bulbous eyes.

 "The space station!" Dominik couldn't contain his words, "Someone's docking to it... The... The... "

 "Who? Spill it out already!"

 "The Khinese!"

Edited 14 hours ago by Darknote

[Darknote]

Chapter 2
"I want to be a Kastronaut!"
Dominik Mancer, when asked by his grade school teacher what he wants to become, before his whole class laughed at him, 2015.

 "Are you positive?"

 "Very!"

 "I don't see them anymore."

 "They were there! I saw it with me own two eyes, herr Doctor!"

 "We need proof, herr Mancer. Definite, unfalsifiable, proof!" Wernher dropped off from the giant telescope, and paced around the inside of the observatory.

 "But why? I said they were there. Docked with Starwise."

 "We can't reach the station anymore... Pity."

 "So we just tell the KASA administration they were there, herr Doctor!"

Wernher snapped.

 "I am the administration! And even I have a hard time believing you, even if I want to, with every inch of my bodzy!"

 "Oh... " Dominik looked down, "Sorry."

 "Pff, no worries, herr Mancer." He waved with his hand, "I sorta, kinda, wanto believe you. But having proof is of utmost necessity."

 "How so?"

At this, Wernher joined his hands in unison, and gave, what could be Dominik thought, the very first smile in his life. A devilish smile.

 "My dear Janitor. If we could get hands on evidence... Well. Let's just say, you'll get a pay rise. A very big one."

 "Oh... Well... " Dominik rubbed the back of his head.

 "What? Don't you like kredits?"

 "No it's just, I'm not really paid. They just give me meal tickets and some occasional snacks when Mr. Mortimer forgets his sandwich."

 "What?! Then why do you clean, why do you maintain the facilities?!"

 "Because!" Dominik smiled, "I've always wanted to be a Kastronaut! And this is... The next big thing."

 "Ludicrous, madne -- " Wernher stopped, his mind even now calculating trajectories and orbital velocities, "Wait a minute."

 "Yes?"

 "Come with me." And Dominik followed. Together, the duo reached von Kerman's office. The young, barely paid janitor, didn't know what he was getting into.

A few good minutes later, the Doctor shouted.

 "Eureka! I was right!"

 "What?"

 "Starwise has built in recorder. It was a backup system designed by Gene Kerman, long ago. He wanted to see if the early Kastronauts were slacking off too often." He showed Dominik the blueprints.

 "Oh. Wait, so, the station could have recorded docking?"

 "Not could have, has! That is, if radiation didn't fry its' systems after 60 years. It was never designed to be in orbit for this long."

 "I can do it."

 "What?"

 "I can get the records back."

 "You'll do no such thing. You're the janitor, herr Mancer."

 "Aye, but I know every in and out of most command pods. I even calculated orbital trajectories in high-school! I've prepared my whole life for this, herr Doctor!"

 "That's cute."

 "I'm serious!"

 "So am I. You are not trained for any vessel nor have experience commanding pods under high G's! Doing pretend Kastronaut is one thing, commanding expensive ships with no one there to help you? That's a different can of ze worms."

 "Oh... I guess, you're right." Dominik sat on one of von Kerman's office chairs, pushing the pile of papers on it, to the floor. Every light on his face vanished in that instant.

 "Unless... "

 And was reignited just as fast, "Yes?!!"

 "I control it. We just need someone to press a few buttons, at most you'd be a redundancy. In case of anything... "

 "I volunteer!"

 "Of course you do."

Dominik didn't notice, but Wernher gave a slight smile as the Janitor turned around to leave.

The duo reached the massive Vehicle Assembly Building, that was now all but abandoned.

 "Woah! How are we going to move this to the launchpad?"

 "We're not. We don't have any other Engineers or Technicians left."

 "But... How will I fly the Agamemnon?"

 "What?" He turned to Dominik, "That's a blueprint on a wall! The Agamemnon was discontinued long ago!"

 "Oh... " They continued walking through the VAB, "Woah! Yes! I always dreamed of flying the Magellan!"

 "That's a miniature rocket toy. Focus, herr Mancer."

 "But, wait... How will we fly?"

 "We have a backup rocket for orbital maintenance. It's mostly remotely controlled, but it does have a slot for one Kastronaut."

They went through the VAB and exited on the other side, to the Launchpad.

 "Though, it's mostly never used since the state has to fund for Engineers to maintain or construct it again, every time we use it."

 "I see. And I can fly it?"

 "Nonsense. I will fly it, from our control room. You just need to stay put and tell me if the G's are too high."

 "Roger. This is so cool!" They kept walking alongside what once was a very busy road, until they reached the launchpad itself.

  "This area is off limits, not that there is anyone here to enforce that... " A tint of sadness could be heard from the good Doctor's voice. "Now, put this backpack on and keep it on you at all times! Zat is an order!"

 "Sir, yes sir!" He saluted, though he didn't need to. Wernher pointed forward.

 "There she is. The Doolittle II. Here, take this ear piece. I will guide you through it."

 "Isn't it a bit rusty?"

 "Details, details. She will still fly... " He continued in a whisper, "If the methane didn't evaporate already."

 "What was that?"

 "Nothing, nothing."

 "Oh dear... Here goes nothing... "

 "Keep going! You're doing great!"

 "Oh, good Heavens, oh no... "

 "How much longer?!"

 "Just a little bit more!"

 "Don't look down, Dominik. Don't look down... Don't let your fear of heights stop you. You're this close."

 "What was that?"

 "I said I'm almost there!"

 "Yes!" Wernher rubbed his hands together, "Yes... Almost there. The competition, the rivalry. The virtually unlimited funding! It's insane. Yes. Accidental launch, nothing we could do. Aha! But you see, Mr. President, we have evidence. Someone is stealing UKSA and ESA property! We need to act, now!"

 "What?!"

 "Nothing, nothing! Keep going, ja! You're almost there!"

 "Hey, shouldn't, shouldn't we not launch during a storm?!"

 "It will pass! Keep going!"

 "It will pass... It will pass... Oh, hey, I can see the entire space center from here! Just don't look down... "

 "Wunderbar! Now, just go in!"

 "Uhh... What's the password?!"

 "What?!"

 "The password!!!"

 "Oh! Press ze zero."

 "Oh, isn't that bad security?!"

 "I can't hear you, the rain's too loud!"

And so Dominik entered the module of the Doolittle.

 "Ok, well. There's not much in here. And the smell... Oh, it's old rusted metal, that's for sure."

As he climbed up and seated himself on the observation cupola, he noticed something strange.

 "Wait, where is the command console?" The rain kept hitting the outside of the cupola, the sounds reverberating throughout the ship.

*Through the earpiece, Dominik could hear the Doctor's words.* 

STATIC / "Good, are you seated yet?"

 "Yes, but, herr Doctor, where are the panels?"

STATIC / "It's not a command pod, herr Mancer, it's a mere observation cupola! Did you really think I'd let a civilian play with ze controls?"

 "Oh... I feel a bit hurt with you saying that... "

STATIC / "Don't worry, if this works, I promise I will personally vouch for you and fund your Kastronaut training."

 "Really? Thank you so much!! That means so... So much to me!" Tears fell down his ears. He was seated upright, mind you.

STATIC / "Ja, ja. Just focus and yell if the acceleration is too much."

 "Will do! Herr Doctor!" He saluted again, to no one in particular. "Wait, what happens if it doesn't?"

STATIC / "Was?"

 "What happens if it doesn't work out?"

STATIC / "I can't ~~ Rain is interfering with the radio ~~"

 "Doctor? Doctor!" The transmission cut off.

[Darknote]

Chapter 3
"Space is big, yes, but I've yet to see something bigger than the Doctor's ego."
Gene Kerman, consoling Elsa Silvestri before the Pegasus-IV launch to the Moon.

The rain droplets produced a constant, soothing, cacophony of sounds as they hit the metal of the observation cupola. A cacophony that lasted, almost close to an hour. Dominik didn't want to lose his mind so he started listening to music on his phone, when the Doctor interrupted him.

STATIC / "Herr Mancer, can you hear me?"

 "Doctor? Yes! I can!"

STATIC / "Gutt. Hope you're strapped in."

 "I am. Wait, I can still hear the rain outside!"

STATIC / "No worry, herr Mancer. The wind isn't that bad... " A moment of eerie silence followed.

 "Doctor?"

STATIC / "Ja."

 "What if it doesn't work out?"

STATIC / "Then you'll go down as the last Kastronaut."

 *Gulp* "You know, on second thought, maybe I need more training!"

STATIC / "Nonsense, you're a redundancy. You can do your job hands tied behind your back. In fact, now that I've said it... "

 "Yes, let's call it quits for today. Tomorrow we can continue with my hands tied, if it's safer for the mission, of course."

STATIC / "Can't, we'd miss our window, and we need to get to the government before an amateur astronomer spills the beans. If it was after me, I'd have them all arrested!"

 "I'm having second thoughts, herr Doctor."

.

..

...

 "Herr Doctor?"

STATIC / "T-5... 4... 3... 2... "

 "Oh golly me, wait. We can talk about this ~~ "And as he finished his sentence, a mountain fell on Dominik Mancer's chest, pushing him further into the cupola's seat and causing him to black out.

As darkness faded, he could see a streak of light splashed across his metal sealed cupola.

But in his ear, a repeating sound kept coming back.

STATIC / "Hello? Do you read me? Herr Mancer, please answer. Please. Hello? Do you read me?!"

 "I'm... I'm here." He coughed, "I fell asleep?"

STATIC / "He's alive! Eureka!"

 "How long was I out of it?"

STATIC / "The longest 4 minutes of my life."

 "Only four? Did we do it? Did we complete the mission?"

STATIC / "Nein, mein overambitious Janitor. You, are above ze clouds." The Doctor flicked a few switches and the Kastronaut saw the most beautiful thing he could ever witness.

 

 "Oh my Gods, I'm in space!!!"

He looked left and right, admiring the view of the Earth from above.

STATIC / "You are now en route to rendezvous with Starwise-I. ETA 15 minutes."

Von Kerman could've told him an ETA of a few days, and Dominik wouldn't mind. If he could, he'd stay up here forever...

 "Man, this is so beautiful."

He could see the antenna protruding from the side of the cupola. His only means of communication back home. So naturally, he moved with his phone closer to it, to catch a signal.

 "Doctor, I'm not getting any signal on my phone."

After a few long seconds, Wernher answered.

STATIC / "Right. Ich forgot. You are ein civilian. Apologies if I will forget this in the future, herr Mancer. No, antennae don't give you signals for your phone, they are a direct link to KASA Command & Control."

 "Oh, so that means, I can't phone my parents to tell them the good news?"

STATIC / "Yes... Precisely so."

Over the course of the next few minutes, the maintenance ship maneuvered, giving Dominik an almost 360 degree view of outer space.

 "Ooooh!"

 "Aaaaah!"

The small blip he noticed, was getting closer.

 "I think, I think I can see it, herr Doctor!"

STATIC / "Think is not good enough, I need precise confirmatio -- Sorry, sorry. Yes, I am glad you can, herr Mancer!"

 "My apologies, herr Doctor. I will try to be more concise."

STATIC / "No worry. I can see it also through my screens."

 "Man, it's so much bigger here."

  "Oh, woah, the ship's pushing me back and forth!"

STATIC / "No worry. It is me. Trying to get a better view on the docking port."

 "If I may ask, herr Doctor. Why are we moving further away?"

STATIC / "Usually we have enough time to maneuver when closer, but we have to hurry now. You'll be on the dark side of the planet soon."

 "Woah! The dark side!"

STATIC / "Not as enticing as it sounds. It will mean you're blind."

And so, the pod maneuvered here and there, pushing Dominik in every direction.

The RCS jets were firing aggresively, compensating for the Doctor's rash moves.

STATIC / "Not good. Hold tight."

 "What's wrong?"

STATIC / "We're too late."

And just like that, the station vanished. Replaced by a curtain of darkness. 

 

 "Doctor? I can't see anything anymore."

STATIC / "I know!"

 "Doctor, I'm scared!"

But he got no more replies.

 "Come on, Doctor. You can do it." Though, in hindsight, what Dominik hadn't realized was, that the Doctor hadn't performed a remote docking procedure for over 50 years. Not that he'd admit any mistakes, of course.

A few seconds, then minutes passed. The RCS jets weren't firing anymore. Was that good or bad? He couldn't tell. And his heart wasn't doing him any favors. Hyperventilating inside a controlled environment wasn't bad, unless the air was limited. And his was.

 "Calm down, Dominik. Calm down. Breathe in, breathe out. Just like on those internet videos you watched late at night, while pretending to mop the floor."

STATIC / "I heard that!"

 "Doctor!" And as he said it, he could hear metallic clamps reverberating throughout the ship, thump, thump, thump. One after the other, and then, a small beep.

STATIC / "It's not aligned properly, but should be good enough. ETA 14 minutes until sunrise."

 "Surprisingly good state after 50 years of no maintenance. If Ich hadn't known any better, I'd say radiation isn't real! Hah!"

 "Herr Mancer, you can detach your safety belt, and head down to the depressurization compartment. There is a pressure suit there, please know you'll have a very limited window to perform any action. So don't depressurize until absolutely necessary! And don't forget to lock in ze helmet. I've increased your ship's floodlight range as much as I could. But your suit has lights of its own when you put it on."

 "Understood, herr Doctor."

As he moved down into the compartment, the young Kerbal was also learning to move in zero gravity.

 "I found the suit. Putting it on. And the helmet."

After it clicked, he pushed himself towards the outer lock door.

 "Herr Doctor. I'm ready."

STATIC / "Gutt. Because over 50 years of missed software updates made remote download not that convenient it seems. Your suit has a cable and you have to attach it to the databank of the station. Inside the station."

 "Got it! I'm ready for depressurization."

STATIC / "Not yet, mein overzealous young Kerbal. We need to wait for the light side of the planet first."

 "Got it, got it." He clenched his fists. He was ready. Dominik Mancer was about to go EVA for the first time in his life, when just yesterday he was a mere janitor working for KASA.

And as the minutes passed, he was becoming more and more impatient... Through the porthole window, he could see, a glimpse more like, of the city lights back on Earth. And how they had no idea a Kerbal was above them.

And just like that, a new dawn approached Dominik and subsequently, the KASA/ESA space programs. But they didn't know this yet.

STATIC / "Alright! You're now on the light side, ETA 14 minutes until dark side."

 "Alright, opening!" And he did, helmet lights on. With one step forward, he leaped out of his small ship and quickly grabbed a metal girder.

 "Ooooooooh, myyyyy, Gooooooooooooodddsss"

STATIC / "Is everything alright?"

 "Yes, yes. I'm alright. Trying to move in this suit is hard. But I'm doing it! Mom! Dad! I'm in space!!"

STATIC / "Focus! You should have some metal bars you can use to move around on the outside. From your position, you have to move towards the station, and then take a right towards the sunrise."

 "Right to the sunrise, got it." 

 "It's so much bigger close-up!"

STATIC / "You should have some built-in ladders going to the Intraplanetary ship once you reach the end section."

 "Aye, I'm climbing them right now... Climbing, haha!"

STATIC / "Keep your jokes for when we are finished."

He reached one of the cross-sections of the station, and jumped a bit forward.

 "Weeeeee!"

 "Oh no, frick!!"

STATIC / "Stop playing around!!"

 "I'm trying! Ok, I clinged myself to the second cross-section of the station."

STATIC / "Gutt. Now, move down patiently. There should be a door to the lab."

 "Yep, found it!"

 "What's the pass -- "

STATIC / "Zero."

 "Okay, I think someone needs to redo security checks on these crafts."

STATIC / "You can complain when you're back down. Now focus!"

 "Alright, entering!"

 "Oh man! Ok, now, where do I go?"

STATIC / "You should go up! Press the lever on each door between the compartments and they should open. Should."

 "Roger that, Kouston!"

STATIC / "Stop it."

 "Roger."

 "Alright, go up. Press the lever, and voila!"

 "Next door, next lever!"

 "Woah!"

STATIC / "Focus!"

 "Sorry!"

 "Okay, I think I'm on a dead end."

STATIC / "What du mean, dead-end?"

 "You said to go up."

STATIC / "The other up!!"

 "Alright! Jeez!"

 "Man this station is huge."

 "Go other up... There are no ups in space... Oh, what's this?"

 "Looks like someone's heroes. Maybe they were Kastronauts too?"

 "Okay, I think I found it!"

 "Woah ho hoo!" He rubbed his small hands together, "I made it, Doctor! Doctor?"

STATIC / "Ja, ja, a bit busy trying to downplay the recent rocket launch."

 "I'm strapped in to the command post, Doctor!"

 "And I've got to say, Earth is looking mighty blue today."

STATIC / "When you're done with your 'astute' observations, activate the mission log screen and insert your data cable into the port under the screen itself."

 "Alright. Mission... Log."

 "Nope."

 "Not this one."

 "Got it. Okay! Cable inserted."

STATIC / "Gutt! Ja! Sehr gutt, herr Mancer. You made this old Doctor proud."

 "Now I just need to get it back to Earth!"

STATIC / "No need, your suit's connection to the maintenance ship is sufficient to download the data. Mein Gott! Those sneaky Khinese! They tried hacking our databanks! My databanks! The audacity."

 "Yeah!" He shook a fist in the air, "How rude of them!" He looked left and right, unsure whether he used the correct volume for his voice.

STATIC / "Indeed. And now we have undeniable proof."

 "Okay, now what?"

STATIC / "Now I bring you back home. I would recommend you find a bag and vomit into it."

 "What? Why?

Edited 5 hours ago by Darknote