Saving Jomer

[SuperWeegee4000]

Jomer Kerman is a highly trained pilot and mission specialist employed by the Kerbal Space Center. Or he's some hobo we found on a bench employed by the Kerbal Space Center; I don't really care enough to find out.

Recently, Jomer got into a bit of a scrape. I had recently installed Procedural Fairings and wanted to build a small orbiter to test how it looked. So a night launch of the prototype rocket Erbiter [PF] was in order.

Jomer was the lucky Kerbal who got to test the design. The mods I use are Chatterer, KerbPaint, and now Procedural Fairings.

I have an annoying habit of overfueling my designs, and the Erbiter is no exception. It got into orbit with plenty of fuel left in its second stage. So I decided to put Jomer into a higher orbit because, you know, reasons.

After an orbit, I decided I'd had enough of Jomer staring at me like a sociopath and FIAHED THE POODLE to deorbit. I didn't have enough fuel in that stage. Okay, no problem. Just fire up the deorbit stage and...

[FLUFFYBUNNIES].

So yes, I didn't have enough fuel. I tried F9ing time and again, but the best I got was 68500 meters. Welp. Although I didn't really care about Jomer, I knew the Kerbal public would get miffed if I left a Kerb in orbit to reenter in only a few short centuries. Fortunately, I had a backup plan. I knew there was a reason I left that prototype nuclear vessel in orbit!

The Devonian was my first attempt at a nuclear ship built to carry Kerbals to the Mun and farther. It didn't have enough Delta-v for an interplanetary return mission because it had four nukes, but it was good for a single Munar return run. Onboard? Jeb, Bill, and Bob Kerman. It had 'chutes on the capsule, but I didn't want to deorbit it for some reason. I just felt like it could be refueled and become a permanent craft for future Munar operations. So I left the Big Three in orbit because I was too lazy to get up off my Kerbehind and go get them.

I could have just had Jomer get out and push his capsule, but that would take too long and was boring. I wanted to pull a huge publicity stunt that proved the Kerbal Space Program never leaves a Kerbal behind! Except the ones we haul onto bases. Those guys are pretty much AFK for life.

The trajectory was plotted and off they went. Hang on, What's-yer-name! I'm coming for you!

The burn wasn't too long. The only trouble was that once I matched velocities, I too had a periapsis inside the atmosphere. Just. Fortunately, the closest approach came after the Erbiter had passed its graze with Kerbin's embrace.

(I had previously decoupled the deorbit stage in an attempt to lower my periapsis more via decoupler force. Spoiler alert: It didn't work.)

From here, all Jomer had to do was EVA over to the Devonian and hop inside one of the Hitchhikers. As for the capsule... well, the capsule can go shove off.

Jomer got settled in after being stuck inside a cold powerless capsule for almost an hour, and Jeb celebrated the rescue by giving the Devonian a paint job.

How he did it will forever remain a mystery, as paint doesn't work in space. Well, it's Jeb. He probably painted it with cleverly applied duct tape and [CLASSIFIED].

The Devonian now rests in a low circular orbit. I'll pick up Jeb and the others... eventually....

Edited November 28, 2013 by Specialist290
Language.

[Specialist290]

The Devonian now rests in a low circular orbit. I'll pick up Jeb and the others... eventually....

Here's to hoping you don't keep them waiting too long. I mean, what if they run out of snacks?

[SuperWeegee4000]

Here's to hoping you don't keep them waiting too long. I mean, what if they run out of snacks?

Eh. They can eat the suit monopropellant supply or something.

Just kidding. I'll pick them up tomorrow.

EDIT: I picked all four up in a Hitchhiker and they are deorbiting as I type.

Also, his name is actually Jorner. Oops. Well, too bad. He's Jomer now.

Edited November 28, 2013 by SuperWeegee4000