[AAR][image heavy] Journey past the sky

[Zuni]

On the planet of Kerbin, a natural disaster has wiped out almost all life.

The one remaining nation was greatly staggered, their two-billion Kerbal population decimated to a measly million. Desperately, their government set up a secret facility in hope that their engineers could journey past the sky and colonise other planets to keep the Kerbal species alive.

Join Jebediah, his crew and the smart-ass AI MechJebediah 2.0 (MJ2) on their adventures to the cosmos.

PROLOGUE: 300 Kilometres From Home

Jebediah: You sure this ship is safe? *

Gene: As sure as we can be.

Gene: You will be the first Kerbal in space. Your success will change the world.

Jebediah: Then start the countdown. We have everything to win.

T MINUS THIRTY SECONDS

Gene: Jeb? You know, you're a great guy.

Jebediah: Yeah, thanks Gene. You too.

T MINUS TWENTY SECONDS

Jebediah: This waiting's killing me...

Jebediah: Gene, if your guys keep counting I won't be able to help but pull out!

Gene: Come on, Jebediah! We need you to do this!

Jebediah: Then I'm going now.

Gene: No, Je-

FWOOOOOOOOSH

Gene: ...er JebeDiaH! flIGHt cOmMAnder Jebediah! Do you read me?

Jebediah: Yeah... Yeah, I read you.

Gene: Whew!

Gene: Booster separation is in twenty seconds. The ship will handle itself and you only have to stage the landing, okay?

Jebediah: Got it. How high are we?

Gene: You just reached ten kilometres.

Jebediah: Only ten? I feel like I'm in space already, but at the same time buried underground... How high are we going?

Gene: At least a hundred- kilometres that is. Our prediction programs aren't too accurate.

Jebediah: That's comforting.

Gene: Boosters detaching.

Jebediah: Wow! I feel infinitely lighter!

Gene: Yes. Now you are only experiencing two gee acceleration. Previously you were affected by over ten.

Jebediah: So, what next?

Gene: Obviously the briefing team did a terrible job.

Gene: When this stage runs out, there's one more which will last a fair while. After that, the capsule detaches with the landing legs and parachute.

Jebediah: How long until the next stage?

Gene: A few minutes.

Jebediah: Right.

Jebediah: Why's mission control so quiet?

Gene: They're not. Mission control is routing into my headset but not yours. Having fifty kerbals talking to you at once would be overwhelming. I act as a sort of translator between them and you.

Gene: Stage separation in ten seconds.

Gene: Five seconds.

Gene: Final stage.

Jebediah: *crunch, crunch, nom nom*

Gene: What in the world are you doing?

Jebediah: Eating my tuna sandwiches. They're a bit squashed.

Gene: Oh.

Gene: Jeb, we have reached apoapsis at over 300 kilometres.

Gene: How you going in there?

Jebediah: A bit overwhelmed, actually. It's all coast and come home from here, right?

Gene: Not quite. on the way back down you'll go through a lot of acceleration.

Jebediah: Will I survive it?

Gene: We don't know.

Jebediah: You guys do a lot to help a terrified kerbal.

Gene: No problem. The guys at MC are cracking up.

Gene: Strap in, Jebediah. You're beginning descent through the atmosphere.

Jebediah: I can see the facility.

Gene: Indeed. We've got eyes on you. Fairly smooth descent.

Jebediah: Gravity is returning...

Gene: Don't talk too much. You might not be able to close your mouth.

Jebediah: Okay.

Jebediah: Damn, I'm scared. *

Gene: You should be.

Jebediah: Fire! Fire!

Gene: Shock heating. It will stop soon.

Jebediah: Mach effects?

Gene: Indeed. Your speed cannot be accurately estimated, but is at least one thousand two hundred meters per second.

Jebediah: That can't be good.

Gene: You're slowing. Release the parachute.

Jebediah: Gene...

Gene: Release the parachute!

Jebediah: It's not opening!

Gene: Jeb, you are moving towards a solid, flat object at speeds in excess of three hundred metres per second.

Jebediah: I can't open the para- oomph!

Gene: You did it.

Jebediah: What?

Gene: Survived. MC is going crazy.

Gene: This is a new era for the Kerbal Space Program.

Gene: Congratulations, Mission Commander Jebediah.

*This is the old Jebediah, the Jebediah before he was the fearless space commando...

Next chapter coming soon...