Tragedy

[TaxiService]

Once upon a time...

Last year, a large communication satellite was launched and headed for Dres, which was well-known in the folklore as "Lonely space potato". This satellite was part of our communication project, "Deep Space Network", whose aim was to set up a telecommunication network over the solar system and to support interplanetary spacecraft missions. On the halfway to Dres, the Mission Control of the Kerbal Space Center suddenly lost contact with the satellite, and could not re-establish the contact. Last few lines of its recorded telemetry indicated that an unexplained hull breach had been occurred, resulting in the total destruction of this spacecraft. In our entire history of the space center, this was the first craft loss outside Kerbin. Despite the setback, we decided to build and send another satellite of the same type to Dres in the next transfer window.

Contracts

Meanwhile, the Kerbal Space Center received three contracts from "Explosive Space Tourism" agency and "Marshall Lee Industry" corporation. The tourism agency wanted one hotel orbiting around Duna, and another one on the surface of the planet. The corporation requested a sample of the Karbonite resource to be mined on the Duna surface and to be delivered to Ike, the single moon of Duna. The sample would be parked in an orbit there. No reason was given for this odd contract, though few speculated that it might be just a rumoured ritual for a white-hooded boy and a talking dog.

Nonetheless, the timing of this Ike contract was convenient. One of our space projects was to build a refinery and refuel station above one moon of a planet, along with a delivery vehicle. This vehicle which would land on the surface, mine some Karbonite, launch back into an orbit and deliver the payload to the orbital station. The station in turn would process and convert to rocket fuels for a wide range of uses, including home-return trips. Eve and Duna were the current targets of the near-future manned exploratory missions so two such stations were scheduled to operate above their moons, Gilly and Ike.

Payloads

Over several months, huge amounts of funds and resources were poured into the designs and constructions of five launches and their payloads. The payloads were described as follows:

(a) Dres communication satellite

This was a replacement satellite for the mysteriously destroyed one. This automated satellite at Dres would serve as a gateway between the inner and outer layers of our solar system. Also, Dres desperately needed a companion.

( Gilly Karbonite station

A mining vehicle would piggyback on the fuel factory on way to Eve's Gilly. There, it would mine the moon and resupply any thirsty spacecraft with fuels. Two crew members were training to fly and operate the factory.

© Ike Karbonite station

Like the Gilly cousin, the factory station would arrive with its crew of two kerbals in an orbit around Duna's moon. It would refill the empty tanks of a spacecraft to go to somewhere else, included home-return trips.

(d) Duna surface landers

Two separate crafts for the surface hotel and sample contracts were glued together on a disposable transfer rocket to Duna. Once a successful orbit insertion was made, both crafts would separate and land on Duna independently. Each vehicle was to be manned by one crew person. The sample craft would launch and rejoin the Ike fuel station later.

(e) Duna orbital hotel

It was just for completing the orbit contract of the tourism agency. This unmanned mission would be remotely piloted from the Mission Control.

Missions

Spanning the next months, the spacecrafts were launched from the launch pad and made successful transfers out of the Kerbin's SOL. Each of the five spacecrafts was merrily floating through vast void towards their destinations. The Mission Control were satisfied with the lacking of any problem or anomaly report from the trips.

A few months later, the crew of the Gilly mission reported the successful burn within the Eve's SOL and inserted themselves around the planet. The crews of the two Duna spacecrafts also reported that the pale orange dot was spotted at a great distance away. Everything was going well according to the plans-

One of the rockets suddenly transmitted the Mission Center with a confusing report, and then went silent. The unmanned hotel station to Duna also ceased broadcasting its telemetry and was no longer responding to any commands. The report was baffling. It said something about the distant stars and Sun disappeared instantly, and that two green long tube-like objects were seen approaching the spacecraft rapidly out of nowhere. No further contacts from the three Duna-headed crafts were received.

The large observatory of the Research and Development Facility was immediately ordered to pinpoint its giant telescope to the last reported position of the silent rocket. The observation of a wide field of debris was reported. Stunned, the Mission Control hastily attempted to contact the Gilly crew only to find they were alive but unaware of the disaster unfolding. In the next two days, the contact with the communication satellite would soon be lost forever. Its transmitted telemetry matched to the one of the first satellite. Frighteningly, it was similar to the telemetry of the lost unmanned Duna station vehicle.

Aftermath

Out of the five space missions from Kerbin, the Gilly one was the only one arrived at its destination unharmed. The rest were presumed lost to the eternity space, with the total loss of four lives. The ten thousands, if not millions funds, were down the drain.

The flags over the Kerbin were lowered to half in our remembrance of the four brave astronauts. No one dared to wonder what was lurking in the black void.

(Yup, I encountered this Kraken bug for the first time, and it is persistent in the multiple saves. It was so bad and the 0.90 update looks so awesome that I lost interest in playing the 0.25 update.)

Edited November 9, 2014 by TaxiService
Grammar and mistakes

[Rolanvorxariat]

Im scared.