A Terra Usque Ad Caelum-To the sky, from the ground

[19chickens]

The destruction of Kellya caused great panic among Kerbals, as reports filed in the R&D Center show. The same reports show how Karya and Kollan collided, causing a spray of asteroids in the orbital band between Kerbin and Duna. Karya and Kollan were discovered between Kerdate 0.23 and 0.23.5, the collision occuring between those dates. As a result, asteroids hailed down on the surface, driving the great empires of Kolus, Firesvar, Veiidoren underground to a location on Old Kolus' east coast. A test of the new Explorer-1 craft, planned to take the empires out away form the planet, begins orbital assembly...

Prologue: Minmus Launch

The Explorer-1 sat in LKO, twin nuclear blaze drives ready in a puller configuration at the front of the craft.

"Alright crew, this is a milk run, basically. KSC says fly to Minmus, land K-1 in Full configuration, refuel and get it up here, before LKO.

Bobnand, nukes ready?"

"Jeb, nukes one and two ready. Cycling safety pins."

Two loud clunks resonated through the craft, and then an almighty roar exploded from the engines. The kerbonauts grew used to it, engaging in idle chat over the thirteen minutes until it stopped.

And they waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And the alarms exploded into noise.