P.C.S. First launch ends in tragedy

[Darkol]

Darkol Collective Uplink Daily News

 

Just in: The Pepsi Corporation Starbridge launched its very first manned flight today, which ended in tears. Ground observers saw the missile, shaped like a Pepsi Bottle, entering the higher stratosphere, where one of the engines failed. The ensuing destabilisation of the missile's vector could not be reversed by its crew.

 

The crew consisted of 18 highly trained Starfarers trained by the Pepsi Corporation and was supervised by Darkol's finest team of technicians and psychologists. All of the crew were residents of Darkol.

 

The Missile lost function of the starboard missile, automatically rerouting all power to the right engine. The following moments, it tumbled back down, and its tragically short flight ended in an uninhabited vally, where the craft burned for several hours before help could arrive on the scene. All of the occupants are presumed dead, and indentification of the badly burnt bodies will commence tonight.

 

It was planned that the craft would hover above the outer atmosphere for 48 hours, before returning home in a smaller pod which would be more agile, and which contained a parachute to land. The Missile, which looked like a gigantic Pepsi bottle, was to stay in space as an advertisement for Pepsi. Inside the craft, researchers would have researched the effects of CO2 (Also known as 'pop', when in lemonade) in Pepsi in zero gravity. Lastly, the crew was instructed to make a short commercial on Pepsi, which would've looked like a commercial for a popular alcoholic beverage.

 

The Collective of Darkol is deeply struck by the first disaster of this magnitude to ever hit Darkol, and therefore call out the 28th of May as Starfarer memorial day. A committee will investigate the cause of the failure. No official sources have denied the activity of saboteurs, and rumours in Pepsi HQ on corporate spies were not immediately hushed.

 

Despite this tragedy, Pepsi immediately began making plans for the second project for the Starbridge. A Pepsi Spokesperson reports:"Immediately recommencing the project is a way to say to those involved in this terrible incident; Your death has not been in vain. Our fine corporation is not set back easily, but we will be far more careful in our constructions and security detail from now on."

Edited May 31, 2005 by Darkol (see edit history)

[Senator Gaius]

Karthenia offers it's deepest condolances to Darkol for their terrible loss.

[Tamurin]

Tamurin offers condolences to the families of the astronauts and the nation of Darkol. Space accidents are always very tragic accidents and we hope that these were the last astronauts of Darkol to die.

 

May their successors keep on their work.

[Vanarambaion]

Vanarambaion sends its regrets to the government and the families of the victims. In light of this, we would be willing to send the schematics for the rockets used for Vanarambaion spacecraft, if the Darkol government would find that useful, and would be happy to partner with them in any other way to enhance their space program.