[Academy RP] To Infinity and Beyond

[Acadia]

Long has Acadia been looking at the stars. Such a faraway place, so much to learn. Even the ancient Dinénahasdzáán Empire looked up and imagined the possibilities, created patterns in the sky to represent their legends. In 1958, the government founded the Administration de Aérienne et Spatiale d'Acadia (Acadian Aviation and Space Administration), or AASA, with the hopes of exploring the cosmos. Unfortunately, despite the effort to construct spaceships and other vehicles that could transport man to space, the dream of reaching the stars has not been achieved. Yet.

Not all hope is lost. Because at Cape Georges, there is something happening.

"Thank you all who have participated in all previous training sessions.", begins Mission Trainer Félicité Perrot. "You have been specially trained for your mission, which is to travel in the Vulcan III rocket and embark on the 6 day mission to orbit the Mun and examine its surface. This mission is to be conducted for research to conclude information about the Mun. Is this understood among all of you?

Most nodded or said some kind of indication that they understood.

"A select few have been chosen to be on this Mission. Me and a special group of scientists and experts have been overseeing all of your training sessions. We were examining your skills, the way you dealt with situations, and your readiness and preparedness for different environments and such situations.", explains the Trainer.

"Depending on these circumstances, we have chosen who will go on this Mission."

There was a sweep of whispering and chatter across the small audience of astronauts-in-training who hope to lead this important mission in Acadia's history.

"The following are the names of the four astronauts who will man this mission."

"Guillaume Tremble"

"Samuel Cousineau"

"Emy Oliver"

"Barbara Leclair"

"I will ask that the rest of you leave."

Much of the crowd disperses as they flow through the doorways of the room. Four were left. Two men and two women, all of average height.

"Hello my apprentices.", says Mission Trainer Perrot. "Welcome to the first Acadian Mun Mission."

Edited January 4, 2020 by Acadia
Replaced E in AASA with an A (see edit history)

[Acadia]

"So, how do you feel about being the first Acadians in space?", asks Samuel in the Center's break room. A few days had passed since the revealing of their names, and they were preparing for the big day. Launch was tomorrow.

"You mean the most hated people among all of our peers? Eh, decent.", jokes Guillaume.

"Big day's tomorrow. Can't wait to be celebrated back here down on Earth!", says Barbara enthusiastically.

"Can't wait to float around!", adds Emy jokingly. They all laugh.

"Well how about we look at the rocket.", says Guillaume.

"Sounds like a plan.", replies Emy. They nod in agreement.

Image of Vulcan III Rocket. Real image is an artist's projection of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on a launch pad.

They look up at the towering white cylinders that make up the rocket. The tall rocket is the latest product of the AASA, and has all the bells and whistles of the 21st Century.

"The future's coming.", whispers Samuel.

"And with it, so is Acadia.", adds Barbara.

[Acadia]

[Pretend that this is a day later, not a month later.]

Crowds gather in Cape Georges to watch history flash before them. The town of Havre Beach, housing little over 50,000 citizens, is packed with tourists from around Acadia and even outside of the nation, thousands gathering to see what has been in the making for decades.

They walk across the platform to their new accommodations for the coming week. They walk, no, it's more of a waddle, awkwardly in their bulky white suits, in their giant helmets and large boots. But they were nothing to laugh at. They were the four astronauts making history today. These four would do something never before done in Acadia. They would go on a mission to orbit the moon and back. This was the beginning of a new era.

Those who were lucky enough to get quite close as to be able to better make out these figures walking across the platform cheered them on as if they were their favorite players on the television in a soccer match. 

A child steps forward from this crowd. He should be barely noticeable, but the little, possibly four year old steps forward as to be seen by those celebrities walking across the platform. He waved, a simple gesture, but such a sentimental one for the astronauts. It symbolized the newest generation saluting them, and their final goodbye with Eurth until they return. Maybe, one day, that kid, that little kid, will become an astronaut just like them.

The four now famous figures of Acadian culture enter the rocket, as Mission Control scrambles to review all systems to see if this baby's ready to take off. "Everything's lookin' good.", says a man looking into a screen displaying some graphs back in Saint-Louis, location of Mission Control.

"All good here.", says someone else. Everyone else nods reassuringly or gives some kind of sign of approval, and so it would seem, everything was on track to create a perfect launch.

"Well, let's get her into the sky then!"

Back in Cape Georges, the rocket, with its systems all set for launch, has gotten down to ten seconds.

"T-Minus ten." says the automated voice coming from the speakers surrounding a huge clock just outside the launch pad.

Excited whispers sweep across the crowds as the bottom of the rocket begins to light up.

"Nine."

Guillaume waves out the window to the crowds below, and then says childishly, "This is gonna be fun..."

"Eight."

"You bet.", says a just as childlike Samuel.

"Seven."

The child continues to wave back at the rocket crew, smilingly, then turning to his parents so they join him in this final wave before the rocket leaves the Eurth's atmosphere.

Clouds of white steam begin to envelop the bottom half of the rocket, with the bottom of the cloud a glowing orange color.

"Six."

Groups around the happy waving family begin waving as well, as the rocket's engines begin to sound across the cape.

"Five."

The glowing brightens clearly.

"Look at all those people waving us goodbye", says Emy looking down on the crowds. All the astronauts begin to wave.

"Four."

The whole crowd begins to wave and cheer at the rocket, though the sound is quickly being dwarfed by the engines' roar.

"Three."

The steam begins to billow the around a hundred yards around the rocket, and the flames of the rocket glow bright.

"Two."

The sound of the rockets deafen anything within one mile's radius of the launch pad.

"One."

The rocket propels itself into the air, leaving a trail of smoke behind it as it ascends into the atmosphere. The crowd's cheering overrides the departing engines of the rocket to become the new dominant sound of Cape Georges. Those in bars across the nation, who had turned the television set to the launch instead of local sports events, clink their beers, cheer rowdily, and yell, some singing the national anthem of Acadia in national pride.

Welcome to the newest era of Acadian greatness, the newest era of space dominance, the newest era of the Federal Republic of Acadia.