by Ivan Svogor
* * *
Jess and Hank know each other from way back, and they even briefly shared the campus. At that time, she had a huge crush on him, and just as she was convinced by her friends to do something about it, she saw Hank messing out with the daughter of the top brass respectable from the Academy. Unfortunately for her, that was all she wrote, and their lives went separate ways since so she never really expressed her feelings for him. She continued her journey at the University, while Hank continued off to the Academy where he specialized in meteorology and flying. Since then, they see each other mostly once per year at a conference.
On a side note, the Army Academy trains soldiers as it always did, but nowadays the military is an organization that cherishes responsible and tight behavior, instills certain kinds of manors and hierarchy. Some think of it as archaic legacy of the time that is long gone, while others respect its work in providing safety and security for people. They take care of asteroids, they take part to rare natural disasters, resupplying of space stations and bases across the solar system. Some like to consider it as space roadside assistance. When ships from the Moon and asteroid mining get in trouble, they are the ones to respond. Also, they are an agency in charge of supervision of mining operations and colonies. But, they are still very active in designing, testing and producing new types of rockets, missiles, propulsion, and so on.
* * *
As the dinner was progressing, old stories were remembered and retold. Jess’s father always liked Hank, as he was a smooth talker and knew to talk him up. However Jess’s mother Regina never really cared much for him since she knew how Jess felt about him. Miller and Dave were also there, but virtually present, two of Jess’s brothers. One, a senior engineer in nuclear fusion technology, and the other, kind of a rebel. Dave chose a path of doing nothing, meaning he didn't really have an active role in society but chose a secluded lifestyle. Though he was a fairly good optics engineer, he never really achieved much with it, mostly he was scouting for good locations and took photos of various rock formations. This was almost like being homeless several centuries ago. With many back-and-forth discussions, Dave found his peace as his siblings and parents accepted his choices.
The dinner was fun. Old Mr. Winson cooked his famous cricket burgers while Mrs. Winson ordered a fruit basket from another farm across the hills. Mr. Winson was not always a farmer before he lived in the city, a stressful fast life that just started being a bit more he liked to do. Since he was getting in his late 80s, he decided that it was enough and reconciled with nature. Both Mrs. And Mr. Winson moved to the valley and applied for another kid, Jess. Maybe, this is the reason why she felt more connected with the mountains, as she grew up there. Nowadays, except for maintaining farming robots, Mr. Winson mostly writes historical novels, while Mrs. Winson took up painting.
“Good evening neighbors”, said old Mr. Holtzman. Mr. Holtzman is the neighbor of the Winson's, and nobody really knows how old he is. He remembers the two families before Winson's, and they have been here for almost 30 years now. Though he is a bit of a loner, he likes to talk to Mr. Winson and his wife. They often sit together in the evening and discuss the world, where it was, and where it should go. He is very wise in life matters, and though enjoying writing novels, back in the day he was a world-renown automation engineer. As Hank parked behind the house, Mr. Holtzman could not see his har and he visited in the hope of discussing the latest government proposal that each high school kid should have two multi-week tours in one of the mining facilities away from Earth. The company of five, even when two are virtual, are a bit more than Mr. Holtzman can handle. However, once he was there it would be impolite to leave so he stayed.
All of them enjoyed the conversation late into the night, and when finally came time to sleep, Hank stayed the night in one of several easy-apartments that were the part of the Winson residence. Usually used by hikers and passers-by.
Chapter 2
The following morning, Hank was enjoying a nice breakfast prepared by an auto-cook and just as he was running out of topics with Mr. and Mrs. Winson, Jess woke up and came downstairs. It was mostly a sleepless night for her, she was nervous about the trip, the coming research and meeting the new team. And to top all of this, the weather was terrible, a light summer morning rain.
Nonetheless, once she said goodbye to her parents and they were in the air, she remembered one of her favorite feelings; flying when it rained. On the ground, everything is just wet and gray, and then you go up, you climb higher and higher until you find yourself sailing through the sea of clouds bathing in sunlight. The highway was piercing the clouds like tunnels through the European mountains. Though as a general practice, the roads were avoiding clouds due to visibility issues, that day it was simply too many of them.
“The sights are simply amazing”, said Jess.
Hank, a bit surprised by this remark looked around a bit and said, “Oh yes, in my line of work, you simply get used to it, and you don’t notice it anymore. But now when you say it, I must admit it’s a good day to travel. I like how the cities seem almost indistinguishable by nature, if they weren't so regular, it would be hard to notice them.”
They flew at a very high altitude since the distance to cover was fairly significant, and reaching the stratosphere was more efficient and faster. Before Jess knew it, the European landscapes soon turned into African deserts, jungles, and then endless blue ocean. Along the way, they covered a number of topics, all the way back from their days at the university. Finally, when the ride became quiet, and Jess almost dozed off, Hank dived into a bit of casual talk as they were descending to their final approach to their destination.
“So Jess, how’ve you been lately?” - asked Hank
“Oh well, I’m not sure, frankly I would even say that I remember better days”, said Jess. “I've been feeling lately that I might not be the best person for chemistry. I’m questioning whether I did the right choice. Do you know what I mean? I’m afraid of Dr. Quill and his team. Those guys are brilliant, so I hope that I will be able to contribute”.
“Nonsense Jess! Come on, what the hell hare you talking about? You’re the best chemist of your generation”, said Hank.” Have you talked to someone about this?”
“Yes”, said Jess, “I've spoken to my parents. Dad says that this is normal, and that this South Pole trip is just what I need. I hope he is right. Don’t get me wrong, I still love chemistry, my lab, my old team and work I’ve been doing so far, however, I’m getting the feeling I’m on a decline. I’m really looking forward to exploring the Rock.”
“I get it now”, said Hank. “We have a classical case of overthinking here”. He looked at Jess and smiled, while she rolled her eyes and sighed.
“How are you, what's up with you?” - she asked.
“Ah, same old, same old. I still enjoy flying”, responded Hank. He looked at Jess insidiously and continued, “But what I enjoy the most is flying around important scientists. That is something I live for!”
Jess turned to him and smacked him on the shoulder and started laughing. “Yeah, yeah”, she said, “Dear captain Bishoff, please collect your sarcasm, and stick it where the sun doesn't shine.”
Hank laughed at that remark and answered, “I’m actually pretty satisfied with my posting, however, I’m a bit concerned about my future. I love the work and everything, but I don’t know if this will last forever. I don’t know, but I will figure it out, maybe I’ll go back to the university”.
“Maybe it’s just the way it’s supposed to be”, said Jess. “You reach a point in life where you think you’ve given everything you have, and then, you start thinking about new things, unexplored things that can still challenge you”.
“Yes sure, but it’s not that my work doesn’t challenge me”, said Hank, “It’s just losing importance.”
Jess continued, “but being a pilot is important, why do you think it’s not useful? - You go into space, you deliver supplies, you help people out, you go and explore unexplored new routes,
asteroids, sample comet dust. What are you talking about? That’s way more exciting than just sitting in front of a holo-screen for the entire day.”
“So, when I push this little button here, we go fully autonomous”, said Hank. He turned on the autopilot, and continued, “this is the most advanced autopilot we have ever created, it can do more operations in the second than I can even imagine. I can analyze billions of scenarios in a blink of an eye. Humans just cannot do this, it takes a long time for us to learn, we get killed doing this, then the military needs to investigate, and so on. Some people in the military lately advertise the position that we should be fully replaced, we are a bunch of nostalgic dinosaurs. On the other hand, you know how people today think about the military. We are developing propulsion systems, weapons, that we don’t use for war, but for mining and maybe, you never know what’s out there”
“I understand what you mean”, said Jess. “But you should not care about that. That’s the point of this society. Of course, you can be replaced, I can also be replaced by some clever artificial intelligence, but sometimes such things are better than us, sometimes they aren’t and sometimes we just need to do things that makes us become better, or feel better.”
“But try explaining that to everyone”, said Hank. “Hello, my name is captain Bishoff, I work for the military, which historically kills people for a living."
“Now you are just oversimplifying it”, said Jess. ”Also, I thought you’re flying around the asteroid belt, helping with the mining equipment, training of younger pilots, and so on.”
“Sure I do, but once you say military, nobody thinks about this”, replied Hank. ”And also, younger pilots, or pilots in general, are just there to do something, computers can do it better and more efficiently. There have been recent talks to completely abolish that military branch, and go with fully autonomous fleets.“
“What’s the worst thing it could happen? Going back to the university doesn’t sound bad at all”, said Jess.
“Yes, I could go back to meteorology and continue my studies, or I could get stuck to a job permanently flying scientists to their research posts”, said Hank, while Jess jokingly made a frowning face and rolled her eyes.
After a moment or two, Hank’s smile slowly went away as he said, “Anyway Jess, I just wanted to tell you to be careful down there, at the Antarctica research facility. I’ve heard rumors."
“What kind of rumors?”, asked Jess.
Hank continued. “Some guys from the Station regularly fly to the Antarctic research facility, from our outposts on the Moon, carrying various supplies, samples, and so on. There are stories that without the warning or explanation the ground shakes when they perform experiments, that there might be some information hiding, and apparently, there is a scientist that lost his life there and it didn’t get any attention from the public or media. Nobody asked questions. Which is weird, and on top of everything, they say that the Rock is an intelligent life from another planet.”
Jess burst laughing, and said, “are you trying to scare me? Are you mocking me? Ha, ha. Intelligent silicon life? Come on Hank, even a meteorologist should know better than that. I told you yesterday I’m making models for those things and it’s dead."
“No Jess, I’m just giving you a head’s up. You’ll see when you get there. They say that it’s not just simple silicon but a special kind of bond that doesn’t naturally occur. I don’t know, just be safe, OK?” - asked Hank.
“Sure”, replied Jess. “Are you worried about me all of a sudden?”
“Yep”, said Hank.
As they were descending to the Antarctic research facility, they got into the heavy mist which suddenly cleared out. It revealed a magnificent glass structure shining bright in the polar night. The crescent moon partially illuminated the valley, and Jess was completely immersed into the stunning view. Hank landed near the entry to the facility, and Jess started unhooking her belts.
Hank said, “You know, Jess, I never really said that before, but since our days at the campus, I considered you cute. I just wanted you to know this. Good luck there!“
Jess heard him, however it didn’t reach her. She was now switching to a completely new mode. She had a task list on her mind; collect her luggage bag, meet Dr. Quill, settle in, have a shower, and so on. Moving was something she wasn’t handling well, so she was trying hard to adapt as soon as possible, so she could fully focus on her work.
“I’m sorry Hank, I was watching the research facility and the valley, what were you saying?” - asked Jess.
Hank decided that it was probably the wrong moment for this so he just murmured, “Nevermind me, I just wish you a nice stay here, and I hope your work will be fruitful”.
“Alright Hank”, said Jess. “Thank you for the ride here. You take care captain!”
Hank smiled and watched Jess entering the building. He performed preflight checks and proceeded to the station.
Chapter 3
Dr. Mike Quill is an old biologist working at the Antarctic research facility, exploring the Rock for a couple of years. He was the legend of the field. Sitting in his office, looking at some statistical data, his alarm went off, and through the window, he saw an approaching har. His calendar reminded him that Dr. Winson is coming to join his research project. Lately, he was getting tired of the white, frozen, desert that is Antarctica, and a dash of fresh ideas from a young, smart associate was exactly what he needed to restore his motivation, and put his work back on track.
He stood up and started walking towards the entrance hallway, as several of his assistants joined him. It was a fairly long walk all the way to the main entry, and once they finally arrived, the doors opened, he greeted Jess and bid her welcome.
“Welcome Dr. Winson! I was looking forward to meeting you in person, and I am glad you finally arrived.”
“The pleasure is all mine Dr. Quill”, she responded. ”I appreciate the opportunity to study the Rock, I will not let you down”.
An automated cart came from nowhere and took Jess’s luggage in an unknown direction, most likely towards her accommodation. As they were slowly walking in that direction, Dr. Quill was telling Jess how he found her paper on silicon bond analysis.
“Dr. Winson”, said Dr. Quill, “your paper on the analysis of silicon bonds in high energy conditions, as those where our Rock is, near the volcano is very insightful.”
“Thank you Dr. Quill”, said Jess, while Dr. Quill continued, “it truly is a shame that it’s completely wrong."
Jess's facial expression immediately went from a smile to deadly serious and at that moment Dr. Quill started to laugh, as an old grandpa does. He continued, “first of all, there are a lot of doctors here so let’s drop the titles and pleasantries, please call me Mike. Also, please feel free to openly speak to me without holding back. If I’m wrong, tell me, if I’m right, learn from me, if we don’t know how to do things, then let’s do research. Alright?”
Jess replied, “OK, then I guess you call me Jess."
Dr. Quill continued, “Your paper is insightful, the methods you developed are brilliant, however, with the lack of real data, some of your conclusions were wrong. So, don’t mind my rough jokes. Your work is appreciated, and once you get access to our latest data I bet you will have a mind storm of ideas.”
“But I did use the latest data in my models”, replied Jess slightly confused.
As they arrived, the door opened and Dr. Quill said, “well there is the limited access data bank. However, we will talk all about it over dinner at the lab. My team is preparing a little get together so they can all get to know you, and we want you to feel at home, ASAP. In the meantime, please, snoop around, explore our gyms, our virtual reality rooms, cafeteria, and please feel at home.”
At the moment when Dr. Quill mentioned limited access to data, Jess was surprised a bit, but soon remembered Hank’s warning. She thought to herself, “hum, it’s very, very uncommon that data banks would not be fully open and available, why wo
uld they be holding back, I hope Hank is wrong”. Her mouth opened to ask about that, but Dr. Quill interrupted her, “if you are feeling hungry please, have a snack, but later on, one of my postdocs will be making authentic Italian pizzas. He cultivates his own yeast, uses the best flower available, and even gets milk delivery straight from the historic region of Tuscany to make cheese.”
Jess was visibly intrigued by this idea and politely replied, “thank you Dr. Quill, aha, I am looking forward to it.”
Dr. Quill was already walking away and he just said, “It’s Mike!."
* * *
Jess changed into her favorite off work clothing and took a walk around the facility. It was huge and probably, a person would need a couple of weeks to explore all the sections. In addition to research offices, the facility also had several living decks, that included tennis courts, basketball courts, augmented reality rooms, and even several parks. Though enclosed, you couldn't get the feeling of being in a building. Large windows could allow you to enjoy the view of snowy hills that were surrounding the facility, while wall screens projected soothing and calm imagery for those who would like to forget where they are.
While this was a research facility for full-time work, there were plenty of organizations that could make you feel at home, meet new people, and feel included. As Jess was walking she saw several kids playing around with model rockets, there was a biking society that hosted the best hyper-bikes available.
