2024-2120

by Russell Fine

  A few days later the ship left for Earth. The entire crew had been concerned the aliens who took the probe would come back, but once they left the orbit of Ganymede, that concern had mostly vanished.

  THE RETURN TO EARTH

  March 2071 to January 2072

  The return trip to Earth was uneventful until July 23, 2071. The ship received a private message for Terry from his mother, “Terry, I wish there was an easy way to tell you this, but there really isn’t any. Your father passed away last night. He had a stroke and by the time we got him to the hospital it was too late. The doctor said his death was quick. Emily and I both wish you were here and I’m sure you’d like to be here as well. I thought you would like to know that this morning I received a message of condolence from President Townsend, who said he’d be honored to be at your father’s funeral. He asked if he could deliver the eulogy since you can’t be here. I’m going to tell him it would be fine, but I wanted your permission first. I think this is something that would’ve pleased your father.”

  The news was completely unexpected and it hit Terry hard. He was sitting at the command console when he read the message. He felt tears welling in his eyes. Ross was sitting next to him and saw the change in Terry’s face as he read the message and could see he was obviously disturbed by the message. He asked Terry, “What’s wrong?”

  Terry handed Ross his communicator so he could read the message.

  Terry went back to his cabin. It took a few minutes for him to regain his composure. Then he responded, “I do wish I could be there. I’m sorry you and Emily have to go through this by yourselves. I have no problem with President Townsend giving Dad’s eulogy and I’m sure he’d be pleased. I’m really looking forward to getting home and spending some time with you and Emily.”

  ***

  A few days later at Albert Simpson’s funeral, President Robert Townsend spoke. “Few, if any, people in the world have touched as many lives as Albert Simpson. Every one of us uses his contribution to the world every day. The device he invented powers our homes, offices, factories, and virtually every mode of transportation. Thanks to the power module, the air we breathe is cleaner and the water we drink is purer. His invention made it possible to have medical facilities, schools, water, and sanitation systems in places where only fifty years ago it would have been impossible. He cured us of our dependence on oil and the result has been peace and prosperity all over the world.”

  President Townsend spent the next few minutes giving a history of Albert’s life. He concluded the eulogy by saying, “Albert did more than just invent a device that changed our lives. He served in our government with honor for thirty-six years, first as a congressman and then as a senator in the North American Union. He’s probably the person most responsible for the formation of the North American Union. He led the fight in Congress to get the approval for the legislation that was needed to make it happen. I think we all owe him a debt of gratitude for having the vision and desire to put in all the hard work that was required to guide us into creating a successful world government and a more prosperous and peaceful world.

  “He and his wife, Susan, did not start out wealthy, they became wealthy as a result of hard work and determination. Once acquired, they shared that wealth with the world through their generous donations to charitable organizations everywhere. Additionally, the Susan and Albert Simpson Foundation has provided financial assistance to more than three hundred fifty thousand people since its formation almost fifty years ago, and even though Albert is no longer with us, the foundation will continue to help those in financial need for many years to come.

  President Townsend then turned and faced the casket and said, tearfully, “Rest in peace, my friend. Thank you for all you have done for the people of the Earth. It’s my fondest hope you will be remembered for the contributions you made to improve all of our lives.” Then he turned toward Susan and smiled warmly before he stepped down from the podium.

  ***

  By Christmas of 2071, the members of the ship’s crew were getting very anxious to finish their long journey. They all sent and received Christmas messages from friends and family and those messages only made them feel far lonelier in the vastness of space.

  The NASA scientists were also very anxious for the ship to return, but for a different reason. They wanted to study the specimens the ship was bringing back. It was their first chance to study an actual alien organism. All of the lab equipment had been ready by early December and now all they could do was wait.

  THE GANYMEDE SPECIMENS

  On January 19 the ship docked at the space station. The crew spent the next few days going through an extensive debriefing, medical examinations and relaxing in the more normal feeling of gravity for the first time in more than two years. They were also able to hold real conversations with their loved ones, something each of them spent several hours doing.

  On January 23 the crew of the ship, the silver ore, and the cell specimens all went back to Earth. Terry’s sister, Emily, was waiting for him when he walked inside the NASA building. They hugged and went on a private plane that would take them back to Tennessee so Terry could see his mother again.

  Although the primary purpose of the mission had been to determine the extent of the silver deposits on Ganymede, the silver ore was largely ignored by NASA. Everybody in the know wanted to begin the analysis of the Ganymede cells.

  Visually, the cells appeared identical to many of the single cell plants and animals found on Earth, but when the DNA analysis was completed the results were surprising in the extreme. A DNA molecule in all living things on Earth looks like a ladder that has been twisted into a spiral shape. The DNA of the Ganymede cells was similar, but with one striking difference: it looked like a ladder with an additional center support, or two ladders attached to each other and then twisted into a spiral shape.

  In our DNA, the vertical components are made up of sugar and phosphate. The horizontal components are called base pairs. The Ganymede DNA had an additional vertical component between the base pairs, so there were no base pairs, instead, there were base singles.

  It was certainly one of the most important scientific discoveries ever made. When this information was given to President Townsend, he immediately called the other world leaders to let them know what was found. Immediately discussions began concerning the release of this information to the public. They continued for the next several weeks, but it was decided to publicly release the information regarding both the cells and the disappearance of the probe.

  On February 21, 2072, Robert Townsend again spoke to the world. “As you all know, the ship we sent to Ganymede returned to Earth recently and I wanted to take this opportunity to make all of you aware of the results of the mission.

  “I’m sure you are all aware of the substantial silver deposits that were found on Ganymede. Initial estimates are that there’s probably more silver on Ganymede than there is on Earth. That is, of course, very good news. But that’s not the reason I’m speaking to you now.

  “We believe two other discoveries made during the mission are more important than the silver deposits. The silver deposits on Ganymede were found by a probe that landed on its surface in January 2069. Shortly after the mission to Ganymede was launched, the probe stopped transmitting. We added the task of determining why the probe failed to the mission. The ship was going to land near the probe’s location anyway, so the task should have been easy. However, after entering orbit around Ganymede, the crew of the ship made a startling discovery. The probe was no longer there.”

  He paused for a few seconds to give people a chance to absorb what he had just said. Then he continued, “The obvious conclusion is that someone, or something, took the probe. We now have the answer to one of our greatest existential questions: we’re not alone in the universe. Because we were concerned for the safety of the crew we asked them to return to Earth as soon as possible, but they felt that if there were other lifeforms intelligent enough to go to Ganymede
and take our probe, they were unlikely to be hostile. So, under orders to make safety their top priority, they stayed and completed their mission.

  “I must tell you now that just before leaving Ganymede the mission crew found something else that is equally startling. Just below the surface of Ganymede, there are veins of water ice. Upon examination of that ice, they found evidence of single-cell organisms. Those samples were brought back to Earth and the analysis of those samples found that the DNA in those cells are unlike the DNA of living organisms on Earth. I don’t want to go into the technical aspects of the differences between our DNA and the DNA from the Ganymede cells now, but when the analysis is complete the information will be published. Ganymede isn’t a very hospitable place, and if living organisms could develop there, then we must conclude that life is far more common than we ever thought possible.

  “The mission to Ganymede was expensive, but I think we’ll all agree it was one of the best investments ever made. One final thought I would like to pass along: I don’t think the fact we now know that life exists elsewhere in the universe should cause us to alter our religious beliefs. It simply means God’s responsibilities are bigger than we thought. Goodnight.”

  The reaction to the speech was, for the most part, positive. Most people had already been fairly certain we were not alone in the universe, but some people were concerned because of the possibility that if a race of aliens took the probe they may be more advanced scientifically. A few people were convinced life on Earth was now doomed. There were also the religious fanatics who simply could not accept the idea that God would have created life anywhere else in the universe besides planet Earth.

  A few days after the speech, the results of the analysis of the silver ore brought back from Ganymede was made public. The ore had a higher silver content than almost all of the silver deposits found on Earth. The information the government released said that once the mining operation was in place, Earth would have enough silver to last for at least a thousand years. It was also announced that the initial design for the sub-light engine was complete and construction of the prototype would begin immediately.

  THE GANYMEDE DNA

  February 2072

  In Washington, in a conference room at the North American Institute of Health, several of the world’s leading genetic experts were gathered to discuss the implications of the alien cell DNA found on Ganymede.

  The leader of the Genetics Division at the North America Institute of Health, Dr. Wayne Sommers, went to the podium and spoke to the group.

  “I want to thank you all for coming today. All of you have a copy of the report on the DNA structure we found in the Ganymede cells and I’m sure you all have studied the report. To say we were surprised is a gross understatement. I think we all believed the structure of DNA would be the same for all lifeforms anywhere in the universe. This was proved to be untrue with the first sample of alien DNA. What does this do to our perception of life elsewhere in the universe? Please feel free to ask a question or contribute.”

  Dr. Simon Chambers, from the EU Health Institute, said, “I think it’s too early to reach any conclusions. I believe we should try to create a living organism with this DNA and see if it can survive in the environment we have on Earth. We already know they live in water so it might not be very difficult to do. Then we can really study the organism.”

  Dr. Susan Pike said, “I think that would be an incredibly bad idea unless we do it on the Moon or Mars. These cells could prove to be toxic to organisms with our DNA structure.”

  “Susan is right,” Dr. Sommers replied. “We can’t take any unnecessary risks. There are some unused labs on the Moon that could be used for this. They’re not equipped for genetic experiments, but that’s easily resolved. Simon, do you want to take on that task?”

  “Yes, I’d love to do that. I can be ready to go in two weeks. I’ll arrange for the equipment I need to be shipped immediately.”

  Dr. Charles Farrow, also from the North American Union, said, “While I think it’s probably a good idea to try to create a living organism with that DNA structure, I think we should also consider that the organism found was probably the highest form of life to develop on Ganymede. If you think about its DNA structure, you realize the possibility of a genetic mutation is almost nil. On Earth the weak link in the DNA is between the base pairs; that’s where mutations can occur. The bond between the base pairs and backbone is very strong and does not break. These cells have no base pairs, so I suspect any mutation may be impossible. However, our sampling is very small, and the lifeform we found could possibly be far more complex than we could ever imagine.”

  “You may be correct. I thought about that too, so I would like to know more about the cells we found, and I think this may be the best way to do it,” Dr. Sommers added.

  They spent another hour or so talking, but in the end, the decision was made that Dr. Chambers would set up a genetics lab on the moon and attempt to create a living organism with the Ganymede DNA.

  Instead of two weeks, however, it was a month before the genetics lab was ready on the moon. The lab they decided to use was two miles from the main moon base. It had been empty for twenty years, so some time was needed to make it operational again. It had to be set up with a new air and water purification equipment. It also needed furniture, a kitchen, sleeping quarters for three people, and a bathroom. Additionally, the equipment had to be set up and tested. To prevent any possibility of contamination, the people who worked at the lab would not be allowed to go to the main base. Before anybody could leave the lab, they would have to spend three days in a decontamination chamber.

  In addition to Dr. Chambers, there were two graduate students working at the genetics lab on the moon. They thought the task they had to perform would not be overly difficult. They didn’t have a large amount of cell material from Ganymede to work with and it would probably be some time before they could get more, so they used what they had carefully.

  The first thing they did was remove some DNA from the cells in order to implant it into an amoeba. Within minutes it died. Then they tried implanting the DNA into other single-cell organisms, both plants, and animals, but they all died. Then they tried small reptile eggs, but nothing worked. Finally, after almost six months of continuous failures, they gave up.

  Dr. Chambers called Dr. Sommers to tell him the genetic experiments were a total failure and that he and his students would be closing the lab and returning to Earth in a few days. Dr. Sommers agreed that was probably the best thing to do for now. However, on the next trip to Ganymede, they were going to attempt to find some living cells and transport them back to Earth, and the genetics lab they now had on the moon would be the best place to study them. So, when Dr. Chambers and his students left the lab, all of the equipment and furniture was left in place.

  THE GANYMEDE CARGO SHIPS

  August 2072 to August 2075

  While people from the North America Institute of Health were doing the genetic experiments with the Ganymede cells, substantial progress was made on the sub-light engine. As they were closing the lab on the moon it was announced that the prototype engine would be ready for testing in three or four months and construction had started on the ship that would be used for the test.

  Computer models indicated the engine would be able to accelerate up to four hundred and fifty miles per hour per second, but the initial test was going to keep the acceleration rate at no more than one hundred and five miles per hour per second. At that rate of acceleration, the ship would be subjected to less than 5 g’s of force, which was far more than a human could withstand for more than a few seconds, but the acceleration would not affect the ship. The ship would accelerate at that rate for four days and would reach a maximum velocity of ten thousand miles per second, or a little more than five percent of light speed.

  After four days the ship would have traveled one and a half billion miles. Then it would decelerate to zero, which will also take four days, turn around, and retur
n to Earth. The entire test would take sixteen days.

  By mid-December everything was ready. The ship, which was not much more than an empty shell with computers and instruments, was ready by early November. The engine was mounted in the ship, and some very low power static tests were run in early December. All of the tests appeared to be successful and the launch was scheduled for December 16.

  The ship left Earth’s orbit accelerating at 1.5 g’s. After an hour the rate of acceleration was increased to 5 g’s, and shortly after that, it could no longer be seen visually. However, the instruments indicated that everything was normal. That continued until the deceleration phase began and then things started to go wrong. The instruments indicated the ship did not decelerate as it was supposed to. In fact, it didn’t decelerate at all and kept traveling away from Earth at ten thousand miles per second. After two days no more transmissions were received from the ship. There was no way to determine what had happened.

  However, the test was not a total failure. The sub-light engine worked as designed. The failure appeared to be in the computer that was controlling the flight. Apparently, both the primary and backup systems failed. There was some speculation the failure could have been caused by subjecting the computer to 5 g’s of acceleration for four days, but there was no way to verify that.

  Construction on the next ship was nearly completed when the first ship failed. This time all of the components in the ship were subjected to 10 g’s for five days to ensure that they would not fail during the next test. Also, an additional redundant system was set up so if the primary and secondary systems failed a third backup system would take over control of the ship.