“I don’t want to sound like the poor cousin.” Bill Collier from the Wanderer sometimes became annoyed with the Big Brother attitude. They had all worked very hard and in secret behind the moon while they built Atlantis. There were four smaller ships assembled, approximately two miles long. Two of them, the Allenbrant and the York, had ventured together on their own journey. The Wanderer and the Valiant decided to tag along with Atlantis and her sister ship, the Intrepid. Formally a scale test ship, at more than a mile long the Intrepid had proved too useful to let go. The four ships’ original intentions were to travel alone on their own journeys without the Atlantis. When Sonny discovered their activities behind the moon, to their surprise, the Consortium requested them to join the group. It had been a difficult decision. These secret ships didn’t quite see eye to eye about the way the Consortium controlled the planet for their own purposes. Since leaving Earth, the Consortium continued as the ship’s Council members. After speaking with Captain Metcalfe, it was plain to Bill that he was a trustworthy and reasonable man. Captain Collier’s opinions had been instrumental in persuading the Wanderer and the Valiant to join with Atlantis on her journey. He had not been sorry.
Levi considered his friend. “They designed the Wanderer and the Valiant more for transporting passengers than for gathering extra resources. I sometimes wonder about the other two ships, and how they may have fared. The people of Atlantis have been fortunate for your company. Humans need to stick together, so you see, it is no trouble at all to provide you with all the assistance we are capable of, for all of our sakes.”
“You continue to be a good steward of the human race. We are grateful.”
“Stop by my quarters sometime and have some coffee.”
“Absolutely. I almost don’t know what coffee tastes like any more. I hope I can take the caffeine buzz afterward.” Captain Collier chuckled.
Council Meeting
Captain Metcalfe walked into the conference room with a few minutes to spare and sat next to Gwendoline Baudelaire. Gwen looked good for an old girl of seventy-six; the Elixir treated her well. All the Council members had received the Elixir. This practice was continued throughout the mission. Some of the passengers and crew assumed it was to preserve their power. This was false, since the Council members recognized that Alice, Sonny and Captain Metcalfe wielded the most power, so it was pointless to carry out a power grab. Regardless, Alice, Sonny and Captain Metcalfe would never have allowed something like that to jeopardize the completion of the mission.
Gwen smiled at the captain. “You just made it.”
“It is very helpful to measure time more precisely than most people. I will always just make it."
Gwen enjoyed sparring with the captain now and then. “Well, earlier you could have had donuts and coffee.”
“I don’t need to eat or drink the kind of bulk the rest of you do.”
“Touché. Your loss, though, they are magnificent.” Gwen exaggerated an orgasmic moan as she took a bite in front of Levi. “Mmm… SOOO good.”
“Don’t forget to drop by the gym afterward and work that off, or you know where it will go.”
“If you would all take your seats, we will begin the meeting,” Isabell Rocha announced. Isabell or Izzy, as her colleagues sometimes called her, was the chairman and the glue that held the Council together and working efficiently. Isabell was the mother hen of the operation, and very skilled in diplomacy.
Izzy smiled at the captain. “First, I think we will begin with just-in-time Captain Metcalfe.” Having overheard the quips Levi and Gwen traded, Izzy thought the captain needed a little attitude readjusting. Space was dangerous. Atlantis did not have the luxury of not knowing what the left hand was doing. The Council members had continued as the ship’s council regarding both military and civilian matters as an interface between the two, and it was essential that everyone present concur. Sometimes demands of the military took precedence; at other times civilian needs were a priority. This was one of those military times.
The captain stood and started the meeting. “Good morning, everyone.” Levi noted the captains of the two companion ships, the Wanderer and the Valiant, were here in their virtual selves. However, the captain of the Intrepid, Atlantis’s sister ship, was here in the flesh. Captain Williams was likely here for supplies and had taken advantage of the trip over. David Williams of the Intrepid was an excellent captain. In fact, he was the next guy in line if Levi failed the E-human experiment.
“Repairs and maintenance continue following our five-year journey to Searth. Schedules are being satisfied, despite the usual distractions and glitches. We will top Atlantis off and the ship will be ready to travel in seventy-two days. The Valiant and the Wanderer’s maintenance schedules will take a little longer. The technology they elected to employ for deflector shielding works well, however, it isn't as robust a system as Atlantis or Intrepid have. Although the Wanderer’s shielding is working fine, we will retrofit both ships to utilize the newer shielding. I will let the captains update you on that progress. Marriages have tapered off quite a bit from the craze of a couple of years ago. Death rates are average for the kinds of work that we undertake, and birth rates are low. The medical people didn’t want to mess with the women’s reproductive system, but the male contraceptive implants are performing well. Inventory of general supplies remains high since mining has started and the FAB plants are in full swing. Are there any questions?”
“Yes, Captain,” Dr. Matthew Allan answered. “Do you know when P.P. Number Thirty-four will be back up? The demand for electricity in the Tech center which Number Thirty-four supplies is way up since pulling into orbit at Searth. I know Sonny rerouted the power. Yet, there is a twelve percent decline in the region.”
“Sonny,” Levi said to the air.
“Yes, Captain Metcalfe,” replied Sonny.
“Given the information Dr. Allen has pointed out, can we accommodate him?”
“Yes, Captain. I have analyzed and reorganized the whole grid to diminish the power drop in the region. Now there is only a two point two percent decline throughout the ship as opposed to the twelve point four percent decline in the section. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I have now instituted new protocols for local power plant downtimes in non-emergency situations.”
“Why didn’t you carry out this analysis earlier?” Levi asked, a little puzzled.
“Your needs were unknown to me. In the future, don’t hesitate to ask. If it is possible to satisfy your request, I shall fulfill it.”
“Excellent work, Sonny. That is also a good reminder to the members here and pass that on to all your section managers. If there are no other questions, I relinquish the floor.”
“Thank you, Captain Metcalfe,” Izzy said as the captain sat down. “And now we will hear from General Zhou.”
“Thank you, Chairman.” The general stood at the table. “Since pulling into Searth we have been conducting a lot of traffic control, some debris clearing around the planet, and provided perimeter security for construction and for escorting science teams. So far, we have not had any trouble with the indigenous life on the planet’s surface.”
“What about the trilobites?” Section chief of Logistics Dr. Jeffrey Daniels inquired.
“The trilobites?” General Zhou did not follow.
“You know, the little fellas that resemble a horseshoe crab.”
“Oh, the scooters, you mean. That is what we call them because they just shuffle around but can really scoot when frightened. No, no trouble. The trilobites are about the biggest animal on the planet that we know of, and they are quite numerous. Security sometimes has trouble with them because we require the area to be clear. We shoo them off so they don't get hurt, and they will generally stay away. Security remains at a moderate alert status since this star system is new to us.” The general took his seat.
Izzy nodded to the general. “Thank you, General. We all appreciate what your section undertakes to keep us safe. Now, how ab
out Gwen with the Plants, Animals and Minerals section?”
Dr. Gwendoline Baudelaire, a marine biologist by trade, always thought her section’s burden was a little unfair. Gwen loved the challenge, but her tasks were monumental. The P.A.M. section was broken down into many section heads. Plants, animals and minerals included everything a planet had to offer. So, to study it, large sections headed by geology, biology (land, marine and exobiology), meteorologists and climatologists were required. The scientists and space jockeys had practiced on the planets they knew well back home. However, now they were starting from scratch with an unknown exoplanet. It was a tall order, but they were getting into the groove. Just once, she thought, it would be pleasant to deal with little problems--ah, that would be nice.
“Hello, everyone, happy to see you all again. As you can imagine, we have been rather busy. I have broken down this briefing into some primary disciplines to give you an overall picture.
“First, from the biology section. Exo-biologists are consulting and sometimes directing surveys done all over the planet. Searth, because of its similarities to Earth, also has similar ecologies. Many of the differences on this planet are attributable to the orange dwarf it is circling. For instance, the chlorophyll in the plants functions much like in the plants back home. However, it operates on a longer wavelength than at home. Our former home had a yellow sun, and the plants were green. Since this sun is orange, the plants tend to be brown and yellow. The vegetation has its own beauty--I like to think it’s autumn all the time. Some teams brought plants inside to study them in quarantine, and they died. We figured the light we used was too intense and wavelengths too short. We brought in a second batch and used the pink light from the lights we used to grow our own crops, and they did much better. Our scientists will be studying and cataloging the life here for years. Hell, we're still giddy about finding any life on another planet.
“The animal life is less complicated than back on Earth. The trilobites mentioned earlier are one of the most complex animals we have seen. Something seems a little out of place though; there appears to be very few predator/prey relationships. The trilobites feed on the plants, but we have not observed anything that preys on the trilobites. They may be at the top of this food chain. If so, the food pyramid is short. We will continue to observe.
“The geologists are a happy lot. To directly study how another planet formed is very fascinating. They have had plenty of practice exploring the rocky planets from our home solar system. They know just what to do. People from the Construction and Resources sections have been following the geologists to help them identify mining and construction sites. Volcanically active places on the planet have been of real interest. Again, this planet is like Earth somewhat but different in other ways. For instance, the composition of the crust is similar to materials on Earth. However, the ratio of some rare materials is different. Platinum here is as plentiful as silver back on Earth, yet we have not found gold.
“Meteorology and Atmospherics has been studying the planet’s atmosphere since decelerating into the system but observing the weather on the ground is quite different. The planet has a similar tilt to Earth and therefore has seasons. The temperature variances from summer to winter are around one hundred degrees Fahrenheit, going from around eighty degrees in the summer to about twenty below in the winter. So, think Montreal, and this weather will make sense. Radiation on the ground remains acceptable both in the summer and the winter. Sonny says it is a safe bet the solar weather will be stable for the foreseeable future, and Sonny can see a long way. The storms, at least the ones we have documented, are not a problem. Climatologists have observed the storms and sampled the rain, and the analysis of the rain does not reveal any surprises. What concerns us more than the composition of the air is what is carried by the wind. Microbiology suggests we wait until a completed Searth year before allowing people to go outside without environmental suits.”
“Yes, I have seen the reports,” Levi commented. “It is hopeful that Atlantis could return to Earth before then.”
“If the projections I have seen pan out, Captain, you should have your wish,” the chairman replied. “The colonists do not want their Big Brother to leave too soon before they are sure they won’t need your resources for a time. It will be nearly ten years before your return.”
Levi, annoyed by the implication, spoke calmly. “Of course not. I would never put our people at risk by leaving before we knew with some certainty they will be all right for the next ten years. However, I don’t want to be here one day longer than we need to. Every day could make a difference to possible survivors on Earth hanging on and hoping we will return for them.”
“Understood, Captain.” Izzy felt a bit of tension in the air and decided to press on with the meeting. “Gwen, did you have anything else to add?”
“No, Madame Chairman,” Gwen replied, thinking it best to sit down now.
“Then I will call on Dr. Allen to bring us up to date on the colony selection. If you are ready, please proceed.”
Matt smiled at Izzy. “Certainly, Madame Chairman.”
Before they left Earth, Matthew Allen had become head of the Selection section. Matt oversaw the selection of passengers and the development and implementation of the hibernation pods or sleepers, as they were called. Earth had never had any hibernation technology before the neutron star. This was a linchpin technology that allowed the maximum number of passengers to be transported with the least amount of resources to feed and house them. If they hadn't had the sleepers, Atlantis would only have been able to take one-tenth of an already tiny fraction of the planet’s populace. Matt also saw to the general population’s happiness and wellbeing. During the trip out, he felt more like the ship’s social director on a cruise liner, because if despair and anxieties gripped the crew then bad things would follow. Now they were in orbit around a viable exoplanet, and his duties had changed into selecting how many scientists, civilians, and security personnel were needed to survive the next ten years while Atlantis was away. He even needed to take into consideration the male/female/child ratio; would any sleepers need to be awakened? He didn't want to drain Atlantis of too much brain power, especially if things went sour on Searth.
“The two domes being built each have a capacity of two thousand personnel. Picking four thousand people to spend the next ten years on an alien world is going to be hard. Sonny does not seem to think so, but he does not consider that we must have a certain civilian mix in there. Scientists and security people, no offense, are not ordinary colonists. Both scientists and security are going to be busy doing what they do best and don’t have time to set up and keep housing. We should make the civilian mix consist of engineers, construction workers, and people trained for colonizing. Which brings me to the second point of the discussion--we should wake up some sleepers.”
Half-jokingly, Dr. Jeffery Daniels quipped, “Why on Searth should we do that?”
Matt caught the pun his friend made and smiled broadly. “Because most of the personnel operating this ship are either military or science personnel. It is also important to have general labor types who can tend gardens and crops, see to the maintenance of the domes, etcetera. These generalists are an effectual complement to the other groups and can fill in where needed. We can awaken some of the passengers and train them to be colonists.”
“How many you think we need to wake up, Matt?” Dr. Loke Iverson jumped into the conversation.
“Somewhere between five hundred and seven-fifty. Ten years is a long time. Our section is still looking at skill sets and balancing the needs of the colonists. However, they will not be alone. The Intrepid and the Valiant are staying. Atlantis and the Wanderer will be going. The two ships in orbit will provide support for the colonists on the ground. This should be suitable for shuttling supplies to the colonists. I will let the others expand in this area. Thank you.”
“Thank you, Dr. Allen,” Izzy said. “Logistics with Dr. Daniels is next, when you are ready.”
“I am, Madame Chairman.” Jeff sometimes felt these meetings were too formal for a group of friends who has been collaborating for more than a few decades. But he knew some people found comfort in traditions and formality. It made them feel secure and in control. “Our section has been very busy since pulling into the system, as you all know. Currently, our focus has been to support construction and manufacturing by ensuring delivery of materials from various locations. Some materials are right here on Searth. Other materials can be provided from the two moons, gas giants, asteroids and comets. Just like back in our home system. Besides the construction of the two domes, we are ferrying materials to all four ships for maintenance and repair. Like back home, timetables are tight, and everyone is in a hurry. We continue to provide the best service to our customers as we can manage.”
“Well, it’s not as if we have a lot of vendors to choose from.” Loke poked at his friend for stating the obvious.
Jeff did not miss a beat. “While this is true, we do have an excellent company package and a long-standing loyal relationship with our customers.” There were some chuckles around the table. “There have been challenges for our section. One problem we have been working on is transportation routes. We have so many spacecraft in the air that traffic is a problem. We are not as familiar with this system as the one back home. The dance is different, and we’re still getting used to it. For instance, there is a debris field in a concentrated patch, most likely a moon or planetoid that shattered for some reason in the recent past. On our home system this also happened, but a couple of billion years allowed the debris to spread out homogeneously. This is not the case here. So, we must keep a close watch on the field as we direct traffic while the debris goes around its orbit some fifty million miles away. The second, larger issue we are getting used to is that back home, we were moving materials off the planet to our customers, and now we are bringing materials down to the surface. The gravity of Searth is still a bit much to handle. We use more fuel to land in twice the gravity of Earth. Then there is the magnetic field. Searth has almost twice the magnetic field as Earth. This provides safety for us down on the planet, but it continues to mess with our instruments. Everyone has been dealing with this, including the ships in orbit. Sonny thinks we can boost our individual deflectors to compensate and increase shielding.”
The Journey of Atlantis: The Children of Earth Page 2
