Travels of the Orphan (The Space Orphan Book 3)

by Laer Carroll

  "Good. Observation, how are you doing mapping L3 and surroundings?"

  The officer manning that station glanced back at the Captain then returned her gaze to the computer screens before her.

  "Above 95% confidence for objects baseball-sized and up. We're just beginning to get a handle on millimeter-sized objects."

  "How big are the large objects?"

  Jane glanced at the vision screen on the surface of her work console to see what the observation office began describing.

  "There are 33 between half a foot to a yard in diameter. Four a couple of yards through. One three yards. And one six yards through."

  Fresedo turned her head and spoke to Jane. "Science, any of them which might be alien spy satellites?"

  "All of them. We don't know how much miniaturization aliens might have achieved. We ourselves are already able to make spysats the size of a basketball. That would include space jets or other propulsion systems to keep it at L3 since L3 is unstable. Few of these objects are likely to have been here for more than a decade or two unless they have propulsion."

  "And they could be disguised as natural objects."

  "Yes, sir."

  "So how do we find any alien spysats?" Fresedo glanced away from Jane toward the control consoles where eight of her people sat. She knew the answer from a briefing from Jane but wanted her subordinates to know the answer. And those of her other people, most of whom were listening in from their more distant work stations.

  Jane played along.

  "Maybe we don't. But if we do it's because the aliens use hyperspace communicators like ours. We can listen in on those channels they're likely to use. We couldn't understand what they were saying but we could detect and track them."

  "Tell me about hyperspace again."

  "Yes, Sir. Basically my theory of hyperspace is based on the Multiverse Theory, which says our universe is only one of maybe three billion parallel universes. Seven of those universes I call hyperspace universes. They have so little matter and energy that the speed of light is much greater than it is in our universe."

  "I thought light's speed is a constant."

  "It is--in our universe. The speed is the result of the amount of matter and energy in a particular universe."

  "What is it in your hypothetical seven?"

  "In Hyper One it is 4.1 times pi-cubed of light speed in our universe. In Hyper Two it is 5.2 times pi to the fourth, and in Hyper Three 6.3 times pi to the fifth.

  "Some day we might be able to use H1 to travel faster than light. Maybe even H2. I have no idea how, but I'm hopeful."

  She was more than that. She was sure. Her theory had actually been borrowed from Robot's ever-more-improving memory. In the far-lost time when she'd been born her race had used FTL 1 and FTL 2 travel.

  "Hyper 3 is what we use for FTL communication. Basically we open a small hole into H3 and send and receive radio waves there. IF--and it's a big IF--our aliens use H3 we can spy on the spies."

  "Which," Fresedo said, "is where those five special drones you and your crew brought aboard come in."

  "Right. We want to drop one off here to monitor any hidden alien spysat hiding in L3."

  "Observation," said Fresedo, "how are we coming with our mapping of objects in L3?"

  "At the 99.9 % confidence level, Sir. We're down to the sub-millimeter sizes. That makes the total...13,014 objects."

  "That's good enough. Monitor any movements especially of the largest objects but turn mapping over to automatic functioning."

  She turned her head toward Jane.

  "Is now a good time to launch one of your anti-spy drones?"

  "Yes, Sir."

  "Operations, pick one of the Science Team's hyperspace monitor drones and launch it."

  "Aye, aye, sir."

  The External Operations officer in charge of exploration via drones or manned runabouts manipulated his touch-screen work surface and then sat back.

  "Captain, drone launched."

  On the main view screen a tiny pencil shape moved into view on the lower right side of the screen. It moved faster and faster and quickly disappeared toward the center of L3.

  "Pilot, initiate station keeping."

  "Aye, aye, sir."

  Seeker had been traveling in the same plane as the Earth-Moon system but because of its high speed several thousand miles "up" or away from the two-planet system. It was still a few dozen miles up from L3. Now the ship finished its path by moving down into exact line with the orbit of the Moon and of L3 and ceased motion relative to L3. It was at rest five miles behind the Lagrange point, minusculy closer to the Moon which was behind them in the orbit shared by the Moon and L4 and L5.

  "Captain, on station at..." The officer tapped a button which inserted the exact time and date in the automatically written text log of events aboard Seeker and repeated them verbally. "Our movement is zero relative to L3."

  "Very good, Pilot. Configuration, deploy cans Left and Right."

  "Aye, aye, Sir. Deploying cans Left and Right."

  The four spokes of the wheel surrounding the long cylinder which was the core of Seeker were arranged in an X around the center of the cylinder. As in all vehicles or stations in the zero gravity of space one side of a craft or space station was designated as "down" to give everyone a common frame of reference. The "front" was the end of the craft facing forward toward the direction in which the ship would accelerate.

  Jane put up on her station vision screen a rapidly scrolling row of numbers. They displayed information about the progress of the two cans as they moved out on their two columns. These columns attached cans to the ship. Inside each were four elevators for people to use to go to and from the cans.

  The numbers scrolled rapidly, much faster than most humans could read.

  Jane stared at the numbers. Fresedo glanced at Jane and her screen and turned her attention to overseeing every part of her command.

  Jane was doing the same but as the superbeing JANE. SHE was focusing especially on the unfolding machinery. Even more SHE was focusing on everything Seeker's and Robot's senses were discovering about L3 and its surroundings.

  So far there was no evidence of any alien presence in or near L3.

  The cyborg extended HER awareness even further, to Earth below them, its surroundings, and of space beyond.

  Still no indication of alien presence.

  SHE was not surprised. Advanced aliens would be better able to hide from Earth's natives than those natives to discover them. But they could not have predicted her. SHE was from a super-advanced race HERself, and from at least a half-million years ago.

  SHE could discover them.

  "Sir," said the Configuration Officer. "The left and right habitats are in place. Operations are normal. I'll want to observe the new configuration for a half hour or so before I'll feel free to spin the ship and OK everything. But I'm sure we'll all be able to sleep in gravity tonight."

  Jane looked up from the scrolling rows of numbers.

  "Very good," said Fresedo. "Well, Science Officer, are you happy with the way your investigations are going so far?"

  "Yes, sir. And I'd guess our NASA guests are having a good time with all the data you and our crew have been giving them."

  <>

  They were indeed. With oversight from Jane and help from Seeker's Space Force crew they collected data. They also collected a selection of samples of some of the objects at L4, those which would fit in the hundred vacutainers they'd brought with them to return to Earth. There they'd be studied further once Earth authorities OK'd the safety of the samples.

  Seeker remained on station for five days. Jane and her crew had fulfilled their mission to L3 with the drop off of the antispy satellite, so they were free to aid the NASA people in any way they could.

  At the end of those days Seeker re-docked its two in-use habitats and set out on the next leg of their voyages: investigation of the remaining four Lagrange points for signs of alien presence.

  Cha
pter 3 - The Moon, L4, and L5

  Seeker arrived at L1 "above" the surface of the Moon a day later than they'd set out from L3. She could have made the transit within a few hours at her maximum speed, but Jane and Fresedo both agreed a less demanding trip was better this soon after her commissioning. A shakedown period was needed for every new vehicle to iron out all the bugs of machinery and personnel. Seeker was no exception.

  There were bugs. Some of them JANE deliberately left for Seeker's crew to discover and fix. Happily they found and fixed them quickly.

  At the L1 transit station the NASA scientists left to travel back to Earth with their cargo and samples. Fresedo let a group of her crew travel "down" to Luna City for a couple of days of R&R. Then she let two more sets go down. Only when everyone else had their time "downstairs" did she go.

  Jane followed her example. After her Gang had had their time downstairs she went with Fresedo. At Luna City the woman was to meet some old Space Force cronies.

  "I'm sorry to leave you all by yourself, Major Kuznetsov."

  Jane grinned at her in the baggage claim area.

  "Oh, I won't be alone. This is my sweetie, Phil."

  At that the tall man who'd been approaching Jane swept her up and kissed her thoroughly.

  Fresedo laughed. "So I see. Hello, Mr.--Newman, isn't it?"

  "Yes, ma'am it is. I hope you've been keeping my little hellcat in line."

  "None was needed, Mr.--"

  "Phil, please."

  "She made assuming command of her spaceship easy. Well, as easy as such things go. Well, here are MY friends. It was a pleasure...Phil. Jane."

  "Well," he said to Jane as the Major was met with glad cries and hearty hugs. "What's on your agenda?"

  "Spend time with you, of course. Mostly. So what's on YOUR agenda?"

  "Mostly to spend time with you, though I'll have to abandon you occasionally for a few meetings."

  "So let's go to your hotel so I can get out of this spacesuit into something more relaxing. Then I'd like a good steak dinner."

  <>

  "Something more relaxing" was a bout of enthusiastic lovemaking which was made interesting in the one-sixth gravity of the Moon. She and Phil followed this with a shower and dressed in very decorative spacesuit liners, the usual daily wear in Luna City.

  They ate at the hotel main dining area, an upscale restaurant with (she was fairly certain) a cordon bleu chef overseeing it. They had much to catch up on despite their best efforts to keep in touch when away from each other. Email communication between Earth and Luna City and spaceships was still limited to mostly text messages, no voice or video.

  She was happy to hear that her parents and Natalie were doing well. They had adopted Phil, or vice versa, and spent some time together when Jane was gone.

  "So what were you doing out at--L3? And in the near future? Will I get to see you much?"

  "Officially I'm following my mission to 'evaluate space-based threats and investigate counter measures.' Mostly I'm overseeing the latest design of deep-space vehicles. Seeker is only number 17."

  "And you're doing something with NASA. Or so I heard."

  "You heard right. There're several NASA groups that want to investigate the Lagrange points. L3 was the first we visited because it has been so little investigated in the past. Next we and the group who'll arrive next week want to visit L4 and L5. Then there'll be a third NASA group. It wants to go out to the asteroid belt for a month or two. I'm afraid I'm not going to be a very good girl friend to you for a while."

  "Good enough for me."

  "So what are you doing up here on the Moon, Mr. Impresario?"

  Phil was on the Moon to put together a Quidditch sports league. Eventually he wanted to create a sports franchise and see several competitors come into existence so that matches between them could bring in revenue.

  "But the league has to come first. Without it to oversee all the franchises they can't do much business."

  "Why on the Moon? Why not the World Space Station? It's a lot easier for people to get there than here on the Moon."

  "Several reasons. One is that building an arena in space would cost too much. There's already a suitable arena here. Another is that in zero gravity competitive games are too easy. Here on the Moon there's just enough gravity to make competition difficult. There's the added bonus that if broomsticks--And why do they still call them sticks when they are really motorcycles?--If broomsticks crash in low gravity there's little chance of injuries."

  "True," Jane said.

  "There's another added benefit of low- or zero-gravity sports, which you'll like. Less effort required means that the advantages men have over women, bigger muscles and bones, are canceled out. Finesse more than brute strength is what's needed for those sports.

  "Now, enough about me. What do you say we go to a night club? I hear the Moon has some fancy ones. I want to try dancing in one-sixth gravity!"

  <>

  Jane had a wonderful time for a week. She had few responsibilities except to meet with a few people who wanted the expertise of The Greatest Engineer Who Ever Lived for their projects.

  Often this was more to get approval of what they had done or intended to do rather than real advice. Nevertheless she gave it, assuming her cyborg self and giving sometimes harsh criticism, though always couched in the gentlest terms she could manage.

  Phil had more responsibilities but they still left some time during the day to spend with her. The two of them then investigated Luna City. It had many decorative crevices among the central office buildings and the surrounding circle of residences and small businesses.

  Further out was the empty part of the city into which it would expand in the future. The first ring was planted with grass and bushes which would grow into trees. Dotted in a random pattern, which surely was not random, were buildings with water and restroom facilities available for free. The larger outer ring was planted with grass.

  On one ramble they lay looking out over a lake of grass. Phil looked up at the distant ceiling. The lights simulated blue sky.

  "I'm amazed so much money was spent on this with so little income to show for it. And what money is spent to, say, maintain the light panels which make up the sky. It must take enormous effort just to replace or repair the panels."

  "The hotels and other businesses which make up the Luna City consortium are mostly quite old, used to thinking in decades rather than years. The City is already profitable, though not by much, and will likely be even more so. A century from now--" She'd still be young then. And Phil would be gone unless Earth developed better life extension therapies. The thoughts made her sad. Her belly, and her heart, hurt.

  Lying in grass looking out over the illusion of infinite prairies she managed to rein in her emotions as Phil began to look at her with concern.

  "A century from now there will be several Luna Cities and people who make this their permanent home."

  "With heart and other muscles so weak they can never visit Earth."

  "No. Genetics will advance enough to prevent that."

  "You almost say that with the certainty of someone who sees the future." He smiled as if he said something ridiculous.

  But it was not. In her long-gone birth time her predictions were ancient history.

  She had another painful emotion: homesickness.

  She rolled onto her side and kissed Phil with desperate strength.

  <>

  Jane arrived back at the L1 space station in early morning local time and made her way into Seeker via an access tunnel. She was met at the exit from Seeker's airlock by Fresedo.

  "Welcome back, Major Kuznetsov. I hope you had a good liberty downside."

  "Yes, thank you, Captain. Good to be aboard however. You had a good vacation too?"

  "I did indeed. But the NASA people have arrived all bright-eyed and bushy tailed. Very pushy group, they are. I'm afraid your exec may be letting her annoyance show. I've scheduled a meeting at 1:00, time enough for you to get
settled in and say Hello to your crew."

  "Thank you."

  <>

  Jane and her crew had a happy reunion which extended into an hour and a half lunch in which many stories were told, some of them even true. All but Riku, who was remaining faithful to Mairu, had had brief sailor's love affairs.

  The crew had been back aboard Seeker for five days, the last three dealing with the NASA scientists. Kate's temper was becoming frayed by their demands.

  <>

  The Jane Gang met the five NASA scientists in the common briefing room which Major Fresedo and Major Kravchenko shared. Fresedo introduced the two groups then sat back in her chair to watch the proceedings.

  The NASA five included three younger scientists, a woman and two men, who might have gotten their doctorates no more than a dozen years earlier. There was another woman, a tall thin woman of an apparent 40-something years whom Jane knew was actually 53. Of a like age but showing it more was the senior researcher, Eric Stone. He resembled a leprechaun and his photos gave him a solemn appearance but with a glint of mischievous good humor.

  The good humor was not in evidence at the meeting. After introductions everyone sat and he immediately proceeded to take Jane to task for making them wait three whole days "cooling their heels" before beginning the mission to investigate Lagrange Points 4 and 5.

  Robot instantly merged with Jane at a possible attack by the man. The cyborg evaluated the man's body language as harmless, his threats of career danger a bluff. SHE waited for him to finish his complaints. Meanwhile SHE was extending HER senses beyond Seeker to L1 Transit Station and beyond. Nothing interesting happening, SHE dropped back wholly into her biological part.

  "If you're finished, Dr. Stone? Good.

  "Let me make your situation clear to you and your colleagues."

  She gazed at each of the five in turn then addressed them all.

  "I own this spaceship. It is my personal property. I paid for its construction. If I choose I can crash it into the Moon. Instead I lease it to the Space Force in exchange for paying for its maintenance and provisioning and manning it in pursuit of the tasks laid before me and my crew. This is to 'evaluate space-based threats and investigate counter measures.'