by Doug Farren
“Yes, sir!”
A moment later the ship’s address system sprang to life once more. “Attention all hands. We have received a message from Earth. The captain has made this message available for everyone who wants to hear it. You can find it in the public communications area of the network.”
Shoemaker put on a light robe, sat down at his computer terminal and entered a few commands. A moment later the voice of Anita Kingston said, “This is Anita Kingston and I wish to address the entire crew of the Starfire. Based upon your current location we have concluded that the unplanned test of the Kauffman stardrive was a success and that you are the first crew in history to have traveled faster than the speed of light. Congratulations are in order. We are also aware that your journey home will be a long one. I’m very glad we provisioned the Starfire for just such a possibility. Have a safe trip home. There’s a hero’s welcome waiting for you when you arrive.”
The captain then selected the next message. “Captain Shoemaker,” Anita’s voice rang out once again. “I would like a complete update on your status as soon as practical. I’m aware of the long delay between communications so please try to anticipate as many of our questions as you can. If there is anything we can do to help or make your trip home more comfortable please let me know. Jay, I want to offer my personal congratulations on your achievement. We need to have a long talk when you get back.
“Cain has managed to determine what went wrong. According to him it was an unforeseen design flaw and the only way to correct it will be to build a new drive core. The good news though is that we know where the problem is and how to correct it. I’ve ordered the construction of a new core. I’m going to turn the rest of this message over to Kyle so he can explain exactly what happened.”
Kyle’s voice replaced Anita’s and Shoemaker quickly became lost in the deeply mathematical discussion that followed. He tried to listen to the message for another couple minutes but it became evident that the discussion was way over his head. He would ask Kauffman to explain it to him in simpler terms later.
Shoemaker stood up and once again contacted the bridge. After the chief engineer acknowledged the call he said, “Mr. Simatowski, prepare a detailed report of our current situation and ready it to be transmitted. I will be on the bridge in thirty minutes to review it and attach my own comments.”
The captain then proceeded to indulge himself in the luxury of a shower.
Kauffman listened to the message directed to him first—he never heard the other one. When Kyle launched into the explanation of what was wrong with the current design of the stardrive, Jay listened with intense interest. His eyes glazed over and his breathing became slow and regular. He remained that way for several minutes after the message had ended. His mind was furiously consolidating this new information into the already complex theory which he had developed. Slowly he seemed to return to reality and finally said, “Of course.” Nobody heard him since he was alone in his quarters. This was fortunate because nobody saw the tears of joy flow freely down his face as he realized that his drive not only worked but could be made to work far better than he had ever imagined.
Leaps of human ingenuity occur at unpredictable times and for unpredictable reasons. The complexity of the human mind and its uncanny ability to find patterns where none seem to exist are usually attributed to be the cause of most scientific breakthroughs. Somehow, in some unknowable manner, Jay’s mind suddenly made a connection and in a matter of seconds a new theory was born. Something had ‘clicked’ and Jay’s genius went into overdrive. All thoughts of where he was or what he had previously planned were pushed into a dark corner of his mind as he reached for his computer and started typing.
Five hours later, Jay was twenty minutes late for his shift in engineering and he had not answered either the ship’s page or the chime of the communicator in his room. Mr. Simatowski finally came to Kauffman’s room and when there was no answer to his knock he opened it. Jay was sitting on the edge of his bunk, several notebooks lying around him. He was furiously entering complex equations into the computer and ignored Jonathon’s attempt to get his attention. A few minutes later the captain arrived to assess the situation.
“Mr. Kauffman! MR. KAUFFMAN!” the captain said in his most commanding voice.
Jay’s only response was a quick wave of his hand as if to dismiss the bothersome captain.
Captain Shoemaker did not take this very well. He got angry, reached out and plucked the computer off Jay’s lap.
Jay tried to grab the computer back but the captain had moved it out of his reach. Kauffman then stood up and for a moment had a wild, distant look in his eyes. “You can’t! Give it back! It’s incredible…I’ve…” Jay took a very deep breath and seemed to snap back to reality.
“Captain! Jonathan!” he sputtered as if seeing them for the first time.
“Explain yourself Mr. Kauffman. You are now 45 minutes late for your engineering shift,” the captain demanded.
Jay’s eyes kept straying toward the computer which the captain had placed on a shelf behind him. “I’m sorry sir,” Jay explained. “I’ve been working on a breakthrough which is just as monumental if not more so than the stardrive. I sometimes get so deep into my work that I don’t hear or see anything else. Anita calls it my trance.”
The captain seemed to accept this and visibly relaxed. “I seem to recall Mrs. Kingston mentioning something about the way you work. What is this new theory—in simple terms please.”
“It’s actually more than just one. Some of the equations which were sent to me to explain why the stardrive caused us to move seemed to imply that there is a whole unexplored aspect of this technology. The more I thought about it the clearer it became until suddenly everything seemed to fall into place. I’ve actually had to expand my continuum calculus by creating some entirely new operations. By using a combination of stardrive fields and normal space-time fields I believe we can create some truly amazing devices.”
“Such as?” the captain’s voice indicating that he was becoming interested in what Kauffman had to say.
“Such as, a method of communication using faster than light energy waves, or the ability to truly control the direction of motion and speed of a ship while operating under the stardrive. I’m also starting to suspect there might even be a way to generate a kind of shield. Artificial gravity could become a reality. There’s also the possibility of being able to…”
“Okay! I get it.” Shoemaker handed the computer back to Jay. Turning to his chief engineer he continued, “Mr. Simatowski, please remove Mr. Kauffman from the duty roster effective immediately. I believe his work has priority.”
Jonathan looked at Jay then at the captain and replied, “Yes sir,” and walked out of the room obviously not a very happy man.
The captain's gaze followed his chief engineer until he was out of sight then, turning his attention once again toward Jay, he asked, “Given this new information, can you get us home using your drive?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Jay replied. “The current stardrive is flawed and there's nothing I can do out here to fix it. It did, however, serve its purpose. Just get me home and the next trip we make will be to the nearest star.”
“I'll get you home. It might take awhile, but I'll get you home. If there’s anything else I can do to assist you in your research just let me know.”
“There is one item,” Jay replied as he reopened the laptop. “Can you have the contents of my private data files sent to Earth on a regular basis? Perhaps once every four hours?”
“That’s a lot of bandwidth but I’ll see that it’s done. Can I ask why?”
Jay’s hands caressed the keyboard as if it was a living entity. “Because I don’t want any of this research to become lost in the event that something happens to us. This research will open up entirely new levels of technological advances which will allow us to travel through the galaxy as easily as we travel around our own planet.”
“I’ll make sure
your data isn’t lost. Good luck Mr. Kauffman.” The captain turned and left, closing Jay’s door quietly behind him. Just before the door latched, he caught the unmistakable sound of fingers rapidly attacking a keyboard.
The days dragged by slowly as the Starfire made its way back home. Kauffman spent most of his free time in his quarters furiously entering new equations into his computer. Jay’s mind, a mind of incomprehensible mathematical genius, was single handedly creating an entirely new branch of mathematics and along with it an entirely new branch of science. He left his room only to go to the galley to get something to eat or to use the restroom. He rarely slept.
Every four hours the newly entered information was transmitted to Earth and routed to CAIN. The machine could only marvel at the genius involved as a new and deeper understanding of the behavior of multidimensional space began to develop. As with the original stardrive, this new theory required Jay to further develop his continuum calculus. After over a month’s work, Jay finally felt the new theory was complete and the captain found him in the galley eating a meal three times larger than anyone would have thought possible for someone his size.
“I’m surprised to find you here,” the captain announced himself and took a seat across from Jay. “You look as if you haven’t eaten in a week.”
Jay finished chewing, swallowed and replied, “I tend to forget about eating when I’m working on a tough problem. It’s pretty much done now.”
“Really? So tell me, are we really going to be able to do all those things you told me about earlier?”
“Oh yes, and much more. We’ve opened up a whole new avenue of scientific advancement. It won’t be long before we are doing what yesterday would have been considered impossible. All that is needed is to apply the mathematics I’ve developed to the physical world and all sorts of wonderful things will become possible. Einstein unlocked the atom and gave birth to a whole new vista of research and advancement. Continuum calculus will give us the universe by allowing us to understand how it works.”
The captain leaned back in his chair and folded his hands together over his stomach. “It’s amazing, here we sit on the brink of the greatest achievement of mankind. You and I are making history. And the strange thing about it is I don’t feel any different. Don’t get me wrong. I’m excited. But you would think that being here, at this point in history and doing what we have done would tend to make a person feel somehow…I don’t know…just…different.”
“I don’t know about you captain, but right now I’m too tired to feel any different. After I finish eating I’m going to be hitting my rack.”
“Once you’re rested, I want to hear all…”
“Captain to the bridge!” the ship’s announcing system interrupted. “Captain Shoemaker please report to the bridge immediately.”
“This does not sound good,” the captain said as he stood up.
Curiosity overcame Jay’s weariness and he decided to join the captain. Jay grabbed an apple and his packaged dessert then quickly caught up with the departing captain. Five minutes later they floated through the bridge hatch.
“Report!” Shoemaker barked as soon as he cleared the hatch.
The helmsman turned his chair to face the captain and said, “There is an object coming up from astern sir. Its vector is steady and it's on a direct collision with us if we maintain our current heading.”
“From astern? How fast is it moving? How far away is it now?” The captain strapped himself into his command chair as he replied.
“Current distance is 223 kilometers...”
“Two hundred twenty three kilometers!” the now upset captain interrupted. “Why wasn’t it picked up sooner?”
“It just appeared on the scope sir,” the navigator fired back defensively. “One moment the scope was clear and all of a sudden—Poof!—This object appears.”
“What’s its delta-V?”
“Delta-V is 322 meters per second and decelerating.”
“WHAT! We are in free-flight. The delta-V of any object relative to us should be constant. How does it paint on the radar?”
“Big sir. Very big.”
Shoemaker’s keen mind was racing. The Starfire was currently racing through space in free-flight with its main engine quiet. The only way the relative speed between themselves and any other object could be changing would be if the other object was in powered flight. There were no known natural objects that could change their own velocity leaving only one other possible conclusion.
“Jay, what are the chances that your stardrive design was leaked to someone outside AST?”
“Impossible! You would not believe the security precautions that were taken,” Jay answered confidently.
“Well, that object is obviously a ship so either someone else has managed to develop a stardrive in absolute secrecy or Anita has built herself a replacement and that’s a rescue ship.”
Jay grabbed his upper lip between his left thumb and forefinger and spoke in a quiet voice, “There is another possibility we must consider sir. If that is indeed a Human ship it would have attempted to contact us by now. We must also consider the possibility that the ship may not be from Earth.”
For several seconds the only sounds that could be heard were the ever-present whisper of the ventilation system and the quiet murmur of the bridge instruments. Breaking the silence, the captain said, “There’s only one way to find out. Coms, put me on ship-to-ship hailing.”
A moment later an indicator glowed on the captain’s small console. “Attention unknown approaching vessel! I am Captain Shoemaker of the Advanced Space Technologies research ship Starfire. Please identify yourself and state your intentions.”
There was a long five second delay, then, “Starfire, I am Captain Shoomut. Our intentions are non-hostile. Respond on this frequency if you can understand this message.”
The timber of the message was strange but clearly understandable. “We receive and understand you clearly Captain Shoomut. Would you be so kind as to identify your point of origin? Your ship is unfamiliar to us.”
“We are from a star system located many light years from your own.” There was a collective sharp intake of breath from every member of the bridge crew. Captain Shoemaker noticed that Jay could barely contain his enthusiasm. “My people are called Tholtarans. A monitor post in your system picked up the test of your stardrive. There is much that needs to be discussed. I would like to invite you and two others of your choosing to my ship so we may speak face-to-face.”
“I would like that very much,” Shoemaker replied without any hesitation. How do you propose we transfer to your ship? Is your atmosphere compatible with ours?”
“Maintain your present course and orientation. My ship will maneuver to establish an air-tight seal with your main airlock. You will find our internal temperature to be slightly higher than you are accustomed to and our atmosphere to be perfectly breathable. I shall contact you again when it is safe for you to exit your ship. Shoomut out.”
The moment the light on the captain’s console turned off, Jay exploded. “An alien species! I knew we were not alone … I knew it! Captain, you’ve got to let me go with you. If it hadn’t been for my…”
“Calm down Jay,” Shoemaker interrupted. “You and Simatowski will be accompanying me. I’m a little concerned about these Tholtarans.”
“Why?” Jay asked.
“Shoomut mentioned a monitor station. The implication of that statement is that we have been under surveillance for some time. He also speaks our language and that strikes me as a bit odd.”
“The Tholtarans are obviously more advanced than we are and apparently have had stardrive technology long enough to have explored quite a distance from their home system,” Kauffman explained. “My guess is they discovered us some time ago. And, not wanting to interfere with our development, left a monitoring station to observe us. Also, based on how his message sounded, I don’t believe the captain actually speaks English. I suspect he was using an electronic
translator, possibly a very advanced computer system.”
“I need to break the news to the crew and to Earth,” Shoemaker said. Depressing two buttons on his console he addressed the crew and also recorded a message to be transmitted to Earth. He quickly and simply explained what had transpired. “None of us have been trained for this eventuality,” he concluded. “This ship and its crew are now ambassadors of humanity. I expect everyone to act accordingly.”
It took the Tholtaran ship 45 minutes to maneuver into position. Try as they might, nobody could get a clear view of the alien ship because of the limited amount of light this far out from the sun. Jay felt a slight shudder run through the Starfire as the alien airlock made contact. “Captain Shoemaker, are you receiving?” came the message at last.
“We are receiving you loud and clear Captain Shoomut.”
“A flexible, pressurized docking device has been attached to your primary airlock. You may now exit your ship. Our outer airlock door is open. After you have entered the airlock, we will cycle the doors. I will greet you in person.”
“We are on our way,” Captain Shoemaker said as he unbuckled himself. “Jay, Mr. Simatowski, please join me.”
The three Humans floated out of the bridge on their way to make first contact with an extraterrestrial civilization.
14
We are not alone
Chief engineer Simatowski approached the Starfire’s main airlock, examined the panel near the door, and announced, “I read an oxygen atmosphere on the outside of the outer airlock door. Pressure is slightly above normal with 22.5 percent oxygen concentration.”
“Very well,” the captain replied after taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. “Cycle the door.”
Before the chief could respond to the captain's order a voice shouted, “Captain! Wait!”
Everyone's head turned to find Cheryl floating down the passage at a near suicidal speed. As she approached, she used several hand holds in succession to reduce her speed until she came to a halt a few feet from the group. “Mrs. McCallister?” the captain said then waited for her reply.
