“A mission like that could be dangerous, not to mention faith-shattering to some of our passengers.” Mary said softly. “Believe me, Father Dixon can tell you all you want to know about that subject.”
“I don’t get some of those people,” Julie said. “I really don’t. As if a scientific solution to some of our biggest mysteries somehow disqualifies the concept of Intelligent Design. All it does is confirm that God took his time and really put some serious thought into it!”
“I want to find out, too,” stated Kaufield. “That’s why I signed on to this project.” He held up a hand and pointed directly at Glen. “We’re going to use Canary probes the entire way… stopping as frequently and for as long as Julie’s team requests. And – a lot of this depends on the civilian team yet to be assigned to complete our Council. We’re going to turn the ship around and find somewhere to settle if: (1) we find it’s too dangerous to continue or (2) a quorum of nine of our twelve Council members decides to do so.”
“But we can start?” Julie asked excitedly.
“Yeah, we can start,” Kaufield decided. “Let’s pick a direction and start exploring.” He stood up and smiled with noticeable relief. “Meeting adjourned.”
THE PATHFINDER PROJECT
Chapter IX: Chaos Theory
Two F-175 fighters and a large cargo shuttle eased cautiously toward a distant point of light in the dark void surrounding them. On board the shuttle were the infamous Walter ‘Lightning’ Douglas and his history-making co-pilot, Bruce ‘Hopper’ Mendez. Flanking them to starboard was a fighter piloted by Nori Andrews, and she was closely followed by one of their newer pilots, Terry ‘Dashboard’ Benson. The three ships were quickly closing the distance, with all four pilots carefully watching the star in front of them grow larger and larger.
“Whaddaya think, Dash?” Walt asked curiously.
“I think I’m glad that all of our support ships are back up and running,” he replied with a harsh chuckle. “It makes me feel safer knowing we have fighter support.”
“Aren’t you glad you were reassigned from the Avenger? How do you like scouting missions in the middle of nowhere?” He wasn’t kidding. Aside from the star they were approaching and a few other distant speckles, the light from their own ships was the only thing that separated them from the surrounding darkness.
“No complaints here fellas,” replied Dashboard. “It may be a little dark and it may be a little spooky but at least I’m alive and piloting a ship that works properly.” To demonstrate, he kicked in the thruster boost on his fighter and quickly eased in front of Nori’s ship.
“Whoa, there – easy boy!” Nori snapped quickly, trying to reign in her enthusiastic wingman. “Let’s not get too carried away at first, okay?” She glanced down at the computer systems in front of her. “Keep your eyes on motion sensors. If there is something else floating around out here in all this nothingness we’re going to have a lot less time to take evasive. So keep a tight grip on those controls, flyboy!”
“Are you talkin’ dirty to me, Siren?” Dashboard asked, doing his best to push her buttons.
“You wish!” Nori replied smugly. “Remember… whatever you do in the privacy of your own cockpit is your business. It’s not my fault you can’t handle yourself with the ladies.”
“Ouch,” Dashboard replied. “I think I’m hitting the sauce alone tonight.”
“Whaddaya mean tonight?” Bruce said, his tone full of sarcasm. “You drink alone every night you can’t find a good card game.”
“Okay, changing the subject…” decided Dashboard, realizing he wasn’t going to get any help from the guys. “As I understand it, there are quite literally billions of stars to choose from – so why are we heading toward this lonely little place?”
“Because,” said Walt in response, “According to Dr. Markham, this particular star has a very unique wobble.”
“What?”
“That’s right… it has a wobble,” Walt repeated. “The specialists in the Observatory usually watch for minute fluctuations in a star’s trajectory over the passage of time. That’s just one of the ways they use to determine if there are large objects in orbit. Since planets themselves tend to have their own gravity, they tug at their star as they orbit. And, according to the good Doctor, it only took two days for her to tell that this little star – out here all by itself – has quite possibly the largest and most unique wobble she has ever seen.”
“And you know all this because…”
“Because I’ve been assigned to the Pathfinder project for almost six years,” Walt replied with a satisfied chuckle. “I’ve spent many a night reading up on our mission, as opposed to your mission to take up space in a rack on someone’s boat.”
“We’re hoping to find planets, asteroids, anything that could be a potential source of supplies for us,” added Nori. “The fact that this star is all alone is an added bonus. We search for supplies while the Observatory people study its uniqueness.”
“Well we found something, I’m certain of that!” Bruce said from his co-pilot seat in the shuttle. His motion sensor console was beginning to plot a series of objects in various orbits around the star. They were still very far away but he was definitely detecting planets. “Whooaaa,” he declared softly with growing astonishment. “There’s dozens of them… hundreds! I’d say we’ve got a Charlie Foxtrot of celestial objects orbiting that star!”
“Not only that, but look at their orbits,” Nori said delightedly. “The Observatory is going to have fun with this one.”
“They sure are,” commented Bruce with satisfaction. He switched one of his monitors to a 3-dimensional image of the star system and whistled softly to himself. “This place is a mess, not at all like your everyday average star system. It looks like a giant atom – most of the planets are orbiting on different planes.” He paused, reviewing the data flow. “Not only that, but the computer projects that most of the planets pass closer to the sun on one side and then fly way the hell out to a more distant point when their orbit reaches the other. When they travel that far out, how come they don’t reach escape velocity and soar off into the great beyond?”
“It’s got to be the gravity from all of them combining somehow and keeping what we see together,” Walt mused thoughtfully. “Organized chaos, and everything that couldn’t find a stable orbit probably did just fly off on its own... long ago. I’ll bet some of those planets and moons collide with each other occasionally, too – what a show that would be.” He turned in his seat to get a better look at the co-pilot’s monitor. “There aren’t any other major stars nearby… that could be a factor too. Nothing tugging at those rocks but their star and each other.”
“This sun either left the galaxy it originated in long ago or it never was part of another star group,” Nori speculated idly. “Most likely the former. Dr. Markham was hoping that there would be planets or at least an asteroid field that we can study – objects that have been here for millions of years and will yield clues as to the building blocks of our universe.”
“Oh, there are planets, moons and all kinds of asteroids,” Bruce said excitedly. “The computer is estimating at least 1,083 planets and smaller planetoids. There are also five – count ‘em FIVE – unique asteroid belts orbiting at various distances from the star. I’m also detecting a spherical, comet-filled Oort cloud on the outer edges of the system.” He grinned. “And that’s just what we’re able to detect from this side of the sun.”
“It does look like some kind of huge atom,” Dashboard decided. “I’ve plotted one planet orbiting in a zero degree circle at about the same level as we’re coming in. A second planet is orbiting at Z+24 degrees, a third at Z+112 degrees, and a fourth at Z-35 degrees. This is the most disorganized collection of planets and moons I’ve ever seen.”
“Doesn’t matter if it’s a little bit unusual,” said Nori confidently. “The Observatory folks were impressed by unusual, and it’s not like we’re going to stick around long enough to live here
or anything.” She glanced out her cockpit at the F-175 still flanking her to port. “What do you read, Hopper?” she asked. “I’m not getting any wireless, radio, or other signs of intelligent life. I think we’ve got a winner for potential raw materials.”
“Copy that,” Bruce replied. “If there’s anybody in this system, they haven’t built anything that generates a whole lot of electricity yet.”
“Then why don’t you two fellas make a quick transit back to the Pathfinder for us,” Nori suggested. “And let them know it’s safe to approach the star system and set up shop.”
“Acknowledged,” Walt replied. “We’ll be back in a flash… pun intended.”
* * * * *
Thomas was very cold this time. The people that were most angry with him had come up with a new idea. He was still encased in metal, but this time rather than bury him deep in the heated center of some miscellaneous planet they had decided to shoot him out into deep space. He was drifting free amongst the stars, watching them slowly but surely fall farther and farther behind him as he headed relentlessly on his way out of the Galaxy.
Time was not an issue here.
In fact, he decided, it no longer mattered at all. That’s why they had chosen this form of punishment for him. It was very cold, he was moving rapidly away from everyone he had known, and he was completely alone. The years, then decades, then centuries would pass and he would still be stuck – encased in a metallic body and drifting through the heavens for all time. Soon he would be so lonely that it would be unbearable, Thomas could already feel the pressure starting to build in his head.
There was only one thing different than before.
This time he was vaguely aware that it was all some sort of hallucination brought on by the medication that he had been given.
How did he know?
Well, for one thing he could still remember the people in the hall that had quickly grabbed him the last time he had awakened and begun wandering around in the corridor.
If it’s all a dream, he reasoned, then all I should have to do is wake myself up. He tried as hard as he could, several times, but nothing changed. He was traveling farther and farther out into the depths of space, drifting away toward a lonely place where no one else existed. He felt panic and tried again but still nothing changed. It was cold and he couldn’t move inside his metal shell. From a distance he thought he heard voices, one of which sounded like the Captain.
“I’m telling you,” the Captain was saying tersely,“This is the last time we waste our time welding that SOB back together again!” Another wave of panic shook him… they were talking about him! He tried to tell them that this was all just some sort of weird, medication reaction and nothing to be concerned about. But there was still no one there, and he wondered if the voice he had heard was real or if it had only been part of his imagination.
Then he sensed the evil again and wondered where it was this time.
He was just a small floating object in the heavens and yet he suddenly realized that it was angrily pursuing him, struggling to catch up. His brain filled with frustration as he simultaneously tried to wake himself up and will himself to go faster. What was different this time was that not only could he sense the evil that was approaching, but he knew what it planned to do.
Water was the source of all biological life in the universe. It filled the lakes and oceans, played a crucial role in weather, and helped newly sprouted plants to grow as they poked through the dirt in their newfound journey toward sunlight. It was also something that could be taken away, and that was what the evil force behind him was up to this time. It had found him again and this time its goal was to eradicate water, not just from all planetary bodies, but to destroy every drop of water in the entire universe.
Thomas felt panicked, and he tried to move, to do anything to stop the evil. He felt the frustration begin pounding in his head again and he fought for consciousness, struggling to do anything to stop the terrible plan from unfolding. It was something that was still beyond him, and he could feel the pressure building inside of his brain.
“Stop it, stop it, just STOP!” he tried to scream. Without water there would be no chance for life to survive anywhere in the universe, and he was determined that the metal coffin surrounding him would break. But its walls held and he continued to drift along in space with the evil coming closer and closer with each passing second. He screamed again, because it wasn’t just evil that he sensed this time, but something supernatural as well. MAGIC could do things, evil things, to his very soul if it wanted to while he lay – completely trapped – in his metal coffin.
“No!!!!” he screamed inside his dream as loud as he could. The pressure inside his head had built to the breaking point and he was sure that this was the end of him and everyone else. It was their fault, after all, because they had sent him drifting away into the heavens and now he was helpless to do anything but wait and hope to be found.
That was when he began to first sense the pressure easing.
He wasn’t sure if the evil had lost some of its strength or if something positive had joined the picture – but he knew that the force that had begun to spread across the heavens to search and destroy all water was suddenly fighting for its very life. He smiled, glad that someone or something had decided to help him win the fight, because he still floated onward, trapped and unable to contribute. The evil presence continued to dwindle away until finally he couldn’t detect it at all anymore, and a newfound sense of happiness and satisfaction settled over him. It was better this way, him spending eternity among the heavens, as long as everyone else was okay and could go on with their lives.
Abruptly Thomas Roh snapped awake, his eyes flickering quickly to focus on their usual spot on the ceiling. This time though the view was vastly different – they had moved him to the Medical Ward at some point during the past several days. He felt a very cool breeze brushing his cheek and he took a deep breath as he sat up to stretch his arms and legs.
On the table next to him was a glass of ice water. He grabbed it and quickly drank all the liquid, feeling much better as he did so. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed but didn’t quite feel like getting up yet, so he sat there for a while and chewed on the ice bits in the glass.
“How are you feeling?” Dr. Simmons asked, entering the room. She held a tray of food in one hand and came over to his bedside and placed her other hand on his forehead. “You feel kind of clammy kiddo.”
“I’m okay,” Thomas insisted, handing her the glass. Karen set the tray of food down next to his bed and pointed, but he quickly shook his head. “I guess I’m not that hungry,” he said softly. “Although if you could get me another glass of ice water that would be great!”
“Okay,” she said, moving toward a nearby sink. She refilled the cup and handed it back to him. “Sip it slower this time, would you please?”
“Yes, Doctor,” he replied slowly. “Am I going to be okay?”
“In time,” she said firmly. “The shots we’ve been giving you have helped us to bring your anxiety under control. So now we can try prescribing some pills – which – if you take the correct dosage at the proper time – will eventually allow you to return to duty.”
“Pills?” he said, almost spitting the word. “How long do I have to take those?” A chill went through him as the Doctor turned to give him a dirty look.
“You can either do as you’re told, Thomas, or we’ll let your body work itself back into its anxious state. If that happens we’ll have no choice but to start giving you shots again to settle you back down.” He looked at the expression on her face and suddenly decided that pills didn’t really seem so bad after all.
“Who knows about me?” he asked cautiously. “Is the whole ship laughing by now?”
“Only the people who need to know have been told,” said Karen. “And no one is laughing at your misfortune, I’m happy to say. So I think that you should behave yourself so we can help you adjust to this new stage of your
life. Things are going to change, and you’d better prepare yourself for that.”
“What if I don’t want them to?” he asked.
“Trust me,” she said. “I’ve spoken with the Captain and your brother. I’ll let Adam know you’re awake – he’s been asking when he can stop by to see you. Things are going to be just fine, Thomas. Remember, there are others going through this, too. It is an illness caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain… the same kind of treatable condition a broken leg would be.” She grabbed him by the chin with one hand and stared into his fatigued eyes. “It is also something that is most certainly NOT your fault, young man, no matter what you might hear or imagine you hear other people say.”
* * * * *
Three full weeks had now passed since the Brotherhood’s attack on Earth and Kaufield was beginning to feel a lot better. He stood next to one of the technicians in the hangar bay’s control room, watching one of their two larger shuttles, the Ranger, cruise slowly in for a soft landing. The vessel carried yet another full load of ore mined from one of the asteroids in the star system they had found, and he estimated that their supplies of the valuable mineral, when converted to its liquid fuel counterpart, would be back to near 100 percent. The ore that was not immediately refined into usable fuel would be stored in the cargo areas… all of which were located around the edges of the hangar bay. With their standard PTP engine shut down and the CAS Drive in use on a full-time basis, this meant that their supply of fuel was now virtually unlimited.
The shuttle eased to a slow stop and was immediately surrounded by Andy ‘Mad Dog’ Wolf and his hangar crew. All of them wore specially reinforced pressure suits and quickly opened the side and rear hatches of the shuttle – they expertly began to unload the ore fragments and other items that the survey teams had found. The shuttles were designed for multiple uses, one of which was to transport newfound supplies discovered on strange worlds. During those missions special flaps would open and all areas except for the cockpit would depressurize. This was the first level of their quarantine precautions to prevent strange bacteria or viruses from entering the Pathfinder’s sensitively-balanced eco-system – expose the material to the cold vacuum of space. Naturally each shuttle’s flaps could also remain closed when necessary in order to maintain a pressurized environment while carrying human passengers.
The Pathfinder Project Page 15
