G -1
(G minus 1)
A Novel by
Kyle Thomas Bruhnke
G –1
(G minus 1)
Copyright ©2009 Kyle Thomas Bruhnke
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author.
Front cover art by Greg Gallardo.
Visit the G -1 web page. (www.gminus1.net)
View the book trailer on YouTube.
Dedication
This book is dedicated, with great appreciation, to those individuals on this fragile planet who have pledged their lives to solving the complex issues and problems of our time. Whether political, social, or environmental, finding solutions to these challenges are paramount to the advancement of life for every inhabitant - animal and vegetable - with which we share the limited resources.
New discoveries are being made all the time, both on Earth and in orbit above it. More efficient materials, less polluting manufacturing methods, and purer compounds and metals, possible only in a zero gravity environment must and will be found. These discoveries will help ensure our future survival.
It is often noted that humanity once believed the world was flat. Sail too far out to sea, and you will fall off. Then there was the sound barrier that many thought couldn’t be broken. Today we send rockets into space at many times the speed of sound. These things were disproven by human curiosity and constant research leading to new discoveries.
Can the speed of light be broken? Some say no. Others, believing in the ever advancing march of science, believe it can. It may be through experimentation, or it may be by chance, but we will continue to break the barriers put in front of us, including speeds faster that light.
Let’s look forward to that day.
With thanks...
To my wife Doreen, for her patience while I pursue my dreams over the past few years; my mom, sister, brother, aunts, uncles, and cousins for their support and encouragement; my friends Gary Ritter for his help understanding metals and welding, and Greg Gallardo for all the revisions to the cover art which helped me visualize the story.
Without your input, this book may never have made it to press.
Thank you all.
Chapter List
1. Making Plans
2. A Mysterious Cargo
3. Our Close Call
4. Suspicions
5. We All Take a Look
6. Under the Microscope
7. An Unexpected Conversion
8. Unusual Summer Jobs
9. Power Problem
10. Scavengers
11. Surprises
12. Exponential Containment
13. Tunnel Work
14. History and Memories
15. Fireworks
16. Kylie’s Key
17. Dinner Meeting
18. Weight Lifting
19. Construction Begins
20. Cutting and Welding
21. Wheels and Windings
22. Computers and Circuit Boards
23. Twin Tests
24. An Awkward Moment
25. Another Partner
26. Test Flight
27. Float Building
28. A Tense Flight Home
Preface
Problems created by the financial crisis at the end of the first decade of our new century came home to roost by the end of second. Social services were cut, taxes went sky high, and ecological pursuits, mandated by previous administrations, had to be scaled back.
Perhaps it was the best thing that could have happened. Entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, realizing the subsidy trough was drying up for large corporations, join together to plan a new highway to wealth, safety, and prosperity for our country.
The hydrogen economy is finally embraced wholeheartedly. Individuals in sunny locations are enlisted to install photo-voltaic panels on their roofs. These power the hydrogen generators which supply their owners with power first. The excess hydrogen gas is then purchased by the power cooperatives for distribution through the pipeline system formerly used for natural gas. This arrangement encourages conservation as any excess power provides additional income to families. And the decentralized power sources make the country less vulnerable to terrorist activities as well.
Private enterprise has begun taking the lead in space development. A new generation of space planes, collectively called splanes, is being developed to ferry workers to and from, existing and growing inhabitable space platforms. The need to develop extra-planetary resources is becoming more necessary and profitable. Magnetic levitation is being experimented with as a means of launching these lightweight composite, single-stage-to-orbit vehicles. But corporate greed and espionage also grow as competition increases to bring new technologies to market.
This is the time Tyler and Jared grow up in. Yet, in a world where families have to pool their resources and once again become multi-generational, teenagers are still able to enjoy the freedom of gaining experience through the envelope-pushing activities they have pursued for many centuries. This is their story.
Making Plans
It’s early morning and I’m awake already. Again! I roll over to look at the clock; 5:15. This is happening way too often. I roll back the other way, trying to hide from the time. I close my eyes in an attempt to drift off to sleep again. It’s no use. I get up and head for the bathroom.
A few minutes later I’m crawling back into bed. I don’t have to get up for school for another hour. What was that dream I was having before I woke up? Sometimes it seems I can re-enter a dream and it will continue. But not today. My eyes are closed, but my brain is running full throttle.
This usually happens when there’s some sort of space activity going on. This week, more modules are being added to the new space outpost. Last night I watched the construction on the internet. That stuff is so cool I never get tired of watching. Every move, every turn of a wrench is measured out and precisely executed. The instructions are given; “Turn the nut two and three-quarters turns clockwise,” and that’s exactly what happens. Most of the time. Once when I was watching, one of the new solar arrays wasn’t unfurling like it should. That was one of the few times they improvised. Robots could never do that! I smile inside as I finally drift off for a few minutes.
I wake again, aware that I’ve started dreaming about one of my other favorite subjects; what it will take to harness gravity. I’ve spent many mornings lying in bed with that challenge running through my mind. Seems the government, and their grant-laden technocrats, can’t get a handle on it. It also seems like it should be so easy, like getting two magnets to repel one another, but nobody can find the key to the mystery.
I’m amused that a fifteen year old kid like me thinks he might be able to come up with an answer nobody else can and, of course, the fame, money, and girls that come with it. I imagine those government boys are probably trying to find the most complex and expensive solution to a problem which, in the end, will be found out to be simple and straight forward. Or, more likely, found by accident like a lot of other discoveries.
My thoughts continue to run in those familiar circles as I drift off into another recurring dream I have. I’m sitting at my work bench, leaning over and looking through a magnifying glass that’s looking through a second magnifying glass, obviously at something really tiny; a structure that, even with the two glasses, is extremely hard to see. I hear the voice of my friend Jared behind me.
“Well? Is it gonna work?” he asks anxiously.
I turn to face him, noticing his little sister standing behind him. She’s smiling at me through bright, green eyes. I smile back with an embarrassed blush as I start to answer his question as he impatiently asks again, �
��Is it up yet?”
I look at him feeling confused. His voice sounds just like my mother’s.
“Tyler! Tyler aren’t you up yet?” It is Mom’s voice calling!
I open my eyes and look at the clock again; 6:35. I roll over to sit up on the side of the bed, reaching for my glasses. The door opens after an abbreviated knock.
“Tyler? Oh good. You are up,” Mom says, sounding surprised as she walks into my room without showing any consideration for my privacy. “Oops. Sorry honey. I thought you were still asleep.”
I pull the sheets around to cover my pajamas as she opens the curtains before quickly doing an about-face to walk back out the door. She’s never going to get it. I’ll probably always be her little boy. Sometimes I wish I had a little brother or sister that she could hover around once in a while. Okay, maybe that’s not fair. Mom’s just doing what moms do. I should cut her some slack. I take off my glasses, looking at them to confirm I’m looking through a couple of layers of dirt before grabbing a tissue to clean them.
I’m sure glad it’s Friday. Classes have been such a drag this week. They always seem to get longer as summer gets closer. And this summer’s going to be better than most. I can’t wait to be sixteen in a couple more weeks so I can get my driver’s license. I smile as I quickly get ready for school.
I smell toast as I pass Gramps’ room and head down the stairs into the kitchen where Mom is busy fixing breakfast. She’s a great cook and usually gets breakfast for me when she works the afternoon shift. It’s like she enjoys taking care of my father and me, and he always reminds me to be sure to let her know we appreciate it.
“Smells good,” I compliment her. I reach down to pet Handsome, the best cat in the world, as he nibbles from his bowl. He ignores me.
“Thanks dear,” Mom replies. “You have plenty of time to eat. Everything’s ready so take your seat. What do you want to drink?”
“Just water, thanks. I’ll get it.” I grab a glass off the table and fill it from the tap in the refrigerator door. As I’m sitting down, she sets a plate of scrambled eggs in front of me. I dig in.
“Need a ride to school today?” she asks.
“No thanks,” I mumble through a mouthful of eggs. She gives me the ‘don't talk with food in your mouth’ look so I quickly chew and swallow. “Jared gets to use the hybrid today so he’s picking me up.”
“Okay good. I have to be at work by three this afternoon so I won’t be here when you get home. Your father won’t be home until some time tomorrow, so you and your grandfather will be on your own for dinner tonight.”
I sigh inwardly. This happens too often. Dad comes home Saturday from converting pipelines; Mom is off to work at the hospital in Truth or Consequences, and Gramps and I get to figure out what’s for dinner.
“Hey Mom? Do you think Gramps would mind if Jared came to dinner?” Gramps is pretty good on the barbeque, which is what we usually do when Mom works the afternoon shift. He can be pretty entertaining with stories about his early years, too. “Jared and I were planning to watch the shiff land tonight,” I continue as she rinses some dishes in the sink, “so he’ll be coming over for that anyway.”
“That’s fine with me, dear. I figured you two would be watching the landing. Just leave your grandfather a note so he’s not caught off guard. I think he’s made plans with his motorcycling friend for after dinner,” she replies, slightly disturbed at the thought. Then she perks up again. “Maybe you can all barbeque together. What time is the landing?”
“Right around sunset if everything goes according to plan. I heard last night that the weather is expected to be good, so we’ll probably head over to The Hill about 6:30.”
“What confuses me is why they’re landing it here of all places,” Mom says, stopping for a moment to think about it.
“From what Jared says,” I explain, “they want it as an exhibit over there. And Jared thinks his dad doesn’t want us right at the field tonight, because he’s entertaining some investors or something.”
“Hmm,” comes a thoughtful acknowledgement.
Jared Charles calling. It’s my phone speaking in the robotic answering voice I recently downloaded. Mom looks up with surprise. It sounds cool!
“Hey,” I answer. “Okay. I’m ready.” I put the phone away.
“Jared’s turning into the drive,” I inform Mom. I wash down the last bite of toast, clear my dishes, and start heading for the door.
She’s right there to put my book bag into my arms before tussling my curly red hair. She swats at me as I push through the door. “Have fun in school today, dear,” she says playfully.
Sometimes it seems school is everything but fun.
Jared looks a little grumpy as I get in the car, and I can see why; his little sister, Kylie, is in the back seat. As little sisters go, from what I’ve noticed with my other friends, Kylie’s not so bad. She is annoying but, like I say to Jared, “that’s her job”. Most of the time they get along okay.
“We have to drop the little one off at the middle school today,” he comments snidely. She’s always hated that nickname. I glance into the back seat where she’s making a face at him behind his back. I can’t help but think he’s going to have to find a new nickname for her pretty soon. At fourteen, she’s starting to look pretty grownup to me. I’ve always kind of liked Kylie.
“Fine by me.” I greet her with a shy smile. “Hi Kylie.”
“Hi Tyler,” she says abruptly.
“Well, if I had my way…” Jared complains, stopping in mid-sentence, “but dad says if I drive, she gets a ride to school, too.”
“And home,” she pointedly cuts in to agitate him more.
“It’s just not fair! I’ll never get away from her.” He stomps on the accelerator, the electric motor kicking up only a little gravel as we exit the driveway.
The small cluster of homes and mobile homes situated around the launch facility, quickly disappear as we head north, then west.
It’s quiet for a while. The ride to Truth or Consequences takes about forty minutes. The road, empty of cars, runs mostly straight and flat for a long time. Occasionally the sun behind us causes our shadow to fly down the road ahead of us. I notice how the recent brief rains we’ve gotten have made for a green spring. Everything feels fresh and clean.
Kylie quietly begins singing a tune to herself. Her clear, soft voice adds another dimension to the new day. If I had any concerns on my mind, they would have faded away on her melody. But the peaceful feeling doesn’t last long; Jared reaches over and turns the radio on - LOUD.
“Hey!” rises a protest from the back seat. I steal a glance back to see her flash of anger, but then she smiles at me before turning to silently stare out the window. I watch her for just a second longer.
“Good thing the kiddie school isn’t out of the way,” I tease, turning my attention to the road ahead as it begins to wind down through the hills as we get close to The Butte outside of town.
“Thanks Tyler,” Kylie mutters sarcastically behind us.
“But that’s not the point! She’s always got to spoil my fun in some way or other,” Jared continues his earlier rant. “Hey! Are you taking her side?”
“I’m not taking anyone’s side,” I respond diplomatically. “Just trying to keep the peace somehow. If I had a little sister, I’d probably feel the same way you do.”
“But you don’t! And since you think she’s kind of cute…”
“Hey!” I shout. He’s gone too far now! I shoot him a glance to shut him up but I can already feel the heat building in my face. I risk a quick glance over my shoulder. She’s smiling sweetly at me again. Embarrassed, I quickly face front wondering if it’s because she got her brother and me riled up at each other or for some other reason. Part of me hopes it’s the other reason.
We turn onto New School Road. The talk turns to last night’s ball game and a few comments about the classes we’re headed for. Finally, we pull up in front of Kylie’s school.
&nbs
p; “Thanks, Jared. Bye, Tyler. See ya later,” she says as she gets out of the car. Jared grunts an acknowledgement and waves her off with his hand.
“Bye,” I respond plainly as she’s walking towards her friends who are standing in front of the doors into the school. It’s then I notice what she and her friends are wearing. The warm weather has brought out the shorts and light-weight blouses. My gaze takes in all of the budding maturity until I refocus on Kylie and realize she’s looking back at me. Again, she’s smiling, and again, my face begins to feel warm.
“Hey!” I hear Jared shout as a punch lands on my arm and the car begins to move away. “That’s my little sister you’re gawking at!”
I turn to look at him. He’s got a grin on his face. His mood has improved now that she’s out of the car. I sense how he really feels about his little sister knowing that any guy who wants to get to know her when she gets into high school next year is going to have to meet his standards too. “What,” I respond, rubbing my smarting arm, grinning back at him as we drive off.
“Did you watch any of the spacewalk last night?” I ask to change the subject. “They’re finishing the second ring on the outpost.”
“Nope,” comes the simple reply. Then thoughtfully, “Why did they decide to call it a space outpost instead of a station again?”
“Because a station is only a place you stop by, like a depot. The outpost is going to be much bigger, with commercial operations, like private research facilities for more experiments, small manufacturing plants, and hotels and…” I stop when I notice he’s chuckling quietly to himself. “Don’t you ever think about going up there?” I ask him seriously.
“I doubt I’d ever be able to afford it,” he says somberly, “and you probably won’t either, so just call it the “Space Out” because it’s out of our reach.”
“Well I’m going!” I respond calmly. “Someday.”
He shoots a glance at me before focusing on the right-hand turn that takes us into the high school’s parking lot. “I suppose that’s got you going on the gravity thing again,” he states matter-of-factly.
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