Exploration (Galactic Neighborhood Book 3)

by Alexander Elliott

  “As you know, the first challenge we faced was to create a shell small enough to be contained within the normal parameters of a human body, while still including all of the critical elements needed for a successful mission. My own calculations proved it was possible, yet an improved design and smaller components were needed. The shell size and shape were critical if we were to design a truly versatile EMR.”

  “The holographic projectors can produce any type of outward appearance we desire, but it must be as big, or bigger, than the actual shell which contains the EMR. We decided to begin with a ‘human’ likeness, believing it may be of more immediate use to us while we design even smaller units in the future. The opposite is also true, as the EMR may appear as something larger than the shell, such as a different life form or even an inanimate object.”

  By this time, Cole led them to a large work table covered by a concealing drape. He lifted it carefully to reveal a silvery-gray object which was shaped something like a large teardrop or flower petal. It was about eight inches thick, with a smooth exterior and rounded edges. He leaned in to press a small latch, and the unit separated into two equal halves. With the help of his teammates, the top was lifted off and placed upright next to the bottom piece.

  “What you see here is the result of our efforts to downscale the shell without giving up any of the desired features. The largest single piece is the power supply, which is able to continuously recharge from light, heat, radiation, oxygen or water.”

  Cole continued to explain the EMR’s features and abilities, becoming more impassioned as he spoke and confidently fielded many questions. When this portion of the demonstration was complete, he yielded the floor to Bax.

  “The AI is constructed with two separate processing centers. I believe we have successfully designed the EMR with the critical safety features necessary for such a powerful unit. The AI is located deep in the shell’s center, heavily shielded, and with its own emergency power supply.”

  Thataar handed Bax a small padded box, which he set on the worktable and opened carefully. Inside were two very different looking objects. The primary processor was the larger of the two, and was flat, black, and featureless except for a small power port. It was roughly an inch thick and about the size of a man’s palm. The secondary processor was a bright red sphere, not much bigger than a marble. Bax allowed everyone to take a closer look at the objects, and then continued to explain.

  “The secondary processor must be inserted in the shell first or the EMR will not operate. Internal diagnostics will not reveal its presence or function to the primary processor. This is the key safety feature which governs what happens to the unit in case of damage, malfunction, or tampering. Without the proper codes, even our own techs will be unable to meddle with an EMR without triggering the self destruct.”

  This prompted a number of questions, and Bax was personally satisfied to have answers to all of them. He and Cole spent many a skull session thinking up the most challenging situations an EMR might face, and then making certain their design and programming were prepared for every single one of them. When the grilling was finished, Cole once again led the others to the far side of the lab.

  On display were two curious looking open framework contraptions which seemed to have no immediately discernable purpose. The smaller of the two was approximately the size and shape of a traditional ship-launched missile. Cole stopped next to it and began to speak.

  “An EMR may reach it’s target several ways. It can be delivered via fold space using its own system or that of a ship, Sentinel, or buoy. It can also be cycled through any external hatch or airlock and directed wherever needed. During battle, it may be desirable to seed missile launches with these EMR carriers. We envision the carriers having traditional booster and guidance capabilities, but be outfitted with a payload of three EMR’s instead of a warhead. When stealth capability is added, the carrier would be very difficult to track or target. Once in space, the EMR’s can be deployed one at a time or as a group, depending on mission parameters.”

  Cole then motioned to the larger object which resembled a thick daisy. The center of the structure was occupied by a control center, and extended the same height above and below the open framework of the ‘petals’.

  “As you can see, this orbital platform holds twenty EMR’s, and is equipped with its own guidance system, communications array, and shields, and is stealth enabled. The unit is reusable and may be restocked remotely. It is intended to supplement orbital defenses, alongside traditional weapons platforms, and provides an additional array of response options. Each EMR is independent of the platform itself, and in case of damage or capture, can be programmed for self destruct. Both the carrier and orbital platforms are easily constructed using commonly found production methods throughout the Alliance.”

  As before, Cole spent several minutes responding to questions and comments. Both Moreland and Perry participated, voicing their own observations or asking for clarification. Occasionally they shared hushed comments between them, only to resume attentive observation with the rest of the group. Though Cole was no longer nervous, he was glad to have finished.

  The time came to bring their creation to life, and he couldn’t wait to begin the testing. As a group, they returned to the work table and watched as Bax and Thataar connected a hardwire lead to the shell, tested the comm unit, and prepared the external sensor net which would record everything. When they were satisfied, Bax turned once more to address the group.

  “Every EMR has been given a unique appearance and voice, made up of composite characteristics from thousands of people. This base ‘identity’ is what we will see and hear in a moment, though the outward appearance may be altered at any time to best suit the conditions of the mission. This particular unit has been programmed to respond to specific voice commands in order to test the AI interface and demonstrate various features. After I insert the processors, we will confirm the unit is operating properly, and then begin the testing.”

  Bax was almost shaking with excitement, and Cole saw him take a deep calming breath before inserting the red secondary processor into its specially designed compartment. Thataar observed the sensor readouts for a few moments and then gestured to Bax with a mid-limb to continue. He slid the primary processor into the compartment until the power port mated with the housing. An audible ‘snick’ was the only noticeable change, and Thataar once again looked carefully at the sensor information. With a slight nod, he gave permission to proceed.

  Two team members lifted one section of the shell from the table and carefully placed it on top of the other half. When the seams met, it triggered a nano-fusion of the shell into a single piece. Bax removed the exterior sensor pad, and then uttered a one-word command.

  “Begin.”

  The shell immediately sent out an omnidirectional scanner, lasting only a microsecond, which would tell the unit everything it would need to know about its surroundings.

  “Identify.”

  A very realistic looking naked human male appeared on the table top. His eyes were closed, and he made no movement except for the appearance of breathing.

  “Most of the forms taken by an EMR will only reflect the observable exterior of the life form or object, and need not be accurate down to the last detail. If posing as a human, however, the EMR needs to look, sound, feel, and act as any other human in order to blend in properly.”

  With another one-word command, the EMR clothed itself with something similar to what the other human males in the room were wearing. Bax invited the group to examine the unit for themselves, and they gathered around to take a closer look. His skin was warm to the touch and reddened when pinched slightly. Breath gusted from his nostrils, his heart beat steadily, and his face rough with two days worth of stubble.

  Cole was amazed at the detail, though he shouldn’t have been. General Moreland’s holographic body was based on the same technology, and no one ever mistook him for anything but human. It was both eerie and amazing a
t the same time, and based on the reaction of human and Vingah alike, he wasn’t the only one to think so.

  The next ninety minutes flew by as the EMR was put through its paces, flawlessly executing one command after another. It disappeared into stealth mode, spoke flawlessly to both human and Vingah alike, ate and drank when offered refreshment, used it’s internal comm link to contact an orbiting weather satellite, and changed its appearance to several known life forms and inanimate objects.

  When the testing was moved outdoors, the EMR demonstrated the use of various weapons, performed physical challenges, defended itself against attack, and used its fold space capability to retrieve a pre-placed beacon drone in the adjacent star system. For a grand finale, the EMR briefly became Cole’s identical twin and fooled nearly everyone into thinking it was the real Cole Hearst. At the conclusion of the testing, the EMR returned to the lab building with the others, and lay down on the table top. When Bax said, “end demonstration”, the body disappeared, leaving only the shell resting on the table as before.

  Bax and Cole accepted hearty congratulations from Moreland and Perry, their teammates, and even the reserved Councilor Thataar. Once the EMR was placed in a secured vault, the group began to break up and return to normal duties. Perry and Moreland stayed behind to consult with Thataar, but asked Bax and Cole to wait for them at the embassy. The conversation was lively as they made their way back to the human enclave, each impressed with the results of their hard work.

  Both teams would be busy for some time analyzing the results and looking for any anomalous readings. If the data revealed potential problems, they wanted to make corrections now before the project went any further. Cole was concerned about a slight hesitation in the EMR’s power distribution when the unit transitioned into stealth mode and back again. He and Bax spent the next half hour debating whether or not it was a programming issue or a fault in the power pack.

  They both startled when they heard Perry clear his throat behind them, having forgotten all about their superiors. They stood quickly, Cole blushing beet red in embarrassment while Bax offered an apology. Perry merely arched an eyebrow while Moreland stood calmly by.

  “It would seem the EMR project is a resounding success, gentlemen. General Moreland and I are most impressed with your hard work and dedication. In conjunction with Councilor Thataar, we have concluded the EMR concept requires additional time and resources, due to its potential and importance. Therefore, the project will now be placed under the auspices of the PSF weapons development board, and the two of you have been named as team leaders. Two weeks from today, you will report to space station Guardian in Earth orbit, and continue the testing of additional units. Until then, you and your teams here will complete the primary testing protocols.”

  Cole simply gaped in amazement, unable to utter a sound. Bax, looking insufferably pleased, responded for both of them.

  “Thank you, Admiral. We appreciate your support and being able to remain with the project. Will we be allowed time to complete our presentation to the committee?”

  Perry said nothing, and gestured to Moreland, who simply shook his head.

  “No. There will be no need to make your final presentation. As of this moment, all requirements for graduation have been met and exceeded, and your educational program is now complete. You will not be returning to the Academy, except to attend your graduation ceremony in due time.”

  “You have both been awarded the rank of Ensign in the PSF, attached to the weapons development board for the foreseeable future. Your formal orders will be forwarded to you here within the next three days. You have much to be proud of, and you have the full support of the PSF to bring your ideas to fruition. We are expecting great things in the near future, gentlemen, and I have every confidence we will not be disappointed.”

  Chapter 5

  Hound Dog made little progress, and Lieutenant Harley Duran was beginning to wonder if they would ever really find what they were looking for. Somehow, an enemy force entered the Sol system long ago, unleashed a devastating attack on Earth, and retreated again without a trace. How did they manage it? Hound Dog was really the first concerted effort to find the answer to that question.

  It had been nagging at the collective minds of historians, scientists, and military planners for close to forty years, and now Duran and his team were given the task of finding a solution. Personally, he was convinced the answer was somewhere in or near the asteroid belt. Their first task, then, was to retrace the steps of the enemy within the belt, which would hopefully lead them to their starting point in the system.

  It was a reasonable plan, but time and a lack of records hindered their work considerably. Once objects in the belt were disturbed, they would wander farther and farther from their original positions over time. There was a silver lining in this particular cloud, however, since current technology could provide reasonably accurate models for the original positioning with some degree of precision. Without actual records of the belt, however, they would never be entirely certain their models were reliable.

  Pacifica had access to the AI’s of both Expedition and Odyssey, but the original colony planners didn’t bother to include data which would never be needed. Why would far flung colonies, who they presumed would never be returning to Earth again, need detailed data on the asteroid belt? They wouldn’t – and so the data was absent when the researchers began looking for it. The four largest asteroids were identified as Ceres, Vesta, Pallas, and Hygiea. It was apparent all four of them were involved in Earth’s bombardment, along with scores of smaller objects from the belt. No matter how the model was tweaked, the path led them to a dead end, albeit a different one each time. Yet, there simply must be a starting point somewhere.

  This conundrum was thoroughly examined shortly after Hound Dog was activated, when Duran, his team, and several friends met at one of the small restaurants on Guardian for a casual dinner. After the usual pleasantries were exhausted, shop talk overtook normal table conversation as they shared ideas and theories. Amongst the babble, one snippet of thought took root in Duran’s mind and began to grow.

  It was an innocent question posed by C.O. McClure’s administrative aid, Hunter Prescott. He and Duran hit it off from the start, and Prescott took advantage of an open invitation to join the group whenever he was free. At one point, someone threw up their hands in frustration and stated with vehemence, “Well they didn’t just appear out of nowhere!”. Prescott, in his typical quiet fashion, waited until there was a lull in the furor and asked a simple question.

  “Why not?”

  The incredulous looks he received would have stopped anyone else in their tracks, but Prescott ignored them and continued.

  “Why couldn’t they have appeared out of nowhere? With our fold space technology we do it all the time. Perhaps they developed something similar or found a natural phenomenon to exploit. When our ships come out of fold space, they give every indication of appearing out of nowhere – no warning, no traces. I simply can’t believe we are the only beings in the universe to have discovered this method of interstellar travel.”

  By the time he stopped talking, the whole table was quiet and thinking hard. What developed out of the conversation was an entirely new angle, previously unconsidered.

  Duran was unable to sleep that night, as Prescott’s idea refused to let him rest. What if their mysterious enemy really did use an opening in space/time to reach Earth? If it was artificially produced, was there some method by which they could deduce its nature and origin? Duran wasn’t certain it was possible with their own fold space technology. The other idea which really intrigued him, though, was based on something else Prescott said about the enemy finding a “natural phenomenon to exploit”. If there were naturally occurring gateways out there, how would one go about locating them? What tools or technology would be needed? Where would your starting point be?

  Duran knew he was on to something, and made arrangements for a quick visit to Khrusallis for a consultat
ion with Threen, the Vingah Councilor of defense. When Hound Dog was explained to him, Threen was immediately intrigued by the problem and readily acknowledged there could indeed be naturally occurring folds or rifts in space/time. When the Vingah’s star went nova, Threen and his people found themselves in a race to preserve their people and culture, leaving no time to research such phenomenon. Since then, the subject was all but forgotten.

  Assuming they existed and were stable, Threen believed it would still be a challenge finding them, requiring precise search parameters. He also agreed it was very likely someone else had, or yet would, develop fold space technology. At the time it was created, there was no need to be able to predict or locate the space/time folds their Sentinels or buoys produced. Now, however, it made sense to develop detection and prediction methods for security purposes. The fact it could also help Hound Dog’s search was simply an added benefit. Threen promised to give the matter his attention, and Duran returned to Sol to continue the work while he waited to hear from him.