Andrew’s eyes open wide as his excitement gets the better of him. “Under TEN days. How fast can this ship go? I mean that’s four plus light years in less than ten days.” He did not hear John’s comment at all.
Joe’s voice picks up with slight trepidation. “Well, it’s coming at a price folks. Capacitors are at ten percent now; main reserves are at just over two percent.”
Cindy gets up and walks to John’s station. She looks at the solid block which is lit. “Well the control has eight blocks for a reason. Let’s go to five.”
John replies happily. “Five it is.” He touches the fifth block, and watches the lit section steadily work its way upward, and then stop.
Cindy sits back down and watches the colors streak even faster toward her. Strangely this does not make her sick at all, indeed it is quite relaxing.
Andrew puts both of his hands on his head. “This is not possible. Less than eleven hours until Alpha Centauri folks. Eleven hours! Are you kidding me? That’s like flying from Chicago to Japan!”
Cindy raises an eyebrow as she waits for Joe’s grumbling. She is not disappointed and narrowly avoids a smile while maintaining her poise.
Joe is becoming quite agitated. “Give you science types a toy! We’re playing with the unknown here.” He shakes his head, sighs, then says a little more professionally, “Capacitors are at zero, and the main reserves are down to two percent. It looks as though it’s the acceleration that takes most of the power. Maintaining our velocity seems to consume little energy.”
George has been reviewing the status of the ship’s systems and makes a startling discovery. Damn it, he thinks with disappointment as he stares at his console. He considers what he has found and then with a heavy heart, relays his find.
George turns to the Cindy and says, “I have some bad news. It would seem there are two external communication systems on this ship. One uses the sub-light systems to transmit, and the other, somehow, uses the main drive. Well, the main drive transmitter was never installed.” He looks bleakly around the bridge. From the vacant expressions, he can see that his colleagues do not comprehend the ramifications. “We can only communicate with Earth if we’re close, like, in our home solar system.” Vacant looks turn to surprise.
The bridge crew examine their consoles, and indeed, can all see a symbol which is not lit. It looks similar to the internal communications symbol, as well as the one they were using to keep in contact with Earth.
Cindy studies the various symbols on her console for a while, and draws parallels to Japanese characters. The main drive symbol is extremely complex, while the internal communication is simple by comparison. She stares at the blank symbol and can see that it includes both these symbols, and something else. She smiles at the simple elegance of the language.
The hours pass quickly. In their excitement, none of the bridge crew can sleep. Cindy has been considering a number of factors as they get closer to their destination. Once again, she asks the question on everyone’s minds. “Andrew, how long until we arrive?”
Andrew checks a counter on his laptop and replies excitedly. “About ten minutes.”
Cindy leans forward as she studies the view ahead. “Why can’t we see anything except this kaleidoscope of colors?”
Joe reviews his data carefully, before responding. “Well, we’re travelling at four thousand times the speed of light. So, until we stop, we won’t be able to.”
The speed at which they are travelling is still mind numbing to all. Cindy’s instincts are trying to tell her something, but she just does not know what, yet. She sits back to mull over what is bothering her. We can’t see ahead. There are planets in orbit, somewhere out there, uh oh!
“John, shut down main engines, NOW!” Cindy orders loudly.
The unexpected order, and Cindy’s tone, catch John completely off guard. It takes him precious seconds to touch the symbol that engaged the main drive. To his dismay nothing happens. He looks blankly at his terminal as crucial seconds tick by. Making a wild guess, he taps the lowest block on his console. The lit section slowly moves downward. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, the lowest block lights up. John mentally crosses his fingers, and then again taps the symbol that engaged the main drive in the first place. The ship visually shifts down to sub-light speeds. A slight and almost imperceptible shudder runs through the ship. The beautiful array of colors is replaced with bland white dots. The sub-light controls, including all maneuvering options, light up again. He breathes a heavy sigh of relief.
John turns back to Cindy and with a nervous smile and reports. “We have maneuvering controls again.”
John watches with curiosity as the dampening shields shut down. Wonder if that’s normal? It takes him a few moments to determine that the navigational shields are still operating. So, the dampening shields work with the main drive, as do a couple of other systems by the look of it. He continues his musings as other symbols that were lit during their faster than light jaunt go out, while others light up.
Sensor data floods in as the Gamin systems update star charts, and then display the ship’s relative position. Andrew and Joe pour over the information as fast as they can. Each tapping instructions into their laptops while trying to make sense of things. Meanwhile GUS is overwhelmed with the influx of data, not to mention the overt demands of the industrious pair on the bridge.
“Computer control here.” The computer technician’s voice sounds quite concerned. “What did you guys just do? GUS jumped to one hundred percent utilization, and everything is heating up.”
Technicians rush around frantically monitoring each segment that makes up GUS. They have never seen their computer operate at this level before. Its cooling systems struggle to keep the core components from overheating.
Cindy’s eyebrows raise up. Our very best and we’re still so ill equipped for this. She holds her foreboding in check and taps the internal communications symbol on her armchair. With building excitement in her voice, she gives the crew a report they were not expecting. “As you know, we have been testing the Terran’s main engines. In that short time, we have travelled over four light years.” She pauses, and smiles as she adds, “We will soon be the first people to explore Alpha Centauri.”
It takes GUS twenty minutes to contend with the massive volume of data, but eventually the ship’s supercomputer completes its task. The computer technicians breathe a sigh of relief as it begins to cool down. While the bridge crew analyzes the data received, the computer crews review performance charts of their own.
Andrew and Joe work together, reviewing data, and finally come to a consensus. Andrew turns to Cindy and says. “GUS” was calculating the positions of the stars, relative to us, in a twenty light-year radius. Well, theses Gamin terminals, they performed the same task almost instantly!”
Cindy, who has been patiently waiting, asks, “Okay, so where are we?”
Andrew replies with pride, “We are on the outer edge of the Alpha Centauri solar system.”
Cindy nods her head, and says, “John, take us in.”
“Yes, Ma-am.” John replies with enthusiasm.
Location:
Starship Terran
Alpha Centauri
Cindy gazes ahead at the alien suns in the distance. She asks, “Joe, what’s our status?”
Joe looks from one of his laptops to the other and then, after a momentary flurry of activity, says. “Well, we’re down to approximately two percent power, and the capacitors for the main drive are practically exhausted. They will take some time to charge up.”
“Understood.” Cindy responds, and then orders, “John, take us in at one quarter light speed. Let’s head for the habitable zone and see what we can find.”
John runs his finger down the sub-light engine’s slider bar and stops at the one quarter mark. The Terran immediately slows. It seems the ship resumes its previous speed after running the main engines. Interesting, John muses.
“What’s our ETA to the nearest
planet in that area?” Cindy asks.
Andrew has already been busy figuring this out. He feeds telemetry to John’s terminal before replying. “Fourteen hours, give or take a little.”
Cindy mulls over this for a few minutes as Joe, Andrew, and John, all chat excitedly about what they may find. She surprises them all when she taps her chairs console and says, “Captain Edwards, report to the bridge immediately.”
Cindy raises an eyebrow as everyone on the bridge turns to her in disbelief. She responds to their looks, “All he has to do is sit and monitor. We all need some rest, tomorrow will be a busy day.”
Edwards arrives at the bridge to find the entire crew leaving. He looks curiously around as he wonders what he has been called for. Before he can speak, Cindy motions for him to go to John’s console.
John looks up and with hesitancy, relays his instructions while pointing. “These controls are for the sub-light engines, and these are directional controls. These are all various thruster controls, no need to touch those. That is the main engine control, leave that alone. Just keep her steady, but should something get in our way, either stop, or go around it.”
Edwards looks at John in disbelief. “You expect me to fly this vessel from that pathetic explanation?”
Cindy leans forward, and with a devilish smile answers for John. “Yes, and if you must know, that’s more training than anyone else has received. Just call if anything happens.” She nods to Radclyf who then quietly relays orders of his own into his radio.
A few minutes later, the bridge is devoid of all but Edwards, and Paul, a guard who sits facing the doorway.
The next few hours pass slowly for the pair. Edwards inwardly smolders as he realizes that he is performing babysitting duties while the main crew sleeps. After a while, curiosity gets the better of him, and he starts to read John’s notes.
By the time John returns, some twelve hours later, Edwards has a new found respect for the man. “Captain Thompson, the Terran is yours.” He states formally as John enters the bridge area.
Not sure how to respond to the unexpected pleasantry, John is momentarily confounded. “Why thank you, Captain Edwards,” is all he can manage. Glancing at his terminal, he can see that Edwards has been perusing his many notes.
Edwards asks with a little reservation. “So, you learned how to fly this ship on your own? I must admit, I’m impressed.”
“Oh no, not at all.” John counters, “George provides all the translation, while Andrew and Joe, give me telemetry. All I really do is point the ship and go.” He shrugs his shoulders at the simple explanation.
Edwards, his brow creasing in surprise and confusion looks straight at John and says doubtfully, “George translates! I have heard this, but did not believe it. How?”
John turns and looks at the now empty console that George usually works from. “You know, I have no idea.” He too, frowns a little at the question, then continues on, defending George. “But, his skills with the Gamin systems saved this ship, and everyone on it, when we were forced to launch.”
“Oh, I meant no disrespect to him.” Edwards hurriedly states.
“None taken, besides, that is a very interesting question.” Just how does he translate everything? John ponders, feeling a little uncomfortable for some reason.
Heavy footfalls can be heard coming toward them. Moments later George enters the bridge, encased as usual, in his Gamin bodysuit.
John playfully comments. “Geez, do you sleep in that thing?”
George grins, “No, but I probably could, it’s pretty damn comfortable.”
“We were discussing the Gamin systems, and I have to ask, how the heck do you translate everything?” John questions.
George is surprised that it took someone this long to ask. “I connect the suit to a terminal, and it relays the information to my visor.” He conveniently skips the step involving his earpiece.
“Oh, the suits can translate. Sorry, I did not mean to ask like that, I was just wondering.” John is not fully convinced, he has never heard of Olaf being able to do much of anything in a Gamin bodysuit.
“It’s quite alright.” George responds cheerily. “Sharz was the one that showed me how to use these suits properly.”
Edwards pipes up quizzically. “Sharz! Sharz who?”
George reminisces a little nostalgically, and then answers, “Sharz is a Gamin, quite a nice fellow, uh alien.” Being reminded of Sharz causes him to feel a twinge of sadness as realizes how much he misses his green skinned friend.
John is taken aback by George’s familiarity with one of the aliens. “I did not know you were that close to them.”
“They are just like us in many ways, each has their own view on things.” George recalls his visits to Regent Voknor’s flagship. “I guess you could say that Sharz and I became friends, despite the circumstances.”
Edwards is quite satisfied with George’s answers and states almost apologetically, “Please don’t think me rude, I can be rather blunt at times.” Turning to John, he continues. “Well, the ship is yours, I am off to get something to eat, then sleep.”
As Edwards leaves, he gazes one more time at the Gamin consoles, and realizes that he has underestimated John’s abilities.
Cindy passes Edwards as he is leaving, and is pleased to notice that he and John seem to be getting along amicably now. Over the next half hour or so, the rest of the bridge crew arrives at their stations. She is not too concerned about the casual nature of their turning up for duty, the nearest planet is still an hour or more away.
Joe is the last to arrive. He stops, glances around the bridge, and feels as though he has let the others down. “Sorry I am late.”
Cindy turns to him and says. “You’re not late, we should still be a fair way off from the first planet.”
Joe is instantly reminded of a number of crew requests. “Some of the crew wants to come up here and look at one of the planets.”
Peter, Radclyf, and Hayato, exchange quick looks which do not go unnoticed by Cindy. She considers the request carefully. Cindy considers that she too, would want to look upon strange new worlds.
“We will see what we can arrange.” Cindy replies as she glances briefly at Peter. He gives her the barest of nods back.
Excitement builds again as a single dot slowly grows in their view ahead. John makes a few course adjustments and even picks up their speed a little. The speck soon becomes a ball, and then finally a planet encased in bluish swirling clouds.
John banks the Terran around and, coming in from below the planet, parks the ship in a very high orbit. Even though he normally prefers being over a target, this approach affords them an amazing bird’s eye view. He then presses the planetary ‘status’ symbol on his console, and is instantly rewarded with a cascade of information. An icon appears after a few seconds, one that makes his shoulders sag a little.
“The planet is deadly.” John reports disappointedly.
Cindy, along with the rest of the bridge crew, can only look out at the planet seemingly hovering above them.
Joe pulls up the local star chart on his console while the others gawk at the planet they are orbiting. He comments quite happily. “Earth is marked with a different symbol. Let’s see if I can find any others marked like Earth.”
With Earth being marked as habitable, and Alpha Centauri being marked as hazardous, Joe begins to get a better understanding of the star chart data.
Cindy sits back in her chair and asks, “Is this planet worth investigating?”
Joe answers quickly. “Nah, says here the atmosphere is poisonous to us. Let’s just head to planets with symbols like Earth’s.”
Cindy is surprised. “You have Earth-like planets marked on your console?”
“Ah, actually, no,” Joe states, disappointment clearly in his voice. He quickly adds, “But we can really only be sure to around twenty light years.” He continues on, a little quieter now. “I don’t think the Gamin loaded any star chart info into these system
s.”
The bridge goes quiet for a few moments until John breaks the silence. “This may sound silly or simple, but, um, can’t we just fly for twenty light years, update the data, and then fly on until we find a habitable planet?” John looks from person to person as he waits for an answer.
Joe sighs. “Well, if we had decent power reserves we could do that, but we don’t. In fact, it took the main engines almost four hours to recharge their capacitors, and that’s with us not doing much.”
Cindy ask curiously. “How is our power situation?”
Joe glances back and forth from his Gamin terminal to his laptop before he answers. “A lot better than I expected. Our main drive is charged, and we’re holding at two percent reserves. However, all the reactors have been running flat out.”
Cindy’s eyes narrow. “So, we lost three percent to get here and have two percent left. These numbers don’t sound very promising for us to go exploring.”
Joe stammers. “No, but it’s okay. We only lost three percent ‘cause we can’t maintain more than a two percent reserve. George and Olaf did something to get us extra reserves.”
Cindy’s eyebrows raise up as she turns to look at George.
George lifts his visor and answers her silent question. “Well, these suits can convert matter and energy. All Olaf and I did was get some core material from a reactor, and convert it using our suits. We dumped the energy directly into the ship’s capacitors. It was very inefficient in overall terms, but did the job.”
Joe puts his hand to his head. “You did what?”
George has no understanding of nuclear physics, but he does know that the suit’s systems told him it was safe. “The reactor guys didn’t like it either. Actually, they said we were nuts.”
Cindy puts a hand to her mouth in bewilderment at George’s innocence. He has no idea how dangerous it is to mess with a nuclear reactor. “We will not be doing that again. Okay George?” Her tone is quite serious.
He shrugs his shoulders as he agrees. “Okay.” George really feels perplexed at their concerns. If my suit says it’s safe, then it’s safe! He does not think for one second to question his faith in the suit’s abilities.
Initiation Series: Series One Compilation (Terran Chronicles) Page 39
