The Search for FTL

by Ted Iverson

  He unbuckled and made his way to the pilot’s seat to check out his situation. He began with locating the date and time: it was Wednesday, April 7th, 2055. He’d been out for over twenty-four hours. He found the Standard Operating Procedures manual. Paging through the thick book, he followed the guidelines for routine systems’ checks. He found all indicator lights and gauges appeared to be functioning properly, but he did notice that he was only flying with two of the engines ignited, not four. Still, he had no control over the ship. As he stared out the forward view screen, he thought about what was happening, then laughed out loud when he realized he hadn’t tried the communications link. Orion picked up the headset, secured it onto his head, and winced from the pain. He reached down and adjusted some holodials, then called out, “Bindl One to base. Do you read?” After several minutes of trying, he removed the set. “Might have known,” he mumbled.

  He now realized how hungry and thirsty he was. It had been a long time since he’d had any type of nourishment. He also decided that, since he had no idea how long he was going to be in this predicament, it would be a good idea to inventory his supplies before grabbing a bite to eat.

  Rummaging through his food supplies, Orion determined that by rationing he would have enough food and water to last for three and half to four weeks. In his search he’d also noticed the ship was equipped with the usual survival gear in case of a crash on land or water. A lot of good this stuff will do out here, he thought.

  He took note of other items as well. There were some special tools for the ship, though if he needed them, he’d have to first determine which tool was needed for whatever the repair might be. One item really caught his eye: An External Vehicular Activity suit. As he examined it, he decided he was in deep. He took the suit off the wall. It was much lighter than he remembered. It wasn’t nylon, but sure had that feel. Above where the suit had been were the matching helmet and gloves.

  Oh boy, he thought, if I have to go out there while this ship is flying—no way, no how.

  He hung the suit back up and methodically continued his inventory, hoping he might find something to help him out of this jam.

  Tuesday was a blur for everyone. Zach kept himself busy by helping to ready his shuttle and the others, preparing them for the rescue they knew would eventually come. He’d decided not to inform Alec, Ty, and the family about what had happened to Orion until he knew more. He’d been hoping to have heard from Orion by now, but it had been a whole day and there’d been nothing yet. Zach knew he’d have to make the call to his brothers before he left for Luna.

  Alec had been occupied with going through every inch of the house and grounds, looking for any sign of the schematics. Ever since he’d found the model, he had high hopes that something else would turn up. He’d found nothing, though, nor had he heard from Orion and Zach about their search. He figured they must be scrutinizing every inch of Orbital Lab and Luna Base before contacting Ty and him.

  Ty spent his day probing and prodding CHAMP at Space Tech. He was also learning as much as he could about the OEC and its members. Tomorrow would be just as busy as today, but he had to get started on a formal request for a postponement of the grant hearing. Though the hearing couldn’t be postponed for too long, it would have to wait for now. They needed a concrete proposal in order to get an extension of the grant and right now they had nothing to base that proposal on.

  The next day, Ty, usually the last to rise, was the first up and ready. He was in the sitting room when Alec walked in. “Hey, didn’t see much of you yesterday. How’s it going?” Alec had barely gotten it out before he yawned.

  “Didn’t sleep well either?”

  “No, not really. I tried, but too much on my mind. What are you working on?”

  “This?” Ty shrugged. “Well, I don’t see us being ready for the committee on Monday, so I’m requesting that the meeting be rescheduled. I guess I should ask that they give us two or three weeks. I can’t imagine that they won’t accept the request. They have to know that we need more than a week.”

  “I think you’re right. Will you be sending it out today?”

  “Probably mid-morning. Have you heard from Zach or Orion? I thought by now they’d have dissected that model inside and out.”

  “Actually, I haven’t. Thought you and I would touch base with them this morning. You make the coffee?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “I’ll bring out a couple of cups and maybe we’ll catch the news.”

  Ty looked up. Taking the pen from the corner of his mouth, he answered, “Great, just black today.” He looked down and went back to scribbling on the pad.

  Alec left the room and returned with two mugs. He set one down in front of Ty, then went and sat in an old wicker chair he’d always liked. He took a sip from his mug and booted up the holonet. He always felt like no day was complete without a dose of morning news, good or bad. Alec was watching, and Ty half listening as he worked, when a report caught their attention.

  “Our next story is developing news. Reliable sources are reporting that, almost a week after the devastating loss of Jeff and Jennifer Bindl, Space Tech has been dealt another blow.”

  Zach was awakened from a deep slumber by Captain Powers bursting into his quarters. “Zach, get up. Holonet, now!”

  “What?” he asked, drowsy and confused.

  The older man already had the news on. “We’ve got problems.” He pointed at the image. “Listen.”

  “It is being reported that Orion Bindl, son of the late Bindls, has vanished. The report states that he was piloting an experimental spacecraft this past Monday and lost control of it. The ship and the pilot were last seen careening out of control, with no contact since then. Space Tech has not returned any calls made by this network. We will continue to follow this breaking news as further developments are made available.

  What would a loss like this mean for the giant corporation as it tries to find its new identity? Can it recover? Watch for a full analysis by our experts later this morning. And now in other...”

  Senator Axion sat in his chamber with Senator Thoma. Smiling, he reached over and turned off his holonet. “Thoma, you did well.”

  “They still don’t suspect anything. It wasn’t hard to find an employee that needed... help. A few well-placed com bugs and we have all the information we need for a little ‘leak.’ Sir, I still believe that we could accomplish your goal differently.”

  “Senator, we have gone over this many times. You will do it my way. This news will not only catch the young men off guard; it will also throw Space Tech into turmoil. Exactly what we want. They are sure to ask for a postponement. If they weren’t going to before, they must now. It all works in our favor. They are in over their heads and do not even realize it.” The smirk returned to his face. “They may never realize it.” Gazing at Senator Thoma, he mumbled, “I would love to be a fly on the wall.”

  The holopad image appeared the instant the story was over. It was Aunt Peggy, and she was crying. “Alec Bindl, why haven’t one of you contacted me? This is not the way I should be finding out. Please tell me what’s going on.”

  “Aunt Peggy, I would have told you, but Ty and I are in shock too. This is news to us. We don’t even know if it’s true. We haven’t heard from either Orion or Zach since Monday.”

  “I’m on my way over right this instant.”

  “No, stay put. It won’t do any good until we can verify the story. Not only that, the press will be all over every one of us now that this is out. You just stay indoors. We’ll call you and let you know what’s going on. Promise me?”

  “Okay, Alec. Call soon.” The sad image faded.

  “Ty, what in God’s creation is going on? We need to get a hold of Zach to see if any of this is true. I want to get to the bottom of this.”

  “How much more can we take?” Ty asked.

  Zach was up and dressed even before the reporter had finished. At the last words of the story, he was out of his quarters and was mak
ing his way to the com room.

  Captain Powers met Zach in the hallway and struggled to keep up with him. “Zach, you can’t go to the com room. It’s too risky. We obviously have someone here who has leaked the information or else we’re being bugged.”

  Zach stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face the winded captain. “Well, what do you suggest? I need to contact my brothers ASAP.”

  “I understand.”

  “No, sir, you don’t understand. You can’t understand.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Zach turned his gaze from the captain to the floor. “You see, I hadn’t yet told my brothers about this. I was waiting.”

  “Waiting? Waiting for what, Zach? For Orion to just show back up and say, ‘Oops, sorry, I hit the wrong switch’? How could you not have told them?”

  “I was hoping I’d have heard from Orion by now. I wanted to tell them good news. So far we’ve had nothing but bad news.” Zach looked up at the other man’s face. “I know it was wrong. I should’ve contacted them right after our meeting with the commander. Now this. How will I explain it to them?”

  The captain’s face moved from anger to compassion. “You will tell them exactly what you just told me: the truth. Your brothers will be upset, no doubt. I’m certain they won’t be happy about seeing something like this via the holonet, but they’ll understand. Come now; we need to find a secure link down to them.” The captain thought a moment longer. Then his face told Zach he’d come up with something. Snapping his fingers, Powers announced, “I’ve got just the place.” He turned and headed aft.

  It had been almost two days since the start of his ordeal, but Orion was handling it well. He was, after all, relatively unharmed and he was feeling much better than when he’d awakened on that first day. Since then, he’d spent most of his time trying to determine where he was headed—with no luck. The only thing to do was be patient. To keep himself busy, he’d also read the ship’s SOP manual from front to back, and he’d explored every nook and cranny of the ship. He now felt he’d be ready for anything that might lie ahead. He’d soon find out he was totally and undeniably mistaken.

  Chapter Ten

  Zach followed the captain down several corridors, finally coming to a dead end at a circular filled with several hatches, each leading to a different lift. “Where exactly are we going?” he asked.

  The captain placed his hand into the VGID and said, “Level twenty-three.” Motioning Zach closer, he whispered, “We’re going to the observation deck. I have an area there that I use for my secondary quarters, or office if you prefer. I’ve found that when discussing personal matters with crew members they’re more relaxed when looking through the dome out into the deep reaches of space. I also have there a secure com link down to Space Tech. We’ll be able to reach your brothers securely.” As he finished, the center lift door hissed open. Once they were inside, the hatch door hissed closed.

  “My brothers are going to be—”

  He nudged Zach and gave him a ‘Don’t-say-a-word’ wave.

  Zach acknowledged the hand motions and their meaning: they couldn’t be sure what might be bugged. He’d save his talking until they were in the captain’s office. The lift stopped and both men stepped out.

  Zach actually couldn’t remember the last time he’d been up to this level. He looked around to see what had changed. As his glance shifted upward, he slowed from the quick pace that had been established to barely moving. The dome of the office was as clear as any piece of glass he’d ever seen. It made the stars look as if you could just reach out and touch them. It sent chills down his back. He continued to stare as he turned in a circular motion. “I don’t remember this looking like this, ever. It’s like there is no glass there at all.”

  “Do you see anyone on this level, Zach?”

  “No, Captain, I don’t. First off, a random question, if you don’t mind my asking?”

  “Go ahead,” Captain Powers said as he looked down at his watch.

  “I’m not part of the—how should I put this—the military rank structure. Could I call you by your proper name? I mean, if that’s okay.” He was feeling kind of foolish.

  “No, you are not part of the ‘structure,’ but maybe you and your brothers should be. What do you think? Banning.”

  “Banning?” Zach had no clue what that meant.

  “Banning Powers, that’s my name. It’s Irish for small and fair. It kind of fits, right?” He patted himself on the chest. He was referring to his features: he was short and fair skinned, with reddish-brown hair. “Now, back to my question. Do you have any idea why there is nobody on this level?”

  “I can honestly say that I have no idea at all.”

  “It’s closed.”

  Curiosity spread over Zach’s face.

  “You see, here at Space Tech we are always looking for the next best invention. As much as you thought you knew, son, in reality you don’t know much at all. You’ll know more soon, but you still can’t imagine the things your parents have done or were planning to do. What you see there,” Banning said, pointing straight up at the dome, “isn’t.” One look at the squinting young man made him smile. “Zach, there is no glass.”

  “No glass? But if there is no glass how can we be standing out in the open?” The question faded from his mind as it emerged from his mouth. He knew what it was. His mind flashed back to all the science fiction movies he’d seen and the sci-fi novels he’d read. “It can’t be... we can’t be that advanced. That’s a force field, isn’t it?”

  “Call it a force field if you like. We here at Space Tech prefer to call it a vacuum restraint field. It is just in the experimental stages, something your father was working on. Incredible, huh? Thus the reason this level is empty for the time being.” Tapping his watch, Powers continued, “We need to contact your brothers, Zach.”

  “Yes, of course.” Zach glanced up one last time, shaking his head in disbelief. The two quickly headed for Banning’s office.

  Strapped into the pilot’s seat, Orion was once again trying to communicate with the station. The results were the same. Nothing, just dead air. Frustrated, he took off his com set and tossed it onto the copilot’s seat. He leaned back and rubbed his eyes, then clasped his hands behind his head and stared out at the vastness of space. He thought his situation odd, but he wasn’t worried. A little anxious maybe. Yes, that was it, anxious about what would happen at the end of this flight. He knew that at some point there would be an end to the journey. That final destination was about to be revealed.

  Banning, seated comfortably in a chair facing the holopad, tapped the keyboard. After the usual security measures were completed, he commanded, “A secure link to…” he flipped through a binder he’d gotten from his desk, slid his finger down the page and stopped, “53759.31537.”

  “Link established and line is secure.”

  “It’s all yours, Zach. Remember: the truth.”

  “I know.”

  The holopad image of Ty came to life, and Zach braved a greeting. “Hey, how are you?”

  “You tell me how I’m supposed to be doing—and how Alec, Aunt Peggy, Uncle Nate, and maybe anyone else who watched that report this morning are supposed to be doing. Tell me, little brother, how should I be doing?” Clearly harboring a fair amount of anger, he went on, “When were you going to tell us? Not that we needed to know before the entire freaking universe did!”

  Alec interrupted to calm things down. “Zach, please just fill us in. Tell us everything.”

  “Guys, I’m really sorry. I really screwed up and I know it.”

  “Zach, we know you’re sorry. Apology accepted. Now, just tell us before we step outside and get eaten alive by the media.”

  “All right. We were planning to go to Luna to see if we could dig up some info. We took separate shuttles; Orion wanted to take Dad’s out. No big deal, right? Wrong. I was following him when the thing started doing some crazy stuff. First it changed the course he’d set. He didn’t
have any control of it. He radioed he was going into the back to see if there might be something wrong. The next thing I know, his ship’s diving up, then down, and rolling something fierce. It was like it was trying to elude me. I tried everything to keep up, but my ship couldn’t come close to that shuttle. Dad had had it modified. It’s an incredible piece of equipment!” Zach was sounding winded, almost hyperventilating.

  Regaining his composure, he continued, “Then it ignited the third and fourth plasmats and, whoosh, it was gone. The last I heard was Orion calling my name.” Zach’s eyes welled up, but he didn’t drop a tear. He cleared his throat and went on, “I thought he’d contact us right away, and I could have some news other than I’d lost him, but it’s been a couple of days. At his speed he could literally be millions of miles away by now. We’ve fitted a couple of our shuttles for long-range travel, so when we hear from him we can launch right away.”

  “Ty, here. I couldn’t help but hear you say, ‘It ignited the third and fourth plasmats.’ Don’t our shuttles have only two?”

  “Yes, they do, but he took Dad’s. I told you it had been modified. I didn’t even know about until Monday. It’s far superior to anything else we have. No need to go into details on that right now, right?”

  “Right. So do we know what went wrong?”

  “We don’t, but Sub-Commander English has a good theory, which I believe to be correct.”

  “Tell us.”

  “Ty, I have a better idea. Instead of taking up your time on the holo, why don’t I transmit his report to you both. Then you and Alec can read it. I need to get to Luna to see if I can find anything there. You can reach me there if you need me.”

  Ty’s replied much more calmly than he’d started, “Thanks for filling us in. Now we have something to go on. And Zach, one last thing. I’m sure that since you’ve been preoccupied with the Orion problem and all, you haven’t gone through your video mailbox, right?”