The Search for FTL

by Ted Iverson

  Senator Fillmore jumped up. “Wait! Senators, have you seen the latest on the holonews? Polls indicate that more people are considering the possibility that Space Tech is onto something, that faster-than-light travel may be possible. Many have cast their votes in support of Space Tech’s mission to the stars. The public believes that Space Tech can bring them faster-than-light travel. Yet he,” now pointing at Axion, “tries to persuade the public and this body that they cannot possibly have the technology or the knowledge to continue. They have many times over proven that they are quite capable of great things. Have they not invented many astounding machines already?” He was passionate. “This report is not an accurate measure of what we witnessed yesterday. What happened between then and now?”

  Axion knew that Fillmore’s facts were irrefutable, but the stakes were too high now. He had to persuade the senators and the public to side with him at any cost. “Senator Fillmore, you are out of order! Who do you think you are? Trying to give us a false sense of hope. They say they are close to faster-than-light travel, but how can we be certain of that? Their parents’ only attempt failed, did it not? And they had been working on the project for years. If we were to provide these boys with the grant money they ask for, they would continue asking year after year. Space Tech has already spent far more than is reasonable. Should we not open this up for competition? I, for one, know there are other companies that would undoubtedly be better qualified to achieve such a feat. The loss of their parents surely left them without a means of direction. They are just boys and I will not give children more of your millions to squander on what could be this world’s greatest achievement.” Axion snorted.

  “Senator Axion,” Fillmore answered, “why should we expect less from their company? Yes, they may be young men, but the Senate owes it to their parents. The Bindls, even though we did not always agree with their views or methods, have helped not just our nation, but also the planet with many creative solutions. I see no reason to believe that their sons will not continue their vision. The StarDancer’s failure may have been a huge disappointment, but Space Tech must still be ahead of any other company out there. If we as a whole approve this grant they could continue this important research. The people need to believe in something. And what better to look up to than four young men believing in their parents and all of their accomplishments?”

  “I concur with Senator Fillmore,” interjected Senator Thoma. “I think that the Bindls, even without their parents’ guidance, may very well succeed. Even with the tragic loss of their parents, they must still have a head start on the project.” At that moment he thought he might just be able to help take Axion out of the picture. He saw Axion out of the corner of his eye, saw Axion’s sharp look at him, and knew that trouble lay ahead for him.

  “Nonsense!” Axion’s voice rose. “The OEC has gone over all the documents and recommended that other companies be given a chance to compete. Please refer to your OEC report, page 105.” His face became calm once again as the chamber’s members leafed through the report. The other senators started to whisper among themselves. Heads seemed to be nodding in agreement with Axion.

  Ty quickly shuffled through his report and there, on page 105, was his worst nightmare: another company who seemed to possess a faster-than-light vehicle near completion! He couldn’t believe what he was reading and hearing! Debating, bickering and now this—another private space company? How could they not have known about its existence? None of this made sense. The original documents had been provided to Senator Axion’s Outer Exploration Committee years ago by his parents, and what Ty had provided should surely have been more than sufficient to convince them. They were as detailed as any scientific document in history, and now some other company...?

  Ty’s mind raced. Axion is more devious and underhanded than I thought. We’ve got to get through to him! If we open this for competition, it’ll compromise safety for anyone involved. He knew he had to say something to break Axion’s momentum.

  “Senators, please listen to me!” Ty interrupted, with labored breathing.

  Beating the gavel, Axion raised his voice and shouted, “Mr. Bindl, now you are out of order! Sit down!”

  An unknown voice from the back of the chamber rang out. “Senator Axion, this is an open forum. Let the young man speak his piece.”

  Axion managed to calm himself and return to his regal stance. “My apologies, senators,” he said. “Mr. Ty Bindl, you have the floor.”

  Ty made his way up the aisle and ascended the small set of stairs that led to the large oak podium. He gripped it tightly to steady himself and with a miraculously steady voice began. “Gentlemen, I speak for my brothers, my parents, and myself. What Space Tech is asking for will benefit all of mankind. Senator Axion, my parents gave the OEC all the documents proving that there are planets and systems like our own. Those documents also prove that faster-than-light travel can be a reality and, given the funds, can in a short time span be a reality. I must remind you, though, space exploration is our primary purpose. We do not seek personal gain! Space travel is dangerous and accidents do happen. Gemini, Apollo, and the old NASA shuttle programs, they all had failures, but they learned from their tragedies and so will we. Senators, please don’t deny us the chance to succeed.” Ty threw a hard look toward the now infuriated man.

  “Enough!” raged Axion. “I have had enough! Mr. Bindl, the documents you speak of were of no use and contained information that was, to say the least, laughable. This committee will not support your family’s grand illusions any longer! You will get no grant money from us now or in the future. Your father’s political ties died with him. And for the record, young man, your mother was a good woman who got entangled with all of his dreaming. As you can see, she paid dearly for that. Your brothers and you should pursue more down-to-earth ideals. This matter is closed!” Axion’s voice had become shrill. “Leave now!”

  Ty stared. He was about to argue when he thought better of it. But what about the vote? he wondered. There had been none, so how could Axion say there would be no grant money? Could he get away with that? With one last effort to inject reason into the proceedings, Ty shouted at the chamber, “What about the vote? Vote for our grant!”

  Axion was nearly hysterical now. “Did I not tell you to leave the premises? Guards! Take him away. Now!”

  A pair of guards appeared, but these were not regular capitol guards Ty noticed. Most guards wore a one-piece uniform of burnt-orange with a dark red rank insignia on the shoulder. These guards wore dark brown on the bottom and tan jackets above, and they looked more ominous, more determined. They bristled with weapons at their hips, boots, and shoulders. Ty had a hunch that they were hiding even more weapons.

  As Ty was removed from the podium, Axion nudged him to a stop. In that moment, two pairs of eyes met, glaring into each other. Burning with hatred, Axion spoke softly, “Back down, young man. You cannot win. If you pursue your hoax in any way, the four of you will suffer greatly.”

  “So be it, old man.”

  If Ty hadn’t been sure of the hostility before, he was now. The Senate reeked of evil, and only he and his brothers could stop its spread. The thought shook him. He made his way off the small platform.

  The senators sat bewildered. The watch as Ty made his way down the long aisle, looking at them beseechingly. His gaze shifted to the chamber itself. The dark blue tapestry and tarnished ornate fixtures which had once seemed to add a regal air now cast a grim pall over the chamber. Ty looked up toward the domed ceiling to see if it too had changed its mood. Something—no, someone caught his eye. A young woman was peering down from one of the balconies. It was Sam. Her green-eyed gaze was intense and, even from this distance, went right through him with a chilling effect. He blinked and she was gone. In that tiny instant Ty had caught sight of something different about her, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. This day was becoming more and more disturbing.

  All the documents, all the effort... Ty was beginning to understan
d now. The plan had never been to build Dad’s ship and let it succeed. Dad had been set up. His accident had been no accident, but how could it have been staged?

  Ty’s gut was churning. He had to get out of here right now. Before he hadn’t been certain that their lives were in danger. Now he was certain it would just be a matter of time before they were again attacked. He’d have to warn the others right away. Things were going to get nasty fast, and he’d need his brothers’ help if they were going to get out of this in one piece.

  He glanced over his shoulder one last time and saw Senator Thoma approaching Axion. Ty shook his head and left the chamber, still flanked by Axion’s guards. As he exited, he heard Thoma’s voice.

  “Gentlemen, we will now vote on the issue of...”

  The door slammed shut and nothing more could be heard. The guards allowed him to struggle free, and he made his way through the outer lobby toward fresh air.

  Axion couldn’t have been more pleased. All the votes had been cast and counted, and Space Tech had been defeated. But what pleased him most was the follow-up vote on another proposal he had made. This second proposal, which had passed, made all future attempts for faster-than-light travel illegal unless approved by the Senate. Axion knew the Bindls would be its first victims. He wore a wicked smile as he adjourned the proceedings.

  Axion and Thoma made their way off the Senate floor and down one of the many long halls. About two-thirds of the way down, they stopped at an office. Axion walked through the door first.

  Inside the large office had the look and feel of a tropical rain forest. Plants were scattered everywhere and the humidity was almost unbearable. About fifteen steps in, Axion turned and seized Thoma by the throat with one hand, pushing him against the closing door. Instantly, Thoma’s face became as red as the tropical flowers that surrounded the men.

  “Thoma, my friend, the next time you wish to make a statement such as you did on the floor that is where you will be found.” Axion released him and allowed Thoma to fall to his knees.

  “Foolish as you may have been in there,” he continued, “you are my most trusted ally. We cannot, however, be weak leaders. Even though they may be useful to us, we cannot let every citizen know our intentions, directly or otherwise.”

  Thoma was still on his knees gasping for air. He composed himself and stood. “But the Bindls’ corporation could be of some use to us,” he said hoarsely. “Why not let the people fund this project? We can take it over after they develop what we need. When we have what we need, we eliminate them as we did their parents.”

  “The people will pay for the development,” Axion answered. “The grant will be given, but Space Tech will not be the company receiving it. If they’d been awarded the grant and promoted the achievement ‘for the good of the people,’ would there be any reason for what we have done already?” Axion’s eyes glazed over as he thought of the reasons. “FTL travel has more than just enormous monetary value, much, much more.”

  He turned to Thoma, sneering. “You are in the middle of this, you know. Remember that you have a vested interest in this matter and that it was your henchmen who retrieved the final papers and disposed of the Bindls’ parents. We both know that history only remembers the battles and forgets the blood. I intend to be a victor and a part of history.” His gaze turned into an icy stare that burned into the deepest reaches of space. “I recently, shall we say, obtained a rather sizable portion of Meteoric, Inc.—which, amazingly, you also own a good portion of, and they—just by chance of course—recently acquired documents that are the key to FTL travel.”

  He strolled over to a corner of the room, where he dipped his hand into a gold dish. Out of it came what appeared to be sunflower seeds, but with a slimy appearance. He lifted his hand and held out the seeds. Thoma watched appalled as a large, grotesque bird swooped in and scooped up the seeds with his beak. Just as swiftly, the bird flew to a nearby tree, where he perched on a branch and nibbled the seeds. After a moment, the bird stopped, glared at Thoma, and gave a menacing caw.

  Axion turned to faced Thoma. “Current science does not agree with what we have seen with our own eyes. FTL travel is possible. We know the Bindls succeeded in their interstellar-drive experiments. They proved it is possible to nullify the effects of FTL speed on a body. No one else has come close to figuring out how, but Ty’s presentation has shown me how it can be done. They are getting close. I can feel it. How they have accomplished what they have in such a short period of time does concern me some.

  “They must not succeed! Our people are working around the clock, but need more time. The passing of the new law was imperative and it will help, but we need someone on the inside to ‘monitor’ the situation.”

  “But, Senator, since the death of their parents they remain suspicious of anyone outside of the original corporation. Getting someone inside will be extremely difficult.” As Thoma spoke, his glance darted around the room. He was keeping a close watch on Axion’s flying friend. The bird seemed to be watching every move Thoma made.

  “I must say, my friend, you actually helped determine who the insider will be. Your little outburst today will have our friends at Space Tech on your side since you made it appear as if you were for the grant. We both know that you are not, of course. Of course the inside person can’t be you, but perhaps it could be someone you know and are close to. Someone recently returned from overseas after years of studying on a government-funded scholarship?” Axion raised his eyebrows in interest.

  “Surely you can’t be serious!”

  A fluttering of wings followed his outburst and Thoma became aware that the bird was gone. His heart raced as he looked around the room, desperately searching for it.

  “Oh, but I am serious, I most assuredly am. You will convince her to help us, won’t you?” It was more a statement than a question. Axion reached up to a branch and extended a hand. The hideous bird appeared again out of nowhere and stepped onto the extended hand. Axion walked slowly toward his ally, carrying the bird before him, smiling at Thoma’s increasing unease. “I would hate for the Senate to lose one of its most prominent men. And it would be such sadness for me to lose a friend.” The bird flew to a branch above Axion and echoed coldly, “Lose a friend, lose a friend, sadness.” Its shrill voice caused a shiver to run down Thoma’s spine.

  “Please,” begged Thoma, “leave my daughter out of this. I don’t see the need to involve her. She doesn’t have any knowledge of what I’m doing!” Thoma backed into the two large entry doors, frantically moving one hand behind his back in search of the handle. Axion moved closer until his eyes, like the eyes of his pet, seemed to burn into Thoma. He was reduced to a whimper. As if hypnotized, he babbled, “Yes, yes sir. I will have her help us. She... she... will help.” He broke eye contact, clearly defeated. Thoma noticed the bird had vanished again. Chills ran up and down his spine.

  “The time has not yet come. I will let you know when we need her. Go back to the Senate and conduct this afternoon’s business. Just before the session ends, call for a special meeting of the OEC. You will bring up the fact that you still wish the Space Tech grant had passed. It must look as if you are opposed to me. Space Tech and your daughter must have no knowledge of our true intentions.”

  Axion’s stern face turned into a wicked grin, “See, my friend, she will think she is helping her dear father when, in fact, she will be providing us with inside information.” An insane snicker followed.

  “Your vote for the grant was bold. It made a statement, but did not change the outcome. We had enough votes to defeat the Bindls and snatch the grant right from under their sniveling noses. The grant has been denied, But there is more to be done. The report I gave to the Senate this morning will keep you and the committee busy for a few days. It will also serve to convince the committee that Space Tech truly did not have the means to accomplish the task. I have made sure of that. On Friday we will have other issues to vote on, issues that will assure that the Bindls will be out of the picture
for the time being. And after the senators read the rest of the report they will have to release the grant to Meteoric, Inc. Meteoric has gone far and within months their ship will be ready for testing. I will have more for you as the time approaches.”

  “Sir, you said that the Bindls stated they would continue with or without the grant. If they do, what then?”

  “I have thought of that, but it won’t matter. The bill made FTL research illegal unless approved by the Senate. We will have them arrested, prosecuted, and thrown in jail. Then we will destroy everything they have.”

  “That seems a bit extreme, sir. There really must be an alternative.”

  Axion became enraged once more, and Thoma recoiled in fear, but with his back against the doors he had nowhere to go.

  “Thoma, sometimes you try my patience to no end.” Axion’s anger was clearly etched across his face. “Leave the details to me.” He pointed his finger toward the door. “Now, go. Leave my office. Immediately.”

  Thoma needed no more incentive. He opened the massive set of doors and slowly backed out in a respectful bow. The doors seemed to close by themselves. Once in the hallway, he turned and hurried down the long corridor, robes flowing behind him. The hall felt longer than usual, and more sinister, almost as if the statues of past members were glaring at him.

  Thoma paused before another set of doors and drew a deep breath, trying, unsuccessfully, to clear his mind. It was clear he should have backed out before now. Now his family had been threatened, and withdrawal no longer seemed a viable option. Axion would never allow it. He would have to go ahead with this now. What other choice was there? What had started out as simple revenge had blossomed into more, so much more. He had endangered the ones he loved.

  He would go along with Axion. He would have to, but he must try to find some way to fix things. But not now. Now he had to play the part. He lifted his head, straightened his robes, put on a half-smile, and pushed open the door.