The Search for FTL

by Ted Iverson

  After some time, Thoma’s body was removed from the stage and Fillmore took the podium. “I have been told that Senator Axion has been informed of this tragedy. As we speak, he is on his way to capture all the Bindls, accompanied by a special force provided by Meteoric. He has urged us to continue with this session and not to let this deception continue. Clearly Thoma had lost his mind. Somehow, the Bindls must have convinced him that they should be permitted to break the law. We must not allow this. They have taken a good man from us today, a future leader. I move we approve the OEC security force, and quickly. The future may depend on it!”

  “I second the motion,” a voice shouted from the back of the room.

  Fillmore pounded the gavel. “Roll call, please.” The voting had started. Axion’s plan seemed to be working perfectly, almost too perfectly.

  Alec stood on the foothold, clinging to the vine for what seemed like forever. His legs were starting to cramp. He hadn’t wanted to move for fear that the other man was still waiting at the top. He figured that by now, though, the man would have gone to find help. Then, he realized the help most likely would be coming in the form of Senator Axion and his men.

  Alec reached out and felt the ship’s outer skin. He’d expected it to be metal: cold, clammy, and smooth. It wasn’t. It felt more coarse and wasn’t even damp. He wondered what type of material it was. He felt around for something to hold onto on the ship and his hands found an indentation he could use as a handhold. He pulled himself forward, pressing against the ship, then let go of the vine and steadied himself for a moment.

  Putting both hands over his head and touching the hull, he moved his feet from the hold and slid. He had no idea what was below, but he needed to get to the ground, so there was no alternative. He could feel the curve of the ship beneath him and then, without warning, he was free-falling again. When he hit the ground, he just lay there for a while. After much effort, he got to his feet and reached up. He could barely feel the bottom of what must be an enormous machine. He brought his com watch up and touched it, “Orion? Zach?”

  He tried several times, but couldn’t get a signal. The crackling interference reminded him of a Geiger counter.

  He was alone, for the time being that was, until Axion and an army showed up to apprehend him for the final time. He was sure he wouldn’t survive this.

  With that thought in mind, he decided he should at least try to explore his discovery. The ground felt solid, so he started to move in the pitch-black darkness. His kept his hands up, maintaining contact with the ship’s body as he slowly made his way around it. Reaching what looked like the end of one side and guiding himself around the corner, he slipped on a rock and fell forward a bit. The smell he’d noticed when he’d landed was stronger here. There was a hint of conventional jet fuel and plasma discharge. He must be near the engines. He continued to move slowly around, slipped on another loose rock, and fell to his hands and knees.

  This is strange, he thought. The ground doesn’t feel like dirt. It feels like metal.

  He blindly moved his hands back and forth, methodically clearing away some debris. Doing so exposed what felt like small tiles. The ship must be resting on some sort of pad he decided.

  Knowing that there was no time to investigate this feature, he slowly stood up and moved around another side of the ship. Ahead, he saw a small glow. He picked up a little speed. As he got closer, he noticed the glow was vertical and behind him, not on the ship. It was coming from a wall. The steep rock wall was covered in what appeared to be phosphorescent moss. It gave off a glow that allowed him to see just how massive the ship was.

  He continued to the front of the ship. He was able put his arms down now as the dim light allowed him to move a bit more freely. Nearing the front, he was able to make out what appeared to be a hatch located just forward of the wing. He was trying to determine how to open it when another small glow caught his eye: a VGID panel, its faint glow visible. Wasting no time, he slid the panel back and thrust his palm into the plasma, withdrew it, and waited. Nothing happened.

  There could be a thousand reasons why it won’t open, he told himself.

  He thrust his hand in again. Holding it in longer than normal, he said a small prayer. Nothing. Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, he thought he heard something. Click. There it was again, but this time he heard what sounded like tumblers falling into place. Next came the sound of a seal breaking, followed by the hiss of air. Last was the familiar sound of a hatch opening as the flight ramp came cascading out from beneath the hatch. It forced him to duck, then drop to his knees before it could behead him. He scooted out from under the ramp and stood. Then, to his dismay, he heard the hum of electricity. Moments later the enormous cave was ablaze with light.

  He’d been in the dark for so long that he had to shield his eyes. As his eyes adjusted, he removed his hands. The hatch was now open and was inviting him to enter, so he did.

  Senator Axion and his force landed at the airport and were in the process of boarding their transport hovers. Barking out orders, Axion made it clear to his men that anyone who harmed Alec would pay the ultimate price. Alec Bindl was his and his alone.

  He knew that Alec had already been down with the prototype for a long time. If Alec had been able to contact anyone, Axion’s quest might be revealed and that just wouldn’t do. Each passing moment could spell disaster for him. As the final few men boarded the transports, Axion called for every ounce of speed the hovers could muster.

  Orion and Cyrus received a message from their informant at the airport: Axion had just left with his troops. They’d made a grave error in not having the droids activated and ready. They were closer to the Cosmos, but by the time they could get the droids online and battle ready and make their way there on foot, they’d be about half an hour behind Axion’s army. Axion would be able to establish a perimeter and would be ready for them. Their only hope was that the droids’ programming would be effective and that they could, with the superior intelligence they possessed, think and react faster than a human.

  Time was wasting. Orion worked on the battle plan, while Lyet and DES readied the troops. As he worked, Orion prayed they wouldn’t be too late.

  Zach, Ed, and Ty decided that staying out of the impending battle was not an option. They loaded the Turtle as fast as they could. Seeing the activity, Joanne approached the trio.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” She sounded frightened.

  Ty reached out and brought her close. “My brothers are out there in grave danger. I can’t stand by and let them die. It’s my company and my responsibility. I must defend her. If this is the end of Space Tech, then at least I’ll be there for it. I don’t expect you or anyone to understand, but I do need you to trust me.” He gave her one last squeeze, then bent over and kissed her. He let go, turned, and made his way into the ship.

  Zach and Ed grinned, surprised by what they’d just witnessed. Then each gave Joanne a quick wave and boarded. The hatch shut and Joanne moved to the outskirts of the launch area. As the ship rose, she watched it disappear into the morning sky. Her tears fell as she wondered if that kiss would be the first and the last that she would receive from Ty.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Inside the ship, Alec made his way through a narrow corridor and up to the front. Another hatch separated him from the cockpit. He knocked on the hatch, as if someone were in there then chuckled as he realized what he’d done. He felt around the outer edges of the hatch, looking for a way in, for some crease between the bulkhead and the hatch itself. Then he noticed a panel next to the hatch.

  As he was deciding how to pry it open, he saw that it fluctuated, almost as if it had an electrical current. As he bent down to examine it more carefully, it did it again. This could be a VGID panel, or it could be some different type of identifier. Either way, he needed to find out, and there was only one way to do that.

  He put his palm out, closed his eyes and slowly slid his hand into and through the panel. He
aring the familiar hiss of a hatch opening, he opened his eyes. A small compartment stood before him. As he entered, the hatch closed behind him. Another hatch stood before him, off-center to the left. He reached out with his palm and placed it into the next depression and that door slid open. As he went through, it too closed behind him. Now he was in another small compartment with its hatch in the center of a bulkhead. Dusty helmets and full body suits hung on the walls.

  Alec was curious: why the staggered hatches? At first he’d thought they were intended for security. Then he noticed the heavy plating on the interior of the tiny rooms. This must be a way to seal the cockpit in order to protect humans from the long-term effects of electromagnetic radiation in flight. He saw one more VGID and placed his hand into it, hoping it would be the last. Effortlessly, the hatch slid open and Alec sighed in relief.

  He made his way up about fifteen feet of circular stairs and through an opening at the top. At first, the cockpit appeared empty, but as he scanned it, he saw what looked like a person in the copilot’s chair. He almost couldn’t bring himself to look, but he did. What he saw astounded him. It was a droid or, at least, most of one. Part of its synthetic face was exposed, along with some wiring and diodes. Curious, he felt the back of the droid’s head and down around the base of its skull, where he felt a small depression. He pressed down lightly and felt it sink a little. He depressed it fully and heard a loud whirring that ended almost as soon as it had begun. Alec backed away at the sound. As he looked over the droid, he noticed a finger move slightly, then another, followed by the same slow twitching started on the other hand. He couldn’t believe it. He glanced back at the droid’s face. Only one eye was blinking and it seemed to be staring right at him. It was very eerie.

  Getting up his nerve, Alec spoke. “Hello, can you speak?”

  “Affirmative, sir.” Cocking its head to one side, the droid continued, “Have we completed our mission, sir? I seem to be a bit fuzzy.”

  At a loss for words, Alec cleared his throat, then asked, “What mission would that have been?”

  Sounding curious when asked the question, it answered, “The mission was achieving faster than light travel. I have run the last known data that is stored in my memory and, by my, calculations we had. However, I seem to be missing some data, so I cannot be certain.”

  “I honestly can’t tell you, because I don’t know. If you can access the computer databanks, they may tell you. Do you have any idea who I am?”

  “Yes. I cannot identify which of the Bindl sons you are, but you must be one of them. If you were not, we would not be here holding a conversation. Only a Bindl could gain access without this ship self-destructing. It was a security measure that Jeff Bindl built in before he left me here with Proto One.”

  “Well, I’m Alec Bindl, the oldest son. We have a little problem. You see, there are others who want this ship, and they happen to be on their way here. We need to get this out of here. So I need to know, can you fly this thing?”

  “Yes, sir. I can.”

  “Great! Let’s fire it up.” Excited about getting started, Alec added, “Let me help you. How about you take the pilot’s seat?”

  “Sir, you asked if I could fly this ship, and I certainly can. However, this ship is not ready for flight.”

  “Not ready? Please clarify because we’re running out of time here.”

  “Sir, this ship has sat dormant for some time and we are in a cave. There is certain to be moisture in the engines, along with possible plant life that may have grown into them. The magnetism devices must all be thoroughly checked and, I am sure, calibrated. There is also the standard pre-flight checklist and countless other items. It is not possible to just ‘fire it up,’ as you say. I am sorry.”

  Alec’s mood immediately went from euphoria to depression. “Okay, then we should get busy, right?

  “Sir,”

  “Stop calling me sir! It’s Alec!” He was a bit angry. Not at the droid, but at the thought of Axion arriving and capturing the ship. “How long will it take to get this craft flight ready and airborne?”

  “I do not know.”

  “An estimate, please. Something.”

  “A rough estimate would be from five to six hours and that is only for interior checks, and only if we had a full maintenance crew, which we do not. We would then have to venture outside and inspect the exterior. We cannot have the exhaust ports blocked. The structural integrity of the hull will need to be examined too, which may take up to nine hours. If we had a full crew, wh—”

  “I know, I know: which we don’t.” Frustrated, Alec asked, “What would happen if we skipped some of the minor checks? You know, cheated a little bit?”

  “I am not programmed to ‘cheat,’ as you say. I cannot take any safety shortcuts.”

  “We just don’t have that kind of time. It won’t be long before they arrive.”

  “Mr. Alec, sir?”

  “I thou—” Alec gave in to the ‘sir’ thing. “Yes?”

  “I do have a viable option.”

  “Really? What is it?”

  “It really is a simple solution to our present dilemma. We have what they want. So, Mr. Alec, sir, we take from them the one thing they desire. We activate the self-destruct sequence, or we detonate the ship from a safe distance. If those people you speak of are that terrible, we allow them to enter this cave, and then we then blow this ship up. It would kill them and that would solve many problems. Would it not?”

  Laughing, Alec patted the droid on its shoulder. “I like you and the way you think. Yes, it would solve many problems for sure, except that we need this ship. Okay, we’ll do it your way. Let’s start running those checks you mentioned and see how fast we can get this beast up and running.” Still chuckling, he mumbled to himself as he sat down in the copilot’s seat, “Blow up the ship and kill Axion. Just great, I’ve got a killer droid now.”

  “Mr. Alec. If we get the ship online, we still have one more thing we need to think about.”

  “What would that be?”

  “We cannot just fly it out of this cave. I believe that the state you found me in was caused by the matter transfer.”

  “Matter transfer? You’re kidding me, right?”

  “No sir, not at all. We will need to check over the Matter Transfer Machine, as well. If that is deemed operational, we will need coordinates to transfer us out.”

  “So there is no big mouth to this cave? You didn’t just fly in?”

  “Why, no. In all probability, had we done that, we would have been found by someone other than you.”

  Alec knew that this was just another one of his parents’ secrets. He didn’t even blink anymore when something new was revealed. “Well, I guess we’ll just have to worry about that when and if we get this ship running.”

  They had been running through the initial checks for about an hour. The droid had Alec running back and forth from the cockpit to the rear of the ship to check this or that, or because a warning light indicated something wasn’t right. Ale was working on various wires at the back of the ship when he heard something. At first he thought nothing of it. Then he heard it again, and this time it sounded as if someone—no, more than one someone, were on top of the ship.

  He dropped his tool, turned, and sprinted toward the cabin, yelling into his com link, “Close the hatch! Close the hatch!”

  He was up at the front of the ship now, working his way through the maze of hatches. Bursting through the last one, he saw the droid working at a feverish pace.

  “Mr. Alec, sir. I have the hatch closed and have activated all exterior holoviewers, but they do not seem be responding.”

  Panic stricken, Alec leaned over the droid and smacked the two holopad’s with his fist. The droid leaned back astounded. “Why did you do that?”

  “Frustration, my wired friend, frustration. Besides it works in the movies.” As he leaned back, each holoimage flickered and came to life. “See! It worked!” Alec slapped the droid on the back, hard
ly believing it himself.

  “That was a very interesting way to repair something. I should like to try that sometime.”

  The cave was filled with activity. The droid moved the viewing cameras around so they could assess the trouble they were in. He stopped one of them and widened the view. They watched as what appeared to be hundreds of men set up more lights. Worse, they counted at least six very large weapons.

  “Do you have a name?”

  “Yes, your father simply called me PC. It was short for Precursor. He told me that I was the first of many.”

  “What a cool name! Okay, PC, it’s you and I now. Is this thing equipped with any weapons?”

  “No, this was built to run peaceful missions and therefore does not have weapons.” PC paused, then continued, “We are equipped with an exterior energy shield. It was designed to deflect objects during flight and also to stabilize the pressure surrounding the ship during flight so it would not disintegrate at the speeds we would be traveling.”

  “Will it withstand weapon fire?”

  Thinking for another moment, PC answered, “I cannot be certain. However, any object that might hit us would be traveling at incredible speeds. I think that we will be safe, but for how long? That cannot be determined without careful calculation.”

  “Get it warmed up. I want it to be ready if we need it.” Looking at his new friend, Alec added playfully, “That is, if it isn’t going to take too long,

  “Mr. Alec, sir? That was a joke, correct?”

  “Yes, PC, it was. Do we have restored communications to the outside?”

  “No, we do not. I cannot be sure when we will.”

  “Okay, then. With the shield operational, can I go outside?”

  “We are in a breathable environment and the shield will encompass the entire ship for up to ten meters.”

  “Let’s see: 10 meters, times 3.2 feet... about 11 yards, right?”

  “10.9361 to be exact.”