Zero Limit

by Jeremy K. Brown

“How long before it can be activated?” the president asked.

  “It will take a few hours to get the system working, sir,” said Kuznetsov. “But within a day we should be able to launch the lightning bugs. Based on the asteroid’s current position, they should reach it within forty-eight hours after launch.”

  “That’s cutting it close,” the president said. “If we go with this plan, and it doesn’t work, can we still launch the nuke?”

  Sara stepped forward and hit a switch. One of the massive screens changed to a computer-generated image of Earth with the Thresher asteroid approaching. Between the two was a perforated line running along the planet’s curvature.

  “The PDCO has come up with this imaginary line of demarcation,” Sara said. “Once the asteroid reaches this line, the only option will be to fire the nuke or risk the planet.”

  “All right then,” said the president. “So we have until this son of a bitch reaches this imaginary line in space to try out the Russian laser. After that . . .”

  “After that, we have no choice but to hit it with the Thunderclap,” said Sara. She then looked down at her papers, as if trying to steady herself. “No matter who’s still on it.”

  “Speaking of which,” said the president, “what are we doing about getting the miners back to Earth?”

  “We had hoped to launch a rescue shuttle to them,” said Alex, “but the asteroid is four times farther away than the Moon. We’re not sure if they’ll reach them in time before the lightning bugs are deployed. They may have to rely on their lander to escape the asteroid. We’re coordinating with the crew on that front as well. Luckily the craft wasn’t damaged when it landed on the asteroid, so it should be able to take off before we even deploy the bugs.”

  “Well then,” the president said, “sounds like we’ve got our ducks in a row. Or at least as much of a row as we can put them in for now. I just have one question.”

  Everyone in the room paused as they waited to see whom the question would be addressed to.

  “If you Russians knew about this laser platform thing,” the president said, “why are you even bringing it to us? Why not just blow the damn thing up yourselves and take all the credit?”

  The Russians all considered the president’s question a moment, and then finally President Visiliev spoke up.

  “The Firelight system is complex,” he said. “And, in recent years, with the reconstruction after the Second Cold War, we are . . . short on qualified technicians.”

  “So you all have the technology, but you need our help to make it work?”

  “Yes, Mr. President,” said President Visiliev, “it would appear so.”

  The president gave a brief chuckle. “I bet that burns you up, doesn’t it?”

  The Russian president responded to this remark with a chuckle of his own.

  “More than you know, Mr. President.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  The city is falling down around them. Smoke belches from the wreckage of burned-out buildings. Sewers, blown open from the constant pounding of artillery shells, have vomited their contents onto the street, resulting in a river of waste sluicing around the platoon’s legs as they run. At this pace, there will be nothing left for them to even fight for. Caitlin and Ben have managed to regroup with a few other soldiers, some from their helo, others who fast-roped in from the other helos that didn’t crash.

  Once they are off the main street, the team battles their way through side streets and alleyways, dodging Ender fire that seems to erupt from balconies and doorways. Muzzle flashes appear at random like sunlight glinting off mirrors. Gun barrels can be seen poking out everywhere, from windows to cracks in the walls. Finally, the platoon punches through to the courtyard of a large, bullet-riddled building. Gunfire rattles in the distance, coupled with the cries of Enders rallying others to join them. Caitlin shouts to Ben over the roar of the bullets.

  “This is it!” she shouts. “This is Hamza’s compound!”

  They both look up in amazement and a small amount of trepidation. The imposing structure looks as though it has been constructed by haphazardly joining other buildings together, with no sense of architecture or logic. Stairways rise along impossibly high walls, some leading to small entranceways, others leading nowhere. Elsewhere the walls are covered in a latticework of scaffolding, small platforms, and makeshift bridges that string the buildings together like yarn. An M. C. Escher painting as reinterpreted by a psychotic artist.

  “This is going to be a real bitch,” Ben says.

  Before Caitlin can respond, they hear the screams rising above the chaos. They look to the center of the courtyard and see a pair of soldiers huddled behind the bodies of dead enemy combatants. They are pinned down by gunfire from above. Caitlin looks over at Ben and reacts in an instant.

  “Suppressing fire!”

  Ben nods and rakes the balcony above them with bullets, holding back the attackers as Caitlin runs into the courtyard. She grabs one soldier and drags him back to their position, then repeats the movement as she rescues the second, a young blonde who looks like she might have been cheering for her high school just a month ago. They hump it back to their position, and the girl presses herself against the wall and looks at Caitlin with wide, panic-stricken eyes.

  “Are you in charge?” she screams.

  Caitlin gives her a nod. “What’s your name?” she asks.

  “Roarke, Private First Class,” the soldier says.

  “What’s your unit, PFC Roarke?”

  “Fourth Infantry,” she says. “This is my first deployment. We were supposed to land at Ramadi on the other side of the Tigris to handle exfil when we got shot down.”

  “Sounds like you got the same raw deal we did, Private,” said Caitlin. “You stay on my six and I’ll get you out of here, you got it?”

  “Yes ma’am,” Roarke says.

  “What about you?” Caitlin asks the other soldier she rescued. “What’s your story?”

  “Davidowitz,” the man shouts. “Second Lieutenant. We fast-roped in and then shit got stupid. Mortar fire began hitting us from the second we touched down. Everyone scattered. I took Roarke and tried to work my way to the target.”

  “Good work, soldier,” says Caitlin. “You found it.”

  “What’s the plan, Captain?” Davidowitz asks.

  “It looks like we’re all that’s left,” Caitlin says. “At least as far as I can tell. That means it’s up to us to try and take out Hamza.”

  “I’ll follow your lead, Captain,” Davidowitz says.

  “Roger that,” says Caitlin. “Roarke?”

  Roarke moves close to Caitlin’s side like a small child huddling next to her mother.

  “You stay with me, got it?” says Caitlin. “Don’t shoot unless you have to. Muzzle awareness, OK? You know what that means?”

  Roarke shakes her head, and her face looks as embarrassed as it does scared. Caitlin nods at her.

  “It’s OK,” she says. She points at the barrel of Roarke’s gun. “You see this? Don’t point it at anything you don’t intend on destroying.”

  Roarke nods and swallows, trying to get her nerves under control.

  “All right,” says Caitlin. “Let’s move!”

  The four race out into the courtyard, laying down suppressing fire and dodging enemy bullets. Roarke does not fire; she merely stays at Caitlin’s side, as though her presence alone is a shield that will keep her from harm.

  They work their way up one of the staircases, pressing themselves against the walls as the courtyard drops farther and farther below them. Caitlin has never been afraid of heights, but after a few steps, even she suppresses the urge to look down. Inside the compound, the situation isn’t much better. There is no order to the layout, and getting one’s bearings is an impossible task. The hallways twist and turn in no order, unfolding endlessly into darkness. The soldiers attempt to navigate the labyrinth of passageways, trying to work their way around the blind spots and avoid the gunfire th
at seems to be coming from all directions, lighting up the darkened halls like strobes. When they reach the top floor, they find a door at the end of a long hall, slightly ajar. Caitlin’s eyes flick over to Ben.

  “Do it,” she says, and Ben nods, tossing an Mk 141 into the room.

  There is a jarring bang and a brilliant blaze of light. The four soldiers flatten themselves against the wall and press forward. They enter the room and find Hamza Mahmood, an AK-47 in his hands. He is dazed from the effects of the grenade but is still brandishing the weapon and shouting incoherently. Caitlin, Ben, Roarke, and Davidowitz all point their guns at Mahmood, each one ordering him to put down his gun and surrender. The room becomes a torrent of cross talk and shouted curses.

  Suddenly, two other Enders rush out from a back room, all armed and shouting. Caitlin and her unit react in an instant, firing almost as one. There is a brief eruption of gunfire, and the three Enders, Mahmood included, drop unceremoniously to the floor.

  “Clear!” shouts Caitlin, and her words are echoed by Ben and Davidowitz.

  Caitlin doesn’t take a moment longer to think about what they’ve done or to consider the three bodies in front of them. Now is the time to act.

  “OK, I want hard drives, flash drives, data packets, anything that has information and isn’t nailed down.”

  “On it!” says Ben.

  As Ben rushes off to get to work, Caitlin scans the room and her eyes fall upon a terrible sight.

  “All right,” said Caitlin, “I think the plan is simple. We fire the ascent stage from the Alley Oop, and we get the hell off this rock before the president rams this nuke up our asses. Vee, how’s our fuel situation?”

  “Not bad,” Vee said. “Given the low gravity here, it won’t take much for us to reach escape velocity. The problem is going to be whether or not that heat shield is going to hold. Not to mention that, without the Mylar insulation, it could get a little hot in here.”

  “At this point, that’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Caitlin said. “The other question is ICC. Once we enter Earth’s influence, we’re going to be intercepted and detained. Is everyone prepared for that?”

  “Both of those words sound much more inviting than ‘pulverized,’” said Shaw.

  “I have to agree with the science guy on that one,” said Vee.

  “Then it’s settled,” said Caitlin. “Let’s prep the ship for takeoff.”

  Just then, the comm lit up with an incoming transmission from Sara.

  “Hello up there,” she said, sounding surprisingly upbeat given the circumstances. “We’ve got some good news from the people of Earth.”

  “Go ahead,” said Caitlin. “We could all use some good news.”

  For the next twenty minutes, Caitlin, Vee, and Shaw listened as Sara outlined the president’s sudden change of heart, the Firelight program, and the collaboration with the Russians. When it was over, the crew sat back and tried to take it all in.

  “So what do you need from us?” Caitlin asked.

  “Just try and get your asses off that rock as soon as possible,” said Sara. “Once the bugs are in place, they’re going to knock the Thresher back into space, and if you’re not off it, you’re going to go along for the ride.”

  “You don’t have to tell me twice,” said Caitlin. “We’re going to prep the Alley Oop for takeoff and contact you when we’re ready.”

  “We’ll be waiting,” said Sara, and ended the connection.

  “Their plan won’t work,” said Shaw. “And it’s our fault.”

  “Why do you always have to bring everybody down?” asked Vee.

  “I’m just being realistic,” Shaw said. “Trust me, once they run the numbers down there, they’re going to come back with the same thing. The Russians and the PDCO are overpromising. And they’re about to underdeliver in a big way. The bugs’ lasers aren’t powerful enough. When they ablate the asteroid, the material will come off too slowly to provide enough thrust.”

  “And the asteroid will still hit Earth,” said Caitlin.

  “So that’s it?” asked Vee. “We just give up?”

  “On the contrary,” said Shaw. “This is the part where we go to work.”

  “I’m listening,” Caitlin said.

  “OK,” said Shaw. “As I noted, the asteroid is on a current trajectory that will not be sufficiently affected by a laser ablation. Not without additional thrust, at least.”

  “I’m following you,” said Caitlin. “How do you propose we generate this thrust?”

  “You remember what happened to Diaz?”

  The two women nodded somberly. Caitlin was certain she would never forget.

  “I know it’s not pleasant, but it’s given me an idea,” Shaw continued. “We know that this asteroid has water ice, yes? And we also know that, when exposed to a heat source, that water ice tends to sublimate and form pockets of gas. So . . .”

  Caitlin’s eyes brightened. “So with enough water ice gathered together, when the lightning bugs hit the asteroid . . .”

  “It will create a geyser of steam that should give us the extra thrust we need to push the asteroid out of the way,” said Shaw.

  “OK,” said Caitlin, “that sounds completely bonkers.”

  “And it might be,” agreed Shaw. “Ice is very reflective, so there’s always the chance that these lasers will just skitter harmlessly off the surface. However, there’s every reason to think that it isn’t ‘bonkers,’ as you so perfectly put it. Think of it like a kernel of popcorn, OK? You heat it enough, what happens? Bang! It explodes outward, right? This is the same basic principle. And if it works, it could put us and everybody else out of danger.”

  “If you want my two cents,” said Vee, “that is just about the most ridiculous plan I’ve ever heard. But . . . I don’t have a damn thing better to do today, and it’s a lot more preferable to sitting around waiting to die. How do you propose we gather the water ice?”

  “We’re miners,” said Caitlin, her smile widening. “We dig.”

  Back at the offices of the PDCO, Sara received another communication from Caitlin, who gave her the full download of Shaw’s plan. Sara listened to everything Caitlin outlined and then delivered her honest opinion.

  “That’s completely insane,” Sara said.

  “You’re not wrong,” Caitlin said. “We’ve pretty much come to the same conclusion up here. But it’s the only chance we’ve got.”

  “Maybe so,” Sara agreed, “but you’re running on borrowed time. One way or another, those lightning bugs are going to orbit the Thresher in the next few hours and hit it with everything they’ve got. And, if that doesn’t work, the president’s going to have no choice but to fire the nuke.”

  “What am I doing sitting here talking to you, then? Sounds like I’ve got work to do.”

  “My point exactly,” Sara replied. “Sounds like you guys have a plan, so I suggest you put it in motion now.”

  “On it,” said Caitlin.

  “Over and out,” said Sara.

  “You just need to say ‘out,’” Caitlin said.

  “What?”

  “‘Over’ implies there’s more to be said. ‘Out’ means the conversation’s ended.”

  “Oh,” said Sara. “Thanks for the tip. Now, get moving!”

  “Out,” Caitlin said. Sara stood up and went over to Alex, who was reviewing the Firelight schematics with the rest of the team.

  “Are you ready for this?” said Sara.

  “At this point, I’m ready for anything,” Alex replied. “What’s up?”

  “I just got off the line with Caitlin,” she said. “They’re going to use the rover and scoop up as much water ice as they can into one of the asteroid’s craters. Once the lightning bugs fire their lasers, the ice will turn to steam—”

  “And turn that crater into a massive thruster?” said Alex. He shook his head, tapping a pencil on the desk as he considered what Sara had just told him. “It’s implausible, but not entirely impossible. We’
ve been going over the trajectory of the asteroid ourselves, and if this little plan of theirs works, it might give us the extra boost we need to guarantee that it misses Earth.”

  “Hang on a second,” Ned interjected. “This plan sounds ludicrous at best. At worst it’s completely suicidal. As it is, all of our plans to deflect something that big are usually measured in years. And you’re talking about pulling something like this off in a matter of days? A week at most? All our scenarios say that it takes years to deflect an asteroid.”

  “The numbers are shaky, I’ll admit,” said Alex. “But none of the scenarios you’re talking about factor a group of miners blasting tons of material off the damn thing. So yes, I’d like to be working within a better time frame. But think about it, Ned. In a strange way, it makes sense. It’s really all about conservation of momentum. If you move enough mass at a high enough velocity, something’s got to give.”

  “I get that,” Ned said, “but I have to say I’m still not buying this plan.”

  “Imagine you’re standing on ice skates,” said Alex. “If you hold up a desktop fan, you’ll move, right? Maybe only incrementally, but you will move. Now imagine you have a box fan.”

  “You really feel that confident about this plan?” Sara asked.

  “Archimedes said that he could move Earth if only he had a place to stand,” Alex replied, somewhat enigmatically. “We have to move a lot less, and Firelight is as sturdy a footing as we’re going to find for ourselves.”

  “And what happens if they fail?” Ned asked. “If the asteroid reaches the demarcation mark before the lightning bugs can accomplish their goal?”

  “Then the three of them die heroes,” said Alex. “All we can hope is that they die alone.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  For the next several hours, the team on the asteroid worked diligently, using the Noser’s backhoe and scoop to break up as much water ice as possible and gather the remnants into one of the larger craters.

  The team had to be careful of how fast they worked in the asteroid’s microgravity. If they pushed the ice too hard, it would continue to keep moving right over the crater. So they had to keep the momentum just slow enough that when the ice hit the crater’s edge, it simply floated down and inside. And they were mindful of Shaw’s concerns regarding the ice’s reflectivity, trying to ensure there was enough dust and rock mixed in to diminish the effect. The extra material also increased the mass inside the crater, which would theoretically result in a greater push when the time came. Shaw had proposed lining the crater with pure ice, in the hopes that the reflectivity would boost the laser’s power, but the consensus was that they didn’t have enough time or resources to separate the good ice from the dirty ice. They’d simply have to cross their fingers and hope for the best.