The Accidental Explorer

by George Deeb

  Crystal-flow also has an extremely high magnetic permeability. This makes it a very good shielding material from magnetic flux and electro-magnetic radiation - useful in keeping out electrical interference in electronic equipment - especially in medical electronics. This characteristic also allows magnetic flux fields to be used in the manufacturing process, to physically manipulate the shape and thickness of the final crystal-flow product, with unlimited continuous variations. It seems to pull the magnetic field into it, and when in a fluid state it follows the shape of the field.

  A dome the same thickness as the one Jibble was looking through is capable of protecting a person standing on the surface of the planet Mercury from the radiation of the powerful solar flares and coronal mass ejections emitted by the Earth's sun. No presently known galaxy hopping species builds ships without crystal-flow ports and domes anymore. It is a rare mineral that is in high demand, and that makes it extremely valuable. There is even a large salvage industry built around recovering the material from damaged or decommissioned ships. Crystal-flow is recyclable, and loses none of its properties in the process.

  In the year he had been here the basic structure of the building had changed from the simple single story box concept originally designed for the mission to a multi-level dual wagon wheel shaped building that, thanks to the expertise and equipment gifted by the Ganaphe', was capable of protecting its occupants from almost all of the potential dangers the moon's surface was exposed to. Jibble had even given a hand in the assembly when he first arrived here, since there was little to do on the communications end then. Probably the only real threat they were not protected from was a strike by a large meteor – but even that was mitigated by the advanced sensors on the Ganaphe' ship, which worked fairly well even buried underground as it was. Jibble suspected that they also had the capability of doing something about such a meteor, even though they had never directly stated so. The whole thing was years ahead of the original 361 mission plan, and far more sophisticated.

  And these Ganaphe' were miners – very well equipped and experienced miners, which was not overlooked by Farber-Chatwell. Yes, the surface structure of Moon Base Trailblazer was very impressive, but not as impressive as the underground structure it sat on top of. Farber-Chatwell had hired the Ganaphe' to put their mining skills to work, and the result was a ten story underground structure that planned for the future. It was a huge. Most of it was empty right now, but when things went as 361 foresaw the building would house personnel and equipment that would pave the way for mankind's indoctrination into practical space travel. Priority had been given to the shuttle bay, which was on the ground floor. It was completed first and Ganaphe' shuttles were now using it instead of the ship's bay, as an operational test of the facility. With the use of the Ganaphe' shuttles, stronger and better materials had been brought up here for the construction. Several of the floors below the surface were also completed and operational, with the remaining floors not yet habitable.

  This expanded construction of the base had the added benefit of giving the Ganaphe' some side work to occupy themselves with while they were looking for the next crystal-flow concentration to mine. Between mining and building they were busy again, and feeling useful, even if it wasn't in the way they originally planned. There was even an excitement about helping with building the Earth's first inter-stellar space port. They knew they would be recorded in Earth's historical record for this, not only as having helped build the base, but also as the first alien species to contact the human race. Commander Farber-Chatwell had a plaque fabricated with their names and the name of their ship, and had it mounted at the entrance of the base reception area for all to see. With their mining engineers mining, their flight engineers working on repairing their ship, and their command crew negotiating with 361 administrators, Ganaphe' morale was high again. 361 paid the Ganaphe' in several ways – cash (used during their recreation time on Earth), supplies, and crystal-flow mining rights.

  In the center of the surface part of the base structure was a Ganaphe' device that generated a focused magnetic field around the building, and encompassing the entire area inside the crater. The field protected the people inside it from space radiation, by redirecting the course of high energy particles away from the base. The device was part of the trade agreement that was still being worked out by the Ganaphe' and Farber-Chatwell's legal experts, in exchange for crystal-flow mining rights on the moon. As Jibble understood it, 361's experts were learning IGT law as they went along, and the Ganaphe' were restricted in what they could offer by that same law. IGT penalties could be grave, so both groups were moving carefully as to not jeopardize the Orysta's crew. This type of agreement wasn't usually conducted by a ship's captain and the representative of a covert organization.

  As the agreements and trade between the aliens and 361 were sorted out, and travel to and from Earth increased, communications between the planet and the moon base became a twenty-four by seven job. Personnel rotations, material supply, and the very important OP (On Planet) time had turned the moon base into the first human off world interplanetary space port – and it all had to be done without being detected by outsiders on Earth. Outsiders being anyone not in the 361 organization with a need to know.

  Moon base Trailblazer had also been relocated to be closer to the Ganaphe' ship. This was a decision by Farber-Chatwell, and Jibble thought it was a good one. The moon base was now connected to the ship by a short underground passage, with a habitable environment maintained. Apparently, even in its damaged condition, the ship's engine could generate more than enough power for both habitats, with a huge reserve capability left over. With the Ganaphe' camouflage in operation, someone looking directly at the base from overhead would not be able to see it.

  Jibble always found a smile on his face when he walked through the passage, a reaction to the ducifels growing out of the walls and ceiling. These multi-colored petal flowers from the Ganaphe' home world are usually found growing at the entrances of caves and tunnels, and they have two useful characteristics. One is the ability to grow downward or sideways without consideration for sunlight or gravity – great when used as a decoration. The other is that they are very sensitive to oxygen levels. Oxygen levels of eighteen percent or less caused the petals to immediately turn white. This last characteristic allowed them to be used like a canary in a mine, giving people a very obvious warning that the air is bad. That's why they were placed in the passage way. But mainly Jibble liked them because they were so colorful. He thought the petals looked like Chiclets gum.

  Jibble now also had a better understanding for the rigorous preemployment testing he had to go through when he was first being considered for a job with 361. At the time he hadn't even known it was 361 that was hiring him. He had thought he was applying for a position with an international shipping company, and the psychological tests he had to take just didn't make sense for that type of job. He now understood why they needed someone who was psychologically flexible and loyal. He had gone from handling communications on a secret manned mission to the moon, to handling communications on a secret base located ON the moon. 'And in cooperation with little green men!' He chuckled at the thought. They were neither little nor green, nor were they easily discernible from any other person – except for the hair of the women – it was almost luminescent. At first Jibble had thought it was a Ganaphe' fashion thing – it wasn't! Ganaphe' females capable of reproduction had that luminescent quality to their hair. Those that hadn't reached maturity and those that had reached an age where they were no longer fertile had hair that looked more like a human female's of similar age. It was just one more thing that was new in his life. If the cosmetic industry on Earth found out about this, it would no doubt start a new fashion trend. Human women all over the globe would want their hair looking like that also. Psychological flexibility – now he understood why it was important to 361 to have people with that characteristic. Now he understood the reason for all the testing he went through. In a ver
y short period of time, all of these new aspects of life had become normal to him.

  2

  '12 December 2008. It's been one hell of a year!' wrote Radio Delgadillo in her log. Keeping a log was now required of all the command staff on Trailblazer base. No one had said it out loud, but everyone knew the logs were used back on Earth for psychological evaluation and not just as mission reports. Since she had to keep one anyway, Radio had decided to make it a diary of her thoughts as well. 'The number of 361 personnel had increased to thirty-seven, matching the number of Ganaphe'.' she continued. 'By mutual agreement the number will not be exceeded without the consent of the Ganaphe', and since they are supplying many necessary resources such as electrical power, as well as desirable creature comforts and advanced safety and life support technology, their opinion carries a lot of weight. Every one of the original Trailblazer crew were given an increase in rank and salary, and were assigned specific duties with personnel under their direct command. Flight commander Anthony Travellor was promoted to Moon Base Commander. I don't think he is very happy about that, since he is used to being a hands on person and not one that tells others what to do. In my opinion he was the obvious right choice for the job. His ability to make the Ganaphe' feel that they are our friends as well as allies is the cornerstone of what we have built here. They have in fact become our friends and are our allies. Life on the base at present is as physically comfortable as if we were back on Earth, if you disregard the lack of sunshine and a walk outside being potentially deadly. Still, nothing up here will ever match a warm, sunny day, with blue skies and fluffy white clouds. The original time line for mission Trailblazer would have had us living more like explorers camping in a desolate area at this point in time. Our success is due to our relationship with the Ganaphe', originally forged by us under Commander Travellor's leadership. The newcomers may only know him as the base commander, but all on the original crew know better. The Ganaphe' both like and respect him.'

  'Christmas is almost upon us and the Ganaphe' are looking forward to it as much as we are. They are excited about taking part in an Earth custom. They are a little overwhelmed by all of our religions and customs, and are documenting as much as they can. Apparently this will be important information for the sociologists of the IGT planets, since there hasn't been a new species contact in a long time. If and when the Ganaphe' get back home, this will cause a lot of excitement in their intellectual circles. They will probably be invited to go on a lecture tour throughout the known galaxies – known to them, that is. I still have a hard time grasping the number of inhabited planets out there, with almost each one having a distinct species. We hold weekly classes where the Ganaphe' are trying to teach us about all of these peoples, their cultures, and their home worlds. It's a lot to learn, and is a mandatory attendance item for all 361 personnel. Mersuul Vaana is an excellent teacher. She is the Orysta's navigator, but those skills aren't being used very much at present. She is also the defacto Ganaphe' good will ambassador to Earth, as Grilik Munen is busy with negotiations with 361.'

  'WE WILL ACTUALLY BE HAVING A LIVE TREE HERE ON THE MOON !!!! Unbelievable! I can barely wait for it to arrive. Both the ship and the base have already been decorated with lights and hangings, and this has created a more festive mood in everyone. The celebration is a needed break, as both groups have been working full schedules for months. It's funny to see the shuttles which have even been fitted with artificial Christmas wreaths hung on the front, to emulate the way cars are decorated on Earth. The Ganaphe' celebrate only two major holidays on their home planet, which are based on the seasonal shifts in the amount of daylight. The land mass on their planet is localized around the equator, instead of being dispersed in all latitudes as on Earth. Apparently their planet looks more like a squashed ball than a round one as Earth does. They only have two major seasons, with minor alterations, and rarely get drastic shifts in weather. I'm told this is not the norm throughout the IGT. Some member planets have drastic weather shifts in relatively short periods of time. They are amazed by our seasonal changes. The turning of the leaves in fall is a very big thing for them, and 361 personnel have had to fill in at light duty stations on their ship so that every one of them gets to see it first hand. This was a major vote of trust by the Ganaphe', to have us stationed on their ship, even if it was not for anything critical. Again I will state that this is due to their trust in Commander Travellor. It is interesting and important to note that the Orysta has automated internal defenses that can kill, and we have been intensely instructed on which areas to stay away from.'

  'The Operation Trailblazer team have come to know all of the Ganaphe' crew personally. Half of the Ganaphe' personnel will be spending the holiday on Earth by invitation from host families. Classes about culture and social behavior are held every night on the ship, and it's always a full room. We're not sugar coating anything for them. With the good, they are taught about the bad they may encounter, such as crime, anti-social behavior, drugs, bureaucrats, etc. The exchange of information between us is hot and heavy during the Q&A after each class. Their home world has or had many of the same problems as ours. The most interesting thing I have learned about is their political system. In order for the IGT to function, the combined legal systems of all IGT member species had to make drastic changes. Some laws are considered inviolate (a requirement for inter-species interaction learned from many sad and terrible conflicts among them), with summary execution being a potential outcome. Politicians are held accountable for all actions, with no immunity from the consequences. Apparently this leads to very good laws being made.'

  'Unfortunately I will be on station for Christmas. There will only be a skeleton 361 crew here, but someone has to do it and I'm one of the someones. It won't be bad though. 361 is shipping in a big holiday meal with all the trimmings (so no one here will have to cook), which the remaining Ganaphe' are also looking forward to. They haven't yet tasted turkey or pumpkin pie. I'll be able to video link with my family, which is done by a signal from moon base to an Earth orbiting communications satellite, down to the surface, and hooked into the internet so that it looks like a regular Skype connection. Since we will be using our own comm equipment instead of the Ganaphe's there will be a delay in the signal, but I've already explained by email that this is because of the poor signal quality in my location (not exactly a lie). I can't wait to see everyone gathered together, even if it will only be on a computer screen. We haven't figured out how the Ganaphe' signals can travel so much faster than ours, and IGT law forbids them from telling us how it is done.'

  'Information is one of the main items being exchanged between the Ganaphe' and 361. We now have medical personnel being trained to use the Ganaphe' surgical equipment, while they in turn are teaching Doctor Blin and her assistant about Earth surgical procedures – which are blowing their minds. She is appreciative of not having to be on duty around the clock (being the only doctor on the moon) anymore. The hands-on type of surgery we do on Earth belongs to the Ganaphe' past, and very few of their surgeons actually place their hands inside someone's body to repair them these days. And the time it takes for a patient to heal from a procedure on Earth is driving her nuts. She just mumbles in disbelief at the case histories she has learned about. Anatomy seems to be the easiest thing for both sides to learn since our bodies and organs are very similar. Dr. Blin has requested that she be allowed to assist in surgical procedures back on Earth. She feels that the experience of medical practice without Ganaphe' technology could be very useful if she ever finds herself in extremely primitive conditions (I think that means us). I can understand her thoughts on this. If the Orysta can be damaged in a crash landing, her medical equipment also can be. She could someday find herself with only her hands and a sharp blade available to save someone's life with.'

  'Our technicians are learning the use of Ganaphe' equipment, and our engineers have come up with Earth substitutes for some of the Ganaphe' supplies that are getting low. We've been able to recharge their e
mergency boosters with a combustible synthetic that generates a very similar reaction to the original material used. Grilik Munen has expressed his gratitude for this accomplishment. He said that in the past he had considered the boosters as superfluous, but that they were an important factor in saving the lives of his crew and the ship. In his mind these low tech boosters have now become GO/NO-GO equipment for him in any future travels. He has even modified his ship's mandatory equipment list to reflect this. At first I had thought he was just being gracious, and making small talk, until he authorized me to listen to the ship's log file concerning their landing here. He wasn't joking. Those boosters – old technology to them as they are – saved the ship and the crew from a lot of pain and damage. Sometimes simple brute force is the right tool for the job.'

  'On a personal note: The Ganaphe' can teach us how to use their equipment, but under IGT law they cannot explain to us the principles that make them operate. Although much of their equipment can be classified as 'electronic', the principles of physics that make them work are different than what our technology uses. This is only a guess, and a feeling I get, as I spend more time working with them. This bothers me very much. They can do things easily that our science and technology has yet to understand. The most obvious, and possibly greatest example of this is the artificial gravity they can generate and control. It is almost as if they are able to amplify the moons own gravity and control its strength. All of this is speculation on my part. I have not asked them about this. I doubt they would tell me. The engineering and power plant sections of the ship are off limits to all 361 personnel. I think that is because the answers would become clear if we knew what went on there. I do not plan on violating their rules. I have talked about this with Commander Travellor and Mission Commander Farber-Chatwell, and they do not plan on violating the Ganaphe' directives either. Curiosity cannot be quenched by only holding the cup of knowledge – you have to drink (Where did I read that from?).'