Blue Planet Rising (Pebbles in the Sky Book 2)

by Jeffery Bagley

  “About three weeks ago, twelve rockets were successfully launched from the new Bolivian Commercial Space Port that’s being financed by a consortium of rich entrepreneurs. That group is led by the reclusive billionaire, Benjamin Greco. Each of those rockets released a probe that’s now in route to the planet Elpis. We now know that the probes are designed to slow down in the planet’s atmosphere and then parachute to the surface of the planet. During their descent, they will release a cargo of specially prepared seeds and Earth bacteria into the Elpis environment. Obviously, the purpose is to jumpstart a rapid paced terraforming program aimed at eventual human colonization of the planet.”

  “Because of the imminent contamination of the planet with Earth life forms, it’s no longer necessary for us to take the expensive precautions that were previously deemed necessary. The sterilization of all the landing equipment is no longer needed. The mission timing was planned around the need for the transfer ship to get back to Earth while Elpis and our planet were reasonably aligned. In light of the most recent developments, I would like to propose putting a ten person team there for a period of four years. There would be a window for an evacuation in two years if there was an emergency, though it would require an expensive and longer duration space mission to make that recovery. The team could be supplied periodically by robotic landers if needed. If we wanted to eliminate the need for re-supply missions, another option we have available would be to send two ships and land all the required supplies and equipment that would be needed for that four year mission at the same time.”

  “The team’s mission parameters would also change. Instead of some quick analysis and investigation of the alien artifacts, they will now have time to do a detailed analysis of the planet’s geology and ecology as well as have plenty of time to do detailed analysis of the artifact site. They will construct a landing field. They can produce, and then pre-stage rocket fuel there. They’ll also have the time to experiment and grow much of their own food. In other words, instead of a quick mission, we would actually be constructing a base for further expansion and exploration. We’re just doing it sooner than later. The mission will be more expensive up front, but in the long term, it’ll make future expeditions and operations there much cheaper.”

  “We can still use the majority of the equipment that was in development. We can save some costs by eliminating the costly environmental suits as well as the sterilization of all the components that are going down to the planet’s surface. We can remove some of the life support equipment from the lander and re-fit it to carry a ten man crew. The pre-staged robotic crew return ship will still be landed and be available for the two year return option if there’s an emergency or a urgent need. The additional supplies that will initially be needed can be carried by the second transfer ship. Periodic robotic landers will carry additional equipment as needed unless we can use the two ship mission option. I’m estimating the additional cost of this mission profile to be almost double the original one. However, if we figure that it’ll include the cost of an initial beachhead, or exploration base, it’ll save us the difference several times over for any future expeditions after this one.”

  “I’m here to try and persuade you to support the new mission profile while we still have time to make the changes. The world’s economy is in shambles, and it looks like it’s going to get worse before it gets better. If we don’t do this now, it could be decades until we have another chance. The potential benefits of what we learn from the alien artifacts, coupled with our analysis of the planet Elpis, are too great to pass up. We need to do this, gentlemen. I’m here to ask you to approve funding to do so. We are at a critical stage in our preparations. If we adopt this long term mission option, we need to know within a week or two so that we can make it happen. I’ll be happy to answer questions that you undoubtedly have.”

  Senator Calez was the first to speak. “Doctor Rockwell, do we know what type of plant life is on those probes that were fired at the planet?”

  “Yes, we do. It was actually the company that prepared the seeds that caught on to what they were going to be used for, and then informed us. The plant life that is being sent is an attempt to establish a prairie type ecology. Refinement of the probes trajectory makes us think that all the probes are aimed for touchdown on the larger northern continent. The most promising area to attempt to do what we suspect they are trying to accomplish, would be to land the probes in the area of the large plateau where the alien artifact site is. It consists of several thousand square kilometers of terrain that is mostly flat ground or rolling hills. It’s in a very temperate region on the planet. The climate would be very receptive to that type of flora.”

  Senator Jacobs interrupted. “What will happen if the probes are successful in releasing their seeds? Will they grow?”

  Peter shrugged. “That’s the million dollar question. Our biologists assume that the ground of the planet, with the exception for the deep ocean areas, was frozen solid from the thousands of years that the planet was wandering along with the brown dwarf in space. With no protective atmosphere, our scientists think that cosmic radiation would have sterilized the ground. Now, the soil is thawing. There is water and there is an atmosphere. The winds and rain would spread any indigent bacteria from the planets oceans but that would take many years. Whether those existing life forms could easily go from a deep water environment to a drier soil environment is not easy to predict. We know absolutely nothing about the primitive life forms there.”

  President Walden joined in the discussion. “Doctor Rockwell, you were speaking of the atmosphere on Elpis. Can it support human life? How will a crew be able to live for four years there without suits or oxygen tanks?”

  “The instruments left behind by the first expedition are still functioning. Although the oxygen content is a little lower than here at sea level on Earth, a young healthy crew can easily adapt to the twelve percent oxygen in the atmosphere there. Mountain climbers here on Earth breathe even thinner air with little difficulty when they are acclimated to it. It’s a combination of both the percentage of oxygen, as well as the atmospheric pressure that matters. So yes, it’s able to support humans. The carbon dioxide level is much higher than here on Earth, but again, it’s still within safe breathable limits. At the worse, they could use small respirators with carbon dioxide scrubbers until they adapt to the higher levels.”

  “What about the possibility of some type of disease or pathogen that has evolved there? If it sickens the crew, then they are millions of miles from any type of hospital or medical facility,” said Senator Jacobs.

  “Almost all of our physicians and biologists agree that this is highly unlikely, at least at first. Any bacteria or virus that has evolved there has never had the chance to adapt to a human host. It’s likely to be so radically different that if it’s ever able to adapt, it would take many years to do so. The DNA of any life forms on the planet is probably very different from ours and would share no common genes. The crew will also include a biologist who was trained in the same lab that developed the vaccines that cured most of our illnesses here on Earth. The crew will have a second biologist that’s also a medical doctor.”

  “Doctor Rockwell, you said the crew will prepare and construct a landing and launch field. In addition, you indicated that they will be making and stock piling rocket fuel. Can you tell me how they will do this when they are going down in single small lander that was originally designed for a crew of seven?” asked Senator Calez.

  “Senator, as I explained, the ascent ship that the crew will use to get back up into space will be landed by remote control before the crew ever starts down. Until it is down safe, and we know that it can be fueled to leave the planet, the crew will not go down. The crew will collect and filter water on the planet’s surface. They will then use hydrolysis to separate it into hydrogen and oxygen for fuel. They will have a solar power plant as well as a compact nuclear power plant that is being landed in a separate robotic lander for power. Another
lander will take down some very compact ground transports that can also be modified for leveling out the ground. Using locally found materials, the crew will be able to produce the components for an epoxy to turn the soil into a hard compound for a runway surface. The compound is similar to what we use on the moon for making the epoxy regocrete. They should be able to build a small landing strip in four years.”

  “Eventually, in the future, we can send down heavier equipment from follow on expeditions to expand that. Depending on any metal deposits that can be found, we hope to build a magnetic rail launcher someday. That project will probably be several decades into the future though. For the near future, landing and returning to orbit will be by conventional rocket powered craft.”

  Jerry Thornton, the President’s Chief of Staff spoke up. “Doctor Rockwell, your plans and ambitions are admirable. Are you aware however, that the government of the United States is broke? Our remaining population is going to experience hunger. The national economy is in shambles. The global economy is even worse. How can we justify to the people spending all this money when they are trying just to put food on their supper table? As it is, we may have to make dramatic cutbacks to Space Force operations.”

  Both Senator Jacobs and Calez nodded in agreement.

  “Even in the best of times, your plan would be very ambitious, Doctor Rockwell. Under the present circumstances, it just can’t be afforded.” said Senator Calez.

  Peter sat silently for a moment and then spoke. “Mr. President and Senators, all I can do is give you my recommendation and the request for funds. I understand if the mission cannot be funded. For the safety of humanity though, I strongly encourage you to not cut back Space Force funding. The destruction of humanity is out there, circling the sun somewhere. The brown dwarf scattered the asteroids in the Mars/Jupiter belt, and who knows what it awoke in the Oort cloud. Sooner or later, a large asteroid will come our way. It may be detected tomorrow, or years from now, but if we aren’t able to stop it or turn it aside, we’re all doomed.”

  Peter stood to go. “If I may be excused, that’s the extent of my report. I’m sure that all of you have more pressing issues to address.

  “Sit down please, Doctor Rockwell, this discussion isn’t at an end yet,” said the President. “What we’re going to discuss now is not to leave this room until I give approval. Does everyone understand that?” He looked at each of them in turn until he received their acknowledgement.

  “I recently had a very interesting proposition from the New British Commonwealth. Since then, I have also heard from the Germanic Peoples Republic as well as the New French Colonies in Africa. They have all pulled a chair up to the poker table and have offered to fund thirty percent of the Space Force budget.”

  Peter and the two Senators looked at the President in surprise. Jerry Thornton sat quietly, as he had already been privy to this information.

  “That would be a Godsend,” stated Senator Jacobs.

  “And what do they want in return?” sneered Senator Calez.

  “That’s always the catch, isn’t it?” said the President. “These are their terms. Space Force will accept an equivalent number of service members from each of the countries equal to what they will donate. In this case, fifteen percent for the Brits, and seven and a half percent for both the French and Germans. That request is quite reasonable.”

  “That seems fair enough,” said Peter.

  “They also want to make the ranking system in the Space Force follow Navy guidelines instead of Air Force as we have done. They insist that space ships should be treated like ships and not aircraft,” said the President.

  Senator Jacobs rolled his eyes. “Who really cares whether the crews are specialists, sergeants, or petty officers? It is just a title. We do get to keep operational command I would expect. We need to demand that.”

  The President nodded. “The Brits are the ones wanting the Navy thing. Our people will gripe since the armed forces always hate change. I can tolerate changing people’s ranks if they’re willing to fund thirty percent of the budget for the Space Force. They also want us to rename the United States Space Force as the “United Earth Alliance Space Force.”

  “What alliance are you speaking of Mr. President?” asked Senator Calez.

  “Their governments and ours would sign a mutual protection and cooperation treaty,” stated Jerry Thornton.

  “What about the Russians and what remains of the rest of the world?” asked Peter.

  “That’s a political question, Doctor Rockwell,” Jerry Thornton said. Our elected officials would have to debate that. You are here in a science advisor role only.”

  “Give him a break, Jerry. He wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t at least as smart as the rest of us,” the President said. “When the Russians stop committing genocide, we can address that. Right now, they’re left out in the cold.”

  “There are two more things our new prospective allies want,” said the President. The others looked at the President with anticipation and suspicion.

  “They are offering to foot thirty percent of the expedition to Elpis, providing that each of them get to have one person filling each of the three additional spots that Doctor Rockwell has proposed. They also want equal access to everything we discover at the alien artifact site.”

  “Screw them,” said Senator Calez. “They can’t even get into space at the moment. They have a lot of nerve to want equal access to any technological wonders we may find there. We aren’t that desperate!”

  “Thirty percent of the entire cost is very generous,” said Senator Jacobs. With all that they are offering, we might be able to swing the costs of the longer expedition.”

  The President looked at Peter. “Comments, Doctor Rockwell?”

  Peter nodded thoughtfully. “I agree that a thirty percent contribution would be a huge boost to the expeditions funding, as well as to Space Force’s budget. Adding three new members to the team, especially non-Americans, this late in the game is going to be a challenge. We have almost decided on the team makeup and members, at least for the seven man team. If we go with the ten person team and the extended expedition, then those additional three team members have to be chosen and trained rapidly, regardless of where they are from. It can be done, I guess.”

  The President sat quietly for a moment. This will take full congressional approval. I’m going to recommend that we take the offer from all three countries. I would like your cooperation, Senators, in convincing your fellow members of Congress of the wisdom of sharing the costs of the Earth’s defense. Jerry, I need you to get the Secretary of State in to see me as soon as you can locate him. Doctor Rockwell, it may be premature, but I want you to start planning for your long term expedition. Keep it as small as possible to get the job done. Keep it smart, and keep it safe for God’s sake. All we need is for something to happen to the expedition crew and we will never get another one funded because of a public outcry.”

  Chapter 13

  September 27th, 2044

  Space Station Alpha

  General Robert Seale sat at the table with his senior staff members of Space Force. The men sitting around the table were some of his oldest friends. They were also the officers that had helped him build Space Force from a dream into what it was today. Colonel Ellis, commanding officer of Space Station Alpha, Major Jenkins, his most experienced pilot, Colonel Dexter, commander of Phobos Base, Major Simmons, commander of Shackleton Base, Major Smith of the new Lagrange Station that was under construction, and finally Colonel Allen from Farside Base.

  General Seale cleared his throat and spoke. “Well, it looks like all the gang is here. This group, as well as our very sorely missed Colonel Mike Pierce, is the very core of Space Force. We built it into what it is today. You started out with nothing but some commercial rockets and space capsules. We now have bases at Phobos, the moon, Earth orbit, and soon at the Earth/moon Lagrange point. We have two ships capable of plying the space between the inner planets and the third is u
nder construction outside this space station as we speak. I want to tell you all how honored I am to have worked with you, and how proud I am of each of you.”

  “So, I guess you all want to know why I’ve brought all the base commanders here together at once,” laughed General Seale. “All it would take is one meteor to hit this station right now and Space Force would lose its entire leadership.” They all laughed uneasily. In the back of their minds, they knew that the General was completely right. The environment that they worked in was the most dangerous that man had ever ventured into.”

  “I’m going to get right to my reason for this face to face meeting. I’m aware that each of you have many things requiring your attention. I appreciate that you managed to get away, and it makes me rest easy that you have trained your crews to handle things in your absence.”

  “Most of you know that I’m now sixty nine years old. I had originally planned to retire years ago, but I kept getting talked into staying on due to the dangers of the encounter and the need for cohesion during the crisis and the days immediately after. The last time I was on Earth was for Colonel Pierce’s funeral. When I was there, my wife and my family made me promise that I would retire before the end of the year. Therefore, I have offered my resignation and plans for retirement to the President. When I return to Earth in two weeks, I don’t plan on coming back into space. I want to live out my years with the Earth’s atmosphere around me, my feet firmly on the ground, and seeing my grandkids running around me. I’m leaving you with the full confidence that you and Space Force can carry on just fine without me.”