The Cassini Code

by Dom Testa

  I know that I stayed strong with my convictions, and I did not sacrifice my beliefs in a time of crisis. But if that almost cost us the mission, what lesson do I extract from that? It’s so hard sometimes, so hard.

  I do know one thing for sure: we have so many obstacles in our path, and yet over the next four years the biggest challenge will likely be in learning how to deal with each other.

  She set down her pen, stood up, and stretched. There was more to say, but she wasn’t sure how to put it into words.

  “Oh, just say it,” she muttered to herself, and sat back down.

  Bon and Gap are two perfect examples. They have both changed in the last few days. For Bon, I’m starting to worry about the effect that his connection with the Cassini is having on him. It’s not his fault, that’s for sure. I asked

  She marked these last two words out and started the sentence over.

  I begged him to re-establish contact with these super beings, or whatever they are, so now I can’t come back and fault him for what it might be doing to him. I know that we probably would not have survived this ring of fire called the Kuiper Belt if they hadn’t shared their code with us. I just wonder what long-term effect this is going to have on Bon.

  And, once again, I have to wonder where we stand personally. We have kissed now, and I can’t deny that I liked it. A lot. But what does that do to our situation? Anything? Nothing? I am more confused than ever about all of that.

  And then there’s Gap. His inner turmoil is surprising, but at least I understand it. I’ve experienced more than my share of that, too. All I will say right now is that I miss the fun Gap we were lucky to have on the Council, and I hope he comes to grips with his insecurities. Is there something I should be doing to help this? Or is this such a personal issue that I need to mind my own business?

  And Alexa…

  I honestly don’t know what to make of her. I’m going to give her at least a couple of weeks before I begin to worry about her condition.

  As for myself, I have to be honest and admit that Merit Simms accomplished more than he thinks he did. I have put on the brave face since day one, and yet I’m scared, too. He at least stood in front of two hundred of his peers and came clean. I attributed all of his motives to a lust for power, when perhaps most of it was much simpler than that: He’s just afraid. His mask might take a different form than mine…but we both apparently wear them.

  And finally, I hope that, as a team, we’re able to live up to the expectations that the Cassini have in order to be considered true “citizens of the galaxy.” I suppose it’s another example of their code, only this time it’s a code of conduct. Of course I’m concerned about that, but they can’t demand total perfection, can they?

  Triana set her pen down again and thought about that last line. Total perfection. If that was the standard needed to venture out to the stars, then the human species was never destined to make it. Surely, she thought, the Cassini were not unreasonable keepers of the galactic passes.

  She closed the journal and made her way to her bed. She lay back with her hands beneath her head and stared up at the ceiling, waiting for the peaceful rescue of sleep. As she often did, she began to mentally critique her own job performance over the last few days, wondering if her dad would be proud of the way she had handled things. Or Dr. Zimmer, her mentor and stand-in father figure after her dad had passed away. He had warned her about handling crew controversy. What would he think of her decisions? Would he at least be proud that she had rejected Roc’s offer of secret recordings? Would he—

  She suddenly sat up. The thought had flashed into her mind so quickly, something that she had buried in all of the recent turbulence, and now it screamed for her attention. How could she have forgotten about this?

  Dr. Zimmer and his video message replayed in her mind.

  For a moment she debated whether to get up and add a postscript to her journal entry. Instead, she lay back down and bit her lip. This, she knew, would keep sleep at bay for at least another hour.

  Somewhere on Galahad, she remembered, a fellow crew member had the blood of Dr. Zimmer coursing through their veins.

  I remember one of my earliest conversations with Gap, so many months ago, long before we left Earth. He asked me an interesting question, and for Gap that’s quite an accomplishment.

  He wanted to know if I was ever jealous that I wasn’t human. Sounds like a question that Gap would ask, doesn’t it?

  Let me think about this for a moment. You humans sometimes get so caught up in your emotional crises that you almost destroy each other. I, on the other hand, remain calm and rational. You make mistakes, some of which can cost you your lives, while I am practically flawless. You go from happy to sad to anxious to overjoyed to depressed, all within the space of an hour. I am reliably stable at all times.

  So what do you think? Am I jealous?

  YES! Please don’t tell Gap, but it’s true. Something about you crazy humans, and your unpredictable swings, is strangely appealing to me, and I can’t begin to tell you why. The only thing I can assume is that it’s what lets you know that you are truly alive, and THAT is something I will never experience. So, yes, I’m a little envious. Just a little. If given the chance, like Pinocchio, to become a real boy, would I?

  No. And not just because of that whole freaky nose thing. SOMEBODY has to think clearly around this place, and it might as well be me.

  Having said that, I do wonder about your ability to get along. I’ve been thinking about that, and I’ve reached this conclusion. Yes, you can, but it takes compassion, trust, and patience. Oh, and one other thing: empathy. Lots and lots of empathy.

  Which, I think, our little space voyagers will need in large supply as they continue their journey. Seems that we’re seeing a few changes in the moods and attitudes of our fun bunch, and I’m pretty sure it’s only the beginning.

  What a time to be tested, if that’s really what the Cassini are doing. And yet, when you get right down to it, aren’t all of you being tested on a daily basis? Think about it.

  Actually, think about it later, because right now you should be thinking about what’s on the other side of the Kuiper Belt. Alexa might have “the vision,” as some people call it, but could she go back to sleep and try to dig up a few more details, please? If I understand the whole idea of the Cassini’s ring of debris, it’s meant to not only keep us from leaving the solar system until we’re ready…but it’s also supposed to keep things out that don’t need to be here.

  Just how angry are these visitors who have been waiting at the front door, ringing the bell for who knows how long? You don’t suppose they would try to take it out on our innocent little Earthlings, do you?

  I guess we won’t know until The Dark Zone.

  Let’s meet back here, okay?

  Excerpt from

  The Dark Zone

  by Dom Testa

  Available in March 2011 from Tor Teen

  An alarm sounded in Triana’s head. Roc, for all of his glib humor and often reckless attitude, knew when to stow the comedy and get down to work. There was a definite tone he was able to summon in that manufactured voice that said, “This is no joking matter.”

  That tone was in effect now.

  Triana walked briskly back to the empty workstation in Galahad’s Control Room. “Explain, Roc. What’s out there?”

  “Can’t get a visual fix on them. I count…” He paused. “…Between eight and ten. Small. Fast. Very quick in their maneuvering. Makes it hard to get a good read on them.”

  “Wait,” Triana said, “slow down. Did you say maneuvering?”

  “I did. It’s what brought them to my attention in the first place. Things out here…well, they tend to go about their business in one direction, right? Until they bump into something, or get tugged by gravity. But even then they just bend a little bit.” The computer hesitated before adding, “These little devils are darting in several directions.”

  “Location?” Triana asked.


  Roc seemed to calculate for a moment. “Straight ahead, swirling along both sides of our path. They were scattered when I first picked them up, spread out over a pretty large distance. But now they’ve collected themselves. They’re like…” He didn’t finish.

  Triana turned to Bon, who had followed her to the workstation. “Please find Gap and get him up here.” She then looked back at the vidscreen, peering through the star field, searching…for what? Her mind tried to fill in several blanks at once.

  The dread that had clawed for attention the past few weeks pushed its way back in. Triana recalled the suggestions made by both Bon and Alexa that something might be waiting on the other side of the Kuiper Belt. Neither of them could say what that something might be, nor could they offer any explanation for their feelings. Which, Triana decided, had made it even worse. Every horror movie fan knew that the terror didn’t come when the monster jumped out at you; no, the real panic lurked in the shadows, torturing you with what might be there.

  She bit her lip and looked around the Control Room. The smattering of crew members on duty—it never totaled more than five or six—seemed as nervous as she, most of them taking quick, furtive glances at the vidscreen. Roc’s vague description of the unexpected company ahead had altered the mood; if Bon’s heavy disposition had cast a gloom over the setting, it now had an overlapping tinge of fear.

  The crew of Galahad had already experienced more than their share of the mysterious unknown, but that didn’t make each new incident any less ominous. They were constantly reminded of their vulnerability.

  And, she thought grimly, they would always be the outsiders, the new guys on every new block. Always trespassing.

  Another three minutes passed before Triana heard the lift door open. She glanced around to see Gap striding up to her. He apparently read her face instantly.

  “What’s going on?” he said.

  Triana shrugged. “Roc says there are…things up ahead. Unidentified, and hard to pin down.”

  Like everyone else in the room, Gap peered up at the large vidscreen. “Things? Not rock or ice chunks, I take it.”

  “They’re maneuvering.”

  Gap’s head snapped around, and he stared hard at Triana. “Maneuvering? So they’re not natural.” He paused. “What do you think—”

  “I have no idea what to think,” Triana said. She turned her attention back to the panel before her. “Roc, how long until they reach us?”

  The computer’s voice replied, “Oh, they’re not approaching. They’re circling in our path, waiting for us to reach them. At least we have some prep time. I estimate we’ll make contact in roughly…fifty minutes.”

  Gap nudged Triana. “Let me in here a minute.” He punched a few keys, looked at the results on the small screen before him, then keyed in a few more entries. A minute later he looked up at Triana.

  “Yeah, they’re on both sides of our path.” He stood up and looked toward the large vidscreen again. “Ever seen a marathon? You know how people line the sides of the streets to either applaud the runners or hand them a cup of water? That’s what this is like; we have a little group of spectators waiting to welcome us.”

  A shiver went down Triana’s neck. “Have you been able to tell anything else about them? What size are we talking about?”

  Roc said, “Best guess would be about the size of a large bird. This, by the way, lends itself to the comparison I was going to make earlier, and one that is much better than Gap’s silly marathon analogy.”

  “Which is?” Triana said.

  “I’d say they’re behaving more like vultures, circling over the spot where a varmint is about to collapse in the heat of the desert.”

  Triana’s shoulders sagged. “Great.”

  “And,” Roc added, “they have the mobility of birds, too. What we’ve got here, ladies and gentleman, are space vultures.”

  The words hung in the air of the Control Room, and Triana felt the atmosphere of dread tick upward another notch. Her mind sifted through their options, but only one idea came to her.

  “Should we change course?”

  “These things are incredibly quick,” Roc said. “They have already responded to our approach and placed themselves in position to intercept us. We can’t run away from them.

  “I’m afraid,” the computer continued, “that we’re left with no choice but to plunge right through them.” After a pause, he added, “Gee, I hope they’re friendly.”

  Copyright © 2010 by Dom Testa

  Tor Teen Reader’s Guide

  The Cassini Code: A Galahad Book

  By Dom Testa

  About this Guide

  The information, activities, and discussion questions that follow are intended to enhance your reading of The Cassini Code. Please feel free to adapt these materials to suit your needs and interests.

  About the Author

  Dom Testa grew up as a world-traveling Air Force “brat” with a passion for radio. He got his first radio job at the age of sixteen. In 1993, he joined Colorado’s MIX 100 where he now cohosts the award-winning “Dom and Jane Show.” He is a frequent speaker at schools and libraries, and his passion for reading, writing, and education is profoundly evident in his Galahad books as well as his Big Brain Club, a foundation dedicated to encouraging young people to be proud of their intellectual accomplishments. He lives in Colorado.

  Writing and Research Activities

  I. Return to Earth

  A. The Galahad adventures take place because human life on Earth is facing extinction from Bhaktul’s Disease. Imagine you are a crew member aboard Galahad, and you are beginning to have second thoughts about leaving your family and friends to face their fate on Earth. Write three to five journal entries describing the life you left behind, your role aboard Galahad, and your feelings about the risks you are now encountering as the ship weathers the threats of the Kuiper Belt.

  B. Merit Simms calls his movement “R.T.E.” or “Return to Earth,” and his followers wear armbands to show their solidarity. With classmates or friends, brainstorm a list of present-day and historical political movements and social causes with slogans and, possibly, recognizable symbols. How many can you name? How many of these causes have you supported by wearing their symbols or helping to campaign or raise money? In small groups, choose one cause to examine in closer detail, and present your results to the class. Who leads the cause, and what is its message or goal? How is the effort organized, and how is it supported? Has examining real-life movements and causes impacted your consideration of Merit Simms? Why or why not?

  C. Make a top-ten list of reasons people should join Merit in the demand to return to Earth. Or, make a top-ten list of reasons to support the Council. Then, in the character of a Galahad crew member, write a speech explaining your position. Read your speech aloud to friends or classmates.

  II. Calling the Cassini

  A. Imagine Triana has asked you to explain the Kuiper Belt to the Galahad crew. Using library or online research, prepare a multimedia report with graphs or charts, PowerPoint or other presentation software, models, drawings, or photographs and other dynamic elements. Present your report to friends or classmates acting as the crew, and invite them to ask questions for you to answer.

  B. Divide classmates or friends into “for” and “against” groups to debate the plan to allow Bon to try to reconnect with the Cassini. Use information from the novel and additional research about space travel and extraterrestrial life to support each position.

  C. Imagine you are part of the Cassini extraterrestrial life form. Write a letter to the Galahad crew describing yourself, your species, and your role in policing the universe, or explain why Bon’s theory is wrong. Use clues from the text and from the Galahad book The Web of Titan, if you have read it, to frame your ideas.

  D. Do you believe in extraterrestrial life? Should scientists try to contact aliens? Would you volunteer to try to communicate with aliens, as Bon does with the Cassini? Develop a survey to
learn what friends or classmates know about extraterrestrial life, including the questions above, among others. Use bar graphs and short essays to organize and report the results of your survey.

  E. Hold an “Extraterrestrial Day” in your classroom or community. Make a recommended reading list of classic alien novels, such as the Ender books by Orson Scott Card and The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. Show alien-themed movies, such as Steven Spielberg’s E.T. and Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek. Serve astronaut ice cream or other space-friendly foods.

  III. To Be Human

  A. Triana’s role as Council Leader makes friendships difficult for her. Have you ever had a responsibility that made relationships with your peers more challenging? Create a poem, song, drawing, sculpture, or other artistic work based on the phrase “when friendship gets tough.”

  B. Merit Simms sabotaged the ship partly because he was afraid. Does fear always make people abandon their sense of right and wrong? Think of a time you were in a frightening situation. How did you feel, physically and emotionally? Did you behave differently than you ordinarily would? How does an encyclopedia define “fear”? Based on your observations and research, write a defense or condemnation of Merit’s actions.

  C. Although he is defeated by Gap and Triana, Merit Simms’s rebellion does call into question the effectiveness of the Council system for governing Galahad. Write a detailed outline analyzing the positive and negative elements of this system, including your recommendations for changes or improvements.

  D. At the end of the novel, Bon realizes that Alexa has also been somehow changed. In the character of Bon or Alexa, write a journal entry exploring the question “Am I still human?”

  E. In the epilogue, Roc admits that he is jealous of humans. In the character of Triana, Gap, Lita, Bon, Channy, Hannah, or Alexa, write an e-mail to Roc explaining why he should be glad and/or sorry that he is not a human being.