NFI: New Frontiers, Incorporated: Book 2, the New Frontiers Series

by Jack L Knapp

  “It sounds feasible. Let me run it through engineering and I’ll get back to you. What’s next on your agenda?”

  “I need a copilot, and so will Wolfgang. Will’s off to Lapland right now, flying right seat on Gypsy, but we can’t afford to keep using him as a check pilot. Will should be in charge of flight operations.”

  “I’ll find copilots. Martha probably has several ready by now. You’ll be flying formation in Farside, right?”

  “Right, I’ll be off Wolfgang’s wing until he passes the moon. From that point on, all he has to do is continue until he reaches escape velocity, then dump the canister. I’ll have time to finish the aerial surveys before he’s back inside Luna’s orbit.”

  Chuck switched topics. “I figure we’ll need a large, flat area, at least a thousand acres. The fuel-rod trenches will need a lot of room, and the rest of the base has to be far enough away that there’s no increase in radiation. If I see anything like that, I’ll get detailed photos.”

  “Sounds good. But if anything goes wrong with one of the transport ships, you’re Gypsy’s backup and Grasshopper is yours if Farside isn’t available. I’ll look into Will’s scheme, see what our civil engineers think. Too bad you can’t haul even one bare fuel rod in the current cargo bays.”

  “It might be possible with enough shielding, but only one. Unconverted rods are heavy to start with, and they’re shipped dirtside in water-jacketed bottles. The flasks weigh around fifty tons.”

  “You’re right, that’s too much mass. I’ll get you your second-generation ships. Where do you want to base them?”

  “Rovaniemi. It’s right on the Arctic circle, cold in the winter but no colder than space, and the factory that’s building our new ships is only ten kilometers away. We can deal with the cold. It’s pleasant in the summer and the Finns are friendly people. Another advantage, the area is almost deserted. There’s a wilderness south of our lease, and the Finns are serious about keeping it wild. I doubt we’ll see any unexpected visitors.”

  “It’s beautiful up there, that’s for sure. I like the place, and not just because they have heavy industry. They make cell phones, they’ve got a weapons industry, they even build cruise ships. They’re serious about their health too, although they’re mad.”

  “Mad?”

  “Yeah. I haven’t tried it, but they work up a good sweat in the sauna, then jump out and run around in the snow while whacking each other with branches. Madness.”

  “Have you tried it, Frenchy?”

  “Chuck, why don’t you get me a list of people who are flight-qualified? I’ll pick the best one and make him flight examiner.”

  “About that sauna, Frenchy...”

  “On your way, Chuck.”

  #

  “Let’s look at your detailed flight plan, Wolfgang.”

  “I’ll put it on the screen. I’ve got a hard copy, but it’s just in case it’s needed for backup.”

  “The screen’s fine. Okay, on the first leg you’re heading north over the pole?”

  “Yes. I’m hauling a bladder of water to refill the tanks on Stations Two and Three. Station One can handle four or five more refuelings before the tank goes dry. I’ll refill it on the next trip, or Chuck may get to it before then.”

  “What about here?” Will pointed to the landmass east of Finland.

  “Right, I’ll stay well clear of there. That’s Russian airspace. I’ll pass here, west of Russia and north of Sweden. In any case, we’ll be well above the operational altitude of Russian antiaircraft batteries by the time I exit Finnish air space. I’ll enter orbit here,” pointing to the screen, “below and behind Station Three. I’ll fill its tank, then slow down and catch Station Two on the next orbit. I’ll transfer the rest of the water there and head south. I’ll reenter atmosphere over the Pacific and approach Japan north of Tokyo. The landing beacon is here,” pointing to a location to the east, “so I’ll follow it to the landing site outside Fukushima. The course changes cost fuel and oxy, but they’re necessary to avoid unnecessary chances. Anyway, we’ll load the cargo at the vitrification plant, boost for space over the Pacific, and head out beyond the moon. Farside will already be in orbit, waiting to join up as soon as we clear atmosphere. Chuck’s supposed to fly off our wing until we’re about two thirds of the way into the trip. He’ll head for the moon at that point. If there’s a problem, we’ll know about it long before we split up. We’ll release the cargo as we approach the Lagrange limit, meaning regardless of our speed it’s at escape velocity. From that point on, the sun’s gravity takes over. The canister will approach the sun from above the plane of the ecliptic, vaporizing as it approaches solar north. There’s not supposed to be any man-made craft up that way, and because it’s above the plane of the ecliptic I don’t expect asteroids or meteorites either. This first trip is the trailblazer, the rest of the transport flights will use our course data, so I was careful when I worked out the flight plan. Sound good to you?”

  “What about weather?”

  “Fukushima is partly cloudy, light winds from the south. The Pacific south of Japan is clear.”

  “I don’t see any problem. The only real trouble point is here, north of the Gulf of Bothnia. You’ll want to cross this zone after Russia passes off to the east. We’ll notify Sweden and Norway, but they won’t have a problem. They know we’re flying empty or hauling water. No radioactive issues, in other words, plus they also want some of our business. Panit’s due to open talks with Sweden next week, I’ll have him mention it to them. But the Russians are different, we’ve had trouble with them, so make sure you don’t overfly this area west of Murmansk.”

  “I won’t. We’ve got about two hours before we can launch, so if you want to grab a bite to eat and a cup of coffee...?”

  “Let’s do it. Preflight Gypsy in, say, forty-five minutes, then we’ll wait for the launch window to open. I’ll file your flight plan with NFI headquarters in Switzerland.”

  #

  Will saw nothing during the flight that concerned him. Wolfgang’s control was flawless during the boost to altitude, and the flight computer docked at each station using the subroutine Chuck had pioneered. Refilling the water tanks took half an hour each. Topping off Gypsy’s onboard hydrogen and oxygen tanks was also without incident. Wolfgang disconnected after the last refill, then slowed the ship, sinking to a lower orbit. They waited, impellers barely ticking over, as the Earth rotated beneath them. Wolfgang slowed the ship further, breaking orbit just as Japan appeared over the western horizon. The impellers slowed their descent and Gypsy passed easily through the upper atmosphere. Wolfgang turned the ship on its long axis, watching as Japan passed beneath them. A final correction put them on course for Fukushima. The big craft slowed as it approached the factory, hovering momentarily before settling onto its skids. The twin halves of the cargo hatch opened as Gypsy touched down.

  An hour later, loading complete and canister secured, they began the takeoff checklist. Wolfgang dialed up the impellers but nothing happened for a moment. Finally, Gypsy sluggishly broke ground.

  “Will, something’s wrong! I’m at 94% power and I’m barely able to control her.”

  “The electrical system shows nominal, except that the impellers are drawing a lot of power. We’re sucking more fuel too. The cargo has to be the problem, it’s heavier than we specified. Damn! Did they do this deliberately? I’ll have some Japanese ass if they did! You fly, I’m calling Switzerland. Wolfgang, bring your impellers to 100%, and if that doesn’t give you control, prepare to jettison the canister. We’re already feet wet, don’t worry about what’s underneath. We can take a final peek with the radar before we drop the canister.”

  “Is Frenchy in Switzerland, Will?”

  “Doesn’t matter, Wolfgang, they’ll notify him wherever he is. I’ll tell them what’s going on. Do you want to abort?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  “Yes. You’re the commander, so command. I won’t overrule you unless I think the sh
ip is in danger. If you need to drop the canister, roll the ship belly up, open the cargo hatches, then unlock the clamps. Japan can fish it out of the ocean. Don’t worry about Gypsy, she can fly upside down. The impellers are gimbal mounted.”

  “I’ll try to continue the mission, Will. If you’re okay with that, I mean.”

  “You’re the commander, Wolfgang.”

  “Change of plan, Will.” Wolfgang’s tone was firm. “We’ll tank at Station Two, it’s closer to our current flight path. Notify Chuck. As soon as we’ve got full tanks, I’ll head out. The trip back will take longer, but by using lunar gravity to slingshot us back, I can complete the mission. Shutting down the impellers should leave me with enough fuel to make turnaround for the moon after we launch the canister. Hang on, I’ll run the numbers just to be sure...”

  Numbers on the screen blinked rapidly, then stabilized. “Seven and a half hours, boosting at one quarter gee. We’ll be short of the Lagrange limit, but the canister will be carrying enough velocity so that it will still head for the sun. You okay with that?”

  “Do it,” Will said.

  “Tell Chuck to increase the standoff distance, I’d rather not have to worry about Farside. Also let him know I expect to slingshot around Luna, so he should plan for that. If possible, I advise he clear Luna before we arrive.”

  “I’ll tell him.”

  The moon was behind the Earth when Gypsy reached the release point. Wolfgang punched the button, opening the cargo hatch’s twin halves. “I won’t use the cargo arm, Will; I’ve got a better idea. Your comment about dumping the cargo in the Pacific will work just as well in space.”

  Wolfgang gently rotated the ship around its lateral axis until the open hatch pointed toward the distant sun. The ship continued on course, ‘flying’ with the dorsal surface leading the way. “Unlocking cargo restraints now, Will. Prepare for negative acceleration, one half gee.”

  “Right, good move. The canister will separate and keep going.”

  “That’s it. As soon as it’s clear, I’ll rotate the ship and head back. Fuel reserves should be enough. Planning to slingshot around the moon is just in case something else goes wrong. We’ll pick up Chuck on the way and he can escort us back to Station Three. Otherwise, we might not have enough fuel to land.”

  The maneuver was completed without difficulty, and a minute later the canister sailed slowly away on its long trip to the sun.

  “Call the repeater satellite, see if you can raise Chuck,” said Will. “Let him know we’re empty and on the way back. If he’s where he’s supposed to be, go ahead and use half-gee acceleration. I want to get home and chew some ass!”

  “Copy, Will. Wait one...okay, Chuck’s ready. Half a gee it is, Course changed toward the moon as it comes around, three point six hours to rendezvous. Start sharpening your teeth, Will.”

  Chapter Three

  Chuck refueled at Station Two, then headed back to complete the interrupted survey. He briefly considered landing to sample the surface texture, but realized he needed specialized help; the orbital survey would have to be enough, for now.

  Eighteen orbits later, the survey completed, he increased power. Farside departed orbit and joined Gypsy on its way to distant Earth. The join-up was smooth and Chuck looked the ship over but saw no damage.

  Chuck made a number of calls as he approached the atmosphere. His first call found Lina doing well. She wanted to discuss the proposed move to Australia, but Chuck explained it would be better to discuss it during his next trip home. His second call, to NFI’s Swiss office, reported his return to Earth. A third call was less successful; Frenchy wasn’t available, so the call was forwarded to his voicemail. Chuck left a message requesting a meeting with the company’s civil engineering staff.

  Will had his anger in check by the time Gypsy landed, but only just. He called the company’s Swiss office and dictated a report of the near-tragedy, then asked to speak to Martha Simms. She was the very competent American manager of the Swiss branch office, middle-aged, dark haired, slender, and unmarried.

  “Call the Japanese company that prepared our cargo. I want a word with the person in charge,” Will said.

  “I’ll see what I can do,” replied Martha.

  “If the Japanese try to stall, tell them I’m reconsidering whether to continue operating under the current contract. That cargo exceeded weight specs and it nearly caused us to crash. If it happens again, I’ll jettison the cargo and let the Japanese deal with it.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind, Will. Was there anything else?”

  “Not right now. Tell them I’ll meet with their representative as soon as he’s available.”

  “Will you need maintenance or an overhaul on Gypsy? Were any of the components stressed beyond safe limits?”

  “No. We launched the cargo as planned and made it home without incident, but we might not be that lucky next time. Gypsy is a good bird, she’s got more power and better handling than I expected.”

  “That brings up another question. Are you ready to certify Wolfgang as a ship commander?”

  “Absolutely. He’ll need a copilot, but he’s ready. You guys did a fine job of preparing him for command.”

  “Thank you, and I’ll pass that on. That said, was there anything else you wanted to tell me?”

  “No, Martha, that’s everything. Thanks for your help.”

  #

  Chuck landed Farside at NFI’s Base Reykjavik and turned the ship over to the maintenance staff. They would conduct a complete biennial inspection, with special attention paid to the repairs done in Aladdinsville, before preparing the ship for its next mission. For the moment, both Farside and Gypsy were idle.

  The transmitter, which the Japanese had insisted on adding to the first canister, sent out a continuous telemetry signal. Satisfied, they paid NFI the agreed-upon fee.

  The telemetry confirming that the Japanese container was on course for the sun. As a result, Germany, the US, and Russia were now ready to discuss similar arrangements. France had already signed on. As soon as ships were available, they would begin hauling French fuel rods. France had their own side-negotiations going; they were prepared to temporarily store rods from other countries until they could be disposed of. For a fee, of course!

  Meanwhile, the Japanese were investigating the problem that Will had reported. They scheduled a meeting, and Frenchy decided he would also attend.

  #

  Frenchy caught an early JAL flight and landed at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. Will, waiting at the baggage terminal, collected Frenchy’s bag. The two took a shuttle bus to the hotel, checked Frenchy in, then headed downstairs to meet the Japanese delegation. Will explained what had happened during Gypsy’s maiden voyage, and Frenchy agreed that the potential profits were simply not worth risking their ships. Something would have to be done, or the first Japanese cargo would also be their last.

  Grim faced, they entered the conference room. The hotel had obligingly provided them with a certified translator; they would not have to rely on the language skills of the Japanese executives.

  The men stood and bowed as Frenchy and Will entered. The two bowed politely in return, then greeted the men. Will got right to the point as soon as they were seated, still angry at what had almost happened. He was prepared to disregard protocol in order to leave no doubt that the Japanese company had behaved unacceptably.

  “Which of you was in charge of preparing the shipment?”

  “I regret to say that Mister Haruka will not be joining us. He was our representative to the company.”

  “Why is he not here, then? I specifically asked to speak directly to him.”

  “Mister Haruka...”

  Frenchy cautioned Will as the man paused. “Keep your cool. Anger won’t help.”

  “Frenchy, that guy damned near got us killed! I’ve got a right to be mad!”

  “Get yourself under control, Will. I’ll do the talking.” Muttering, Will subsided.

  “Sir, Mister Haru
ka has passed away. He cannot be here. We offer our apologies for the circumstances.”

  “What do you mean, passed away? He died?”

  “Mister French, he understood his error. He could not live with the shame. He has passed on.”

  The silence lasted half a minute; the Japanese waited patiently, but neither Will nor Frenchy could think of anything to say. Finally Frenchy responded.

  “I am sorry to hear that, but the problem remains. Does anyone know why the cargo canister was so overloaded?”

  The Japanese man who had taken the lead looked at the others, who nodded back. He looked at his hands for a moment, gathering his thoughts. “I regret to say that we all share in Mister Haruka’s shame. None of us expected Mister Haruka to act as he did.”

  “Why did he do that, Mister...?” asked Will?

  “My name is Watanabe, Mister Crane. I am the chairman of this board. Our company has several branches. We collect the nuclear material, prepare it for shipment, and disburse funds to your company upon completion of a successful launch. My associates are members of this board, as was Mister Haruka. We speak for the parent corporation.

  The man paused for a moment to make sure the two Americans understood.

  “We negotiated with your company in good faith, but circumstances have changed. Mister French, we have been approached by officials from our government. We are still most interested in disposing of radioactive waste material and our government shares our concerns, but the government has other interests as well. How much do you know of Japan’s affairs?”

  “I’ve done considerable reading, of course, but I can’t claim expertise.”

  Frenchy paused, deciding what he wanted to say.

  “You’re faced with a declining population. Births are not keeping up with deaths, and as a result the average age of your citizens is increasing. There’s also the problem of uneasy relations with China and South Korea, plus a very high national debt. Your nuclear power plants are in trouble; part of this has to do with safe disposal of the spent fuel rods, but the issue is complicated because some of your people are hostile to all nuclear operations. It’s understandable, of course; they don’t want another Hiroshima, and the meltdown of the Fukushima reactors created difficulties. Japan experiences a number of significant natural events, earthquakes, typhoons, things like that, and there’s no way of preventing them. Your government is moving toward greater militarism even as significant numbers of Japanese remain adamantly opposed to it. Japan imports more than she sells. This imbalance is draining money from your economy, creating pressure on the yen.”