Also, Paul had considered some changes to the hydrogen intermix ratios. He had to admit though, tying the thrusters to the quantum field had never come to mind
“Please check my numbers, AIMI. Am I missing something or just making an error?”
“Paul, I calculate seventeen hours and forty-one minutes.”
“AIMI, I come up with the same numbers, but that just can’t be correct. Seventeen hours and forty-one minutes from our present position would be a velocity of over 2000 times the speed of light!”
“That is correct and verified, Paul - seventeen hours and forty-one minutes to Alpha Centauri, based on Quantum Slipstream 2000.
“Well then, I guess it’s about that time to hit the dusty trail. Let’s go with a final systems check. From the top please, AIMI.”
“Modification Status - Emitters balanced; intermix ratio synchronized; thrusters are paralleled with the Quantum drive system.
“Structural integrity - green,”
“Life support - green,”
“Power levels are 100% and green,”
“Auto-path navigation - programmed and green,”
“Communications - green.”
As AIMI ran though the checklist, Paul checked each item on screen and verified it. It was the way he had operated as a pilot for years.
He grinned when realized how the old had been blended with the new. Thinking back, he remembered his first solo flight in a light single-engine airplane, so many years ago. And now, yet another solo for Paul. This time it was not three take-offs and landings at a small airport, but the first interstellar journey by a man from Earth.
“All primary and secondary systems - green and on line.”
“Thank you, AIMI, standby to execute Quantum slipstream to Alpha Centauri. Execute program.”
As usual, Paul pressed the appropriate “hot” button on the keypad that he had programmed to back up his verbal command to AIMI.
The Alpha rapidly accelerated to critical velocity. Less than three minutes later, AIMI alerted him, “Paul, we are at ninety-five percent of light speed and holding for Quantum slipstream interstellar transition on your command.”
Paul double-checked all primary and secondary systems and indications. Everything was in order.
“AIMI, ten second countdown to quantum slipstream 2K, and display countdown chronometer to Alpha Centauri.”
Paul looked up and saw seventeen hours and forty-one minutes on one chronometer display; the other began to count down from ten seconds.“Engage.”
Not even a bump, and the velocity display was counting up at an incredible rate, the speed was doubling every minute. At this rate of acceleration, the Alpha would be at 2000 times the speed of light in little more than ten minutes. Paul did not feel or sense the acceleration; the inertial dampers were once again doing their job. The star field had the same tunnel vision effect. It looked elongated, but at the same time close enough to touch. The chronometer had counted down to seventeen hours and thirty minutes. The Alpha was now traveling at 2000 times the speed of light.
As he looked at the chronometer, his future was seventeen hours and twenty-nine minutes away.
As the chronometer counted down, Paul read more and more of the files from the data stream. He was, in a sense, reading his history and his future. As the time drifted by, Paul realized it had been a long time since he had slept. Even a human hybrid needs to rest.
“AIMI, I’m going to close my eyes and rest a bit.”
“All systems green and functions nominal.”
Paul Christian reclined his seat and fell off to sleep.
16
Opening his eyes from what had been a very sound sleep, Paul was in his king-size bed. Casting a glance over to his alarm-clock radio, it was five minutes before the alarm was set to go off. There was a flight to catch in a few hours to get him to Los Angeles where he had an airline trip to fly to Hawaii.
It was a bit confusing, an amazingly vivid and incredible dream, and he remembered it all as if it were reality. A strange storm had affected his physiology and enhanced his mental capabilities. He had built an artificial intelligence and an aerospace vehicle.
Paul remembered traveling to the International Space Station Freedom, and landing on Mars, the LaGrange point, and traveling faster than the speed of light - several times faster. He remembered returning to Earth, meeting the President, heads of State, many speaking engagements including addressing Congress.
There were good guys and bad guys - a fellow named General Bellinger, Captain Peter Duke, Roger Bannon, Colonel Jim Andrews, and a Russian named Armstrong Gagarin.
His heart warmed with memories of a Secret Service agent with the name of Lynn Brend.
He could see her face in his mind’s eye, and almost feel her touch and the warmth of her kisses. Paul wished he could go back into that dream.
Curious that he could remember events in the dream as though they had actually happened, and the memories were so vivid and detailed. It was a dream like no other.
Then an alarm went off, but it was not the familiar sound of his alarm-clock radio, nor was the alarm followed by music. He must have closed his eyes thinking about that dream. As Paul opened his eyes, he heard a familiar and comforting voice, but was no longer at home.
“Paul, we are approaching the deceleration point for Alpha Centauri.”
Paul raised his seat back to the upright position and looked at the chronometer - less than one hour to Alpha Centauri. He had been asleep for several hours.
“Your bio-scan is much better, Paul. Did you have a comfortable sleep?”
Human-hybrid Paul Christian answered, “Yes, I did AIMI, but it was an unusual dream. I dreamed that it was almost two years ago, and I was home.”
“Paul, we are receiving approach and landing coordinates.”
“Thank you, AIMI. Please tie them into auto-path navigation.”
It took the Alpha ten minutes to slow down to the triple-star system know as Alpha Centauri, comprised of Proxima Centauri, Alpha Centauri A, and Alpha Centauri B.
Paul Christian’s destination was an earth-like planet in orbit around Alpha Centauri B, which was about the same size as the Earth’s sun.
Unlike his dream, this was Paul Christian’s new reality. The time was now, and he was indeed home. Sometimes, premonitions can be funny things.
About the Author
Steve Catalano has been a fan of Science and Science Fiction for over 5 decades.
Growing up in California, Catalano was in awe of the test pilots, Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle Astronauts, and their Russian counterparts who first braved space.
Currently an Airline Captain flying a Boeing 777 all over the world for a Major Airline, Catalano enjoys flying his own light aircraft around the West coast. The Alpha Premonition, book one of the Alpha Premonition Trilogy, is his first novel.
Copyright
© 2013 by Steve Catalano
First Edition – October 2013
ISBN
978-1-4602-0790-1 (Hardcover)
978-1-4602-0791-8 (Paperback)
978-1-4602-0792-5 (eBook)
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information browsing, storage, or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
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The Alpha Premonition: Book 1: A Gathering Storm Page 21
