The Colony Ship Conestoga : The Complete Series: All Eight Books

by John Thornton

  Gravity manipulation in Alpha slowly adjusted while the inertia suppression system cycled. Slight tremblors rocked the biome as the habitat lifted a few centimeters. Crock excavators had removed every ground obstacle from around Alpha, so there was little resistance to overcome, except for the heavy gravity of the planet.

  The original rocket motors, which had safely landed Alpha, ignited in a proper sequence and the huge cylinder smoothly lifted upward. The roar of the rockets echoed out in waves all around the ground. But the Crocks and Floaters had already evacuated all the native life forms and placed them a safe distance away. The safe zone which the indigenous Zalians had established was more than adequate.

  Inside Alpha’s biome, near to Alizon’s farm and home, Cammarry stood next to the ox Haddie. Haddie sensed something, but so did Cammarry. She looked back at the saraj where Alizon was just coming out the door. She felt the ground move ever so slightly, and also knew what it was like to experience gravity manipulation. Her weight was decreasing. Haddie’s eyes were wide and Cammarry patted her on the side of her head.

  “Alizon?” Cammarry called out. “And so it begins.”

  He ran over to her. “Did that gravity sink place return?”

  “No. This entire habitat is heading into space,” Cammarry answered. “I hope there is not much motion sickness, but you may feel your stomach jump a bit.”

  “Everything will be good, so long as I am with you. I am with you, beautiful woman.” He wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into him.

  “Thank you,” Cammarry replied. “I would not want to be anywhere else.”

  Alpha’s original rockets burned brighter as the habitat rose. Its cylindrical length was parallel to the Zalian ground as it ascended. The greens and yellows of the planet’s atmospheric gasses contrasted with the brilliant whitish-blue flames shooting from the rockets.

  “Alpha has lifted off the ground,” SB Pinaka reported to all on the bridge. “Initial rocket propulsion is as expected. Altitude is now one hundred meters and climbing. All processes working within expected parameters.”

  Alpha ascended.

  “Initial liftoff stage completed. Entering stage one,” SB Pinaka reported.

  The rocket flames changed colors as a different fuel mixture was begun. Smoke and gases billowed out from the nozzles of the rockets. A deep red color was now being ejected from the nozzles as Alpha’s speed increased.

  SB Pinaka reported, “Stage one completed. All rockets are intact. Fuel lines patent. Nozzle temperatures safe for Zalian ecology. Waste products saved and reinserted into storage compartments within the shell. Velocity increasing. Altitude now ten kilometers and ascending. Inertia suppression adequate. Gravity manipulation holding steady at 75% earth normal. All processes working within expected parameters.”

  The people on the bridge watched the side display, where the animation of Alpha was shown. That represented the best available images of how the habitat was still lifting with its length parallel to the ground.

  “Everyone, please keep monitoring all the readouts and gauges,” Eris commanded. “The lattice is also reviewing everything, but we need artificial, synthetic, and human intelligences to accomplish our goal.”

  “Understood,” Jenna replied.

  “Right,” Monika said.

  Jerome looked at everything in front of him. Then he gently rubbed Brink’s back through the baby carrier. “Son, you are here to see that we can fly right through the fog of uncertainties. Everything here looks excellent!” He kissed Brink on the head. The baby only stirred a little bit.

  SB Pinaka announced, “Altitude now 100 kilometers and rising. Winds encountered which were of higher than expected intensity. Compensation accomplished with only minor difficulties. Approaching vector shift point, and stage two. All other processes working within expected parameters.”

  The original rockets of Alpha altered their firing sequences. The bow rockets kicked in with greater force, while the stern rockets tapered off. Alpha began to spin around its long axis, like a rifle bullet fired from a high powered gun.

  “Alpha biome monitors show no significant deviation from expected condition. Inertia suppression functioning. Biome gravity maintained at 75% earth normal,” SB Pinaka announced. “All processes working within expected parameters.”

  The bow rose more quickly than the stern as the whole huge habitat altered its trajectory until the bow was pointed directly away from the ground. Just as that happened, for a brief period, there were a series of rocket engine bursts which slowed its pivot, rolling, spinning, and ascent. Those bursts kept Alpha’s flight stable and true. Alpha’s length was now perpendicular to the Zalian ground.

  “Stage three initiated,” SB Pinaka announced.

  The rockets which the Zalians had taken from the wrecked habitats and transported to Alpha, which were then assembled onto it now came into play. Most of them were mounted at the stern to propel Alpha like an enormous shaft out and away from Zalia. Those rockets ignited and bright orange flames shot from their nozzles. The rocket fuel which had been stored inside the modified shell was pouring rapidly into the rockets as they pushed Alpha upward.

  “New booster rockers firing as expected. Velocity increasing. Ascension rate increasing. Altitude now three hundred kilometers and rising. All processes working within expected parameters,” SB Pinaka reported. “Escape velocity achieved. Moving beyond atmosphere.”

  Alpha broke out of the thin upper air at the edge of the Zalian atmosphere and entered space. The trajectory was away from the planet, not into orbit.

  Looking at the large display screen, everyone on the bridge saw Alpha make its escape. Standing upright, orange rockets burning brightly, contrails streaking out behind it, Alpha flew. Alpha rose. Alpha ascended. Alpha broke free.

  “Hurrah!” Bigelow cried out, along with a graphic stream of obscenities, all said in loud enthusiasm. He startled both babies with his loud voice, and Jerome and Monika tried to pat and rub them while speaking soothing words. Yet, the babies started to cry. It was almost as if the children knew what was about to happen.

  Monika and Jerome, almost in unison, stood up and walked out of the bridge. The pressure door shut after they departed.

  Jenna and Eris looked at Bigelow, but their faces were not angry or scolding, as he had expected. He subtly walked over to where Monika had been seated and sat down. “I suppose I can monitor this place, since everything is going so well.”

  “Stable flight achieved by Alpha. Rocket fuel usage 27% higher than expected, reserves depleted,” SB Pinaka stated. “Alpha on proper trajectory for interception point.”

  Everyone on the bridge cheered.

  The large display showed that Alpha was now moving at a substantial rate of speed away from the planet, but the rockets were no longer burning. Eris glanced at the side display and saw the animated images of Alpha and how a green dotted line showed its trajectory toward the interception location.

  “Now it is our turn,” Eris said. “Siva and Peter, bring the main drive up into service. Begin to break our current orbit toward the interception point. We have a rendezvous to make. Pull us alongside Alpha. Grappling lines and rough capture prods will get us in tandem, then we can work the delicacies of docking with the constituent joints. We will have plenty of time once we match velocities. Siva and Peter, shall we fly off?”

  “Yes, Captain!” Siva said from his position in the engine room. “Main engines initiated. Drive status looks good. Gravity manipulation and inertia suppression on the needle ship is active.”

  There was no perceivable change as the main drive ejectors began their emissions. That massive array of ejectors, the main engine, fired. It let off a dull glow, but it was steadily, and consistently increasing. Except for looking at the side display screen where the animation of the needle ship showed a change in direction, no one on the bridge could feel the needle ship beginning its acceleration, nor its turn. A yellow dotted line appeared on the animation which showed t
he projected flight path.

  “Main drive engines revving upward,” Siva reported. “All gauges in the green.”

  Suddenly, a massive shudder ran through the needle ship. That was followed by three heavy jolts, despite the inertia suppression systems.

  “We have a problem!” Peter called out. “Engine drive ejector alignment has failed. Ejectors seven through nineteen are malfunctioning. The neutrino, gluon and quarkite balances are inadequate and calibration has failed. Misalignment of ejection is happening. Stable hypohadronization has been lost. Connection to the fusion reactor is tenuous.”

  Another jerk was felt through the decking on the bridge.

  At the far stern end of the needle ship, the giant array of main drive ejectors blazed with power. Unfortunately, the radiance was not uniform, nor consistent. The ejectors were spewing forth streams at random power levels, and in haphazard amounts.

  “Engineering, give me a report. Peter, Siva, what occurred with the main drive? I am reading it is in a dangerous flux,” Eris’ voice was far calmer than her emotions and mind. She knew a serious problem when she saw one. “What is the status?”

  “Captain, I am shutting down the drive. As to cause, I am unsure,” Siva said.

  There was a lighter and less intense heave which rippled through the needle ship, but it was not as severe as the prior turbulences.

  “Is the drive down?” Eris demanded. “Cut the flow from the fusion reactor if needed. Lattice assist!”

  Siva replied, “Drive is going cold.”

  “I agree Captain. The main drive is no longer critical,” SB Pinaka reported. “There was a major malfunction. Details are being assessed, a report is forthcoming.”

  “Captain, everything looked good, but when we reached eighteen percent of propulsion, something happened beginning with the neutrino foundation. I shut down the whole system before we had a cascade failure, or a runaway quark split.” Siva’s face on the display showed the immense strain he was carrying. “I had to reunite the quark containments, sorry.”

  Peter interjected, “I apologize, but the quarkite quantum-dynamics are beyond me. There looks to be multiple failures, after that neutrino foundation splintered. I will learn what I can.”

  “I understand,” Eris replied. “You saved the drive, well done. I am not sure what could have caused that, but we will need to reassess it. Completely reassess it, part by part. Peter and Siva, that was quick thinking. Thank you. Now, let us see what we need to do.”

  “Captain Eris,” Sandie interjected. “I hate to report this, but the needle ship veered off course. In its new trajectory, it will not intersect with Alpha. The new course has undesirable outcomes in all conjectures.”

  “How long until main drive can be implemented?” Eris asked. “We need to reverse course.”

  Sandie the AI replied, “Unknown. I conjecture that it will take at least one hundred hours for diagnostics to reveal the main drive’s failures, as many parts cannot be assessed properly until cooled. Present course and spend do not give us one hundred hours.”

  “Sandie is right!” Siva yelled. “I cannot even get close enough to assess most of those parts for days. What does navigation show?”

  “Atrocious outcome on present course,” SB Pinaka answered.

  “What?” Jerome said as he and Monika returned to the bridge, the babies were still fussing, especially after the jostling the whole need ship experienced. “What do you mean?”

  Jenna and Bigelow were staring at the displays, their faces in shock. Jenna was unsure if she was reading the information correctly. Bigelow looked hard at the readings, compared them to a smaller screen on his control chair, then took out his flask and drank a long quaff. He swore and cursed under his breath.

  “Oh no!” Eris said as she studied the trajectory of Alpha as it compared to the flight of the needle ship. They would not intersect, but that was the least of her concerns. She silently prayed that she was wrong in what she saw, or that there was a way to change what was happening. “No main engines. So, Cabta 3F? Can you immediately mitigate our flight path?”

  PB Pinaka replied, “Cabta 3F is already working. All orbital and positioning rockets are being fired. Repulsor fields at maximum. Thrusters firing. All these actions will be inadequate to divert the direction of the flight to any significant degree. We can only slow our velocity, not stop it. The trajectory cannot be altered adequately to avoid disaster. Rocket fuel supplies are rapidly exhausting themselves. Thruster fuel supplies dwindling.”

  “Sandie?” Eris asked. “Do you agree? Are we trapped on this course?”

  “Yes, Captain. I should have foreseen this potential. I apologize,” Sandie answered.

  “I checked again. There is no way to do anything with the main drive,” Siva said. “Sorry Captain.”

  The big red ball of the Zalian sun was directly in front of them, and slowly growing larger.

  Jerome said what they all were thinking, wondering, and fearing. “We are falling into the sun.” He patted his son who was fussing about in the baby carrier. “I am like Daedalus. Never forget this call, dear Icarus, this fearsome flight. For the greatest tragedy of them all is to plunge into the burning light.”

  “The rube is a fool and moron to the end,” Bigelow said with colorful profanities aplenty. He swilled down another big swallow.

  “Eris, we can teleport to Alpha,” Jerome suggested. “I must get my sons to safety.” He was turning toward Monika, reaching for his other son.

  “But is there time?” Monika asked. “For everyone?”

  “We do have a couple functioning shuttles as well,” Eris said. “We must sound the alarm and instruct all to evacuate to….”

  “Captain! What am I seeing?” Monika said as she looked at the displays. She had wrapped one arm around Jerome, and the other was holding her baby against her. The four of them with huddled together.

  On the side of the large display, where the edge of the planet Zalian could be seen, a yellowish white craft was rising from the atmosphere. It was V-shaped. As it left the planet, its colors were more easily differentiated from the planet of its origin. It was whitish with tints of yellow and green, as seen against the blackness of space. It was moving very rapidly toward them.

  “I have seen that before,” Eris said to herself. “SBs, AIs, lattice, everyone, let it approach. Magnify the optics on that ship. Give me every view possible.”

  “Yes, Captain,” SB Pinaka replied. “Repulsor systems deactivated. Images being displayed.”

  The main display screen split into six different views, all showing the approaching V-shaped craft from unique vantage points on the needle ship.

  “Can they help us?” Eris asked. She prayed silently that they could.

  “Yes, Captain,” AI Ogma stated though all the speakers on the bridge. “I am liaising with the Zalians. The people have come to help you. They have been watching your ascent, and know you must leave now.”

  “The people?” Jerome asked as he stared at the approaching V-shaped spacecraft. “Is that a Crock spaceship? They are too primitive, and Floaters do….”

  “The Zalians are not separated into Crocks and Floaters, they are one species, but in separate life stages of development,” AI Ogma stated. “Their last spaceship is here.”

  “Spaceship? The Crocks?” Jerome’s mouth fell open.

  Everyone else was as amazed as Jerome, except for Eris.

  With a gentleness difficult to fathom in a craft as large as the V-shaped ship, it nuzzled up against the even bigger needle ship. Like a dragonfly landing on an alligator, Monika thought, as she realized the vast size difference. Or like a sparrow trying to stop the turning of the carousel. Yet, the Zalian craft made contact with the needle ship at its bow. Without any physical sensation, the great needle ship was turned and slowed.

  They all watched in wonder as the dance between the two craft took place in the heavens.

  “Captain, we are no longer heading for the sun,” SB Pinaka s
tated, although it was obvious from the view that they were now headed at an angle away from the red sun. “We are now on an intercept course with Alpha.”

  “How can they push us like that?” Someone asked.

  “Why does not matter? They are doing it!” Eris cheered. “We are being saved!”

  “The Crocks saving us?” Jerome asked in wonder. “Or setting us up for a combined death? Throw the needle ship and our last habitat together, then kill us all in one blow?”

  “Jerome,” Monika said and squeezed his arm. “When hunting, it is often easier to kill prey separately. Cut off the target animal from the herd, then take it out. The Crocks are not doing that here. They are helping us.”

  “So it appears,” Jerome conceded. “I just hope you are right.”

  They all watched as the V-shaped Zalian craft pushed the needle ship along. As they got closer to Alpha, Eris commanded that the displays show the relative positions of all three spacecraft. The large center display still showed space, and a point-of-view from the needle ship, but the side displays showed how the ships were coming together.