Parker's Folly

by Doug L. Hoffman

  “Sure thing, Colonel. Just tell me what to do.”

  Main Lounge, Parker's Folly.

  Susan was sitting at the ship's bar, nursing a glass of Shiraz. Next to her was Billy Ray Vincent, who had just come off watch and was looking for some relaxation. He was doing his best cowboy act trying to get the normally talkative reporter to come out of her funk.

  “Well, Susan, I don't know what yer so down about. After all, you got a free trip to the Moon out of this assignment. You know how many times I told a fine looking gal I'd take her to the Moon?”

  “Come on, Tex. Cowboy cool doesn't work on me, I'm local grown.”

  “Now that hurts,” Billy Ray said, acting slighted. “Can't a couple of native born Texans enjoy a conversation in a bar? I can't imagine a more exotic locale.” He motioned to the large viewport through which the craggy visage of the Moon could be seen slowly passing in review.

  “Look, Billy Ray. I know you're trying to cheer me up, but it isn't that simple, you know?”

  “Well why don't you tell me about it, and we'll see?”

  “OK, how well do you know the Captain?”

  “I've been with the project goin' on four years, so about that long. Why?”

  “You heard that Ludmilla, Dr. Tropsha, had dinner with the Captain in his cabin last night?”

  “We live in a four hundred and forty foot long metal cigar, everyone pretty much knows about everything.” If I was the Captain I'd take a run at the Russian doctor myself, he added silently.

  “OK, so this morning, Ludmilla offloads on me and Ivan and JT, down in the guests' dayroom. Now I've had some bad first dates, but she was really upset. She claimed the Captain fed her all kinds of crazy stories about aliens visiting Earth four million years ago.”

  Oh shit, cat's out of the bag, thought Billy Ray. I guess we'll just have to see where this goes. He smiled encouragingly.

  “And that's not all,” Susan glanced around conspiratorially. “He said that we were made by aliens.”

  “We?”

  “People, and the talking polar bear.”

  “Yer point being?”

  “Dr. Tropsha thinks that the Captain is clinically insane, at least that's what she told us. Frankly, I don't know what to think. Maybe this is just cover for her date with the Captain going wrong or something.”

  After airing the secret, Susan felt relieved, more like her normal self. Perhaps confession really was good for the soul. Suddenly realizing that the rather handsome Billy Ray was alone with her in the cozy bar, she shifted gear. In a low, breathy, just-between-the-two-of-us voice she said, “What do you think, Billy Ray?”

  “Well, Susan, I can tell you that Captain Jack is just about the sanest man I ever met. He's been around the world and back, seen some rough situations too. It ain't like we're best buds or anything, but I respect the man.”

  “What about the aliens and spaceship stuff?”

  “Yer on board a spaceship now, how do you think that came about if things didn't happen like the Captain said?”

  “You're telling me that everything he said is true? The little green men, the human breeding program, all of it?”

  “All I'm sayin' is that I worked on building this ship for more than three years and I know that the technology involved was not invented by us. We adapted it as best we could, but making it work was still a challenge. A lot of what they decoded is still way beyond us. On top of that, I'm on a crew where one of the officers is a talking polar bear. Nope, given what I've seen, I'm pretty much thinkin' the Captain is telling the truth.”

  “Really? And the whole crew knows?”

  “Not the whole crew, but everyone in important technical positions—the engineers, the bridge crew and the like.”

  Susan's head was now spinning and it wasn't from the wine. If this is all true, it really is the biggest story in the history of mankind! I've got to find out as many details about this as I can. She looked at Billy Ray, gazed seductively into his eyes and purred, “Tell me more about this mission of yours, cowboy.”

  Bridge, Parker's Folly

  JT arrived on the bridge to find Dr. Saito and Jo Jo Medina engrossed by the images on the navigator's console. Specifically, they were staring at the survey data visualization, which showed what lie beneath a small crater on the far side of the Moon, just beyond the northeastern limb.

  He looked at the surface view to the right of the main display and said, “That's got to be Giordano Bruno.”

  “How did you know?” Asked Yuki.

  “Look at the rays, the bright material that was ejected from the crater in all directions when the crater was formed. The ray material extends for over 150 kilometers and hasn't been significantly darkened by space erosion. That's why Giordano Bruno is thought to be one of the youngest craters on the Moon. Besides that, it's rather famous in astronomical circles.”

  “Really? In what way, JT?” asked Jo Jo.

  “Almost 850 years ago, a bunch of monks saw something that sounds a lot like a asteroid strike on the Moon. There was a controversy among astronomers when one guy suggested that Bruno was formed by the impact the monks observed.”

  “That would make the crater very young indeed,” said Yuki. “In fact, frighteningly so.”

  “Why would you say that, Doctor?”

  “Because given the size of the crater, about 22 kilometers, it would have taken a sizable asteroid to create it. An asteroid large enough to cause world changing damage had it struck Earth.”

  “That's right, Yuki, and the monks described multiple strikes.” JT was warming to his subject. “A dozen or more impacts that made the thin crescent of the Moon wiggle like a snake. In 1976 a geologist named Jack B. Hartung proposed that this described the formation of the crater Giordano Bruno.”

  “So that crater is less than a thousand years old?”

  “No, as it turns out a graduate student did some calculations for his thesis and came to the conclusion that what the monks saw couldn't have been the impact that formed the crater. An impact that big would have thrown up so much debris that there would have been meteor showers for a week on Earth. There are no reports of any such showers in the historical records. The calculations make sense, but the conclusion ruins a really good story. So, in any case, why did you call me back to the bridge?”

  “Look at the subsurface mapping display.” Yuki could not resist playing the part of a University professor, answering a question with a question. JT peered more closely at the main display. “That really shouldn't be, but it looks like there is a chamber under part of the crater's floor.”

  “That's what we thought,” agreed Yuki.

  “I think maybe we need to call the Captain to the bridge,” JT replied, Ludmilla's retelling of the Captain's story fresh in his mind.

  All this astronomy stuff was new to Jo Jo. “So if this crater wasn't made by whatever the monks saw, how old is it?”

  “A while back, the Japanese lunar orbiter team estimated the age to be greater than a million years based on counting smaller impacts inside the crater. More recent estimates peg the crater's formation at about four million years ago.”

  * * * * *

  The Captain and Lt. Curtis arrived less than ten minutes later. By then the survey crew had managed to enhance the picture resolution of what was under the mysterious crater.

  “So what have you found Mr. Taylor?” the Captain asked the excited astronomer.

  “Actually Yuki found it,” JT replied, nodding to the Japanese scientist. “He and Jo Jo seem to have found a cavern underneath the floor of a crater.”

  “And just where is that crater located?”

  “On the far side, just beyond the northeastern limb, between the craters Harkhebi to the northwest and Szilard to the southeast. It's in a location that can be viewed from Earth during a favorable libration, although at such times the area would be viewed from the side. It would be impossible to make out much detail from down below. From lunar orbit, however, it's easy t
o identify because of the distinctive rays.”

  “Does this crater have a name, Mr. Taylor?”

  “Yes, Sir. It's called Giordano Bruno, after an early scientific martyr.”

  “And you're telling me that this void beneath the crater shouldn't be there, correct?”

  “That's right, Captain,” said Yuki. “After an impact the lunar material would have been molten and settled to the bottom of the crater. But this is like the surface re-solidified and then the still molten lava beneath drained away.”

  “To where?”

  “That is exactly the point, Captain.” Yuki smiled approvingly, the Captain had seen the heart of the anomaly straight away. “Some lava tube caverns have been previously identified, but this structure does not fit that pattern.”

  “That's not all, Sir. This is a famous crater to us astronomers, I learned about it in grad school. Some Medieval monks saw a cosmic fireworks display in its general vicinity back in the twelfth century.”

  “Yes, I'm familiar with the story. Something about ‘a dragon on the limb of the Moon.’”

  “Yes, Sir. And Captain,” JT added, “the crater is estimated to be about four million years old.”

  “Well that all fits,” the Captain said to no one in particular and then turned to his First Officer. “Lieutenant, I believe it's time to familiarize the Marines with our spacesuits. Include Mr. Taylor and Dr. Saito as well.”

  “And for the Marines, weapons as well, Sir?”

  “Yes Lieutenant, weapons. By all means, weapons.”

  Passenger's Dayroom, Parker's Folly

  Ludmilla entered the dayroom to find Yuki talking with Ivan, Susan and one of the crew, the cowboy they called Billy Ray. Yuki seemed quite animated, fairly bubbling with excitement.

  “Good day, everyone. What is all the excitement about?” she asked, joining the group near the coffee and tea service bar.

  “Dr. Saito was just telling us that they have found something strange on the Moon,” Susan replied excitedly. “Repeat what you told us, Yuki.”

  “From the results of the subsurface mapping survey we have found an anomalous chamber beneath a crater on the moon. The Captain is going to land the ship on the surface and we are to take a look.”

  “You mean you are going to go outside the ship, Yuki? After our rescue from the space station I hope to never walk in space again.” Ludmilla shuddered slightly at the thought.

  “It will be on the surface, Dr. Tropsha. There will be ground underfoot and as much gravity as we are feeling right now. I can't tell you how exciting this is, to stand on another world is an astrophysicist's dream come true. Now I must go and prepare.” With that the excited scientist hurried aft.

  “Well that explains why Gretchen called me in sickbay and said that we would need to be standing by a few hours from now. Is the Captain leading the expedition?” Maybe we can lock him out of the ship, she thought wickedly.

  “No Ma'am,” replied the crewman. “Lt. Curtis will be leading the shore party. Dr. Saito and Mr. Taylor will be taking care of the science.”

  “JT is going?” asked Susan. She was surprised that they would draft him for such a dangerous mission, at the same time realizing that he would jump at the chance to walk on the Moon. She looked to her new found friend. “Are you disappointed not to be going too, Billy Ray?”

  “No Ma'am, both me and Bobby will be at the helm with the Captain commanding from the bridge. We only do dangerous stuff with the ship, never outside it.”

  There seems to be something going on between this Billy Ray and Susan, Ludmilla noticed. “Is anyone else going outside?”

  “I'd imagine there will be some of those Marines tagging along. Lt Curtis has got them in the cargo hold suiting up and gettin' familiar with some of our firearms.”

  “Not the ray guns you shot them with?”

  “No, Doctor. These would be the lethal ones. I wouldn't be surprised if Lt. Bear goes along as well.”

  “Why would the Captain send an armed party out to look at a crater on the Moon?” asked the puzzled Ivan. He had been spending most of his time trying to access technical documents on his cabin's workstation and drinking tea. He had only learned of the excitement when he heard voices coming from the dayroom, which was next to his cabin.

  “The Captain is a cautious man, Colonel. Never know what you might find pokin' around an anomalous cavern beneath the surface of the Moon.”

  “Perhaps he will find some of his space aliens there,” scoffed Ludmilla, then realizing that she had just spoken ill of the Captain in front of one of his crew quickly apologized, “I'm sorry, Billy Ray. I did not mean to insult your Captain.”

  “No offense taken, Ma'am. Susan and I had been discussin' that very subject a bit earlier. I understand you think that the Captain might be a bit tetched in the head?”

  “Tetched?” repeated the confused Ludmilla.

  “Sorry, colloquial English. It means crazy.”

  “In that case, yes Billy Ray, I think your Captain might be tetched.”

  “We'll see, Ma'am. Bobby said he overheard the Captain telling Lt. Curtis to ‘bring back a live one’ if they found anything.”

  “Everyone on this vessel is insane!” exclaimed Ludmilla, eyes wide.

  “Yes Ma'am, wouldn't have it any other way.”

  Cargo Hold, Parker's Folly

  Lt. Curtis had JT and three of the Marines suited up and standing in front of her in the cargo hold, where an impromptu target range had been constructed using a large crate filled with self-expanding foam insulation. The Gunny was looking on but not wearing a space suit because her arm was still in a sling. Not being able to go with the shore party was not sitting well with the sergeant.

  “OK, people. Listen up,” said Lt. Curtis. “This is a combination electromagnetic flechette rifle and grenade launcher. You will notice the compact bullpup design. You will also notice an absence of ejection ports, since it fires caseless ammunition. In fact, it really doesn't fire projectiles so much as launches them.”

  “It has two barrels in an over-under configuration—a 5mm flechette rifle above a 20mm combination grenade launcher and shotgun. In the stock there are two removable magazines to feed the launcher. For this mission we will be carrying 5 canister rounds—sort of like shotgun shells, only they are all shot and casing—and 5 high explosive grenades.”

  “All right!” exclaimed an excited PFC Sanchez.

  “Cut out the chatter, Sanchez, and listen to the officer,” snapped the Gunny. She might not be able to go on the mission but they were still her responsibility, still her Marines.

  “As I was saying,” resumed Lt. Curtis, “the controls are all sized and positioned to make operation easy while wearing a space suit. This forward selector switches between the two magazines, with the middle position being the safety. Oddly enough, without any air to carry the shock wave the HE rounds are probably not very useful, but one never knows. Do not take the 20mm off safety unless I call for it, do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes Ma'am!” came the response from the Marines and the attentive JT.

  “The generally more useful part of the weapon is the upper barrel. It shoots 5mm flechettes, which are fed from the transparent double row magazine located on top of the barrel, here.” The Lieutenant clasped the indicted item with her left hand.

  “Each magazine holds 200 rounds, which is possible mainly because they consist only of the flechettes themselves—no shell casings, no gunpowder, just the bullets as it were. As I stated, these are electromagnetic weapons. They use intense electromagnetic fields to accelerate the rounds out of the barrel.”

  “You mean these are like personal rail guns, Lieutenant?” asked JT, eying the weapon like it was his own true love.

  “They are exactly like that, Mr. Taylor. The motive power is carried in a battery in the hand grip here. A single power pack is capable of firing all ten of the 20mm rounds and five or six magazines worth of the 5mm. You will be carrying two extra 200 rou
nd mags in your suit pockets.

  “That's a total of 600 rounds, plus five grenades and five shotgun shells. That does not mean you can just spray and pray if we do find something that needs shooting. The rate of fire and the muzzle velocity of the 5mm are adjustable. This selector on the side next to the trigger chooses between single shot, three round burst and full rock and roll. Rate of fire can be set for 300, 600 or 1200 rounds per minute. On 1200 it is very easy to run through a whole mag before you realize it, so keep the rate low and watch your ammo.

  “The muzzle velocity is also adjustable using this thumb wheel here on the back of the hand grip. Full up is around 4000 fps, full down is 800, sub-sonic under Earth normal conditions. I have found it best to keep the setting low—around 1500—since that uses less juice from the battery.”

  “Why would we up the muzzle velocity, Lieutenant?” asked Cpl Sizemore, who would be the ranking Marine on the expedition.

  “If you shoot something and don't get penetration you can jack up the velocity and hit it again. The other thing that the muzzle velocity changes is how much recoil you will get when discharging the weapon. Because you are unfamiliar with low-g conditions in general and these weapons in particular, we are going to fire a few rounds each into this impromptu backstop.”

  “All right!” said Washington and Sanchez together.

  “We will start out with several single shots and then a few triple bursts. You will notice that every third flechette is a tracer round so you can see where your fire it going. Under this low gravity the bullet trajectory will be very flat. The optical sight will automatically calibrate for local gravity but that can be turned off if you are firing in variable G conditions. OK, Mr. Taylor, you first. You used to be a Green Beret, right?”

  “Yes Ma'am, that I was.” JT stepped forward to the firing line.

  “OK Army, show me what you got.” Gretchen passed JT the futuristic looking weapon and stepped back behind the firing position. As she did she couldn't help but notice that the handsome cameraman had kept himself in great shape despite being out of the service. The skintight spacesuit highlighted every aspect of his musculature. In fact, she mused, that ass would not look out of place on an NFL tight end. “Everyone else behind the firing line! Folly, please secure the aft doors to the cargo hold.”