Parker's Folly

by Doug L. Hoffman

  “Water used to flow more freely and the climate was once much more Earth-like,” Ludmilla replied. “You can tell by the rock strata and erosion patterns. Now there is no visible life, not even vegetation, on land. As near as we can tell, Captain, this planet has been blasted back to the Precambrian stage.”

  Seeing several blank looks around her, she explained. “On Earth, about 550 million years ago there was a sudden blossoming of multicellular life forms, where previously life had been mostly limited to simple single cell organisms. During the Cambrian Period that followed, life underwent an evolutionary explosion that continues to this day. Despite five major and many minor global extinction events—the worst of which killed off more than 90% of all living creatures—Earth has never been returned to a state where complex organisms vanished. On the planet below such an event seems to have taken place, there are signs of vanished complex life but nothing present today. ”

  “You're saying someone did this deliberately? Wiped out an entire populated world?” the Captain demanded.

  “Not just its civilization, but every living thing more advanced than a bacterium,” was Ludmilla's grim reply.

  “Could they have done this to themselves? The inhabitants I mean.” asked Jo Jo. “From the size of the cities they must have had an advanced, technological civilization. Perhaps this is the end result of a planet wide arms race—nuclear Armageddon.”

  “If so it must have happened some time ago,” answered Ludmilla. “From background radiation levels perhaps 10,000 years, maybe more.”

  “Perhaps,” JT added tersely, as he manipulated the telescope's controls. “I'm more inclined to think it had something to do with that.”

  The image blurred and refocused on the limb of the planet, where a strange bluish-gray shape was emerging from behind the dun colored crescent. As the bridge crew watched a large, obviously artificial object slowly filled their field of view.

  * * * * *

  The ship was still several hours from making orbit. Jack called the rest of the science team to the bridge so he could get their opinions first hand. Not that he didn't trust Ludmilla and JT, but he wanted everyone to be in agreement with what he was about to do next.

  “It looks like a giant mushroom,” said Billy Ray.

  “More like a medusa, a giant jellyfish,” offered Bobby. “How big is that thing?”

  “The cap is about 20 kilometers in diameter and perhaps 5 km thick at the center. The stalk is more than 40 km long,” Rajiv supplied.

  “Is it alive?” the Captain asked Ludmilla, who was now acting in the role of xenobiologist rather than ship's surgeon.

  “No, Captain. As best we can tell, it is a construct. Yuki is being cautious but Rajiv is willing to bet that it was left by those who wiped this world clean. Maybe the same ones who were spying on Earth.” Rajiv nodded his agreement with Ludmilla's statement.

  Jack had never seen Ludmilla so grim faced. As both a doctor and a biologist, she held life sacred. Just thinking about a race that could kill an entire world both frightened and enraged her.

  “Has there been any reaction from the satellite at all? Have we been scanned by radar or other active sensors?”

  “No, Sir,” answered JT. “Not a peep out of it since the initial response to the probe's signal.”

  “Again, at the risk of anthropomorphizing something totally alien, that doesn't sound to me like the response of anything living,” Jack ventured. “By that I do not mean the satellite, but any crew on the satellite. Could that thing be a robotic station like the one in crater Bruno, granted, on a much bigger scale?”

  “It may not be alive,” Yuki said. “But there is a great deal of energy being expended inside of that structure. If you notice the orientation of the cap, it would appear to be a giant solar collector.”

  “Captain?” the voice of the ship's computer inquired. “I may know what purpose the structure serves.”

  “And what would that be?” Jack asked.

  “It is a refueling station.”

  “What brings you to this conclusion? More newly remembered information from the artifact's memory?”

  “Yes, Captain. That and readings from the radiation and particle detectors. The structure's form and its heliocentric orientation are consistent with Dr. Saito's observation. Given the amount of energy being collected it makes little sense for antimatter reactions to be powering the station, yet the unmistakable signature of matter-antimatter annihilation is present. I can only conclude that the station is creating antimatter for later use.”

  “And the radiation?” Jack inquired.

  “Evidently, the process is not all that efficient. Some of the generated fuel is evidently being destroyed during the process.”

  “Well, if that station is storing a large quantity of antimatter, and given the energetic response of the probe to having a rail gun round breach its storage, this may provide an answer to our dilemma.”

  The eyes turned to the Captain. “We needed to find the base that received the probe's message, the satellite is most likely that base. Having found the base, we need to destroy it. Unfortunately, that is a damn big satellite. If we emptied our entire magazine into it we might not damage it enough to stop the alien vessel's report. Besides, though it has not responded to our presence, there is no telling what it might do if we started bombarding it. No, I think the best way to proceed is as we did on the Moon—Lt. Curtis!”

  “Yes, Captain?”

  “Have the Marines and appropriate members of the crew form in the cargo hold. Organize a boarding party—we are going to pay that space station a visit.”

  Chapter 18

  Bridge, Parker's Folly, Approaching The Alien Satellite

  The Captain decided to approach the alien satellite on a straight in course, decelerating constantly like the probe ship had been. Jack was hoping to identify a suitable landing or docking area as they drew nearer the huge construct. The shallow convex cap, which appeared to be a translucent cover over top of a dark, multifaceted array, did not offer any obvious entry points, so the ship continued on course to pass under the 20 km in diameter circular collector.

  Heading for the long central “stem” of the satellite, a fringe of pipes—perhaps heat exchangers or antennae of some type—could be seen hanging down from the rim of the circular cap. Of seemingly random lengths, some extended for a quarter of a kilometer, though most were less than half that length. Passing well clear of the fringe, Parker's Folly headed for the central spine of the structure—the long stalk looked like it was made up of a bundle of individual columns bound together. Looking up at the huge structure, Billy Ray recited:

  Resignedly beneath the sky

  The melancholy waters lie.

  So blend the turrets and shadows there

  That all seem pendulous in air,

  While from a proud tower in the town,

  Death looks gigantically down.

  “What was that?” asked Jolene, sitting behind the helmsmen at one of the weapons stations. “It sounds sort of familiar.”

  “That'd be Poe,” answered Billy Ray, “The City in the Sea.”

  “I can understand the Captain knowing obscure literary passages,” Jolene whispered to Bobby, “but how does Billy Ray know this stuff?” Bobby whispered back, “He has a Master's in English lit. from University of North Texas.”

  “Yep,” Billy Ray said, obviously overhearing them. “Just imagine what old Edgar would have written if he saw yonder space mushroom.”

  Overhead, the underside of the cap did, in fact, look much like a mushroom, with radial ribs from the cap's rim arching inward to join the top of the central stalk. There the ribs merged into the larger columns that comprised the stalk itself. About four kilometers down the stalk there were two flat, circular plates each roughly three kilometers in diameter. The plates were separated from each other by a gap of 200 meters.

  There were no obvious sources of artificial lighting. What light did illuminate the satellit
e's underside was reflected from the planet below. In that dim light, protuberances of many shapes—spherical, cylindrical, multifaceted prisms—could be seen clustered around the central stalk on top of the upper plate. Similar structures could be seen on the underside of the lower plate—an infrastructure created by alien minds to satisfy alien needs, silent and unfathomable.

  Moving slowly beneath the cap and only five kilometers shy of the central stalk, there was still no indication from the satellite where to dock—not a radio beacon, not a blinking light. Jack was as puzzled by the lack of response as the rest of the crew, but had to make a decision anyway. “Helm, head for the gap between the plates. Decelerate to dead slow before moving between them.”

  “Aye aye, Captain,” responded Bobby. Outside the ship's transparent nose the gap was growing larger with each passing second, while the bulk of the satellite's cap loomed overhead. Creeping toward the gap between the plates, the space between the two flat surfaces suddenly lit with a dim blue-green light. Jack shifted to the edge of his seat. “I think that might be a welcoming sign. Edge her in slowly, Mr. Danner. Mr. Vincent be ready on the rail guns, gunner's mates scan for targets. Await my order to fire.”

  Out of the side of his mouth, Bobby whispered to his friend. “First a probe droid and now the Death Star, I think I know this movie.” Without any visible reaction, Billy Ray whispered back, “Death Mushroom, pardner, totally different thing.”

  The space ahead was mostly uncluttered, flat parallel plains above and below. Closer to the central column there were shapes sticking up from the lower surface, like mounds of hay only with smooth surfaces. From above, similar shapes hung down for maybe five meters—stunted metallic stalactites mirrored by stalagmites on the floor. In the distance directly ahead there was what might be a doorway in the side of the main stalk.

  The ship cleared the outer boundary and was now completely between the parallel surfaces of the plates. The ship settled toward the lower plate a bit and bobbled while Bobby fought the controls. “Captain! A weak gravity gradient just switched on. Should I counteract it?”

  “Feels like an indication for us to land here, Mr. Danner. Lower the landing struts and ease her onto the deck.”

  “Aye Sir.” A thin sheen of perspiration had formed on Bobby's forehead, a single bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face. With intense concentration, he lowered the ship to the flat surface below, coming to rest with barely a quiver. His hands remained on the controls, ready to catapult the ship back out into space.

  The Captain looked around the bridge. Finding all in order he relaxed slightly, discovering that he was holding his breath. Well, we have definitely arrived somewhere. I guess its time for phase 2. Over the PA he announced, “Attention all hands, we have landed on the alien satellite. Remain at your action stations and be alert for trouble.”

  “Cargo Hold, Bridge. Lt. Curtis, ready the boarding party.”

  “Aye aye, Captain,” came Gretchen's reply, the faintest hint of anxiety contending with excitement in her voice. The last time, they were investigating an alien presence on the Moon, practically humanity's own back yard. This time they were on the aliens' turf and they were the trespassers.

  Docking Bay, Alien Satellite

  Lt. Curtis' boarding party comprised the entire Marine squad, less corpsman White, plus Bear, JT, Yuki and Ivan. Before the last altercation, Col. Kondratov was to be a full participant in any future extravehicular activity. Accordingly, a suit of space armor had been fabricated for him. After discussing the matter with the Captain, it was decided to allow him on the expedition, in armor but without weapons. The Captain had called it one last chance at redemption.

  As they set out for the central column and its hoped for way into the core, the boarding party left the Chief and two of the crew, Hitch and Jacobs, standing guard and to act as a relief force if needed. The two spacers were armed and encased in the new space armor. The Chief, who might have to pilot a skiff to aid the boarding party's exfiltration, wore a standard spacesuit, the gauntlets of an armored suit being unsuited for such precision work.

  Rajiv had really wanted to go on the mission but the Captain refused to allow the entire science team to venture off the ship into what was most likely hostile territory. What Jack had not added was that, given Rajiv's detailed knowledge of the ship's technology, he could not be allowed to fall into enemy hands.

  The local gravity was about 1/8 of Earth normal, which soon had the boarders moving with a combined hopping, skating motion, reminiscent of the first astronauts on the Moon. Moving across the flat surface, it became clear that the haystacks and other intrusions lay in straight lines on either side of the doorway's central axis, leaving the path to the satellite's core unobstructed. They formed radial “hedgerows” that divided the dock area into individual landing bays. As the party closed on the central spire, after crossing a distance of around 800 meters, they could see that what appeared to be a door was in fact an open archway leading to the satellite's interior.

  The party halted in front of the opening, 10 meters wide and as high in the middle. The Marines formed a perimeter facing outward while the officers and scientists conferred. The Captain and Dr. Gupta joined the discussion from the ship.

  “It looks like this whole structure is left open to space. There are no provisions for maintaining any kind of atmosphere that I can see,” Gretchen reported. Other than the lights and gravity coming on when the ship entered the dock, there were no signs of life. The whole place had a spooky, alien feel.

  The landing dock was obviously capable of handling craft significantly larger than Folly. If the satellite was a refueling station, as the ship's computer had surmised, there must be a way to get the fuel on board visiting ships. “From the readings we are getting on the ship's sensors, the source of the antimatter generated radiation is inside the central spine and up toward the cap,” Rajiv explained.

  “Agreed,” said JT. Out of long habit, he continued to scan the perimeter while the discussion continued. “Yuki and I were taking readings on the way and we came to the same conclusion. I'm also wondering if, given the size of this place, there isn't another ship or two resting in some other part of the dock.”

  “I was thinking the same thing, Mr. Taylor,” the Captain concurred. “It would be good to check if we are alone.”

  Always itching to be on the move, Bear offered a suggestion. “Why don't some of us take a look around the dock while the rest go inside looking for the antimatter fuel station?”

  “I was thinking the same thing, Lt. Bear,” was Gretchen's quick reply. “Bear, JT, why don't you take three of the Marines and do a walk-about? Find out if there are any other interesting vehicles parked here.”

  “Roger that, Lieutenant.”

  “Gunny, send three of your people with Lt. Bear. And we'd better leave a couple here to watch the entrance—wouldn't want to be surprised when we come back out.”

  “Yes, Ma'am.” The Gunny turned toward the nearest Marines. As far as she was concerned, this may be a high pucker factor mission but it beat being stuck on board the ship. “Feldman, Reagan, Sanchez, go with Lt. Bear. Sizemore, you and Washington hold the fort here—and keep your eyes open. Davis, Kwan, you're with me.”

  “OK people, let's move out,” Gretchen told the group. “Inside squad shift to frequency net two. Bear, call if you find work.” Lt. Bear growled his assent, rose on all fours and rambled away from the opening.

  Bear's detachment moved off to the left, starting a clockwise circuit of the dock space with Bear himself on point, followed by JT and the three nervous Marines. Lt. Curtis motioned for her unit to move into the opening. Davis took point, followed by the Gunny, then the Lieutenant, Dr. Saito and Col. Kondratov, with Kwan bringing up the rear.

  Sizemore and Washington found themselves alone. The Corporal couldn't decide which was worse, standing around waiting for someone to shoot at you, or going looking for someone to shoot at you. Either way, this place gave him the
willies. “You OK, Washington?”

  “Yeah, Corp,” came Washington's reply. “I just got a bad feeling about this place.”

  Lt. Curtis' Party, Inside The Satellite's Core

  Following PFC Davis, Lt. Curtis' party moved down the arched passageway. For reasons unknown, the passageway was unlit, though a light in the distance could be seen. Using their suits' IR illumination they managed to skirt several large, rectangular pits in the floor of the passageway. A hundred meters down the dark hallway they came to another open doorway, light streaming through from the chamber beyond. Stepping out of the passageway, the squad emerged onto a platform clinging to the side of the satellite's hollow core.

  The view that greeted them was on a scale generally reserved for natural wonders—Angel Falls, the Grand Canyon, and other works that challenge human imagination. The central shaft was as wide as the distance they had traveled from the ship to the outer door. The Folly could easily have sailed up the shaft and turned around without coming close to its walls. Lit with the same pallid blue-green light, the cylindrical chamber extended to infinity both above and below. A trick of lighting and perspective, Lt. Curtis knew the ceiling could only extend for four kilometers overhead, while the bottomless pit beneath them might well extend the full thirty five kilometers before emptying into open space.

  “Certainly not the place for someone with acrophobia,” Ivan remarked. He was no longer as on edge as he had been around Lt. Bear. He was, after all, a cosmonaut, and he was in his element exploring the strange alien space station.

  “No, I would say not,” Yuki replied. Having spent several months on board the ISS with the Russian officer, he was still willing to converse with Ivan. Gretchen limited her conversation to giving orders. As for the Marines, they avoided casual conversation with officers, especially Russian officers who were on the CO's shit list.