Trappist-1_The Tree of Life

by Todd Fries

  Major Brooks patted Mark on the back. So do you think you can build one of these?”

  Mark turned to him and sounded very confident.

  “Actually. Yes. I think it’s possible. Once I was able to observe the craft at full power and refine my calculations, I think the reactor that powers this ship could be duplicated.”

  “Really?”

  “Not to the extent of this engine. However, using our current technology, we might be able to develop something similar, but it wouldn’t be as fast as this ship.”

  “How fast?”

  Based on my calculations, it might take our version six months to reach Earth’s nearest neighbor. Proxima. This would still be faster than anything we’ve ever devised. When we get back to civilization, I’ll publish a paper and if my theories are correct, humans might be able to develop interstellar travel within 10 years.”

  “In 10 years? We’re already here!”

  “I meant the human race. This is one vehicle and we didn’t build it. I’m certain our first attempts will be slow and cumbersome, but eventually we’ll become better at developing the technology.”

  Nickolas turned to Jacob.

  “Is this why your ‘Tree of Life’ connects the habitable star systems like stepping stones?”

  Jacob turned toward him.

  “It would make sense. Each is probably unique in its own way, but like Proxima b, none may be as perfect as Trappist-1e. They’re probably suitable for manned waypoints on the way to greater destinations.”

  Nickolas was curious.

  “Like here? Is this place the final destination or might we find another Earth?”

  Jacob responded.

  “I guess anything is possible, but given the evidence I outlined in our first meeting, it seems this is meant to be our first major milestone. SM1 is unique. By allowing us to skip all the stops along the way, we have a chance to get things started. It may take hundreds of years for humans to finally reach this planet on their own, given the large distances involved, but by the time the first colonists arrive, this will be a thriving and habitable world.”

  Nickolas addressed Mark.

  “So are these other stars and other worlds sort of like ‘supply cashes’ on the way to a remote destination? What I mean is that the polar explorers of a hundred years ago, as an example, had to lay down supplies all along their route to the pole and then in one final push, achieve their objective. Given our current abilities and assuming you’ve solved the puzzle of engineering a similar drive, might this be the process by which we reach our ultimate objectives?”

  Mark answered.

  “What Jacob discovered makes sense. Why use all these other systems to connect the dots to Trappist-1?”

  Jacob corrected him.

  “But not just Trappist-1, but a host of stars within the ‘Tree of Life.’ It’s all about God’s plan for mankind. We don’t know what God has in mind for us. He’s looking out over the universe on a much grander scale. He sees so much more than we can imagine. However, by establishing a base here, mankind would have an objective. Just as we sought to put a man on the Moon, humans will dream of reaching this world and nothing will stop us from doing the impossible. While we can’t spend 5 years in space, we can survive 6 months and by building bases along the way, we can take baby steps to our ultimate objective.”

  Nickolas turned his attention to some of the rocks next to Mark. He had some experience in geology, being an archaeologist, and understood something about the minerals in front of him.

  “What do you make of this?”

  “I’m not sure, but I have a few theories.”

  “Do you think its majorite?”

  Jillian was curious.

  “Majorite?”

  Nickolas explained.

  “One of many unusual things about this planet are the high concentrations of oxygen. Without life, one would expect less, but there are other ways for the gas to collect in the atmosphere.”

  Jillian replied.

  “Like what?”

  Nickolas held up the rock.

  “With this?”

  “A Rock?”

  “Ah, but much more than a rock; a mineral. A mineral that acts like a sponge deep beneath the surface.”

  Mark took the rock from Nickolas and continued with the explanation.

  “You see Jillian, this mineral stores oxygen. This was a recent discovery back on Earth. In the case of Earth, we have large amounts of majorite in our mantle. When scientists examined this mineral under conditions that mimicked Earth’s deep interior and also near the surface, the results showed that under deep-Earth conditions of high temperature and pressure, majorite stores large amounts of oxygen.”

  Nickolas finished his thought.

  “When the temperature and pressure are decreased, as occurs when it reaches the surface, the majorite decomposes and releases its oxygen. This also happens with hematite and magnetite, of which we have an abundance outside. In the case of Trappist 1e, these formations may reach several hundred meters in thickness and hundreds of kilometers in length, deposited in this sea at the time of its creation.”

  Jillian challenged him.

  “So what brings it to the surface?”

  “There are many ways. First, you can see that we may be sitting in a vast planet sized crater. Such an impact would reach deep into the mantle, releasing billions of tons of rock. In addition, there may be plate tectonics at work. Look at the mountains and valleys we saw on the way down. On Earth, hematite and magnetite are major components of the so-called Banded Iron Formations, or ironstones, huge sedimentary rock formations occurring on all the continents. On Earth, it’s estimated that oxygen reserves, equivalent to eight or ten times the mass of oxygen in the atmosphere exist beneath the crust. On this planet, the same process may be at work on a wider scale.”

  Lori countered his theory.

  “It could also be volcanism. Because of plate tectonics on Earth, most of our ancient volcanoes spewed out water vapor, which helped to form our oceans and brought oxygen to the surface. This didn’t happen on Venus, as example, because the crust never moved, allowing harmful sulfur and other gases to build into a thick atmosphere. We’ll have to monitor the geology of this planet and search for volcanoes, but it certainly seems that by chance or design, this planet is very hospitable.”

  Mark continued.

  “I have found some materials that I don’t recognize, but these will have to be analyzed back on Earth.”

  Jillian nodded her head in approval.

  “Nice work detectives. What do you have in store for us next?”

  Lori stepped into the room.

  “Water. That’s what’s next.”

  Nickolas responded.

  “Really? How could that be better than finding our source of oxygen?”

  Lori smiled.

  “What we have here is predominantly light water. It’s a hybrid of both heavy and light water, but light enough to drink and feed crops. I’ve decided to call it Kether water after the first Sephira on the Tree of Life.”

  Nickolas replied. “Kether water?”

  Jacob explained.

  “Kether lies on the other side of the Abyss and is thus free from many adverse human manifestations. What she’s saying is that this water is ideal, divine or even holy. This is a liquid of light and love.”

  Nickolas reacted.

  “Ahhh. Holy water. I get it. The Catholics would be proud.”

  Jacob disagreed.

  “No, that’s something different. This is just a symbolic name for our miracle liquid. Without it, there’s no life and now we have plenty. Kether gives life and so does water.”

  Lori smiled.

  “You put it much more eloquently than I. But I agree. This is a major revelation and one worthy of a proper name. But speaking of water, the soil is another issue.”

  Mark crossed his arms.

  “How’s that?”

  “The ground is sterile, but the p
H is nothing that’s a show stopper. What’s odd is that the moisture content is much higher than expected, given the total lack of rain. We should see a very dry regolith, but this is rather moist. I’m not complaining mind you, but it’s perplexing.”

  “Is it possible that we’re seeing seepage from the lake?”

  “I can’t rule it out, but this sample was taken near the surface, where’d you expect high evaporation rates. Even if the water was somehow being drawn into the surrounding soil, the dry air should be whisking away any excess.”

  “What about contamination from Nick’s hands?”

  “No. Absolutely not. There’s too much water to account for body sweat.”

  “So where’s it coming from?”

  “I can’t say. I simply don’t have enough information. We’ll have to study the area in detail and take more samples from other parts of the plateau.”

  Hannah had an idea.

  “You know this may sound nuts, but before the great biblical flood, it never rained.”

  “It never rained?”

  Hannah pinched some of the dirt between her fingers and held up the particles for all to see.

  “Because of this theoretical layer of water above the Earth, the temperature was very similar across the entire globe. Therefore we didn’t have clouds or rain as there were no major temperature inversions.”

  Lori was skeptical.

  “So how did the plants get water?”

  “That’s just it. During the evening the temperature dropped, but as the Sun rose and heated the ground, it formed a heavy dew that fed the plants. Perhaps that’s what’s happening here?”

  Nickolas held his chin.

  “You know, it’s possible. The planets are so closely aligned, that as they pass in front of Trappist-1e, they may block enough energy to cause a slight decrease in temperature; and when they no longer interfere with the star’s radiation, the temperature rises, causing moisture to form on the ground. Might this explain your findings?”

  Lori nodded.

  “Yes. I believe it would. This would be consistent with the amount of water I found trapped in the topsoil. It would certainly make it easier to maintain our crops. We’ll have to prove out your theory in the coming days.”

  Major Brooks also inquired about the dirt.

  “Can microbes grow in this stuff or is there too much UV being ejected from Trappist?”

  Mark answered.

  “I took readings on the way down. The good news is that we have an ozone layer and a magnetic field. My compass doesn’t point north, but it does point toward the local magnetic pole. Trappist 1e must have an active core. This combined with being in close proximity to our neighbors, is actually creating a much larger shield against solar radiation.”

  Nickolas questioned him.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re familiar with the Van Allen Belts. They protect us from charged particles that are constantly bombarding the Earth. The Plasmasphere around Earth is distorted by the Solar Wind, which pushes it out like the tail of the kite. If the planets in front of us also have active magnetic fields, those fields may be intersecting ours, creating a broader range of protection. Some of these worlds are orbiting less than 2X the distance from the Earth to the Moon. As you can tell, this is a very compact system with all seven planets orbiting closer to their star than Mercury does to our own Sun. Because of that, they create a totally different resonance.”

  Lori raised a concern.

  “So this resonance. How does it affect the orbit of our planet?”

  “I’m not actually talking about gravitational balance, but the complex interaction of multiple magnetic fields in close proximity. By having multiple layers of protection, the planet may be shielded from the star’s gigantic flares. These eruptions have been recording as being anywhere from 10 to 10,000 times stronger than the most powerful geomagnetic storms on Earth.”

  Lori raised another good point.

  “So how strong is the magnetic field on this planet?”

  Mark rummaged through his papers.

  “Very strong. About 100 times stronger than on Earth. The core may be rotating once every 6 days which is extremely fast by Earth standards. If the other planets have similar characteristics, this whole region of space may be one giant Van Allen Belt.”

  Nickolas was starting to understand.

  “So the interaction between these individual fields is setting up some sort of symbiotic resonance?”

  Mark smiled.

  “A good choice of words. Symbiotic. A mutually beneficial association. Yes. Very good point. The planets feed off each other to create a more stable field, which is why our little paradise is so benign. It also explains why this planet still has a thick atmosphere and plenty of water.”

  Jillian was curious.

  “Why did they name this star Trappist?”

  Mark laughed.

  “You won’t believe it, but a Belgian team found it and named it after their famous Trappist beer, which is what the astronomers used to toast their discovery.”

  Everybody laughed. Jillian added to his comment.

  “I wonder what the first beer will taste like on Trappist-1e?

  Major Brooks responded.

  “Bet they name it Trappist beer!”

  Nickolas responded to his previous comment.

  “This planet circles the star in just six days. Correct? So if we’re going to experience any change in seasons, it should have been evident by now?”

  Lori agreed.

  “This is true, but given the tidal locking, the weather should be very stable in this region. We’re protected by a larger ocean and then a range of high peaks bordering the twilight zone between night and day. These are further reducing our cloud cover, which in this instance is probably a good thing. The weather is basically circling our little island in the Sun, much as it does on our world around Antarctica. Only in this case, it’s keeping our continent warm and moist instead of cold and dry.”

  Mark commented.

  “The reduction in cloud cover will maximize our light.”

  Jillian agreed.

  “We need as much light as possible from our star.”

  “But do we have enough light to grow plants?”

  Jillian commented.

  “No. While we can see with our eyes, the amount of visible light is still below that required to sustain plant life. We’ll still have to use our chemical alternative to light. However, as long as we can dig irrigation channels, I don’t see why we can’t be successful. As for growing mushrooms, the climate is very stable, which is perfect for fungus. We won’t have major storms that might destroy our crops and certainly no frost or prolonged droughts. The growing season will never end, making food production possible on a grand scale.”

  Nickolas added to the conversation.

  “I assume you’re still planning to stagger the crops? Growing them at different rates so that we can harvest on a rotating schedule?”

  “Correct. This will also help us evaluate our techniques and refine them as we go along. We don’t know how these new conditions will affect our plants and until we have seedlings, we’ll need to use some intellectual guesswork. Nothing like this has been done before, so we’re bound to run into a few roadblocks along the way. If we can minimize our errors, we’ll be better off in the long run. The key is to find the right balance and then duplicate our success.”

  “Why’d you bring all this soil from Earth?”

  “It’s full of bacteria and microbes and other things we’ll need to introduce into the regolith. I’ll spread it out over a large area. It’s not meant to be a seed bed, but simply a means of transplanting beneficial bacteria and other microscopic life. We’ll also be using our own manure as fertilizer, so we already have many of the basic necessities to become interdependent with this eco-system.”

  Major Brooks agreed.

  Mark picked up one of the rocks again.

  “We have so m
uch opportunity here. It seems that we either got lucky or Jacob’s analysis was right on target. Didn’t all your numbers and angles point to this place?”

  Jacob responded.

  “I never had any doubt. For me the numbers were never in question. All that was required was a giant leap of faith.”

  Nickolas smiled.

  “A 40 light year leap of faith.”

  Jacob continued.

  “True. However, the roadmap for expansion was very clear. This is nothing like our home planet, but the conditions are right for establishing our DNA on a clean slate. If there’s any ‘opportunity’ to be had, it’s the opportunity to do better this time. Mankind has made a mess of our first Garden of Eden, but in planting a new one, can we really learn from our past mistakes?”

  “Amen!” Nickolas agreed.

  Jacob finished his thought.

  “We’ve already missed an opportunity.”

  “What’s that?”

  “We were so excited about our arrival and collecting our samples, that we never thanked him or consecrated this new ground. We should have done that before we took our first steps. Funny how quickly we forget.”

  Nickolas made a suggestion.

  “Should we do that now?”

  Everyone nodded. Nickolas opened the door and the red glow of the sun flooded the hallway. They each said a blessing as they stepped out onto the rocky soil, one at a time, and forming a circle outside the ship, they took each other’s hands and gave thanks for God’s many miracles, and blessed the ground they stood upon by dedicating it to the Author of all creation. This was a new beginning and one that would foreshadow great adventures to come. The human race was now a space faring species, dedicated to the subjection of the universe, just as God had ordained.

  Soli Deo Gloria

  The next book is First Colony

  If you enjoyed this book, please provide a good review as the retailer will promote books that are positively rated. Thank you for taking the time to read this story and I hope it was something you found entertaining.

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