Colony (Terran Chronicles Book 3)

by James Jackson

  Captain Adams breathes a sigh of relief, then releases his restraining belts. He stands, then walks over to Kennedy and Frank. Ignoring the multitude of red lights and flashing warning symbols, he slaps both men on the back, “Well done! Remember, any landing you can walk away from is a good one.” He gives them both an encouraging wink.

  Kennedy and Frank glance at the consoles indicating countless systems failures, then begin to chuckle. As the stress of the journey fades, all three of them begin to laugh louder and louder. None of them really know what is so funny, but their relief at arriving safely is uncontainable.

  Shuttles arrive from the colony, along with medical teams. People begin to make their way down the Liberty’s ramp, many harbor cuts and bruises. Quite a few stop and stare at the green grass and blue skies in a daze, and wonder if they are really on a new world. The similarities to Earth are too strong for many to comprehend, until they gaze upward and spot the planet’s two moons. The sight quickly brings these people back to reality.

  Cindy arrives on the scene with John and Joe in tow. The ship’s hull still creaks and groans as the metal cools. A vapor trail snakes up into the sky, indicating the ship’s erratic flight path.

  Cindy shakes her head while she reviews the damage, “I can’t believe the ship actually landed,” she says more to herself than anyone else.

  Frank and Kennedy make their way down the Liberty’s ramp, then walk over to Cindy’s group. After brief introductions, Joe turns his gaze upward, “It’s a good thing you didn’t hit either of the moons on the way in.”

  “Kennedy glances skyward, “Yeah, or your ship, for that matter.”

  John also gazes at the sky, “Or the satellites, it’s not like we have spares, you know.”

  Frank and Kennedy look at each other in perplexity, “Satellites?” They question in unison. Kennedy shakes his head, “We didn’t see any satellites.”

  John laughs, and points at the nose of the ship, “Joe, are you sure they’re all accounted for? It looks like they ran into something.”

  Joe is mesmerized by the damage, “It was the first thing I checked mate.” He turns to Kennedy, “Let’s go and check your ship out, see what still works.”

  Kennedy and Joe walk up the ramp and begin a very brief tour of the ship. Once Cindy is assured that everything that can be done, is being done, she and John leave. Neither one wants to board the ship, and both respect that Adams is still on board.

  Few of the Liberty’s people notice the heavier gravity, but the dryer air instantly catches everyone’s attention. Within days, however, this becomes the new normal as the new arrivals acclimate. The task of unloading everyone takes an entire day, all of them receive a check up and a vaccination.

  Captain Adams is the last person to leave the ship. He walks a safe distance away, and is met by Kennedy and Frank. They quickly fill him in with the latest updates.

  Adams stops, turns to look back at the ship, and scratches his head in disbelief, “Still no deaths?” He says incredulously, “How is that even possible?”

  Frank shrugs his shoulders, “I have no idea,” he says, equally surprised, “But the ship is trashed.”

  Kennedy stands back and stares at the battered Liberty. Even now, days later, it is still a safety hazard as loose hull plates randomly fall from its sides. He shakes his head in bewilderment, “Lots of broken bones, cuts, and bruises, but everyone’s been accounted for.”

  Adams runs his hand over his rough stubble thoughtfully, “I want the ship repaired.” He stares at the Liberty with reverence, “Don’t make it a high priority though, but let’s make her space worthy again.” His eyes narrow, “She’s not done for yet,” he says with determination.

  Kennedy frowns and says slowly, “Ah Captain, Joe said the ship’s main axis supports have fractured.” He pauses, then adds while shaking his head, “Her back’s broken, she won’t be engaging her main drive again, that’s for sure.

  Adams nods, “I see,” he says distantly, not really listening. He turns and looks at Kennedy, “Get Patrick to look at her anyway. With that suit of his, he has to be able to come up with something.”

  Frank adds his own thoughts, “Yeah, there has to be a way to patch her up, even if we only use her as a planetary transport, or a space dock.”

  Kennedy nods hesitantly, but says, “I will ask him.”

  Adams smiles, George is Cindy’s boy, but Patrick, well, from what I hear, he may just help us out, with the right incentive, that is.

  Kennedy looks at the ground for a few seconds, then decides he has to share Joe’s other comments. He looks straight at Adams and says, “Joe also indicated that we could use the Liberty as a permanent power source for the colony. It would save them from having to build more wind generators.”

  Adams stares up at the mountain tops thoughtfully, then says, “No. The colony should be self sufficient.” He sighs, then adds, “But, adding more of those wind towers can definitely be a lower priority than was originally planned.”

  Kennedy turns to look at the Liberty once more, “I will still ask Patrick to see what he can do.”

  Hawking Expands

  Cindy taps her fingers on the long table impatiently. She looks across at Emma, who simply shrugs her shoulders in response. Cindy stands, then walks to one of the room’s large windows. She gazes out at the expanding city and questions, “Where are they?”

  Emma replies, “I have no idea.”

  George runs up the stairs, enters the meeting room, and says between gasping breaths, “Sorry, time got away from me.” He gazes around the room, expecting to be the last to arrive, but is surprised to see a lot of empty chairs.”

  Cindy replies, “You’re third, still thirteen to go.”

  The now familiar sound of a motorbike engine gets closer. Love it or hate it, everyone recognizes Walker’s ride. His morning jaunts through town are becoming legendary. The General parks his bike, then looks up at the town’s latest construction effort with pride. A large wooden banner with the words, ‘Hawking Town Hall’, hangs over the double doors to this three story building.

  A shuttle lands in the building’s parking lot. Three more stragglers hurry along the road to get to the hall. A jeep approaches, its engine whining loudly as the driver pushes it faster and faster. Finally, after quite a while, everyone is assembled.

  Peter, Emma, John, Joe, George, Radclyf, Hayato, and Patrick, the command crew of the Terran, sits on one side of the wooden table. General Walker, Barbara, Dave, Brett, Captain Adams, Kennedy, and Frank, occupy the other side.

  Cindy runs an appraising gaze down the rows of people, then says, “Today marks Hawking’s first official government meeting. To mark this inaugural event, I plan to have a plaque made up with our names on it.”

  Barbara looks at Joe, then smiles when she notices that he is taking minutes. Joe catches her look, smiles back, and continues his record keeping.

  Cindy glances at a pile of papers in front of her, then gives everyone a copy of the topics to be covered. She sits down at the head of the table, picks up her own copy, and with little ado, begins, “We have a lot to cover folks, so let’s try to stay focused.”

  Adams glances at the long list and is pleased to see that his ship, and its passengers are the top item. Cindy’s voice is filled with confidence, “Captain Adams, your ship is too dangerous to be utilized for housing.” She motions to Patrick, “I want you to hook the Liberty’s power grid to our own. I will also need an assessment of the ship’s status. Is it scrap, or salvageable?”

  Adams head lifts up quickly at her choice of words, and interjects, “I am sure she is repairable, it may just take a little time, that’s all.”

  Cindy purses her lips, slightly annoyed at the interruption, then relaxes, this is meant to be a meeting, where everyone’s thoughts and concerns should be raised. She looks directly at Adams, “Patrick will assess your ship, but you’re right. We should not hastily scrap such a valuable asset. Joe, can you assist with the detaile
d evaluation?”

  Joe glances up from his notes, “Sure thing.”

  Cindy continues on, “Due to the Liberty’s damage, we have to make other arrangements for the twenty-seven thousand colonists. Though the tent city is being reinstated to its full size, we simply do not have enough tents for everyone.” She looks at Emma.

  Emma takes the cue, and says, “I have reprioritized the building of three warehouses. Once completed, these will each house approximately fifteen hundred. We have tents for ten thousand, and thanks to additional volunteers, have expanded the construction crews to thirty-two teams.”

  Cindy nods in approval, “So how long are we looking at, before everyone is housed properly?”

  Emma sighs, “Eighteen months, at the present rate.”

  Adams leans back in his chair confidently, and says, “Oh, I think we can help with that.” He smiles widely as he looks around the room, “We have heavy mining equipment, along with dozens of smaller vehicles on the Liberty.” He places his hands on the table then adds, “I bet we could more than double the number of construction crews.”

  Cindy’s eyebrows raise, “Patrick manages the colony’s construction crews, so coordinate with him.”

  Adams nods, then adds reluctantly, “We do have one major drawback.” He pauses, then finally says, “Our fuel storage tanks ruptured during our arrival.”

  Emma answers without looking up, “Send me a full list of your inventory. Our diesels are using more fuel than was expected, fortunately, we still have considerable supplies.”

  Adams loses some of his confidence, “My superiors insisted we bring thirty cargo vans,” he pauses before quietly adding, “and they run on standard fuel.”

  Walkers head swings around, oh crap! He meets both Cindy’s, then Emma’s stares with dogged determination. He slowly, and silently, shakes his head from side to side.

  Adams glances from person to person, then it suddenly dawns on him, “That motorcycle of yours! I am so stupid. You have fuel.”

  Walker sighs, “Yeah, plenty,” then adds, “but not any more, I take it?”

  Cindy smiles and nods, “Let Emma know how much you’re willing to give up.”

  Adams frowns in confusion, “Hell, we’ll take it all! He doesn’t need that noise machine.”

  Cindy puts a hand up to stop Walker from responding, then turns a steely gaze to Adams, “General Walker will determine how much he can spare. That fuel is still designated as a military asset.”

  Adams’ jaw drops in shock, “You’re kidding, right? Military! Out here?”

  Walker stands, and paces behind his chair before saying, “You can fill your vans. But just remember,” he stops pacing and stares at Adams as he states, “we can’t make any more, so once it’s gone, it’s gone!”

  Adams hesitates, then thinks about the ramifications of the limited fuel supply, “I will make sure your fuel is not wasted General. You have my word.”

  Cindy takes charge of the meeting again, “Good. Now that’s resolved. The next item on the agenda is about the colony’s government.”

  Barbara raises her hand a little, and at Cindy’s nod, says, “I thought Emma was in charge of the colony?”

  Emma answers quickly, “No, no. I am just the coordinator during the construction.”

  Barbara replies, “So you’re the reason my radio telescope is still in bits on the Terran?”

  Cindy puts a hand to her forehead, why does everyone want to fight today? She slams her hands on the table, “Emma is responsible for making sure this colony has all of its essential services running, while impacting as little as is possible on the ecology of the area. She is also charged with investigating all the animal and plant life on this planet. So I am sorry that your little research facility is on the back burner.”

  Barbara is not used to being chastised, and is about to respond angrily when it dawns on her that her team has not really done anything to help. She glances at her two colleagues, then, feeling abashed says, “We can assist with the housing efforts.”

  Patrick has been making notes and adjusting his crew roster. He looks up and says, “Tell you what. With extra crews from the Liberty, the town is going to be jam-packed. With the ship being grounded, at least for now, we have its power, which means the wind farm can wait.” He glances at George, then says, “After we review the Liberty, we just might be able to make a start on Barbara’s facility.”

  Cindy casts an appraising gaze at Barbara, she is used to being in charge, I wonder? “Barbara, when Hawking has its first elections for a Mayor, perhaps you will run for office?”

  Barbara’s eyebrows lift at Cindy’s words, “We’re a long way from that, aren’t we?”

  Emma is also reviewing her task list, and says “Once the housing is built, we need to focus on the essential services. After that, we can move on to building the heavy industry.” She scrunches her face for a second, “We have yet to find a site for that.” She shrugs her shoulders, then looks at Patrick questioningly, “Seven months ‘till we are finished here?”

  Patrick glances at his own estimates, “It’s possible.”

  Cindy smiles, “Let’s aim at having the town finished before its first anniversary.”

  The room echoes in a chorus of agreement as the energies turn positive. They continue to work their way through the long list of items, then take a well deserved break. Almost everyone in the room uses this time to add to their notes. Small groups gather as key points are discussed and plans are made.

  After the refreshing break, Cindy resumes the meeting, “Attention people, Joe has an important issue.”

  Joe takes a deep breath, then begins, “Time!” He stares at the blank expressions, then explains, “We are measuring time as if we were on Earth and then adding two hours to each day, as if that’s good enough. Well it’s not, just look at how difficult it was for us to all get here, on time.” He smiles at the unintended pun, then gazes around the room at everyone. He continues, “Just before we left Earth, I was given a software patch for my laptop, something to test. I am happy to announce that we can now use the time zone ‘New Earth’ on our computers.”

  Walker’s thoughts are drawn to his own watch that sits uselessly on his bedside table. Even though he is pretty sure of the answer, he asks anyway, “Anything you can do for a good old fashioned wristwatch?”

  Joe shakes his head from side to side. Emma watches Joe’s response, then adds, ‘watch factory’, to her list of non essential buildings. She stares at the growing lists and ponders, I can’t believe how many factories and industries are needed, even to make the simplest of things, hundreds of them. Her thoughts trail off.

  Adams frowns as the room goes unexpectedly quiet, “Why is time such an issue? So we tack on a few hours each day, and a few days each year.”

  Peter, who has been very quiet so far, answers the question, “The future children of New Earth will be marking their birthday’s each year.” He lifts his eyebrows at his obvious statement, then continues, “Each year spent here is roughly fifty-two days more time than a year on Earth.”

  Adams shrugs his shoulders, “Okay, we have to operate on local time, which means...” his voice trails off as he thinks.

  Joe’s voice fills the ensuring quiet, “New year’s eve is a no brainer, but what about other days? Do we celebrate these when they would occur on Earth? If we do this, will we move them through our calendar, or instead do we set aside specific and fixed days for them?”

  George glances at Johnny, and thinks about his son’s birthday, “Most ‘special’ days are symbolic in some way or another. Birthdays have legal implications for driving, drinking, when children can start working, and when we retire.”

  Cindy chews on her lip while listening to the exchange, then makes a decision. Before she states her ideas, she asks one more question, “Joe, how accurate is the new time zone you installed?”

  Joe glances at his laptop, then says, “Well, it’s pretty darn close. My best estimate is that it’
s within a few minutes each year.”

  Cindy nods, that seals the deal, she thinks, and then states, “We will run on New Earth time. I want the calendar to start from the ground breaking ceremony.”

  Joe nods, then says a little reluctantly, “The new calendar has eleven months with thirty-two days, which leaves December with thirty-three days. Also, there is no contingency for daylight savings time.”

  When no one comments, Cindy responds, “Sounds good. That concludes my agenda, the floor is open.”

  Emma’s hand shoots up so fast you would think it were on a coiled spring, “I have barely done any research into the creatures that live here. My team of planetologists have been busy studying the few bugs and animals they can find. The settlement’s construction has driven most of the local life away, besides, the majority of the team is busy setting up equipment in our new four story complex. I need to go and do some real exploring, and see what I can find.”

  Cindy frowns as she realizes that Emma is right, “What do you require?”

  Emma is stunned into silence by the unexpected response.

  General Walker interrupts any reply she may have been about to deliver, “But what about all that research you did on those bugs, and the grass, and the water, and the...?” he stops talking when he meets Emma’s fierce gaze.

  Emma continues to stare at Walker, and says with great conviction, “I haven’t done ANY exploring.” She points out the windows and adds, “I haven’t even gone into the forest to determine if the tree climbers are the same as...”

  Walker puts up a hand, interrupting her, “Okay, I get it, you’re busy,” he says a little too casually.

  Emma eyes narrow at the General’s contemptuous tone, “Yes, I am busy, as are we all. But what about all your soldiers? I haven’t seen them do a damn thing to help.”