The Blue People of Cloud Planet

by Brian Wolfenden

  ‘Now I know what you’re thinking. We can hardly rely on the box being turned upside down. But we don’t have to, this device will sit horizontally and safely until the missile’s rockets fire and the g-force will push the mercury against the orifice, through the tube and will fill the second compartment housing the electrical ‘switch’.’

  Meanwhile Martha had taken the device apart and replaced the mercury back into the left hand compartment and closed the box. She gestured to AJ and he tipped it vertically and watched the mercury flow until the light went on.

  ‘The missile is likely to rotate,’ Pete continued, ‘and this will work at any orientation.’

  ‘What are the white plastic caps in the cylinder ends?’ AJ queried.

  ‘They are micro-porous plugs, when the mercury moves from one compartment to the other, air must be allowed to enter or leave the chambers – but not mercury, of course.’ Pete beamed.

  ‘What about the acceleration of the lander?’ AJ persisted, ‘I understand from Zec-C that we need to launch the missile at 200 kilometres per hour so that it has sufficient forward velocity for initial stability!’

  ‘Correct, but Zec-C is going to programme a very slow acceleration of the lander and will fly in a heads down position until launch.’

  ‘OK, sounds good, what else have we to consider?’

  ‘The plastic detonator must be securely strapped next to the surface warhead and the battery must be very securely fixed as far as possible to the rear of the missile’s compartment. The timer will go in between, again firmly located.’

  ‘What’s the accuracy of the timer, Pete?’

  ‘One minute plus or minus 2 seconds.’

  ‘OK, let’s do it! Let’s test this missile whilst it’s still daylight,’ AJ commanded.

  There were only two people in the huge bay housing the lander ROL-2. Pete was under the lander with his head almost inside the open casing of the chlorine missile whilst Olivia sat in the right hand control seat.

  Earlier, Zec-C had pressurised the lander bay and had used the automatic transport system to transfer the modified missile from the maintenance section. Here it was raised to the underside of the lander where two electro-magnetic clamps held it securely. Whilst the missile support carriage was still in place, Olivia tested the manual switch which was located under the control panel by her right hand whilst her left hand moved forward onto the control panel to confirm her identity. The pushing of the lever from the upper position marked ‘clamp’ to the lower position marked ‘release’ would switch off the current to the electro – magnets and both clamps on the missile would simultaneously spring apart.

  Olivia pushed the lever back up to the ‘clamp’ position and heard and saw Pete give the thumbs up on the dome display. Zec-2 also confirmed the satisfactory manual operation of the switch.

  She could now see Pete carrying the timer box and carefully placing it in the missile casing.

  ‘How can we be certain that the mercury isn’t going to move before the missile drops and fires away?’ Olivia asked Zec-2 again – she felt very vulnerable at the moment.

  ‘At this altitude we have ten per cent planetary gravity, more than enough to hold the mercury in the bottom of its current compartment. At this low gravity, I will be able to raise ROL-2 gently up to clear LifeSeeker-1. Then I will put ROL-2 into a 15 degree heads down position and the mercury will move to the end of the compartment – the safe end. We will descend and accelerate so gently that the mercury will remain in its safe position. We will arrive at the release coordinates at the desired forward velocity for stable release and we will be at the correct angle to ‘fire’ the missile. Then the mercury will flow to the second compartment.’

  Sounds good in theory, she thought, but I’m the one sitting on top of a live bomb! Then she heard Pete say.

  ‘All connections made, missile now live, closing and securing outer casing.’ and he gave Olivia a thumbs up as he exited the lander bay.

  Zec-C now retracted the missile carriage system and started the powerful cryo pumps which would reduce the pressure in the lander bay to that of the atmosphere outside the starship. Then the two bay doors opened and they were ready to go.

  Olivia could see AJ and the rest of the astronauts on her dome mimic display as he gave the order,

  ‘Command start test flight!’ and all the astronauts moved their left hand forwards to confirm.

  Zec-2 lifted the lander gently upwards and cleared the starship. Olivia loved this moment and the view forward through the dome of the deep blue sea 400 kilometres below was stunning. The ocean was so calm that it perfectly reflected the cloud collar as far as the eye could see in both directions. So much beauty yet what a desperate situation, Olivia mused. Then the lander turned and the nose slowly dropped. They crawled away from the starship as they started their slow descent and acceleration. It would take 2 hours to reach the designated missile release coordinates.

  Zec-2 was counting off the time at regular intervals and the dome mimic showed all the relevant speeds and distances to the release point which was 4 kilometres from the target coordinates in the sea.

  ‘Five minutes to manual release.’

  Olivia opened the cubicle to her right containing the switches for missile release. There were, in fact, two manual switches as the lander could carry two of these huge missiles underneath, one either side of the airlock lower door. She focussed on the right hand switch, the one she had tested earlier.

  ‘Two minutes to manual release.’

  The starship was stationed above and behind the lander and AJ and the astronauts could see the tiny space vehicle through the dome with its image enlarged on their mimic display.

  ‘Good luck Olivia,’ encouraged AJ.

  ‘One minute to manual release.’

  Olivia put her right hand on the lever and her left hand on the control panel and waited for Zec-2’s countdown.

  ‘Ten seconds, nine, eight........’

  She found herself gripping the lever so hard her knuckles were white.

  ‘........ three, two, one, Command release!’

  She pushed the lever down and for a moment she wondered if anything had happened. Then Zec-2 confirmed ‘missile released’ and a second later ‘missile fired’. Olivia looked through the dome and saw the rocket streak away and then felt the huge g-force as Zec-2 applied thrust and lift to the lander to facilitate its speedy getaway from the blast zone. Olivia watched the missile on the dome mimic display and tried to imagine the mercury flowing and filling the second compartment.

  The missile hit the water and then exploded in a huge circular mass of boiling foam, thick smoke, flame and steam – all tinged with an eerie yellowish green glow.

  There were cheers on LifeSeeker-1. Then Zec-C announced that the explosion had occurred 61 seconds after release and they all looked at Pete who glowed with success.

  ‘And well done Olivia!’ AJ quickly said. ‘Someone had to sit on that bomb and rely on Pete’s box of tricks.’

  ‘High chlorine levels were measured over a 2 kilometre radius of the sea. At the epicentre levels were so high they were off the scale!’

  ‘OK, we’ve proved our mechanical chlorine bomb works but we’ve got two more to finish. We’ll plan our assault for midday tomorrow, that’s just over 10 hours from now. Olivia, make sure you get a good night’s sleep!’

  Chapter 64

  Olivia Faces the Black

  It was 2 hours before noon and LifeSeeker-1 was positioned 400 kilometres from the icecap and 200 kilometres above sea level. The astronauts were gazing out at an idyllic scene of deep blue sea, brilliant white ice and azure sky – all bathed in the golden sunshine of the star, Seren.

  It was hard to imagine that such a chilling menace lurked below.

  Two nuclear missiles were already programmed with their targets – each had the coordinates of the third cylinder from the sea bed – at a distance of 20 cylinders apart from one another.

  Timing was cruc
ial. The lander would take 2 hours to get to the release point for the chlorine missiles and 1 minute to blast a gap in the black. The nuclear missiles would take 10 minutes from the starship to the point on the sea surface directly in line with the target discs 100 kilometres ahead and below the ice.

  The nuclear warheads were programmed to pass through the black 10 seconds after the explosion of the chlorine missiles.

  They could be aborted safely if something went wrong early in the mission but if the chlorine missiles failed to explode........

  ........ it would probably be too late!

  Meanwhile Olivia was sitting alone in the right hand command seat of the lander as the two bay doors above her slowly opened.

  This was it. She had two primed chlorine missiles slung under ROL-2 but one attempt, realistically, to breach the black’s defences.

  AJ and the other astronauts appeared on her dome display. Everyone was tense. Everyone was trying to give smiles of encouragement.

  AJ broke the silence,

  ‘Good luck Olivia, we are, literally, right behind you but if anything goes wrong and I consider your safety is threatened, I will not hesitate to instruct Zec-2 to abort the mission. Understood!’

  Olivia nodded and AJ gave the command to start the riskiest undertaking that he had ever been involved in.

  ROL-2 then lifted slowly out of the starship’s lander bay, inclined its nose downwards and started its excruciatingly slow journey to the release point.

  Olivia stared out of the dome as the icecap slowly grew larger and larger in her field of view. The sea looked calm and peaceful. There were so many beautiful things about Cloud Planet, she pondered, that it was hard to believe that soon they would be sending nuclear missiles under the white ice to destroy an unimaginable enemy.

  Olivia was daydreaming as the white icecap filled her horizon. They were now 50 kilometres from the release point, which was less than half an hour away. Suddenly, she was alerted by AJ’s concerned voice.

  ‘Olivia! I don’t know if you are aware but the black mass is already forming in the sea and right on the intended missile path.’

  ‘But we’re nowhere near the target!’ replied Olivia, ‘And we haven’t fired anything yet.’

  Now Zec-2 had put a view on the dome screen of the lander.

  ‘I see it and it seems to be growing in size. Good heavens! It’s circular in shape; why?’

  ‘It’s about a kilometre in diameter and still growing and maintaining a perfectly round shape,’ AJ said, now disturbed by this change in the Black’s behaviour.

  ‘We’re moving the starship closer so that we can delay the launch of the nuclear missiles,’ AJ continued but Olivia could hear Steve interrupting,

  ‘Surely it doesn’t matter how big it gets as long as we can punch a hole in the middle of it?’

  ‘That may be true but who knows what this black menace is capable of.’ AJ responded.

  They were all going to find out in the not too distant future!

  ‘The black mass is now 5 kilometres in diameter and still expanding. ROL-2 is 20 kilometres, 10 minutes from release point. New calculation for nuclear missiles is launch in 2 minutes.’

  ‘The lander is going to be over the black when it releases!’ Alison cried with alarm.

  ‘At this rate the lander will be above the menace sooner than that.’ Steve pointed to the screen, ‘It’s increased visibly over the last few minutes!’

  ‘Black mass now 7 kilometres diameter. One minute to launch of nuclear missiles, which is automatic unless majority decision to abort!’

  ‘Continue mission?’ AJ looked at the astronauts and they all nodded, including Olivia. No need to vote.

  ‘The black mass is now 10 kilometres in diameter and has stopped expanding. ROL-2 is 12 kilometres and 5 minutes from release point. Launching nuclear missiles in 10 seconds.’

  The astronauts in the command dome of LifeSeeker-1 watched the two nuclear missiles streak away from the starship. Ahead they could see the black circle in the sea but on the dome display it was huge and showed the tiny lander which approached the edge of it.

  Then they gasped in astonishment as Zec-C informed them that the outer part of the black circular mass in the sea had started to rotate!

  Olivia watched with horror as the Black grew on her horizon. It nearly filled the dome, particularly because the lander was 15 degrees head down. She’d heard that it was 10 kilometres in diameter and gasped aloud.

  Then the lander moved over the edge of the black and the sea disappeared. Now Olivia’s total forward vision was black and her eyes were transfixed by the menace below.

  Suddenly she was six again and standing in front of the black mouth of the cave and she excitedly walked into it. Then her mind focussed back to reality.

  ‘5 kilometres from target point and 3 minutes to release. Nuclear missiles launched.’

  Then came AJ’s concerned voice,

  ‘Olivia, the mass has started to rotate!’

  But she didn’t need telling, as from only 2 kilometres above the mass she could see the racing outer fringes of black. Her mind went back again and she was lost in the blackness of the cave. She screamed in her mind. Again she was rocked back to the present.

  ‘4 kilometres from target point and 1.5 minutes to release. Warning! Rotation of black mass is increasing and causing turbulence, applying stabilising thrust.’

  Olivia was starting to feel giddy. Through the dome her world was black and spinning. Get a grip, she urged herself, but despite this she found herself staring at the huge black mouth of the transport tunnel under the dwelling.

  ‘I can’t go in there! I can’t go in there!’ Her mind screamed and she remembered Seren’s calming eyes and she relaxed. Olivia opened the panel near her right hand and stared at the two mechanical levers both set at ‘clamp’. She placed her left hand on the control panel and gripped both levers with her right hand.

  ‘3 kilometres from target point and 1 minute to release. Get ready Olivia. Nuclear missiles one minute fifteen seconds behind. Warning! Rotation of black mass has increased suddenly, now causing suction! Applying reverse thrust to compensate!’

  In the command dome of LifeSeeker-1, the astronauts watched, in amazement, as the 10 kilometre black mass in the sea ahead of them rotated faster and faster. Then they heard with consternation Zec-2’s reports of increased turbulence and suction. The mass was exerting a downward force on the lander and unbelievably.....

  ........ the centre of the rotating mass dropped into the sea! And the outer edges around it started to spin faster!

  ‘Oh my God, no! It’s formed a huge black spinning vortex!’ Alison screamed. ‘We have to abort, we have to pull Olivia out!’

  Zec-C’s next words chilled them all.

  ‘Vortex suction is exceeding ROL-2’s full reverse thrust! The lander cannot pull out!’

  ‘2 kilometres from target point and 2 minutes to release. Emergency! Emergency! Suction from vortex exceeding full reverse thrust, starting to accelerate!’

  Every hair on Olivia’s body stood on end as she heard these damning words. She stared in horror into the open mouth of the spinning black vortex just ahead. Her mind reeled.

  ‘I’m being drawn into a black hole! No..oh..oh!’ Her worst nightmare was unfolding in the dome in front of her and then she was hanging over the end of the black boat in the absolute darkness of the underground tunnel!

  ‘One kilometre from target point and 1 minute to release! Emergency! Emergency! Suction from vortex exceeding full reverse thrust, continuing to accelerate! Cannot arrest forward motion! Olivia! Recalculation! Vortex suction will accelerate missiles to twice planned velocity. Release now!....

  ...... RELEASE NOW! RELEASE NOW! RELEASE NOW!!’

  Then in her mind she felt the security of Scott’s arms around her pulling her away from the end of the black boat and suddenly she heard Zec-2’s repeated command.

  She pressed down on both levers!

  In
the starship they heard and watched what they feared were the last minutes of the lander carrying Olivia. They had listened to Zec-2’s recalculation and realised with hope that the chlorine missiles could be launched early.

  They heard Zec-2’s repeated command and saw the missiles drop from below the lander, ignite and then rush into the swirling vortex ahead.

  They watched, horrified, as the lander was being drawn into the mouth of hell!