First Steps (Founding of the Federation)

by Hechtl, Chris

  "So this is the new Plasma Ferry?" Nick asked.

  "Yup, the second gen version. The hoops are superconductors," the tech explained. The tech looked up with a grin. "Bought the recipe from the same people supplying the superconductors for power cable in New York and California," he sighed.

  “Going to be hell to get it through congress,” Nick said. He shook his head. The tech nodded sobered.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  "Transhab?" Zubrin asked looking over the station model. Luigi nodded as he studied it.

  "Mars?" Nick asked.

  "Yeah." Luigi answered.

  "Why do we need one?" Zubrin asked.

  "Bigelow is offering us a deal on it. I want a place where we can dock for several reasons. We can stockpile supplies, use it as a base in orbit to explore the moons, dock if there is an emergency, all sorts of things." Luigi shrugged. "Besides, the station itself is only two hundred fifty million dollars." He looked up as Nick goggled at him.

  "You're kidding right? It cost the US over one hundred billion for the ISS!"

  Luigi chuckled. "Yeah, well, most of the cost of this design is because of that research. The transhabs..." Luigi shook his head. "I know it is a bit scary to live in a balloon, but it makes sense in economic and weight terms. Also scale and space. For the cost of one hard habitat cylinder off the shelf we could have six transhabs with triple the size," Luigi sighed. "Short sighted bureaucrats," he grumbled.

  Zubrin chuckled. "You’re just now figuring that out?" He chuckled with Nick.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Mario grimaced as they entered the living room. "Somehow I remember it being bigger."

  Luigi shook his head. Everything looked bigger on paper or on a computer. And the mock ups they had seen had been made out of plywood and hadn't taken into account supplies and other things. When they were finished and stocked the craft would have just barely enough room to move around in for a long time. "That's because the last time you and I were in one of these I was eleven and you were thirteen."

  Mario shook his head. "Wait, I remember going in a couple years ago. The desert one," he said looking at his brother.

  Luigi shook his head. "No, we went into the MAV mock up remember?" They hadn't admitted to Zubrin just how much of a pair of Mars nuts they really were.

  Mario sighed. "Okay, so, six people in a four bedroom single wide two story tuna can shaped trailer." He looked around. "I call a bed."

  Luigi chuckled. "Well, the first two teams have married couples on them, so they will share beds."

  Mario grimaced. "NASA dating service?"

  Nick chuckled. "With that mustache and squat look, you need all the help you can get," he teased.

  Mario turned a scowl on Nick then back to his brother. He pointed his thumb at Nick. "Got a hammer? I think we have a goomba to squish."

  Luigi chuckled as Nick waved his hands. "No no, not the super Mario brothers!" They all laughed for a moment. "Singles are in here." Nick waved to a small bedroom. "Like the Constellation, it is a bunkhouse. We are still debating using bunks or hammocks."

  Mario grimaced. "With my back, stick to the bunks. Besides, I wouldn't want to be stuck in a hammock if we maneuver."

  Nick nodded. "Good point.”Luigi?"

  Luigi looked around. "He has a point, but keep the hammock idea in the nutty idea folder. If we expand her to twelve people, we may need it."

  Mario and Nick looked around. "Twelve? In this? Are you nuts?" We'd never get that many in here! Life support wouldn't make it!" Nick said in exasperation.

  Luigi chuckled. "Oh ye of little faith. We're going to use the plasma rockets as ferries remember? So it has an aero shell, and cargo can be a separate flight, so we can convert the bottom lab deck into a duplicate of this and get six to twelve per level. We don't need a lot of life support, since the flight time is forty days..."

  Mario nodded. "Still need a reserve and buffer in case of Murphy little bro," Mario cautioned.

  Luigi nodded. "I have it covered. In fact, I had a virtual sim created not too long ago. We can check it out after lunch. I am debating uploading it to a game engine and putting it on a dedicated server for the crew and later the public to explore..." They were using the game engine and virtual walk arounds to help get the word out and to generate interest. Over a million people visited the site daily to see the hourly updates.

  Nick chuckled. "Always one step ahead," Mario smiled.

  "Better to be one step ahead then two steps behind," Luigi retorted.

  "Yeah, okay, so we can get twelve to twenty four in a plasma ferry flight if we stack them like sardines, but not the first three." Nick looked down. "I am betting not the first six. Funding after the first is going to get tricky."

  Mario grimaced. "Yeah."

  Luigi had a thoughtful look on his face. "Well, now that you mention it, I have been pulling a few strings, and word got around, it seems a couple of people want to pay for the privilege of being on Mars...”

  Nick look startled. "You’re kidding me right? He's putting me on." He looked over to Mario who shrugged.

  "Do tell little bro."

  Luigi smiled enigmatically as they exited the mock up. "In due time, in due time. Let's just see how things go with the first flight."

  ...*...*...*...*...

  -T minus 10 days to ERV launch

  "The first craft to land on Mars will be a test vehicle right? To test the various stages?" the reporter in the back asked.

  "Well, yes and no. Yes it will be a test vehicle, but we decided to give it a payload as well," Wendy explained patiently. The clicks and flashbulbs came fast and furious.

  "Why? Isn't that a departure from the normal testing protocol NASA has used in the past?"

  She looked over to the reporter in the front who asked the question. "Well, since we need to make every shot count so we do not waste tax payer's dollars unnecessarily, we will be sending nonessential goods on this flight. If they arrive intact, we have a bonus on the ground for the crew."

  The murmuring of the reporters grew then a few shouted questions. "Folks one at a time. Okay, to answer your obvious question, the payload is a mix of things, most prominently hydrogen fuel." She clicked the remote in his hand and the slide changed. "This first flight will field test the centrifuge tether system, aero braking shell, as well as the parachute and landing system. We are using the satellites in orbit to hopefully bring the cargo lander down in a one hundred kilometer preferred landing zone."

  The slide changed to show the landing zone. "As you can see here, we have designated a section of the northern arctic as our landing zone. It will give the astronauts a stable reasonably flat area to land on, while giving them access to many interesting features we hope they will explore."

  The slide changed again, this time to a series of payloads on a chart. "This first test lander will carry hydrogen, a small wind turbine, a greenhouse, fuel making machinery, a Topaz reactor, tools, a robotic rover, and about two tons of miscellaneous gear. The total adds less than twenty million dollars to the launch cost." She looked over the crowd who had quieted then clicked the remote again.

  "Moving on, the next launch next week will take place within twenty days of the first because of the time window. This one will be a test Earth return vehicle. It will also be a test bed craft, but we replaced the crew hab and life support with a payload of satellites and a small Genesis two Transhab." The reporters murmured again.

  The murmuring grew into a crescendo. She turned from looking at the chart to the reporters. "Okay, obviously we have some questions so I will pause it here for a moment to answer a few. Let's start with you in the front miss."

  A blond woman with glasses got up and fumbled her pad. "Ma'am, you said the first craft will test the fission reactor? Isn't nuclear power in space prohibited by the space treaty of 1969?"

  Wendy shook her head. "No, it is the treaty of 1967 miss, and no, we are working with the Russians on this. Since this is an international peace
ful effort we jointly decided on a waiver." She smiled. "Next question, Mister, um,” She looked down to his seating chart then back up. "Mister Cortez?"

  An older balding man stood as the woman sat. "Are you concerned about fall out if the launch vehicle is aborted?" She studied the man for a moment.

  "Mister Cortez, the reactor is armored with a massive layer of protection. In fact it has so much protection it could in theory survive a direct hit with a Patriot missile. In the highly unlikely event of a launch vehicle failure, the craft will be flying over Siberia. Recovery teams will be on hand to recover the boosters, they will recover any wreckage."

  The reporter smiled tightly. "So you do mean it can be breached to spray a cloud of radiation all over the Arctic?"

  Wendy frowned ferociously. "That is not at all what I said. Please turn up your hearing aide, obviously you are having difficulties," she growled. She hated being baited. Several tittered at that.

  "Ma'am." She turned to see an aid hand her a note. "Okay ladies and gentlemen, we are running a bit behind schedule so we need to wrap this up quickly. The third launch will be another test vehicle carrying a Mars Hab. It will launch hopefully the day after the ERV and will land uncrewed on the planet, run through the entire routine we have planned just as the MAV will. Since we are going to use it practice our precision landing, we are stocking the craft with material the crew can use later." She looked over the crowd. "All of this is in the hand out and on the web page. Thank you, have a good day." She stepped back from the platform and to the door.

  Reporters rushed to their feet shouting questions as the flashbulbs burst. She sighed. "Do you really think it is a good idea to let them bait you or bite back at reporter’s Wendy? The administration isn't going to like it," the aide asked. She glared at the aid then straightened.

  "Some things just happen," she shrugged. "We're just going to have to deal with it; it was no surprise that the greens are having a frothing fit over the nukes, and the reporters adding fuel to their ire was to be expected," she sighed. "They just have to build up the drama to get the ratings." She took a pad from a secretary and glanced over it. "Thanks for the note." She read the note then smiled. "Boss says to get your ass out of there?" She looked up and chuckled. "Nice." She signed the tablet and then handed it back to the secretary who moved off.

  "Just being my usual helpful self," he chuckled.

  "So are the Mario brothers sure about the tests Wendy?" She turned to see the Vice President standing behind him with his secret service detail.

  "They are as sure as anyone sir. Luigi is still a little put out that we didn't let him shoe horn the magsail into the first craft," Wendy answered with a smile.

  The VP frowned. "Is he still on about that? For god sakes the super conductors were nearly a half a billion, no way could we get that to fly on the first try, congress would have shit a brick."

  Wendy chuckled. "Yeah, I could well imagine."

  The VP waved. "They should be grateful they got the extra payload. I heard some NASA bovines weren't happy at all about that."

  Wendy grimaced. "Zubrin has it in hand. I hope," she replied cautiously. They were getting some flack about moving too fast too soon by the old school crowd. They had a point in some ways, but the window was closing, both the launch window and the political one.

  The VP nodded. "Okay, I will see you tomorrow at the next briefing. Good work, but try to keep your temper next time." Wendy grimaced as the VP gave her a warning look.

  "I'll try sir," she sighed.

  "See that you do. We need to keep the reporters on our side. Not that I'd mind biting the heads off a few myself," he chuckled as he left.

  Wendy entered her office and frowned at Nick. She sat heavily in her chair as Nick smiled over his cup of coffee. "Make yourself at home why don't you."

  Nick saluted her with the cup. "I intended to since you sent for me your high and mightiness."

  Wendy chuckled sitting back. "Save the kudos for the people on the hill and in the admin. Why are we flying twelve tons in the first lander?" She sat back watching Nick as he stirred his coffee. She didn't buy the vague answer she'd gotten in her brief.

  "Well, we're going to test the refrigeration, make sure it will work as long as it is billed for." Nick answered.

  Wendy nodded. "So why not fly twelve tons of water? Why Hydrogen? Didn't I read somewhere about boil off or something?"

  Nick looked up surprised. "Good catch. Yes, Luigi pointed out the boil off problem that is why we are sending Hydrogen instead of water, methane or ethylene. Actually, there is a small tank of ethylene as well come to think of it." Nick took out his phone and scrolled through it for a moment. “Yes, here it is, one five hundred pound tank." Nick looked up to Wendy who was tapping her teeth with a stylus.

  "Really? Why? Testing the rocket fuel too?" the spokeswoman asked.

  Nick nodded. "The ethylene is used for the rovers too."

  Wendy nodded. "I'm not so sure about some of this other hardware. What is a Reprap? And a plastic extruder?" she asked concerned.

  Nick smiled. "A Reprap is a fabricator; with it the crew can make plastic parts. The extruder is to make the plastic," he explained. Wendy frowned.

  "I'm not sure about that, the greens will have a fit about waste, not to mention the manufacturing concerns..." she said waving her hands.

  Nick shook his head. "Purely a test bed and back up to repair the ship in an emergency. I think Mars is a bit far for FedEx to deliver."

  Wendy chuckled. "Yeah, okay, I'll buy that. But where are they going to get the materials to make the plastic?" she asked wrinkling her nose.

  Nick shook his head. "Ethylene remember?" Wendy stared. "It's the basic ingredient of just about every form of plastic there is," he explained patiently.

  Wendy caught on and whistled appreciatively. "And since Zubrin's new in situ plant puts out ethylene instead of methane..." Nick nodded.

  "Right," he smiled. “Biggest bang for the buck, we need to get as much to Mars as we can, we won’t have a second chance,” he sighed.

  Wendy chuckled. "They are really pushing this whole colony agenda aren't they?" she asked softly.

  Nick's face took on an innocent look. Her eyes narrowed as she studied him. "Oh don't play innocent with me; I know you’re in it up to your scrawny neck," she mock growled. Nick grinned as Wendy scowled mockingly.

  "Go on, get out of here before someone catches you and gets you to put your size thirteen shoes in your size eight mouth," She waved.

  Nick chuckled as he drained the coffee and got up. "I was going anyway; I have a meeting on the hill with Senator Friday. She wants an in depth explanation of the program and its cost benefit analysis that the GAC drew up," he grimaced.

  So did Wendy. "Good luck, with that old battle ax, you’re going to need it," she said. Nick waved as he left.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  The group filed in as Luigi looked up. "What's going on?" Benny sat down. Julia smiled hands behind her back. She stood behind Benny's chair. There were about a half a dozen people with him including Julia. He recognized all of them of course, they were the first team.

  "So much for chivalry Benny," Luigi sighed shaking his head. Benny had a tendency to forget the little things in the heat of the moment.

  "Huh?" He looked up at Julia. "Oh, sorry." She shrugged it off. When he went back to looking at Luigi Julia motioned like she was going to strangle him with her hands. Luigi snickered. Benny looked up fast but didn't catch her.

  "What are you doing?" She put on her best innocent expression. Luigi snorted. Nick chuckled. "So what's up?"

  "Well, we have a few people to introduce here."

  Luigi stood. "Luigi, these are the Hans, they are the number one astro, I mean cosmonauts from China," Julia said. The Hans had missed the team training exercises for some odd reason.

  Luigi shook hands as he bowed. "I am glad to finally meet you." He smiled tentatively. The woman was short, with strong bones and a classic
Chinese profile. Her cheeks were broad as she smiled.

  "Nice to meet you too," the china doll said. She bowed over his hand.

  "Mrs. Han is a biogeochemist, and a medic. I believe she has a BA in geology as well." She turned and nodded politely to Nick. "Mr. Han has his Doctorate in Geology, but has some piloting skills to go along with it."

  Luigi nodded. "The more the merrier. We need all the scientists we can get."

  Nick smiled. "The young woman beside me is Miss Tessa Vladicova. She has a Masters in aerospace engineering, and is an experienced cosmonaut. She has had two tours on the station." Luigi smiled at the short blond.

  "I'm starting to feel like a giant here," he joked. She dimpled. Her blond hair was done up in a tight braid. She wore a conservative brown suit.

  "You know Commander Bowers of course." Luigi nodded to the Mocha skinned naval commander.

  "Commander, you got the short straw?" Tess and the Hans turned to him. He nodded.

  "Zubrin said he needed a good watch dog to ride herd on you lot," the commander replied. He smiled.

  Luigi chuckled. "Yeah. So, two engineers, three scientists, one pilot commander, who are we missing?" He looked over to Nick.

  "Betsy Lawless sir, she made the cut as well. She is still on the phone," Nick waved to the door. Luigi could just make out the New Zealander on the other side of the entryway talking on the phone quietly. He chuckled. "Good luck getting that away from her. I swear she should have been a communications specialist instead," he sighed.

  Nick shook his head. "Tell that to my teenager.”

  Li looked confused. "Teenager?" She looked over to him. Nick pulled out his wallet.

  Luigi groaned sitting back down hard. "Oh great." He rolled his eyes. "Might as well clear the rest of the day, Nick just got an excuse to show off his girls...” Luigi groaned theatrically. Benny chuckled. Julia slapped him on the shoulder then leaned over to see the photos.