by Bob Blanton
“Who’s going to make the call?”
“Don’t look at me,” Admiral Michaels held his hands up as if to ward off an attack.
“I’ll make it,” Marc said. “ADI can back me up.”
“What are you going to tell her?” Samantha asked.
“That the virus started backtracing the hacking attempts by the Russian systems, and when it expanded its reach to their full network, it backtraced other hacking attempts made against the Russians and included those as part of the system it was targeting,” Marc said.
“What about all the Russian information that was made public?”
“I’ll blame that on Russian activists. We know the Americans were trying to extract data from the systems, riding on the coattails of our virus, so why couldn’t the activists have done the same thing?”
“What do you think she’ll do?” Samantha asked.
“I don’t think she will have a choice,” Admiral Michaels said. “The U.S. is going to have to claim credit and say that they’re sending the message to all the countries that are trying to hack into each other’s systems. She’ll have to say that such attempts will no longer be tolerated. I would expect the U.S. to move quickly and do what Marc asked. They’ll introduce a resolution at the U.N. to try and govern and police such activities within the week.”
“Yes, and we left enough evidence behind that they should be able to patch most of the holes that each of them has been exploiting to hack each other’s systems,” Marc said. “They should be busy for the next year upgrading their security protocols and their hardware.”
Chapter 5
Mission Planning
“Time to do some planning,” Blake said as he hugged Catie and kissed her on the top of her head.
“Hey!” Catie slugged her uncle on the shoulder.
“You’re still my niece, and Liz is the only one here,” Blake said, rubbing his shoulder.
“But I’m fifteen.”
“What does age have to do with it?” Blake asked. “I don’t think a simple handshake is a proper greeting for my favorite niece.”
“I’m your only niece, and what’s wrong with a hug?”
“I gave you a hug.”
“But you kissed me on the top of my head.”
“Catie, be quiet, you’re only encouraging him,” Liz said. “Now, both of you behave. Dr. Magor and the others should be here shortly.”
“Here they come,” Catie said as the door opened, and four Paraxeans entered the Cabinet Chamber they were using for the meeting.
“G'day,” Dr. Magor said. For some reason, Dr. Magor had decided to emulate the Australians when he learned English.
“Hello,” Catie replied.
“Let me introduce me mates. Dr. Qamar is our geologist; he’ll be able to tell us whether the planet is stable, and keep us from setting up camp on top of a bloody volcano. Dr. Pramar here is our xenobiologist; his job is to make sure we don’t get eaten by any bleeding plants. Dr. Teltar here is our xenozoologist; he’ll tell us which animals would like to ‘ave us for lunch,” Dr. Magor said.
“Where’s the xenoarchaeologist?” Blake asked.
“He said he would be bloody useless since you’re looking for a world without a sentient species, so he went off to debate religion with the rabbi.”
“I’m sure we’ll manage without him,” Catie said.
“Fine. Now let's talk about what we need to do on this mission. Can you explain how you would normally start a colony?” Blake asked.
“Yes, although we haven’t started that many, just two others, we have done a lot of research on the subject,” Dr. Pramar said. “The first thing we would do is pick a site for a base camp. Then we would build a fence around it and erect a few buildings.”
“How big and how many?” Blake asked.
“We use a circle since it’s easier to set up. We would make it big enough to land a few FX9s inside it plus the cargo pods from the colony’s supply ship. We always have four entrances, each ninety degrees apart, so we can’t get trapped inside.”
“I read that you make the fence three meters tall,” Catie said.
“At least, four is better. Some animals can jump surprisingly high,” Dr. Teltar said.
“Ah, I see.”
“Okay, Catie, you work out how to set up the basecamps,” Blake said. “Now, what about environmental suits?”
“The guideline is to wear armored spacesuits for the first two or three weeks, at least until our doctor and xenobiologist say it’s safe to breathe the air.”
“And we’re sure that no bacteria or viruses are in the environment waiting to feast on your flesh,” Dr. Magor said.
“How do you determine that?” Liz asked.
“For viruses, we take a sample of the DNA from a few plants and animals,” Dr. Pramar explained. “We sequence it and determine if there are enough similarities between our DNA and theirs that virus mutations would be able to attack our DNA. We’ve colonized two worlds and studied five, and haven’t had to fight off a virus yet; our DNA is similar in structure, but it’s like it written in a different language. So far, viruses only speak the local language. And viruses are usually not virulent enough to jump species without close contact, and we avoid the animals until we’ve got control over this situation.”
“Cross-species viruses are relatively rare here on Earth,” Catie said. “It takes living in close proximity before it happens. Although the coronavirus in 2020 was scary.”
“You are correct about the cross-species issue. But once you get a virus that can jump, you keep having to look out for mutations of it to come back. I think the coronavirus was transmitted via a bat acting as the intermediary host. I don’t recall if they ever figured out which species it originally came from. But once it happens, that virus can keep mutating every year or so, like your swine flu. We’ll have to stay diligent and work on a vaccine as soon as we detect one that can transfer. Now, bacteria are a different matter,” Dr. Pramar said. “They just eat you. To figure that out, we collect samples. We put out some meat and wait for the bacteria to attack it to get our first samples. We also gather samples from the local carnivores. What we’re looking for is whether we have enough in our arsenal of antibacterials to combat them. Eventually, we’ll be able to find the right phages to keep them in check.”
“I thought phage was a disease?” Liz said.
“That’s because you watch too much Star Trek,” Catie said.
“Yes, they did use the term for a disease on that show,” Dr. Pramar said. “But phages are simply viruses that feed on bacteria. Everything that has DNA has a set of viruses that like to feed on it. The secret is to find them. Phages are fragile, so they can be difficult to harvest and reproduce.”
“Why don’t you just use nanites?” Blake asked.
“We do; we can program nanites to seek out the bacteria and destroy it, but that takes time and is expensive,” Dr. Magor said. “We prefer to knock down the infection first, then use nanites to clean up only if absolutely necessary.”
“Why the armored spacesuits?” Liz asked.
“You don’t want to be wearing just a ship suit when some big animal attacks you,” Dr. Teltar said. “Once we have the perimeter up, we relax that as long as we’re inside the fence.”
“How do you capture the animals?” Liz asked.
“For the smaller ones, we use traps or use trained animals to capture them, and stunners for the larger ones,” Dr. Teltar said.
“The stunners work?”
“So far, the nervous systems are surprisingly similar. Of course, you do run into the odd creature that has such thick skin that they won’t work, or they just antagonize them. That can be quite exciting when it happens.” Dr. Teltar laughed, “Quite exciting.”
“What else?” Blake asked.
“We set up at least three sites, each on an independent landmass,” Dr. Pramar said. “We try to put the last one where we predict it would be best for the colony. Once we are s
ure which one, we start building.”
They spent the next hour going over various specifics about setting up a colony. The Paraxeans had a long list of rules and procedures.
◆ ◆ ◆
“Now, we need to decide on the crew. How many can we carry?” Blake asked Catie after closing the discussion about setting up the colony.
“Four officers, eight specialists, and forty crew.” Blake had reviewed the design, but one never knew whether Catie had snuck in a change, and she had.
“You squeezed in another two cabins, good. How many spaceplanes?” Blake asked
“Four Foxes and two Lynxes.”
“So, a captain, first and second mates, and an engineer for the officers,” Blake said, “eight pilots, these guys, and two nurses.”
“We should also take the environmental scientist and the agricultural dude,” Catie said.
Dr. Pramar laughed. “Yes, he will be quite useful. And I would suggest we take the climatologist; we will want to get a good understanding of the weather.”
“That lets each of them have a room with only one roommate,” Catie said.
“What if they’re opposite sexes?” Liz asked.
“We don’t care about that,” Dr. Magor said. “We’re not shy.”
“If they do care, they can mix and match. Or they can trade off with one of the Terran crew members on the mission,” Catie said.
“Okay, now the rest of the crew,” Blake said.
“Six ground crew for the spaceplanes,” Liz added.
“I think engineering will need a crew of six,” Catie said.
“That’s twenty,” Blake said. “Maintenance?”
“Six, two Paraxeans and four Terrans,” Catie said.
“Okay, and they’ll need at least eight Marines for the security team.”
“Thirty-four.”
“So, six stewards?”
“No, one cook, four stewards, and a cargo specialist,” Catie said.
“That sounds about right. They can cross-train, and we’ll have access to ADI, so we’ll have her do extra training to help fill any gaps,” Blake said.
“Alright, Liz, I want you to plan the security detail. Get with Kal and figure out who and what.”
“Got it.”
◆ ◆ ◆
ADI and Natalia decided that the wedding would be on the Mea Huli. There were only fourteen guests, and with some minor modifications, the sundeck would be able to accommodate everyone. Marc would officiate the wedding. As the captain of the Mea Huli and the Monarch of Delphi, he was doubly qualified.
Natalia wore a beautiful gown. It had a white, off-the-shoulder, fitted bodice with sleeves covered in lace and seed pearls. The white color of the gown made a nice contrast to Natalia’s deep tan skin tone. The tulle skirt came down to the floor and was gathered at the waist with a dip to echo the neckline.
“ADI, you did a great job on the gown,” Catie whispered.
“Thank you,” ADI replied. “I think it makes Natalia so beautiful.”
“It does.”
Natalia and Paul walked down the aisle together, meeting Marc at the front. They turned to each other and held hands as Marc started to guide the ceremony.
The one thing you always had to give Paul, was that he was never intimidated by Natalia’s height. She was wearing three-inch heels, so she towered over him by six inches. All you could see in his eyes as he looked up at his bride was love and admiration.
Marc kept the ceremony short and sweet. After he pronounced them husband and wife, Natalia laid a big kiss on Paul, bending him over as if he were the bride. The guests hooted and hollered their encouragement.
The stewards came up and moved the chairs away to make room for dancing. The DJ set up under the flybridge and played the first dance. Paul snuggled up to Natalia, placing his head on her bust as they slow danced around the deck.
For the next song, he sped things up. Natalia kicked off her heels and used the lace ties on her dress to hike it up, so the hem was above her ankles. Marc grabbed the next dance, followed by each of the male guests. By the time Natalia had danced with all of them, she was looking pretty warm. Paul enjoyed dancing with all the women guests. He was really enjoying himself with Liz when Natalia cut in, deciding he was having a bit too much fun.
◆ ◆ ◆
“So, Nattie, you guys can keep the yacht for as long as you like. When you get tired of being on the water, Daddy has set it up so you can use his private Lynx to fly around to other places,” Catie explained the arrangements to Natalia.
“That’s too much,” Natalia said. “The yacht is more than enough; we don’t need to fly off anywhere.”
“Yes you do,” Samantha butted in. “We expect you two to be gone for at least six weeks. So have fun. It’s a great time of year to check out a few places in Europe. The French Riviera is especially nice right now.”
“But . . .”
“No buts,” Catie said. “If I have to, I’ll tell Kal to block your entry to Delphi City until May.”
ADI drove the Mea Huli back to her slip so that everyone could disembark. There was a small crowd there to see the bride and groom off. Natalia and Paul went onto the dock and gave everyone a chance to shake Paul’s hand and kiss the bride. Then they returned to the Mea Huli and started out on their honeymoon.
“Watch,” Catie said as the Mea Huli started to build up speed. “ADI, now!”
ADI pulled the trigger, and a small parachute was ejected from the rear locker of the Mea Huli, unfurled and filled with air. It was weighted to drag just behind the yacht, with ‘Just Married’ stenciled across it.
“Clever,” Liz said as she gave Catie a hug while they both waved goodbye.
◆ ◆ ◆
“Blake, Liz, can you join Catie and me in my office,” Marc said over the Comm.
“Be right there,” Blake replied.
“On my way,” Liz echoed.
Two minutes later, when they both had made it to his office, Marc said, “Catie tells me that the scout ship is ready and that it’s already heading for the fringe.”
“Great,” Blake said. “When are we testing the jumpdrive?”
“When the scout ship reaches the fringe, ADI will have it make a few jumps, then the Enterprise will send Seamore over, and he’ll make a few jumps,” Catie said.
“Seamore?” Liz asked.
“One of the spider monkeys. He’s one of the pair we used for the initial test. He’s still out there. Since he already made a few jumps in the pod, he’ll make a good control reference,” Catie said. “After that, I assume that Liz and I will make the final test jumps.”
Marc grimaced at that, “Why you two?”
“It should be safe,” Catie said. “And what kind of cowards would we be if we sent someone else on the first human test jump.”
“I’m sure you could get a volunteer,” Marc said.
“Yeah, but then I’d never be able to look anyone in the eye again.”
“I’ll concede,” Marc said while shaking his head. “Just don’t tell your mother.”
“Sounds like we have a plan,” Blake said.
“I’m glad you approve, Captain,” Marc said.
Catie bit back the disappointment as she realized that her father had just given Blake the mission. She’d hoped she would get to be the captain, but wasn’t totally surprised that her father had decided otherwise.
“Not Catie?” Blake asked.
“A pretty big crew for her, and with all the unknowns, I think we want an experienced person in charge,” Marc said.
“First mate?”
“Your choice,” Marc said.
“It should be Liz,” Catie said. “She outranks me, and if we’re going to do this right, we should do all of it right.”
“Okay, so you’ll be the second mate and backup engineer.”
“Sure.”
“When do we leave?” Liz asked.
“As soon as you assemble the crew,” Marc said. “We have tim
e, but there is no reason to wait.”
“Then we should be shipping out in two or three days. We’ll catch up with the scout ship about the same time as it reaches the Enterprise. Do we have a name for the scout ship?” Blake asked.
“The Roebuck?” Catie suggested.
After she got a blank look from Blake, Catie added, “First ship to explore Australia.”
“I like it. Are we going to hold a formal christening?”
“I’d like to keep this quiet. As far as anyone else knows, you’re on a shakedown cruise,” Marc said. “For now, I don’t want anyone to know that we have a jumpdrive.”
“Okay, what do we tell the crew?”
“Once you’re sure they’re volunteering, tell them the truth. If someone backs out, we’ll deal with it.”
When they had left Marc’s office and were alone, Liz asked, “Are you okay not being the captain?”
“I was hoping I’d get it,” Catie said. “But after being Captain of the Sakira for the last few months, I’m not surprised Daddy decided Uncle Blake should be it. It’s a lot of work. I’ll probably have more fun this way.”
“Good attitude.”
◆ ◆ ◆
Catie, with Blake’s approval, offered the engineering job to Ajda. Ajda turned her down, saying she liked to design ships but didn’t want to live on one. So Catie turned to Chief O’Donnell, who had been the engineering chief on the Enterprise and had helped her plan the asteroid mission. They would have to pull him from the Sakira, but he was approaching the end of his tour there.
JoAnn Rasmussen from the miner’s camp volunteered to be the cook. She had matured quite a bit since she came to Delphi City. She had gotten a two-year college degree in business management and had been keeping the books for the miners’ consortium. She was even still cooking for the miners on the Oryx that was stationed next to the asteroids they had in Earth’s orbit. She asked to bring along Jaylee and Devon to be ship stewards. They had both finished high school and were looking to do something besides mining.
Blake had Liz select the pilots, and Catie had already identified the rest of the crew. Nobody backed out. In fact, most of them moved up to Delphi Station to make sure that nothing would happen that might get in the way of their making the mission.
