Gliese 581

by Christine D. Shuck

  Edith paged through the rest of the documents, checking other vital signs. The eyes were clear, appetite was elevated, and there were no signs of lethargy or illness other than the elevated temperature. Strange, and slightly concerning, but there was nothing to do but wait until the plane landed and she could see the animals herself.

  The small plane bucked and swooped, and Edith slid the papers back inside of their folder and smiled briefly at Lin.

  “I think I’ll just have a little nap,” she said, closing her eyes.

  She hoped they would land soon; she was ready to have solid ground under her feet.

  World Geographic

  “It pays to plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.” – Author Unknown

  Date: 02.25.2097

  Earth – Cape Canaveral, Florida

  “Wow, that’s...that’s a lot of reporters.” Anthony Vogt eyed the phalanx of reporters and cameras filling the amphitheater. For the moment he was out of view. Here in the sunny anteroom, wide, panoramic windows displayed the vast facility outside. He had taken a moment to peek out through the small window inset in the door.

  Jenn Rivers, his newly appointed assistant, peeked as well and nodded, looking somewhat nervous. “It sure is.”

  Vogt, more at home in front of a telescope, alone on a mountain, kept his cool, but he could feel a rushing in his ears, the solid thump of his heartbeat accelerating. The last four and a half years had been filled with interviews, meetings with scientists and more, and now the countdown to departure was something tangible and real.

  “I can’t believe I’m here, at Cape Canaveral.” Jenn said her voice full of wonder. Anthony had brought her up to date as quickly as he could in preparation for the news conference. Still, he thought, the girl hadn’t had long, just a whirlwind two weeks to take in all of the details of her new job and that had included traveling halfway across the country in his wake.

  Anthony smiled, “It’s a lot to take in. The place has really grown and changed. It was far smaller than this fifty years ago.” He pointed out the windows, anxious for a distraction, “Originally one hundred thirty-three acres, Cape Canaveral has nearly doubled its size since engineers supervised the filling in of the more shallow northern section of the Banana River. You can see it there to the left.”

  Jenn craned her neck, following his finger as he traced the length of it. “It was really more of a salty, brackish lagoon rather than a true river, he said, smiling at her. “But filling it in helped enlarge the facilities here significantly.”

  “This is where all of the major discoveries on the Alcubierre-Mesner drives were made,” Jenn said, enthusiastically. She had spent most of the weekend before studying the history of Cape Canaveral. “I read that the Cape also contributed significantly to helping build the Gan De, despite the station being managed by the Chinese.”

  “Yes, it handled the production of most of the main living modules.” Anthony said, nodding in approval. “Gan De is under Chinese authority, but it still maintains an international crew.”

  “But the Cape hasn’t been producing Calypso.” Jenn asked, questioning.

  “Well, yes and no. Calypso is massive, too massive to be launched from Earth’s gravity. Most of it has had to be built in space, and in fact, the ship will never land on Zarmina’s World. Once there it will be re-purposed into a space station and communications relay for the new planet.” Anthony’s eyes took on a dreamy quality, “I guess you could say that the dream of it has been collected here. The Cape is responsible for the main design, and they have done plenty of scale model testing here as well.”

  Originally chosen as a base for rocket launches to take advantage of the Earth’s rotation, Cape Canaveral had fallen into disuse in the early part of the century, parts of its rich history lost to an occupying faction during the Second American Civil War.

  Anthony didn’t bother going into that history, from what he had seen in the past two weeks, Jenn had paid attention in school. She knew her history.

  “The Ptolemy Colony is also responsible for some of the production since it is at a lower gravity. They assemble many of the pieces on the Moon, and then send the pieces up to the Gan De with boosters a fraction of the size it would take to push off from Earth.”

  “We’ve come so far,” Jenn mused, “And now the Huygens Outpost on Mars are seeing their first generation born on the planet. It’s amazing what has happened in the last fifty years.”

  Through the door they could both hear the growing murmur from the crowd of journalists.

  “It’s almost show time,” Anthony said, checking his wristwatch.

  The Seiko had been his grandfather’s – passed down to him from his father. It seemed fitting to wear it today. He wished for the hundredth time that his grandfather could have seen this. His nervousness increased. There were so many people outside.

  “Now the designs for the Mars colony Habs and atmosphere generators came from that building over there twenty years ago.” He pointed to a low-slung building off to the right. “They were piped into space strapped to rockets and fed in pieces and parts to Mars over a period of about five years.”

  “The best is Calypso, though. The first manned ship to leave our solar system.” Jenn said, her eyes on the cloudless sky above.

  At night, with a small power telescope, the Gan De station could be spotted. With a more powerful telescope it was possible to see the Calypso, in orbit with the station, now 90% complete. Both orbited the Earth at 17,150 miles per hour.

  Great things were happening here, but in Anthony’s estimation, the impending departure of Calypso, was the greatest. For the first time in human history, man, and woman, would leave the solar system headed for a planet filled with boundless possibility.

  “I can’t help wondering if my grandfather imagined Calypso too when he first discovered the wobble and noticed the anomalies and shadows of something so incredibly far away.” Anthony mused, “He must have dreamed of how it would look, what it would be like to stand on an alien world.

  He glanced at the door, “With every step forward towards completion, it feels like vindication. I can’t spare my grandfather those years of ridicule or questioning.” He shook his head, “The media had a field day at his expense. But I can remind the world that it was Steve Vogt’s work that brought them here to this place – the first extra-solar journey to another world.”

  In the amphitheater, he heard the noise die down and the introductions begin.

  Anthony checked his watch again. It was an antique oddity, something that appeared in museums or on shelves behind glass. No one wore wristwatches anymore, most had stopped wearing or using them even in his grandfather’s day. It kept perfect time, and the hands pointed to exactly ten a.m.

  “Please welcome, Anthony Vogt.” That was his cue.

  He nodded to his assistant, took a deep breath, and stepped through the door, taking his place at the podium.

  “Good morning, thank you for coming.”

  The cameras clicked quietly, bright pulses of light filling his sight with dancing spots.

  “Four and one half years ago, I was given the honor of announcing the mission to Gliese 581G, also known as Zarmina’s World. As you know, we had a few setbacks and the departure date was moved from 2095 to 2098. Last week World Geographic gave the world a firm date for departure, September 19th, 2098.”

  He smiled, “Today I am back with you to announce the official request for volunteers, brave new souls who will travel outside of our known solar system and far beyond...”

  The speech went on for some time, the giant screens behind him flashed with images of the nearly finished spacecraft, the living quarters, and even more photos of Zarmina’s World as Anthony outlined the parameters of the selection process was looking for.

  “And now, I have time for questions.”

  “Will you be on board the ship, Dr. Vogt?” Anthony laughed and shook his head, his hair a snowy white cloud.

  �
��No.”

  He didn’t explain further. They wouldn’t understand anyway. Even if he did qualify under the stringent health guidelines, he was far too old to be considered as a colonist, and then there was the pesky problem of being terrified of actually being in space. He was quite happy exploring space through a telescope, his feet planted firmly on the ground.

  “Dr. Vogt, can you tell us more about this seed bank we keep hearing about?”

  Sue Davies, a petite, red-haired woman with a bony upturned nose asked. Anthony had sat down with her for a long interview more than a year earlier. Sue, who held a degree in Astrophysics, was more than just a journalist, she was a peer.

  He brightened immediately. Genetics and astronomy were dual loves for him. He had made the case for collecting a wide variety of not just ova and sperm from the multitudes of Earth animals, but also those of humans.

  Vogt, along with a host of others, had pushed for an extensive seed bank to be included on board Calypso. In fact, the collection was so extensive that it had taken a revamping of their storage techniques and a full re-design of the Cryo Deck, where the seed bank, along with over two-thirds of the colonists would be in stasis throughout the voyage.

  The technology for growing embryos in artificial wombs was still being refined, but they had seen limited success. By the time Calypso arrived at Zarmina’s World, the technology, if not with them, would be close behind. And they would need it in order to grow the domestic farm animals on planet; there was only so much space in the holds of the ship to store the creatures in Cryo pods.

  Anthony nodded, “That is a wonderful question, thanks Sue.”

  He nodded to a technician off-stage and immediately schematics for the Cryo Deck appeared on the enormous screen behind him.

  “The Cryo Deck was one of the sections on Calypso that underwent significant revisions. Once we realized that we had the opportunity to send out an A.R.C., we needed a few modifications in order to make everything work, and fit, within the space. So we...”

  Sue interrupted him, “I’m sorry, Dr. Vogt, but I hope you could explain what the A.R.C. is specifically?”

  She smiled as she did it, to lessen the sting.

  He nodded again, smiled ruefully, “Yes, thank you.”

  It was yet another reminder that his strengths were better utilized staring into a telescope.

  “I need Sue to keep me in check; otherwise this talk might devolve into the fundamental differences between quarks and quasars.”

  The reporters laughed, and he continued.

  “About fifty years ago, when the idea of deep space exploration became a reality, an ongoing theme was introduced, that of sending out A.R.C.s. An A.R.C. is an Advanced Reconstructive Colony, capable of re-creating, to some limited extent, a duplicate of Earth – through plants, fungi, sea life, animals and humans.”

  Behind him the vid screen raced with pictures, dizzying panoramic views of a vast herd of ruminants, shots of humans in every color and stage of life, and underwater photos of crab, coral, dolphins, sharks and more.

  “Our colonies on the Moon and Mars both have their own A.R.C., which has typically focused on animal reproduction or, more specifically in the case of Mars, well-known breeds of farm animals in addition to 1,000 samples of human sperm and ova.”

  Anthony held up his hands.

  “Now obviously, sending these specimens does not mean that we can reproduce all of them. That is, in some cases, years or even decades away. But A.R.C. is a treasure chest, a cornucopia sampling of who we are, as a species, and as a planet. In the case of Calypso and the long journey to Zarmina’s World, we intend for A.R.C. to be our safety net. We are sending 250 brave souls, our best and brightest, to a place we can barely begin to fathom. They will need every advantage, including that of the rich, genetic diversity we can so proudly claim here on Earth.”

  “With over 50,000 ova and sperm, collected from each country and every culture on Earth, our 250 colonists will never have to face the possibility of inbreeding or extinction. And not just that, but they can have their faithful companions with them as well!”

  The crowd laughed as images of dogs running and fetching balls resolved into a comical image of a cat, hanging onto the outside of a screen window.

  “We have included over three hundred and fifty species of dogs and over fifty species of cats in A.R.C.”

  A new series of pictures flashed across the screen, showing different mushrooms and fungi in petri dishes.

  “The Stamets Institute, founded in 2029, has graciously provided us with individual samples of their entire collection of fungi, over 140,000 varieties, which can be used for agricultural soil remediation and adaptation as well as their health benefits and continued research on Calypso.”

  The images changed, zooming in on a replica of the Cryo Deck.

  “The Cryo Deck is absolutely essential to the future of a colony on an alien world. Because of this, we have included a secondary command center within the Cryo Deck itself, along with titanium rod reinforced steel blast doors, yet another level of protection for such precious cargo. In the case of a full systems failure aboard Calypso, the blast doors could be sealed and the most important cargo of all, A.R.C. and over two-thirds of the colonists would be protected and able to complete the mission to Zarmina’s World.”

  Anthony paused, took a sip of water, and asked, “Next question?”

  A keen-eyed young reporter raised his hand, “I’ve heard that there is an artificial intelligence that will be a new addition.”

  “Yes, you are correct. NARA, otherwise known as Network and Radio Administration, will be on board Calypso.”

  Vogt shook his head at the murmurs, “You would think we could come up with a sexier-sounding name than that, right?!”

  Several folks laughed.

  Anthony smiled in response, “Right, well, NARA is a sophisticated evolutionary step above the Siri and Cortana models. You may remember that they occupied smartphones shortly before The Collapse. Siri and Cortana, along with ALCON, created nearly six decades later, are all considered AI, but their collective mental capacity is that of a mere five-year-old.”

  The screen behind him flashed with a parade of images, depicting the benefits of NARA for the audience.

  “NARA will be our on-ship and on-planet communications program and more. For instance, NARA will be able to detect heart rate, pulse, even give advance warning if a person is suffering a heart attack or needs medical attention.”

  The vid screen displayed a mannequin in a Calypso ship suit, a badge the size of a large button clipped to the left breast pocket.

  “NARA is small, lightweight, and the unit is coded to the wearer, functioning as a communications unit, locating beacon accurate to within two feet, and as I mentioned earlier, also excellent for monitoring basic vital signs.”

  The vid screen scrolled dates, “There will be several specific seminars on NARA and its applications on the dates listed on the screen. So any other questions regarding NARA can be asked then.”

  Anthony sipped more water, “Next question?”

  An overweight, balding man shot his hand up, “What are the requirements or parameters for this mission? Is it true that families and children are being considered?”

  Now was when the difficult questions would begin. He wasn’t looking forward to explaining the age limitations, not at all, especially when it came to the gender disparity. But this is what he had signed on for. He nodded to the technician and began to answer the first part of the reporter’s question.

  Just a Fever

  “What standards will guide the genetic engineers?” – Leon Kass

  Date: 12.28.2098

  Earth – Guizhou Province, China

  Guizhou Province was far more advanced than Edith had expected. The small plane descended through the thick layer of clouds, lurching and jumping so much that she regretted drinking the two cups of tea as they sloshed about ominously in her stomach. She could see an enormous c
ity below them, tall skyscrapers mixed with massive apartment buildings, and even ancient-looking pagoda-style structures. For some reason, she had been expecting a more rural location. She had fully furnished the image in her mind, complete with dirt roads and a beaten down truck belching diesel.

  Lin followed her gaze out of the window, “This is the city of Guiyang,” he said, pronouncing it “Ghee-yang” and pointed to the large river they were flying over, “And that is the Nanming River, a branch of the Wu River. Guiyang has over seven million population. It used to be known as the Forest City,” he smiled ruefully, “but those are all gone now.”

  There was a thick layer of smog hanging low in the air. It looked gray and oily.

  “I had read that China had won the battle over decades of pollution,” Edith said, her voice petering out as she viewed something obviously quite different.

  Lin looked embarrassed, “Unfortunately Ghizhou Province is not as high a priority as some of the wealthier regions. There is, how do you say, corruption? It is a work in progress.”

  A moment of silence passed.

  “Here is the runway now,” he said, pointing out of the window.

  She could now see the small air control tower. This was quite obviously not the main airport, but one specifically for smaller aircraft.

  A few moments later the plane had landed and Edith breathed a sigh of relief. Her stomach was still unsettled and she hoped this would be the last plane ride for a while.

  They disembarked from the plane and walked over to an ancient and battered Jeep. Lin bowed, his face flushing as he held the passenger door open for Edith.

  “My apologies, Dr. Hainey, it looks quite rough, but I promise it is quite reliable.”

  Edith couldn’t help but smile. Back home, Tom had jumped at the chance to trade up to a self-driving autocar the moment EcoNu offered it. She, on the other hand, had insisted on keeping her 2089 Simpatico. She loved the feel of the wheel in her hands, even though the kids had complained, and Tom had made fun of her.