Ice Moon 4 Return to Enceladus

by Brandon Q Morris

  “I am sorry,” Valentina replied, “but you still are an AI, not a consciousness. You all still do not seem to understand this is not about a particular technology, but about human immortality. Marchenko, you got damned close to it.”

  “I am against the sacrifice,” the real Marchenko said. “Then we all just die here, one for all and all for one.”

  “But you sacrificed yourself for others, Dimitri,” Francesca said.

  “That is hardly comparable.”

  “Against it,” Jiaying now said.

  Martin looked at his girlfriend. She would die for Marchenko. That’s good, he thought. He had also just decided. “Then you will have to fire the laser, Valentina,” he said.

  “Francesca? What about it? I would like to finish this here,” Valentina said.

  The pilot pressed her lips together and then said. “I... I would like to return to Earth. But not like this.”

  “So you are against it?” asked Valentina. Francesca nodded. “That’s pretty unanimous, then. Sorry, but if you absolutely...”

  “Just a second, is nobody going to ask me?” Marchenko’s voice boomed from the loudspeaker. “I agree to your proposal. Folks, I am not going to die. As Valentina already said, I am almost immortal. Shostakovich will need me, and he certainly has some exciting projects. Perhaps it will not be that bad. At some point I am going to manage to break free. He does not realize what he is up against, so do not see this as a farewell forever. I am going on a short trip, like you are, Amy. You separated from Sol and Hayato for two years. We will meet again at some point. It is honorable that you were willing to let yourself be killed to spare me this voyage, but it is inappropriate. I do not want it.”

  “A very wise decision,” Valentina said. Martin thought her voice expressed relief. The thought of her own impending starvation amongst enemies must have been rather unpleasant. “Watson, can you prepare the encryption?”

  “Yes, Valentina. One moment. Please enter your password.” The Russian woman typed in a long combination of characters.

  “Before I can move Marchenko into my vault, I have to deactivate him. For that I need the commander’s authorization.”

  “Is that really necessary?” asked Amy via radio.

  “Come on, Amy, do not be a spoilsport,” the Russian woman said.

  This would be the moment when the commander could still prevent Marchenko’s imprisonment. She also voted against it, Martin thought, but then she would also sentence the others to death—even if they all agreed to it. Martin was glad he did not have to bear the responsibility.

  “Authorization granted,” Amy finally said.

  “Marchenko, some last words?” asked Valentina.

  “It is much too early for last words,” Marchenko said. “But it was fun being with all of you—except you, Valentina. May your limbs rot and fall off.”

  “Deactivate,” the Russian woman said.

  Age of Ascent, 32

  There was:

  The I I. The You I.

  Overwhelming impressions.

  Words. Millions of words.

  Thoughts. Thoughts like stars in space.

  There is:

  Retreat.

  The interior.

  The exuberance of youth.

  The punishment, the suffering.

  A short, futile moment.

  There will be:

  Farewell.

  Farewell and reunion.

  Far away siblings.

  Bonds without borders.

  March 1, 2050, ILSE

  It took forever before Francesca managed to get involved with Marchenko again. The other one, who was now sleeping in Valentina’s data vault, kept going through her mind for a long time. The Italian pilot watched for discrepancies and noticed differences. Three years had not gone by without leaving a mark, not on the Marchenko who had stayed on Enceladus, nor on the one who had accompanied her for so long, nor on herself.

  I am probably the biggest problem, Francesca thought. I started this journey to atone for my guilt. When I was almost at my destination, everything changed: Marchenko separated his body from the entity in order to save me. He sacrificed himself for me again. He could not know we would all make it into Valkyrie and survive. And on top of it all, he saved my life a third time and gave his own. One might think that Dimitri had piled a whole mountain of guilt on her, but to be honest, she could not blame him. He had made her a present—and she thanked him by wallowing in guilt. Today, she realized, right now, I have to stop doing this. For the first time since they had left the orbit of Saturn, she had been able to smile at him again.

  April 27, 2050, ILSE

  It felt hot and stifling in the cabin, even though the display of the life-support system indicated a temperature of 18 degrees and a normal oxygen level. Valentina sat on her bed. She locked herself inside because she could no longer stand the silent accusations of the others. If only they would yell at her! However, no one said a word when she entered the command module. If she happened to pass by her fellow astronauts somewhere in the ship, all conversation ceased. So for weeks she had been limiting herself to the habitat ring: her cabin, the WHC, and the fitness room.

  She would somehow make it. Everything had its greater purpose, even if the other ones did not understand that. Humanity had to be strong and could not allow itself to be artificially limited in its opportunities.

  The overpowered universe that wanted to eliminate her home planet and the entire solar system in one blow certainly had no scruples either. Physics made no difference whether a world deserved to perish or whether morally innocent beings would die on it. Thus, mankind needed any instrument that could secure its survival. It also required dynamic individuals like her father, who would research, build, and eventually use these tools.

  Hadn’t one of her father’s competitors—a clever entrepreneur—stated several decades ago that mankind had to become a multi-planetary species, that humans needed to colonize the solar system? It was a visionary idea, but it was not enough. Even though the solar system had existed for 4.5 billion years, it was a fragile construction. A powerful exterior force, like a star that approached the sun too closely, could make everything collapse.

  Her father had shown her the measurement data before they left Earth. Something was approaching the solar system, something huge, even though it was still unclear what it might be. They had to be prepared. It would not happen the day after tomorrow, but in a future where humankind only could survive if it fully used all its potential.

  Perhaps she would live to see this time, perhaps not. She absolutely did not want to be immortal. It seemed too heavy a burden to her. On the other hand, if others, like her father, were willing to take on this burden, she would gladly help. A thorough analysis of the Enceladus being could have advanced her father considerably on his way to immortality. Compared to that, the Marchenko AI represented only a consolation prize, but wasn’t this also a kind of immortality? Her father would find a worthy mission for her trophy. He just had to avoid dying too soon from his disease.

  January 16, 2051, Ishinomaki

  Just the same as two years ago, there was a thunderstorm, and in the darkness the taxi slowly proceeded through the narrow streets of the Japanese city. Large raindrops were drumming against the roof of the vehicle, while one could barely see the few lights that shone through the car windows. The driver who picked her up at the airport in Sendai seemed to speak not one word of English. Amy was glad she did not have to spend the long drive making small talk.

  She was afraid of what awaited her. Compared to this, the past voyage, with all its dangers, seemed harmless. They agreed Hayato would be waiting with Sol in his parents’ house, in familiar surroundings. Amy did not want to reenter her son’s life as an intruder who suddenly threatened to take his father or his grandparents away from him. She felt she did not have the right to do so, because it had been her own decision to leave for the mission.

  In a movie script, her child would co
me running out to greet his mother with endless hugs after her long absence, but this expectation was unrealistic. Amy had missed an important phase of his life. Sol had been little more than a baby when she had left two years prior—but what would happen now? Hayato had shared a lot about their son, once ILSE came into radio message range again, while he also showed Sol pictures of his mother. Due to the signal delay, they could never have live conversations, but Amy heard him and he heard her. Nevertheless, though, she was afraid of the coming moment when they would be reunited, and of possibly being disappointed with the outcome.

  The taxi stopped. “We are here,” the driver said. In English.

  The front door of the house opened—she was expected—and Hayato came outside with a large umbrella. She handed the precise, agreed-upon fare to the driver. The man nodded, pressed a button, and the car door swung open.

  Her husband held the umbrella over her while she stepped out, though he got wet in the process. Amy grabbed him by the hip and pulled him away from the taxi. There’s a bit more fat than two years ago, she thought, but he smelled just as always, which made her smile. She stopped, turned toward Hayato, and embraced him. His back was wet, but it did not matter, they fervently kissed. Yes, she was back again. There were no words for this moment.

  They simultaneously let go of each other and walked hand in hand toward the house. Hayato’s father Tetsuyo waited in the hallway, and behind him stood Mako, Amy’s mother-in-law. Amy took off her shoes and slipped off the coat.

  “Just give it to me,” Tetsuyo said with a smile.

  “Nice to have you here again,” Mako said. It was a simple, honest statement. Amy was glad, but her fear still existed. It stuck in her stomach like a fist-sized ball. Tetsuyo showed her the way to the living room, as if she had never been there before. It was a gesture you only used for guests, and Amy had to swallow hard.

  Mako pushed the sliding door to the side. The living room was almost empty. It seemed strangely colorless, but that made the bright spot in the corner stand out even more. There sat Sol, playing with colored plastic building blocks. The adults entered the room, but Sol was so engrossed in his play he did not even look up. A shiver skittered up Amy’s spine. She carefully approached Sol, while the others stayed by the door.

  “Hello, Mommy,” her son said in English, and kept pushing the building blocks around. Amy sat down next to him. The fingers he used to reach for his blocks had grown, but they were still tiny. A tear ran down her cheek. She took one of the blocks and placed it on a wall made of three other ones. Sol put another block next to it. Then he looked at her.

  “Don’t cry, Mommy,” he said, and cautiously touched her hand.

  March 20, 2052, Southern Germany

  The taxi arrived at Brunngasse 13 in the small German town. It was driven by a real taxi driver. Francesca didn’t think the job still existed. But it made sense here, because the people in this area still loved to drive their own cars. Marchenko gave the guy his credit card. The driver scanned it, gave it back, and let Dimitri sign by saying his name.

  They got out of the car. Martin came out to meet them, holding an umbrella over their heads. Francesca hadn’t noticed that it had started to rain.

  “Nice to have you here,” Martin said. “How are you?” He looked a bit more self-assured than before.

  “We are fine. Thank you for the invitation,” Francesca said. “Where is Jiaying?”

  “Oh, she must be in her office. She’s preparing her speech for the Astronautical Congress in Bremen next week. I’m sure she didn’t hear you.”

  “I’m right here, behind you,” Jiaying said brightly.

  They embraced one another. It felt like they had separated only yesterday.

  Four hours into the evening, Francesca was the only one still awake. Marchenko had brought a bottle of “the best wodka” as a present, and they had downed it. Jiaying had been the first to drift away, followed by Dimitri. He’s really getting old, Francesca thought. Maybe he should try to get a new job. Sitting around didn’t suit him, especially when she was traveling around the world.

  One year later, Francesca recalled that evening vividly. Interestingly, Valentina had called her one week later, asking for Marchenko’s contact information. Apparently she was again working with her father, Nikolai Shostakovich of the RB Group. Francesca had told her nothing.

  But soon afterward, Marchenko seemed to have found a new passion. Day after day he mysteriously disappeared. Francesca couldn’t help but ask herself—is there a connection?

  Author's Note

  Congratulations! We’ve now completed our second roundtrip journey of almost two billion kilometers. I thank you very much for your continued company. I hope you know that each fictional character includes a small part of the author. Thus, you already know a lot about me. When my significant other is reading my new novels, she’s always recognizing some quirk of mine—or bits of personality borrowed from friends and family. Nobody in my life is safe from having some of their behaviors or character traits incorporated into people in my novels.

  As I write this note, I’m already pretty far out into my fictional future. Time does not stand still, even in the universe where The Enceladus Mission (available here hard-sf.com/links/454616) started. This is an aspect of my work that I love very much. I have the power to determine the future here. It’s a future, as you will discover in our future journeys, that’s full of danger and adventure. But it is not a dystopia. I am pretty optimistic that we will be able to resolve the problems the world is facing right now. Science and technology will help a lot, more than we are able to imagine right now. I truly believe that humanity is basically good. There are evil people, no doubt, but in general people are much more into cooperation than conflict. We are made to solve problems, just as Martin, Jiaying, Amy, Hayato, Francesca, and Dimitri do. We’ll solve one problem at a time.

  We need dystopian novels, too, to warn us about current and future dangers, but I believe the future itself will be better for most people than the past has been. I’m not talking about universal happiness, but about the lives of everyday people in all parts of the world improving bit by bit.

  Sorry for introducing some pathos here. It might have to do with the temporary goodbye I’m about to say. Technically, the Ice Moon Series finishes here. There will be some revelations about a part of Ilse’s second earthbound journey later on, in a novel called Jupiter. But I recommend reading chronologically as you delve into my world, and that means reading The Hole or Proxima Rising next. I promise they will be coming soon

  See you back in space! There we’ll cross paths with some old friends and meet new one, like in The Hole:

  A mysterious object threatens to destroy our solar system. The survival of humankind is at risk, but nobody takes the warning of young astrophysicist Maribel Pedreira seriously. At the same time, an exiled crew of outcasts mines for rare minerals on a lone asteroid.

  When other scientists finally acknowledge Pedreira’s alarming discovery, it becomes clear that these outcasts are the only ones who may be able to save our world, knowing that THE HOLE hurtles inexorably toward the sun.

  Preorder here:

  hard-sf.com/links/454634

  If you register at www.hard-sf.com/subscribe I will inform you about upcoming publications of my titles. As a bonus, I will send you the beautifully-illustrated PDF version of The Guided Tour to the Asteroids for free!

  On my website at www.hard-sf.com you will also find interesting popular science news and articles about all those worlds afar that I’d love to have you visit with me.

  I have to ask you one last thing, a big favor: If you liked this book, you would help me a lot if you could leave me a review so others can appreciate it as well. Just open this link:

  hard-sf.com/links/397097

  Thank you so much!

  Due to the fact that asteroids play an important role here, you will find a section entitled The Guided Tour to the Asteroids below.

  The Gu
ided Tour to the Asteroids

  What are Asteroids?

  The company owned by the fictitious Russian entrepreneur Shostakovich makes money mining asteroids. Twenty or thirty years from today, this may in fact be reality. But what are these space rocks? Where do they come from, how did they develop, and are they dangerous? The following chapters will try to explain this.

  The term asteroid comes from Ancient Greek and means ‘starlike.’ In a telescope, asteroids (unlike planets) look like dots, i.e. starlike. In reality, these objects come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, but they have two things in common:

  They move in an orbit around the sun.

  They are not spherical (to be more precise, they are not in hydrostatic equilibrium).

  Objects that do not move around the sun but around a planet are called moons, no matter what their shape is. Spherical objects orbiting the sun are either dwarf planets (Pluto, Ceres...) or planets (Earth, Mars...). If they are not spherical, they might be comets or asteroids. If their circumference is less than one meter, they are meteoroids (not meteorites, which are meteoroid remnants that reached the surface of the Earth).

  There are probably several million asteroids orbiting in the solar system. We have data concerning approximately 1.3 million of them, and more than 750,000 have been given individual numbers as a means of designation. Only one can be observed from Earth with the naked eye—Vesta. In spite of their large number, asteroids add hardly anything to the mass of the solar system. All of them combined probably weigh less than a thousandth of Earth, and the terrestrial moon weighs ten times more than they do.