Seas of the Red Star

by Andrew Gates

  “Can you believe we’re really 145 years in the future?”

  “Technically we’re in the present.”

  “Well… yeah, you know what I mean. Think about all the history that must’ve happened in that time!”

  “A lot of things have probably happened,” Ellen admitted, “but it’s all behind us now. We’re in a new star system, far away from all of that. That’s why we left Sol.”

  “You don’t like Sol much, do you?”

  “No, not much at all.” She shook her head. “I’ve had some nasty times there.” Just saying those words brought back a memory.

  Of all the missions she had been a part of, there was one she could never forget. Her assignment to the Jupiter Shipyard Ring, or JSR, lingered on her mind every day. Though it had been back in the early 4100s, it felt like it had been mere weeks ago. When she first learned about her mission to protect the legendary Indomitable, it sounded too exciting to ignore. The colony ship was the largest and most advanced ever built, which of course, attracted the eyes of some unsavory adversaries. Stopping the terrorist, Volkro, seemed like an easy enough mission on paper. After all, thwarting dangerous assailants was second nature at this point. Little did she know the difficulties that awaited her. The operation was ultimately a success, but it was the closest Ellen had come to death. If it weren’t for the cunning of Major Janice Markos, she may never have made it out alive.

  Janice Markos. Just remembering the name made the corporal grin. The major was something else, a purely unstoppable force. Last the corporal had heard, Markos was aboard the Indomitable, safe and out of danger. She hoped it would stay that way.

  First Markos got out, now Ellen got out too. The military’s finest seemed to be leaving the Sol system in droves.

  “Hey, are you okay?” Cutter asked, bringing her focus back to the present.

  “Yes, sorry,” Ellen replied, looking his way. She had not realized how much she had zoned out. “I was just… just thinking about an old soldier I used to know back in Sol.”

  “Was he close to you?”

  “It was a she, and no, it wasn’t like that.” She shook her head. “Anyway, let’s get going. We have a fighter to fly.”

  ***

  It felt like it had only been a few hours since Ellen was behind the holo console of this small two-person fighter. In reality, it had been nearly a century and a half. In that time, the ship had undergone a full refit. The fighter was now as good as new.

  They’ve even made a few upgrades, Yuri noted, studying the ship. The weapons systems have particularly improved.

  That’s an odd thing to upgrade. There’s hardly any chance of attack this time around. We’re going into uncolonized space.

  I’m sure Vexa Corp has their reasoning. They probably don’t want to risk it. Even a 1% chance of attack is enough to get them worried.

  “Forget about it,” she told herself, trying to put these thoughts out mind. It was during times like these, Ellen preferred the sound of her own voice to the tangential thoughts that raced through her head.

  “What’s that?” asked Cutter.

  Ellen turned to face him. She forgot that he was even there. She felt slightly embarrassed, but shook her head as if to suggest it weren’t important.

  “Uhm… nothing. Sorry. As you were,” she said, turning back to face the holographic display.

  “Was it that woman you were thinking about earlier?”

  “What woman?”

  “You know, the soldier lady?”

  “No, no,” Ellen replied, shaking her head. “I don’t want to think about that.”

  Janice Markos, the Indomitable, her time in the Marines, it was all behind her now. Ellen Milsen had turned her back on that life years ago. After decades of combat, she needed a change of pace.

  For her, that change of pace was life in a cockpit. Something about flying appealed to her. It was fast, invigorating, yet not directly in the sight of someone’s rifle… most of the time.

  Piloting a small fighter for security was a civilian gig made in paradise. Ellen still got to sit behind the scope of a weapon, but rarely found herself getting shot at anymore. After all, Vexa Corp was not necessarily a sought-after target. They were just vultures with decent enough investors who followed the HWST like a dog to food, not the type to be targeted by major terrorists.

  “Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up. It wasn’t my place,” Cutter said, pulling Ellen’s focus back to the present.

  At least he’s trying to be polite.

  He sucks at it though.

  “Don’t worry about it, just stay on task,” Ellen replied. She hoped he would just shut up this time.

  He lasted all of 15 seconds before he opened his mouth again.

  “Hard to believe the HWST came all the way out here all those years ago, back when these planets were just big rocks.”

  “Yeah,” Ellen agreed.

  Hard to believe this guy can’t take a hint. I don’t always understand the subtly of you humans, but even I can tell he’s completely oblivious.

  How perceptive of you, Ellen teased, for an AI.

  The HWST, the Habitable World Starbound Terraformers, or “worldbuilders” as the people of Sol called them, were like gods. Wherever they went, life followed.

  Back in the late 3900s, the HWST terraformed several planets in the Gamma Pavonis system, or Thrace, as the terraformers named it. Vexa Corp won the bid from the Interstellar Department of Colony Worlds, or IDCW, to colonize one of the planets there. It wasn’t long before colonists were signing up to move into this newly forged world 30.1 lightyears away from Sol. Ellen could understand why the colonists were eager to get so far away from their old lives. The Sol system was, for lack of a better term, going to hell. Overpopulation, crime, war, it had all taken ahold of Sol like an infection. Before long, the corporal knew the infection would turn fatal.

  And now she was one of those many colonists. She wanted so badly to leave the Sol system forever, to run away and never come back. Luckily for her, Vexa Corp had provided her with the perfect way out, and with a paycheck no less. This one job alone would keep her set for decades.

  “Wow, there it is!” Cutter said, pulling Ellen’s focus back to the display as they arced around. She put her thoughts aside and studied the image on the projection before her.

  Gamma Pavonis. It was beautiful. The yellow star was larger and brighter than Sol. Even on the projection, Ellen found that she practically had to shield her eyes from the sight.

  You know, you could just adjust the settings on your eyes, Yuri explained in Ellen’s mind. It’s easy to change light sensitivity.

  No, I want to see this for myself. No enhancements.

  Technically you would still be seeing it for yourself, Yuri explained.

  The corporal dismissed the comment. Altering the world never appealed to her. She was a purist, of sorts. Yuri must’ve known that by now. Perhaps he simply brought it up to tweak her.

  “The Nautilus is on course. No signs of pirates here. Looks like an uneventful approach,” Cutter narrated as he studied the data.

  “There’s no reason for pirates to be out here. The HWST left this system long ago. As far as we’re aware, we're the only humans for light years. Just a single ark alone in the dark.” Saying those words aloud made her realize how significant this moment was. She had never been so isolated in her life. Before she could get sidetracked with her thoughts, she quickly recomposed herself. “But keep an open eye anyway. That’s what we’re here for.”

  “Roger that, Captain.”

  “I’m not a captain, Cutter, you can stow that kind of talk,” Ellen corrected. If there was one thing she learned from taking a job in the private sector, it was that lack of rank amongst the pilots made for continual confusion about what the real rank would be. Cutter did not care what she went by and had jokingly taken to calling her anything from ensign to admiral. She did not appreciate it one bit.

  “We’re on a ship and y
ou’re in charge. That’s called a captain in my book,” he replied.

  “I’m a pilot and you’re a copilot. Hell, you’re practically still a trainee.”

  “Is that what you’re going to call me now? Trainee?”

  Ellen rolled her eyes and dismissed the comment, wondering how she was ever paired with this guy.

  It’s almost over. Then you’ll never see him again, Yuri said, trying to be reassuring.

  Ellen sighed. She hoped he was right, but rather doubted it—the colony wasn’t that big.

  It was a few days before the Nautilus came into view of the planet. The HWST terraformed a few worlds in this system, but their vector was set for the innermost world in the habitable zone, a planet known as Mateo. It was the first one to be colonized. The others could come shortly after. Ellen studied the continents and oceans on the holo. It was a smaller world, abundant in resources and already primed for settling.

  “Look, there it is,” Cutter said, pointing.

  “Our new home.”

  Gamechanger

  Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 09.09.4350

  Location: Neu Taargus, Mateo Capital City, Mateo, Thrace System, Vexa Corp Controlled Space

  A six-limbed servitor pulled out the seat for President Gorez. He kindly nodded to the robot and sat down in the stiff white chair. He pulled it forward, adjusting it beside the table.

  He took a moment to eye up the others seated here around the room. Company executives, local governors, financiers, engineers. The biggest players in Vexa Corp were assembled here today. Gorez could not remember the last time these heavy hitters were all in the same place at once.

  The final attendees took their seats. Nobody spoke. All were eager to hear what the President of Vexa Corp had to say.

  Gorez picked up the glass of water in front of him and took a sip, clearing his throat.

  “Good afternoon,” he eventually said, placing the water back down on the table. All eyes remained on him. “Let me first say, it is a rare thing to have all these faces gathered together. I’m glad you could all make it for this important meeting.”

  “We’re glad you chose this great city to host your assembly,” added Linda, local mayor of Neu Taargus, Mateo’s capital.

  “Before we begin, is this room secure?” Gorez asked, making sure to check all precautions before taking the plunge.

  “This room is locked down, soundproof and protected from any nanotech. Don’t worry, sir, we’ve done our job,” replied James, head of security.

  “Good.” Gorez cleared his throat once more. “When my predecessor, Rupert Anderson, appointed me President of Vexa Corp nearly 250 years ago, I made it my mission to push the limits of what this company could do. People in Sol have mocked us. They’ve called us nothing more than HWST chasers. But when I look at this colony and see what we have created in such a short time, I can’t help but feel proud. If only our critics in Sol could see this place for themselves, I know they would agree.”

  Smiles lit up the room around the table. Clearly his words were inspiring them as he’d hoped.

  “For 70 years now, this colony has grown into a stable, profitable society. I attribute that success directly to your efforts.”

  “And to yours!” added Melissa, the liaison to Vexa Corp’s Sol branch. “Moving the company headquarters from Sol to Thrace was a brilliant idea. Away from the politics and conflict, we were able to achieve so much more!”

  Gorez nodded. He had made the decision to move the company out here nearly 187 years ago, back when the Nautilus was still en route to the colony. Moving the company before the colonists even arrived was a huge gamble, but it was one that had paid off in the end. By the time the executives reached Mateo, the colonists had been here for several decades. Infrastructure and a working economy were already in place.

  “Thank you, Melissa,” Gorez replied. He shuffled in his chair. “That brings me to my main point: this company has always tried to remain a step ahead. Now, we may have a chance to do that again. Word has reached my ears of a new technology, one that will change the game of space travel forever.”

  Some heads nodded back to him as if they understood what he meant. Others looked around the room, seemingly confused by his words. It appeared not everyone had heard the news.

  Gorez stood up and placed a holo projector on the tabletop. He pushed it to the center of the table as it lit up, illuminating the room in stars.

  “This is the realm of human expansion. We are here, in the Gamma Pavonis system.” The system lit up bright so all could easily identify it. “This is Sol, 30.1 lightyears away.” Sol lit up too. It was strange to see how close together to two systems appeared on this projection. “Previously, travel between these two systems would take hundreds of years and tremendous funding. However, new technology has been developed which could turn this over-a-century-long trip into just a few months.”

  Gasps filled the room, confirming Gorez’s belief that not all had heard the news.

  “You can’t seriously be talking about… you know?” someone said in disbelief. Gorez was not sure who had asked the question, but he gave this person a prompt answer.

  “FTLT,” Gorez confirmed. "Humanity has discovered faster-than-light travel.”

  “Shit,” someone said.

  “This is a gamechanger,” added another.

  Gorez held his hands in the air, trying to calm the room. The voices quieted down.

  “A gamechanger indeed,” he continued. “And if this company wants to be on the forefront of innovation, we can’t ignore this new development. We need to act on it fast, lest we fall behind.”

  “What do you plan to do, Mr. President?” Melissa wondered.

  “I plan to colonize another world, without the help of the HWST this time.” There were a few nods here and there. Others looked like they needed a bit more convincing. “Before FTLT technology, replicating what the HWST did would have been too expensive of an operation for us. But with this new development, we can finally do it ourselves! We’ve seen how the HWST did it. We know their techniques.”

  “So you want to go into terraforming?” asked Bolton, the chief engineer.

  “I do.”

  “And do you have a location in mind?”

  Gorez nodded and referred to the star map. He pressed a few icons on the holographic display and a nearby system lit up for all to see.

  “GJ 1277,” he introduced, “an untouched red dwarf, ripe with worlds ready to be terraformed. The HWST skipped over it intentionally when they terraformed this stretch of space.”

  “Why did they skip it?” Melissa asked.

  “The HWST is not concerned with red or blue stars. They wanted prime candidates, but there’s no reason we can’t work in those systems.”

  “I disagree,” Bolton chimed in. “Red stars are tricky. Even if there are planets orbiting the star in the habitable zone, they’re tidally locked, meaning they don’t rotate.”

  “There’s no reason the planet has to rotate. The ship Ripe Fortune managed to terraform a system just like this almost a century ago.”

  “How long would it take for us to reach the star system?” asked Winston, one of the engineers working on Bolton’s staff.

  “GJ 1277 is 33.1 lightyears from Sol and only nine lightyears from Thrace," Gorez replied. He motioned to the map again. "With FTLT, we could make this trip in just 43 days.”

  “No way!” someone exclaimed.

  Someone else coughed up their water in disbelief.

  “This is no joke. I hope you can all see how lucrative this is. Right now our company only controls one planet in Thrace. Other corporations have claim to the remaining worlds here. However, starting from scratch in GJ 1277, we would control everything in the system, development, industry, agriculture, economy, trade… the list goes on. The potential is limitless.”

  “Lucrative indeed, Gorez,” Balton agreed, “but it’s still just hypothetical. We don’t have the technology in our hands yet. Ju
st because it’s been developed, doesn’t mean we have access to it. Not to mention, Vexa Corp has only ever colonized worlds, not terraformed them. Just because we’ve seen the HWST’s methods, it doesn’t mean we will necessarily be able to replicate their work.”

  “If we fail, we move onto the next one and try again at minimal cost. This type of leeway has never really been possible before, but it is now,” Gorez explained.

  “Still, that doesn’t change the fact that FTLT technology is still on the other side of the galaxy right now.”

  Melissa cleared her throat, prompting everyone seated at the table to turn her way.

  “I have contacts in Sol,” she said. “Hell, it’s my job to have contacts in Sol. Trust me, I can get ahold of that technology.”

  “Good,” Gorez said. “I’ve already gotten approval from the board. They back me up all the way on this.”

  “Sounds like it’s already confirmed,” the chief engineer noted.

  “That’s right, Bolton. Starting now, Vexa Corp is going into the terraforming business.”

  An Interrupted Retirement

  Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 01.15.4370

  Location: Horron Fields, Near Neu Taargus, Mateo, Thrace System, Vexa Corp Controlled Space

  The eggs crackled in the pan. Ellen pressed onto the yolks with her fork, feeling their softness. She smiled. The eggs were perfectly runny, just how she liked it. She quickly turned down the heat and removed it from the stovetop as her stomach rumbled.

  The retired Marine, retired fighter pilot, retired everything promptly plated the eggs and casually tossed the hot pan into the sink. She ran cool water over it for a few seconds, which turned to steam as it hit the scorching surface.

  Destiny brushed against her bare legs. Ellen looked down at the black and white cat. She looked back up at her with her cool yellow eyes, purring.

  “What is it, girl?”

  Destiny opened her mouth wide and meowed, displaying her sharp teeth.

  “Are you hungry?”