by Andrew Gates
“She’s changed, I’ll give you that. She’s been out of the business for a long time. Having a family will do that you to,” Dave replied.
I know she is one of the best pilots in Mateo, but are you sure she’s really the right one for this job?
“Trust me, she is.” Dave nodded. “She may have changed, but the second she sits behind the controls, she’ll fall right back into it. Flying is second nature to her.”
Does it have to be her though?
“She saved my ass when the Nautilus left Sol. After all these years, there’s still no other pilot I trust more. Vexa Corp asked me to find the best, so that’s what I’m doing.”
What if she finds out that you forged your flight data? Do you think she will still trust you then?
Dave paused for a few moments. He did not know how to answer that question.
“Let’s hope she doesn’t find out,” was all he eventually said in reply, “for all our sakes.”
Back in the Swing
Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 01.24.4370
Location: Surrounding space of VCS Worldbuilder Euripides, Orbit of Mateo, Thrace System, Vexa Corp Controlled Space
Ellen stared at the stars before her, surprised by how comfortable she felt back in the cockpit of this small fighter. Dave was right when he said not much had changed, though there were certainly a few changes here and there.
This is a newer model, Yuri noted, studying the ship. There weren’t stasis pods in here last time.
There’s hardly any room in here to begin with. Why did they think we needed something like stasis pods to take up space?
I’m sure Vexa Corp has their reasoning.
She supposed the AI was right, though she could not think what that reason would be. Fighters were not built for long voyages. They were built to dock with larger ships like the Nautilus or the Euripides for the long legs of the journey. Perhaps these pods were here just for emergency purposes.
While FTLT was quickly spreading across the galaxy, it had not made its debut quite everywhere yet. Even these newer fighters were still not outfitted with FTLT technology. Therefore, their objective was simply to escort the worldbuilder Euripides to the faster-than-light jump point, then dock with the ship and ride it to GJ 1277, a system they were apparently calling Vexa Prime.
What a self-righteous title, Yuri thought.
Hey, it’s their system. They can name it what they want.
“Report,” Dave said.
All systems remain nominal. This ship is functioning perfectly, Gloria replied.
Ellen was still getting used to Gloria’s presence in Dave’s mind when she heard her on the telepathic grid. The AI was often quiet. At times, she forgot she was even there.
“We’re on course. Everything looks good,” Ellen added.
She sighed in relief. Dave and Yuri were right. This was going to be an uneventful escort.
I told you we’d be fine, Yuri teased.
Don’t get cocky now, Ellen warned. That’s how we lower our guard.
It’s been three weeks since the worldbuilder left for the faster-than-light jump point, Yuri said, publicly this time. Taking every third shift for 14 hours at a time, I’d say you finally deserve some time to relax.
“Roger that,” Dave replied, smirking as he agreed with the AI.
Ellen could not help but roll her eyes at his “roger that”. Dave may have improved his piloting skills over the decades, but his dialog was still as awkward as ever.
Though she had flown a few times in her retirement, the corporal’s flights had all been inside Mateo’s atmosphere. The last time she had been in space was when the Nautilus arrived in Thrace. By the time she’d left on this escort mission, Ellen had almost forgotten what it felt like to be so far removed from the world. From here the Gamma Pavonis star looked just like any other.
Seeing it this way made her feel so small, so insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Her planet was massive and it was just one of several in the system and that system, just one of hundreds of billions in the galaxy. At times, it was overwhelming just to think about it.
They traveled a few more minutes in silence before finally receiving new orders over the ATG.
Fighters, this is Commander Ignacio. Our jump point is clear. Regroup with the worldbuilder.
Understood, Commander.
The mission was uneventful after all.
It took a few minutes to reach the Euripides’s dock. Once there, Ellen slowed the fighter down, preparing for the hard part.
With the birth of FTLT, newer ships were now outfitted with something called a gravitation manipulator. It made navigating compact areas like docks much simpler. Ellen had flown a few of these ships for fun already, impressed by how easy they were to maneuver.
Unfortunately, Vexa Corp fighters did not have this technology… at least, not yet. That meant docking with the worldbuilder would require chemical thrusters to carry them in. It made the task more difficult, but not impossible.
“Give me full control,” Ellen requested. Dave did not put up a fight. He lifted his hands away from the holo.
Yuri’s avatar smirked in Ellen’s mind, as if pleased by Dave’s compliance.
Watch your torch. Don’t want to burn anything as we dock, Yuri explained, as if she needed to be told.
“I’ve got it.”
Do you want me to plot the course for you?
“I’ve got it.”
“Hey Milsen,” Dave said, interrupting her focus. He turned and looked her way as she stared at the holo. “What are you going to do once we dock?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, will you stay up for the journey and enjoy your first faster-than-light trip? Or will you hit the stasis pod?”
“The trip is supposed to take 43 days. I’m not staying up for that. For me, it’s in and out.”
“That’s no fun.”
“I didn’t sign up for fun. I signed up for a quick paycheck.”
“I take it your cat isn’t with you then?”
“No,” Ellen replied, wondering why that was important. “She’s with an old friend. She’s in good care.”
Watch your approach, Yuri reminded her.
Ellen steadied the ship as the engine’s plasma trail nearly melted a nearby crane. She angled the ship out of the way at the last second. She missed it, barely.
“Sorry,” she said.
“No apologies needed, Captain. I would’ve blasted the hell out of that thing. You’re a pro at this!”
“I’m not a cap... never mind.” It wasn’t worth the time.
Top pilot in the squadron, huh? Ellen asked, privately.
That’s what the data said.
Five hours to FTLT launch, said Cromwell over the ATG, Captain of the Euripides.
Ellen touched the ship down on the metal surface of the worldbuilder’s dock. Hers was one of the final ships to arrive.
Once the ship was secure, she undid her safety belt and stood up from the seat. The holo display powered down automatically.
“Another safe trip. See? What did I tell you?” Dave said, smirking.
“Let’s hope the return journey is the same.”
Dave undid his own belt and stood up. He stretched his legs and studied the view out the window. After a moment, a look of bewilderment shone across his face.
“What is it?” Ellen asked, entertaining his curious expression.
“They aren’t sealing the dock. It’s still open!”
“They don’t need to. There’s a gravity shield protecting the ship.”
“Gravity?”
“Yes, gravity, like a gravitation manipulator. That’s how FTLT works. It relies on the manipulation of gravity.”
“Oh.”
I know the technology is new, but is he really that dimwitted?
“Have Gloria explain it to you. I’m getting out of here,” Ellen said, not willing to take the time to explain the nuances of faster-than-light
travel.
Don’t encourage him to rely on her, Yuri said, privately. He might actually do it, knowing him.
Some people grew so dependent on AI to supply them with information, that they nearly forgot how to think for themselves. It was as if they were more of a walking shell than an actual human. Yuri seemed to think that Dave, with his dimwitted ways, would grow to be one of those people.
I don’t care what he does. I just want to find the next stasis pod.
Well there are two here in the fighter.
I’m not spending another second in this fighter. I’ll find another one.
Suit yourself. Each pilot has a reserved pod inside. Yours is right next to Dave’s.
Figures.
“So I’ll see you when you wake up, Captain?” Dave asked as Ellen began walking to the exit.
“That’s right. See you in 43 days.”
“Goodnight, Captain.”
“I’m not…” She didn’t even bother to finish the sentence.
Vexa Prime
Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 03.08.4370
Location: Surrounding space of VCS Worldbuilder Euripides, Inner Vexa Prime System, Vexa Corp Controlled Space
Nine lightyears in just 43 days. It was truly unbelievable. Ellen had seen some wild things in her life, but she never expected to travel faster than the speed of light. Making this type of journey would have been considered a grand adventure 20 years earlier. Now it was nothing more than a brief trip.
“There it is. Vexa Prime is coming into view now,” Dave narrated as the system lit up on the holo display.
Ellen studied the image, fascinated by what she saw. She had never been this close to a red dwarf before.
Up close, the glowing ball of hydrogen looked like a smoldering inferno. It was bright red, like luminescent blood.
Red dwarfs were an interesting bunch. They made up a majority of the stars in the galaxy, yet were often ignored or forgotten, partly due to their luminosity. Red stars were dim, too dim to be seen with unenhanced optics from most planetary surfaces or rings. Their diminished radiance also meant that these stars were cooler and lived longer, far exceeding the life of any yellow star.
Several celestial bodies orbited Vexa Prime, but only two resided within the habitable zone. The innermost of the two was their destination, a planet the crew of the Euripides had nicknamed “Red One”.
Boy, I sure hope that name doesn’t stick, Yuri said.
Agreed, but worse names have caught on.
Like Vexa Prime?
No way. Red One is a way worse than Vexa Prime.
“The Euripides is on course. No signs of trouble. Looks like another uneventful approach,” Dave explained as he studied the data.
“Good. Just the way it should be.”
“Keep your eyes open though. The last thing we want is for someone to sneak up on us out here.”
“Funny how I used to be the one to tell you that. Look how things have changed,” Ellen noted. “Now you’re telling me to keep an open eye.”
“I guess so.” Dave snickered.
Well, well, well, are you two actually having an enjoyable exchange of words? Yuri asked, privately.
Hey there, don’t jinx it.
“Speaking of which, keep an eye on our ion dampeners,” Ellen said, ending her internal discussion with Yuri. “They were a bit flakey when we were coming out of dock.”
“System’s check says its fine.”
“Well, keep an eye on it anyway. System’s check isn’t always perfect. It’s hard to be certain without a shipboard AI.”
Ion dampeners seem to be operating at maximum capacity, Gloria explained. Perhaps the system just took a moment to warm up as we left dock.
“Perhaps.”
“Red One is coming into visual range now,” Dave said, motioning to the holo.
The brown rock appeared before them. As Ellen expected, the planet was as raw and untouched as they came. Half of it glowed bright in the light of Vexa Prime. The other half was shrouded in shadow.
The planet had no moons, an absence Ellen was not accustomed to seeing. Somehow the lack of moon made this rock feel lonelier, more isolated.
“Data coming in,” Dave continued.
Ellen accessed the data over the ATG. She quickly read through it.
Red One was tiny but incredibly dense. Its radius was roughly 2,500 km, putting its total surface area at close to 75 million km². That meant it was significantly smaller than Mateo and most planets in the Sol system. The high density of the planet meant gravity was only 3.70 m/s². It was lower than what they were all used to, but strong for a planet of that size. Everyone coming from Mateo was about to feel a whole lot lighter.
The other planet in the habitable zone was larger, with around the same gravity as Mateo. It seemed like a more suitable candidate to Ellen, but Vexa Corp wanted to try their hand at a smaller world first.
“Euripides is on approach,” Dave continued as he watched the vector. “Everything is going as planned.”
No surprises, it would seem, added Gloria.
“Good.” Ellen nodded. “Let’s hope it stays that way.”
The journey planet side would take a few hours. This time there would be no docking with the worldbuilder. The massive vessel would stay in orbit and begin unloading its terraforming cargo. Meanwhile the fighter pilots were to escort the shuttles from the Euripides to Red One until all cargo was unloaded.
Ellen took a deep breath. It was going to be a long day.
***
The glowing plasma of the engines drew up a mist around the fighter as it touched down on solid ground. The ionization field glowed around the hull, shining through the forward window. Ellen found herself shielding her eyes with both hands just to look forward.
Again, you can always just adjust the settings in your eyes.
“Not now, Yuri.”
“What’s that?” Dave asked.
“Nothing.” Ellen did not mean to respond to Yuri out loud.
The tired pilot shook her head and let out a yawn. She had spent far too long in this ship and was dying to go anywhere else.
Fighters, this is Commander Ignacio, the squadron commander said over the ATG. Great work, as always. Our birds made it in safe and sound. It looks like all of you have found safe landing sites as well.
It’s easy when the skies are clear, Dave replied. He smirked as he said this.
When do we regroup with the worldbuilder? another pilot asked. This voice apparently belonged to someone named Hansen, who Ellen had not yet met, but had communicated with over the ATG several times.
The commander did not respond right away. He had a knack for making them wait.
You don’t, he finally replied. His tone was stern. The worldbuilder is staying here. Terraforming takes a couple hundred years. Non-essential personnel on temporary contract are to hop on one of the larger shuttles and ride back to Thrace while the machines do their work. We’ll keep some fighters running here to protect our investment. Those pilots know who they are.
Ellen was glad she was not one of them. She could not imagine spending a few hundred years protecting a terraforming vessel around an uninhabited world.
Your fighters will be put on autopilot. They’ll dock with the shuttle that will bring you back to Thrace, the commander continued. Each of your fighters has been outfitted with two stasis pods. They have internal power sources to last you the duration of the time and then some. You can choose to go into stasis now, or after the docking. It’s your choice.
Ellen turned to face the pods. Finally she knew what those were for.
Dave let out a deep exhale, as if he were dissatisfied with the commander’s news. He stood up from the seat and turned to face the pods.
“Damn,” he said, “I thought we’d at least get to look around this rock before we go under.”
There’s nothing to see here anyway, Gloria added. It’s barren.
“I guess you’re right.”
Stasis will only last a few months. We’ll make sure you get up in time. You can count on us, the commander continued. For some reason, Ellen was no so reassured by his words.
Understood, someone said over the ATG.
Understood, repeated another.
Roger that, said Dave.
Ellen rolled her eyes.
This is Commander Ignacio signing off. Enjoy the sleep, everybody.
Ellen undid her seatbelt and stood up from the chair, surprised by how easily her muscles were able to move in this gravity. It felt as if she were twice as strong. Even a slight twitch and her legs overextended with each step.
“Yeah, I noticed it too,” Dave said, apparently watching her take her first steps in what was almost 1/3 the gravity she was accustomed to.
“It’ll take some getting used to.”
“Well, we’ll be asleep for most of it.”
“True. I guess there’s no point getting used to it, is there?”
Why does everyone keep referring to stasis as sleep? You know you’re not actually sleeping, right? Yuri added.
Ellen ignored the question and made her way to the pods. She removed her uniform and switched into her stasis suit, turning away from Dave as she changed. Once ready, Ellen sat inside the stasis pod and took one final look at her copilot.
“See you in 54 years,” she said, jokingly.
“Wait, how long? I thought Commander Ignacio said a few months!”
Before she could respond, Ellen closed the soundproof pod door.
You’re too cruel, Yuri said.
What can I say? We’re halfway through this mission. I just want to get it over with and get on home before my cat dies without me.
Lost at Sea
Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 01.23.5673
Location: Unknown Location
Bright lights filled the void like stars on a cloudless night. Ellen held her hands out before her as she slowly navigated across the open field. Each step was a challenge. The ground seemed to rock up and down like a raft on an ocean wave. The world around her was quiet, save but the roar of the wind. It blew into her with great force, sending her long brown hair flying in all directions.