by Ali Yazan
THE LEGENDARY
CIVILIZATION
BOOK 1
Ali Yazan
THE LEGENDARY
CIVILIZATION
BOOK 1
Ali Yazan
Copyright © 2019 by Ali Yazan.
All rights reserved.
THE LEGENDARY CIVILIZATION: BOOK 1
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.
The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of Cosby Media Productions.
Published by Cosby Media Productions.
www.cosbymediaproductions.com
Cover art: Cosby Media Productions
Edited: Shelley Mascia
ASIN: B07V1SV5G1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
About the Author
References
This book is dedicated to my sister Aise Busra Yazan, who is also a Star Wars fan like me.
CHAPTER ONE-AN EXPEDITION
John Carpenter was excited. NASA just informed him that not only had they chosen him to be on the asteroid mining mission, but he was also assigned to be the mission’s commander out of the seven other candidates. At only 42 years old, he had been to the Moon once and to the International Space Station twice. As soon as the mission was completed, Andorra 85 would be in the orbit of Mars. NASA, in order to kill two birds with one stone, explained that they would be expected to step on Mars without the need to organize an additional journey.
The training would be four long months. He checked the names under his command and recognized at least three of them. All of them had been to space before. A good list, he thought. Working with such experienced astronauts was going to be a pleasure.
After a month, the group gathered together at Houston Space Center’s training department. The ones who were already acquainted greeted each other warmly, while the rest made introductions. John, as journey commander, wanted to make them feel as comfortable as possible.
Carpenter greeted the six men with a hearty handshake. “Gentlemen, I hope you are aware that you have been chosen for an extremely important journey. If everything works well, you are going to be the first people in history to land on both Mars and an asteroid.”
The astronauts shifted in uncomfortable silence. Nobody had told them about the asteroid, too.
Phil McKenzie spoke up first. “Wait a second, Commander Carpenter, we were told we were just landing on Mars. Nobody gave us information about landing on an asteroid.”
John took a deep breath. “There was a change by order of President Mason at the last moment. He asked if it was possible to land on an asteroid. Yes, this is more dangerous than landing on Mars, but it is possible. We couldn’t wait for NASA to say no to the President. Therefore, it’s upon us to complete this mission.” He tried to sound cheerful, but the astronauts began to grumble. “Gentlemen, please calm down. Think about the fame.”
Richard Stronghold spoke up. “Who cares about the fame if they’re dead? If a bad situation comes up on the asteroid, can anybody rescue us? Or will we be part of a space disaster movie?” The astronauts started to laugh.
Carpenter dodged his question. “I hope it won’t be something like that.” He quickly changed the subject to focus on the details of the journey.
During the first month, they trained in weightless conditions to get them accustomed to working in space again. The second month, they focused on command module training. In the meantime, the cargo ship was sent to the asteroid to wait for them.
Launch day had finally arrived and everyone was excited. When the space ship was safely in space, the entire crew let out a collective exhale. After checking initial controls, plasma boosters were ignited, and the space ship began to move with full speed to the target.
On the problem free one month journey, the crew completed their daily work and in their spare time, they video chatted with relatives, played sports, or made conversation in the meeting room. In quiet moments of reverence and tranquility, they stared out into the deep and silent view of space.
On the final day of the trip, they spotted the target asteroid moving slowly through space. The ship was twenty kilometers upward of the target and parallel with its orbit.
“Look at that, it’s moving like a coy bride,” Bryan Anderson quipped, unhappily. He didn’t like the idea of landing on a huge thing moving through space. It was different than landing on a planet; the asteroid had little gravitational pull or atmosphere. Because of that, when they landed on the asteroid, it would be necessary to use magnetic boots.
Carpenter started Houston’s approach procedure when the ship was ten kilometers away from the asteroid. They had to adjust their speed to that of the asteroid’s. The cargo ship did this automatically. But if any problem occurred, they could correct it manually. When the ship was one kilometer away, it stopped approaching due to safety issues and started following a route at the same level as the cargo ship and parallel to the asteroid’s orbit. They didn’t get too close because the small meteoroids were affected by the gravity of the asteroid, which was dangerous for the ship.
After approaching maneuvers were completed, John gave the order to enter coordinates into the main computer for tracking. The crew loaded the necessary data so the ship could follow its route automatically. At the same time, radio and optic sensors were scanning 360 degrees. Early warning systems could be activated if there were any dangerous meteoroids.
Carpenter gathered his crew. “The easy part of the work is completed, now the hard part begins. If anybody wants to come back after this, I can indulge that behavior.” The crew smiled, and Carpenter nodded. “Start preparations for sending the robot drill.”
“Robot drill is activated,” Michael Bang answered. He pressed the drill’s button online, activating the drill at the cargo ship’s hangar station. “Drill is active, nuclear power area is ok, both drill and sampling tools are normal, route data is loaded to drill computer. We are waiting orders to move.”
“Send,” John ordered.
Bang pushed the hangar button and the robot drill’s move button. “The hangar doors are opened, and the drill is going to the asteroid.”
They monitored the drill going up and passing through the hangar doors towards the asteroid. All of the machines were powered by clean and cold fusion energy. Fusion energy was the “Invention of the century” because it was clean and would soon be used all around the world, in factories, houses, and vehicles.
The drill was going slowly for the asteroid, but it was very fast for world conditions. Bang’s hands were waiting on the joystick to respond. The drill moved automatically as it was programmed. Five hundred meters to the asteroid, it ignited opposite boosters to slow. After fifteen minutes, it landed on the asteroid.
After the drill landed, the crew cheered. The drill started to scan the environment by its radio antenna. Then it started to use sampling tools to collect samples from the asteroid.
NASA ordered the crew to continue their mission. The Asteroid crew directed two more drills to begin mining. Five days passed with all work being completed as planned.
One day, while John was watching the process at the command console, he received a video notification from NASA. Joshua Star from NASA’s headquarters popped on the screen.
“Hello, John,” he said. “
The reports so far have all been positive. We can go to the next level of our mission, landing humans on the asteroid. At the first stage, we want two people to land on the asteroid. These astronauts will stay there for a short period because of the activity on the asteroid’s surface. If there aren’t any problems, others can land on the asteroid as well.”
When the message ended, John called the others. “Hey fellows, the boss has sent a message. Two lucky men will be going to the asteroid. Are there any volunteers or should we draw matchsticks?”
As the crew laughed, Paul Gauger stepped forward. “I’m the one, Commander.”
Nelson Verhoeven stepped forward as well. “I can’t miss this opportunity.”
“You were in a dangerous position in space before,” John reminded him. “You sure you want to go for a spacewalk?”
“Yes Commander,” Verhoeven answered. “I can’t overcome my fears if I flee from them, can I?”
“Suit up and when you are ready, get into pressure room. After that, I will send you to the asteroid. You will be honored as the first people to ever walk on an asteroid. Don't forget this.”
“Like Neil Armstrong and Edwin Buzz Aldrin,” Bryan Anderson said.
“Yes,” John answered. “This might even be more important than what they did because you have come much further than the moon. However, the people who land on the asteroid will not be the first people to land on Mars. I think we should give this honor to another two astronauts.”
After the crew murmured their confirmation, Gauger and Verhoeven suited up, went to the pressure room and signaled they were ready. Even though their spacesuits had their own pushing power and direction joysticks, they were connected to the ship by a Kevlar rope with a special resin mixture to overcome. McKenzie opened the outer gate of the pressure room when he got the okay. The two astronauts faced the asteroid. Because there was no drag in space, the suits’ power would be enough to land on the asteroid.
Carpenter’s voice was heard from helmets’ mic. “How are you guys? Is there any problem?”
Gauger and Verhoeven answered at the same time. “No, Commander. Everything is ok.”
“On my command, you will ignite the back thrusters for three seconds and head towards the asteroid,” John said. “3, 2, 1, now!”
The astronauts ignited the thrusters, and they went forward. After three seconds. John told them to stop. They cut the gas and started to glide towards the asteroid. The asteroid grew bigger and more horrible as they got closer.
“What do you say, can we do this?” Gauger asked Verhoeven.
Verhoeven smiled. “Have you ever seen me fail? Don’t worry, we can handle this.”
A few minutes later, John ordered them to start the reverse thrusters. The last seconds of landing seemed like a decade for them. Verhoeven bent his knees and landed gently on his feet. He struggled not to bend over, in order not to tear his suit. Two seconds later, Gauger landed next to him. They had landed a hundred meters behind the drills. When they looked around, they could see a small planet in the distance. John’s voice was heard again, “Men, please walk around so that we can get a live broadcast from your helmets. Video and sound are being recorded. After your mission is complete, all the people on Earth will watch.”
“Okay, Commander,” answered Gauger. They started to follow the extracting vehicle slowly, on the alert for danger, and to get the best video possible. The information they gathered would be helpful for the scientists at NASA. One of the first things that drew their attention was the craters and elevations on the asteroid. Their electromagnetic boots and rope allowed them to travel safely on the 2.48 km asteroid. While they were walking, a gas blow-out attracted Verhoeven's attention. Gas sprang out under his feet.
“Hey, wait a moment,” said Verhoeven. He bent down and looked at the crack under his feet.
“What is that?” Gauger asked as Verhoeven knelt down. Gas and a red liquid flowed slowly from the crack. “Is it lava?”
“It seems to be,” replied Verhoeven. “But we had better take a sample of it.” He took out his heat proof sampler tube and put some of the liquid into the tube. The tube showed the heat as 2,000 degrees Celsius. In normal conditions, no metal could resist the heat, but the tube was made of a special ceramic blend matter, which didn’t transfer heat outside.
Verhoeven spoke into his mic. “Commander, we have found something interesting. A red colored liquid is leaking through a crack. It is similar to lava on the Earth.”
“Did you say lava? Did you take a sample?” John asked as the crew looked at each other in amazement.
“Yes, we did, and we’ll bring a sample back, but I don’t understand it. Have any seismic motions been recorded?”
“They have, but they were thought to be the results of meteorites that hit the asteroid,” John paused. “However, volcanism brings forward the possibility of the asteroid’s being detached from a planet in the process of the Solar system’s formation.”
“But if that is true, some living molecules should also be present,” Verhoeven mused. “Up until now, we haven’t encountered these. Maybe when we dig deeper, we will. Or the organic molecules on the asteroid may have disappeared during the expedition in space as a result of excessive radiation.”
“Possibly,” said Carpenter. “But there will be plenty of time to research. You have another half an hour of air. If you find any other interesting things, take samples. You have recorded this discovery, right?”
“Sure, the world has to see this.” Verhoeven replied.
Over the next half an hour, except for a couple of earthquakes, they didn’t encounter anything original. The earthquakes were from volcanisms, according to estimations. However, there was a possibility that some meteorites, falling on the other side of the asteroid, might have caused them. After their expedition, they headed back to the ship.
Five minutes later, the astronauts arrived at the gate. The gate opened, they entered and waited for everything to stabilize. They took off their suits and entered the controlling module. John and the crew cheered and whistled when they came in. John said, “All right men, tell us. How does it feel walking on the surface of the asteroid?”
The astronauts exchanged looks and then Gauger spoke. “To tell the truth, at first I was very excited. But after a few minutes, I got used to it.”
John nodded, “At this stage, as long as everything is in order, the main expedition will start tomorrow. First post the data and the story to Houston and we will receive the necessary orders.”
Everyone got back to work. While Phil was taking the samples that astronauts had brought for analysis to the lab, Bryan combined the images that the astronauts recorded with their cameras on their helmets and sent them to Houston. The only thing left to do was wait for the orders from the head office. Meanwhile, the extracting machines were in full flow and loading the asteroid soil, full of mineral ore, onto transportation ship.
With permission from Houston, the next day John instructed the crew to make all the necessary arrangements for the Mars expedition. This was the opportunity they had been preparing for during the entire expedition. Phil and Richard were chosen to go on the twenty-day mission to Mars; they were going to use a smaller vehicle, similar to an escape pod, to reach to Mars. They would stay in capsule, eat there, and do experiments from there. At this point, no permanent accommodation would be built on Mars. If they found any data, they would share it with Houston right away. If everything worked well, they would return to the main ship again and continue to take part in other duties until the extraction was finished. When the first part of extraction and loading jobs were finished, the crew would end the expedition.
Phil and Richard returned to the capsule as soon as they completed their preparations. All the necessary equipment, as well as food and water for a month, was loaded into the capsule.
“Fire!” John commanded and the capsule fired its rockets and departed for Mars.
The two
men were excited and anxious during the ten-hour trip. Finally, the red planet, the subject of stories and legends, loomed before them. After their travel to the Moon, playing the leading role in this was a source of endless happiness and pride for them.
The heat which formed on the vehicle while entering the atmosphere was quite low compared to the Earth. As they got closer to the surface, they slowed down by firing reverse pushing vehicles as they were instructed from Houston and landed on the surface without any problems. Before they opened the hatch, they evaluated the composition of the air and the radiation level outside. After they saw that everything was as they had predicted, it was time. They flipped a coin, and the luck was on Phil’s side. Phil opened the capsule’s door and stepped down as the stairs opened automatically. At the same time, Richard recorded him with the camera on his helmet. Phil was also recording everything with the camera on his helmet. Although the people in the main ship and in Houston was following them live, the people on Earth were going to watch a recorded feed.
When Phil stepped on Mars for the first time, the people on the ship and in Houston exploded with excitement. The chief of NASA, watching Phil live in Houston, asked his feelings and Phil answered, “Like Christopher Columbus.” The chief laughed, he had expected him to say, “Like Neil Armstrong.”
Right after Phil, Richard exited the vehicle and joined him. Even though the gravity on Mars was lower than Earth and made their steps turn into light jumps, this was different from walking on the Moon. After a short walk on the surface, they took the mini rover out of the capsule. This vehicle was similar to the one they had used on the Moon but smaller and lighter. There was a camera charged with solar energy, batteries, and two seats for astronauts to sit in it. In addition, it had a bag to collect samples.