by T J Bryan
Jamon System - Collegium Naval Department - Year 3246. September 29 ET: 11:20
Emmitt sat at a conference table in the Collegium's new Naval Department. Six undergraduate engineering students, two PhD candidates, and two full professors sat nervously around the table. The very idea of producing practical results for the OCN made many anxious. Emmitt was not interested in theoretical constructs, but in real effective hardware upon which lives would depend. "We have some critical projects to review as well as some new proposals from the OCN," he said.
"Now let us get started. Mr. Millot how are we proceeding on the New Quark. We seem to be far behind schedule."
Malcom Millot, a very junior undergraduate who had been named as New Quark project manager after two others had simply failed to keep the project on track responded. "We have found those bad welds," he commented. "And I had the fabricators re-do them. They are now quite sound, but how they ever passed an inspection I simply cannot say. Very sloppy. Very sloppy. But I personally sit there every shift and watch the welds. They are much better and the rejection rate is now less than 8%. But that is still too high. Somehow the urgency to build a New Quark and the need for precise fabrication seems a bit lost on the guild. They seem to admit what needs to be done, but they are very slow on the uptake."
Emmitt frowned, but found that Millot was at least on top of the project. "How can we motivate the fabricators guild Mr. Millot. We need precision work and we need it fast, yet they seem to be taking their time about it all. Meanwhile the debris and rocks surrounding the Habitat become increasingly dangerous to even our SARs and runabouts. Don't they understand?"
Millot thought a moment. "I think so. But they are set in their ways. Precision work is something they are not used to. I caught a foreman yesterday saying some questionable bad welds were 'good enough for government work.'" Somehow they just don't get the idea that everything has changed with the OCN."
Emmitt sighed and went on to the next topic. "How is the design work for the 'probe' request from Commodore Karrlson coming. It's been a month now."
Tyve Narlock, who was project manager and one of two PhD Candidates responded. "We have a basic design. We have worked hard to keep it simple. Silvi asked for a passive probe linked by point to point laser link to probe systems at a distance from the fleet. Passive is the operational requirement, except for the laser link. We have adopted a system which is based on energy detection including visible wave lengths of light. When two or three of our probes are launched they should provide a detailed multi-dimensional view of objects. As passive probes they can triangulate on an object to estimate its' distance and size with great accuracy. They will be slow however, but that may be an advantage. Big things moving fast get detected very rapidly by warships. Small things kind of drifting along are often ignored."
Emmitt responded, "And when can you test and how many can we build?"
Tyve replied, "We have opted for simplicity and Silvi agreed. She thinks it is best to flood and environment with simple probes rather than a few expensive and complex probes. So we just took some 30 centimetre pipes, put some video cameras into them, plus electronics, and a few simple jector systems, and a laser link and we have a probe. We have ten ready to test tomorrow, but we can build these by the hundreds if everything works. Our fabricators know how to make pipe and that basically is what we have designed. A pipe with a camera and some electronics in it."
Emmitt nodded. "Now how about our missile program. Rajesh, what is your status.
Rajesh Neet, a full professor of physics responded. "Well, we have completely disassembled both the 'K' platform and that of the sand casters. Now I must admit that the sand casters are simply elegant and profoundly interesting to a physicist. But I must also admit that we simply cannot figure out how they reach the speeds they do. It seems they have some form of Gravity Wave Propulsion, but we lack any understanding of these concepts and frankly I am afraid to admit they are beyond our resources. Now I do have many of my best student trying to work on the GWP systems, but I am afraid we are a very long way off. In fact we really have not even started to understand those systems regardless of the effort to date. But we do know that we cannot open a GWP system. As you know they say it is bobby trapped.
"And the 'K's?"
"Ah, now that is another matter. The 'K' class missiles are very simple in one way. They are just adjustable Gigaton Warheads on top of small compact fusion engines. The warheads we know how to make, but not nearly as powerful as that of the Greayson builders. Our best design might give us 40% of what the Greayson 'K's could provide. But it's a start. Now the engines are another matter. We have never designed a fusion engine but we have used them for four hundred years and our jury rigged repairs have taught us a lot. We could build fusion engines to propel the 'K' class missiles, but the form factor would be all wrong. We simply cannot get the size down to fit into a launch tube. Not by a kilometre. The best we can do right now for fusion engines is about three times larger than will fit in a tube. I have my best students on this but, we are simply out of our element here."
Emmitt went on the next topic. "And how are we doing with the anti-matter bottle Iceland brought back from that odd station beyond Sargon?"
Dr. Fredrickt Amost stood in full professorial elegance and replied, "The toroid is a most efficient shape and clearly is an elegant solution to a most difficult engineering challenge. The simple form of the containment vessel and the small but significant energy field surrounding its' form are worthy of admiration. Now we have found that very little energy is needed to contain the anti-matter, but there is hidden somewhere a dark energy element that we simply cannot fathom. On the other hand...."
Emmitt interrupted, "Yes, yes Dr Amost. I understand. But have you any progress on opening that thing up and transferring its' contents to those empty Greayson torpedoes."
Dr Fredrickt Amost appeared flustered, "No. We have made no progress. The tools left to us by Greayson for handling anti-matter simply do not include the tools needed to open and mange the toroid containment vessel Captain Karrlson brought back on the Greenland. We fear that if we inspect the vessel too harshly we will simply blow ourselves and the Habitat to smithereens. What ever a smithereen is."
"Well if that is it let's adjourn and meet again in two days."
An undergraduate named Daniel Merrryford looked nervous and then spoke up. "I have an idea. It's not proven and it's a bit crazy but..."
Dr Amost interrupted Daniel, "Not now Mr. Merryford. This is not the place and your idea has not been vetted by the ..."
"No," interrupted Emmitt. "I'd like to hear Daniel's idea."
Dr. Amost objected. "Our work here is of the utmost importance and without a full review and consideration by our best minds, random ideas cannot...."
"Go ahead Daniel, Tell me your idea." Emmitt interrupted.
Daniel was very nervous and looked back and forth between Dr. Amost and Emmitt unsure if he should talk out of turn. But his enthusiasm for his idea overruled his lowly stature at the Collegium. "Well, I was thinking we might replace the sand in the sand casters with diamond dust. We have a lot of that dust here in the Jamon system. It's just an idea."
Dr Amost replied, "The sand in the sand casters is not really sand at all. Silica that is. It is rather finely powdered spent uranium. Very dense and very effective. I doubt that diamond dust will ever ..."
"Thank you Dr Amost. Now Daniel why diamond dust?"
Daniel was committed regardless of Dr. Amost's reluctance to consider the idea. "Now diamond dust is hard, but not nearly as dense as spent uranium dust. But my idea is that the refractive and reflective quality of the diamond dust, which is nearly pure white, might well disrupt other systems, like targeting systems and plasma discharges. Or even some of that high power plasma that was seen in Arn. And I don't think that at the speed those casters travel that the lighter weight of diamond dust makes a lot of difference. It's worth a try. Those canisters are easy to open."
; Emmitt thought a moment and watched carefully the committee's response to Daniel's idea. Dr. Amost was clearly upset by the impertinence of an undergraduate overriding his caution about un-reviewed ideas. Emmitt decided that regardless of the probability of a favourable outcome, responding positively to Daniel was appropriate just to get others to think outside the academic box. The OCN simply needs new ideas and new approaches to problems and not just 'academic' replies to crazy ideas.
"Yes Daniel, I like the idea. When can you test it?"
"Daniel smiled then looked to Dr. Amost and Emmitt could see concern in Daniel eyes. "I can have a test in a few days, if you want. But then again it might take a lot longer. But I don't know. It depends you know."
Emmitt smiled, "How long to open the canister and replace its' contents?"
In answer to Emmitt's question another undergraduate replied, "Not more than a couple of hours."
"Well then, " Replied Emmitt. "Lets have a test in two days."
Chapter Fifty Nine
Iceman System - Mist - Year 3246. October 3 ET: 02:10
Moments later Siggy and Lilly entered the air lock, were scanned for biological contamination and weapons, and then were cycled into the SAR Mist. They walked to the roundabout and climbed the stairs and entered the mess. Farn asked what they wanted to drink. Siggy for coffee and Lilly for tea. Farn brought the steaming cups to them as the three sat at the mess table.
"Ok, what did you find out there in the cold," Commodore Mayer asked.
"Well, it was cold," replied Lilly. "We will start with the obvious and work our way down. That fusion engine complex is closed and sealed. There was no way in short of plasma cutters and that could be dangerous. They look fresh, not new, but well maintained. It is an odd set up, those fusion engines. We counted 12 on the island all in a tight cluster and there is an energy distribution system. That's pretty clear. But it leads from the engine complex across the island and into the water. We got close enough to take energy output readings and just one of those engines can produce 24,000 gigawatt hours of energy a day. That almost 290,000 gigawatt hours for the whole island output."
Siggy commented, "You could boil a whole lot of water with that much power."
Lilly continued. Around the cluster of engines is a kind of tarmac; very neat and very clean. There is no vegetation within about 50 meters of the engines. There is no radiation leakage of any kind. We found no paths from the water to the complex. We took a quick look around the island perimeter and there is no dock, or deck, or any indication of egress from the water; just the power distribution lines entering the water."
Lilli took a sip of tea and Siggy began to talk, "The vegetation is scrub. Looks like lichen. We have a sample in this bio-containment box for analysis back in the Commonwealth. That is the only vegetation type on the island. Oh, and this landing pad, there are old scorch marks. How old we can't tell. Less than two years if it rains here and it probably does."
Lilly spoke last, "That's about it. So much for spending time on a tropical isle."
Farn rose and returned to the bridge. "Pilot Paris, take us up and off this island. Mr Devlin plot us a course to Himmer please."
Eight hours later they were bound for the Himmer entry portal. Although Iceman had proven interesting and somewhat of a mystery, Farn knew that her job was to quickly survey the Cranmore systems and if possible determine if a nascent culture could be returned to civilization. Farn's responsibility was assessment, not actual recovery. That would wait for later voyages of the OCN.
The tunnel to Himmer was five days and Farn took the time to study the next three potential systems including Polis, Pope Leo XXI and Maya. But first she concentrated on Himmer. Himmer was a binary system with an Sol like 'G' classed sun circulating around a much larger 'B' class blue sun. The system included eighteen planets and planetoids as well as a broad and wide rocky belt. The home planet of the system itself was on an elongated elliptical orbit which brought it time of warmth and times of cold, but all habitable to humans. The population at one time had been, according to the EG, over 800 million. Although not one of the 'sixteen' great agricultural producers in human space, Himmer had a balanced agricultural and manufacturing base. Agricultural exports dominated its' commerce but manufactured goods such as auto-tractors, weather modification systems, and food processing equipment were a major export as well.
The description in the EG of Himmer was quite lengthy. Himmer had two continents almost connected in the southern hemisphere. The continents were surrounded by a sea that comprised 80% of the planets surface. Both continents were similar as high plateaus well above sea level. The climate was hard and bitter winds from the south brought very heavy snowfall in the winter and after a beautiful spring the plateau was scorched by a hot sun. Mountain ranges split both continents into several north south regions and rain fall was usually intense but spent almost entirely on its' southern ranges. The central portion of the planes of both continents was a parched steppe terrain. However deep river valleys carried the heavy rains and snow melt to the north and ultimately back into the sea along a northern coast with numerous deltas. These well watered valleys plunged well below the level of the planes above and here humans settled during the great diaspora into a verdant and productive land. Himmer had developed in its' early years as a river culture with each river system developing a unique culture and tradition of its' own. But around the year 2,900 some empire builder had unified the lands into a common system and shortly thereafter they returned to humanity in the void. They independently returned to space flight. The EG indicated that almost every bit of land within the well watered valleys had been intensely cultivated by its' 800 million population before the outbreak of the Great War. After the war began nothing else was known to the EG.
Pope Leo XXI was by all accounts in the EG another dead system. There had been a 'goldilocks' planet around a 'G' type sun in the perfect position for human habitation and the planet had once had a sizeable population. But well before the Great War something had happened on Pope Leo and the population declined and then vanished. War, pestilence, famine, and plague were all offered as possibilities for its' decline, however no one knew for sure why the system had died. But the EG was clear. Pope Leo was a dead system and the EG entry contained the admonition to simply stay away from whatever remained. Something was amiss at Pope Leo and it was best not to disturb the system lest what caused its' failure should become your fate.
Farn carefully read the description three times. Her only conclusion was biological contamination. Some sort of plague had taken Pope Leo, and Farn was determined to simply scan the planet and move on to Maya.
Maya was another anomaly. Maya was a planet which spun close in to a Red Giant class M. By all rights Maya should not have been welcoming to humans, but through extensive engineering and determination the people of Maya had built a city of 200,000 based on light manufacturing and commerce. But that city was not on the planet itself, but in orbit around the unbearably hot planet of Maya itself. Farn thought to herself that such a huge city and infrastructure must have made an easy target in war. A few warships could easily destroy the fragile nature of an artificial city circulating a hot planet. The EG offered no indication of Maya's fate, but the disruption of commerce, and the intensity of the war, as well as the limited links along Maya's knot line did not bode well for the system. Farn had few hopes that they would find anything in Maya.
...
Jamon System - SAR Training Ship Eir - Year 3246. October 4 ET:12:10
Abel and Emmitt stood on the bridge of the SAR Training Ship Eir. Trainee Captain Fanny Menendez sat uncomfortably in the captain's chair as the novice crew prepared for the first of two tests. Five of the newly designed probes had been placed in the autoloader racks and as the Eir approached a dense portion of the Jamon system full of rocks, small asteroids, dust, and some gas clouds they prepared to launch. This area of the Jamon System carried the nickname 'The Junk Yard.'
Abel could see
that the crew and her captain were nervous at his presence. They were very much afraid of making a mistake or bad impression on the Admiral of the OCN Fleet. To date the crew of the Eir had done well in training and Abel smiled as he thought that a bit of extra pressure, from his mere presence on the deck, might help to temper the crew.
Emmitt rose from one of the jump seats behind the captains chair. "Are we ready Captain Menendez?"
"Yes Mr. Wong we are ready. Shall we begin?"
Emmitt nodded affirmatively and Captain Menendez spoke, "Mr. Hurst, prepare to launch test probes on five second intervals at the previously agreed upon spread on my mark."
Captain Fanny Menendez took one look at Emmitt and spoke, "Mark."
Unlike the launch of missiles or sand casters no motion was felt on the bridge as the relatively slow probes began their passage through the junk yard. However the final probe had failed to launch.
"Mr. Velor, what does our maintenance station report on that last probe launch?"
"Jammed sir. Droids are on it now. Seems to have jammed."
Twenty five seconds later Mr. Velor reported the final probe ready for launch. Moments later it too was on its' way to the junk yard.
Captain Menendez ordered the vid screens brought to life with five display panes each corresponding to a probe. A sixth panel gave a highly detailed and in depth picture of the elements of the junk yard as the probes passed through. It took over six hours to complete the tests given the slow speed of the probes. To improve the distance and test the accuracy of the laser link back to the Eir the ship had pulled back from the probes by almost 100,000 kilometres. The images remained sound and the reporting data proved accurate. The probes worked well, but their slow speed made them easy to destroy. However their passive nature made them difficult to detect or differentiate from other junk floating in the void. Abel was certain that in a debris filled environment the probes would easily be missed, however in a pristine section of the void they would be hard not to detect.