“He’s in good spirits. It helps that there is no gravity here, since he may never walk normally again. The injury to his leg was severe, but he’s most fortunate that the last two injuries missed his vital organs.”
“Yes, in some cases, we were fortunate that we didn’t suffer more casualties. How are the rest of his men?” Jules asked.
“The colonel lost half his team. He’s upset about that, as one can imagine, but both Sergeant Molitov and Captain Petrov have made full recoveries thanks to the expert medical attention they received.”
“Glad to hear that.” Jules said. “Pass along our thanks again to your crew. Hopefully, our governments can work something out. It’s a long time until we can go home, and space is a very lonely place to be without good friends.”
“Or comrades,” Yuri said. “I will, and Commander? We wish you and your crew good luck with your mission. I daresay the entire world is rooting for you. That is the correct word isn’t it, ‘rooting?’”
“Yes,” Jules said. “Your English has improved, Yuri.”
Yuri’s voice reflected a smile, even though she couldn’t see his face. “A benefit of many free days in close quarters with an efficient translator. Captain Petrov has been working with me on it. Glad to hear it’s paying off.”
“Copy that; keep practicing,” Jules said. “Thanks again ... over and out.”
The line went dead and Neil said, “One more, Commander, and I have Harris on the comms to translate.” Neil linked them through.
Commander Mingyu Shen spoke first. “Commander Monroe?”
“Yes, here,” Jules said. “Time’s short, but I wanted to thank you and the Divine Dragon for the rockets and propellant in order to help us accomplish our mission.”
Jules waited as Harris translated to and then from. “It was our pleasure, Commander Monroe. We also wish you luck. My director has informed me of the hardship our people are facing, so we urge you to go with all speed and success.”
“We’ll do our best,” Jules said. “Commander Sullivan will coordinate with you and your ship upon his return. We’ll restore your propellant load as soon as our resupply vessel arrives.”
“Understood,” Mingyu said. “Godspeed and good luck.”
“Thank you.”
“That’s it, Jules. We have less than five minutes before burn—are you ready?”
Jules answered, “Let’s do this.”
Maria motioned for Jules to kill her mic and she complied. “Commander,” Maria almost whispered, “we need to go soon. The aliens are coming.”
“We’re leaving now,” Jules said, nodding through her helmet at her science officer. Both were suited up in case of breach, as per protocol when performing boost maneuvers. “We will do this together.”
Maria smiled at her and looked forward. In four minutes and thirty-five seconds, Red Two ignited its motors. They were on their way to Jupiter.
Chapter 19
Jupiter
BLACK INFINITY
On approach to Jupiter
In the near future, Year 5, Day 71
CRAIG ALDERS AND THE Black Infinity picked up Red Two with Commander Monroe and Maria Mayer approximately eighteen hours after they detached from the Red Horizon. By then, the massive ship, commanded by Neil Sullivan, had turned and begun its burn to return to Mars, having accomplished its chief objective to impart as much velocity to the space lander as possible.
Houston had called with the good news that all three alien probes, as they were being called, had been intercepted by the Soviets with their long-range missile platform, the same one that had initially been used to shoot down the Chinese satellite responsible for the radio jamming nearly nine months ago. Despite the fact that the Chinese satellite had ceased its hostile activities, the Soviets had allowed the missile to continue until it accomplished its mission and destroyed the target. There would be no more jamming from that specific satellite.
The trip to Jupiter took 200 days, cutting the expected trip time down by over a third due to the strength of the nuclear-powered reactor, as well as its plasma drive engines. As it was, the trip took a full month longer with the fly-by of Mars to pick up the two extra passengers, though this contrasted considerably with the five-month delay had the ship been required to enter Mars orbit and then exit under its own power again. With the Earth under a weekly EMP assault, every day mattered in the race to destroy the alien weapon.
The three resupply ships had arrived in Mars’ orbit and the propellant, provisions, and spare equipment were put to good use in providing the three superpowers the ability to conduct long-term science projects, as well as a more thorough exploration of the alien construct. The mission during which the Spetsnaz team and the SEAL team had intruded into the structure and destroyed what was considered the central computer chip governing it and its actions had resulted in the entire base being deactivated and void of alien influence or control.
“I thought the lag time from Mars was bad,” Jules said.
“It’s now forty-five minutes and growing as the Earth increases its distance from us,” Maria noted. “The good news is, even at maximum opposition, it won’t be more than about an hour.”
“We’re a go for orbital insertion,” Craig said, punching up the latest authorization from Houston, their last formal mission request. “That is one big planet.”
The trio looked through the rear viewport, which was elevated relative to the rest of the ship. As the Horizon had done before, Black Infinity had twisted around rear-first in order to blast its plasma drive for the last three months, slowing the ship’s velocity. It had reached unimaginable speeds on its journey and their greatest fear was hitting a micro-meteor at that velocity, especially when they crossed the great asteroid belt.
Contrary to popular belief, the belt looked nothing like the movies where a spaceship would dodge each asteroid as if a car were swerving around dozens of orange cones in the road. The mean distance between asteroids of any significant size was over a million miles, over four times the distance from the Earth to the Moon. Even the very first human-sent spacecraft, the Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11, had passed the belt. They had suffered only a few micro-meteor impacts, but their velocity was an order-of-magnitude slower than Black Infinity.
Fortunately for them, the only noticeable micro-meteor impact that had had any effect had hit the secondary bio-comfort station, taking it offline. Craig had joked that now he would have to leave the seat down for his colleagues.
“We’re lined within the arc of orbital injection,” Jules said, referring to the inner—and outermost edges of their flight path that would result in a successful orbital insertion. Too close in, and they would burn up as Jupiter’s massive gravity—well over two and a half times that of Earth—pulled the ship to its doom. Too far outside and the Jovian planet would not be able to capture the ship in orbit, and Earth would suffer as they spent weeks trying to arrest their momentum and return to the planet. It was all or nothing.
“This is where we find out if the extra shielding works or not,” Craig said. “It’s supposed to be lightweight, but ten times more effective than traditional shielding.”
“Considering that Jupiter’s magnetic field is 20,000 times more powerful than Earth, it’d better do the trick, or you’ll fry more than you’re willing to,” Jules chided Craig.
“Don’t bring me back to those old lunar days,” Craig said, shaking his head and letting out a large breath.
“Shall we take our places?” Jules asked.
“I’m ready when you two are,” Craig said. “Maria, you’re awfully quiet today. Are you good to go?”
Maria nodded as she floated to one of four chairs in the main cockpit, each with the backs facing the planet, rearward of the ship. “After so long in space, I just want to finish the job and go home.”
“Now that sounds pretty damn good to me,” Craig said, taking his own seat.
Jules did the same, saying, “Houston still wants to risk a launch wit
h Nuke One on our first fly-by.”
“It’s been two days since the last pulse attack,” Craig said. “The red spot is just visible to our left, there, and if the alien weapon can turn and point at us then we’re sitting ducks right now. I don’t see how looping around the planet first is going to help.”
Jules nodded in the seat next to him. “Agreed, but Houston wants to get a strike in as quickly as possible. From what we’ve been told, I think they are really suffering back home, even though they minimize the news each week.”
“They did tell us that our families are fine,” Craig said. “Your husband and children are doing well, and so are Maria’s parents, who are living on base now.”
Maria spoke. “That was a fine thing Director Crandon did, to have my parents moved to base housing. I know how limited that is.”
“It’s the least they could do after what you’ve been through,” Jules said.
“What we’ve been through,” Maria corrected her.
“The actual arming command already came through,” Craig said. “Let’s hope there isn’t a premature detonation.”
Jules laughed at Craig. “I don’t even want to go there.”
“Countdown initiated,” Craig said, resuming his professional demeanor. “Logs and video feeds sent to Houston via the GalSat.” He referred to the polar-orbiting communications satellite that had been in orbit for nearly two years.
“Now we sit back and wait,” Jules said.
Maria sighed.
“INSERTION ACHIEVED; looping in on rally firing point one,” Craig read out the trajectory data coming across his screen.
The trip around Jupiter took some time, a few hours from their initial descent, and they managed to enter orbit perfectly. Coming around the dark side and hitting the day side terminator, they were chasing the Great Red Spot down. They were about to reach the point at which the nuclear missile could be launched.
“I’m pulling the infrared up,” Jules said. “Damn, that ship is big.”
“What makes you think it’s a ship?” Craig asked.
“If not a ship, then what do you call something like that?”
“Beats the hell out me,” Craig said, looking at the same monitor she was. “I hope this bad boy is big enough to do the job.”
“What’s that disturbance showing up on radar?” Jules pointed to one of four monitors between them. It looked as if the raging storm was swirling around a ball-shaped area of calm.
Maria spoke softly. “That’s their gravitational field.”
Craig looked slowly at Maria, then back to Jules. “As in what’s keeping it afloat?”
“It has to be something,” Jules said. “We’re on automatic firing right now; timer is down to one minute. Checklist complete. I don’t see anything but green from my end.”
“Roger that, and concur,” Craig said. “We have a green light all the way around to launch Nuke One.” It wasn’t officially termed Nuke One, but the pair had nicknamed the two warheads.
“Log entry sent, next one on standby,” Jules added.
The trio waited till the countdown reached zero, and then watched as the large, thermo-nuclear missile shot out in front of their ship, its powerful single engine rocket motor burning through its propellant at a high rate, using Jupiter’s gravity to bend its trajectory towards the alien weapon far below.
It took twenty minutes before the weapon impacted with such force that the disturbance was visible from orbit as they raced towards it.
“Impact,” Craig noted dryly. “Logging detonation at 1533 hours local.”
“It’s no good,” Maria said, looking into space from the cockpit window as if in a trance.
Both Craig and Jules craned their necks to look at her, then at each other in turn. “Why do you say that, Maria?” Jules asked.
Maria didn’t respond, but Craig brought the infrared up on the main monitor and waited for the explosion to subside, since they were looking at nothing but an immense red ball as part of their read out. “Taking some time, but we’re slowly receiving gradient differences now.”
The pair watched as the outline of the ship became clearer and the heat dissipated in the swirling, cold hurricane-force winds of Jupiter’s atmosphere. Jules broke their silence. “We need to inform Houston that the strike appears to have had no effect.”
“Damn,” Craig said. “Go ahead, make a video log entry. I’ll stay quiet, but I’ll be damned if I spent the better part of a year in space for nothing.”
It took nearly two hours for Houston to return their report.
Doctor Jones was standing next to Director Crandon when she spoke. “Black Infinity, we have received your report and have sent it to the White House for consideration. For now, maintain your orbit and do not launch another strike until authorized. We’re working the problem. Houston out.”
Craig complained, “They’re always ‘working the problem.’ I think it’s about time we take matters into our own hands.”
Jules looked at him, eyes wide. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“That damn thing is attacking our home. We must stop it.”
“I’m not going to argue that,” Jules said, “but after several months, we can wait for Houston to provide guidance. We came this way to deliver a nuclear strike and destroy it. That appears to have failed.”
They both looked at their monitors, noting that the infrared image of the alien platform appeared to be much hotter than before. Craig looked closer, tuning the color array for a greater enhance on the heat map. “At least it looks like we cooked it a bit.”
Jules nodded. “I think the blast cooked off a considerable amount of atmosphere in the vicinity of that object. I can’t understand the difference in the pressures between the two, however. Something is causing that bubble of higher pressure which, most likely, protected the object from our strike.”
“Either that or it used the energy in the strike to feed its primary weapon banks,” Craig speculated. “That would be a bitch, if we just helped it energize for another strike on Earth.”
“After thirty-five attacks, I doubt it needs our help to recharge, or finish its first charge. We have no idea what we’re dealing with.” Julie said. “Let me get radar on it as we pass by.”
The orbit of the Black Infinity would take it in a wider-looping twelve-hour trip around the giant planet. Craig noted this, saying, “Well we’re only going to get two cracks at it a day, even at our velocity. That thing could turn its primary weapon on us, and at this range, that would be the end of that.”
“Give Houston time,” Jules said.
BLACK INFINITY
Jupiter orbit
In the near future, Year 5, Day 73
IT TOOK TWO DAYS AND four orbits around the planet before they received recommendations from Houston. It was odd that they offered recommendations, but considering the suicidal nature of their primary one, they were being polite by not mandating it.
“So that’s what I thought in the first place,” Craig said dryly.
“We discussed this before,” Jules said. “I think you should consider my offer.”
Craig floated out of the main cockpit and headed towards their primary cabin, where they lived, worked, ate, and slept. The ship had never been configured with its rotating arms, providing a half-G artificial environment. They had only a smaller drum type unit, similar to the one the Chinese used, for gravity conditioning. Everything that could be stripped down or left off had been. The ship was built for speed, not comfort, so there were no individual living pods on board. The three shared one relatively large space in the center of the ship.
“I’m the commander of this ship, and I’ll take lead on this mission. You two will run guidance from here and report back to Houston,” Craig said.
Jules chased after him, both floating down the small corridor from the cockpit to the main part of their ship. “They’re only recommendations, Craig. We can try different scenarios out first.”
“T
hat will only delay the inevitable, and if we don’t do something in three more days, the Earth will be hit a thirty-sixth time. How many people die each week, Jules?” The pair reached the main living quarters and Craig started to remove his inner suit and exchange his undergarments.
“That’s not the point,” Jules started. “We knew the risks when we came; you can’t be this sanctimonious with me now.”
“You have a family back home,” Craig said.
Jules countered, “You have your sons.”
“Who are grown men now, Jules. They’ll understand.”
The words hit home as Jules thought of her children, Olivia and Thomas. How or what would their father tell them? Still, that didn’t seem fair in her estimation. “If you want to proceed with the most reliable scenario, then we take Black Infinity and ram that alien weapon down there, blowing Nuke Two upon impact. That will save my family and they’ll understand, too, when they’re old enough.”
“Not necessary,” Craig said, pulling his dirty shirt off and pulling a relatively clean one from his small personal drawer. “We can accomplish the same with the lander, and spare you and Maria in the process.”
“At least give us another orbit to think about this. We can sleep on it and tackle the problem in the morning.”
Craig continued by pulling his inner flight suit off, and then looked at Jules. “Screw it,” he said, turning his back and removing the pants and then his underwear in quick succession, baring his rear to her. “I was saving these for when I returned to Earth.”
Jules had seen more than that in close quarters cramped in space, but she did peer over his shoulder to see what he was pulling out of his personal drawer. It was a new boxer brief that was still in its plastic bag. Craig ripped it open and put them on, followed by a cleaner version of his flight pants, and turned to face Jules.
“Are you serious?” she asked.
“I always told my mom I’d die in clean underwear. You know, she had an obsession that they’d be soiled if something happened to me and she was mortified that a coroner or medical examiner would see me in them.”
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