2024-2120

by Russell Fine

  “That’s quite a story,” Max said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Do you agree, Debbie?”

  “Yes, I should add that I never felt we were in any danger. If the aliens wanted to harm us, they certainly had the opportunity. However, if there’s any way to increase the range of the long-range scanners that should be done before the next launch. Neither Jeffery nor I believe this meeting with the alien ship was a coincidence; they knew we would be there.”

  “I agree. I’ll ask about the possibility of increasing the scanner range. Is there anything you want to add, Jeffery?”

  “No. I assume this meeting with the alien ship is being kept confidential?”

  “It absolutely is secret. Did you warn your crew not to talk about it?”

  “I did, and I told them if they do they’ll be dismissed from the Star Rover crew. I know none of them want that, so I’m certain they’ll keep the information to themselves.”

  “Good. I’m sending a crew to the ship to go over every square inch to look for anything out of the ordinary. I don’t think they’ll find anything, but it doesn’t hurt to look. Both of you take a few days off but stay on the station. Thank you both for doing a great job.”

  ***

  A thorough inspection of the Star Rover and its contents revealed nothing new. The only evidence of the aliens’ presence was the missing power module. On the positive side, however, they were able to extend the range on the scanner to seventy-five hundred miles by making software changes. For the mission to Gliese 876, that would have to be good enough. For the following mission, both hardware and software changes would be required, but the engineers thought they could increase the scanner range to twenty thousand miles.

  GLIESE 876

  2120—2121

  The Gliese 876 mission was scheduled for February 9, 2120. The Star Rover was loaded with enough additional supplies so the crew could survive for a year, although the mission was scheduled to last four months.

  For this mission, the hydroponic garden would be used to supply fresh vegetables, so the gardener, Ensign Carol Hobbes, began planting and setting up the garden in late January. This garden was in a separate part of the ship and was designed to rotate slowly so it always had fifty percent of that of normal Earth gravity, which was sufficient for the plants to grow normally. Carol thought the garden would be a fairly popular place on the ship because of the constant gravity.

  A week before the Star Rover was scheduled to launch, Max called Jeffery and Debbie into his office for a meeting. They arrived together.

  Max said, “Please sit down. We have a number of things to discuss. First, I know you’re aware we’ll have ten paying guests on this mission. They each paid $2,500,000 for their cabins. They’ll all be here by February 7, so I want you both to meet with them that evening and let them know what they can expect. They have all been evaluated and the NASA doctors said they were fit for space travel and they’ve all been through two weeks of training, but I don’t know how well they’ll be prepared for the length of time they’ll have to spend in a gravity-free environment. They need to understand this isn’t a pleasure cruise, but I’m sure you’ll make that clear to them.

  “The next subject is the possibility of meeting with the alien ship again. I think it’s likely that will happen, but I’m hoping this time we’ll be able to make contact with them. By the way, our guests don’t know about the alien ship, so you should explain that to them during your meeting.”

  “Debbie and I have been talking about that and we agree we’ll probably encounter the aliens again,” Jeffrey said. “Perhaps with the longer scanner range, we can detect them and try to contact them before they surprise us again. I have a few thousand questions for them. I’m not sure how our guests will feel about the possibility of contacting aliens. They may find it exciting, or possibly terrifying.”

  Max nodded in hopeful agreement and continued, “Next, some of the engineers have expressed concern about using the wormhole generator for forty consecutive days. The system on the ship has never been used for more than fifteen seconds at a time. So, they think you should consider using a series of short hops instead on one long one.”

  “I thought about that too, and I was thinking perhaps we should use it for twenty hours at a time and then use the sub-light engine for four hours. That way we would have gravity for four hours a day. It would extend the travel time to Gliese by five days. There’s no rush to get there.”

  Max looked pleased. “That’s a great idea, and it will make our paying guests happy too. Actually, the crew will probably be pleased as well. The last thing I wanted to talk to you about is NASA’s liability if anything goes terribly wrong. Even though the ship has redundant systems, and enough spare parts to rebuild the wormhole system twice, a failure is a possibility.

  “If the wormhole system fails and you’re stranded near Gliese 876, there’s no way you’ll ever be able to return to Earth. Even if we had a second ship, we wouldn’t realize there was a problem until it would be too late to help. So, every person on the ship has to sign a waiver that absolves NASA and all crew members of any potential liability.”

  “As far as the crew is concerned, we all know this mission is a risk. Every space flight is a risk. I don’t see any problem with them signing the waivers, but what about our paying guests?” Debbie inquired.

  “They’ve already signed waivers and nobody put up a fuss about it.”

  Jeffery asked, “Who are these paying guests? I hope they’re not just rich guys looking for some excitement.”

  “No, they aren’t. They’re all college professors, scientists, or engineers. I’ll send their resumes to you. None of them paid for their trip. It was paid for by the universities or the companies they work for. I believe they want to participate, as much as possible, in the exploration of the planets in the Gliese 876 system. Additionally, there’s a certain amount of pride in being on the first interstellar trip.”

  “I’m sure it’ll be okay. Anything else?” Jeffery asked.

  “No, but I want to meet with you again the day before you leave. I’ll let you know what time.”

  Both Jeffery and Debbie nodded and said, “Okay,” as they left Max’s office.

  As each of the paying guests arrived on the space station, they were given a box containing their communicator for use on the Star Rover, information about the ship’s layout, their cabin assignment, a list of the crew members, and a notice to be at a meeting in conference room B at 7:30 that evening.

  By 7:15 all of the guests were assembled in the conference room and at 7:30 Jeffery and Debbie walked in. Debbie sat down at the head of the table and Jeffery stood and spoke to the group. “Good evening, I’m Captain Jeffery Whitestone and this is Commander Debbie Murphy, my executive officer. She is second in command. All of you have signed a non-disclosure agreement given to you by NASA. The information I’m about to give you is not to be divulged to anybody. If, after receiving this information, you wish to change your mind about going on this mission with us you’re free to do so and your payment will be refunded. Please understand that changing your mind about the mission will not release you from the agreement you signed regarding what I’m about to tell you.”

  Every person in the room stared at Jeffery and nobody said anything, so Jeffery told them about the encounter with the alien ship and the missing three hours that had occurred during their test mission.

  There were several audible gasps from the group, but everyone continued looking at Jeffery, so he started speaking again. “We don’t believe this was a chance meeting with the alien ship. They knew we would be there. We’re fairly certain that the Ganymede probe was taken by these beings. There is no indication that they wish to harm us in any way. If that was their intention they certainly could have done that when they boarded our ship during the three missing hours. We believe that they are simply curious about us as we are about them.

  “As a result of that encounter, we feel it’s likely we’ll encounter
them again on this mission. The sensor range on the ship has been extended by ten thousand miles, so we hope to detect them before they get too close and we’ll try to communicate with them. We obviously don’t know what will happen, but we feel you should be aware of the situation.”

  Jeffery paused for a few seconds and then asked, “Does anybody want to back out?”

  Almost in unison, every person in the group said, “No.”

  Jeffery continued, “Good. I’m glad everybody is still interested in continuing with the mission. It’s a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity. Now I want to tell you some other things about our mission that you should know. Please understand this is not a cruise ship. There are no menus, and meals are served four times per day. Basically, every six hours. At 6:00 AM and 12:00 midnight breakfast is served, at 12:00 noon lunch is served, and at 6:00 PM dinner is served. If you want to eat at a different time, snacks are available in a break room near your quarters.

  “I’ll tell you that eating in 0 g is an interesting experience. So is using a shower and a toilet. I don’t think any of you have ever spent a long time in a gravity-free environment, so we’ve devised a plan to make things a little easier. The wormhole system will be used for twenty hours per day. Then we’ll switch over to our other engine and set the acceleration at .75 g’s. That way you’ll have four hours per day at near normal gravity. If you find yourself needing gravity you can always go to the hydroponic garden area. That area has a constant gravity of .5 g’s. There’s a bathroom and shower in there that you’re welcome to use. There are a few chairs in there as well. Also, all of you have been given uniforms. The shoes and the back pockets of the pants have magnets in them. That enables you to walk and sit almost normally.

  “Each of you has been given a com unit along with instructions on how to use it. It’s very simple. We have a doctor and a nurse onboard, so if you have a medical problem please let them know. They also have pills that can help with nausea in case you have a problem with the lack of gravity. Although you’re guests onboard the Star Rover, if a problem occurs and we need your assistance, you’ll be expected to help. I don’t think that will happen, but you should be aware that it could.

  “The last thing I want to talk to you about is excursions to the planets we’ll be studying. If you’re interested in going on one of the planet excursions, please let me know and we’ll do our best to accommodate you. It will require some space suit training, but we can do that during the journey to Gliese 876. Also, be aware that we don’t really know what the conditions are on the planets we’ll be visiting, so we may not be able to go down to the surface safely. Do you have any questions for me now?”

  Nobody asked anything, so Jeffery ended the meeting by saying, “The shuttle will start taking us to the Star Rover at 7:00 AM, and we’ll be on our way at 9:00. Please don’t be late. Goodnight, I’ll see all of you tomorrow.”

  The following morning the passengers and crew were all in the shuttle boarding area before 7:00. The shuttle could only hold twenty people, including the pilot, so it took two trips to get everybody to the Star Rover. The passengers were going to be in zero gravity until the ship launched, so this was their first extended experience with no gravity.

  Jeffery went to the bridge as soon as he got onboard. He had been on the first shuttle, but the rest of the bridge crew were on the second one. They arrived thirty minutes later, and without being told Mike and Debbie began the pre-launch system checks. At 8:55 Jeffery made an announcement. “Our pre-launch checks have been completed and all systems are fully functional. In five minutes we’ll use our low-speed engine to move us away from the space station and position the Star Rover for the first wormhole hop. This means we’ll have fifty percent of normal gravity for thirty minutes. Please be seated until you hear an announcement that it’s safe to move around the ship. The first hop will be twenty hours long and we’ll travel 1.8 trillion miles, or about one-third of a light year. Thank you.”

  At exactly 9:00, the ship’s sub-light engine was turned on at an acceleration of .5 g’s and the ship began to move away from the space station. Jeffery announced it was safe to move around the ship. Twenty-five minutes later, Jeffery made the next announcement. “In five minutes we’ll begin our first wormhole hop, so enjoy the gravity for five more minutes. During the wormhole hop, all of the external monitors will be useless. All you’ll see is a light gray screen. There will be an announcement just before we switch over to the sub-light engine so you can prepare for gravity again. The passengers are free to move around the ship. There’s nothing that is ‘off limits,’ but please don’t bother any crew members as they all have assigned tasks. If you have any questions, please feel free to come to the bridge and ask. Also, if you feel sick or queasy, please go to the doctor’s office and you’ll be given some medication to help. Don’t forget the hydroponic garden area has gravity, so if you’re feeling uncomfortable you can always go there. However, the more time you spend in zero gravity the more quickly you’ll get used to it. Let’s have a safe trip. Captain out.”

  The first day went well. There were no problems with the ship and only two of the passengers became ill. Dr. Weber was actually happy to see them because it gave him something to do. A few of the passengers spent most of the day in the hydroponic garden area, but although it had gravity it was very warm and humid, so it was still not a very comfortable environment.

  None of the passengers showed up for lunch, but a few hours later they were hungry, so they all showed up for dinner. Zero gravity meals are similar to baby food; everything is made into a smooth paste so it sticks to the spoon and you suck it off the spoon and swallow it. Most of the passengers did relatively well and by the end of the meal, they were all getting the hang of it.

  At the end of the meal, Jeffery made another announcement. “I hope you enjoyed dinner. I’m sure all of you read the material you were given before you boarded the ship, but I wanted to remind you that spending time in zero gravity isn’t good for your muscles, so it’s important you exercise for at least thirty minutes every day. I suggest walking in the hydroponic garden area. Have a good evening.”

  The trip to Gliese 876 went as planned. The Star Rover arrived on March 25, 2120. Although everybody was expecting to have an encounter with the alien ship, they were all somewhat relieved it didn’t happen. However, there was one big surprise they discovered almost immediately after the hop ended. Gliese 876 was supposed to have four planets, but a new planet about three-quarters the size of Earth was discovered between Gliese 876d and Gliese 876c. To retain the same naming convention the new planet was called Gliese 876f.

  ***

  Due to the mass of the Gliese planets, it would be impossible to land the shuttle on any of them except the one they had just found. They would, however, study them from an orbit as close as possible. The innermost planet in the Gliese 876 system was Gliese 876d. Its mass was six times that of Earth, and even though it was close to the star it was still cold. The surface temperature was about -30° centigrade during the day and about -60° centigrade at night. The planet did have an atmosphere that was composed primarily of methane and ammonia. There appeared to be hundreds of active volcanoes on the surface. The Star Rover spent five days studying the planet and taking thousands of pictures.

  The hop to Gliese 876f only took a few seconds. Although it was similar in size to Earth, it was nothing like it. It had a very thin atmosphere that was ninety percent nitrogen. The balance was oxygen and carbon dioxide in almost equal parts. The surface was dotted with volcanoes, although not to the same extent as Gliese 876d. Even though it was farther from its sun, its surface temperature was only slightly cooler than Gliese 876d. It was -40 degrees centigrade during the day and -65 degrees centigrade at night. Jeffery was considering making a shuttle trip to the surface when the long-range sensor alarm sounded. He knew what it was without looking.

  Debbie said simply, “Captain, we have company.”

  Jeffery was excited but did his be
st to appear calm. “Okay, before they scan us and put us to sleep again let’s try to communicate with them. I have no idea what radio frequency they’re using, or even if they have a radio, so let’s send out a message on all available frequencies.”

  Debbie said, “Ready.”

  “Spaceship near Gliese 876d, this is the Star Rover from the planet Earth. Please respond,” Jeffery said with what he hoped was an authoritative voice.

  Everybody on the bridge was shocked when a few seconds later a voice said, “Hello, Captain Whitestone, we were hoping you would try to contact us. We have been following your progress since you left Earth. Please do not be afraid, we are peaceful and have no intention of harming you. We would like to invite you and Commander Murphy to come to our ship. We have much to discuss.”

  Everyone on the bridge was surprised by the response. After a few seconds Jeffery asked, “How did you learn to speak perfect English?”

  “We have been following events on Earth for over a thousand of your years, and can communicate in any of the major languages spoken there, but since your message was in English we responded in the same language. If you agree, I will move our ship within shuttle range of the Star Rover. You can come here, or if you prefer, I will go over to your ship. But there are some things I want to show you on my ship.”