Terra Nova

by David C. Garland

  The world’s foremost religions tended to shy away from the concept of an approaching Armageddon; the final battle between good and evil. Most of their teachings over the centuries spoke of a just God, one whose benevolence was guaranteed if specified paths were followed and judiciously adhered to. But others warned of severe consequences if His proclaimed ways were contravened. It now appears as if the latter teaching was about to be proven correct.

  ***

  Richard Moss, now fully convinced that the end of the current Mayan 5,125 year cosmic cycle would occur on 21 December 2012, remained unsure whether it spelled the End of Days or, as some scholars would have it, the commencement of a Golden Age. He was totally confused and failed to understand how a morally corrupt Earth, beset as it was with every imaginable sin and transgression, could somehow be transformed and become recipient to a Golden Age! But what could be done if the End of Days prediction prevailed?

  His experiences on Terra Nova had taught him that anything was possible if enlightened human beings faced facts and came up with possible solutions. The ancestor’s of those now inhabiting Terra Nova had the intelligence and the means to escape the end of their cosmic cycle. Sadly, inter galactic travel still remained little more than a wistful dream for Earth’s space engineers and scientists. An escape to another galaxy was, consequently, not an option.

  Richard was once again the recipient of compelling dreams. The theme was repeated again and again.

  Don’t be concerned, escape with family is guaranteed should the worst occur.

  ***

  Quintus Gratius Balbus was visibly depressed after his meeting with the Magus. The opinion expressed by all five was unambiguous. The Creator was incensed, out of patience, with Earth’s inhabitants.

  He asked his assistant to summon Noah Tullius Cicero to meet him in his private office at the Secretariat. He waited patiently, sat behind his desk, brushing swathes of hair behind his ears, scratching his beard occasionally, adjusting the fall of the white cloak covering his body, tapping his sandal shod feet.

  A rap on the door interrupted his thoughts.

  ‘Come,’ shouted Quintus.

  In walked Noah.

  ‘You wished to see me Great Leader?’ he asked.

  Quintus exhaled a sigh.

  ‘Yes Noah. I want to be assured that your plans for the transportation of those persons selected are complete and ready for implementation. Is everything in order, do we have sufficient craft, will there be any problems?’

  Noah remained standing in front of the desk.

  ‘Everything is in place. We only await your word Great Leader, replied Noah confidently.

  Quintus sighed again.

  ‘Excellent. But Noah, please cease calling me “Great Leader” for I do not care for the soubriquet. It reminds me of Ezra Caelius Aquila and his wanton years of acrimonious rule. I shall be shortly issuing an edict whereby I shall be referred by all as, simply, Il Presidente. But more of that later. For now, please accept my gratitude for your admirable efforts.’

  He rose from his chair to signify the meeting was at an end. He then lifted an index finger, having remembered something.

  ‘By the way,’ he said. ’The dreams being directed at Richard Moss, have they been successfully relayed and received?’

  ‘Yes, we have confirmation Great... Il Presidente and also, as per your orders, to his son Alexander.’

  Chapter Eighty Five

  The month of November arrived and brought with it yet more news of approaching rogue asteroids. William Ransome’s Pristine media group was doing its utmost to calm its millions of subscriber’s darkening concerns about their future and that of Earth; albeit its satellite and cable-delivered broadcasts were obligated to air each and every item of news on the subject. Schedulers were ordered to counter the fear being generated by broadcasting an eclectic mix of family-friendly films and situation comedies. Discontinued series of Seinfeld, Friends and Frasier were scheduled alongside inspirational films. Surveys appeared to show the ploy was having a positive effect, with viewers indicating how much pleasure they extracted from the classic films and comedy series. Any film or programme depicting violence, murder, rape or homicide was removed from a scheduler’s inventory. The very mention of Sci-Fi caused concerned producers to quiver like freshly made jellies.

  William Ransome, not a person to be influenced by anything other than stone cold facts, was recipient to vivid dreams indicating that he and his family would be saved if Earth’s worst fears became reality. He was not influenced by them and decided, instead, to allow fate free rein as regards the future of his family.

  ***

  Kohei Temaki’s enthusiasm, although frequently disparaged by his fellow astronauts, was running at an unprecedented high octane level. The current photographs from Hubble were his main topic of conversation since they underpinned his often erratic theories with a degree of facts. The question he put to Thompson for a “reinforced” version of the space shuttle remains unanswered by NASA.

  ‘At least they have not said it is a no go,’ said Temaki after asking Thompson if there was any reaction. ‘But they had better answer sooner rather than later because time is running out faster than can run a stallion!’

  Crawford clapped his hands and laughed heartily. Thompson smiled but appeared less than amused.

  ‘James san, it no use being down in the dumps about this asteroid thing, ‘said Temaki, now being somewhat serious. ‘Will you speak to your colleagues again and stress that it is very important that they either do something or nothing?’

  Thompson nodded

  ‘Leave it to me Kohei,’ he answered. ‘I know they are working on your idea but wheels turn slowly at NASA, so try to be patient.’

  ‘Wheels are no a requirement,’ answered Temaki. ‘Just a rocket from Kennedy Space Centre with reinforced shuttle attached. Very simple really!’

  ***

  The Pizza Express café where Richard Moss, Julia, Alexander and Emily Moss are seated celebrating Alexander’s ninth birthday is full. Disappointed diners are standing around, scrutinising, anticipating, which table may shortly become available.

  ‘Just as well I booked,’ said Richard. ‘I’d have thought, in the circumstances, that the last thing people are thinking about right now is going out to eat; different for us, with it being Alexander’s birthday. Maybe it helps take their minds off things?’

  Alexander, hungrily awaiting the arrival of his favourite Italian sausage pizza, nudged his father, shoulder to shoulder.

  ‘Dad, what is going to happen to all these people if all those asteroids land on Earth? They aren’t bad people are they, so why can’t they be saved? It doesn’t seem fair to me.’

  Richard ruffled his son’s hair.

  ‘There is no easy answer Alexander,’ he said. ‘As you know I have tried to change things, to make sense of all that is happening in the world but I am no longer able to do anything to help. I was filled with hope when I returned from Terra Nova but the situation has changed on a daily basis and I honestly cannot say what will happen to all the innocent people in the world. When you read the Bible you will find it says there is a place in heaven for everyone who has faith.’

  He paused, troubled by his son’s obvious distress, and then offered a consoling thought.

  ‘Someone made the point that those who have faith have no questions and those without faith have no answers. I know that is a bit complicated for a boy of your age to understand but it’s something that I was offered when I was about your age.’

  Alexander brushed a falling tear away with the back of a hand. Julia took hold of his other.

  ‘Your daddy is right. He has done his best but things have not worked out quite as planned. Life is unpredictable and we have to accept that. What we must do however is to place our trust in God and belie
ve He will protect us.’

  Alexander looked at Emily. ‘Auntie, do you believe in God? Do you think everything will be okay?’

  Emily, close to tears, swallowed and then forced a smile.

  ‘Yes Alexander I do. I really do.’

  The waiter arrived carrying a tray with their four orders.

  ‘Is the pizza for you young man?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes please,’ answered Alexander. He looked intently at the waiter’s face.

  ‘Do you have faith?’ he asked.

  ‘Not if it’s not on the menu!’

  Chapter Eighty Six

  The month of December in Earth’s southern hemisphere can usually be relied upon to produce hot days, with cool, balmy nights. Gardens, forests, fields are ablaze with a multitude of nature’s magnificent flora. Schools were closed for the summer holidays. Children were looking forward to enjoying six weeks of wall-to-wall sunshine playing on the magnificent beaches of Australia’s Gold Coast, or swimming at Byron Bay or Yamba in New South Wales. The problem was, the sun was nowhere to be seen! Huge impenetrable clouds, resulting from a series of violent volcanic eruptions, enveloped Earth and denied the Sun’s rays access. Airplanes around the globe were grounded as a precaution against volcanic dust contaminating their engines. Ships were confined to the relative safety of harbours due to unprecedented, hazardous conditions at sea. Volcanic eruptions below the ocean’s beds, led to the creation of destructive tsunamis throughout the world. The Maldives, with its low-lying islands and atolls, were completely submerged after a succession of massive waves swept in from the centre of the Indian Ocean. Where there was once fertile land and beautiful beaches, now there was nothing but angry grey, swirling, sea water merging into black, ominous clouds.

  The Earth’s northern hemisphere was suffering from similar problems, but even more so since it was mid winter and freezing conditions were made worse by the absence of sunshine plus the same volcanic dust which fell to earth enclosed in huge frozen clumps of ice, causing chaos, death and destruction. An earthquake under the northern Atlantic resulted in a tsunami which swamped every eastern shoreline of the United States of America. The city of New York was submerged. A huge lake covered Manhattan with only the tallest skyscrapers being able to project their upper floors above the swirling waters. The nation’s capital, Washington D.C, has reverted to a swampland. The Potomac and Anacostia rivers were now part of and all-enveloping, muddy, sea of quagmire. Low lying Florida was almost gone; Disneyland in its upper centre was surrounded by steadily encroaching water. The USA’s western seaboard, from Washington State down to San Diego in California was suffering similar disasters; the Pacific Ocean was in turmoil after yet another undersea earthquake erupted with tremendous force.

  All the Earth’s communications were seriously affected. It had become impossible to use telephones and access to the internet was a thing of the past. Television and radio transmissions disappeared without trace into the ether. There was little point in printing newspapers; the news was plainly evident for all to see - in black and white! Suddenly all the everyday things that were accepted as given were gone. Shopping was but a recent memory of better days. Supermarkets were not only running out of supplies but were also unable to conserve frozen stocks due to the failure of electricity supplies. Cars, lorries, trains, every form of mechanised land transport was either submerged under water or fast running out of fuel.

  ***

  The approaching asteroids could now be clearly seen approaching the gas giant Pluto, the solar system’s outermost planet. The ISS’s own telescopes were producing streams of high quality photographs, each studied with a mix of awe and trepidation by the six astronauts aboard the ISS. The photographs were then relayed to, but were not received by, NASA’s headquarters in Houston, Texas.

  The Earth was in shut-down mode.

  ***

  ‘They’re now approaching Neptune,’ said Temaki. ‘Good golly look at those five beautiful rings.’

  He handed the latest photographs to Thompson and Crawford who couldn’t believe their eyes. There was Neptune, serene and aloof, in its position as second custodian of the solar system. The lead asteroid was now a menacing presence, its huge size incomparable with those relative minnows trailing in its wake. Temaki’s eyes were ablaze with awe. He turned and addressed Thompson.

  ‘We need it, the reinforced shuttle, we need it. Tell your NASA we must have it, now.’

  Chapter Eighty Seven

  NASA’s engineers were perplexed. How to “reinforce” the space shuttle’s actual structure was a question they had never had to consider during its long and chequered history. Reinforcement of the heat foam insulation tiles on its underbelly, yes; mission accomplished. But reinforcing its structure to enable it to divert a huge asteroid, with only a matter of days in which to accomplish it was another huge, and as yet unresolved, matter.

  ***

  The view of Earth from the ISS was as never witnessed previously. An impenetrable cloud blanketed the planet and barred access to the wonderful views that were once taken for granted. Fortunately communication, albeit fragmented, between NASA and the ISS has been established by engineers at NASA, utilising expertise gained from that of their contemporaries plus their own ingenuity and resourcefulness.

  Photographs dated December 15 showed the asteroid stream about to pass by Uranus and its many moons. The date and the sight caused a furore close to panic among NASA’s engineers who were now in the final stages of the reinforcement of the space shuttle. By working around the clock the task was about to reach its conclusion.

  “We need two more days.” was the answer relayed to the NASA Administrator, the highest-ranked NASA official who is based in Washington D.C. and reports directly to the President of the United States. It was President Clifton, via the Administrator, who ordered NASA’s engineers to push ahead and do whatever was necessary to reinforce the space shuttle Endeavour with the strength and ability to divert the leading asteroid from its ultimate destination ... planet Earth.

  ***

  The blast off took place December 17 from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The launch was breathtaking, perfect in every way. Space Shuttle Endeavour docked with the ISS, on time and exactly as planned. The two astronauts aboard the shuttle, Americans Tom Howard and Niles Blakeley, were well prepared and extremely confident that they can successfully divert the lead asteroid from its Earth-bound path.

  Howard and Blakeley were introduced to the six crew members including Kohei Temaki who was now, unofficially, the recognised authority on the movement of the asteroids; when they would be in a position for the lead asteroid to be nudged by Endeavour; in which area of the asteroid should the nudging occur and what would be the procedure if, as a result of the nudging, Endeavour was badly damaged and the rescue of its two occupants would become necessary.

  James C. Thompson and Scott Crawford were now converted enthusiasts of their Japanese crew member, mainly as a result of learning about Shinto, Temaki’s guiding faith.

  ‘Shinto promotes peace and understanding,’ he explained. ‘I lean upon Shinto when I am unsure what action I must take in particular circumstances. The asteroids are very particular and Shinto helps me take right decisions.’

  He was studying the latest photographs and could not contain his excitement upon seeing the stream of asteroids approaching Saturn.

  ‘See the rings,’ he said. ‘And the three moons, Enceladus, Dione and Tethys, a truly wonderful sight. Do you not think so James and Scott? Tomorrow is 18 December. The asteroids will then reach Jupiter with its two moons Callisto and Ganymede. It is interesting to mention that there is a small but possible chance Jupiter itself may disrupt the direction of the asteroids, as it has done with many comets in the past. Perhaps good fortune is following me, so keep all fingers crossed.’

  Thompson looked impressed and laid a congratu
latory hand on Temaki’s shoulder.

  ‘You are a credit to space science Kohei,’ he said. ‘I didn’t think I’d ever say this; it is an honour to have you aboard.’

  ‘I second that,’ said Crawford, ‘And do you know something guys, I have a strong feeling all will turn out well.’

  Chapter Eighty Eight

  The asteroid stream entered Jupiter’s orbit December 18. Photographs revealed huge crater chains on the planet’s moons, Callisto and Ganymede, caused by the impact of comets. Temaki was standing beside the table in the Cupola, clapping his hands, his face a mask of delight.

  ‘See the photographs,’ he said gleefully. ‘There are comet chains on the surface of the two moons. They are evidence of Jupiter’s ability to disrupt the path of comets that come too close. We can hope the lead asteroid will be very close and can then be diverted onto a new course; in which case it may not then head towards Earth but instead be on a new course for the Sun, which will destroy them as we do with all those annoying insects.’

  Tom Howard and Niles Blakeley were seated at the table. James Thompson and Scott Crawford were standing, looking over their fellow astronauts shoulders. Temaki’s antics caused a smile to brighten the quartet’s serious demeanour.

  Howard was the first to comment.

  ‘Looks to me Kohei as if Jupiter can withstand being struck by comets but the size of the lead asteroid is way beyond that of a comet. I would like to think you may be right, about diverting that is, but I fear you may be disappointed. What do you think Niles is the nudge manoeuvre still our best option?’