The scientists and engineers who designed the shuttle also solved the problem of prolonged weightlessness that astronauts experienced during long periods in space. Within the center of the shuttle and completely covered with the shuttle’s outer skin was a wheel that spun, which accurately created the gravity felt on Earth. The wheel-deck also contained the individual quarters of the nine crewmen – a kitchen, laundry, exercise room, and the recreation room where five of the nine members of the crew were now enjoying some needed time off before the big Mars landing the next day.
Above the wheel-deck rested the payload-deck, which contained the mission’s vital supplies, gear, and tools. The payload-deck also contained the Martian landing vehicle, appropriately called NightHawk – a modernized and larger version of the old F-117 Nighthawks of the late twentieth century.
The aft section of the shuttle contained another spinning wheel, which contained the nuke-deck. It held the most sophisticated nuclear reactor ever built by mankind. This reactor was the shuttle’s main power supply and used pyroprocessing technology, which recycled the actinides recovered from the spent fuel back into the reactor – creating, in turn, one hundred times more energy from the uranium fuel rods. In theory, this new reactor could power Mars I for the next thousand years.
Of course, the bow of the shuttle contained the flight deck. Besides the payload-deck, the flight deck was the only other part of the ship that did not have artificial gravity. Furthermore, if a person watched Mars I fly through space, he or she would see what looked like a slender, silver shuttle with up-curved wings cutting through space like a knife. The NASA emblem adorned each side of the vertical stabilizer on the tail of the craft and an American flag was emblazoned on each wing.
“Adrian.”
Adrian snapped out of his daydream and turned his gaze from Mars back to Sean Gibson.
“Do you have a signal, Sean?”
Sean looked back down at his computer pad and touched one of the small applications on the screen. “Yeah, I think I finally do.”
“Are you sure the signal was lost because of what Isaac detected?” Adrian asked.
Sean looked up toward the ceiling of the room. “Maggie?”
Maggie was the nickname for the Mars I Artificial Intelligence Entity, which was the artificial voice of the shuttle’s computer system. She, the pronoun Sean affectionately used, was integrated into every system within the spacecraft. It was the most sophisticated artificial intelligence ever developed. Kevin Palmer, Adrian’s brother, was the inventor.
The smooth, seductive voice of the shuttle’s computer system spoke. “Yes, Lieutenant.”
“Are the satellite’s systems working properly?” Sean asked, referring to the communication satellite orbiting Mars.
“Negative, Lieutenant, the signal is being disrupted by gravimetric anomalies.”
Isaac looked up. The concerned look on his face had almost turned into one of fear. “Maggie, can you isolate where the anomalies are coming from?”
“The data is inconclusive, sir. Diagnostics will continue to run until the problem is found. In the meantime, power has been rerouted from the propulsion systems to the communication array to improve the signal.”
Dr. Charles Porter, whom everyone called “Doc,” dropped the pool stick with which he was about to hit the cue ball. “Well, we better establish a link fast before we lose it.”
Adrian gave a small smile toward his best friend in the entire world. Doc, who was selected for the astronaut training program as a flight surgeon a year after Adrian, flexed his bulging biceps, nearly ripping his shirt. His dark skin accentuated his white teeth even more as he flashed a smile toward Adrian. To a person that didn’t know him, he would appear menacing. But to the people who knew him best, Doc was a large teddy bear, willing to do anything for anyone.
Doc walked around the pool table toward the front of the sofa and plopped his 283-pound frame right next to Isaac. Isaac tried to move his own 175 pounds out of the way before impact, but failed. His computer pad dropped to the floor. He let out a small murmur of annoyance as he picked up his pad. He then stood, turned, and faced Adrian.
“Commander, if you don't mind, I would like to go to the flight deck to see if I can isolate where these gravimetric anomalies are coming from?”
Before Adrian could respond, Skyler Green, the mission’s geologist and botanist, spoke in his heavy southern Texas accent. “What? You’re gonna miss talkin’ to Jake.”
Isaac glanced toward Skyler with an obvious look of irritation and quickly turned back to the commander. Adrian nodded his head in approval and watched Isaac scamper out of the room.
As Isaac made his way out of the room, he nearly bumped into Peter Sanchez – the shuttle’s nuclear engineer. Petey, as the crew called him, quickly threw his small five-foot, seven-inch frame beside the entrance. “Whoa! Watch out there, Coop.”
Isaac looked at Petey. “Sorry, Petey. Got to head up to the flight deck to look at something.” As fast as he said it, he turned and began to trot down the corridor.
Petey yelled after him. “Try to make Don smile while you’re up there!”
“I’d have better luck finding a wormhole!” Isaac yelled before disappearing around the corner.
Petey turned back and walked into the room. “Wormhole. That was a good one.” Everyone in the room chuckled except for Adrian.
It was obvious the dislike Petey and the crew had toward their copilot, but Adrian never expressed his opinion about Donald Garrett. He walked around to the front of the sofa, looking for a seat. Doc playfully pushed Petey aside. “Move out of the way. The commander needs a place to talk to his family.”
Petey moved to the other side of the sofa, allowing Adrian to take his seat between them. Skyler hit the cue ball and then threw his stick on the table. He reached up and took off his grease-stained cowboy hat that he always wore for luck and rubbed his hand through his blond hair before placing the hat back on his head. He then took his place, standing behind the sofa facing the television.
Adrian looked at the reflection of the four astronauts in the blank screen of the 64-inch high definition television mounted on the wall directly in front of them. He smiled at their appearance. They looked like a bunch of space nerds dressed in their blue NASA fatigues.
Adrian then looked at Sean. “I think we’re ready.”
Sean nodded and pressed another application on his computer pad. The television flickered on. Kevin Palmer appeared on the other end of the link, dressed in a white dress shirt that fit perfectly to his toned frame and blue dress slacks. The resemblance to Adrian was uncanny. Both men had dark brown hair and the same facial features. The only difference was that Adrian had blue eyes and Kevin’s were hazel.
Kevin, the billionaire and inventor of artificial intelligence, smiled and called out, “Jake, your dad is on!”
The back of a young blond-haired boy scurried into the picture. Jake was wearing a white polo shirt and blue denim shorts. He jumped up onto his uncle’s lap and turned around.
Adrian almost felt the tears come again from the guilt he had for leaving his son for this yearlong journey. But he knew that Jake understood.
Jake’s blue eyes met his father’s. “Hi, Daddy.”
Adrian felt a small tear fall from his eye before responding. “Hi, son. I miss you.”
**********
Gloria continued to work on the electronics panel on the underside of the command bridge of the space station. She wanted to make sure everything was perfect before the shuttle docked with the station; her perfectionism was getting the best of her. As she worked, she couldn’t help the feelings that were bubbling inside her. “You know better than to fall in love with your mission commander,” she whispered to herself.
Despite her doubts about her relationship with Adrian, she couldn’t help falling in love with him. Every time she told herself that it wouldn’t work, her heart told her otherwise. There was something unique about Adrian Palmer. He wa
s able to maintain his strong leadership, yet keep a quiet humility that everyone, with the exception of Donald Garrett, respected.
Her joy in thinking about Adrian was suddenly replaced with abhorrence for the man Adrian chose as his copilot for the mission. In spite of everyone else’s opinion about Donald Garrett, Adrian still chose him to be the copilot. Donald reluctantly accepted even after being passed over as commander. He even vented to the press that the only reason Adrian was chosen to lead the mission was because Kevin Palmer helped design the new space shuttle.
“Gloria, we are on approach, so sit tight and don’t get your panties in a bunch.”
Gloria rolled her eyes at Donald’s comment. He was a sexist pig, never showing her any respect, even though she could run circles around him, intellectually speaking. “Don’t be a pig, Donald. Just don’t crush me against the station with your bad piloting skills,” she retorted.
She heard Donald grunt in anger on the other end of the comlink.
She finished her wiring job with her pliers, closed the panel, and placed the pliers back into the tool pocket of her spacesuit. She then turned and watched the silver shuttle slowly ascend to her position. Below the shuttle was Mars. She was enjoying the breathtaking scene for a few seconds, when she heard Scott Hauler’s voice.
“Gloria, I’ll extend the arm with the cable. Attach the cable to your belt, and I’ll pull you into the payload-bay with the winch.”
“Roger that,” she replied.
She continued to watch as the payload-bay door opened. The large white satellite arm extended out toward her with the cable in tow. Once the arm reached her and let go of the cable, she grabbed it and attached it to the belt of her spacesuit. “Okay, Scott, ready when you are.”
**********
Donald Garrett sat in his copilot seat, holding the shuttle’s position so they could retrieve Gloria. He reached up, rubbed his blue eyes, and then ran his hand through his black hair as he leaned back and looked out the plasma shield toward Mars. He was tired of working and he wouldn’t have minded some rest. But he had no desire to associate with the crew. He knew how everyone felt about him. Moreover, he didn’t care much for them either. After all, it was he who was passed over as the Mars I commander for an inexperienced former Air Force colonel.
“Hmm.”
Donald turned his seat around and looked at Isaac Cooper, now working at his own computer terminal. “What is it?”
Isaac looked back toward him with a look of concern on his face. “I’m getting some massive gravimetric readings.”
“Where?”
“Uh ... I think they are somewhere near our orbit.”
Don didn’t say anything. He turned his chair back toward the plasma shield and looked out, searching for whatever the computer was searching for. He scanned past Mars and out into starry space. Suddenly, Mars I shuddered. He looked down at his readings and then out into space again. At his eleven o’clock, the stars on which he focused appeared to ripple. In an instant, the distortion exploded into a bright light and a gigantic span that seemed ready to engulf Mars I.
**********
“Daddy, are you going to bring back a Martian?”
The crew giggled. Adrian smiled and felt a hole in his heart nearly as deep as the Grand Canyon. Oh, how he missed his son. “We’ll see, son. … If we can find one.”
Jake clapped his hands together. “Sweet!”
Adrian laughed and then made eye contact with his brother.
“Well, little bro, are you ready for tomorrow?” Kevin asked.
Adrian looked around at the other members of the crew. “I think we are.”
Doc slapped him on the back. “Yes, sir. Your brother is going to be the first man to set foot on Mars.”
Adrian felt his face flush red. He was a little embarrassed that he was given the honor of being the first human being to step on the Red Planet.
“I’m sure that doesn’t sit well with your copilot,” Kevin said.
“Don knew what he was getting into when he accepted the copilot position. He didn’t have to come on this mission,” Petey interjected.
Kevin nodded his head in apprehensive agreement. Adrian knew that his brother was aware of the political posturing Don had tried to use with his contacts in Washington. Don used those acquaintances to try and get Adrian scrubbed from the mission and himself promoted to commander.
“Nonetheless,” said Kevin, “the whole world will be watching tomorrow, and you, little brother, will go down in infamy.”
Adrian shook his head again. “No, Kevin, we all will.”
Kevin looked around at the rest of the crew. “You’re right.”
Adrian was about to speak again, when the shuttle trembled. The signal phased in and out for a few seconds. “Adrian, … wh … going … on?”
“Dad …”
Adrian looked around, and then Don’s voice came over the loudspeaker. “Adrian, you and the rest of the crew better get up to the flight deck now!”
Adrian quickly stood up and ordered the rest of his crew to their stations. As the rest of the crew took off out the recreation room, he looked at the screen. “Jake, I’ll talk to you tonight once we figure this out.”
“Daddy, I … c … here y …”
The shuttle shuddered again. This time, the force knocked Adrian to his knees. Looking back toward the screen, he looked at his brother and his son. For some reason, he felt compelled to say it. He stood up while the shuttle continued to tremble, with the signal continuing to phase in and out. “I love you guys. And Jake, I will see you soon.”
“Adrian, get up here now!” Don shrieked.
Before he took off for the flight deck, he heard his son. “Daddy … Daddy! What’s wrong? Don’t go! No! I lo—”
And then, the signal disappeared.
**********
Scott sat at his station in the payload-deck with a lump in his throat. The shuttle was shaking too much, and he couldn’t maintain control of the satellite arm. He manipulated the shuttle’s arm, using its joysticks. “Gloria, once I get the arm back in, I’ll start the winch to pull you in.”
“What’s going on, Scott? The station is starting to jerk violently too!”
“I’m not sure. … But I’ll get you in here soon.”
“Wait,” Gloria said. “I can see something just above the port side of the shuttle. I-It looks like some sort of ripple with flares of bright light coming out of the middle of it.”
“Strange,” said Scott, still trying to get control of the arm. Suddenly, Scott was jolted forward, causing him to hit the joysticks that controlled the arm. The arm swung violently. “Gloria!”
**********
Adrian had successfully made it to the flight deck, securing himself in his pilot’s seat on the other side of Don. He looked out the plasma shield. His eyes went wide when he saw the gigantic ripple directly ahead. “What the—”
In a flash, the shuttle was violently jerked toward the distortion. Adrian heard Scott yell. “Scott! Is Gloria okay?”
Before Scott could reply, Gloria spoke. “I’m all right, Adrian. I felt the jolt too. The arm barely missed my head, and right now, I’m about ten feet from the space station. But I’m getting pulled. Did you fire the thrusters?”
“Negative. We’re checking into it.”
Adrian turned to the rest of the crew and asked, “What was that?”
“Uh … Commander, remember the first numbers that I had were to the power of a thousand,” said Isaac.
“Yeah.”
“Well, those numbers have just quadrupled. And to put it in laymen’s terms, that thing’s got gravity and a lot of it!”
“What?” questioned Doc as he turned to face Isaac.
Adrian turned back and looked at the distortion. “Are you telling me we’re being pulled into this thing?”
“We are,” Isaac answered.
Adrian quickly shouted orders. “Don, fire the reverse thrusters. Scott, get Gloria in here now be
fore that thing swallows us up!”
Don fired the reverse thrusters, and the crew felt another jolt. But for some reason, they weren’t moving. Adrian turned and looked at Sean. “Sean, send a distress communication to Houston.”
“Roger that,” replied Sean as he turned to his computer and began pressing applications on his screen.
Adrian was starting to become frightened. The shuttle wasn’t moving at all. Between the force of the reverse thrusters and the force from the ripple, the shuttle sat motionless in space.
Sean spoke frantically. “Sir, there’s a problem with the communication satellite on the shuttle.”
“What do you mean, ‘there’s a problem’?”
Sean swallowed and shook his head. “I don’t know. I’m not getting a signal. It’s like it’s not even there.”
Before Adrian could answer, Gloria spoke. “Adrian, I think the shuttle’s arm knocked the satellite off because it’s floating past me.”
Adrian turned his seat back around to face the ripple in front of the shuttle and slammed his fists down onto his console. Suddenly, there was another shudder, and Mars I began to move toward the ripple again. “We’re moving again! Don, apply more power to the reverse thrusters!”
Don did as he was ordered as he punched in the commands. “It’s no use. We’re being sucked into that thing.”
The crew in the flight deck sat wide eyed with their mouths open as the ripple came to within fifty yards of the shuttle. “Don, more power!” cried Adrian.
“I can’t! I’ve already got the thrusters to full power!”
Adrian looked at the distortion again. They were moving closer to it. It almost looked as if a giant sea creature was beginning to engulf the entire shuttle. He frantically thought and said, “What if we rerouted all of the power in the shuttle to the reverse thrusters?”
“That might do it!” Sean responded.
Adrian turned and shot a look at Sean. “Do it then!”
Worlds Without End: The Mission (Book 1) Page 2