Eyes of an Eagle a Novel of Gravity Controlled

by S. A. Gorden Неизвестный Автор

  “On our next trip we will get rid of most if not all of the others."

  “Oh really? Just what do you have in mind that we need that much privacy?"

  “I was planning on inspecting the blue prints again.” Tabby's grin was worth the verbal word play.

  The ship's christening was broadcast worldwide. Only four of us went out of the ship, Tabby, two of the NASA crew, and me. The NASA crew videotaped the event. Tabby broke a bottle of water on the side of the ship and pulled the tape off the name.

  She had worked on the speech for the last two days after learning that everyone had decided she would be the one doing the christening. After a few false starts, “The Wright brothers took man from walking on the ground to flight within the atmosphere of the earth. In the nineteen-sixties, Russia and NASA took man from our planet into flight within our solar system. This ship will take man and woman from our solar system into flight to the stars beyond. I christen you Raptor."

  I switched my mike to private conversation. “Short but sweet.” I was surprised when I heard tears. “It was fine."

  “I couldn't think of anything else to say."

  “It was enough. You will see.” It was enough. We got selected network TV sent up to us from earth. The public and media fell over each other repeating the short phrase sensing Tabby's emotion in those few words.

  We got on board and started to Mars. We were purposefully taking the planets in order from the sun and not traveling the most economical path. Part of this test flight was to show the versatility of the kantele space/star drive. The main gravity dish started up with Holst's Planets playing to fuzzy the electromagnetic waves. I had insisted that we use real music for scrambling the waves with the music being audible in at least the ship's bridge. Most of the artificial gravity spheres in the walls were turned off as the force of gravity from the main dish started to orientate us to down being where the dish was. A tug-of-war between the main kantele dish and the smaller gravity spheres in the ‘now’ ceiling of the bridge started. Sometimes we felt lighter and at other times heavier. A few of the crew's stomachs couldn't handle the changes but we were prepared with upchuck bags. Slowly, the forces balanced until it was just bearably more than normal g-forces in the living quarters.

  It took nine months to deliver all the satellites and probes. The Raptor was fast and we didn't stop long at each planet. The gravity gradient produced by the larger dish in the Raptor was nearer the needed part of the gravity curve, cutting the velocity required to obtain a tear in the universe's fabric to less than half of the original 200,000,000 meters per second. And by balancing the smaller gravity kanteles in the walls with the main kantele drive, it was possible to accelerate at over 4 g's while only experiencing 1.5 g's in the living quarters.

  I did not take a leading role during this trip. I let the NASA pilots make all the decisions with the scientists. I watched and learned. I learned about my new ship and how it runs but mostly I learned about people. People were something I had little experience with. But with twenty-one of us in the small confined space of the Raptor, I had the perfect way to learn about them.

  Everyone else on board was kept busy. During the stops orbiting the planets, the crews were busy tweaking the ship's design and running experiments. Schmitt became a media figure as he handled most of the scientific briefings that we broadcast to the world. Tabby was in engineering heaven. Oh yes, Tumble became a teenage cat. Move-over resented the changing gravity. Move-over rarely went to the cylinders nearest the main kantele dish with the strongest gravity. But Tumble loved the different forces. With the higher gravity near the drive dish, Tumble could jump across a cylinder with acrobatic displays that looked impossible. Both cats spent most of their rest time in our quarters, the farthest from the drive kantele.

  It is hard to describe the outer planets. The colors and views are nowhere as vivid as those produced by the movie studios. But occasionally the real universe can surprise you. In close orbit to Jupiter, it was possible to see the swirling storms and huge atmospheric displays. Some of the dancing colors were reminiscent of the borealis of earth and others seemed to be electrical and plasma bursts of energy. The rings of Saturn were generally blah. There was no color to them except for one brief instant when we passed out of orbit and the nearby light reflected off them in weak rainbow colors.

  I should have noticed more about the rest of the planets but it was during the flight to Uranus that I noticed something odd about the ship's flight. The NASA pilots handled the seconds of multidimensional flight with ease and a minimum of midcourse corrections. But I was watching both the pilots and the computer readouts. There was something not planned in the midcourse corrections before dimensional flight. I took to sitting with a laptop by the fountain playing with the tracking information from the flight paths.

  We were at Neptune before I got my first hint at what was causing the midcourse corrections. It was simple when the answer came to me. Since man can not make anything uniform, we expected midcourse corrections but the ones I saw were not random and they were larger than the computer projections

  indicated. We were using gravity as a source in making a dimple in our four dimensional space. The dimples or creases were easier to make when there were helping gravitational forces and harder to make when there were not. The gravitational power of the large gas planets made the dimpling easier near them and if there was an overlapping of gravitational forces from two or more planets even if they were distant, the crease would have a tendency to migrate with their lines of force.

  I talked my findings over with Tabby and we made corrections to the computer guidance programs. The corrections the pilot made in the flight to Pluto and earth were less but they were still there. It is just impossible to have a computer calculate the interactions of multiple gravitational bodies without real time feedback. The three body gravitational problem is one of the classic impossibilities of physics, which is probably why no one thought about the near gravity problem with the kantele drive in the first place.

  Tabby came up with the idea of using a force feedback joystick for pilot control with the feedback coming from the course deviation from the planned trajectory. She felt the midcourse corrections would be easier using the joystick. We decided to make the joystick change when we got home to earth.

  On a whim, I talked to the two NASA pilots about the control changes. They both acted professional about the information but I was able to see hand and foot movements from one pilot and a deepening of breathing by the other. It was easy to tell that they needed more feedback connection with the controls. And I think they were happy knowing that skill was required to find the best route between two planets. I made a mental note to talk with Tabby about placing some of the control feedback into a foot pedal.

  On the last night on board before taking the shuttle down to earth, I closed our cabin door. And adjusted the gravity spheres so there was just enough force in the room to keep us from bouncing off the walls but still low enough that we would sometime drift in the air. It was a glorious end to a trip so full of events I needed the videotapes the crew made to remember details.

  NASA and Riley had a huge press event scheduled. Instead of heading for the farm, the landing shuttle transported us to Duluth. We left the cats on board until we could bring them back to our cabin. We landed at the Air Guard Base and convoyed down to the Bay Front Park. Under the tent was a raised dais with a long table. Schmitt, Manning, and the NASA shuttle crew were in the middle. On the left were the four construction crew members. And on the right were Tabby, Jorge, and me. The military men were not to be found and Felix joined the security men on the perimeter of the dais.

  Schmitt handled most of the questions and introductions. It was ten minutes into the reporters questioning before Schmitt asked Tabby to answer a question. A reporter had asked why we had cylinders as the main body of the ship and why were they placed sideways and not length wise with the kantele dish.

  “We wanted to make as ma
ny components of the ship as we could on earth. It is just simpler and cheaper to bring up completed sections and assemble them in space. The best shaped pieces that could be transported into space are rectangular or circular cylinders. The circular ones are stronger. We sent out specification sheets to manufacturers and the five-meter by twenty-meter cylinders from a Winnipeg pipe manufacturer matched what we wanted.

  “We didn't want to cut large bay doors into the sides of the cylinders so we put access doors in the ends. The cylinders had to be mounted lengthwise so we could use the doors."

  “Mrs. Karpinen, why was the ship painted yellow?"

  “We decided we needed a coating..."

  My mind drifted from the talk. This was my first chance to watch so many people at one time in nine months.

  Santa watched everything unfold according to plans. Hamlet was in position. The stage was set. All they needed was the right timing.

  * * * *

  The reporters in the front rows fidgeted, each struggling to get their questions answered. Some were science reporters and they seemed confident that they would be heard. The national network reporters were commenting from the back waiting for the small one-to-one news segments after the panel discussion ended. The most fun to watch were the locals. They struggled to keep from jumping up or were intimidated by the network people. Behind and to the sides of the news people were the local politicians and a few others with enough pull or money to make it close. And in the back were the masses. The unruly deliciously varied masses. Small children were fighting at the feet of their parents bored with all the talking. I soon spotted the FBI, state police, and Secret Service men watching the crowds. The Secret Service men were here because of the senators and cabinet members sitting to the side and the state police were for the governor. The security men were more interesting than the politicians to watch. They were at least paying attention to what was happening.

  * * * *

  Romeo was ecstatic. Hamlet passed the security personnel with ease. Romeo was the only other member of the Cell to be near the park. Santa and the others were watching live on CNN. Romeo had to watch everything happen in person. It was his plan. The rest of the world will remember Hamlet as the killer but all in the Cell would know that the real anarchist was Romeo. He smiled and watched.

  * * * *

  All the riotest variety of people, each different, each with their own set of unique actions; I was awash with sensory overload. It was the first time in my memory that I was happy in a crowd.

  A little thing tugged at my mind. Too many people too much action. What was that? Schmitt was saying something about a presentation to me. The Brule Sioux from South Dakota was going to give me a flute. What was that tugging for my attention? It was over near the politicians. No it was next to the politicians. It was a man looking not at the dais or boredly watching the rest of the crowd. There was hunger with his watching. I followed his gaze. He was watching a cameraman.

  I turned to Felix and stared at him. I couldn't see his eyes with the dark glasses he had on but I saw him tense. I turned and looked at the watching man. Felix talked into a small mike attached to his lapel.

  Secret Service moved closer to the man. I knew I could depend on Felix.

  The Sioux medicine man walked up to the dais holding a beautiful wooden flute with a red woodpecker head panted on it. I got up and walked around the end of the table watching both the Sioux and the cameraman. The cameraman moved closer as well positioning himself to film the exchange of the flute. I reached out my left hand for the flute. The cameraman tensed as if to brace himself and I saw a finger shake as it stretched to pull a small black lever.

  The cameraman was down. My puukko was sticking out of his arm. The man scrambled for the camera with his left hand. He tried to bring the heavy camera back up. Tabby's throwing knife went into his throat and he stopped moving.

  I had pushed the Sioux medicine man to the ground, turned and looked at the man who was watching. Behind me, I heard a security man say, “There's a gun in the camera.” People were screaming and running. I saw the watching man's face drop in surprise. I started to him. A gulp and he turned to leave but was stopped by a Secret Service man. He turned and another grabbed him. He started to struggle and they took him to the ground.

  I was standing over the man. I felt Felix by my side. One of the Secret Service men put his arm up to push me back but Felix stopped him. The handcuffed man had the wide-eyed look of a deer caught in car headlights. I never knew why I did it or how I did it but I started to chant. Chants like the ones my grandmother would tell me about when I was little. I started with Finnish. Finnish seemed to give my words strength. But I somehow I switch the words to English. The chant started so soft no one heard it at first.

  “...Kunnella, kunnella.

  Listen, listen.

  Listen to the cadence

  Listen to the tone

  See my eyes

  Katse sininen

  See the shades of blue

  Look deep and see your soul

  Tell me why

  Tell me how

  Tell me who

  Listen to the quiet waters speak Hear the sound of the quiet waters See the water's blue Talk before you drown Vainamoinen sing Kantele breathes Flute whispers

  The man of quiet waters sings

  The waters of the earth demand an answer

  Talk, talk, talk...

  Kunnella, kunnella..."

  The man was near a catatonic state but he started to talk. “The Cell ... I belong to the Cell ... We change history by deed...” I left.

  Felix whispered, “What did you do?" “I just asked him why?"

  “You know what I mean. You hypnotized him into talking. How the hell did you do that?"

  “Do you really want to know?"

  I saw him hesitate. He shook his head yes.

  “When I was little my grandmother told me about singing runos. In Finland if you knew the right chant or runo and sang it correctly, you could make magic. I don't know if I made magic but I think I understood enough of the man's rhythm to put him in a trance.” I didn't want to talk anymore. My words seemed to satisfy him for now. I grabbed Tabitha and said, “I want to go home. I feel older than dirt."

  Tabby replied, “You're actually five minutes younger."

  “What do you mean?"

  “We synchronized an atomic clock on board with one on earth before we took off. It was five minutes twenty-seven seconds and some change slower than the earth clock when we got back."

  “Okay, I am five minutes twenty-seven seconds and some change younger than dirt. I don't know about you but that still sounds old to me.” She hit me.

  We were left alone after what had happened. I caught on the news later in the week that a dozen members of an anarchist group call the Cell had been arrested. The TV showed a heavy-set man with a Santa Claus beard being lead away in handcuffs.

  Tabby took the shuttle to the Raptor and brought down the two cats. Move-over sauntered out of the shuttle with his normal nonchalance but Tumble was scared of the wide-open sky. When we got to our cabin, Move-over would lie just outside the door teasing the trembling Tumble to come out.

  “Move-over you are pathetic teasing the kitten that way."

  His only reply was a yowl and a twitch of the tail. Tabby and I left the cats to work out their problems, went inside and held each other by the trickling pool.

  I had hired Oggie's son, Harold, to deliver supplies to Uncle Ben when we were gone. He had just made a delivery but we still loaded up a canoe and drifted down the river. We knew he was close when we smelled a wood fire, cedar, birch, maple with the fragrance of roasting meat. Ben met us on the riverbank across from his cabin. He had a campfire with a venison roast cooking on a spit. We ate in silence listening to the trickling water and the crackling of the fire. We never said more than three words in a row to each other but it was still the best homecoming we had.

  As we packed up to leave, Ben said, “Br
ing some salt salmon when you get back from space next time.

  It goes good with venison."

  “How do you know we will leave again so soon?"

  “I know. Whatever got you started isn't done with you yet."

  Tabby hugged him real hard and gave him a big wet kiss. He turned pink.

  We were in the canoe. “Hold it. I forgot to give you this.” He ran into the woods and came back with something wrapped in an old gunnysack. It was an ash walking stick like the one he gave Tabby except that it was sized for me. “Remember to bring both your sticks with you when you go this time."

  On the woodpecker tree there sat an eagle. His eyes tracked our every move as we paddled up stream to the boat landing.

  Tumble started to run after Move-over when he walked outside under the sky so we knew it was time to go again. We loaded up the Raptor. In the bridge I had the display screen run through a loop of the various constellations in the sky.

  “Okay, where should we go?"

  Move-over jumped up and swatted at Orion.

  “Gotcha. Orion it is.” I put on Holst's Planets for the kantele fuzzier. And started down the checklist before our actual leaving earth's orbit. Venus was just starting to play when I engaged the kantele drive.

  “Tabby, I wonder what music God played when he made the universe?"

  “Now don't get philosophical on me. Remember this is just a joy ride."

  “What do you want to hear next after Holst is finished?"

  “Rachmaninov Piano Concerto number 2 in C minor."

  “Thinking about a little romance are we?"

  “Of course.” She had a saucy simile. “Let's put Grieg on after that. I always wanted to be bounced during Hall ofthe Mountain King."

  “You're twisted. Maybe that's why I love you."

  I moved the power setting to full and set the automatic collision warnings and the alarm for just before we got to dimensional travel.

  “Hello out there. You better watch out! The Terrans are about to crash the party."

  I heard a growl. Move-over was growling at Tumble who was crouched down, shifing his hind legs. Suddenly there was a blur of speed and they were gone into the depths of the ship.