by S. E. Smith
*.*.*
Josh swallowed and looked around the futuristic dashboard. It was like something out of a movie set. His hand ran along the back of the seat as he gazed down at the sophisticated control panel. Julia stood to one side in silence.
“Is this for real?” Ash asked in a husky voice filled with awe.
“Yes,” Julia replied. “It is an exact replica of the Gliese 581 control center. I apologize that neither of you were briefed before coming here. There are a few things that have to be approved before I can discuss them in depth. Lydia and I will try to correct that error as much as we can for the moment. I hope you understand the sensitive position that I am in at the moment. I promise to be open about everything once I receive final clearance to do so. Lydia suggested that you both might be interested in seeing the Gliese 581 trainer while she pulled the team in. Some of them are at other buildings on the compound. She thought it might help give a clearer picture of what we will be going over, as well.”
Josh nodded, not missing strain in Julia’s voice or the hint that there was a lot more to tell then just a mission to space. Whatever was going on, it was larger than a top secret spacecraft. This wasn’t an orbiter. Just as Julia said, this type of technology was meant for long distance travel through deep space.
He paused in front of the console, staring through what looked like a large window at the technicians moving around outside the trainer. The interior glass pane didn’t match with what he saw outside. His gaze ran over the console in front of him and he noticed a small screen that displayed the same image.
“From below it looked like there were just small windows,” Josh commented with a frown.
“What you are seeing is an illusion,” Julia said, stepping forward and touching several icons on the console screen. “It is a new technology the Chinese have developed. This will give us a greater view of what we see and help eliminate some of the feelings of being in a small space over a long period of time. At least, that is what we hope,” she added, turning off the cameras.
Josh blinked when he saw a curved wall appear in front of him. It looked almost like a large IMAX screen without the cameras on. Leaning forward, he repeated the process that Julia had done just seconds before and a visual of the large room reappeared.
“The resolution is the best I’ve ever seen,” Josh murmured in approval. “There is no distortion that could happen with normal windows. Can you record as well?”
“Yes,” Julia replied. “It will be necessary for this mission to document as much as possible and send it back to Earth.”
“I’m assuming the briefing will cover this mission? In a nutshell, what is it about?” Ash asked, sliding into the seat next to where Josh was standing.
Julia looked down at Ash. “To discover if we are alone in the universe or not,” she replied in a quiet voice.
Josh’s head jerked up from where he was studying the controls. In his peripheral vision, he saw Ash’s head twist around as well. His mouth tightened at her quiet statement.
“Do you think we aren’t?” Josh asked.
Julia glanced at him and nodded. “I know we aren’t. The question is, what happened to the others and where did they come from?” She responded before glancing at her watch. “It’s almost time to meet the rest of the team. I have more information that I would like to go over with you before the briefing.”
*.*.*
Twenty minutes later, Josh and Ash sat in a large room that looked more like a mini-theater than a conference room. Every seat was filled. Julia had escorted him and Ash to the front row and indicated for them to sit down before she had stepped up onto the small platform next to Lydia.
Josh’s mind buzzed with the information Julia had shared just minutes before. He glanced down at the binder in his hand. Julia had explained that he had been selected as the commander and Ash had been selected as the pilot for a very special mission into space. While she did not go into much detail due to the limited time, he was piecing together what he had seen. This was a top secret, international mission, possibly to Mars, definitely deep space. He half wondered if the scientists had found something on their nearest planet that hadn’t been leaked to the news yet.
“Good morning. Thank you for taking time off of your busy schedules. This morning, I’m happy to welcome the last two members to our team,” Lydia announced, glancing at Josh and Ash for a moment before scanning the group. “Lt. Commander Joshua Manson will be the commander of the Starship Gliese 581 while Lt. Commander Ashton Haze has been chosen as the pilot. Gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to the rest of your crew. You’ve already met Julia. She is a Mission Specialist and will provide navigation and contact support. While both Mei and Sergi are new to the crew, they are not new to Project Gliese 581g. Dr. Mei Li Hú is from the Chinese space agency. She is a Mission Specialist with a background in computer science, biology, and environmental systems. The last member of the team is Sergi Lazaroff. His specialty is in mechanical engineering, payload, and weapons.”
“Weapons?” Josh asked with a frown as he glanced at the spec sheet in front of him of the Gliese 581. “Will the Gliese be equipped with a weapons system?”
“Only in Sergi’s dreams,” Mei interjected, drawing laughter from everyone.
Lydia smiled at their teasing before she answered Josh’s question. “At the moment the answer is no, but we have not eliminated the possibility. The biggest drawback is the technology. We’ve advanced considerably over the last few decades, but a weapons system is still more science fiction than reality,” Lydia said. “This is a review for many of you, but the countdown has begun. In eighteen months, Project Gliese 581g will depart for the Earth’s first interplanetary mission.”
“Interplanetary,” Ash replied with a slight shake of his head. “This is huge. It would have been nice to have more than eighteen months to prepare.”
Julia turned to stare at Ash with a strained smile. “I understand your reservations, Commander. The tight deadline is unavoidable,” she explained. “The original crew for the mission would have received slightly more time to prepare. It is regrettable that the four of you won’t have the same opportunity. On a positive note, both Sergi and Mei have been on several missions to the International Space Station and have worked on the Gliese 581’s construction. It helps that they are familiar with space travel.”
“What happened to the original crew?” Ash asked with a raised eyebrow.
“They and the backup team were killed when the two helicopters they were on crashed while returning to the compound. There is only one original member of the crew left. I had a meeting in Washington that night and was delayed. It is the only thing that saved me, and possibly this mission. We lost some brilliant men and women in the crash, including my father,” Julia replied in a quiet tone that resonated throughout the room.
“I remember hearing about it on the news, but didn’t realize the magnitude of it. I’m sorry for your loss,” Josh replied somberly after a minute of silence.
Josh studied Julia’s pale face. There was more to the story, but something told him it was personal. He could see the shadow of grief in her eyes when she explained the tragic accident that took the original crew members.
Josh caught Ash’s glance that told him his friend felt it as well. Turning his head, he stared at the others in the room. He listened while different project managers shared reports, progress, and issues they were having. It wasn’t until the end of the briefing, after Julia and Lydia quietly congratulated all of them for their selection as members of the crew, that he felt a nagging suspicion there was still more information being withheld.
“I look forward to the mission,” Josh responded with a sharp nod.
Ash was silent for a moment before he sat back in his seat. “Eighteen months to departure, huh?” He replied with a grim smile. “We have a lot to learn.”
“Yes, you both have a lot to learn in a short amount of time, but I promise you will also have the best team in the
world behind you,” Julia said with a relieved expression.
“Does anyone have any questions before we begin?” Lydia asked, stepping up to the front again.
“I do,” Josh said with a twist of his lips.
“What is it, Commander?” Lydia asked.
Josh studied Julia’s face as he asked his question. “Where exactly are we going?” He asked.
Chapter 3
Josh leaned against the outside wall of the training compound two days later. He drew in a deep breath and rolled his head on his shoulders to release the tension. He had just come back from his early morning run along the flightline.
It was still dark out, but the hint of sunrise was beginning to lighten the horizon. His gaze caught on the movements of another runner. It only took a few seconds for him to recognize Julia. He waited as she jogged closer. He knew the moment that she realized that she was no longer alone.
“Good morning,” he called out when she slowed to a walk.
Julia glanced at him and placed her hands on her hips as she drew in deep, steady breaths through her nose to calm her respiration. She gave him a curt nod before she glanced at the fitness watch on her wrist.
“Good morning,” she finally replied. “How are you settling in?”
“Not bad,” Josh replied with a shrug. “I take it the small accommodations here at the compound are to prepare us for our living quarters in space.”
Julia gave him a slight smile and walked in a tight circle as she continued to cool down. Josh watched her as she bowed her head. She appeared to be distracted. Whatever was bothering her, he still got the feeling that he and Ash weren’t being told everything and she was struggling with that. Julia had left shortly after the meeting that first day, so he had not been able to confront her about his suspicions.
“There will actually be more room on the Gliese 581 than is normally allocated on a spaceship. Privacy was taken into consideration when the design was finalized due to the length of time we will be gone,” she finally said, drawing in a deep breath while standing with her back to him and looking out over the horizon. “I love this time of the morning, don’t you?”
Josh heard the hint of wistfulness in her voice. “What’s really going on? I think Ash and I deserve to know the truth,” Josh demanded in a quiet tone. “What aren’t you telling us? I know you explained in the briefing that this was an exploratory mission to test intergalactic travel, but I can’t help but feel it is more than that. We aren’t heading to Mars as I originally expected, but into a section of the solar system that makes no sense to me from the information in the briefing that you gave us before the meeting. Why? I get the dangers, but I would have thought Mars would have been mankind's first attempt at long distance space travel.”
Julia slowly turned to study him. He stared back at her, not breaking her intense gaze. He saw the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes before she released her breath and nodded.
“Yes, you do deserve to know the truth. All of the crew does. I couldn’t say anything until I received permission. That took more time than I expected,” she admitted. “The original crew knew what they were facing. Because of the classification of the mission, Lydia and I could not share it in the briefing the other day which is why Lydia did not answer your question when you wanted to know where we were going. Besides a very select group, only Lydia and myself are aware of the actual destination. It was important to keep it secret to prevent any leakage to the press. Even Sergi and Mei were not privileged to the information I’m about to share due to the complexity of the mission. It was important to prevent the public from discovering what my father had found,” she explained, staring intently up at him.
Josh returned her intense look. “Trust is a very important factor on any mission,” he said in a blunt tone. “Without trust, it isn’t a mission, but certain death to one or all of those on it. If the government expects us to put our lives on the line, the least they can do is tell us what the fuck is going on.”
Julia’s jaw tightened before she drew in a deep breath and released it. “My father asked me a question six years ago when this project was first conceived that I will now ask you, Commander. Would you still agree to go on this mission if you knew that you would probably never make it back to Earth?”
Josh reflected on the softly asked question. Would he? What did he have to come back to? He wasn’t married. Hell, he wasn’t even seeing anyone at the moment. He didn’t have any kids or family to return to. The only real friend he had was Ash, if he admitted it. His gaze flashed to the horizon and the soft glow. What would it be like to wake up and see the stars instead of the sun for the rest of his life?
“I don’t really have much to keep me here,” he replied, turning to look at her. “What about you? Surely you have a reason to return.”
Julia shook her head. “Not anymore,” she responded in a light tone. “Thank you for your answer. It is only fair that I ask the others the same question. Hopefully, they will feel the same way that we do. I’ll . I planned on calling a meeting this morning for the team now that I’ve received permission to proceed. If you’ll meet me in the conference room in half an hour, I’ll explain everything. I promise, there will be no more deceptions or half-truths.”
Josh reached out and touched her arm when she started to turn. “I knew when I applied for the space program that if I was accepted and sent into space that there was always a chance of never returning to Earth. I still wanted to go.”
Julia stared back at him in silence for a few potent seconds before she stepped back. “Admiral Greenburg was right when he said you were the right man for this assignment. The President also agrees. I would say that is a significant level of trust, Lieutenant Manson,” she responded with a somber smile. “I’ve been ordered to answer any and all questions that you or the rest of the crew have. I promise to be transparent in my answers.”
Josh watched as she turned on her heel and quietly jogged away. He turned his head and he absently watched the horizon as the sun came up. For a moment, he felt a strange sense of surrealism, as if it was just an illusion before it rose above the curve of the tree line in the distance.
Turning, he headed back to the apartments set up for the crew. He would pose the same question to Ash. Deep down, he hoped his friend agreed because something told him he was going to need Ash’s expertise on this mission.
*.*.*
A half hour later, Josh and Ash stepped into the conference room. Mei and Sergi nodded to them in greeting. The other two members looked as puzzled as he felt.
Julia glanced up when they entered and she released the breath that she was holding. Her eyes swept from Ash to Josh.
“Thank you,” she said in a quiet voice. “Once again, I apologize for all the secrecy; I was only given final approval late last night to share the information.”
“Don’t thank us yet,” Josh warned in a slightly curt tone. “Since we were given this assignment, I would have expected that all clearances were approved. I don’t like walking into a situation blind or with half the Intel.”
Julia nodded. “Normally that isn’t the case. With the sudden deaths of the majority of the crew, it has created a vacuum that was unexpected and had some of our supporters questioning the success of the project. As I told you earlier, Commander, the President has order me to answer any and all questions,” she responded in a light tone. “If everyone would please have a seat, I’ll explain everything from the beginning. I hope to answer any questions that still remain afterwards. It is understood that any information shared here is classified and must remain confidential.”
Julia picked up the remote for the project and turned it on. She knew each slide by heart. They were a combination of ten years’ worth of work. Only a very select group of backers, including some of the highest-ranking officials in the world, knew about Project Gliese 581g.
She swallowed as she turned back to look at Ash and Josh. They were staring up at the slide with a frown. She knew wha
t they were staring at. It had been the same one that her father had presented before the Senate subcommittee during a closed session.
“Ten years ago an astronomer was doing deep space astrophotography in the hopes of discovering a star system that had the potential for Earth-like planets. During his search, he thought he might have found several such systems. Gliese is the eighty-ninth closest star to the Sun and is located in the constellation of Libra. It is a spectral type M3V star, which is also known…”
“As a red dwarf,” Ash responded, giving Julia a crooked smile. “What can I say? I love watching the Science Channel.”
“Ah, another true science fan, Sergi,” Mei teased. “You should be happy now.”
“You can learn a lot from the Science Channel, eh, Ash,” Sergi retorted with a grin.
Julia chuckled and relaxed. “Yes, it is known as a red dwarf,” she repeated with a smile. “It is located approximately twenty light years from Earth and is estimated to have a mass that is about one-third of the Sun. Observation shows that the star may have planetary movement around it based on current evidence. There is speculation of some additional stellar activity that could be the result of mimicking from the radical velocity variations of orbital planets. At this time, there are three suspected planets. Gliese 581c is considered to be similar to Venus.” Julia turned and clicked to the next slide. “Rampant greenhouse effects make the planet too hot to be habitable. Gliese 581d and g have come under closer scrutiny, though doubt has been raised as to whether either one has the potential for life. Still, they have not been completely ruled out.”
“If there is doubt, why call this project 581g? Why send a mission to explore it when the likelihood of finding a habitable planet twenty light years away is virtually impossible? You’d have a better chance of finding a diamond in the middle of the Sahara,” Josh observed, folding his arms across his chest and staring at the grainy image with an ironic twist to his lips.