Destination Mars - Part 2

by Jack Webber

  John noticed, ruefully, that none of the beds was long enough to accommodate his 6 foot frame.

  An enclosed bathroom was situated on the left, just inside the main entrance.

  John stepped inside and closed the door.

  A large sink stood next to a toilet, and that left just enough room to turn around. No showers or baths for the next two weeks; there wasn't enough water to go around anyways.

  He opened an overhead cupboard just above the mirror and found soap, razors, toothpaste, and other items. There were no faucets or levers; you pushed a button to flush the toilet and another button for 30 seconds of hot or cold water. Conservation was encouraged by design.

  John took advantage of the facilities, and then moved on to the living quarters along the left wall.

  Two couches bracketed a TV set that was built into the wall. So you could watch your favourite shows, if you didn't mind craning your neck to the left or right. Next came a kitchen sink with push button water, a microwave oven, a small fridge, some cupboards, and a table with four chairs.

  John sat at the table and looked directly out the picture window that took up most of the far wall. The blue ocean below and the white sky above met at the horizon, without boats, planes, or wildlife to interrupt the dichromatic view. "This would get old real fast." thought John. "I can't wait to see the stars."

  Mark was peering inside the fridge and Tania was rifling through the cupboards. They were surprised to find various drinks and snacks. The fridge held some fresh fruit, which was their allotment for the next two weeks, and the cupboard had various cookies and candy, and lots of microwave popcorn. "You'd think we were back in college." joked Mellissa.

  Suddenly the TV turned on, and a short man in a white shirt addressed all the passengers simultaneously. You could push buttons all day long, but there was no way to change the channel or mute the audio, which was definitely loud enough to wake any passengers who happened to be sleeping at the time.

  The man was sitting in a padded chair, complete with headrest. His arms extended forward towards the viewer, but his hands were below the screen. Apparently he was sitting in the cockpit, looking into a camera that was mounted on the front panel. Thus his hands were out of view, as he operated the ship's controls. Personally, John wanted to turn the camera around and look out the front window. Surely that was more interesting than the man's face.

  "Hello ladies and gentlemen. For the next two weeks I'll be your captain, Captain Mills. I am also the law aboard this vessel. I am the policeman, the judge, and the jury, and if necessary," he held a gun up for all to see, "the executioner. The best thing for you to do is to stay in your rooms, and let me run the ship."

  John noticed that he had neatly combed thick brown hair. "Rank hath its privileges." he thought.

  "Everybody is on board, and we have all your luggage in storage room ‘C’. A member of the crew will be distributing your bags this evening, or tomorrow morning at the latest. You'll be pleased to know that we're right on schedule today. The demating process has begun, and we're just about ready to climb the cable. I'll be giving you updates as appropriate, and I'll try not to bother you at night, unless it's an emergency. Hey, I like to sleep too."

  John was glad the man with the gun had a sense of humour.

  "We'll be on Earth time until we get to Mars. Their day is only 37 minutes longer than ours, so you should ease right in."

  The captain received some instructions from the ground, which were difficult to comprehend after they had been relayed through the TV set.

  "Ground control tells me the mating tunnel has retracted into the base, and we're ready to go. Enjoy the ride. You should receive your luggage, your physical exam, and your dinner, within the next 3 hours - not necessarily in that order. You're on your own for breakfast for the next three days. There's milk and fruit in the fridge, and cereal in the cupboards, and bread for toasting. After the perishables are gone we'll start serving packaged breakfasts too. Don't get your hopes up though, the food isn't very good."

  The transport started to climb the cable, and the passengers felt an upward lurch that reminded them of, well, an elevator going up. After the initial jolt the ship accelerated at a steady rate of 0.0036G, which was undetectable against the background of Earth's gravity. At this rate they would reach the midpoint of the cable, geosynchronous orbit, in 12 hours. Smaller payloads could climb the cable much faster, but there was no need to stress the system. Slow and steady was the preferred method for ships of this size.

  The captain disappeared, and Mellissa flipped through the channels. "Looks like the standard cable channels from Earth." she announced. "We're probably picking them up from the satellite. I hope they're going to forward the signal to us after we leave orbit; we're going to need some entertainment for the next two weeks."

  "We're also going to have to take turns." remarked John. "There's one TV, and I'm not going to watch kiddy cartoons for the next two weeks."

  John went back to the kitchen table and looked out the window. Wisps of white were reaching down across the glass, obscuring the blue ocean below. Soon the window was a curtain of white, which held for several minutes, and then dispersed. The sky was a deep blue, with an orange yellow sun straight ahead. Apparently he was facing west. John averted his eyes and got up from the table.

  "I'm hungry." moaned Mark, and as if on cue, there was a knock at the door. Mellissa opened it and an attendant stood on the lift, a tray in her hand.

  "Dinner." she said, as if that was all that needed to be said.

  "What is it?" Mellissa asked.

  "Salisbury steak, potatoes, and green beans." The tray contained four containers with plastic lids. "Microwave each one on high for 5 minutes. Throw the containers in the waste tube when you're done. Oh, and don't call for extras, or room service, until everyone has had their dinner."

  Mellissa took the tray back to the kitchen and put two containers in the microwave. They were large portions, and she was pleased about that. You couldn't exactly go out for fast food if you got the munchies at night. She set the timer for ten minutes and pushed start. The kids could eat first; then she and John would eat.

  "Hope those are good." said John. "The kids aren't the only ones who are hungry."

  John located the environmental controls next to the window and pushed safe tint, which allowed him to look directly at the sun. It was sinking in the west, and the sunset was spectacular. There were no trees, no buildings, and no land formations to interrupt its beauty. Reds and oranges splashed across the horizon, and even some purples.

  He watched for almost a half hour while the kids ate. "The food must be ok," he thought, revelling in the silence, "or else they're really hungry."

  He watched the sun slip below the horizon as Mellissa heated the third and fourth containers. Red and orange fingers poked above the horizon, as if the sun were trying to hold on to the Earth before it dropped away for the night.

  "Your food is ready." said Mellissa.

  "Bring it on." John was already seated at the table. He tasted the potatoes and thought they were satisfactory. After trying the meat and the beans he made his assessment. "I'd give it a B. Not too bad."

  "That's good," said Mellissa, "because we're going to be eating this food for the next two weeks."

  "Don't you want the rest Mark?" asked John, eyeing his half eaten meal.

  "No, I'm kinda full."

  John pulled Mark's dinner over and started eating.

  The sun sank below the horizon as he finished the last of the steak, and he reached over and pushed the clear button. A million stars jumped into view, more than he had ever seen before. They didn't twinkle, as they did on Earth. Sharp points of light stood fixed against the black background of space.

  "There's the milky-way." he exclaimed, pointing to the band of stars that stretched across the heavens. Tania came over to look, but she was the only taker. Mark wasn't interested, and Mellissa was cleaning up the dishes.

  Mellis
sa put the silverware in the sink and placed the plastic containers in the disposal tube, where they tumbled to the bottom of the rocket, to be jettisoned after they left orbit. International treaty placed strict limits on space junk in orbit.

  John's star gazing was interrupted by a knock at the door. Mellissa opened it and a man stepped in, entirely uninvited.

  "Hello. I'm Dr. Jarvis, and I've got 400 people to check tonight, so I'd appreciate your cooperation. Please remove all your clothes. If you like you can step into your sleeping quarters and pull the partitions; it's up to you."

  Mellissa had warned the kids ahead of time, but they still seemed frightened and confused, and the doctor's bedside manner didn't help. She decided to lead by example. She walked over to the first sleeping area and started to undress, laying her clothes out on the bed. "Do as the man says." she advised.

  "I'll be looking for fleas, ticks, lice, any external parasites. Mars doesn't have any of these critters, and we plan on keeping it that way. I'll also be taking some blood to see if you're carrying any foreign diseases."

  "I'm ready." said Mellissa. Mark and Tania were still fumbling about, not sure what they should do. John went over to help them along.

  "So far so good." said Dr. Jarvis as he looked over her head and neck. He moved quickly, yet Mellissa had the feeling he wouldn't miss a thing. He pulled out his magnifying glass from time to time as he looked over her back. "Backs always seem to have lots of moles and birth marks and the like."

  He looked closely at the pubic area, a favourite location for parasites, and then went down her legs. "Lift your feet." he directed, and Mellissa complied. "Looks good. Now give me a little blood, and sir, you're next."

  He took some blood from Mellissa's arm, then inspected John, Tania, and Mark in the same fashion.

  "They'll go over you again, and all of your possessions, when you get to Mars, but at least we've done an initial check while we're still on the cable. Your blood will be analyzed before we leave orbit, and we'll let you know if there are any problems."

  He gathered up his vials and headed out the door. "Thanks for your cooperation; makes my job much easier." He closed the door behind him and knocked on room 22 on the other side of the lift.

  "Well that was fun." said Mellissa, pulling her shirt on over her head. "Ok kids, you can get dressed again."

  John looked at the clock on the wall. It read 8:55, just like his watch. The ship was indeed on Earth time.

  "You kids want to watch a movie or go to bed early?"

  None of them had slept much last night.

  "Let's do both." said Tania.

  "Smart girl." thought John, since the TV was directly across from the second and third beds. That was a much better vantage point than the adjacent couches.

  Mellissa tucked the kids in and looked through the list of movies. The ship didn't have a complete library, but they certainly had a collection of recent films that were geared towards children. She made a selection and turned the volume down just a bit.

  By 9:30 Mark was asleep and Tania was dozing off. Unfortunately captain Mills came on again, and the kids woke up with a startle.

  "Some of you might be getting ready for bed, so I'll give you some instructions for the night, and then leave you be. As we move towards geosynchronous orbit at the midpoint of the cable, gravity will decrease to zero. Now there aren't any restraints on your beds, so unless you tuck your sheets in all around, you might wake up at 5 AM and find yourself floating about in your room. You might be on the ceiling, or you might be over in the kitchen. Don't be surprised. When the gravity goes below 0.1 G, at about 4 AM, the toilets won't work properly. So we're going to turn them off between 4 and 6. Please don't try to use the toilet in zero G, it just makes a mess. The faucets will be disabled as well. Make sure you don't leave glasses of water out tonight, or you may run into a floating blob of water at 5 AM. In fact, don't leave anything out. Put everything away in cupboards, and slide your suitcases under the beds with the doors latched."

  "We still don't have our suitcases," thought John, "and I'm suppose to open that mystery case by 9:17 tomorrow morning."

  The captain continued. "At precisely 5:03 we'll be at the middle of the cable and the gravity will be 0. We're going to turn the ship around, very slowly. You probably won't notice unless you're looking out the window. Now the top of the ship will point towards Earth and the tail of the ship will point up the cable towards space. As we move along the cable the centrifugal force will grow stronger. This time tomorrow, we'll be at the end of the cable, and you'll be feeling 1 G again. So again, pack everything away, use the toilet one last time, and have a good night."

  The movie resumed, right where it left off, but Tania was more interested in the Captain's words. "Are we really going to float around? I can't wait for zero G."

  "Yes," said Mellissa, "but I'll wake you up when it's time. Now try to get some sleep."

  "Ok." said Tania, with the trust of a child.

  "We should get some sleep as well." suggested John. "At least a couple hours anyways."

  Mellissa put away the last of the dishes and used the bathroom, as Captain Mills advised. Then she gave John a long kiss goodnight. "Looks like we're sleeping on opposite sides of the room."

  "Yeah, the kids always get the best accommodations, and we get the leftovers."

  John took the bed near to the window and Mellissa slept by the door. They could hear the lift going up and down, and voices above and below. John was glad he was by the window; a little farther from the noise outside the door.

  In his dream, John was floating over his home town. A light swimming motion was sufficient to propel him forward. He could see his house below and the lake up ahead. He drifted over the lake, like a feather in the wind, on his way to Ellare's house. He could see a couple of swimmers below. There was a strange sensation of falling into the lake, though his altitude remained constant. As he reached the other side and looked down on Ellare's house the sensory illusion increased. He was falling, falling towards the ground, and yet the Earth fell away from him just as fast, maintaining a constant distance. The whole world was falling.

  THIRTEEN

  John awoke with a shock. It was 4 in the morning, and gravity was down to ¼G. He stood up and practically bounced across the room to Mellissa, who was sitting up in bed.

  "Isn't it glorious?" She got up and danced with John lightly across the floor.

  They tapped Tania lightly on the way by, as promised, and she sat up and rubbed her eyes. She looked around the room for a moment, and then remembered where she was. She bounced up and down on the bed, lightly, then gave herself a big push. She floated up to the ceiling, touched it with her hand, and returned to the bed, slightly off center. An error in trajectory that would have gone unnoticed on Earth brought her back to the left edge of the bed, and she rolled off onto the floor. She wasn't hurt, but was somewhat startled.

  "Please be careful." warned Mellissa, after the act.

  They all skipped and jumped around the room, touching the ceiling with ease. In fact they seemed to be getting lighter. This was no illusion. It was 4:46, and gravity was down to 0.1G.

  Valves closed all over the ship, and toilets flushed by themselves. Plumbing would be closed for the next half hour.

  "Should have gone." thought John to himself. "Best not to talk about it, or Tania will want to go."

  Suddenly Mark woke up and began to cry. "Mommy I'm falling." He sat up and tried to get out of bed, but he wound up arcing over Tania's bed and landing in John's. This took him completely by surprise, and turned his fear into wonder. Perhaps this could be fun after all! "Is this zero G?" he asked.

  "Just about." said John as he drifted towards the window. It was almost 5 o'clock. At this point the cable was wider than the ship. He could see its black girth outside the window, blocking the stars at the right. The constellations had changed, the Earth having rotated 90 degrees during the night.

  John floated next to the window an
d looked down at the Earth below. It resembled a giant beach-ball, light blue on the day side and black on the night side.

  Tania discovered the best game of all. She pushed off from one wall and sailed across the room to the other, then pushed back again. On one of her round trips her aim was off, and she went flying across the kitchen, past John, and into the picture window.

  Mellissa imagined the worst, as parents often do. The glass buckles on impact and shatters into a million pieces. The air jets out into space, taking her husband and daughter along for the ride. She remains in the cabin, near the door, but is no better off. They all gasp for air and find none in the vacuum of space. Eardrums rupture, blood vessels burst, and lungs move back and forth in vain. Fortunately the agony persists for less than a minute, and they are all dead.

  In reality, a window built to withstand one atmosphere of pressure across its surface can easily absorb the momentum of a small child. Tania bounced off and floated back across the kitchen.

  John held on to the table as the ship began to turn. The Earth floated up from below, and seemed to hang in the center of the window. The terminator cut the planet into two equal halves. He could see the band of white clouds along the equator, as though a child had coloured it in with crayon. The Earth slid up the window and out of view as the ship completed its turn, pointing its nose directly down the cable.

  Tania and Mark continued to float about, but they were careful to avoid the window. John and Mellissa also played along, twirling in mid air and performing somersaults across the room.

  Over the next few minutes they started to notice a slight bias towards the floor. Gravity was returning. At 5:17 gravity was back to 0.1G, and valves opened all over the ship. There was an unmistakable sense of up and down.

  By 6:00 they could sit on their beds, and if they didn't move about everything seemed normal.

  "Let's go back to bed.” suggested John. "We've had almost no sleep in the past two days."

  The kids were forced to agree. They wanted to jump and play, but gravity was returning, and they were very tired.