by T I WADE
The temporary cargo bay fuel bladders which held the extra liquid hydrogen were connected by pipes to one of the six fuel tanks in each shuttle.
Once Michael gave Allen the go ahead, and Jonesy the same to Maggie, an electric pump motor either pumped or sucked the fuel across. Since there was no gravity, the system ran quickly. As the fuel was sucked out of SB-I’s one wing tank, a second motor was started which sucked the fuel from the temporary bladders into the tank. This stopped a mass exit of fuel from all the ship’s fuel tanks in case there was a situation where the hose broke or became separated.
Much the same happened in SB-III. As the fuel entered the wing tank, electric pumps the size of a computer mouse distributed the fuel evenly through the six unsealed tanks.
To fill SB-III’s tanks took all the fuel out of the forward cargo hold, half of the fuel out of the rear, and the whole operation took over two hours.
Both men stayed close to their nozzles making sure that they stayed attached to their ships, and gave commands to their pilots if the distance between the semi-taunt cord bound between the two ships’ docking ports shortened.
“It is really weird to spacewalk in the middle of nowhere,” remarked Michael Pitt as he looked around, and for once in his life, there was no Earth, Mars, asteroid, or space station close to them. They were literally in the middle of nowhere.
“VIN and I used to just sit at the end of two cords and watch the solar system pass by when we were traveling to asteroid mine,” replied Jonesy.
“Who was flying the ship?” asked Michael.
“Mr. Auto Pilot, he’s a darn good pilot in a straight line,” mused Jonesy.
“One more minute of fuel flow and we are ready to burn ourselves out of here,” stated Maggie, Allen began reducing the flow from the bladder to the wing tank, and once closed would allow the remaining fuel from the cargo bay bladder to enter his own tanks.
Michael Pitt unscrewed his nozzle once Allen gave him the OK, Jonesy unscrewed the other end and jet packed along the cord between the two craft with it over to SB-I where it was rolled into its compartment.
Allen knew that Jonesy wasn’t leaving without his canister, and prepared to open the outer hatch of his docking port.
“FedEx delivery canister in position and secured with a 100-foot cord to the inner docking hatch, ready for jettison. Do you want to sign for it Mister Jones?” joked Allen also trying to perfect his U.S. southern drawl. Jonesy floated himself upwards towards the roof of the ship with Michael.
“Maybe he can’t write and needs to take off his space glove to give us a thumb print?” added Michael.
“You guys go and joke with somebody else, now eject my canister Mr. Saunders. It is full of very important illegal space merchandise, and I’m glad Ryan is too far away for intercom communications.”
“Don’t thank me Mr. Jones, thank “ASS”, the society you started all those years ago, remember?” joked Allen. Maggie had never heard of a society called “ASS” and made a mental note to ask husband. She would never know until years after they had retired.
Allen did as ordered by his boss and Jonesy. Michael was ready when the canister floated out of the outer docking hatch. Jonesy expertly grabbed the cord next to the canister, slapped Michael on the helmet playfully as he passed the astronaut and pulled himself along the cord to his own ship’s docking hatch.
Once the canister was inside the port, and the outer hatch closed, Maggie could open the inner hatch, float in the canister, and place it in the forward cargo bay. Even though it had been outside in space for only a couple of minutes, it needed any cosmic radiation it had collected on its skin to disperse. The ship’s systems would clear any harmful radiation within a few hours.
Once Jonesy had released the cord attached to the canister, and the cord between the ships to the docking port, Michael pulled his cords in. Both men completed their outside cleanup work, and were then ready to enter the ports themselves. They waved at each other and entered their ports at the same time, only minutes before their three-hour allowance
Chapter 12
Earth and America Three
Ryan felt his excitement grow when the Orbital Build Station slowly grew in the shuttle’s forward windshield.
America Two was tethered to one side of the cubed station, and the growing America Three on the other. He knew that work had slowed on his third mother ship due to lack of metal materials needed, and which he had on board.
The head of Astermine had waited 6 months from leaving Mars to see this sight, and now as they neared, he and the crew could see nearly five decades of thought, design and production coming to fruition.
“Looks pretty powerful,” stated Ryan to Dr. Smidt, Igor and Boris standing with him in the cockpit of SB-V.
“I agree,” replied Igor.
“A view we have wanted to see since we first started work with you, what 45 years ago,” added Boris.
The third mother ship was only 60 percent complete, and the three shuttles arriving at the orbital station would drop off a ton of the precious rare earth metals needed in nearly every part of her build process. The rest of what was needed was needed down at the base.
Ryan could see that SB-I had done what it was supposed to do before leaving to find Jonesy and Maggie: launch up several of the smaller panels and equipment. There were parts and systems in protective coverings floating next to the half built ship.
The larger panels, the outer skin of the ship, needed one of the larger shuttles to bring them up from the Nevada base, and since the shuttles were about to return, the rest of the ship could now be brought up.
“Pretty cool,” stated Lunar sitting in the left seat and with her father standing next to her.
“Yes, a dream coming true,” replied Ryan.
“And a lifetime’s work it sounds like,” stated Lunar’s husband Michael from the right copilot’s seat. “I’m sure Pluto Katherine can’t wait to command her new ship.”
“The next time we head back to Mars, it is in ships, not shuttles,” remarked Ryan.
So far the return flight has worked out perfectly. Thanks to Jonesy and Maggie giving up their fuel, the three shuttles, although low on fuel reserves themselves, were ready to head back down into Earth’s gravity. Before that though, the supplies needed by the build crew up in orbit needed to be offloaded.
The supplies had been off limits to the crew in the cargo holds due to it being radioactive. Over time the radioactivity had lessened, but throughout the return journey, the cargo bays had been sealed.
Ryan had wanted to return with at least 12 Earth gravity tons of gold and rare earth metals. What they had was close, but it was nearly impossible to weigh each piece before it was placed in one of the cargo holds. They had tried for the first couple of days, but they had given up on trying to analyze the earth weight of each of hundreds of pieces in Martian gravity conditions.
In the end they had carried whatever the mining robots had cut free, and placed the lumps in the hold.
The last shuttle to be filled, SB-II only had two thirds of her two cargo bays filled before they had to leave. Ryan reckoned that he was about a ton behind on his cargo, but whatever he had was worth a fortune to his production plants, and several production plants down on the blue planet.
Thanks to the blue shields, the shuttles could enter with a heavy load, but before then, a small amount from each cargo bay was to be unloaded to make sure the shuttles did not enter earth’s atmosphere too heavy.
The crew knew that SB-III and SB-I had connected a couple of weeks earlier, and were only a day behind their estimated rendezvous at the orbital build station in a couple of months’ time.
As the shuttles docked to their docking ports above and underneath the main build cube building America Three, the crew were really looking forward to having more freedom than they had on the 190-day journey, and at the same time cringed at the thought of the gravity that no matter how much they exercised in space, still hurt when they ar
rived back on terra firma.
SB-V’s crew exited last. Ryan was happy to be among old friends who were doing their one-month build shift up in space.
Earth was one again a beautiful sight 250 miles below them as they looked through the windows around the large interior of the cube, enjoying the vastness of space through larger windows.
There were several parts, including the complete ship’s Bridge under development inside the cube. The cube was really big inside compared to the shuttles, and the whole Bridge of the third ship fitted inside the main build area of the cube.
“Have you thought about the change in thrusters yet?” asked Joe, the man in charge of this month-long shift. He and several others were floating without spacesuits, as the cube had as perfect an atmosphere as down on earth. The only difference was the lack of gravity, which made items light to move, but difficult to control and tie down. Their job was to complete the electronics of the bridge, the galley, the medical area, and all three areas were well on the way to completion.
“I’m looking at a meeting with Martin Busk as soon as I get down, Joe,” Ryan replied to a man who was a decade younger than Ryan, but looked older.
“Just remember boss, the shuttles are more of a problem to refit than the mother ships, as they still need atmospheric thrust for launch on earth. The plasma thrusters are not light in weight down there,” Joe stated to Ryan, Igor and Boris while pointing towards Earth, “and you still need the same hydrogen thrusters to get the shuttles up here.”
“We have analyzed that problem over the last couple of months with very little to do Joe, and feel the shuttles are not going to change their units for now,” replied Ryan. “Thank you for your input, and I think that thrusters to speed up the journey between the planets is what we need right now. While we have a potential war on Mars, I don’t want to burden our fighters down with extra engines that slow them down in light atmospheric battle.”
The arriving crew all went on a tour of the inside of the cube enjoying the space, and looking at the advancement of parts of a ship they could one day live on.
Three days later and with enough gold and rare-earth metals loaded out to complete certain parts of the third ship, the shuttles left the station an hour apart, extended their blue shields and headed into orbit for reentry to the Nevada base.
One by one, they came into land vertically from 100,000 feet. From altitude, nothing much had changed, except that the radar screens were busy with new commercial air traffic going from east to west and west to east at low altitudes above Earth’s surface.
“Nevada base to arriving shuttles,” stated Dr. Geiger over the intercom as they flew over on their last orbit 5,000 miles and 10 minutes apart. For one whole minute, all three shuttles were within site of the base, and the private intercom could be used instead of the public radio. “Beware that there are airlines flying across the country again. As yet there is no Low Space Orbit traffic other than yourselves, but the old flight windows and commercial air corridors are working. We do have our 25 mile “No Fly Zone back” from Air Traffic Control Las Vegas, over.”
SB-V came in first this time. Dr. Smidt, Ryan, Igor and Boris were keen to get back on the ground and start work.
“SB-V to Ground Control, we are heavier than expected. The ship is a little sluggish than usual, but the shield is doing its job. Altitude 27,000 feet and descending at 750 feet a minute, over.”
“Ground Control to SB-V copy. The apron is clear and you can put her down in front of Hangar Five, over.”
“SB-IV to Ground Control, we are 1,190 miles to overhead the base. Forward speed 6,580 knots, altitude 280,000 feet. ETA overhead in 7 minutes over.”
“Ground Control to SB-IV copy. SB-V will be on the ground in 5 minutes, over.”
“SB-II to Ground Control, coming over the horizon, forward speed 13,900 knots, altitude 600,000 feet. Overhead the base in 14 minutes, over.”
“Ground control to SB-II, copy. You are 3 minutes too early. I suggest you do a wide 360 over Hawaii, or Los Angeles over.”
“SB-II roger, we will take our time and do some sightseeing,” replied Jane Burgos.
“SB-V to shuttles, I am heavier than expected. I suggest you take extra care once you begin vertical descent, over,” added Lunar as she came down towards the apron.
With Lunar, Saturn Noble, and Jane Burgos flying the three incoming ships, it was an all-girl astronaut affair.
The first shuttle came in and Martin Brusk with several others who had arrived the day before to welcome the astronauts back, got ready behind the wheelchairs once the shuttle was down.
As usual, it was a hot morning in Nevada, and with very little breeze, the larger shuttle came down in its blue shield as silently as it had departed a year earlier. Lunar, with ground support, brought her in a hundred feet outside the large doors of Hangar Five, and much like any large airport, there was a team of ground crew ready to tow the shuttle into the shade inside the hangar once the blue shield was retracted.
As soon as the first shuttle was on the ground Mark Price retracted the blue shield, and by the time Saturn Jones in SB-IV was descending vertically through 80,000 feet, Hangar Five had its door closing.
Martin Brusk, Mary Collins from Canada, and the base’s medical staff were ready as the crew wobbled down the short staircase one by one. Ryan was out first and Martin shook his hand before his friend collapsed into the wheelchair. Martin helped him get comfortable, placed a hat and sunglasses on the pale-looking astronaut and whisked him out of the side hangar door, over the hot apron and towards the medical unit. Mary Collins wasn’t far behind wheeling Kathy Richmond, and Dr. Geiger was happy to have is boss Dr. Smidt back.
“You should have seen the inside of the new base we have named Mattville, Martin,” stated Ryan as they made it across the apron before Saturn landed the second shuttle a couple of hundred feet away. SB-VI came down silently outside Hangar Six, and Martin and Ryan turned to watch it touch down once they were in the shade of Hangar One.
“Mattville, an interesting name,” replied Martin Brusk. “I think it’s getting time for me to join you guys before I get too old for space travel. Am I invited?”
“If you deliver the thrusters for America Two on time, I think you can travel with us back to the red planet, and see how they operate,” joked Ryan as they headed over to the infirmary.
“What about the shuttles?” Martin asked.
“Igor, Boris and I have decided that since we might have a war on our hands when we return, we are going to leave the shuttles in the same configuration we have now,” Ryan replied. “They have proved themselves in battle, and if we add another rocket motor to their rear, it could only weigh them down in the weak Martian atmosphere.”
“And how long do I have to produce how many plasma thrusters for America Two, now that your order has changed?’ Martin asked as they got to the infirmary doors.
“Tomorrow,” smiled Ryan as he was wheeled into the cold air conditioning of the infirmary.
“How many plasma thrusters?” Martin asked.
“Do you want my final answer?” Ryan asked surprised to see that a very brown and healthy Dr. Nancy was shouting orders in all directions to the infirmary crew of a dozen medics.
“Good morning Ryan, as usual you look all washed out,” smiled Dr. Nancy giving her old boss a quick hug. “Martin, wheel him into the first cubicle on your right please, and lift him onto the bed. He won’t be heavy. We never are when we return from space. I’ll be in there in a minute. Kathy, you look very pale dear but looking better than your husband. Mary, cubicle two please. Ryan, I decided to combine my return to check up with my medics to your return, and to say hi. Pete is also here working in Hangar Two.”
As ordered the two wheelchairs entered the curtained off cubicles so that the returning astronauts could get a full checkup, normal procedure for every return from orbit.
“Martin, Igor Boris and I did weeks of studying the numbers you radioed to us,” continued
Ryan. “We decided that due to a possible attack on our first base by Matts on their way from Jupiter’s moon Europa, we need to return as fast as possible, once the next Opposition window opens, in 17 months’ time. Our final number of thrusters is due to our build crew needing to fit them in a triangular configuration. We want to power the mother ship up with ten thrusters. Four, three, two and one in a triangular configuration.”
Martin helped Ryan get onto the bed and lie down on his back. Ryan wasn’t wearing a space suit, but was dressed in the usual Astermine blue flight suit.
“Since you told us nine months ago that you are already in production of Franklin’s plasma thrusters,” Ryan continued “we hope that the ten thrusters will available with separate cold fusion power plants within three months to begin installation.”
“Close, I know the power plants will be ready in Australia, and we should have the final testing done within 60 days,” Martin replied. “I assume all your shuttles will need to be docked to the mother ship for the ride? There is no way they will keep up with your America Two with ten plasma thrusters. What about fuel for the return flight? Are you going to take it with you?”
Ryan smiled and looked at his old friend before Dr. Nancy shuffled Martin out of the cubicle. “Martin, you don’t understand how much water we found on Mars.”
Fuel was now the least of Ryan’s worries. With the new plasma thrusters decreasing a round-trip flight time by 40 percent, even with a massively overpowered mother ship they would never have a problem again. The fuel savings on ten thrusters versus four would allow the mother ship to resupply all five shuttles on Mars for an extended time. Ryan smiled as Dr. Nancy went over his aging body.
Even though they now had unlimited supplies of water on Mars, Astermine’s need to turn it into liquid hydrogen was actually diminishing. Soon, and with the new plasma thrusters, his dream of a regular flight to Mars and back every year was becoming a reality. Ryan Richmond’s childhood dreams were becoming very real.