by Knox, Barry
Mission Origin View
Final Days Trilogy
Book One
Frisky Squirrel Books
A Christian Military Science Fiction Novel
By Barry Knox
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2013 by Barry Knox
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher/author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher/author, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the email address below.
[email protected]
Frisky Squirrel Books
Birmingham, Alabama
www.Barryknox.name
Printed in the United States of America
Editing services by CreateSpace.com, an Amazon Company
Printing services by CreateSpace.com, an Amazon Company
ISBN provided through CreateSpace.com, an Amazon Company
First Printing, 2013
Title ID: 4243906
ISBN-13: 978-1492396475
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to Cindy, Eric, other family members and friends who have gone ahead of me and who I will see again in Heaven.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for his many blessings and inspiring me to write this book. The success of this book will be measured by Him-not me.
The author wishes to thank several people. I would like to thank my wife, Debbie, for her love, support and patience during the past few years. I would like to thank my family for their unending love and support. I would also like to thank Kayla for her help and for her direction with this project and my editor, Adam, who edited each line of the original draft. Last but not least, I would like to thank the following people who painstakingly read my draft, and supplied me with valuable feedback which helped make this a better read; Sydney Collums, Jennifer Gilbert, Robbie Hassell and Scotty Vines.
Final Days Trilogy
Mission Origin View
Operation Whitehorse
Battlespace Earth
Prologue
Submarine USS Gray Shark, North Sea
1445—November 8, 2348
“Orders are coming in now, sir,” Petty Officer Nix said, as an encrypted message scrolled on her display. Wrangler stood behind her and watched as the ship’s computer processed the message. A second later, the system printed the decrypted message on water soluble paper.
Captain Taylor ripped the message from the security printer, skimmed the header of the message, and read the main part aloud, “USS Gray Shark. Proceed to Stavanger Station, Norway, to make temporary AI computer repairs, and then proceed to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, for refueling and overhaul. Ship’s crew and attached special operations detail, allowed thirty days leave at Norfolk.”
“It worked. You’ll have a day before we set course to Norfolk,” Captain Taylor said, as he handed the message to Wrangler. “It won’t take the techs long to figure out our computer problem, and I won’t be able to stall for more than twenty-four hours.”
“That should be plenty of time, Captain,” Wrangler said.
Stavanger Station, Norway
0035—November 11, 2348
Wrangler exited the main gate of Stavanger Station in civilian clothes. He tightened the straps of his backpack and pulled his dark blue stocking hat over his ears. He had a long way to go before morning.
After hiking out of Stavanger, Wrangler stopped at a twenty-four hour café that mostly catered to cargo drivers. He went in ordered a cup of coffee, and looked at the drivers while he drank. One of these drivers would be going north on a back haul run. He’d hitch a ride there, complete his mission, ride back and be on board the Gray Shark before it sailed.
Captain Taylor’s Cabin, USS Gray Shark, Stavanger Station
2235—November 11, 2348
“Wrangler, glad you’re back, and with two hours to spare. Was he hard to find?”
“No Captain…my contact had him.” Wrangler said, as he unzipped his coat and sat.
“Did you have a chance to look at the damage?”
“The entire village was destroyed, not a house standing.”
“How’d he survive?
“He was sick and in another village seeing a doctor when it happened.” Wrangler said, paused and added, “Captain, I trust we can keep this matter confidential?”
“You know as well as I do, no one aboard will say anything about it. As far as the crew knows, this is an official mission.” Captain Taylor said, and leaned back in his chair. “Anyway Wrangler, we’ve been together for over a year now. The crew and I consider you and your team close friends even though we don’t know your names, ranks, or the details of your missions. It won’t be a problem.”
Norfolk General Hospital, Norfolk Virginia
0345—November 21, 2348
Wrangler stopped the ambulance in front of the emergency room, and turned off the engine and siren. As three emergency room staff members rushed to the ambulance, Wrangler opened the driver door and slipped out. Within seconds he was gone.
The emergency room staff opened the back doors of the ambulance. Expecting to see a man and woman, who had been seriously injured in an accident, they found a large dark blue shoulder bag strapped in one of the gurneys. The lead RN unzipped the bag, and saw a baby wrapped in a plain white blanket. The baby was asleep-a pacifier lay against a cheek.
“This is a first,” the nurse said as he gently removed the baby from the bag, “most people drop off unwanted newborns just inside the emergency room doors.”
“Another ward of the State of Virginia,” another nurse remarked, looking at the baby.
“Yep, but at least we won’t have to create a random name when we fill out the paperwork. This looks like a military bag,” the third nurse said as she picked up the bag and then read a name stenciled on the side, “Klaxton, Gideon.”
Part One: The Mission Briefing
United States Emergency Command Center, Mount Mitchell
1200—February 3, 2372
“When will the president arrive?” Dr. Daniel Layton asked Senator Rimms as they walked down a narrow hall.
The surprisingly young red-haired senator from Oklahoma had just arrived from Washington, DC, fifteen minutes earlier.
“President Clayton will be here in a few hours,” the senator said as they continued to walk. Then he asked, “Is your team ready to brief the president and the Space Scientific Research Committee?”
“They’re preparing now, Senator,” Dr. Layton answered with a nod.
“Good. I’ve also asked Admiral Frank to attend. I’ve recommended that he be appointed mission director if the mission is approved,” the senator said as both men stopped and showed their identification badges to a young marine standing guard by a huge blast door. The marine examined their identity badges carefully and finally said, “Thank you, sirs. Would you please walk through the DNA scanner beam?”
Another marine sitting at a nearby console switched the DNA scanner on, and a three-dimensional beam of green light appeared in front of the two men in the shape of a four-foot-by-four-foot-by-seven-foot-tall green transparent box. Both men, one after the o
ther, walked through the beam as the marine at the console watched a holographic display only he could see.
The scanner correctly identified the two men, and the sitting marine selected an option from his holographic console control board that began opening the eight-ton blast door that would give both the senator and doctor access to the United States Emergency Command Center (USECC).
“I’ve been here several times Senator, and I still don’t know much about this facility.” Dr. Layton said, as the blast door inched opened. “Everyone who works here seems reluctant to talk with me, unless they have to.”
Senator Rimms smiled. “The people who work here are disciplined to communicate on a strict need-to-know basis, Doctor. This facility replaced our Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado facility several years after California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, and Utah separated from the union in 2338 to form Las Californias.
“It serves as a backup US government location during national emergences, and is used as the command-and-control center for all United States military and space operations.”
“Thank you, Senator.” Dr. Layton said. “I never realized the significance of this facility.”
The gargantuan blast door, now fully opened, gave the senator and doctor access to a pressure chamber. The chamber was about the size and shape of a small aircraft fuselage. The men walked midway into the chamber and watched as the blast door behind them slowly closed. As soon as the door closed, Senator Rimms felt a difference in air pressure, and a light over a smaller door at the other end of the chamber changed from red to green. The smaller door then opened into the main USECC facility.
The senator led the way, and both men walked through various halls to a conference room guarded by another pair of marines. Senator Rimms and Dr. Layton again displayed their identification badges to one of the marines, and they were allowed to enter.
The meeting area was large with and an oval, high-glossed wooden table located in the middle of the room; it was set up to seat thirty individuals. The walls were painted white, and several sets of window curtains draped on the solid walls gave the illusion that windows were present. One wall displayed the American flag, and the adjacent wall displayed the United States presidential seal.
Several men and women, both military and civilian, were busy setting up access terminals, mounting display equipment, and placing water pitchers with matching crystal glasses on the conference table. Senator Rimms and Dr. Layton walked around the table toward a man and women setting up some sophisticated display equipment.
“Doctor Jones, Doctor Harper, I’d like to introduce you to Senator Rimms,” Dr. Layton said as they neared the two scientists.
Both scientists turned to face Senator Rimms.
Dr. Jones, an astrophysicist, was a thin, middle-aged woman with long dark-brown hair and soft green eyes. She wore antiquated black-rimmed glasses, though hardly anyone wore glasses anymore. Dr. Harper, a physicist, was an older gentleman with silver hair who looked to be a little overweight for his age.
Both scientists greeted Senator Rimms with nods and handshakes.
“Doctor Layton tells me that you’re ready to present the results of Project Origin View,” Senator Rimms said.
“We are, Senator,” Dr. Harper answered in a heavy, slow Southern accent. “We’re setting up the holographic overhead display of our presentation now. We’ll be ready in an hour.”
“Good. The president and members of the Space Scientific Research Committee will be here in a couple of hours, and we can begin the presentation at fifteen hundred hours,” Senator Rimms answered and then turned his attention to the other individuals working in the room to make sure every detail was taken care of.
***
At 1500 hours all thirty seats at the conference room table were occupied, while several aids and military guards stood behind them against the walls.
President Clayton sat in a seat embroidered with the presidential seal and located by the conference room podium.
“Mr. President, members of the Space Scientific Research Committee, thank you for being here today,” Dr. Layton said from behind the podium. “My team and I are here today to brief you on the status of Project Origin View. Please feel free to ask questions and make comments. I’ll turn the briefing over to Doctor Jones and Doctor Harper.”
Dr. Layton backed from the podium, and Dr. Jones stepped up and began. “Mister President, members of the Space Scientific Research Committee, I am pleased to announce that Project Origin View is complete, and we are now ready to proceed with Mission Origin View.”
Dr. Harper, seated behind a small console next to the podium, manipulated the controls of a holographic overhead display system. A rotating three-dimensional display appeared over the center of the conference table. The display showed the newly constructed Scientific Research Starship (SRS) Stephen Hawking in its secret dry dock based on Mars’s largest moon, Phobos.
“The SRS Stephen Hawking is ready,” Dr. Jones said. “The starship can travel billions of light-years in a matter of weeks by using an antimatter power system that has been given the name the Harper Power System after its creator and our project leader, Doctor Seth Harper. Doctor Harper will discuss this system in more detail in a few minutes. I am also happy to report the Quantum Mechanics Accelerated Communications system, referred to as ‘QMAC’, which consist of two communication devices, is installed and is operational. We have named the primary communication device, which is installed in this facility, QMAC1 and the secondary device, installed on the Stephen Hawking, QMAC2. These devices will allow Earth and the Stephen Hawking to communicate instantaneously no matter the distance between the devices, be it ten meters or a hundred billion light-years apart. One caveat about the QMAC system is that it will not operate while the Stephen Hawking is traveling in the time-speed dimension, which means the ship will have to exit the time-speed dimension to communicate with Earth.
“I’ll now turn the presentation over to Doctor Harper, who has been the project leader for Origin View and will be mission leader of Mission Origin View upon your approval. Thank you,” Dr. Jones backed from the podium. Dr. Harper approached the podium as Dr. Jones positioned herself to work the display console. Dr. Jones brought up the first display of the Harper Power System (HPS).
“This is the power system that’ll be used to get the Stephen Hawking to its destination,” Dr. Harper began. “The system is powered by antimatter instead of today’s nuclear powered starships. I’d like to take a few minutes to refresh your memory about current starship propulsion systems and then compare it to the new antimatter technology installed on the Stephen Hawking.
“Currently starships can travel faster than light speed by utilizing what’s commonly called the ‘push-pull concept.’ The ship is pushed by traditional nuclear propulsion engine technology and pulled by broadcasting a miniature black hole in front of the ship. This black hole is used to pull the ship toward its event horizon, a point at which the gravitational pull becomes so great as to make escape impossible. The combination of push, by the thrust of the engines, and pull, by the gravitational attraction to the black hole, allows the ship to travel faster than light.”
Dr. Harper waited as the holographic display changed to a simulation video.
“Shown in this simulation, a starship can never pass beyond the event horizon of the black hole since the starship itself creates and projects the black hole.” Dr. Harper stopped, smiled at his audience, and then continued, hoping that his Southern drawl would somehow make the complex drive system sound simple. “It’s like tying one end of a six-foot pole to a harness on a mule’s head and tying a carrot to the other end of the pole and then positioning the pole so the carrot is hanging in front of the mule. The mule sees the carrot and walks toward it to eat it, but since the carrot is tied to the pole, which is tied to the mule, the carrot stays at a constant distance from the mule since both mule and carrot move in the same direction at the same speed.”
The simulation
ended and another displayed.
Dr. Harper took a sip of water and continued. “We also know that this propulsion system creates a beneficial side effect that allows time aboard the starship and on Earth to pass at the same rate. This is due to the starship remaining at a specific position relative to the black hole’s event horizon. This puts the starship in the time-speed dimension.
“This being said, I’ll answer the question: what is the difference between conventional starship space travel and space travel using the new technology on the Stephen Hawking? The answer is relativity simple: speed! The same time-speed dimension theory is used; the only differences are that the Stephen Hawking uses an antimatter power system that produces enough power to propel the starship at greater speeds by enhancing engine-push power and increasing the size of the projected black hole, which in turn increases pull speed.”
Dr. Harper continued with the technical part of the presentation, discussing how all the Stephen Hawking systems, including advanced long-range sensors, work independently and how they work together using the speed of advanced quantum computer technology.
At the end of the presentation, Dr. Harper and Dr. Jones answered questions and facilitated discussions. After the president and the Space Scientific Research Committee were satisfied with the answers to their questions, Dr. Harper and Dr. Jones were asked to leave the conference room.
***
Senator Rimms stood behind the conference room podium. “Mr. President, members of the committee, we now know that Project Origin View was a success, and we’re now ready to discuss and vote on the initiation of Mission Origin View.
“The goal of Mission Origin View is to deploy the SRS Stephen Hawking at a point in space where the ship’s advanced long-range sensors can look back in time at Earth as it was billions of years ago, and then, once and for all, determine how life originated on Earth. This point in space will be designated as the observation point. Current calculations show that it’ll take the Stephen Hawking four weeks, at maximum speed, to arrive at the observation point. From this vantage point, the scientists will use advanced sensors to observe how life originated on Earth and report their findings to Earth via QMAC. Are there any questions about the goal of the mission?” Senator Rimms asked and waited.