Adams nods, “That’s not the half of it. Joe insists we can’t go beyond factor five on this ship, which means the trip is going to take us more than four months.”
Kennedy groans, “Four months in this tin can with so many people? It’s going to be nuts.”
The three men quit their discussion and focus on the task at hand. The Liberty passes all of her tests with flying colors, then Kennedy performs a precision landing on the alien construction platform.
The next few days are hectic beyond belief, as last minute tasks are finished. Even with all the resources at their disposal, the Liberty’s hydroponics area has not been fully established. In addition, entire sections remain incomplete, but due to political pressure, the ship is launching anyway.
Thousands, upon thousands of tons of supplies and equipment are loaded aboard the Liberty. The twenty-seven thousand colonists that will eventually call New Earth their home are crammed into small rooms. Captain Adams takes Joe’s advice, and in a surprise move, insists that every outer hull compartment be left empty, and the adjoining corridors sealed shut. When he is finally pressed into using these closed-off areas, he orders that they only be utilized for the storage of non-essential equipment. As if there were such a thing on this voyage.
Adams lays in his bunk on the eve of the ship’s launch, wondering if Joe is right. He lays there, staring at his ceiling pondering, I know he doesn’t think I took his advice seriously, but knowing that he spent months out there, I would be a fool not to take advantage of his experience. Joe is completely unaware of the high esteem that Adams holds for him.
Rising from his bunk, Adams takes his time getting ready. He arrives on the bridge wearing his full-dress uniform. Kennedy and Frank glance at each other’s more casual wear, then in unison, stand and salute.
Adams nods to the two men, and says, “What’s our status, gentlemen?”
Frank replies immediately, “We have section leaders confirming all inventory.” He glances at his computer screen, then adds, “And it seems that the last of the colonists are boarding as we speak, Sir.”
“Very well,” Adams says, “Inform the Terran that we shall be launching as soon as everything is secure.”
Later that same afternoon, the Liberty lifts off with little fanfare. Kennedy grins proudly as the ship enters orbit, then swings alongside the Terran. Frank is most impressed with Kennedy’s piloting, and gives him an appreciative nod.
Location:
Starship Terran
Planetary Orbit
Earth
Cindy stares at the lengthy manifest before her. She slowly flips through page after page of supplies and equipment, then stops, and whistles in surprise. She turns to Joe and asks, “Explain to me again, why do we have almost ten thousand people aboard? I thought the Liberty was going to carry the colonists?”
Joe cringes as he considers sharing his real thoughts on the matter. Instead, he replies, “As we will be arriving well ahead of the Liberty, Adams felt it best for us to take an advance group.”
Cindy frowns, “But nine thousand colonists?”
Joe sighs, then says quietly, “Okay... okay... Well, the real truth is,” he pauses while looking directly at Cindy, then blurts out, “Adams is not sure his ship will make the trip, especially considering it’s not finished.”
“Not finished!” Cindy shouts the words, “Then why are they launching?”
Joe lowers his gaze, “My best guess is because the coalition can’t stand it that the Chinese have the only spaceship out there. Even if it is a renegade ship,” he shrugs his shoulders.
Cindy does not reply, she simply casts her gaze outside and looks at the stars. May God have mercy on their souls. The thought comes unbidden, and sends a shiver down her spine.
Peter points at the forward view screen, “I hate to interrupt you guys, but isn’t that the Liberty right there?”
Joe touches his panel, the Liberty seems to rush at them as the view zooms in, “Sure is,” he says.
Cindy leans back in her command chair then says, “Joe, open a channel please.”
Joe taps his panel again, instantly the screen changes to display the cramped bridge of the Liberty.
Cindy stands and says, “Captain Adams, I understand you’re going to attempt to make it to New Earth in a single hop?”
Adams also stands, then replies, “Yes, that is correct. Joe, your engineer, has expressed concerns regarding this ship’s ability to withstand the stresses involved with space travel.”
Joe raises his eyebrows, one stint, he gasps. Now that’s impressive.
Cindy smiles, “We will follow you until you activate your main drive.”
Adams nods, “I appreciate the escort.”
Cindy replies sincerely, “Safe travels Captain. By the time you arrive,” she motions toward Emma, “we should have a main settlement site selected for your people.”
Adams salutes, then says, “Excellent! See you in around four months. Liberty out.”
Cindy walks over to John, “Follow them, but let’s keep our distance, just in case things don’t go well.”
The Liberty’s sub-light engines engage, then glow brightly as more power is fed to them. Commander John lets the Liberty accelerate away before he activates the Terran’s engines.
Thirty minutes later, both ships pass Jupiter’s orbit. Cindy’s eyes are glued to the image of the Liberty when its single main drive engine engages. In a flash of light, the Liberty streaks away.
Joe monitors his console for a few seconds, then reports, “Well, there’s no debris field, and no unusual energy readings. Seems like they’re running just fine, and to top it off, initial telemetry figures look great.”
Cindy gazes at her bridge crew, then glances back to where George should be. That’s right, he’s with his family. Turning back to John she says simply, “Punch it.”
A very mild shudder runs through the Terran’s deck plates, but nothing excessive, as the ship’s main engines propel them many times the speed of light.
The Terran passes the Liberty, not that they can actually tell, as they accelerate faster and faster. John grins with pride, “Factor six and holding.”
Cindy sits back in her chair and enjoys the spectrum of colors on the screen. The random effects of light as particles strike the navigational shields is mesmerizing, and to her, quite relaxing. She turns and smiles at Lisa who steps onto bridge with Johnny. Glancing over her shoulder, she notices that George is now at his station, diligently monitoring the ship’s systems with his suit.
Lisa stares at the view screen, the kaleidoscope of colors is at first enticing and enthralling. But as the minutes pass, so does her well being. Lisa’s stomach churns and rumbles. She burps, then swallows quickly as bile begins to work its way up the back of her throat. She tears her eyes away from the scene then burps again, this time she almost throws up on the floor.
Lisa pats Johnny’s leg, then shakily stands up, “I have to go and lie down for a bit.”
Cindy looks at Lisa and frowns with concern, “Are you okay? Do you want me to fetch Henry?”
“No, no,” Lisa replies, still burping, “I just need to lay down.”
George suddenly realizes that his wife is not well. He disconnects his suit from the ship, then hurriedly steps out of it. Lisa waves him off, “Really, I’m okay. I must have eaten something funky, that’s all.”
Cindy glances at George, then nods supportively to him when they make eye contact. While George helps Lisa to their room, Cindy recalls how sick the ship’s sub-light maneuvers used to make her. What Cindy does not realize, is that during sub-light maneuvers, she subconsciously avoids looking at the screen. When she has to look, she focuses on the objects that are moving the least.
Joe automatically begins to take over George’s tasks, while still monitoring the ship’s power utilization curves. All the ship’s systems are running well, which fills Joe with a great sense of pride. He turns to Cindy and reports, “Everything is A-Okay, Admiral.”
Johnny feels as though he should see if his mom is okay, but the view is so enthralling he just cannot leave. He smiles weakly at Cindy, “Mom will be fine, dads got her.” But with both of his parents gone, he begins to feel quite out of place on the bridge with all the adults. He fidgets in his chair as he musters the courage to speak. He looks down and kicks at the floor while he timidly asks, “Miss Cindy, can I stay?”
Cindy thinks before answering, then considers that George and Lisa could probably use a break, and says, “Yes, you can stay.”
Meanwhile, far behind them already, the starship Liberty, is not fairing well.
Chapter Seven - New Earth
Location:
Starship Terran
Planetary Orbit
New Earth
Captain John Thompson is feeling very proud of the Terran. Between the repairs, and the additional power, a trip that would normally take them months has taken them less than two weeks. John swings around in his chair and says to Cindy, “We’re on approach to New Earth. I will park us in orbit between the planet’s two moons and over the old settlement site.”
Cindy leans forward in her chair, “It will be interesting to see how the buildings we left behind have fared during our absence.”
Lisa quietly sits off to the side with Johnny. She avoids looking directly at the screen, and instead gazes at George’s back. He really does know how to use that alien space suit, she realizes with admiration. She has spent very little time on the bridge, but feels compelled to be there now.
Johnny, on the other hand, cannot keep his eyes off the massive view screen. The shifting colors still fascinate him greatly, and have done so throughout the trek. He gasps when New Earth unexpectedly swings into view. The planet is larger than he expected, its white clouds, blue seas, and large landmasses, remind him immediately of Earth. Massive ice sheets dominate the polar regions, while the landmasses are covered in a mix of browns and greens.
George has been monitoring the ship’s systems diligently. He turns to Cindy and says, “Everything looks good from here.”
Cindy glances at Joe, then raises an eyebrow, “No complaints about power this time? I am shocked.”
Joe gives her a reproachful look, “Alright, I commented a few times about our power shortages last time.”
Cindy raises an open hand and says, “Only a few times...” Her voice trails off, as she playfully antagonizes him.
Joe sighs, “Okay. Yes, we have extra power this time, but it’s not unlimited.” He stares at Cindy, but she simply tilts her head as if to say, ‘and’. Joe shakes his head slowly, then without even looking at his console, adds, “We’re running at less than three percent in our reserves right now.”
Cindy smiles, “I knew it. You have been getting worried.”
John grins, then changes the subject, saving Joe from further abuse, “I am really looking forward to trying out that new shuttle of ours.”
Peter glances at John in mild surprise. Very little escapes Peter’s notice, and yet, this is the first he has heard of a new shuttle.
Cindy catches Peter’s expression, then says, “John, Peter, Emma, you’re with me. I want everyone else to stay up here and keep an eye on things.”
Joe turns to Peter, and says with glee in his voice, “You’re in for a real treat, mate.”
Peter nods, but remains quiet. He wonders what else he has failed to notice.
Cindy leads John, Peter, and Emma, to the hangar deck. Instead of heading downward to the floor, she leads them to a series of platforms that seem to jut out precariously from the walls. Peter stares at the dozen landing pads, his eyes follow the thick cables that extend from their edges to the roof. The platforms are as purpose built as the shuttles that rest upon them. Some are long and thin, while others are quite small, relatively.
Cindy says with pride, “Knowing the Terran can’t land, these were built to transport the prefabricated items, along with everyone that’s going down.”
Emma points to the largest shuttle, easily longer than a football field, “That one is already loaded,” she points excitedly to a smaller one that rests on its own platform below it, “and that one too.”
Peter stares at the platforms, then at the deck far below. His eyes wander as he glances from one to the next, “What a great use of what was otherwise, wasted space,” he says distantly.
John says with admiration in his voice, “It was Joe’s idea to adapt the Gamin’s shuttle latching system.”
Cindy motions to a specialized gangway that leads to the smallest shuttle, “That’s our scout ship.”
John steps onto the open side ramp, then goes inside. Peter and Emma follow, with Cindy trailing. The rear area has seats for six people, along with an abundance of storage space.
The cockpit is a huge surprise to Peter. The forward view screen wraps around the front of the craft, much like an old, World War II bomber’s tail gun area. Peter steps forward, looks up at the ceiling above, then down to the deck below. Control panels rest in front of two forward facing chairs. Another occupies each side of the cockpit. These side chairs are mounted onto small embedded rails, allowing those seated to either look forward, swivel to the side, or even slide back to consoles of their own.
Emma sits on the right side, then slides forward while she spins around. She looks across at Peter and grins, “You can’t even get away from me here,” she says playfully.
Cindy takes the side chair on the left, which also surprises Peter, I would have expected her to be front and center, he thinks. As if reading Peter’s mind, Cindy says to him, “I want your keen eyes, and attention to detail up front.”
Peter nods, my attention to detail! He thinks, chastising himself. His thoughts continue, I didn’t even notice these damn shuttles and platforms when I boarded, and she wants my attention to detail!
John takes the remaining seat, then expertly taps a few controls before him, “Joe, George, we’re ready.”
Joe’s voice comes through the shuttle’s speakers clearly, “Understood, opening the ramp.”
Peter turns to look at John, “So, was this one of the shuttles you were testing?”
John grins as he flies down to the planet, “It sure was. In fact, we were supposed to have another one, but somehow it got…” he catches Emma’s glance, pauses, then hesitantly adds, “damaged.”
Peter grins back, but says nothing. No need to frighten Emma, he thinks as he reaches over and pats her knee.
Cindy gets their attention as she points at a distant structure, “Is that our settlement?” She turns to the others, surprise on her face, “The place looks,” she stumbles mentally, unable to find the words that describe the scene below, “ravaged.”
John circles their old settlement in silence. Its once tall wooden walls lay in ruins on the ground. The buildings show severe signs of weathering, grass can be seen growing on the roof of some. Wooden doors lay shattered, while planks of wood from some of the buildings are strewn all over, as if hurled by some great force.
Peter stares intently into the remnants of their main building, the one they holed up in to escape the wolf-cats. He suddenly points at the building, “Look, those predators have made our old buildings their home.”
Sure enough, a pair of these large creatures lazily rest inside the compound’s main building. Their thick brown fur, and lion-like snouts give rise to their name. Emma’s notes reference them by their scientific terminology, but even to her, the term wolf-cat has stuck.
John frowns, “But we left the transmitters behind.”
Emma examines the scene as John continues to circle the compound. She purses her lips, then says, “It looks as though the buffalo knocked the transmitters down, along with the fences, and the wolf-cats have been using this place ever since to ambush the herd.”
She points excitedly at a group of dirt mounds just outside the fallen walls, “That’s their kill zone. Those wolf-cats could be more intelligent than we first thought.”
Cindy frowns as she gazes downward, “Let’s find a new site for our settlement, somewhere with room to grow.”
John gains some altitude, then with no one offering a suggestion for which way to go, he heads, what on Earth would be, west. Keeping the distant ocean on their left, they travel in silence as valleys, hills, and forests, seem to roll beneath them.
They all gasp as the shuttle clears a particularly high mountain range. Before them is an amazingly beautiful landscape. John slows the shuttle, and tours the vast countryside. The mountains give way to hills, with an expansive forest beyond. Gazing farther away, a wide, yet fast flowing river drains into the ocean. The beach on either side of the inlet is extremely long, and curves away to distant rocky outcroppings. Viewed from above, the wide sandy beach is crescent shaped. Waves lazily lap the shore. The land on the far side of the river is flat and covered in long grass all the way to a forest. Peter squints his eyes, then silently points out a lake almost hidden amongst the trees. Beyond this forest, more hills turn into yet another extensive mountain range.
Emma looks up the valley, then back to the ocean, “This entire valley appears to have been created by glacial action.”
John tilts his head toward Emma, “Do you want me to fly up the valley, to see if your glacier is still there?”
Emma mulls the idea over then says, “Nah, plenty of time for that later.” She frowns a little, then adds, “You know, I think there is enough room here for a decent sized city.” She swings her chair back to her terminal, then quickly reviews the data before her. She smiles, and happily reports, “Yes, the area between the mountain ranges could easily sustain a hundred thousand people.”
Cindy gazes at the valley, then says, “Let’s get back to the ship. I want this area thoroughly examined.” She pauses, then issues her orders, “Emma, select a ground team, take as long as you need to survey the area. John, I want shuttles on standby, for immediate evacuation of Emma’s team, if the need should arise.” She stares intently at her friends, “There may be wolf-cats, or worse, down there.”
Initiation Series: Series One Compilation (Terran Chronicles) Page 84