Barbara is not used to being chastised, and is about to respond angrily when it dawns on her that her team has not really done anything to help. She glances at her two colleagues, then, feeling abashed says, “We can assist with the housing efforts.”
Patrick has been making notes and adjusting his crew roster. He looks up and says, “Tell you what. With extra crews from the Liberty, the town is going to be jam-packed. With the ship being grounded, at least for now, we have its power, which means the wind farm can wait.” He glances at George, then says, “After we review the Liberty, we just might be able to make a start on Barbara’s facility.”
Cindy casts an appraising gaze at Barbara, she is used to being in charge, I wonder? “Barbara, when Hawking has its first elections for a Mayor, perhaps you will run for office?”
Barbara’s eyebrows lift at Cindy’s words, “We’re a long way from that, aren’t we?”
Emma is also reviewing her task list, and says “Once the housing is built, we need to focus on the essential services. After that, we can move on to building the heavy industry.” She scrunches her face for a second, “We have yet to find a site for that.” She shrugs her shoulders, then looks at Patrick questioningly, “Seven months ‘till we are finished here?”
Patrick glances at his own estimates, “It’s possible.”
Cindy smiles, “Let’s aim at having the town finished before its first anniversary.”
The room echoes in a chorus of agreement as the energies turn positive. They continue to work their way through the long list of items, then take a well-deserved break. Almost everyone in the room uses this time to add to their notes. Small groups gather as key points are discussed and plans are made.
After the refreshing break, Cindy resumes the meeting, “Attention people, Joe has an important issue.”
Joe takes a deep breath, then begins, “Time!” He stares at the blank expressions, then explains, “We are measuring time as if we were on Earth and then adding two hours to each day, as if that’s good enough. Well it’s not, just look at how difficult it was for us to all get here, on time.” He smiles at the unintended pun, then gazes around the room at everyone. He continues, “Just before we left Earth, I was given a software patch for my laptop, something to test. I am happy to announce that we can now use the time zone ‘New Earth’ on our computers.”
Walker’s thoughts are drawn to his own watch that sits uselessly on his bedside table. Even though he is pretty sure of the answer, he asks anyway, “Anything you can do for a good old fashioned wristwatch?”
Joe shakes his head from side to side. Emma watches Joe’s response, then adds, ‘watch factory’, to her list of non-essential buildings. She stares at the growing lists and ponders, I can’t believe how many factories and industries are needed, even to make the simplest of things, hundreds of them. Her thoughts trail off.
Adams frowns as the room goes unexpectedly quiet, “Why is time such an issue? So we tack on a few hours each day, and a few days each year.”
Peter, who has been very quiet so far, answers the question, “The future children of New Earth will be marking their birthday’s each year.” He lifts his eyebrows at his obvious statement, then continues, “Each year spent here is roughly fifty-two days more time than a year on Earth.”
Adams shrugs his shoulders, “Okay, we have to operate on local time, which means...” his voice trails off as he thinks.
Joe’s voice fills the ensuring quiet, “New year’s eve is a no brainer, but what about other days? Do we celebrate these when they would occur on Earth? If we do this, will we move them through our calendar, or instead do we set aside specific and fixed days for them?”
George glances at Johnny, and thinks about his son’s birthday, “Most ‘special’ days are symbolic in some way or another. Birthdays have legal implications for driving, drinking, when children can start working, and when we retire.”
Cindy chews on her lip while listening to the exchange, then makes a decision. Before she states her ideas, she asks one more question, “Joe, how accurate is the new time zone you installed?”
Joe glances at his laptop, then says, “Well, it’s pretty darn close. My best estimate is that it’s within a few minutes each year.”
Cindy nods, that seals the deal, she thinks, and then states, “We will run on New Earth time. I want the calendar to start from the ground-breaking ceremony.”
Joe nods, then says a little reluctantly, “The new calendar has eleven months with thirty-two days, which leaves December with thirty-three days. Also, there is no contingency for daylight savings time.”
When no one comments, Cindy responds, “Sounds good. That concludes my agenda, the floor is open.”
Emma’s hand shoots up so fast you would think it were on a coiled spring, “I have barely done any research into the creatures that live here. My team of planetologists have been busy studying the few bugs and animals they can find. The settlement’s construction has driven most of the local life away, besides, the majority of the team is busy setting up equipment in our new four story complex. I need to go and do some real exploring, and see what I can find.”
Cindy frowns as she realizes that Emma is right, “What do you require?”
Emma is stunned into silence by the unexpected response.
General Walker interrupts any reply she may have been about to deliver, “But what about all that research you did on those bugs, and the grass, and the water, and the...?” he stops talking when he meets Emma’s fierce gaze.
Emma continues to stare at Walker, and says with great conviction, “I haven’t done ANY exploring.” She points out the windows and adds, “I haven’t even gone into the forest to determine if the tree climbers are the same as...”
Walker puts up a hand, interrupting her, “Okay, I get it, you’re busy,” he says a little too casually.
Emma eyes narrow at the General’s contemptuous tone, “Yes, I am busy, as are we all. But what about all your soldiers? I haven’t seen them do a damn thing to help.”
Walker replies sternly, “I do not have to report my activities to you, young lady.”
Emma stands up, and is about to reply, when Cindy calmly responds, “General, there is no need to get harsh,” she gives him a curt look. “And Emma, I can tell you, that I know exactly what the General’s men are doing, and they are indeed, very busy.”
Walker glances at Cindy, nods respectfully, then looks at Emma, and says, “I apologize.”
Eyes raise and jaws drop as everyone in the room turns to look at Walker. Even Cindy is floored by his words. Emma sits down, she suddenly feels bad for turning her frustrations on the General, but only a little.
Cindy once again, takes charge of the meeting, “Knowing what’s on the planet has to be one of our highest priorities.” She gazes at the others, and upon receiving a series of nods in assent, continues, “Emma, short of slowing the construction efforts for the housing, you may allocate whatever resources you need.”
Barbara glances at Cindy sharply, oh no, not another delay to my radio telescope, but she says nothing. The scientist in her wants her facility built, but her practical side understands and appreciates that a radio telescope is not exactly needed by the colony right now.
The meeting breaks up shortly afterward. The day’s efforts have been fruitful and everyone walks away with a clear idea of what they are to do.
Liberty - Trash or Treasure
Joe walks along with George and Patrick, he stares at their Gamin bodysuits and wishes he had one for today’s task. The three men stride toward the Liberty, and the closer they get, the worse the ship looks. Numerous hull plates have fallen off her sides, and lay scattered around the grounded spaceship. The ship itself, is scored and streaked with burn marks, while many sections of the hull are obviously buckled.
Adams stands under the ship on its open ramp, and waves as the three men approach. He is a little perplexed, and says, “George, I didn’t know you were coming today.”
George, like Patrick, has his visor open, and says, “The sooner we get the Liberty’s power connected to the settlement, the better.” His eyes continue to rove over the ship’s catastrophic damage. With a deep sigh, he shakes his head and turns to Adams, “Based upon what we can see from the outside, the ship’s internal structure has to be severely compromised.”
Adams lowers his gaze, “So that’s it then, you’re scrapping her!”
Joe can feel the disappointment in the man’s voice, and says, “Let me have a quiet word with my colleagues.”
Adams shrugs his shoulders, “Sure,” he says as he heads into the ship to power up its internal lighting.
Joe leads Patrick and George toward the rear of the Liberty and points to its main drive, “For that reason alone, we should not scrap the ship. I am not saying that we can get it space worthy anytime soon, but let’s face it, it’s not like we have an abundance of spacecraft.”
Patrick tilts his head, and mentions, “You know, the Terran wasn’t in much better shape after we rammed that Kord space station.”
George adds his thoughts, “If we scrapped her, our suits would have an almost endless supply of heavy metals.” He gives both men an appraising look, then unexpectedly says, “But if anyone ever suggests we scrap the Terran, I will tell them to go to hell.”
Patrick nods, “It’s settled then.”
Joe smiles at his two friends, “So my assessment goes something like this, the Liberty is too great a resource to waste, and would serve us better if repaired.”
George shakes his head, and says, “Yeah! But damn, it’s going to take a miracle to get her off the ground.”
The three men find Adams on the bridge. He is wiping water off the displays and attempting to push piles of broken glass out of the way. Joe snorts at the mess and shakes his head. He turns to look back at George and Patrick, “Don’t bother coming in here, you might change your minds.”
Patrick chuckles, “Okay, we’ll head down to the ship's substation.”
Adams catches the words, “Change their minds?”
Joe looks at Adams and smiles, “We’re not scrapping her. But,” he says holding up a finger, “After we stop the rain coming in, we’re not doing much else to her for a long time.”
Adams face lights up, “Damn, if we can get her to pass a pressure test, well, that’s half the battle.”
Joe smiles, pass a pressure test! The ship’s outer hull is ruined, the main frame rails are broken, and if we are lucky, the sub-rails are only bent. Heck it even rains in here, and that’s before we even consider the cooked thrusters. He shakes his head as the list goes on and on. The small terminal before him powers up and lists damaged systems all over the ship. Joe’s smile fades, “Gravity plate failure on half the ship, life support is down, and the water recycling center is offline.”
Adams gulps, “Maybe we should just scrap her? She can’t fly and we can’t live in her.”
Joe pauses thoughtfully, “How many terminals can access the ship’s systems?”
Adams replies, “That’s the only working bridge station.”
Joe stands up, “Really! So, without this terminal, we would have no idea what was working and what wasn’t?”
“That’s right,” Adams replies slowly.
Joe picks up a piece of debris, then smashes it into the display, destroying it. “Oops,” he says, “It looks like we will have to eyeball the ship.”
Adams is flabbergasted, “But why?”
“We’ve seen damage like this repaired, as has the rest of our crew.” Joe replies.
Adams feels a chill run up his spine, “Your ship was this badly damaged, and got home?”
Joe looks around, “Yeah. We were in pretty bad shape a time or two. Besides, I have a feeling that this ship will fly again.”
Adams blinks in disbelief, “If there is anything you need me to do, just ask.”
Joe replies, “Let’s hook this ship up to the town’s power grid. That will keep the boss happy.”
Since it was expected that the Liberty would be the town’s main power supply for a period of time, the ship is equipped with its own substation. Patrick and George have no trouble running cables between the ship and the nearby power lines. Their bodysuits allow them to make short work of the task.
By the end of the day, the town’s mini-steel mill is powered, and ready for trials. Cindy also notices shuttles travelling to and from Barbara’s still vacant radio telescope site. George and Patrick are very busy today.
While everyone else keeps themselves busy, Joe types out his findings on the Liberty, then heads to the Town Hall. Cindy sighs as she reads Joe’s report listing the extensive damage to the Liberty. She reads his assessment with some skepticism, frowns, then looks him squarely in the eye, “You have read this?” Her comment is more of a statement than a question, because she knows he wrote it.
Joe nods his head and chuckles, “And that list, is after we patch up the holes in her hull.”
Cindy’s eyes narrow, “But you don’t think we should scrap the ship?”
Joe shakes his head, “No, because there is still a chance we can salvage her.”
Cindy stares at the list with serious doubts, but finally defers to the engineer. She rubs her forehead in frustration, “Well the good news is, the colony now has an abundance of power, ‘cause that ship is not going anywhere soon.” She closes her eyes and slowly shakes her head, “And the bad news is that we have to go back to Earth earlier than planned.”
It’s Joe’s turn to sigh, “Yeah, and with the loss of the Liberty as a transport, it will be up to us to pick up the slack.”
Cindy sags in her chair, “Transport duty,” she says with disdain. She looks at Joe and says “I would much rather be doing something more,” she hesitates, seeking the right word, “important.” and exciting, she thinks.
Joe nods in silent agreement. After the adrenaline rush of their last voyage, transporting goods and people just doesn’t have quite the same appeal.
Emma’s Field Trip
Emma shakes in anticipation of finally being able to explore the forest and lake on the far side of Hawking’s canal, a dream come true. She has spent many sleepless nights thinking about this very day. Emma tries to contain her excitement, as she contemplates the trip. She mumbles quietly to herself, “Probably take me a couple of hours to get to the lake, then all day to walk around it. Be back in time for a late dinner, or sun set.” She smiles at her straightforward plan, then reviews the myriad of objects on her bed. She mentally checks each item off, tablet computer, flashlight, rope, spare camera, tripod, spare batteries for everything, binoculars, a day’s rations, some snacks, and eight bottles of water. Satisfied that she has what she needs for a day trip, she carefully packs everything into her backpack. She adds a handful of last minute incidentals, grins, grabs the backpack, her main camera, and then heads outside to greet the morning sun.
Emma’s expression freezes instantly when she sees Peter, “What are you doing here?” She asks warily. Her eyes narrow as she peruses his wears. He also has a huge backpack, along with a large rifle, a bunch of knives, and other paraphernalia hanging off his belt.
With his eyebrows raised, Peter asks, “You didn’t think for one minute that you were going out there alone, did you?”
Emma puts her hands on her hips, and challenges, “And why not?”
He stares back at her blankly, “Because, it could be dangerous, and...” he stops mid-sentence, unable to say what he really feels.
Emma sighs and shakes her head, “You’re a mystery to me.” She stares at him long and hard, “I still haven’t figured out where I fit, in your life.”
Peter stares at her with wide eyes, “Do I really have to spell it out?” He shifts his weight from foot to foot.
She likes the way he is squirming, “Actually, yes you do!” She says, and waits for his response.
John calls out from the nearby shuttle, “Are you guys coming?”
She smiles at the gesture, takes his hand, then while walking to the shuttle, whispers, “You’re not getting off the hook that easily, Mister.”
Once the pair is on board, John notices Emma’s dour expression and quickly says, “Oh I am not coming with you for the ground expedition, but I will take you anywhere you want to go.”
Emma glances at Peter with narrowing eyes, “Another one of your ideas?”
Peter replies with conviction, “If you’re going, then you’ll do so with backup. I’m coming with you on the ground, while John will be available at a moment’s notice to pick us up.” He taps a military style radio that is attached to his belt.
Emma realizes she has no choice but to accept Peter’s company, and John’s assistance. “Okay then, but you,” she says, indicating to Peter, “had better not get in my way.”
Peter simply smiles and nods. Once they are all seated, John pilots the shuttle away from Hawking and flies off in the direction Emma indicates. They fly slowly, but even so, a trip that would take an hour on foot, only takes minutes by air. Emma notices a natural clearing not too far from the lake and points to it, “Land us there, please.”
As John swings the shuttle around, Emma notices how close their town is. She squints as she gauges the distance between the town and the mountains, “We encroached a lot farther into the forest that I thought we were going to.”
John replies, “The engineers had no choice. The contours of the land and all that.”
Emma looks at the mountain peaks, and can see a distant wind generator, its blades slowly turning. As they land, the surrounding tree tops obstruct her view.
John notices her gaze, “They were fun to build, that’s for sure. We plan to pave a road up there sometime soon, so the construction crews can build more.”
Initiation Series: Series One Compilation (Terran Chronicles) Page 91