Discovery (Terran Chronicles)

by Jackson, James

  Book Two : DISCOVERY

  By James Jackson

  Copyright © 2012 James Jackson.

  http://www.TerranChronicles.com

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. All rights reserved.

  Acknowledgements

  Many thanks to my wife Jairis for listening to my never ending ranting as Discovery came to life. Another person I can't thank enough is my great friend Jason, of www.jointplan.co.uk. He not only designed the outstanding website, but also provided vital feedback on ‘Discovery’ as it developed. A special thanks goes to Shannon for her wonderful storyline editing, and Amy for fine tuning the story by being the finishing editor. To my mate, Doug the fireman, I thank for his continuous encouragement. To Leonard, Jeffery, Owen, Darren, and the many others that have followed the development of this story, I thank you all for your constant support.

  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.

  In memory of Isaac Asimov, Arthur C Clarke, Robert Heinlein, and Gene Roddenberry, visionaries all.

  SECRET CODE

  The end of each full sized novel has a special code. Go to www.terranchronicles.com.

  Under the relevant book, enter the code exactly as it appears to unlock bonus material.

  Table of Contents

  Preface

  Introduction

  Prologue

  Chapter 1 - Starship Terran

  Chapter 2 - Spin Around the Block

  Chapter 3 - Punch It

  Chapter 4 - It’s a Long Way to Tipperyary

  Chapter 5 - Salvage

  Chapter 6 - Life’s End

  Chapter 7 - Are We There Yet

  Chapter 8 - Journey’s End

  Metric/Imperial Conversion Table

  Glossary

  Preface

  "Humanity has survived its First Contact with a technologically superior culture. The alien visitors did not come to annihilate us, eat us, nor enslave us. These visitors have however, left us marooned on our planet thanks to a complex satellite grid of their own manufacture. What is to become of us? Will they come back? Their ships were damaged, what of their enemies? While we ask ourselves these questions a partially built spaceship is found abandoned in the Australian Outback. Instead of answering our many questions, the find merely raises more. What secrets can we glean from it? Instead of gazing at the heavens perhaps we will get to travel through them? Or will that be denied to us as well? Our future is as always an uncertainty, as new challenges present themselves." - James Jackson

  “Nothing is so dangerous to the progress of the human mind than to assume that our views of science are ultimate, that there are no mysteries in nature, that our triumphs are complete and that there are no new worlds to conquer.” - Humphrey Davy

  "For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring." - Carl Sagan

  "The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he receive either." Benjamin Franklin

  I hereby welcome you all to 'Discovery', book two of the 'Terran Chronicles' saga.

  This is a work of fiction, or is this our ultimate destiny?

  I hope you, the reader, enjoy this as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

  James Jackson

  Introduction

  Those of you that have just finished book one, First Contact, may skip the prologue and delve straight into chapter one should you so desire. For those that have missed the opportunity to read book one, I do of course suggest you take the time to do so. Though this story does stand well enough on its own and can be enjoyed as such, to fully appreciate how things came to be the way they are, well, that's all in First Contact my friends. I will however give you a brief overview and not leave you totally in the dark.

  An epic shower of asteroids and meteors completely destroyed every satellite orbiting our planet. Many of these struck the ground, fortunately only two cities were hit as most of the targets were either military in nature, or radio telescope facilities. A fleet of alien spacecraft, many showing signs of damage, followed behind this bombardment. They make Earth their home for a few months while they repair their damaged vessels and restock on food and water. Their leader, Regent Voknor, made overtures of peace by building housing facilities for the survivors of the Manhattan and St Petersburg impacts. These Gamin, as they are called, are very strange looking. They are taller than us with motley green colored leathery skin and short crocodilian snouts filled with teeth. Their yellow eyes with their vertical iris gives rise to a reptilian ancestry, as do their three clawed hands.

  These aliens offered us medical knowledge and technical specifications on a new type of power plant. Surprisingly, China is given one of these fully functional power plants. These visitors, having destroyed all of Earth’s orbiting satellites, establish their own satellite grid, allowing worldwide communications again.

  Some people work with the Gamin, under encouragement from various governments around the world. One such person was George Stanton, who was made homeless and lost many friends and family when Manhattan was destroyed. With his wife, Lisa, and their son Johnny also surviving, he found himself seeking answers. Was the destruction of his home an accident as claimed? He worked with the Gamin hoping to find answers. His compatibility with the Gamin body suits made him an asset to all.

  Suddenly as quickly as they came, the Gamin depart. Soon afterward we find an abandoned spacecraft resting inside a huge construction dock in the Australian Outback. This technological marvel is massive. Its main storage area occupies one quarter of the ship and would be able to hold ten Nimitz class aircraft carriers, parked side by side. From the outside the spacecraft looks complete, but once inside it’s clear why the Gamin left it behind. Without internal power and many decks within completely missing, this craft is far from space worthy. A closer inspection further reveals that many external hull plates are missing as well.

  A team of specialists from around the world work to complete this discovery as best they can. The Russians have acquired a Gamin body suit. As George is the most skilled operator they have, he is tasked with helping. The assembled team is an interesting mix of civilians and military personal. Soon enough they will test their efforts. All want to know how the alien’s satellites will react. Can the spacecraft even take off and fly? Will it be destroyed? Should we get it into space, then what? These questions are but a few that occupy the minds of those involved.

  Prologue

  George looks back at the five months that have passed since the Gamin left in total amazement. The starship will be named today in an opening ceremony of epic proportions. So many governments from around the world are to be represented in the bleak Australian Outback for this historic ceremony. He looks over to his family with admiration, they arrived here with one of the first groups of engineers. The tent city has long since been replaced by numerous buildings. Some are for residents, some for recreation, and others for the task at hand of making this vessel functional.

  The first days after the find were a whirlwind of discovery, excitement then disappointment. As they investigated more of the abandoned spacecraft, it became quite clear that a lot of effort would be needed to make any of it functional, let alone take off. When the Chinese and French contingents left, it just spread them thinne
r as they tried to figure the alien technology out.

  The third team to arrive included a massive contingent of engineers. They are such an amazing bunch, reminisces George. Within days a temporary airstrip was constructed, two weeks saw this transformed into a permanent heavy duty concrete runway. One month after their arrival, an entire rail network had been built. Needless to say, this was when the buildings started to crop up. It becomes clear to all soon enough, why the rail line was built. The first of many nuclear power plants arrived, along with its accompanying team of Russians. They wasted no time in installing them in the forequarters of the spacecraft. Almost one quarter of the ship has no function they can discern. There was a huge sectioned off area with thick armor and numerous bulkheads. This seemed to be a perfect place to install the reactors.

  Another huge surprise came along the rail line, also with its own support teams. Three American space shuttles have been taken out of mothballs, and now find themselves loaded into the cargo area of the spacecraft. George recalls creating the unique system that would allow them to board a shuttle, then launch from the spacecraft. These shuttles are planned to be used for space jaunts, or as emergency landing craft.

  The debate raged about whether this was to remain a civilian venture, or become a military operation. Finally, a compromise was reached. Cindy Klein would stay in charge of the overall operation, due to her experience with scientists and military personnel. Her rank of Admiral, purely honorary. She seems to relish the command chair a lot, as she spends a great deal of time in it, examining the various controls.

  John Thompson maintains the rank of Captain, and makes all ship board decisions. However, the only person with any real knowledge about the ship’s systems is George, thus, making him a unique resource. George is rather tired from having to personally interface every one of the computers into the Gamin systems. They are very powerful and fast. Although no one has been able to figure out exactly how they work, his buffer circuits are allowing the computers to interface. They can not only receive information, but can issue commands to the system as well. Joe, the Australian engineer, had spent a lot of time with him, going over various systems.

  Another surprise was the Japanese team of computer experts that installed an amazing supercomputer. Taking up an entire section of the ship, and ranking in the world's top ten for computational speed, this beast is still too slow to work directly with the Gamin terminals. Once again, George's buffer circuits are required.

  He frowns a little, as he recalls his warning to Cindy, that there are just too many external gravity plates missing. Without the right module for the body suit, they could make no more either. Thus, the way the ship is now, it won't be taking off. He wonders what her contingency plan is for this.

  His musings are cut short as the band starts to play. He looks up and down the row of people on stage. He sits next to Cindy as one of the representatives for the expedition. The various speakers drone on for ages, as each seems to have lengthy speeches prepared. Finally after an absolute eternity, Cindy is called to the stand. Taking one look around at the audience, she gives them her usual smile then embarks.

  “I stand before you today, the leader of this international team as we prepare for an unprecedented and historic occasion. Behind this tarp, rests the alien spacecraft that we have been retrofitting as quickly as possible. In a few days we shall test the gravity systems as we make final preparations before we launch it into space. We have been naming ships for countless generations, thus, we will name this ship as well. This ship carries no flag, and is being named for all of humanity. It is with great pleasure that I hereby present to you Earth's first true starship, the Terran, may she guide us well through the night skies.”

  At Cindy's last words the massive tarp behind the podium drops to the ground revealing the alien craft, the word 'TERRAN' is emblazoned across the top of its sloping armor. Painted in bright white letters, the word is easily legible, even at this distance. Nearby, flags from the many nations present, all flap in the light breeze.

  George is filled with a great sense of pride as he looks at the Terran, he has found his destiny.

  Chapter One - Starship Terran

  Location:

  Ground Control

  Outback

  Western Australia

  As the last of the dignitaries offer their best wishes to the crew of the Terran, George can’t help but notice the absence of his own President. Hmm, he ponders, I guess he still doesn’t like me.

  Cindy walks up to George then follows his distant gaze. “They will all be gone by morning. But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. Come, I have a surprise for you.”

  George is most curious as he turns to her. The last time Cindy surprised him was when she arranged to have his family brought over from America. His wife, Lisa, is not too impressed with the Australian Outback. However Johnny, their son, has embraced the experience, even to the extent of occasionally sneaking aboard the spacecraft.

  “OK. I will bite, what is it this time? Nuclear reactors to power the ships systems? Nope, you did that already. No wait! A Gamin body suit? Oh, that was from the Russians.” George is smiling as he feigns guessing. They have achieved the impossible, he thinks, well almost; the impossible is yet to come.

  “Just follow me, and quit being impetuous.” A playful smile crossed her face.

  She walks on ahead, leading George to a massive warehouse that the team has been using for storage. The warehouse is so large that the three American Space Shuttles were stored here prior to being loaded aboard into Terran’s own cavernous hold. She walks through a side doorway, and with an exaggerated gesture waves for him to look inside. George does not need to follow her arm to see what she is pointing to. The entire area is jam-packed with massive booster rockets. The kind used for shuttle launches.

  “You thought we didn’t listen to you, but we did! We know the ship’s own lift system is incomplete, well, this should augment it. I want you to go over the installation of these babies with the engineers. Also, once their fuel is expended, I want them to be released from the Terran. Think you can set that up?” Cindy is now standing with her hands on her hips, her long blond hair flowing in the light breeze.

  George is speechless as his eyes wander over the dozens of booster rockets before him. He can’t even begin to imagine how they kept this from him.

  “Now do you think she can take off?” Cindy is grinning from ear to ear.

  George finally finds his voice, “I think there is a chance now, a really good chance, I honestly do.” His eyes dart around as he counts the boosters. Stopping at thirty, he heads inside to find more, and is not disappointed.

  George turns back to look at Cindy in awe. “How did you get so many?” As he asks he notices the small emblems representing a number of different countries. His smile also turns to a massive grin as he can now clearly see American, Russian, and Japanese flags painted on many of them.

  Johnny is most excited as he comes running over to his father. “I didn’t tell him miss Cindy.” He manages to get out, his smile beaming from ear to ear.

  Cindy smiles back at the boy while George ruffles his short brown hair. She is so glad his family were given permission to be here. So much like his father, right down to those hazel colored eyes that belie a mysterious intelligence. George may be an uneducated man, but he is certainly no dummy.

  The three of them have the moment spoiled when a pair of men, clad in overalls, heads their way. The pair seems quite unhappy about something as they stomp through the dusty landscape. Johnny, noticing the ‘adult looks’, disengages from his father, and with little ado heads off to play.

  Cindy sighs a little, what is it this time? she wonders, as the two men stop in front of her.

  “Will you look at this work order?” The shorter man, a Japanese contractor, holds out a sheet of paper. Taking the paper, she quickly skims over it.

  “OK. So what’s the problem? You ordered eighty-five meters of cable.�
��

  “The problem is that eighty-five feet of cable were delivered instead!” The annoyed man looks accusingly at his taller colleague.

  The other man simply folds his arms in defiance, and stares stoically ahead. Cindy glances over to George, then back to the two men. “Alright!” She says quite hotly, “this ends today. Get everyone assembled in Terran’s hangar. I want a meeting now.” I should have done this months ago, she realizes, disappointed with herself.

  With people spread all over the facility it takes some time before everyone is together, which is fortunate as it allows her time to calm down a little. Finally, the ship’s massive storage area is brimming with people. Not only is her crew present, but also the hundreds of support personnel that are making this unprecedented venture possible.

  Tapping on her microphone she gets everyone’s undivided attention. “We do a full systems test in three days people. Three days! Then we make final preparations for launch. We will get one shot at this, just one, do you all understand this?” Her blue eyes pointedly scan the crowd. “Our systems test must be flawless. I am sick and tired of excuses and miscommunications.”

  She points at people around the room as she continues. “The Japanese computer team have very specific and exacting needs, as do the maintenance crews. One team uses the metric system, the other imperial. I want a show of hands for those that use metric.” The majority of the room raise their hands, some quickly, others slowly, but the results are quite clear. “As of now people we will use metric for everything!”