John touches the third block of the Gamin terminal. The bridge crew’s reports start to flow as they grasp what information Cindy desires.
Joe speaks up first. “Capacitors at twenty percent, main reserves at three and a half percent. Reactors now at one hundred percent.”
Andrew can’t contain himself. “Jeez-O-Pete! ETA is just a tad over three months now. We’re really moving.”
The kaleidoscope of colors that wash over the ship are just beautiful, and mesmerizing.
John touches the fourth block then makes a startling discovery. “I have no lateral or directional controls. I can’t change course.” He looks back to Cindy with a frown. “This ship can only go at these speeds in a straight line.”
Andrew’s eyes open up really wide as his excitement gets the better of him. “Under TEN days. How fast can this ship go, I mean that’s four plus light years in less than ten days.” He did not hear John’s comment at all.
Joe’s voice picks up with slight trepidation. “Well, it’s coming at a price folks. Capacitors are at ten percent now, main reserves are at just over two percent.”
Cindy gets up and walks to John’s station. She looks at the solid block that’s lit up. “Well the control has eight blocks for a reason. Let’s go to five.”
John replies happily. “Five it is.” He touches the fifth block, and watches the lit section steadily work its way upward to this point, then stop.
Cindy sits back down and watches the colors streak even faster toward her. Strangely this does not make her sick at all, indeed it’s quite relaxing.
Andrew puts both of his hands on his head. “This is not possible. Less than eleven hours until Alpha Centauri folks. Eleven hours! Are you kidding me? That’s like flying from Chicago to Japan.”
Cindy raises an eyebrow as she awaits Joe’s grumbling. She is not disappointed and narrowly avoids a smile while maintaining her poise.
Joe is getting quite agitated. “Give you science types a toy, we’re playing with the unknown here.” He shakes his head then continues a little more professionally, “Capacitors are at zero now, and main reserves are now down to below two percent. It looks as though it’s the acceleration that takes most of the power. Maintaining our velocity seems to consume our power more slowly.”
George has been going over everything and makes yet another startling discovery. Damn it. He considers what he has found and with a heavy heart relays his find.“I have some bad news folks. It would seem there are two external communication systems on these ships. One that uses the sub-light systems to transmit, and one that somehow uses the main drive. Well the main drive transmitter was never installed.” He looks bleakly around the bridge. From the returning expressions he can see that his colleagues don’t get it. “We can only communicate with Earth if we’re close, like in our home solar system.” Vacant looks turn to surprise. They get it now.
The bridge crew all look at their consoles and indeed can see a symbol that’s unlit. It looks similar to the internal communications symbol, as well as the one they were using to keep in contact with Earth. Cindy studies the three symbols for a while and can’t help but be drawn to parallels with Japanese characters. The main drive symbol is the most complex, the internal the least.
The hours go by rather quickly. In their excitement, none of the bridge crew can sleep. Cindy has been considering a number of factors as they get ever closer. Once again she asks the question on everyone’s minds.
“Andrew, how long?”
He looks at his laptop and replies excitedly. “About ten minutes.”
Cindy leans forward as she studies the view ahead. “Why can’t we see anything except this kaleidoscope of colors?”
Joe looks at his data carefully. “Well, we’re travelling at four thousand times the speed of light. Until we stop we won’t be able to.”
The speed that they are travelling at is still mind numbing to all. Cindy’s instincts are trying to tell her something, she just does not know what, yet. She sits back to mull over what is bothering her. We can’t see ahead. There are planets in orbit, somewhere out there uh oh! “John, shut down main engines, NOW!”
The sudden order catches him off guard. It takes John precious seconds to touch the symbol that engaged the main drive. To his dismay nothing happens. He looks blankly at his terminal, as crucial seconds tick by. Making a wild stab in the dark he taps the lowest block on his console. Painfully slowly, the lighted section moves downward. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, the lowest block lights up. John mentally crosses his fingers, then again taps the symbol that engaged the drive in the first place. The ship visually shifts down to sub-light speeds. A slight and almost imperceptible shudder runs through the ship. The beautiful array of colors is replaced with bland white dots. The sub-light controls including all maneuvering controls light up again. He breathes a heavy sigh of relief.
John turns back to Cindy and with a nervous smile and reports. “We have maneuvering controls again.”
John watches with curiosity as the dampening shields shut down. Wonder if that’s normal? It takes him a few moments to determine that the navigational shields are still operating. So the dampening shields work with the main drive as do a couple of other systems, by the look of it. He continues his musings as other symbols that were lit during their faster than light jaunt go out.
Sensor data floods in as the Gamin systems update star charts then display the ship’s relative position. Andrew and Joe pour over the information as fast as they can. Each tapping instructions into their laptops as they try to make sense of things. Meanwhile GUS is overwhelmed with the influx of data, not to mention the overt demands of the industrious pair on the bridge.
“Computer control here.” The computer technician is quite concerned. “What did you guys just do? GUS suddenly jumped to one hundred percent utilization, everything is heating up.” Technicians are running around frantically monitoring each segment that makes up GUS. They have never seen this system operate at this level before.
Cindy’s eyebrows raise up. Our very best and we are still so ill equipped for this. Her foreboding held in check she taps the internal communications symbol on her armchair. With building excitement in her voice she gives the crew a report they were not expecting.
“We have been testing the Terran’s main engines, that much you all knew. What you did not know is that in that short time, we have travelled over four light years.” Pausing, she smiles at her own words. “We will soon be the first to explore Alpha Centauri.”
It takes GUS a full twenty minutes to contend with the massive volume of data. The computer technicians breathe a sigh of relief as systems cool down again. While the bridge crew analyzes the data received, the computer crews pour over performance charts of their own.
Andrew and Joe work together, coming to a quick consensus. Andrew speaks up. “GUS” was just working out where the stars really are in a twenty light year radius. These Gamin terminals, well they did it almost instantly.”
Location:
Starship Terran
Alpha Centauri
Cindy gazes ahead at the alien suns in the distance. “Joe, what’s our status?”
Joe turns from one of his laptops to the other and after a momentary flurry of activity, responds. “Well, we’re down to approximately two percent power, but the capacitors for the main drive are practically exhausted. They will take some time to charge up.”
“Understood. John, take us in at one quarter light speed. Let’s head for the habitable zone and see what we can find.”
John runs his finger down the sub-light engines slider bar and stops at the one quarter mark. The Terran responds by slowing down. Seems the ship resumes its previous speed after running the main engines. Interesting.
“What’s our ETA to the nearest planet in that area?” Cindy continues.
Andrew has already been busy working this out. He feeds telemetry to John’s terminal before replying. “Fourteen hours, give or tak
e a little.”
She mulls over this for a few minutes as Joe, Andrew, and John all chat excitedly about what they may find. She surprises them all when she taps her chairs console.
“Captain Edwards, report to the bridge immediately.”
She raises an eyebrow as everyone on the bridge turns to her in disbelief. “All he has to do is sit and monitor. We all need some rest, tomorrow will be a busy day.”
Edwards arrives at the bridge to find the entire crew leaving. He looks curiously around as he wonders what he has been called for. Before he can speak, Cindy motions for him to go to John’s console.
John looks up and with reluctance, relays his instructions.
“These controls are for the sub-light engines, and these, directional controls. These are all various thruster controls, no need to touch those. That is the main engine control, leave that alone. Just keep her steady, but should something get in our way either stop, or go around it.”
Edwards looks at John in disbelief. “You expect me to fly this vessel from that explanation?”
Cindy leans forward and with a smile answers for John. “Yes, and if you must know, that’s more training than anyone else has received. Just call if anything happens.” She nods to Radclyf who then relays orders of his own.
A few minutes later, the bridge is devoid of all but Edwards and one guard, Paul, who sits facing the doorway.
The next few hours pass by very slowly for the pair. Edwards inwardly smolders as he realizes that he is performing babysitting duties while the main crew sleep. After a while, curiosity gets the better of him and he starts to read John’s notes. By the time John returns, some twelve hours later, he has a new found respect for the man.
“Captain John, the Terran is yours.” He states formally as John enters the bridge area.
Not sure how to respond to the unexpected pleasantry, he is momentarily confounded. “Why thank you Captain Edwards,” is all he can manage. He can see that Edwards has been perusing his many notes.
Edwards asks with a little reservation. “So you learned how to fly this ship on your own? I must admit, I am impressed.”
“Oh no, not at all. George provides all the translation while Andrew and Joe give me telemetry. All I really do is point the ship and go.” He shrugs his shoulders at the simple explanation.
Edwards, his brow creasing in surprise and confusion, looks straight at John. “George translates! I have heard this but did not believe it. How?”
John turns and looks at the empty console that George usually works from. “You know. I have no idea.” He too frowns a little at the question, then continues on, defending George. “But, his skills with the Gamin systems saved this ship and everyone on it when we were forced to launch.”
“Oh, I meant no disrespect to him.” Edwards states hurriedly.
“None taken, besides, that is a very interesting question.” Just how does he translate everything? John ponders, feeling a little uncomfortable for some reason.
Heavy footfalls can be heard coming toward them. Moments later George enters the bridge, encased as usual in his Gamin body suit.
John playfully comments. “Geez, do you sleep in that thing?”
George grins out from the suit. “No, but I probably could, it’s pretty damn comfortable.”
“We were discussing the Gamin systems, and I have to ask, how the heck do you translate everything?”
George is surprised that it took someone this long to ask. “I connect the suit to a terminal, and it relays the information to my visor.” He conveniently skips the step involving his earpiece.
“Oh, the suits can translate, sorry did not mean to pry like that, was just wondering.” John is not fully convinced, he has never heard of Olaf being able to do much of anything in a Gamin body suit.
“It’s quite alright.” George responds cheerily. “Sharz was the one that showed me how to use these suits properly.”
Edwards pipes up quizzically. “Sharz! Sharz who?”
George reminisces a little nostalgically. “Sharz is Gamin, quite a nice fellow, uh alien.” Being reminded of Sharz causes George a twinge of sadness as realizes how much he misses the motley green skinned fellow.
John is taken aback by George’s familiarity with one of the aliens. “I did not know you were that close to them.”
“They are just like us in many ways, each has their own view on things.” George recalls his visits to Regent Voknor’s flagship. “I guess you could say that Sharz and I became friends despite the circumstances.”
Edwards is quite satisfied with George’s answers. “Please don’t think me rude, I can be quite blunt at times.” Turning to John he continues. “Well the ship is yours, I am off to get something to eat then sleep.” As Edwards leaves, he gazes one more time at the Gamin consoles and realizes that he has underestimated John’s abilities.
Cindy arrives just in time to see Edwards leaving, she is pleased that he and John seem to be getting along amicably now. Over the next half hour or so, the rest of the bridge crew arrives at their stations. She is not too concerned about the casual nature of their turning up for duty, the nearest planet is still an hour or more away.
Joe is the last to arrive, and glancing around the bridge, feels as though he has let the others down. ‘Sorry I am late.”
Cindy turns to him. “You’re not late, we should still be a fair way off from the first planet.”
Joe is instantly reminded of a number of crew requests. “Some of the crew want to come up here and look at one of the planets.”
Peter, Radclyf and Hayato exchange quick looks which does not go unnoticed by Cindy. She considers the request carefully. She can’t help but feel that she too, would want to look upon strange new worlds.
“We will see what we can arrange.” She glances briefly at Peter, who gives her the barest of nods back.
Excitement builds again as a single dot slowly grows in their view ahead. John makes a few course adjustments and even picks up their speed a little. The speck grows until before them, is a planet encased in bluish swirling clouds.
John banks the Terran around, and coming in from below the planet parks the ship in a very high orbit. Even though he normally prefers coming in over a target, this approach does afford them an amazing bird’s eye view. He then presses the planetary status symbol on his console and is rewarded with a cascade of information. An icon appears after a few seconds that makes his shoulders sag a little.
“The planet is deadly.” He reports disappointedly.
Cindy, along with the rest of the bridge crew, can only look out at the planet seemingly hovering above them.
Joe pulls up the local star chart on his console. While the others are gawking at the planet they are orbiting, he comments quite happily.
“Earth is marked with a different symbol. Let’s see if I can find any others marked like Earth.”
With Earth being marked as habitable and Alpha Centauri being marked as hazardous, Joe begins to get a better understand of the star chart data.
Cindy sits back in her chair. “Is this planet worth investigating?”
Joe answers quickly. “Nah, says here the atmosphere is poisonous to us. Let’s just head to planets with symbols like Earths.”
Cindy says with surprise. “You have Earth like planets marked on your console?”
“Ah, actually, no,” disappointment clearly in his voice. He quickly adds, “but we can really only be sure to around twenty light years.” He continues on a little quieter now. “I don’t think the Gamin loaded any star chart info into these systems.”
The bridge goes quiet for a few moments until John breaks the silence.
“This may sound silly or simple, but, um, can’t we just fly for twenty light years, update the data, then fly on until we find a habitable planet?” John looks from person to person as he awaits an answer.
Joe sighs. “Well, if we had decent power reserves we could do that, but we don’t. In fact it took the main engine
s almost four hours to recharge their capacitors, and that’s with us not doing much.”
Cindy ask curiously. “How is our power situation?”
Joe glances back and forth from his Gamin terminal to his laptop before he answers. “A lot better than I expected, main drive is charged and we’re holding at two percent reserves. However all the reactors have been running flat out.”
Cindy’s eyes narrow. “So we lost three percent to get here and have two percent left. These numbers don’t sound very promising for us to go exploring dozens of light years.”
Joe stammers. “No, it’s ok. We only lost three percent ‘cause we can’t maintain more than a two percent reserve. George and Olaf did something to get us extra reserves.”
Cindy’s eyebrows raise up as she turns to look at George.
George lifts his visor and answers her silent question. “Well, these suits can convert matter and energy. All Olaf and I did was get some core material from a reactor and convert it using our suits. We dumped the energy directly into the ship’s capacitors. It was very inefficient in over all terms, but did the job.”
Joe puts his hand to his head. “You did what?”
George has no understanding of nuclear physics, but he does know that the suit’s systems told him it was safe. “The reactor guys did not like it either, they said we were nuts.”
Cindy puts a hand to her mouth in bewilderment at George’s innocence. He has no idea how dangerous it is to mess with a nuclear reactor. “We will not be doing that again. OK George?” Her tone is quite serious.
He shrugs his shoulders. “OK.” George really feels perplexed at their concerns. If my suit says it’s safe, then it’s safe! He does not think for one second to question his faith in the suits abilities.
Cindy stands up and walking closer to the view screen makes a decision that’s far easier said than done. “Peter, arrange for any crew that wish to view this spectacle, to do so. We will stay in orbit for four hours, then depart.”
Discovery (Terran Chronicles) Page 11