Discovery (Terran Chronicles)

by Jackson, James

  She looks at the planet that dominates the view and blinks in surprise at Cindy’s comments. “We have found an amazing planet and you want to look for more?”

  “That is our mission.” Cindy states openly.

  “Well, I would like to get some deeper core samples of the soil, and more samples of the vegetation.”

  Cindy considers the risks. “What about the bug bite? We have no idea what kind of creature bit your colleague.”

  “Well, if we’re looking for planets to settle on, then we had better learn as much as we can about each one, bugs and all.” Emma looks back outside at the planet in wonder.

  “Very well, we shall stay for three more days then. John, I want you to work with Emma.”

  She turns to George and asks. “Can we seal off a section of the ship, so that nothing gets in or out, even small bugs?”

  “Sure.” George answers with confidence.

  Cindy likes the straightforward answer. “Then please, work with Emma and make it happen.”

  Emma turns to leave then stops and asks speculatively. “I thought we were going to give this planet a new name?”

  Cindy looks back at her as she recalls her comments upon the planet’s discovery. “Yes, but how did you know about that?”

  “Well the whole ship is offering suggestions, and we did find it you know. Besides, I think it’s a good idea that we get to name our find instead of someone sitting at their desk back on Earth.” Emma’s hands now rest firmly on her hips, as if defying that imagined person on Earth to challenge her.

  Cindy can’t help but like the spirited planetologist. “Ok, let’s draw up a list of suggestions and have the crew vote. I would like to see us with a short list in a few days.”

  The next three days turn into four, then five, as the planetologists make ever greater demands until finally Cindy has to deal with them, again.

  “They are bringing up the whole damn planet.” She says to no one in particular as she sits in her command chair. She is running out of patience as the planetologists keep stalling her for more time. Just one more core sample, another newly discovered plant species. She can almost hear Emma’s voice as she recants their repeated reasons for staying.

  Switching her mind to another topic she turns to Peter and asks, “what name ended up winning?”

  Peter sighs. “Tropicanus,” he says with disdain.

  “Ohh my. That’s what won? Perhaps we shouldn’t let the crew vote on anymore planet names.”

  “Pretty corny if you ask me,” he continues on, clearly displeased with the choice.

  “Well, it’s time we moved on.”

  Cindy leaves the bridge and visits the section where samples from ‘Tropicanus’ are being deposited. The sealed off section literally brims with plant life from the planet. Though the planet’s atmosphere is more humid, a number of plants have been placed in pots, and seem to be surviving just fine. Finally, after yet another lengthy debate Emma concedes that the task of cataloging everything is impossible for three people.

  The next day finds the Terran banking away from the lush planet. As the ship heads out even further into space Cindy issues her favorite order with relish.

  “Punch it.”

  John engages the main engines, propelling the ship at speeds way beyond the speed of light. As he glides his finger up the scale, he moves past the fifth block and stops just below the sixth. Far and away, this is the fastest he has ever pushed the ship. Cindy sits back and enjoys the spectrum of colors that randomly decorate the forward view. John glances at Joe who wags a warning finger at him as he points to his own terminal. Joe watches as the ship draws more power than the reactors can possible put out, as is the case each time they engage the main drive. Once again, they play the delicate game of balancing the ship’s demands to the very limited and dwindling reserves. When the reserves get low, they drop to sub-light speeds and recharge. Sometimes they are in range of planetary systems, sometimes not. The days turn to weeks as the search for another Earth like planet continues. Boredom once again sets in. Cindy is getting disturbing reports of the crew’s antics during this time, food goes missing along with the occasional tool. Tempers start to flare up as the weeks drag on.

  Location:

  Starship Terran

  Where no-one has gone before

  Cindy yawns as she heads to the mess area. She is not in any real hurry and though refreshed from a decent night’s sleep, she too is feeling the drudgery. She steps into the room, and into chaos. Tables and chairs have been tipped over, a rowdy group encircle some unseen event. Ohh damn it, not another fight.

  “OK people,” she shouts out authoritatively, “Break this up.”

  A few people on the periphery turn to her then wander off. She shakes her head as she makes her way into the center of the throng. There in the midst of it all is Patrick. His ripped shirt revealing bulging biceps, as he holds two equally strong looking men apart. For their part, both assailants are doing what they can to get at each other.

  Cindy gulps a little at the obvious ferocity in the two men’s demeanor. I hope chivalry is not totally lost on this ship, she wonders as she steps up to the men. Patrick notices her and breaks into a grin.

  “Ohh shucks Cindy, these boys are just playing, no need to spoil your day.” Patrick glares at each of the two men. “Ya fellows are just messin’, right?”

  The men drop their aggressive posture, talks of Cindy’s punishments are becoming legendary. Patrick slowly lowers his arms but remains guarded as he stares at each of the men. Cindy folds her arms, waiting. Seconds later Radclyf and Hayato enter the room, they are equipped for battle. Jim and Akira flank them, their keen eyes assess the situation quickly. Though all four men are wearing full combat regalia, their stance suggests they would still be a deadly force without it.

  Patrick holds up an arm as if the gesture would stop the four combat veterans. “Whoa, hold up there folks. No need to get all fussed up. Bill here is going aft to work on that shuttle problem ya have. Kevin here, well he is going to see those computer geeks, apparently they need some new gizmo set up.” Patrick stares at the two maintenance men as if daring them to challenge him.

  Cindy gives Hayato and Radclyf a slight nod as she says loudly. “If you boys want seconds, just ask next time.”

  The tension in the crowd breaks as folks start to laugh. Breakfast stopped tasting great a while ago. During one of the many stints at high speed, an intrepid and now notorious engineer decided to divert power from the kitchen area so that he could run a computer simulation. Needless to say he blew every circuit that was installed between the Gamin power systems and the coolers that were fitted back on Earth. That was some weeks ago. Now breakfast, like every other meal, consists of some variation of a canned or powdered food.

  Bill and Kevin stare at each other for a few seconds before a final glare from Patrick sends the two men packing. With the day’s excitement over the room quickly settles down. Cindy sits at Patrick’s table while Radclyf heads to the buffet style counter and puts together a couple of plates with eggs, sausage, and mashed potatoes. He slides a plate in front of Cindy then rejoins his companions.

  “Thank you.” She states as Radclyf walks off with his own plate.

  Cindy pushes the food around for a bit with her fork before eating the barely palatable mix. Powdered eggs, powdered mash, and canned sausages, every day.

  Patrick raises his eyebrows in surprise. “I never would have expected that man to get ya breakfast.”

  Cindy looks over at the four soldiers. “There is a lot more depth to those fellows than most know.” She turns back to Patrick and asks curiously, “you did not get those two men to shake hands before they left. Why not?”

  “Ohh hell, ya know they wouldn’t a meant it, so why bother.”

  She nods and sighs. Food supplies are not low, just boring. When the coolers went down the crew enjoyed pure feasts as all the perishables that needed to be eaten were consumed. But that was almost three
weeks ago now. She ponders the crew’s morale as she recalls the kitchen staff telling her quite happily that the canned supplies could last them years. With morale already failing after mere weeks, she has to make a decision. Patrick confuses her silence with annoyance and gets up to leave.

  “No, no, stay for a while, I was just thinking,” she states apologetically.

  “Well, that’s what ya do, think! So I will go break something and ya can go back to your thinking.”

  “Break something?” She says perplexed, deep in thought, and only half catching his words.

  Patrick laughs. “Well, there’s nothing to do, an’ if I break a few things then there will be stuff to do. Right?”

  “Cindy to the bridge.” The voice comes through the ship’s speakers. Everyone in the room turns to look at Cindy. They all felt the slight shudder that accompanies the ship dropping to sub-light speeds. Usually though, she is not called to the bridge.

  Looking at her barely touched plate she smiles, damn shame I have to miss breakfast today. Patrick, seeing that she is done eating, takes her plate. “If those soldier boys can bring ya food, then I can surely take care of this.”

  “Thanks,” she says distractedly as she rises.

  A fleeting glance to Radclyf and Hayato is all they need to get them moving. The four combat veterans are also feeling quite bored. Breaking up tussles between roughnecks is not exactly keeping their skills well honed.

  Patrick hurries after Cindy, he wants to see what this is about. Arriving at the bridge, the sight stuns him. Hovering over them is a beautiful planet. Blue seas and large land masses with a mix of greens and browns. Huge ice caps dominate the polar regions. Radclyf wordlessly motions for Patrick to join them. Finding an empty chair, he realizes that Cindy has already been gathering reports and issuing orders.

  Patrick is momentarily alarmed as John leaves his station. “Ya can do that? Just walk away, but what if we need to move?”

  Cindy smiles at the question. “We’re safe.” An idea suddenly comes, unbidden. “Patrick. Do you want to join the survey team?”

  “Me!” He says, in surprise.

  “Be a tight squeeze in the front cabin.” She says, offering him an ‘out’.

  Patrick is thunderstruck as he looks at the planet. “Hell yeah, count me in.”

  Cindy’s smile grows as he leaves the bridge, clearly energized.

  The planetologists, however, are not so amused. Five people occupy the front area that is designed for two. Patrick ends up kneeling just behind the two seats that John and Emma occupy. He smiles as the other two science types sit uncomfortably in what looks to be large storage lockers. His position affords him a phenomenal view.

  Emma looks at Patrick in disdain. “What are you doing here? This is not a site seeing trip you know.”

  Patrick just grins back at her. She is just like many other scientists. He keeps his other thoughts well to himself as he ignores her question.

  John gives Emma a brief look as he rolls the shuttle over, affording them an even better view of the planet. He knows she won’t admit it, but she is obviously stressed at his piloting. John looks over his shoulder at Patrick, adding to Emma’s alarm as the shuttle plunges down into the upper atmosphere.

  “Why, Patrick is here as a representative of the crew that make this mission possible.”

  Patrick is not sure what he is enjoying more, the praise, or Emma’s growing discomfort. The shuttle drops into a band of puffy white clouds and for a moment they could all be on Earth. Even the fleeting glimpses of blue from below give no hint that this is an alien world.

  “WOW!” Patrick can’t contain himself. “What is this place?”

  John is busy flying as moderate winds buffet the shuttle. “Emma, give us a run-down will you.”

  She does not know much and has little to offer. She looks at her scant notes, then feeling Patrick’s genuine excitement relaxes a little.

  “We don’t know much. The planet is approximately twenty-five percent larger than Earth with a slightly heavier gravity, maybe five percent more. It takes three hundred eight-five days to orbit its sun. The days are a little longer, at almost twenty-six hours. It would seem to be slightly cooler than Earth overall, but we have spotted what looks to be some desert areas. The ice caps are huge and probably store a lot of water balancing the eco system as the oceans and lakes only make up around sixty percent of the planet.”

  Patrick is dumfounded. “We just got here and ya know all that.”

  Emma smiles. “Yes, but the reason we’re all crammed up here while George and Olaf have all that room back there is because we don’t know if we can breathe the atmosphere yet.”

  John interjects. “Yep, the alien computers say this place is ok, but then we’re not aliens and just because it’s ok to them, doesn’t mean it’s going to be ok for us.”

  They all recall the corrosive nature of one planet that was supposed to be ‘habitable.’ Pushing this out of his mind, John banks the craft even lower coming in over a long coastline. Waves splash onto a pristine looking beach that heralds the border to a seemingly never ending forest.

  Patrick looks confused. “Hey, even I know that waves have something to do with having a moon. How can there be waves?”

  “Ohh,” replies John, “this planet has two moons. I parked the Terran in orbit between them.”

  Emma nervously glances at John, along with everyone else.

  John gains some altitude as he pilots the shuttle over the massive forest. Suddenly, a flock of strange birds are startled into the sky. He banks away from them and continues on. Looking for a clearing they head further inland, crossing a wide slow flowing river as they go. A mountain range ahead gives John cause to ponder. If the planet’s atmosphere is corrosive then I need to land, but we need a clearing in case the planet has nasty critters. He pushes the craft even faster, the forest and mountains below, becoming a blur. Crossing the mountain range causes all of them to gasp. The landscape suddenly changes, forests give way to long grasses that rise and fall with the rolling hills. Rivers and streams meander between these hills. Herds of four legged fur covered creatures, that could easily pass for buffalo, scatter as they fly overhead.

  Farther inland they go, the grasslands and hills give way to an arid landscape as the number of streams and rivers dwindle. John gazes at the sparse landscape, and finally finds a suitable landing area.

  Once the craft bumps down, George and Olaf begin the arduous task of dragging equipment outside where they can commence testing the air, and soil.

  Patrick looks back and forth as those around him don’t get up.

  “Um, what are we waiting for now?”

  John keeps watch as he replies. “We don’t know if the air is safe to breathe. I for one, am not interested in just opening the door to find out.” He grins sheepishly.

  Patrick never really thought of these ground missions as dangerous before, but now he is wondering.

  John continues on, unintentionally adding to all their fears. “Besides, this planet seems to have an eco system of sorts, meaning that something out there probably eats those buffalo things.”

  John’s timing is flawless as George’s voice chimes in across the shuttles speakers. “Looks safe, you guys can come out now.”

  While Emma’s team goes about their tasks, John relays the early news to Cindy. Then he and Patrick head outside where they walk a short distance away to maintain a constant vigil. Off in the distant rocky bluffs, they can barely make out what could be caves.

  While the shuttle crew performs their duties, Cindy has been considering a crazy idea. “If this planet is safe, I think we should consider some shore leave.”

  Peter is as surprised at the statement as the rest of the bridge crew.

  Cindy turns to Radclyf. “Think you guys can set up some sort of perimeter? Perhaps the crew could even build a shelter with some walls. Give them something to do while the planet is being studied.” Cindy has a feeling that the Emma is not go
ing to be satisfied with one week to examine this unbelievable planet.

  Peter considers the idea as preposterous for a moment then recants. “Shore leave?”

  Cindy sits back and considers the risks as opposed to the gains. “Well for starters let’s give the crew a peek at this world.”

  Peter looks to Radclyf and Hayato, who in return nod their ascent “Sure. I will make the arrangements.”

  That evening the planetologists are literally gushing as they relay their discoveries. Though the air is a little dryer than Earth’s, it’s quite safe. Soil samples to date offer a lot of promise. The few plants that have been examined are harmless, and potentially nutritious.

  Cindy feels quite pleased with herself as she shows Emma the massive storage area that has already been prepared in anticipation of her needs.

  Rumors spread very fast on this ship, especially the one concerning shore leave. Cindy calls for a meeting of all hands as speculation creates some absurd stories. Standing on a chair, she holds a hand up signaling silence. Eventually, the loud voices drop to murmurs, but still she waits until the room is completely silent. Finally she speaks up.

  “The planet we’re orbiting is everything we could have hoped for and more. It will take Emma’s team quite a while to study it. To that end, we will be setting up a ground camp. Those that wish to visit this new world will assist in the camp’s construction. We will find a suitable location and wall the area off. Also, we will once again be taking names for this world.”

  As soon as she stops talking the crowd cheers loudly.

  It takes two days before Emma’s team has found a suitable location for a base camp. Cindy studies the area carefully. Looking at the mountains ahead, she gazes to her left where the forest comes around the base of the mountain. On her right is the beginning of a massive grassy plain that extends as far as she can see. Behind her, a wide river flows slowly by as it follows the contours of the land.

  George interrupts her thoughts. “Olaf and I will get to work on the walls.”

  “Nah, leave them.” Cindy states, still deep in thought. “It will give the crew something to do.”