“Thank you, Radar.” The readout on the needled gauge was above range by probably half a ratio, but estimated. Close enough.
This process resumed, repeated, and slowed them dramatically, over almost forty five minutes. Angela knew that this was only because they were fragile.
Radar reported, exactly one light speed, Captain! I… don’t believe it!”
“System, status check, damage report, now!”
“All systems in the green, Commander. Injuries consist of hyperventilation and nausea.”
“Friend, are we still together?”
‘YES! U R TOO SLOW. I HAVE HELP U!’
That it did. “Please be sure to advise before abrupt maneuvers?” She had no idea what else it was planning, but it paid to be prepared.
‘YES. UNRSTN …U FRAGILE! HAHA.’
A nervous chuckle around the bridge.
Radar said, “Look at the aft vid!” with a kind of awe.
There, laid out almost full screen, was a planetary system not unlike the Sun Solar System, except there were two stars in orbit on one another, a binary system. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
“My God,” Angela managed, after a minute.
“Radar, do you have any idea how far we have come from Earth?”
“No, ma’am, but the system can do it.”
“System factor in the right turn, and the resultant speed. How far are we from planet Earth?”
Silence. Was it thinking? Calculating? Stumped? Angela waited, impatiently tapping her fingers on the metal arms to her chair.
“As an estimate, Commander, we are still Thirteen hundred and four trillion miles in a direct line. This is before taking into account the starboard right angle turn, which added no further distance.”
Far, far out of reach, Angela thought, briefly. “Friend, we need to turn around so the nose leads us!”
‘YOU ARE FREE TO TURN.’
No one had felt the grip relax, and all were afraid to find out how that worked, anyway. No one asked.
“System, one hundred eighty degrees on the bearing, began turn around, now.” They could do it in minutes, but it would kill almost everyone aboard. They assigned these about faces to one hour increments.
Once again, the thrusters began to do their thing, keeping it from spinning, controlling the turnaround. Whether an upside down turn or a simple on the plane turn, no one inside would be able to tell. Only those watching the vids knew for sure. And it was dead even on the plane.
The future home, they all hoped, for the human race, one hour later, was centered on the large forward vid. But they had traveled so far, so fast, that the entire planetary system no longer fit on the screen.
Several minutes later, Angela said, “Friend, turn complete.”
‘YOU MUST GO. SURVIVE. I MUST BACK… WAIT… GO BACK. PATROL FOR ZEPHROAN. NO ZEPHROAN HERE. YOU RESUME HOME SEARCH. LUCK. I LEARN MUCH, FRAGILE HUMANS! HAHA.’
“Thank you Friend. Maybe we will meet again, and I hope we always can be friends.”
‘YES. GOOD…WAIT… GOODBYE!’
“Goodbye!” Angela replied.
There was no response. Friend, Tal’Ken, entity or group, it did not matter. It was gone…
Somebody sniffled. Maybe it it’s me, she thought, wiping an eye on a tissue…
BOOK IV
Beacon of Hope
CHAPTER 1
Four days later, the planetary system seemed practically close enough to touch! Certainly close enough to scan for orbits and planetary objects.
“Well, we did not expect it to be that easy, right?” Angela asked Commander Rogers. The planetary system had a water world, but it was one hundred percent water, though it had oxygen and nitrogen. The shallowest area was hundreds upon hundreds of miles deep. In a pinch, as a cruise ship, the Resolute could ride the waves forever, while they built flotilla cities. But it was not ideal. In fact, unless they built an entire surface structure to support life, it was better and safer inside Resolute.
Seventeen planets circled one sun or the other, and some of the far out ones circled both as if one body. Fortunately, the plane for one set was canted about forty degrees above the other, so the plotted course of the planets did not seem to come close to one another.
Unfortunately, not one of these others were in the Goldilocks zone, mostly frozen ice or liquid lava.
Yet, still, they had not seen all the planets. Some came around their star way too fast, too close to the star and thus baked. Imagine a year only four or five days long! Others might take a few hundred years, but those were sure to be gas or ice giants, and the ones they observed were just that.
To help in the identification, they stayed out from the nearest star by four million miles, and established a reverse orbit. The better to identify the planets without waiting years. Then, magic happened.
A solo planet, with an almost imperceptible rotation, mostly blue, but dotted with dark material that had to be land in many places, came slowly out of the glare from the far side of the nearest sun to Resolute. They quickly shifted to get a better angle, as waiting would take half a year!
To Angela’s delight, it had crisp white ice caps, top and bottom. It did not, however, tilt on its axis like Earth, which left off the ability to have seasons. Although, by extrapolation, the other star might provide it as the planet whipped by, even a hundred million miles away.
“Oh, my… God!” Commander Rogers, exclaimed, breathless.
“I agree, Commander. Move us in to a thousand miles over that planet!”
An hour and a half later, as they settled in on an orbit of nearly a thousand miles, the blue ball filled the screen. It was so much like their pictures of Earth that even those that had never seen the real thing felt homesick. Of course, all the continents were shaped far differently, but the concept was plain to see.
“System, specs on the blue planet in the vid, now,” Rogers called.
“Radius five thousand four hundred miles at the equator. Turning at the rate of one revolution per one point one days. It is one hundred twenty million miles from its star. It revolves within one hundred ninety-six million miles at its closest point to the opposing star. This is a binary system, and the closest star is one point one one percent larger than the size of Earth’s sun. The second sun is only ninety percent that size. Cannot compute mass, Commander, without a composition investigation.”
Oddly, for Angela, who was enthralled in her Captain’s chair, Spook had literally no inflections, no excitement. She spoke up, “System, spectral analysis of atmosphere on that near planet in the vid, now.”
“One moment, Commander.”
Spectral analysis would break up the light reflected off the planet and the strength of certain chemicals in the atmosphere would be indicated by the strength of certain colors. Missing chemicals or gas would have gaps in the rainbow.
“Spectral analysis complete, Commander. It is five percent higher in oxygen, and four percent less in nitrogen than Earth, with the balance made up of carbon dioxide. This planet is eighty-two percent water, eighteen percent land, thirty-five percent of the land mass in plains, but there are volcanic, forest, jungle, desert and ice fields.”
“System Temperature check, now.”
“Temperature at the equator, in this small sample, stands a constant thirty-two degrees, Celsius. Night temperatures should vary by twenty-two percent on a vertical axis planet. I anticipate a ten degree or more cool-down as the planet leaves the secondary star’s influence.”
A quick conversion in Angela’s mind put that temp at 80 to about 90 degrees in Fahrenheit. Correspondingly cooler as one traveled north or south toward the poles.
“That is about as close to Earth qualities as we are likely to get for a long, long time, Commander. Comments?” Angela asked.
“Uhhh, ma’am, sure. Well, as we know, carbon dioxide is an indicator of life, Captain. Trees and jungles should absorb it pretty quickly. Leftover carbon dioxide usually indicates either large life for
ms, or a multitude… ma’am.”
“You are right, Commander. It pays to be cautious. It is beautiful, but it could be a trap. Put us two hundred miles over that planet, over the largest land mass, stationary. Let’s watch for a turn or two, take some readings for day and night. Just to be safe.”
“Yes, Captain. Good idea, if only to give us time to plan this approach… uhhh, Sir.”
“I want all scans looking for life forms, any kind, every minute we are here, Commander!”
“Yes, ma’am.” He turned to take care of the problem.
She thought about it. Carbon dioxide was always an indicator of life. But what kind?
-----
Night time on the new planet brought a startling discovery! None of the land masses looked anything like Earth in the daytime, and so, when they saw large areas of light, manufactured light, they were stunned, but had no idea where to place them. Many photographs were collected for analysis, identifying over a hundred good sized lighted areas, mostly in north to south lines, as if trailing a coastline on the dark side of this new Earth.
Electricity was a basic invention. Any species more advanced than animals or reptiles would need it. This did not necessarily indicate an advanced civilization. In truth, these were very concentrated, large areas along what they assumed were the seaboards, all coasts, every continent they could read from their position.
Then, there were smaller amounts in slightly toward the darkened centers of each continent. As if there were small towns inland. Still, judging by the lights at night, alone, the planet was scarcely settled at all… but by what kind of species?
Angela knew that they had one enemy, the Zephroan. And one possible friend, the Tal’Ken… but they both were supposed to be far from here.
Hopefully.
-----
“Get them out of storage, Commander Willits. “Dust ‘em off, run the checks and let’s see if we can get transportation to the ground. Fully armed, please!”
The process of preparing shuttles was not in the purview of the bridge officers, but it was in the Captain’s. Willits quickly responded, “Yes, ma’am!” and turned to his desk to send the orders on.
There were twenty shuttles on board the Resolute, necessary to transfer fifty people at a time. A hundred, if it proved that standing room only would work. That depended on the buffeting from the atmosphere. Into Earth, everybody buckled up and hung on for dear life. Angela was certain this would be the same. Thick atmosphere, regardless of composition, meant resistance.
By the next ‘day,’ the bright side of the planet, they had all shuttles ready, but only two were going to investigate. It always paid to have reserves. No telling what those first shuttles would run into… figuratively speaking.
If it worked out, inhabitable, and not something they had to fight over, transfers would follow.
The excitement on the bridge was palpable…
CHAPTER 2
Palpable became frightening in less than twenty seconds, as a flock, the best name Angela could find, of small space planes, all armed to the teeth, weapons hot, suddenly appeared as if materializing, not far off their nose. Well, a hundred miles off, flying backward, but pointed with deliberate purpose at the vulnerable bow of the Resolute. Remember, in space, a hundred miles is miniscule.
“I see human designs in these. System, hail them, quickly, multiple bands, Radar, shields UP!” shouted Angela, bypassing Commander Rogers, who seemed stunned.
In seconds, Spook announced, “Alliance handshake, Commander!” Alliance meant, most often, humans, as at the time Resolute sailed, they had no idea of other species.
And at the same moment, the vid went picture wide with a dark haired male human being, grinning rakishly.
“You gotta be kidding!” the man called out, laughing! “Where the hell you been?”
So much for protocol, thought Angela, standing formally as she replied, “I am Captain Angela Washington, UE Resolute, on search for human habitable planets. You look human. Who are you?”
“Holy Chips, it is you! We saw the name on the side of the ship. Chips, you been gone for what, a couple of centuries? I am Captain Jack Calmone, of the planet Renewal. This is the wing command ship, Accoster. Our ancestors were on Hope, a hundred years ago, right here, putting people on the rock. You are way, way late to the homecoming party!”
Angela had to work to keep her jaw from dropping. “How did… Hope get there so fast?”
“Long story, beautiful. You need to come landside for one hell of a welcome back party. We love to party! How many people you got left on that old tub?”
She wanted to be insulted, she believed in Resolute, and this… upstart who was impugning her ship did not have the right stuff… maybe herself, too.
“We are readying transports. Give me the coordinates and I and my staff will meet you planet-side.”
“Well, get ready for a shock, honey!”
He turned and said something, but Angela could not hear him, even see him, and everything went to oddly fading dots. But moments later, maybe, she found herself and Commander Rogers standing face to face with Captain Calmone! In HIS ship!
She was looking up. The trouble with long term space voyages and light rations was the tendency to maintain a smaller stature. She was not quite five feet, a solid one hundred ten pounds, and Rogers was five one, perhaps twenty pounds heavier than her. This man was easily six feet… maybe more! Two hundred pounds? Yes, a giant! His big hand caught her arm, steadying her, lest she fall flat on her face.
“Easy honey. Sorry to scare you, but we are so far ahead of the old seekers, you would not believe. Teleportation. We can, when you are ready, bring your whole passenger list to Renewal, about two thousand at a time. Are you with me? Okay?”
He did look concerned. It was not often, apparently, that he got a chance to scare the crap out of a visitor.
She shook her head, momentarily, dizzy, not sure if she was overwhelmed or just disoriented. She started to get very, very angry, but he redirected her.
“Look at our vid. Bet you have never seen Resolute in such a view!”
Angela looked, and did a double take. He was right. Never. It was not that pretty, with a blunt snout, looking like a flattened, fat cigar, and sooo long. On the upper right ‘forehead’ from her angle, a dark singed area spoke of the brush of that alien laser. It would be upper left, or port side from her own bridge.
The whole view, unseen until now, almost stole her breath. “N…no. Look, isn’t there a protocol about jerking someone around?” She still wanted to be angry, she really did. But it was hard.
They had accomplished the mission. Now she needed to find out how Hope, the ship on the far left of their original launch wheel, so long ago, had managed to come this far off course and find it first… and more than a hundred years ago!
“Captain, I apologize. I was stunned by your beauty, and failed to realize your station,” he said, contritely. Looking, at least, as if he meant it. The smile playing around his lips took a little off of it.
She had to smile. Damn, but he was really, really good looking! Dark wavy hair, blue eyes almost violet, great teeth in that smile, and as he apologized, he looked like a little boy. He seemed to be only a few years older than she was, but it was hard to tell. He was more… craggy.
Dirt-side and sunshine. I probably look like a ghost. Still, she grinned on, helplessly. “Okay, thank you… I think! Do you meet all persons of rank with equal enthusiasm?”
“Dunno. Never met any. Our military is a militia, everyone belongs, and can be called up pretty quick. When we saw your arrival, we had this wing in the air in ten minutes. We have lots of ranks and such, but are not near as tight assed… oh, sorry, you will have to get used to us. We will grow on you. Bet you have never set foot on a rock before, right?”
He was practically dancing like that little boy who had to pee, he was so anxiously trying to please her. Angela, not used to such attention, was at first embarrassed, but he was ri
ght, if she relaxed, he was, well, a bit calmer.
A svelte, statuesque blonde woman, perhaps late forties to early fifties, but seemingly very well preserved, came through the swish of the doors, carrying a pair of boxes. She had only a slight gray in her dark hair, and was quite lovely. She handed the boxes to her Captain.
“As requested, Sir.” With that, and hardly a smile, she was gone.
Jack handed one to Angela, then the other to Commander Rogers, and said, “Open it. This will make you feel much more secure.”
Gifts on the first date? She almost giggled. But he seemed very serious.
To Rogers’, “Holy cow!” she opened hers. Inside was a brand new wrist communicator, smaller, lighter and titanium, shiny blended steel. It sparkled like diamonds.
“What… is this for?” she asked, almost stunned.
“You can communicate through our satellites about a light year out, to your ship’s system, or to anyone else wearing one of these. It is voice activated, but if you open the time deck lid, call up the holograph, you can simply touch the view to call up further information, or to pass on text. A million times more efficient and effective over your old antique!” He chuckled to her look of being overwhelmed.
“Maybe, while you learn about it, you two should sit down. You look a little…peaked. Is that a word, anymore? Pale,” Calmone said, ushering them to a bench at a small table in a room just off the bridge. They all sat down around the table.
The tall blonde returned as if from a secret signal. “Yes, Captain?”
“These two are going to need help Karenth.”
“Of course, Sir. I am Commander Karenth Syvlov. Let me demonstrate how they work. You will be very impressed, ma’am.” Carefully, patiently, the tall woman showed Rogers and Angela how to use their new gift.
-----
A half hour later, growing impatient, Calmone offered, “Commander Rogers, we will send you back to your bridge, where you can run the ship in the Captain’s temporary absence.”
Angela looked first a bit angry that these people were giving the orders, and then, just as suddenly, a bit panicked that she was going to be here, all alone.
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