The Last Crusade

by Ira Tabankin

  Frowning, he looks at his monitor. Why is it flashing “Urgent Message?” What could be urgent enough for the system to remove my screen saver and bother me before I’ve had my coffee? Leaning forward in his chair, he moves the mouse to clear the message on the screen. Clicking on the icon, he brings up the message, noting it’s an image folder, he leans back sipping his coffee while he waits for the file to fully load. The first image and formulas that appear on his display cause him to snap forward in his seat spilling his cup of coffee on the floor where additional reports and file folders from the previous month are stacked, waiting to be reviewed and filed.

  Richard looks at the images searching for the anomaly Kepler identified. He clicks on the displayed small image to expand it until it fills his screen, studying the image, he notices a bright dot of light. A dot of light which shouldn’t be there. He types instructions asking for previous images from this section of space to be overlaid on the existing image. Slowly images begin filling Richard’s monitor. Staring at the images, he builds a time line to study how long the anomaly has been there and how quickly it’s moving. He overlays image on image looking for the change. He enters a new window to calculate the anomaly’s speed, seeing the answer, he leans back releases the breath he wasn’t aware he was holding. No way, no f-ing way. Nothing can move that quickly. Nothing in nature except for light and this isn’t pure light. What the hell is it? He runs a search of NASA’s files looking for anything similar or anything moving at the speed of the anomaly. Each time he narrows his search and presses the enter button, the list of similar objects continues to decline until his monitor shows “Zero objects categorized above 0.05c.” Shaking his head, he tries running the search again looking for objects in this region of space. He begins reading out loud from NASA’s files, “55-Cancri is a binary star approximately 41 light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Cancer. The system consists of a G-type star (designated 55 Cancri A, also named Copernicus) and a smaller red dwarf (55 Cancri B). As of January 2006, five planets have been discovered designated 55 Cancri b, c, d, e and f; named Galileo, Brahe, Lipperhey, Janssen and Harriot. 55-Cancri A is classified as a super metal-rich star, making its age and density hard to determine. When the words, 55-Cancri e is classified as a “Super-Earth” type planet. It’s within 55-Cancri’s habitable zone. (The region around a star where planets have sufficient atmospheric pressure and temperature range that can support liquid water on their surfaces.)

  Looking at the anomaly, he instructs the computer to track the anomaly backward. Shit, it came from 55-Cancri e and is moving at 0.90c. How is that even possible? Super-Earth, crap. The planet is warm enough to support water and life. My God, is it possible? Could this really be what we’ve waited a millennium for? Richard clicks an icon to transfer the data and images to a memory stick while he types a request for an emergency meeting with his manager, NASA’s Deputy Director, Dennis Grill. He checks his calendar, noticing he doesn’t have a meeting for the next ten minutes. Dennis types a message back to Richard saying, “NOW, or in three days.”

  Richard grabs the memory stick and a handful of prints, hot off the printer. He runs to the elevator so he can meet with the Deputy Director before someone else grabs his spot. He knows that anyone can walk into the Deputy Director’s office if his meeting light isn’t on. He’s afraid someone will steal his stop and he’ll have to wait an additional three days. Minutes after entering the elevator, out of breath, he knocks on the Deputy Director’s door.

  “Richard, if that’s you, come in, what’s so important that it can’t wait for our normal Friday weekly summary meeting?”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

  “You requested this meeting as a red event?”

  “Sir, here’s a memory stick, there’s a single file on it. Please look at the file. There’s a series of images and a computer generated flight path. I have some images if you want to look at hard copies.”

  Opening the file, images begin popping up covering Dennis’ monitor. Shaking his head, he looks over his desk.

  “Richard, can you summarize what I’m looking at? I only have eight minutes before my next meeting.”

  “Sir, Kepler spotted an anomaly, sir, it’s a moving anomaly. I tracked the object back to the 55 Cancri system. The system has three gas giant planets and a rocky world about the size of Neptune. Sir, the rocky world is in the Goldilocks region. Sir, 55 Cancri is 41 light-years from Earth, the system is around 4.7 billion years old. It’s comparable to our Sun. Sir, I asked the computer to track the anomaly, if it holds its current course it will intercept Earth’s orbit. Here’s the stellar map showing the projected and historical track.”

  “Are you sure of this? I hope you checked this more than once.”

  “Sir, if I may, I can show you the anomaly’s detailed course. I attached a map in the file.”

  “Come around my desk and show me your map and the anomaly’s detailed course. Why do you think it will intercept our orbit?”

  Opening the file icon, Richard clicks on the map to open and expand it. A galactic map fills the director’s screen. The object’s reverse path is shown by a green dotted line; the green dotted line originates at 55 Cancri e. Its future course is shown as a red dotted line. The red dotted line curves, intersecting with Earth’s orbit.

  Richard moved his finger over the image of the map, he points to a spot in space, “If the anomaly stays on its current course, it will intercept our orbit, right here.”

  Dennis sits staring at his monitor. He releases a deep breath. Slowly he shakes his head.

  “My God. Is this real?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Staring at the screen, “Richard, how fast is this anomaly moving?”

  “Sir, that’s what’s crazy, I can’t explain it. I’ve checked the numbers four times. Sir, the object is moving at 0.9c.”

  “Wait a minute. You checked the numbers four times? Nothing in nature moves at 90% the speed of light. It’s not possible, nothing can move that fast. Think of the relativity issues of something moving at 0.9c. Hitting a grain of sand would be the same as striking an atomic bomb. How is it possible?”

  “Sir, I can show you the computer’s print out.”

  “I believe you. What does the computer classify the object as?”

  “Sir, an unknown anomaly. It doesn’t fit into any category we know.”

  “Completely unknown?”

  Dennis shakes his head, he looks down at the monitor, his finger traces the anomaly’s course. “When?”

  “Four years five months, it’s due to arrive for Memorial Day 2020.”

  “Four years?”

  “Yes, sir. Memorial Day week 2020, whatever that object is, it’s going to be in the same space as Earth. The computer projects a 97% probability of it striking the planet. Sir, if it hits us moving at 0.9C, it’s going to be an extinction level event. Nothing will survive, depending on the anomaly’s mass, I’m not even sure the planet would survive.”

  “Who else knows about this?”

  “Sir, the data is hot off the computer, I emailed you as soon as I downloaded and checked it. I haven’t had time to tell anyone.”

  “Good, don’t. We don’t want to create a world-wide panic.” Deputy Director Grill presses a button on his phone, “Mary, cancel my appointments for the rest of the day and set up a secure conference call with the Director, tell him, it’s about a unicorn. Yes, that’s right. Tell him it’s about a unicorn. Tell him, we have a confirmed unicorn. Yes, I said a confirmed unicorn.”

  Richard looks confused at Dennis, who smiles,

  “Did you think I’d just call the Director and say, oh, by the way, in four years there’s a good chance we’re going to be struck by an unknown object moving at 90% of the speed of light? Every living thing on the planet is going to die. There are code words for almost every situation.”

  “Sir, is there one for a first contact?”

  “Of course. Right now, just sit and get comfortable.
I don’t know where the Director is today. The code word will get his attention.” Before he can complete his explanation the office phone rings.

  “Yes, Mary?”

  “Sir, it’s the Director.”

  “Thank you, please put him through.”

  “Dennis, I hope you’re not wasting my time, I’m in D.C. I’m supposed to be presenting our budget proposal to Congress in an hour.”

  “Sir, I’m holding ten pages of computer printouts, in my opinion, this is a real unicorn. I suggest we go secure.”

  “Agreed.”

  Both men press the secure button on their phones. Static fills the line before the Director comes back on the line.

  “Dennis, tell me about the unicorn. How was it discovered? Where is it, how sure are you it’s coming this way and its orbit will cross ours?”

  “Sir, Kepler discovered it. The object originated in the area of 55 Cancri, 41 light years away. Sir, Richard Browning backtracked it to 55 Cancri e.”

  “As the planet 55 Cancri e? You were able to back track it to the planet?”

  “Yes, sir. What ever this is, it started its journey from the same orbit as 55 Cancri e. The newest planet discovered in the 55 Cancri system. The one someone in NASA nicknamed the “Super Earth.”

  Dennis holds up his hand to tell Richard to pause, “Sir, Richard did a hell of a job, he backtracked and plotted it’s course. I checked them, I believe this is a real unicorn. I can send you the files.”

  “Oh, Jesus Christ.”

  “Yes, sir. Richard brought the information directly to me. Before you ask, he hasn’t spoken to anyone. He hasn’t issued any statements, he hasn’t told anyone, protocol is in place, I’ve sent a message to security locking the facility down and jamming all cellular and WiFi signals.”

  The Director of NASA pauses a minute thinking over what he’s just heard. “Richard, you did very good in keeping this secret. I’m classifying everything about this object Top Secret. Richard, I’m sure you understand the panic something like this could cause. People will think it’s the end of the world. All of their inner demons will come out. All hell will break lose. We have to take the time to triple check your find and control the flow of information. I know you did a great job, I want some other people to check your data so we’re not scaring the shit out of everyone over a mistake like that which destroyed our Mars mission when one group used the metric and the other the American measuring system to calculate the speed of the probe’s descent. We need to be sure we’re one hundred ten percent right before we tell the President.”

  “Sir, shouldn’t the people be told? Four years is long enough that some may be able to prepare shelters and survive the collision. We don’t know the size or mass of the object, maybe it’s very small or very light. I believe the people have the right to know. We need to use every minute to prepare for the potential strike. Sir, we have four years, we built the Empire State building in eighteen months, we can dig shelters, store supplies, we can save millions.”

  “Richard, that will be up to the President. I’ll be speaking with him this afternoon. I need copies of your data processed down so a ten-year-old can understand it. You better be right and I pray you’re wrong. Anything moving at 0.9c is going to create a hell of a hole in whatever it hits. I don’t want you leaving the building for any reason. I’m going to have security protect you. Dennis, put him and his computer in the SCIF, I want security around him 24/7. Get to work on the presentation so I have something to show the President. Damn it, I have to figure out what I’m going to tell the Speaker why I need to cancel the budget presentation. Dennis, you know how to reach me.”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll email you a presentation anyone will be able to understand.”

  The Director lowers his voice to just above a whisper, “Richard, what do you think it is?”

  “Sir, I don’t have enough information yet to say.”

  “Give me your best off the record guess, I promise I won’t hold you to it.”

  “Sir, I can’t even guess. A rouge planet wouldn’t be reflecting light the way this does. A comet would reflect light, but it wouldn’t be moving at 0.9c. Sir, I don’t know what it could be. I’ve gone through the list of possibilities and it doesn’t match anything in the files.”

  “Stay near your phone, I’ll most likely call you after I see your presentation. Use a lot of pictures and the map. Don’t use any formulas. Richard, one last question for now, please think it over very clearly before you respond. Could this be a ship?”

  Three long silent minutes drag on, each minute feels like an hour. Richard swallows before answering,

  “Sir, anything is possible.”

  “Thank you. I’ll get back to you.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Dennis presses the intercom,

  “Mary, please ask security to come to my office. Richard is going to the SCIF.”

  Security knocks on Dennis’ door.

  “Come.”

  “Sir, you called?”

  “Yes, I want you to escort Richard to the secure SCIF, he isn’t to talk to anyone. He’s not to touch anything except his computer and notes. You will watch to make sure he doesn’t touch a phone. I want you to hold his cell, also,locate and hold his personal tablet or laptop. Don’t allow anyone except for me into the SCIF, this is classified Top Secret. He’s not to leave. If he needs to use the restroom, one of you escort him. He’s never to be out of your sight. Am I clear?”

  “Yes, sir.” Answers the two confused security guards.

  A moment after security escorts Richard out of Dennis’ office his secure phone rings.”

  “Dennis, it’s the director, is Richard out of your office?”

  Yes, sir. He’s on his way to the SCIF with security.”

  “Dennis, what does your gut tell you, is this a real unicorn?”

  “Sir, the maps show if it maintains its course, it’s going to intercept our orbit. We have no idea how it’s moving at 0.9c. I’m very concerned. Richard and the computer are correct; this doesn’t correspond to anything in our files. Sir, there’s one additional issue to consider, the light it's giving off is unnatural.”

  “Pardon me?”

  “Sir, whatever is causing the light isn’t something normally occurring in nature. The computer tried to analyze the light, it defined it as unknown and unnatural. If I'm not held to whatever I say, I’ll put forth a guess, sir, it’s only a guess without any facts.”

  “Dennis, I promise I won’t hold it against you. What do you think we’re looking at?”

  “Sir, first contact.”

  “Dennis, today isn’t April 1st. I don’t have the time for jokes.”

  “Sir, we’re looking at an object moving at 0.9c, it originated from a rocky world located in the Goldilocks zone of its star. We’ve already classified the planet as an Earth-like planet. The light being emitted is too bright to be something normally occurring in nature. The anomaly is on an intercept course with Earth. What else can it be? Its course doesn’t fit anything we’re familiar with. A comet orbits a star. A rouge planet wouldn’t be giving off such a light. Nothing we know of moves at 0.9c, hell, sir, we didn’t think it was possible for anything to move at that percent of C. Sir, remember Occam's razor, "when you have two competing theories that make exactly the same predictions, the simpler one is, the better." Sir, if we rule out everything it can’t be, we’re left with a small number of things it can be. The most logical outcome is that what we’re seeing is a vehicle of some sort.”

  “Oh my God! From a planet 41 light years away? How would they know we’re here?”

  “We’ve been sending probes out for years, our radio and television signals have penetrated further into space than 55 Cancri. Maybe they heard us and are sending a probe to answer us.”