by Ted Iverson
A few minutes later he stopped in front of the captain’s hatch, reached up to tap the wall com, and stopped. A shudder ran down his spine. He closed his eyes, waited a moment longer, and pushed the keypad.
“Captain Powers here.” There was a small crackle in the voice.
“Zach Bindl, sir. As requested.”
“Enter, Zach.” The hatch slid open.
As Zach entered, the captain stood and motioned for the boy to sit. Zach noticed that the chair wasn’t in its usual place. It was now next to the desk, directly beside the captain’s. Zach sat down.
“Zach, I know it is early, and I’m certain you are aware that something is amiss here. Your brother Alec contacted me this morning, and…well, he’ll tell you.” The captain touched a few buttons on the holopad, and Alec’s familiar figure appeared. A recorded message followed.
“Zach, I have very disturbing news to tell you. As we speak, I’m on my way home. Orion is too, and Ty is already there. There’s been an accident.” Alec was clearly shaken and was trying to steady himself. “Zach, Mom and Dad are dead.”
Zach sank in his chair. The captain had come up behind him and now placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Zach felt as if his blood had left him. Pale and sick, he tried to listen to the rest of the message.
“They apparently launched the StarDancer, and something went terribly wrong. We just don’t know any more than that. I have asked the captain to arrange an escort to get you home. There’s a shuttle prepped and ready. Zach, we’ll find a way to get through this.”
With that, the recording faded into nothing, which is just how Zach felt: empty, nothing.
Chapter One
(Saturday, April 3rd, 2055)
Ty was the first to start sifting through the mounds of data they’d received from Space Tech’s Corporate Headquarters. Most of it he couldn’t begin to understand. Those holodiscs he set aside for Orion and Zach to decipher. Others he put aside for Alec. Thinking of his brothers, he realized they’d soon be arriving. He should be going to meet them. Unfortunately, stopping would mean he’d have time to think about his parents’ deaths and he just couldn’t do that. He decided to stay busy trying to find any little detail that would shed light on his parents’ deaths. He knew his brothers would be asking questions.
His main focus was why his parents hadn’t informed any of them that they were launching. Certainly the Outer Exploration Committee had to know about the launch. He needed to find out exactly what they knew. It then occurred to him that with his parents gone he would need to head to the capital and confront the OEC. He wondered if they’d cooperate with him. Ty remembered conversations with his father where he’d mentioned that not all on the committee seemed to be fond of the FTL idea, but his father hadn’t mentioned names, names that could now be helpful.
Ty decided to log on to the holonet to see what was being reported. As he began his search, his eyes opened wide. The holonet was abuzz with stories. Every channel was discussing, debating, or arguing over the FTL launch. Rumors about the cause of the Bindls’ deaths were rampant, everything from sabotage to poor construction to being shot down by aliens. Even through the sadness, Ty managed a small smile at that last idea. Tributes to his parents’ accomplishments and their charitable natures had also started to spring up on the net. He had little time for those just now, maybe later, maybe much later.
On one site he saw a familiar building in the background: Space Tech. Reporters were there trying to interview anyone they could. Every staff member who was approached either declined comment and rushed away or just said they had no knowledge that FTL flight was even in development. Ty was proud of the loyalty he was witnessing. On another site, he noticed reporters in front of the Capitol building. The scene appeared unusually quiet and somber. One reporter mentioned that later that evening Senator Pitor Axion, Chairman of the OEC, would be giving a statement. This caught Ty’s attention. He’d have to make sure he listened to the statement.
After spending some time gazing at the images and listening to the conversations, Ty had another revelation: no one seemed to have known that the launch had been scheduled, except for the Senate.
Aunt Peggy walked in, “Ty, Alec will be here shortly. He arrived at Corporate a couple of hours ago but had to meet with the legal department first. There’ll be so much to go over. This all seems like a nightmare. Your father, my brother—I honestly never thought we would lose them, not this way.” Her tears began again. “Anyway,” she continued while wiping her eyes, “Alec left Corporate and is on his way to the house. Orion should be here in a few hours, and Zach is on his way from the Lab. I’ll let you know when Alec arrives.”
Ty walked over to his aunt and gave her a big hug. “Aunt Peggy, it’ll be okay. It will take a while, but it will get better. We won’t let this drag us down. Mom and Dad were special to all of us, but we are family and that’s what will get us by. If I haven’t said this lately I’m sorry: I love you.” Ty gave her an extra squeeze. “I’ll be in the library when Alec gets in.”
The library was where Dad always went when he needed to think, and now it was Ty’s turn. His brothers would want answers, but where to begin looking in order to find them? The library seemed as good as any place to start.
Ty stood outside the doors to the library. He hadn’t been in there for a long time. He turned the knob and pulled on the door, but it didn’t open.
Locked, he thought, but then he noticed a depression to the side, at about chest level: a VGID. Smiling, he submerged his hand into the depression, then removed it. He heard the computer-generated voice respond: “Access denied.” His father must’ve had it installed for safety purposes. Dad most likely would be the only one it would recognize.
Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. Ty jumped to one side and came to a half-standing, half-crouching position, his hands at the ready. Standing in front of him was a very exhausted and very sad-looking Alec. Ty straightened and was about to speak when Alec extended a hand. The handshake shifted into a warm embrace. It felt like it had been ages since the two had showed any affection toward one another, but it was welcome now.
Alec backed out of the embrace, still holding Ty’s shoulders. “Ty,” he began, “how are you holding up?”
“Better than expected. I mean, I’m probably still in shock. It’s so unreal. Have you seen the holonet? Everyone’s talking about it. I don’t understand why we didn’t know, why they wouldn’t tell us.”
Letting go, Alec said, “I know what you’re feeling. I thought about it a lot on the flight here, and I think they didn’t tell us because they knew we’d try to stop them. I certainly would have, but Dad and I never really discussed it. That’s mostly my doing. Now I wish we had. Last time I talked to him I think he was trying to tell me about it, but I changed the subject. I feel horrible about that. After all, it was his dream. Anyway, Ty, the point is moot. Aunt Peggy says you’ve spent hours going over things. Anything I should know?”
“I’ve only gotten through a small part. There’s just so much data. I don’t understand the really technical stuff, left all that in a pile for Orion and Zach. I also have a pile for you, just some of the events leading up to yesterday’s launch. I know there’s a ton I haven’t found. The investigators will do their job, I’m sure. I figure I’m going to be going to the capital soon. I want to talk to the OEC and see what they know.”
“Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Ty, we’ve got a lot to cover when Orion and Zach get here. I had to stop at the legal department on the way. Being the oldest, they wanted to talk with me right away. With Mom and Dad gone they’re worrying about the future of Space Tech. Wills were left, which we’ll need to view as soon as possible. The corporation has policies in place for events such as this, but it still will need a president soon. A face of the company, if you will. Morale must be kept high. The employees need someone to give direction. Someone like Dad: outgoing, politically minded, able to handle the public issues at hand and, of course,
the day-to-day operations. Ty, I told them you were the man for the job.”
Ty felt faint. Did Alec just say what he thought he said?
Losing his father was bad enough, but then to be told he needed to be the one to address the press, answer questions, be the company’s face on the holonet during this difficult time, be the strong one—how could he do that? His mind was trying to process his brother’s statement when he realized Alec was right. Ty had insisted on taking public speaking classes. He was the one who loved to travel with his father on business trips, meet all the dignitaries, and learn about the business side of the company. He’d been preparing for this moment from an early age. Now that moment was here.
“Alec, why are we discussing this before Orion and Zach get here? It should be a family decision.”
“No,” Alec said sternly. “No family discussion on this matter and you know it. None of us has a better grasp on the day-to-day business. None of us has the eloquence you have. Orion and Zach have the scientific minds, but putting them out there would be like throwing raw meat to the wolves. As for me,” he chuckled, “my vocabulary usually consists of four letter words that I don’t think the press or public wants to hear. You are the logical choice. I think so, and moreover, the board thinks so.” Alec saw Ty’s uncertainty. “I’m sure you were hoping to ease into this whole public speaking thing, but obviously, things have changed. The family and Space Tech need you. I’ll be right behind you, Ty, and so will Orion and Zach.”
Ty nodded his head in agreement. “Thanks for the support, Alec.” He half slumped against the wall and felt a stab at his back. He’d almost forgotten the reason he was in front of the door. “Alec, I need your help. I came down here to browse through the library but couldn’t get in. Dad has VGID here. It doesn’t recognize me. Any idea how we might get in? Do we just break in?”
“We can’t break in, Ty. We don’t want to disturb anything. I want in to look around too, see if there are any notes, the usual. Let me think about it, but we won’t be going in there today.”
Ty agreed. They left the library and were walking down the hall when Ty just stopped. There it was again, something pulling at his inner self saying Don’t go; it’s here! The hair on the back of his neck stood on end.
Alec turned and saw his brother stopped, his eyes glazed over. “You okay, Ty?” He repeated it louder: “Hey, Ty! You alright?”
Coming out of it, Ty replied “Oh! Uh, yeah, I’m okay. Just weirded out there for a second. Thought I heard something. It’s nothing, I guess.”
“Let’s go wait for Orion and Zach on the deck. Seems like we both need some fresh air.”
The two brothers relaxed on the large redwood deck of their parents’ home. While they waited, they swapped stories and memories of their parents.
At that point, Orion and Zach were seated in a hover, speeding homeward. To keep themselves from having to think about their parents’ deaths, they’d spent the trip talking about hovers. “These have sure come a long way since 1900,” Zach said as he admired the hover’s sleek, aerodynamic frame. “Gramps sure did a good job when he came up with his design.”
“Yep,” Orion agreed, “it was a good start. There’ve been a lot of refinements since, but it was Gramps’ design for the hover that was the start of Space Tech. And he managed to make hovers both affordable and consumer friendly. No wonder they caught on.”
“What I think is cool is that they were driven by plasma magnetics as well as by air. Good thing for us and Space Tech, wasn’t it?” Zach added.
“I’ll say. The licensing and patents for those were the sole catalysts for Space Tech’s billions.”
“Well, we didn’t do so bad with our additions either, did we?” Zach added with a smirk. “Better propulsion systems, advanced guidance systems, and they’re environmentally safe too. And driving ‘s almost totally automated now. No wonder they’re the preferred mode of transportation.”
Orion nodded. “What surprises me,” he said, “is that there are still some conventional gas-powered cars on the road.”
Zach chuckled. “Yeah, the big three automakers survived the crises of 2008 and 2009, but they sure were left in the dust once Space Tech perfected its design.”
“All the technology is great, of course,” Orion said, “but I think it may be even more important that Space Tech’s hover plants continue to use the human touch rather than automation. Think of the thousands of jobs we provide for people in the Rockford area, and elsewhere too.”
Zach didn’t get a chance to answer. They’d arrived at the house. Their excitement quickly cooled as they remembered just why they were here.
Zach was the first out of the hover, and Orion followed from the driver’s seat. Aunt Peggy met them halfway up the walk and embraced both of them. Brief greetings were then followed by more hugs. Finally, all three proceeded up the walkway.
Alec and Ty had decided to stay on the deck. They wanted their brothers to get settled into their rooms before each shared condolences and before the important discussions began.
After a half an hour or so, Orion and Zach found their way to the deck, along with Aunt Peggy. The five talked about what had happened and shared their feelings about the accident and about their parents.
After an hour, Alec felt it was time to deal with the inevitable. “I don’t know about you guys,” he said, “but I haven’t really eaten today. Aunt Peggy, would it be too much to ask you to whip us up a little grub?”
“Oh my, you’re right, Alec! I would love to fix you boys dinner. It’ll keep my mind busy for a while, and you have plenty to talk about anyway.”
With Aunt Peggy gone, Zach shared the first bit of news. “Guys, I had dinner with Mom and Dad about a week ago. They were really excited, but they wouldn’t tell me why. They sure didn’t seem nervous.” After a brief pause, he went on, “I can’t begin to imagine what we’re going to do.”
“What are we going to do? Well, you know me,” Alec said. “Normally I barely leave my work for vacations. But that’s changed. I want you to know that I’ve requested an indefinite leave of absence. I want—no, I need to be here for you. As long as it takes, I’ll be here.”
“Alec, that is the most generous thing you could offer,” Ty added. “I believe I speak for us all when I say that we want to get you back to your work as soon as possible. We’ve always respected your commitment to your job. But, we won’t send you packing until you’re ready to go back home.”
“Alec, it’ll be good to have you around a while,” Zach added. “Maybe together we can sort through this.”
Orion listened intently to his brothers. “That sounds great, guys, but to tell you the truth, I’m devastated. I’d love to sit here and say we’re going to get through this and that it’ll all be okay, but the fact is it may not be okay. I know Mom and Dad would want me to respond differently, but I can’t. I can’t help but wonder what will become of Space Tech now that they’re gone. I don’t just wonder about it; I’m concerned about it, as we all should be. I’m not trying to shove aside the fact that our parents are dead, but reality better set in fast for us all. The press has been camped outside since the news broke, and Space Tech’s employees are going to want to know what direction the corporation will take, and they’ll want to be reassured that all is well. We can’t sit on this.
“I know this is the worst possible time to bring this up,” he continued, “but I did have a conversation with Dad a couple of weeks ago, and he shared something with me that you three need to be aware of.” Orion’s voice got deadly serious. “We can’t put off any of these issues. Dad told me that he thought Space Tech might have trouble getting another round of grant money. He wouldn’t go into details, but if that’s true, that may be the answer as to why they launched. They may not have had a choice; they may have needed to go in order to secure the grant again.”
Ty shook his head. “There’s no way you’re going to tell me that they launched simply because they felt they had to. Orion
, you know better than to even mention something like that. Safety was first and foremost on their minds. Always. They would have waited, appropriated the money, and proceeded.”
Alec jumped in. “Relax, Ty. I see each of your sides on this. However, there may be a whole different side. They may have been totally ready to go. The fact that Dad was worried about the grant, well, that was just Dad. It was his job to worry. It could be that what happened was just a mechanical failure, a true accident. Think of the tens of thousands of things that made up that ship. By the way, did any of you ever see it?” He looked inquisitively around the room and saw his brothers shaking their heads in unison.
“See,” Alec went on. “We need to gather the facts. We’ve all got a lot to do. Back to Orion’s comments—he’s right. Orion, Zach, before I got here today, Tech’s lawyers had me stop by HQ. I talked with Ty briefly about some of this, but some of this will be new to him.”
He turned and looked at Ty apologetically. “They were saying the same exact thing that Orion just did. Dad had mentioned to them that it might be difficult to obtain the grant money this time around. They tried to press him on the subject, but he wouldn’t go into details. I was then informed that Dad had a long-term plan and a short-term plan in case something happened to one or both of them. The long-term plan was to be implemented if none of you were of age, but that isn’t the case.
“The short-term plan is detailed in the wills, which, by the way, will be read tomorrow. The number one stipulation was that it be read within forty-eight hours of the death of one or both of them. Anyway, it was agreed that Ty will meet the press tomorrow after the reading. This was requested by the board members, Ty, and I for one agree with their decision.”