by George Deeb
“Hmmmm... Yes, it did.” he replied with another smile on his face.
“Very nice.” said Mersuul, to Travellor. “When we arrive I'm going to sign you off on the transports. You really haven't needed an instructor for some time now. Your balancing of the cargo was excellent.”
“I know,” said Travellor. “but it's been a good excuse to have you come with me.”
Mersuul smiled, reached over and grabbed his hand.
“I know.” she said.
Erika's eyes had been continually getting larger as she realized that they had left Earth's atmosphere and were now in space. Her mind was trying to handle the information overload, and all the surprises coming at her.
“Isn't it time to start heading back down now? ...” she said, “Wait … WHAT? … Moon base? Did you say moon base?”
“Did I forget to mention that you'd be working on the moon?” said Travellor, with a quirky smile on his face.
“WE HAVE A BASE ON THE MOON?” blurted out Erika. “AND NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT IT?”
“Ah... well... If by 'We' you mean the USA, then not exactly. But our employer does.” said Travellor.
“I … I thought I was hired by a U.S. government agency. I mean, with all the secrecy, and the background checks and all.”
“You were. Only the government doesn't know the agency exists. Well that's not exactly true – they do know – sorta. It's complicated. But all will be made clear as you go through indoctrination on the base.”
“Adjusting course for avoidance of WISE satellite.” said the disembodied voice.
“WISE satellite? THE wise satellite? Where? Where is it?” Erika asked excitedly. “I've only seen pictures of it.”
The ship moved in an 'upward' direction, in relation to the floor. Erika could feel the slight increase in pressure against the bottom of her thighs.
“There!” said Mersuul, quickly pointing out the left window.
Erika saw a cylindrical shaped object with a flat panel on its back, as it seemed to drop below their flight path. It was pointing away from them, out into space.
“Its sensors could detect the heat of our ship.” said Mersuul. “It is one of several satellites we have to avoid so we are not detected. There is something else you may want to see.” she said pointing out the other side of the ship.
Erika turned her head, and her mouth opened. The International Space Station looked like it was close enough to grab. She thought it was amazing and beautiful as it glowed in reflected sunlight. It was like a huge metal art sculpture hung in space.
“We fly by the station whenever we can, so that we can check it for potential problems the astronauts might not be aware of. Unfortunately we are limited to visual inspections only.” said Travellor.
“They are very brave people, to risk their lives in such a primitive ship.” said Mersuul. “Space travel is very dangerous even in a ship like the Orysta, which is one of the best of its class. But this... “ she said, nodding her head towards the ISS, “... this is like living in a paper house during a hurricane. I do not know if I could be that brave.”
It was with those words that Erika Aimsler began to feel the impact of what she was seeing and hearing. She felt light headed as the shock of realization set in.
“How... How are we doing this?” she asked. “How can we do this – what we've done? We've gotten here in just minutes.”
She looked down at the floor as she tried to piece together the puzzle. Travellor looked back at his niece, and didn't like the way she looked. Now he was worried.
“Erika, are you alright hon?”
“This ship has no rockets, but we've traveled faster than any rocket built on Earth. There is almost no noise – no vibration. What makes this thing go? How can this ship have this much power? The Orysta? This isn't the Orysta, is it? The Orysta is much larger isn't it?”
Travellor got out of his seat, and knelt beside his niece. He took her hands in his, and the smile was gone from his face.
“Maybe I shouldn't have brought you here without preparing you better for this.” he said as looked into Erika's eyes. “You are perfectly safe here – as safe as anyone can be in life. You are about to see some amazing things, that very few people from our planet have seen. If you want to, you will be able to learn things that are beyond our world's knowledge and capabilities.”
Erika didn't respond, but just kept looking at her uncle.
“Medical analysis of Erika Aimsler.” said Travellor
“Erika Aimsler shows signs of slightly low blood pressure and rapid pulse indicating minor condition of shock.” said the voice.
Travellor held her face in his hands, and then kissed Erika on the forehead.
“Remember when you were six, - I think that was when you first said it - and we would look through the telescope at the night sky? I would ask you what was your favorite thing in the sky and you would point to the moon and say that it was what you wanted for your birthday present, and I told you I would try to get it for you? Every year after that you said the same thing, and I told you I would try. We'd laugh about it, knowing I would never really be able to give it to you. Remember that?”
She nodded her head. Travellor smiled gently at her stunned silence.
“I'm about to make good on that promise. I'm about to give you the moon.”
Erika had already realized that the moon she saw through the front windshield was getting bigger and they were moving closer to it. Her eyes opened wide.
“OH MY GOD!” she said in a stunned tone. “OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!”
She began to breathe more quickly.
“You...” she said looking at Mersuul. “THIS!...” she said looking around the ship. “We didn't build this did we?... I mean this ship was not built on Earth, was It? And you're not from here are you? You're an alien aren't you?”
“Yes.” said Mersuul, reaching out her hand.
Erika took her offered hand, and held it firmly, paying attention to the feel of it in hers. It felt like any person's hand. On one of the display screens of the instrument panel and outline of a person appeared and numbers with words she couldn't read were displayed next to it. They all noticed when the display came one. Mersuul glanced at it for a few seconds, then turned back to Erika.
“Is that supposed to be me?” asked Erika.
“Yes.” said Mersuul. “The ship's computer monitors all crew members throughout the flight. If anything changes from normal it displays the persons physiological data, so that the rest of the crew can be warned that something needs to be given attention.”
“Your heart and breathing rates increased when you got excited, triggering the display.” said Travellor.
Erika realized that her breathing had become heavy, and her heart rate was fast.
“WELL OF COURSE MY EVERYTHING IS FASTER!” she said loudly. “You just told me that I'm in an alien ship – WITH A REAL ALIEN! - and we're really going to the moon! Ohmygod. Ohmygod, Oh..my..god.... THIS IS FANTASTIC! We're going to the moon! YES.”
She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her uncle's neck, and gave him several kisses on the cheek. She tightened her hug until he pointed to his neck, indicating he couldn't breathe.
“Your uncle does know you very well.” said Mersuul. “I was worried for a while when you first realized what was happening, and your metabolism changed. I thought Tony had made a mistake not to prepare you for this.”
“How long have we known each other for?” asked Travellor with a smug look on his face. “When will you ladies ever learn?” he asked jokingly.
“You are wonderful.” said Erika, tightening her hug briefly. “A little arrogant, but wonderful.”
Mersuul looked at the two of them and couldn't help smiling.
“I think I will have that added to his official medical record - 'Wonderful but arrogant.'” she said, looking at Travellor with affection in her eyes.
Mersuul pushed one of the buttons on the arm of her seat, and a touchboard c
ame up from the side and positioned in front of her. She started entering data. A few minutes later the touchboard retracted away.
“There!” she said. “The first official report on your moon base record. I was ordered to evaluate your reaction to everything you were told about the operation. Your new employer will be very happy, as will Grilik Munen.”
“MY new employer? Don't you work for them also?” asked Erika.
“It is a joint venture between my company and your's. That will be explained in your indoctrination training, which is very thorough.”
“I can't wait.” said Erika. “What's a Gril...”
“Grilik. It is the same as Ship's Captain in your language.”
Erika looked out of the ship at the moon. In just the few minutes that had passed since she last looked, it had become much bigger than before.
2
“Trailblazer Moon Base, this is Travellor in shuttle two. We are ten minutes out. Request active approach. Over.”
“Shuttle two, this is Trailblazer. Welcome back Commander. Active approach is D for Delta. Satellite avoidance in effect. Over.”
“Approach Delta with satellite avoidance.” confirmed Travellor, as he tapped on the display screen in front of him to select the approach pattern.
As the shuttle approached the moon it filled the forward windows, and soon Erika could make out smaller details of the landscape. The the shuttle flared and began traveling horizontal to the surface, getting closer with every second. Their speed slowed and she could clearly see the surrounding terrain. Erika looked farther out in front of the ship and could see the rise of a crater's outer edge. They were flying slightly higher than that, and overflew the crest. She was not expecting what she saw next. The huge circular structure that stuck up from the ground. It was covered with windows that bled light into the surrounding darkness. As she stared, Erika realized her mouth was open – again – something she had been doing a lot since they left Earth.
“What – is – that?” she asked.
“That is Trailblazer Moon Base. Your home while you are at work.” Travellor said. “Wait until you see inside.”
“Orysta, this is shuttle two on approach for landing.” said Mersuul.
“There are people outside!” Erika said, pointing at a group moving on the moon's surface.
A voice came over the comm, speaking in Mersuul's language. It took a few seconds before Erika's wrist device translated the acknowledgment in English. She scanned in front of the shuttle, and saw light coming out of a rectangular opening in the ground.
“Is the Orysta is underground?”
“Yes.” replied Mersuul. “You are going to learn a lot about her in your training.”
“That's one way to stay hidden.”
“Unfortunately, that was not intended.” Mersuul said with a tone of unease in her voice.
“Shuttle two, Trailblazer Approach. Commander, Grilik Munen requests that you dock in the Orysta.”
“Dock in the Orysta. Roger that. What satellite are we exposed to?”
“Sir, LADEE is below three hundred feet above ground level at thirty-six hundred MPH. This looks like its farewell orbit.”
Travellor became quiet for several seconds. Mersuul looked at him in anticipation of his thoughts.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked.
“I've never seen a dying satellite up close before.” he said with a smile. “I'd like to. I'm sure Erika would also.” He looked back at his niece, who was nodding in the affirmative. “Approach, shuttle two will be deviating from course and delaying our arrival. We're going to do a little sight seeing.”
“Shuttle two, roger. Contact approach when ready to land.”
“Will do. Over.” He tapped the display screen and said “Plot course to overtake and parallel LADEE satellite. Maintain three hundred feet AGL.”
“Course plotted and intercept initiated.” said the computer.
The sudden acceleration from their relatively slow speed was felt by all three, even with the ships inertia compensation in operation. The view of the Moon's surface blurred again as they quickly went around to the dark side of it. They couldn't see any details of the ground but suddenly ahead and on their right side came a reflected glint from their forward lights.
“Illuminate all quadrants, full power.” said Travellor.
The powerful external lights of the ship flared on. They still couldn't see details, but a ghostly gray reflection from the surface followed directly below them. On their right, and clearly illuminated was the LADEE. Covered with solar panels and gold protrusions, the satellite reflected blue and purple as it rotated. They caught up to and paced the satellite. Slowly it began to fall below the shuttles flight path.
“Bank twenty degrees right. Call out speed in MPH.” said Travellor.
“Ground speed is three thousand six hundred twenty-seven miles per hour.” said the computer, as the shuttle rotated on its longitudinal axis.
With the ship banked, they were able to continue viewing the satellite as it dropped closer to the surface.
“Reduce speed to maintain two mile separation. Pitch thirty degrees down. Cancel bank angle.”
Now the shuttle pointed downward and fell behind the LADEE. They could see it clearly through the front windows.
“Satellite will impact surface in ten seconds.”
“Increase separation to ten miles. On impact drop speed and hover over impact zone.” commanded Travellor.
The satellite looked small at the ten mile distance. Mersuul wiped a finger on one of her display screens and the image in front of them was magnified until they could see the satellite's details again. It seemed to be losing altitude faster now – and suddenly it was gone. It just seemed to disappear. The shuttle decelerated so quickly that this also was felt by the three of them. It hovered over the impact zone. Travellor regained manual control of the ship and lowered their altitude. In front of them was a relatively small crater and a cloud of dust hanging above it.
“Wow!” said Erika. “There's nothing left.”
“Interesting.” said Travellor. “Did we record it?” he asked, looking at Mersuul.
“Yes. Ship's data and video.”
“Excellent. Now that's something not many people have ever seen.”
3
The shuttle flew over the opening in the ground and hovered. Then it slowly descended. At first Erika could only see bright light below and a vertical shaft they were descending into. As the shuttle got lower the details of the shuttle bay became clear, as did people working there. The landing was handled by the computer, but the shutdown procedure was performed manually by her uncle and Mersuul.
“Orysta, this is Navigator Mersuul-sil-Vaana. Record in the ship's logs that Commander Anthony Travellor is now authorized to fly as Pilot In Command of the Orysta's support vessels. Authorize with my name, on this date.”
“Navigator Mersuul-sil-Vaana recognized. Ship's log updated to reflect status change on record of Anthony Travellor, Commander, Trailblazer Moon Base.”
“Who was that?” asked Erika as she stood up from her seat. “Why do they keep calling you 'Commander' uncle Tony? You left the military years ago.”
“There is so much to tell you.” Travellor replied. “For the next few weeks you will probably go to bed mentally exhausted from everything you are going to be exposed to. But on the plus side, you will probably sleep like the proverbial log.”
“You did not tell her what your job is?” asked Mersuul, in a shocked tone of voice.
“It would have been a little hard to tell her that without telling everything else that goes with it. Come on, let's get out of here. They're waiting to unload the cargo.”
As they stepped out of the shuttle, there were three men waiting for them. The one standing farthest away snapped to attention and saluted. Travellor returned the salute. Erika stayed close to her uncle.
“Welcome back.” said the smiling man at the front of the group. “Is
this your niece, Commander?”
“It is.” replied Travellor. “Erika, this is Grilik Munen. He is the captain of the Orysta.”
Munen nodded his head and extended his hand to Erika.
“It is nice to finally meet you Miss Aimsler. Your uncle has told us a lot about you. This is Benua-sil-Plessa, Chief Engineer of the Orysta.” he said indicating the bearded man next to him.
“It is nice to meet you Miss Aimsler. I have been looking forward to your arrival.” he said in excellent formal English. “We will be working together on your first project here, after you have finished orientation.”
“It's nice to meet you also.” said Erika, shaking both men's hands. “I can't wait to get started.” she said with a big smile. Realizing that she would be working on an alien space ship with an engineer from another universe, she forced herself to hold back her excitement.