Then there was the newest way yet into space, and Lyle and Jenna had marveled at its inspiring sight on approach to Kennedy Space. Billed as one of the most magnificent and biggest engineering projects ever undertaken, the Space Elevator was an impressive sight. Comprised of carbon nano tubes, the main shaft of the elevator extended into the sky and beyond for thirty two thousand miles to a counter weight in order to establish a point of geo-stationary orbit. It ensured the far end of the elevator was always located directly above Kennedy Space and this was to be their way to the Moon for this mission.
As impressive as it was, the elevator was only half of the picture. Located at regular intervals in space between the elevator disembark point and the Moon, was a series of space swings. These machines operated as huge pendulums, each connecting at their furthest extension of the swing, where the travel car for both people and goods was transferred between each one on its way to the Moon. Many saw this entire construction as somewhat as of a waste and merely a machine built because they had the capability. But those who knew the dynamics of its purpose saw its real value in being a very reliable resource for the ever-increasing operations of mining and research taking place away from the Earth. Space Planes could do some of the work, but this enormous machine was the real heavy lifter.
Lyle and Jenna were being watched the entire time since they had arrived at Kennedy Space. It had become standard procedure due to the imminent actions about to be taken by the American and other governments. The pair were not under suspicion as the authorities had no knowledge at this level of their journey across the globe and the information they had learned. They were being watched because that was simply how it was now, and for all intentions, would remain so.
A communications black out was in place for the day of their departure so there were no well wishing messages coming though the holographic phone. As they completed their pre-flight brief and made their way towards the elevator for transit in two hours, they both felt small in comparison to the spaceport machine around them. “Not really a flight,” Jenna said nervously. They were both in a nervous state - confident in the technology they were about to ride in, yet still unable to completely quell their natural instincts telling them they were going to basically sit in a large box and be taken to a place incapable of naturally supporting life.
Chapter 24
‘I wonder where Mark is,’ Steve thought, as he was about to witness the third and final testing phase of the booster systems attached to the HAARP array. ‘He has always been here well before tests begin.’ He had not seen Mark in over two weeks and thought he must have been assigned to some support duties for the responder, but now with his absence at the test, he became a little suspicious. ‘This is his baby,’ he said to himself, ‘he should be here.’
“Standby,” came the call from the specialized team leader. Thirty seconds later the now familiar hum, flash, and crack of thunder indicated the booster system had been brought fully on-line. This test lasted longer than the two previous, continuing for ten minutes before it was powered down. Again, the holographic virtual systems were abuzz with technicians analyzing the results.
Steve could not relax even though the test had concluded. He felt troubled in a way different to his previous misgivings of losing ultimate command over the installation. Something he could not pinpoint bothered him. Such imprecision was simply not his professional way, but now it had become personal which to him was weird. Never previously had he been affected like this. ‘Devotion to work always…’ his thoughts were interrupted as two officers he had never laid eyes on before, appeared at main control.
“Steve McCray, you are hereby relieved of your duties at HAARP. You are now under orders come with us for re-assignment. Gather your personal belongings for departure in fifteen minutes.”
“What the f…?”
“Strict orders have been issued for you are to comply with our demands without question. Failure to comply will result in your arrest.” The two officers indicated for Steve to leave the operations center and be escorted to his quarters.
“Why are they doing this?” he asked as they walked between buildings.
“Again, no questions. Any more questions will be seen as dissent on your part. Dissent will only bring about your arrest.”
‘They won’t budge,’ Steve thought, ‘this is bloody serious.’ They watched him carefully as he packed his belongings into a single bag. When he finished, one of the officers requested the bag be handed to him, “You will get this back in time. Until then, the authorities will meet all of your requirements.”
The three men then walked out to the aircraft hanger where one of the military HyperJets was already warming up. Steve could not think of why he had been re-assigned. There were no problems with his command at HAARP, as all operations since his posting had run smoothly from his perspective, and additionally his military record was impeccable. ‘Something is happening. It is probably that bloody booster system,’ he thought as he boarded the jet. The two officers accompanied him on board and once given the all clear, the jet soared into the sky on a southerly heading. Normally Steve enjoyed flights on military HyperJets, as he never ceased to marvel at the sheer technological might of the machines. Each jet was equipped with laser canons, anti missile capabilities, and a payload of armaments dwarfing the capacity of the most advanced fighter jets from the recent decades. And then there were the carriers in the sky as he called them, those co-called mother ships.
He had often struggled with that term, thinking some big shot in high office saw themselves as some bloody space man or the like by using the name often seen in science fiction movies. His thoughts then turned to his immediate future, as he never looked at anything too long term. Would he be sanctioned to now work in some bloody office stuck deep underground shuffling data? That pissed him. He hated the thought of spending his life stuck at a station and missing out on action. He was an operations man - one who often shone above the rest with his capacity to make things happen effectively and efficiently. He even thought he was at a stage in his career where they would give him higher responsibilities, but now with his re-assignment, it was clear he was not being promoted.
As the jet approached the military base just outside of Seattle in Washington State, he forgot his worries for a few brief moments as he gazed out at the city to the west. Similar to other cities around the world, it too was a showpiece. Eight one hundred and twenty story towers all linked together dominated the city center. Flanking them on all sides was a series of interlinked smaller towers of fifty stories, forming a band around the center. Most of the remainder of the city had been modernized in recent times leaving only remnants of older buildings on its outskirts where traders and the poorer residents were still housed amongst the poles and relics from the past. Steve looked out towards those areas seeing the great lines of poles that networked the old city. No longer in use and not seen as a priority to be dismantled, they formed an ugly perimeter to an otherwise spectacular city.
After landing, Steve was taken directly to see the regional superior officer who explained a little of his re-assignment to him. “The authorities have decided to make your life a little easier Steve,” the officer said. Steve knew he was lying. “You are going to California, now you can’t complain there. Everyone loves California.”
“Bull! I know people who hate the place.”
“Now come on Steve, no need to get angry. You will like it there. We have an assignment for you at Edwards Airforce Base.”
“Doing what?”
“I am getting to that. Central systems have decided they need good men to watch over operations there…”
“I am sure they already have good men working that place.”
“Yes they do, but they need you Steve.”
“Why?”
“You are a good man Steve and they consider you will be an asset to them. Surely this sounds OK for you. After all, they believe in you Steve, they really do.”
“Oh p
lease, none of this mushy crap! Believe in me…do I get flowers too?”
“Now Steve no need for sarcasm. Edwards can see a path for you. Look at this as an opportunity. I know you have been stationed in Alaska, so see this as a summer holiday. It is frigid cold up there. Surely you like warm sunshine.”
“I don’t really care whether it is hot or cold. What’s this really about?”
“OK you are forcing my hand Steve but I can only tell you a little. When you get to Edwards you will find out all you need to know…soon enough.”
“Soon en…”
“Yeah. You are leaving immediately, today in fact, in about half an hour.”
‘Why so fast?’ Steve thought.
“I read your thoughts Steve. They want you there now because they need you now.”
“More crap! What is the real reason?”
“All I can say is that space operations are stepping up a few gears at Edwards and they figure you can be a key man to oversee this. You like space ops don’t you? Surely as a boy, you looked up into the sky and wondered what it would be like.”
“Yeah…I did, but this is a ground based job by the sounds of it. The chances of me getting to space…”
“Don’t eliminate the possibility Steve. You cannot be sure where this assignment might take you.”
“Anything else?”
“No. That is all I can tell you. Why even I don’t know much more. Trust me Steve, this will be good for you. Now go with those officers waiting outside and get ready to leave.” The regional superior offered no other conversation indicating with his hand that Steve should leave the office.
**********
Departure for Lyle and Jenna was imminent. They were seated inside the larger upper compartment in the passenger cabin of the two-story elevator car, with the lower section used for cargo. Jenna held Lyle’s hand tightly and he returned the hold as a comfort to each other whilst they waited for the jolt that would see them on their way. Both of them still felt nervous about the trip, but also they felt a ping of excitement at being amongst the first to have ever ridden the elevator to space. A minute later the car was cleared for ascent. “Prepare for liftoff,” the elevator captain advised. Although the elevator operated entirely on automatics for the trip to space, a human presence was required to oversee each lift and to take control in the event of any mishap or system failure. A slight jolt then indicated they were on their way, prompting them to grip each other’s hand a little tighter. “Please remain seated until the un-harness indicator light comes on.”
When the light illuminated green, they both released their safety harness and stood up to take in the view. Views from the car were both awe inspiring and confronting. Opposite to the seating area was a large viewing window extending from floor to ceiling, with a floor window about three feet wide extending along the entire the length of the cabin, matched also by a ceiling window. This gave the effect of almost riding in thin air to anyone who chose to stand on the transparent floor. Passengers were warned of the affects vertigo could have for anyone standing at the window, and this effect immediately became apparent. As the car passed three thousand feet, they could clearly see the entire spaceport complex sprawling out below. Casting their heads upward they could see the carbon nano tube extending into the sky beyond sight.
“Welcome to the space elevator. Please observe all safety requirements and enjoy your ride.” A holographic image of a woman dressed like a commercial HyperJet hostess greeted them. “Here at Space Elevator Corporation we are pushing the frontiers of science to offer people an unparallel experience for the trip to space. Our technicians have worked hard to bring you the best in comfort and reliability ensuring your trip is memorable. Please sample any of our refreshments available from the two vending replicators on board. Your journey of two hundred miles will reach a speed of forty miles per hour providing a smooth and pleasant ride. Upon arrival at space interchange you will receive further advice.”
“Space interchange,” Lyle said breaking the silence between them, feeling free to talk, as they were the only two passengers for the ascent.
“Yeah I now,” Jenna replied sensing his concern. The space elevator though fully operational, had not yet been completed and so all passengers taking the ride to were required to walk from the elevator car docking pot, along a catwalk structure, to an awaiting swing car for trip to the Moon. Both of them felt comfortable enough traveling to and from space via spacecraft, but the catwalk segment of the journey prompted a little anxiety. Shielded within a large craft was a feeling similar to traveling within the atmosphere via HyperJet, but to actually space walk the connection at the exchange point, was confronting. Neither of them had any experience of space outside of the confines of a vehicle, and they both knew of the risks from radiation or potential for accident, however slight it was.
“Guinea Pig, never thought I would be one of those,” Jenna said. “It should not be too concerning though. They have tested this thing very thoroughly.”
As the trip went on, passing through fifty thousand feet, they relaxed as they lost some of their initial anxieties, so their conversation turned to the mission ahead. “Do you know any details about your mission?” Jenna asked Lyle as he stared outward watching a commercial HyperJet in the distance.
“Not a lot other than they require my expertise to assess the impacts of some new mining venture about to start.”
“Strange…”
“Yeah, what cultural significance could there be on the Moon?”
“None that I know of. It seems a bit mysterious.”
“Well they said my expertise also extends to incursion into the landscape, or moonscape, which it does. Every site I examine and report on has to be holistically looked at for environmental variables or contaminants, so I guess that is where the connection is.”
“You do know the methods pretty well…um, for preservation. But the Moon is different. What possible effects or ramifications could there be considering no one had ever settled there until thirty years ago?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. What about you? They want you to oversee the testing of this new mining equipment.”
“Yeah. Reliability is the main objective. It uses a type of protein mechanics we have only just recently developed. I was unaware they would deploy it so soon. In fact, I have a lot of reservations concerning that. In my opinion it was still months away from this type of thing.”
“What are protein mechanics?”
“Cannot say,” Jenna replied indicating towards a small surveillance device mounted in the corner of the cabin. To any other person the device was non-descript but she knew precisely what it was for. “We completed some testing, mostly holographic. This is the first physical deployment I know of.”
“Hmm, proteins...”
“Yes, that is about as much as anyone outside strict scientific and military circles is allowed to know. Plenty of people are aware of its existence, yet like a lot of the technology these days, they are also unaware of how it works.”
“Maybe there is a good chance we will be looking at the same site. They might be trying this mining gear at the site they want me to look at.”
“I was thinking similar. Also…” Jenna trailed off for a moment, “I was thinking about what Chan said about coincidence. It looks a lot like a coincidence we are here now together and we are going for a similar purpose.”
“It has crossed my mind too.”
They fell silent for a time thinking of their recent trip with Jake and Raynie, and what the activation of feelings and senses meant to them and others. As the elevator continued to gain altitude, now pushing the threshold of atmosphere and space, the curve of the Earth against blackness of space was now visible outward through the viewing window. Looking down, they could see the long nano tube cable extending out of sight below them as it blended in with the view of the Florida peninsula. Above, darkness prevailed - the view of the elevator cable lost to the near inky black sky.
“Ladies and gentleman, your ride is about to transcend the boundary between atmosphere and space. In a few minutes you will begin to feel the effects of weightlessness. Do not be concerned for this car has the latest in artificial gravity. You will experience a brief light moment prior to this taking effect but be assured you will not lose your footing.”
“Oh well,” Lyle sighed. “I was looking forward to feeling some weightlessness.”
“It is too dangerous to have passengers floating around inside this thing.”
“Hmm, thought it might, but still…”
When they felt a little lighter for a moment, the artificial gravity came on-line and they felt their own body weight returned, though not entirely.
“It mimics about two thirds of normal earth gravity,” Jenna said. They were now in space and the Earth encased in its thin blue atmosphere, began to appear as a planetary body rather than something they were on. No evidence of movement was apparent aside from the view through the floor as the Earth gradually receded. The elevator silently slipped through space like a spacecraft without sound and without resistance. Jenna and Lyle had once again taken each other’s hands looking upward through the roof window. The nano tube cable was visible in the headlights of the car for about one hundred yards up, beyond that there seemed to just be a void.
For a while they continued to stare upward thinking of the connection they would make in after approximately one more hour of travel. This renewed their earlier anxieties and without word they returned to their seats where they remained until the next announcement from the holographic hostess.
“Please proceed to the upward viewing window,” she said. “Your destination is now visible.”
The pair responded eager to see what lay ahead upward. In the far distance they could make out an object brightly lit with both constantly and flashing arrays of lights. From this distance it was a tiny box like structure, its’ features not yet discernable. During the next forty minutes it gradually came more and more into view and they could see it was in fact a large box like structure at least five hundred feet wide with an appendage at one side.
First Light: Book one of the Torus Saga Page 26