Star One: Neutron Star

by Raymond L. Weil

  Continuing to look at the main viewscreen, Steve pondered the view before him. The Space Platform with the Jupiter Probe resting peacefully still filled the screen. We need to change the name of that ship, he thought. Jupiter Probe no longer fits the mission profile. Gazing at the ship, he wondered about where the ship was about to go and what its crew might see. Surely, things never before seen by man.

  This would be Earth’s first real space ship on a mission to the edge of the Solar System. It would be going out farther than anyone had dared to venture before. Other than a few manned Mars missions, one of which had failed and had to turn back, this would be the farthest man had yet ventured, much farther. The ship was going to a neutron star. Just the thought of that made Steve feel uneasy.

  He just hoped that Ty and his crew could bring the ship and themselves back safely back, unfortunately, there were just too many unknowns. Letting out a deep breath, Steve stood back up and exited Main Control to go to his quarters. He had an early morning meeting with Ty over at the Space Platform to finalize the Moon flight shakedown flight.

  Chapter Seven

  Steve flew over to the Space Platform in one of the six-man transport shuttles early the next morning. The small shuttles were used to ferry crewmembers between their jobs on Star One and the busy platform. These were scaled down utility vessels with a pilot and a small passenger compartment capable of carrying six people. They also had a small, versatile cargo hold capable of carrying a limited amount of supplies.

  Steve sat next to the pilot, watching quietly as the Space Platform grew rapidly larger in the cockpit window. Small RCS thrusters placed strategically in the fore and aft of the shuttle controlled its rapid movement. Steve looked closely at the platform as they came closer to it. He could see several one-man scooters hovering around its perimeter. Steve knew the spacesuited figures were inspecting the platform closely for any damage from the previous day’s problem with the ion drive on the Jupiter Probe ship.

  There was also one of the four-man Centaur work vessels, with mechanical arms, holding stationary next to one of the large solar panel arrays that were attached to the platform. The crew was using the Centaur’s mechanical arms to adjust several of the solar panels that extended out from the platform. Several of the panels looked as if they were bent. They were standing at odd angles in relation to the rest of the array, probably a result from the shaking the platform had gone through during the test firing of the ion drive on the Jupiter Probe. Steve knew they had been extremely lucky that damage had been so minimal.

  The shuttle neared the platform and a large airlock slid open to reveal a brightly lighted interior. Blinking lights surrounded the airlock. Steve could feel thrusters firing, slowing the shuttle down as it glided smoothly into the spacious opening, then coming to a gentle stop on the deck inside.

  The airlock door slid quietly shut, and the hangar was quickly pressurized. Several workers rushed to anchor the shuttle securely so it wouldn’t drift off the immaculate deck in the zero gravity of the platform. Several magnetic grapples were quickly and efficiently attached to fittings on the bottom of the small shuttle.

  In just a matter of moments, Steve was walking down the exit ramp, his magnetic boots clicking slightly as he placed one foot in front of the other in an automatic spaceman’s glide. He was supposed to meet Ty down in one of the rim offices to finish planning the Moon shakedown flight scheduled for early the next morning.

  After making his way through the busy platform and to the elevator bank, he soon reached the lower platform wheel. Taking one of the spokes, he reached the rim office where he was supposed to meet Ty. Opening the door, he entered noticing that Ty was already seated and going over several computer printouts he was holding in his hands.

  “Good morning, Steve,” Ty said smiling. Standing up, he laid the printouts down on the table in front of him.

  “How did this morning’s training session go?” asked Steve, knowing that the crew had already had a rigorous four-hour session in the ship.

  “No problems at all,” Ty said with satisfaction in his voice. “Since they replaced all the defective computer chips, the ship has been performing flawlessly. Captain Simpson says it’s the best he has ever seen the ship perform in a complete system’s test.”

  “That’s good news,” Steve commented, relieved. He had been concerned when Todd had told him earlier just how many computer chips they had replaced. “What about the fusion reactor?”

  “We’re going to fire the fusion reactor back up this afternoon and leave it up,” replied Ty, recalling what Ted Dryson had requested. “I believe that Dryson and Stoler are both coming back over to the Space Platform. They want to monitor the fusion reactor for several hours while it’s operating and check to make sure it’s functioning within acceptable parameters after the emergency shutdown.”

  “Sounds like them,” replied Steve, nodding his approval.

  The two nuclear scientists were immensely proud of their fusion reactors. Steve was sure the two of them wanted to make certain that this one was in perfect operating condition after the emergency shutdown.

  “We won’t be firing up the ion drive since the SRBs have been attached, and Lieutenant Commander Williams feels that it’s a danger we shouldn’t take,” Ty added as he and Steve both sat down. “I didn’t realize how large the SRBs were until I saw them attached to the ship this morning.”

  “These are very special SRBs, Ty,” remarked Steve, recalling the specs. “They are 175 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Nearly as long as the Jupiter Probe itself, which reminds me, we need to rename that spacecraft. Jupiter Probe doesn’t fit the mission profile anymore. We need something more up to date for the ship’s name.”

  “The crew and I have already discussed that. We've finally settled on the FarQuest,” Ty stated and saw Steve’s smile of approval, remembering all the names the crew had considered. It had been a rather heated debate until Lieutenant Strett had come up with FarQuest, and it had caught on immediately.

  “FarQuest it is then,” replied Steve, testing the name on the tip of his tongue. “Let’s discuss your shakedown flight for tomorrow.”

  Ty pulled out a sheaf of papers from a small briefcase beside his chair and unfolded a large computer printout on the table depicting Star One and the Moon. A flight path was marked in red, curving outwards from Star One and gradually bending toward the Moon. It dipped dangerously close to the lunar surface before pulling away and curving back toward Star One. From what Steve could see, the lowest point of the orbit almost touched the Moon’s desolate surface.

  “The FarQuest will launch at 0:800 hours tomorrow morning,” Ty said, pointing to some mathematical calculations near the beginning of the flight path as it left Star One. “We will activate the ion drive and fly outwards under one-tenth gravity of acceleration for 60 minutes. This will give us a velocity of 7,920 miles per hour, if the computer simulations we have run on the ion drive are correct.”

  “We’re only 37,000 miles from the Moon,” Steve commented, his forehead creased with a frown, looking over the computer printout and the flight path marked upon it. “I wish we could do a longer shakedown fight, but we’re running out of time.”

  “So do I,” responded Ty, glancing up at Steve. “But at least we get to do one. Our initial flight path will take us slightly less than six hours to reach the Moon. During that time, the scientists will be testing many of the ship’s observation instruments by making direct observations of the Sun. We will slingshot around the Moon using its gravity to bring us back around toward Star One. From there, it should take us a little over five hours to return. The entire flight will last no more than twelve hours if nothing goes wrong.”

  “Dryson and Stoler reported that they didn’t think the reactor was damaged during the emergency shutdown,” commented Steve, recalling his earlier conversation with the two scientists. “They were both concerned about the release of plasma from the containment fields.”

  “I’m
glad there was no damage,” Ty replied. It had been his idea to shut down the reactor to eliminate the power to the ion drive. It had worked, but Ty had been worried about the reactor. If the reactor had been damaged, the mission would have been scrubbed.

  Steve had questioned both of the brilliant scientists about what had happened, and had been reassured by the two that it wouldn’t happen again. “They reported that the protective devices had functioned flawlessly, preventing any damage to the reactor core.”

  “The ship is a miracle of modern technology and engineering,” Ty spoke with a nod.

  It had always been a dream of his someday to command a ship like the FarQuest. He could hardly believe the day had arrived so suddenly. He just wished it were under better conditions, not the end of the world scenario that they were now facing.

  “She’s the most advanced we could make,” Steve commented. He thought for a moment about all the discussions Mase Colton and he had been through when they decided to upgrade the FarQuest. It hadn’t been an easy decision. They had risked a lot to build the ship.

  “It’s a ship I didn’t expect to see for another decade at least,” Ty spoke softly with a pleased glint in his eyes. “To get to fly such a spacecraft is a pilot’s fondest dream.”

  Steve leaned back and folded his arms across his chest, gazing at Ty. “You know Ty, in some ways, I’m envious of you. If there were any way possible, I would be on this mission with you. As long as I have been in the space program, everyone has talked about getting the chance to explore. You are going to get to do just that.”

  “I know,” replied Ty, knowing Steve was speaking truthfully. However, he also knew just how important Steve was to Star One and their future. “Someone has to stay home and keep the politicians off our backs and make sure we have something to come back to. As soon as we launch, Senator Farley is going to be screaming for your scalp.”

  “Yes, he definitely will be,” replied Steve with a frown on his face. He let out a deep breath as he thought about Senator Farley’s reaction. He was not looking forward to that conversation. He knew it would not end well.

  Ty glanced back down at the mission plan, and Steve’s eyes followed his.

  Steve could see that a large part of the flight plan lying in front of them was covered with long drawn out calculations. Steve knew from experience that Ty had a tendency to double check the computer figures manually whenever possible. Ty was a pretty good mathematician.

  “How close to the Moon’s surface are you going to come? From your flight path trajectory here, it looks to be extremely close,” Steve said quietly, putting his finger on the red line where it almost intersected with the Moon’s surface tapping it gently. He gazed into Ty’s eyes. “That’s a lot closer than I feel comfortable with. You’re not taking any unnecessary risks are you?”

  “Eighteen miles,” Ty replied somberly, looking Steve directly in the eyes. “We want to put enough stress on the ship to force any design flaws to appear. If we can’t get the ship to perform safely that close to the Moon’s surface we stand no chance, in Captain Simpson’s and my opinion, of being able to complete our mission.”

  “I can understand that,” Steve replied, appreciative of what they were trying to do. “But that’s still awfully close to the Moon’s surface.”

  “The odds that we will encounter stresses that great or greater are almost certain on a flight as long as ours,” replied Ty, gazing at the flight path.

  He had discussed this with Captain Simpson, and they had both agreed that putting stress on the ship was vital. They had to know what she could handle. At least here, if something went wrong, they had Star One and Tycho City that could launch a rescue shuttle. Once they were launched on the neutron star mission that option would be gone. There would be no possibility of a rescue.

  “That close to the Moon we could probably call for help from Tycho City if we needed to. It also allows us to maintain our velocity by using the slingshot effect around the Moon.”

  “If you don’t slam into the Moon’s surface,” Steve interrupted with a worried frown. “How many Gs will you be pulling in that slingshot around the Moon?”

  Ty paused before continuing. “A little over six for nearly three minutes,” Ty replied evenly with a slight grimace. “Steve, I want to give my crew the best chance I can of returning. Going out that far past the edge of the Solar System, the odds are not very favorable for us coming back. Besides, who knows what we might encounter once we reach the neutron star?”

  Steve was quiet for a long moment, then took a deep breath. “Ty, we have been friends for a long time. One of the most difficult decisions I have ever made was assigning you to this mission. If anyone can get that ship and crew back, it’s you.”

  “I will do everything I can to make that happen, Steve,” replied Ty, understanding how Steve must feel. “But we need to know how much stress the ship can handle.”

  “I don’t like the risk you’re taking with the ship, but I understand why you feel it’s necessary,” Steve spoke, keeping his voice calm, hoping that the FarQuest didn’t end up shattered on the desolate lunar surface.

  It would be a good test for the ship. He just hoped nothing happened that would delay the actual neutron star mission. Once the lunar shakedown mission was launched, Senator Farley would be nipping at their heels almost immediately. He would suspect something was going on and would be demanding explanations.

  “If the ship performs as it should, the risk will be minimal,” replied Ty, feeling confident that the ship would perform as expected. “The special acceleration couches the ship is equipped with should help offset some of the G forces.”

  “The astronomers sure won’t like those G forces around the Moon,” Steve commented with a slight smile.

  “They know what’s expected,” replied Ty, nodding his head in agreement. “All three realize how important it is to test the ship so they can complete their part of the mission.”

  “Let’s go over the rest of today’s training schedule, firm up the flight plan, and get everything set up with Main Control and the people here on the Space Platform,” continued Steve, knowing that Ty was right. They would be facing a lot of unknowns on their trip to the neutron star.

  “The FarQuest will perform as designed,” Ty added reassuringly. “She’s a good ship, Steve.”

  “I’ll let Mase know that he needs to have a rescue shuttle standing by in lunar orbit just in case there’s a problem.”

  This damn neutron star threat was pressuring him into taking chances that in normal situations he would never consider. He was also putting his best friend’s life in danger, as well as the rest of the ship’s crew. He had lost Don Strickland several years back during the construction of Star One. He just hoped he wasn’t sentencing Ty and his crew to death in deep space on this mission.

  Both men huddled over the papers that Ty had laid out on the table, finalizing the flight plan and times. A few minor changes were made here and there, but overall Steve was satisfied with the progress they were making in such a short time.

  -

  While Steve was on the platform, Jennifer was back in her office checking with Andre to see if there had been any new Teela problems. She wanted to know if any had occurred since she had uploaded her AI law program into Teela’s core system. She was feeling highly elated at the results. She had spoken to Teela only briefly since the laws were downloaded, and that was about Martain Blackwater. She wanted to give Teela a chance to adjust to her new subconscious.

  “There hasn’t been a single prank or problem reported in the last sixteen hours,” Andre reported jubilantly with a broad smile. “I have checked with several research scientists and department heads, and they stated that Teela’s work has certainly improved. She is once again being polite and giving them the correct answers to their research questions.”

  “That’s certainly a positive change,” replied Jennifer, recalling what Andre had told her had been going on before. She felt vastly reli
eved that the AI law program seemed to be working.

  “Also, no one is complaining about Teela asking a lot of embarrassing questions,” Andre added from the chair in front of her desk. Relaxing, he continued, “I find it hard to believe that just adding those laws into her program could have such a profound change in her personality. I wish we would have thought of doing something like that earlier.”

  “It’s how the laws work, Andre,” explained Jennifer, crossing her arms across her chest and leaning back slightly. “They interact with all of her programs giving her some guidelines on how to interact with people. Almost like a subconscious, you might say. I also talked to Martain Blackwater, explaining to him my belief that Teela is at an adolescent stage in her development.”

  “I hope those sessions help,” Andre spoke, finding it hard to imagine the psychiatrist and Teela having a counseling session. He would love to sit in and listen to that conversation.

  “He has agreed to have daily sessions with Teela for awhile to help answer some of her questions about human behavior and how she should behave,” added Jennifer, hoping these sessions with Blackwater would aid in Teela’s development. “I also promised Teela she could ask me anything she wanted to and that I would be available any time she wanted to talk. Of course, there may be times when I may have to ask Blackwater what my responses need to be.”

  “I understand you have a meeting with the commander later this morning about restoring more of her station responsibilities,” Andre said, shifting his weight in his chair and trying to get more comfortable. Reaching into his shirt pocket, he dug out a lemon drop and popped it into his mouth.

  “Yes,” replied Jennifer, feeling a little nervous about meeting the commander. “Even Blackwater agreed in our talk last evening that we must show Teela that we trust her. We won’t restore everything at once, but as she makes progress we will gradually restore more and more of her responsibilities. However, we need to remember that Teela is in a learning stage, and human interaction must be extremely confusing to her.”