by KB Shaw
“Come to dinner, Cameron,” came a closer female voice.
“Save, please,” said Captain Rush. Corporal Sparks froze in place. The SOS from the troubled spacecraft fell silent.
“Exit,” said Cameron. As the radio console faded into a cluttered desk with a multiCom screen mounted on the wall above it, Corporal Sparks turned and looked directly at Cameron.
How strange that a computer character would move like that after the program stopped, thought Cameron. He shrugged. Another program glitch. I guess we didn’t work out all the bugs after all. The control center of the Solar Rescue Patrol dissolved into Cameron’s messy bedroom.
Rosa’s image popped onto the screen. “What’s going on?”
“Mom just called me for dinner. Can we continue in about a half hour?”
“Sure thing. Give me a flash when you’re ready. I’ve got some pretty cool programs for you.”
“And I’ve got a couple that’ll stump you too. See ya in a bit. Power off, please.” Cameron hollered down the stairs, “Coming, Ma!” He removed the IDO from his pocket, set it on the table next to his bed, and went down to eat supper.
As he climbed the stairs after dinner, Cameron thought of all the sims they had used in the Academy, some suggested by the students themselves and executed by GundTech programmers. They then used the simulations to program their own scenarios, or stories. Next fall, these simulations and scenarios would be shared with more students as GundTech installed inexpensive IHT classrooms in schools around the world.
Tonight Cameron was Captain Rush, Head of Rescue Operations for the Interplanetary Space Command. It was a program created by Rosa to test Cameron’s knowledge of the solar system.
“Power,” said Cameron as he entered his room. The screen came to life. “Sam?”
“Yes, Cameron?”
“Please send a flash to Rosa.”
Rosa’s face was soon smiling back at Cameron. “Ready?”
Cameron picked up the IDO and slid it into his pocket. He looked at the screen and saw Rosa’s IHT hanging around her neck. “Ready.”
“You froze the program, Cameron, so you need to execute the reboot. Good luck, Captain!” Rosa’s patented mischievous grin was on her face as she faded from the multiCom screen.
“Resume Rescue Patrol Rosa-0-1, “ he commanded. His bedroom transformed into the control room of Solar Rescue Patrol headquarters.
“Signal locked, sir,” said Corporal Sparks as he finished punching in his codes.
The multiCom sounded the distress message. “Emergency! Emergency! We have lost main power. Only emergency radio and life support systems working. Help us. Does anyone hear? Repeat. Emergency! Emergency! We have lost main power. Only emergency radio working. Help us.”
“This is Captain Rush of the Rescue Patrol. Please identify yourself.”
“It is a great relief to hear you, Captain. I am Commander Persis Kamatu of the Great India Trading Company vessel, Star of Calcutta.”
“Can you state your position?”
“I am sorry, no. We are returning from a deep space mission. We were in suspended animation when the trouble occurred. All our computer maps are lost, but I must assume we are back within Earth’s solar system. All I can give you is some visual information we have gathered with our onboard telescopes.”
“That will help, Commander Kamatu. Please transmit the data.”
“We are within visual distance of a small planetoid approximately 600 miles across. Many smaller objects are in the area too. These range from pebble size to more than 125 miles across. Some are sphere shaped; others are oblong or irregular.
“Looking toward the star at the center of this system, I see a rust-colored planet with two moons. Looking away from the central star, there is a gas giant. It isn’t much, but that is all the information we have been able to get at this time. Can you find us?”
“Can you give me any more information? Anything at all?”
Cameron hesitated. Would Rosa give him any more clues? Knowing Rosa, he suspected not.
“It isn’t much, but that is all the information we have at this time. Can you find us?” repeated Commander Kamatu. Rosa wasn’t going to program any more information for Commander Kamatu to relay. Cameron would just have to solve the problem with the data he had.
Captain Rush reviewed the available data:
The Star of Calcutta was within visual distance of a small planetoid about 600 miles in diameter.
Smaller, irregular shaped objects ranged in size from a pebble to over 125 miles across.
Could the Star of Calcutta be stranded in the rings of Saturn? Cameron knew he must consider ALL the data before he made any conclusions. Rosa had used his impatience against him in the past. What else had Commander Kamatu told him?
Between the ship and the center of the solar system was a rust-colored planet with two moons.
This bit of data eliminated the rings of Saturn. The next planet closest to the sun from Saturn was the multi-colored, Jupiter, which had many moons, not just two. Cameron continued his review of the facts.
The next planet, moving away from the ship, toward the outer part of the solar system, was a gas giant.
With what he knew of the solar system, Cameron was able to figure out the general location of the Star of Calcutta. The many small planetoids were asteroids. The central star in the solar system was, indeed, our own sun. The rust-colored planet with two moons must be Mars, and the gas giant was Jupiter. The Star of Calcutta had to be stranded in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
But Commander Kamatu and her ship were still lost. Knowing the vessel was within the asteroid belt was of little help. The area in which the asteroids orbited formed a ring all the way around the sun that was more than 340 million miles wide! It would be easier finding a needle in a haystack.
Cameron had to know more about the asteroid belt if he wanted to save the crew of the Great India Trading Company ship.
It took only a few minutes for Cameron to find answers using his handheld multiCom. He smiled as he contacted Ms. Kamatu. “Commander, I have good news. I know exactly where you are.”
“Excellent, Captain. While you were working, my crew was able to power up a nav computer. When you give us our position, we should be able to make the proper calculations to journey home safely.”
“You’re in the asteroid belt of Earth’s solar system. Lucky for you, there’s only one asteroid as large as the one you can see out your windows. In fact, it was the first asteroid ever discovered, back in January of 1801.” Cameron was sure to let Rosa know he had all the facts. “It’s called Ceres. If you’re ready, we can now transmit the current location of Ceres relative to Earth so you can plot a course for home.”
“We are grateful, Captain. Ready to receive transmission.”
Captain Rush put a hand on Sparks’s shoulder and said with quiet satisfaction, “Transmit.”
Sparks turned and looked at Cameron. He had a smile on his face. “Nice work, Captain.”
Cameron took his first good look at Sparks. He was a large man with longish, thinning blond hair. There was something familiar about him—but then both he and Rosa reused many of the IHT-generated characters in their simulations.
The Rescue Operations Center melted away and Cameron’s room began to take shape. Rosa was on the multiCom. “Very good, Captain! Now, what do you have cooked up for me?”
“Just sit back and relax, Rosa. This should be a breeze for you! Sam, execute Rush Simulation C-386.”
Chapter 40:
Distant Star
ROSA’S ROOM shook violently as it transformed into the bridge of a small spacecraft. An alarm began to sound. A small, dim planet of ice could be seen on the view-screen. The information display listed its diameter at a little more than 1,400 miles. The faint image of a single moon could be seen beyond.
“Ensign Costas, take the helm. We’re going down!”
“Yes, Captain!” said Rosa.
T
he ship was in serious trouble.
“Sparks, send out an SOS,” said the captain.
Rosa glanced at Sparks as she took her seat. He was a rather large man with blond hair and a friendly face. Sparks was saying into his headset, “Shuttlecraft Lowell is going down! Our position is unknown. Repeat: Shuttlecraft Lowell is going down! Our position is unknown.” Rosa could detect an accent in his voice. European? Scandinavian, perhaps?
The lights on the bridge flickered, then went out. Red emergency lighting clicked on. By punching a series of commands into the keyboard, Ensign Costas was able to turn on the shuttle’s navigational controls.
“Emergency landing procedures engaged,” said the navigational computer. “All crew members please take crash positions. Fasten safety belts. Thirty seconds to impact. Twenty-nine… Twenty-eight…”
“Attention all hands,” said the captain into his Com unit, “secure yourselves for a crash landing.”
“Nineteen… Eighteen… Seventeen…”
Sparks turned to Rosa. “You’d better fasten your restraints, Ensign.” Rosa wasn’t sure what to do. “Like this,” Sparks offered, showing Rosa how the safety restraints worked.
“Three… Two… One.”
The ship shook and rocked violently. Rosa was tossed about as if she were on a roller-coaster that not only twisted and turned, but also spun about like a top. The vehicle made loud crunching and scraping sounds as it impacted and slid along the icy surface of the planet. The spacecraft seemed to skid forever. Finally, the motion slowed and the craft came to rest.
The captain unfastened his safety restraints and got to his feet. “Sparks, get me a damage report. Costas, prepare emergency survival gear and get a fix on our position!”
Rosa glanced out the front view-screen. A cloud of ice crystals, created by the crash, obstructed her vision. Slowly, the low gravity of this unknown planet began pulling the crystals back to its frozen surface. The landscape was hard to make out in the dim light.
What was this dark and cold ball of ice on which they were stranded? But of more immediate concern, what should the crew of the shuttlecraft Lowell do to survive until they were rescued? A chill ran through Rosa’s body. Was it nerves? For the first time, she noticed the light cotton jumpsuits the crew wore. Perhaps she was just cold.
She accessed the computer for information and discovered that the ship had 8 compartments and 16 crew rooms. The Lowell was a science observation shuttle that could carry a crew of 25 on a nine-month mission. There were only three others on board besides the captain, Sparks and herself: Chief Engineer Felicia Buto, Engineer Henri LaBelle, and Science Officer Beth Stein. The Lowell was heading out to deep space with its operations crew to pick up 16 scientists at Way Station GX03 for a rendezvous with a comet.
Ensign Costas located a supply of nutritional items stored in the rear cargo compartment. Compartment “F” also held specialized comet exploration equipment and clothing.
“Damage report, Captain,” said Sparks. “Our engines are damaged beyond repair and we’re running on battery power. Our solar re-chargers are working at minimal capacity; we have only one week of power at the current rate of use. All life support systems are functional.”
“Very good, Sparks.” The captain turned to Rosa. “Ensign, we need your recommendations ASAP!”
“Yes, sir!”
Life support systems were functional as long as they had a power supply. And, as long as life support was functional, there would be a dwindling supply of recycled water. Rosa knew that people could survive many days without food, but without water, they would die quickly. The ice outside! The planet’s icy surface could save their lives.
Rosa knew the two most important items they would need to survive were oxygen and water. Given the icy conditions of the planet’s surface, warmth was also a concern. The shuttlecraft, designed for nine-month missions, would certainly be stocked with a supply of foodstuffs that could be rationed. She checked her computer for the supply records.
“Captain, I would like to suggest that first, all crew members put on thermal clothes from the comet exploration supplies to conserve body heat. Then, once the ship is secured, we close down and seal off all areas that aren’t needed. Only the equipment bay and bridge should be heated. This will help conserve our power supply. We will have to ration food and be very strict on water rations.”
“Excellent, Ensign. What else?”
“Well, sir, all crew members and their foodstuffs should be gathered together here, on the bridge.”
“And why is that, Ensign?”
“The combined heat of our bodies will help keep us warm, sir, and we would only have to pump oxygen into one small room. If the ship’s generators continue to run, and we control our drinking, we should have a limited supply of fresh water. Drinking may not be a problem if we can use the ice on the planet’s surface.”
The captain nodded his head in approval. “I agree. See that it is done, Ensign, then find out where in the worlds we are!”
“I’ll distribute the thermal clothing, Ensign Rosa,” said Sparks. As he stood, Rosa noticed how tall he was.
Rosa made her way to her cabin to change into a thermal flight suit. Next, she went to the equipment bay, where she found Chief Buto and Officer Stein already preparing the craft’s equipment for minimal energy use. “Henri and Sparks are gathering the food stocks,” said Felicia.
“Terrific,” said Rosa, “Beth, I’ll need you on the bridge as soon as possible.”
Beth Stein smiled. “Will do, Rosie.”
ROSIE! She hated being called Rosie. Cameron knew she hated being called Rosie. “Pause, please,” said Rosa. Felicia Buto and Beth Stein froze in position.
“I’ll get you for this, Cameron Rush!” She could hear Cameron’s chuckle in the distance. “Program override, Costas E-3. ‘Rosie’ is not allowed. I don’t like being called ‘Rosie.’ No character can call me Rosie. Enter. Resume.”
“Beth,” said Rosa, “I’ll need you on the bridge as soon as possible. We need to gather as much information as we can about this planet.”
Beth Stein smiled. “Will do, Rosa.”
“Very good,” said Rosa.
• • •
AFTER A FEW MINUTES on the bridge, Rosa asked, “What can you tell me about this planet, Beth?”
“I detect a single moon in a close orbit.”
“How close?”
“About 10,000 miles from the planet. It is about 800 miles in diameter.”
“And what about the surface conditions on the planet?”
“The outside temperature is 350 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, and the thin atmosphere contains methane gas. In fact, much of the surface of this planet is frozen methane.”
Rosa was shocked. “Methane? Frozen methane gas? Not water?”
“No, ma’am. No water. Only methane gas.”
With water, we can survive. We could even break it down to produce oxygen. But methane gas… Wait a minute, Rosa thought, the methane gas can be burned for an endless supply of power and heat. If Chief Buto could build a crude gas generator…
But then it hit her. We would have to burn the gas. BURN the gas! That means oxidizing the gas. Burning requires oxygen. We can’t afford to use our oxygen supply to burn the gas. And what about the planet’s methane atmosphere? Could a single spark from the ship cause a gigantic explosion? We have to be rescued as quickly as possible!
Rosa turned to the science officer and asked urgently, “What can you tell me about our position in the solar system?”
Beth adjusted her instruments. “The planet is orbiting around the closest star—a yellow dwarf. It is directly overhead at the moment.”
Rosa looked out the view port at the dimly lit landscape. “That would make it noon, local time, yet it’s no brighter than twilight out there. How far are we from the central star?”
“More than 3.6 billion miles away. I can detect at least one other planet between us and the star. It is a bluish gas
giant, only 2.8 billion miles from the star.”
“Anything else?”
“Several small planetoids and smaller objects are orbiting beyond the orbit of this planet.” Beth worked the sensors for several minutes. “That is all the information I can get, Rosa.”
Was it enough to figure out where they were?
To send an SOS, Rosa depended on the information Science Officer Beth Stein had collected to determine their location. Sparks had returned to the bridge and was waiting to send Rescue Patrol the location of the crashed shuttlecraft. He typed something into his multiCom as he waited anxiously at the radio.
Rosa reviewed the few facts Beth Stein had gathered. Why had Cameron given her so little help? Rosa tried to learn more about this small, distant, frozen planet.
“Beth, there must be something else you can tell me.”
The young woman worked a few moments at the computer. When she finished, she turned toward Rosa with a sad look on her face. “I am sorry. There are no more facts I can give you.” Beth’s head twitched slightly, and she sat frozen for a moment.
Another glitch to log in the database, thought Rosa. Sparks stopped typing and looked nervously at Rosa and Beth. Beth twitched a second time and spoke. “This may not help, Rosa, but I think this is a real Mickey Mouse planet… if it is even a planet.”
Rosa was not at all sure she knew what Beth meant. It was a very peculiar statement, and it didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the program Cameron had written. However, Rosa suspected that Cameron was trying to give her some sort of hint—a clue to the identity of this planet.
She turned to Beth and said, “Okay, let’s sum up what we do know about this planet… if it really is a planet. First, it’s quite far from the center of the solar system. Second, it has a methane atmosphere and much of its surface is frozen methane. Third, it has one moon in a close orbit. I also know that Mickey Mouse is supposed to be a clue…
The answer came to her like a bolt of lightning. She smiled at the young science officer. “Thanks for the help, Beth.”
“You’re welcome.”
Rosa found the captain with Felicia Buto and Henri LaBelle in the operations bay. The captain was bent over plans of the shuttlecraft.