by T I WADE
Mars returned on schedule and was in awe when Lunar and Pluto Katherine personally showed him the carnage his spacecraft had made of the cement. The civilians had not been invited to see the end results but were being given a tour of both shuttles by Saturn.
Where all of SB-IV’s three lasers had hit the same location, one-foot-wide open holes and cracks in the foot-thick cement were evident. Where Mars’ laser had hit on the second area were only inch-wide holes.
“It seems that the three lasers firing simultaneously at the exact same target coordinates treble the strike power,” said Mars to the two astronauts gathered around. “Did the civilians see these results?” he asked Lunar.
“Negative, they only saw the hits on the trucks through binoculars. I didn’t think it necessary to actually show them the damage before they departed.”
“Good. At least we have this information secure. I think the laser scientists should analyze these hits and find out why the destruction is so intense here. I don’t know if it would ever be important, but I believe that these results should stay inside Astermine for now.” Both female astronauts agreed with the Head of Security.
The week went by quickly. Captain Pete and Mars spent much time in briefings going through the elements of the mission.
“We hope that by the time you reach Mars, we will be launching the four ships to 2030JD to begin asteroid mining,” stated Jack Dempsey.
“If we return on schedule, Jack, your team should have completed at least three missions to the asteroid and we should be rich,” joked Mars. Jack Dempsey nodded.
“Ja, and by the time you return in two years, we should have the platform ready for the building of America Two,” added Dr. Schmidt.
“Something I hope to return to see,” stated Captain Pete. “Lunar, I hope I will be considered for captaincy of the new mother ship?” asked Captain Pete.
“Of course, Captain,” replied Lunar, smiling. “Of course you will have first option. I don’t know what my father had planned for Astermine in the retirement age department, but as long as our crew is mentally able, rank and experience do mean everything. I believe you will let me know, Captain Pete, when you feel that a younger captain should take over, and I hope you reckon I’m good enough for the position.”
“And me for America Three,” piped in Pluto Katherine.
Mars smiled. The two sisters would have the best chances to be mother ship captains. After all, they ran the company, until, that is, their father returned and changed things. America Two would only be complete a year or two before Ryan returned to Earth. America Three two years after he was awake. His daughters would be fourteen years older, and it would be interesting to see how the Richmond family would sort out the new commands. He also knew Kathy Richmond well; she would be the judge of everything that went on in the Richmond household when she awoke.
Chapter 16
Mars
Tears were shed as the crew climbed aboard SB-III. She would be the first ship to launch. The other two would launch in two-hour intervals.
For weeks, every plant imaginable had been loaded into the ships. Fertile eggs, three hundred of them freshly gathered from meat and egg chicken farms as far as fifty miles away. Young rabbits, 200 of them. Fresh crops as well as trees, shrubs, four tons of rich topsoil separated in the two shuttles, flowers, bees, mites, and a thousand other items the biologists had travelled far and wide to find were carefully packed on board.
Several dozen mature red and white grape bushes were packed in as well as all the necessary ingredients to make beer. This time six coffee trees had been flown in from Indonesia via Australia for the flight. Same with the cocoa trees, as Suzi Noble’s chocolate cake had never been forgotten. Most of the astronauts had been introduced to Suzi’s delicious German double chocolate cake at a very young age.
There wasn’t much room for luxuries, and the three craft were at maximum weight for liftoff.
Jane Burgos was captain of SB-III as the silver shuttle with its shield extended headed up into space. Her sister Jenny would be her co-pilot for the mission. Saturn and Hillary Pitt were the astronauts aboard SB-IV while Mars was the captain of the Matt craft with Captain Pete as co-pilot. Once they were all in orbit and the three craft connected, the crew would all be together.
One by one the launches took place successfully and the second mission to Mars began.
With five astronauts and Captain Pete, who had spent hundreds of hours on the simulators, as a backup pilot, heading up left more time on the simulators for the remaining eight experienced astronauts and the four newbies in training; all from Australia and who were proving to be really good pilots.
“Completing first orbit,” stated Mars in the Matt craft. “Ten thousand miles behind SB-IV and closing for docking in twelve hours, over.”
“Copy that, husband,” replied Saturn, who never really excelled in radio-work management.
“We have your craft behind us on radar. Expecting our linkup with SB-IV in seven hours,” added Jane Burgos. Jane was an excellent astronaut. Since the death of her parents on Mars during the Matt attack, she and her sister had put their heads down and worked hard at becoming the best astronauts they could.
The hard work had helped them cope with their family loss, and the sisters had pleaded with Lunar to be accepted for the Mars mission. For many reasons they wanted to go back to where their parents were buried, and to get revenge if there was any possibility of doing so.
On time, the two smaller craft docked onto the larger SB-IV. Once the ports were opened, the crew could mingle.
Saturn kissed her husband as he entered the cockpit of SB-IV. He then went to the captain’s quarters to see baby Mikey, who was being looked after by Dr. Nancy. Captain Pete tagged along.
“He is getting stronger by the day,” Dr. Nancy remarked as both men entered.
“A little late to be getting any ideas,” joked Captain Pete floating in behind Mars as he saw his wife with the baby.
“Not on the drawing board, husband. Pete, get your metal shoes on. It is a little late for both of us, and who knows, we might not see Earth for a little while,” the doctor replied.
“I’m sure Mikey will enjoy having you as godparents,” said Mars, grabbing for his metal shoes which would “stick” him back to the floor of the shuttle. “He needs as much human connection as possible, and I’m glad to have you guys along for the ride. Saturn and I could get very busy once we arrive, and Mikey will be nowhere near any battles.”
“I’m sure we will come in handy,” continued Dr. Nancy. “Little Mikey here will have two more babies to play with before we reach Mars in six months’ time anyway.”
“One hundred and seventy-eight days before we orbit Mars, to be precise,” stated Captain Pete. “I think in my next life I want to be Rh Negative and learn to fly that Matt ship. Nancy, Mars and the ship seem to be in one body when he flies it. He never said one word on the way up. The craft was so fast and so easy to fly.”
“You are right. When I fly that ship, it feels like part of me,” replied Mars. “My father always told me that when he flew it, it felt like he didn’t need his broken-up body anymore. He always felt like he was bodiless, and that it was just the ship and his soul flying together.”
‘I’m sure you and VIN are going to fight over the Matt ships when he returns,” smiled Dr. Nancy.
“Thank God we now have two,” added Captain Pete.
Saturn loved her new command ship. She slowly added speed on the next three orbits to disengage them from their orbit around Earth.
Nobody was in a rush. It was weird, but even though they had lifted off a few weeks early, the flight to Mars would not be any quicker. The idea was to reach Mars as it got as close to Earth as it was going to reach. That meant a lower speed and to work the computers for the exact time of arrival once they left Earth for an empty point in space. The planet Mars would be filling the space in 178 days’ time.
The crew on board weren’t very squash
ed, but there were supplies, trees and plants everywhere that were closely protected by the team of biologists making sure nobody bumped, floated, or walked into them.
SB-IV, like SB-III and the old bridge of America One, had an artificial metallic gravity. Any object that could be tied to a metal nail or piece of metal structure floated by its tie. It was the same with the humans who wore the metal slip-ons on their feet. Little Mikey had a tiny metal brace on his back inside the material of his tiny overalls, and he could be left anywhere on the floor. Everybody ate out of metal envelopes that could hold food pouches. If closed, the food would stay inside.
It took time for the newbies in space to get used to the weightlessness. They often were seen charging behind food or instruments they had lost.
Hair stood vertical, and caps with straps under the neck made one look a little more presentable if they had long hair. Most had haircuts before liftoff, not wanting their hair to be a bother. It was interesting how a good old-fashioned Marine haircut helped in space.
Little Mikey seemed happy and screamed with excitement when he was allowed to float around.
“Ground Control, this is SB-IV. We are ready for departure from our current orbit in fifteen minutes. Forward speed 31,000 knots and ready to head out, over,” stated Mars over the intercom the next day.
“Roger SB-IV, we copy that,” replied Lunar from Nevada. “We have your telemetry showing 14 minutes and 23 seconds to your first twenty-minute thrust. Remember we still have 2 hours for intercom contact, three days until we begin to lose radio contact, and five days before we lose you altogether on radar.
“All systems are go, and Mars, we will expect to hear from you in approximately three years’ time. Guys, don’t do anything stupid, but if there is a delay, you have everything you need. I just hope the storms are past, and I hope you don’t see any other ships on the red planet. Remember, if you do, shoot first and ask questions later, over.”
“We are going to miss you guys, and hope to have riches and treasure aplenty from 2030JD before you return,” added Pluto Katherine.
“At least we will be nearly three years closer to our parents returning,” added Saturn from the co-pilot’s seat while feeding her son.
“Yes, Saturn, something we are all looking forward to. Think how old we will be, and they wouldn’t have gained a day of age. It is certainly going to blow minds on both sides, over,” replied Lunar.
“You are so right there,” stated Mars. “Imagine if we missed them the first go-around and we had to wait another 14 years for them. If we miss them too often, we could be older than they are in three orbits around the solar system.”
“Something not worth thinking about, Commander Noble,” replied Pluto Katherine, quite shocked at the thought.
“Older than my mother, now that would be something for the history books,” laughed Saturn.
It was on the third day that the NextGens saw Earth become smaller in the windows. The moon orbiting Earth was really small on the fourth day and transmission was only through radio communication. Less was said over the radio, as others were listening in, and the last farewells and messages of fly safe and Godspeed were given from Nevada.
By now, and after two more 20-minute thrusts on the second day, they were traveling away from Earth at 44,000 miles an hour. In 90 hours they covered four million miles, and the rear thrusters had done their job.
On Day Five, Nevada lost all telemetry from the mission, and for the next few days, most of the base walked around gloomy, as if they had just lost a family member. It was the first time the crew were really detached from each other, and many wondered whether they would ever see their families again.
Lunar often reminded the depressed crew that the Mars mission was in good hands. All the experienced crew had studied for this moment since they were three years old, and Captain Pete, the most experienced of all the crewmembers, had done this many times before. And they were only going to Mars!
Over time the mission to Mars took a back seat to the work needed for the asteroid mining mission. Even the drawings of the build station up in orbit for America Two were becoming a reality as parts were being made, logged and stacked for this important mission.
Out in the middle of nowhere the crewmembers aboard the three ships settled down for their six-month journey.
As with all missions, there weren’t the same things to do as down on Earth. Anybody who had begun to follow sport on television, or politics, or television shows lost those opportunities. Movies returned to twice a week, and there weren’t many the crew hadn’t seen before.
Study and reading became the habits of many. Dr. Nancy worked with all the interested parties aboard on nursing and medicine while Captain Pete held astronomy or spaceship command courses in another part of the conglomerate of three ships. There was the intercom that could blast through all three ships, and that became noisy during the day and quiet during sleep periods.
Humans tend to naturally want to sleep longer than eight hours, and the 24-hour periods were turned into equal amounts of twelve hours of sleep and waking for many. Everyone had the freedom to sleep shorter hours, and there were two of the crew awake aboard each of the two shuttles at all times.
A week went by and the earth grew smaller. During the second week it became the size of the sun. They all realized what Dr. Nancy and Captain Pete had gone through for two years in a spaceship that was a tenth of the size of their smallest ship.
After three weeks, the chicken eggs were hatching and one part of the larger shuttle became home to hundreds of yellow baby chicks held down to their metal cages by tiny metal rings around their legs. The biologists treated their new babies like Saturn treated little Mikey. Within a month, the sweet little chicks had grown into not-so-pretty pullets and it was getting crowded aboard ship.
The Matt craft was finally evacuated by the crewmembers, and its cargo hold was turned into a sort of zoo. Here the chickens had to be kept in larger metal cages. So were the rabbits, and every other living creature that was aboard. The bees and the mites were confined in their hives.
After month three, only the biologists ventured into the cargo hold. The systems were cleaning the air as much as they could, and the crew really looked forward to reaching the red planet.
Mikey Noble grew during the voyage. He would be nearly eight months old when he reached Mars, the youngest person aboard until one of the crew gave birth to a healthy baby girl four months into the voyage. The third baby, another girl, was delivered in month five.
“We have just picked up the red planet on our long-range scanners,” Mars Noble announced over the intercom 23 days after the third birth, a boy this time. “Our craft have been slowing for the last several days and the computers put our movement into an orbital path in 6 days seven hours. Please prepare the ship for orbital procedures. Our orbital altitude will be at 200 miles until we have scanned the Martian surface and made sure our base is still down there. Hopefully the base is as we left it. End of message.”
As if a flight was about to enter Earth’s atmosphere, the crew began sorting out their belongings and tidying up their areas of the ship. There was a new sense of excitement about the day. The flight had been a long one for the newbies, and many had realized that life aboard the red planet would have a little more room to live, but the schedules and workloads wouldn’t change much from those of life aboard ship.
Many had discussed how life would differ once the much larger mother ships travelled to and from the red planet on a schedule. Group discussions were held on life in space. By the time the newbies realized what life in space meant, they also realized how the population on Earth knew so little about what space frontier people went through. The folk back on Earth took so much for granted in their daily lives.
“If you look out of any starboard side windows, the red planet can be seen,” stated Saturn Noble over the intercom while sitting in the right-hand co-pilot seat a day later. “It is the dull star twice the size of the
largest stars, and it is starting to turn red. ETA to orbit two days and seventeen hours, out.”
The three ships, still docked together, went into orbit around the red planet, 163 minutes behind the estimated time stated in Nevada several months earlier.
Some of the crew looked different. Commander Noble had grown a beard. So had Captain Pete, and several others of the male crew.
Every crewmember had used the six exercise bikes inside the two shuttles for their allotted three hours a day. All had lost weight and were working on staying fit as much as possible. One scientist had set up cargo as a floating assault course inside the rear cargo hold of SB-IV, and several had enjoyed hours of pushing themselves away from the walls and floating around the obstacles in the confined area.
Due to having time for much thought, several new ways of exercise had been designed and then shared between the crew. For example, push-ups could become hard vertically or horizontally if there were several crewmembers floating above the person and forcing pressure from the opposite wall. Or, legs pushups could be made difficult if there were crewmembers again pushing down from the opposite wall. A type of basketball was invented. The ball floated in the air like it did in the water in water polo, and the team members shot themselves off the sides of the ship trying to get the ball forced down into the seven-foot-high net a foot below the ceiling.
Often several members burst out laughing at the stupid antics of others. This teamwork playing “Spaceball,” as it was called, helped keep the comradery in place.
Mars worked out for several hours a day. He and his three security personnel had more incentive to stay at peak fitness, and they worked hard preparing for their arrival.
Now the security became serious. The returning crew had not forgotten how the old Matts had tried to destroy them. Each shuttlecraft maneuver was completed as if they were being watched. It was eerie, thinking that somebody down on the red planet could be watching them as they orbited 200 miles above the surface.