by Garry Ocean
…The entire family sat together at a big table. Mother was telling something to father, gesturing in her peculiar manner that father loved so much. Grandma was silently looking at them, smiling. Nick felt happy and at peace. Finally, he had nowhere to rush, and he could just sit here like this, sipping fruit punch from a frosty glass. Nick was smiling happily, understanding that now he looked not like a space hero, but as a little boy who had missed his loved ones so much. He couldn’t feel happier.
Suddenly someone knocked on the door decisively, and without waiting for an answer, Ovsyannikov entered the room, as gloomy as always. Suppressing a bad feeling and not willing to alarm his relatives, Nick put on a big smile and rushed to Peter, then gave a reassuring nod to his loved ones and took Peter to the garden.
It was dark outside. The cicadas were clicking loudly, and the warm breeze brought in a sweet smell of flowers. The black sky was full of bright stars. They were glowing and twinkling, as if blinking at Nick. “What kind of a person is this Ovsyannikov? His mere presence spoils such a great and peaceful evening,” Nick thought.
Peter sighed heavily in his usual manner, pointed at the starry sky and slowly and deliberately said, “Intern, if you don’t bring the Valkyrie to the final destination today, you will never see the stars again! Definitely not from the pilot cabin of any star ship!”
“Stars!” Nick shouted and woke up.
His heart nearly jumped out. He stared at the clock, which prompted that he had slept for no more than two hours. Stars. Bad feeling made it hard to breathe. Nick already knew what he’d see. But he still took time to give the command, “Umka, give me the full view!”
He was standing in the dark emptiness, staring straight ahead. Somewhere ahead of him the protective field was glowing, and a little farther ahead the red sphere of the fifth planet was floating. By now it was the size of a basketball. In one hour the planet’s size will increase two times and it will be possible to see its landscape with an unequipped eye. Nick turned around. The star now looked like a burning dot, the Valkyrie now was at least 600 million kilometers away from it.
Nick looked around dispassionately. Now he was only thinking about why he had not noticed this before. Perhaps, this is the nature of the human brain? If our eyes see the impossible, then the mind refuses to believe the body’s senses and simply blocks the signals? However, in this case everything was the other way round. The eyes did not see what they should have seen. He was surrounded by an absolute dark emptiness. There was no usual Milky Way of stars. Only straight ahead there was a red disk of the planet that was getting closer, and behind the ship there was a dim light of the unknown star. “Am I still dreaming?” Nick thought hopefully, but then forced himself to get back to reality.
“Umka, do I understand it correctly that we are now in an unknown planetary system, with unknown coordinates and these coordinates are impossible to estimate because there are no control points for the estimations?” Nick started to get aggravated. “And if I translate it into a normal human language, there is no known constellation anywhere in the visibility radius, so that we could figure out our approximate location. And to be more exact, there are no stars, not even a single miserable star!” he was almost shouting. “Although no, let me take that back. There’s one star, the one that nearly burned us to ashes! Aren’t we the lucky ones? And this is not all: this star is Unknown! Please tell me, the super-brain, how could this have happened: we jumped to one set of coordinates, and exited not simply at the other one, but at no coordinates at all? What is this – a different Universe with just one star? A black hole? Or, perhaps that one, what was its ancient name – Paradise?” Nick realized he was saying nonsense, but he couldn’t stop himself now. “What do those super sensors you always brag about tell you?”
“First, they tell me that your blood pressure is rising,” Umka said in an even voice. “Second, this is neither a black hole nor a mini-Universe. I don’t even want to discuss this. Third, the leap went just as it was supposed to, into the given coordinates. And if you are really interested, I do have some thoughts about where we are…”
“Just thoughts? Great! I already know where we are!”
“So, where do you think we are?” Umka inquired, again in an even voice.
“Where, where,” Nick mocked her. “In a hole a little lower than the back! I just don’t know whose yet!”
“I am expecting the data from the exploring probes to summarize the information,” Umka continued, ignoring his remark. “But even now I can already tell you that this is an encapsulated part of the space. The physical laws here are equal to those of our Universe, so I will have to disappoint you, we are not in Paradise. The only thing I cannot understand is the behavior of the quantum wave processes. Perhaps, it explains practically absolute absence in this sector of the field fluctuation.”
“Field fluctuation is absent?”
“Yes, the field tension is within 0.001 to 0.003 tHz range.”
“Another surprise,” Nick said wearily. “And we only have 2% of power, everything else was spent on he leap and protective field emitters. We were seconds away from turning into the photons of this star.”
“We are now at 1.5%,” Umka corrected him. “The energy depletes here much faster.”
“What are the options for charging?”
“There’s only one: the local sun. But it will require time.”
“How much?”
“One, maximum two percent of the needed power in one month, under the conditions of complete hibernation.”
“Complete hibernation,” Nick shivered at these words. He imagined the Valkyrie with the lights off, lifelessly rotating around the local star. He also pictured himself locked in its dim emergency lighting, taking ionic shower once a month and sustaining him life on concentrated meal pills.
“This means at least 18 months to two years, to get out of this trap?” he decided to clarify.
“I can’t tell for sure. Perhaps we will not be able to break through this space. I would recommend at first try to deploy an emergency communication probe. Given all the available data, it can be said with a high degree of certainty that the research base was indeed studying this system. But the base is outside of the space cocoon, while we are inside it. And the fact that there is no man-made probe here tells us that no human was ever capable of getting here before us.”
“A space cocoon,” Nick repeated, as if tasting the words. “So what kind of a Universe-size catastrophe must have happened, to make the space wrap around this, I’d say, not a small planetary system?”
“The encapsulation of this star system is most probably artificial, not natural. The technology, principles and even the feasibility of such a large-scale operation are unknown to me. It is also obvious that to support this system in a stable condition, it is necessary to charge it with energy regularly. What kind of energy capacity is required for this is unknown. To figure this out, we need to know the nature of space bending and the type of the trigger fields that caused the encapsulation. My memory has no such data. However, it is obvious that the power in question is at the peta-Joules level. The local star seems almost for sure linked into this energy wrapper.”
To say that Nick was awe-struck means to say nothing. Listening to Umka’s voice dispassionately reporting this as if she were telling him about another flash on the Sun, he did not quite realize what Her Majesty Luck had brought upon him. But the fact that this was not an ordinary event not only for intern Nick but also for the entire human race, was already clear.
“Do you mean to say that we have stumbled upon a super civilization?”
“To be more exact, only upon the traces of its activity. The answer to your question may be on one of those three nearest planets of this star. But we can tell by extrapolation of the field’s vector tension. In 15 hours we will approach the zone of our radars’ reach, we will start scanning then. Perhaps we will be able to find out something.”
“Are we going to initiate co
ntact?” Nick was trying to remember anything from his lecture course on possible contacts with representatives of other civilizations, but because he was too stressed out, he could not recall anything coherent.
“I am puzzled that except for the cocoon there are no other traces or consequences of sentient activity. During all this time, I did not register any orderly communication signals. The radio spectrum is very low, emitted by the local star. Perhaps when we approach the third planet we will be able to establish something else.”
“Yes, this is indeed weird,” Nick remembered from his school program that the radio spectrum of a planet that mastered radio and TV broadcast should be higher than the spectrum of the mother star. A civilization that was capable of closing its star system into a space cocoon, must know radiology. Too many puzzles and guesses!
“We can assume many things, but you are right, we need to get closer,” Nick said, scratching his chin in deep thought. “So, we have about 15 hours to spare. Let’s talk about the ‘cocoon.’ You stated it is impossible to break through it. Then tell me please, how did we manage to get inside?”
“I did not state, I’ve only made suggestions based on the available data. The local space tension is increasing in a geometric progression with the withdrawal from the star, and vice versa: decreasing with its approach. Perhaps, we were just lucky to have turned up practically in the star’s crown,” Nick shivered at the memory again. “Otherwise the Valkyrie would have ended up on the event horizon, perpetually stuck in the cocoon’s time-space continuum. The hyper engine of the new generation shuttle may have played a role as well. Due to the lack of data, it is possible to come up with even more assumptions. But one thing is certain: without preliminary research and testing using the x-explorer probes, leaping from the cocoon will be equal to suicide.”
“So, the Earth’s research base has been probably trying to solve the problem of penetrating into this space,” Nick started to think out loud. “What’s what they probably needed the Valkyrie for. And I, instead of delivering it to the experts, have managed to solve the problem radically, by entering here as an elephant into a China shop. And what am I to do now, I can’t even imagine. Great job. Looks like my career with the Space Forces is over.”
Nick felt sorry for himself, ashamed to face his father who had always been dreaming about his son following in his footsteps. Now he did not even think that he’d never be able to get out of this trap alive. The reason for his optimism was probably his youth and his faith in the power of the earth-made equipment and humans who would, of course, come to his rescue.
They must have already registered the disturbance in the cocoon’s space when the Valkyrie was penetrating it. Then they must know that he is here. Now he only had to wait and if possible explore this mysterious planet. This thought cheered Nick up a little. Perhaps, he will be the first human to initiate contact with an unknown sentient race and his name will be forever written into the textbooks on Space Exploration History. And the winners, as the ancients loved to say, are not judged.
“Umka, wake me up when we enter the zone of radar reach,” Nick realized that he needed to get some good sleep to become functioning again. His brain refused to analyze the unfolding situation clearly. No wonder: he was up for over 40 hours now.
“So much has happened during this time,” Nick thought, slowly dozing off into much-needed sleep.
********
This time he slept with no dreams, and as soon as the melodic sound of the bells reached his conscious, Nick opened his eyes.
“Great job, Umka,” Nick praised his assistant. He could not bear the ship’s alarm that wailed so loudly they reminded him of the fire emergency sirens.
Nick was feeling great and the first thing he did was going to the kitchen. He had a habit of drinking coffee after waking up. This was something he got from his grandmother. Surprisingly, many years ago natural coffee was considered to be bad for human health. Just as chocolate was. Nick was always surprised at how the doctors of different eras interpreted the effects of the same substances on the human body in completely opposite ways.
“So, what do we have?” Nick asked with his mouth full.
“Projecting the partial panorama,” Umka responded immediately. “We are three million kilometers away from the third planet. An hour ago, we have started to slow down. In two hours we will enter the orbit. I have deployed four explorer probes, soon we will get their pictures of the surface.”
“Is that enough probes?”
“Unfortunately, the Valkyrie is not equipped with more than ten probes. The other six are now studying the asteroid belts. They will be back no earlier than in 50 hours.”
“Why are you so fixed on those asteroids?” Nick mumbled, but then added apologetically, “All right, I guess we have nowhere to rush.”
Munching on the sandwiches with canned pork and sipping his coffee, Nick was looking at the surroundings. Strictly speaking, there was nothing to see. Complete darkness was embracing everything, and only straight ahead there was a star. The planet, towards which the Valkyrie was speeding right now, was not in sight. Nick has increased the zoom, to no avail. The planet was right ahead of the shuttle, and covered by the disk of the mother star. Nick couldn’t wait to see the planet, and he already wanted to ask Umka when the planet would finally appear in their zone of visibility. But the machine was ahead of him again, “I am getting a signal, projecting the image to the screen now.”
The main screen split into four windows. Three continued to show static, but the fourth one started to show a picture.
“Wow!” Nick exclaimed. The light-blue sphere of an unknown planet strikingly resembled the Earth. “Wow!” Nick moved closer to the screens. “There are clouds there? If the atmosphere composition is at least one-fourth similar to the Earth’s one, I will start dancing!”
“We now have the data of the spectral analysis of the atmosphere,” Umka reported.
“And?” Nick started to get impatient.
“I am now projecting the data to the second decimal point. The more exact data will be available after the analysis of the atmospheric probes.”
“All right, Umka, don’t drag it,” Nick begged.
“Nitrogen – 75,03%, oxygen – 21,08%, argon — 1,01%, carbon dioxide — 0, 04%.”
“That is some coincidence!” Nick exclaimed, hardly believing what he just heard.
“It is 98.9% identical to the Earth’s atmosphere. The inert gases are a little more present than on Earth, but still within the norm for a human body. The radioactive background is also similar to the Earth’s. The full rotation around the mother star takes 324.56 days, revolution around it’s own axis – 22 hours and 16 minutes.”
“This is incredible! This planet is the Earth’s twin!” Nick kept exclaiming. “This simply cannot be! Such a coincidence cannot be accidental! How did I end up here?”
“Someone promised to dance,” Umka pointed out dispassionately.
“I would have kissed you all over if I could,” Nick laughed and started to dance.
Meanwhile the screen started to show pictures from other angles. The probes entered different orbits on purpose. The lower one was at the height of 50,000 km from the surface and was showing a clearer picture. The screen showed a dense layer of white fluffy clouds. Sometimes they’d break apart and then it was possible to see green valleys and dense forests on land below.
“The remaining three probes are conducting the topography of the planet’s surface, soon we will have a more or less detailed map.”
“I am most interested in construction and signs of artificial development.”
“Please be patient, if our long-distance scanners had not been damaged, we could have compiled full information about this planet as early as 20 years ago. Starting from the composition and temperature of the core and ending with the bacteria that lived here a million years ago.”
“Did regeneration fail?”
“Yes, a complete replacement of supersen
sitive sensors is required. The force field was not capable of suppressing the rough emanation of the star.”
“All right, we’ll have to do with what we have. You’ve said you can’t control a part of the Valkyrie’s system?”
“Not just a part, but most of it,” Umka corrected him.
“If my assumption about the Valkyrie is correct,” he started to think out loud, “then it should have been most certainly equipped to work in this sector of the space. Of course, the research base scientists could not know exactly what would be found here, but exactly for that reason, perhaps, they tried to foresee various event scenarios. In any case we need to try and activate the equipment that you are not controlling now.”
“There is only one way to do it.”
“Yes, Umka, we will have to temporarily disconnect you,” Nick said, already at the control panel.
Having disconnected it, Nick took Umka carefully out, and after a thoughtful pause, started to stretch it slowly. Usually he wore it around his left wrist as a bracelet, but now, after stretching it to the needed length, fastened it around his neck. Now Nick could give Umka orders without pronouncing words out loud, and he didn’t have to bring it to his ear to receive her answers. Then, he put the Valkyrie’s on-board computer back into its place with the same care.
“Board 103 computer is ready to work,” he heard immediately from the loud speakers. “Scanning of the ship’s automatic systems shows multiple malfunctions in…”
“Stop reporting,” Nick interrupted. He was not in the mood to listen to a long list of all damages to the Valkyrie, especially because most of them could be replaced or repaired only on base, at a stationary dock.
“What can you tell me about the sector we are in now?” asked Nick, not even hoping to learn anything new.