To The Stars (The Harry Irons Trilogy)

by Thomas Stone

  "How are you today Bill?"

  "Content as a hog in mud."

  Of them all, Bart was the smartest. His implants allowed him to perform calculations with amazing speed and accuracy. Whenever the opportunity availed itself, he would plug into whatever was available and lose himself in cyberspace. His particular weakness was his taste for pleasure realities, places where he could tap into sensory stimulations.

  He carried a portable player that provided him with a variety of digitized pleasures when he couldn't plug into a larger database. By his own admittance, he was addicted. Still, he was a prima donna, hand-picked by Fagen for crew membership. It was all too apparent why: Blane could soak up data at an amazing rate; if the onboard computers failed, Blane could run their programs. In effect, he could access and manage all the ship's systems in an instant.

  His telecommunications implant made him and Kathleen seem like mentalists. Still, Blane preferred the company of his machines to that of flesh and blood.

  Of the group, Fagen was the most enigmatic. Harry didn't see him very often. As far as he knew, neither did any of the others. Occasionally, Fagen would look in during a training session to see how they were doing. He was friendly enough, but he didn't say much. He never mentioned the limo accident to Harry.

  Finally the day arrived, exactly six weeks since training had begun, when Fagen showed up at the afternoon training session.

  "How are they doing, Doris?"

  "Oh, they're ready to go, but I think they could use a few more weeks."

  "Well, we don't have a few more weeks."

  Fagen's comment stopped everybody.

  "We've received our departure window. Two days from today, 2100 hours."

  "That's a little sudden, isn't it?"

  "Yes, well, we got bumped up on the departure list. I'd like to suspend the rest of the day's sessions and let everybody off to take care of any loose ends."

  Kathleen spoke. "You wouldn't have anything to do with the new departure schedule, now would you, Edward?"

  "Just the luck of the draw, Kathleen."

  "Yeah, I'll bet."

  That evening, Harry went to his mother's house to say good-bye to his family. They all knew it might be years before they saw Harry again, if they saw him again. Mrs. Irons tried to keep the occasion light, but Harry's little sister kept crying. They gave Harry gifts like it was his birthday. He didn't tell them, but he couldn't take anything with him. There were severe space and weight restrictions aboard the spacecraft. Besides, the corporation furnished everything he needed.

  Afterwards, Frankie and George stopped by and the three sat at the kitchen table and talked until the hour grew late. For a long while they talked about their days at public school and how they shared a common yearning to become space explorers. All three had applied for corporate survey teams, but only one made it. Only one of them ever really had a chance and all three knew it. Harry knew he would miss his friends.

  In the morning, Mrs. Irons waited until Harry was gone before she cried.

  An air-limo picked him up outside his mother's door and took him south through the miles of city to the spaceport located in the foothills. As they neared, Harry marveled at the great acceleration ramp pointing up into the sky. Harry had learned the procedures. First, a quick jump into orbit, then a docking at a station high above the Earth's atmosphere, and then finally, transfer to the ship that would take them through the wormhole to parts unknown.

  He found the others in the spaceport lounge.

  "Where's Edward?"

  "He's already in orbit, waiting for us."

  Harry didn't have time to wonder why. Doris called them together and directed the seven survey team members to the waiting shuttle. Aboard the shuttle, they stored what gear they carried and just had time to sit down and strap themselves in before the ship began to slide forward on the magnetic rails.

  Upon reaching maximum acceleration, the jets ignited. The rumble from the engines coursed through the craft; the vibrations shook Harry like one of those expensive massage chairs the furniture stores sold. Harry knew when they left the ramp because the high, screeching sound that accompanied the motion suddenly ceased.

  The rush of acceleration pushed him into his seat and made breathing difficult. In a few minutes, the pressure eased as the engines switched off and the shuttle entered zero gravity.

  They took turns looking out the single port until Doris spotted the space station. "All right, let's buckle up for our approach."

  On arrival, Fagen greeted them as they stepped through the airlock into the station.

  "I trust everyone had a pleasant trip?"

  "Outstanding," Bonner said, "like being shot from a cannon. Smooth all the way." Even Blane was excited. He didn't bother to plug into his portable pleasure machine. Kathleen laughed at his silent messages and, like the others, she kept glancing about, trying to take everything in at once.

  "Please follow me." Fagen directed them through the station to a pressurized hanger bay that also served as a good place for viewing the stars. Save for a small service vehicle and a handful of personnel, it was empty.

  Harry walked to the nearest portal, a window reaching from floor to ceiling, and stood gaping at the view. Wordlessly, Kathleen moved to his side. The stars spread out before them.

  Nadine exclaimed, "It's like a hologram!"

  "It's better!"

  Fagen smiled a little after that and took the crew to a large viewing port, directing their attention to a starship held in parked position adjacent to the station.

  It was a larger version of the Braithwaite Scout-5, one of the better equipped survey crafts.

  "This is our vessel. She'll treat us as well as we treat her, so, I insist we use the utmost respect. Shortly, we will transfer over and set up housekeeping, but first, I'd like to do something I do with every new crew prior to departure." Fagen signaled to a waiting valet. The man popped a bottle of champagne and poured the golden liquid into long-stemmed glasses.

  Holding his drink aloft, Fagen turned to his crew. "The first toast is to the success of our mission." He lifted the glass to his lips and the others followed in suit.

  "The second toast is to our ship, which I have taken the liberty of naming the Magellan, after the intrepid explorer who first circumnavigated the globe."

  This time everybody voiced their approval before draining their glasses. On impulse, Kathleen hugged Fagen then turned and kissed Harry. Harry blushed and looked at Bart. Blane grinned and winked.

  Nadine and Dr. Parker clanged glasses together while Bonner draped a meaty arm over Doris' shoulders. The crew would never feel as close as they did at that moment.

  Chapter 9

  Harry's first impression of the Magellan was that it was larger than expected. The second impression, after the crew had transferred over, was that it was more luxurious than he'd imagined. It contained numerous conveniences designed to help pass the time while in transit. For Blane, there were, of course, plenty of places to plug directly into the ship's computer. In the extensive database were games, pleasure realities, histories, technical information, procedures, and thousands of various other programs.

  Unlike the simulator, the bridge aboard the Magellan was spacious. Crew's quarters were compact but sufficient to allow for a modicum of privacy. Each was fitted with a bunk, a small table, and a locker. An intercom was located beside the bunk. A terminal and built-in keyboard were built into the table. Save for the bridge, none of the cabins had ports. If the crew wanted to look at the stars, they either had to go to the bridge or use the remote cameras to see through one of the monitors.

  After stowing his personal effects, Harry joined the rest of the crew in the galley. Fagen came in last and tapped the table for silence.

  "I know you're all wondering just where it is we're headed. The corporation chooses our destination and pre-programs our navigations. Of course, we have the ability to override, but only in case of an emergency.

  I reali
ze that other than Doris and myself, none of you have crossed through the wormhole. I'm sure you've heard all the stories about bent space and time anomalies, and the inherent danger in passing through. Allow me to assure you that these dangers are minimal. If everyone performs their jobs properly, we won't have anything to worry about. In any case, the ship's pre-programming will take care of practically any eventuality."

  Fagen looked at Bonner. "Bill, if you would, give everybody the quick lecture on how we use the wormhole."

  "Sure." He took a sip of coffee, then started. "As you probably know, the wormhole was discovered over seventy-five years ago by miners on their way to the asteroid belt. In the beginning, only drones were sent through, but they weren't capable of finding their way back. Only through years of trial and error were we able to discern that the wormhole could be used as a means of two-way travel.

  Simply enough, it works this way: a spacecraft enters the wormhole at a precise velocity and exits at another hole somewhere else in the galaxy. The entry velocity dictates the destination. For every velocity, plus or minus one Planck constant, there is one and only one destination."

  "So?" Nadine asked.

  "So, that means that in practical theory there is an infinite number of destinations."

  Doris interrupted. "A major part of each survey mission is to monitor velocities and map the entry velocities to the exit coordinates. Simple."

  "How long is transit through the wormhole?" asked Parker.

  "It varies," Bonner answered, "but never longer than a couple of days. At least, so far. It's the time in transit to and from the wormhole that sometimes takes several months. When we pop out on the other side, we could find ourselves anywhere."

  Blane faced Fagen and spoke. "That raises the question of exactly where are we headed?"

  Fagen cleared his throat. "Yes, well, we've been given a new velocity and new entry vectors."

  "Does that mean we don't know where we're headed?"

  "That's right," Fagen said. "Unexplored territory."

  Kathleen gaped. "You mean we have no idea where we're going?"

  What does it matter when you don't know where you are? Blane transmitted to Kathleen.

  "Not the faintest," Doris said matter-of-factly.

  "What if we get through and find nothing there?"

  "The corporation hired us as a survey team. We record and map whatever we find, even if it's empty space. Either way, the corporation considers it a successful mission."

  Fagen had lapsed into silence and was listening. He stood with his back to the bulkhead, arms folded. He was a peculiar man, aloof and keenly observant. When he spoke again, immediately everyone looked to him for his opinion.

  "It will be a successful mission. For the time being, I want Nadine, Bill, Bart, and Doris on the bridge. Now, let's get to work."

  Harry stopped Doris on the way out. "What should I do?"

  Orders came easy for Doris. "You can make sure everything is stowed away in everybody's space. Afterwards, your time is your own until we begin our approach to the wormhole."

  Harry nodded and made his way back to the crew's quarters. Parker and Kathleen went to the infirmary which also doubled as a lab. Parker wanted to make sure everything was secure before departure and Kathleen just wanted to take a look around. The others went forward to the bridge.

  Feeling invasive, Harry took a quick look in everyone's space. They were all fine except for Blane's. On his bunk was his collection of pleasure disks, on the floor, his clothes. Harry quickly placed them in a locker and exited. Last was Fagen's room. It was locked. Harry shrugged and turned away.

  A klaxon sounded and Harry felt a slight thump. For a moment, the floor seemed to be trying to slide out from under him. An announcement was made over the intercom. "Ship is underway!"

  Then Harry heard his name being called over the intercom. "Harry? You want to come forward and have a look?"

  That's exactly what Harry wanted and he rushed forward to join the others on the bridge. When he arrived, he saw that the Magellan had just cleared the restraining locks and was pulling away from the station. The others sat at control consoles and watched their monitors. Fagen was in the pilot's chair with Bart alongside in the XO's chair. Harry noted that Doris, ousted from her position, hovered nearby.

  As they drew away, Fagen maneuvered with airjets. He turned the vessel around so that it moved backwards and they could watch the station as it receded from view.

  A report came through from the controllers on the station. "Magellan, you are moving five by five through your corridor. Take care of yourselves. We'll track you until wormhole entry. Have a good trip."

  Nadine flipped open the comms channel. "That is affirmative. Thanks. This is Magellan, out."

  Harry watched until he could no longer see the station. After that, he stared out the port for a long time. Only when he grew hungry did he finally move.

  "Think I'll look for something to eat."

  Doris shook her head. "Don't eat too much, Harry. It won't sit well on your stomach while you sleep."

  "It's not safe to eat anything at all," said Parker. "It's not necessary, either. You'll get nutrients as you sleep."

  "Well, when do we turn in?"

  "All right, I suppose we should get started. Commander?" Parker looked at Fagen.

  "By all means. Start getting them wired up."

  Parker looked back to Harry. "You're the most nonessential, so you'll be first."

  "You didn't have to put it quite that way."

  "What way?"

  "Never mind. What do I do?"

  "Whatever you do to get yourself prepared to sleep. Shower..."

  Nadine grinned. "Put on your jammies!"

  "Be in your quarters ready to snooze in an hour."

  Harry nodded and floated off the bridge. "Good night everybody, see you in about fifteen months."

  "Good night, Harry!"

  Weightless and enjoying the freedom, he pushed himself along. When he was out of sight from the others, he played in the air, tumbling end over end, darting from one corner to the other until he began to feel he could use a wash.

  He took a towel from his cabin and worked his way to the chamber they called the washing machine. It was actually part of a larger system that allowed the crew to wash and perform hygienic functions normally restricted from a weightless environment. The washing machine itself was a closet-sized air/water compression shower. Harry had never used one but it seemed simple enough. He passed through the outer hatch, shut the door and stripped down. He stashed his clothes in a locker, then faced the inner door. He pressed a button and the door parted, the two halves sliding into the wall. As he stepped inside, he felt the wind buffer that kept any particles of water from leaving the washing machine. The door shut behind. Somewhere behind the bulkhead, warm water mixed with compressed air and both were forced through tiny tubes that led to pinholes in the surface of the washing machine. The result was a spray of fine mist that constantly circulated within the chamber.

  Harry floated in the air under the mixture of water and air, enjoying the zero gravity shower. A clank sounded from the anteroom. Harry attempted to wipe the water from his eyes. "Who's there?" After a moment, he added, "There's somebody in here."

  The doors to the washing machine slid open. Kathleen stood in the dressing room, completely undressed and completely unashamed. A smile played across her face. "I know. Hope you don't mind if I join you; this is the only place to wash."

  Harry stared at the beautiful young woman as she floated into the shower. The door closed behind her. She looked expectantly at him. Harry was shy, but he wasn't slow. He took her in his arms and he did what he'd wanted to do since the first time he'd seen her. He held her and kissed her, her naked body close to his. They made love until Parker interrupted by pounding on the door.

  "I know you're in there, so open up! It's time for sleep!"

  Harry didn't rush it. When he finally opened the door, Parker said nothi
ng, preferring instead to angrily stare at the two lovers. Kathleen laughed, more a giggle actually, up until the time Parker injected both her and Harry with the cryoshot. The last thing Harry recalled before falling asleep was Kathleen's laughter. For the moment he completely forgot that he was in outer space embarking on the greatest adventure of his life.

  *

  "Harry? Wake up! Is he back with us yet?"

  Voices invaded Harry's consciousness. He wanted to force them away but they were insistent: they wanted him to get up. And yet he was so sleepy.

  "He's coming around now."

  Harry opened his eyes. Nadine stood over him with Parker off to the side. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

  "Seems like I just drifted off a minute ago."

  "It's fifteen months later, Harry. We're closing in on the wormhole. So get up!"

  "Where's Kathleen?"

  "She's awake and already on the bridge with everybody else. Get dressed and come on up."

  Slowly, Harry roused himself. The hangover from cryo-sleep was more than he'd expected. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs and pulled on his clothes. Remembering his shower with Kathleen, he wondered if it was just a dream.

  The time prior to wormhole entry passed rapidly. As they approached, Harry, Kathleen, and the doctor were ordered back to their cabins and told to strap themselves in.

  On the bridge, Nadine checked the entry vectors while Bonner prepared to ignite the fusion plasma generators. Blane plugged into the ship's computers and monitored the entire process.

  The plan was to light the fires as soon as the wormhole began its fluctuation and then to fly through as the hole reached its widest point. It was a delicate operation. The wormhole, pulled by the gravitational forces of the entire cosmos, continually yawned and closed. Sometimes it was as small as a micron across and other times it could stretch to as much as a quarter mile across. The corporation had placed a series of plasma field generators in the space around the hole. They helped to stabilize the hole when it reached its widest point and then to stretch it even further. There was plenty of room for a fully-equipped starship.