The Ice Moon Explorer

by Navin Weeraratne

  "You could have fucking woke me."

  "The agency doctors said they could repair and revive them. But, we needed to get them back as quick as possible. The less radiation damage they took, the better. So, we recovered the bodies, and put them on Cronus One."

  "So they're up in orbit right now?"

  "Cronus One left."

  "No, there's no launch window till 2067. There isn't the fuel to leave before that."

  "There is, if we dump modules, life support, and you."

  My eyes widened.

  "You see?"

  "I could have helped."

  "You did help, by sleeping. Mission Control ordered you to come home, and I refused."

  "I would have refused, too."

  "I know you would have. But when you did get home, you'd get kicked out of the agency. It would be the end of our careers. With you asleep - you didn't refuse."

  "But you did."

  "I have the legal power to make decisions for you, and effectively, keep you from knowing about those decisions. If there had been time to dick around, it would have gone to court. It still might."

  I can't say I wasn't impressed.

  "Mission Control wasn't too happy. As a compromise, they wanted you to sleep, one month at a time. That would reduce "mental health risks" before the relief crew arrives, and sends you back. I consented, but only if Pilot could wake you early if an experiment or instrument was at risk. There's only so much Pilot can do, without hands."

  "So how long have I been asleep? How much time have I lost?"

  "Just five months."

  "Five months!"

  "As if it's been such a cramp on your work. You were doing fine. The mission was doing fine. This was a good solution. It kept you here. The mission is proceeding. Kapoor and Liu are going to get treatment. Everyone wins."

  "Then why didn't you tell me? Why didn't Pilot tell me?"

  "Because you know damn you wouldn't have slept, at all. No Science Left Behind! You'd micromanage every project, which you have to do now, since you wrecked Pilot. You can't just plug him back in."

  "He could have told me."

  "He was following my instructions not to tell you. Which are your instructions."

  "What about everyone else? What about the Village?"

  "You didn't access the Village. The only other antenna that could receive from Earth, was on Cronus One. Once it left, we've been on our own."

  "But I was there."

  "Pilot ran a copy. Did you notice no one really talked to you much?"

  "Kapoor did."

  "Kapoor's engram was here, and still working hard. You just damaged him by the way, with your brilliant Luddite skills. Please don't try to put him back. Leave that to Cronus Two crew."

  "He lied to my face!'

  "It's Kapoor. Are you really surprised?"

  I said nothing.

  "So was he controlling Sub Two?"

  "He was. He wasn't ambushed by Satan, he was taunting him. You thinking Kapoor was killed - and to be fair, he is dead, and you've already done all you can for him - was deemed acceptable. It was the only way out."

  "But, I would try to rescue him. You didn't see that?"

  "I didn't, actually. Surprise! Free will, bitch!"

  "And Maggie?"

  "Her engram would have nothing to do with it. We put her on Cronus One, too. She's helping fly her corpse home."

  "And Josh? What about Josh?"

  "That kid - such an asshole. The things he called me. You. Us."

  "He didn't want to lie, either."

  "Of course he didn't. And he's not happy that you didn't come back with the others."

  "There wouldn't be fuel!"

  "Aren't you glad Physics solved that argument with him?"

  "Thanks for handling that."

  "Oh, you're going to watch it. All of it. That's how this works. And then, I'm going back to dormancy."

  "You're going to - sleep?'

  "I have my own mental health to worry about. I was also put on a "sleep" schedule. Now that you've damaged Pilot and Kapoor, there's no else to talk to. Just you. And we're not supposed to talk to each other, anyway."

  "So you're going to deactivate till Cronus Two gets here?"

  "You've created a permanent fork, Kara. You did this. From here on, you're the only human being in your universe. You'll keep quite busy, which will help. Just stay focused on your work. I'm exercising my personhood, to end your update patches."

  "My updates?"

  "The ones that keep me, you. I don't want to become, what you're going to become. It's agency protocol, too. One of us has to remain sane, to make decisions and give consent."

  "O - okay."

  "Now I'm going to show you the fight with Josh. Good bye Kara. I tried, I really did."

  My face disappeared, and a scene played out. It was me, hurting the most important person in the Universe.

  2068: Three Years Later

  "Look at it! We've got shoots!"

  Kara Sheppard crouched, her eyes level with the green in the tank.

  "Green beans growing in Telesto soil! Oh wow, I didn't think, I didn't think that would work. Look, let's not get too excited, it's just green beans, we have to see how they do. Once they've fixed a little Nitrogen we can see what else likes it."

  She sat back, smiling.

  "We got to send some pictures to Mission Control. They're going to love this. Extended Mission Profile for the win, right? I mean I had to try; we have plenty of the stuff on board. I just took some seeds from the greenhouse and built a new grow box. I mean, it's not huge science. But it's just a little something. You know? Something else, another activity."

  "I know right?" she said to the coffee maker. "Activity, it's what I need. Good for the brain, keeps me sane. Okay, I got to go check on EIMARP."

  She got up, and went to the control room. Screens showed views from undersea cameras. She floated to the largest one. It showed a fleet of jellies, hovering over the reef, like alien invaders. She picked up a wash cloth and started polishing it.

  "Got to keep the place clean. No reason to be a slob. Principal Investigator has got to take proper care," she squirted homemade window-cleaner. "Got to take proper care of my tools. Of the mission. Shit, it's not like any of you ever lend a hand, ha ha! Yeah, yeah, it's alright. I know you would. I'm sorry, just forget that I said that."

  She spent an hour cleaning every surface in the room.

  "There, that's better. Thank you, I think it looks better too. I'd like to do it more often, but once a week is all I have time for. You ready to send some data? Alright, let's fire it up."

  She started working at a computer.

  "Eighty two megabytes, yeah I included the asteroid imaging. There's always someone who wants to look at that. Probably a big deal after Porco."

  She started transmitting.

  "And there you go. I wonder what those guys are saying."

  She turned and faced a chair. "Well what do you want me to do? I don't have enough metal to make a bigger dish. No, no, no, no. We've been over this a hundred times, I'm not plundering Sub Two for metal. We need Sub Two. EIMARP has been running great for years, we're not jeopardizing it."

  The chair seemed unmoved.

  "Oh come on, that's irresponsible. You know it's irresponsible. Look, think about it - right outside is an alien world! An alien world full of life. We could study it for centuries. If there's one thing Mission Control wants it's for me to take care of EIMARP. We do nothing to mess with that." she waggled his finger.

  "Alright, fine," she threw up her hands. "Look, we'll try again with dish. Maybe they weren't transmitting; maybe the dish wasn't aimed properly. What? Well I don't see you trying? I don't see you in a space suit, trying to aim a bowl of string and wires at Earth? So give me a fucking a break okay? I'm the one who wants to talk to Josh. I'm the one who wants to talk to Josh."

  She floated out of the control room.

  She opened her eyes.

&nbs
p; "Oh," she looked around and stretched. "Fell asleep at the terminal again. I just thought I'd shut my eyes for ten minutes."

  She looked at the time. In her mind, she ran through her To Do list.

  "I had a weird dream," he said to the coffee maker. "Thought I saw a ship through the portal, trying to make a docking approach. Yeah I know, right through that one," she pointed -

  "Holy shit!"

  The docking port opened and a space suit peered through. The wild-looking astronaut beheld the perfectly manicured one.

  "Doctor Sheppard?" said the wild one. "Good Morning, I'm Doctor Dobbs. May come aboard?"

  "Dobbs? John Dobbs? I know that name!"

  "Yes Ma'am, you do. You accused me in the Village of cheating at darts. I maintained for public record that it was Doctor Kapoor who started it first."

  "Oh my God, John Dobbs! Come on over!" she reached through and pulled the astronaut across.

  "It's good to see you! But, you shouldn't you be at Europa?"

  "Europa is in good hands. The entire Interplanetary Astronaut Corps made it clear to the agency, that we weren't going to sit pretty while they put together a rescue. A Jupiter-Saturn window was opening up. It made sense."

  "I was about to say. I didn't think Earth would send anyone till the next Saturn window."

  "Earth-Saturn would have added three more years. No one thought that would be a good idea. Er, quick question?"

  "Sure."

  "Why are there a coffeemaker, a centrifuge, and a drawing of a cat, lined up here?"

  "They're my friends."

  "Oh."

  Another astronaut climbed through, carrying a small case.

  "Mom?"

  The two hugged. Her eyes teared. Two more astronauts climbed through.

  Click.

  Kara looked up.

  Dobs shrugged. "The PR department asked for these," he took more shots.

  "How are you here?" Kara said at last, letting go.

  "I was done with training," said Josh. "I requested transfer to the Cronus program. The agency approved."

  "No, I mean how are you here?"

  "They modified the Jovian crew rotation mission, to carry three more. It was touch and go with the launch window, but they got it done in time. Meanwhile Dobbs and his team prepped the Jovian Orbiter, to fly here. We saved years."

  "What about supplies?"

  "We have enough till Cronus Two arrives in two years, per original schedule. It'll come uncrewed, with everything we'll need. If there's a problem, we'll just sleep. We've spent most of this time asleep, anyway."

  "Who are these two? Hi, I'm Kara Sheppard."

  "We know who you are," said one grinning. They shook hands and introduced themselves. "We're the relief crew."

  "Relief?" she looked from person to person.

  "We're here to rescue you, Kara," said Dobbs. "You'll be heading back with me. They're the new rotation."

  "No, I don't need rescue. I'm not due for rotation, for another three years."

  "Mom - "

  "No, rescue or not, you're early. I'm still the Principal Investigator of the Cronus mission. What I say, goes."

  "I imagine Mission Control thinks differently," said Dobbs.

  "Look around you. I am Mission Control. This is my mission. I've earned the right to come home when I'm ready. I've earned it. I've earned it." she picked up the coffeemaker and started to squeeze it.

  "Look, let's not talk about this right now," Josh gently pulled away the coffeemaker. "You want to show us what you've been up to?"

  "You people ever been to an icy moon?"

  "Europa," said a relief crewman. "We flew close."

  "What a bullshit place. I'll show you Enceladus, we can get there by lunchtime."

  "'Lunch' time?" said Dobbs.

  "Yes. I have green beans," Kara turned and disappeared towards the galley.

  "This is not how I wanted this to go." Dobbs opened a suit pocket and pulled out a syringe. "Alright, we've trained for this."

  "Hey hold on," Josh stepped forward and held out his hand.

  "Your mother is not in her right mind, Sheppard. The sooner she's sedated, the better."

  "Look it's been a long time for her. Give me a day or two to get her used to the idea." He opened his bag, and pulled out two cans. "And I've owed Mom a drink with her, for a really long time."

  He tucked the beers under his arm, and floated after his mother.

  References

  [1] From Michael Caroll's Living Among Giants: Exploring and Settling the Outer Solar System (2014)

  [2] "How Sedna and family were captured in a close encounter with a solar sibling." Jilkova et. al, http://arxiv.org/abs/1506.03105

  [3] Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator. A power source used for all deep space probes. It uses the decay of radioactive material, to generate electricity an keep the probe warm. Solar power is not a practical alternative, NASA uses Plutonium, and doesn't have enough, because Congress doesn't care. ESA is developing their own, using Americium.

  ###

  Thanks for reading my short story! I hope you enjoyed it. If you did (hooray!) would you be comfortable rating it, or posting a review at the site you got it from? It'll help others find it who may also enjoy it.

  Currently, I'm working on The Hundred Gram Mission. It's about an expedition to Alpha Centauri, in the context of a world suffering climate change. Can we afford Big Science when refugees cram our streets? And isn't it just as tragic if we decide we can't?

  An excerpt from The Hundred Gram Mission follows. If you'd like updates, just click and follow my Facebook page, or my author page on Smashwords.

  About the Author

  Navin Weeraratne is a miniature painter living in Sri Lanka. Together with his amazing and beautiful wife Thilani, he hosts geek and nerd events in their community. He has five cats and two dogs, and cannot justify the time he spends playing Kerbal Space Program.

  Connect with Navin

  Favorite me at Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/pnweerar

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Navinscifi

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/NavinScifi

  Excerpt from The Hundred Gram Mission

  2051, Indonesia, Central Kalimantan

  “Come in,” she said in Bahasa, her accent Australian. “Don’t stand there in the rain!”

  On the benches, children coughed like TB patients. They clung to bored mothers in brightly colored headscarves. An ancient, shoeless, Malay brushed mud from his feet and checked his phone apps. Mounted on a wall bracket, a Three Vee ran the Faith Network. Smiling Anglo commentators said that their Lord loved them, and was coming soon. All the patients discerned was that white people had amazing teeth.

  “Please sit down and take a number,” said the girl again. He noticed that her teeth were perfect. “Is this your first time in the clinic?”

  “Yes,” the man stepped into the waiting room, water dripping from his rain coat. It was hardly more than a large plastic sheet. “Are all the doctors here?”

  “Here,” Teeth handed him a crisp paper tag, “just wait till it lights up. Then it will be your turn to see the doctor. Since this is your first time, we’d like to ask you a few questions. It will help the doctor give you better care.” She swiped her tablet and opened a new file. He noticed the gold crucifix around her neck.

  “Are both the doctors here?”

  “Yes, but you won’t need both of them, at least I hope not! Are you in any pain?”

  He sat down on a bench. A little girl stared at him, too young for tact. Headscarves started gossiping about an absent neighbor.

  “I’m fine. Can I answer the questions later?”

  “That’s fine. If you need anything, just let me or the assistant know.”

  The Australian disappeared into one of the treatment rooms. The little girl came over to him.

  “Hello. What’s your name?” he asked.

  “Kumala.”

  “Kumala, I�
��m Sukarno. Have you been here before?”

  She nodded.

  “Do you know if they get medicine from somewhere, or if they make it here?”

  “They make it. In the machine.”

  “Do you know where the machine is?”

  She pointed to a door.

  “Good girl. Are you a Christian, Kumala?”

  “No.”

  “That’s good.”

  “We have a new patient tonight, a walk in,” said Abigail. “Do you want him or shall I give him to Andrew?”

  Elena looked up from rinsing her arms in a bucket of disinfectant. “No that’s alright, I’ll take him. Did you do an assessment?”

  “No. He seemed uncomfortable.”

  “No worries, we’ll just assess him when he comes in.”

  Loud male voices suddenly came through the door.

  “You said it was one new patient, right?”

  Abigail frowned. “Yes. There was only one other man.”

  “Well there’s more now. You better go check. This better not be another sterilization fight.”

  Abigail stepped back out, closing the door.

  And screamed.

  Elena threw open the door. There were six masked men standing in the waiting room. They carried 3d-printed rifles and cast iron machetes. Two aimed at her, she quickly raised her hands. The others studied the terrified patients. Children howled.

  “Oi!” a tall man with thinning hair stepped out of the second examination room. Beside him was a short Indonesian woman wearing scrubs. “This is a free clinic,” he said in English. “We don’t have any money, and we just here to help these people. We’ll help you too, if you need medical care. We won’t report you to the government.” The woman translated into Bahasa.

  They shot them both.

  “Everyone, get on the ground!” One gunman yelled above the screaming. “Get on the ground or we will kill you!”