Planet DAN-X34

by Lamees Alhassar

  PLANET DAN-X34

  LAMEES ALHASSAR

  Copyright © 2016 Lamees Alhassar All rights reserved. ISBN: 1541152298 ISBN-13: 978-1541152298

  DEDICATION

  To my family, friends and fans. CONTENTS

  Chapter One 1 Chapter Two 67 Chapter Three 85 Chapter Four 117 Chapter Five 145 Chapter Six 209 Chapter Seven 245

  CHAPTER ONE

  Richard Daniels sat back at his desk and took another look at the documents on his table. He had been reviewing some slides and reports on the progress that had been made by his company in the past three months.

  He put down the sheaf of papers and heaved a sigh of relief. He could vividly recall the incidents of the last quarter, when they had appeared before the Senate Committee on Outer Space Explorations in Washington, DC.

  He recalled how it had happened that fateful day. The Senate Hearing Room had been jam-packed with news reporters, scientists, and engineers. As he had looked around that morning, he could not help but wonder at the size of the crowd there.

  “Surprised?” someone asked. Richard turned around to look at the person seated by his side. The man was wearing a pair of spectacles and had a crop of white hair on his head. He was elderly, and showed signs of an experienced and talented mind. He had to be, Richard said to himself. After all, he was his most trusted employee and his best friend.

  “Surprised? What are you trying to say exactly, Professor Andrews?” Richard repeated, still not sure of what to make of his friend’s inquiry.

  The professor waved his hands around. “I mean the crowd, Mr. Daniels. Are you surprised at the crowd here today?”

  Richard glanced around and smiled. “I must confess that I really am. I mean, I know how Congressional Hearings can be, especially those that are made open to the public. But I never expected such a turnout today. No, this crowd is really big.”

  The professor nodded. “Yes, you should expect it to be this large. And don’t forget those who will be watching it on their television sets and computer devices all around the world.”

  “You mean this event is being streamed live all around the world?” Richard asked, genuinely surprised at the revelation.

  The professor nodded again. “Of course it is. You know, anything that has to do with space exploration is now a hot topic.”

  Richard nodded. “I agree with you, Professor Andrews. Space exploration is now big business, just like the gold rush and oil ages of the past centuries.”

  Professor Andrews shook his head. “No, Mr. Daniels. Space exploration cannot be compared to any of those eras. You know, I see a lot of data, almost on a daily basis, on how immense the entire process is; and it continues to expand.”

  “I agree with you, Professor. I mean, you are the head of our company’s operations and technical teams. You should be up to date with all developments as they happen in real time,” Richard said.

  Just then, there was an announcement being made by one of the orderlies. “Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Can we please be seated and maintain some level of silence? The Senate hearing is about to commence.”

  The hall became silent as the senators walked into the room and took their seats at the big tables in front of the room. There were about eleven of them, and they were all wearing suits and carrying big files and portfolios under their arms.

  One of them stood up and cleared his throat. “I thank you all for coming here today. As you know by now, my Senate committee has been hard at work reviewing some of the proposals that have been forwarded by some of the companies under our oversight. We have arrived at some tentative conclusions already. However, we would like to have some input and contributions to the issues at hand from the public. That is why this hearing is being held today. Please feel free to make your comments known and available to us all. That is the only way we can all benefit from this meeting.”

  After the senator sat down, another senator stood up. “The matter at hand is not really difficult to appreciate. I am sure that we are all familiar with Mr. Richard Daniels?”

  There was a slight murmur in the hall. The senator pointed at Richard. “Mr. Daniels, could you please stand up?”

  Richard nodded and stood up. As he did, he waved his hand around at the audience. There were cheers, and some people clapped for him.

  The senator nodded and waved at Richard. “Thank you, Mr. Daniels. You may be seated. Yes, we all should be familiar with Mr. Daniels. After all, without him, mankind would not really have made the kind of advances we have been able to record in space travel, deep space exploration, alien discoveries and subsequent contact, communication, and interaction. His company, Galaxy Exploration Initiatives (GEI), has actually been at the forefront of these laudable scientific and technological innovations for a very long time now. In fact, when you come to think of it, where would we as a race be without Richard and his company’s breakthroughs?”

  There was a slight murmur in the hall as a lot of people nodded their heads.

  “Exactly. Just as I thought; we would really be nowhere. And there lies the reason why we all remain deeply grateful to Richard and GEI’s commendable breakthroughs. However, commendations aside, we always have to do our jobs as senators because we represent the people who voted us here in the first place. We represent you, the vast majority of the good people of the United States, and by proxy, the world at large. By the world I am referring to those who are remotely and directly influenced and affected by the activities of companies like GEI. We do this to ensure that we continue to live in a society that is well informed and fully aware of activities that could affect them. With that being said, let us all take a close look at the matter at hand for today.”

  As the senator sat down, the audience began to clap.

  Richard leaned over to his side. “These senators have a way of rousing emotions in people,” he whispered.

  Professor Andrews nodded. “Yes, Mr. Daniels. They are politicians, remember? That is all they really know how to do.”

  Another senator stood up to address the audience. “I thank my esteemed and learned colleagues for such wonderful introductory speeches. As we are all aware, the matter at hand is none other than Mr. Daniels and his company, GEI’s, interest in making investments in alien planets and colonies. And by investments, we are talking about having active presences in those alien planets and being paid dividends and returns of some form. While we do not have any objections to companies like GEI making advances that would benefit mankind, we are concerned about their desire to venture into what we still look at as uncharted regions. I mean, just think of it. An Earth company going into bilateral or multilateral trading with aliens? Have we thought about the risks that could be involved? This is the reason why we are here today. And in order to continue, may I call on the CEO of GEI himself, Mr. Richard Daniels, to come and make his submission.”

  As the senator took his seat, Richard stood up. Almost immediately, the hall began to clap for him once again.

  Richard smiled and nodded, waving his hands once in a while. Eventually, the hall was silent. Richard picked up the microphone and smiled warmly. “I am indeed humbled by the attention that this esteemed Senate committee is giving to me and my company. As you are all aware, GEI is devoted to nothing but the advancement of mankind’s interests. That is what guides our every action. But today, we are not here to find out what GEI’s operations are all about. We are here to better understand what drives us at GEI. And what do you think that could be? Yes, can anyone tell me, what is the driving force at GEI?”

  Richard paused and looked around the room. No one said a word, as they all seemed rather more interested in hearing from him than making any contribution at that moment. Richard nodded and continued. “Well, if you really want to
know, it is simply to make us as mankind more capable, advanced, and able to hold our own in any part of the galaxy.”

  The audience began to clap again. Richard nodded and waved his hand around, trying to get them to remain quiet.

  “Already, we are in an era where things we could only dream of ten, twelve, or fifteen years ago are now the norm. There once was a dream to travel to Mars. That dream was hatched in the early 2000s. And by 2018, it became a reality. But in this year, 2044, who even talks about Mars, Venus, or all the other planets? As a result of our research and operations, people can now take vacations to any planet in this solar system and other solar systems. It is now the norm for our students to go on excursions to these planets and thereby enrich their knowledge. While these are all commendable advances, we at GEI believe it is not enough. We all know that nothing can destroy a good initiative like complacency. The moment we begin to feel satisfied with our achievements, that is when we should realize that we are about to become irrelevant,” Richard said.

  There was another series of claps, and some in the audience waved at him.

  “And we don’t want to be complacent. Not now, not ever. GEI is focused on being the foremost space company on Earth. And how do we want to remain relevant to mankind? By exploring other initiatives that can bring untold and immense benefits to us all. An example of such an initiative would be our desire to start bilateral business with aliens. It is a well-known fact that in this day and age, in the year 2044, we are already interacting and communicating with aliens. But that is all. Nothing more, nothing less. Simply communication and diplomatic activities.

  “But what about trade and commerce? Are we saying that these aliens are only to be communicated with and not to be engaged in business activities? Do we realize what Earth stands to gain by entering into such dealings with them? We are already scientifically and technologically advanced. But do you know how much more advanced we could be if, for example, we entered into technological agreements with these aliens for the transfer of technology? Just imagine what it could mean to us all! And the best way to bring about such possibilities is by considering business dealings with them such that we could invest in their industries and companies while allowing them to do the same here on Earth,” Richard said.

  There was another round of applause before Richard continued.

  “We are not saying that Earth should open up all that we have to the aliens. All we are suggesting is that we open up our minds to the endless and limitless possibilities that exist in having such business dealings with them. Space travel is already a reality. And that is because of the efforts of GEI. We have not only been able to make contact with aliens, but we are now easily communicating with them.

  “What do you think should be the next phase in this process? It is engaging in business and trade dealings, of course. Can we recall how it was in the past with the explorers of the old worlds on Earth? After they discovered new continents and lands, the first thing that those explorers did was to find a way to communicate with the new people they discovered. Once that was achieved, what was the next thing that they did? Yes, they began to engage in trade and commerce with them. This is the same thing that I, through GEI, intend to achieve. We want to go beyond discovery and communication. We now want to trade with the aliens. And we count on your support to making this dream become a reality, the same way we have already successfully made so many former dreams of mankind become a reality in our present age. Thank you.”

  As Richard sat down, the hall erupted in a roar as the audience gave him a standing ovation. Professor Andrews patted his shoulder. “If you were running for the presidency of the United States, I think you would easily win.”

  “The presidency? No, I don’t think I am cut out for politics, Professor. I’d rather stick with business,” Richard said.

  *** “Richard? Mr. Daniels? Are you all right?” someone asked.

  Richard blinked and looked up from his table. It was Professor Andrews. He was standing by his table. Richard had not heard him come into his office.

  “Professor, it is nice to see you this morning,” Richard said as he recognized his environment.

  Andrews sat down on the empty seat. “Yes, I am sure it is. I apologize if I interrupted you. But your door was unlocked. After I had knocked several times and did not get any response, I decided to come right in.”

  Richard waved his hand. “No, please don’t apologize, professor. I was only reflecting on how the last Senate hearing went.”

  “You were? Well, I think that is in order. It is not every day that one gets to see one’s company succeed at convincing a Senate committee to listen and abide by your submissions and proposals, no matter how beneficial such proposals might be to the public.”

  “You are right, especially our oversight Senate committee. I wish we did not have to deal with them all the time.”

  “Well, there is nothing else we can do other than to tolerate them. And while doing so, we continue to do what we know how to do best, which is to develop compelling products and services that they will have no choice but to eventually approve.”

  Richard nodded. “And that is why I cannot thank you enough, Professor. Your expertise and skill makes GEI continue to be at the forefront of our industry.”

  “Please, Mr. Daniels. I am just doing my job here. Besides, where would GEI be without your business acumen and entrepreneurial abilities? Just look at how you expertly handled those senators. I must confess that it was one of the best presentations I have ever seen by any CEO in recent times. I am sure you know that the press coverage of the event helped to increase our company’s share prices.”

  Richard nodded again. “Yes, I realize that. I noticed the sudden spike in our share price after the Senate hearing. I admit that it was good PR for GEI. But I would rather focus on growing our business through other, more generic and conventional sales strategies than having to confront those senators every time.”

  “I agree with you, Mr. Daniels. They are not a bunch that anyone would want to run into all the time.”

  “So how is your day going, Professor? I am pretty sure that you did not come by just to find out how I am doing.”

  “Come on, Mr. Daniels. Are you saying that I cannot pay a visit to my CEO every now and then?”

  “Really? So you now have so much time on your hands that you can afford to be checking up on me?”

  Andrews chuckled briefly. “Don’t mind me, Mr. Daniels. I am only kidding. Actually, I and some employees were about to embark on a recon visit to one of our newly acquired planets. I sent a report to you on it yesterday.”

  Richard nodded. “Yes, I remember reading about it. The one on Dan-X34, right?”

  “Yes, Mr. Daniels. As you know, Dan-X34 was recently acquired. We only just completed an overview of its mineral compositions and atmospheric tests by use of a recon drone. And from the results that we got, it promises to be loaded with minerals.”

  “Minerals? What kind are we looking at?”

  “We are not yet absolutely certain. But there is high probability that there is an abundance of gold, titanium, and silver.”

  Richard dropped the documents in his hand. “An abundance of gold, titanium, and silver? That should make us profitable right away!”

  “Yes, Mr. Daniels. It should. And that is why we want to embark on a recon visit right away. The sooner we can ascertain the levels of concentration and their location, the sooner we can quickly draw up an extraction plan.”

  “That would be in order. I think I should go with you on this visit.”

  “You want to come along with us, Mr. Daniels?”

  Richard nodded. “Sure. Why not? I am not really busy. These reports that I am reviewing can wait until a later time. When do you plan on leaving?”

  Andrews looked at his wristwatch. “Well, a shuttle is scheduled to take off in half an hour from now.”

  “In that case, we are going together then, Professor.”

  Profess
or Andrews stood up. “Okay, Mr. Daniels. We can leave immediately for the airbase.”

  Few minutes later, they were flying into the GEI Airbase, which was situated two hundred kilometers away. After the helicopter touched down on the tarmac, both Richard and Andrews came down from it.

  As they walked towards the departure hall, Professor Andrews handed a folder to his employer.

  “What is this?” Richard asked as he collected it.

  “It is some of the preliminary reviews that were conducted by our drone on Dan-X34. I know you already have it in your e-mail. I just wanted you to have a hard copy of the summaries.”

  “I see. That is very thoughtful of you, Professor.”

  At the departure lounge, they both walked into separate cubicles where they got partially undressed. Thereafter, they put on some space suits and boots.

  “How many people are going to be on this visit?” Richard asked as he fastened his space attire.

  “We are going to be four, Mr. Daniels. It will be you, me, Katrina, and Michael,” Andrews replied.

  “Just us with Katrina and Michael?”

  Andrews nodded. “Yes, Mr. Daniels. It is merely a recon visit and nothing more. Afterwards, we can plan on sending the full complement of an extraction team.”

  “That will be perfect, Professor. Shall we leave?”

  “Of course, Mr. Daniels. Let us head this way,” the professor said as he led his CEO to the tarmac.

  As soon as they climbed up the stairway into the shuttle, a man and a woman stood up to greet them. They were both in the cockpit and dressed in matching space suits without any helmets.

  Richard nodded and waved at them. “Hello, Katrina, Michael. I see that you are going to be on this trip?”

  Katrina, nodded. “Yes, Mr. Daniels. Professor Andrews has previously briefed us on this trip. Although we never thought you’d be interested in coming along.”

  “Are you serious? Why would I want to miss out on such an opportunity to see our latest acquisition in person?” Richard asked as he sat down.