Worlds Without End: The Mission (Book 1)

by Shaun F. Messick

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  3 days later ?

  After days of orbiting Mars, Jake was becoming frustrated. The computer had not detected any gravimetric anomalies or anything that even resembled this hypothesized wormhole. Jake knew that he had to take action soon. "Okay, guys, I don't know if we're going to find this thing, so I think maybe it's time we switch to Plan B. Taylor, keep this thing in orbit. Skip and I are going to take NightHawk down to the surface and do a search."

  "Roger that, Commander," said Taylor.

  Jake pressed the communicator button to contact Houston. "Houst ? that's weird."

  "What?" asked Taylor.

  "I can't get a signal for the communication satellite orbiting Mars," Jake said.

  Skip spoke. "That's strange. We just spoke with them a few hours ago."

  "I know. Maybe the satellite is out. Computer ?"

  "Yes, Commander Palmer," the computer replied.

  "Are all communication satellites active and operational?"

  "Negative. Scans cannot locate the Mars' satellite."

  Taylor interjected, "Just two hours ago, we passed it in our orbit, and it was there."

  Jake looked confused. "Yeah, I know. Okay, here's what we're going to do. We're going to go back and see if we can't locate it. Whether it's there or not, Skip and I are going to go down and do a quick search. Then we're going to head back home."

  Two hours later, Mars II was back to where it had passed the satellite before. All three crewmen looked around for the missing satellite. "Computer ?" Jake said.

  "Yes, Commander Palmer."

  "Are your scans able to detect the satellite now that we are back to its previous orbit?"

  "Negative, Commander."

  Skip unbuckled himself and floated to the hatchway that led from the flight deck to mid-deck. "I wonder if it fell out of orbit."

  Jake unbuckled himself and followed Skip. "Maybe. Even so, let's get down to the surface and do a search for my dad's re ? Mars I's remains."

  Jake had a hard time saying it. Even though he was skeptical about the existence of wormholes, he still hoped that they would find one. He really did not want to go the surface and find whatever was left of his dad's crew.

  Skip spoke before he opened the hatchway. "Maybe after our search on the surface, we should wait a few more days to see if we can't find the wormhole. I'm still positive it's around here somewhere."

  "If the satellite was still here, I would agree with you. But under the circumstances, I want to get back to Earth as quickly as possible. I'm sure they're pretty worried by now."

  Skip looked disappointed. He succumbed to the fact that he may not get to prove that his theory was true. "Yeah, you're the commander. Whatever you say."

  Jake gave Skip an annoyed look. "Don't patronize me, Skip. I just think that we need to communicate with Earth as soon as possible."

  Skip did not respond. He opened the hatchway and went through. Jake followed him as he spoke to Taylor. "Taylor, keep this thing in orbit. We'll be in constant communication with you. Once we retrieve our necessities from our quarters, we'll prep NightHawk in the payload-deck. Once we're ready to leave, I'll give you the order to open the payload doors."

  Taylor turned in his copilot's chair to face Jake and saluted. "Roger that, sir."

  Jake smiled and followed Skip to their quarters to get ready for man's first descent to the surface of Mars.