Each member of the crew had a private cabin with an actual door. The shower area consisted of stalls with opaque curtains very much like those in a home. The toilets were also completely enclosed, and would function equally well in zero-G as they would while the ship was underway. Developing those had cost NASA and GST almost thirty-five million dollars.
The mission profile called for the spacecraft to be under acceleration for the entire trip out to the asteroid belt. The constant acceleration would have them traveling faster than any previous NASA mission. Halfway to their destination, the craft would flip one hundred eighty degrees and the thrust of the seven ion engines would be used to slow its forward velocity, braking so it would come to rest in the same orbit as the colony. With the ship under constant acceleration, the crew would enjoy artificial gravity slightly less than half of that of Earth, allowing nearly normal living and keeping them in shape. Once they reached their destination, the ship would be in zero-G, just as it was when they trained in Earth orbit, forcing them to be diligent about their exercise schedule to ensure their bodies stayed reasonably healthy.
Jove was going to use both the Earth’s and the moon’s gravity to slingshot out of Earth’s orbit. Their initial path was going to look like a large figure-8 as they dove into Earth’s gravity well, fired the engines to break away carrying the extra velocity, and then repeat the same maneuver around the backside of the Moon, picking up even more speed. Then their last pass around the Earth would give them a sizable push as they broke out of Earth’s gravity and set themselves on their way farther out from the sun.
The last two weeks of preparation were busy, with the crew working twelve to sixteen hour days. The last supplies, water, food, oxygen and replacement parts were sealed into the storage sections of the ship, with the last task the construction crew performed was to attach one of their construction habitat modules in a prepared section of Jove for use as a refuge in an emergency.
For amateur astronomers, Jove was easily visible from earth. The ship looked like a huge Apollo command module, with the construction habitat immediately tucked in behind the crew and supplies compartments and the ion engine mounts at the very end. To the NASA old-timers, Jove was an amalgam of the Apollo command module, Spacelab and the butt end of the Saturn-V first stage. To them it was beautiful; elegant, even.
The first leg of the mission, the slingshot maneuver behind the Earth and breaking out of orbit toward the moon would take just over an hour. Covering the distance to the moon that took the Apollo astronauts three days would take Jove barely a day.
“Standing by, Jove. All systems read ‘Go’ down here,” radioed the voice of Mission Control.
As the spacecraft rounded the side of Earth farthest from the moon, the Jove computer counted down to ignition of the engines.
“Fifteen seconds,” Harriet announced, paused, then, “Five seconds … firing!”
“Congratulations, Jove, on the official start of the mission to the asteroid belt. You’ve got a few thousand engineers whooping and hollering like little kids down here. Bon voyage,” said Mission Control.
“Roger that. Thank you, Mission Control. De-orbital burn is nominal, engine shutoff in forty seconds,” Harriet radioed. Over the internal intercom, she called out, “Status check. Telemetry?”
“Check,” Sybil replied.
“Environmental?”
“Check!” Phyllis replied.
“Internal atmosphere?”
“On the nose,” David replied.
“Propulsion?”
“Well within optimal parameters,” Paula replied.
“Mission Control, Jove is spinning like a top. How say you on telemetry?” radioed Harriet.
“We’re reading you five-by. All recorders are running. Telemetry is in the green.”
“Roger that. We’re on course, running straight down the pipe. Next scheduled contact in two, say again, two hours.”
“All right, everyone. You’re free to unstrap and move about. Would someone go down to hydroponics and check the seals on the tanks? After we take our last swing around Earth I think we’ll be able to break the protective seals and start the pumps,” said Harriet over the intercom.
“Roger that,” replied Phyllis.
“I’m going to take first watch, Sybil. Come relieve me after checking in with Mission Control.”
“Sure thing. Want me to bring you anything to drink, a snack maybe?” Sybil offered.
“I’m good. Check on the rest of the crew, and make sure nothing in their cabins shook loose, will you?” Harriet requested.
“Done.”
Those who had stations and equipment to check unstrapped and dispersed to make their rounds. Several stayed behind to complete work at the consoles monitoring every system aboard the spacecraft.
John was responsible for keeping track of video storage from the external cameras, internal computer network maintenance, and part-time cook in addition to his other responsibilities in hydroponics, supply storage, and any other miscellaneous job that needed to be done. As he, Susan and Bianca were the outsiders, they originally had come to the mission without specific technical or engineering specialties but were now fully vested as crew.
Once he was done, he made his way to the galley and ran into Bianca, who was checking the cabinets and refrigerator units. When he saw what she was doing, John started checking the cabinets on the opposite side of the room.
The acceleration was low, providing about the same gravity as on the moon, making moving around the ship much easier than when the crew had to work in free fall.
Sybil first checked the large common area to make sure nothing had been jostled in storage, then made a quick inspection of all the crew cabins.
Peter, the resident astrophysicist, was meticulously examining all the plumbing fittings of the fresh and recycled water systems for any leaks. Fully checking the recycling hardware would come later, as that system was one of the most important on the ship. Though their water supply was huge, it was nowhere near enough for the crew to consume without recycling for the duration of the mission. Everyone’s training on this system was extensive, as were the kinds of repairs they might face while they were underway. This was one of the essential systems that would force the mission to return to Earth early should it fail. The ship was more than eighty percent supplies, food and fuel, with the remainder crew living space and the engines.
Transit toward the moon was completed without incident. As the spacecraft curved around the backside, the Jove telescopes were trained on the locations of known separatist installations and the remnants of the ice asteroid they had landed on the moon prior to their departure.
The mission crew was well aware that the design and construction of their spacecraft had pushed development of any lunar landing and return mission further into the future while the SEALs remained trapped in the minimally functioning separatist installation. But they also realized that their mission lay elsewhere, and that none of them had any control over the priorities of the various space-faring governments or corporations.
Once Jove rounded the moon and the crew uploaded the stills and video to NASA, they prepared for the final slingshot around Earth. The spacecraft would be just kissing the top of Earth’s atmosphere on its last pass of the planet until its return, months hence. The crew strapped in for safety as they approached near-earth space.
“Stand by, full burn in six minutes,” Harriet announced to the crew. “Mission Control, counting down from six minutes to full burn.”
“Roger that, Jove. Your course is perfect, you’re in the pipe,” replied Mission Control.
The edge of the planet moved visibly closer as they traveled thirty-two thousand miles per hour. Once they finished their final slingshot boost around the earth they would be initially moving at forty thousand miles per hour toward the orbit of Mars.
“Last c
hance before the asteroid belt if anyone wants to get off,” Harriet announced to laughter. “Okay, I warned you.”
Moments later Mission Control radioed, “Congratulations, Jove. You have officially left Earth orbit and are on your way to the asteroid belt. Godspeed, ladies and gentlemen!”
The whole world was watching the NASA feed from Houston, which included several channels of video from the Jove crew compartment and external cameras. The coverage was also watched live on the Project Svoboda spacecraft, also in orbit. The joint Russian/European Union project was nearing its own departure time from Earth orbit to travel out toward the home of the separatists.
Their crew was considerably smaller than Jove’s, consisting of three men and two women. They were from four different countries, commanded by Russian Colonel Vasily Levkov serving as pilot and mission commander. He was backed up by Nigerian scientist and engineer Chux Oni, French engineer Xavier Favreau, British botanist and environmental engineer Sophia Winslow and French backup pilot and engineer Gina Javier.
The headquarters for their mission was in Russia’s Star City complex, and was supervised by the Russian military even though the project was jointly run by the EU and Russia.
The Svoboda spacecraft’s crew quarters were much smaller than those in the Jove ship, and the design was completely different, owing to nuclear-fueled engines. The outer design was similar to the Discovery One in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The crew quarters were at the front of the craft, with a long support shaft ending with the propulsion system. Storage containers were attached all along the central support; however, in order to retrieve supplies from storage, crew members had to suit up.
In some ways the designs of the two spacecraft were similar. Both were designed to travel under power for the entire trip, with the crew experiencing zero-G only at the endpoints of the journey, and momentarily at the halfway point when the ships flipped and aimed their engines along the ship’s path to decelerate.
Due to Svoboda’s smaller size, and more powerful engines, the ship would arrive nearly simultaneously with Jove even though they would be leaving two weeks later. And, for all the publicity surrounding the joint mission being a civilian affair, Svoboda’s crew was militarily led and organized. Colonel Levkov had six space missions under his belt, and a stellar career as a fighter pilot before that, though he had never seen actual combat.
His role as mission commander while underway would change to ambassadorial once they arrived at the colony. Their approach to contact with the separatists was to be a team effort, with the others contributing on various issues such as normalized trade, technology transfers, supplies and the emigration of citizens to the colony and back to the EU and/or Russia.
Nigerian scientist Chux Oni had spent five months on the International Space station installing and maintaining several of its power systems while he indulged his hobby as an astronomer. His selection was equal part technical expertise and skin color. He was given the role of initial contact should communications be opened with the colony.
Several psychologists and sociologists, even those from the United States, had debated the merits of an African being the lead contact for the mission. One of the sociologists, a professor at an historically black liberal arts college, cautioned against making the mistake of thinking that skin color was the leveler in starting an effective dialogue with African Americans who obviously repudiated their country of birth. The fact that there had been absolutely no sign of African influences in their communique, nor mention of any kind of back-to-Africa thinking in their demeanor, suggested there would be no traction based on Chux being on the crew. The psychologists all agreed that cultural or racial displacement simply wasn’t the separatists’ issue.
As the official language of Svoboda was English, there wouldn’t be any conceptual difficulty with contacting the colony, but even the colonel thought the chance of substantive contact was futile. He had an ace in the hole that only the Frenchman, Xavier Favreau, had knowledge of. Concealed under the outer skin of the Svoboda spacecraft were six specially modified French Super 530 missiles. The solid-fuel-rocket-propelled missiles were radar guided and outfitted with a Russian-modified explosive payload. There was no expectation that the arms would be needed, but the colonel believed it better to be safe than sorry.
In private conversation with his Russian superiors, they informed him of their intention of building in the missiles, but expressed their severe misgivings as to whether the missiles would be an effective deterrent or defense against technology that could launch what amounted to an entire neighborhood from the bedrock of the moon into orbit. Nevertheless, military minds being what they are, the missiles were secretly installed.
“Their ship is impressive,” Colonel Levkov, announced in general as they watched the BBC coverage of the Jove flyby on its way out of Earth’s orbit.
“Maybe so, but we’re faster, and may even beat them to the colony,” replied Xavier Favreau from his console, where he was working on system programming.
Levkov shook his head and said, “There’s no advantage in being first. Let them get there ahead of us so we can see what kind of reception they receive.”
“You really believe there’s the possibility of danger when we arrive? You’ve never spoken of it before,” asked Gina Javier in lightly accented English.
Levkov smiled as he looked at his copilot. Between the two women aboard, she was obviously the more attractive. She was short, dark-haired, maybe five foot two, slim. He had nicknamed her, Svoboda’s Little Angel. She reminded him of a girl he had a crush on who he left behind when he joined the Russian air force.
“Not so much danger as facing the unknown. I believe we have an advantage over the Americans in that we do not represent the separatists’ racial oppressors. However, the message they broadcast, along with their silence toward every single country that has tried to contact them, leads me to believe that our advantage may be perceived, not actual,” he replied.
“We may also have an advantage in that our mission was planned and funded by an alliance of nations, not the biggest corporation on Earth and the American government,” suggested British engineer Sophia Winslow.
“From a procedural perspective, it is good that two missions are traveling out to the colony. Should a problem arise with either of our missions, there’s at least one other spacecraft in the neighborhood that could lend a hand. We know that we cannot count on the colony for help,” said the colonel.
“Why are you so certain?” asked Chux.
“Because they are the only people in the solar system who can return those soldiers on the moon to Earth, and they do nothing,” Levkov answered.
“Would you? Would you save armed soldiers sent to attack you?” Chux asked.
“They did leave that installation operating. They have air and water. The separatists didn’t have to leave that behind, they could have just let those soldiers die. That’s the reason I think if our mission or Jove should run into a problem they’ll be there to make sure we don’t die,” said Sophia.
“As you English say, from your mouth to God’s ear,” said Xavier with a laugh.
“Actually, I believe that’s a uniquely American saying. They believe that God is somehow their servant,” said Chux.
“It’s got to be frustrating for America that a bunch of blacks have so outclassed them in space technology and medicine in so spectacular a manner. The descendants of slaves completely outstripping their former masters, a bitter pill for white Americans,” Levkov observed.
“Colonel Levkov, please respond,” came the call over the common work frequency.
“Levkov.”
“Colonel, we have just finished topping off the water tanks. Would you please read back what the instruments report on the pressure in reserve tanks one through four?”
“Stand by,” Levkov replied, switching his console to the right display. “I sh
ow the pressure in acceptable range in tanks one, two and three. I believe the pressure will level off in tank four as the water temperature drops.”
“Affirmative, colonel,” the engineer radioed.
“I will keep an eye on tank number four over the next few hours and monitor temperature and pressure,” Levkov promised. “Sophia, would you set your systems to sound an alarm every sixty minutes until the water begins to freeze?”
“Got it,” she replied.
Levkov also found Sophia attractive, but thought that a lack of prospects and proximity was at work more so than any real affinity. She was a much taller woman than Gina, five foot, nine, with dirty blond hair and what classic literature called severe features for a woman. She was also the mission’s only medical doctor and so far had maintained a professional distance from the rest of her crewmates.
Their training was more extensive compared to their Jove counterparts because there were fewer of them. Each had to wear multiple hats and had much deeper overlap in the necessary specialties. But as with Jove, everything was so automated and computer monitored, there would be little hands-on, get-your-fingernails-dirty work to do. Svoboda was a thoroughly delightful advance over any technology Levkov had ever worked with. Russian, and the Soviet technology that had come before, were far behind the kind of cutting-edge hardware the Americans had at their disposal.
Confrontation Page 29