by OMAR FINK
Nabith smiled, “Yes, this means we can save ourselves from the destruction of Earth by the comet train. But wait, I know you have many questions. Allow me to address some of them that we have already heard.” He looked down at his feet.
Nabith raised his head and spoke, “The first question is how is this possible when many years ago at the time the threat was first discovered, our scientists told us we could not stop the threat and must evacuate. The answer is complex. The comet train is returning through a different part of the belt. We did not have the resources back then to introduce changes to affect the comet train. Today, we have several billion people living out here, we have city habitats scattered around the asteroid belt, and we have craft-like habitats shuttling resources around. Our ability to create this solution is totally dependent upon the evacuation process that we have worked on so hard in recent years. If we had not moved out into space, this solution would not have been possible.”
Nabith continued, “The second most common question has been, how can we move the fourteen objects into position to deflect the comet train fragments. The answer is. we’ve already been doing exactly that for several years. Not with these specific objects, but we have been adjusting trajectories of both rocks for mining, and of city habitat rings. We’ve applied the force needed to nudge them gently into new orbits using both attached thrusters, and using other tug-like craft to push and pull them. We have already completed all the calculations needed to determine how much force we’ll need to apply, how much time it will take, and when it must begin. In fact, we’ve also designated the craft we need to accomplish this task, and they have begun slowly moving into position to be ready.”
Nabith said, “The third question we expect to get is, how can we be sure this will work. Unfortunately, the answer is we won’t know for sure until it actually happens. Our calculations show that we can predict with some certainty that most of the comet fragments will be deflected. We can predict that many of them will be destroyed by the Sun. But it is possible that some of them will skip off from their near encounter with the Sun and fly off into the Solar System on new trajectories. We cannot predict those cases with any degree of certainty. We can predict some ranges and some probabilities and the chances that one of those rogue fragments will strike Earth is extremely low. It’s not impossible but it’s highly unlikely. The other problem is that we have been concentrating on only the largest seventy-eight comet fragments because they pose the greatest threat. In fact, in addition to the large fragments there exists several small clouds of smaller fragments and dust. We hope these will follow the paths of the larger objects, but we can’t be sure. Some of them may also skip off the gravitational field of the Sun and end up being scattered around the Solar System.”
Nabith added, “It’s worth mentioning that our observational data has some limits of accuracy. The comet train is still nearly two years away from being here and it will take many months to swing back through the Solar System. As it gets closer, our data will become more accurate. The RATS team has already been deploying a network of navigational sensors and communication hubs that will get us even more detailed observations as the train of fragments comes back through the asteroid belt. This will let us make fine adjustments to our trajectory nudging as needed.”
Nabith paused for a moment, “We know you will have more questions and need more details, and we’ve put together a package of data with all the trajectories and timing and the craft that need to be involved, and also all the calculations we’ve done. We’re not done checking our work. Computing resources can be made available if you don’t have enough in your local facilities. We want you to ask more questions. While we are confident that we have covered everything, we also need consensus in order to fully mobilize our resources to make this happen. This can be done. We can save Earth; but once again, we’ll all need to work together and perhaps most importantly, we don’t have much time.”
+8 years, 3 months, HABITAT-58, AU 2.5
Delize Naidu said, “We’re on a six-month timeline. Some moves will begin in only two months, but we need to have most of them either completed or be in position to complete them six months from now. Most of the thrust control can and will be done by computer. However, we know from experience that we want to have human pilots at least on standby during every critical maneuver, and we are likely to need to designate some moves as requiring hands-on piloting attention. The RRRT has been recruiting our best pilots for over a year. They’ve also been either acquiring or building the habi-craft needed to deploy our network of sensors. The network is designed to collect information and distribute it. But because of the real time need to update calculations, each of those sensor nodes have significant computational ability built into them. This allows them to calculate new local trajectories in real time without waiting for a time delay in data propagation.”
Delize paused for a short moment to look down at her notes, then continued, “We are going to use this dispatch center here on HAB-58 as a central information hub, however, since we need our most critical resources spread out to influence objects that will eventually be intersecting with the incoming channel of the comet, this will be a highly distributed project. Time delay awareness will be critical. Make sure you are completely familiar with accessing and using the new sensor and communication network. We should be able to distribute and update information across the asteroid belt in a matter of hours, but when you’re working with real time adjustments, you’ll need to be using local computations.”
Delize paused again, but this time kept her gaze firmly on the viewpoint recording her message, “We still need more resources, and we need them to be approved and released as soon as possible. We cannot afford to delay. Just because the new diamond thread technology will allow everybody to be evacuated in time does not mean we can relax and not work on this solution. We can still save Earth from destruction.”
Delize continued, “The idea that we have already reached a conclusion is being acted upon by everybody sitting back and relaxing and assuming that all the needed work has been done. Communication responses are slower. Construction timelines that have meticulously met for many years are beginning to slip. This is just as important as any other part of our efforts for the last eight years, and must be treated as a top priority.”
She looked over at Bill Decker, “How was that?”
Bill smiled back at her, “That was just fine. Send it out, and we’ll see what kind of response we get. Sometimes these things don’t stick the first time, and we may have to repeat it, but the only way to find out is to try.”
+8 years, 4 months, PIRAEUS, GREECE
Zorba Omega spoke, “Delize, I’ve studied your transmission and done some investigating of my own. Your analysis seems to be that people have become lazy, and are lowering their intensity and production levels. You didn’t use those words, but I believe that to be true. You’re frustrated because you’re having difficulty getting the new authority structures in the asteroid belt to release resources to your control. It’s clear to me that you need those resources to accomplish the billiard shot correctly without compromise. The real problem is here on our end, on Earth, not out in space.”
Zorba paused then continued, “It seems that as word of the billiard shot project has leaked out, most people seem to take it for granted that it’s a done deal, and we have been saved. The result is that general effort level is slipping, construction and migration timelines are falling below targets, and many people have canceled their plans to join the migration queue and are deciding to stay on Earth. This is not good but it is what it is. I am concerned about the impact this turn may have on your effort. To that end, I’m going to begin buying some resources back from HU. With the relaxed pressure to perform, I expect this will be easy, and I can actually get things at a bargain price. I’m going to concentrate my effort on the pieces of infrastructure that you need most importantly. I have attached a list of my analysis of these needs. When you get this transmis
sion, please go over the list, and get back to me quickly with any adjustments you need to make, either to the list items or to the priority order. Make your response prompt. I intend to put at least the beginning of this plan into action within twenty-four hours. Thank you for bringing this issue to my attention. You did the right thing by contacting me.”
He finished with “Zorba out.” and then “Send.”
He spoke again, “Start a new recording.” Then he said, “Artie, I’m sending you a list of procurements I want you to move on immediately. These are urgent purchases needed for the plan to deflect the comet train. Price is not important, time is of the essence. Keep me updated on your progress, step by step, and copy Delize Naidu with overall details but not finances.” He paused.
Zorba resumed speaking, “And Artie, remember the conversations we’ve had about ‘reversing transactions’? I’ve always assumed that HU will need to at some point unwind their massive purchases, and even though that process has already begun, it’s only a trickle at the moment. I suspect it will soon become a raging river. We need to get out in front with our analysis of what will become available, when, and at what prices. I’ve told you I expect real estate prices on Earth to fluctuate widely, and frankly I’m not interested in that area at all, however, if we can identify opportunities to make a profit by investing in values that will rebound later, that should be considered. The best values are likely to be found in areas that will dovetail with space based industry, and in the areas of financing and managing these transactions. Please stand up the process of evaluating these areas and keep me apprised as normal.”
+8 years, 5 months, RRRT HABICRAFT RING, AU 4
A group of men and women wearing pilots gear were slowly filtering into a working area in the Rapid Response and Rescue Team (RRRT) hab-ring stationed near AU-4, well past the frost line and into the outer edge of the asteroid belt. There weren’t enough couches or slings for everybody to sit on, so they just grabbed tubs and containers, and made themselves as comfortable as possible.
When everybody was settled and quiet, Lewis “Sonny” Barton began speaking, “You’re all here because we know you’re the best pilots in the rocks. This is it, guys. This is where the rubber meets the road. We do this right, and we can save Earth and all of our heritage there. That rock out there is the biggest rock we need to move and also the biggest one we’ve ever tried to push. We’re also out here on the edge of the belt where any change will have more time to influence the trajectory of the comet train. It should go without saying that this rock is one of the most important in the whole project to deflect the comet train. Without this one in the right place, all the others might not add up to enough to make the deflection work. You’ve all been through the briefings. You know we’re using computer control up front, but we also know from experience that the real time fine adjustments are often outside the program parameters, and may need a human touch to get them right.”
Sonny swept his gaze around the room at the pilots listening to him, “We’re going to use teams of seven pilots overseeing twenty-one pods with each pod controlling about one hundred thruster packs. The thruster packs are already in position on the rock, but it’s possible we’ll have to move some to make adjustments. We’ll work four hour shifts at the controls, then four hours looking over the shoulder of the next pilot, then four hours sleep, then back around again until it’s done. In addition to the guys up front, we have some subs in our support staff, so if you’re feeling bad, don’t hesitate to tap out and let somebody else take over. The most intense part of this is liable to take several weeks, depending on how smoothly it goes, but the entire project won’t be finished for several months.”
Sonny smiled, “Alright, let’s go do this.” The pilots rose, and began docking their exo-skeletons into their space-suits before leaving the room.
Keel O’Donnell tapped a thruster control gently to make a fine adjustment and to check that his thrusters were working well. He had three robo-pods slaved to his control, and each of them had programs to control roughly one hundred thruster packs that were already in position on the rock he was assigned to move. He spoke, “Command mode, pods one, two, three, execute operation pinball.” There were no window panels in his pod, but he could see anything around him by enabling visible surfaces inside the pod that showed an exterior view. With all visible surfaces enabled, it was as though he was hanging in empty space with faint instrument displays superimposed over some sections of the view. The three slave pods were already spread out by several kilometers and didn’t move, but on the surface of the large rock, the small ion thruster packs fired up and began spitting out their invisible streams of particles.
Keel was watching the large instrument displays right in front of his face that represented any change in the trajectory of the rock in front of him. They all showed zero. There were smaller displays off to the side that showed the status of the almost three-hundred thrusters, and the robo-pods controlling them. The numbers on those displays were all active and changing as the thrusters did their work under the programmed control of the pods. It would take many hours before they expected to see any change in the rock trajectory numbers.
+8 years, 6 months, MORIA, AU 2.7
Kaz sat in the Compute/Communicate/Navigate (CCN) center on MORIA near AU 2.7. He was watching the big dispatch status screen that covered most of one wall. A section map of the asteroid belt was covered with small dots and figures that had text tags attached to most of them. Each tag corresponded to a box down at the bottom of the wall with characteristics data in them. Kaz pointed at a cluster of the moving dots, and turned to explain to several others standing just behind him, “See those? We used to have to track groups like that individually. But the Group Unit Tracking (GUT) program we developed for prospecting and mining allow us to task, deploy, and monitor groups. It’s been simple to modify that software to adapt it from mining to this project of deflecting rocks. It’s basically the same thing just with different final objectives.” He nodded slightly when he finished speaking.
One of the miners behind Kaz asked, “Did you write this software? It’s impressive.”
Kaz smiled and shook his head, “No, no. I can write just enough code to get myself in trouble. We have some very talented programmers and developers working here in the center, and they collaborated with more in other CCN centers too. Also, Nabith Mehra helped layout the initial system design parameters when his team was working on deploying the sensor and communication network. It’s been a rather large group effort.” Kaz smiled again then let the smile slowly fade into his cool default gaze.
Another miner asked, “So, what are we seeing here? What are these units doing?”
Kaz turned back to the wall and pointed at a group of dots, “Those units right there are bot-pods like we use for construction and mining. In this case, swarms of them, around 10-15 usually, are being controlled in a group by one pod or some other kind of craft to push up against their target rock and use their thrusters to apply force. Our computers here are providing local control and monitoring for these work groups and relaying all the data back to HAB-58 at AU 2.5 where the CCN team there is led by Nabith and his master program to create the deflection channel we need.” Kaz looked back over his shoulder with his patent smirk-grin. His gray green steely eyes and the lopsided grin conveyed balance and confidence somehow.
Bill Decker stepped forward from the rear of the group, “Your name is Kaz, right?”
Kaz found the source of the voice over his shoulder, “That is correct.”
Decker smiled, “Pleased to meet you, Kaz. My name is Bill Decker. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you.”
Kaz widened his eyes very slightly, “Likewise, General Decker.”
+8 years, 8 months, ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
Ulrich Giger stood next to the circular conference room table in the HU-AGT building complex. Sitting around the table were Peter Anderson, Tony Azaria, and Sam Hoffman. The large wall sized screen had
a label in the bottom left corner that read, “TYCHE” but there was nothing else on the screen.
Giger was pacing, and turned to gaze out the wall of glass overlooking the Zurich Lake. He turned back toward the table and began to speak, “For the last several months, there have been celebrations in cities around the world because of an assumption that the new elevator ribbons will enable us to evacuate everybody in time. While this is probably correct, the comet train is still en route to destroy our planet, and we still have a lot of work left to accomplish. I am worried that people will start to let up and reduce their effort. We need to urge people to continue to push forward to completion.”
He paused and sighed, then moved back to the table and sat down, “We are climbing into a bright new future. For the first time in human history, all of human civilization has come together to focus on a singular task. The results have been stupendous and speak for themselves. Look around you at what has changed. We have the ability to create a future filled with wonder, and ripe with exhilaration and fulfillment. All of this depends on our ability to work together. We have shown what that kind of effort can produce. We need to continue. We must continue. We are on the threshold of achieving many dreams of a human civilization that makes sense, that is sane, that exists in a state of harmony.”