Fiction: The Space Guys Adventure, Part 4!

 

It's time for the mid-week post, and I still didn't have anything better than another Space Guys installment. I had a bit more to this one but I cut things off, partly because my romance plots are already getting locked in a groove. Here's links for parts 1, 2 and 3. Also, behold the glory of Fisher Price Construx!

Moxon took out a video case. He seemed to mumble as he took out the carrying caddy that held the disc. He opened the top of a player on top of a hexagonal audio-video console. The circular screen underneath came on. Jason smiled at the sight of Sparky.

“The studio is our biggest sponsor,” Alek mused. “Anyway, it’s tradition…”

“Hello, folks,” he said in his falsetto voice. The squirrel’s ears, with their long, dark tufts, twitched as he talked. “I’m Sparky, the mascot of the United Nations Combined Space Exploration And Development Agency. We’ve come a long way, haven’t we? Now, I’m here to tell you about our next mission. We’re going to Neptune. That’s 3 billion miles from the sun, can you believe it? To do it, we needed the biggest, fastest ship ever. Here’s some nice, smart folks who will tell you about it…”

The screen went dark momentarily. When it came back, the screen showed a stern face like something out of a book of mythology, viewed from head on. One side, however, was a second face turned in profile. It made Jason think uneasily of his first glimpse of Moxon. “It is the days of ancient Rome,” a deep and serious voice said. The picture showed a reconstruction of temples and villas bustling with evidently happy people. “They worship many gods. Perhaps the greatest is Janus, the brother of Uranus, the father of Saturn and the grandfather of Jupiter. He is the protector of doors and city gates. The bringer of good fortune, the guardian of commerce and the preserver of peace. It is his name that has been given to the ship that will carry mankind to  the edge of interstellar space.”

Pictures appeared of the Janus, both models and the actual ship, the latter usually in various stages of construction. Various specs were given that usually fit what the captain had mentioned. Jason realized that the long, spindly fuselage he had passed was really only a third of the ship, even with the huge payloader added. The rest was divided somewhat unequally between the hexagonal engineering section that supported the wheel they were in and a bell-like assembly that looked in cross-section like a 6-pointed star with its arms cut short or rounded down, full of colossal thrusters and even more enormous storage tanks. Apart from the sheer size, the only truly unusual features were a smaller ring behind the life-support wheel and at least two gigantic spheres in the tail. As he thought this, the narrator said, “What look like fuel tanks at the rear are really a cryogenic system for storing, condensing and mixing hydrogen and other gases for the ship’s main reactor. They are fed by electromagnetic conduits into a fission-fusion reactor vessel and from there into a toroidal fusion generator. The waste gases are expelled as exhaust from the ship’s secondary thrusters.”

As if in in afterthought, the voice added, “The life support section holding the crew simulates gravity through centrifugal force, roughly .25 EG for every 3 to 4 rotations per minute.” The image focused on one of the drive nacelles, nearly twice as long and half again as long as the life support modules. From the front it was what Jason knew as a Steinmetz solid, like a cross between a dome and pyramid. It tapered into a ring of seven stubby engines cylinders spread out just enough to accommodate a crew. “The same structure contains the ship’s primary propulsion system, 21 argon/ xenon plasma thrusters in three nacelles. The ship can accelerate to an optimal average speed of 250,000 miles per hour in as little as 20 days.”

After more obvious facts, the narrator moved forward. “So what challenge could require such a powerful ship?” he said. The screen showed a blue-green orb, circled by an opalescent ring. “This is the planet Neptune, named for the Roman god of the oceans, the outermost of the giant  gaseous planets of the Solar System. It is 4 times the diameter of Earth, with 60 times the volume and 20 times the mass. Like the other outer planets, it is made almost entirely from condensed hydrogen and other gases. Its orbit is 2.8 billion miles from Sol, so far that the very light of the sun takes more than 4 hours to reach it. Mars, the most distant Earth-like planet, is 2.6 billion miles short. Titan, the para-moon of Saturn, the furthest body inhabited by mankind, remain 2 billion miles distant at its nearest approach. Even Uranus, the next furthest of the gaseous planets, is 1 billion miles from the planet. To reach it, the Janus and its crew most go more than twice as far as the longest voyage in history, without refueling or relief. Yet, their objective is not the planet, but the bodies that orbit it.”

Finally, a grainy image appeared of a mottled orb, seen against the background of Neptune. “This is Proserpine, named for the wife of Pluto, the ruler of the dead,” the announcer said. “Astronomers believe it to be a sister to the para-planet Pluto, captured by the gravity of the gaseous planet. It is a para-moon twice the diameter of Luna with at least 50% greater density, first observed by the Kronos expedition. Remarkably, spectrographic scans have confirmed that it has a gaseous atmosphere with significant quantities of carbon dioxide, oxygen and even possible water vapor, all necessary characteristics to support para-Terrestrial life. The Janus has been sent to survey the para-moon both for human colonization and for possible native organisms. If the expedition succeeds, we may have confirmation whether Earth is the only planet to produce organic life. More than that, we will have opened one more gateway on our path to the stars!”

The captain sighed and signaled for Moxon to stop the video. “That is the official mission briefing, already released to the public,” he said. “I welcome your thoughts. What I’d really like to know is, why did you decide to come?”

Jax shook his head. “It’s Titan all over again,” he said. “They said it was so Earthlike, they might relocate the Mars colonies there. 10 years later, all they’ve done is put 12 poor frozen bastards in a pressure dome that four of us Martians couldn’t sleep in. I’d want to know what’s out there, but I’m tired of people saying there’s aliens or something just past where we’ve been. Honestly, I signed up to get off Mars for a while.”

“I’ve been following it,” Jason said more evenly. “It’s an important mission. Even if we had to turn around, it will be a shakedown for new technology.”

The old man Futura clasped his wife’s hand. “It’s one last thing nobody’s done before,” he said. “It will probably be our last ride.”

“I’m just happy to work with new people,” Alek said. She slapped Jason’s hip. “It’s exciting, no?”

“I’m here because I was the only one in the right place with the right skills,” Moxon said.

Dr. Cahill just laughed. “I came to see the universe,” she said with a shrug. Only then did Jason see she wore a wedding ring.

“All very good!” the captain said. “Moxon, why don’t you get the new arrivals settled in? It will be the fitting room first, then your bunks.”

 

Moxon led the Martians, Alek and Dr. Cahill through the life-support ring to an intermediate connecting module. Jason tried to relax as Alek came up alongside him. “It’s good to meet in person,” she said. “I understand, now, why it wouldn’t have worked before. You know, I was sure I saw you through the window of the shuttle. I saw your picture in the news, after you were chosen. I would have gone to meet you, but I had a meeting with the captain.”

“I saw you, too,” Jason said. “I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to find you. Except… I didn’t really recognize you. You… don’t look like the photo you sent.”

“No glasses?” Alek said.

“Maybe,” Jason said. “But it’s not just that. It’s like, you changed just a little. More confident, maybe.” That just got a smile from Alek.

“Thank you for explaining, about Mars,” she said after a moment’s pause. “I can see now, why  it would no have worked to visit.”

“It was just the wrong time, for you and me,” Jason said. “I should have waited.”

“Of course, you were right.” She abruptly kissed him on the cheek. “But we have understanding, no? And we have plenty time. 20 months there, 12 back. We can take as much time as we need.”

They reached a chamber lined with clothes, including two-piece undergarments. A female officer was waiting, a statuesque older woman with a stern, striking face and incongruous platinum-blonde curly hair. “Tanya,” Dr. Cahill said curtly.

“Lana,” the other said, with the long, slow inflection of an enthusiastically-cast curse.

“This is Tanya Plotnikov,” Moxon said with unconcealed amusement. “She is the senior officer for the Trans-Eurasian Federation, as I am for the Pan-Atlantic Union.”

“Where is she from?” Jason wondered out of the side of his mouth. “Novgorod? Circassia? Finland?”

“Edinburgh,” Alek whispered back. She pointed to Dr. Cahill. “They go to same school.”

 

The women and the men inspected each other’s garments without embarrassment, at least from the former. “These are your inner garments,” Moxon said. “Frankly, we’ve already gotten casual enough that a lot of us wear nothing else.”

Jason was already considering the differences between the garments for each gender. Both were provided with a kind of undershirt that fastened in front with a circular slide that was twisted and then pulled down. The bottom piece differed more. The men were given what looked halfway between swimming trunks and a codpiece, with a slide in front and a kind of flap in back. The women, on the other hand, were provided with underpants that did not quite cover their hips, fastened entirely with a slide that started from the back. “It is quite easy to use, actually,” Alek said. “I helped with the design. All you have to do is twist and then gently pull…” Jax almost choked as she demonstrated.

A partition went up as they changed. Jason and Jax turned awkwardly as they changed. The fatigues provided were a robin’s-egg blue with a hint of green, evidently to match the color of Neptune. The outermost layer, meant to be worn meant to be worn during excursions on a planetary surface, was a jumpsuit of a silver-gray like pencil lead, with light gray belts and straps girding the waist and torso that bore bright reflective patches. Jason started as the partition came open. Dr. Cahill stood in only her inner garments, leaning against the wall. It was obvious that time had not been hard on her figure. He had a peripheral glimpse of Alek, pressed behind a bulkhead as she hastily pulled down her dress. “Howdy, boys,” Cahill said. “Looking for a good time?” Jax gave a drawn-out whistle. Cahill and Alek both laughed as she shut the partition again.

“You’re married,” Jason said to Jax.

“You had an understanding with Jen Johnson,” Jax muttered back.

“What do you mean?” Jason said. “Who told you that?”

“Well, I saw what you were doing in Port Eris!”

Moxon cleared his throat as they reached a room, one of two in the rear side-passage of the final living module. Two other men across the way looked up at them briefly before closing a privacy partition. “This will be your room, for the time being,” Moxon said. A glance confirmed that it was 2.8 meters long and 1.4 meters deep. The space was dominated by a couch 1.8 meters long that could convert to a bed that spanned most of the cabin. The remainder held a lavatory that combined a mirror, a slide-out sink and a recessed stall recognizable on examination as a combination shower and floor toilet.

“You may have noticed, every standard cabin has either one of these or a kitchen,” Moxon said. “You will be sharing with the boys across the way. They’re our Indo-Malayan contingent. Sarip is from Sulawesi, Aisi is from Papua. Good fellows; they’ll warm up to you if you give them a little space. Well, as much as you can.” He laughed. “And we have this for tall boys like you…”

He dismounted the back of the couch. With Jason’s help, it locked into a frame overhead; he assisted more with its unwieldly size than the miniscule weight. Together with an overhead shelf, it formed a bed 2.5 meters long and .75 meters wide. It intruded slightly into the lavatory, but was recessed far enough that it did not overhang the couch/ bed below. “It’s not ideal, but it’s going to be your best bet,” the officer said. “It even has its own partition.” He demonstrated a curtain that slid out from the bin. “There’s a self-inflating cushion and other bedding in storage. You can climb up with this…” He reached up for an overhead bin above the lavatory. Sure enough, a ladder slid out and swung down. As the officer extended himself, Jason’s eyes were drawn to something hanging from his belt. It was a knife, unimpressive in itself, with an ivory grip that had clearly replaced the original and a studded guard that could only be intended to double as a brass knuckles. He hastily averted his gaze as the other man turned, but his lip was already curled in a half-smile.

“You like that, don’t you?” Moxon said, even as Jason shook his head. “I don’t blame you. It’s certainly a conversation piece.” He deliberately gripped the knife, the blade pointed downward. On closer examination, it was clear that the knuckles had been sharpened, possibly with machine tools. “I picked this up in Sri Lanka, from an old Tamil trooper. He said his father had used it in the First Great War, all the way over in France. So he said. For all I know, he could have got it at a pawn shop in Old Siam. I never had a chance to ask him about it again.” He demonstrated a punch, a slash, and a slow and deliberate throat-cutting motion. He laughed again and stepped out. Jax promptly shut the partition.

“I don’t know what’s up with him,” Jason said.

“I think maybe he likes you,” Jax answered. Jason shook his head and climbed up to the extended bunk.

Jason had spent an hour settling onto an indifferent mattress when there was a knock at the partition. Almost immediately, the partition unlocked and opened. He narrowly stopped short of braining himself as he sat up. Already, someone was climbing up the ladder. For a moment, he swore he could see Moxon’s face rising into view. But it took just a little longer or the intruder to appear. The face was Alek’s, and in that moment, she seemed just as terrifying.

“Hi, Jason,” she said. “I’m sorry, can we talk?” He nodded. She smiled as she climbed into the bunk and slid the partition into place behind her.