Inertia Train

Jozef Febs awoke with a start. He was utterly alone. Sound had not awoken him, because there is no sound when one is traversing the vast vacuum and expanse of space. He had awoken due to the sense of foreboding he had internalized before he initially passed out. He felt as if he were in a dream: Who was he? What was he doing here? Why was he so cold? In front of him, dust clouds swirled like the tendrils of some unknown voracious beast reaching out to ensnare him. Remotely radiating planets beckoned just out of reach. Stars in the distance glittered like the bits of memory that were trying to spark their way through to his mind. Hypoxia had taken its toll. The portion of the capsule he was in was entirely see through- it felt naked, exposed, and unprotected. It was like a bubble blown that had reached the point of popping. One thing was for certain, the motion of what he was traveling in was continuing inexorably forward at constant speed. Forward... to what? He was floating within just a small part of the capsule, and mustered enough strength to grab the bar that went to the nearby reinforced glass door to hold on. As he pulled himself closer to the glass, the words on the outside of the glass came into focus: The Shooting Star Train.

A shocking jolt of memory went through him like lightning: taking The Shooting Star to Lunaterra. Lunaterra was the name of the first sustainable living community on the moon. It had taken 20 years for Jozef and his fellow billionaires Kol Nusem and Shanon Cribdarr to complete this "moon earth." Rather than investing their billions into saving actual Earth, they chose to create their own elite living system apart from the pathetic peons that had wreaked havoc on the once blue planet with their gas-guzzling trucks, loads of litter, and uncontrolled consumption. To be fair, all three billionaires- and their families before them- had done their part to injure Earth. They had also become amazingly rich doing so. Now, they could preach to those less fortunate about highly expensive environmentally friendly alternatives, while they themselves continued reaping the rewards of their rape of Mother Earth.

The architect Shanon Cribdarr's family had become wealthy through lumber. Long before Shanon's time, her family had been careful not to take too much of the copious virgin forests that still covered many wild places in hallowed green. Over the years, greed had taken over. Shanon had determined that the earth was doomed, and money was the green she needed most to ensure her own selfish survival. The human population was exploding which meant more housing was needed. She sneered down her nose at those in need of housing from her luxury estate. However, it was very profitable providing those unfortunate souls with the resources and plans to build. Shanon Cribdarr owned the woods and would do anything to increase her profit margins. She- with false humility- professed to the populace that trees were invaluable which is why she had to triple the price of lumber. The more trees she could fell, the more money she could make. Quicker than a blink, she had her company clear-cutting crisp woodlands until only sawdust remained.

Kol Nusem's family had invested in mining coal long ago. However, now, Kol's main money-making venture was electric vehicles. He could espouse the virtues of cleaner air and reductions in global warming while charging massive amounts for his coveted cars. He also benefited on the back end because there was a boost in coal burning to increase the effectiveness of the electric grid. Electricity, after all, had become fueled 85% by burning coal and natural gas. The earth's resources were being utilized at an alarming rate, and drastic climate change had not stopped as Kol had promised it would. All over the earth, regions were in climate crises of different extremes: severe heat, intense cold, drought that led to mass desertification, blizzards that blasted agricultural areas, and flooding. Many suffered in regions that had never heard the name of Kol Nusem or had seen one of his fancy cars. Kol knew that the rapidly depleting resources would lead to conflict soon and he also knew he had the funds to invest in safety for himself.

Jozef Feb's family had collected great quantities of the remaining oil reserves to sell at incredibly high rates. Jozef invested that money by slowly collecting the wild animals who could not survive in the swiftly shifting world. From the grasslands in Africa, to the Amazon Rainforest in South America, mass extinction was in hyperdrive. No longer could one travel to the Arctic to see a polar bear or to Africa and Asia to hear the trumpeting of the elephants. In fact, Jozef prided himself on having the last 3 polar bears in existence. Typical zoos were gone because they did not have the funding to survive the extreme climate swings and many animals died. Jozef created giant encased microbiomes- not too big lest a paying customer miss out on seeing the animals inside. Essentially, fishbowls for humans to pay fortunes to get a glimpse of what was once wild and free. Those who were never educated in wild things could not tell that the cheetah they observed was dejected for never being able to stretch out in a full run, the zebra was never meant to be a herd of one, and the highly intelligent gorillas were glum and gaunt with hunger. Febs had a complete monopoly on the earth's waning wildlife. He did not share his technology to make safe living areas for his fellow humans, however. He was unable to see any gains for himself in that. The eradication of a healthy environment filled his pockets, but he knew it could not continue for much longer.

Twenty years before the launch of the Shooting Star, Jozef had had called a meeting of the most brilliant minds of the time. Brilliant meaning the ultra rich and business savvy. A handful of people claimed that title. Thirty nine people met with Jozef including Kol and Shanon. That was when Lunaterra was born. All present agreed that this new Eden would be available to the super rich and their handpicked scientists first and foremost and- if there was enough space- a few other worthy earthbound families could join. Jozef, Kol, and Shanon were to invest in the scientists and materials needed to complete the habitable space. The other investors were going to build the "train" that would get the wealthy and their families there. They decided to name the train: The Shooting Star, because it would be the answer to their wishes for a new life away from the filth of the earth.

Jozef, Kol, and Shanon pooled their resources and knowledge to create Lunaterra. They found a way to modify very thick low thermal expansion glass with fused silica and borosilicate to create massive interconnected domes resistant to the chill of space. When properly connected and sealed, the domes were able to maintain 1G of gravity, sustain an earthlike atmosphere, and insulate light from the sun just enough for green spaces and even flowing water with fish. Shanon donated seeds from the trees she had harvested to grow new micro-forests and gave her knowledge of structure building, Jozef donated animals for test runs (he lost many) to Lunaterra and his dome knowledge, and Kol used his advanced engineering capabilities to help bring it all together. The best scientists of the time were thrilled to be involved and offer their expertise- they were guaranteed a space on Lunaterra. They worked together using robots and heavy duty space drones to create Lunaterra and test the atmosphere from their secret home base on Earth.

Meanwhile, their compatriots worked on the train. This could not be a typical train due to the earth and moons' rotations. Train tracks were not an option- though at each docking station on Earth and on the moon there was a little bit of track to slow landing and contain the capsules as the trains returned. Scientists used the same glass technology so that once the train cleared the earth's atmosphere, the passengers would have mostly unimpeded views of space for their journey. Even the benches for people to sit on were clear. The interior of each train was 13 feet long, 6 feet tall, and 5 feet wide. Within each 13 foot capsule, passengers at the middle or either end could push a button to extend a glass divider creating a 4 by 5 foot area to have more privacy for their conversations. The glass dividers were also a failsafe should one area of the train sustain damage. At the middle of each train capsule, was the main control panel- a 1 and a half foot contraption that wrapped like a metal band around the middle of the train. This control panel had several functions. For passenger comfort, it contained a water station, heat control, a vacuum trash chute for expelling waste products or food trash, and allowed riders to experience zero gravity-should they so choose- with the push of a button. There was also a radio to stay in communication with Earth, oxygen monitor, structural viability sensor, and route tracking device. Also, within this band, were extremely powerful rocket thrusters that would move them forward at a tremendous pace. The only privacy could be found with a curtain to take care of personal needs- bathroom waste was bagged and sent out the chute. Instead of the typical train track tripcock, there were different satellite checkpoints the train would be guided to pass on the way. The checkpoints were spaced evenly and moved in orbit with the earth and moon. An apparatus attached to the top of the train would lock in and relay computer data from the train to the checkpoint, and the checkpoint would relay if it was safe for the train to continue its journey to Lunaterra. If it was not safe, the train would return back to Earth following the track of checkpoints. It would take 2 and 1/2 days to reach Lunaterra.

Both Lunaterra and The Shooting Star had been tested for two years after their completion to see if they were in good working order. First, the billionaire crew had The Shooting Star travel from Earth to the moon many times to see if the checkpoints and docking stations worked. They only lost one capsule on their first launch because the checkpoints had not been appropriately activated. Then they found a fault in the airtightness of the capsule when the chimp Jozef sent died. A total of 10 chimps died before they found the flaw in the design. Once it had been established that living creatures could ride and survive the train, they sent up two bunnies and had the robots on Lunaterra move the animals to the forest dome. The bunnies thrived so well after a year, that they then sent up a fox. It became clear that Lunaterra was ready to support more life.

Rather than sending up their most knowledgeable scientists, Jozef, Shanon, and Kol insisted on going up first. It was their brainchild after all. As they took their places on The Shooting Star- Jozef at the back, Shanon in the middle, and Kol in the front-their hearts were filled with pride and excitement. They refused suits, so confident were they that their technology would get them all the way safely. They did not take any members of their families to start. The three wanted to be the first humans to set foot on their new Eden.

As they strapped in for initial take off, Shanon's large green eyes, met the cool blue one's of Kol twinkling against his sable skin, then darted to the brown almond shaped eyes of Jozef. All three smiled at each other. The train took off with a jolt and suddenly they were crashing through Earth's atmosphere. The train capsule was encased in a protective plastic and metal shroud that would fall away and return to the docking station once they broke through. They were being shaken like leaves in a fierce wind. The grins became grimaces. "Wonder... how ... that fox felt?" shouted a jostled Jozef with an attempt at a smile. The other two forced laughs.

Suddenly, the casing around them fell away with a clang and the quaking moved to a smooth glide and absolute silence.

It was as if they were all seeing for the first time as space embraced them. Colorful nebulas could be seen in the distance and they caught glimpses of actual shooting stars. Across what now felt like a short span, they could see the beautiful glowing orb that was their destination. Kol started to laugh, followed by the rest of them. They unbuckled their safety harnesses and joined and shook hands in the middle of the train in celebration.

They hit their first checkpoint flawlessly. Shanon looked back at the earth. Its appearance from space was much different than old satellite images she had seen. It had been called the blue planet, teaming with water and life. Now several swatches of what was once blue had turned brown. Entire continents looked like deserts. Verdant forests that used to be seen from space- were gone. Her brow furrowed for an instant, but then Kol, observing her, said, "Let it burn. We have everybody needed to restore it once there is a reset. You know we need the majority of the common people down there to die if we are ever to make any headway. We are the ones who NEED to survive. Nobody else matters."

Jozef added in a superior voice, "Most of those people are trash. They are uneducated and could never even dream of accomplishing what we just have. Our planet is dying BECAUSE of them. They contributed to their own demise."

Shanon could not help but think: so did we- but the thought was fleeting and she was soon over her moral lapse. "I am always stunned at the number of people who have just checked out," she responded, "as if their apathy and lack of motivation will have any sort of positive impact! This is definitely the right... the only choice we have."

They continued to discuss their own intellectual superiority and worthiness to survive the dying Earth for several hours.

As the chatting started to die out, each person returned to his or her own thoughts:

Jozef gazed out the window and thought about how he drank 3 organic, green, high protein, sustainable smoothies a day. He also got massages twice a week, ran 5 miles a day, and had a full electronic stem bed to keep all of his muscles stimulated and strong. Like the 3 polar bears he had saved from extinction: he was a superior specimen and definitely deserved his place on the ark.

Shanon pondered how it was going to feel to be in a pristine environment that she had helped develop- fresh air maintained in part by the seeds she donated. She would no longer experience the discomfort of seeing many unfortunate people at grocery stores or street corners begging for help. Prices had gotten so high that there was no more middle class anywhere in the world- only those with power and those with none. She smiled to herself, the latter people were not invited to her creation.

Kol mulled over how he could become the most influential person on Lunaterra. Maybe he should focus on the food production? On Earth, farmers could not afford to farm, and took immeasurable losses due to the extreme weather. Therefore, all food production fell into the governments' hands in different countries. This left very limited and rationed food, and gave the government ultimate power over the populace: control the food, control the people. If HE were the one figuring out the rations on Lunaterra, then he would have all of the power.

Their first full day on the train had been a success. After eating some freeze dried dinner, they each put their face masks on and attempted to sleep.

Their dreams were interrupted by a thunk on the outside of the train. They all sat up and fumbled to pull their masks off of their faces. During the "night," they had left their twelfth checkpoint and were approaching their thirteenth. Suddenly, something crashed into the thirteenth checkpoint from the side. Hard. The light on the checkpoint went out. Shanon scrambled up and rushed to press the intercom, "Shooting Star to base, Shooting Star to base, the thirteenth checkpoint is out of commission, do you read me?" There was a static buzz and then a metallic voice from the base responded, "We read. The 12th checkpoint is out as well. We are unsure of how to re-" BANG! Something hit the front of the train.

It was a meteor shower, but it had not shown up on any of their scouting satellites. In fact, it was not registering on any of the earthbound equipment either. BANG! Tap-tap-tap! Thunk! Tink-tink-tink! Sleep was out of the question now! All 3 took turns pressing the intercom: nothing but static. The train was vibrating slightly from all of the impacts of the meteors.

"It's OK," Kol said, with a slight tremor in his voice, "this is what she was built for. Let's each just go to our sections, strap in, and try to stay calm. We are not going to be able to hear the intercom over all of this noise anyways."

"What about the next checkpoint?" inquired Jozef nervously.

"We will only know if it is OK once we get closer." replied Shanon shakily.

There was really nothing they could do, no matter how anxious they were, so Kol returned to the front, Shanon to the middle, and Jozef to the back.

CRASH! The sliding glass doors flew into place as the front tip of the train capsule blew apart after a meteor the size of a small boulder passed through. How was that possible?!?!? Was it sudden heat applied to cold? Their ingenious glass should have resisted that! Were the meteors made of some unknown substance that reacted to glass where earthly substances did not? Is that why they did not pick up this shower on all of their fancy gadgets when they scouted the route?

It did not matter.

Kol was immediately sucked outside of the train with the broken portion of his bench. His mouth opened in surprise as all of the air was forced from his lungs. His eyes widened and froze open as he felt the intense cold in his mouth and nose. His whole frame trembled and shook as he felt the liquids throughout his body bubbling in an ebullism. It was like he was boiling and freezing at the same time.

Shanon and Jozef quickly unbuckled themselves and pressed their faces to the glass screaming in horror. They continued their trajectory forward, however, and rapidly left Kol behind. The meteors continued their maddening tapping on the train like a hailstorm, but the biggest ones were past. Both Shanon and Jozef were in complete shock. This had never happened on the the thousand test runs they had performed.

Shanon was the first to react. She was contained in the portion of the train with the main control panel. She pushed the intercom button... nothing but static. She tried again. Nothing. She also tried to push the button that stopped the rockets so that a rescue pod could get to them- it must have been damaged in the meteor shower- they would not turn off. Then, she glanced at the oxygen reader. Her section must have sustained some damage as well, because she was at 94% natural oxygen levels and dropping. Jozef's section still had 100%.

She pushed the intercom that connected to his section, "Jozef!" she exclaimed, "I'm running out of air! I'm sure there is a rescue mission underway, but I will need to join you in that section since it is still maintaining full oxygen!"

Jozef looked at her, eyes still gaping in horror. It was if he had not heard her. She repeated herself. Jozef blinked, then gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

"What do you mean NO?!" Shanon cried, "I will run out of air before help comes! If we are both in your section, then we can both survive!"

Again, but more forcefully, Jozef shook his head no. By this time, the oxygen in Shanon's section had dropped to 89%.

Jozef did not want to risk exposing himself to Shanon's damaged section. He did not want to risk opening the glass door and losing his own air. Shanon went to push the button to open his door, but he quickly pushed the locking mechanism on his end. Her mouth dropped open incredulously. Jozef turned away. She proceeded to bang on his door until her hands were bloody, but she did not possess the power of the meteors.

89%...88%... 87%... 86%... Shanon started to get lightheaded. She kept using the intercom to try to convince Jozef to let her in. He kept his back turned. Her vision started flashing black and white. She reminded him that the water was in her section. He thought to himself it was a good thing he had a long drink before the storm hit. He would not look at her.

Suddenly, Jozef hit the ceiling of his section like a helium balloon released by a child. He looked back towards Shanon in surprise. She had blue ringing her mouth and her face was pale- but it was clear she had pressed the antigravity button as she was floating right up against the glass on the other side of him. She shook her head at him, bloodshot eyes filled with anger and betrayal, then she hit the button to open up the front portion of the train. She went flying out like a cannon and Jozef floated away from her like a goldfish in its tank.

It was clever of her to do that, he thought to himself, now I cannot access the water or the control panel. "I will have to bring these issues up when they get me out of here," he said aloud to himself. Then the realization hit him: he was alone, in a broken space train, and he did not know if anybody was coming for him. He started to hyperventilate and passed out.

The Shooting Star had been knocked so far off track, and so much damage had been sustained to the checkpoint apparatus, that nobody knew WHERE to come for him. He had completely missed the other checkpoints, and was now floating out past where help COULD come for him. Without any external forces acting on it, even when the rockets ran out of fuel, the train continued forward at an unchanging pace.

Jozef startled awake. He did not know how long he had been out. He looked over at the control panel. Something Shanon had done clearly affected the oxygen in his section too. It had dropped to 96%. Not as quickly as hers had dropped, so he still had time. He continued his forced forward floating like a moon jellyfish in a sparkling unfriendly sea. After what felt like an eternity, but was really only 12 hours, his oxygen was down to 89%. Jozef was exerting himself to stop from bumping into the top of the train and he started going in and out of consciousness.

Each time he woke up, he remembered less and less. The train moved on. His brain had become a vacuum. It would take something startling the thoughts back into him for him to recall anything at all. The train moved on. As wealthy and healthy as he was, he was not built to pay this price. The train moved on. In the few moments his thoughts weren't muddled, he thought about how all of his riches meant nothing now. The train moved on. On this shooting star, no wishes were fulfilled. This was the final fee for those full of funds but morally bankrupt. The train moved on as Jozef rode in his bubble to oblivion.