AURUM AND LITHOS

CHAPTER ONE

OUTBACK AND BEYOND

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say.

As Mica spoke those words, they triggered a nerve in me. I recoiled internally and gazed blankly out the window of the plane. Recalling the shattering incident three years ago, almost to the day, when all the theories of physics about sound and vacuums went out the window too. What prompted her to say that I wondered, and why now? When I turned back, she was looking right at me. What did she know?

There were five of us seated around the oval table aboard the corporate jet, bound for Western Australia. Our VTOL aircraft was the latest hypersonic design, powered by hydrogen fuel cells, extremely fast and efficient. Travel times to anywhere around the globe made it seem like the world was so much smaller. In a way that was true, not in size, but in quantity, as the demand for rare earth elements increased, sources were being rapidly depleted. Planet Earth was in short supply of crucial elements and it was the reason for our discussion about the next phase of operations; mining in the asteroid belt.

We were appointed by the corporate heads to make critical decisions about the prospects and methods of mineral extraction and delivery of the elements to market. One of the largest lithium mines on the planet was in Western Australia, and had ceased extraction of the now depleted, rare earth element more than five years ago. It had become the launch site for AstroMetals Inc.

AstroMetals Inc. (AMI) was founded six years prior and had no need for a brick-and-mortar headquarters; instead they ran all operations efficiently from their fleet of aircraft. The open-pit mine had been repurposed as the storage facility for the minerals brought back to Earth. Ironically, we were putting back the same elements that had been extracted from the site for decades, only now they were stored safely beneath the world’s largest dome.

The five seated at the table all had special skills and qualifications from geophysics (Greg Osterberg) and computer programing (Halloumi Clarke) to rocket science (Stewart Rush), and they were some of the top in their respective fields. But I was the only one who had actually been in space and worked in the asteroid belt, beyond the orbit of Mars. When my parents named me Skylar, perhaps they had an inkling that I was bound for new horizons.

During my first off-planet mission, I was the mechanical systems tech and oversaw operations of the drone-like MEX units (Mineral EXtractors). Everything worked flawlessly from the start, and all the pent-up angst evaporated. The MEX units were my designs being put to the test, and I would be held accountable if things went wrong.

Now, only one of the others aboard our plane would be going off-planet, and I felt some trepidation about returning to “the field,” that’s what we call the asteroid belt. The others’ key roles would be earthbound, except for Mica Karin, who would be going as far as the AMI base on Mars, where she would remain and coordinate logistics during operations, until my mission in the field was fulfilled. My thoughts started to drift back to the traumatic time when. . .

A voice came over the PA system alerting us to prepare for landing. The VTOL aircraft settled down gently and needed no more than a relatively small landing pad, which was near a row of hangars. There was a runway on-site, and it was used for more conventional aircraft and cargo planes.

As we stepped off our plane into the sun-baked landscape, waves of heat rising from the ground distorted objects in the distance. The enormous white dome was nearly a mile away, and appeared to float and dance like a giant albatross. Beads of perspiration appeared on our brows as we got into a driverless air-conditioned transport, which took us to mission control, where we were met by the AMI base commander, Nick Nelson, who looked like a serious, no-nonsense military commando. He welcomed us in his thick Aussie accent, “G’day mates, nice ta see ya all. There’s cold iced tea and tucker waiting for ya inside, let’s say we get outta this bloomin’ heat.”

Relaxing in the lounge, cooling off with our refreshments, we could see our rocket on the launch pad, which was abuzz with workers. Vapors expelled from the rocket vanished quickly in the air. Lift-off was in two hours and I had little to do other than wait. Mica seemed a bit nervous, but tried not to show it. Greg was the first to get up and wish Mica and I well on our journey, and said he was headed off to the pit to check on things under the dome. Halloumi and Stewart were the next to go, wishing us well as they headed for the control room to prepare for the launch.

One hour to go, and it was time to get into our flight suits and over to the launch site. Mica seemed confident that she could get her suit on easily, even though she had only done it once before in a training exercise. It was to be her first time launching into space and I’m sure she felt the same way I did when it was my first, four years ago. Nervous.

Back in the twenties, the voyage to Mars used to take around seven months, but this is 2049 and many things have accelerated in new and different ways, space travel for one. Although we don’t have warp speed yet, the new quantum-ion drives have made our trip to the red planet about a two week journey. Thankfully, there were plenty of in-flight movies aboard our ship.

My com-link signaled that our transport was waiting to take us to the launch pad and Mica and I went back out into the furnace. Earth had warmed, as predicted, and climate was a continuing issue. There were still some petrol-powered vehicles in use, but most transports and personal conveyances were all-electric now.

At the pad, we were met by a crewman who gave us each an air conditioning unit with a shoulder strap and tube, which plugged into our flight suits. Mica seemed pleased that she was hooked up to her unit before I was, even though I’d done it many times before.

My thoughts were slowing me down a little and I had to remind myself to stay in the moment and focus. It was a long ride up the gantry elevator where we stepped out onto a narrow walkway and followed it to the main hatch of our shuttle. Another crewman was waiting for us on top; he took our air units as Mica and I climbed aboard. Then the crewman sealed the hatch behind us.

We strapped ourselves into our seats just as the screen before us came on, with Nick greeting us, “Well now, you two look quite comfy. All systems are green and in seven minutes you’ll be off to Mars. I’ll be in touch. Oh, one more thing, there are a couple of dozen crickets stowed in the cargo bay as you requested, and hope they’ll satisfy ya.”

Mica exclaimed, “What in the world does he mean? A couple of dozen crickets, what are they thinking? I clearly told them that I’m a vegetarian!”

I laughed and explained they were not menu items. The crickets were a new batch of survey units that can literally hop from one asteroid to another, attaching themselves, taking a sample and sending the info and coordinates to the MEX drones that will gather up the rocks. Mica let out a sigh of relief. She said “OK,” then asked what we were going to have for dinner?

The weightless conditions of space travel pose some challenging issues and of course, eating is one of them. Space fare has made some real advances in the last few decades. It’s far better than airline food ever was. “There are a number of delicious dishes on the menu, only, you know that none of it is actually served on a dish,” I said, adding, “everything comes in either a tube, packet, bar, or bottle.” Mica knew that, and she would get used to the new routine, and hopefully enjoy it.

The screen displayed the countdown, and then there was ignition and everything began to shake as the engines fired and the gantry retracted as the rocket began to lift off. G-forces increased as the ship rapidly gained speed and altitude, the feeling was intense, pressing us down in our seats as the decibel level rose, but our helmets kept the sound from hammering our eardrums, it was a thrill-ride like no other. Moments later booster stage one dropped away and we were already approaching the edge of space, moving at supersonic speed as our ship continued to accelerate.

Our magnificent view of the curvature of the Earth revealed how thin our atmosphere actually was; it made our planet look so fragile, like some beautifully decorated, delicate egg. Then things got quieter, and stars filled our field of view. Earth was falling away quickly, but Mars was a long way off. And our ship was still accelerating, which gave us the sensation of gravity. I thought, and hoped this mission would be far better than my last, and I might even find some answers to a few burning questions.

Our environment monitor indicated clear, so we removed our helmets and gazed at each other with sighs of relief, laughing at our synchronicity. “Hungry?” I asked. Mica nodded, then said, “Yes, quite famished, actually.” We brought up the menu on the com screen, and were both quite impressed with the variety of options. I pondered a bit and said “I’ve made my choice, and how about you, Mica?” She replied, “I think the butternut squash ravioli looks quite good, and what appeals to you Skylar?”

The images on the menu has us both salivating, and I replied, “I’d like to try the Canadian lobster Thermador.” Mica’s expression soured, and I continued, “You know, they have been able to replicate the textures and flavors of seafood really quite convincingly, so you don’t have to worry that I might be eating some endangered species.” She seemed quite relieved as we made our selections without any word about dessert, we both chose the lemon meringue pie, laughing at the sync again, recognizing it was another small alignment in our cosmic journey.

I had opted for a sauvignon blanc, and Mica nodded with approval. I really prefer a red, but after all I was having seafood and did not want to appear gauche. I confessed later about my choice of wine.

Both of us were feeling quite satisfied with our delicious first meal aboard the Orion, but I wanted to keep my optimism in check as we were just getting started, and we had a very long way to go in a universe where the unpredictable often happens.

Ironically, we were sitting still, in a spaceship that was moving thousands of miles an hour, still gaining speed, while gazing at the infinitely awesome spectacle of stars before us, knowing our Earth was now rapidly falling farther away, without any sensation of speed at all. It was not like Star Trek where you see stars flying by the windows, everything was so serene and nearly motionless. I wondered, when we would really have warp speed?

“Penny for your thoughts.” I said. The twinkle in Mica’s eye caught me off guard and triggered some memories I would rather forget. “Well, I just saw a dark cloud pass before your eyes, what’s on your mind Skylar?” she said. I knew I was going to have to talk about it. Maybe I should have gone into hyper-sleep for the trip? I was not expecting this inevitable moment would come so soon, but I knew it would, so I might as well reveal the story, it’s not classified any longer I thought. So what the hell, I think it’s time to open up.

“Remember back on the plane, when we were going over some of the strange things that had happened in the field, and you said something that triggered a response in me?” “Of course I do Sky, I’m paid to be observant and note minute details of things that may or may not be important: it was about a scream in space.”

“You know, keeping track of days in space is just weird.” I said.

“You’re being evasive Skylar, and if you would prefer not to talk about it, I’m fine with that, as I have a feeling it was something personal.”

“It was, and I think the heads planned this mission to coincide with the day of the tragic event that happened three years ago, when I was in the field doing evaluations of the new MEX drones. I was not alone and my partner at the time was someone I had come to admire and grown quite close to. Maybe they thought this would be some kind of catharsis, I don’t know.”

“Perhaps, but maybe not.” Mica replied. “Then what do you think it is?”

“The field is a dangerous environment and strange things did happen, and I still can’t fully explain it. You never go alone to the field and need to be accompanied by at least one other person, it’s the regulations you know. When maintenance crews go up periodically, it’s usually in groups of three, even though the MEX drones can house a dozen. Life on-board is bare bones and the meals are more like rations, the crews are there to work, not sight see. There is a lot of gear required to gather and haul the stones back to Mars, so all systems need to work well and efficiently. Once in orbit, and in proper alignment, the cargo nets release the catch to fall to the designated target zone on the surface. Its become something like the big boys’ version of cornhole. Most of what is dropped is either fragmented or pulverized, which ends up making it easier for the harvesters to gather it up.

“I have heard something about the way things work out there so this is not totally new or strange to me, but Sky, I think you’re hesitating.” Mica exclaimed.

“You’re right, I am, and you know why? It’s because you remind me so much of someone who is not with us any longer; her name was Maya.” Mica recoiled, and she honestly seemed surprised. “Oh Skylar, I am truly sorry. I had a feeling it was bad.”

“We were on an evaluation mission to record operations and procedures of locating and gathering specific elements in all the various phases required to entice investors to buy into AMI’s ambitious plans for a more sustainable future,” Sky explained. “We were really only making a commercial, or so it seemed.”

Mica nodded and asked, “So what’s the part your not telling me?”

“It wasn’t until some two years later that the formerly classified information surrounding the mysterious death, was de-classified and attributed to the kind of accident that happens in the field, an errant micro-meteorite.” Sky’s voice lowered and he continued.

“Mica, did you know I have an AOI (Advanced Optical Implant)?Most people have no idea, and Maya had one as well.” Mica did not seemed surprised and admitted she had noticed something unusual about my right eye.

“My AOI implant is really cutting edge tech and only available to military and government personnel, on an extremely limited basis. It gives me telescopic vision as well as microscopic abilities, spectrum analysis, and an array of filters for other wavelengths. I can even see sunspots in great detail and solar ejections with the hydrogen-alpha filter.”

Mica’s eyes widened. I had her full attention now. “Go on,” she whispered.

“My AOI has the ability to record as well, with stills or motion, and all the data feeds in to an S3U (Solid State Storage Unit) on my belt.” I knew the next part was going to be difficult, and I continued to explain our circumstances.

“We were in our deep-field pressure suits and using our booster packs to navigate, untethered, alongside one of the MEX drones.”

Mica just nodded, and she waited for me to continue. “The MEX drones are ninety-feet long, thirty wide and cylindrical with a rounded and heavily armored nose cone that could be used to nudge some asteroids into new trajectories. We were both recording each other alongside the drone for scale, while inspecting some of the numerous hatches and ports on the hull. I then positioned myself off the nose on the port side, so I could get the full length of the ship in frame and was recording Maya’s movement upwards, until she could see over the top of the ship.”

“Maya’s excited voice came through my com and said, “Oh Sky, you have to see this!” And I replied, I was on my way.

I kept recording as I slowly moved upward and brought Maya into the center of my frame as I drew closer to her, and then she began to say something more.

“Oh my god Sky, I think it’s a g. . .” And then her com suddenly went dead with a static blip. As I saw her body explode, it split in two and I heard her scream.”

Mica gasped in shock, and her sparkling eyes filled with tears. I stared into them, and spoke softly. “Mica, there is something else you should know: Maya was a telepath. . .”

END OF CHAPTER ONE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jon H Davis, a digital alchemist, has been an explorer all his life, from his sci-fi poems written in elementary school to his professional astro-photos captured in Dark Sky locales. He documents the natural world and cultures near and far with words, photos, and videos. View more of his work with partner Iris Brooks at the Northern Lights Studio website, www.NLScreativemedia.com