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Giant Leaps

Chapter One

By Charles David Loterbour CarperPublished 2 years ago 11 min read
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Photo by: Mark Rademaker - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/06/11/this-is-the-amazing-design-for-nasas-star-trek-style-space-ship-the-ixs-enterprise/

Chapter One

“Nobody can hear you scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say.” The sharply dressed news woman’s voice comes across the news feeds. Across the globe men, women and children stop to listen. “I am Samantha Gibson. Thank you for joining us today on the 23rd of August 2074 for a special edition of World Headline News. Today is a special day. Not just for one country, or one group of people. This is a momentous day for all of humanity. In a few short minutes, we will make our first steps onto the Galactic stage,”

Behind Samantha a three-dimensional map of Earth and its near orbit. Slowly the focus zooms into a projected empty region. In the upper right corner, a diagram of a well-recognized ship is rotating, displaying vital numbers and readings being fed from mission control in Toronto.

“Currently the IXS Endeavor, and her crew of five are flying towards their date with destiny.” Samantha pauses to take a breath before starting to speak again. “In twenty minutes, these brave men and women will not only be the first humans to leave our home solar system, they will also become the first humans to travel faster than light. Their names forever remembered; their tales replayed in textbooks. Their actions will inspire generations of scientists and explorers.”

The view switches from the map to an internal camera showing the cockpit of the Endeavor. The crew diligently going through checklists and other preparatory work. The cockpit’s clean and elegant appearance had been designed with deliberance and forethought in regards to the mission ahead. the pilot, and navigator’s stations forward of the central command station. On the left is the operations station, and on the right is the engineering station. A layout that has become as recognizable as the space shuttles, or the lunar landers from the Apollo program. Ever since NASA and the World Aeronautics and Space Program announced this joint venture.

“Endeavor, CAPCOM.” The radio transmission breaks the silence.

“CAPCOM.” The mission commander replies.

“We have the guest audience and reporter standing by on the line when you are ready.” The communications specialist in Toronto informs the crew.

“Roger that, please patch her through.” The commander replies with a heavy Scottish accent.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Gibson. And to all who are joining us.” The commander greets.

“Good afternoon, Commander Lawrence, and thank you for taking the time to talk with us.” Samantha says returning the greeting. “To our viewers who may not be as well informed, joining us is Mission Commander Duncan Lawrence. Commander, would you start by introducing your crew, and then updating the world on what is going on currently in the mission?”

“With pleasure.” Duncan’s smile beams, and it brightens the entire room. “At the forward left station, we have our pilot Marcus Cavanaugh, formerly with the US Navy. On the forward wrist station is our Navigator Dr. Rashana Singh from the Ramadevi Women’s University Astrometrics Department. The station to my immediate right is our flight engineer Dr. Wu Mei xing from the Beijing University of Technology. And on my left is Dr. Karl Vogel, our systems integration engineer.”

All at once, all five of the crew members greet the world in their native languages.

“That was painful.” Karl grumbles with a thick German accent.

“Agreed, that was very uncomfortable.” Mei xing her voice chirps light and feminine.

“Not my choice guys.” Duncan says flatly. “Continuing on. Currently we are burning towards Lagrange 5, along with the Enterprise. Once we reach the gravity boundary within L5, we will make our jump to superluminal velocity. From there we will nearly instantaneously travel to a point outside of the oort cloud where we sent a probe earlier this week.”

“Why is the Enterprise flying with you guys?” Samantha asks.

“The Enterprise? She is escorting us. This is just in case there would be an emergency, and we would have to abandon the Endeavor. With the Enterprise with us all the way up until the jump, rescue is minutes away versus hours.” Duncan explained as he tapped on a screen in front of him.

“If the Enterprise was constructed prior to the Endeavor and is just as flightworthy, why is the Endeavor making the first faster than lightspeed flight?” Samantha asks as she checks her watch.

“You are correct that the Enterprise is totally capable of performing this mission, and her crew is equally trained and qualified. The Unfortunate fact is…” Duncan takes a deep breath. “Their luck is horrible, and they lost the coin toss.”

Samantha chuckles. “Seriously, you left the decision of who gets to make history, and become a legend up to the toss of a coin?”

“Of course, we did! The game of chance is one of humanity's finest traditions.” Duncan replies with a deep and charming smile.

“If you say it is.” Samantha smiles politely. “Before we run out of time, there are a few questions that viewers have requested we ask.”

“Of course, we will do our best to answer them.” Duncan shifts in his chair.

“The first question pertains to how the Endeavor’s engines operate.” Samantha asks after reading from a hand held prompter.

“Our sub-light engines operate just like the ion drives our aircraft and other spacecraft have been using for the past twenty years.” Duncan grimaces. “In regards to the faster than light, or FTL drive I am going to have Dr Wu answer.”

The camera shifts from Duncan to Mei xing, as she is finishing a checklist, then secures her station.

“Thank you, Duncan.” Mei looks into the camera. “So there is a lot of heavy science in how the faster than light transition takes place. Most of it would require graduate level understanding in many of the various fields of physics, just to hold a conversation about how these systems operate.”

“Thank you for framing how complicated this is for us Dr. Wu.” Samantha’s smiles. “Can you state in terms that the common person might be able to understand?”

“Of course.” Mei pauses to consider her words. “In a nutshell, we are cheating physics. Also breaking a few laws of physics, with this part we are not sure how it works, we just know it does.”

“The first step is canceling our ships mass, bringing our mass almost down to zero. This is accomplished via gravity manipulation. It is very similar to how modern elevators operate, just extremely overpowered. Once our mass is tucked away, we attach ourselves to a subatomic particle called a Tachyon, this is the key that opens the door. We use the Tachyon to slip us through the fabric of space and time, just like a needle on a loom. Once we have slipped through the space-time barrier, we use the Alcubierre, or ‘warp’ drive to power us through subspace, the interdimensional space between universes.”

“Popular culture has tried to vilify this subspace environment, especially in horror films.” Samantha states before going into her next question. “Are you worried that the crew will go insane, because of the sights you will be seeing; Or worse, bring back an extra dimensional monster?”

Mei chuckles at the question. “No, not at all. We have been using this technology on our probes for 5 years. We know what to expect in the subspace barrier, and the chimpanzees handled the transitions without incident.”

“Do you feel it was appropriate to use primates as test subjects?” Samantha asks.

“My personal opinion won’t change the fact that it happened, that was a decision made way before we were recruited into the program. Also space programs, especially the American program used primates heavily.”

“Wait, those were monkeys they used?” Karl jokes. “I thought they were actual astronauts!”

The joke elicits short laughs from the crew and Samantha.

“Once you are out there, how will you navigate to find your way home?” Samantha askes getting the interview back on track.

In the background, radio chatter is filled with mission control performing the pre-FTL transition checklist.

“FTL transition in T-minus 10 minutes, Mark.” Mission control breaking in. “All ground crews complete your final checklist, and report to flight. Endeavor, you are a go for power up on both main reactors.”

“Roger that Toronto, powering up both fusion reactors A and B to one hundred percent.” Karl replies, his German accent bleeding through. “Battery backups ready read five by five.”

The radio goes back to the increased, but normal preflight chatter.

“In answer to your question Ms. Gibson.” Duncan picks up from where they were prior to the interruption. “We have been sending exploratory probes out for five years now, longer if you count the Voyager missions. We have collected terabytes of data on nearby pulsars and quasars. We use these consistent signals from the objects to allow us to pinpoint our location in space in relation to the Earth, and specifically our sun Sol.”

“Our on board AI, accounts for time distortion in the signals. Thus we get real time fixes on our position, and projected courses.” Rashana injects into the conversation. “Most of the signals we receive are millions of years old, by the time we receive them.

“Speaking of your on board AI, has it chosen a name for itself?” Samantha asks.

“He has requested that we call him Magellan, in honor of Ferdinand Magellan.” Duncan reports proudly. “I think he made an educated and appropriate choice.”

“Transition in T-minus 8 minutes. Sterile Cockpit rules in 2 minutes. Endeavor you are a go for main engine throttle up.”

“Roger Toronto, increase throttle to ninety percent.” Marcus replies, and pushes the throttle forward.

The Endeavor shudders, and the rumbling from the main drive increases. The crew can feel the change as the G load increases.

“I guess our time is short.” Samantha smiles looking into the camera. “Can we pick this up when your crew returns”

“Absolutely. It’s just a short trip around the block.” Duncan replies. “We’ll be back in 10 hours.”

“It is a date.” Samantha again smiling into the camera.

In Endeavors cockpit the time quickly ticks away, the crew finishes the last minute checklist, and double checks essential equipment.

“Commander.” Magellan’s synthetic voice breaks the silence. “Commander of the Enterprise is requesting tightbeam communications.”

“Put her on my station.” Duncan switches the screen configuration to communications. “Jillian.”

“Hey, Duncan.” Commander Jillian Hayes gleems over the video feed. “We’re all suited up, and ready to come pick you up if you blow out a tire.”

Duncan laughs at the reference. Remembering the fond memory from their third week in the program, when her car broke down. He was not a mechanic by any means, but he had helped her just the same.

“Remember, to the store; then straight back.” Jillian continues. “Bread, milk, and eggs only. Don't go stopping off at the video arcade.”

“Yes dear! God, you never let me have any fun!” Duncan jokingly rolls his eyes and signs.”

“Well someone has to keep you honest.” Jillian leans closer to the screen. “Seriously, be careful out there. Come back safely, I don’t want to have to be the one that tells Missy and the kids.”

“Ten hours, we’ll be back before you know we’re gone.” Duncan reassures her.

“Well, break a leg.” Jillian says after a long moment. “Commander Enterprise out.”

Duncan stares at the blank screen, lost in his thoughts. After a few moments he pulls himself back into the here and now, and works towards finishing his checklist.

“All stations, FOA.” Malcolm Phipps the Flight Activities Officer comes across the speaker. “We’re coming up on the two minute warning, before transition. Final go no-go for transition.”

A few seconds pass as team members in mission control, and the two spacecraft open the final checklist.

“OTC?” Malcolm calls out

“We’re a go.” come the response.

“PTC?” Malcolm asks.

“Go.” The response.

“LPS?” Malcolm calls out. On the screen showing the control center, he is seen standing up from his station.

“We are a go.” A woman's voice replies.

“Flight?” Malcolm looks down at the man on his right.

“Go.” The reply.

“MILA?” Malcolm looks on his own monitor to look at the secondary control room.

“MED?” Malcolm looks at the physician across the room.

“Vitals look good, we’re a go.” Dr. Lambert replies.

“SPE?” Malcolm asks, stretching his back.

“Go.” the reply comes.

“ERD?” Malcolm calls out.

“Enterprise is a go, and on standby.” The Emergency Recover Direct replies.

“GNC?” Malcolm looks to his left.

“We are a go.” The young red haired woman looks over at him.

“ENG?” Malcolm asks.

“Go.” the reply.

“SYS?” Malcolm looks down two rows.

“All systems integrated and show green.” the system monitoring engineer says back.

“HAL?” Malcolm calls out.

“I still say this is a derogatory acronym for AIs.” Magellan calls back. “However I am a go.”

“CDR?” Malcolm asks the final person in the chain.

“Toronto, Endeavor is a go.” Duncan responds.

“All stations, we have green across the board. We are a go for transition in T-minus 30 seconds.” Malcolm calls out. “Endeavor you are a go for main engine burn until transition.”

In the cockpit Marcus pushed the throttle to full, as the Endeavor surges forward. racing towards the point at Lagrange 5 where the influence of gravity would have the least amount of influence.

“T-minus 10 seconds.” Magellan calls out. “Shunting output from reactors A and B to FTL drive. Transition in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…”

As the Endeavor passes through the transition point, purple electricity starts arcing across the entirety of the hull. The lightning races forwards off its nose.”

“Tachyon gradient is at peak flow.” Magellan calls out, his voice sounding distant. “Quantum tunnel opening. Event horizon at desired diameter.”

The Endeavor starts to enter the opening. Cherenkov radiation starts jumping out of the event horizon.

“Alert, power spike in reactor A.” Magellan calls out.

The Endeavor slipped through the event horizon, leaping out of our home star system.

science fiction
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