Aardvarks to Planet X

building.

  We were amazed by the facsimile of ground zero, complete with a model of the sky lift stretching up to the ceiling, where there hung the terminus combined with the international space center. There were mini shuttles enroute to their destination suspended by wire. As I took in the areal view of what was being done, and what was awaiting our piece to the jigsaw, I got a guilty feeling and turning my head to Susan, saw she must be in the same dilemma. "Let's go to the ride,” I said, and we both slunk out.

  The Shuttle Launch Experience was not a roller coaster, but what it lacked in gee forces it made up for in sheer noise and vibration. "I wonder if Conrich's muscle cars got dreamt up here", I proposed to Susan as we left now invigorated again. "Let's go see an astronaut" Susan suggested, and like school children on an exciting trip we strode off.

  There wasn't much of a queue before the elderly gent in a cap and baseball jacket, but next to him stood. "James" I bellowed with joy, and bounding over I shook his hand. "Great to see you two crazy kids, why don't you say hello to lieutenant Bradway." He indicated the ex astronaut who beamed up at us. "So you must be Henry and Susan." Extending both his hands and rising, we took them and at the same time replied. "So glad to shake the hand of a real astronaut." Winking at Conrich he continued, "we'll see who's shaking who's hand", and sat again.

  After this brief chat, we let the queue formed behind us through as Conrich drew us aside. "I'm just visiting to see how the operations going. I knew you'd be here so couldn't resist offering you a lift to the tour site", so off we went. In the car Conrich explained how he was renting the shuttle fleet to build the top end of the lift. "The money gets written off as a tax loss so NASA gets it's appropriation by the back door so to speak."

  So enlightened, I reiterated, "Which is why the shuttle fleet is back in action." A twinkle appeared in his eye. "Well that and I don't like to see a good idea go to waste, not that they'll be needed after the sky lifts been built. But I might have other plans for them, it's like when they grounded Concord, saddest day in aviation advancement. To take away supersonic travel for the masses, but her protectors; pilots and enthusiasts wouldn't let her go, just up and bought the service. That's the spirit."

  By now we had pulled up at another building labeled International Space Center Building, where he let us out. "Take the tour and don't forget to wave at our friend", he uttered as we were left standing by the entrance. Working our way round the exhibits we learned how compact life in space must be. "Everything in its place" approved Susan, and then we proceeded to the observation room, where we could look down on the engineers who constructed new chambers for the ISS.

  With a vested interest in the work now it had been sequestered onto our project we took a great attention to the activities. Just then Susan grabbed my arm and pointed. "Look there's Boris" and we both waved and tapped the glass. The team below looked up, and recognizing us Boris waved his gigantic arms to beckon us down with a grin on his face. Then he turned to an assistant who sped off, soon the same man approached us and we were bidden down to the factory floor.

  Suitably attired in the white coveralls we approached our friend. "Hello Boris, what brings you here?" "These guys don't know cosmo-naut", he winked at a college who laughed at this familiar joke. "So I'm here to speed the job up. I've already got shuttle turn around down to three weeks, and combined with the extra launch site in California we have a weekly delivery, weather permitting up there." He pointed through the ceiling, "going to need it when you pull your finger out." He grinned warmly not noticing both Susan’s and my own grimaces of embarrassment.

  "Anyway I'm up to my elbows on space station building, so shouldn't you two be suiting up? You've only got four hours" We stood there oblivious to his meaning, until he realized we were unacquainted with the facts. "Hasn't Conrich told you? He's got you down for the big roller coaster, thirty six million meters strait up." And as we stood there in shock of this unexpected news, he explained how Conrich had arranged for us to visit the ISS. For a taste of where our part of the job fitted in.

  Whether Susan was still in shock or some form of denial, she seemed to ride over this news, and asked Boris for directions to where we were supposed to be. For my part I felt the day had turned an unreal corner, but no scarier than the trip so far. We were escorted to a van that took us to meet our captain and his team.

  "Colonel Chuck C. Peterson at your service" he greeted us. The all action figure of a man indicated his crew. "And here is Tony, Bob, Mary, Sam and Lionel. So Boris finally let you in on it. Great guy, but he keeps saying I remind him of home." Then he showed us through the procedures. "I'll keep it simple as your essentially cargo." Soon the time was gone, and we headed for the lift so few have had the honor to ride in.

  Strapping in I lay back and thought of lunch, glad I'd been sparing on it. The count down began and soon the rumbling noise rose through me, so I could feel the engines become the general ambiance. Then with the final count of "one" my eyes were pressed into the back of my skull. I was subjected to more gravitational forces than the body should have to cope with; the time seemed to spread into an eternity of motion and forces beyond my control Then the eight and a half minutes the rational part of my mind knew had elapsed came, and all was at peace.

  I looked round at Susan, and apart from slight signs of queasiness, she had the biggest grin I had seen on her face ever. Colonel Peterson turned to her and asked, "Did you prefer that to the simulation?" Gathering her senses she replied. "I think I prefer the simulation, but this does yield better results." Unclipping her belt she floated to a view port. I noticed her neck chain pen now free of gravity too, and recalled the Tower of Terror.

  Was the Disney trip Conrich's idea of astronaut training? Then I recalled the month before getting such a thorough examination from the site medical officer. "Mr. Conrich doesn’t want anyone off for too long. It's my job to keep you at the work face" was all he replied to my complaints. Snapping back to the present, I realized the colonel was addressing me. "I said how does it feel to be the last of the few to leave Earth sat on top of a bomb?" "Glad I'm free of it", I mumbled. He turned smiling to guide the craft towards our destination, while I sat back to enjoy the ride.

  After docking Susan and I were met by base commander Enric. He had been appointed from the ISS side. With him was Ralf Burbon one of our engineers; he had taken the first car on my trip to the ground site. They bid us hello, and invited us to watch the unloading of the shuttle cargo bay through a view port. The crane on the back of the Shuttle was carefully maneuvering a vast cage, which filled the whole cargo space. "It's the basic infrastructure of the base to be added onto this", Ralf informed us tapping the wall. "Even the cage unfolds to make more bits. The extra pods will be bolted in between for strength." "I only wish we had this kind of construction before," added Enric. "Not that I'm complaining, it hasn't sprung a leak yet." Then we all floated off to the meeting room.

  "I see you've got your sea legs", quipped Ralf as he admired how Susan was coping with zero gee. "I think a summer break surfing must have helped", she replied blushing. I fumbled behind desperate to keep up. In the meeting pod we sat as it were, and listened to Ralf and Enric lecture in tandem on safety aspects, and then how the structure was progressing. "Of course the final design can't be completed without your input. That's why Mr. Conrich wanted you to get a feel for the situation".

  Susan took out her pen to jot a point down, but out of the end came a stream of ink. Panicking she put her hand out but over balanced and bounced harmlessly off the padded wall. Meanwhile the ink had formed into a spheroid. "Don't worry", assured Enric at the now righted doctor. "This gives me an opportunity for a little space magic." He produced a small pouch which he squeezed producing a small jet of water, that itself soon coalesced into another spherical shape. This new ball was on a course for the ink sphere.

  Then the two collided like planets, but instead of mixing in a swirl of blue and clear, the ink was enveloped by the water. Blinking the bas
e commander exclaimed. "Well I wasn't expecting that, is that ink in your pen?" "It's oil based ink, I suppose if I spilt it on earth the ink would float on the water. Doctor?" Her last word was for me. For she had suddenly noticed my ridged look of concentration, I had it.

  Quickly I explained my idea. "You remember how some of the elements we tried to mix with the carbon wouldn't work. Well what if we could infuse them throughout the structure?" Susan completed my thought, "in the micro gravity environment." This was it or at least I hoped it was. I turned to my hosts; "we need to get our lab up here." No problem came the reply, and so Susan and I started to compile a list of equipment and materials.

  We were supposed to stay a week and return on the next Shuttle, but now we were planning a longer stay. Mitch and Ron were sent the list, and they diligently shipped everything to the other launch site in California. We were back on track. Within the month we were beaming over a secure video link to Conrich back at ground zero.

  "James let me introduce you to your new compound. The chemical name's quite long, so we called it Mallomite for short." I held up a sealed test tube that glowed faintly. "Not