CHAPTER 19
MISSION TO MARS
Midshipman Henry Gallant pointed his Eagle directly toward the sun. The star’s radiance thrust golden barbs into the surrounding coal-black space. Asteroid specks twinkled as they moved across its gilded face. After several hours at maximum velocity to shake off pursuit, Gallant throttled back to cruising speed. The unwelcoming asteroid belt, with its uncountable deluge of rocks and debris, was strewn before him. The aftermath of a ferocious battle, fought in the shadow of Jupiter, was scattered not too far behind him.
He narrowed his eyes as he watched Kelsey adjust the visual display of the ship’s powerful telescope. It could still distinguish the derelict and broken ships of the Jupiter Fleet that had been crippled, fighting the aliens from the outer planets. The United Planets’ colonies and facilities on the frontier could, even now, be at the mercy of that ferocious enemy. He again questioned his judgment, torn between the guilt of leaving his shipmates behind and the necessity of getting critical alien technology to Mars.
As he stripped off his armored suit, his arm throbbed from the piercing pain of his plasma wound. The armored suit was a highly compressed multilayer fabric impregnated with titanium and carbon nanoparticles. The laminated material was incredibly strong while remaining exceedingly lightweight and flexible. It could reflect much of a plasma or laser blast and resist projectiles. It included its own circulatory system interwoven within the various layers, just like the body’s arteries. Sealant fluid and medication liquids traveled along its circulatory highway. The suit had saved his life when he was attacked on the alien saucer.
While he was conscious of his wound, he continued to down play it. Despite the severe aching, he remained stone-faced. He cut away the burned sleeve of the pressure suit he wore under the armor to expose his seared forearm. His flesh was scorched along his wrist almost to the bone. He was conscious of Midshipman Kelsey Mitchell squirming forward in their tiny two-seat fighter cabin.
"Oh, Henry." She grimaced and set about cleaning the charred area.
He was self-conscious about how he might appear to her, but a tiny groan still managed to escape his lips.
She said, “I’ll give you a shot to relieve the pain.” She loaded a needle with a powerful local anesthetic and injected it into the tender skin. Then she began to apply antiseptic and a healing gel before she stitched and bandaged the wound.
She wore a concerned look as she gazed into Gallant’s face, trying to gauge his state of mind. "How’s that?" she asked.
After a deep breath, he took hold of himself, sneering at his own weakness. “Better, much better. Thank you,” he said, eyeing the bandage.
Gallant cleared his throat as he moved away from Kelsey. He thought, It would have been worse if that alien’s aim had been just slightly better. He tried to distract himself by looking at the forward view port and concentrating on the task before them. There were many miles to go before they could find sanctuary.
He opened a nearby cabinet and pulled out some synthetic food supplements. Opening the package, he split the contents between them. As they munched on the unappetizing food, he checked the Eagle’s life support system. He asked the AI system for an evaluation of their supplies. Looking at the feedback the AI system provided, he examined the status including fuel, food, and life-support. He expected that they would be on short rations for the rest of the trip. He shrugged his shoulders, settled back in his chair, and turned his attention to their mission.
“I think we should operate at reduced capacity to optimize our flight time,” he said.
“Agreed,” said Kelsey, adjusting the life-support system. She set the oxygen to 80 percent of normal while decreasing the operating capacity of the carbon dioxide and heat removal systems. “That should extend our overall life-support capabilities by a couple of days.”
Gallant reduced the cruising speed to 0.004c to conserve fuel. These adjustments would make life somewhat uncomfortable for them, but should extend their operational range.
“I think we need to come up with a fuel-efficient plan to travel through the asteroid belt while avoiding Titan scout ships. When we were escorting the Stella Bordeaux, it seemed that there was a lot of alien activity throughout the area,” said Gallant, reaching toward the display console to correlate relevant parameters.
"What did you have in mind?" asked Kelsey, working her way around Gallant’s chair back to her own. The Eagle’s interior was extremely compact. The AI virtual screens and manual controls were arranged to give maximum utility. A lower sleeping bunk and a storage locker were located beneath the chairs. It was adequate space for two crewmembers with chairs and operating consoles.
"We need to find a trajectory within our resource limitations that’s stealthy enough for moving through the asteroid field," he said, pulling up another AI screen and entering several constraints. The AI results offered a number of alternatives for them to consider.
“Am I wrong, or do these paths seem inadequate?” asked Kelsey with a touch of exasperation in her voice.
“The third trajectory isn’t too bad. It meets the basic parameters for fuel and life-support, but as you suggest, it doesn’t keep us well hidden. I think all of the options the AI produced offer only limited radar stealth.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to zigzag from one large asteroid formation to another, in short bursts? Then even if the Titan’s get a couple of quick returns on radar there will be nothing solid for them to track. And we can work to keep our radar profile minimal when we’re in the open. Let me try programming a route. Just a minute,” suggested Kelsey.
The adjusted life support settings were producing unfamiliar ship noises all around him, but Gallant concentrated on his display. He had faith in Kelsey’s expertise to find a safe course through the asteroid belt to Mars.
“Look at this, Henry,” she said, offering a solution that was clearly better than any from the AI.
As he studied the route, he asked, “Why did you pick this leg here toward Ceres?”
“It’s near the center of the asteroid field and has a very large cluster of assorted asteroids that should provide excellent radar shelter. By moving toward that cluster, we have the best probability of stealth. I’ve searched my mind for any critical detail I might’ve overlooked, but this is the best path I could find.”
Gallant knew he had to make up his mind about what course to follow. All the manifold details of traveling toward their goal, no matter how petty and temporary, were important to him. With a hint of admiration in his voice because he felt lucky to have her with him, he said, "Excellent, let’s do it."
He felt a strange contentment as they made their way forward with the stars to guide them.