To The Stars

  Back on the bridge, the crew watched their monitors.

  "Thirty seconds to entry," Nadine announced.

  "Right," said Bonner, "we will achieve speed in... well, we just hit cruising speed. Looking good, steady."

  Blane reported from cyberspace, murmuring, "Fivers on all systems..."

  Fagen looked relaxed, almost bored.

  Blane sat upright, eyes open. "Problem in propulsions... something with the software..."

  Suddenly Bonner called out, "Speed is wavering high!"

  "Hold her steady!" Doris ordered from the auxiliary chair.

  Nadine continued her count, "...two, one, zero! That's it. We just passed the event horizon."

  The fusion engines shut off automatically. The Magellan coursed its way through the wormhole. Outside the craft, the darkness was occasionally split by flashes of light.

  "Mark the time, Mr. Bonner."

  "Right, I've got it."

  "So do I," said Blane.

  "Specify the problem, Dr. Blane."

  "A messed up solution in the software caused a power surge resulting in a high waver of velocity. The same problem is causing a malfunction in a heating unit."

  "Yeah," Bonner agreed, "I've got a light on my board."

  "Disengage the software routine," Fagen ordered.

  "Done," Bart replied.

  Fagen turned to Bonner. "We need to repair the heating unit, probably just a re-calibration. Would you take care of that?"

  "No problem." Bonner unstrapped himself, rose, and left the bridge.

  "Doris, help Mr. Bonner please."

  As ordered, she followed the engineer off the bridge.

  When they were gone, Fagen faced Blane. "Enter a new solution in the vector guidance routine. Make it point oh-two-five-seven five."

  "Shouldn't we wait until we pop out and see where we land?"

  "No, I want to be ready as soon as..."

  Fagen was interrupted by a call from Doris over the intercom. "We've got a fire down here! Re-route coolants to the secondary system!"

  "I hear you," Fagen replied. "Do you need any help?"

  "No, we've got it under control, but it's a real mess."

  "Great way to start off," commented Nadine.

  Fagen called into the intercom. "Bonner?"

  "Here."

  "Can you repair the damage?"

  "No problem. It's going to take a few minutes though."

  "How long?"

  "With Doris helping, no more than thirty to forty-five minutes."

  "All right, do it."

  "Roger that."

  Fagen turned back to Blane. "Have you input the new vector?"

  "Yes, but why that vector? It's different from the corporation assignment."

  Fagen waved his hand to dismiss Blane's concerns. "It's an alternate vector to be used in case of circumstances like what we've encountered."

  "Well then, do you know where the new heading will take us?"

  Fagen ignored the question. Just as Blane was about to repeat himself, Nadine reported that they were coming out of the wormhole. Fagen crossed to the navigator's position and looked over her shoulder at the console.

  "Where are we?"

  Nadine struggled with the question and frowned at Fagen. "Give me a minute. It'll take awhile for the computer to analyze the stars and search out the matching patterns. I can't go any faster than the computer."

  She sat at the navigator's position, pulled the console closer and waited for the computer to do its job.

  Fagen asked Blane to conduct a scan of the immediate area to determine if there were any navigational threats nearby.

  "Started the scan as soon as we popped out," replied the wirehead. "Looks like we're being bombarded by radiation. I don't know from what yet... oh-oh."

  "What?"

  "We're in a star group, looks like a double star."

  "That's right," Nadine continued, "we're in Ursa Major, closing fast on Mizar and its companion star."

  "Radiation's climbing." Blane commented blandly. "The hull is starting to heat."

  "Suggestions?"

  "Yeah, we need to get out of here fast."

  "All right. Lay in a course back to the wormhole."

  Nadine did as she was ordered, then turned to face Fagen. "We can't use the fusion generators until Bonner finishes the repairs. If we stick around here for any length of time, we're gonna fry from the radiation."

  "I'm well aware of that, Ms. Watson."

  "Well, what are we going to do?"

  "We're going to wait for Mr. Bonner to complete his repairs. Meanwhile, we have new coordinates laid in for our new destination. We'll get out of here as soon as possible."

  "I hope that's soon enough."

  "Have a little faith. Get yourself a cup of coffee."

  Frustrated and a little afraid, Nadine turned back to her monitor and stared hard at the flashing numbers as if she could reverse the rising temperature by force of her will alone.

  Back in the crew's quarters, oblivious to the danger they faced, Harry remained strapped in his bunk and waited for word from the bridge. As his patience grew shorter and his curiosity increased, he fidgeted and toyed with the restraining buckles. Finally, just as he decided to release himself, a knock came from the door. It opened and Kathleen stuck her head inside.

  "What's going on?"

  "I don't know."

  "You think we're through the wormhole yet?"

  "I don't know that either. Maybe I'll float up to the bridge and find out."

  Parker appeared behind Kathleen. "I don't think that's a very good idea. They said they'd let us know."

  As if on cue, the intercom sprang to life with Fagen's voice. "We're experiencing a little technical problem. Everybody remain where they are and I'll keep you informed as to the status. We have exited the wormhole, but it looks like a computer glitch fouled up our destination. We will re-enter the hole shortly. Please remain where you are."

  "A computer glitch?" Parker asked. "How could that happen? The systems were checked and re-checked."

  Harry shrugged. It was odd. Computer problems rarely occurred anymore.

  "Well," Kathleen commented, "whatever it is, I'm sure they can handle it."

  On the bridge, Bonner finally reported that the repairs were complete. Although fire had broken out, damage was minimal, and, as Fagen had originally suggested, all that was required in the heating unit was a re-calibration of the control parameters.

  "It's getting really hot," said Blane.

  "All right. Everybody back to their positions," commanded Fagen. "Mr. Bonner, the new coordinates have been laid in. Are you ready to fire us up?"

  "Ready when you are."

  "Okay. Watch your boards everyone. Mr. Bonner, count us down to ignition, please."

  As Bonner began the count, Doris passed the word to those in the crew's quarters to prepare to take another ride. Below, Kathleen and Parker scrambled back to their bunks and strapped themselves in.

  Once again, the computers fired off the ignition and the Magellan began to pick up speed.

  "How's the heating unit holding up?" Doris asked.

  "So far so good," replied Bonner from his console.

  Nadine began the countdown for wormhole re-entry. "...three, two, one, here we go again!"

  As the Magellan passed through the event horizon, the spacecraft shook violently, much more so than the previous entry. Nadine held a death grip on the edge of her console. Bonner intently watched the temperature readouts and quickly verified that they had entered at the correct velocity, no fluctuations this time, but a great deal of resistance. The ship was tossed as it entered. The great tides of gravity alternately tried to crush the ship and tear it apart.

  Nadine looked at the faces around her. Bonner was a study in concentration. Blane sat impassively with eyes closed, lost in cyberspace. Doris, in the auxiliary chair, bit her nails and watched Fagen. Fagen remained relaxed, detached, almost as if he had planned ever
ything that had so far occurred.

  No one said anything. The buffeting continued for a long time, so long that Nadine finally asked, "Are we going to make it?"

  No one replied.

  Chapter 10

  "Sure we're gonna make it," said Bonner. "We're just experiencing a little gravitational stress. As long as our plasma field generators are working, we're all right." He slapped the bulkhead beside his console. "These babies are built solid."

  Nadine hoped he was right. The ship continued to shake even when the fusion thrust was terminated. They waited and watched their monitors. There was no way to tell how long transit through the hole would last. It could be seconds, hours, or days.

  Harry held on and wondered in what part of the galaxy they had exited the hole. It didn't matter. Something had gone wrong and now they were back in the hole again. Where might they end up? That was the question currently on Harry's mind.

  The door opened and Kathleen stuck her head inside the cabin.

  "You shouldn't be up," Harry said.

  "Do you mind if I come in?"

  He could see that the constant shaking was frightening her. It was the first time she'd ever shown fear in front of him, the first time she'd ever appeared to be vulnerable. "Sure, come on in. Watch your step."

  She crossed to the bunk and gripped the edges. "Could I, could I just lie down with you until this stops?"

  Harry blinked. Her eyes were soft, pupils wide. "Sure." He unstrapped himself and moved over, giving Kathleen enough room to squeeze in beside him.

  Her arms went around his waist and she gripped the fabric of his coveralls as she placed her head on his chest. Harry put his arms around the trembling woman. Her hair smelled clean with a trace of chamomile. After a minute, she stopped trembling.

  "Harry?"

  "Mm?"

  "This feels good. Thanks for being so understanding." She turned her face up to his.

  Just as he began to lean toward her inviting lips, the vibrations stopped. Fagen's voice came through the intercom.

  "All right everybody, we're through the port. Come forward and take a look."

  Harry looked at Kathleen. "Maybe we should go forward."

  "I guess so." She extricated herself and floated toward the door. "Thanks again, Harry."

  "That's okay. Anytime."

  The twinkle returned to her eye. "I'm planning on it."

  *

  When Harry floated onto the bridge, he immediately looked to the largest viewing port. What he saw made him draw in a breath. The port revealed a nearby planet with a brightly shining Type IV star in the background. Two moons could plainly be seen in position above the planet. The starlight shined off the two moons, one full and the other in its crescent stage. The crescent looked to be laden with craters from meteorite impacts, but the other moon was smooth and white, unmistakably covered by ice. But it was the planet they orbited that drew most of Harry's attention.

  It was largely blue with a white cloud cover, appearing to be similar to Earth, at least judging by the view from millions of miles away.

  "Where are we?" asked Parker as he entered the bridge.

  "Space, the final frontier..." answered Bart.

  "Very funny." Parker positioned himself behind Nadine. "Where are we?"

  "I'm working on it."

  Bonner joined Harry at the window. "See those fissures across the face of that moon?"

  Harry nodded.

  "Stress fractures in the ice. I'll bet that ice hasn't been there for more than a few thousand years." He pointed to the planet. "Blue with white clouds. Hell, I'll bet you right now it's got water and free oxygen."

  "You're right on both counts," Blane interposed. "Spectral analysis is just coming through. Rich in oxygen, a little more than earth gravity, but not much. Lots of water in all forms, vapor, ice, and liquid. Oh, and lots of CO2."

  "There're plants down there," Kathleen said. "My intuition tells me so."

  Nadine leaned back in her chair. "Okay, everybody. I've got a fix on our location. Close to a Sol-type star, a little larger; 85 light-years from earth." She ran her finger down a displayed list and found what she looked for. "Looks like Miaplacidus in Carina."

  Kathleen looked at Harry. "Where's that?"

  Harry shrugged. He knew a lot of stars, but he hadn't heard of that one.

  Blane filled in the blanks for them. "Carina is a constellation that's viewed only from a southern circumpolar position. You can't see it from North America. If you could it'd be located next door to the second brightest star in the sky, Canopus."

  "Carina," Kathleen repeated, "that's a pretty name."

  "It comes from Greek. Right, Harry?"

  "Oh yeah. The keel of a ship."

  "That's right," Blane continued, "and other constellations make up the other parts of the ship."

  Fagen sat impassively through the conversation. While the others were filled with restrained excitement, Fagen showed no indication of what he thought.

  "I feel real good about this," Bonner said.

  "How's the heating unit doing?" Fagen finally spoke. Bonner responded by glancing at his instruments. "Looks good, no problem."

  "All right then." Fagen rose from the pilot's chair. "Ms. Watson, please calculate the vectors for a good working orbit around the planet." He turned to his XO. "Doris, you have the conn. Put us in orbit. I'm going to rest awhile."

  "Yes, sir."

  Fagen left the bridge. Nadine leaned over to Bonner. "What's the matter with him? Seems like he don't care."

  Doris overheard the comment. "Oh, he cares. He just doesn't show it as much. He's been disappointed before."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Well, this isn't his first time out, you know. This is his sixth trip."

  "So?"

  "So I guess he doesn't want to get too excited before we've, you know, gathered more information."

  That's not the way Harry saw it. To Harry, Fagen looked unsurprised, as though he expected to find a habitable planet with two moons.

  Nadine completed the orbital solution and passed the figures to Doris. Braking operations were to start immediately, but it would still be nearly a day and a half before they stabilized an orbit around the planet. Miaplacidus was a name too long to refer to frequently, so Doris shortened it to Mia. She started to invent a name for the planet, but Kathleen beat her to it.

  "Let's call it Mia Culpa," giggled Kathleen.

  Doris didn't like the name and tried to change it to something else, but nobody remembered, so Mia Culpa stuck.

  *

  Doris assigned Harry to inventory the EVA equipment. In this case, that included the wilderness stores, the portable sensor gear, and of course, the recorders. All the equipment was stored in lockers located adjacent to the hanger bay.

  Harry worked his way through the narrow corridors to the hanger. Inside, the shuttle that would take the EVA team to the surface of the planet took up most of the space. It squatted on the floor, held secure by grooved rails embedded within the deck. Use of the vehicle was entirely at the mission commander's discretion and, so far, Fagen had said nothing about an exploratory trip to Mia Culpa's surface.

  He slowly walked around the craft, observing its lines and trying to identify the functions of some of its more unfamiliar features. On the opposite side, he found Fagen standing before an open locker. The mission commander held an automatic rifle. Harry wasn't familiar with firearms and didn't know the exact type, but it looked deadly enough. Fagen turned around.

  "Hello, Harry."

  "Hello, Edward. What's going on?"

  Fagen looked at the rifle and hefted its weight. "I wanted to check our weapons."

  "I didn't know we had any."

  "Usually the survey teams take sidearms, but I wanted to bring along some extra firepower this time."

  "Why?"

  Fagen put the rifle back inside the locker. "Let's just call it intuition. What are you doing here?"

  "Doris asked me to
inventory the EVA gear."

  Fagen pointed to an adjoining locker. "In here." He opened the locker to expose the electronic gear that would be taken to the surface of the planet. "Well, I'll leave you to your work."

  Harry began to pull the equipment out of the locker but stopped and called out. "Edward?"

  Fagen turned around. "Yes?"

  "Are we going to the planet's surface?"

  "We're determining that at this time. When we've gathered enough data and reviewed it, we'll make a decision."

  Without realizing it, Harry frowned. Ten feet away, Fagen floated in the air, as comfortable and relaxed as the day he'd beaten Harry in their game of zoomball.

  "Harry, we don't want to waste a trip to the surface if we can avoid it. We're just as interested in the other bodies in this star system as we are in the planet. All I can say is that we will review the data and make a decision based on our findings."

  Without another word, Fagen tapped the deck with an extended toe and floated toward the hatch leaving Harry alone with his thoughts. To come this far and not have a look at the surface of the newly discovered planet seemed unlikely. In any case, there was nothing left to do except inventory the equipment. As he checked the items off his inventory list, he wondered about the rifles he'd seen in the adjacent locker. Why had Fagen brought them along?

  Later, as Harry went back to his compartment, he passed by Kathleen's open door. She and Bart sat inside the small room, talking and laughing. Kathleen saw Harry pass and invited him to come in. Harry floated to one end of the cluttered cabin and gripped a looped nylon cord, one of the hundreds of handholds distributed thoughtfully around the interior of the Magellan. As he did so, Bart plugged in to the nearest terminal.

  "What are you doing, Harry? Getting excited about the expedition?"

  "What expedition is that?"

  "Oh, you've been below for the past couple of hours. You haven't heard the news. It looks like we'll be taking a trip to the surface."

  "Is that what Edward said?"

  "Well, no," Kathleen admitted. "But we have determined there are life forms on the planet. If that's not reason enough, then I don't know what. Doris is so excited she can't stop giving orders. Bart and I escaped." Kathleen laughed.

  Bart sat without expression, eyes glazed, lost in cyberspace.

  "Did you know Edward brought guns along?"

  "They always bring guns on missions."

  "Yeah, but not cannons like these. Rifles, exploding bullets, and something that looks like a beam weapon."