Chapter 5: The Ship
The comet was spied by several university astronomers almost simultaneously. Its projected mass and course were analyzed and debated over the Internet with everyone listening. The speed of the comet was not impressive by astronomical standards but a million kilometers per hour far exceeded human concepts of speed. The projected course of the comet appeared to intersect the orbit of Mars, thereby threatening a collision with Mars. When asked, The Visitor replied that the thin atmosphere of Mars would be used as a breaking mechanism. The reduced gravity would hopefully not tear the comet apart as would braking around Jupiter. The sling effect would redirect the comet and modify the course so that the comet would be trapped into Earth's gravitational well and enter Earth orbit.
From first sighting it was a few months before the comet approached Mars. The space telescopes were not needed to appreciate the comet's interaction with Mars. For a very short time Mars glowed as a miniature red sun. The direct effect on Mars was to create tremendous storms with the red dust clouds obscuring the planet surface. Rain fell on the surface of Mars for the first time in many millenniums. The orbit wobbled slightly with the contact, but stayed stable. The comet survived the encounter, but was noticeably smaller following the interaction. The lost mass contributed directly to the atmosphere of Mars.
The comet was now heading directly toward earth. The hairy comma surrounding the nucleus visually enlarged the head of the comet with the elongated tail pointing away from the solar wind. The tail was very dense following the Mars interaction, but the nucleus gradually reclaimed much of the mass which had been torn free. The comet was visibly smaller. The majority of the change was due to the loss of the comma during the breaking maneuver; the friction stripped the nucleus of all surface materials. The sight of the comet approaching Earth created a revival of the end of the world scenario. The Visitor was careful to explain the trajectory changes that were required to insure proper orbit. The minimal change would require significant force and The Visitor gave the U.N. the choice to make the changes using a small nuclear weapon or to allow it to make the change. After significant debate the Assembly requested that The Visitor take responsibility for the trajectory corrections. The Visitor accepted the responsibility and dispatched a small rocket that met the comet half way to Earth. The explosion was witnessed by the space telescopes, but could not be seen from Earth. The resulting change in trajectory was small but measurable. The new course placed the comet on a tangential course which would allow it to assume a high elliptical orbit. Despite the extensive news coverage, the now easily visible comet created great consternation amongst many people. The proposed interstellar journey created intense interest by some people, but the possible end of the world attracted even more attention. The revival in religion continued at an ever-increasing pace. The closer the comet came, the more the religious interest rose.
The actual capture of the comet by Earth's gravitational field and the creation of a new miniature moon was anticlimactic. One day the comet was rushing toward Earth and the next day it had been captured and circled the Earth in an elongated orbit. Its nearness and the reflective nature of its surface created a very bright miniature moon. The orbit was not perfectly stable and astronomers calculated that the orbit would decay over a period of 3.6 years. If the ship was not completed and launched by then, the comet would enter the atmosphere and plunge toward Earth. The possible decay of the orbit provided ongoing life to the "end of the world" contingent. The Visitor acknowledged the decay but reminded everyone that the ship was to be completed and the journey underway in less than two years.
The actual construction of the ship started almost immediately by a robotic drone dispatched from The Visitor. This drone used a high-power laser to begin boring a tunnel into the future crew habitat module. The Visitor then requested a neutron bomb be configured as a miniature heat source that would be detonated in the center of the proposed chamber. A series of miniature bombs would be required to vaporize the ice and create a 2 kilometer dome, within the 6 kilometer comet. An additional smaller cavity was to be created at the opposite end creating a 1 kilometer ice barrier between the propulsion unit and the living area. The living area was buried at least 2 kilometer, offering significant radiation protection. The vaporized ice would escape through the laser tunnel, and the thrust created by the explosions would help to stabilize the orbit of the comet.
The metallic asteroid was only 1 percent of the comet's size and was not spotted until it was within a few weeks of arrival. The Visitor again offered to let the U.N. provide the control forces to modify the trajectory of the asteroid, but again the U.N. deferred this to The Visitor. The moon was to be used as a gravitational break to slow the asteroid. A small propulsion unit was discharged from The Visitor to make the required course changes. The world press again monitored the progress of the asteroid, trying to balance the fear of an impending collision with Earth with factual reporting of the asteroid's actual trajectory. The asteroid was so much smaller and lacked the spectacular corona and tail of the comet that people did not seem to worry as much. This lack of concern changed rapidly when the asteroid entered the atmosphere for its final breaking maneuver. Despite the attempts to warn everyone that there would be a most spectacular fire ball, people were not prepared for the arrival of the asteroid. It entered the atmosphere over Europe and streaked across the sky toward Asia. The nighttime sky over Europe was lit to almost daytime brilliance with the initial amber color burning to a brilliant white as the asteroid used atmospheric friction to slow its advance. It exited the atmosphere over Asia, having thrilled or frightened most of the world's population. Only minor corrections were required to align the orbit of the asteroid with that of the comet. The small propulsion rockets were again supplied by The Visitor. The orbits would be brought into synchrony gradually over the next several weeks.
The work on the comet continued mostly by The Visitor's drones. The laser boring machine worked continuously drilling a tunnel, 10 meters in diameter, into the comet. The video pictures that were relayed from the drone revealed a crystalline tube with a fine lattice work of small heat cracks which created the image of a delicate lace tube. The boring machine encountered minimal contamination of the ice by metallic or other mineral debris. The ice was ancient pure water. The trapped gases seemed to indicate an origin outside of the solar system. The machine was capable of boring over 30 meters per day. The tunnel had to extend from the surface through the 1000 meters of protective shield and an additional 500 meters to the center of the future living Dome. The drone finished the first tunnel in 28 days.
The Earth contingent of the construction process had been fabricating a docking platform and a hatch which would circle the opening of the tunnel and supply a door mechanism. The earth side aerospace industries were not used to the rapidity of decision making and short construction times that The Visitor demanded. The U.N. had approved a budget process which made available adequate funds, but the usual bureaucratic process slowed the design and construction process almost to a halt. The industries could not agree on basic engineering standards. The U.N. special commission called together the major aerospace suppliers and in a straightforward manner said they had to choose a lead engineer who would assume responsibility for coordinating the engineering and manufacturing processes. The schedule The Visitor had proposed did not allow for the delays inherent with normal manufacturing processes. The Boeing representative said he knew of a good candidate. When asked for the name, he suggested that Mike would be available. The other representatives had all worked with Mike and concurred with the suggestion and no other candidates were even considered. The recommendation was given to the U.N. and the decision was made.
Mike had spent the last few weeks hibernating in his small apartment trying to decide what to do with his life. He was melancholy and did not respond to his friend's attempts to draw him out of the cave he had crawled into
. He knew that his previous life was gone and that he needed to look for a major change. He was not actually despondent or suicidal, but his melancholy allowed him the solitude to inspect his inner self and consider his options. He needed the peace that existed within his melancholy cave in order to sort out his possibilities and desires. The few close friends he had knew that he would emerge from his cave when, and only when, he was ready. When the doorbell began to chime, Mike had just finished a simple lunch of peanut butter and honey sandwiches. He answered the door with a sour look on his face because of the intrusion into his melancholy. The expression changed quickly to one of concern when he saw the military uniforms. He did not initially recognize the official U.N. uniform, but the formal nature of the small group standing before him was enough to get his attention. The center officer asked him if he was Michael C. Harris. Mike nodded yes, and when asked for identification showed his driver's license. The officer then produced identification which said he was a U.N. military officer assigned to the special commission for construction of The Visitor's ship. He asked if they could come in and speak with Mike. Mike just shrugged his shoulders and returned to his small living room. The officer and his associates followed Mike into his apartment.
Mike asked them what they wanted and the officer replied that he was authorized to offer Mike a position on the construction team. Mike looked a little surprised and shook his head no, saying that he had quit Boeing and had no intention of working for them again. The officer nodded accepting this position, but said the position was with the U.N. directly and would actually involve supervision of the entire project. Mike looked confused and asked for more information. The officer handed him a packet which Mike opened with some tremor in his hands. As he quickly read the summary letter he realized he was being offered a commission in the U.N. forces with the position of head engineer for the construction of The Visitor's ship. When the magnitude of the offer set in, Mike just slumped into his chair. The military envoy just waited patiently while Mike settled into deep thought. After a few minutes of thought, Mike asked when the job would start and the officer said the commission was effective immediately upon Mike's acceptance and swearing in. Mike asked about his present responsibilities and the officer advised Mike that the service would tie up all loose ends for him. Mike nodded his head and said, "Let's go." They headed out the door and Mike did not even bother locking it.
As the driver proceeded to the airport at the air force base, the officer explained the obligations and responsibilities of the commission that was being bestowed upon him, but Mike did not really hear them. He was already visualizing the problems of construction based on the limited reports that he had seen in the paper. When the military transport landed at Houston, Mike began to realize that the change he knew was coming was much more drastic than he could have imagined. As the plane taxied to the ramp, Mike noticed multiple armed military guards stationed around the perimeter security fence. He was met by another U.N. officer who explained that the commissioning was being expedited and that if Mike was ready they would proceed to the Commander's office. Mike just nodded and followed the officer into the waiting car.
On arrival at the Commander's office, Mike and his escort were brought directly into the office. Inside, the Base Commander and the chairman of the U.N. commission for building the spacecraft were waiting. Introductions were brief and the chairman asked Mike if he was willing to proceed and if he had any questions. Mike nodded and asked only how long the project and obligation period were. The chairman replied that the departure date was now down to less than one year. His commission was valid until resigned by Mike and the resignation was accepted by the U.N. commission. Mike did not seem to understand the fine print about the need for his resignation to be accepted before he would be free of his commission. Mike asked to proceed. The brief commissioning service was held and Mike was transformed from a civilian to a military officer.
The administrative officer assigned to Mike escorted him around the base and expedited his uniform fitting and purchase. The uniform was definitely not tailored to Mike's physique, but despite its poor fit it signified Mike's status as an officer and gentlemen. As Mike was leaving the uniform shop, several enlisted personnel snapped to attention and saluted Mike. The admin officer advised Mike that he had to return their salute. Mike looked extremely embarrassed but managed a salute of sorts. The enlisted personnel had large smiles on their faces and Mike knew that he had already screwed up. The admin officer tried to hide his smile as he explained military protocol to Mike. The information overload just kept increasing as the admin officer struggled to convert Mike from his civilian status. Mike was taken for multiple checks in places where he was photographed, finger printed, medically examined, and administratively inducted into the U.N. forces. By the time Mike was taken to the B.O.Q. he was tired and even more confused. The admin officer said that he would report at 0700 hours to introduce Mike to the engineering team. Mike just nodded and closed the door to his quarters. The rapidity of change was overwhelming and Mike began to question the sanity of his decision. Mike headed over to the Officers Club for some supper. He was afraid that somebody would see him in uniform and salute him again, so he changed back into his casual civilian clothes.
The Officers Club was packed with a mixture of civilians and multiple different military uniforms. Mike was glad that he had shed his new military identity and hoped that he could remain inconspicuous. He was surprised that the security guard who asked for his ID was armed and very serious. After inspecting the ID the guard opened the door and invited Mike to enjoy himself. Mike inspected the lobby of the Officers Club and decided that it was essentially a country club with a military flair. He headed toward the bar for a reality check. He was hungry, but the need for a beer seemed more important. He was halfway through his brew when a guy walked over and sat next to him. Mike turned and nodded at the intrusion. His bar mate said, "You just get in?" Mike again just nodded. His new companion introduced himself and held out his hand. Mike reflexively shook his hand and said that his name was Mike Harris. The name seemed familiar to his new friend and he asked Mike if he was the new lead engineer. Mike again nodded. He then began to explain to Mike that most of the nonmilitary personnel and some of the military personnel were engineers assigned to work on Mike's team. Mike became much more interested in his companion and began to ask questions as to the progress of the team. He was not surprised that the competition between the groups had prevented almost all progress. When Mike asked about the extensive security system, he was told that the base had become a fortress because of the daily protests and threats against the project. Mike could not understand why anyone would protest the building of this ship until the reactionism of the religious fundamentalists was explained. Mike said that it figures that religion was again interfering with the progress of mankind. The discussions about the project and the lack of progress continued until it was too late for Mike to get supper.
At 0700 the admin officer presented himself at Mike's door. Mike was up but not actually ready when he answered the door. The admin officer looked surprised when he saw that Mike was in his civilian clothes. Mike knew that the surprised look meant that he was expected to be in his uniform. When he asked the admin officer if he was supposed to be wearing his uniform the officer just shook his head and said, "As a commander in the U.N. forces you are expected to wear your uniform." This drew a groan from Mike who excused himself and changed clothes.
They arrived at the engineering headquarters a few minutes late. The assembled crew was prepared for his arrival and he was more than a little startled when he was "piped aboard"with the announcement of, "Attention on deck! Arriving Commander Harris, chief of engineering section, U.N. Space Vehicle Construction Division."
Mike turned to his admin officer and asked in a low voice, "What in the hell is this?" The admin officer replied that it was a traditional welcoming ceremony and
that Mike needed to salute the assembled crew. Mike did his best at producing a salute and felt relief when the assembled engineers and draftsman sat down. He followed the admin officer to the front of the assembly and took the offered seat. The admin officer then opened the proceedings by formally introducing many of the individuals. Mike was again overwhelmed by the volume of information and the formal nature of the presentations. When the introductions were complete and the time finally arrived to begin the engineering discussions, Mike actually was relieved. He was now entering his own domain.
Mike asked for a summary progress report and listened for a few minutes to the official reports that were being presented. He cut the reports short and said, "Before they proceeded I need to make a few remarks." He stood up and began to pace in front of the room. He started, "I must apologize for my lack of military bearing and protocol. I understand the need for official military status, but I probably am not capable of meeting the requirements for a traditional commander. My goal is to build this ship as per the requirements of The Visitor and to accomplish the task on schedule. In order to accomplish this goal, the entire team needs to work as a unit. We must work with imagination and complete commitment. The military chain of command will be followed outside of the engineering section, but duties and responsibilities within the section will be assigned without regard to rank or position. All internal reports are to be factual and brief, without the bureaucratic bullshit. An information officer will be assigned the responsibility for preparing all external reports from the information contained within our engineering reports. I expect that all suggestions would be brought forward and discussed freely. Traditional manufacturing techniques do not apply because of the time constraints imposed by The Visitor."
He then asked what the most immediate problem was. One of the engineers suggested that a stable docking platform was most critical. He looked at her and asked her what her name was. She identified herself as Pat Gray, section leader for the installation crew. She explained that without a reliable docking platform that the complexity of equipment transfer and setup would dramatically slow the installation of the access hatch and delay all subsequent steps. Other engineers disagreed but after listening to the discussion Mike agreed with Pat. He then asked for a review of possible docking station plans. Most of the plans required extensive material transport and construction. Mike was not satisfied with the approach being taken and asked if there existed anything in space that could be used to expedite this phase. Somebody suggested that a shuttle fuel tank was available in low orbit and maybe it could be adapted. Several people mumbled about the inappropriate selection of materials, but Mike seemed interested and asked how it would be attached to the comet. The engineer who initially suggested the tank thought that pilings could be driven into the comet to stabilize the shell. A young engineer thought that the drone could bore a hole into the comet and the end of the tank inserted into the hole. Somebody else complained that it would be very difficult to adequately stabilize the tank unless the majority was imbedded. Pat asked if the end of the tank could be cut off and the tank itself be drilled into the ice. Several people complained that the force on the tank would destroy the structure if that much torque was placed on the non-reinforced tank. Mike suggested that maybe the force could be reduced if the tank wall was heated. This created a landslide of ideas. Mike was enjoying the interaction, but knew that a decision was required. He asked if anyone could see a reason why the tank structure could not be implanted into the comet using heat and minimal torque to melt the ice, which when it re froze would secure the structure. Nobody had any significant objections. Mike made his first decision and announced the fuel tank would be used for the base of the docking platform. The safety section chief asked if there would be room within the tank for an emergency crew habitat module. The dimensions of the tank were projected and one of the N.A.S.A. engineers said that a surplus module from the initial space shuttle could be inserted within the dimensions of the tank. Teams were assigned for the drafting of protocol and designed features. These were then sent to The Visitor for approval.
The meeting broke up for lunch during which the napkins were used freely for sketches of proposed design features. The free flow of ideas which had begun with the morning planning session was continuing. The admin officer told Mike that he needed to complete some important paper work in his office and that the U.N. Commissioner was expecting a call. Mike nodded, knowing the administrative tasks had to be completed, but not enjoying the prospect. On the way to his office he asked the admin officer if he was going to continue to assist him. The admin officer said he had been assigned as Mike's administrative assistant. Mike told him that he was going to need a lot of assistance in order to stay out of trouble and complete his task.
When Mike arrived at his office, he was introduced to his section secretary who appeared to be in her late 50s or early 60s. Mary welcomed Mike aboard. Mike thanked her and asked her how long she had been with engineering section. She told Mike he had not yet started college when she started working for the U.S. Navy engineering department. Mike was heartened to realize that he had experienced people to assist him. He was mostly afraid of the military requirements and was glad that his secretary would have the experience to guide him through his transition. The admin officer showed him the stack of paperwork that awaited him and Mike groaned. He decided to call the U.N. Commissioner before attacking the paperwork. The Commissioner was very interested in the progress made on the docking platform. Mike asked him about the administrative work load, and the Commissioner agreed that Mike could use his admin officer to satisfy most of the administrative paperwork. Mike smiled when he heard this and his admin officer imitated Mike by shrugging his shoulders. Mike then handed him the pile of forms and reports and told him, "Enjoy yourself and send back only those things essential to the project." The admin officer admitted he was capable of handling most of the tasks, but that Mike would need to guide him with the engineering portion. Mike agreed. He was an engineer not an administrator.