Star One: Neutron Star Read online

  Star One

  Neutron Star

  By Raymond L. Weil

  Website: http://RaymondlWeil.com/

  Books in the Star One series

  Star One: Tycho City Discovery

  Star One: Neutron Star

  Star One: Dark Star

  Star One: Tycho City Survival (December 2013)

  Copyright © May 2012 by the

  Author

  Cover Art by Bigstock

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.

  I. Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  The neutron star swept through the dust cloud at 360 miles per second. Its tremendous speed was the result of the gravitational collapse and the resulting supernova explosion that had created the neutron star over one million years in the past. The star had been compressed into a compact ball of neutrons 18 miles across and 2.2 times the mass of Earth’s sun.

  Twice per second, the star revolved around its axis, emitting powerful bursts of x-rays from its magnetic poles. The shielding dust cloud was unusually dense and full of heavy metals. The x-rays were blocked from escaping the dust cloud and warning the inhabited star system ahead of the neutron star’s rapid approach. For 118 years, the neutron star had been transiting the dust cloud. The inhabitants of the small yellow dwarf star system ahead would not know until too late that the neutron star was coming to kill their young civilization.

  Finally, the neutron star began to exit the screening dust cloud. Its loud pulsing radio and x-ray emissions shouted at the star system ahead and its third planet clearly for the first time. On the large moon of the third planet, its warning cry was finally heard.

  Chapter One

  April 22nd, 2044

  Space shuttle Commander Tyler Erin stared out thoughtfully over the sprawling cape launch facility through the reinforced, tinted glass window. His thick, wavy black hair was just visible beneath his dark blue officer’s cap. Everything was exactly as it should be bustling, well ordered, and devoid of chaos. From his lofty position in the lobby on the sixth floor of the complex’s main administration building, his six-foot-two athletic frame had a bird’s eye view of the vast, modern launch facility.

  Straightening his shoulders, he stared out across the complex. His deep brown eyes were drawn to a bright object visible in the distance. Even from here, several miles away, it was impressive, dwarfing many of the other smaller structures dotting the artificial landscape. The object was the towering space shuttle Excalibur, which was patiently waiting for him on launch pad 39A. The shuttle would shortly hurl him and his expectant passengers up into the crisp morning air and the black, desolate void of space.

  Erin was dressed in the customary dark blue, one-piece flight suit. There was a small patch over his left pocket displaying the blue and white disc of Earth as seen from space. He arched his powerful shoulders, trying to stretch the fabric in the tight fitting flight suit. Standing in front of the large window, he wondered with a frown if they would ever make these suits more comfortable. He doubted that whoever the idiot was that had designed these had ever worn one. Putting the flight suit out of his mind, he focused his attention on the bright, morning sky.

  It was an early spring morning at the now continuously bustling Cape Canaveral space shuttle launch facility in East Central Florida with its ten newly refurbished launch pads. The entire space complex had gone through a complete modernization. Because of the renovation, it had been decided to go back to the cape’s original name. Billions of hard fought for tax dollars had been sunk into the space program in recent years, much to the opposition of certain stubborn and near sighted people in Congress.

  Commander Erin knew, from checking earlier, that dozens of swarming technicians had finished their prelaunch checks on the towering shuttle assembly that dwarfed everything around it. He made it a habit to personally check on the technicians and their work prior to every launch. He knew everything was well supervised, and the workers were professional, but he still favored his own hands on approach.

  The shuttle itself seemed to shine with a brilliant inner light of its own, as it reflected the morning sunlight off its sparkling black and white exterior. It stood impatiently, like a star waiting to return to its spot in the heavens from which it had only recently fallen. Erin had to squint his eyes slightly, almost forcing him to frown, and pull his powerful jaw in just to be able to see the shuttle plainly in the brilliant glare of the reflected sunlight. He knew that his eyes would soon begin to throb if he stared at the shuttle for too long.

  Turning his gaze upward, he could see scattered flocks of white seagulls circling lazily in the sky, seemingly to float unheralded beneath the few scattered fleecy cumulus clouds that were drifting slowly in the light morning breeze. The sea gulls seemed to be daring the waiting shuttle to join them in their carefree early morning antics.

  The shuttle assembly itself stood 172 feet high, like a giant, sleek obelisk rearing itself upward on the recently refurbished launch pad. The launch pad had been used extensively in the 1990s before being abandoned when the original shuttle program ended back in 2011.

  Manned space flight had almost halted at the start of the 21st century due to extremely tight budget constraints, lack of well-set goals, and weak leadership. There was also a determined shift in government policy away from manned space flight. Fortunately, this shortsighted view was corrected when it was realized that certain dangerous research programs could be better conducted in space rather than on the ground.

  Several disastrous explosions of experimental fusion reactors in the Arizona desert had given birth to a new manned space program. These explosions had been non-nuclear, but had still been extremely powerful and destructive, causing tremendous property damage. The new manned space program’s primary goal was to solve the Earth’s energy needs before the planet ran out of fossil fuels.

  The need for energy was rapidly outstripping the planet’s ability to provide it. Many of the old nuclear fission reactors across the planet had been dismantled. This was a direct consequence of the disastrous nuclear meltdown of three reactors at the Japanese Fukushima nuclear power plant facility back in 2011. As a result, the construction of new more modern nuclear fission plants had been banned in many countries. This caused many of the countries of the world to become even more reliant on dwindling supplies of fossil fuels.

  Solar and wind energy had been heavily tapped to offset some of the increased demand, but it wasn’t nearly enough. The emerging economies of the Third World were using more and more energy every day. The only viable alternative for the amount of power the world so desperately needed was nuclear fusion. That dangerous research needed to be conducted off planet. Hence, the new manned space program.

  The increased need for shuttle launches had encouraged the authorities to rebuild the aging launch pad, making it into one of the most modern facilities currently in operation at the sprawling spaceport. Once again, gleaming black and white shuttles mated to smaller red fuel tanks and twin solid rocket boosters hurled themselves up and away from the Earth on an ever-increasing frantic schedule.

  The shuttle
seemed to cling tightly to the external fuel tank and the two solid rocket boosters like a child holding onto its parents, afraid to let go and take that first cautious, teetering step. It would be a first step that would begin with a loud, explosive roar of power that would shake the spaceport. It would end in the vacuum enclosed silence of space.

  The space shuttle itself had been entirely redesigned and simplified. It was slightly larger than the old, cumbersome shuttles of the late twentieth century, with more power and a much greater flight range. The fuel in both the external tank and the solid rocket boosters held little resemblance to the old, dangerous explosive fuels used in the first primitive shuttles of the eighties and nineties. The new fuels could burn for twice the length of time with 40 percent more thrust than the old ones.

  This was all made possible by the discovery of Luxen, a new wonder alloy. This wondrous metal was created in the new fusion reactor on Star One. One of only two such fusion reactors in existence, both were onboard Star One, the recently completed massive space station floating high above the Earth. The new alloy had three times the strength and heat resistance of any other alloy known to man. This allowed for some major modifications in rocket engine design and rocket fuels, substantially increasing the safety factor in the external fuel tank and the solid rocket boosters.

  Luxen could handle far more pressure from the powerful engines than any other alloy. It allowed the fuel to burn at a much higher temperature, converting more of it to energy. Rocket scientists had jumped almost gleefully on the opportunity to create an entirely new range of modern rocket fuels. Those fuels were so powerful that the price to operate a shuttle had dropped dramatically. Higher power allowed for heavier payloads, and the shuttle’s range was almost unlimited in near Earth space.

  Erin spent much of his time flying shuttles between Earth and Star One or on the giant space station itself. He drew in a deep breath, letting his thoughts reach out to what might be awaiting him on his return to the massive station. Smiling to himself, he hoped that on this trip back he would find out if he had been chosen to command the upcoming Jupiter Probe mission.

  The mission was scheduled for a late November launch from the Space Platform, which was in a stationary orbit next to Star One. It was taking one hell of a long time for the civilian brass to make a decision. Erin knew that there had been a lot of opposition from several groups in Congress about the money being spent on the planned exploratory mission. He just wished they would make up their minds soon.

  Stepping back from the window, Erin let his eyes sweep over the nearly empty lobby. Only one newsperson from one of the smaller satellite media stations was present. He was sitting at a table sipping on a steaming cup of coffee, reading the morning paper. Erin was acutely aware of the critical headlines.

  Many people still felt that the money spent on space exploration was a waste. They felt it could be better used for domestic programs. They wanted the money spent on programs to help fight crime, poverty, and improve the economy. There was a growing demand to exploit the planet’s deep underground resources and begin mining the ocean floor.

  Even though the new fusion reactor on Star One was operating safely and efficiently, there was still powerful opposition to any type of nuclear energy being used on Earth. Senator Harlen Farley of Michigan had introduced a bill in Congress blocking the use of fusion power in the United States. Part of the bill would only allow a new fusion reactor to be built if the senate committee he controlled determined it was safe. Everyone knew that Farley’s committee would never approve a fusion reactor. This had irked a number of people even in Congress, since Star One had originally been built so fusion energy could become a reality.

  Pollution was once again raising its ugly head, becoming more evident as Third World countries expanded their manufacturing base to catch up with the older powers. Many of these countries were ignoring the harm they were doing to the Earth’s fragile environment. Massive ocean fish kills were becoming a common occurrence, and it had been four years since a blue whale had been spotted in the Atlantic Ocean.

  Environmental groups were deeply concerned that the human race was doing irreparable harm to the Earth’s fragile ecology. They warned almost daily that it was only a matter of time before the Earth itself took steps to eradicate the cause of that danger. Nature had a way of dealing irrevocably with interference in the natural order of things.

  Several U.S. Senators led by Senator Farley felt that all available money should be used to exploit the available resources underground and in the deep ocean basins. They wanted to stretch out the available resources for as long as possible. They claimed that there were enough available resources still on Earth to last for several centuries. They also claimed it could be done without further harming the ecology of the planet.

  Governments would just have to learn to be more environmentally friendly if they wanted to survive in this new economy. The people of the world would have to learn how to live in harmony with their environment.

  Senator Farley and his corporate friends continuously fought almost maniacally against any increase in the space budget. They wanted all available money to be spent on their own pet projects. They felt fusion power that could be used safely down on Earth was a fantasy, and that nuclear power in any form simply wasn’t safe. The Fukushima disaster had proven that.

  The explosions at the fusion testing sites in Arizona only reinforced their determination to keep nuclear power of all types off the surface of the Earth. They screamed constantly for more resources to be spent on renewables, even though research showed that renewables could not provide the energy that the growing population of the Earth needed.

  Commander Erin turned his attention back to the shuttle on the launching pad. The shuttle currently being prepped for launch was one of the newly designed and just commissioned passenger cargo shuttles. The new shuttle was capable of carrying 40 passengers and 40,000 pounds of heavy cargo up to the giant space station at the Earth-Moon Lagrange point.

  This Lagrange point was located at the end of an invisible line in space where the Moon and the Earth’s gravity cancelled each other out. Anything built at this point in space would theoretically stay in the same position forever, with only minor adjustments needed to maintain their Lagrange point orbit.

  Both Star One and the Space Platform were equipped with station-keeping thrusters. These were used occasionally to make the minor adjustments necessary to prevent the Earth or Moon’s gravity from pulling either structure away from the Lagrange point. There were five Lagrange points in the Earth-Moon system. However, there was only one on a direct line from the Earth to the Moon.

  Some scientists and engineers were already in the midst of designing the next generation of Earth orbital habitats to be constructed at these nearly stable Lagrange points. These enormous habitats would contain populations of nearly 100,000 people and be completely self-supporting. These new habitats would be capable of raising their own crops, recycling their air and water, and receiving their energy requirements from the Sun or a fusion power plant. The human race was on the verge of exploding into space if only the bureaucrats on Earth would leave things alone.

  Erin threaded his way through the maze-like building and came out the front entrance, walking over to a small cream-colored van that was waiting outside. Taking his place in the back, he nodded to the driver and looked out the large windows as the electric vehicle surged forward. It turned onto the main road that wound seemingly without end through the launch pads of the cape.

  “It’s a beautiful morning today, Commander Erin,” the young woman driving the vehicle spoke with a relaxed, friendly smile. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw him smile back.

  “Great day for a launch,” replied Erin, nodding. “Should be able to see it for miles.”

  “It’s not like the old days,” the young woman replied with a sigh. “They say that back in the twentieth century tens of thousands of people would come out to watch the launches. Now it�
��s only a few curious tourists.”

  “Times change,” replied Erin, looking out his window as they passed a launch pad being prepped for a future takeoff. He could see numerous technicians busily checking the gantry and other equipment. “Too many people take the launches for granted nowadays.”

  “Well, they still excite me,” the young woman replied quickly. “I watch every launch I can. Someday, I hope I can travel to the Moon, or even up to Star One!”

  “Maybe someday you will,” Erin responded, pleased that the young woman sounded so interested in going into space. “We already have some tourists coming up to Star One for visits. Maybe you can come up someday.”

  “That would be wonderful!” the young woman replied wistfully as she turned the van onto another road that led to the launch pad. “I hope that I can. It would be so exciting!”

  Several minutes later, they reached launch pad 39A. Looking at his watch, Commander Erin noticed that takeoff was a scant two quick hours away. The rest of the crew was already onboard the shuttle going through their prelaunch activities and system checks. The passengers should be just finishing their final prelaunch medical exams and final briefings prior to boarding. Everything was quite routine for this normal milk run up to Star One.

  Commander Erin took the elevator to the top of the gantry. Stepping out, he walked past several technicians that were busy finishing the shuttle’s final flight prep. Erin entered the shuttle through its large, open hatch. Making his way onto the Flight Deck, Erin settled his well-muscled frame into a heavily padded acceleration couch on the instrument-crowded Flight Deck of the shuttle Excalibur.

  To his right, shuttle pilot and close friend Lieutenant John Gray was busily going through his prelaunch checklist. Gray was flipping switches and checking computer screens as his large, tan hands roamed knowingly over the complicated maze of controls, seemingly with a life of their own.