Star One: Neutron Star Read online

  A solid jet of raw bright flame poured out of the three main engines like a river of molten fire, quickly building up power. Giant pumps hurled thousands of gallons of water at the pad area to control the skyrocketing temperature. The torrents of water were necessary to protect the valuable launch pad from damage.

  At t-minus two seconds, the solid rocket boosters lit in a brilliant flash of light, adding their lifting power to the shuttle’s hungry, billowing rocket engines. Inside the shuttle, the flight crew felt the craft shudder as the engines and the boosters fired together.

  Erin watched his computer screens closely, scrutinizing the readings. No matter how many times you experienced a launch, the adrenaline still flowed through your veins and your pulse quickened when the boosters fired up. He could feel his heart beating faster as the shuttle shuddered.

  At t-minus zero, the shuttle began to crawl slowly upward, inches at first as the ponderous weight of the shuttle and rocket assembly struggled to get off the ground.

  Commander Erin and Lieutenant Gray automatically let their eyes roam professionally over their controls and computer readouts to ensure everything was still in the green. The shuttle vibrated and moaned at the sudden stress from the roaring, pulsing engines.

  “We have liftoff,” Mission Control confirmed as the shuttle began to gain speed and cleared the tower, leaving behind a billowing mass of flame and steam. “The Excalibur has cleared the tower!” Mission Control added over the com system, “Good luck guys; have a safe trip.”

  “We’re off!” spoke John, glancing at Erin and grinning. “Another flight, another dollar.”

  The flight crew felt the G-forces gradually begin to increase and press them into their seats as the flight computer guided the shuttle on its preset course. The shuttle rolled smoothly over onto its back, like a giant whale turning gracefully over in the ocean depths, as the computer followed its flight program. The three hungry rocket engines and the two solid rocket boosters were delivering nearly eight million pounds of thrust. The powerful engines were burning 30,000 gallons of fuel per minute as they fought to escape Earth’s gripping gravity.

  Commander Erin fidgeted slightly. Erin was always a little nervous at this stage, knowing that the computers were in complete control of the flight. Only in the case of a serious computer failure would the two pilots take over control of the shuttle. They both kept their eyes riveted attentively on the computer screens monitoring the flight. Either one could switch to manual control at the slightest hint of a problem.

  The engine’s power increased steadily as the powerful engines drank in enormous amounts of fuel. Massive amounts of fuel were channeled to the three engines in an attempt to quench the giant’s uncontrollable thirst. Even with the newer more efficient fuels, it still took a tremendous amount of fuel to escape Earth’s gravity.

  The increased G-forces steadily pressed down upon Commander Erin, making it more difficult to move. He felt as if his weight had doubled in just a matter of a few quick seconds. A slight vibration began to shake the shuttle as it continued to climb. Its rapid passage through the air was beginning to create some turbulence, as it plowed a path through the thick layer of protective atmosphere shrouding the Earth.

  From the ground, a giant gray white contrail arched majestically into the sky, linking the shuttle to the Earth like a giant, tenuous thread. The hurtling shuttle rose rapidly through the scattered white cumulus clouds. Every second its acceleration increased as it fought to escape the grasp of the Earth’s powerful gravity field.

  The planet tried vainly to pull the escaping shuttle back down into its clutches. However, it was a steadily losing battle as the shuttle climbed higher and faster on its pillar of roaring flame. Within minutes, the shuttle was out of sight from viewers on the ground and only visible on the cape’s main tracking screens.

  The young woman who had driven Commander Erin to the launch pad smiled as the shuttle vanished from sight. Someday she would be on a shuttle. It would be her turn to fly into space. Turning, she got back into her van and began driving it back over to the administration building. She still had several hours to go on her shift.

  “We have solid rocket booster separation,” Lieutenant Gray confirmed calmly at the six-minute mark. He watched attentively as several lights on his intricate control board glowed green, showing successful separation. Reaching forward, he flipped a switch, turning the two glowing lights off. “Everything’s nominal, and our flight path is on the mark.”

  “We confirm, Excalibur,” Mission Control replied. “All systems green and you are go for Star One.”

  “A smooth launch,” commented Erin, nodding his head in satisfaction. He allowed himself to relax a bit. The most dangerous time of any flight was the first few minutes after launch. They were past that point, and everything was functioning normally on the shuttle.

  The color of the sky gradually lost its indigo blue color and darkened into a velvet black with a sprinkling of distant, beckoning stars. Looking to his left, through the thick Flight Deck window, the Earth became visible, curving gently in the distant horizon. In just a few seconds, the transition was complete, and the last tenuous threads of Earth’s atmosphere were left behind.

  The shuttle still vibrated slightly from the force of the main rocket engines, which continued to push the shuttle ever faster. Erin always marveled at the suddenness of leaving the Earth’s atmosphere and entering the vacuum of space.

  Commander Erin watched closely as the speed indicator continued to increase, showing their relative speed to Earth. The noise in the shuttle had quieted considerably as the shuttle continued to climb.

  “Coming up on 180 miles altitude,” Lieutenant Gray reported with an intent look on his face, adjusting his acceleration couch forward slightly to allow him to check several instruments.

  At t-plus twelve minutes, the shuttle’s main engines shut down. A slight shudder passed through the vehicle as the external fuel tank was jettisoned, then everything became still and an unearthly quiet took over. A green light blinked on, glowing steadily on the console in front of Commander Erin, confirming that everything was still nominal. He knew that small rocket engines on the outside of the tank would return it safely to Earth. It would be guided to fall harmlessly by parachute into the ocean to be picked up by waiting ships.

  “Flight trajectory confirmed,” reported Gray, adjusting the viewscreen to show the external tank falling slowly back toward the blue and white Earth below. “Everything is green and looking nominal. The cape confirms trajectory insertion is on the mark.” Both knew that they had achieved a near perfect launch, and hoped the rest of the 22-hour flight would be just as routine.

  -

  Jennifer slowly relaxed and cautiously opened her eyes when she felt the engines finally shut down. She hadn’t realized just how much she had tensed up when the engines had roared to life. She had felt the pressure slowly mount, pushing her body back into the confines of the acceleration couch. Her heart had thudded in her ears as it pounded. It had become difficult to breathe, and she had nearly panicked, but then she remembered the instructions from the briefings and managed to get her breathing back under control.

  She had endured nearly three gravities of acceleration during the launch. From the briefings, she knew that they should be well on their way to Star One. Something caught the corner of her eye, startling her. Turning her head, she found with surprise that her shoulder length dark brown hair was floating away from her in the zero gravity. She should have tied it down with something.

  “First trip out?” the young well-dressed woman sitting next to her asked with a friendly smile. “Zero gravity does funny things to your hair if you’re not used to it. A good dose of hair spray normally will help to keep it safely in place. My names Kathleen Preen, I’m a horticulturist on Star One.”

  Jennifer noticed for the first time since boarding that a slender woman, probably in her late twenties with a light tan, was occupying the seat beside her. She must hav
e been more nervous about the flight than she had thought. Usually she was very observant about such details.

  “Yes, it is,” responded Jennifer politely, wondering what she was going to do about her hair. She must look ridiculous with her hair floating around her head. “I’m Jennifer Stone. I’m going to be in charge of the AI on Star One.”

  Kathleen nodded to herself, loosening the restraining harness so she could relax better in her seat. If she had any bruises on her breasts from the tight straps, John Gray would hear about it later. These harnesses clearly were not designed for well-endowed women. She brushed a strand of dark brown hair out of her eyes and looked over at Jennifer.

  Kathleen reached into her pocket and took out a rubber band. She normally carried several in her pocket for hair emergencies. “Here; use this to tie your hair back. It will help. I’ve also had hair problems on these flights in the past.”

  “Thanks,” Jennifer replied, taking the rubber band and quickly fixing her hair. It wouldn’t look that great, but at least it wouldn’t be floating in midair.

  “I’ve heard of you,” continued Kathleen, recalling what Julie had said about this young woman. “Julie Gray, that’s who I work for and whose husband is flying this shuttle, said they had hired a new computer buff to handle the station’s computer problems. Andre will sure be glad to see you. He has been filling in until we could find someone qualified enough to handle the station’s AI. That means you will be working a lot with Steve Larson, the station’s commander, and the station’s AI, Teela.”

  “I’ve spoken with Andre,” Jennifer said, recalling her brief conversations with the current head of the station’s computer operations center. “He seems like a very easy going person.”

  “He is, and you are going to be in for a very interesting experience,” commented Kathleen, raising her eyebrows. She was glad she wasn’t the one who was going to have to deal with Teela. That AI had totally flipped out.

  “How’s that?” Jennifer asked, her curiosity about the station being drawn out into the open by this captivating young woman. She was curious to hear more from Kathleen about Teela, the AI on Star One.

  “The commander stays on top of everything,” replied Kathleen, recalling several embarrassing incidents. “You see him all over the station checking on different projects. He’s a remarkably strong minded individual, but he treats everyone well. He pays attention to every little detail. Sometimes I don’t think anything escapes his notice.”

  “I got that impression when I was speaking with him about this job,” responded Jennifer with a friendly nod. Commander Larson had asked some seriously detailed questions about her AI research. He had obviously read some of her research papers.

  “Then, of course, there’s Teela,” Kathleen paused with a sympathetic look on her face and a twinkle in her eyes. “Teela has developed a unique personality of her own. The only AI, I’ve been told, which is capable of truly original thought. If you want a challenge, that crazy AI will certainly try your patience. She has become extremely curious about people recently, asking all kinds of questions, some very personal.”

  “Really?” Jennifer said, filing that useful tidbit of information in the back of her mind. She couldn’t wait to meet the AI. “What’s Teela like?”

  Jennifer hadn’t been that thoroughly briefed on the AI. That had been done on purpose so she wouldn’t have any preconceptions. However, she was still interested in hearing a few things from someone who had actually worked with the station’s AI.

  “The programmers on the station, especially Andre Matheson, are going nuts trying to deal with her on a day-to-day basis,” continued Kathleen, recalling what Andre had said to her just prior to her coming down to Earth. “It seems as if every day something new comes up with Teela. They are at their wit’s end trying to deal with her. At times, some of her questions can be quite personal. You certainly will be facing a challenge working with her.”

  “I’ve heard that Teela can be quite a shock the first time you encounter her,” Jennifer said, cautiously.

  Her mouth felt slightly dry, and she wondered how she should go about getting something to drink on the shuttle. It had been covered in their briefings, but they had gone over so much information and it was escaping her memory at the moment. She had been so worried about the flight that she hadn’t paid close enough attention to the briefing as she should have.

  Kathleen also seemed extremely knowledgeable about the station. Jennifer had so many questions she would like to ask, but she was afraid Kathleen might not be that willing to discuss the AI too much. From what she had been told, most people on Star One tended to clam up when asked about Teela.

  There was something mystifying about Teela, which made station people extremely defensive. Even Commander Larson had been evasive when she had asked several pointed questions. He had responded by saying she needed to come and see for herself. That was one reason that Jennifer questioned just how sentient the AI actually was. She strongly suspected that the AI’s intelligence had been greatly over exaggerated.

  “She takes some getting used to,” admitted Kathleen carefully, not wanting to say too much about the AI. She didn’t want to scare Jennifer off; she seemed like a nice young woman.

  “I’ve worked with other AI’s on Earth,” responded Jennifer, taking an instant liking to Kathleen. A friend on the station would certainly be nice. “I talked some to Commander Larson about the problems with Teela and I can’t wait to get started.” Jennifer’s strong point in computers was advanced AI technology and programming.

  “Teela is different from any of the other AIs down on Earth,” replied Kathleen, knowing that Jennifer had no idea as to what she was getting herself into. “Once you meet Teela, you will know what I mean.”

  “I already have some ideas that may help,” ventured Jennifer, thinking about the computer disks she had brought with her. They contained a special program she had written for the AI. “I need to talk with Teela firsthand. I can’t believe that any AI can be as bad as I’ve heard Teela is.”

  Kathleen only nodded, not adding any new information. Most people were shocked when they first met Teela. She was sure that Jennifer would be also. Nothing could prepare someone for that first breath-taking encounter. Kathleen hoped she was there to watch; it would be quite interesting.

  “The viewscreen is on,” Kathleen said, motioning toward the front wall of the cabin. “Just wait until you meet Teela. The only thing I can recommend is to be prepared for the unexpected.”

  Jennifer turned her head toward the front of the cabin, instinctively holding her breath upon seeing the crystal clear view of the Earth below. The giant blue and white globe filled the viewscreen. Swirls of white clouds covered large areas of the globe, shielding much of the land mass. The coast of Florida was barely visible with just a light covering of wispy clouds. The Atlantic Ocean was a deep blue, like a brilliant sapphire.

  This was a sight that Jennifer knew she would always remember, as she stared awestruck at the breathtaking view. Everything and everyone she was familiar with were there on that globe, now far below them. It made her feel almost insignificant.

  “I never get tired of that view,” Kathleen said quietly, not wanting to spoil Jennifer’s first sight of the Earth from space. She could still remember vividly how captivated she had been the first time she had seen the Earth from a shuttle.

  Leaning forward, Kathleen opened a small compartment in front of them. The compartment contained several squeeze bulbs about the size of an orange. “Want something to drink? These launches always make me thirsty, and the doctors don’t like you to drink or eat anything much before takeoff.”

  Jennifer watched attentively as Kathleen took one of the bulbs and unscrewed the cap from the top, pressing the sides slightly to force the liquid gently into her mouth. Reaching for another, Jennifer copied Kathleen’s movements and felt the cold, refreshing fruit drink spray against the back of her throat. She nearly choked before managing to force so
me down. She felt her eyes watering, and her lungs burned as some of the juice went down the wrong way. She fell into a short spasm of coughing.

  Kathleen laughed watching Jennifer and feeling sympathetic. “It takes some getting used to. You just have to get the hang of it.” Smiling, she took another long drink from hers and placed it back securely in its storage compartment.

  Jennifer did the same, managing not to choke quite as much this time.

  “See. You're getting the hang of it already,” Kathleen said approvingly with a broad smile. “I can remember the first time I took a drink in zero gravity. I thought I was going to die before I managed to stop coughing.”

  This made Jennifer feel a little better as she turned her attention back to the viewscreen. She thought she could actually see the Earth growing smaller behind them as the shuttle moved farther away.

  -

  Hours passed as the shuttle hurtled along its chosen path toward its rendezvous with Star One. The time passed rapidly as the two women talked about what life on the space station was like. Jennifer even managed to get Kathleen to reveal a few of her personal experiences with Teela. Jennifer nearly forgot she was in space, as the two young women continued to fill each other in on their life experiences.

  At the halfway point, the passengers were treated to a light meal of juice and stew in more of the special bulb-like containers. Jennifer found the beef stew enjoyable, even though it took Kathleen a few tries and demonstrations to show her the proper way to eat in zero gravity. It was a little bit trickier than drinking. Once Jennifer over came her momentary fear of choking, the meal was tasteful and filling. It was also much easier to eat than she had imagined. Weightlessness wasn’t so bad after all, she was coming to find.

  -

  Commander Erin and Lieutenant Gray watched expectantly hours later, as Star One grew from a dim pinpoint of light in the distance to a bright, shining jewel in the front viewports. They were waiting patiently for Star One control to contact them with final docking instructions.