BEYOND SPACE Part Three

Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM

BEYOND SPACE

by Thomas Wm. HAMILTON

Part Three: As Cold As It Gets

     Helmut and Pretty gazed out on a strange landscape. The sky held no stars, no moons, no planets. The three ships were invisible, whether or not above the horizon. In the distance stark icy mounds along the crater rim reflected some of the light the landing shuttles were producing. Nearer, a rocky surface showed through a thin layer of what looked like snow. Distantly, they heard orders and activities as the Spacefleet landing party prepared to debark. Pretty chuckled. "It looks as if they are following protocol for first landings. Can you think of anything more ridiculous?"

     "Why not?"

     "Because standard protocol includes being ready for attacks by either sentient or nonsentient aliens. If anything were living here, our body heat alone would be enough to kill it fast. Those floodlights might blind it, although probably life forms here would have lost their eyesight, just as cave fish do."

     Helmut shrugged. "No life forms just means one less source of potential work for me."

     Pretty really laughed, and said, "Have you had much experience treating frost bite?"

     Helmut shrugged again. Through the viewscreen they saw spacesuited figures march out. One planted a Federation standard on the ground. Another mounted a University emblem on a pole. The figures then spread across the frozen landscape. Others appeared from the other two grounded shuttles, and they could be seen efficiently dispersing to form a perimeter around the landing site. "They really are following a standard landing protocol," Pretty exclaimed.

     "That makes sense. Keeps them in training, and assures things are done right when it really matters. And who knows, maybe your helium ice-worms really exist."

     Pretty sighed, and sat back to watch other people have whatever fun was available in exploring the chill, dark surface.

     Meanwhile, far above in orbit, Cassetto was summoned with other astrophysicists to a meeting.

     "I am Fumio Nakamura, an astrophysicist at the University, originally from the member planet Nagoya-hai." Cassetto snorted. It was either disingenuous of Nakamura or overly modest for him to act as though anyone in the room did not recognize him.

     "I will be chairing the astrophysics meetings, and reporting initial results for you. Instrumentation has found this planet's star is about 1.4 AU from here. Its mass is 0.81 solar mass, but its diameter is just 3247 kilometers. Surface temperatures run from 2 to 4.5 Kelvin. And the crustal top layer is almost pure carbon."

     Several people tried to respond to that, but the speaker continued, "Yes, we've noted that is slightly warmer than background, and most dead stars back home don't have a surface layer of anything but helium. These are just a couple reasons why we want to bring probes as close to the surface as possible, although of course the surface gravity is far too high for landings. Your role right now is to propose what instrumentation should be aboard the lander."

    Cassetto instantly used his complink to insist that an optical scanner capable of shifting the deepest infra-red to visible be included. From activity in the room, other astrophysicists were proposing experiments.  Nakamura brought up a screen which showed six others had suggestions similar to Cassetto's. Two proposed hitting the crust with a nuclear weapon, while eight were satisfied to suggest massive inert objects be dropped. A wide selection of sensors were proposed for either case.

     The Chair said, "We appreciate the vigor and daring-do of those proposing nukes, but that idea will have to wait. We could try a graduated sequence of masses to drop on it, though."

     Several people, including those who had not proposed using nuclear weapons, asked the obvious question, and the Chair responded, "No, it's not that we're afraid of upsetting any surviving natives. That's a minor and unlikely consideration. We want to see the effects of less extreme experiments first.

     "Is everyone through with proposals? If so, I'll be naming a peer review committee to select which to try and in what order."

     Back on the planet the initial team had collected some surface samples, and were returning to the three shuttles. Pretty commented, "Those samples will have to be isolated. They're so cold they would turn the atmosphere in any room displaying them to a set of liquids."

     Helmut replied, "I wouldn't concern myself with that. The way they're scrupulously observing protocol, the samples'll be in isolation chambers anyway."

     Pretty sighed. But many hours later he was invited to examine a layered sample which seemed to be of sedimentary origin, to see if it might be fossiliferous. It was neither sedimentary or fossiliferous, but he appreciated finally being involved.

     Back aboard the ship, Mai Ling heard herself summoned to a meeting. She was totally amazed that someone might have found evidence of a civilization so quickly. But she was wrong.

    "Dr. Wu, we find you may have omitted some significant information when we interviewed you about the explosion." The two security types were seated behind a desk. A bright light shone in Wu's direction.

     "Just what do you think I did not mention?"

     "Your alleged homeworld of Tien Hua is in a trade relationship with God's Victorious Warriors."

     "It is? I had no idea. Current trade matters don't really concern me. I certainly have nothing to do with Tien Hua's trade partners. I haven't even been back to Tien Hua is five or six years."

     "Tien Hua was one of the few sources of dilbar, an important item exported from God's Victorious Warriors and used in certain medicines. About ten years ago several worlds learned how to cultivate dilbar, seeds apparently having been smuggled from their point of origin on God's Victorious Warriors. This resulted in a major loss for that world and noticeable financial losses for Tien Hua as well."

     "That's all very interesting, but I'm not involved in trade, medicine, or cultivating this dilbar."

     "So you don't think this creates a possible link between you and Dr. Jamsheedi that might give one of you reason to murder the other."

     Mai Ling stared into the glare of the lamp, incredulously trying to see her interlocutors. "All I can say to that is 'no!'"

     "We will investigate to see if you or anyone close to you lost financially when the market for imported dilbar collapsed."

     "You do that, and I hope you have other good ways to waste your time as well." Mai Ling got up and stalked out.

     Thirty minutes later Parvin was in the same room, squinting through the glare. "Your records show you arrived from God's Victorious Warriors on Elodea about twelve years ago, and with a monetary source the records do not make clear, managed to live for several years while being educated. Your homeworld", the speaker's face twisted in distaste, as though reluctant to use its name, "was in communication with only three Federation planets, Elodea, New Normaundie, and Tien Hua. We have two people from Elodea and one from Tien Hua aboard this ship. One from New Normaundie, also, and he was injured in the explosion. Do you know any of these people?"

     "I certainly know Wu Mai Ling. She said she's from Tien Hua. I'm not sure whether I've met anyone from Elodea. I saw the fellow from New Normaundie testify, but he was a stranger to me. This ship has a lot of people aboard, and I've not met all of them."

     "There are 587 aboard, and there is no reason for you to have met them all. About ten years ago several worlds learned how to grow dilbar, your homeworld's main cash export, and the export market collapsed. Would you know anything about that?"

     Parvin hesitated, and finally said, "I brought out ten packets of seed. Selling them is what provided the money to support me while I learned galstandard and got an education."

     "Are you aware of the economic impact that action had?"

     "Excuse me? I know the purchasers of the seed must be making money. Is there something else I don't know?"

     "The firms handling imported dilbar from your homeworld pretty much lost their markets when dilbar grown within the Federation became available. There must have been a significant impact on your homeworld, but we have no way of knowing precisely what's happening there."

     Parvin shook her head. "I never even thought of that. But why would that involve me in an attempted murder?"

     "Perhaps you were the target. Perhaps this has nothing to do with the explosion. There are many possibilities. The fact remains that by the standards of your home, you committed several crimes, and while there is no jurisdiction over them here, the fact that you are prepared to violate laws makes you a suspect."

     "That's a horrible thing to say. If you knew why I fled God's Victorious Warriors, you'd be ashamed of what you just said. If we weren't at the far end of nowhere, I would quit and leave this ship immediately."

     "You are not the only suspect. There are over thirty personnel aboard whom we are considering on the prime list for one reason or another."

     "I think you're totally incompetent and wasting your time and mine. And probably that of all those other people." She got up and walked out.

     Several weeks of work followed. As the base on the planet was expanded, more members of the expedition were allowed to land.  Small groups of nonspecialists were even permitted to begin taking short walks outside. This was somewhat disturbing to many of them, because the sky was totally black, except for three bright dots, the orbitting ships. Parvin, however, found it reminiscent of the winter and spring sky of her childhood, when the galactic spiral was not visible, and all one could hope to see were a couple of distant, unihabitable planets accompanying her home world.

    Lighting was set up around the landing zone, and pathways established for those interested in private exploring. One popular visit was to a small pool of liquid helium, which soon vanished with the heat escaping from the visitors. Parvin got a look at it before the last bit evaporated, and was about to leave, when something gushed from the ground near her. The gusher reached about twelve meters height, its spray twinkling in the artificial lights set up throughout the area. Chunks of rock fell with the liquid spray. Cries and shrieks came over the radio, as everyone ran.

     The scientists aboard the Hertzsprung were back aboard after six weeks of study of the planet, its star, and their surroundings, gathered in the meeting hall. Nakamura was speaking. "On behalf of the organizers and sponsors of this expedition, I must give you our profound thanks for an excellent job well done in difficult surroundings. No one has been killed or injured, although the unexplained gusher came close to hitting several people. I am told the geology team studying it has been unable to explain what set it off. But beyond that, we have learned that during this star's red giant phase, it heated this planet to the point where the crust melted. No potential fossils could have survived, and we have found nothing here or on nearby moons, planets or asteroids to suggest any artifacts may be found. For that reason, Adm. Tibirk and the other expedition leaders are moving us to another planetary system they hope will have better results."

     This got a variety of comments and arguments, some feeling nothing better was likely to be found, and urging a return home, while others were ready and eager for more exploration. The arguments did not matter, and the three ships the next day were in orbit around another planet several hundred lightyears from the first.

     The initial stages were generally similar to what happened at the first planet. Probes were fired at the stellar remnant, while others studied the planet they now orbitted. The new planet was slightly larger and had a slightly higher surface gravity than Earth. The star was slightly less massive than the first. The planet had a small natural satellite at about 120,000 kilometers. It would have been ignored, but Guillaume Eudes, fully recuperated from his injuries, managed to get a probe sent to scan it. As initial results came back from magnetometers, ion scanners, and laser probes, Eudes jumped with excitement!

     "NOW HEAR THIS! A possible artifact has been detected on this planet's satellite. Siddathamom Prittikachorn and Wu Mai Ling please report to central control."

     The two met on their way to control. Pretty commented, "I'll totally forgive what they just did to my name if this is real."

     Mai Ling replied, "I don't see how you get involved. An artifact isn't a fossil, and this moonlet could never have had native life."

     "True, true, I don't expect to be doing much there. But if there were life forms on the moon, that means the planet had life. They probably want me to start fossil hunting on the planet."

     Pretty was correct, and the specialized probes used in his profession were soon scanning likely sections of the planet's surface. Having equipment doing this in total darkness was unusual, but Pretty sat at a well lit control panel studying returns, with no thought of Mai Ling.

    Back in Security, Mai Ling was faced with a new set of questions. "The gusher that nearly killed several people back on the last planet appears to have been started by deliberate human action. You were in that area several times before the eruption, and are already on a suspect list."

     "I'm getting very tired of this. Who's supposed to be the victim this time?"

     "Oddly enough, Parvin Jamsheedi was again present."

     Mai Ling exhaled loudly. "We are considering having you transferred to one of the other ships."

     "Excellent. Then you'll leave me alone to do my work if anything has really been found here?"

     "You will be watched."

     "I'm surprised you weren't already watching."

     "We were. Just not closely enough, apparently."

     Mai Ling transferred to the Wilhelm Olbers, and was as excited as anyone when Pretty reported finding fossils. But she was ecstatic to land on the moon and find traces of an actual base there. She was one of the few prepared to mutiny when the next message from home was received.

     "NOW HEAR THIS!! A message has been received from the University that another probe has returned bearing indications that it found another bubble universe. But this one may be less than half a billion years from its Big Bang. They are asking that we wrap up our work here, and after resupply, be prepared to visit that universe."

This series of stories is to be concluded in "BIRTH PAINS"

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Questions for Readers--

Before the sequel to Beyond Space is published, please give us your opinions to these questions. You can rank your choices 1, 2, 3..., but put 9 next to any you think "no way".

1. Who is the intended victim of the attempted murders?

[ ] No attempted murders, just accidents
[ ] Admiral Tibirk
[ ] Professor Mobray
[ ] Pretty
[ ] Raoul Cassetto
[ ] Helmut
[ ] Wu Mai Ling
[ ] Parvin Jamsheedi
[ ] the security people
[ ] Guillaume Eudes

2. Who is the one responsible for these attempts?

[ ] don't be paranoid, just accidents
[ ] Admiral Tibirk
[ ] Professor Mobray
[ ] Pretty
[ ] Raoul Cassetto
[ ] Helmut
[ ] Wu Mai Ling
[ ] Parvin Jamsheedi
[ ] the security people
[ ] Guillaume Eudes

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