Journal Entry
Captain Nathan C. Jackson
Day 1
Today has been... productive? I am genuinely not sure if that is a euphemism or an exaggeration. On one hand, Asteri, Tara and I are more than ready to begin surface ops. On the other, Asteri and Tara are worried about sending me alone. Of course, Tara will come along, but she would hardly be in any position to help in the event the situation requires an extra set of physical hands. Also, I was not 'cleared' for surface ops.
At first, I did not know what to make of that. Then my full pride in my rank as a Captain took over as I demanded to know what that meant. I am not particularly used to being told that I am not cleared to do something. Well, not since becoming an astronaut anyway. Apparently, before the advance team is sent down they must finish a training session to accustom themselves to the equipment.
"But, I've been with the advance team. I would've finished that session, why do I have to do it again?" I protested.
"Look, it's a formality. It'll take till the end of today if not midday tomorrow," Asteri explained.
"Why do I have to do it again?"
"Cryo-induced amnesia comes to mind," Tara replied.
"I remember everything! I haven't forgotten anything!"
Asteri and Tara looked unconvinced. "Really?"
"Really," I repeated firmly.
Suddenly, characteristically mischievous eyes along with matching smiles came over their faces. I felt I might be in trouble.
"Well then, shall we test that memory of yours?"
After all that... suffice to say it may have been easier to take the training session because I do not remember it too well, although I will mention everything I did felt intuitive and vaguely familiar.
In the last log, I mentioned the Nexus Outreach Program. Perhaps I will go a little more into the details.
Star systems we pass by are analysed on how "prospective" they are. I will spare you the analysis that scientists actually go through to decide which systems are the best. Just think about the three, arguably, most important factors: the age of the parent star or stars, the mass of rocky worlds and asteroids and the mineral content of said worlds. A prospective system is one which is similar to our own; 3 to 6 rocky worlds or a similar amount accounting for asteroids of respectable mineral quantities. By a special concession to the probabilities faced in the universe, binary star systems carry an equal prospect rate as that of single star systems.
Once a system is deemed prospective, crews and passengers are selected for one of the many starships already under construction and any reasons the project was halted or delayed are immediately responded to. Required telemetries are calculated, AI systems are programmed, selection processes for the advance team are carried out and the starship is prepared for launch.
In time the countdown reaches zero and, like the Apollo astronauts, the starship makes one small step towards its destination, one giant leap at the boundaries of our reach.
The ships contain a few basic and small-scale industry processors and factories, to allow manufacturing on the starship itself while infrastructure is created on the target planet. The most important aspect of the starship is its Surface Operations Command wing.
This is the wing where surface ops missions are planned and executed. It would have been the main hub of activities when the advance team was working alone. The advance team is a special part of the crew consisting primarily of scientists, engineers and pilots. Their job is to lay the groundwork and to set up the infrastructure the rest of the crew and passengers will rely on when awoken. Their mission is to complete the first two "phases" of exploration: discovery and reconnaissance.
However, even with resources teeming in an area, without infrastructure to process them, no outpost can survive long. To help in this situation, a new system of temporary infrastructure was developed. The base pods. Essentially they are reinforced command modules capable of making a return flight in a high gravity situation.
The operating procedure went something like this: you drop down in one and set up resource collection facilities, then launch back. Then another mission returns to the same spot, uses the prebuilt collection facilities and the resources in them to create the infrastructure to support a small presence, and then the pod is relaunched, maybe leaving a few people to remain, maybe not, depending on the purpose of the base.
The last step is repeated over and over until the base is capable of self-sustainment. Then smaller launch-pads are built to allow resources to be sent back to the starship or to other bases on the surface. And thus the planet is slowly conquered. In time the starship is landed and small-scale missions to the other planets in the system are carried out. Dyson Sphere construction begins, followed by the creation of a Caplan Thruster. And so the Nexus Outreach Program has come full circle, and the newly conquered system is ready to send more humans beyond boundaries.
Sounds easy in principle, doesn't it? Does so to me. Trust me though, in the grand scheme of the universe, nothing is that easy.
We still don't know what caused the advance team to not only abandon the surface but to return to their cryopods. Asteri has also revealed that nearly 42,000 cryopods are empty and that a hundred or so base pods are missing. The advance team definitely got to work on something, and it either had very harsh consequences or an unforeseen event occurred that required a do-over to save the mission. But what? What jeopardised the mission to the point that we would need to start over? What?
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Audio/Video Transcript:
Day 1
Today has been... productive? I am genuinely not sure if that is a euphemism or an exaggeration. On one hand, Asteri, Tara and I are more than ready to begin surface ops. On the other, Asteri and Tara are worried about sending me alone. Of course, Tara will come along, but she would hardly be in any position to help in the event the situation requires an extra set of physical hands. Also, I was not 'cleared' for surface ops.
At first, I did not know what to make of that. Then my full pride in my rank as a Captain took over as I demanded to know what that meant. I am not particularly used to being told that I am not cleared to do something. Well, not since becoming an astronaut anyway. Apparently, before the advance team is sent down they must finish a training session to accustom themselves to the equipment.
"But, I've been with the advance team. I would've finished that session, why do I have to do it again?" I protested.
"Look, it's a formality. It'll take till the end of today if not midday tomorrow," Asteri explained.
"Why do I have to do it again?"
"Cryo-induced amnesia comes to mind," Tara replied.
"I remember everything! I haven't forgotten anything!"
Asteri and Tara looked unconvinced. "Really?"
"Really," I repeated firmly.
Suddenly, characteristically mischievous eyes along with matching smiles came over their faces. I felt I might be in trouble.
"Well then, shall we test that memory of yours?"
After all that... suffice to say it may have been easier to take the training session because I do not remember it too well, although I will mention everything I did felt intuitive and vaguely familiar.
In the last log, I mentioned the Nexus Outreach Program. Perhaps I will go a little more into the details.
Star systems we pass by are analysed on how "prospective" they are. I will spare you the analysis that scientists actually go through to decide which systems are the best. Just think about the three, arguably, most important factors: the age of the parent star or stars, the mass of rocky worlds and asteroids and the mineral content of said worlds. A prospective system is one which is similar to our own; 3 to 6 rocky worlds or a similar amount accounting for asteroids of respectable mineral quantities. By a special concession to the probabilities faced in the universe, binary star systems carry an equal prospect rate as that of single star systems.
Once a system is deemed prospective, crews and passengers are selected for one of the many starships already under construction and any reasons the project was halted or delayed are immediately responded to. Required telemetries are calculated, AI systems are programmed, selection processes for the advance team are carried out and the starship is prepared for launch.
In time the countdown reaches zero and, like the Apollo astronauts, the starship makes one small step towards its destination, one giant leap at the boundaries of our reach.
The ships contain a few basic and small-scale industry processors and factories, to allow manufacturing on the starship itself while infrastructure is created on the target planet. The most important aspect of the starship is its Surface Operations Command wing.
This is the wing where surface ops missions are planned and executed. It would have been the main hub of activities when the advance team was working alone. The advance team is a special part of the crew consisting primarily of scientists, engineers and pilots. Their job is to lay the groundwork and to set up the infrastructure the rest of the crew and passengers will rely on when awoken. Their mission is to complete the first two "phases" of exploration: discovery and reconnaissance.
However, even with resources teeming in an area, without infrastructure to process them, no outpost can survive long. To help in this situation, a new system of temporary infrastructure was developed. The base pods. Essentially they are reinforced command modules capable of making a return flight in a high gravity situation.
The operating procedure went something like this: you drop down in one and set up resource collection facilities, then launch back. Then another mission returns to the same spot, uses the prebuilt collection facilities and the resources in them to create the infrastructure to support a small presence, and then the pod is relaunched, maybe leaving a few people to remain, maybe not, depending on the purpose of the base.
The last step is repeated over and over until the base is capable of self-sustainment. Then smaller launch-pads are built to allow resources to be sent back to the starship or to other bases on the surface. And thus the planet is slowly conquered. In time the starship is landed and small-scale missions to the other planets in the system are carried out. Dyson Sphere construction begins, followed by the creation of a Caplan Thruster. And so the Nexus Outreach Program has come full circle, and the newly conquered system is ready to send more humans beyond boundaries.
Sounds easy in principle, doesn't it? Does so to me. Trust me though, in the grand scheme of the universe, nothing is that easy.
We still don't know what caused the advance team to not only abandon the surface but to return to their cryopods. Asteri has also revealed that nearly 42,000 cryopods are empty and that a hundred or so base pods are missing. The advance team definitely got to work on something, and it either had very harsh consequences or an unforeseen event occurred that required a do-over to save the mission. But what? What jeopardised the mission to the point that we would need to start over? What?
-----------------------------------------------------
Audio/Video Transcript:
Location: Crew bunks, 5,000 to 10,000
Time: Mission Day 1, 2137
Cptn. Jackson finishes writing the log. Asteri and Tara forms projected behind him.
Tara: You write very well.
Cptn. Jackson: Wha? Oh, it's you...
Tara: Seriously, you write well.
Cptn. Jackson: You don't get to sweet-talk me after all of that.
Asteri: If you're referring to the training session, that's your own fault. Still, Tara's right, you write well.
Cptn. Jackson: (smiles, shakes his head) All right you two, move along. I'm sure you have stuff to prepare for tomorrow's drop.
Asteri: You remember how it works?
Cptn. Jackson: Don't start again.
Tara: (giggles) Good night Captain.
Asteri: Good night Captain.
Cptn. Jackson: Good night Asteri and Tara.
Asteri and Tara disappear. Cptn. Jackson lets out a sigh and pulls into his bunk ready to sleep
Tara: You write very well.
Cptn. Jackson: Wha? Oh, it's you...
Tara: Seriously, you write well.
Cptn. Jackson: You don't get to sweet-talk me after all of that.
Asteri: If you're referring to the training session, that's your own fault. Still, Tara's right, you write well.
Cptn. Jackson: (smiles, shakes his head) All right you two, move along. I'm sure you have stuff to prepare for tomorrow's drop.
Asteri: You remember how it works?
Cptn. Jackson: Don't start again.
Tara: (giggles) Good night Captain.
Asteri: Good night Captain.
Cptn. Jackson: Good night Asteri and Tara.
Asteri and Tara disappear. Cptn. Jackson lets out a sigh and pulls into his bunk ready to sleep
Good work. Waiting for the Unfathomable to become believable through your words.
ReplyDeletetoo much of sci-fi, great imaginative skills. Does it got somethin to do with dimensional worlds. Good, Keep it up
ReplyDelete