The two girls who worked at the front of the ship quickly finished their dinners and dashed to the bridge to recalculate the ship’s relative speed.
When they discovered it was four times too fast for any orbit around the first planet, they looked at each other with sad faces for a moment, then both started snickering.
Boro moaned when they began using his precious thruster fuel again, this time to loop back to the planet and slow down.
The orbit Mati achieved needed a few minor adjustments, but both the captain and the ship were soon happy.
“This little world has lost its rotation,” Ilika explained as they all peered at their displays. “One side always faces the sun, so its surface is nearly molten.
The other side is close to absolute zero, the temperature at which all electron activity stops. Neither situation allows an atmosphere to develop.
“Tomorrow we will learn how to do landings and excursions in these extreme environments. It’s been a long day and we’ve experienced many things. Have a relaxing evening.”
NEBADOR Book Five: Back to the Stars 22
When Rini came up in the lift after a deep sleep, he found Ilika leaning back at the engineer’s station and Kibi asleep in a passenger seat. “Didn’t you
. . . get any sleep?” he whispered to his captain.
“Yes. Kibi and I took turns.”
“I’ll make breakfast,” Rini offered as Kibi began stretching.
Soon others arrived and Rini set out mugs of tea. As soon as everyone was at the table with hot cereal and honey, Ilika looked at the knowledge pad beside him.
“We have four kinds of excursions we can do here, two in the shadow of the planet, and two in the much smaller shadow of the ship. Rini and Mati, you are doing an orbital excursion together. Rini and Boro, you two will take some readings on the daytime surface. Rini and Kibi will look for the little creatures that live in the thin cusp between day and night. Finally, Rini and Sata will explore the dark, frozen night side.”
Rini
grinned.
“Rini is in command of each of these excursions. As we all know, he is practicing awareness of the situation. He is responsible for getting his companion, and himself, back to the ship, alive and well.”
Everyone smiled at Rini.
“Here’s the score,” Ilika continued. “Eight seconds of exposure to the x-radiation from the sun at this distance, and you can forget having children.”
Kibi looked glum.
“Twenty seconds, your hair will fall out and you won’t be able to keep your food down . . . for months.”
Mati
frowned.
“Thirty seconds, you’ll make it back to the ship, but quickly die.”
Sata
cringed.
“Forty seconds, your suit will be breached and you won’t even get back inside.”
Boro
moaned.
“Rini, will you go down and get two space suits ready while we do the dishes? Mati will be down in a minute.”
“Sure,” Rini said, put his tray on the galley counter, and stepped into the
NEBADOR Book Five: Back to the Stars 23
lift.
As soon as he was gone, Ilika whispered further instructions to the other crew members.
Mati leaned on Rini until the outer airlock hatch opened. “I love excursions in orbit,” she said through the intercom. “It’s the only time my knee doesn’t matter.”
They both took a moment to hook their three-meter safety lines to the outside of the hull, then looked down at the little porch Manessa had created for them just outside the airlock.
“Nice,” Rini said. “We can just stand here and look around at the stars and the beautiful little planet, without any danger of going outside Manessa’s shadow.”
Mati launched herself through the hatch. “Who needs a porch? We’re weightless, remember?” She floated and slowly tumbled out to the end of her short safety line.
“Mati, I don’t think that’s such a good idea. They’re just safety lines . . .”
“It’s the only time I can forget I’m a cripple. And it’s fun!”
Rini stood on the little porch, shuffling his feet and looking around. “Ilika just said these lines were about the right length. He didn’t promise they’d keep us out of the x-rays . . .”
“I’ll be careful, and if I feel any x-rays, I’ll come in.”
“But you can’t feel . . .” Suddenly Rini stopped in mid-thought, seeing one of Mati’s booted feet become brilliantly lit by the direct rays of the sun for a split second. He waited a heartbeat, then saw the same thing happen with one of her gloved hands. “Mati! On the porch! Now!”
Somewhat to his surprise, she said nothing, but immediately pulled on her safety line and a moment later was beside him on the porch, arms around him and a smile on her face. “Thank you, Rini.”
After Mati carefully brought the ship to a one-meter hover over the blazing daytime surface of the planet, Rini and Boro attached short safety lines and stepped out onto the little porch in the shadow of the ship. The slender lad had a complex instrument attached to the right arm of his suit, and the larger
NEBADOR Book Five: Back to the Stars 24
boy carried a sample container with several tools attached to the outside.
“Wow. I can feel the heat,” Boro announced, shielding his face with a gloved hand.
Rini did the same. “Lucky for us, rocks don’t re-radiate x-rays.”
Boro raised his eyebrows. “They sure do a good job with infra-red! What shall we do first?”
“Um . . . instrument readings.”
Both boys knelt down at the edge of the porch.
“We’re still too high,” Rini said. “Mati, can you take us down another half meter?”
“Sure,” Mati replied from her station.
Boro shook his head with discomfort. “I’m starting to sweat, and my suit cooling system’s doing all it can.”
Rini thought for a moment. “Um . . . you move back from the edge while I get the readings, then you can get a sample.”
Boro did what Rini commanded without hesitation. Rini didn’t see his friend’s slight smile.
Rini lowered the instrument’s probe to the ground. “Ilika was right — it’s so hot, it’s almost liquid. I’m getting a bunch of weird numbers Ilika will have to explain. Okay, I’m done.”
Rini moved back from the edge and Boro moved forward with the sample container.
Rini was leaning against the hatch, blinking to keep the sweat out of his eyes, when he saw Boro reach for a small loose rock with his gloved hand.
“No! Stop!”
Boro jerked his hand back. “Oh, yeah, I forgot. I’m supposed to use the spoon.” After detaching a sampling tool from the side of the container, he carefully scooped up the rock, placed it inside, closed the top, and replaced the tool.
Rini breathed again.
“All done!” Boro said in a happy voice.
Rini was the first member of the new crew to set foot on another world.
Kibi came close behind.
NEBADOR Book Five: Back to the Stars 25
The Manessa Kwi perched in the shadow of the planet, on the perpetual night side, but just barely. The intense solar wind streamed by less than a hundred meters over their heads. On the horizon, a short walk away, barren rocks blazed with light and heat. Even though no sound could be heard in the airless vacuum, both crew members felt a subtle vibration coming through the ground as the deadly solar wind slowly ate away the rocks, and anything else it touched.
“This is creepy,” Kibi said with a shaking voice. “Let’s go find those critters, make a painting, and get back to the ship.”
“Photo . . . graph,” Rini corrected, still struggling with the word himself.
“We’re safe as long as we stay out of the light.”
“I suppose you’re right. I never thought I’d say this, but I’d rather be in our ship than on this solid ground.”
Rini chuckled as they began walking toward the glowing horizon, the home of the only living things on the planet.
A few minutes later, less than a kilometer from the blazing rocks, tiny flashes of blue light greeted them from the ground. “Don’t step on them!”
Rini shouted. “Ilika said they’re sentient.”
“I won’t,” she said, stooping down to look closely at one. “Wow, they’re like little gems. No water, no carbon, just rocks and stardust.” She opened the cover of her mission bracelet, made some adjustments, and took a picture.
Kibi stood up and gazed toward the bright horizon. “Looks like they get bigger closer to the light.” She began walking slowly, avoiding the crystalline creatures on the ground. “I want to get a photograph of a big one.”
Rini followed silently, watching where he placed his feet.
A little way ahead, Kibi stopped in front of a sparkling clump of blue crystals. “This is about as big as they get.” She knelt down in a clear place and opened her mission bracelet again.
Rini looked all around at the crystal life forms, the glowing rocks on the horizon, and the solar wind streaming by not far over their heads. He smiled.
When he looked back at Kibi, he saw blue crystals beginning to cling to the legs of her space suit. “Kibi! Run!”
She instantly jumped up and ran back toward the ship. The blue creatures on her legs quickly fell to the ground. Rini met her just outside the narrow
NEBADOR Book Five: Back to the Stars 26
habitat of the only living things on the planet.
“Thanks,
Rini!”
Flying solely by instruments, Mati landed the little ship on a level place deep in the perpetual darkness of the planet. Only dim starlight suggested where the horizon might be, until the pilot activated external ship lights.
Strange rock formations of all sizes, some taller than the ship, surrounded them in every direction.
“The rocks are built up over millions of years by frozen stardust,” Ilika explained. “They are very fragile, and may crumble if touched, but weigh very little.”
Rini and Sata were soon in space suits, ready to explore. As soon as they left the airlock, both activated their bracelet lights. Sata carried a sample container.
Rini was soon immersed in the mystery of the place, gazing open-mouthed at the eerie rock shapes all around, sometimes turning circles to look up at the star-studded sky above, occasionally even laughing out loud at the sheer wonder of being on another planet.
Sata felt the same joy and wonder, but remembered her task. About fifteen minutes into their exploration, she spotted what she wanted, a tiny stardust formation that would fit whole into her container. “I’m stopping for a sample, Rini.”
With some difficulty, he stayed within sight while she worked.
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Sample container closed, Sata was back at his side, ready to follow wherever he led.
About half an hour later, Rini began to slow his pace. “Um . . . Sata, have you been paying attention to which way we were going?”
Sata took a few seconds to remember what she was supposed to say. “No.
I got the sample. You’re the leader.”
Rini swallowed. “I just realized . . . we’ve been walking a long time.”
“Yeah. Almost an hour.”
“Ilika, can you hear me?” Rini asked over the intercom. “I . . . um . . . think we’re lost.”
He heard nothing but their own soft breathing.
“Mati? Boro? Kibi? Manessa?”
Again, only silence.
Sata cleared her throat. “I remember Ilika saying the stardust rocks might block our communications.”
Rini was silent for a long moment, then spoke in a broken voice. “I’m . . .
sorry. I’m not a very good leader. You can lead now . . .”
“No way!” Sata replied instantly. “I just came along for the sample.”
Several more minutes passed as the two explorers stood among the eerie rock formations that all looked alike. Neither spoke. Rini stood slowly turning, looking this way and that. Sata stood calmly and patiently, not offering suggestions or encouragement.
Suddenly Rini began stomping around like a furious animal, sometimes growling with anger, at other times sobbing with guilt. Soon he bumped into a large formation and it came slowly crashing down, doing him no harm but knocking him to the ground.
Seeing he was okay, Sata said nothing.
His anger at himself spent, Rini began to pick himself up, and happened to shine his bracelet light onto the impression of his own boot in the stardust on the ground. A moment later he began laughing and couldn’t stop, even while getting to his feet.
“I’m so stupid! We can just follow our tracks back to the ship! It’s crumbly stardust the whole way! It may not be a perfectly straight line, but we’ll get home.”
NEBADOR Book Five: Back to the Stars 28
Sata smiled. “I knew you could do it!”
When Rini and Sata returned, it was no simple meal of stew and bread that greeted them, but a feast from Manessa’s original supplies. Rini started to tell what happened, but soon realized from everyone’s expressions that they already knew.
“I think Rini has made great progress at situational awareness here on Sonmatia One,” Ilika announced happily. “He has to keep practicing, of course, as we all must do. His biggest challenge will be when he is alone, with no one counting on him.”
“The way I see it,” Boro began, “when we’re alone, we’re always in command.”
Mati sipped her tangy beverage. “And he has to learn that bringing himself home safely is just as important as leading others home.”
Rini grinned and blushed. “Thank you, all of you, for helping me . . . um
. . . grow up.”
“You’ve always been there for us!” Mati said with sparkling eyes and a smile.
Rini leaned toward her. “And I always will be.” Then he leaned farther and kissed her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and didn’t let him get away for a long time.
Deep Learning Notes
The first planet of our solar system, Mercury, was once believed to have no rotation independent of the sun, so one side was always “day,” the other side
“night,” and a thin ring of “twilight” cusp encircled the planet. It is now known that it rotates, relative to the sun, very slowly.
Different elements (only one kind of atom) and compounds (more than one kind of atom) change states (solid, liquid, gas, or plasma) at different temperatures, but they all share one temperature point: at absolute zero (0°K
NEBADOR Book Five: Back to the Stars 29
= -273.15°C = -459.67°F) all electron activity stops for all of them. At that temperature, they are more than “solid,” they are completely inert (unable to interact chemically with anything else).
“Situational awareness” is a term used by pilots, but it applies to anyone in control of anything. It requires regular “scanning” (with the mind, if not the eyes) of all factors that could cause a problem. Since most dangers take some time to develop (or get to you), this gives you the time needed to deal with them before they do damage. For example, when driving a car, situational awareness includes road conditions, other traffic, weather, light, and the conditions of all vehicle systems.
The effects of exposure to a large dose of x-radiation, as described in the story, are similar to a large dose of any high-frequency radiation, such as a person might receive near a leaking nuclear power plant. Smaller doses can also be dangerous if they are received for longer periods of time.
Why would Mati’s knee not cause her pain while doing an orbital excursion?
As Rini started to say, we can’t feel high-frequency radiation like x-rays and gamma rays. Therefore, we have to use instruments and our intelligence to avoid over-exposure. Once we feel something during radiation exposure, we are sick and probably dying. This warning even applies to a simple sunburn (ultra-violet radiation).
Most matter that absorbs energy only re-radiates it in the infra-red (radiant heat) frequencies. The darker an object is colored, the more infra-red it will re-radiate. That’s why iron (black) makes a good cooking surface.
The scene with Rini and Kibi in the planet’s twilight cusp was depicted by artist Rachael Hedges for the book’s cover.
The “solar wind” is not made of air, but charged plasma particles (electrons and protons). It emerges from the sun’s photosphere and corona.
NEBADOR Book Five: Back to the Stars 30
Why would the solar wind be more dangerous on the first planet than on the third planet? There are three reasons.
Why would Kibi propose they stop and make a painting? Did she bring a canvas, brushes, and paints?
Life “as we know it” could not live in that environment because there is no water. We do not yet know about life with other types of chemistry, but to assume they don’t exist would demonstrate several fallacies (logic errors).
Can you think of them?
What circumstances caused Rini to have a temper tantrum (perhaps the first in his life)?
Were the stardust formations really blocking communications?
Some of the worst enemies of situational awareness are altered states of consciousness, such as being tired or sleepy, feeling strong emotions, or the effects of some drugs (including alcohol). Rini’s altered state of consciousness might be called “mystical euphoria,” but it could be just as dangerous as any other altered state when moving through a challenging environment, and he had to learn to keep it in its place.
Do you have any “states of consciousness” that could be dangerous in an unfamiliar environment?
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Chapter 6: The Sad Tale of Sonmatia Two
When Sata opened her sample container, the little stardust formation was nothing but a spoonful of sparkling gray powder on the bottom. Kibi and Boro insisted on an excursion to see the strange things up close and try to get a good one for a souvenir.
Ilika smiled, but said nothing. He had never walked on this planet, so he joined them.
Mati stuck out her lower lip for a moment, then grinned.
Ilika returned her grin, and put her in command.
Mati watched on the large bridge display from the commander’s chair as Kibi, Boro, and Ilika wandered among the strange formations. She laughed when Boro touched one, then found himself standing in a pile of stardust.
Both the steward and the engineer brought back small formations.
Furrowed brows and sad faces gazed into their sample containers, until Rini called them over to the watch station and explained the pressure difference between the near-vacuum of the planet and the atmosphere inside the ship.
Kibi looked thoughtful. “So . . . if we brought a little blue crystal creature into the ship . . .”
Ilika shook his head. “Same thing would happen as soon as you opened the container. This is their home, a strip of this planet just a few hundred meters wide, a little indirect warmth from the solar wind, and a pinch of stardust. Anything else and they’d die, as surely as we would die here without
NEBADOR Book Five: Back to the Stars 32
a ship or a space suit.”
An hour later, Sata, Boro, and Ilika very carefully walked among the blue crystals, letting them cling to their legs for a moment before gently shaking them off.
Mati again watched from the ship, and silently counted the planets that lay between her and the healers of Satamia Star Station.
“We’ve learned many things from this little planet,” the captain said after a hearty breakfast the next morning. “I’m glad Boro is feeling protective of his space thruster fuel. We won’t use it often.”
Boro
smiled.
“I can see that Mati and Sata are anxious to calculate another orbit . . .”
Both girls nodded. “And get it right this time!” Sata said with a big grin.
“Good. The next planet we will visit, Sonmatia Two, is going to test us in very different ways because it contains the ruins — and even a few survivors —
of a civilization that collapsed several hundred years ago. It’s closer to the sun than your planet, and tends to overheat with any instability in the climate, just as your planet tends to cool off. Sonmatia Two is currently overheated because of the conscious choices of the people who lived there. They could have avoided the destruction of their civilization and the death of most of their population. They chose not to.”
“That’s stupid!” Mati spat out with a growl.
“They were much more intelligent than the people on your planet,” Ilika pointed out.
Mati clamped her mouth shut.
“But they weren’t smart enough. Every sapient race goes through this test, arranged by the overseers of the universe. Every planet full of people eventually discovers enough knowledge and power to change their climate. If they have also gained enough wisdom, they survive. If not, they die, or regress to a level that can survive on . . . whatever is left of their planet. It’s like the little birdie that mother bird has to shove out of the nest, to fly or fall to the ground and be eaten.”
A long silence followed.
NEBADOR Book Five: Back to the Stars 33
“Um . . .” Kibi began, “those . . . overseers of the universe. Are they in . . .
the Nebador Services?”
“No. We, in the Services, are just their helpers. None of us have the wisdom to manage a universe. Sonmatia Two is a perfect example, on a very small scale. The people who lived there were, as people go, quite wise. Now their world is a wasteland of corroded metal and poisonous fumes, with a few sickly mutated people surviving in deep tunnels, eating old food and a few mushrooms they grow, barely able to have children before they die.”
Several crew members closed their eyes tightly and shuddered.
Mati and Sata planned the flight quietly and thoughtfully. They paid close attention to the orbital entry, wanting to get it perfect. Boro watched and asked a few questions. Rini worked alone at his station, then sent them a chart with a couple of asteroids to avoid. Kibi started a stew for lunch and dinner.
Boro smiled as he checked and warmed up the anti-mass and ion drives, both of which used very little fuel. After securing the ship, they floated up a thousand meters, then streaked off across the black sky on an elliptical course toward Sonmatia Two.
During the half-hour transit, they peered at maps of the planet, got a feel for the locations of gentle mountain ranges and shallow valleys, and were quite amazed at the number and size of the cities — all now ruins. As they approached the haze-enshrouded world, Mati instantly changed the ship’s relative speed to match their calculations. “I like the anti-mass drive!” the pilot declared.
Sata double-checked everything and judged the ship ready to slide into a circular orbit.
“Finished with ion drive,” Mati said to Boro as she concentrated on her three-dimensional flight plan.
“Ion drive off,” Boro replied. “Maneuvering thrusters green.”
Mati made a slight course correction. “That should do. Anti-mass to standby.”
“Manessa is happy with the orbit,” Sata announced.
Ilika turned to the watch station. “Anything up here with us, Rini?”
NEBADOR Book Five: Back to the Stars 34
“Not this high. Several pieces of junk lower, all made of metal and in slowly decaying orbits.”
“Update Manessa’s satellite list, as we’ll be going down later.”
Rini went to work.
“Wow . . . um . . . Ilika . . . er . . . um . . .” Sata began, searching for words as she stared wide-eyed at her display.
“Report,” Ilika said, “preferably with words.”
“Um . . . the universe transponder . . . um . . . says there’s another Nebador ship down there!”
Ilika stood up and stepped to the navigator’s station. “Well, well. I’m not too surprised to see a life-monitor ship here. Also . . . you could use some practice at ship-to-ship communications.”
“Me? Um . . . what do I say?”
The captain reached down and made a selection on Sata’s main console.
“Here’s your outline. First, who you are calling, ship type and name. Second, who and where you are. Finally, what you want. For example, life-monitor Tirilana Kril, this is deep-space response Manessa Kwi in high orbit, request planetary information and practice at ship-to-ship communications. They’ll know from the transponder that we’re a crew-in-training.”
“Um . . . okay . . . I’ll try.”
“Everyone, activate your station cameras so they can see us,” Ilika instructed, then walked around to make sure each was ready. “Go ahead, Sata. Communications is primarily your job.”
Sata touched the transmit control with trembling fingers. “Um . . .
life-monitor Manessa Kwi . . . no, I mean Tiri . . . lana Kril . . . um . . . this is life-monitor . . . I mean deep-space response Manessa Kwi . . . um, what’s next
. . . oh, yeah, in high orbit . . . um . . . request ship-to-ship information . . . no, communications . . . sheesh!”
“You’re doing fine,” Ilika said from behind her with encouragement.
“Keep going.”
“And . . . um . . . planetary information. Whew!”
Suddenly Sata’s display changed to a visual of her counterpart on the other ship. The ship’s interior was much larger than the Manessa Kwi, and several other crew members could be seen working at consoles or tables.
NEBADOR Book Five: Back to the Stars 35
“Greetings, Manessa Kwi! I am Drrrim-na, navigator of the Tirilana Kril, at your service, bok.”
“Hello . . . um . . . I’m Sata. Um . . . everyone else say hello.”
Each of the other crew members managed to say their names and add a smile or a little wave. Only Kibi kept her words untangled.
“Ilika Imni Zalara Sim, captain,” he said, last of all.
Sata tried to collect her thoughts when Ilika looked back at her. “Um . . .
what does a life-monitor ship do?”
“Bok. On this planet, the remnant of the sapient race is in a very dangerous transition. Their population is only about five hundred and falling, bok. They are running out of food, and are very hesitant to try new things, even though we often give them, bok, seeds and spores. They have an offer of relocation, but have not yet accepted.”
“How many . . . um, people . . . work on a life-monitor ship?” Kibi asked from her station.
“Twenty, bok, with cabins for eight more visiting specialists or students.
We are a mixed crew. I see that you are all, bok, what do you call yourselves?
Monkey mammals?”
Hurt expressions came to Sata, Mati, and Boro. Kibi managed to hide her feelings. Rini just grinned.
“I am sorry, bok. I can see that I offended.”
“It’s okay,” Ilika said. “They’re still getting used to the variety of people in the Nebador Services.”
“I have read about deep-space response ships,” the other navigator said.
“You have every kind of engine, and get to have mates on board, bok.”
“Yes,” the captain said as the other five blushed. “Are there any areas of the planet we should avoid?”
“Yes,” Drrrim-na said, touching a control. “The inhabited areas are sensitive, bok. I will send you a chart.”
Sata noticed the chart flash onto a small part of her display. “I have the chart.”
“I must go now,” Drrrim-na said. “I am cooking the next meal.”
“Bye!”
“Thank
you!”
NEBADOR Book Five: Back to the Stars 36
“Bye!”
“I hope to talk with you again, perhaps meet you someday, Sata. Tirilana Kril closing, bok.”
“That would be wonderful. Manessa Kwi . . . um . . . closing.”
Everyone was silent for a moment as they absorbed the experience.
“Good work, Sata,” Ilika said.
“Wow. I can’t believe I just talked to another navigator, on another ship, and she’s a bird!”
Deep Learning Notes
The pressure difference, which kept the crew from successfully collecting a stardust formation, is also the reason we can’t bring creatures from deep in the ocean, to the surface, without killing them. The same thing would happen to us if we were placed, without a protective ship or space suit, on the surface of Jupiter.
Ilika explained that every sapient race goes through the “test” of gaining the knowledge and power to change their climate. This is a theological concept.
In the Judeo-Christian scriptures, for example, God commands the people to
“subdue the Earth.” God does not say exactly why, perhaps so that we wouldn’t have any hints and would have to figure out why for ourselves. The most obvious reason would be to see if we could do so successfully (sustainably). The people of Sonmatia Two failed that test.
Another theological concept is the question of whether or not we, mortal human beings, will ever have the wisdom to “manage a universe.” There is a strong human tendency to think the answer will someday be “yes.” Most science fiction stories follow this assumption, and indeed place us Earthlings at or near the top socially and politically. On the other hand, most religions say “no” and that only “spiritual” beings (gods, angels, etc.) can manage a universe. What do you think?
NEBADOR Book Five: Back to the Stars 37
Sata’s opening communication with another Nebador ship is modeled exactly on what a pilot has to say to another aircraft or a control tower when making radio contact. Her tangled words under that pressure were probably about what the author said the first time he had to talk to a control tower.
Many creatures add a sound to their speech that does not hold any important meaning other than to identify the type of speaker, and sometimes his or her mood. For the sapient bird on the other ship, that sound was “bok.” The human crew of the Manessa Kwi was using such a sound also. Can you spot it?
NEBADOR Book Five: Back to the Stars 38
