CHAPTER 3. PLANNING AND TESTING.
Michael awoke at eight o-clock next morning alert, refreshed and ready to work. He called 762 and ordered a full breakfast of bacon, scrambled eggs, tomatoes, toast and marmalade and the compulsory coffee pot. He felt slightly foolish as he spoke to his security case to open it. He pondered how far he was supposed to trust 762 and decided to play safe. He locked the room in ‘Secure Mode’ by using the manual override which negated any remote control; 762 would have to wait until he let him in.
He took out the documents and read through them quickly, picking up certain, salient facts. He then started a more thorough perusal and was in deep concentration when a buzzer disturbed him. It took a few moments for him to realize that it was 762 with his breakfast. He replaced the documents in his case, instructed it to lock and opened the door having first verified that it was indeed 762 by a quick look through the one-way observation tube.
762 entered and set down the breakfast which smelled delicious. "I am pleased to see that you are security conscious, Sir. It makes my job so much easier.”
"I have been security conscious since before you were born 762, it has been a way of life for me,” replied Michael. “Please see that I am disturbed as little as possible this morning and would you please pass on a message to Mr. Ford. Tell him that I would appreciate a couple of hours in the Space Simulator so that I can brush up on my piloting. Thanks for breakfast, I will not be having lunch and I will contact you again concerning dinner. You may go now."
"Very well, Sir, have a nice day.”
762 left the room and Michael returned it to the 'Secure Mode'. He took out the file Sir Richard had given him and continued to read it thoroughly. In military terms 'Intelligence' is defined as the gathering of information concerning the enemy. As he expected the file gave him no real 'Intelligence’ whatsoever. It transpired that the first vessel, a freighter named Hercules under the command of Captain Collins had left Earth carrying a full cargo of food.
It had travelled uneventfully to Lunar Base Beta where it had off-loaded half of its food cargo and replaced it with some instruments and rocket spares. It had then proceeded to the base on Deimos, the tiny Martian Satellite, where it had delivered the rocket spares.
The low gravity there had made this base very suitable for dealing with some of the heavy jobs conventional rockets needed. Heavy machine parts could be simply and delicately manhandled.
There had been a further cargo of mining equipment and myriads of different spares for shuttles, space suits, oxygen bottles and luxury items for sale or trade round the claims in the Asteroid Belt.
The Hercules had then left for Ceres and routine reports every twelve hours, which were given in transcript form, had given no hint that anything was wrong and then shortly after the vessel had entered the rock fields of the inner Asteroids nothing.
Another high-powered craft had been sent at full speed, under a cloak of secrecy, a week later and had executed a fruitless search. There had been an unconfirmed sighting of a space suit by a crew member but further investigation had found nothing so the sighting was discounted.
The freighter Titan had taken an even less exciting route. It had left its normal base on Moon Base Delta and had taken the direct route towards Ceres. Everything had been strictly routine. It had entered the inner Asteroid Belt millions of miles away from where the Hercules had entered it. Captain Gorrie had made his routine report and then again nothing: no clues, no evidence, no distress signals. It was all very disturbing.
Michael tried some deductive reasoning. Hercules could have been sabotaged on Earth, on the Moon or on Deimos. Titan had left from the Moon so the only common factor was that both vessels had visited Lunar Bases, but so did hundreds of others, he mused. He then thought about the security which Sir Richard had clamped down. "Perhaps he believes that there is a traitor within the Company," thought Michael to himself. Now that was a real possibility.
What about Aliens? Two attacks by intelligent beings on unarmed transports, millions of miles apart, was not the way he had imagined any Alien would first make contact, particularly if it had been the one he saw. Then, again, his frigate Vega had been heavily armed and his second vessel had been a flying arsenal, enough to deter any sane aggressor. But it still did not make sense. Finally he had to admit to himself that he thought it was more likely to be humans rather than aliens which he was looking for, although he would keep an open mind.
Another curious thought crossed his mind. What about mutiny?
There had been no recorded instances of mutiny in the history of space flight, but there was a first time for everything. He thought about the cargoes and the last known positions. If the vessels had been taken over by the crews they stood to make personal fortunes. Firstly they could trade their goods directly to the Wild-Cat Miners who eked a living out of the rock fields. This would give a high return without a lot of effort.
Alternatively the Freighters were carrying enough mining equipment to stake out and work a sizeable mining operation. By selling to unscrupulous ore dealers ( Of which there were many) huge sums of money could be made. Michael thought it was improbable that two crews would try the same trick in such a short time, unless it was a deliberate conspiracy. However it was still a possibility.
Another situation he conceived was that of a rogue ship running an operation of organized crime. It seemed a little far fetched and it would be expensive to set up, but there were still some immensely rich and active crime syndicates on Earth. Michael felt a pang of uneasiness about this notion.
His final chilling thoughts on the subject were that it could be a deliberate act of war by another Nation. He said a silent prayer begging that this was not the case. Co-operation in space was essential; the whole operation could fall apart if distrust crept in.
Bearing all these things in mind he prepared his plans in detail and made lists of his requirements. He considered using a code then thought better of it. The case would not leave his quarters and he would see Sir Richard tomorrow anyway. He slipped all his papers into his security case, locked it and activated the store room door. As an added measure he concealed the case inside some of his personal luggage. As he closed the door he thought he had done well and was happy with his plans. In this state of elation he opened the bar while he was still at the switch.
He looked inside the cooler to see what he could find. To his intense relief there were some non-alcoholic drinks included in the store. He picked out a small can of orange and another of lemon, mixed them added some ice and settled down for a few minutes to enjoy the drink. After all, he thought, he did not want to disgrace himself in the Space Simulator. He still had to prove himself to be a top notch pilot as far as the company was concerned. That was his next job.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Fred Ford sent for him at precisely 2.53 in the afternoon. At precisely three o-clock he entered the Space Simulator where he was introduced to the Chief Company Training Officer.
Fred Ford made the introductions. “Captain Stephens, please meet Mr. John Langley.”
Michael perceived a dedicated middle-aged man with sparkling blue eyes, a little 'Thin on top' and a sense of humour. “Pleased to meet you, Sir, I hope I make a good pupil,” he said.
John Langley laughed, shook hands with Michael and said, “We’ll see if we can dream up a few trying situations for you Captain. “
Mr. Ford continued, "You have two hours, Captain. We are going to make this official and give you your competency test. It is a Company policy that each pilot is re-tested every two years and should you be unfortunate enough to be involved in any flying accident at all, you are instructed to ground yourself immediately. Then, for your own sake, you must come back for re-testing before re-assuming command. It is not intended to be a show of lack of confidence but a way that the Company uses to dispel any doubts about the competency of its pilots. Our renewal of the Flying Certificate is a show of our confidence in our staff. However if there are flaws in any persons performance, the certificate will not be awarded until extra training brings their performance up to an acceptable level.”
John Langley continued, “Your session will be in three parts, Captain. Firstly, you will have an hour to brush up on your C.A.M.I.D. procedures. Then you will take your test in two parts. Section A will be on a C.A.M.I.D. powered craft and will be the major part of the test. Section B is a test on a conventional rocket-powered craft and quite candidly this frequently causes problems for our pilots; I hear you have a shuttle of your own, so I expect a high level of performance from you.”
“I will leave you in the extremely capable hands of Mr. Langley, Captain Stephens,” added Mr. Ford. “I will go so, we do not waste any more time....good luck.”
With that Mr. Ford left and Michael dressed himself in the Simulation-suit that added so much to the realism of the Simulator by providing sensations of 'G’ and other uncomfortable stimuli.
Eventually Michael was seated at the controls with his harness on and was quickly familiarizing himself with them. He felt a slight surge of panic when he realized that although they looked similar to the military vessels he had piloted there was a lot missing from the instrument panel. It seemed to be oversimplified. Then it struck him like a thunderbolt: there was no armament on these craft. He had never really appreciated the complexity of the armament system until now; it would be un-nerving piloting a defenceless craft for awhile.
“All systems set and awaiting your instructions, Captain," called Mr. Langley through the headphones.
"Roger, Control,” returned Michael. "I will go through the pre-flight checks.”
Mr. Langley was good at his job. He picked Michael up on a few points and taught him some new checks peculiar to the freighter-type vessels which the Company used. Michael quickly picked these up. He had a good memory and a gifted recall facility which he had developed with years of military training. Lists and sequences were child's play to him.
He practised take-offs in atmosphere, getting under way in space, landings in atmosphere, docking and undocking procedures in space, anti-collision drills, changes of vectors while under way, reverse polarization procedures and several navigational problems using the excellent Planetarium environment in which the Simulator was set.
He soon felt confident and the skills which he had not used for two years came flooding back to him; he relaxed slightly as the realization came that he was still, at least, a good pilot.
“Close down all systems please, Captain, " said the voice in his headphones. “Relax for five minutes while we prepare your test.”
Michael obediently complied and quietly waited for his next instructions. While he was waiting he studied the Freighter Manual and he was amazed at the simplicity and ingenuity of these vessels. The freighters themselves consisted of a front and a rear with a connecting tube. The length was variable to suit the requirements of the amount of cargo which was carried.
The cargo was carried in purpose-made containers which could be linked together side by side and in tandem. Usually the freighters carried twenty containers in two columns of ten: the most that could be carried was thirty containers in two columns of fifteen. The front of the vessel contained the C.A.M.I.D. unit and the controls along with the power pack. It was also the bridge of the vessel from where it was piloted.
The rear unit contained the living quarters, galley, essential stores and the life support systems. The two units were held together by immensely strong, slender, hydraulic tubes which clamped the containers firmly between the two modules.
“Very efficient,” thought Michael and a thought crossed his mind which caused him to alter his plans a little.
John Langley's voice crackled through the head phones, now very much in control. "Stand by, Captain. Prepare for an Earth take-off and select a trajectory for Mars. You will be required to simulate a landing on Deimos later on."
"Roger, Control," replied Michael who was automatically adjusting the dials and controls. He had already mentally worked out the trajectories of the obvious destinations and this was one of them. "Give me a count down from twenty, please."
The test was soon under way. Michael executed a power efficient take-off and was soon approaching maximum speed (using time lapse techniques). Next came an order to change course for the Moon. Michael complied instantly only to have the order cancelled and a further instruction to resume his original course. “Typical,” he thought.
John Langley did not leave much to chance; he treated the Captain on test to a taste of the great calamities which can occur in space flight. There was a fire signalled in the rear module and no sooner had he dealt with that when there was a serious pressure leak. “I hope the real ships are in better condition than this,” thought Michael frantically.
The simulated vessel was travelling at maximum speed when he received the order to 'Heave to'. This was not an easy one to bring off. The C.A.M.I.D. system in all vessels had the facility to single polarize each half of the vessel independently so Michael tried a technique which he had used before. He reversed the polarity in the rear section to give maximum attraction from the Earth and then selected maximum repulsion from Mars which was dead a head. It was a tricky manoeuvre which could actually break the ship in half if the synchronization of power between fore and aft was wrong.
Michael gently balanced the attractions and repulsions then started to turn on the power. The simulated speed dropped off at an amazing rate; now that the craft was slowing he really gave it full power and there were several loud protesting noises from within the Simulator. At this point the ship began to spin; Langley had fed him a faulty giro.
Michael cut the power and applied the trimmer-jets to stop the violent rotation, this was soon accomplished. He re-applied the power and brought the stricken craft to a stand still. He then noticed that he was perspiring badly. That last manoeuvre had been very real and Michael had actually forgotten that he was only in a Simulator.
Langley was remorseless, "Obstacles in the form of a rock field ahead; guide the vessel through it."
Michael concentrated on the screen and the collision indicators and automatically carried out the necessary avoidance procedures. This particular section was child's play to him after his first hand experience in the Asteroids and inside the rings of Saturn.
The final part was the simulated landing on Deimos. This was an extremely low gravity situation. The temptation for the pilot is to use the gravity of Mars itself as the basis of movement but Michael knew from experience that this was wrong. Too many crumpled nose-cones had been caused by that method. This was the true test of a C.A.M.I.D. pilot; the ability to isolate one source of magnetism from another.,
Michael landed perfectly and was told to cut power. Instead he replied, "Secure the landing legs with the bolt down harnesses and report back when it is done. "
One minute later, "Legs secure, Sir.”
Michael gently applied power and the front, right leg lifted slightly. “Recheck the front, right leg. It is not fastened down.”
One minute later, “Leg secure, Sir."
Michael re-applied a little power, very gently. This time there was no movement. The gravity on Deimos was so low that huge objects could simply drift off towards the Martian surface if not correctly tethered. At this point he cut the power and went through the wind down procedures. “That was a trap,” he thought to himself.
His headphones crackled into life, “Thank you, Sir. That is the end of this section of the test..
A few minutes later Michael was seated in the Rocket Simulator and thoroughly enjoying himself. He blasted off from a simulated Moon Base and went through docking and anti-collision manoeuvres followed by an obstacle course and finally an Earth re-entry and landing. John Langley gave nothing away. "Your results will be sent to Sir Richard and he will discuss them with you when he sees you at ten o-clock tomorrow."
Michael left the Simulator Complex feeling drained, hungry and in need of a quiet nap. He returned to his quarters, relaxed with a cat nap for half an hour, showered and changed, then summoned 762.
"Good evening, Sir, are you ready to eat?"
"I certainly am," replied Michael. "A large Spaghetti Bolognaise and a Banana Split would go down very well, if you could arrange it."
"No problem at all, Sir," grinned 762 and left to get it.
While he was waiting for his meal to arrive he made a few alterations to his plans in accordance with the idea that had occurred to him in the Simulator. Michael enjoyed his meal and was starting to relax with a beer when the video-com bleeped and lit up with the rather beautiful face of Charlotte Linaker. "Good evening, Captain. Am I disturbing anything important?"
Michael looked at the beer in his hand and pondered its importance for a moment before replying, "Of course not, Miss Linaker, what can I do for you?”
"I am off-duty and wondered if you would like me to come up for a chat and a drink. You have not had much in the way of company for a while, have you?"
“I would be delighted to entertain you, Miss Linaker, my work is finished until ten o-clock tomorrow. Have you eaten?”
"Yes”, she replied. “1 have finished my meal. I just need a wash and brush up and I will be along in about twenty minutes.”
Michael thought that a wash and brush up would be superfluous to someone with the looks of Charlotte Linaker but said instead, "I look forward to your arrival then.”
The video-com went blank. At this moment Michael panicked. He had very rarely been alone with a lady and did not have a clue what he was going to talk about. He shot round his quarters putting things right, washed himself again, had 762 remove the dinner plates and, finally, finished his beer with a gulp.
He was only just in time. The buzzer sounded after precisely twenty minutes. He checked that it was his guest and then let her in. The sight of her simply took his breath away and left him foolishly speechless. “Please come in,” he managed to gasp at last.
Charlotte looked resplendent in a pale green dress with matching shoes. Her hair had been carefully let down and brushed to a perfect black sheen which subtly softened her features. The make-up and manicure was exquisite and perfect. She could have been an alien as far as Michael was concerned.
“Miss Linaker,” he stammered, “Y..you look absolutely beautiful.”
“Thank you kind Sir,” she mocked gently and stepped boldly into the room then sat on the settee.
Michael recovered a little and in a voice which was a little more controlled he asked, "Would you care for a drink, Miss Linaker?”
She gave him an admonishing look and spoke softly. "Captain, my name is Charlotte, Charlie for short, this is not a formal visit and yes, please, I would very much like a drink."
“Then you must call me Michael. Incidentally the only thing I know about your drink is that it is blue. Could you tell me its formula, please?"
"Of course. It is a measure of Blue Bols and a measure of Coconut Rum topped up with lemonade and a little ice."
Michael raised his eyebrows in mock horror, returned to the bar and to his great surprise found all the necessary ingredients. He diligently mixed the concoction with exaggerated care and with a final flourish handed it to her. "Is this the formula of the official Company Rocket fuel?” he asked innocently.
She laughed an infectious laugh and took a sip. "Thank you, it’s very good for a first attempt.”
He grinned back at her, thought about mixing himself one of the mind blowing cocktails he enjoyed but decided against it and opened another beer. This time, however, he used a glass to keep up appearances. Feeling a little awkward and self conscious, he sat down opposite her and to his intense relief Charlotte started the conversation.
After a while he realized that he could actually talk with this lady on subjects that other women would scorn and he had a very nice evening indeed. He showed her the unique collection of photographs which he had taken in the course of his exploration of Jupiter and Saturn. She was genuinely enthralled. Their conversation covered a wide range of topics until it was finally time to say goodnight.
Charlotte then declared her intention to go. As she crossed the room Michael stood up to let her out but instead of leaving she shyly slipped her arms round his neck and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for a lovely evening, Mike,” she breathed in his ear, "We must do it again soon."
With that she released him and left. Michael was in a daze ; he had never been kissed by anyone as beautiful as Charlotte.
Later, as his bed swung gently at its moorings, he concluded that it had been a very pleasurable experience. Then he slept like a log for a full eight hours.