Chapter 6
Extinction?
At seven on Wednesday morning all loose items were stowed away and Atlantis was secured. Breakfast had been early and there was a pall of heavy atmosphere hanging over the whole crew, the knowledge of the asteroid weighed heavy on them all. Houston had not been informed and the stress of knowing what was going to happen was also been a burden. Josh and Blake had agreed that the news needed to be delivered in person, rather than over a radio or video link, and that they should take the opportunity to consult with the US President and the British Prime Minister together at their homecoming. Earth was in for a shock. At eight forty-five the number four hangar bay door lifted and Atlantis nosed her way out of the strange alien ship. Atlantis would be moving slower on this return trip, and at just after two Eastern Standard Time, the old Shuttle floated into Low earth Orbit. The space ship made one orbit of the Earth and at three-forty started her de-orbit manoeuvre, rotated tail-first into the direction of travel and fired all engines to slow the Shuttle down even more. Then at sixteen-ten hours Atlantis touched down on the long runway at Canaveral. A tractor unit and a decontamination-unit, speed out, and whilst the de-com unit sprayed the fuselage the tractor towed the Shuttle to the reception area.
At long last the main hatch opened and steps were wheeled out against the hull, Captain Josh Flynn was the first to appear at the hatchway, and a mighty cheer went up from the crowded public enclosure. In the official guest enclosure the gathered VIPs stood in applause and three F20 jets performed a, aerial salute overhead, leaving red, white and blue vapour trails above the runway. Blake ushered the women out next to more applause, which grew in volume as Angelo, Charlie and John appeared in their NASA flight-suits. Last of all, just instructed, appeared Blake, who walked down the steps without any acknowledgement to the crowds. Atherton Bennet and Doug Martins were at the foot of the steps and were busy shaking the hands of every member of the crew, when Doug came to Blake the hugged as old friends would, and Blake whispered to him, “I need a moment in private.”
“What up buddy,” asked Doug.
“I'll tell you later,” answered Blake. Just then an open-topped Kennedy tour-bus arrived and the eight were ushered onto the vehicle, “sit with me,” said Blake. The people seated themselves and as the bus took an extended rout past the public enclosure, Blake leaned over to Doug. “Are the President and the UK Prime Minister here?”
“Yep, they're waiting at the podium, have you ever met him?”
“No,” said Blake, “but I need to.”
“What is all this intrigue Blake, “asked Doug, “I can tell something's not right.”
“This is your department so I guess it's OK to tell you, we found a system on Monday that detects stars, planets, hazards and any object out there, the dam thing found an eight-hundred mile wide asteroid, and it’s on a direct course to Earth.”
Doug's face went white as the blood drained from his face, “Are you sure,” he stammered after several seconds.
“As sure as I can be, if we're right, it's definitely an extinction event.” They were thrown slightly forward in their seats as the bus stopped at the podium. “Josh and I need a few minutes with the President and the Prime Minister, straight away.”
Atherton stood and tapped Doug on the shoulder as he passed and Doug followed his boss off the bus, the two mounted the three steps to the podium, followed by the crew.
The President made his speech and awarded the medals and the Prime Ministers both followed suit, saying how proud they were of their countrymen, Eric Johnson presented the British members with another civilian medal on behalf of King Andrew. Blake saw Doug take Atherton to one side and whisper something to him, by the colour that Atherton's face turned, he guessed it was about the Asteroid. Whilst Austria's First Minister was making her speech Atherton moved to stand behind President Bose and Eric Johnson, then spoke to them. The President's head snapped around quickly and after a minute he spoke the PM Johnson, who just didn't react at all, but stood stiffly as if listening intently to the speech. Oliver Bose spoke to Atherton, looked at his watch and all returned to normal. The ceremony over the black presidential cars pulled up at the podium, President Bose and Eric Johnson entered the car and it drove off toward the commissary where the reception was to be held. Immediately Atherton approached Blake and beckoned him and Josh to join him. “Proteus and the British Prime Minister will speak to you when we get to the reception,” said Atherton, “this is a bit of a shock,” he continued, “I hope you are mistaken about this Blake, we have nothing on our screens at Sky-Watch, what's the range?”
“Honestly,” said Blake, “we have no idea, we tried to calculate the distance by the zoom rate, but there was no indication, we don't even know what linier unit the aliens use.”
They arrived at the reception, now in fresh NASA cover-alls, to more rapturous applause; it seemed everyone wanted to shake the hands of the world's latest heroes. There was a thirty-second welcome speech to everyone telling people to eat and enjoy, and the president, with his ever-present Secret Service protection, came straight to Josh and Blake who were chatting together. “Let's talk,” he said and walked off toward a small door, which in normal times was a private dining room for the NASA directors. Eric Johnson was already there, sat at the polished oak dining table. Introductions done the four sat two on each side of the table. “Now,” started the President, “what the hell is this all about?” Blake and Josh related the story of how they had found the asteroid, and Blake then used a white-board on the room's wall to explain how they had calculated the size of the body, a Secret Service woman brought a digital projector into the room and set it up on the table and Blake inserted the memory stick. The recorded video showed the asteroid and they saw how the amber line leads the way back to the Atlantic Ocean.
Eric Johnson had been silent for most of the briefing but asked, “How long might we have before we face oblivion Blake?
“This is the problem, Sir,” said Blake, “we have no idea of the range, because we don't know what unit of measure the aliens who built the ship use.”
“So we could have some time to work something out,” said Bose.
“That's possible,” said Captain Flynn, but this asteroid could be travelling very fast indeed, Sir.
“Do you know the speed?
“No Sir, however the scope indicates that the asteroid is extra-solar, and heading into our Solar System from deep space. If it were an ordinary asteroid from this system its speed would not exceed around six-hundred kilometres a second, otherwise it could not orbit the Sun, as this is not a Solar System body it is almost certain that the velocity will be very much higher.”
“How much higher,” asked PM Johnson.
“Ten times that, maybe more,” said Josh, “that's about thirteen and a half million miles per hour.”
“At that size and speed, Earth will end up as very fine dust,” added Blake.
The President stood and walked around the table to where the picture of the asteroid still played on the white-board. “It's a strange feeling to look at your death fully on the face,” he said.
“There must be something we can do to avert this disaster,” said the Prime Minister, “we have the facilities of the whole planet and who will not cooperate.”
“Yes of course,” said Bose, less presidential now, “we cannot just sit back and wait for the end to come.
“Mister President, Mister Prime Minister, I had some time to think this morning on the way back, and I started thinking about how, without the alien ship, we would not have known about the asteroid,” started Blake, “I was thinking how we were lucky to have the warning and the alien ship through which we found it. But then it struck me, what if these two incidents are not a coincidence, and I am someone that does not believe in coincidences. What if these aliens, whoever they are, found out that Earth was in line for destruction, they certainly have the technology to do that, and they sent the ship to us, like a life-boat?”
“We said all the time, whilst we were exploring,” said Josh, “that if these aliens are not humanoid then they had designed the ship for humans. Everything we saw was pleasing to us and fitted us as humans, and if Blake's hypothesis is right, then it makes sense.”
“Which is the way I was thinking,” said Blake, “the ship was just too human.”
“So you are telling us that these aliens have been watching us,” confirmed Johnson, “just how close have they been watching us, I can't say that makes much sense.”
“It would if you'd seen their technology, with respect Sir,” said Blake, “with this same system we watched individual pebbles on Mars, and in detail.”
“I'd like to see that,” responded Johnson.
The President opened his personal telephone and tapped a button, “Atherton, can you pop in now please,” he said and hung up. A moment later, Atherton appeared through the dining room door. “Come in, take a seat,” he continued, “How quickly can we confirm this asteroid Atherton?”
“Unknown Boss, we just haven't got the technology to detect anything outside the asteroid belt.”
“What do you need to do the job,” the President asked.
Atherton thought for a moment, “This scope from the ship I guess,” he responded.
“It'll take too long,” said Bose, “is there anything we have that could be used or modified to find this rock?
“There is a chance, Sir,” said Atherton “that the Hubble Telescope could be used, but it will take time, both to modify and to find this asteroid, it'll be like finding one grain of sand on a beach.”
“Do it,” ordered President Bose.
Sky-Watch was given exclusive access to Hubble Two space telescope and NASA moved up the latest improvements to the telescope. A larger and higher resolution sensor was quickly designed and manufactured for the Hubble and NASA mounted a special mission to fit the modifications. Two months after the return of Atlantis the light door on the telescope opened to see the universe in a new light. Both Blake and Josh worked on the data they had, together with the telemetry received at Houston, from the time of the detection, whilst Jo and Laura, with Charlie's guidance worked on the video of the screen, trying to identify any clue as to range. Slowly the vectors of the asteroid were refined and the telescope started to look in the right direction. Hundreds of thousands of long exposure images were received each week and these were examined by Sky-Watch personnel. The Sky-Watch department had increased in size by a factor of six since the project started and now operated twenty-four hours a day. One image was compared with the last and the next was compared with previous images, powerful computers did most of the work and passed any anomalies on to human eyes for decisions. It was seven months before the first dim image was received of the on-rushing rock.
It took several weeks after that to confirm that it was the same asteroid and several more to confirm its course was toward Earth. Of course Earth's technology was not good enough to confirm a precise trajectory. They had enough information, however, to know that annihilation of the Earth was a possibility. Blake and Josh arrived at the White House to meet with the President and his staff, plus the Joint Chiefs, at three on that afternoon. They were taken to the Situation Room and given seats close to the President's. On the screens around the room were the representatives of every continent on Earth, from the Russian Federation to China, from Europe to Africa and South America to Australasia and Canada. “I hear we have some data gentlemen,” the President said as the two opened files before them.
“Yes Sir,” started Josh who was now in his new Lieutenant General's uniform, after his promotion, “Mister President, with the help of virtually the whole team we have been able to confirm course and range of the asteroid. I have to commend the team for their work over these past months,”
“Thank you General,” said Bose, “can you share the news with us please.”
“Sir, the numbers in miles or kilometres means little to anyone at this scale; however we have calculated that the impact will take place in two years, four months and sixteen days, to be more precise, eight-hundred and sixty-six days.”
“Ladies and gentlemen,” announced the President, “the countdown to extinction begins.”
“We now have to plan our future, the future of the whole human race is in our hands,” continued President Bose, “some months ago I met with Blake Northfield, who sits here with us today, and he tabled the idea that whoever had been responsible for building the alien craft, that we know as 'The Return', sent it to Earth for us to use as a life-boat for humanity. The combined national leader's council, which was convened some months ago, has agreed that this is a reasonable assumption, so on that basis we have designated 'The Return' as Earth's lifeboat.” The President continued to outline what had been decided and what needed to de decided. The room heard that the world leaders, through the United Nations, had unanimously voted to populate the 'lifeboat' through several means.”
“Level One: Automatic inclusion – first level nation governing Cabinets of every independent nation as registered with the United Nations charter. With that nation's core opposition or shadow Cabinets.
Level Two: Assessed inclusion - captains of industry, from any United Nations country that meets criteria yet to be established, which will be performance rated.
Level Three: Assessed inclusion - scientists, innovators, engineers, who have a proven record, people who would be required in setting up a new society, including social scientists, social workers counsellors required for an inclusive civilisation.
Level Four: Nominations - Requiring approval by national panels.
Level Five: Lottery - The remaining places on board the life-boat, not filled will be filled/selected by an universal lottery, successful applicants can be vetoed to a pre-set standard – criminal record, IQ, social status, employment record, qualifications, mental health issues, etc. Criteria to be set by national panel.”
“The various panels to determine criteria are being set up as we speak, following the recommendations that have already been determined by various United Nations organisations. We have not set a target for the selection of passengers as yet, however, now having the time frame for the evacuation I would recommend that selection be completed within one year.” There were several votes, which were organised digitally and the results were displayed on the main screen. The session continued for almost five hours, during which Blake and, obviously Josh, became progressively more uncomfortable with the decisions being made. As they left the White House Blake asked Josh, “How about a drink.”
“Sure, I could use one,” answered Josh.
“My hotel OK? I can update Jo at the same time.”
When they arrived Jo was waiting in the reception of the Hyatt and they found one of the 'private' tables at the end of the bar. The first drink covered the brief update of Jo, Blake ordered a beer, a Perrier and lime for Jo and a scotch for Josh, each sat and stared at the drinks until the waiter had gone out of ear-shot. “I know there will be only so many places,” said Jo but why not give everyone a chance, its really unfair.”
Try telling the President that,” said Josh, “Bose is very single minded when he makes a decision; anyway I don't see any other means of deciding who goes on the ship other than how he has proposed.”
“I'm not so sure,” said Blake, “why do we need all those politicians to go, in my book that's a recipe for disaster.”
“You can say that again,” agreed Josh.
“Surely, if you include everyone and take a random sample, you will get all those same skills and people with the right knowledge as a part of the cross section,” suggested Jo.
“You certainly should do,” agreed Blake, “but can you rely on it?”
“We could do computer simulations and analyse the results,” said Jo.
“That's a good idea,” said Blake in agreement.
“One thing that springs to mind,” said Josh, “shouldn’t the first step be asking for volunteers to stay behind.”
“Good thinking Josh,” commented Blake, “there must be some who would volunteer so for the sake of mankind, others who are contemplating suicide and want it to mean something, or those who are terminally sick that science can't help.”
“We could offer inducements,” suggested Jo, “if the selection will be complete by next year, those staying could live like princes for a year and a few months, or whatever they want, tour the world for instance.”
“That is something we could take to the President Jo,” said Josh.
“That's what we'll do then,” said Blake, “first thing tomorrow, I'll get Atherton to arrange a meeting, in the mean time, can we get something more together, more suggestions.”
The next morning Blake Northfield contacted Atherton Bennet and asked for a meeting with the President. At first Atherton didn't seem too enthralled by the idea but Blake won him over, wanting to accompany the trio. Jo, Blake and Josh met up again that afternoon before Josh was required back in Florida. Josh had suggested meeting at the National Statistics Centre, a department that supplied the government with facts and figures, he had contacted them and arranged the use of one of their modelling computers. The three arrived at one-thirty and were taken to a computer suit signed Population Modelling, Jo lost no time and sat at the computer terminal inputting instructions via the keyboard and the voice interface. Blake and Josh occupied one of the several tables and placed two large tablet-computers and note-books in front of them. For almost three hours the main-frame computer worked silently whilst the two men discussed ideas, bringing Jo in at regular intervals to consult on some point or other.
Finally Jo closed the program down and joined her husband and Josh at the table, another short discussion resulted in some back-slapping and shaking of hands, before they left the unimposing building. Jo and Blake took a taxi back to their Hyatt Hotel whilst Josh waited for his official car to arrive to take him to Andrew's, where he would hop into a jet and fly down the coast to Canaveral. That evening Jo and Blake were seated in the main restaurant, sipping a pre-dinner drink, when Atherton walked up to the table, “May I join you,” he asked.
“Sure,” said Blake, as he waved to a server, who came across immediately, “Can you get us to another table please, we have a guest for dinner.” Within a minute the server returned with another man in evening jacket and the two relocated them to a table that accommodated four people. When Atherton had given his order for dinner and the two men had left them, Blake, said, “To what do we have to thank for your company tonight Atherton?”
“I managed to get you a meet with the Boss, Blake, he will see you next week, he wants you to join him for breakfast on Tuesday, seven-thirty, I'm afraid,” explained Atherton, “we'll use my car so I'll pick you two up at seven. I guess Josh will make his own arrangements.”
“I was hoping for sooner,” said Blake, “but thank you, it will have to do.”
“Needless to say, I didn't join you just to tell you that,” announced Atherton, “I wanted to have a chat about this meeting, you will need to be very careful, President Bose is not a man who appreciates too much criticism.”
“I gathered that from Josh.”
“You realise that these selection boards have already been activated, don't you,” asked Atherton”
“Yes, I guessed they would be,”
“Straight-way, we have a problem it seems,” said Atherton, just as the first course arrived. Two minutes later he continued after the waiter had walked out of ear-shot, “Columbia, have submitted a list of people that includes people that no one would want on this trip.”
“We said this would happen,” interrupted Jo, which was why we wanted the meeting.”
“Well I think that we were expecting something of the sort,” said Atherton.
“This is the danger,” agreed Blake, and there are more issues that we wanted to discuss.”
“I can't believe how quickly this has come up,” stated Jo.
The couple shared a great deal of what they had discussed with Josh over the following eighty minutes or so, and the three went their separate ways, with a strategy for the meeting with President Oliver Bose.
The following Tuesday Jo and Blake were picked up outside the Hyatt Hotel by Atherton at just before seven in the morning. The official car sped through the Washington streets toward the White House, at fifteen after seven they stopped in the visitor’s car park and made their way toward the entrance, where Josh was waiting. The four were taken directly to the executive dining room where Bose was waiting for them. “Welcome,” said the President, “please sit down and tuck in, I guess you are ready for breakfast by now. If you two want your English breakfast, the buffet table has the lot, specially o