Alpha 1472 (4 page)

“T minus one hour, four minutes and twenty seven seconds”

With these words the clocks in front of them changed from reading present time to give a countdown time displayed in minutes, hours and seconds.

As the room approached the shuttle, activity in the area intensified. They could see final fuelling of the craft taking place and an army of ground staff making last minute checks that were a familiar sight to anyone who had made this short trip before. The nearer they came to the shuttle the more they could make out finer detail on the craft. The lighting that was illuminating the area was not as intense as the lights that were picking out the shuttle; they gave a magical almost surreal air to the craft. Upon arriving at the base of the support structure, the room came to a steady but firm standstill. Outside the room they could hear the sound of ground staff making ready for the next part of their journey. To the sides of the room they were in had been attached the mechanism that was to take it upwards though the gantry towards the opening into the shuttle command positions. As they rose into the air, spotlights followed the room. All that could be seen at this distance by the crew was the topside of the shuttle, either side they could see out into the night sky. As they travelled upwards the legend on the side of this great vehicle came into view, as it became fully visible, each of the crew found themselves breathing in, expanding their chests with a feeling of intense pride and a sense of supreme adventure, wondering what the next few weeks would bring.

All of them sat for a while and read the legend it simply read...

1472 ALPHA
PRIDE OF GOD

Upon reaching the top of the structure, the room came slowly to a halt. From the sides of the room a curtain began to extend towards the shuttle, as it did so, the night sky that had been visible either side of the ship became obscured. The curtain had created a walkway though to the entrance hatch which was now clearly visible at the other end. The space that had been created now went though the sterilisation process. As the crew waited they could feel themselves becoming more and more impatient, this time the purple lights seemed to last for an eternity. The glass panel that had formed the front wall of the room was now silently lowered. The only barrier remaining between them and space was the door which was about to open before them.

A feeling of exited anticipation seized them. It was the type of feeling that at one time or another we have all experienced, the kind of feeling one gets when one walks into a new house for the first time or sit behind the wheel of a brand new car. As they made their way into the flight deck of the shuttle the first thing that struck them was the newness of it all, the cleanliness, the smell, the small confines in which they would be working. All of these factors somehow heightened the adventure.

Mary stood, poised at the ed
ge of the door, “In you go Mary” said Captain Daniels. He was to be the last crew member to enter the shuttle, it was his responsibility to lock and secure the door. Mary reached up and made a grab for the ladder, actually getting into the shuttle was a problem all of its own. Although she was physically fit, she had always found difficulty traversing the short distance between the hatch and her workstation. This was a task that was confounded even further by the present angle of the shuttle and gravity itself. However, once they were in orbit the weightlessness of space would eliminate these problems. Captain Daniels effortlessly clambered into the cabin and was now lying on top of the ladder. Reaching through the rungs he pulled the door closed and pulled down on the triangular lever which activated the locking mechanism. The sound of heavy bolts falling into position could be heard, followed by the hiss of the entire cabin becoming pressurised. He then reached above his head, and in one swift movement had pulled himself into his own position. They had now reached the point of no return, they were sealed in the capsule, and the next time they would leave the shuttle they would be on Epsilon Omega.

The crew, now firmly secured into their seats, began to methodically press buttons on the consoles in front of them. As they did so, each section of the cockpit illuminated and sprang into life, the communication systems came on line.

“T minus fifteen minutes and counting, all systems show green”

By this time there was no inner excitement felt by the crew. To anyone observing the activities now in progress, it would appear that no attention was being paid to any of the communications being made between mission control and themselves. This, however, was not the case. As each of them went through their final checks to ensure that their stations were operating correctly, their senses were working in overdrive, every sight every sound was being digested and nothing was missed. From the very second that the door had been secured, the ground crews had been working feverishly to remove all of the superstructures that had been supporting the shuttle, and now it stood alone towering into the night sky. It was indeed a monument to modern technology.

“T minus twelve minutes. All ground staff to vacate the area, repeat all ground staff to vacate the area”

With this announcement all of the people who had been working around the base of the shuttle got into their support vehicles and a stream of headlight was seen driving away from the area. Within two minutes, there was no one there. The shuttle stood alone, floodlit in and eerie silence. The scene inside the cockpit was a complete contrast. The countdown operator had just announced that there was only ten minutes before lift off. Mission control went into its final check sequence. Five minutes later, Daniels opened a communication channel to control

“All checks
finalized and completed, everything on board 1472 alpha reads A,OK and we show green at all stations. We are entering final preparations and waiting go, over” “Roger that 1472” Came the reply. With this captain Daniels turned to his crew and instructed them to prepare for take off. Complying with his orders they secured all safety harnesses attached to their seats and placed their heads into the contoured headrests. With all of the checks and preparations now completed the crew lay motionless in their seats and awaited the inevitable.

“All final checks and preparations complete, all systems show green, we are
ready for go and counting from 15... 14... 13... 12... 11... Ignition... 9... 8... 7... All systems still read green...5...releasing docking clamps ... 3... 2 ...1 ... we have lift off at 1400 hours, 1472 alpha is clear of the launch pad and on her way, we have a go, good luck to you all”

Over the speakers, the crew could hear cheers and celebrations from mission control as they seared through the night sky towards space. As the beast rose into the night, they could feel their faces being pulled and contorted under the immense G forces that were being exerted upon their bodies. Though the roar of the engines they could hear the sound of the operations back at mission control.

“Vector calculations are now complete, opening window sub sector alpha 92, grid 74.”

With this conformation, the series of satellites that orbited the planet, systematically begun to shut down creating a window through which the shuttle would pass. Within seconds the craft rolled over and passed through the unseen portal. Ground control then re-activated the grid to seal the window. Everyone on the ground, and indeed around the world watched via television as they ascended through the patchy cloud cover and disappeared from view, after a few minutes the only evidence left of the shuttle was the tell tale plume of smoke arcing off into space.

Before departing for Epsilon Omega, mission control had scheduled them for two orbits of the planet; these were to be made under the guidance of the computers back on the ground. This gave the crew chance to sit and look through the window and marvel at the sight of their world passing by below them. Positioned around the globe was a network of sophisticated satellites, each one interlinked and interdependent o
f the next. All of them were travelling in a precise geostationary orbit five hundred miles above the surface. This network had been in place since the sun of the planet had turned supernova. It had been a time when the future of the planet was in jeopardy. The resulting affect of the stars collapse was to throw them into deep space, placing it on an elliptical orbit of immense proportions. Many hardships ensued, tidal waves, hurricanes and finally an ice age set in. during the time between the holocaust and the installation of the first network, which had been patchy at best, the satellites that they had managed to launch gave only minimal coverage for the planet. As time progressed and technology advanced, the system was updated regularly. The network was, in time redesigned and upgraded to cover many purposes, not least to provide an atmosphere for the stricken planet. At the heart of each satellite lay a nuclear reactor which provided each unit with enough power to create ample light and heat to sustain the, now artificial atmosphere. The weather for the planet was now controlled through the vast computer network housed within the offices of the meteorological centers around the world. Now thankfully, the only thing that was necessary to maintain coverage was an ongoing program of maintenance and replacement.

In recent years, problems had begun to return to the planet. At first scientists believed that the fault lay with the network that for so long had protected them, however, extensive research had revealed that the source of their meteorological and geological discrepancies were the direct result of a slowing in the rotation rate of the planet itself. To correct the problem it had been decided that a radical new addition the network had to be introduced. The space facing side of each unit had been fitted with a directional neutron particle beam, which when activated, gave the planet the propulsion it needed to maintain the optimum rate of spin. It had also been found that the newly upgraded system now yielded unexpected benefits that were of extreme interest to alpha division, this was planetary defence. Another reason for the existence of alpha division was to minimize the effect of space debris entering their atmosphere and falling to the surface, this problem had until recently been the main course for the loss of many lives each year. With the advent of the particle beams this was no longer a threat. By aiming the beams at the oncoming obstruction they had found that it was quite easy to destroy it before it posed any real threat. This was a function that the network was called upon to perform at regular intervals due to the orbit that they now occupied. The main function was that alpha had always hoped to prove with the system was it’s capabilities for repelling any attack from life forms, although this had never been called upon. On the surface, of course the network was all but taken for granted, it was not until you were in orbit around the globe, could you appreciate the sheer magnitude of what it was that provided the basic necessities of life.

The shuttle was now in orbit, with its topside facing towards the planet. All of its movements and functions were being closely monitored from the ground. The final checks on the thousands of sensors which were housed in the outer shell were also being carried out. These would be the last major system checks that would be required before departure. Having now completed two orbits of the planet, it was time for them to begin their long journey to rendezvous with Epsilon Omega, Daniels contacted control.

“This is 1472 alpha to control, over
.”

The time had come for him and his crew to assume control of the vessel.

“This is mission control, everything shows green, you are now cleared to break orbit. To the crew of 1742 alpha we wish you good luck. Over and out” Captain Daniels addressed his navigator,

“Mary, plot and lay in a course to intercept Epsilon Omega”

Mary had already calculated the point at which orbit would be broken and the interception trajectory necessary and with a few clicks on her terminal fed it into the navigation systems. Because there is no right way up in space it was a relatively simple matter to break orbit. The trajectory of the shuttle
leveled out and it gracefully dipped away from the planet. Once they were clear of the gravitational pull, everyone could relax. They all released the safety harnesses that had held them securely in their chairs, and began to float freely around the cabin. The only person still in his place was Captain Daniels; he was busy setting the auto pilot that would guide them for the next four days. Having done this he proceeded to join the others, who by this time had made their way into the sleeping area. His last task was to extinguish all unnecessary lighting. As he closed the door he took one last look into the cockpit. The red glow that emanated from the single light set into the roof, coupled with the illuminations given off by the constant flickering of the control panels gave it a serene almost simulated quality. He closed and secured the door.

The crew was now on route to rendezvous with epsilon omega, and with all of their preliminary functions completed they now had time to relax before preparing for the bulk of their journey.

J.D, Mathew, Watkins and Travis Wheatley, chose to watch the television monitor. They were still in transmission range of the networks and were still able to receive live broadcasts from the surface. J.D. was almost childlike in his reactions when he had
realized that they were in time to watch one of the more popular light variety programs on channel 6.

“Oh the great presto he has got to be the best magician ever”

When she
realized what the choice of viewing would be Mary groaned. Although she was interested in magic, she did at times find that the airtime devoted to it buy the television companies a little overpowering. As J.D. Mathew and Travis settled themselves in front of the screen, Anne and Mary busied themselves preparing drinks.