Trifariam, The Lost Codex (2012) (69 page)

Several of the astronauts threw their arms up into the air in disbelief.

Helen was extremely knowledgeable about the effect of solar storms on the planet and she interrupted him. “When do they think coronal mass will arrive?”

The administrator was aware that not all of them knew what the scientist was talking about and he tried to explain. “The third stage is the coronal mass ejection, and it is a wave of radiation and solar winds which escapes from the Sun via a hole in its corona, or the outermost layer of the Sun. It normally takes between one and two days for it to reach Earth but, in light of the data coming from the probe, our scientists predict that it will arrive in less than six hours. It will reach Mars almost three hours later.”

“Dear god! It must be a solar storm of immense proportions.”

“Have you ever heard about the solar storm which swept the planet in September 1859?”

“Yes,” replied Helen. “It was classified as the greatest storm in history.”

“Well, this storm could have a devastating effect which is one hundred times that.”

They all spluttered at the same time.

“How much longer will it take us to reach Mars?”

“At current speed… fifteen hours.”

James stammered. “That doesn’t give us enough time! That’s impossible!”

The Administrator nodded. “We have made over a thousand revisions of the path the asteroids will follow after passing close to Mars’ gravitational field and coming into contact with the solar eruption. We have established a meeting point which is around eight hours away from where you are now, because we believe that the vast majority of them will be traveling past there just as the coronal mass reaches you. By using a high-tech software application called ‘Copernicus’, you will manage to arrive at the agreed point as quickly as possible.”

“Copernicus?”

“Yes. It is an application designed by the aerospace engineer Cesar Ocampo which allows us to find the quickest and safest routes for spaceflights, but it hasn’t been given much importance until now. You have eight hours to get yourselves prepared. The fate of the world is in your hands,” said the administrator before cutting off communication, his voice slightly overcome with emotion.

At that very moment, every nation was raising the alarm and suffering from damage caused by the solar storm. The news spread like wildfire from newsreel to newsreel. Commercial television stations had managed to remain on-air due to the fact their satellites had yet to be damaged, and all of them had interrupted their daily programing to broadcast a monumental and horrifying message -
THE WORST IS YET TO COME
. The news was enough to leave many petrified in front of the television, which was at that time showing a simulation of what it would be like just prior to and after the cataclysm.

The streets were filled with people who had tried to flee the cities to reach their loved ones or shelter in other places they thought would be safer. Cars quickly clogged up the freeways and it didn’t take long for their horns to add to the panic which was already building. Those who didn’t have a vehicle in which to escape were swept up in the impromptu throngs running towards the stations, all in search of a ticket they would never be able to buy. All services had been suspended.

The leaders of the most important countries in the world were locked in a meeting via videoconference, speaking to each other via the latest huge television screens and trying to find a solution which would avert disaster, or at least minimize the damage. All were present except for one - the President of the United States of America.

The murmurs broke out immediately among those attending. Maybe the Americans knew something they didn’t?

Two hours before the coronal mass reaches Earth.

A
s predicted, the spacecraft followed its course to the coordinates specified by the administrator. Carpenter led James to a room where Helen was already carrying out last minute preparations on the capsule which would take the
Trifariam
into space. With the help of the mission specialist, James put on his spacesuit and was greatly surprised when he did - it was nothing like those he had seen on television. Whereas those had been heavy and hard to maneuver, weighing over two hundred and eighty pounds, these ones were more like a second skin, similar to a neoprene wetsuit. The older suits had been made up of several pieces which fitted to each other, but these ones were formed from one piece alone plus their helmets. The Manned Maneuvering Unit, or in other words the backpack which allowed astronauts to move about in space without the space shuttle, had been substituted for a much simpler, smaller version. The original apparatus used a propulsion mechanism which relied on nitrogen expelled at high pressure, but this model had infinitely superior characteristics. Both pieces of kit offered a stable internal pressure, optimum temperature, mobility, oxygen and protection against external attacks, but the suit James had just put on was much more comfortable and efficient. It was the most advanced suit in existence for aerospace matters.

“Mr. Oldrich,” said Carpenter as he positioned his helmet. “See the touch-screen control panel you have on your right wrist?” James nodded. “It is a very simple device which will allow you to move in space. The six buttons enable you move forwards and backwards, turn left or right and lie down or stand up straight. You have no reason to worry; it is a new system which uses the same fuel as the spacecraft. If anything happens to me, you will have enough energy to get back to Earth yourself.”

Even though Carpenter had intended to calm him down, that last remark had made him even more nervous.
Why should something go wrong?

A noise suddenly interrupted them. It was similar to that of the ignition when a car engine roars into life.

They both turned round to look at what the scientist was doing. Helen just smiled at them when she realized she had startled them. She was checking that the capsule which would take the
Trifariam
was working correctly.

“James,” she said in a friendlier tone which went some way to allaying James’ fears. “This capsule is based on a mechanism which is very similar to the new MMU device you have on your back. You’ll get used to it in not time. When you reach the specified point, press the red button on the upper part and the
Trifariam
will automatically detach from the capsule.”

“Aren’t you guys coming with me?!”

Helen fired a stern look in Carpenter’s direction. She was astonished that nobody had brought the professor up to date on the ins and outs of the mission, even more so when he was the one in charge of carrying it out. “James. We believe that if we are relatively close to you when you create the black hole, we will be irrevocably pulled into it and we will disappear. Our only chance is if we leave you there. We will come back for you when everything is over.”

“What?! Are you crazy?!”

“James, you are the only one who can control it. The lives of billions of people depend on you. You will be in direct contact with us and the Space Center in Houston at all times except when you create the black hole, because sound cannot escape from it and you won’t be able to communicate with us. However, we think we will still be able to communicate with you.”

“Officers.” The voice was trembling and worn out from recent events as it filtered through the speakers of the spacecraft. James could hear it more clearly through the earpieces attached to his helmet. “This is the President of the United States of America.” There was a brief silence. “In under an hour, the Sun will exact its revenge and the Earth will be devastated by its immense power. We don’t know what the consequences will be but we think it cut all communication lines and destroy the vast majority of satellites.”

“We’ll lose our signal with Houston!”

Before that realization could reach Earth, the President had already mentioned that problem. “Communication with the spacecraft will be cut off but according to our calculations, the lunar space base will not be affected by the solar storm because the Earth will act as a shield. After ten minutes a satellite will be launched into orbit to restore the vast majority of communication lines needed to communicate with you. We are hoping that everything turns out alright because the solar eruption caused the atmosphere to expand and increase in size, affecting the orbit of satellites.”

“Sir, how is everybody?”

Two minutes later, James couldn’t see the President subtly pinch his lower lip between his thumb and index finger, taking his time to answer. He was searching for the right words. “It is chaos. I have the most powerful leaders in the world demanding answers. People have ignored the warnings and are leaving the cities where they would clearly be safest. Crime has increased by four hundred percent and we don’t have sufficient resources to resolve the situation. Officers… the world is in your hands. Prepare to begin the mission as soon as you arrive.”

Carpenter and Helen proceeded to put on their spacesuits and haul on the backpacks which would allow them to accompany James on his journey and return to the ship in complete safety. The process of getting dressed correctly would take over half an hour.

Meanwhile, the President asked for all communication with the spacecraft to be severed, except for the special channel through which they could talk to James privately. “Mr. Oldrich, can you hear me? Somebody wants to say something to you.”

The unmistakable voice of the U.S. President crackled through the earpieces in his helmet.

“Yes sir, what is it?”

There was an eternal silence, peppered with several spells of interference as if the communication channels were opening and closing. Richard eventually spoke. “Hi, James. How is everything going?”

When the professor heard his friend’s voice, he was overcome with emotion and couldn’t help bursting into tears. He had the feeling that he was never going to see them again, and that was what worried him most of all. “How is Lily? Are you both in a safe place?”

The hospital room had been turned into a makeshift communications center for the occasion. Cables weaved back and forth in all directions, the only place free of them being the perimeter around Lily’s bed. Her eyes were wide open, staring at her father’s best friend.

“Don’t worry James, she’s okay. They’ve fitted the windows in building with several protective systems, reinforced the refrigeration systems and suppressed the use of inflammable materials.”

“Richard, if… if something happens to me - ”

The paleographer stopped him. “James! While you’re not here, I’ll look after Lily as if she was my own daughter, I swear.”

“Thank you,” he replied. “Put her on! I want to talk to her!”

“James, she’s awake but she is unable to speak a word. The doctors say she will be fine but she is still suffering from the shock of seeing what she did.”

“Put her on!” he insisted. “I want to talk to her!”

“Okay James, but they’re warning me that all communications will be down when the coronal mass reaches the satellites orbiting the Earth. From that moment on, you’ll have a few hours to use the
Trifariam
.”

Richard held the telephone to Lily’s ear. She jumped slightly when she saw the professor’s hand getting uncomfortably close to her face. She calmed down when she heard her father’s voice.

“Darling! Can you hear me?!”

Thanks to the numerous electrodes connected to her body, the monitors showed that the girl’s cardiac rhythm shot up when she heard her father. It was as if she wanted to say something, but couldn’t.

James burst into tears. “Lily, I’m so sorry I left you alone but I had no choice. That damn piece of junk needs me. I want to know that I love you like crazy, you’re the most beautiful thing in the world.” The girl started to seriously hyperventilate; she seemed to be aware that her father was saying goodbye to her, but… why? She wondered. She wanted to say something but felt like her vocal chords would not respond. “I hope to be back as soon as possible, but while I’m not there, do everything Richard tells you to do. He’s a good guy and he’ll look after you when I can’t.”

At that moment, the light in the room vibrated, the windows shook and the wind changed from the gentle whistling of the morning, to a monstrous and deafening roar. It was a taste of things to come.

James could hear the full extent of the din which was beginning to build in the hospital room. He knew that it was starting and that communications would be down in few moments. “Lilyyyy! I love you, sweetheart!” he screamed with so much force that his breath steamed up the glass visor on his helmet.

Before the communication broke off and the room was plunged into terrifying darkness, only to be illuminated by the backup lighting system, James heard a word come from Lily’s mouth, a word which gave him instant strength: “Daddy”.

One and a half hours after the tragedy on Earth.

E
very single line of communication with the Earth had been destroyed. The pilots tried to get in contact with the lunar space station but it was no use. Would they succeed in launching the satellite into orbit?

Time was running out. Carpenter checked that the three of them had their kit perfectly in place and that the oxygen supply was working correctly. He gave orders for Alan Glenn to disable the system which simulated the Earth’s gravity inside the cabin. They then proceeded to expel all the air out of the chamber and once again checked the breathing system. With just one hour to go until the coronal mass reached the position, they activated the automatic opening on the hatches which would suddenly expel them into the blackness of space.

Although the feeling of weightlessness was the same, the sheer size of space made James lose his mind for a few minutes. Only Helen’s words had managed to calm him down and give him the energy he needed to break away from the slip and make that final push which would send him outside the spacecraft, and from which there would be no turning back.

The MMU interface was very simple to control and James took to it within minutes, using his masterfully.