The Traveler's Return Page 2

  “The general is expecting you, Commanders,” said the soldier. “Walk down this tube and take your first right and then the second left. That’ll lead you to the Command Center.”

  With a nod, the four began their trek inside the tube.

  “I feel like a hamster,” said Brent, walking through the clear conduit.

  “Yeah, and under an incubator’s light,” added Valerie, one step behind Brent.

  It was cold despite the extreme brightness. In front of them lay a simple off-white one-story building, with two sentinels guarding a large door. They wore military attire and carried menacing-looking firearms. A large sign indicated the structure to be the Neptorus Military Base Command Center.

  The four teenagers looked at one another, the mesmerizing landscape no longer on their minds.

  “Neptorus?” said William. “What is that?”

  “I don’t care what or where this place is,” said Valerie. “What I want to know is what the hell we’re doing here.”

  Brent shrugged. “It’s a military base of sorts. How bad can it be, right?”

  “How old do you think we are?” asked Ellie, studying the skin on her hands. The other three mimicked her and then gazed at one another but remained silent. Their youthful looks had been replaced by more mature appearances. Behind his clear facemask, William’s face carried a shade of beard, one he had yet to be capable of growing. Ellie’s skin was no longer smooth and completely devoid of wrinkles. Weirdly and inexplicably, somehow their ages around midthirties seemed right at this moment.

  “The general is ready for you,” said one of the soldiers, tapping a small device on his wrist. A door opened, and the four walked toward the entrance. “Go right in,” said the guard.

  The four entered the quarters. Inside, they saw a large desk, behind which sat an older man, in his sixties, wearing the armed forces garment of a superior officer. His dark-brown hair was cut short, military style, and his physique and muscular build belied his age. His uniform was impeccably immaculate, surprisingly free of any crinkles.

  “Come in,” he said as he got up from his chair. “I’m General Brandon Narrows. You can take off your helmets in here, Commanders.” They did. Inside, the light was smooth and pleasant. “Welcome to the Vulpecula star system.”

  “The constellation Vulpecula?” asked Ellie. “What planet are we on?”

  “Neptorus!” said the general. “Without the protective layer afforded by the ozone layer, the light of this star is pretty intense out here. We’re working on a better material to insulate Neptorus so we can actually walk outdoors and not have to wear these silly helmets. For now, you’ll need your headgear and always remain inside the connecting walkways.”

  “We’ll try to remember that,” said Brent.

  “There is almost no oxygen in this atmosphere,” said Valerie. “I could hardly stand it for a couple of minutes, even inside the connecting tubes.”

  “I remember reading in the news that the Interstellar Space Fleet scientists have discovered a gas that can potentially be placed around different planets to work as the ozone layer on Earth,” said Ellie. “This newly discovered material could both protect from the bright light and other harsh weather conditions as well as provide enough oxygen to—”

  “Yes, we’ve discovered the material,” interrupted the general. “Now, we’re working on manufacturing it in mass quantity and finding a way to locate it around Neptorus. It won’t be long until we can accomplish that.”

  “I can see how valuable this invention will become once in place,” said Brent. “It’ll permit colonization of uninhabitable planets by military and nonmilitary personnel.”

  “For now, I’m afraid the headgear is a must when outside my office and such designated spaces.” The general smiled, sat down, and gestured for his guests to do the same.

  “I’m sure it’s not too bad once you get used to it,” said Ellie.

  The general took a deep breath. “Well, you’re wondering why I summoned for you all the way out here in Neptorus,” he began. “I need your expertise as medical scientists.”

  “How can we serve the Fleet, General?” asked William.

  “Computer, show the Interstellar Map Region TL-FP-7,” commanded the general. In front of them emerged a virtual screen on which a trisolar system appeared. “Computer, zoom in, Triloptia!” The image now displayed a close-up view of three stars and twelve planets around them. “We found a planet with life in this star system. On one of our intergalactic missions, our astronauts discovered that the people on this planet are suffering from significant overpopulation.” The general pointed to a planet. “This star system is known as Triloptia. The fifth planet is Terrae Virentia. Its inhabitants have progressed pretty well in their development and are now about the way we were on Earth in the early twenty-first century.” The general took a sip of water. “Computer, display images of Terrae Virentia.” The screen morphed to reveal a close-up of an Earth-like planet.

  “Terrae Virentia,” said Brent. “The green Earth. I see how it got its name.”

  At maximum amplification, the computer image exhibited green mountains and planes, rivers and oceans, a pristine cosmic body bursting with beauty and serenity.

  The general nodded, smiled and continued. “Terrae Virentia is about a fifth of Earth in size and density, overpopulated with eight and a half billion people. At present rate of population growth, our scientists have determined that the planet will implode in a few years, annihilating every life on the planet.” The general paused and studied the overwhelmed faces of his audience for a short moment. “As if this wasn’t bad enough, when Terrae Virentia collapses, it’ll throw off the gravitational balance of the whole Triloptia System. That in turn will affect the neighboring stellar systems. In about one hundred and fifty Earth years, these cosmic displacements will shift Earth from our sun significantly. At that point, our planet will no longer be able to support human life.”

  “Why will the planet implode?” asked William.

  “The inhabitants produce carbonyl trioxide as they breathe, which is similar to our carbon dioxide on Earth. The people, as well as flora and fauna, produce the chemical in massive quantities. Carbonyl trioxide hovers high in the atmosphere and protects the planet from its three suns. Terrae Virentia and its living things require that chemical to stay alive and intact. However, as too much carbonyl trioxide accumulates, the planet will begin to suffer from overshielding and insufficient solar interaction. This will kill all the living souls on the planet and cause it to come unglued.”

  “Why is that?” asked William.

  “It has to do with the planet’s density and the effects of having three stars instead of one, like we do. Terrae Virentia is more drastically affected than, say, our planet, as far as radiation, temperature, weather effects, solar flares, and so on.”

  “So, what can we do to help?” asked Brent.

  “I need to send a small group of scientists there to assess our options,” said the general. “We’re building special manned probes to take scientists there.”

  “And you want us on the mission?” asked Ellie.

  “Four-man probes will be ready to travel in three months,” said the general. “These ships will take about seventy Earth years to get there. That’ll leave very little time to research options and implement solutions.”

  “How would this work out?” asked Valerie. “None of us have any outer space or intergalactic experience.”

  “It’ll take seven decades to get you there, plenty of time to train each of you in all aspects of the mission.” Puzzled eyes gazed at the general. “We’ve found a way to successfully train people in many missions while they sleep in the stasis chamber. All we need is your brain, and we can access it while you sleep.”

  Brent nodded. “Interesting! Tell us more.”

  “There are a total of ten groups of four just like you who we feel may have what it takes to get the job done,” said the general. “Over the next three mont
hs, we will be putting each of the groups through intense exercises to ascertain whether you are mentally and physically fit enough to handle the mission. Out of the ten groups, five teams will depart here en route to the Triloptia stellar system.” The four doctors nodded. “Out of the five groups that depart here, only one will actually arrive at Terrae Virentia to carry out the mission. The other groups will be returned home prior to reaching the destination.

  “During the trip over there, you will be placed in a stasis chamber equipped with special computers and equipment to keep your muscles conditioned. Your brain will be accessed, and you will be trained in all aspects of the mission. You will get there fully trained.”

  “Won’t we be too old in seventy years?” asked Ellie.

  “In deep space, traveling many times the speed of light causes aging to cease,” said the general. “You will arrive approximately the same age as when you leave here and with the exact physical and mental capabilities. And you will stay the same age until you return home.”

  “Perpetual youth? I’m in!” said Valerie.

  All smiled.

  “How will the group who carries out the mission be picked?” asked Brent.

  “Merit and aptitude,” said the general. “The group who shows the best talent to carry out the mission will be chosen. This includes first the training maneuvers we’ll put you through on Earth and then the tutoring while in the stasis chamber during the trip there.”

  “What will the mission be like?” asked Ellie.

  “We’ve already dispatched an unmanned space center, The Traveler Research Space Center. It’s fully equipped with the lab equipment and the tools necessary. The space center will begin observations and scans of the tristellar system and its planets, adding details to our present knowledge of the region. This information will be uploaded to the manned spaceships’ computers. The Traveler Research Space Center will orbit the Triloptia Star System, well beyond the planet’s inhabitants’ ability to detect it. The chosen cosmotravelers for the mission will live in this space center throughout the mission.”

  “Will we be required to land on Terrae Virentia?” asked Brent.

  “You will have at your disposal a one-man ship capable of traveling from the space center to the planet and back.” The screen morphed to now reveal a shiny metal rounded capsule the shape of a half egg, an entry hatch up to show the one-man seat inside the pod.

  William stood up, paced a few feet, his mind deep in thought. He asked, “Why don’t we just knock on their door, explain the problem, and offer to help them?”

  “For one thing we can’t communicate with them,” said the general. “They don’t use verbal communication. We think it’s all done through brainwaves and high-frequency signals that we can’t as yet detect. Also, we feel that collectively they’re not ready for interaction with alien beings.”

  “How can we know that?” asked Ellie.

  “We don’t!” The general stood up. “There is an interstellar committee made up of representatives from all the worlds who have conquered deep-space travel. This committee, of which I’m a part, has put a lot of thought into this issue. We feel strongly about noncontact with these people.” Narrows pointed at Terrae Virentia, again displayed on the virtual screen. “So, your primary mandate is to stay hidden from the Terrae Virentians at all times. If contact is felt to be crucial, you must let me know. I will discuss matters with the interstellar committee. If approved, contact will be made with as few Terrae Virentians as possible. We must interfere as little as we can with their lives.”

  All doctors nodded.

  The general continued. “We need to learn all about Terrae Virentia and the Terrae Virentians and their plight and figure out what the best options are to accomplish the mission. The fate of their world and ours and many others in between depends on the success of this mission.”

  Chapter Five

  For three months, forty scientists with different backgrounds would be tested physically, emotionally, psychologically, and professionally. The measures of their success would differ as much as the participants themselves and their previous experiences and qualifications. There were medical doctors of various fields, researchers of varying disciplines, physicists with diverse credentials, those well versed in computer sciences, some who specialized in neurosciences, some who had vast experience in the field of geology and astrophysics, others in chemical engineering, and the list went on and on.

  The training for the mission would start at five the next morning. For the first time today, Brent, William, Ellie, and Valerie would sit in a virtual auditorium with the chosen few. Each group of four was asked to report to a separate part of the world where a specialized phase of the mission was to be rehearsed. This served both as training as well as evaluation for the participants.

  Ellie, Valerie, Brent, and William arrived earlier that day at a cabin adjacent to Denali, Alaska, a beautiful view of Mount McKinley off their porch. This portion of their preparation involved learning about the rigorous art of climbing rough trails and analyzing rocks and soil at different altitudes.

  At this time, they sat in comfortable rocking chairs in the cabin’s hearth room, a pleasant smell wafting from the fire crackling in the fireplace. Sunjeev, one of the servants, was preparing the hook up to the eGathering, a virtual conference room. The four sipped from their hot chocolates and scrutinized the list of scientists who would be participating and competing with them for entry into the interstellar project.

  “Do we know any of these names?” asked Valerie.

  “I’ve heard of some of them,” said Ellie. “But I don’t know any of them personally.”

  “Have a good eGathering,” interrupted Sunjeev. “I’ll see you all bright and early tomorrow morning.” He smiled and gave a thought command, activating the projector. In seconds, the quaint, rustic hearth room morphed into a modern, state-of-the-art virtual auditorium. In the front, there was a small stage and a podium that remained unoccupied. Despite this, the warmth of the now unseen fireplace a few feet in front of them still irradiated heat, reminding the four scientists that even though their senses put them in a plush chair in a conference room in Washington, DC, their bodies still sat in a comfortable rocking chair in front of a peaceful fireplace inside a cabin deep in the woods surrounding Denali. They looked around and saw the other thirty-six mission participants selected for this massive interplanetary undertaking. They assembled in groups of four, sitting in the virtual seats of the virtual theater awaiting this initial symposium. In reality, each of the scientists was elsewhere, each anticipating the first step in this new thrilling chapter in their lives.

  “Do they really know who they want on this mission?” whispered Valerie. “No two people here specialize in the same thing.”

  “Well, we do,” said Brent. “We’re medical researchers.”

  “Valerie is right,” said William. “Even each of us has different interests in the field of medical research.”

  Ellie tossed a wan smile. “I’m not sure they know yet what type of personnel will be required in this—”

  “Good evening, all of you,” said General Narrows into the invisible microphonic beam emanating from the hall’s computer system outlets hidden in the woodwork, designed to capture his every word and deliver them flawlessly to everyone in the virtual chamber. “I would like to thank you all for being here; this is our first meeting together as a group.” He looked around the room and at all the virtual images of those assembled. “There are ten groups of four of you sitting in the audience. Half of you will be chosen to participate in this next portion of the mission. Twenty of you will leave to Triloptia Star System in five separate ships. Only four of you will reach there in seventy plus years, all along traveling at three hundred thousand miles per millisecond. That’s pretty darn far!” He paused during a short period of nervous laughter from the listeners. “That speed is two thousand times the speed of light, so the beauty of it is that you won’t age much during the trip t
here and back. We anticipate you’ll age a few months, though the trip will take five Earth years. All your friends and family will still be here, God permitting.” He took a sip of water. “Nonetheless, it’s five years of your life you’ll be foregoing, and I, for one, want to thank you all for the sacrifice you’re making to help humankind and our planet.” He strolled to the right of the stage. “I think you all know why we’re doing this.” He gave a mental command, and the enormous virtual screen behind him came to life, a view from the perspective of the number-two star of the Triloptia System. The camera zoomed in, and soon it was displaying the beautiful planet known as Terrae Virentia. “In about one hundred and fifty Earth years, this planet will become overly populated to the point where it will implode. That will change the balance in the somewhat fragile Triloptia System and destroy all life in the whole region. Through a domino effect, our home, Earth, will be destroyed soon thereafter. The mission, your mission, is to fix the overpopulation of Terrae Virentia so all these catastrophes are averted.”

  Narrows looked around the hall. A hand went up. “Your remarks, please, Dr. Tanner.”

  “General Narrows, this group sitting here before you is composed of research doctors, engineers in different arenas, astrophysicists, geologists, computer experts, communications specialists, rocket scientists and so forth,” said a tall man who had stood up. “It seems to me more than four of us would be needed to carry out this mission. More brains, more experiences, different backgrounds, diversity, and more—”

  “I think I get the picture, Dr. Tanner,” interrupted Narrows. “It’s a matter of logistics.” He took a deep breath and a sip of water. “We have to be able to sustain life with limited resources and space for five years while the scientists we choose do their bidding.”