The Stars Came Back (61 page)

● 
Large tunnel with an open door showing the huge landing cavern with
Tajemnica
in it from a different angle as before. There are three lines of equipment that don’t look quite like tanks, but like turrets mounted on hatch covers, as though to replace the tank-carrier hatches semi-permanently to add guns that were not normally detachable, but also a lot more streamlined. One line of turret hatches has only a pair of heavy guns, one has four quad mounts of light guns, one has a mix of heavy and light weapons on it.

● 
Large tunnel housing a foundry and mill. A large furnace is extruding a billet of hot steel that is fed through a series of rollers that are compressing it into a thinner strip for manufacturing. The red-orange light from the hot metal casts an evil glow on everything.

● 
Large well-lit room with lots of cafeteria-style tables, long serving line with a galley behind it on the far side.

● 
Helton standing at the kiosk next to the landing spot being scanned, hand on the lit-up palm print on top of it.

CUT TO

INT - DAY -
Tajemnica’s
mess room

The crew and the Plataeans are sitting at lunch. On a wall screen is the monk avatar. Across from it is the Robo-
Moon Avatar, a slender man in simple uniform at a desk. Data scrolls by on other screens,.

Quiritis: Can they fix the damaged tank hatch?

Ship AI: (Pause) Yes. They have numerous replacement parts, though they are mostly of inferior quality to those used in my construction. It can be replaced by one that would be standard on an
Orion
-class, D-model ship. Slightly better than the current damaged hatch, not as good as original.

Helton: Can you give them specs for building a new one to
your liking?

Ship AI: Yes, but it will take a quite a while to manufacture. New tooling, entirely new processes. It will have to cannibalize some of the existing parts for materials. It is
far more than a simple cast slab of metal with some locking bolts.

Lag: The planet looked pretty good from what we saw. Why’d it fail?

Robo-Moon AI: Restate question. Terraforming did not fail.

Allonia: Why are there no people on the planet?

Robo-Moon AI: They were not of our corporation, and they were within the active exclusion zone.

Helton: So you killed them?

Robo-moon AI: Non-corporate interests were removed from the exclusion zone to secure resources.

Ship AI: Ah, I see. There are still a number of active terraforming machines operating on the surface. Two hundred
twenty-eight. The terraforming has been quite successful, just not for any human inhabitants.

Helton: Can we redefine the exclusion zone to not extend past the near side of atmo?

Ship AI: Affirmative. Or, we could allow some ships inside the zone. Such as ourselves.

Harbin: Finally got enough ammo. How many rounds again?

Robo-Moon AI: Small arms, four point four trillion-

Sar: Oh, enough of that for now - you can look ‘em up later! Food stocks, now
there
is real currency!

Kwon: Not very tast
y, but plenty of calories for a long while.

Helton: So, now that we have our own little world and arms bazaar, what shall we do with it? Big picture?

Lag: Not quite ready to settle down and be a farmer, but nice to know it’s here if I do.

Allonia: Good place to hide and rest, but with no people, not very exciting.

Kaushik: (Looks at Bipasha) Quiet neighborhood. Might be a good place to start a family.

Bipasha: Not quite sure if I’m ready to settle down
quite
yet, either.

Helton: Yes, you
did want decisions and excitement, if I recall.

Quinn:
Want to see more of the universe!

Kaminski: We will, Quinn. Not sure what we’ll be doing while seeing it, but we can figure something out. A whole planet. Hell of a dowry, Allonia. Who gets it?

Everyone laughs.

Lag: Long term will need some thinking.
Amazing possibilities, most of which I’m sure none of us have thought of yet. In the short term, there’s activity in the New Medina area to check out, got some contracts to look into.

Quiritis: We have drive testing to do as well.
Still not sure how far we can push things.

Bipasha: How many worlds are like this one? Terraformed, but off
limits because of one of these robo-moons?

Ship AI: Uncertain. At least two others like this with some terraforming success from long
distance observation. Nine more systems are complicated by them, such as Geminorum. Perhaps many in systems that have not yet come out of the dark.

Helton: But we can’t assume we can access
all of them.

Kaminski: Why not?

Lag: Different corporations, different genes.

Helton: I’m pretty sure only one attempt will be allowed.

Ship AI: We have no data on what sort of failsafe systems are in place anywhere but here.

Allonia: Not so sure I want to risk this again anywhere else.

Helton: But if we could get any others, and sell their resources-

Allonia: Or just shut it down and put it on self-destruct.

The rest look at her in surprise.

Allonia: All these weapons in the wrong hands could be
very bad.

Lag: The wrong hands already
have all the weapons they need, most times. And usually they only need a few weapons and accurate data about who to apply them
on
. These guns could arm some righteous insurrections.

Kaminski:
(Looks at Allonia) It’s your world now, so keeping the security system would be smart.

Helton:
Infinite possibilities, and for once, a bit of time to consider them.

Ship AI: Perhaps. But I am receiving a
n emergency signal.

Helton breath
es in and out, wincing with an exaggerated “spoke just a SECOND too soon” expression, and they looks expectantly at
Tajemnica
’s avatar on the screen.

Ship AI: I’m am very sorry for letting my attention wander, exploring this facility. Many fascinating corners. I did not notice that the edge of a rather strong swirl is passing the system. A
starliner was forced in here to escape it, and the subspace turbulence has stranded them. No hurry, though. They are stuck. We may be, too.

FADE TO BLACK

Borealis

FADE IN

INT - DAY - Bridge of starliner
Borealis

The spacious bridge is full of busy
uniformed crew assessing their situation, poring over sensor data, internal system monitors and readouts, and status reports from throughout the ship. Captain Soto, a slender, dark skinned, dapper man in immaculate uniform sitting in the command chair, looks worried. A middle-aged woman in similar uniform with many service stripes on the sleeves approaches him, also looking worried.

First Officer:
The passengers are getting restless. They’d very much like to know what the situation is.

Captain Soto: I would, too… I suppose
it’s time to say something official.

He looks to one of the younger techs on the bridge, a young man with no insignia on his uniform.

Captain Soto: Put me on, ship wide.

He composes himself, sitting upright,
briefly checking and adjusting the buttons and corners of his uniform. The First Officer looks him over, nods approval as he puts a polite, reassuring smile on his face. He nods to the tech. The tech motions a countdown with his fingers, three, two, one, and points at him.

Capt Soto: Greetings, passengers and crew. This is Captain Soto
. As you know, subspace conditions forced us off our planned course. We have transitioned into normal space in a system that only recently came back out of The Deep. There are no signs of human activity, but the ship has not suffered any damage to the drives or other critical systems. We are safe, only delayed in reaching port. This system has a partially terraformed world and is not unknown to us, though current data is sketchy. I’m sure the swirl that drove us here will pass in due course, and we can be on our way. Swirls typically last for no more than a week, and there are months of supplies aboard. Until more is known, standard food rationing policy will be required, but I’m sure it will not be necessary for long. In the meantime, please feel free to use all recreational and entertainment facilities and move about as you normally would. I will keep everyone informed if there are any new developments. Thank you for your attention.

He smiles a confident, reassuring smile into the camera. The young tech signals that he’s off camera. The captain slumps.

Captain Soto: Anything? Anything at
all
?

Several people on the bridge turn to him
with apologetic shrugs, frowns, or pessimistic head shakes.

Long Range Sensor Tech: Sir. Records say this is a failed terraforming operation
with a mil-moon, but I’m seeing a long line of gas transport spheres between the inner gas giant and the second planet. Barely visible on the far side, just coming out from behind the star.

First Officer: Could be on total automatic.

LRST: Maybe, but
thousands
?

Captain Soto: Check again.

LRST: I did, sir. Three times. I’m certain the readings are correct.

First Officer: Anything new on subspace?

Transition Tech: Nothing good. Can’t leave for at least two weeks if the pattern is typical.

Captain Soto: (
Resigned, to the First Officer) Any gut feelings? Visit the gas giant first for the view, or the second planet looking for people? May as well take a tour if we are going to be here for a while.

First Officer: I’d rather avoid a robo-moon if we can. Lots of moons at the gas giant for viewing. No need to scare anyone if we don’t have to.

Captain Soto: And we can say we are keeping out of the well to make a faster jump when the opportunity arises. Good. Plot a course, lay it in.

DISSOLVE TO

EXT - NIGHT - Space, in high orbit above a gas giant

The starliner
Borealis
is floating in space. A large, fancy ship with lots of windows, projections, and details. It is viewing the gas giant and its numerous moons. The light from the distant sun is dim, the shadows it casts are sharp. A large number of white spheres are sinking into the atmosphere of the giant planet as another stream rises out, with a long line of them stretching off into space sunward, disappearing into the distance toward the shining dot of the second planet.

First Officer: (VO) Below is the fourth planet, a typical gas giant
with 55 moons, a bit smaller than Jupiter. The so-called
string of pearls
you see are automated Gas Transport Spheres used in terraforming. Thought they look tiny from here they are more than a kilometer in diameter. They sink deep into the atmosphere and use the natural atmospheric pressure to fill them with hydrogen for-

CUT TO

INT - NIGHT - Lounge with large windows

There are a small crowd of various passengers, comfortably attired and mostly sitting looking out the viewing ports, listening to the description narrated by the First Officer. Among them are Penger Trask and his wife, reclining and watching the GTSs and gas giant.

First Officer: (VO, continued) -mixing with oxygen liberated from the crustal rocks to make water, back on a world being created. On the planet surface, internal pressure forces it out, so no pumping is required, just very large valves. The Chorleywood-Fairchild process, as it is called, is a critical part of terraforming. Silicate rocks are typically about
two-thirds oxygen by weight, and each terraforming platform can produce over a cubic kilometer of water a day. Carbonate and other carbon-bearing rocks are also extensively processed, as they yield massive amounts of carbon dioxide, critical for establishing plant growth on a planetary basis; without it plants can’t grow, and without plants animals don’t live long. The various mineral byproducts can also be used in supplying manufacturing elements. The creation of vast amounts of water, plus active plate tectonics and a spinning core to create a strong magnetic field in order to retain an atmosphere, are all essential to terraforming. It is usually expected to take centuries, with dozens to hundreds of terraforming platforms working full-time, before a world can be totally self-sustaining with balanced water, carbon, heat cycles, and generate an atmosphere thick and stable enough to support life unassisted.

While she talks, the passengers watch
the view moving around before them and occasionally point things out to their companions.