Well that seemed urgent.
That would put the asteroid here in the next few months. I couldn't believe their foresight in getting off of Terra Durom. They must have been really well organized and put a lot of faith in their scientists that they had their math right. I can't imagine a world more opposite to my own. I could almost guarantee there would be wars fought over leaving versus not leaving.
I began to hope that the calculations in this newspaper were correct. If our calendar was right then I still had some time to get off of Terra Durom with the rest of the crew. Our organization would be sorely disappointed that the colonization of Terra Durom would not go through, but what could we do?
That didn't give us much time. Perhaps if we returned quickly we would have time to come back for one last mission before the impact?
I decided to go outside to get some fresh air. This was old news for this world, but the earth was shaking to me.
The sun was on its way down to the horizon. There was a nice cool breeze and I got another whiff of the air. I couldn't believe how clean it was. This place was just like our world, but better. They had figured out ways to live more efficiently, yet they were still forced to leave this paradise.
I figured that we might not get another chance to view this technology, and I will most likely face some sort of penalty for stowing away in the first place. So I went back inside and started to take some notes on my surroundings. I only had a few days to get as much out of this place as possible, before I would have to return to the crew.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Chapter 20 - Strike
My guess was this machine was being used to transport the satellites into space. I figured the road was used to give the object momentum prior to teleportation. This would help it start to maintain its orbit, otherwise it would just fall to earth as soon as it arrived in space.
I imagined there must be a lot of calculations involved in this. They would have had to keep track of the rotation of the earth, our orbit of the sun and various gravitational forces.
I started to wonder what would be involved in using a machine like this. Is the universe like a vast grid that you just punch in coordinates and send it on its way, or do you need send the objects based on the relative position to something with a strong gravitational force like a sun?
It's possible that this device may have had something to do with the disappearance of all the people. But what could possibly influence the people to do so? Even with such amazing technology it would take quite a few years to transport people off Terra Durom, and to where?
What a logistical nightmare. Unless there were a lot more machines elsewhere on Terra Durom, or some other means to access them besides being on the pad itself.
I decided to find out more information before jumping to anymore conclusions.
I headed to the tower on the outside of the sphere. There was various labs and offices. I ducked into one of them and found a newspaper. The date was 30 years ago. To have this technology 30 years ago was incredible, considering how hard we have worked to travel any distance from the earth. There must have been a significant difference in how their technology developed, either they stumbled on something we missed or there is something different about these "humans".
All of the news seemed to involve information about an evacuation. It had a basic outline of the plans to systematically get all the people off of Terra Durom. There were several ads in the margins explaining where you could pick up your evacuation manual. Supposedly this manual outlined what a person should take and what to leave.
It was amazing that all the governments 30 years ago could unite in such a way. What could possibly bring everyone together like this.
As if someone was listening for my question, the next page had an answer. An asteroid was heading for earth. They had managed to track its orbit the 2 previous times that it had entered the solar system. A computer simulation predicted that it would strike the earth in 31 years.
I imagined there must be a lot of calculations involved in this. They would have had to keep track of the rotation of the earth, our orbit of the sun and various gravitational forces.
I started to wonder what would be involved in using a machine like this. Is the universe like a vast grid that you just punch in coordinates and send it on its way, or do you need send the objects based on the relative position to something with a strong gravitational force like a sun?
It's possible that this device may have had something to do with the disappearance of all the people. But what could possibly influence the people to do so? Even with such amazing technology it would take quite a few years to transport people off Terra Durom, and to where?
What a logistical nightmare. Unless there were a lot more machines elsewhere on Terra Durom, or some other means to access them besides being on the pad itself.
I decided to find out more information before jumping to anymore conclusions.
I headed to the tower on the outside of the sphere. There was various labs and offices. I ducked into one of them and found a newspaper. The date was 30 years ago. To have this technology 30 years ago was incredible, considering how hard we have worked to travel any distance from the earth. There must have been a significant difference in how their technology developed, either they stumbled on something we missed or there is something different about these "humans".
All of the news seemed to involve information about an evacuation. It had a basic outline of the plans to systematically get all the people off of Terra Durom. There were several ads in the margins explaining where you could pick up your evacuation manual. Supposedly this manual outlined what a person should take and what to leave.
It was amazing that all the governments 30 years ago could unite in such a way. What could possibly bring everyone together like this.
As if someone was listening for my question, the next page had an answer. An asteroid was heading for earth. They had managed to track its orbit the 2 previous times that it had entered the solar system. A computer simulation predicted that it would strike the earth in 31 years.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Chapter 19 - Control
Their control room looked a lot like mission control. It was strange that this would be so close to this machine. You would think that they would want it to be far away for safety. The same way our mission control is a few miles from the launch pad. Of course that is assuming that there is some sort of danger to be wary of.
I hadn't noticed any fuel lines, or fuel tanks inside or outside of the building. Maybe there is no need to fear an explosion.
All the computers seemed to be running still, although they looked dusty and old, they seemed to be in good condition.
I found what I thought was the main computer unit. All the cylinders containing the various cables ran from the machine to this unit as well as from this unit to all the other computers in the control room.
I moved the mouse around and I was immediately confronted with a graph. It seemed to be some sort of probability wave. This was very similar to the wave I used in my calculations to stabilize the structure of our space craft.
I clicked the menu and found something in reference to a simulation. I clicked it, the large monitor at the front of the room lit up and began to display an animation of the sphere. It showed the road and doorway positioning itself at a specific angle. Then a small platform at the end of the road began to move forward towards the sphere. As it passed under each of the arches on the roadway it's speed seemed to double. The simulated platform hit the middle of the sphere and then the simulation showed a beam passing from the 12 internal spheres to the satellite dish on the top of the building.
All I could think of was "Beam me up Scotty"
I hadn't noticed any fuel lines, or fuel tanks inside or outside of the building. Maybe there is no need to fear an explosion.
All the computers seemed to be running still, although they looked dusty and old, they seemed to be in good condition.
I found what I thought was the main computer unit. All the cylinders containing the various cables ran from the machine to this unit as well as from this unit to all the other computers in the control room.
I moved the mouse around and I was immediately confronted with a graph. It seemed to be some sort of probability wave. This was very similar to the wave I used in my calculations to stabilize the structure of our space craft.
I clicked the menu and found something in reference to a simulation. I clicked it, the large monitor at the front of the room lit up and began to display an animation of the sphere. It showed the road and doorway positioning itself at a specific angle. Then a small platform at the end of the road began to move forward towards the sphere. As it passed under each of the arches on the roadway it's speed seemed to double. The simulated platform hit the middle of the sphere and then the simulation showed a beam passing from the 12 internal spheres to the satellite dish on the top of the building.
All I could think of was "Beam me up Scotty"
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Chapter 18 - Dish
At the top of the sphere was a small hatch, just big enough for me to get out.
I climber out and I could see the large satellite dish that I had spotted outside angled towards the sky.
This whole thing seemed like a mystery wrapped in an enigma. What was all this for? I decided to carefully climb back down again, and think about some of these clues.
They have satellites, but no ships. There technology seems much more efficient than our own.
It seems like this world was concerned with living their lives in an efficient way. The fact that there was so little visible impact on the planet would definitely suggest that.
Why wouldn't they make a ship if they have satellites? Unless there was something wrong with a ship?
I wanted to try a speculate about why a ship wouldn't have come about. They were obviously adapt and knowledgeable of the universe beyond their galaxy.
Maybe they didn't want to find the fuel to power a ship. How else could you get something into space?
I decided to go to the control room to look for more clues.
I climber out and I could see the large satellite dish that I had spotted outside angled towards the sky.
This whole thing seemed like a mystery wrapped in an enigma. What was all this for? I decided to carefully climb back down again, and think about some of these clues.
They have satellites, but no ships. There technology seems much more efficient than our own.
It seems like this world was concerned with living their lives in an efficient way. The fact that there was so little visible impact on the planet would definitely suggest that.
Why wouldn't they make a ship if they have satellites? Unless there was something wrong with a ship?
I wanted to try a speculate about why a ship wouldn't have come about. They were obviously adapt and knowledgeable of the universe beyond their galaxy.
Maybe they didn't want to find the fuel to power a ship. How else could you get something into space?
I decided to go to the control room to look for more clues.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Chapter 17 - Interior
After climbing the tower at the end of the floating road I started my long walk towards the giant sphere. About every 50 meters or so there was an arch over the road with what looked like several thin florescent lights inside of them.
It took me about 20 minutes to walk to the sphere. It was covered in different moss and birds nests. It looked like no body had taken care of these place in a few decades, yet there was no sign of rust. It seemed with a good cleaning and everything would look as good as new, providing you had enough janitors.
As I walked through the big door I could see that the walls of the sphere were a good 3 meters thick. I pulled out my pocket flashlight so that I could take a look around.
It was hard to see, but it seemed that there were several sets of spheres nested within spheres. They were made out of some sort of wire mesh so you could see through them. I walked a little ways into the interior, there looked to be about a dozen of them.
Once I got to the center I looked straight up. Tt was a hollow cylinder, about 50 feet wide all the way up to the top. At the roof I could see a ring of light from outside.
On one wall of the cylinder was a ladder. Despite my better judgment I decided to climb my way up.
It took me about 20 minutes to walk to the sphere. It was covered in different moss and birds nests. It looked like no body had taken care of these place in a few decades, yet there was no sign of rust. It seemed with a good cleaning and everything would look as good as new, providing you had enough janitors.
As I walked through the big door I could see that the walls of the sphere were a good 3 meters thick. I pulled out my pocket flashlight so that I could take a look around.
It was hard to see, but it seemed that there were several sets of spheres nested within spheres. They were made out of some sort of wire mesh so you could see through them. I walked a little ways into the interior, there looked to be about a dozen of them.
Once I got to the center I looked straight up. Tt was a hollow cylinder, about 50 feet wide all the way up to the top. At the roof I could see a ring of light from outside.
On one wall of the cylinder was a ladder. Despite my better judgment I decided to climb my way up.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Chapter 16 - Sphere
I headed out to where our launch complex 39 should be.
They still had similar giant twin roads. Not quite the same material, but of a similar size. So obviously they intended to move something big out here.
It really did feel like being back home. I had spent so much time on location here , that it was my entire life. My apartment was just where I slept.
As I got closer I could see that the launch platform was not there. In it's place was a giant metal plated sphere covered in scaffolding. About halfway up the sphere was a large doorway, this had an elevated metal road sticking out of it parallel to the earth. It looked like half a bridge shoved into a ball. For some reason there was a large satellite dish placed on top of the sphere.
As I got closer I could make out the shape of the panels on the sphere. It appeared like the door could be positioned on any side of the sphere, and the floating road could be repositioned with it. The end of the road was resting on a tower that appeared to be on a train track that made a wide circle around the sphere.
What the hell is that thing?
In the distance where complex 39b would have been was something that I could only describe as a nuclear power plant. It had similar towers, but there was something distinctly different about it.
I could only imagine this was meant to power this machine somehow.
I thought I was going to be investigating a world the same as our own, and although it appears they were human, this technology seems to make them quite alien to us.
They still had similar giant twin roads. Not quite the same material, but of a similar size. So obviously they intended to move something big out here.
It really did feel like being back home. I had spent so much time on location here , that it was my entire life. My apartment was just where I slept.
As I got closer I could see that the launch platform was not there. In it's place was a giant metal plated sphere covered in scaffolding. About halfway up the sphere was a large doorway, this had an elevated metal road sticking out of it parallel to the earth. It looked like half a bridge shoved into a ball. For some reason there was a large satellite dish placed on top of the sphere.
As I got closer I could make out the shape of the panels on the sphere. It appeared like the door could be positioned on any side of the sphere, and the floating road could be repositioned with it. The end of the road was resting on a tower that appeared to be on a train track that made a wide circle around the sphere.
What the hell is that thing?
In the distance where complex 39b would have been was something that I could only describe as a nuclear power plant. It had similar towers, but there was something distinctly different about it.
I could only imagine this was meant to power this machine somehow.
I thought I was going to be investigating a world the same as our own, and although it appears they were human, this technology seems to make them quite alien to us.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Chapter 15 - NTSA
I decided to go the rest of the way on foot. I was sure there wasn't anyone there to mess with my chopper. I had to be careful, there were a lot of gators in Florida, and this area was was swamped with them.
I continued down the side road to where the Vehicle Assembly Building would have been. It doesn't seem so far when you are riding around in cars and buses all the time, but it was a good walk.
I saw a bald eagle fly by. The wild life seems similar enough to ours, another sign that our world's came from the same origin.
The area had a lot of different buildings. I went in and out of each of them and they were filled with technology I'd never seen before. The focus of this place was not the same as our world.
There were space type suits, but in no way the same as what our astronauts at home would wear. These seemed to deal more with radioactive protection then with zero gravity, zero atmosphere environments.
I found it very strange that I could find a lot of gear that you could loosely define was for space travel, but there wasn't anything that suggested the construction of a vehicle for getting into space.
I started to wonder if they hadn't moved into the frontier of space when they left. But that didn't explain the satellites that are in orbit around Terra Durom. How'd they get up there without a space program.
Upon further exploration I found a factory where satellites were being assembled. This really didn't make any sense. Why build satellites with no means to get them into orbit.
Many of the buildings had an NTSA logo on them. I could only guess what that meant.
So similar yet so different.
I found a maintenance vehicle outside of one of the labs. This place was huge so I figured it would be better to drive than hot footing it around.
I decided to take a trip down to where the launch pad would be on our world. I had to see for myself how different this NTSA was from our NASA.
I continued down the side road to where the Vehicle Assembly Building would have been. It doesn't seem so far when you are riding around in cars and buses all the time, but it was a good walk.
I saw a bald eagle fly by. The wild life seems similar enough to ours, another sign that our world's came from the same origin.
The area had a lot of different buildings. I went in and out of each of them and they were filled with technology I'd never seen before. The focus of this place was not the same as our world.
There were space type suits, but in no way the same as what our astronauts at home would wear. These seemed to deal more with radioactive protection then with zero gravity, zero atmosphere environments.
I found it very strange that I could find a lot of gear that you could loosely define was for space travel, but there wasn't anything that suggested the construction of a vehicle for getting into space.
I started to wonder if they hadn't moved into the frontier of space when they left. But that didn't explain the satellites that are in orbit around Terra Durom. How'd they get up there without a space program.
Upon further exploration I found a factory where satellites were being assembled. This really didn't make any sense. Why build satellites with no means to get them into orbit.
Many of the buildings had an NTSA logo on them. I could only guess what that meant.
So similar yet so different.
I found a maintenance vehicle outside of one of the labs. This place was huge so I figured it would be better to drive than hot footing it around.
I decided to take a trip down to where the launch pad would be on our world. I had to see for myself how different this NTSA was from our NASA.
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