Space: The Final Frontier

         The year is 2060 and the world is finally working to resolve the problems they face. The United Nations elected Maso Yamamoto as General Secretary. As the members had hoped, he was a skilled diplomat and problem solver. He persuaded the G9 to excuse the debts of the third world countries. He had their promise that if this was done they would use the money made available to bring their countries into the 21st century. He established an oversight committee that ensured that the promises were kept. He persuaded his old friend, President Keeting, to sign the Kyoto accords. He dispatched hand picked representatives to the middle east to establish peace in that region. Mr. Yamamoto got results. Wold Hunger was slowly disappearing, the middle east was talking and making some real inroads into peace, and pollution and global warming were finally showing improvement.

         President Keeting, showing great leadership, had paid off the national debt and the United States was beginning to become a competitive member in the world market. However, there was a price to be paid and NASA was the one to pay it. They had been put on a shoe string budget. They could maintain their fleet of shuttle craft and the space station but any exploration was put on hold. Several NASA employees and astronauts had been pink slipped to reduce the overhead. Any astronuats that were still in the military were reassigned to other specialties or retired.

         Robert Manning was a billionaire several times over. He had had a dream since he was a young boy to explore space. He learned early on, he didn't have the skills to be an astronaut. So he decided he would start up his own space fleet. It became an obsession with him. He realized he would need huge amounts of cash to make his dream come true. He had majored in finance in college and had worked as a investment counselor on Wall Street. He had discovered he had a talent for discovering the next hot financial trend and getting in on the gound floor making a great deal of money for his clients. He also knew when to get out. He quit his job on Wall Street and started working for himself in high risk investments. He made his money on the stock market and began to build his dream. He opened a laboratory and hired young, promising researchers giving them the financing and turned them loose. After a few years, he was patenting and selling simple gadgets that proved to be money makers in the private sector. This was a cover for the real research of getting into outer space. Meanwhile, he had a mole in human resources at NASA who would keep him informed of who was getting pink-slipped. He would have them investigated to see if they could help him in pursuit of his obsession, which was a manned mission to Mars. Those that had the qualifications he was looking for were hired after some intense negotiations. When he had the personnel he needed, he set up a research center in Nevada sending his specialists and their families there to begin building his space vehicle. They lived close to Reno so that they could shop for whatever they needed in order to live there. His baby was born.

         Mr. Manning was visiting the research facility in Nevada handling the various adminstrative issues that arise from such a risky venture. He found a red flagged file in his in box. Red flags indicated priority material. He opened the file and started reading. He stopped in shock and then started at the beginning and reread the file slowly. He buzzed his secretary.

         "Yes, Mr. Manning?"

         "Tell Doctor Banyan I need to see him right away."

         "Yes, Mr. Manning."

         Thirty minutes had passed and his secretary buzzed him.

         Doctor Banyan to see you, Mr. Manning."

         "Send him right in, Susan."

         The door opened and a young man entered the room. He had black hair that lay smoothy along the line of his skull. He wore glasses but the eyes behind them were sharp as a knife. His dress was immaculate. He hurried in and sat in the chair that Mr. Manning had indicated. The only nervousness he showed the tapping of his fingers on the chair arm. He looked directly into Mr. Manning's eyes.

         "I just read your file, Doctor Banyan. Do I understand correctly that you are saying that you have discoved a previously unknown meteorite approaching our solar system whose line of approach is heading in our direction?"

         "Yes, Sir. If you recall, we had installed that new telescope that your laboratory had designed in order to study Mars more thoroughly for the manned flight we are working toward. We were testing the telescope by looking farther out in space than Mars and found an anomaly outside our galaxy. We have been studying the anomaly for quite some time now and that file is the result of our studies. We are still not sure if the earth will be barely missed or hit a glancing blow but however the earth is affected life here will be forever changed. I am asking that you approve further study of this anomaly so that we can present it to the scientific community and warn them of the danger."

         "You have my approval, Doctor Banyan. I would like you to keep me apprised of your progress periodically, also. I will give you the necessary authorization immediately. I want you to select a team of the best that we have and document this thoroughly closing all the loop holes before we go public."

         "Thank you, Sir. I will choose my team and begin immediately."

         Dr. Banyan stood and shook hands with Mr. Manning and exited the office. Mr. Manning sat back down and leaned back in his chair thinking deeply about this information.

         Several weeks went by while the astrophysicists watched the anomaly in the sky and recorded their observations. As time went by, it became clearer that the anomaly would cause an event that would effect the earth or its orbit. Doctor Banyan kept Mr. Manning apprised of their observations. Mr. Manning was developing a plan based on the data he was receiving. It was clear that some long term plans would need to be made to protect the human race. Except for NASA, he was the only one with the necessary resources. Doing a comparison based on the readiness of his research facility and NASA, he came out on top hands down. He knew that they would have to report their observations to the appropriate authorities as soon as they were relatively sure of the outcome. However, that would not prevent him from continuing on with his own plans for the survivial of the human race. He had the resources, the expertise, and the manpower to build and shoot into outer space a ship of humans just in case the worse case scenario happened to earth. The only problem left would be the destination of the ship. The moon had a research facility where they could stay temporarily, but they needed a final destination. He needed for Doctor Banyan to come through with a scenario that would give these people a new home. He just hoped that the observations being made would bring that about.

         Robert Manning was waiting in the foyer with his astrophysicists and Doctor Banyan to announce their discovery at the international science forum in Geneva. He had already begun to implement his plan. He had had human resources at his laboratory scour the planet for past employees of NASA that were involved in the construction, deployment, and piloting of the space shuttle. He had shut all of his operations at the laboratory down and moved everything and everybody to Nevada. He had had a meeting with the personnel he had collected, showing them the results of his astrophysicists. Then he informed them of his plan to build a large space passenger and cargo ship that would be launched into space before the asteroid affected the earth. They would land at the moonbase living in the cargo ship until the asteroid had left their galaxy. This would be necessary because there wouldn't be any room for the refugees at the moon base. Once they were sure which of the two possibilities had affected the fate of earth, they would lift off of the moon and land. Either the earth would have survived a very close pass of the asteroid or the asteroid would hit the earth with a glancing blow. Either way, the ship would be stocked to ensure the survival of the human race.

         Mr. Manning and his astrophysicists exited the international scientists forum on the way back to Nevada. They were met with almost widespread disbelief. But Mr. Manning had confidence in his young crew. They were inexperienced but knowledgeable. Youth was a requirement for most of the people he brought on board for children were an important component in his plan to save the human race. Also, there were unforeseen problems that would need creative solutions as they prepared for their grand voyage. The young were most likely to think outside the box. The best guess of his astrophysicists was a three year window before the peril of earth would be obvious. Mr. Manning had hired the cream of the expertise he would need for this project. He had given them unlimited access to funding for building the ship that would help them escape disaster. Now it was up to him to ensure that the money wouldn't run out at a critical phase. It was back to Wall Street for him. He would fashion his strategy based on the information his astrophysicists had provided for him. He would use his talent in recognizing when to buy and sell to make sure the financial well wouldn't go dry.

         Max Drummond had been a space jockey for most of his life. He had signed up with the Air Force and made it into the astronaut program. He gave up a personal life in order to earn the scientific degrees he would need to meet the qualifications. Then the budget crunch came and he got pink slipped. When he was shunted to a research station in Antarctica, he figured it was time to leave the service. He took his discharge and headed for home. He was reading about the international scientific symposium one day, when he came upon the article about a group of young astrophysicists discovering a meteor. He read that they felt that earth was in imminent danger from this meteor and had encouraged the scientific community to make their own observations. Max got online and pulled all the information he could on this anomaly. What he uncovered was ominous. According to the information he had been able to dig up, this meteor was headed this way and would have a significant impact one way or another on earth. He discovered that the man who backed the young astrophysicists was Robert Manning. He did a background check on him and found him to be the financial backer for this think tank. Max decided he was the man he needed to talk to. He called the airport and reserved a seat for Reno, Nevada and started to pack.

         Max arrived in Reno and leased a car at the Avis Desk in the airport. He caught a shuttle to where the car was parked and headed into town. He found a clean but low cost motel and rented a room. Once he was settled, he got back in the car and headed for the research facility. He had loaded the directions to it on his GPS and felt confident he would find it.

         He drove around fifty miles when he saw an electrified fence come into view. There was a guard at the gate. He knew from his research that Mr. Manning had been hiring former NASA employees that had been pink slipped. He approached the gate and flashed his old NASA identification hoping that they wouldn't look too closely at it. He was passed through with directions to the adminstistration offices. As he drove down the only road he saw, he passed mobile homes that he assumed were being used as temporary housing for employees with families. He drove by an air strip and a huge warehouse where there was a lot of activity. He figured that was where the space ship was being built. Finally, he saw the administration building and parked the car in the parking lot. He walked through the door but didn't see anyone manning the desk. He decided since he was crashing the research facility, he might as well as have a look around. He walked through the building opening and closing doors as he came to them. He came to the last door. He figured if any of them were occupied, this was the one. He knocked on the door and a voice bade him enter. He walked into the office and saw a tall, middle-aged man in very good shape. He had blond hair that was starting to turn gray and swarthy, tanned skin. His features were hawklike and stern as if he were used to being in charge. Max had a feeling this might be Mr. Manning himself. He approached the desk with his hand held out.

         "Hello, my name is Max Drummond. Are you Mr. Manning?"

         "Yes, I am. What are you doing here? I didn't expect anyone today."

         "Sorry, Sir. My name is Max Drummond. I read about you on the internet after hearing about the results your astrophysicists had reported to the International Scientific Symposium. I saw that you were hiring ex NASA personnel for some project you have in mind. I believe that your scientists discovery is real and that we are looking forward to a hug disaster in the making. I used to be an astronaut in the NASA program. I had trained all my life for that job and then got pink slipped. I had been in the Air Force. After I got reassigned, I left after my enlistment expired. That is probably why my name hasn't come up on your radar. I bluffed myself onto your research facility, because I want to be part of your project. I am willing to function in any position you think I might be of assistance. I came to make a personal plea that you take me on."

         At first, Mr. Manning was irritated that this Drummond man had forced his way onto his research facility. But the more he explained the more interested Mr. Manning became. This was just the kind of man he was interested in bringing here. He would have a background check made on Drummond; and if everything checked out, he would bring him on board. Right now, however, he would send him back out to wait until his credentials had been established. If he was who he said he was, he would bring him back here permanently.

         "Alright, Drummond, you have gotten my attention. Leave your information with my secretary and return to your quarters. If all checks out, I will officially welcome you to my team and bring you up to speed of what I'm about. Susan should be back at her desk when you leave. She was just going to gone for a second."

         Encouraged, Max, left the office and returned to the secretary's desk. She was back. He explained what Mr. Manning had said and left his resume with the secretary. He got in his car and headed back to Reno and his motel room.

         Max woke up the next morning to the sound of a knock on his door. He got out of bed and answered the door. Two security guards from the research facility were standing there. He could tell that was who they were because of the uniform they were wearing.

         "Mr. Drummond, we have received orders to bring you to the research facility and arrange permanent housing for you. Tie up and loose ends you have here. We are prepared to take you back with us."

         Max packed up, moved his things into the company car, and returned the car to the leasing agency. The guards followed him and waited until he returned and got in the car. Then they were on the way to the research facility. They passed the entry gate and turned into the neigborhood of mobile homes. They stopped in front of one at the end of the row.

         "Here are your quarters during your time here, Mr. Drummond. We have stocked the cupboards with everything you need. When you need to restock, a company car will be made available to you. Whenever you need to get off the base for a little R&R, our company cars are available for that, too. Get settled in now, Mr. Drummond, you will need to report to the hanger tomorrow."

         Max unlocked his new home and entered. It was the typical inexpensive mobile home with small, cheap furniture and basic appliances. There was a tv set there and he had noticed a satellite mounted on the outside. He noticed this was a one bedroom mobile home and he entered the one bedroom to settle in. He sat on the bed. At least it was a comfortable bed. He unpacked, went to the kitchen and put together a simple meal, and watched televisionf or while. Then he went to bed and dreamed dreams.

         Max was up and out early the next day. He was anxious to get to the hanger and find out what he was going to be assigned to do. When he got to the hanger, There was already a great deal of activity. People were swarming around a huge, partially constructed edifice that he assumed was the space ship. As he came nearer he as accosted by a craggy faced individual who looked like he was carrying a heavy responsibility.

         "Good morning, you must be Max Drummond. I'm Lewis Sullivan. I'm a constructional engineer and the forman in charge of building the space ship. I understand in the past you were an astronaut at NASA? Is that all you were? Do you have a problem with pitching in wherever we need you until we need your skills?"

         Max looked at Sullivan and saw a shrewd look in his eyes. He was pretty sure he was being tested. In a situation like this, no one could tolerate a prima dona. Everyone would be needed to get this show on the road.

         "Call me Max. No Mr. Sullivan I have no problem pitching in wherever I'm needed. At NASA, we may have had engineering and aeronautical degrees, but we were also expected to learn how to repair and maintain the fleet of shuttles that visited the space station on a regular basis. So you got yourself a jack-leg mechanic."

         "That's great, Max. You can call me Lew. We have very little formality here since we all work long hours together. Report over there to that group of people standing by the fusilage. They have been just covered over and we don't have enough hands to help them right now. The gentleman in the blue coverall is in charge. His name is Allen Long. He will ask you about your experience and then assign you to an area where you can be most helpful."

         With that, Lew turned and headed back to the space ship. Max hurried over to the fulsilage and reported to Mr. Long. Max was told the call him Allen and then went through an exhaustive interview about his skill level. He had no concern about that, because he had always had a gift with machinery and knew he would be useful here. He could feel something inside of him relax. He was back doing what he was always meant to do. He was preparing to go back into space. If the world was coming to an end, he was occupied doing something he loved. Nothing was better than that.

         Max worked to exhaustion for several weeks. There was so much to do and very little time to do it. He was aware of the population expanding on the research base. However, he was working from dawn til dusk and by the time he got home he was so tired all he could do was eat something and go to bed. There was a lot of effort to complete the space ship as quickly as possible so that they could go on to help with other projects that needed completion to ensure their survival after leaving earth. The space ship was finally showing some progress. It was the largest space vehicle ever constructed because it would be solidly stocked with people and supplies. Mr. Manning had his astrophysicist working with chemical scientists on a more efficient fuel delivery system for firing the rocket. Atomic power would be used as the fuel but the metal it would be contained in needed work. Everyone knew that in the core of the earth was metal that could act as the delivery system but no one had been able to get to it and mine it. The researchers were experimenting with a core drill that might be able to punch into the core and mine the metal. The team was in Hawaii at Pele carrying on trial testing now. The core drill was based on laser technology whose power had been pushed to the limit in the laboratory. if they can punch into the core, a syringe has been constructed with small samples of metal that have been belched out of a volcano. This would be used to draw the liquified metal up through the tunnel in order to construct a fuel tank that could contain the fissionable material without exposing everything on the ship to radiation.

         Everyone knew that the core was made up of iron, nickel, and sulphur. Once they got a core sample, They would let it harden and test it with the heat of the atomic fuel. If the metal stood up to the test, they would analyze the composition and be able to recreate the metal for use throughout the ship. Everything went like clockwork at the test site and the team of scientists returned to the research facility. Matt heard that they were going to test the ore in the specially constructed testing area. It was a completely enclosed area lined in lead with cameras placed in strategic areas to give observers the ability to watch the test safely. There would be a cd of the actual test they could be played over and over again while observing any potential problem with the metal. There was great excitement at the research facility on the day of the test. This was crucial to accomplishing their objective. Everyone continued to work but their attention was split between their assignment and the testing going on over at the laboratory.

         Mr. Manning was in the laboratory to watch the testing of the metal. This was crucial to success of his plan. They had to have metal strong enough to contain the fissionable material being used to power the ship. They had machined some of the metal into a small container and arranged a device inside to act as a small engine propelled by the fissionable material. The engine would be powered up and run at maximum rate inside the container to test its durability. He saw one of the scientists give the nod to start the engine. He heard the loud hum begin as more stress was put on the engine. Then a whine came from the engine when it was ratcheted up to full power. Everyone in the laboratory watched the container closely. the test had been going on for an hour and still no visible signs of wear from the container. this would continue until for several hours or for as long as the container could stand up to it. Mr. Manning headed back to his office. When the test was over and if the metal held up it would be torn apart and the inside examined for any erosion. If the test was a success, a crucial element of his plan would be successful. He sighed in satisfaction.

         It had been over a year since Mr. Manning and his astrophysicists and warned the scientific community about the meteor headed in this direction. The meteor has entered the sphere where all other telescopes aimed toward space could pick up the echo. Now that the astrophysicists had been proven correctly through independent verification no one was laughing. If they were proved correct in one instance then they could be correct regarding the rest of the data that had been presented. Scientists were hard at work on calculations to determine if this asteroid was a danger to earth. Of course the research facility in Nevada was already was already way ahead of the rest of the world. They had already gone from shocked realization to determination to carry out their plan. And they had already found the most talented available to work for them. The other were already way behind on any practical planning and would have to hurry and cut corners to do whatever they decided to do.

         Now that it was assured that they had a metal that could withstand the atomic energy that would fuel the space ship, completing the building of it speeded up. They had others that had been brought here who were biologists who would decide and gather embryos of animals that would be brought with them. Seeds that would be planted in the hydroponics labs would be selected for the plant life they would need to survive. Computer programmers were assigned to selecting a number of books on different subjects and loading them into cds to be stored on the ship so that there would be easy access to information when needed. They had less than two years before the asteroid would be here and they would need every bit of time.