Earthrise: 2176 [Published - Sample Only]

Chapter 2.2 - The Discovery (Part 2) V2.1

Robert nodded to himself silently. "Major Jones, I know that weight is always an issue with ship design; but, ah, due to potential, um, other improvements in future versions of the system, could you please ensure that the cooling system could be rated at say, 150% of current capacity?"

Mick winked. "Sure Doc. You'll fill me in when I have a need to know, right?"

Robert winked in response to his new friend without committing to anything. "Just between us girls Mister Jones..."

"Aye, sir!"

A few days later, as they powered down the equipment after another successful test run. Robert stepped over to Mynah's station and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. She momentarily touched her hand to his and then stood up. He looked at her, smiled and asked. "Um, got a minute. We need to talk about phase two."

Mynah nodded and gestured to Robert's office. Robert closed the door and they sat on the worn but comfortable black leather couch. Robert said. "AI, security level three."

The cold mechanical voice of the lab AI announced from an overhead speaker. "Acknowledged."

A few moments later, the window to the main lab shuttered, the door latched and all of the external comm and data systems were shut down. Robert poured two glasses of fresh orange juice handed one to Mynah and got down to business. "Mynah, it looks to me like we should be ready to start a few tests for phase two. Do you agree?"

Mynah sipped her drink and answered confidently. "Yes, I agree. Three extra g–plates are all fabbed up and tested. Mick is finishing up the mounting triad and power tuning system; should be ready for a test run early next week."

Scott nodded. "Yeah, Mick was asking a few questions I couldn't answer. We'll have to read him in on phase two before he figures it out for himself. But before we go live, I want to get the assistance of one of my old friends from grad school. He is in charge of the new European Laser Interferometer Gravity observatory at CERN. They're having a formal dedication ceremony next week and I think that we should attend."

She smiled. "We?"

Robert stared his juice for a moment. "Um, yeah, it'll kinda' be a working vacation. We'll take the tube to Zürich; I'll book us a couple of nice rooms at the conference center and after we take care of business we can play tourist a bit."

Mynah smiled and touched Robert's hand lightly. "I'd love to."

Early the following week, Robert had an auto-cab pick him up and then go directly to Mynah's apartment. She was waiting at the curbside with a small suitcase, carry-on bag and a long heavy coat over her arm. As Robert put her luggage in the back of the cab she said. "I checked the weather grid. Switzerland's idea of winter is little different than SoCal, it's their third coldest on record!"

Robert nodded. "I think it'll be a nice change from a constant sunny and 25C!"

Robert closed the door, tapped the engage key and the small hydrogen-powered cab pulled onto the auto-way and took them to the Los Angeles main international sub–shuttle terminal. The two friends didn't say much on the forty-minute ride from Pasadena to the passenger drop-off area. The main building had two stories above ground, and six underground levels. The lowest two levels were nearly a kilometer underground where the Vancouver, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, and New York tubes terminated. The tunnels had been cut with fusion-powered boring machines and the walls were lined with a carbon composite material. The three superconducting tracks were spaced at 120-degree intervals to keep the cars exactly centered in the evacuated tubes. The Los Angeles to New York leg took 42 minutes from block to block. Upon exiting the windowless car, Mynah took Robert's hand and held it tightly. "Bobby, I really don't like these things you know, I'd much rather take something with a window!"