Jump Point: The First Frontiers

Part 2: The Crucible of Discovery

After almost a full year upon the decision of renovating an abandoned building for a new Research & Development Center, the scientists, researchers, and engineers can finally begin to collaborate more thoroughly with the latest technology available. This updated and renovated building contains the fastest possible internet speeds for all electronic devices, thus illuminating any potential issues with lagging devices. Monitors appeared to be from a science fiction novel as they are holograms portrayed by the most advanced computers you can build. A supercomputer rests upon both sides of the main tech room. And a large full wall window shows the outside world. Which appears to be in desolation as the damage is being swept from the left to the right in a very slow but pressing march. Scientists and researchers in lab coats are working on computers creating the best possible scenarios using the latest simulation software programs. Military personnel are armed and roaming around keeping guard. A large black rectangle clock with red digital numbers counts down the timer for the estimated time in which life will no longer be sustainable on earth. AI robots are walking around providing advanced AI supported assistance to those in need.

Anyone who enters into this building can immediately feel a difference inside. The air becomes exceedingly thick with anticipation. You can feel the pressure of the weight upon which responsibilities have been burdened with everyone involved. With this weight heavily upon his shoulders, and a complete labyrinth of quantum equations echoing throughout his mind, Dr. Eliot Sterling begins to experience the pressure of time slipping away just like sand through his fingers. Dr. Sterling and his team begin the captivating and elusive task of taking wormhole theories and turning them into reality. This work provides everyone with a mixture of hope merging a whirlpool of challenges in which the team grapples with the enormity of trying to bend space and time. However, the fascinating perspective of wormhole intergalactic traveling, once thought of only in the realm of science fiction, has now begun to shed light on the future. And as such, this becomes the sole focus of humankind. On the brink of total destruction of their home planet, the only option is to seek refuge on another foreign planet.

Working exclusively hard in her job, Dr. Serena Caldwell begins to pour over current-known star charts. Scanning over these charts with propulsion schematics and different galaxies amidst her desk and boards, her eyes begin to outline potential paths that can be explored. Upon each result of the simulations, her frustration begins to mount higher and higher. The complexities of this interstellar traveling theory taunt her seasoned expertise. As each simulation and test begins to elude this possibility, this sets a heavy burden of a reminder about the Earth's ticking clock. The discovery of another ecosystem on a potential exoplanet or even mirror like earth planets, is a crucial and vital aspect of her mission. Without the knowledge of another life-harboring planet to run to, the human race will cease to exist. Feeling the pressure of the ultimate nuclear bomb spreading like a moving worm over a fallen tree, the slow marching of time towards the end of their fruitful era is screeching to a halt at rapid pace. Her search for a new home to colonize on needs to ensure that the planet is capable of producing oxygen for our air, carbon monoxide for the growth of plants, and water for survival for all know life forms. However, her searches are appearing to be elusive in discovering any potential substantial life-thriving planet.

While this team is working around the clock for an answer to our traveling prayers, Dr. Jasper Hawke and his team are working just as hard in the hydroponics lab. Working around the clock to develop a new potential sustainable food source that will travel with the team on this journey. Their end goal is colonization in a new terrain unknown to mankind at this pivotal moment. However, the quest for discovering how to grow food sources from known sources is a crucial steppingstone into the survival of mankind on this new planet.

On the complete opposite side of this high-tech facility, there is a science lab that is filled with the latest hologram technology, simulation software, and space maps all coming together as exoplanet and planetary scientists and researchers are plugging in various numbers for the simulation programs. Spitting out the results in real-time 3D holograms, the team is able to truly identify potential new homes for the human race. Each candidate world being analyzed, is dismissed by one variation or another. The dismissal of exoplanets and Earth-like planets just adds to the growing urgency. The fear of not discovering a new home is pressing like a heavy gravitational force that is unescapable on the shoulders of each of the researchers.

As we peek into another section of this fascinating laboratory, the astronauts are training advanced flight preparations, and evasive maneuvers in the event of a multitude of different scenarios. These individual scenarios include sudden meteor showers, accidentally coming out of the wormhole in a ring field, like that observed around Saturn. And even advanced maneuvering to avoid arial and space gun fights. Dr. Price predicts that there are other advanced civilizations among the stars upon which are potentially in the same position as we are in. And as such, the preparation for the first intergalactic war should be taken into consideration. Meanwhile, there is a special team of advanced and highly trained military soldiers preparing for a space war. While hopeful this will be an incompetent development and study, the team starts working on a new series of weapons. These new high-tech weapons shoot a new type of ammo that has only been a fascination of science fiction novels. These weapons utilize the rays of the sun in order to charge the weapon, and each of these guns shoots out small blasts of highly deadly laser beams. Each beam is roughly 2 seconds long and can pierce through four human bodies before it begins to lose its momentum and power. The recharge time takes roughly 15 seconds for a full gun to be ready. With this, the development of long-range rifles, short range submachine guns, and even close-range handguns had been developed. By having a variety of different weapons, each soldier is capable of handling a space war from a variety of lengths away, while having a back-up weapon in case they run out of ammo. This new technologically advanced weapon prevents the need for a quick reload, and the soldier can quickly swap weapons in the event they need more ammo.

The relentless pursuit of a solution to save humanity from Earth's impending doom has taken more than a physical toll on the team at the Research & Development Center; it has seeped into their very psyche. As the days meld into nights, the mental and emotional strain of the mission begins to surface in various forms. Dr. Eliot Sterling, once a paragon of composure, finds himself grappling with the enormity of his task. The pressure to turn theoretical wormhole models into a tangible escape route weighs heavily on him, manifesting in sleepless nights and a shortening temper. His interactions with his team become increasingly strained, punctuated by moments of sharp frustration. Dr. Serena Caldwell, faced with the herculean task of mapping a safe passage through the stars, begins to doubt her capabilities. Each failed simulation chips away at her confidence, leaving her to wonder if she is truly up to the task. The isolation of her work, compounded by the constant reminder of Earth's ticking clock, fosters a sense of loneliness and anxiety.

Dr. Jasper Hawke, tasked with ensuring the future sustenance of humanity, battles with the fear of failure. The prospect of being responsible for the nourishment of an entire species in an alien world is daunting. His usual optimism is slowly eroded by the magnitude of his responsibility, leading to moments of uncharacteristic pessimism. Dr. Vivian Price, amidst the search for a new home for humanity, struggles with the ethical implications of their mission. The possibility of encountering and potentially displacing extraterrestrial life weighs on her conscience, igniting internal moral debates that leave her restless. The team, once a cohesive unit, now finds itself fraying at the edges. Heated debates become more frequent, as stress, fear, and fatigue strip away the veneer of professional detachment. The once-clear line between colleague and confidant blurs, leading to outbursts of emotion and vulnerability.

As the clock ticks down, the team must not only confront the scientific challenges of their mission but also navigate the complex web of human emotions. The mental and emotional strain becomes an invisible adversary, one that tests their resilience, their relationships, and their very sanity. In the face of overwhelming odds, they must find a way to support each other, drawing strength from their shared purpose to save humanity from extinction.