Tunguska and the Titanic

More Titanic

The Aurora returned to southern California before local dawn, traveling high above it. George Adamski, two covert residents, and a pilot, Orthon, all got into a RV-sized, sort-of bell-shaped, flying-saucer scoutcraft. Orthon, a young-looking man with long blond hair, was George's first contact among the Space People, in a memorable meeting in the Southern-California desert some months back. Orthon flew the other three to the residents' car, which was parked in the desert. George and one of the residents got out and into the car, and the resident drove himself and George back to Los Angeles. They reached the hotel where the residents had earlier met and picked up George, and they then parted ways. George then completed his journey, making it back to his home on Mt. Palomar, home of the famous observatory.

Some time later, some of the crew of that Aurora was looking over some of their most recent intelligence on the people of planet Earth. George had kept them rather busy when he was on board, but he was now back home. One of the residents had brought back something very remarkable. It was some video from another resident who succeeded in observing a test of a big Earther rocket engine.

It was an impressive sight. The engine made a huge plume of flame, and a huge roar. But some of the people there were less than impressed.
"The Earthers intend to get into space with *THAT*???"
"That has to be the most inelegant method of space travel ever invented."
"It looks like they don't have any idea about how our vehicles work."
"Don't be too hard on them. They are doing what they can within their limitations."

...
"I see that the US Air Force has invented a new name for us. 'Unidentified Flying Objects'"
"So they want an alternative to 'flying saucers'?"
"Unidentified. Heh."
"Certainly to them."

...
Kalna said in mock outrage, "Ilmuth, see what you made me do? You made me research that Earther sea ship." The Aurora's big library of Earther intelligence data had plenty on the Titanic, because its sinking had been such big news.
Ilmuth smiled and Kalna continued "I couldn't believe it when I first read it. The Titanic was crossing an ocean that was full of giant ice cubes. At full speed. At night. Without any radar."
She showed what she found to the others there.
Orthon commented "There is a name for pilots who act like that. Wreckage." He couldn't help laughing.
Ilmuth commented "So it was worse than I thought."
Kalna responded "Pretty much. They did a lot of traveling under similar conditions without a similar big accident."
Orthon said "A great way to get complacent."
"Yeah. They were very startled at how bad it was."
"An accident that was waiting to happen and then they act all surprised when it happens?" Orthon shook his head. The three UFO pilots found it baffling, this monumental recklessness and lack of clue.

Kalna showed everybody someone's diagrams of the ship and what made it sank.
Orthon commented "Compartments. At least they got that right."
Kalna said "The compartments are to keep the ship from getting completely flooded if it starts leaking. They don't have to worry about their air leaking out, but it's the same principle."
One of the others asked "How does a sea ship float? I don't quite remember."
Kalna explained "A sea ship floats the way that a bath toy does. It keeps water out of itself. That lowers its average density. Let enough water in, and it can't float anymore."
"I see now."
Orthon noted "Look at this. They built it to survive four flooded compartments. But that big chunk of ice made five of them leak and get flooded."
Kalna noted "Just enough to make it sink."
"What a twist of fate. It almost survived."

Kalna then said "They had some official investigations and they came up with some good safety procedures. Like watching out for floating ice and always having someone on duty at the radio."
Ilmuth said "So elementary. Was it really that hard for them to think of stuff like that?"
"Seems like it some times. But it's things like that which give me hope for the Earthers. Even though it's unfortunate that they had to learn in such a destructive way."