Read Online Alder's World Part One: Mass 17 by Joel Stottlemire - Free Book Online Page A

it should enrich up to about a single
twenty megaton bomb. ”
    “To do what?” Treva Garson, the ships executive commander asked
from her place at the table. “ Blow the cloud apart? ”
    “Exactly.” Alder
responded. “ It will create an
opening. We ’ ll have a few
hours with the cloud off of us to build a little momentum. It would
give us a chance to set down on the planet without bringing the
whole cloud down on us.” Alder barreled on
not waiting for people to process ‘ set down on the planet. ’ “ We ’ re not built to
land, but we can definitely collapse our orbit and force ourselves
to the surface. In simulation, the ship can survive entry into a
thin atmosphere and the shields can survive impact with the
surface. It ’ ll be the end of
them, but we ’ ll be
alive.
    “Our best odds are to get
down to the surface before the cloud …” He paused. Someone was crying audibly over the
intercom. He looked at Elana for support but she only nodded for
him to go on. “ Once on the
surface we would have the ability to gather new resources. Maybe
even do a bit of terra forming. Lieutenant Harshaw
has …” The crying was steady.
Whoever it was was sitting close to the microphone. Alder waited,
hoping Elana would step in. “ Look.” He said finally, “ I know you ’ re scared. I
know this is crazy but this ship is being crushed to death.
It ’ s been dying since the
explosion. Maybe it ’ s hard to
imagine us not being a ship ’ s
crew anymore but we ’ re not.
We ’ re survivors on a rescue
mission and this plan is our best chance of survival.” He
paused. “ I did the math. This
is our best chance. I ’ m
sorry. ”
    He turned away from the
table. Pilton picked up after a long pause. “ So
that ’ s it then. I
don ’ t want to do anything
hasty. Alder says we ’ ve got
some time. Let ’ s talk this
through.” He went on but Alder
wasn ’ t listening. Elana had
risen and come over to him.
    “Good job.” She whispered, sliding and arm around him and
gripping him tightly by the waist.
    He sighed. “ Someday
we ’ re going to reach a point
in our lives where you tell me good job for doing something I
enjoyed doing. ”
    “I hope so.” She smiled up at him. “ It had to be you Sam. You
don ’ t ever try to sell
anybody on an idea. You just say it like it is. It makes hard
things easier to hear. ”
    The conversation about the
plans was continuing around the table but Elana led Alder to the
observation port. There were waving sheets of sparks in the
darkness. “ Do you see those
little sparks out there Sam? I know those are specks of dust
hitting the shield. I know there are more of them than there were a
week ago, but it doesn ’ t tell
me anything. It ’ s just a
fact. When you tell me there will be more and more of those sparks
until they overload our system, I believe you. Facts
won ’ t save us Sam. Belief
will save us. And you make people believe. ”
    Sam nodded. “ It ’ s easier being a scientist. ”
    Elana ’ s response was
cut short by Captain Pilton. “ Alder? Alder? You said you ’ d done the math. Some of the crew are wondering, does that
mean you know our likelihood of survival if we attempt the
landing?”
    Alder ducked his head as
if ducking the question. “ It ’ s just a guess
sir. ”
    “But you know the odds?
You can give us some idea? ”
    Alder hesitated but
everyone in the room was fixed on him. “ Sir, when you asked me to run a
test of all the solutions on the table; waiting for rescue,
attempting to leave orbit, only one showed any significant odds of
success and that was landing. ”
    “But the numbers Alder.
What were the numbers? ”
    “Mbaka fully reviewed
my …”
    “The
numbers! ”
    Alder cleared his
throat. “ I predict a 20%
chance of success with a margin of error plus or minus ten
percent. ”

Old Friends
    Elana
could have had her office designed any way she liked. Back on
League Prime during the years of endless discussions and