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Authors: Raymond L. Weil
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the course we
think it’s on, it will drastically affect the orbits of all the planets.”
“Yes,” Charles
added in agreement with a haunted look in his eyes. “If it comes into our solar
system, none of us will survive!”
-
An hour later,
Mase was standing outside on the surface of the Moon. He had put on one of the
base’s spare spacesuits and stepped outside so he could think. Looking out
across the Farside site, he could see the large dish antennas dotting the
landscape. They stretched out as far as he could see. Behind him, the Albertson
reflector pointed toward a distant spot in space where the neutron star had
been discovered.
“I thought you
might be out here,” Anthony Kleese spoke as he walked up to the commander in
his own bulky white spacesuit. “I come out onto the surface quite often myself to
clear my head. Particularly if I have something really serious I need to think
about.”
“It seems to
help,” responded Mase, glad to see Anthony; he had a very level head and was
easy to talk to. “I don’t get out on the surface very often anymore. There
always seems to be something that comes up.”
Looking out
across the desolate lunar landscape, Mase could see several Moon Buggies going
down the numerous roads to the different dish antenna sites. They stirred up
clouds of gray dust, which slowly settled back down to the surface in the low
gravity.
Looking up,
all he could see were stars. They seemed so bright here on the backside of the
Moon. Due to the Moon’s current location in its orbit around the Earth, the
Farside site was currently in darkness. Star One, the massive space station in
orbit at the Earth-Moon Lagrange point was also out of sight. Since the
Lagrange point was located between the Earth and the Moon, the station would
never be visible from Farside.
“What’s going
on?” asked Anthony, curiously. “I stopped by the base’s cafeteria earlier for a
bite to eat and everyone is talking about some type of major discovery made by
the array and confirmed by the Albertson reflector. But no one seems to know
quite what it is and if they do, they’re not talking.”
Mase sighed
deeply. The secret would be known throughout the base shortly. Too many people
already knew about the neutron star. Pierre had done the correct thing ordering
a communications blackout. That was another item Mase would have to figure out
how to handle. If the blackout continued too much longer, people would start to
ask questions, particularly the people on Earth who normally spoke to Farside. Mase
suspected that NASA was already making inquiries into what was going on.
Taking a deep breath,
he began telling Anthony about the discovery. He had known Anthony for several
years and trusted the experienced shuttle pilot completely. They had also
become close friends.
“A neutron
star,” Anthony said in a subdued voice. “I took several classes in astronomy in
college, and I know what a neutron star is. This could be serious. What are we
going to do?”
“Professor
LaRann is compiling all the data and we’re running it through Star One’s core
computer system. We told Andrew Matheson on Star One that it was just some routine
observations we wanted to check. Once we know the final results, I will notify
Commander Larson on Star One, and we will discuss what our options are.”
Anthony stood
silently, gazing up toward the distant stars. He looked back at the ground and
kicked up some Moon dust with his spacesuit shoe. He watched it drift slowly
back down in the Moon’s light gravity. “This will change everything. From what
I know of astronomy, that star is already close enough to cause problems with
the orbits of the outer planets.”
“That’s what
LeAnn and Charles said,” confessed Mase, trying not to let the fear of what had
been discovered enter into his voice. “We just don’t know how badly the orbits
of the planets will be affected.”
Anthony nodded
as he thought over what Mase had just
think it’s on, it will drastically affect the orbits of all the planets.”
“Yes,” Charles
added in agreement with a haunted look in his eyes. “If it comes into our solar
system, none of us will survive!”
-
An hour later,
Mase was standing outside on the surface of the Moon. He had put on one of the
base’s spare spacesuits and stepped outside so he could think. Looking out
across the Farside site, he could see the large dish antennas dotting the
landscape. They stretched out as far as he could see. Behind him, the Albertson
reflector pointed toward a distant spot in space where the neutron star had
been discovered.
“I thought you
might be out here,” Anthony Kleese spoke as he walked up to the commander in
his own bulky white spacesuit. “I come out onto the surface quite often myself to
clear my head. Particularly if I have something really serious I need to think
about.”
“It seems to
help,” responded Mase, glad to see Anthony; he had a very level head and was
easy to talk to. “I don’t get out on the surface very often anymore. There
always seems to be something that comes up.”
Looking out
across the desolate lunar landscape, Mase could see several Moon Buggies going
down the numerous roads to the different dish antenna sites. They stirred up
clouds of gray dust, which slowly settled back down to the surface in the low
gravity.
Looking up,
all he could see were stars. They seemed so bright here on the backside of the
Moon. Due to the Moon’s current location in its orbit around the Earth, the
Farside site was currently in darkness. Star One, the massive space station in
orbit at the Earth-Moon Lagrange point was also out of sight. Since the
Lagrange point was located between the Earth and the Moon, the station would
never be visible from Farside.
“What’s going
on?” asked Anthony, curiously. “I stopped by the base’s cafeteria earlier for a
bite to eat and everyone is talking about some type of major discovery made by
the array and confirmed by the Albertson reflector. But no one seems to know
quite what it is and if they do, they’re not talking.”
Mase sighed
deeply. The secret would be known throughout the base shortly. Too many people
already knew about the neutron star. Pierre had done the correct thing ordering
a communications blackout. That was another item Mase would have to figure out
how to handle. If the blackout continued too much longer, people would start to
ask questions, particularly the people on Earth who normally spoke to Farside. Mase
suspected that NASA was already making inquiries into what was going on.
Taking a deep breath,
he began telling Anthony about the discovery. He had known Anthony for several
years and trusted the experienced shuttle pilot completely. They had also
become close friends.
“A neutron
star,” Anthony said in a subdued voice. “I took several classes in astronomy in
college, and I know what a neutron star is. This could be serious. What are we
going to do?”
“Professor
LaRann is compiling all the data and we’re running it through Star One’s core
computer system. We told Andrew Matheson on Star One that it was just some routine
observations we wanted to check. Once we know the final results, I will notify
Commander Larson on Star One, and we will discuss what our options are.”
Anthony stood
silently, gazing up toward the distant stars. He looked back at the ground and
kicked up some Moon dust with his spacesuit shoe. He watched it drift slowly
back down in the Moon’s light gravity. “This will change everything. From what
I know of astronomy, that star is already close enough to cause problems with
the orbits of the outer planets.”
“That’s what
LeAnn and Charles said,” confessed Mase, trying not to let the fear of what had
been discovered enter into his voice. “We just don’t know how badly the orbits
of the planets will be affected.”
Anthony nodded
as he thought over what Mase had just
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