Read Online Trade World Saga 1: Manual Interpretation by Ken Pence - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ken Pence
Tags: Fiction, Science-Fiction, adventure, Action & Adventure, Fiction - Science Fiction, Space Opera, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction, Science Fiction - Adventure
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with on paper and make it less susceptible to environmental shock. We’ll probably have radiation protection from the field but we’ll need room for a good size crew. I expect you to steal as many good ideas from deep space documentaries, prototype suits and food and recreation facilities. I’ll want a small sickbay with minor surgery equipment and staffing."
"Here are the general requirements and specifications I need for the ecosystem. Fran, you are in charge of this part. I'm not sure how much oxygen and food we can produce organically so you will figure that out and how much we’ll be required to store. We will only have a limited amount of water and we will have to recycle the waste recycled as much as possible. We can use electrolysis to produce oxygen and hydrogen. The new power source will produce H2 as a minor byproduct – we can use that in the MHD for power initiation. Essentially our fuel will be water but I'm not sure about the excess hydrogen if we can't turn that into deuterium...I don't want to burn anything. I'm concerned about storage and balance with water stored several places...probably some in every section of the Wildcat since the power supplies are so small. I want every major piece of equipment with its own power supply with a tie to the main power supply."
Steve got up and started yelling, "Look. This power supply thing is all well and good and I can see the usefulness of that. I can see that control of gravity would have HUGE effects on the whole planet if it worked...but," he got calmer and quieter. "Why us? Why do you think we can...no...Why SHOULD we do this? It's really neat and all but shouldn't we just turn this over to the World Government or the University?" he sat down, the group got very quiet and turned back to Andrew, some in obvious assent and others in amusement at the situation Andrew was now in.
Andrew looked around to each of them and didn't seem upset by the questions at all. "My first thoughts too, but what would the World Government do with this? Don't you think I thought of that? The university would just turn it over to the World Government. You know what they'd do. Tod?"
Tod nodded with his mouth pursed. "They'd jerk it out of our hands in a heartbeat. It would be studied in private and trickled out as they saw fit, if ever. We'd be sequestered somewhere not as comfortable as here."
"There would never be spaceflight with it," John said and the group turned toward him, surprised that he had spoken up. "It would squander precious resources from the needs at hand," he added to clarify his previous statement in a parody of news broadcasts. "The government really doesn't want any projects like this. All manned flights were canceled decades ago. Why are you so interested in spaceflight Andrew? Where did you get these huge leaps in technology? Everyone has been debating it but it's time to fess up."
Andrew sighed and Susan gave him a quiet thumb up from the sidelines. He took a breath and started his tale. There was dead silence at the end. Andrew figured they were trying to decide if he was kidding or not. Tod was the first to recover.
"Deep down I knew it must be something like this but didn't want to question too much for fear that I wouldn't get to work on it any more. Fill us in on the details," Tod said and asked a few dozen questions more. Everyone else had a go at him too but he fielded the questions as best he could.
"A pact!" Desiree said and put her hand out.
Ling grinned and put her hand on top of Desiree's as she nudged Steve with her elbow in his ribs.
They all put their left hands in a stack with Andrew next to last with Susan's hand on top.
"All right. I swear to tell no one about this until permitted to with the full consensus of the group." Desiree looked around when no one spoke up. "Shit. Swear it or I'll kick your butt out into the desert myself."
They all grinned and swore their Musketeer oath enjoying the childish excitement of it. Susan looked
"Here are the general requirements and specifications I need for the ecosystem. Fran, you are in charge of this part. I'm not sure how much oxygen and food we can produce organically so you will figure that out and how much we’ll be required to store. We will only have a limited amount of water and we will have to recycle the waste recycled as much as possible. We can use electrolysis to produce oxygen and hydrogen. The new power source will produce H2 as a minor byproduct – we can use that in the MHD for power initiation. Essentially our fuel will be water but I'm not sure about the excess hydrogen if we can't turn that into deuterium...I don't want to burn anything. I'm concerned about storage and balance with water stored several places...probably some in every section of the Wildcat since the power supplies are so small. I want every major piece of equipment with its own power supply with a tie to the main power supply."
Steve got up and started yelling, "Look. This power supply thing is all well and good and I can see the usefulness of that. I can see that control of gravity would have HUGE effects on the whole planet if it worked...but," he got calmer and quieter. "Why us? Why do you think we can...no...Why SHOULD we do this? It's really neat and all but shouldn't we just turn this over to the World Government or the University?" he sat down, the group got very quiet and turned back to Andrew, some in obvious assent and others in amusement at the situation Andrew was now in.
Andrew looked around to each of them and didn't seem upset by the questions at all. "My first thoughts too, but what would the World Government do with this? Don't you think I thought of that? The university would just turn it over to the World Government. You know what they'd do. Tod?"
Tod nodded with his mouth pursed. "They'd jerk it out of our hands in a heartbeat. It would be studied in private and trickled out as they saw fit, if ever. We'd be sequestered somewhere not as comfortable as here."
"There would never be spaceflight with it," John said and the group turned toward him, surprised that he had spoken up. "It would squander precious resources from the needs at hand," he added to clarify his previous statement in a parody of news broadcasts. "The government really doesn't want any projects like this. All manned flights were canceled decades ago. Why are you so interested in spaceflight Andrew? Where did you get these huge leaps in technology? Everyone has been debating it but it's time to fess up."
Andrew sighed and Susan gave him a quiet thumb up from the sidelines. He took a breath and started his tale. There was dead silence at the end. Andrew figured they were trying to decide if he was kidding or not. Tod was the first to recover.
"Deep down I knew it must be something like this but didn't want to question too much for fear that I wouldn't get to work on it any more. Fill us in on the details," Tod said and asked a few dozen questions more. Everyone else had a go at him too but he fielded the questions as best he could.
"A pact!" Desiree said and put her hand out.
Ling grinned and put her hand on top of Desiree's as she nudged Steve with her elbow in his ribs.
They all put their left hands in a stack with Andrew next to last with Susan's hand on top.
"All right. I swear to tell no one about this until permitted to with the full consensus of the group." Desiree looked around when no one spoke up. "Shit. Swear it or I'll kick your butt out into the desert myself."
They all grinned and swore their Musketeer oath enjoying the childish excitement of it. Susan looked
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