Read Online Undying Mercenaries 2: Dust World by B. V. Larson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: B. V. Larson
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matched that postulated by Mexican physicist Miguel Alcubierre over a century ago—but we could only guess at the real details of the system’s operation.
Since space inside the warped bubble was relatively normal, we weren’t harmed and time didn’t slow down for us. Months spent in transit matched the time that passed us by outside. The passengers and crew of the ship felt little sense of motion even when the ship effectively moved faster than the speed of light.
The one difficulty with the system was in observing the ship’s surroundings. We couldn’t see outside the warp bubble due to obvious conflicts in the laws of physics. How could you see the shine of a star if you passed it by at many times the speed of light? Instead of stars, anyone looking through the warp bubble saw only a diffuse, splattered light, as if we were inside a globe of gently shifting shades.
The observatory was our single exception. It didn’t provide us with a real image of our environment as that was impossible. But it projected a computer-generated image of what was passing us by. The experience was exhilarating to me. I could see the stars, and if I watched closely enough, one could see them nudge in their positions ever so slightly. It was rather like wat ching the hands of a clock move, but I found it fascinating.
For the most part I kept my eyes forward, staring at the growing image of our destination star system. Zeta Herculis was bright by the third month, easily the brightest object in view. Behind us Sol was just a glimmer, one more star among countless others.
When we were within a day or two of reaching the target system, everyone began to feel tense.
“I thought I’d find you here,” said a quiet voice behind me.
I turned to see Natasha. She was smiling.
“You didn’t bring a date?” I asked her in a whisper.
“Not exactly.”
It took me a second to figure that one out. When I did, I smiled back. I reached a hand toward her, and she took it, giving me a squeeze. Then she came to sit beside me.
The big chamber was kept permanently dim and lit only by starlight. There were benches laid out in a circular pattern with cushioned surfaces. Most of the observers were lying on these benches staring up at the passing stars. By unspoken convention, people only talked in hushed tones while enjoying the observatory.
I was lying on my back staring up at Zeta Herculis. It was an orange, K-class star that would eventually turn into a red giant before it died.
“What do you think it will be like?” Natasha asked me.
“I don’t know. It was an early discovery as exoplanets go, which means it’s kind of big. It probably has heavy gravity. It has lots of water, which is why we sent colonists. Probably very wet and humid too, like those tents where they tested our responses.”
Natasha lay down next to me. She put her head on my shoulder, which made my eyebrows rise a bit. We’d gotten together in the past but not on this trip. There hadn’t been any time for romance with my tight training schedule.
“Am I bothering you?” she asked.
“Not at all.”
“You flinched.”
I chuckled. “That’s just my new muscles. They twitch all the time.”
She ran her hands over my arms squeezing and gliding her fingers up to my shoulders.
“The skin’s rough here, calloused,” she said. “And your body hair is missing in patches.”
“Sorry to disappoint.”
She laughed quietly. “I’m not disappointed. You really have gained a lot of muscle. Harris is really working you hard, isn’t he?”
“Like a rented mule,” I agreed.
“James,” she said a minute or so later. “If it comes down to it, what will you do if they order you to shoot civvies?”
That question took me by surprise. I managed to not tighten my arms which were around her by then.
“I won’t do it,” I said.
She nodded. “I didn’t think you would. They might execute you for not following orders. You know that, don’t you?”
I
Since space inside the warped bubble was relatively normal, we weren’t harmed and time didn’t slow down for us. Months spent in transit matched the time that passed us by outside. The passengers and crew of the ship felt little sense of motion even when the ship effectively moved faster than the speed of light.
The one difficulty with the system was in observing the ship’s surroundings. We couldn’t see outside the warp bubble due to obvious conflicts in the laws of physics. How could you see the shine of a star if you passed it by at many times the speed of light? Instead of stars, anyone looking through the warp bubble saw only a diffuse, splattered light, as if we were inside a globe of gently shifting shades.
The observatory was our single exception. It didn’t provide us with a real image of our environment as that was impossible. But it projected a computer-generated image of what was passing us by. The experience was exhilarating to me. I could see the stars, and if I watched closely enough, one could see them nudge in their positions ever so slightly. It was rather like wat ching the hands of a clock move, but I found it fascinating.
For the most part I kept my eyes forward, staring at the growing image of our destination star system. Zeta Herculis was bright by the third month, easily the brightest object in view. Behind us Sol was just a glimmer, one more star among countless others.
When we were within a day or two of reaching the target system, everyone began to feel tense.
“I thought I’d find you here,” said a quiet voice behind me.
I turned to see Natasha. She was smiling.
“You didn’t bring a date?” I asked her in a whisper.
“Not exactly.”
It took me a second to figure that one out. When I did, I smiled back. I reached a hand toward her, and she took it, giving me a squeeze. Then she came to sit beside me.
The big chamber was kept permanently dim and lit only by starlight. There were benches laid out in a circular pattern with cushioned surfaces. Most of the observers were lying on these benches staring up at the passing stars. By unspoken convention, people only talked in hushed tones while enjoying the observatory.
I was lying on my back staring up at Zeta Herculis. It was an orange, K-class star that would eventually turn into a red giant before it died.
“What do you think it will be like?” Natasha asked me.
“I don’t know. It was an early discovery as exoplanets go, which means it’s kind of big. It probably has heavy gravity. It has lots of water, which is why we sent colonists. Probably very wet and humid too, like those tents where they tested our responses.”
Natasha lay down next to me. She put her head on my shoulder, which made my eyebrows rise a bit. We’d gotten together in the past but not on this trip. There hadn’t been any time for romance with my tight training schedule.
“Am I bothering you?” she asked.
“Not at all.”
“You flinched.”
I chuckled. “That’s just my new muscles. They twitch all the time.”
She ran her hands over my arms squeezing and gliding her fingers up to my shoulders.
“The skin’s rough here, calloused,” she said. “And your body hair is missing in patches.”
“Sorry to disappoint.”
She laughed quietly. “I’m not disappointed. You really have gained a lot of muscle. Harris is really working you hard, isn’t he?”
“Like a rented mule,” I agreed.
“James,” she said a minute or so later. “If it comes down to it, what will you do if they order you to shoot civvies?”
That question took me by surprise. I managed to not tighten my arms which were around her by then.
“I won’t do it,” I said.
She nodded. “I didn’t think you would. They might execute you for not following orders. You know that, don’t you?”
I
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