Exploring the Stars

Chapter 7 - Off to Other Star Systems

(There are italicized words in this chapter that are foreign. Knowing their meaning isn't needed, but it helps know the characters using them a bit more. The final chapter of this book is a listing of these words with their meanings.)

They popped around the system for several more days, checking the remaining planets and several of the dwarf planets, sampling each for elements and minerals. Emeka noted that if they were to move Molitvwi closer to Nadyezhda, it would be useful to herd a dwarf around to become its moon. He said, "It would introduce tides. We'll have to determine how far from the surface we'll need to set it up so it has useful tides, though."

Dannay said, "We've already added a seismologist, so I think we'll have this handled."

Hari replied, "I'd agree. But we'd still need an engineer for moving the planets around – Meka, would that be in your wheelhouse?"

"While I can handle this, there are better people available. And that would definitely be an in-system job. We can't quite pick up the planet, take it home, show it to the expert for their opinion, then pop back over here to drop it off."

Dannay said, "Pity. If we could pop these planets around like that, imagine how much simpler our lives would be here. You want Molitvwi moved inward a bit, POOF! Job done."

Emeka responded, "Actually, there are two notable variables for our FTL drive – the first is distance, as we've seen. The second is mass. Moving a huge mass will take longer or use more power to go the same distance. So moving our cold planet would be slow compared to our jumps. It'd be simpler to slap some GravDrives on her and nudge her that way. And keep in mind orbital velocity – if we just jump the rock there, it's going to keep its current velocity ..."

Ksenia said, "... Da!! And fall into Nadyezhda because she is too slow! Thank you, Emeka, for that. Also, the explanation about how mass and distance impact the GravFTL helped immensely. I was wondering how the math worked out."

Hearing this, Dannay and Hari caught each other's eyes and nodded to each other.

– o O o –

Once they'd gotten about as much out of the stellar system as they were able to without additional crew members, Dannay said, "Well, we've about wrung all the blood we can out of this turnip." She turned to Ksenia and asked, "Ksenia, are you ready to take us to our next destination?"

Hari leaned back in his seat with a smile. He put his hands behind his head, his feet up on his console and said, "My job is so much simpler now!"

Giggling, Ksenia said, "Da, Kapitan. On your order."

Dannay said, "OK, then, further on into the unknown."

Ksenia responded, "Up from the galactic plane ten AU for a view of the system from above. Jumping in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ..." and they relocated to above the last planet, 86 G f, that they had visited. "Mita, if you would, please."

Mita responded, "Image started as soon as we came out of our jump. Completing in 20 seconds."

As Ksenia waited, she prepared for the next jump, getting coordinates one light year above the star they had just visited. Mita broke in and said, "Scan complete. Prepared for next jump."

Ksenia turned to Dannay, who just nodded back before she could ask. So Ksenia said, "Up one light above Nadyezhda on my count. Three ... two ... one ..." and they started their next jump. "Since we are going one light, we have about two and a half hours for this jump."

Hari then jested, "So, smoke 'em if you got 'em." The others laughed, but Ksenia turned to him with a confused look. "Sorry, Ksenie, it's from back in the 20th century pre-Atlantis. Soldiers would say this about cigarettes (which we don't have in Atlantis) during a lull in the battle activity. We should watch some movies, so you get a better idea of it."