The End of Eden (Water Worlds 1)

Chapter 13

13

Father was wrong.

He thought we were finished with space. He thought that Humanity was not ready for the next big step.

Although the United States, Europe, Japan and even Russia had dramatically reduced their footprint in space, China did not sit still.

Even before we had left, even before Apophis, Father told me that many in the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party shared his dream of a glorious Chinese Empire, spanning the inner Solar System and enduring for thousands of years.

Now, the coming of the broken asteroid gave them an excuse to risk big treasure on a big return, before it was too late. It would be on to Mars, they announced. 

"The Red Planet will be ours!" It became their rally cry.

We followed the news of China's progress from our new lives in America. What little they'd officially share with the world, that is. Father seemed to know more than others. He called their moves "desperate."

The year after we fled, the government successfully set a Tiangong 4 space station spinning at just the right speed to form a kind of artificial gravity. It was a hammer-and-sickle construction. A curved habitation module at one end of a long access shaft and a small box-like counterweight at the other — filled with water, food and fuel — swung around a common center-of-gravity.

Father helped work on that project, and he knew all the engineers involved. He could pretty much guess what the next steps would be. Maybe that's what he did in Langley all day. On that topic, he was never clear. He seemed almost embarrassed to talk about it, whenever anyone asked.

During the three years before the pieces of Apophis came hurtling to Earth, the Chinese and their allies used the success of the Tiangong to build several Yinghuo ring cities in orbit. Their intention was to fling them off toward Mars.

The ring "cities" weren't really as big as cities, but these could carry up to thirty people at a time in relative comfort (for space flight), and that was a leap ahead. Bigger ones were planned as well.

The rings were based on an old Russian design. Over a hundred years old. It was a simple design, really, but those early Russian space pioneers often used simple solutions to solve some big problems. Like, instead of wasting money and manpower designing an expensive ink pen that could write in weightless space, the way the Americans did, the Russians just issued their cosmonauts pencils.

Their idea for a ring in orbit was similar. Set it spinning at just the right speed, and people could walk along the inside of the ring, imparting a sense that was enough like gravity that they almost felt they were still home on Earth.

The design solved lots of issues besides gravity. Radiation, for example. The outer torus bladder was filled with water and allowed to freeze, protecting the humans inside by absorbing or deflecting dangerous cosmic rays. It could stop or slow small meteorites, too, helping prevent dangerous hull breaches. That was important on a long trip.

The water could be slowly melted and used on board, and naturally there would be a need for a supply of water on Mars, at least in the beginning. Also, the water could be cracked into hydrogen and oxygen for air and fuel cells which would power not only a magnetic solar wind shield, but also the heart of the craft: a Chang-Diaz ion engine.

If it worked, and given a good alignment of the two planets, the ring cities could make the trip to Mars in as little as five months.

The Chinese government promoted the rings as marvels of modern engineering and proof of their technological superiority, but they stopped short of saying they may be the only hope to save humankind. 

We all thought it, though. 

Assembled quickly and cheaply by robotic rigs in Earth orbit, the first two rings were filled with supplies and equipment and flung off to Mars. Once they arrived safely in orbit around the Red Planet (and proven to not shake apart), two other rings were filled with volunteers and sent to follow with the next alignment.

Mostly young couples went on the trip, according to the official Chinese news releases. There were many photos of perfect young professionals, smiling happily for the cameras. But the rumor was a few older Committee members and their families went too.

Once the rings were safely on their way, the Chinese announced the start of an orderly evacuation of everyone on the Moon, and after that, the orbiting space stations.

"Just to be safe," they said. "Just until Apophis passes."

No one could remember a time without people at least in orbit. Soon, the only people in space would be those heading for Mars. 

At least they'd be safe, we all thought.

We never heard from them again.

After the pieces of Apophis peppered the Earth, people had other things on their minds.

In the year before impact, I stumbled on a small story written in the Record. We had just moved into a little house in an old Bethesda neighborhood, and I was reading English better. Although I still stumbled more than I liked.

In between the dramatic featured stories of "projected impact trajectories," "possible refugee relocation centers" and countless other unlikely, imaginary disasters, I found a short piece about the two little Fenghuang craft that cracked Apophis open.

The article stated that communication with the two craft had been lost. I didn't know there had been any communication with them in the first place. There was no confirmation out of China, of course. 

The rest of the words were in technical English. I needed help. Joo Chen was in his room, ear buds jammed in deep, and I didn't want to disturb him. Mother and Father were in the kitchen, talking, so I asked them. 

"'According to a source,'" I read aloud, "'the Chinese apparently can't raise so much as a ping from the two Fenghuang craft.' That is extremely odd, don't you think Father? I mean, one craft might lose both the main and redundant com links, maybe, but two?"

Father perked up. "Never," he said. "Statistically impossible."

"Maybe they were damaged by the original blast that broke Apophis apart." I offered. "Or maybe they spun out into space."

"Or perhaps Kali chooses not to answer." Father whispered, with a slight smile.

Mother froze at the mention of that name, then relaxed.

It took a moment but then it hit me.

"The craft are fine!" I said. "And you know it! Mother too! It all makes sense, now. You managed to hide Kali aboard the Fenghuang. Kali is with them!"

Mother looked up, straight at me. She spoke softly. "No, Young Moon, Kali is them."

"She is on her way to the Kuiper Cliff," Father said, "to sniff out ice planets and shape our future. And she's bringing a kickstart, too. She will use it to bring life to the inner Solar System. The wheels are set in motion, now. In some long distant future, if Humanity lives to see it, there will be a great boon."

I was stunned. I didn't know what to say. 

We went quiet for a long time, listening only to the clock tick on the wall.