Buttons #Project Constellations

Brownie

Before heading off to get the only sleep I was likely to get in the next four days, I stopped off to visit Ned once more.  He'd already read through the work I'd sent out before grabbing a bite, and knew what I was going to ask.

'Cat still got your tongue with President Benden, Olive?' Ned asked kindly.

'I'll get out over three words at a time someday, Nav.  After all, I've got most of my life ahead of me!'  My flushed cheeks belied the casual joking tone.

'That you do,' Ned agreed, very agreeably.  Ned was an agreeable kind of a guy.

'I'll meet with Benden first thing tomorrow morning, let her know we have a short window of opportunity opening up in seven days.  Then we can gather the completed reports and start churning out routes.  Meet at 07:00?'

'Time sounds fine,' I reply absentmindedly, 'But there's one more thing I'd like you to talk to the President about.'

'Spit it out,' Ned gently prodded.

'It's top secret, and I think that President Benden should act quickly...' I fill Ned in, but I'm not telling you what we said.  Top secret, remember?

My errand complete, I headed to bed and was out before my head hit the pillow.

I managed to fit in an entire six hours of sleep, and I needed it to get me through the craziness of the next four days.
Ned did make his report to Brianna, and sounded optimistic about her reply, which was: 'I'll take your suggestions under consideration.' 

None of the mathematically inclined crew got much sleep, but got the requested numbers in by the deadline. 

Brianna took all the information gathered for her, and retired to her office for an entire day.  We should have all crashed and caught up on our sleep, but were too wired with anticipation about what decision Brianna would make.

I finally had time to find Tracy.  Tracy didn't have anything for sure, but the clues I received sent me into the bowels of the ship, to the quarters nestled up against the walls surrounding our nuclear core.  We had more than enough living spaces placed safely away from the generator, but there are always some perverse people who like to play with fire.  Or radiation.  Same diff.

The numbering system for our quarters started against the nuclear core wall.  This entire area was dimly lit, and appeared to be deserted.  However, Tracy had gathered enough hints that told me it'd be worth my while to knock on door number one.   Good ol' Trace also gave me a tasty treat. I was hoping to save it for myself, but I'm not above using a bribe if needed.

I knocked out the tune for 'Shave and a hair cut,' hey, no-one said how I had to knock, and its a good tune.  'What the hell is that racket?!' a belligerent male voice boomed through the closed door.  Boy, this man had a set of lungs on him.  Maybe he thrived on radiation after all.

'Hi sir, my name's Olive.  Could I come in?'  Politeness, that's the thing.

'Bugger-off, I don't need your trouble.'  Or not.  And he didn't know me, he couldn't know I was trouble!  Yet!

'Sir, I'd really like to talk with you!'

'That's just too dang bad, ain't happening.  Now leave me alone.'

'I have chocolate!'

'Chocolate?'  The door swing open, and a large grizzled man peered out.  The stale odour of musty sweat and oily hair hit my nose hard.  I've smelt worse, and didn't show it.  Instead I held-out a wrapped palm-sized brown square.  'Give that here!'

'Let me in, talk with me, then you get the chocolate.'  I replied.

'Fine.'  He stomped back in, but left the door hanging open behind him.

I slipped in and closed the door quickly.  'Thank you.  What should I call you?  Or do you still like to go by Elias?'

'Oh for...' he growled, 'That name has long since lost its use.'

'So, what shall I call you?'

'Nothing!  Call me nothing!  Give me that chocolate and get out!'  Elias aka Nothing lunged for the chocolate.  I'm small but quick, and evaded him neatly.

'Tut, tut, Nothing.  You promised to talk first.'  

'I've talked enough.'

'Not for me.  I need the answer to a few questions.'

'Yeah?' He glared at me, then sighed in resignation.  'Purple punk.  What do you want to know?'

'How long can these generation ships last for?'  Get Brianna's question out of the way first.

'They can last indefinitely, as long as there are men with enough expertise to replace parts that wear down, and new radioactive fuel inserted every thousand years.'  He didn't even look at me, just stared into space in resignation.

'Exactly a thousand years?'

'The fuel we use now, a bit over.  Other fuels, more or less.'

'And feeding the people on the ship?' I ask.

'As long as the sustainable systems we put in place are maintained,' he grinned sardonically at me, 'indefinitely.  But people will forget or decide not to bother.  Humanity is its own worst nightmare.'

'Noted.' I replied, 'I'll keep that in mind.'  

Something like interest gleamed in Nothing's eyes.  'You do that.  Any further questions, or can I eat yet?'

'One more, Nothing: we have narrowed our choices down to two.  Alpha centauri or TRAPPIST-1.  Which would you recommend?'

'What kind of ridiculous question is that!?' Nothing roared, 'We built forty generation ships big enough to hold over twice the population needed to sustain a safe genetic pool.  Each of the forty ships can and likely should go to a different destination!  Increases humanities chances by forty times.'

'Ohhh, wow, we sooooo didn't understand that.' I breathed.

'No shit.'

'Ummm, I doubt anyone would go for that plan.  If you had to chose, what would you decide on?'

'I answer this and I get chocolate?'

'Yes.'

'OK.  I'd still split up, but into three. One group stays close to Sol, maybe even within the system, maybe does some exploration.  Checks in on Earth after a few centuries, could very well be habitable by then.  Another heads out to Alpha centauri.  Not much chance of anything to colonise there, but should be able to refuel at the very least.  They can hop back to Earth or head to the next nearest system.  The final group heads out to TRAPPIST-1, where hopefully they colonise and spread humanity to the stars.'

I hand Elias/Nothing his chocolate with a thoughtful thank you. Amazing the things you can achieve with a brownie.