Earth 2251
Reaching out into the darkness of his two-man billet, Corporal Jamie Higgins of the United Nations Interstellar Taskforce – or UNIT – grasped at the air to smash the snooze button. Being a Corporal came with very few perks. However, one perk was that he only had to share a billet with one other.
The billet was a two-man cabin. It featured two sprung single beds in each corner separated by two brown, flaky dressers adorned with various photographs of loved ones, crisp packets and deodorant. Hanging on the plaster wall by the billet entrance was a white ceramic block to allow for the holoscreen. The floor was made up of a single blue plastic covering that was starting to show wear by the entrance and each living area. Off to the side another grey, steel door led to the washroom that housed two sinks, a toilet and a shower.
Higgins was a tall, lanky man with dark hair and blue eyes. He was clean shaven, as expected for every member of UNIT, and boasted a strong jaw. Standing at 194cm, Higgins was the butt of every tall joke his team had to offer. Although not overweight, at 28 he was developing a comfortable pot belly which showed his love for gaming and late-night food over working out and eating clean. Working in the engineering department meant that he didn’t have to pass the annual fitness test required for all other UNIT employees so being in peak physical condition was not a concern for Higgins.
“Turn that shit off man. It’s been going on for ages,” yelled a disgruntled Chalky around a mouthful of toothbrush. “We got 30 minutes to be flight ready.”
Chalky, or Mark White to his parents, was Higgins’ oppo. That is to say, they were the same rank, in the same role on the same ship. Although sharing a billet and job role, Chalky was the complete opposite of Higgins. He was a stout, strongly built man who favoured lifting weights at the gym to veging out at the holoscreen. As a keen boxer in UNIT’s squad, Chalky was in peak physical condition.
Higgins and Chalky were junior engineers for one of Earth’s few star ships. Their current assignment was the UN Seacrest. A recent addition to the UNIT fleet. It had passed all initial testing and had outclassed each of the 4 other ships in the fleet.
The UN Seacrest sat at the pinnacle of Earth’s technology. It boasted a maximum capacity of over 4000 crew. The cylindrical vessel was 600 metres in length and over 100 metres in diameter. The entire ship was built and crafted in high Earth orbit over a period of two decades. The long, grey tubular vessel had symmetrical fins reaching 10 metres halfway down the chassis. The fins contained compressed air and enabled the Seacrest manoeuvrability within the vacuum of space. There were various inlet channels and outlet pipes that hugged the exterior of the fusion engines and often glowed a faint blue when active. Small antennae and satellites could be seen along the hull. Toward the last quarter of the vessel started the four 150 metre fusion engines.
The bulbous engines displayed a matte grey exterior with an inlet along the length of each engine. The content and inner workings of these engines were unknown to but a few. The breakthrough of fusion technology almost 100 years ago had propelled space travel into a new age. The breakthrough came at a pivotal time in human history as the world’s resources were all but depleted and renewable energy could only provide so much.
The bridge of the Seacrest sat just behind the head of the cylinder. The extrusion of the bridge gave the ship the shape of the long-extinct beluga whale. The bridge exterior was completely smooth with a dark matte grey finish. On the side, a large circular logo of the United Nations Interstellar Taskforce was proudly displayed for all to see – though there was nobody to see this in space.
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Having conducted tests of the UN Seacrest around our solar system and beyond, today marked the official maiden voyage of the UN Seacrest. It’s goal: reach the Andromeda galaxy.
After having got up, dressed and ready for duty, Higgins and Chalky made their way to the spaceport space pad. To board the UN Seacrest, they had to go through customs and countless security gates. Once the rigmoral of security checks were complete, they waited in line for the next drop ship to take them to the UN Seacrest.
***
Captain Neela Kahn wasn’t happy. Her smooth blemish-free olive skin sported a deep furrow as her dark well-tended brows knit together. Today was supposed to be the best day of her life. She had accomplished what many could only dream. Having proved herself over and over, fighting against all the odds and coming out on top she had made it. At just 45 she was one of the youngest star ship captains in the world. Captain Kahn reviewed the communication from the civilian, Aaron Long one last time. Shaking her head, her face hardened and donned her Captain’s hat before making it down to the space port.
***
“Sir, I implore you. Please! The initial tests and subsequent findings show that two of the fusion drives aren’t stable,” Aaron Long, UNIT’s chief scientist protested. “If we activate the jump drive, it could have catastrophic effects on the isolation chambers which would cause unimaginable damage.”
“Mr Long,” replied the Chief as he rolled his eyes, “As I’ve said before, we have a window of acceptable risk. Your concerns have been noted. However, the mission must simply go ahead. We must show the world that we are the masters of the stars. This mission is critical for UNIT and critical for our planet. Now, please excuse me, I have a call to make.”
Flapping his arms in exasperation, Aaron left the Chief’s office and headed back down to his lab. Aaron, the lead scientist for the Seacrest project, didn’t technically work for UNIT. He was a civilian contractor assigned to elements of the planning, building and design of the UN Seacrest. It was his team that identified the anomalies in the integrity of the fusion reactor within the ship’s engines. He had postulated that creating a jump hole would disrupt the perfect equilibrium set within each fusion reactor. The effect the tear and subsequent travel through the space time would have on the reactors is too much of an unknown.
***
Reviewing the displays before him, Higgins relayed the information to the chief engineer, “Temperature optimum. Stability optimum. Jump-ready in 75 seconds ma’am.”
“Thank you corporal,” replied the stoic Chief Wells.
Natalie Wells, Chief engineer of the UN Seacrest entered her final authorisation code. The Seacrest had left high Earth orbit and was orientated toward to neighbouring Andromeda galaxy. Ignoring the warnings of the civilian team leader, Aaron Long, and the nervous niggle that filled her stomach like a roiling ocean, she sent the signal to the bridge.
“Captain, we’ve had confirmation from engineering.”
Neela Khan looked around the bridge. The spacious set-up was a far cry from any previous vessel she had commanded. Her Captain’s station was a sleek crescent-shaped desk with multiple holoscreens that provided her with a high-level view of all functions within the ship. The crystal white surface had a smooth ceramic feel to it. She knew the amount of power contained in her station alone could enable a mid-sized city to function for a year. The fusion capability of the drives of the Seacrest would provide power to the entire globe for over a decade. Yet, the world governments thought it appropriate to write-off the planet in search for a new home. A new base. A place that was devoid of squalor, pollution and political intrigue.
The fusion drive function displayed a lime green circle in the centre of her console. It was time. Taking a deep breath Captain Neela Khan of the UN Seacrest initiated humanities’ first intergalactic jump.
The Seacrest’s fusion reactor began to hum quietly as the captain’s station initiated the jump. Outside the Seacrest, the sleek inlet channels that nestled the exterior of the fusion engines began to glow a soft blue indicating an imminent jump.