2388

Low Earth orbit. Inside the Hera.

“Jain, I am having hard time believing it. We are done,” said Alex with excitement.

Jain’s eyes were wide open. Shaking her head, she replied, “I don’t know if I

should believe it either. We are done. Thirty-four years in the making, and the last

system is online.”

Juuda entered the room and smiled at them. “Guys, the crew is waiting for

you at the hall.”

They stood and walked toward the hall.

Alex entered the hall with Jain, and they were greeted with smiles and the

occasional cheer from Gakuto.

Alex took a deep breath and said, “Hello everyone! Most of you know each

other since you worked on this project, one way or another. Some are new among

us. I will give you a rough briefing of the mission objectives and the technologies that

some of you might not be aware of yet. Details about them can be found on your

individual e-boxes.” There was excitement in the room. “I will start by briefly

mentioning some magnificent technologies that will help us on this voyage. Our worst

enemy in space, radiation, has been transformed into our best friend. The skin of the

ship, along with our one-square-kilometer solar sail, are capable of absorbing cosmic

rays and turning them into useful energy. This system also shields us from radiation.

Our acceleration will be done with said solar sail, but with an added boost. A group of

solar-powered satellites in orbit around the sun will be shining beams of light toward

our sail, helping to boost the acceleration. This cuts down on travel time to just under

three thousand years. We are also equipped with thrusters and nuclear explosives,

which will give us an initial boost, but they are only being used to test the systems.

Those will be our means of decelerating and maneuvering the Hera after we arrive at

Solis. Now for the fun parts.” He looked around with a faint smile. “Our food will be

composed of standard bug and nutrient shakes, like back at home. The added flavors

are courtesy of our friend Gakuto, who made it possible, probably by accident.”

“It was completely deliberate” answered Gakuto with a comedic frown;

“Now to the new and exciting technologies. The Hera is the first ship of its

kind. It is … alive!” After pausing for a second, Alex added, “In a sense. The ship has

its own immune system. It is currently swarming with nanobots made of various

materials, ready to defend against any change to its morphology. Any scratch, dent,

or hole will be patched automatically. Those nanobots join to form alloys and can

weld each other to repair virtually any damage. They can replenish their numbers

automatically, and in theory, if an energy supply is always there, then it can run

indefinitely.” After another short pause, he continued. “Finally, to the biggest

development we have achieved. Probably the biggest development in our history

since the COD. We created another limb for us. We are finally entering the dream

world of cybernetics. The nanobots that so far worked to protect us from aging and

disease have been updated to function as something more. Something way more.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Any noise in the room was silenced at that point. Everyone was eager to hear exactly

what he was talking about. “We can now use our nanos to enhance our strength or

reduce it. We reduce it by making movement harder than it would normally be. If you

are wondering why this would be useful, I will explain. The different gravity forces we

will experience will have a huge impact on us. From the spaceship where everything

moves easily to the planets we will potentially see, our bodies are not suited for

environments such as these. Now, however, we can visit anyplace, and we will feel

as if everything has the same forces as it would be back on Earth. The most

remarkable part, though, is that this happens with your mind. You control them as

easily as another limb, after a bit of practice. Additionally, if you need to lift something

heavy and you put all your force, you will have a larger range of forces to use that are

reaching multiples of your original physical strength. The same applies for running,

although it’s harder to get used to. It requires more practice.”

Most were looking with a curious frown while others were in disbelief.

“This is remarkable,” said one crewmember.

“Is it safe?” said another.

Alex calmed them down by saying, “These have been tested for a while, and

everyone on the command has already fully integrated them. You will all be replacing

your existing nanobots and begin training with the abilities of the new ones. These

will also be able to harden your skin, effectively protecting you from impact forces

and turning you into somewhat of a hero. In a few months, we will be leaving, so

make sure to get used to them and report any uneasy feelings to Galen.”

September 2389

Inside the Hera

From a window, the Earth looked like a white marble suspended in space. Slowly, the

crew began entering their hibernation capsules. Jain looked at Alex and with obvious

anxiety said, “I don’t think I want to be awake for the first part.”

“This will be the most fun. We will accelerate in a way that we will never

experience again,” replied Alex.

“Yeah. That … I will get into my hibernation pod and follow the program.”

“By the way,” said Alex, “I have barely checked the hibernation timetables.

When am I seeing you again?”

“Well … it’s made in a way that the crew will get to know one another in the

span of the trip and minimize energy consumption. If all goes well, then not too

often.” Alex looked at Jain with a frown, at which Jain continued, “But unexpected

events and pregnancies will change this timetable, so we might get to see each other

more.”

“Yay,” Alex said sarcastically and kissed Jain before helping her strap into her

pod.

A few seconds after the initial chemical rockets turned on, nuclear blasts were

being detonated behind the ship, turning explosive energy into forward motion. A few

minutes after, and the ship was already traveling at about fifty thousand kilometers

per hour. At this point, the solar sail took charge, and the ship began its calm trip with

barely noticeable acceleration.

The Hera had in its storage another thirty satellites that could be used in case

the planets were not habitable. The ship would find a new destination or reverse

course, and another three thousand years later, they could be back on Earth.

A hopeful detail of the Hera was that it was equipped with special facilities for

babies and mothers. It was expected that in the passage of such time, new children

would be born, and since they couldn’t be placed in hibernation immediately, they

and their mothers would need special care to simulate Earth on board.

With only a thousand members to start, all genetically diverse as to not limit

any potential first-generation couples, the Hera began its trip.

And thus humanity kicked into deep space its last hope for survival.