To Face the Day - Interlude 2

Tet-Yur, Minister of Science for the Zani state, was disappointed. “These seem a little…underwhelming, compared to some of the other technologies I have read of in your archives.”

Nro-Phesh-Gezmei, Chief Rocket Scientist, was incredulous. “Underwhelming? These vessels would outperform anything we have ever built! It could go to almost any Near-Hent Asteroid, and return, and then be reused. Most of our rocket projects’ budgets just get spent on the boosters to get the damned things into orbit. These ships will open up everything in our solar system.”

Sandra added her own points. “They may not seem like much, but every single spacefaring race has used ships like this in their past. Cheap, reusable chemical rockets like this are the lifeblood of space travel. With these things, you can build and transport just about everything you need. Until you get proper space infrastructure in place, they’ll also be the cheapest way of getting anyone and anything off-planet.”

Tet-Yur looked at the schematics again. It was essentially a big metal tube full of combustible chemicals, and yet somehow it was more advanced than anything ever produced by her people.

She turned to the human engineer. “Would our resources not be better spent developing fusion rockets?”

Nro grunted his agreement. “While I am a fan of these rockets, I must admit to a desire to get fusion drives of our own.”

Sandra shook her head. “Fusion isn’t just a technology, it’s an entire industry. It’ll be decades before your industry will be developed enough to produce reactors efficiently. You’ve already got fission figured out, and that has more than enough power for our immediate purposes.”

She tapped her finger on the schematic. “You use these things to set up the basics: infrastructure, orbital dockyards, spaceports, resource refineries. It took humanity nearly a century of using rockets like this before we could properly be called spacefaring. You’ll have it different. With our help you’ll be in Dark Space within your lifetime.”

Tet-Yur snorted. “Yes, Dark Space. Another fantastical technology you don’t want us to build yet.”

“Antimatter manufacturing is as expensive as it is dangerous. You don’t have a nice conveniently placed uninhabited rock to refine it on like our Mercury, so the only safe way for you to manufacture it is in orbital facilities. Which are outlandishly expensive and completely beyond your capacity to build. We’ve got some antimatter we left behind in your sun’s orbit, and Albatross’s transition drive still works fine. We’ll be able to leave. We can take some of your officials with us, and you can set up trading relationships with nearby suppliers.”

Tet-Yur cocked her head to the side. “Are your people not able to provide us with antimatter?”

“We’ve told you, we don’t have that kind of authority. I think our government will want to establish a relationship with you, but I can’t actually guarantee that. So, I’m giving you options.”

Tet-Yur slowly nodded, having taken a liking to the human gesture herself. Then she stopped for a moment, and looked confused. “Wait. I thought the transition drive didn’t provide any thrust, and your ship’s fusion rocket is still destroyed. If we’re not going to be making any fusion reactors anytime soon, how are you expecting to move once you’re in Dark Space?”

Sandra gave a mischievous smile. “I’ve got a few ideas.”

—

“I thought warships used kinetic weapons in our galactic Arm. Why are we making these…explosives?” Qet, the Head of Physics asked.

“These are a lot bigger than any explosions you’ve ever seen, I can tell you that much.” Bek-Deel, the Chief Nuclear Physicist said.

“What the Chief says is true. One of these weapons could destroy a city.” Aktio said.

“That seems like…overkill.” Qet said.

“They aren’t quite as potent in space. They’re far more destructive in an atmosphere, as the blast wave created in the air does dramatic damage to everything in a very large radius. In a vacuum, there is no shockwave. The only thing they can do damage with is their raw energy output. Fortunately, their energy output is substantial.” the human said.

“If they’re so powerful, why do your people use kinetic weapons, then?” Qet asked.

“Because they cost money to build and maintain -substantially more than a railgun or hypervelocity cannon- for minimal added destructive potential. However, nothing you can build in the near future will have enough power to make a magnetic cannon that can compete with your neighbors. So, you’ll have to settle for the more low-tech option.”

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Bek-Deel chimed in. “So, what? If these ‘Diln’ of yours come along, we just send one of your new rocket ships up there loaded up with these?”

“No. The most efficient way is to load up a few hundred nuclear missiles into orbital silos. It’ll take more time and money, but it’s guaranteed to deter the small-time threats that exist out there. A dedicated war flotilla will still roll over you, but there’s little you could hope to do about that for now.”

Qet gave a queasy attempt at a chuckle. “Comforting…”

Bek-Deel scratched his head with one of his tails as he thought. “It seems inevitable that we’ll need warship of our own if we hope to remain independent. Yet, I don’t know how we could hope to build something with an engine powerful enough to be worth the trouble anytime soon…”

Akito held his hand to his chin. “Well, now that you mention it, I think my wife had an idea about that…”

—

Ti-Ro dodged an item that had been carelessly thrown by Janea as she dug around in the storage bin of the Albatross’s lander.

“Not that I don’t appreciate a chance to get a closer look at this ship, but how exactly does what you’re looking for help us?” Ti-Ro asked.

Janea rummaged some more. “Ha! Got it.” she pulled out the object in question. It was a big, ugly brick of a phone.

“I like my phone. It’s really damn useful, and since you’re the only Zani who speaks Standard, it’s the only way for me to communicate with Zan that aren’t you. So, I’m not excited by the prospect of giving it up to be dissected by a bunch of Zani computer nerds. And neither are the others.”

She held up the bigger phone in triumph. “But this thing? I don’t give a shit about it. It’s an emergency phone. Designed to be as cheap and durable as possible, and it’s not remotely as powerful as my personal phone. Despite this, it’s still got more processing power than your best supercomputer. Taking this thing apart and learning from it will advance your computer technology by centuries.” She held out the phone for Ti-Ro to look at.

Ti-Ro took the offered phone and examined it. “Computing is not a field I am well versed in, but I can perhaps see its value.”

Janea smiled and held up her own phone. “With this, I can process complex equations that would have taken days to calculate in the age before computers in a matter of microseconds. Yet, it can also do something as mundane as reminding me of my doctor's appointment, or taking pictures, or playing videos. All of it on a device small enough to fit in my pocket. This is the future of computing, Ti-Ro. It won’t be long before damn near every Zani on the planet has something like this in their pocket.”

“Well, it certainly sounds interesting, at least. I can’t claim to dislike the prospect of having a pocket computer of my own. But…” She made a show of looking around. “You’ll forgive me if standing inside of an alien spaceship is a bit more exciting at the moment.”

Janea laughed. “Not really a proper spaceship. More just a really advanced taxi cab.”

“It flies through space, and carries people on it. It is a spaceship.” Ti-Ro said with finality.

Janea held up her hands. “Alright, alright. You win.” She got up and dusted herself off.

Ti-Ro tilted her head. “You want to get some tagi?”

Janea scoffed. “One of these days you’ll have to visit the fleet. Then maybe we can get you a real drink.”

“That didn’t sound like a ‘no’.”

“Shut up and drive us there already.”

—

“Nuclear Salt Water Rocket?” the Mediator asked, looking at the document placed in front of him. He looked back up. “Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like this?”

The four humans and several Zani scientists sat in a spacious meeting room, in order to present their proposal to the Mediator.

Sandra decided to start. “It’s a very powerful rocket engine. It’s about as close as you can get to a fusion torch with your current technology. With it, you might be able to make ships that can compete with light raiding ships and Diln privateers. Over short ranges, at least. Our own species used it for a time in the earliest days of Interstellar travel, before our fusion technology had fully matured.”

“Fascinating. Why are you telling me this?” the Mediator said.

“Well, as I understand it, you’re not actually an executive in the sense we humans think. Rather, you’re ‘only’ the head of the Ministry of the Interior. However, you still have the authority we need to-” Sandra began.

“Yes. I am not a ruler. My ministry oversees the various aptitude tests and exams that determine who gets what position in our bureaucracy. In addition, we enforce the various rules and regulations that control the mechanical functions of the government. My job, specifically, is to ensure that the Governing Council is taking an active approach to the government of the state. I call meetings, bring resolutions before the Council, and try my best to see to it that the Council reaches a consensus on a given issue within the time allotted. If we fail to do so, we all are forced to resign.”

“Well…yes?” Sandra said, a little taken aback by the oversharing. ”But, I’m told your ministry is also responsible for fundamental things that affect Ti-Zan as a whole. Things like, access to clean water, food security, criminal justice…public safety. Because of this, your permission is necessary for us to proceed.”

The Mediator laid his head on his desk. “Oh Saints, that’s an ominous thought.”

Bek-Deel cleared his throat awkwardly. “Do you perhaps recall the bombs I discussed with you?”

The Mediator seemed to deflate at the question. “Ah, yes. The ‘city busters’ I believe was how you phrased it. The bombs that can wipe out hundreds of thousands of people in an instant. Why, dare I ask, do you mention those?”

Sandra cut in. “This rocket engine we showed you operates under a similar principle. It is, essentially, one continuous controlled -and I do emphasize controlled- nuclear explosion.”

“I see. So, you’d have our astronauts fly a ship powered by one continuous ‘city buster’ going off behind them.”

“Yes, essentially. It’s very safe. As I said, we refined the design over time when we used it ourselves. The version you would be using is a mature design, much cleaner and safer than our earlier models.”

The Mediator sighed. “I can’t help but notice that you said ‘cleaner and safer’, rather than ‘clean and safe’ ”.

Bek-Deel spoke again. “Well, sir, do you know of the waste produced by the reactors that power our colony burrows?”

Slowly, painfully, the Mediator turned to face Bek-Deel. “Oh, you mean the extremely toxic waste that can kill people just by being in proximity to them? Is that the waste you’re referring to?”

“Y-yes. The engine does produce a significant byproduct of radiation. So long as we do not use it near Hent or any other populated area, this is not really a problem. But…”

“But, you still need my permission, yes? You want my permission to build a gigantic continuous bomb that constantly spews radioactive death behind itself?”

Sandra blinked. “...Yes.”

The Mediator leaned back and closed his eyes. Then he sat up straight. “Sure, why not? You have my permission.”

He stood up, and went to leave the room, only to turn back and face the room again. “Please don’t make me regret this.”