Survivor--Episode 1 by Peter Anderson

Author:Peter Anderson [Anderson, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-3-8387-4025-6
Publisher: Bastei Entertainment
Published: 2015-06-27T00:00:00+00:00

CERN Research facility, Switzerland

Three years earlier

“The soil of this planet contains millions of tons of the noble gas helium-3,” Dr Kessler explained. “By mining on Sircus II we will just be at the beginning of developing intergalactic resources that will solve the Earth’s energy problems forever.”

Kessler tapped the tablet computer in her hand and the display changed to reveal a picture of a planet, an animation based on the meager information gleaned from a space telescope.

Ryan leaned back in his seat and looked at the other three members of the team. From their faces he could see they regarded the idea of traveling to an alien planet as absurd as he did. Nobody has so far given any explanation as to why they above other more qualified people had been chosen for this project, although at last they were being given some details of what the plan actually entailed.

“You still haven’t actually told us where this planet is,” said Jabo.

Dr Kasanov got up from a chair in the far corner of the room and joined in the conversation for the first time since arriving in the room.

“The planet is in the solar system Sircus,” he explained. “It is still young. In millions of years’ time it is possible life could evolve there. Our observations and calculations suggest the planet Sircus II is similar to Earth: it has enough water supply and meets other conditions for it to have a breathable atmosphere for humans. It is bigger than the Earth but it has a lower mass so weights should be approximately the same as here.” He smiled at Ryan. “You’ll hardly notice any difference.”

“But if I’ve understood properly, this planet is God knows how many light years away. You still haven’t explained to us how your transportation system actually works.”

Kessler turned off the display and sat down. “Do any of you know what a wormhole is?”

“The hole a worm makes in an apple when it eats it?” Jabo answered, with a shy smile.

“Exactly,” said Kasanov. “Envision an apple. To get from one side of the apple to the other, the worm can either crawl round the surface, or he can go straight through the apple, which is a much bigger shortcut.”

“It probably makes him fatter too,” said Nash.

Kasanov ignored him and continued. “Think of that apple as the universe. This is all a huge over-simplification, of course, but if you travel through a wormhole you can go from one point to any other without taking any time. It is a theory that Albert Einstein and Nathan Rosen first came up with by expanding Euclidean time mathematically to space and time, a four-dimensional, pseudo-Riemannesque multiplicity in which mass, light and electric energy — energy in any form that is — produce changes in the geometric qualities of space-time …”

“Got it,” Jabo interrupted, a broad grin spreading across his face: “Babylon 5.”

“Babylon 5?” repeated with a look of irritation and incomprehension.

“It’s a science-fiction series. On TV. They’re always sending spaceships through wormholes from one end of the universe to the other in zero point zip seconds.

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