Posted by: Texashawk
« on: May 07, 2010, 03:55:01 PM »JUNE 2, 2027
OVAL OFFICE, WASHINGTON, DC, US REGION
First Minister Stohl was chewing absently on a lightpen, staring out through the window into the snow when her comm screen flashed urgent red. PRIORITY ALPHA message, it insisted. With a sigh - really, what was a priority anymore? - she jabbed at the comm button with her chewed-up lightpen tip. The excited visage of Markus Pride, acting Science Prime, appeared on the screen.
"First Minister, I have excellent news!! The space engine is complete, and all tests are normal. We're almost ready to build a starship for spaceflight! Project NOAH is a success!!"
Five years I have waited to hear this news...
"Excellent news, Prime. But.., almost? So you are saying we can almost begin construction of starships to look for another Earth?"
Pride hesitated, frowned, then. "Well, we have to design the starships first. Not knowing what the working engine parameters would be, it would be difficult to prototype something that big. Of course, we have been actively working on life support, grav fields, command centers, hab modules, all the other needed requirements, but propulsion was the big one. If you want to travel to distant stars or planets, you need a much bigger kick than a chemical propulsion engine. You need a fusion engine, like the one we've just developed. And we're still wrapping up sensor tech - a huge priority for us is to find not only habitabable places to live, but find more of these minerals. We can not grow without these minerals, so developing the technology to scan asteroids is a priority as well."
"I see," Stohl said. "So... we're NOT ready for space travel yet?" Her eyes narrowed.
"No..." Pride hastily replied, "that's not it. We can now send a ship into space. The question now is what exactly would it be able to do? Without sensors, it's flying blind. We need information about what's out there, not just to say we've been there. Of course, on your order I can assign the design teams at Boeing and the USE Bureau of Starship Design to begin the design process of a ship that goes anywhere and does nothing once it gets there, but... that would not be my recommendation. Wait for at least the geo sensors to be created. Another year and a half, tops. My word."
Stohl grimaced. "We've patiently waited half a freakin' decade for you boys down in Ascension to perfect space travel, and now you call me all excited to say... wait another year and a half?? Are you MAD?"
Pride shrank at the tone of her voice. "F-F-First Minister, I was simply..."
"No, Prime." Stohl replied, ice dripping from her words. "I will not wait 'another year and a half, tops.' I can not wait any longer. Each day that humanity waits for progress is another day that despair begins to set in. IntSec is going crazy already trying to keep the peace worldwide, and despite the heroic effort of General Beams it is a fight that we are about to lose. If worldwide morale drops to such a level that our government is overwhelmed, then... your 'year and a half' will not matter when our labs are being burned to the ground by desperate mobs who need light and heat, eh?
"No. You will begin the design of a ship. It will be a symbolic ship, to be sure, but it will be a ship that travels to Pluto and back. Humanity MUST see that we have the capability to go there. They will not care so much about what it can or can not do, as long as it can fly. In the meantime, once your sensor technology is complete, we can begin to design ships of purpose. But do you understand?"
Pride bowed. "Yes, First Minister. I understand the logic. Please understand, I am very excited to be telling you this. I just wanted you to understand the ramifications of the technology."
Stohl smiled, not unkindly. "As did I, Prime. As did I. Notify Boeing and the BSD. We're going to the stars."
OVAL OFFICE, WASHINGTON, DC, US REGION
First Minister Stohl was chewing absently on a lightpen, staring out through the window into the snow when her comm screen flashed urgent red. PRIORITY ALPHA message, it insisted. With a sigh - really, what was a priority anymore? - she jabbed at the comm button with her chewed-up lightpen tip. The excited visage of Markus Pride, acting Science Prime, appeared on the screen.
"First Minister, I have excellent news!! The space engine is complete, and all tests are normal. We're almost ready to build a starship for spaceflight! Project NOAH is a success!!"
Five years I have waited to hear this news...
"Excellent news, Prime. But.., almost? So you are saying we can almost begin construction of starships to look for another Earth?"
Pride hesitated, frowned, then. "Well, we have to design the starships first. Not knowing what the working engine parameters would be, it would be difficult to prototype something that big. Of course, we have been actively working on life support, grav fields, command centers, hab modules, all the other needed requirements, but propulsion was the big one. If you want to travel to distant stars or planets, you need a much bigger kick than a chemical propulsion engine. You need a fusion engine, like the one we've just developed. And we're still wrapping up sensor tech - a huge priority for us is to find not only habitabable places to live, but find more of these minerals. We can not grow without these minerals, so developing the technology to scan asteroids is a priority as well."
"I see," Stohl said. "So... we're NOT ready for space travel yet?" Her eyes narrowed.
"No..." Pride hastily replied, "that's not it. We can now send a ship into space. The question now is what exactly would it be able to do? Without sensors, it's flying blind. We need information about what's out there, not just to say we've been there. Of course, on your order I can assign the design teams at Boeing and the USE Bureau of Starship Design to begin the design process of a ship that goes anywhere and does nothing once it gets there, but... that would not be my recommendation. Wait for at least the geo sensors to be created. Another year and a half, tops. My word."
Stohl grimaced. "We've patiently waited half a freakin' decade for you boys down in Ascension to perfect space travel, and now you call me all excited to say... wait another year and a half?? Are you MAD?"
Pride shrank at the tone of her voice. "F-F-First Minister, I was simply..."
"No, Prime." Stohl replied, ice dripping from her words. "I will not wait 'another year and a half, tops.' I can not wait any longer. Each day that humanity waits for progress is another day that despair begins to set in. IntSec is going crazy already trying to keep the peace worldwide, and despite the heroic effort of General Beams it is a fight that we are about to lose. If worldwide morale drops to such a level that our government is overwhelmed, then... your 'year and a half' will not matter when our labs are being burned to the ground by desperate mobs who need light and heat, eh?
"No. You will begin the design of a ship. It will be a symbolic ship, to be sure, but it will be a ship that travels to Pluto and back. Humanity MUST see that we have the capability to go there. They will not care so much about what it can or can not do, as long as it can fly. In the meantime, once your sensor technology is complete, we can begin to design ships of purpose. But do you understand?"
Pride bowed. "Yes, First Minister. I understand the logic. Please understand, I am very excited to be telling you this. I just wanted you to understand the ramifications of the technology."
Stohl smiled, not unkindly. "As did I, Prime. As did I. Notify Boeing and the BSD. We're going to the stars."