Blue Planet Rising (Pebbles in the Sky Book 2) Read online

  “Space Force can go on protecting our planet from space rocks. They were created for that very purpose. NASA can go on doing research because they’re very good at it. Space Force has the ability to put those errant space rocks into Earth and lunar orbit while they are diverting them from a collision course with our planet. Private industry could then bid for the right to mine them for the valuable resources they contain. So, the plan is to let Space Force do their thing and keep the rocks from hitting Earth. Then, after paying a small mining rights fee, private industry could mine them and dispose of them. We do them a huge favor. The fees for the mining rights will offset their costs of catching the things and then we pocket the rest of the profit for our stock holders and investors. Space Force provides the equipment and personnel to catch the asteroids and we provide the expertise to mine them. It’s a win win situation for everyone. I plan for Orbital Resources Incorporated to be at the forefront of the private effort to accomplish this goal.”

  “At the same time that we’re mining the first asteroids, we can start developing the ability to build our own mining ships. Eventually, we can move farther out in space and exploit the asteroids in the main asteroid belt. If you add in the possibility of mining on the moon at the same time, you can see the endless possibilities for profit.”

  Isaac spoke up again. “That still doesn’t give us a Space Station to work from. We need a station to set up the refining equipment on. It will take years and billions of dollars to build one and start turning a profit.”

  Benjamin shook his head. “Space Force has already outgrown Space Station Alpha. In the near future they’ll start assembling the new station at the Earth-Moon Lagrange point. Then, they plan on building a larger low Earth orbital station. I’m sure that some private corporation with some cash to spare could purchase the old space station for a heavily discounted price. That would be much cheaper for Space Force than having to disassemble or de-orbit it. I think our corporation just might be able to purchase the old space station at a very discounted price.”

  Geoff and looked around the table. “As usual, I think Benjamin has just about covered all the bases for us. I don’t have any more questions. Does anyone else?”

  Isaac started to say something then shook his head. Everyone else was quiet.

  Benjamin looked at each in turn. “In about a year, we’re going to be starting the construction of the magnetic rail launcher. Until then, we’ll be test firing some of the second hand rockets we bought to test our control capabilities as well as do research for the new heavy lift booster. We’re going to let the world know that Bolivia and Orbital Resources Incorporated is going to be the new mecca of the private space launch industry. Countries and corporations throughout the world will receive notice that we’ll be happy to launch new satellites for those that have lost their own space launch capability during the encounter. That would be a nice gesture I think, although we will ask a profitable sum of money to do so. I will keep you informed of all major milestones and breakthroughs.”

  Benjamin stood up. “Thank you all for coming.” He nodded to the group and turned and left the dining room. Geoff stood and followed him while the rest of the group headed for the front door of the mansion talking excitedly among themselves.

  …

  Geoff found Benjamin sitting in his study swirling a glass of brandy. Geoff poured a glass for himself and went over and sat down in a recliner opposite Benjamin. “I couldn’t help but notice that you didn’t tell them of your other project.”

  Benjamin snorted. “Are you kidding me? They’re too short sighted to understand the implications and possibilities that the planet Elpis offers. I can make them see dollar signs when I speak of mining asteroids. I wasn’t deceiving them; there truly is a market and opportunity for profit in that. As our race expands into the solar system, such an industry will provide a ready source of much needed resources out in space. What I wouldn’t be able to convince them of unfortunately, is that the prospect of setting up camp on a totally un-spoiled planet with all of its untouched resources is much more important.”

  “Digging out metals from a space rock while wearing a space suit and knowing the slightest mistake will kill you in seconds is not something they worry about. They can pay some other poor soul to do the dirty and dangerous work. You and I understand the future lies on the new planet, Elpis.”

  “It isn’t totally their fault you know,” said Geoff. “They’re only getting a fraction of the information on the new planet that our sources are supplying us. Speaking of sources, yours wouldn’t happen to be two young twins in the Space Force with the last name of Greco would it?”

  Benjamin shook his head. “No. My sons would be the first suspects to be looked at by Space Force. My source is actually within NASA, not the Space Force. As a matter of fact, I’m pissed at my sons. They minimize contact with me since I’m somewhat of a persona non grata with the United States. That country likes my money, but believes my methods are somewhat un-orthodox. I only have contact with my sons with the assumption that every communication is looked at under a microscope by Space Force security specialists. I didn’t agree with my son’s decision to join Space Force, but I don’t wish to interfere with their lives at this point. I’m hopeful that one day they’ll tire of the isolation of life above our planet’s atmosphere and will come to their senses. Someone has to inherit all of this fortune I’ve built.”

  Geoff sniffed his brandy and took a swallow, savoring its smooth aroma. “So, you intend to go through with your plans to seed the planet?”

  Benjamin finished his brandy and set his glass down. “Unfortunately, unless something is done to prod those pompous fools at NASA into action, we’ll spend the next one hundred years studying the native life forms on the planet. I’m sorry, but a bunch of purple seaweed should not take priority over opening up a whole new unspoiled world for human colonization. I hope that when our “exploration” capsules accidently spread Earth based life forms into the Elpis environment, the idiots will go ahead and see the futility of their endeavor and allow private citizens and corporations to start colonies. That’s my plan, at least.”

  Geoff swirled his brandy thoughtfully. “What if Space Force intercepts your rockets before they reach the planet?”

  “If the United States shoots down or interferes with the exploration probes of the Bolivian Space Agency, it would be paramount to declaring war. Since the United States is trying to roll the entire western hemisphere up into a single confederation, that would be very bad propaganda for them. They’ll let the probes pass. When they finally realize what the probes really are, it’ll be too late,” Benjamin mused.

  “This isn’t going to make you any more popular with the United States or the rest of the world you know,” stated Geoff.

  Benjamin laughed. “I’m an old man, Geoff. What can they do to me they haven’t already done? I’m already banned from going home to my native country.”

  Geoff nodded, but did not reply. He sat quietly in contemplation as he finished his brandy.

  Chapter Four

  January 11th, 2044

  Macon, Georgia

  Brett watched the last of the sealed containers being loaded onto the trucks. Since the DNA Ark Project was winding down and there was only a trickle of DNA specimens still coming in, he had been somewhat bored. There was a growing demand for genetically altered crops that could survive the colder climates that were affecting the planet. That demand meant that there was a very good opportunity to start a new project. Jessica and him, while still maintaining oversight of the DNA Ark Project, had started a small subsidiary company called New World Genetics. They were developing genetically altered plants and crops that could survive and flourish in the rapidly cooling areas of their planet where traditional crops couldn’t survive. The containers being loaded were the last of the first order that they had received and subsequently filled.

  The order had been placed by a subsidiary of an agricultural company in Bolivia,
South America. Benjamin Greco had arranged for the company to speak to Brett and Jessica and had set up the arrangements. Brett grinned to himself. He found it interesting that Benjamin had again provided the “seed” money that they had needed, this time to set up an actual seed company. Benjamin had insisted that this new company was expected to make a profit for the investors that were contributing and was not necessarily a philanthropist donation as his other contributions had been.

  Although very appreciative of Benjamin’s financial help, Brett and Jessica couldn’t help but wonder what kind of trouble this could cause them. The last time they had accepted Benjamin’s help, they had to have twenty four hour police protection due to all the death threats they had received. Only now, six months after the encounter, had the backlash from Benjamin’s mass sterilization campaign quieted down. It seemed that people who were trying to keep from starving and doing their best to stay warm didn’t have the time to worry as much about having babies. The fact that they had fewer hungry mouths to feed was turning out to be a blessing.

  Jessica came out on the loading dock as the truck pulled away. She looked up at the grey threatening sky. “It looks like it’s going to snow again.”

  Brett nodded. “I would never have believed that we could have two feet of snow on the ground here in middle Georgia until it actually happened.” He put his arms around her and held her tight. “That was the last load. Hopefully they can make it to the airport before the snow starts. For the next week or so, the meteorologists are projecting the daily high temperature to only be in the mid-twenties. I truly pity all those people that stayed put up north. The news last night said that the Great Lakes are completely frozen over now and that it is doubtful they will melt completely next summer. The colder climate hit us sooner than the scientists even predicted.”

  Jessica hugged his arms tight against her breasts and wiggled her butt up against him. “I guess you’ll have to work harder keeping me warm at night then.”

  Pretending to ignore her suggestion, Brett replied. “I still can’t quite figure out the purpose of that order from the South American company. I understand the fact that they wanted grass seed and other plant seeds that could be spread from a helicopter or airplane, but with the choice of plants they requested, it’s almost like they’re trying to seed a prairie.”

  “Well, that’s exactly what they’re going to do according to the guy I talked to down at the company that arranged for our products. According to him, some of the dry high plateaus in Bolivia are expected to become much wetter with the climate changes and they believe that an ecological system similar to the old prairies of our Upper Midwest would flourish there,” said Jessica.

  “That part I understand, but, I still don’t understand why they wanted the seeds to be coated with fertilizer and ground dwelling bacteria spores. Fertilizer maybe, but the ground there in Bolivia won’t be sterile and the natural bacteria may or may not compete with the spores that we coated the seeds with. Heck, with the way we coated those seeds, you could drop them on completely sterile ground and set up your own little ecological system,” Brett replied.

  “I think that they’re in a hurry and just trying to make sure that the seed takes root quickly is all,” said Jessica. “Everybody is scrambling to adjust to what our new climate will be. With all of the seed orders that are coming in, I believe that the new company is going to be very profitable.”

  Brett nodded in agreement. “Probably so, but let’s not totally forget the DNA Ark Project. We still have some problems that need solutions before we can hope to re-introduce some of the species that have become, or will become, extinct. The agricultural guys we hired have a handle on this operation for now. We both need to get back in the lab at the Ark Project and see if we can get a handle on creating an artificial cell membrane. Judging from the progress we’ve made so far, which isn’t much, we still have some work cut out for us. He put his arm around Jessica’s waist and they turned to go inside just as the snow started falling again.

  Chapter 5

  January 21st, 2044

  Kerr, Texas

  Brianna Driskall fell down on the side of the road after finishing the mandatory ten kilometer run with the rest of the Space Force candidates that she was training with. Although she was technically not a Space Force Cadet, she had to endure the same physical training and “boot camp” that the regular cadets did. As she leaned over with her hands on her knees trying not to retch up her breakfast, she wondered how she ever ended up here.

  After she had accepted the offer from NASA to train as a candidate for the next manned expedition to Elpis, she had flown to the new NASA/JPL headquarters in Texas and had interviewed with Peter Rockwell and a whole bevy of other specialists. Her formal training was as a molecular biologist, with special interest as a Xenobiologist, which until just very recently had been a very narrow field indeed.

  Until the planet Elpis had settled into orbit around the sun, there hadn’t been any other life found anywhere above Earth’s atmosphere. Since the first expedition to Elpis had found the alien artifacts, it was now known that there was life out there in the universe and some of it was intelligent enough to have mastered space flight. Now, people were clamoring to go to school to join her field. Luckily for her, her experience working on the DNA Ark Project as a molecular biologist and her studies of potential life habitats on the solar system’s outer moons and planets had caught the attention of some important people in NASA that hired people with talents like her own.

  Just as Brianna was finally able to stand and breathe normally again, Julianna Morris came trotting up the road and collapsed to the ground beside her gasping for breath. Julianna was the other NASA candidate for the Xenobiologist position on the next Elpis expedition. “Brianna…..I….think…..I….am….dying,” she struggled to say between breaths.

  Brianna looked down at her with pity. Even before she had been sent to the Space Cadet boot camp, Brianna had always kept herself in reasonably good shape. At a little over five and a half feet tall and weighing only a hundred and thirty pounds, she looked the part of being physically fit. She had usually run or swam several kilometers a day since high school long before she had received the offer from NASA. The physical boot camp training had been difficult at first, but now she was keeping up with even the male recruits. Poor Julianna was another story though. She was one of those young women who were constantly fighting their body’s genetic predetermination to tend toward being a “full figured woman.” Wide in the hips, and very amply endowed in the buxom, she was carrying around a lot of excess weight that she would never get rid of.

  A sarcastic voice called across the group of cadets. “Miss Morris, I know that you’re not lying on the ground after that little pleasure walk we had!”

  Brianna reached down and pulled a groaning Julianna to her feet. “Get up Julianna or you’ll be doing pushups next.”

  Their drill leader, Master Sergeant Mark Gustov, came and leaned over Julianna with his face inches from her own flushed face. “Miss Morris, I don’t remember giving anyone permission to lay on the ground after our morning run.”

  Julianna made the mistake of trying to justify her actions. “Master Sargent, I couldn’t breathe, I was just catching my breath.”

  “Miss Morris, if you can’t breathe down here in a normal Earth atmosphere of fourteen psi, then how the hell are you going to breathe on a space ship that has had a hull rupture and is venting atmosphere? I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be one of your fellow crewmates who was injured and expecting you to rescue me! Since you seem to like the ground so much, why don’t you get back down on it and give me fifty pushups. If I see your chest touch the ground, you owe me fifty more. Miss Driskall, since you’re so concerned with her welfare, why don’t you join her so she doesn’t get lonely down there?” The Master Sergeant walked away cursing while some of the other cadets snickered. Most of the other cadets were just relieved that the Sergeant was yelling at someone else for a change.
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  Later, when they returned to their barracks after PT, Julianna was unusually quiet. Brianna watched her with concern and then spoke up. “Are you ok, Julianna? You need to remember that the Master Sergeant doesn’t really hate you. This is all just a big head game to break you down and build you back up in a Space Force mold. Just remember that, and the fact that you aren’t training for Space Force. You’re training to be a civilian specialist on a ship to Elpis. If you can keep that in your head, then it’s all much easier to endure.”

  Julianna wouldn’t look up and meet Brianna’s gaze. She just nodded and lay down on her bunk sobbing. Brianna stared down at her with pity. “Let’s go get some chow before evening classes, Julianna. Come on.”

  Julianna shook her head and refused to get up. Brianna sighed and walked off toward the chow hall. After getting her meal tray, she sat down at a table alone. A few minutes later, two other cadets in her training company came and sat with her.

  Kesha, a black female cadet who came from Georgia where Brianna’s parents had built the DNA Ark Project, spoke up. “Brianna baby, you need to let that girl go. There’s no way she’s going to pass basic. Master Sergeant has his sights on her and he ain’t going to let up until she quits or collapses. When you try and help her, you’re just putting yourself in the spotlight. The Sarge may decide he wants to shitcan you next.”