First Steps (Founding of the Federation) (11 page)

Nick
chuckled. "Always one step ahead," Mario smiled.

"Better
to be one step ahead then two steps behind," Luigi retorted.

"Yeah,
okay, so we can get twelve to twenty four in a plasma ferry flight if
we stack them like sardines, but not the first three." Nick
looked down. "I am betting not the first six. Funding after the
first is going to get tricky."

Mario
grimaced. "Yeah."

Luigi
had a thoughtful look on his face. "Well, now that you mention
it, I have been pulling a few strings, and word got around, it seems
a couple of people want to
pay
for the privilege of being on
Mars...”

Nick
look startled. "You’re kidding me right? He's putting me
on." He looked over to Mario who shrugged.

"Do
tell little bro."

Luigi
smiled enigmatically as they exited the mock up. "In due time,
in due time. Let's just see how things go with the first flight."

...*...*...*...*...

-T minus 10 days to ERV launch

"The
first craft to land on Mars will be a test vehicle right? To test the
various stages?" the reporter in the back asked.

"Well,
yes and no. Yes it will be a test vehicle, but we decided to give it
a payload as well," Wendy explained patiently. The clicks and
flashbulbs came fast and furious.

"Why?
Isn't that a departure from the normal testing protocol NASA has used
in the past?"

She
looked over to the reporter in the front who asked the question.
"Well, since we need to make every shot count so we do not waste
tax payer's dollars unnecessarily, we will be sending nonessential
goods on this flight. If they arrive intact, we have a bonus on the
ground for the crew."

The
murmuring of the reporters grew then a few shouted questions. "Folks
one at a time. Okay, to answer your obvious question, the payload is
a mix of things, most prominently hydrogen fuel." She clicked
the remote in his hand and the slide changed. "This first flight
will field test the centrifuge tether system, aero braking shell, as
well as the parachute and landing system. We are using the satellites
in orbit to hopefully bring the cargo lander down in a one hundred
kilometer preferred landing zone."

The
slide changed to show the landing zone. "As you can see here, we
have designated a section of the northern arctic as our landing zone.
It will give the astronauts a stable reasonably flat area to land on,
while giving them access to many interesting features we hope they
will explore."

The
slide changed again, this time to a series of payloads on a chart.
"This first test lander will carry hydrogen, a small wind
turbine, a greenhouse, fuel making machinery, a Topaz reactor, tools,
a robotic rover, and about two tons of miscellaneous gear. The total
adds less than twenty million dollars to the launch cost." She
looked over the crowd who had quieted then clicked the remote again.

"Moving
on, the next launch next week will take place within twenty days of
the first because of the time window. This one will be a test Earth
return vehicle. It will also be a test bed craft, but we replaced the
crew hab and life support with a payload of satellites and a small
Genesis two Transhab." The reporters murmured again.

The
murmuring grew into a crescendo. She turned from looking at the chart
to the reporters. "Okay, obviously we have some questions so I
will pause it here for a moment to answer a few. Let's start with you
in the front miss."

A
blond woman with glasses got up and fumbled her pad. "Ma'am, you
said the first craft will test the fission reactor? Isn't nuclear
power in space prohibited by the space treaty of 1969?"

Wendy
shook her head. "No, it is the treaty of 1967 miss, and no, we
are working with the Russians on this. Since this is an international
peaceful effort we jointly decided on a waiver." She smiled.
"Next question, Mister, um,” She looked down to his
seating chart then back up. "Mister Cortez?"

An
older balding man stood as the woman sat. "Are you concerned
about fall out if the launch vehicle is aborted?" She studied
the man for a moment.

"Mister
Cortez, the reactor is armored with a massive layer of protection. In
fact it has so much protection it could in theory survive a direct
hit with a Patriot missile. In the highly unlikely event of a launch
vehicle failure, the craft will be flying over Siberia. Recovery
teams will be on hand to recover the boosters, they will recover any
wreckage."

The
reporter smiled tightly. "So you do mean it can be breached to
spray a cloud of radiation all over the Arctic?"

Wendy
frowned ferociously. "That is not at all what I said. Please
turn up your hearing aide, obviously you are having difficulties,"
she growled. She hated being baited. Several tittered at that.

"Ma'am."
She turned to see an aid hand her a note. "Okay ladies and
gentlemen, we are running a bit behind schedule so we need to wrap
this up quickly. The third launch will be another test vehicle
carrying a Mars Hab. It will launch hopefully the day after the ERV
and will land uncrewed on the planet, run through the entire routine
we have planned just as the MAV will. Since we are going to use it
practice our precision landing, we are stocking the craft with
material the crew can use later." She looked over the crowd.
"All of this is in the hand out and on the web page. Thank you,
have a good day." She stepped back from the platform and to the
door.

Reporters
rushed to their feet shouting questions as the flashbulbs burst. She
sighed. "Do you really think it is a good idea to let them bait
you or bite back at reporter’s Wendy? The administration isn't
going to like it," the aide asked. She glared at the aid then
straightened.

"Some
things just happen," she shrugged. "We're just going to
have to deal with it; it was no surprise that the greens are having a
frothing fit over the nukes, and the reporters adding fuel to their
ire was to be expected," she sighed. "They just have to
build up the drama to get the ratings." She took a pad from a
secretary and glanced over it. "Thanks for the note." She
read the note then smiled. "Boss says to get your ass out of
there?" She looked up and chuckled. "Nice." She signed
the tablet and then handed it back to the secretary who moved off.

"Just
being my usual helpful self," he chuckled.

"So
are the Mario brothers sure about the tests Wendy?" She turned
to see the Vice President standing behind him with his secret service
detail.

"They
are as sure as anyone sir. Luigi is still a little put out that we
didn't let him shoe horn the magsail into the first craft,"
Wendy answered with a smile.

The
VP frowned. "Is he still on about that? For god sakes the super
conductors were nearly a half a billion, no way could we get that to
fly on the first try, congress would have shit a brick."

Wendy
chuckled. "Yeah, I could well imagine."

The
VP waved. "They should be grateful they got the extra payload. I
heard some NASA bovines weren't happy at all about that."

Wendy
grimaced. "Zubrin has it in hand. I hope," she replied
cautiously. They were getting some flack about moving too fast too
soon by the old school crowd. They had a point in some ways, but the
window was closing, both the launch window and the political one.

The
VP nodded. "Okay, I will see you tomorrow at the next briefing.
Good work, but try to keep your temper next time." Wendy
grimaced as the VP gave her a warning look.

"I'll
try sir," she sighed.

"See
that you do. We need to keep the reporters on our side. Not that I'd
mind biting the heads off a few myself," he chuckled as he left.

Wendy
entered her office and frowned at Nick. She sat heavily in her chair
as Nick smiled over his cup of coffee. "Make yourself at home
why don't you."

Nick
saluted her with the cup. "I intended to since you sent for me
your high and mightiness."

Wendy
chuckled sitting back. "Save the kudos for the people on the
hill and in the admin. Why are we flying twelve tons in the first
lander?" She sat back watching Nick as he stirred his coffee.
She didn't buy the vague answer she'd gotten in her brief.

"Well,
we're going to test the refrigeration, make sure it will work as long
as it is billed for." Nick answered.

Wendy
nodded. "So why not fly twelve tons of water? Why Hydrogen?
Didn't I read somewhere about boil off or something?"

Nick
looked up surprised. "Good catch. Yes, Luigi pointed out the
boil off problem that is why we are sending Hydrogen instead of
water, methane or ethylene. Actually, there is a small tank of
ethylene as well come to think of it." Nick took out his phone
and scrolled through it for a moment. “Yes, here it is, one
five hundred pound tank." Nick looked up to Wendy who was
tapping her teeth with a stylus.

"Really?
Why? Testing the rocket fuel too?" the spokeswoman asked.

Nick
nodded. "The ethylene is used for the rovers too."

Wendy
nodded. "I'm not so sure about some of this other hardware. What
is a Reprap? And a plastic extruder?" she asked concerned.

Nick
smiled. "A Reprap is a fabricator; with it the crew can make
plastic parts. The extruder is to make the plastic," he
explained. Wendy frowned.

"I'm
not sure about that, the greens will have a fit about waste, not to
mention the manufacturing concerns..." she said waving her
hands.

Nick
shook his head. "Purely a test bed and back up to repair the
ship in an emergency. I think Mars is a bit far for FedEx to
deliver."

Wendy
chuckled. "Yeah, okay, I'll buy that. But where are they going
to get the materials to make the plastic?" she asked wrinkling
her nose.

Nick
shook his head. "Ethylene remember?" Wendy stared. "It's
the basic ingredient of just about every form of plastic there is,"
he explained patiently.

Wendy
caught on and whistled appreciatively. "And since Zubrin's new
in situ plant puts out ethylene instead of methane..." Nick
nodded.

"Right,"
he smiled. “Biggest bang for the buck, we need to get as much
to Mars as we can, we won’t have a second chance,” he
sighed.

Wendy
chuckled. "They are really pushing this whole colony agenda
aren't they?" she asked softly.

Nick's
face took on an innocent look. Her eyes narrowed as she studied him.
"Oh don't play innocent with me; I know you’re in it up to
your scrawny neck," she mock growled. Nick grinned as Wendy
scowled mockingly.

"Go
on, get out of here before someone catches you and gets you to put
your size thirteen shoes in your size eight mouth," She waved.

Nick
chuckled as he drained the coffee and got up. "I was going
anyway; I have a meeting on the hill with Senator Friday. She wants
an in depth explanation of the program and its cost benefit analysis
that the GAC drew up," he grimaced.

So
did Wendy. "Good luck, with that old battle ax, you’re
going to need it," she said. Nick waved as he left.

...*...*...*...*...

The
group filed in as Luigi looked up. "What's going on?" Benny
sat down. Julia smiled hands behind her back. She stood behind
Benny's chair. There were about a half a dozen people with him
including Julia. He recognized all of them of course, they were the
first team.

"So
much for chivalry Benny," Luigi sighed shaking his head. Benny
had a tendency to forget the little things in the heat of the moment.

"Huh?"
He looked up at Julia. "Oh, sorry." She shrugged it off.
When he went back to looking at Luigi Julia motioned like she was
going to strangle him with her hands. Luigi snickered. Benny looked
up fast but didn't catch her.

"What
are you doing?" She put on her best innocent expression. Luigi
snorted. Nick chuckled. "So what's up?"

"Well,
we have a few people to introduce here."

Luigi
stood. "Luigi, these are the Hans, they are the number one
astro, I mean cosmonauts from China," Julia said. The Hans had
missed the team training exercises for some odd reason.

Luigi
shook hands as he bowed. "I am glad to finally meet you."
He smiled tentatively. The woman was short, with strong bones and a
classic Chinese profile. Her cheeks were broad as she smiled.

"Nice
to meet you too," the china doll said. She bowed over his hand.

"Mrs.
Han is a biogeochemist, and a medic. I believe she has a BA in
geology as well." She turned and nodded politely to Nick. "Mr.
Han has his Doctorate in Geology, but has some piloting skills to go
along with it."

Luigi
nodded. "The more the merrier. We need all the scientists we can
get."

Nick
smiled. "The young woman beside me is Miss Tessa Vladicova. She
has a Masters in aerospace engineering, and is an experienced
cosmonaut. She has had two tours on the station." Luigi smiled
at the short blond.

"I'm
starting to feel like a giant here," he joked. She dimpled. Her
blond hair was done up in a tight braid. She wore a conservative
brown suit.

"You
know Commander Bowers of course." Luigi nodded to the Mocha
skinned naval commander.

"Commander,
you got the short straw?" Tess and the Hans turned to him. He
nodded.

"Zubrin
said he needed a good watch dog to ride herd on you lot," the
commander replied. He smiled.

Luigi
chuckled. "Yeah. So, two engineers, three scientists, one pilot
commander, who are we missing?" He looked over to Nick.

"Betsy
Lawless sir, she made the cut as well. She is still on the phone,"
Nick waved to the door. Luigi could just make out the New Zealander
on the other side of the entryway talking on the phone quietly. He
chuckled. "Good luck getting that away from her. I swear she
should have been a communications specialist instead," he
sighed.