Mission Origin View (Final Days Trilogy) (47 page)

Dr.
Harper stood and placed both hands on his console table as he leaned forward and looked at the display of the continually focusing planet and data being analyzed. “Has anyone formed a hypothesis based on our observations?” he asked and then waited for a response, hoping at least one of his scientists could help explain what was happening. A minute went by, and he added, “Anything, no matter how outlandish it sounds. I want your thoughts.”

“
We may be in some type of time warp,” Dr. Kastriva finally said.

Dr.
Harper looked at Kastriva. “Elaborate, Doctor.”

“
Fact: we’re not in normal space, although our AI reports otherwise. Fact: we’re not in the time-space dimension that we’re familiar with. Fact: we’re watching events on a planet evolve in hours that would take billions of years. Conclusion: we are exiting the time-speed dimension at an accelerated rate of time, or warp in time, and watching a nearby planet evolve at an accelerated rate,” Kastriva said.

“
Excellent hypothesis,” Dr. Harper said. He stood up straight and began rubbing his chin with his right hand while turning the hypothesis over in his mind. The other scientists nodded in agreement but remained quiet.

“
I’m no scientist, but your hypothesis has a critical error,” Gideon said from the back of the MCC. “What about the light? What is its source? Doesn’t a planet have to have a sun to evolve?”

“
True, Captain,” Kastriva answered, paused, and continued. “I agree, but it’s the most logical explanation based upon my observations.”

“
Yes…yes…yes!” Dr. Jones exclaimed. “His hypothesis has merit. I can piece together Doctor Kastriva’s ideas with research I performed a year ago. We could be seeing a binary star system where a planet is located at both stars common center mass of orbit. If we are in a time warp, we could be seeing the planet evolving because the planet is stationary, and both suns are orbiting the planet so fast that we can’t see the suns themselves but only the light they produce.”

“
That’s it!” Dr. Harper said. “We’re indeed exiting the time-speed dimension but at an accelerated rate of time. Everyone, analyze your data to try and support this hypothesis.”

The scientist
s began working at their consoles, extracting and analyzing sensor information that might support the hypothesis.

Gideon
had more questions and facts that would debunk their new hypothesis but decided to remain quiet and let the scientists do their work. After all, they were supposed to be the experts.

Mission Control Center, SRS
Stephen Hawking

1735
—
March 9, 2372

The holographic display of the planet was focused
now since no new data was being received. Visually the planet looked the same—light gray—but current analysis reported that the gases produced earlier now separated the planet’s ocean and the dense water vapor in the upper atmosphere.

“
We could live in that atmosphere without an environmental suit,” Dr. Bailey commented from her console. The other scientists voiced their agreement. She continued, “And I have no idea how an atmosphere could have formed. The events break every scientific law and discredit every theory I’ve learned and trusted.”

The doors to the MCC
suddenly opened, and Joseph entered.

Mary
began to open her mouth to ask why he had left his battle station, but for some unknown reason she couldn’t. The same feeling that she couldn’t move and longed to hear him speak overtook her as it had the day before. She quickly glanced around the MCC, everyone there looked as though they felt the same. 

Joseph walked to the center of the MCC and stood as everyone
’s eyes were drawn to him. He spoke, “‘It’s written in my book,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age?’”

Joseph then pointed to the holographic image of the planet
and added, “That’s Earth as it was at the end of the second day of creation. It wasn’t created based upon scientific laws, theories, and hypotheses. It was created in this manner so you would believe.”

Mary
listened, transfixed on Joseph, not moving, unable to speak, and now fought the desire to fall on her knees.

“
It is written in my book,” Joseph began again, speaking from memory,
“‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
’”

Joseph quit speaking and walked to the doors of the MCC
. He stopped before exiting. With his back to everyone he continued. “‘
And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
’”

Joseph then walked out of the MCC and left everyone in awe.
It was several minutes before anyone could move or speak.

“
What just happened?” Dr. Jones asked, being the first able to speak.

No
one could answer.

“
Lieutenant
Klaxton, place Petty Officer Sipes under arrest and lock him in the brig. He may be compromised,” Mary ordered after she regained her ability to speak. She trusted he knew what she meant by
compromised
.

“
Right away, Captain,” Gideon said and walked out of the MCC.

***

“Anna, where’s Petty Officer Sipes?” Gideon asked.

“
He just entered the maintenance area,” Anna said.

“
Anna, connect me to Sergeant Manelly over a private platoon communications channel,” Gideon said as he began walking to the maintenance area.

“
The private channel is open,” Anna said.

“
Sergeant Manelly, meet me outside the maintenance area on the double,” Gideon ordered.

“
On my way, sir,” Manelly said.

Gideon
arrived outside the maintenance area door seconds before Manelly. Manelly was dressed in full combat armor.

“
What’s up, sir?” Manelly asked via his helmet speakers.

“
I’ve been ordered to arrest Sipes and put him in the brig,” Gideon answered.

Manelly looked stunned and asked,
“Why, sir?”

“
Have you been looking at the MCC video feed?” Gideon asked.

“
Not for a few hours, sir. Why?” Manelly said.

“
It looks like Sipes may be under some type of alien control,” Gideon said as he looked at the door to the maintenance area. “I’m going to go in and talk to him. I’ll leave our communication channel open. If there’s any sign I might be having a problem, come in and secure Sipes. Got it?”

“
Yes, sir,” Manelly said as he moved away from the door before it opened and readied his MPB-92.

Gideon ente
red the maintenance area and saw Joseph sitting at his battle station console, reading his book. Gideon calmly approached Joseph, and a few feet away from him, Joseph noticed Gideon and stood at attention.

“
At ease, Sipes. Have a seat. I’d like to talk to you if that’s okay,” Gideon said.

“
Yes, Lieutenant,” Joseph said as he sat down.

“
How do you feel, Sipes?”

“
Fine, sir. Ever since I’ve felt the energy in me, I have felt very well,” Joseph answered, using his normal tone of voice and manner.

“
Do you remember going to the MCC a few minutes ago?”

“
Yes, sir. I remember going to the MCC and saying what I had to say,” Joseph said. “I’m not sure if I understand everything I said, but I do know I told them what they’re seeing is written in my book. And I’m sorry I disobeyed orders by leaving my post, but I didn’t have a choice, sir.”

Gideon though
t for a second and asked, “Do you know why I’m here?”

“
Yes, sir, you said you wanted to talk to me,” Joseph said with a smile like an overgrown child.

Reli
eved Joseph couldn’t read his mind or whatever it was an alien might do, Gideon decided to try to explain what he wanted Joseph to do. “Sipes, Sergeant Manelly is outside in the corridor, and he is going to escort you to the brig. With everything that’s happened on the ship and with you talking about things that you don’t fully understand…well, I just want to make sure you won’t do something that might hurt yourself or the crew.”

“
Yes, sir. I’ll go with Sergeant Manelly if that’s what you want me to do, but I’m not going to hurt anyone. I’m here to help save everyone, Lieutenant,” Joseph said. “Don’t you remember me saying that?”

“
I remember, Sipes.”

***

Sergeant Manelly escorted Joseph to the brig and locked him in a cell without incident. Joseph just sat on the bunk in the cell and started reading.

Gideon returned to the MCC and found the scientists busy at their consoles.
“Petty Officer Sipes is secured, Captain,” Gideon said as he approached Mary.

“
Good!” Dr. Harper said, overhearing Gideon’s report.

Gideon turned toward
Dr. Harper and said, “Doctor, if I were you, I’d get a copy of the petty officer’s book and read it. He and his book seem to know what’s happened to us and what’s going to happen tomorrow. It might even give us a clue why we all froze while he was speaking.”

“
Don’t be ridiculous, Lieutenant. After I’ve had some time to think, I deduced what happened,” Dr. Harper explained. “The stress was more than Sipes could take. His simple mind can’t comprehend the scientific evidence he was seeing on the monitor feed, so he had to use a simple explanation of what he could understand to justify what’s happening. And we were so shocked that we couldn’t move because we listened to him speaking such nonsense about the power of some book and a deity causing what we were seeing.”

Gideon listened, and couldn’t believe
a scientist, like Dr. Harper, would try and rationalize the event with such a ridiculous explanation. 

“
I had an idea on my way back to the MCC, Doctor,” Gideon said. He paused and then raised his voice enough for all the scientists to hear. “I know a simple way to find out if Stephen and Petty Officer Sipes are right about our being in normal space and not somewhere stranded in the time-speed dimension.”

“
Please tell us how we can prove it, though I’m sure we’ve already thought about it and tried it,” Dr. Harper said with a smug expression.

“
Use the QMAC and connect to Earth. If we’re in normal space and not in the time-speed dimension, we’ll make contact,” Gideon said. “And if we do make contact, I think I’d read Sipes’s book.”

Dr.
Harper looked stunned and said nothing. Gideon knew he had hit upon something the scientist should’ve done, and was now thinking of a reason to justify his oversight.

Dr. Harper finally said,
“I’m sure we are somewhere in the time-space dimension, and it would just be a waste of time. Anyway, Stephen hadn’t thought about trying a QMAC connection either.”

Mary finally i
ntervened. “Stephen, can we use the QMAC to contact Earth?

“
Yes, Captain,” Stephen said.

“
Is there any reason you haven’t tested the communication connection to try and determine where we are?” Mary asked.

“
No, Captain. I felt it was unnecessary to test since I
know
we’re in normal space,” Stephen said. “Should I connect to Earth via QMAC to prove to the scientists we’re in normal space?”

“
Yes, Stephen, please do,” Mary said as though she was frustrated the scientists hadn’t already thought of the simple test.