The Alpha Centauri Trilogy Read online

  ALPHA CENTAURI TRILOGY

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2016, 2017, 2019 by Alastair Mayer

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed, electronic or other form without permission. E-book editions of this book are available wherever fine e-books are sold.

  T-Space is a trademark of Alastair Mayer

  Cover © 2019 by Mabash Books

  Image credits:

  Planet Earth from Space © 4masik - Depositphotos.com

  Anderson Class Starships © Alastair Mayer

  Images used by permission.

  A Mabash Books Original

  First trilogy printing, December 2019

  Mabash Books, Centennial, Colorado

  Amazon Kindle Edition

  DEDICATIONS

  First Landing

  For Robert A. Heinlein, 1907-1988,

  and Poul Anderson, 1926-2001.

  They gave me many hours of enjoyable reading, a few hours of great conversations...and helped save civilization.

  Sawyer’s World

  For the explorers, the pioneers, and the dreamers.

  The Return

  For Aleta Jackson (Loretta Jackson DeLong), 1948-2016

  Secretary of the L5 Society, involved with Gemini, DC-X, Rotary Rocket, and co-founder of XCOR Aerospace. Also editor, long-time SF fan, costumer, and swordswoman. At an early International Space Development Conference, Aleta introduced me to Jill, who became the mother of my children.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  First Landing

  Several of the scenes here, in particular the early landing phase, were inspired by commentary and illustrations in Duncan Lunan’s book Man and the Stars (Souvenir Press, 1974), with illustrations by Ed Buckley; in particular, the use of aerospike SSTO landing vehicles. See Philip Bono and Kenneth Gatland’s Frontiers of Space (1970) for more on the concept, although my landers were more inspired by Gary Hudson’s Phoenix-C and Phoenix-E from Pacific-American Launch Systems circa 1980.

  I received valuable feedback on early drafts of this book from a number of fellow writers and others, including Lou Berger, Danielle Burkhart, Miranda Suri, Robert G. Williscroft, and Jill Mayer. Of course any omissions, errors, boring bits, or other screw-ups are entirely my fault. Well, and the computer’s, of course.

  Thanks to my kids, Selena, Robert and Arthur for tolerating their father’s idiosyncrasies during the too-long writing of this novel, and to the many readers of my earlier T-Space works who nagged me to get this finished (hi Jason).

  My son Robert, currently working toward a degree in paleontology, provided useful insights into which flora and fauna may have arisen before the KT extinction and survived, and those that evolved far too late to be ancestral to any extraterrestrial T-space denizens.

  And while I discovered them late in the writing of this novel, Dr. Martin Beech’s non-fiction books Terraforming: The Creating of Habitable Worlds, and Alpha Centauri: Unveiling the Secrets of Our Nearest Stellar Neighbor, both from Springer (2009 and 2015 respectively), made for fascinating reading with useful insights.

  - Alastair Mayer, Colorado, 2016

  Sawyer’s World

  Inspiration for this story came in part from Jules Verne, in his The Mysterious Island, and from Robert A. Heinlein, in his The Tunnel in the Sky. If you enjoyed this book, you will more than enjoy those.

  Thanks to several Codexians (they know who they are) for advice on the medical scenes in this book. Any, ah, creative reinterpretation of their suggestions is on me.

  The Sawyer of Sawyer’s World is not, as some may think, named for author Robert Sawyer, much as I enjoy his work. Rather, she is named for a person in my college astrophysics class. Her first name was not Elizabeth, and any other resemblances are entirely coincidental, and would be surprising.

  To the readers who enjoyed Volume 1, First Landing, especially those who left reviews, thank you!

  As always, thanks to my kids, Arthur, Robert and Selena (in alphabetical order). And a second thanks to Robert for his first-reader input and suggestions regarding paleobiology, some of which, alas, I couldn’t work into the plot. But there are more books to come.

  -- Alastair Mayer, Colorado, 2017

  The Return

  This book, and the entire Alpha Centauri series, arose from two sources. First, I wanted to explain how Sawyer’s World (later, just Sawyers World, no apostrophe) got its name. Second, my son Robert had asked, in response to an almost throw-away line in an earlier story, “what are squidberries anyway?”

  Other inspiration for this story, as with any novel, came from a number of places. Astute readers may recognize some echoes of themes from Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park and John Wyndham’s The Trouble With Lichen.

  I met Marko Kloos at the 2017 Launchpad, an astronomy workshop for writers, and subsequently fell into his Frontlines series. While his and my universes are quite different, his helped me get into the right mindset for writing the Chinese encounters at Epsilon Eridani; it’s been a long time since my own army days.

  To the readers who enjoyed the first and second volumes, First Landing and Sawyer’s World, and especially to those who left reviews, thank you! You make it worth while.

  A big thank you to RGW and Jill for their comments on early drafts of this book. As always, thanks to my kids, Arthur, Robert, and Selena (in alphabetical order), for inspiration.

  -- Alastair Mayer, Colorado, 2017

  GLOSSARY

  Able: Pre-mission designation of the Earth-like planet orbiting Alpha Centauri A. See Sawyer’s World.

  Alcubierre*: Miguel Alcubierre derived a series of equations consistent with Relativity which describe warping of space in a way which permits Faster-Than-Light travel. Several others have built on Alcubierre’s work, showing lower-energy ways to achieve a warp bubble (q.v.)

  Alpha Centauri*: the nearest star system to our own system. It comprises 3 stars, the two roughly sun-like stars A and B, and the smaller, distant red dwarf C (also called Proxima Centauri).

  Baker: Pre-mission designation of the Earth-like planet orbiting Alpha Centauri B. See Kakuloa.

  ANT scan*: Anti-Neutrino Tomography scan. Analogous to a CAT (computerized axial tomography) scan in current medical use, except on a planetary scale and using anti-neutrinos instead of x-rays. Neutrino tomography in real life is a budding field in the geosciences, but it uses solar neutrinos or those emitted from natural nuclear decay deep within the Earth. Neutrino detectors have also been considered for identifying nuclear reactors which may be generating weapons-grade fissionables.

  EECOM*: Electrical, Environmental, and Consumables Management (EECOM) Monitors electrical power sources (batteries, fuel cells), and electrical distribution systems; cabin pressure control systems; and vehicle lighting systems. atmospheric pressure control and revitalization (O2/N2/CO2 management) systems, the cabin cooling systems (air, water, and refrigerant loop), and the supply/waste water system.

  EECOM’s critical function is to maintain the systems, such as atmosphere and thermal control, that keep the crew alive. (From Apollo/Shuttle terminology)

  FIDO*: Flight Dynamics Operations. Responsible for the flight path of the space vehicle, both atmospheric and orbital. The FDO monitors vehicle performance during the powered flight phase and assesses abort modes, calculates orbital maneuvers and resulting trajectories, and monitors vehicle flight profile and energy levels during re-entry. (From Apollo/Shuttle terminology)

  Finazzi instability*: In
2009, Stefano Finazzi, Stefano Liberati, and Carlos Barceló applied a quantum analysis to the Alcubierre warp metric and deduced that quantum fluctuations could destabilize the warp. The term “Finazzi instability” is mine, from the first-listed author.

  Interstellar Quarantine Facility: A base on the moon to receive returning planetary and interstellar missions to prevent any contamination of Earth by extraterrestrial organisms. Something like Michael Crichton The Andromeda Strain’s “Wildfire” facility but on the moon, and with more accommodation for returning humans. Based loosely on the Lunar Receiving Laboratory of the Apollo era.

  Kakuloa: Alpha Centauri B II - terraformed planet orbiting the second largest star (B) in the Alpha Centauri system. Originally called Baker in pre-mission planning.

  magnetotellurics*: an electromagnetic geophysical method for inferring the Earth's (or other planet’s) subsurface electrical conductivity by measuring natural geomagnetic and geoelectric field variation at the planet’s surface.

  omni: Short for omniphone - compares to today’s smartphones as smartphones compare to walky-talkies. (Look for “Nokia Morph” on YouTube for a nearly-there concept video.)

  omniphone: See omni.

  parsec*: A distance of approximately 3.26 light-years.

  Sawyer’s World: Alpha Centauri A II - second planet orbiting the largest star (A) in the Alpha Centauri system, the first extrasolar planet settled by humans. Originally called Able in pre-mission planning.

  SSTO*: Single Stage To Orbit. A concept (with a variety of possible implementations) for highly reusable spacecraft which can launch from a planet (Earth) to orbit, and return to a safe landing, using a single stage (thus requiring as little as just refueling to launch again). As of this writing, no practical SSTOs have been build (it is just within the limit of technical feasibility) although several examples come close.

  terraforming*: The hypothetical practice of engineering a planet, possibly including giving it a biosphere, to be more Earth-like. This could range from thickening Mars’s atmosphere to (at a much more technologically advanced scale) changing the crust of a planet and/or modifying its rotation rate to make it long-term stable (as would need to be done, for example, to terraform Venus).

  thruster: High-efficiency reaction drive, a kind of fusion-powered arc-jet.

  T-space: Terraformed (or Terraform) space - Usual term for “known space,” a spheroid of stars centered on Earth and about 20 parsecs in diameter. So-called because many of the sun-like stars within it were found to have planets that were not merely Earth-like, but deliberately terraformed.

  Unholy War: A nuclear war which took place in the first half of the 21st century, involving primarily the smaller nuclear powers, purportedly for religious reasons.

  Union de Terre: Union of Earth, the successor to the United Nations formed after the events of and immediately after the Unholy War.

  warp bubble*: The thin shell of highly-curved space surrounding a ship in FTL flight. Based on Van Den Broek’s lower-energy configuration of an Alcubierre warp metric.

  * Items marked with an asterisk are non-fictional, at least in a theoretical or hypothetical sense, as of this writing. The others may or may not be in the future.

  For additional terms and explanations, visit the T-Space Wiki at https://www.alastairmayer.org/wiki

  Contents

  Dedications

  Acknowledgments

  Glossary

  First Landing Part I: Preparations

  Chapter 1: A Change of Plans

  Chapter 2: The Moon

  Chapter 3: Geologists

  Chapter 4: Field Trip

  Chapter 5: Departure

  Chapter 6: Approaching Centauri

  Chapter 7: Into the Centauri System

  Part II: Landings

  Chapter 8: Planetfall

  Chapter 9: First Landing

  Chapter 10: Post-Landing

  Chapter 11: Suspicion

  Chapter 12: Exploration

  Chapter 13: The Smeerp Problem

  Chapter 14: Second Down

  Chapter 15: Underground

  Part III: Survival

  Chapter 16: Doing Geology

  Chapter 17: A Murder of Crows

  Chapter 18: Mayday Received

  Chapter 19: No Walk in the Park

  Chapter 20: Weather Forecast

  Chapter 21: A Night Out

  Chapter 22: Day After Crash

  Chapter 23: Continuing Adventures of Fred and Ulrika

  Chapter 24: The Storm

  Chapter 25: Singing in the Rain

  Chapter 26: The Return

  Part IV: Departure

  Chapter 27: Leaving

  Chapter 28: Discussing the Findings

  Chapter 29: Preparations

  Chapter 30: Goodbyes

  Chapter 31: Landing

  Chapter 32: Home Again

  Chapter 33: Epilogue

  Sawyer's World Part I

  Chapter 1: Touchdown

  Chapter 2: Three Days Earlier

  Chapter 3: Landing Zone

  Chapter 4: Grass

  Chapter 5: Priorities

  Chapter 6: Farmsteading the Planet

  Chapter 7: Field Trip

  Chapter 8: Going Flying

  Chapter 9: Long Term Planning

  Chapter 10: An Unexpected Find

  Part II

  Chapter 11: Status Report Week 1

  Chapter 12: T-Bird

  Chapter 13: Westward

  Chapter 14: A Bird in the Bush

  Chapter 15: Engineering Problems

  Chapter 16: The Hill

  Chapter 17: Status Report Week Six

  Chapter 18: Observation

  Chapter 19: Questions

  Chapter 20: Status Report, Week Fourteen

  Part III

  Chapter 21: They're Not Coming

  Chapter 22: To the Dome

  Chapter 23: Surprise!

  Chapter 24: On the Dome

  Chapter 25: Walk in the Park

  Chapter 26: To the Pyramid

  Chapter 27: Making Plans

  Chapter 28: Pete's Peak

  Chapter 29: Sawmill

  Chapter 30: Ceremony

  Chapter 31: Status Report, Week 26

  Chapter 32: Birth

  Chapter 33: Emergency

  Chapter 34: Firstborn

  PART IV

  Chapter 35: Status Report, Much Later

  Chapter 36: A Sound of Thunder

  Chapter 37: Recovery

  Chapter 38: Aftermath

  Chapter 39: Unidentified Objects

  Chapter 40: Visitors

  Chapter 41: Epilogue

  The Return Part I: Earth and Eridani

  Chapter 1: The Voyage Home

  Chapter 2: Tiānyuànsì

  Chapter 3: Preparing for Landing

  Chapter 4: Grainger

  Chapter 5: Eridani Landing

  Chapter 6: To Seek Out New Life

  Chapter 7: Inquiry

  Chapter 8: Mission Delayed

  Chapter 9: Elephants

  Chapter 10: Court-Martial

  Chapter 11: Wolves

  Chapter 12: Resolution

  Chapter 13: Departure

  Part II: Setbacks

  Chapter 14: Decision Against Return

  Chapter 15: An Unpleasant Surprise

  Chapter 16: Meet Sid Ryden

  Chapter 17: The Chinese Return

  Chapter 18: Ryden Gets an Assignment

  Chapter 19: Lab Work

  Chapter 20: Leverage

  Chapter 21: Leverage Supplied

  Chapter 22: Leverage Applied

  Chapter 23: Good News, Bad News

  Part III: Construction

  Chapter 24: The New Design

  Chapter 25: Warp Test

  Chapter 26: Final Countdown

  Chapter 27: Old Friends

  PART IV: Return to Alpha Centauri

  Chapter 28: Arrival at Alpha Centauri

  Chapter 2
9: Send in the Drones

  Chapter 30: Contact

  Chapter 31: Endeavour Landing

  Chapter 32: Reunion Dinner

  Chapter 33: Sawyer's World

  Chapter 34: Epilogue

  Next

  FIRST LANDING

  ALPHA CENTAURI BOOK 1

  The first starships head to Alpha Centauri, but politics and natural disasters threaten the mission . . . and what they find may threaten Earth itself.

  PART I: PREPARATIONS

  CHAPTER 1: A CHANGE OF PLANS

  Commodore Drake’s office, Centauri Mission HQ, Earth

  “No, I do not want that man on the mission!” Elizabeth Sawyer all but shouted. “He’s an egotistical, sloppy, stubborn, irreverent . . . jerk!” Then, obviously remembering she was talking to her commanding officer, added: “Sir.”

  Commodore Franklin Drake took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Look, Elizabeth, I know he’s your ex. I know you guys had some, uh, interesting screaming matches. But with Doctor Grainger out of commission, we need a well-qualified exobiologist. George Darwin has the expertise and space experience. I know you’re both intelligent enough to be able to get along. It’s not like you ever came to blows.”

  Sawyer’s smile tightened. “I’d have kicked his butt if it had.”

  Drake had no doubt of that. Commander Elizabeth Sawyer was a powerfully-built woman, with years of field geology under her belt before her astronaut training.