The Setting Earth

By Darrell B Nelson

What would you do if you held in your hands the power to wipe out all forms of human poverty, but doing so would place the fate of the human race in the hands of your enemies?

All his life Sam has been told the people of Ganymede were an enemy bent on destroying all the values he holds dear. Getting to know them he starts sympathizing with their idealistic goals, but he isn’t sure if he can trust them. When an interplanetary war between Earth and Ganymede breaks out, Sam finds his actions will determine the fate of humanity, however he is unsure which side to believe.

“The Setting Earth” is a tale of romance that shows that even after humanity has the technology to transform the Solar System; the most powerful force in the universe is the power of friendship.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Darrell B Nelson
• Release date: Mar 7, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458020246

Darrell B Nelson

Darrell B. Nelson is a former Securities Broker and Insurance Agent who has decided to use the total meltdown of his former industry, and the total destruction of any illusions of personal financial security the meltdown caused, as an opportunity to pursue a writing career. His passion for writing was encouraged at a young age by his his mother, who would read to him every night. Fueling his dreams in ways only books can. As he got older she took him to the library every week. Letting his imagination soar. While other children his age were dealing with where they were and what they were doing, he was flying through space helping to build Asimov's Foundation, Make way for Clarke's Star Child, or living on Bova's Selene. Needless to say, he tripped over things a lot. When he started writing he knew in the future his works would be of great importance, as time travelers arrived and started watching his every move. Or, maybe they were cats, wondering if he would pet them and rub their ears. Time Travelers have whiskers and like to curl up in your lap, right? In his free time he likes to hang out on Facebook, marveling at how far we've come since the time of the Egyptians who would worship cats and write on walls.

Book preview

Chapter 1: The Arrival

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference, Sam thought as his left hand gripped the small pistol in his pocket aimed at his lover.

He forced himself to look at his right hand, his thumb poised over the button that would decide the fate of all humanity. Both fates would bring an end to civilization as he knew it. One fate would destroy all human poverty and suffering along with the struggles and redemptions that all humans must go through, the other would destroy all human life. He didn’t know if his action, or inaction, would bring on which fate.

He had to choose who he should trust. Should he trust the woman who despised everything his world stood for and who lied to him since he met her, or should he trust the government of Earth that had manipulated him and the rest of the population since birth?

It wasn’t a position he ever planned on being in. A month ago he was just a mid-level engineer, for Christ’s Sake.

#

One month earlier:

Into the lion’s den. Sam took a deep breath as he approached the group of off-world engineers in the cafeteria, watching their reactions as he made his way over to their table. Ganymede engineers hated everything about Earth and all Earthers. They felt they were superior to the planet their ancestors had come from. He had prepared himself for this moment during his 6-week journey from Earth to Solar System’s largest asteroid, Ceres.

If it were up to him, he would avoid the deviant engineers like the plague. Taught from childhood to avoid exposure to unorthodox views, he was sure he could resist contamination. His palms sweated. I will not react to their jibes, we have to work together.

Taking his mind off the problem of how to deal with people Sam concentrated on an unexpected physics problem. Under the low gravity of Ceres he only weighed 5 pounds, but he still had his full 150 pounds of mass pushing him forward towards the Engineers’ table. He barely managed to get his feet in the right position so he could slide the last five feet to gently bump into the table to stop his momentum. The five engineers stopped their conversation to stare up at the man who bumped into their table.

Come join us, a gray bearded engineer said enthusiastically. We are talking about the project. I’m sure you have some unique thoughts on it.

Okay. Sam had assumed it would be difficult to break into their social circle. It appeared he assumed wrong, he wondered what other assumptions he had made were wrong.

I’m Mark by the way. I work on the targeting system. The gray bearded engineer introduced himself. You’re the new engineer from Earth I assume.

Sam. He tried to lower his tray onto the table and dropped his arms faster than the tray fell in the low gravity. It slowly drifted downward until he caught it again. How’d you guess?

It’s the walk, Mark told him. It takes Earthers a while to adjust to being two kilos. You can’t really learn to walk properly in the cramped quarters of a spaceship, and the engineer coveralls were a dead give away. So how long have you been on Ceres?

Just arrived this morning, he said, maneuvering to slowly sit down. The low gravity wasn’t helping him with this so after a long half second he grabbed the chair and pulled himself into it. While dealing with the low gravity he made sure to put on his best poker face to avoid showing his fear that if his mission was unsuccessful he would be a man without a planet. He would never be welcome back on Earth, assuming there was an Earth to go back to.

Come to spy on our project? one of the younger male engineers asked grinning.

Before he could respond a female engineer, who looked to be roughly Sam’s age, mid 30s, but he knew she probably grew up in the low gravity of Jupiter’s largest moon Ganymede and he had no idea if that affected the aging process, replied. Of course he is John, but I for one have nothing to hide.

You don’t hide much from anyone, do you Emma? Mark joked.

I don’t have anything to be embarrassed about, unlike you, Emma shot back then turned to Sam, Let me show you something else low gravity does, other than make it hard for Earthers to walk.

She lifted her shirt and let her breasts flop out. She jiggled for a split second then remained perfectly still. Without Earth’s strong gravity pulling them down they continued to dance, jiggling around like they had a mind of their own.

Put those away. The remaining male engineer laughed when he saw the expression of shock on Sam’s face. You’re embarrassing our new friend.

Sam instinctively looked around for the authorities that would stop this sort of lewd public display. Back on Earth few women would be bold enough not to wear a suppressing bra that tried to hide their femininity. Here the women wandered around in the thinnest shirts, proudly putting themselves on display. The idea of a woman flashing a complete stranger was unheard of, and probably illegal, back on Earth.

Oh, sorry about that, Emma told him pulling her shirt back down. I didn’t mean to make you blush.

I… was just surprised. Even as he felt his cheeks burning as the blood rushed into them, he was oddly grateful. Her immoral display had turned the conversation away from whether he was a spy or not. He would hate to have his cover blown in the first five minutes of his mission.

I guess what they say about Earth is true then? the youngest female engineer asked.

What’s that? Sam asked.

That you guys have stopped having sex. She smiled.

Oh we still have it, Sam told the girl who looked barely old enough to be out of high school. We just don’t do it on the cafeteria table.

So how do you improve your technique if you don’t have a panel of judges grading you? she asked with a straight face.

Sam had heard the stories about how the off-worlders were promiscuous but that seemed extreme. He opened his mouth to say something but no words came out.

Dude, you totally believed me, didn’t you? she asked starting a round of laughter at the table.

I’m sorry, she said when she regained her composure. I didn’t mean to pick on you. It’s just we’ve all heard the stories about Earthers and I wanted to test to see if they were true.

Stories? Sam had to ask.

You know, that woman can get arrested if they look at men in public, and that sex for purposes other than reproduction is outlawed, she said.

It was Sam’s turn to laugh. I’m not sure how you could enforce a law like that. It’s true that we consider it a virtue to wait until marriage to have sex, but even that isn’t followed by everyone. There are many people who would like to have sex for reasons other than procreation outlawed, but most people understand you can’t enforce that type of thing. As far as the sexual consent laws, they go both ways; men can’t leer at women in public either. Different places treat what the definition of leering is as well.

I also wanted to do a twist on the old space corridor legend, she told him.

Legend? Sam asked.

Supposedly at Selene University, on the Moon, an Earther biologist substituted for the regular Professor, she explained. He was comfortable talking about how sperm contained acids, fructose and enzymes and stuff but no salt, which made the sixteen year old girl from Ganymede in the front row ask, ‘Then how come it tastes so salty?’ The Earther professor turned red and had to leave the room.

The entire table laughed except Sam.

How’s that funny? He really couldn’t see why they would find someone’s normal reaction to a girl’s improper behavior funny.

The biologist got embarrassed about… She started and looked at Sam’s blank expression. He couldn’t answer a question about a normal part of life…something people do everyday…

Maria, if you do that everyday, Mark joked, I’ll stop by tonight.

I didn’t mean I do it every day, she told him. Not recently anyway. I said people in general.

Let’s stop picking on poor Sam, Emma told the group turning to look at him. You have to forgive us. We don’t come into much contact with Earthers. Most of the Earthers that come off world are either like them… She nodded towards the group of laborers that had been on the ship with Sam. They were at their own table praying before their meal. Or them… She nodded towards the group of accountants still in business suits going over numbers while they ate.

All the Earthers I’ve met either want to convert me, or feel that they need to know why I used four sheets of toilet paper to wipe instead of three, she continued. You’re the first one who has joined us. Us… heathens, I believe we’re called.

Well, that’s cause he’s a spy. John laughed at his own joke.

And he’ll learn all about our super secret fashion techniques, Emma shot back. Sam was grateful she veered the conversation away from his being a spy again.

Actually, I’m about as sick of those guys as you are, Sam said quietly so the other tables couldn’t hear. "I spent over a month on board the ship with both groups listening to how my bowel movements were part of God’s plan and having the other group record everything that happened in the bathroom so they could judge to see how it compared with the average. I mean I’m religious and cost conscious and all, but they take it too far. Even for Earth standards.

It’s good to talk about anything else. Sam was a little surprised at the feeling of relief he got from stating something that would be considered unorthodox and have him viewed with suspicion back on Earth.

How did you do? Maria asked him after a moment of silence at the table.

How’d I do what? Sam was baffled.

How did your bathroom scores rank against everyone else? Maria grinned.

It took a little practice but towards the end I think I beat out the competition. Sam grinned, I’m expecting a trophy when I get back home.

I think you’ll fit in just fine, Emma told him after laughing at his joke. You’re going to be working on the Diverter with us, right?

That’s why I’m here, Sam said, grateful for the change in subject.

Good, I’ll have your assignments laid out for you after lunch, she told him.

You’re the project manager? Sam’s jaw dropped.

You’re surprised? she asked.

It’s just… Sam paused to think of a tactful way to phrase his feelings.

I’m sorry, like I said I haven’t met a lot of Earthers. She stared into his eyes making it even harder for Sam to think. I’m not up to date with your prejudices.

It’s not that. Sam defended himself. I’m not used to the boss flashing her… goofing around with the subordinates.

Why not? Emma asked.

Doesn’t it make it hard to be the boss later? Sam asked.

That’s right, I heard Earthers have a higher…a stacked…a pyramid type organizational structure, Maria said. They, I mean you, group people into classes to assign work projects.

I think you mean hierarchy, Sam told her. How else would you get things done?

I think you’ll be in for a surprise. Emma gave him a captivating smile. Our work structure is a little more relaxed out here. Speaking of that is everyone finished?

After they all confirmed she said, Well, let’s get back at it.

Sam hopped up out of his seat and floated towards the 10-foot high ceiling and would have hit his head if he hadn’t put his arm out. When his feet were back on the ground, he looked at the engineers at the table expecting them to laugh at his mistake. Everyone except for the middle-aged engineer who had asked Emma to cover up earlier ignored his unexpected leap towards the ceiling and continued cleaning up their areas.

What you have to do; is follow the three-point rule. Always keep three points of contact, that means using both your hands and feet. Hold the table like this… He grabbed the table and stood up. That will keep you from bouncing around the room.

Thanks, Sam told him.

No Problem. The engineer offered his hand, Phil by the way. If you’re wondering on how to adjust to life here, just ask me.

Thanks again. Sam welcomed the support but he remembered the instructions he had been given before leaving Earth: Gain their trust but don’t lose sight of your mission.

On his way out of the cafeteria, Sam watched how the group of engineers walked with strange swaying shuffles. Sam tried to imitate it with some success until he got to the door. He aimed for the door but noticed he was veering too far to the right. To correct his trajectory he put his right foot forward but it seemed to slide effortlessly across the very rough floor and he bumped in to the doorframe.

He put his left foot back to try to regain his balance but it couldn’t find any traction and he felt himself slowly falling over. The process took over a second so he had more than enough time to prepare to hit the ground. Instinctively, he turned in midair and put out both arms to stop his fall and was surprised that one arm would have been enough.

He was stuck in a push-up position unsure if he should just push himself back up with his arms, or get onto his knees and get his feet under him like he would on Earth.

The question resolved itself when Phil held out his hand. With Phil’s help he was able easily right himself.

Until you get used to our gravity, don’t be afraid to put your hand out to stop your momentum, Phil told him. Trust me, it’s damn hard to hurt yourself in this gravity.

Thanks, was all Sam was able to mutter.

On the way to the work area, Sam took Phil’s advice and used his hands on the corridor walls often. He felt like a fool not being able to walk properly, but his new friends just ignored his bouncing around. Sam couldn’t help but fear that his obvious inability to conform with the rest of the group would catch the attention of the authorities like it would on Earth, but here everyone treated his not fitting in as normal.

All of Sam’s concerns about fitting in, his mission, everything except his love of an engineering challenge was ripped from his mind as soon as he entered the underground structure as big as a football stadium that was filled with the enormous machine he would be working on.

Chapter 2: The Death Ray

Maria jumped forward when Emma asked for someone to work with Sam.

You’ve worked on lasers before, right? Maria asked him as they crossed a football field sized room to approached the sprawling machine that a handful of engineers and an army of robots were working on.

Nothing this big. Sam had to admit to the perky, young engineer.

Normally I’d say it’s not the size but how you use it, she grinned. But in this case we need a really big laser.

You’re planning on sending asteroids to Mars, Right? Sam asked, repeating what he heard in the news. So the Martians can terraform their world with the raw materials.

Sam didn’t mention that he had been told Ganymede had more sinister uses for it.

That’s one of the things it can do, she grinned.

Sam thought about how to respond, having been sent here to find out what they were planning to do with the Death Ray he was caught off guard that the technicians would volunteer the information so quickly.

What else would you use a giant laser for? he asked as innocently as he could.

Stop! she exclaimed.

Sam was a little stunned that his innocent question prompted such a strong reaction. Noticing the young woman was slowing down behind him he tried to stop himself but slid into the side of the giant machine. He put out his arms too late and his feet slid out from under him. He expected to fall backwards onto the floor but a hand on his back held him in midair until he could get his feet under him.

Thanks. He told the girl, who on Earth would barely weigh 110 pounds, but here she was able to hold his entire body weight up with one hand.

No problem, she said. It takes a while to adjust to the low gravity so we all have to help each other out.

I appreciate that, Sam told her. But what where you saying about the Diverter?

Have you ever wondered if we we’re alone? Maria asked him, making him look around. No, I meant life forms in general.

We must be. Sam repeated, remembering what he had been told since his elementary school days at Jesus Camp. We’ve been listening for alien radio waves as well as broadcasting our own for over 200 years now. If there was an intelligent species within 100 light years they could hear our broadcasts and respond.

I wasn’t just talking about intelligent races, I meant life outside the solar system, she explained after rolling her eyes at his logic. All the life we’ve found here on Ceres, as well as Mars, Ganymede, and Titan had been contaminated by microbes from Earth.

Bacteria and spores get into the upper atmosphere of Earth and are knocked into orbit by solar wind. Oftentimes, they get picked up by stray asteroids and comets and get dumped on planets throughout the Solar System, she explained. "That’s why all the life we’ve found has DNA, mitochondria and other similarities. The Earth bacteria took over before new forms of life could evolve. The only way we can find life that evolved independently is to look outside our solar system.

In order to get a probe to another star it will take massive amounts of energy. And that’s where this puppy comes in. She looked admiringly at the huge machine.

The Diverter can shoot a probe to another star? Sam was astonished. He knew it was powerful but what she was talking about was several orders of magnitude greater than what was publicly claimed.

Sort of, if it can change the orbit of a couple trillion ton rock, one that’s not designed to be pushed around by a laser. Just imagine what it can do to a 1,000-ton probe that has a mirror designed to make it reflect the maximum amount of power, she said. "Between this laser and a few more like it scattered around the solar system we could have probes that could accelerate to nearly a quarter the speed of light. They could span the distance to other stars in a few decades.

Within a century we could have samples of life that evolved on its own, with no help from Earth, she continued. Our knowledge of life sciences would take another great leap forward as we found out what we think is essential to life really is essential or just a chance happening in the path of evolution.

Sam thought about how to answer. He knew she wouldn’t like the answer he had learned in school, that God had made the Solar System a special place for humans, which is why no life had been detected outside of the Solar System.

Interesting. Was all he could say, But why spend all the time and energy on a project that won’t give you results in your lifetime?

Well it’s not a stretch to think I’ll be alive in a hundred years, She told him.

So, the rumors about off-worlders eugenics programs are true, Sam thought.

"But, even if I get in some horrible accident before then it would be worth it to know that I contributed, in my own small