Above the Clouds

By Philip Benguhe

Above the Clouds is a work of science fiction that explores how the history of humanity would have changed if instead of clears skies above, the planet was covered in a thick blanket of clouds. Without views of the heavens to drive the development of science and society, humankind turned their attention inward. The worship of volcanoes and the god Vulcan dominated religion and prevented society from looking upwardâ encapsulated in the religion's most famous maxim, "Everything you need is beneath your feet!"

With the election of a new progressive president, a group of scientists are now directed to build a probe to finally see what lies above. However, their efforts are frustrated by the work of religious radicals, betrayed loyalties, and changing political dynamics.

The main character, Jason, with the help of his friends and the team, must navigate these obstacles and risk his professional career to assure the probe is launched and its discoveries shared with the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: eBookIt.com
• Release date: Jan 22, 2019
• ISBN: 9781456632694

Book preview

Above the Clouds

by

Philip Benguhe

Copyright 2019 Philip Benguhe,

All rights reserved.

Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com

http://www.eBookIt.com

ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-3269-4

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

This book is dedicate to all those searching for truth in a vast sea of ignorance and superstition–to the scientists and explorers who dare to look beyond what can be seen, only to see more.

For millennia, humankind has gazed upon the heavens with awe. Captivation with the sun, moon, and stars drove the development of our religion, culture, and science. But what if for most of our history a dense layer of clouds obscured these all from view? How would our society have changed and what would be the story of humanity’s efforts to finally see…

Above the Clouds

Contents

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 26

CHAPTER 27

CHAPTER 28

CHAPTER 29

CHATPER 30

CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER 32

CHAPTER 33

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CHAPTER 1

As the numbers on the electromechanical clock slowly clicked to exactly seven a.m., a dull buzz raised Jason Pytheas from his uneasy sleep. Easing himself from his bed, he walked across the room to turn off the small nightlight he kept on each and every night. Its design consisted of a yellowish glass, golf ball sized globe covered in orange swirls with a single, miniature bulb embedded inside. He received the novelty as a young child from his mother, who died not long after giving it to him; and ever since then, he had not gone a night without it.

Standing in the shower, Jason let the streaming jets of warm water cascade down his face until they had washed away the remaining drowsiness from the prior night’s slumber. After quickly toweling dry and brushing his hair and teeth, he quickly threw on the clothes lazily draped on the chair across from his bed. He then walked to his small kitchen to make himself a cup of tea, a single fried egg, and a piece of toast. In a few minutes, he would leave his house and start the short walk to the tram stop that would take him to work. As he exited his front door, he abruptly stopped–quickly spinning around to grab the umbrella standing next to the door.

Once outside, Jason scanned the sky. Grey and more grey. Above his head rolling clouds of grey and off in the distance a horizon of grey. He often felt as though the clouds extended down from the sky to invade his very essence. As he started to walk to the tram stop, Robert, his neighbor who lived in the cottage next door, waved a friendly hello.

Beautiful day today! Robert shouted. I’ll bet you can see for more than a mile…and the forecast is no rain. You shouldn’t need the umbrella. Better safe than sorry, replied Jason. He thought about the number of times he had forgotten to take his umbrella, only to later be caught in a downpour. He never trusted the forecast, except in one key point. It would be cloudy, just as it had always been cloudy.

For the entirety of recorded history, the human race had lived in a world totally obscured by clouds. Sometimes they lifted a bit, and you could see a mile or so; other times they descended to a dense fog, and you could not see two feet in front of your nose. What lies above them? Many had asked and speculated, but no one knew for sure. However, with a bit of luck, that would soon change.

As Jason waited at the tram stop, the clouds began to descend obscuring his view down the tracks. He silently thanked himself for bringing the umbrella. He would probably need it later. The clanging of the tram’s bell interrupted Jason’s musings and signaled its approach long before Jason could actually see the car. About a minute later, the tram pulled into view and stopped a few feet from Jason. It had an exterior painted bright orange, with black trim and both side and front signal lights that switched from a flashing red to steady amber, indicating that it was now safe to board. After climbing the three corrugated rubber steps of the doorway, Jason quickly settled into one of the dark grey foam filled leather seats at the front. The doors closed and the tram slowly started to roll down the tracks. A few moments later, Jason closed his eyes and his mind drifted back to the monumental speech that now directed his daily activities, as well as those of countless other coworkers.

Although more than three years had passed since President John Fitzgerald had delivered his famous See Above The Sky inaugural speech and initiated the See Above The Sky (SATS) program, the words still played in Jason’s mind with perfect clarity. After first speaking about the common good and respecting the rights of all, the president concluded with, And I firmly believe that to look forward, we must not just look beneath our feet but must look upward as well. Therefore, during my term as president, I am committing to using all of the scientific and technological resources at our disposal to send a probe through the clouds–to finally see what lies above. Many thought this impossible, not just because of the technological difficulties but because it violated the most basic tenant of one of the major religious groups of the country, the Vulcanites.

The Vulcanites believe in one god almighty, Vulcan. He lives deep underground, bestowing his blessings on humanity by sending up crops to eat, cool springs of water to drink, and trees with which to build shelters. However, anger him and he responds by making the ground beneath tremble, or–in extreme cases–the ground itself would open up and belch forth molten rock, fire and brimstone. The Vulcanites strongly espoused the belief that everything mankind needed–or would ever need–came from within the earth, encapsulated in their most famous phrase, Everything you need is beneath your feet!

Earlier attempts to rise through the clouds proved disastrous. A century and a half ago, travelers brought back floating lanterns from their travels to the eastern part of the old continent. These consisted of thin paper bags with a small candle inside. The heat from the burning candle caused the bag to rise. These would never get too far up as the bags would dampen as they rose through the water laden clouds, or the candles would quickly burn out. However, it did spark a number of adventurous explorers to try and improve on the idea. They constructed larger bags made of silk and heated the air inside from fire pots held below. A few daring individuals built ones large enough to hold a person. However, these were hard to control; and the frequent rains often quenched the fire pots, cutting short most journeys. The Vulcanite clergy strongly condemned these activities, labeling these early pioneers as heretics.

Eventually, two brothers built a really large hot air bag with a special hood to protect against the rain and funnel the heated air directly into the chamber above. They rose up to a great height, deep in the clouds. As they ascended, they dropped brightly colored notes attached to rocks. All said the same thing, Still seeing clouds, going higher, with each message landing further from where they ascended. After a time, the notes stopped. People waited, but the craft did not return. In fact, only days later did the news arrive. A farmer had discovered it a considerable distance away. He watched in disbelief as the craft rapidly descended into the middle of his field. Once it landed, he went to investigate. What he saw inside sent a shiver down his spine. Both occupants lay huddled on the floor dead– frozen through–their bodies a strange bluish hue. He immediately threw himself down and kissing the ground exclaimed, All praise to Vulcan! Everything we need is beneath our feet! The Vulcanite clergy claimed that the two had invoked the wrath of Vulcan. They used this as justification to completely ban sky ascensions by people and significantly restrict even unmanned ones. To this day, only select members of the scientific community could engage in this activity and to a much-limited degree. Yes, few would have dared challenge the prevailing orthodoxy, but President Fitzgerald was something special.

From the start, he sought to separate politics from religion and have policy based on substantiated facts and principles. Besides being the youngest president at forty, he had a grace and charm about him that seemed to disarm even his staunchest critics. He stood lean and tall, almost six-feet-two, with wavy brown hair and calming azure eyes. Furthermore, he possessed an unmatched wit that allowed him to assuage the most difficult and tense situations. During a speech at a farm, he was continually heckled by a devote Vulcanite in the crowd with repeated shouts of Beneath your feet! He ignored the interruptions, but at the conclusion of his speech he calmly looked right at the heckler and responded by saying, I am pretty sure I’m okay with what is beneath my feet but most certainly do not want what is beneath YOUR feet, as he pointed to a large pile of cow dung just adjacent to where the Vulcanite stood. Everyone, including the Vulcanite, could not help but laugh at the comment.

Soon after assuming office, President Fitzgerald got approval for SATS. Two months later, the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), began work on the program. Jason felt honored to serve as one of the team leaders. Although younger than the other members, his advanced research in material science made him the clear favorite for that part of the project. Within only two years of graduating from university, he had developed a host of metallic alloys–all with highly specialized properties. This program would certainly put his abilities to their greatest test. The tram now came to Jason’s stop, just a few yards from the institute.

NIST stood as the foremost center of knowledge in the country, with most of the top scientists holding key positions there. A frieze of prominent historical men of science and their discoveries decorated its impressive granite portico, although a large triangle at its center still paid symbolic homage to Vulcan. The building consisted of six wings, each dedicated to one of the six major scientific disciplines pursued there: Atmospherics, Electronics, Energy, Materials, Oceanographics, and Optics. Jason felt tremendously honored to belong to such a prestigious institution, let alone head one of the departments. While political rivalries, the vying of religious factions, and the boisterously expressed viewpoints of famous personalities consumed the daily goings-on in the country, Jason could escape these through his work. Jason’s department focused on locating known materials or categorizing and developing new ones. Since all of the constituent materials for these activities came from the innards of the earth, the Materials department seldom ran contrary to the espoused philosophy of the Vulcanites. No, unlike Atmospherics, they considered Jason’s pursuits a noble profession.

As Jason neared the entrance of the institute, he passed by a group of about twenty Vulcanites protesting in front. Some stood silently holding signs above their heads, while others angrily shouted out, Beneath your feet!, SATS is SIN!, and You will destroy us all! Based on his upbringing, Jason could understand the moral judgment condemning the effort as a sin against Vulcan, but it truly amazed him that some actually believed the launch would result in the destruction of humanity. Unfortunately, many of the devout, inflamed by radical Vulcanite clergy, had now come to believe this. He quickly walked by the group and made his way to the front doors.

Jason walked past the guard at the front lobby, flashed his security badge and made his way to his spartan–but considerably cluttered–office. Upon entering, he immediately turned on both sets of light switches, as Jason always felt uneasy when entering a darkened room. Numerous books, journals, and papers on materials and their properties filled two large grey steel bookshelves situated against the back wall. On the side wall, a world map highlighting the locations of various mineral deposits covered a coat of faded tan paint, pockmarked by numerous nail holes from previously hung pictures. While mainly complete, sections of the polar regions, as well as large sections of the vast ocean to the west, carried the designation Unexplored Territory. On his desk, additional stacks of test reports and departmental memos awaited his review, interrupted by a singular, metallic grey adjustable reading lamp with a somewhat dented conical hood. Several times the institute offered to move Jason to a newer, better-furnished office. However, he took such an active interest in the management of the multitude of projects under his direction that he could never find the right opportunity to move.

Jason sat back and began working his way through the most recent stack of reports. The program faced considerable technical challenges and had slipped on the ambitious schedule called for by President Fitzpatrick. Now, they would have to work hard to catch up. He fumbled through several additional stacks and then picked up the phone and called his assistant, Martin Daily. After a few minutes, Martin appeared at Jason’s door holding a folder with loosely bound documents and a number of large graphs stuffed inside. Is this what you were looking for? asked Martin. The wind tunnel tests on the air canopy from the Atmospherics department? Is this thing really intended to float down from the sky? Jason paused for a second trying to mentally picture the image and then replied, Yes, if we get it right. Not only does the probe have to get up there, but we need it back safely. As the payload capsule descends, the fabric from the canopy will deploy catching the air and expand, resulting in additional drag. This should counter the force of gravity, significantly slowing down its descent. What do the results of the testing show? Martin unfolded one of the large graphs open across Jason’s desk. It really looks like we need the B size canopy, he began. Type A will not decelerate it down fast enough. However, there is a tradeoff, B weighs more and will take longer to fully deploy. We will have to open it sooner. I will pass that on to the other team members so they can make the needed adjustments, replied Jason.

What about the rocket body itself? Jason continued. Have we decided on the material? Martin reached into a stack on Jason’s desk and removed a folder partially buried under the daily update. From inside, he pulled out a group of schematics detailing the three mains sections of the craft. In addition to the structural integrity for the main body, he began, we also need to accommodate the temperatures and pressures in the combustion chamber and likewise choose a material suitable to protect the camera and sensor payload section directly behind the nose cone. We narrowed it down to two classes of materials, either a transition metal or an entirely different approach–a ceramic composite. The ceramic better isolates from heat and weighs less but offers less flexibility and can potentially crack in longer sections. What do you think? Jason sat back in his chair and began leafing through the supporting documents. He then grabbed Vulcan’s Handbook of Materials, a reference guide off the shelf next to his desk. What to do? What to do? What to do? Jason repeated aloud as he thumbed through the pages. The combustion chamber needs to handle some significant heat. How about using tungsten? Jason paused as he again thumbed through his reference guide. What if…, what if we then make the main body section out of titanium and the nose cone out of the ceramic? The nose is where we also need heat isolation and the body where we need the flexibility. The ceramic there will help cut down on the overall weight."

Martin nodded. I think that will work, he added in agreement. Martin then gathered up his folders and left Jason to work through the deep stacks of reports on his desk. After a brief break for lunch, Jason spent the rest of his work day reviewing the response from the Atmospherics department on the various craft configuration design proposals submitted by his group. Weight, structural integrity, fabrication ease, and cost would all play a delicate balance in the design selection. Finally, rubbing his eyes from the fatigue of endless hours of reading and calculations, Jason grabbed a thin folder marked Name Selection, stuffed it into his valise and headed out.

CHAPTER 2

A light rain began to fall just as Jason boarded the tram for home. He smiled as he rested his umbrella next to his seat. The rhythmic sound of the raindrops hitting against the metal roof of the tram had a calming effect on Jason as he sank back into the padded cushion. Soon, his mind started to wander again as he thought about the tremendous progress they had made in just a few short years.

Even with his popularity, it took some real political maneuvering by President Fitzgerald to get SATS and the required budget approved. The Vulcanites, led by Reverend Penser Michaels, strongly opposed the program and lobbied government representatives not to fund it. They made all manner of outrageous claims, saying that the program would bring the wrath of Vulcan, and he would destroy all of humanity for their disobedience. However, the extremity of their position would be their eventual undoing. While a number of representatives might have thought the program folly and a waste of money; few believed it would result in a catastrophic end to the world. The majority of the public had faith in the new president and supported the program. President Fitzgerald eventually got his funding.

While the concept seemed simple enough–launch a craft above the clouds; the engineering execution would prove far more complicated. First, they had to define what above the clouds actually meant in terms of distance and trajectory. Next, what type of craft could survive such a journey? Originally, they envisioned a more substantial version of the hot-air craft historically deployed, but this was quickly rejected. The Atmospherics department had already sent up instrumentation balloons lifted by buoyant gas and they reported dense vapor all the way up. No, they needed something considerably more robust, something they could more accurately control and with greater range. Finally, what to do when they reached their objective? What type of camera and film could capture any potential imagery from this historic event and what other sensor