The Doubles - An Accident in Time

By Scott C. Anderson

Written for all ages. This is a story of time, friendship, and responsibility. An advanced mining crew will make the toughest decision as they alter time in order to save the lives of friends and lovers. This is not an easy decision and one that will have to be performed while mounting the rescue of protected allies and fighting off more than one persistent deadly race.
Confronted with a new duality, a beautiful starship commander will make a quick judgment call without consulting her husband, and a young man will find that true love and sacrifice means letting go. Both people, along with their crew of advanced miners, will find that life is new and complete, but separate as “doubles.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jun 10, 2015
• ISBN: 9781329206786

Book preview

The Doubles - An Accident in Time

The Doubles – An Accident in Time

By Scott C. Anderson

This is a book of fiction. Characters, places, names, theories, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons, alive or dead, along with their events or locations is purely coincidental.

Disclaimer:  These stories are written in a conversational style.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

First Edition

© 2015 by Scott C. Anderson. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-1-329-20678-6

Not again…

Ben of the Taman couldn’t have been more bored.

After completing university on his fifty-first birthday, the years of groundwork prepared him for a career in archeology and mining.  The standard lifespan of the average Taman citizen was just over four hundred years.  Considered young by his civilization, he was looking forward to his first real job.  Ben’s childhood was no different than that of any other young man, yet he felt he had grown too old, too quickly.

Assigned to his first mining operation, the beautiful Taman homeworld was left far behind as his brilliant white saucer sliced through the deepness of space.  The never-ending starfield had changed positions several times and Ben began to feel the difference as a working member of this lithe little ship known as a GINT.

The destination for today’s mining operation was chosen strictly by chance.  Audio and image signals emanating from this planet indicated the beginning advancements of a civilization.  Though language imagery could not be used during radio transmissions, it appeared that a variety of languages were being used by the peoples of this blue-water world.

Monitoring navigation as part of this crew was Rik, who at almost three hundred years, and an unbelievable amount of experience with space flight, gave Ben the confidence he needed.  Rik looked very much like the average Taman male.  At approximately six feet in height and one hundred and seventy pounds, Rik carried the dignity of confidence so well-known to the Taman.  Ben was shorter at five feet, eleven inches.  His youthful features made him appear to be in his twenties, if he were gauged by earth human years.  Ben also carried his age well, as he always felt that he had experienced a lot of life in his fifty-one years. 

Ted and Ken rounded out the crew of four, which was the standard compliment of a Taman mining ship.  Both Ted and Ken were in their mid-two hundreds, went about their duties unseen, and genuinely enjoyed working the mines.  Rik had worked with both men in the past and enjoyed their simple ways.  Ben continued to ask logical questions and was fascinated by Rik, Ken, and Ted’s detailed answers. 

For the most part, Taman mining generally relied solely on robotic mining equipment.  Locations and specific ores and elements were pre-chosen, and then turned over to the bots for removal, processing, and storage.  The mining bots were housed within the equipment garage of the GINT.  The standard Taman mining saucer contained two levels with a combined area of close to eleven thousand square feet of floor space.  The Mining Equipment Garage was smaller than the cargo hold, but both areas could be converted to storage rooms if needed.  The brilliant white skin gave the lithe little ship the look of a sea creature, sleek and clean.

Three of Rik’s navigational popup screens slowly opened as he sat on one of the front sofas.  The forward panoramic window gave an unobstructed view of the blue-water planet in the Palla Solar System.  This planet didn’t have a specific name, only a landmark reference used for navigation.  The popup screens asked for a confirmation of the landing destination, and displayed tactical or threat concerns, along with current weather conditions.  The audio and image signals from the planet were continually broadcast, yet Rik had difficulty with translations.  The onboard systems presented translations that didn’t appear to make sense, though Ben offered that the broadcast words appeared to be presenting product sharing or advertising mixed with cultural documentaries.

Ben’s interest in the planet’s civilization would have to wait as Rik initiated the landing protocols.  Dropping slowly through the atmosphere, the GINT lowered like an elevator at a respectable 28 miles per hour.  Heat building and the possible distortions that went with it were a thing of the past as the slow but steady decent had been calculated for safety reasons. 

The changeover from artificial gravity to planetary was now complete.  Rik pointed out a large city on the west coast of a continent in the western hemisphere.  The chosen mining field lay to the north in a hilly uninhabited area.  The arrival at night would cause no interest as the GINT glided toward the hills of Camarillo, California.  The north face of a small range of mountains would be today’s target.

Gliding several miles inland from the coast, the GINT lowered to the face of the mountain range.  A landing area was chosen and the saucer rested about two hundred feet above the valley floor.  Over a hill to the east, a two-lane highway ran north and south, and followed the California coastline.  The GINT slowed as it prepared to back onto the hillside.  The array for the yellow/gold curtain opened from a pressure door on the roof of the lithe little ship.  Extending and opening to form what looked like an antenna, the array locked into position.  A yellow/gold projection extended from the array and impacted the hillside.  Altering the molecular structure of the target, the curtain created an oval cave and flattened an area of the floor, similar to the silhouette of the GINT. 

The yellow/gold curtain dug into the hillside to a depth that would allow the ship to be protected from the elements.  The yellow/gold protective and destructive technology had the ability to change the target’s molecular formula, effectively altering the material to a soft beige dust. 

The cave was now big enough to allow the GINT to back in, allowing a twenty-two foot canopy to view the valley.  The roof’s pressure door did not close yet.  A small canister about the size of a soda can flew from the opening and landed ten feet from the nose of the saucer.  Landing on the dirt floor, the canister opened and projected a yellow/gold curtain that protected the entrance from any intrusion.  Testing the limits and creating its settings, the yellow/gold curtain retracted to allow air to pass through and ventilate the cavern, but would fully activate at the slightest disturbance.

Finishing the cave, the yellow/gold curtain created a four foot wide trench that angled down and out like a channel.  The trench allowed the beige dust to empty from the cave and, with the help from the blue-grey cleaner bots, would simply drain down the hillside.  Ben then activated one of the cleaner bots to evacuate the dust from the freshly created smooth-sided cave.  After only a few minutes the crew was able to open the ship into the protected cavern and setup their mining operation.

The rear clamshell doors to the equipment garage opened, allowing easy access to the cave.  A blue-grey cleaner bot had safely glided from the garage and positioned itself at the back wall of the cave.  In this position it would easily miss the projection from the GINT as it inserted itself into the left side of the cave floor. 

The blue-grey cleaner bot now acted as a pedestal for the curtain array.  The array disengaged from the saucer and glided toward the little bot.  Using the bot as a support structure, the array activated the first step of the mining process. 

The yellow/gold projection created a flat-floor and a curved cave roof that extended 2.2 miles at an 8 degree slope.  The end of the cave or tunnel opened to a naturally formed cavern almost four miles in diameter.  Unnecessary material, now in a beige dust form, would be moved to fill this open cathedral cavern.  Due to the sheer volume of the four-mile cavern, this natural storehouse would only use a small amount of space to house the mining debris. 

The yellow/gold curtain eliminated all material not on the list of needed ores or elements.  The list of exposed materials contained various quantities or base elements of Lithium, Platinum, Rhodium, Gold, Diamond, Iridium, Osmium, Palladium, Rhenium, Ruthenium, Germanium, Beryllium, Silver, Gallium, Indium, Tellurium, Mercury, and Bismuth.  The English terms for these elements had no translation to the Taman language. 

A second and third blue-grey cleaner bots made their way down the 2.2 mile shaft.  Using various brushes and vacuum, the cleaner bots pulled or pushed the beige dust out of the mine shaft and into the debris cavity.  Large raw diamonds, some at three times the size of the bots, fell to the floor or jutted out of the walls.  Veins of gold hung like tree branches from the floor or ceiling, visible as they were released from their dirt and rock supports.  The three cleaner bots were able to evacuate the beige dust in a little over two hours.  Meanwhile other bots had been deployed to gather, transport, and process the raw ores and elements. 

Ted and Ken kept to their work as they oversaw the actions of their robotic workforce.  This was all new to Ben, who had only watched image feeds of many a mining operation.  Experiencing the real thing was much more exciting as the dust in the air and the flurry of machinery gave a sense of realness to the operation. 

As Ben watched the actions of the mining bots, simply by accident, he thought or initiated his language imagery.  The Taman systems, from the smallest light switch to the largest traffic control system, used what was called smart switches.  This intelligent circuitry tirelessly worked for the betterment of the Taman and their associated planetary systems.  In the case of the mining bots, each bot could work independently while still coordinating with the overall system.  This allowed efficiency during ever-changing conditions.  Though not initially designed to interface with language imagery, the smart switches worked as a wireless system that took in all inputs and changed or altered their actions as needed. 

As one of the brown-grey bots with articulated arms passed Ben, the bot slowed as though it were attempting to communicate with the Taman.  Ben listened in on a conversation between the brown-grey bot and the cleaner bots, who were telling the brown-grey where the next large piece of ore was located.  Ben’s unconscious language imagery conveyed that he was very proud of the bots’ performance and only had a genuine respect for their tireless efforts. 

Apparently this connection was rare between the Taman and the control systems.  Ben’s language imagery only conveyed positive, supportive emotional thoughts as he also allowed his mind the ability to receive transmitted conversations.  Had Ben been resistant to listening, he would have never heard the advanced intelligence as they worked through the details of the mining process.

Ben continued to watch and listen as the hours passed.  Perceptively, Ben noticed that the bots became more attentive and aware of his presence.  As Ben approached the black-grey bot, the bot that stacked plates of processed ore onto pallets, Ben noticed that he was provided with current mined inventories.  The black-grey bot provided a popup screen without being asked, one of the first indications of a connection, and adjusted the display as Ben mentally asked for the statistics of time on planet, weights, and so on.

Ken took a few moments and asked Ben about his observations.  Both men were interested in the interior makeup of the planet, and Ben was thankful that Ken had studied the planet in detail before the operation began.  Nothing appeared to be a surprise.  Ken pointed out the different plates of processed material, and bins filled with rocks and ore to be transported and processed back on Taman. 

This typical blue-water planet carried a wealth of ore beneath its surface.  Ken’s research included the indigenous population and their level of advancement.  Still in the early nuclear development phase, the human inhabitants appeared to be a warring people of clashing cultures.  Human races were skittish at best and Ben had been cautioned to remain distant during this mining operation.  Curious but unwilling to risk his safety, Ben relied on an external probe for image and audio observations.  This probe traveled in a ten-mile radius of the landing site and was basically ignored by the locals.

Hours passed and the two-day stay in the Palla Solar System had finally come to an end.  The cargo hold had been completely filled, as was the small storage section of the bot’s mining garage.  This list of materials and weights far exceeded Ted and Ken’s expectations.  Ben displayed an ease in communicating with the bots to the point that the pace quickened and the morale among the bots, if there was such a thing, had greatly increased productivity. 

Ken compared Ben’s experience with Ted, and the two seasoned miners found that neither man possessed the ability to read or communicate with any of the bots assigned to this GINT.  Ted, with his red hair, boyish looks, and great enthusiasm was about the same height and weight as Ken and Ben.  Ted only wanted to help as he attempted to replicate Ben’s communication imagery, but found that he didn’t have the same success.

Without trying to show off, Ben walked with Ken and Ted to the mining garage.  The assembled bots were self-cleaning and paid no attention to the miners.  Ben had earned the reputation as being logical, respectful and only interested in helping to make everyone’s job better.  With this basis in honesty, Ben projected his appreciation to the robotic equipment and wanted to thank them for a job well done.  He cited this statement with the facts that the bots had exceeded Ted and Ken’s expectations, which alone were grounds for positive acknowledgement.

Ted was the first to notice that many of the bots slowed their cleaning process, with several coming to a complete stop.  The mental imagery passed between Ben and the bots, and exploded in lightning fast overlapping conversations of acknowledgement, statistics, and possible projections for future operations.  Ken reached out and placed his hand on Ben’s shoulder, bringing the young man out of the conversations.  This simple touch was accepted by the bots as a conclusion and conversations came to a close.  Ben turned back to the two miners and said nothing, but looked as though he had been through an ordeal. 

Are you alright?  Ted said what was on everyone’s mind.

Wow.  These guys can talk.  Ben reached down and felt the paint graze on one of the blue-grey cleaner bots.

We’ve never been able to do that.  Ken’s wide-eyed wonder only held respect.

I know.  They said they’ve never been able to make a connection, but were glad that I could.  What a different world they live in.

Ken nodded to Ted.  We can leave you alone for a while, if that’s what you want.

Ya know, I think I’ll stay and talk while they clean.  When are we leaving?

In an hour.  But take all the time you want.  Ted could tell that the bots had begun conversing.

That should be enough.  I’ll ask them to remind me in an hour.

Ken motioned for Ted to follow him, since there was no reason to stay.  Ben was already lost in conversation.

Rik prepared the GINT for the return trip to Taman.  Safe within the cave on earth, the little ship hummed to life as Rik confirmed departure procedures.  Every ten minutes or so Rik would join Ted or Ken and peek in on Ben.  Standing alone and comfortable in the mining garage, Ben appeared relaxed but preoccupied.  The bots had completed their self-cleaning and were now anchoring themselves to the floor or wall as per procedure.  Ted and Ken assured Rik that the cargo was secured; Rik completed his last set of confirmations.  They were ready to go. 

Rik always enjoyed the takeoff from a blue-water planet and found a comfortable seat in the front lounge.  The panoramic window covers had long since been retracted and the last confirmation popup screen faded from sight.

Ben made his way to the front lounge and joined Rik.

All done?  Rik had a hundred questions but waited for Ben to relax.

What a group.  We talked about everything.  I haven’t been this talked out since…well, since never.

Rik couldn’t help but laugh.  You seemed pretty interested in what they had to say.  Did you learn anything?

It’s a whole new world.  I never knew they communicated so much.  The pure thought and clarity are really quite interesting.  The amount of detail that goes into a simple mining operation is staggering.  Well, it’s staggering for me.

Rik couldn’t help but laugh at Ben’s new take on the helpful mining equipment.

The GINT pulled from the cave and hovered in the open air of Camarillo for a few moments.  Bearings and landmarks were once again confirmed.  The little probe returned to the GINT and parked within the utility bay at the top of the ship.  Quietly the sun cast shadows that crept along the valley floor.  The orchards of orange and avocado trees gave the manicured valley a peaceful, serene look. 

The GINT ascended slowly and straight as an elevator into the clear blue California sky.  Rik and Ben took in the sights as the small towns and geometric orchards fanned out into the countryside.  Time passed quickly as the little ship broke through the limits of the upper atmosphere and into open space.  Free from the confines of an atmosphere, the GINT pulled away from Palla and reconfigured the internal gravity. 

Calculating position, destination, and gravities, the Taman navigational systems found the closest slipstream and pulled toward it.  The few minutes travel time brought the saucer to the entrance of a Taman-close slipstream.  The onboard systems positioned the ship and prepared for entry.  A slipstream was nothing more than two points in space that could be dimensionally pulled together, creating a short hop out of a very great distance. 

The advanced civilization had recently passed their first million year cycle.  The standard Taman marker buoy floated near the entrance.  As the Taman had mapped most known slipstreams, the seasoned navigators placed a marker buoy to synchronize time and date, and destinations both entering and exiting.  The standard two-hour time distortion could be synchronized upon exiting the slipstream.  Each buoy could also recommend a different slipstream, which may be closer to a chosen destination. 

The designed protective curtain encased the little saucer as the yellow/gold curtain surrounded the ship.  Slipstreams were notorious for pulling or pushing asteroids through the anomaly.  Ships without shield protection could encounter an asteroid with little room to maneuver to avoid a strike.  Because of this, Taman slipstream protection was requested on a regular basis.  On this trip, no request had been received, therefore the trip should be quick and uneventful.

Rik entered the slipstream and pushed away from the mouth of the entrance, pulling the ship with it.  The stream avoided planetary bodies and pushed through centuries of the galaxy.  As the GINT traveled only a few hundred miles, in reality the stream had pushed the ship over three-quarters of the way toward its destination.  The stream crossed approximately six hundred light years and then began to slow.  Still within the stream, the GINT appeared to slow to a stop. 

The second part of the stream was then pulled from the exit of the slipstream.  Rik confirmed that the GINT would cross approximately one hundred and forty-four miles of open space to be secured within the second part of the slipstream.  Now pulled toward its destination, the GINT again only physically moved a several dozen miles within the stream.  The shameless use of physics pushed the GINT almost three hundred light years in only a few seconds, and then began to slow.

Released from the effects of the spacial anomaly, the GINT was now within thirty minutes travel time to the Taman homeworld.  The slipstream effects also meant that the GINT had lost an estimated two hours of time.  This byproduct had never been considered a problem as the mining projects always lasted several days and the loss of approximately two hours made little difference.

As the youngest member of the crew, Ben had also accepted the habit of wearing a watch or timepiece.  The digital timepiece was considered unnecessary by many, but still a simple and comfortable convenience.  Ben noticed that the time distortion of slipstream travel created an error in the correct time, and he placed his watch close to the GINT’s control panel for an update.  The onboard systems recognized the timepiece and updated the current time and verified the date. 

Rik couldn’t help but notice Ben’s watch as the two looked out the panoramic window toward Taman.  The navigational system avoided the ever-present asteroid field that orbited this area of the solar system.  The safe routes were well traveled and the GINT easily avoided the heavenly obstacles as Rik confirmed the conversations between the GINT and Taman Traffic Control. 

Ken wandered up to the main floor to watch the landing.

Never gets dull does it?  Rik always found a new detail in the oceans and continents of Taman.

Home is home.  It’s always great to be home…  Ken drifted off without finishing.

Rik saw that Ben also had that faraway look.  Well you two, it’s only a matter of a few minutes.  We better get ready.

Rik didn’t really need to perform any functions before landing, but his comment did snap everyone out of their daydreaming.  Ken returned to his bunk downstairs to pack, as Ben found a comfortable seat in the front lounge.  Rik sat at the right corner of the lounge and confirmed the navigational popup screens. 

The onboard systems would control the landing of the saucer, offering Rik the ability to change or override any pre-determined landing destination.  They would be landing outside of Pomn, on the east coast of the largest continent on Taman.  From this height the green grasslands and wooded forests appeared as large solid-color masses and primeval.  Large circular cities radiated from either coast and smaller cities dotted the interior of the continent. 

In the bright sunlight, Pomn appeared as a metropolis pushed against the eastern shore of a large ocean.  The large mile-wide glass skyscrapers gave way to a bustling harbor filled with life.  Smaller buildings, roads, and tree-lined avenues radiated out and feathered into the countryside.  A red over tan bullet trail, without rails, headed out of the city center and ran into the interior of the continent.

I can see my house!  Ben was always excited by his simple Taman lifestyle.

Did they mow the lawn while you were gone?  Rik enjoyed his never-ending supply of sarcasm.

Yeah, but it’s a little too short…

The allport station at Pomn also contained the processing and refining stations for all mining operations on Taman.  The fleet of seven mining GINTs offered the Taman options whenever raw materials, fluids, or other necessary industrial ingredients were required.  Ben was very familiar with this facility, as he had spent the last four years training under various loadmasters, warehousemen, scientists and chemists.  Ben’s tour included the various end users who benefited from these offworld materials.

Ben’s recent experiences seemed to flash before him as the GINT lowered to its designated parking area.  Also round to accommodate the saucer shape, the landing pad was made of a material similar to asphalt, only finer and stronger.  One of the allport service trucks glided across the tarmac to meet the landing party