2888 Ad: A Time Epic

By C J Pendergest

Nathaniel, an astrophysicist, finds a spaceship buried deep on the asteroid Ida, The aliens being pure energy have been trapped for 4 billion years. Nathaniel helps free them. His wife becomes pregnant although she was sterilised at puberty as was every other child. Babies have been born in baby banks for the past 300 years.

Nathaniel suspects the aliens having a hand in it. Over the next 26 years 28000 babies are born worldwide, all with a slightly larger forehead like his son Michael. He suspects the aliens are trying to overtake the earth.

But Nathaniel has a plan.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris UK
• Release date: Jul 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499087772

C J Pendergest

C. J. Pendergest is an octogenarian who began writing after retiring from a well-known security firm. He is the author of five other books. More about CJ can be found on his website at CJPendergest.com.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Nathaniel and Corabella Seaforth were the only two people in the waiting room. There was a hologram on in the corner, which was showing adverts of how the clinic was operated, but they weren’t paying any attention to it. They had both filled out the questionnaire, on what sex they wanted for their child and the answers were fed into the World Central Computer (WCC).

The computer after analysing the data, would then decide which of Nathaniel’s Chromosomes, either the X or the Y, together with the DNA of their choice, was to be injected into one of Corabella’s eggs, which were held in the CBB (Central Baby Bank. Corabella would stay in hospital for one month after having the egg implanted into her womb. The embryo would then be transferred to the CBB and placed in the artificial womb with the parent’s name and date of delivery. On this date Nathaniel and Corabella would go to pick up their child.

There had to be a certain criterion fulfilled before a baby could be applied for. The couple had to have been married for two years. They had to have enough saving credits, to give the child an education. There was no free learning and school fees were quite high. A second child could be applied for two years after their first one.

The child would have normal schooling until the age of eleven and then it would chose a subject for itself, but when it went to university, at the age of eighteen and it was mandatory to go, it would major in the chosen profession, of the DNA, which had been implanted into the ova.

The year is 2888 and babies had been born this way since 2552, when deformity in babies being born, had increased to phenomenal proportions. This was caused by the radiation from neutron bombs during 7thWorld War. Three legged one-eyed dwarfs would have eventually overrun the human race. A law was passed by the World Council that any deformed embryos had to be terminated. The World Council decided that DNA had to be extracted, from as many of the world’s most prolific people either alive or dead and stored in a CBB. Also the eggs from females and the sperm from males had to be extracted at puberty and then both male and female had to be sterilized, to stop any further deformity ever happening again.

A white coated assistant entered the room and told them that the gynaecologist was ready to see them and she led the way down the short corridor and ushered them into the consultation room. They were holding hands and gazing into each other’s eyes. The prospects of becoming parents, was a warm feeling for both of them. They had been married for nine years. Corabella was a painter. She’d had some of her work hung in the Central Art museum, in Paris France.

Nathaniel was an astrophysicist. .He had invented a new engine that cut the running costs in the shuttle services and the time it took for them to reach their destinations. It was a Plutonium powered motor. It worked on the principle of action and reaction. Newton’s third law of physics says, ‘for every action there is a re-action’ and his engine deployed a disc, when out of the Earth’s gravity. The disc opened out like an umbrella and Nathaniel’s Plutonium engine, then fires a very high-powered laser beam at the disc and sends it out into space at an enormous speed. This then boosted the spaceship’s velocity, in the opposite direction, to 280 miles per second. The shuttle would then go on travelling at this speed, until a counter force of forward jets slowed it down. He received a citation for the invention and his name was added to the world roll of honour at WCH (World Central Headquarters), in Geneva. It also was very rewarding financially. He was given a substantial amount of credit.

Hello Mrs Seaforth, my name is Dr Sangi Cantata. Can I call you Corabella? She was an Indian and Corabella thought she was very beautiful. Her skin was olive coloured and she had jet black shoulder length hair. She had the most vivid green eyes that Corabella had ever seen and her immaculate white coat made her look a picture.

Yes, replied Corabella.

Well Corabella, I’m pleased to tell you that the computer has decided that you are to have a girl

Corabella looked at Nathaniel with a beaming smile on her face. She had hoped for a girl.

Thank you, she said to the doctor

You don’t have to thank me Mrs Seafield; I’m only the bearer of the news. Not the orchestrator of it, she said. "Have you thought of a name for the baby?

We are going to call her Michelle, she said.

We have a bed ready for you Mrs Seafield. You realise you will be in hospital until the embryo is one month and after checking that all is in order, it will extracted and taken to the CBB?

Yes, replied Corabella

Right let’s get you settled

Then turning to Nathaniel he said,

I’m sorry you won’t be able to come with your wife now Mr Seafield, we will be in the sterile operating area, but you can visit later: you will be able to stay with your wife overnight if you wish.

I’m afraid I won’t be able to visit later, I’ll be out of town, said Nathaniel.

In fact he would not only be out of town, he would be out of this world. He was leaving by shuttle to the asteroid Ida, in a few hours’ time.

Be careful Nathan, said Corabella, after unwrapping herself from him. He told her he would and that he would be home in nine weeks.

This trip has come just at the wrong time, he apologised.

It’s not your fault sweetheart. You have to do your job, she said.

He kissed her passionately and then he left.

Nathaniel travelled in space quite often. He was the head astrophysicist at DAMC (Dermott Astrospace Mining Company) in Manchester, England. It was an America company. His main job was analysing ore samples off the asteroids. A new GF100 element had been discovered, on Ida, thirty years previously and it had boosted mining. It was the hardest element known. Previously diamond, consisting mostly of carbon and a few stray atoms, was accepted as the hardest known compound.

GF100 is a very valuable ore and up to now had only been found on the one asteroid. It is thought to have come about by a collision with another space-travelling object. It was also thought that the collision was a glancing blow. Both the asteroid and the space object were only small, each less than 20 miles in diameter. The heat generated by the collision was so great that both asteroid and object fused together, rather than break up.

The rotation of the now formed new asteroid, was not great and neither was the gravity and consequently it did not form into a globe. It is irregular in shape and was coined, ‘As liken to a potato’ when it was first viewed by the Galileo space probe back in the year 1993. It was then, thought to be made up of Iron and nickel, like most of the other asteroids, but then in 2858, GF100 was discovered.

It wasn’t possible to polish GF100 and therefore it did not affect the diamond market, but commercially it was better than diamond for cutting tools and it could cut diamonds easily; which was an aid to the diamond trade.

Nathaniel was going to the asteroid because miners thought that they had unearthed an unknown ore that the cutters could not cope with. The cutters had GF100 edged blades that should cut through all known elements. It was either the blades had lost the compound edging, or and Nathaniel was excited, that a new element had been found.

Before GF100 was discovered, it was thought that all the cosmos was of the same elements. The big bang theory, that the whole of the universe was from the one source and that the galaxies, stars and planets were the remnants travelling away from the centre, after a ginormous explosion. However, with the discovery of GF100, scientists had to think again. The latest theory was that two Universes collided and each Universe had different elements: Although a theory was just that, a theory, until proved otherwise. Moreover, trying to prove it was rather difficult to say the least.

Nathaniel had a pet theory of his own. He thought that the Universe did not start with a bang or a collision. He believed that there wasn’t a start and that the universe is and always was being formed from an unknown point and was flowing out like the gusher of a newly tapped oil well. He thought that the rushing universe was slowing down and that a solid mass was forming, too far away for any telescope or radio scope to detect. His thinking, that in a few trillion-trillion years, the edge of this cosmic solid soup would eventually get nearer and nearer to the source. Then everything would just stop and there would be just one solid and a ginormous globe, trillions of trillions of light years in diameter. The gravitation of this globe would be so great that an ant would weigh as much as a thousand elephants.

It would eventually collapse in on itself with the gravitational force pushing in from the outer rim; and as it collapsed it would get extremely hot and it would get smaller and smaller until it was as small as a grain of sand. At this stage, it would be an enormous black hole, as big, as the far reaches of space. Nothing would be able to escape it, not even light. The universe would be dead. There would not be a star, planet, comet, or even space dust. There would be just nothing. The human mind cannot comprehend this, as all we know is substance in some form, but nothingness, is beyond our comprehension.

He was daydreaming and thinking of this pet theory of his, as the shuttle started to turn ready to land on Ida. He looked at the space cabin clock. It was an atomic clock and always set to CET (Central European Time), GMT had been changed back in the 21st century.

It was 4pm and the Shuttle would be leaving making a return journey to Earth, between 5am and 6am the next day. There was no time in space but all astral bodies, where there was a human presence, kept their time with CET. Different asteroids rotate at different speeds. They ranged from 974 km (608miles) in diameter, which is Ceres, believed to be a dwarf planet and rotates in just over 9 hours, to the smallest asteroid which is 3.3km (just over two miles in diameter and this is Cruithne, thought in some quarters to be our second moon and it doesn’t seem to rotate, similar to our moon.

He had been on Ida twice before, once when he first joined the company and he visited all the asteroids in turn and again after five miners suddenly died. All work stopped until Nathaniel found the problem. He surmised it was something to do with the water supply. He carried out numerous tests and discovered thatGF100 gave off a toxic gas when mixed with carbon erbium and water. The trouble was a ruptured water line which carried water down to the miners one mile down on the asteroid which was only 19 ½ miles in diameter. The result was too put the water line inside an outer casing with sensors that would sound an alarm if the line every ruptured again, giving any miner at the cutting face a chance to evacuate in time. That was over two years ago and a lot of the team on Ida still remembered him.

He was greeted by Arnold Headland, who was the Principal miner for the mining company on Ida. He had been the Principal the last time Nathaniel had been on the Asteroid. He had taken over from John Smyth who was the original Principal when Nathaniel first visited the 38.2 km long rock, on the outskirts of Asteroid belt, orbiting the sun at a distance of approximately 300million miles, but who died as a result of the GF100 toxic gas. Ida was also thought to be a dwarf planet, as it has a moon called Dactyl.

Arnold, who was about 10 years older than Nathaniel, had made friends the last time he had been there. They shook hands and exchanged greetings.

Been having a spot of trouble have you Arnold? Nathaniel Asked.

You could say that, replied the blonde six foot three Principal, letting go the vice like grip of his handshake. He had not tried to out-shake Nathaniel, who also had a strong grip and was only two inches shorter, but matched his physique.

The cutters on the outer rim of the Chunnel Buggy have shattered.

Do you think it is a fault of the Chunnel, or have we discovered a new element?

That’s what you are here for Nathaniel, I’m just the Whip hand that keeps the slaves moving. They both laughed but Nathaniel knew that Arnold was respected by the 20 miners that mined the ore, which was picked up each month by the shuttle.

How are you continuing mining?

We are using the spare Chunnel Buggy and have started cutting at a ninety degree angle to the obstruction.

‘Well I’m at a loss and also excited, I just can’t imagine anything harder than GF100. You know you are in for a massive bonus and pay rise if this, whatever it is, is harder than GF 100?

I’m not getting my hopes up, but if it is harder than GF’ how do we harvest it?

Depending how large this obstruction is we could dig around it and try to take it out in one piece, if that is at all possible.

Anyway, are you hungry? and without waiting for an answer, Arnold continued, I think that Greek style food is your favourite dish if I remember?

Well yes, you have a good memory, replied Nathaniel.

Good and I’ve also got a nice bottle of claret which I was saving for a special occasion. Plus I have the latest hologram ‘Alien versus the virus killer.’ Have you seen it?

No, but I’ve heard a lot about it.

CHAPTER 2

They ate their meal, which was spanakopita; the spinach and feta cheese pie was as good as Nathaniel had ever tasted. The 10-year-old claret complemented the meal. They watched the hologram and science fiction was Nathaniel’s favourite. Afterward they chatted about numerous subjects and about whom they thought would win in the election for the World Prime Minister.

The election takes two years. All countries with a population of over thirty million, puts forward, after a vote by the electorate, one nominee. The names are fed into the UWC (Universal World Computer). Any anomalies in their lives are checked for and their backgrounds and the backgrounds of all of their families over the last two generations. If anything above a parking fine is found then that nominee is excluded from the vote. All nominees who pass the UWC, are then examined by a board of governors and their political views are checked; also whether they are academic or not and what their thoughts are, on how the world should be governed. Other numerous questions are put to them.

These questions are all conducted under a polygraph test. Everything is then fed into a database and the fifty candidates with the highest rating go forward to the election campaign. Each candidate then has one hour hologram time for seven days, to put forward his or her manifesto. These different manifestos are broadcasted over 50week’s. It is compulsory for every one to watch at least one of the candidates manifesto broadcasts, The broadcast are on every hologram channel and sky channel, plus every radio station, 7pm till 8pm CET. They are also translated into every language,

The whole world then votes electronically and anyone who does not vote, without a prior valid reason, is find 1000 credits.

The winning candidate is declared World Prime Minister and the remaining candidates become the parliament. The Prime Minister and Parliament stay in office for 20 years. If during those 20 years the Prime Minister dies, then his deputy takes over. He was the one who had the second highest vote and his deputy will be the next highest vote. No additional member is added to the parliament.

The Prime Minister at the present was Indonesian and his name was Andapa Quosani. He was in his 18th year of office, so by the time the elections are over he will have done his 20 years. The president and the parliament are not allowed to stand again. There was no Monarchy anywhere in the world and Britain had not had one for three hundred years.

There was still a class system in the world and credits went according to one’s ability, but it was worldwide; a joiner in Manchester England earned the same credits as a Joiner in China, an architect in New England in the USA earned the same as an Architect in Dortmund in Germany. There was no poverty in the world now and there had not been for the last 120 years. There were no more wars and peace was ubiquitous. Some people might say it was a bit mundane, but they would not say it aloud, because of fear of reprisals from the authorities.

Nathaniel and Arnold talked until after Mid-night and Nathaniel was quite tired when he finally went to bed. He videoed phoned Corabella before he went to sleep. They told each other how much they loved and missed them and could not wait to see each other. They had been married nine years and were still so much in love. Nathaniel’s pay when they were first married, wasn’t that high. He had started Shuttle pilot training straight from college, but now he was earning a substantial salary. Astrophysicists’ universal pay was one of the top salaries and he received bonuses on top of his credits, which had nothing to do with his universal rate of pay. Besides, he received the extra for the royalties, from his invention

After leaving School at 18, he had gone to University until he was 24. He had met Corabella at Uni and had married her one months after leaving. Now at the age of 33, he and Corabella had decided that the time was right to have a family. They had talked at length about what it would be like to have a baby the old way, 336 yrs. ago and that the magic of childbirth had gone. Now it was like going to a super market for a baby, but they were still thrilled that they were going to be parents. They said their goodnights and Nathaniel said he would call her the next evening.

Sleeping horizontally did not feel any different from being on the space ship. There was no up or down in space, so sleeping upright felt as if he was lying down. The shuttles were designed to carry a maximum of forty personnel, both passengers and crew and a cargo of one hundred thousand metric tonnes. They had three engines, a normal jet engine for take-off, a rocket engine which takes over in the Ionosphere to attain the escape velocity of seven miles a seconds to get it into earth orbit and escape the Earth’s gravitational pull; then Nathaniel’s designed Plutonium engine, carries the shuttle through space to its destination.

The bunk was very comfortable and Nathaniel soon fell asleep. He had a dreamless night and woke up feeling very rested. He washed dressed and made his way to the dining room. It was 6am by his atomic powered wristwatch and the canteen was full of the 20 workforce. They all cheered when he entered and he held up his arm in acknowledgement. Arnold made his way over to him.

Sleep well? he asked.

Like a baby, replied Nathaniel.

He had a ham toasty and a mug of coffee for his breakfast, whilst Arnold made small talk and then the siren sounded that the cage, to the mining face, would be leaving in five minutes. Everyone moved in unison and made their way to the door. Someone started to sing and then they all joined in

Hi Ho Hi Ho it’s off to work we go.

Nathaniel smiled and joined in; as the song gathered momentum. They made their way across the short space between the living quarters and the mine head. Nathaniel looked up and could only just make out the clear Perspex dome that covered the whole area. It was a complex piece of structure. It was a dome within a dome, within a dome. The idea was if the first dome perforated then there were two more to stop the air escaping and the death of everyone on the site. It had taken four years to build the domes and the constructors lived on the spaceships and they worked in spacesuits. Now the only protection the miners had were their hard hats.

The domes were central heated and the mine was air-conditioned. The three domes opened up like a concertina from the centre. This was to allow the shuttle to land and take off. When the domes were open there was hardly any gravity and it would have been possible for a space-suited person to hop from one edge of the dome to the other which was 1km in in diameter. When the dome was closed gravity was similar to that of the moon, which was one 6th that of Earth. A siren sounded when the dome was opening, as a warning and telling the miners to don their space suits. All personnel had to be on the surface whilst the spacecraft was landing or taking off.

The cages, in the mine shaft, carried 10 personnel. One personnel had by law to stay on the surface, just