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    Escape to the Stars!
    Escape to the Stars!
    Escape to the Stars!
    Ebook111 pages1 hour

    Escape to the Stars!

    By Glenn L Erickson

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    About this ebook

    Earth is doomed. Our Sun is becoming unstable and humanity needs to find a way to leave earth in large enough numbers to ensure our survival out among the stars.
    Significant advances in energy generation and the development of the Space Elevator allows mankind to establish bases on the Moon. Using material launched from the Moon, Humanity begins construction on two huge Generational-Style ships.
    Each ship is a pair of cylinders ten miles long and 1 mile in diameter connected at each end to form one complete ship. Many thousands of people will live and work aboard these huse ships for the many generations that it will take to reach the planets around neighboring stars.
    Follow the adventures of several people as they promote the project or fight against it. Who will ultimately win?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherGlenn L Erickson
    Release dateAug 9, 2013
    ISBN9781301457014
    Escape to the Stars!
    Author

    Glenn L Erickson

    I am an original 'Geek' and proud of it. I started my life-long love of technology when transistors were new the word 'microprocessor' wasn't even a dream.I have earned my stripes since the late 1960s restoring old radios, and then in a TV shop during college.I moved to the Silicon Valley and loved it! (Lots of us geeks there) I now own an Automaton design and programming company that keeps me busy. I eagerly devour all articles on the latest technology, and envy those that will see that future. I'm a happy camper!

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      Book preview

      Escape to the Stars! - Glenn L Erickson

      Escape to the Stars!

      Book One: Eviction from Earth

      By

      Glenn L. Erickson

      Copyright 2019, Revised 2023 Glenn L. Erickson

      Smashwords Edition

      All rights reserved

      You must buy this eBook to read it. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book, please buy an additional copy for each recipient. If you did not purchase this eBook, or receive it as a gift, then please return to Smashwords.com and buy a copy for yourself. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Table of Contents

      Chapter 1: Unwelcome Wake-up Call

      Chapter 2: Seeing the Future

      Chapter 3: The Ultimate Elevator

      Chapter 4: Lunar Orbit

      Chapter 5: Moon-Base Charlie

      Chapter 6: Lagrange Five

      Chapter 7: Sabotage!

      Chapter 8: Milestone

      Chapter 9: Conspiracy

      Chapter 10: Confrontation at the Space Elevator

      Chapter 11: The Trip to Midway

      Chapter 12: Vacuum Practice

      Chapter 13: GenStar One

      Chapter 14: Launch Day!

      Chapter 15: Watching the End from Afar

      About the Author

      Chapter 1: Unwelcome Wakeup-Call

      Two minutes to impact! Professor Keene announced quietly. Releasing the button on the microphone, he added, I’d hoped we’d have more time…

      The panoramic main screen showed a computer-generated trajectory of the three-mile diameter solar plasma-ball. It was headed towards North Africa. It would hit just beyond the pyramids and splash westwards. North Africa was doomed.

      There had been only a few days advanced notice. News channels showed scenes of rioting and violence in the surrounding countryside as social order disintegrated. Religious people were gathered at the base of the pyramids in Egypt, thousands of prayer rugs in neat rows.

      All aircraft and ships had fled the area. Cars, trucks, buses, and even hand-drawn carts loaded with families jammed the roads towards southern Africa. Their efforts were doomed.

      One minute! someone called out. The atmosphere above the Sinai, and North Africa was in turmoil. Wind-driven sand scoured everything it touched. The Northern and Southern Lights were visible in the night time skies all over the world. The temperature was well over 130 degrees west of Cairo. It was 9 AM.

      Impact! All cameras near the point of impact flared and went dark. Cameras further away showed an eye-searing blast of light. A satellite feed replaced the trajectory plot. It showed a shock wave radiating out from the impact site, encircling the towering mushroom cloud of molten sand. The pyramids collapsed. Within seconds, a flaming Cairo was leveled. The expanding circle of devastation caused tsunamis in the Mediterranean that swept shores far and near. The Nile and the Suez Canal disappeared under a waves of sand . The ground wave ripped through the West Bank and imploded Jerusalem. Smoke from fires caused by the flash of the impact was already obscuring the view. No place around the Mediterranean escaped the blast or the ensuing ground quakes.

      It’s even worse than I predicted. Keene said half to himself. Millions of people have just died violent, searing deaths. Why am I not mourning them? Have I become numb to the fates of others? Does that make me a bad man?

      Silence reigned throughout the bunker. Many observers watched in stunned disbelief. Others shook their heads in amazement. Pushing away from his station, Keene keyed his headset. Okay people, we have seen the results. Now let’s see what we can do to get out an earlier warning next time.

      "Next time! What the hell do you mean, ‘Next time’?" General Evers exploded, ripping his headset off and throwing it at his console.

      Professor Keene eyed the pudgy officer. "Just what I said, General. Our Sun is growing more unstable, not less. It will throw-off more and more CMEs. IF we are fortunate, they won’t be aimed at us!"

      Looking around at those gathered to witness the event, he added, "What we saw today was the first Coronal-Mass Ejection to strike the Earth in recorded history. And this was a small one! We were very fortunate the mass of the plasma-ball had mostly dissipated by the time it reached us."

      As the Sun becomes more unstable due to the ‘Diluted-Fuel Effect,' we will see more of these CMEs. Earth may be hit again. Such mass ejections have hit Mercury and Venus, stripping Venus of its atmosphere. Both planets are still there, but their orbits have changed. We don’t know by how much.

      Evers leaned on his console; his face paler than usual. Around the room, people absorbed his statement. One woman burst into tears and ran from the room. Professor Keene turned and headed to the elevator. A man stepped in as the doors closed. As the lift started, he turned to the professor and said, That was a sobering assessment. Keene nodded absently, already thinking of what he needed to be doing next.

      As the elevator reached the top level, the stranger pushed the emergency stop button. Ignoring the ringing emergency bell, the stranger showed Keene a badge and ID card. Unimpressed, Professor Keene pulled the button out, stilling the alarm and allowing the doors to open. He stepped towards the opening and then spun and thrust his face into the shorter man’s face, snarling "The government ignored my attempts to warn them. I am in no mood to deal with them now!" Spinning about and stalking away, he missed the stunned expression on the other man’s face.

      Keene slammed through the entry door, startling the guards posted there. Ignoring them, he strode to the limo he had arrived in, climbed in and jerked the door closed. He slumped back into the seat.

      Where to Professor? the driver asked.

      He took several seconds to respond. Please, George, just drive to somewhere where I won’t have to see anyone for a while.

      The chauffer put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb. Guiding the car past the swarming news media at the main gate, he dodged onto a small side-road leading away from the base. A couple of news vans followed them. The driver turned ont the freeway, doused the limo’s lights and powered away.

      Thank you, George. Keene settled back and watched the moonlit countryside glide by.

      When several miles had faded behind them, George reached under the seat for his gift for the professor. He reached back over the seat and offered a paper-bagged bottle. Professor Keene, hearing the paper crinkle, glanced away from the window and saw the proffered gift. Thanks, George. That was thoughtful of you.

      I may not know about space and the Sun and such, but I know when things aren’t going your way, it sometimes helps to drown your sorrows away from others.

      Keene snorted and reached for the bag, twisted the cap off and sniffed. It was a top-notch Scotch. Saluting George’s back with the bottle, he took a careful sip. Hearing a clink in the bag, he glanced inside and spotted two small glasses. "Find a quiet place and pull over. We’ll toast the stupidity of governments everywhere.

      George chuckled and glided down the next off-ramp. Turning the car out of town, he pulled over at a scenic overlook a few miles later. Leaving the car idling to keep the heater on, George turned to find a two-finger portion of scotch awaiting him. Grasping the offering, he intoned, To the Future!

      Professor Keene glanced at him to see if he was being sarcastic. All he saw was a sad smile. Keene raised his glass as well and muttered, Such as it is…

      A few minutes later, a dark SUV pulled up next to the limo. The interior light revealed a man getting out and closing the door. A knock on the rear window prompted Keene to lower it. Cool night air wafted in. The stranger bent down and he recognized the man from the elevator incident. Irked at this second intrusion, Keene growled, What is it now, mister…

      Actually its ‘Agent’. Special Agent Kurt Jamison. The man flashed his badge and ID again. I really do need to speak with you. If not now, when…

      When I damned good and ready to, Agent Jamison. Leave me alone.

      His reach for the window control was interrupted by Jamison stating, I can help you with your research, Professor.

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