The Endurance Situation
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It has been 500 Years since the Planet Yallara lost contact with the rest of the Galaxy. Abandoning the space travel that had brought them to this planet and powered their society, the survivors are living a peaceful, simple life on the planet.
Jim is a teenage member of the settlement New Haven. With little to do he spends his days goofing around until an Asteroid storm threatens the planet with destruction. He volunteers for a mission to reactivate an old experimental spaceship, The Endurance. An epic journey is to be attempted to reach an abandoned space station to repair the asteroid defence system.
Things do not go quite to plan, causing the ship to jump to another star system. Stranded on a foreign planet, Jim and his crew member the Professor must explore this new world, forging alliances while searching for a way to get home. Their search uncovers the forgotten history of a war that destroyed galactic civilisation leading them to a new threat ready to begin the ancient conflict again.
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The Endurance Situation - Rohan McClure
THE ENDURANCE SITUATION
By Rohan McClure
© Rohan McClure 2016 all right reserved
––––––––
Thank you for reading the Endurance Situation. Please help by leaving a review of the book. This will help promote the book with other readers and will allow me to continue the adventures of the crew of the Endurance.
Dedicated to Mum for all her help and support
( if I didn’t dedicate it to her I would be in big trouble)
Contents
THE ENDURANCE SITUATION
By Rohan McClure
© Rohan McClure 2016 all right reserved
1.Prologue
2.Five Hundred Years Later
3.The Professor
4.The Asteroid
5.New Haven
6.Endurance
7.To learn to love manual labour.
8.The second asteroid.
9.Here goes nothing.
10.Another Asteroid
11.10. La Grange Point Station
13. A Young Man's Conscience.
14.The Return Journey.
15.The Bureaucrats.
16.Underce
17.Uggie’s
18.Research and Rebuilds
19.A Blind Eye to Crime
20.We are Required to Respond to all Enquires Within 6 Days
21.Visiting a Past Life
22.I guess it’s a Form of Entertainment
23.An Old Girl Flies Again.
24.A Stupid Plan
25.A Worthy Opponent / Move and Counter Move.
26.Wasps in the Country
27.Consequences
Epilogue
1. Prologue
In a dingy side alley in the city of New Brisbane, Jacob Stows made his way through the maze of piled up garbage towering over him. He was just a touch over 35 years old, lean and tall a fraction over six foot two. Wearing a protective green cloak, a filtration mask and thick black goggles, he was unrecognizable to the rest of the city. Underneath his sweaty hand he held the butt of his NR 1 firearm. His muscles tensed from the heightened stress he felt. Two days ago the citizens of New Brisbane had broken out in riots over the lack of supplies available in the city. It was Anarchy. It was disorder out there. Men and women fighting in the street over the smallest scrap. Bodies laid every where they had dropped. Jacob looked down at a pair of feet sticking out from a pile of garbage. He felt pity in his heart. It wasn’t supposed to be this way.
A sharp clank of metal around a pile of rubbish snapped Jacob straight out of his thoughts. Instantly his arm pulled his firearm up into covering the area in front of him.
Easy Jacob it’s just me
came a greeting from around the corner of a big pile of trash. He realised it was his contact and friend, David. He walked out from behind the pile his hands palm open. Jacob let out a sigh of relief, lowering his arm again underneath his cloak. He then lowered the hood of the cloak and pulled off his goggles and mask.
David. What the hell’s going on? They should have been here by now. This shouldn’t have happened.
Jacob let loose with his anger, pointing to the dead bodies feet below him.
They aren’t coming.
David said, sadness leaking into his otherwise calm voice.
What?
Jacob looked up in shock.
The Operation has failed. It’s over, my friend.
David took a step back, unsure how Jacob would react. For a moment Jacob just stood there his mouth open.
What do you mean failed?
He gritted his teeth. I didn’t do all that work for this to happen.
David heard bitterness in his voice. Slowly he reached behind his back ready to pull his gun if he had to.
I don’t know what happened.
David reassured Jacob. I have received the omega code. We are to split up and go our separate ways. I am packing up now and leaving the city with my family.
Where will you go?
North, I think, there is some good land up there.
Good luck my friend.
Jacob said. David looked into his eyes seeing sadness.
Where will you go?
he asked
Probably south, to the port on the river.
Jacob smiled half heartedly.
Look. As soon as everything has settled down I promise that iwill come and check up on you.
David held Jacobs shoulders in reassurance.
I’d like that.
Jacob’s spirits lifted. He was feeling a little bit better. The two friends pulled their hoods up placing the goggles and masks on. They shook hands and then each headed in the opposite direction. They would never see each other again.
2. Five Hundred Years Later
The conditions were perfect for flying the gauntlet as Jim pushed hard on the glider controls forward to gain speed before entering the start box. Jim was a young man of 17 years born into a rural community on the planet Yallara. He was a fair haired, with green eyes, lanky and tanned from a child hood brought up in the sun. About one year ago him and his friends built gliders after watching vids about flying. To Jim and his Friends gliders represented freedom to them, a chance to get away from their staid, boring, rural community
When they first learnt to fly they began by wanting to see how far they could fly. Now they wanted to see how well they flew. Today Jim was sure that he was going to show that he was the best of all of them.
Concentrating, Jim felt the resistance surge though the wing tips to the yoke of the glider. She was resisting. Jim was pushing the glider to the limit causing her to send vibrations that shook his hand. He looked down at the instrument screen. His speed was increasing, slowly, at first, but getting faster and faster. He needed all the speed he could get to do this right.
The Gauntlet was the test of skill for Jim and his friends. It was a track that threaded though the abandoned mega city of New Brisbane. The task was to fly the glider though the mega city in the fastest time possible. The Mega city once had a population of 100 million people. It was filled with large, white, Mega Skyscrapers in its centre fanning out into smaller and smaller buildings which had been erected as the city grew.
New Brisbane, even though abandoned long ago, still stood as a large monument to the past. Even so New Brisbane still looked old and was ageing ever more. The buildings were dirty from years of grime. Plants and vines grew throughout the city trying to rip apart all traces of New Brisbane’s existence. Coastal breezes blew in salt spray from the ocean subjecting the old buildings to concrete cancer a type of corrosion attacking everything they could touch.
The rules for flying the Gauntlet were simple. You had to fly though 3 checkpoints. Other than that, the flyer could go any way he wanted. A simple radio reflective ID would record the gliders’ passing at each checkpoint.
Jim swooped the glider under the check point one sign, Welcome to New Brisbane
, and banked hard right. Jim tensed his body as the G’s increased. He had to concentrate on the hard flying between the towers. He knew it was going to be the quickest way. He had spent hours going over maps, developing the path, but if he slipped up just once it would be all over. The sea breezes from the east, pushed into the city creating updrafts around the towers that could reach up to 50 Km per hour. They could be a blessing or a curse. Jim made turn after turn, dropping his wings in alternate steps, flicking around the giant towers. The adrenalin rush was an addiction, in a world where his life was dull with boredom. The Gauntlet was an outlet to push the senses, to make him feel alive. A lot of the older folk in the community disproved of running the Gauntlet. However they didn’t stop Jim and his friends from flying it.
Jim was passing the towers with just metres to spare. At this height he could look though the abandoned tower’s window. Once full of life, all that was left in there was dusty junk not worth recovery. Jim could now see the top of the Arch of Triumph. He pulled back on the stick to gain a little altitude, aiming to the left. The glider swooped over the low mansions that surrounded the boulevard. Here was the tricky part. Threading the glider through the arch was like threading the eye of a needle as there wasn’t much room. The glider swooped down and to the right aiming for the arch. Once again, the glider fought with Jim for altitude. He straightened the glider out with just a metre to spare. The glider flicked though the gap. Jim pulled back into an upward bank to the left. He was back into the city towers again heading straight for the southern river. Zig zagging though the abandoned streets, Jim felt euphoric as the glider and he were working as one. It was actually restful flying the Gauntlet. His mind cleared itself of all thoughts. He was not aware of anything else except the flying. Coming around a large cylindrical skyscraper the glider passed over the square and Jim pushed down on his left rudder peddle while pulling to the right to flick himself on his side. He started to push the craft to the next point in the route when a large gust of wind suddenly ripped though the city. The glider over corrected, It was heading straight for the next building. He tensed up grabbing the stick in both hands. He tried to pull to the left to correct the overshot of the turn but she was refusing to budge. Time was running out as the building was coming up fast. Jim yanked the stick to right rolling the glider in the opposite direction. It barrel rolled around the building. No longer able to rely on the memorised path through the city he looked a head focussing hard on the flying. Still halfway through his roll he saw that the building was connected to a sister tower right next to it. The glider continued its roll Jim couldn’t do anything as his body tensed up. By sheer luck he slid through the gap between the buildings. Jim shot out onto the river lining up for the flight under the bridge. Exhilaration flowed though Jim when he zipped under the final checkpoint with the highs of the adrenaline energising every muscle and nerve
Jim pulled the yoke back to let the glider climb upward. Ahead of him his friends orbited waiting for him. He slid the glider to the right and slotted himself in behind the six other gliders. Simon, his best friend’s voice came in over the radio.
10 minutes flat. That’s a new record, it will look really slow after my run.
I’ll believe it when I see it.
Jim smiled. But if you want to be humiliated be my guest.
Follow Me
Sam said over the radio.
Each Glider banked in succession, their wings dropping down to the left. Coming around 180 degrees, New Brisbane came back into view. Simon took the group on a leisurely wide arc around the tallest of the skyscrapers. The up-draft of the winds lifted the gliders ever higher.
Halfway through the flight, Jim’s Vid com unit flashed on. Jim pressed the pickup icon and his mother appeared on the centre screen.
Where are you?
she asked in the tone she used when she thought Jim was doing something wrong.
Just gliding with my friends, Mum.
He already knew where this conversation was going and he desperately did not want to go there. Talking with his mother was like a chess game against a Grand Master. You always had to think six moves ahead and be ready to guide the conversation to your point. Unfortunately his mum was having one of her rare psychic moments.
You’re flying the Gauntlet aren’t you?
Jim looked down and away from the screen. Unfortunately the Vid comm. unit showed all facial expressions and Jim knew there was no way he could lie to his mother when she could look right into his face.
Honestly , Why do you waste your time doing something so dangerous? Flying the Gauntlet is never going to give you any real skills. You know you are nearly at the age of responsibility. Its time you started thinking about contributing to the community. You should be out with your brothers and father in the field learning about the harvesters.
Why did you call Mum.
Jim asked, trying to cut her off.
Can you pick the professor up for dinner please?
Sure. See you soon
Jim pressed the disconnect icon and triggered the radio. Guys I’ve got to go, Talk to ya later.
Choruses of goodbyes and see you later
echoed back.
Jim rolled the glider to port in the direction of the sea. However the glider was never going to make it without gaining more height. Jim could see that there were no more thermals to ride so he reached down and twisted a valve. Down both sides of the gilder’s body four small holes appeared. The two at the front of the glider funnelled air into a small chamber inside the glider. Suspended in the centre of the chamber were hard, granite like rock s about the size of a small fist. At strategic points around the chamber were small nozzles that would spray the rock with an acidic solution. The rock was called Vineright, and was found in large quantities on the planet. It had a curious property that, when combined with acid, it would let off an explosive force that would last as long as it took to burn the acid off.
The discovery of Vineright was a legend on the planet that went back to a time that was the height of the empire. The story went that a wife who loved to hold dinner parties would always serve a vile and revolting salad. The salad was unappetising and bitter, made from her vegetable garden. The problem was, that she was not a good gardener. Eventually all the family and friends agreed that the garden had to go. Even her husband thought that allowing her a garden was probably not best decision he had ever made. The neighbours decided in collusion with the husband that the best way to let her down gently was to slowly kill the plants off by spraying acid water onto them. Little did they know that the rocks that were under the garden beds and around the boarder were made of explosive Vineright!
For two weeks they sprayed the garden with acid. The acid slowly saturated the garden. One night when the husband was doing his community duty, spraying the plants with the acid water, the Vineright reached critical point. The resulting explosion threw the husband off his feet. The fireball that rose into the night sky was said to have been able to be seen all across the city. The shock wave blasted very window in the street. The poor woman came running out of her house to see her husband very guiltily lying next to a crater where her vegetable garden was. From then on, the properties of the rock were known.
The rocks in Jim’s glider combined with the acid to create a natural jet engine. Properly controlled, Jim could climb the glider upwards until, finally, with a puff of energy the glider was now able to reach the Professor’s place.
3. The Professor
On the shores of the great ocean lay the old space port. In the golden era of the Empire, the space port was the centre of interplanetary commerce. As the main space port on the planet it was here where the largest and grandest of the interplanetary ships would land.
The port was divided into three areas. A cruise terminal for tourists and immigrants, made up the northern area of the port and called the complex
. The building was a large multistorey white flowing, building with large tentacles pushing out into the landing field. Old hulks of star ships were lying next to the tentacles, having been left abandoned to decay during the fall of the empire. To the west, a second area was devoted to export terminals where the commodities of Yallara would be stored, ready to be sent off world. Great warehouses and silos covered around 200 acres of land. It was said that 100 million tonnes of goods were moved though the spaceport each year in its heyday. Finally, to the South, were the remains of Omega Centuri’s shipbuilding industry. Renowned throughout the galaxy, Yalarian ships were always pushing the limits in design from grain carrying mega ships to small private pleasure yachts. The ships fabricated here were always the best, most coveted ships in the empire. Over 1000 acres large dry docks manufacturing buildings and hangers were left abandoned . Originally they were built to service ships and for light industry, supporting the people of New Brisbane, they provided employment to over three quarters of the city’s population.
It was the perfect place to live for the Professor, the resident guru of New Haven. (The settlement Jim’s family belonged to). New Haven was founded after New Brisbane was abandoned and was a peaceful place to the live (except for during the Professor’s experiments.) After one too many explosions, the people asked him nicely, but firmly, to please live somewhere else. The spaceport, with all the nooks, crannies and equipment gave the Professor everything he needed. Many happy days for Jim were spent here helping. The Professor always came up with the next big invention and it was the greatest place for Jim and his friends to start the next big major adventure . Jim swooped over the complex lining up to land his glider on the only patch of clear field. The landing field used to be a large cleared area that facilitated or allowed ships to land before taking off again. Whether the take off was from the rolling undercarriage that went along the large landing strip jutting into the ocean or from the vertical takeoff areas placed around it, now it was littered with abandoned ships lying there in pieces.
Jim and The Professor had cleared an area near the sea wall for the gliders to land. Jim’s Glider once again made a soft landing on to the grass. He dismounted and headed for the only place the Professor could be, his workshop. The Workshop used to be a hanger once used by one of the most talented shipbuilders of Yallara. The hanger had everything the Professor needed. Near the large hanger door, was open space used for building his next contraption. At the back of the hanger was a fantastic machine shop with all the tools he ever would need. Up in the offices was an old Holographic design room. This was once used by ship designers striving to design the next big thing
. Now it was used in extracting designs from the dark recesses of the Professor’s mind. A small shed tacked on to the side of the hanger was a blast chamber for use when space was necessary for testing engines or blowing things up with explosives. Jim and The Professor spent more time blowing things up than testing them.
Jim opened the small door to the side of the hanger. It reminded him of the story of Aladdin’s cave, part of the book his mother had read to him when he was a child. The hanger felt like the cave, filled always with a sense of excitement and wonder.
By the sound of it, the Professor was in the blast chamber. Quietly Jim crept though the entrance into the control room. The Professor was engrossed with his work as usual, not noticing the world around him. This was the reason why his mother sent Jim in the first place. The Professor was known to lose track of days and when he was in the right mood he could literally lose days compared to the rest of the world. Smiling, Jim quietly lent against the wall. It was always fun to mess with the Professor; if he timed it right it would be a good one. Besides the Professor has done it enough to him and payback was always due.
Jim watched as the Professor looked over the readouts from the old flat screen monitors as he mumbled to himself.
The Professor
was the nickname that came about from the resident guru of Jim’s settlement. He was the go to man for any problem that needed to be solved. Unfortunately when he was young boy he was known as being a bit of a know it all. To Jim, he was the smartest person he had ever known and he was his friend. The Professor was a tall medium build man in his late 30’s. With dark brown hair and chiselled jaw, he wore dark green heavy material work pants and light buttoned work shirt favoured by many men in the area.
Well nothing ventured.
The Professor said has he