America One: War of the Worlds Read Online Free PDF Page A

wheelchair convoy spoke to everyone who worked for Astermine.
    “What was wrong with JD2030 buddy?” asked Ryan his good friend Jack Dempsey when he was wheeled into Jack’s department.
    “Ryan, DX2014 was one of a kind. JD2030 was just another plain, ordinary asteroid. Remember thirty years ago when many American companies were keen to head out asteroid mining?” Ryan nodded that he did. “I reckon they had a one in 50 chance of finding an asteroid as rich as JD2030, and a one in a million chance of ever finding a DX2014. I reckon that they would have gone broke asteroid mining with what they knew in 2015.”
    “When is the next opposition with Mars, Jack?” was Ryan’s next question. If anybody knew down to the exact day, it was Jack Dempsey and then Dr. Smidt.
    “Funny I did my math just yesterday. I thought that would be your first question to me, not your second. Three hundred and eleven days, and it had better hurry up, we are so short of the necessary metals down here to continue the next ship. I was thinking that you might leave a month or two early and try to complete a round trip within a 360 day window. Dr. Smidt and I, and the rest of the crew have worked out a possibility for a return flight, and giving the crew 6 days on Mars to load metal.”
    “A real fast cruise speed?” asked Ryan.
    “It is possible in one of the shuttles with a second taking fuel reserves with, and it remaining around Mars while the other returned,” Jack replied. “Dr. Smidt thinks that with unlimited fuel reserves, the two new shuttles could reach Mars in a 143-day flight with their current thruster output, and going into orbit three weeks before perfect opposition. One of the shuttles will return 10 days later fully refueled from the other’s cargo bay. Return flight will be 197 days. For every day we delay after the ten-day period will mean four extra days of travel at 89,600 knots. Faster than we have ever travelled before in any of our ships. We are still working on that scenario, but it is going to need three times the usual amount of fuel to get there, and back. We are still working on numbers to bring both shuttles back, though.”
    “When will we need to leave for the red planet Dr. Smidt?” Asked Ryan as the older-looking doctor approached the conversation.
    “Ja Herr Richmond, in 311 days minus 143 days for travel. Fuel usage goes ballistic for any journey under 143 days. It is possible, I believe to reach Mars in 142.9 days and my latest numbers show a 268 percent use of fuel compared to a normal two-year flight.”
    “I’m glad to be back. Dr. Smidt, Mr. Dempsey, Briefing room at 10 sharp tomorrow morning, directly after the astronaut briefing. You may attend the 8 meeting if you wish, and tell your teams to bring your latest numbers to the 10 ‘o clock meeting,” replied Ryan and nodded that he was ready for Jenny Burgos to push him to the next department. It was good to be home.
    “Good morning all,” stated Ryan exactly at eight sharp the next morning. He was able to walk again, although in short bursts and had rested well the night before. All the crew were now out of their wheelchairs and had better skin color, but were still very thin. Even Igor and Boris, who had fared the worst from the 14 years of sleep, walked around unaided. Ryan continued. “I’ve asked Dr. Smidt and Jack Dempsey to join us for our next mission briefing to the red planet. It seems that the world is not going to survive electronically unless we return to The Martian Club Retreat and collect another cargo of the metal Commander Mars Noble found outside the Matt tunnel. Due to the last encounter with the Matts who don’t like us very much, we need to go in under heavy protection, and be ready for an attack while we are there. Commander Lunar Richmond spoke to Dave Black at the Retreat a week ago and the weather for you Mars lovers is clear, no storms, and they have had no sight of the enemy since our ships were there. I will