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| Lpnet1-100 The Lost Planet Chapter 1: Accident with an Asteroid Chapter 2: Stranded in Space Chapter 3: Survival in Solitude Chapter 4: The Ancient Temple Chapter 5: A Virtual Reality Experience Chapter 6: The Crystal Records Chapter 7: The Knowledge of Tranqua Chapter 8: The Meta- Hydrovector Chapter 9: The Long, Hard Work Chapter 10: The Project Complete Chapter 11: The Crystal Fantasy Chapter 12: The Key of Vitreos |
The Lost Planet
Chapter 9. The Long, Hard Work 12/2/2086: There have been more than enough things to occupy my time. Readjustments upon the radio-dishes once every 24 hours, checking all the life-support units twice a day, as a rule of preventative medicine, maintaining the greenhouse with the small plants it now yielded (and the oxygen), studying the crystal-records, and now, the hydrovector's construction. Everything needed for the project was available. According to all the spex provided by the records in detail, it could be done. The Valkon's jet-cones and afterburners, upon close inspection, appeared perfect for the 2 main chambers, upper and lower, and the smaller cones were perfect for the uppermost chambers housing the separate elements. The huge cones had to be cut by laser from the Valkon, and then removed by electromagnet and cables. The cables were locked by flip-switches to the tether-line. A new line had been laid, this one leading from the wreckage to the mouth of the tunnel to the batheopath. Before moving the huge cones by gravity-sled, I paused to take a break, and reflected upon my sole disposition on this desolate chunk of space-stone. I had long stopped complaining or cursing about my sad disposition and come to accept my lonely fate. Questions about why my life had taken such a difficult turn faded in the back of my head. There was no answer, and I had to accept that fact to retain my sanity. There was neither hope now, it seemed, for any rescue, and very slim chances of survival, but there was something very reasonable, even if it was as cold as the barren stone I stood upon. I had to be careful not to let such thoughts lead to depression, as they had so many times already. But as I made the realization, it appeared depression was not so much a problem as before, as if I'd come to terms with it and it had become perfectly natural, a temporary state in the constant passage of time. It could not stop me from the work I knew had to be done, but it could delay me, and it was exactly that delay within depression that complicated the struggle to survive, especially with such an incredible project as the construction of the hydrovector. Perhaps I was over-working myself, but the excuse was quite valid. I was working with an alternative solution to my situation. The sooner I completed it the better, for if it failed, then I would still have time to explore other alternatives. So I pushed myself and thought of the rewards. With psychological reason, I told myself that I could enjoy such rewards as soon as I had the 2 cones moved into the batheopath. Funny, the way I kept reminding myself, at the beginning of all this, that my mind was more susceptible to insanity under such circumstances. It had been a way of retaining a sense of humor. As I went back to work, prepared to move the cones, one at a time, by gravity-sled along the tether-line, I realized that 'sense of humor' had died. I faced an unknown never before experienced by anyone, save perhaps the original Robinson Crusoe, on his lonely island. Though I could not admit it at the time, my humor had not died. Fear had killed it. I gave myself a psychological slap on the face, put a stop to the negative thoughts, and concentrated on the work. Moving the jet-cones by gravity-sled along the tether-line for over 100 meters was a slow and awkward movement. The 2.5 meter wide cones were over a meter too wide for the base of the sled, and it had to be secured with electromagnets, cables, and flip-switches. With another cable attached to the tether-line by 2 flip-switches, I guided the sled and its bulk along carefully at 10-meter spaces to each anchor in the stone. At each anchor, I stopped to move the flip-switch to the next 10 meters, and so it went for about 14 anchors and 140 meters, to the opening of the batheopath. It was a little tight in the tunnel, but it managed to fit into the channel, and then it was an easy pull on a cable, attached to one of the huge stalagmite columns, and that got it inside. At the end of 4 hours, both of the cones were inside, sitting on the base of the dry 'pool', in the center of the immense cavern. Ignoring the kind of cold-hearted doubts that were becoming predictable by now, I told myself it was time for a well-earned rest, and returned to the air-tight biosphere of the temple, relieved to be done with the heavy work, and in need of relaxation. 8 Hours later, after food, rest, and a regular check on the environmental systems, I returned to work on the hydrovector. Pieces of metal cut from the Valkon's skeleton made a main-frame cage for the huge jet-cones to be mounted in. The 6 smaller cones were removed from the larger ones, and metal sheets were welded to the top of one of them. The other was attached by the narrow end and welded around a center hole. A lock and tackle, attached to a pulley anchored in the stone under the balcony, 20 meters overhead, was used to raise the cones and lower them into the main frame cage, and they were secured, one directly over the other. Four of the smaller cones were placed over the upper cone, narrow end down, like big funnels. Now the main-frame and main chambers of the hydrovector were complete. It stood about 7 meters high, secured to the stone by cables and anchors. The first phase of the project was complete. It was enough for one day, I decided, and returned to the temple. The second phase would not be so simple, I realized, nor the third. It was estimated to take as much as a month, as the work became more complex, but nonetheless, I was convinced it had to be done. As I rested, my mind wandered about infinite variations and alternatives, but no matter what they were, without water, they were pointless. Even if I were to build a small spaceship, it would be a long voyage back to civilization, too long. Before even getting close, in 2 months, the water would be gone. It would take longer than 2 months to get back to civilization. More like 4 or 5 months. So the amazing Tranquan Hydrovector was my only chance of survival. 12/20/2086: I was picking apart the wreckage of the Valkon like it was some kind of giant beast, dead on the ground, using its meat, fat, and bones to survive on an other-wise deserted island. Pieces of the hull had been stripped away, exposing the inner skeleton, and now I was cutting the bone-like metal-girders out to be used as well. Never had I worked with a laser-torch so much in my life. It was becoming a refined skill and art now. It was during this time that I realized about 70 percent of the Valkon was salvageable, that all the metal and various parts, tubes, air-lines, cables, panels, air-locks, etc,… could be reused and adapted for the inside of the stone temple. Of course, the entire project, which included air-locks in the tunnels connected to the batheopath, would take a lot of time, perhaps more time than there was before the water was gone, so it was just an interesting idea to play with during the rest-periods. Unless the hydrovector worked, it would probably never happen. Perhaps, I finally decided, it didn’t matter not so much one way or the other. Perhaps I would eventually 'die' on this lonely stone island in deep space. That possibility could not stop me from living now, and these projects were perfectly reasonable temporal occupations to pass that time. If I died, I anticipated a ship would eventually investigate the distress-signal, in a year perhaps, when the asteroid was closer to the terrestrial-planets. Upon investigation, they would discover what I discovered purely by accident; the remnants of the ancient Tranquan civilization, the crystal-records with all the amazing information stored, and of course, my own remnants. If I failed to survive, the ones who checked on the signal would find my remains, the records I have kept, and the story of my struggle to survive. So be it. For now all I could do was try. |
Chapter 13:
Contact with Mars Chapter 14: The Asteroid Miners Chapter 15: T’rwani and Tranqua Chapter 16: The Europan Pirates Chapter 17: A Clone for a Companion Chapter 18: A Skirmish in Space Chapter 19: The Story of Tranqua Chapter 20: Dealing with the AMV Chapter 21: The Tranquan Transverser Chapter 22: The Trouble with Martians Chapter 23: The Martian Consulate, Zykura Chapter 24: Hexnot, Mars Chapter 25: The Final Cataclysm |
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