Chapter 3
3113.8 AD
Metric Engineering, 10th Edition by Dr. Dagmar Mach - Copyright 3001 C.E. - Chapter 2, Pg. 29
The Mach Device
Because of the importance of the link drive to today's space transport, it is important to understand its predecessor on which it is built.
The wormhole drive was invented by Dr. Elias Mach in the 26th Century.
The design of a wormhole generator and therefore a wormhole drive is a materials problem. The Mach device is made up of three layers, each with its own special characteristics. The innermost layer provides a solid support for the outer layers and contains the material which supplies the negative mass or exotic mass needed to open a wormhole mouth. In a fusion ship this layer is adhered to the outer surface of the crew wheel.
Next is the actuator layer which drives the Mach effect in the outermost layer and is usually made of a PZT (lead-zirconium-titanate) composite. A large voltage is supplied to this layer and driven with a sinusoidal signal.
The outer layer, the Mach layer, is made from a material with a large capacity for internal energy changes. And when it is driven by a quickly ramping voltage applied to the actuator layer, it will shield the innermost layer from the universal mass exposing the large and negative (or exotic) bare mass of the layer's electrons. This large mass with its repulsive gravity can open and keep open a wormhole.
The final essential element for designing a wormhole generator is that the layers should be in acceleration. In the case of a fusion ship this is usually accomplished through the rotation of the crew wheel, always remembering that a change in direction is also an acceleration . . .
Jack Jones was considered somewhat advanced for his age but really on Maripol kids had to be advanced for their age. Living underground on a planet with a hostile atmosphere and with an aging technology base accelerated their maturation. And right now, Jack and his friend Mart were worried about more than what they would do for the evening.
“How much longer do you figure Mart?”
“I don't know for sure, but I suspect you and I will be facing the failure before we get too old.”
“Yeah,” said Jack. “That's what I figure. But I don't know what we can do.”
“We've got to find the ePod,” said Mart.
“You mean Great Gramps'?”
“Yes,” said Mart, “it's supposed to contain all his wisdom. You should know, he's your great granddad.”
“I know, but I have no idea how. It's on the surface somewhere and we don't even have suits that fit for such an expedition. Even if we knew exactly where we were going.”
“Well, we know the general area and we've got a few years, we don't have to find it overnight, you know.”
“Yeah, I know,” said Jack.
Maripol was a planet circling the star, Tarius. The planet's atmosphere was poisonous for unprotected humans and the cloud and haze that covered its surface made it impossible for astronomical observations, not that its human occupants, numbering a few hundred, had time for such pursuits. Maripol was a demanding home which kept most of its inhabitants busy just trying to survive.
“Not another bank of lights,” said Daymon Jones.
“Yeah, and we don't have enough spares left,” said Harrison.
“We'll have to pull enough from elsewhere,” said Jones.
“We can't keep this up.”
“No choice,” said Jones. “We were just lucky those supply shuttles made it down when they abandoned the Starflyer, or we wouldn't have even been born Harri.”
“What's up with the lights?” asked Mart.
It was a few days later that Jack and Mart were walking through one of the lesser used corridors of Maripolis, the same one that Daymon Jones and maintenance had pulled lights from. Mart was shorter and stouter than Jack, he waddled sometimes as he walked.
“Well, don't tell anyone I told you,” said Jack, looking around, “but I heard my dad talking. We're running out of lighting arrays, and they've started pulling spares from lesser used corridors like this.”
“It's starting, isn't it?”
“Yeah,” said Jack. “The high-techs are running out.”
3145.4 AD
Jack was remembering what he had said to Mart all those years ago as he walked down the same corridor, only this time it was completely dark. He had inherited his dad's job and had finished pulling out the last of the light banks from the corridor years ago. Mart had helped then, but he had died a couple of years back.
And now Jack was headed out of Maripolis on the journey he and Mart had talked about back then. He was headed out to find Great Gramps' ePod. He couldn't wait any longer, Maripolis was failing, and it probably wouldn't last his lifetime, certainly not his child's he thought.
He was almost to his egress point. Jack naturally walked fast but Maxwell was keeping up easily.
“Maxwell, we're almost there. Are you ready?”
“Yes Jack, I am fully prepared.”
I doubt it, thought Jack. I doubt that either one of us is.
Jack and Maxwell arrived at the airlock. It was no longer powered, a consequence of shutting down the corridor, so they would have to manually operate it. That wouldn't be a problem, but it would tip-off security. Jack hadn't bothered informing the council ahead of time, they would have just denied his request again, but he didn't think that they would send anyone after him. He had tried to time his notification to them so that it would arrive after he and Maxwell were gone.
I just hope that Caroline sees the note I left before anyone tells her.
Jack bent his head to enter the airlock, but Maxwell had no such trouble. Soon Jack could feel his suit adjusting as the airlock had almost equalized with the outside pressure. Maxwell didn't seem bothered in the least. From here on they would be communicating by radio with frequency hopping to avoid detection until they got far enough away from the settlement.
It had been a few years since Jack had been on the surface and he had forgotten how dark was a Maripol night. He had also forgotten how strong the surface winds were.
Maybe I was overly optimistic to think we could find the ePod. Even with the help of Maxwell it might be impossible.
“Maxwell,” said Jack over the radio. “Do you have the direction?”
“Yes Jack, follow me.”
Maxwell started out with Jack following him and trying to ignore all the natural forces such as wind, terrain, and visibility, that would cause him to lose focus. Jack soon got into a rhythm that allowed him to keep up without thinking too much except for responding to the occasional blast of air that tried to turn him. Perhaps he was too automatic, his mind was drifting.
Caroline should be up by now, she should have seen the note, I hope she is taking it well. I hope Erin isn't upset too much.
I should have gotten that light-bank finished, well Jim will take over without much of a hitch, I'm sure.
I wonder what the council will do. They won't like me breaking the law but I'm not sure there is much choice. We're going to have to try crazy things like this if we're going to keep the settlement going.
As he mused Jack's eyes had fallen from his target, Maxwell's lights, to just a couple of feet in front of him. He looked up after a moment and saw, nothing, just the dark.
He keyed the mic, “Maxwell, I can't see you, where are you?”
There was no immediate answer. Then he heard something, but it was too distorted by static and fading to make out.
He called again, “Maxwell, I can't make you out. Can you hear me?”
Again, there was only static and distortion.
This won't do. Without Maxwell I have only a limited sense of direction. I don't even know if I can make it back to Maripolis. Maybe I should stay put until I can see, that should be in about an hour.
“Maxwell if you can hear me, I'm going to stay put until light. I will key the radio every few minutes if you are searching. If you are not here by daybreak I am going to try and make it back to Maripolis.”
That's it, that's all I can think to do, just wait now.
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