Man in Space, Event 1: Journey to Voros

The milky way swirled across the sky like a whip swatting an unknown beast across the cosmos. As I looked into the different star clusters and the names the ancients gave them, I was amazed at the ingenuity of man who could see the little specks of light and group them into clusters and call them zodiac signs

I sighed and switched off the 360 degree hologram. I knew that Manning, my vaguely humanoid robot was standing just out of sight but just close enough to anticipate my every need. It is one of the latest models of the Romanian robot company and cost quite a penny.

But still, living alone inside a desolate asteroid heralding through space at multiple times the speed of light makes one yearn for a companion even if it is made out of carbon fiber.

Looking around me I was awestruck at the contraption surrounding me.

Man has been traveling between planets for over 150 years now and has managed to colonize a little over 28 planets. This was made possible by the great late Frotle who in a moment of inspiration created the first multi light-year spacecraft capable of carrying humans from the outpost of Ceres located in the asteroid belt.

Although man knew the mechanics of faster than light travel for many decades before that, creating a spacecraft capable of carrying humans was beyond his reach. It was then that Frotle hit upon an ingenious idea. Asteroids are known to hurl across the cosmos at neck breaking speeds.

What if the spacecrafts could be built inside these asteroids? Thus inter planetary travel was born.

The first cosmos travelers as these spacecrafts were called were large lumbering ships which flew just under the speed of light to reach the nearest planets. 150 years of advance meant that I could now travel in one man spaceships at many times the speed of light.

Of course travelling inside an asteroid comes with it’s own dis-advantages. The entire spacecraft is closed without a single window and if not for the slight feelings of acceleration and de-accelerations done by the onboard computer to course correct itself mid flight you might be forgiven for thinking you are inside a basement. Also communication cannot be done during faster than light travel and even whilst traveling under the speed of light communication can only be done if the broadcasting pole us extended out of the spacecraft. Think of the cosmos traveler as an olden day submarine traveling through the giant ocean of space.

This is the first time I am traveling in a cosmos traveler. Before this, I had done only a few hops from earth to Mars as an exchange student to the Gatos University there. As a civil servant in the Multi Planetary Peace Agency (MPPA) the successor to the erstwhile United nations, I am sent on a mission to evaluate Voros the 12th planet colonized by man as to whether it can be upgraded from the status of a colony to a planet.

I was the expedition force. 3 weeks later the main delegation will arrive from MPPA. I am expected to set the meetings and sit quietly in the side. Basically, a glorified meeting assistant.

Even without looking at the history books, I knew that Voros was different. It was the first Class-B planet to be colonized. The 11 planet planets colonized before it was Class A which meant they required little to no terraforming before they were occupied. But then the difficulties of increasing speed and size of the cosmos travelers meant that Class-B planets had to be colonized.

Voros was the first of this breed of planets. It underwent a high degree of transforming but yet it is still not livable. Long-term habitation is only possible through enhanced DNA modification.

It was then that I felt Manning move towards me and heard him communicate that we are out of faster than light travel and near Voros. I waved him off wordlessly. This might have been considered rude in some circles but Manning wasn’t human and moreover my property.

The communication antennae extended out into space and instructions were relayed for passenger transport.

After what seemed like an earth-day a vehicle approached and docked with mine. As I stood wearing my dress suit and Manning standing behind me I waited. The door opened and I was taken aback.

“Is that living being human?” Manning asked and I smiled.

The next chapter Man in Space, Event 2: A Robot Intervines can be accessed here.