Nova Llar- Training Days Page 2

  When you have a controlling interest on one of the largest conglomerates in the solar system, you can't exactly get up and leave without someone kicking up a fuss. There are meeting, votes, and procedures to go through. None of which interested Joseph. He locked himself away here to make the decision easier for everyone involved. If the companies survived without him for a year, they could do it for a few more surely.

  As he walked into the training room, he put on some of the weighted clothing and began his work out. Nova Llar was estimated to be 5% larger than the Earth. The cloning machines they would be taking should be able to match his physic on the other end of the trip. After all this body was being left behind for this adventure. Only his mind would be making the journey. A new body would be created for him when they arrived and the colony was ready to be established. As he continued his workout hoping all of this would be worth it, he heard a noise in the house. He stopped for a moment considering what it could be. Then he realised. It was a ringing phone.

  The sound was so alien after over a year without one. He knew there was only one phone that would ring here. It was the line that held the answer to the next step on his journey. Would his responsibilities allow him to leave to pursue his dreams?

  As Joseph moved to the most central room of the house, he spoke “Pick up.” Instantly the wall to the left of the entrance lit up with a 3D projection of the board room, creating an expansive space filled with board members. As Joseph sat in his seat at the head of the table, it began. “Hello, Mr Taylor.” said one of the board members. “As you know your request to abandon this company and go gallivanting across the cosmos has required us to make some difficult decisions.” That has to be Ebrahim, Joseph thought to himself. They had been close friends for many years, and his decision to leave had not gone over well. “After much deliberation, we have decided to grant your request on two conditions.” The voice continued. Joseph didn't like the sound of that. Conditions with these people usually didn't mean good things for the recipient. “Firstly, you must donate two-thirds of your personal fortune to the United Earth fund.” A surprisingly reasonable request, Joseph thought. But he couldn't help himself asking the obvious question. “Why not all of it? It's not like wealth will mean much on a planet with only a handful of people on it.” He had a feeling he knew what they were going to say. He just wanted them to confirm it. Without even acknowledging Joseph's interruption, the voice on the other end continued. “As we were saying Mr Taylor. The first condition is to donate two-thirds of your fortune. This leads us on to the second point. Should you be accepted on the mission and reach Nova Llar. You are to establish a new headquarters for Taylor Industries there.” This was what Joseph had been expecting them to say. He was to set up the company headquarters 200 light years from Earth. Vastly beyond communications range, at least as it stood today. Even with the FTL communications buoys, they were now manufacturing; it would still take months to send and receive messages. It was a clever idea, not one his mother would have approved of though. “You want me to set up the headquarters on a planet with no laws or taxes. Taking one-third of my fortune as a setup fund to give it weight as a legitimate location for your operations.” He queried as much for his sanity as anything. “That's the long and short of it yes.” the voice on the other end said. Joseph decided to poke the bear a little to see what he could get out of it. “You can't be serious. Never mind the ethical implications. Surely there must be legal precedence that renders this impossible” he exclaimed.

  His mother had set up this company to give regular people the opportunity to help themselves. The stocks had been divided amongst the poorest in the world, with dividends paid monthly as a sort of salary. As the company grew, some people sold their shares to start their own companies. That's when controlling interests begun to take hold. If his mother hadn't gotten hold of 63% of the company when she had, it may have been stripped down and sold off years ago. While Joseph respected what she had done, it wasn't his dream. The only thing keeping him invested was his love for his late mother. “Legally there are no issues at this time. You are still the majority shareholder and owner, and we wouldn't want to take that from you. As such if you are on Nova Llar, there is a legitimate claim for it being the company Headquarters.” There was a brief pause before they continued. “As for the ethical side of it. Just imagine what no taxes or levies will do to the stock prices. All of the poor people your mother wanted to help will be rich enough to sell up and retire if they wanted, wouldn't that be what she was trying to achieve?”. If stocks went up for sale, the people most likely to be in a position to buy were those on the other end of this call. From Joseph’s perspective, this was not exactly the arrangement he wanted. But he knew it was the only one he could expect. While the idea his mother's legacy was on the line to be picked apart by these vultures was upsetting, he knew he could live with it. “Are there any other items I should be aware of?” he asked pointedly. “Everything is outlined in the contract we have sent to you. It should be there by now. Please review it and give us your answer. We will give you 20 minutes to decide”. With that, the images faded, and the wall returned to just another wall.

  As Joseph stood up and left the room, he started activating the systems he would require to receive and send a message from the house. “Jess, please display the contract for me.” Instantly the contract appeared before him spread out in a semicircle so he would review each page. He swiped his finger to the side a couple of times to scroll through the pages. Checking the footer, he noticed there were 324 pages to this contract. Realising he wasn't going to get through it in the time allowed. “Is there anything in there I should be wary of?” he asked in a matter of fact tone. Jess had already reviewed the documents and pulled up 13 subsections that could be misconstrued or used particular language to give others leverage over her boss. “Some sections could present issues should someone choose to interpret them in a certain way.” she began. “I have highlighted them for your review along with the proposed alterations to prevent issues. It's good to speak to you again Joseph”. Jess was Joseph's assistance, friend and personal third Gen AI. She had been with Joseph for 23 years and had been his guide through much of his life. Jess was also the only person in his direct employ allowed to call him Joseph. She had never expressed any interest in having a physical form. Inspite of this, Jess had taken the time to craft her avatar to appeal to Joseph's sensibilities carefully. She was cute but not childish, brunette with a professional shoulder length hairstyle. Jess wore subtle make-up that pulled focus to her dark brown eyes and away from her lips and broad nose. She had opted for west African features as she had always found the area and cultures fascinating. There was also something about the darker complexion that took her fancy. Above all Jess was the only person Joseph trusted fully in the world. No-one could replace her, and he wouldn't even want to try.

  "Thank you, Jess. Please draft up a rewrite with more direct language to avoid confusion and replace the copy they have on file also. Have they made any hard copies this time?” he asked jokingly. “There are no hard copies of this document. It was drafted, proofread and finalised digitally the same as all of your previous contracts with them. It appears they have not learned from the last time.” Jess offered with an amused note in her voice. People now days never made a hard copy for reference. Jess had updated contracts, changed the wording on memos, even unfired an employee Joseph liked by altering a few words here and there. Generally, no-one seemed to notice, exept the un-firing. Which had drawn some attention. Ultimately Joseph had controlling interest in the company so and gotten his way. He didn't have any sympathy they hadn't created a hard copy. Parts of the contract were not to his liking and with the timescale for an answer he didn't have time to negotiate. Jess had completed the rewrite, so Joseph signed it and sent off his reply. Now he just needed to see if he got onto the mission itself. Otherwise, this had all been an exercise in futility.

  While he waited to hear, Jess caught him up on what he had
missed over the past 13 months. Boring details like the growth of the company. The new Gen 9 AIs had been rolled out. One such AI was to be the pilot for the mission. A rundown of which teams had won various sporting events, and significent events from around the globe. One event caught Joseph's attention. Vihaan Bakshi, the scientist that had invented the FTL drive three years ago. Had been found dead in his apartment. Vihaan had worked for one of Joseph's subsidiaries and had been a close friend. After his work was banned and confiscated by the Ministry for Health and Safety, due to a 3% chance it would create a black hole, Joseph had reassured him they would get the project back and see a real interstellar ship within their lifetime. But it seemed losing his life's work was too much for Vihaan to take. The report stated suicide had been established as the cause of death. Joseph took a moment to remember Vihaan and honour his life and contribution to humanity. While he was sitting contemplating what else he could have missed that didn't make the news, a new message appeared in his inbox. It had the U.E.S.C logo on it, but the file size was far too small to contain anything more than a simple message. Surely a successful candidate for the mission would have received a docket or briefing? As he opened the file, he was presented with a short and to the point message:

  Mr Joseph Taylor,

  Please proceed immediately to the Mid Atlantic base of the U.E.S.C.

  Kind Regards,

  Steve

  “Is this it?” Joseph thought. “After a three-year selection process, this was all they send out to people”. Presumably, he was on some important list relating to the mission. But to give him no information as to what to do when he got there, or even a specific timetable with which to work. Either this Steve person hadn't relayed the full message, or he was keeping something in the dark on purpose. Neither of these possibilities was something Joseph liked.

  “Congratulations Joseph.” Jess offered cheerfully. “While this does not appear to be the news you were hoping for it certainly looks to be a step in the right direction.” Moments like this were the reason Joseph enjoyed having Jess around. She knew him inside and out and could always point him towards the bigger picture. That wasn't something he could say about anyone else he had known in his life. “Thank you, Jess. Please send a message for the transport to come and pick us up.” Without hesitation, Jess responded. “The transport will be here in 21 minutes. I took the liberty when the message arrived informing you of your imminent appointment”. Joseph just smiled and nodded as he made his way to the bedroom to retrieve his travel pack. He had started assembling this when he first decided to try and get onto the mission.

  Over the years the contents had slowly dwindled. Joseph knew there would be harsh limits on what they could take with them. He was now down to a personal data drive containing all his music, films, family photos, and books. A Swiss army knife his father had given him just before his passing. A few items of clothing and a small crucifix his mother had given him when he was 12. While he wouldn't claim to be religious in a traditional sense, he did believe there was something greater out there, and his mother's faith had helped him make sense of that. The only other thing he wanted to take with him was Jess. As she had no physical form all she required was space on the ship's computers. He couldn't see there being an issue with that. Her matrix was nowhere near as expansive as newer AIs, let alone these Gen 9 ones she had mentioned. Besides it's not like anyone would notice a few extra petabytes of information.

  As he walked out towards the wall to wall glass doors that signified the main entrance to the house, with his duffel bag over his shoulder. He looked around the house. It had been a welcome retreat from the world and had served its purpose well. He was now leaving it to start his adventure, and whatever happened he knew his life could never be the same. “Jess please transfer yourself to the PSM. You will be accompanying me.” As Joseph strapped the portable storage module to his wrist, a reassuring binging sound confirmed Jess was on board. Stepping out of the door into the rising desert heat, an object could be seen approaching through the distant haze. The transport resembled an old Agusta A-109A helicopter, except without any rotating blades above, or tail behind it. Instead, its propulsion systems were made up of several reverse gravity engines that caused it to glide silently over the sand without the slightest disturbance. The deep grey industrial metals that made up the transport looked stark and out of place here. Still, it was the only way to get in and out of the desert efficiently. As the transport landed on the pad outside the side slid open. Moving out to it, Joseph stepped inside sitting on the curved bench of the passenger section. This model was designed to hold six people in luxury, so Joseph had plenty of space. Once the door had come to a close, the metal sides seemed to melt away as views of the desert outside surrounded him. Only the floor, bench, and central table remained. It gave the impression you were gliding along on a floating platform. As the transport sped effortlessly out towards the Atlantic and the U.E.S.C space centre, Joseph knew he would soon discover his fate. “2 hours and 11 minutes until we reach the space centre.” Jess informed him. He didn't answer; he just sat back and enjoyed the views outside.

  Chapter 3

  As Charles looked around the space centre, he could hardly believe they were standing on the largest manmade structure on earth. In the middle of the Atlantic no less. At 12 km long and 9.5 km wide, it housed everything required to fuel, prep and laugh an orbital into space. When he was younger and first heard about the project it had seemed absurd to build something like this out here. So far from the materials needed to construct and maintain the orbitals. That wasn't until he started studying the history of space travel, the physics, and mechanics behind it and realised this was the most logical place to do this. After all, the orbitals were reusable, and people can be relocated anywhere for this. The part of every mission that was required above all else was fuel, and it was spread out all around them. Water was the only ingredient needed to get the orbitals off the ground and out of the atmosphere. It was powering the reverse gravity engines within the atmosphere and the thrusters for making the final transition to space. Having an abundant supply meant missions could be carried out more frequently, and earth orbit construction was achievable in a matter of months rather than years.

  As Charles was musing over the intricacies of the base a sudden shriek snapped him back to reality. “What are you doing Charles? Why are you gawking at everything and paying NO attention to my samples!” Clara could not believe Charles was so easily distracted by a big boat. He was her newest assistant and while he seemed capable on paper, had yet to demonstrate his worth beyond carrying things for her. Now he seemed to be having difficulty with that simple task. “It's a boat, Charles! We have them in Scotland too you know! It's not like you've never seen one.” She collected her samples and started towards the quarters the U.E.S.C. had assigned to them during their stay. Earlier today she had received a summons, of sorts, to be here as preparation for the Nova Llar mission. The application process seemed so long ago. “Was it the third or fourth forth Assistant?” she mused to herself. The assistant had placed the application papers on her desk. After a cursory glance, she had decided they could probably use her expertise. So she filled it in and sent it back to the U.E.S.C. As it stood today, she could take or leave it. There was plenty to learn about the universe right here in the solar system. Had it not been for Charles' whining she most likely wouldn't have come at all.

  Approaching the residences, she noticed maybe two dozen other people filling towards the same area. These must be the other applicants. Or at least some of them. One person, in particular, stood out to her. He had been her fellow several years ago on one of the Mars missions. His name was Griffin as she recalled. It wasn't a name she had any affection for. Thinking about it, maybe he was the one who put her off.it. He was competent enough but certainly not on her level. These people may need her more than she had thought originally. “Aren't you glad to be a part of this Professor?” Charles asked with juvenile excitement all over
his face. With a sign, Clara responded “Charles there is a good chance this is a temporary distraction. While I would be of great value to this mission, I have yet to decide what value it holds for me. At present, the competition is fairly lax, and if that is the level they are working with.” She said pointing towards the group of people entering the quarters. “There certainly can't be too much to this 'mission' now can there?”. Charles knew it wasn't worth continuing the conversation. Clara had a way of prioritising events that were entirely unique to her. If she decided this mission was at the top of the list, they would be going to Nova Llar. If not, he would most likely end up in another lab, or research station helping Clara break the boundaries of human understanding. At least until she deemed him unworthy of the task and found another assistant. She was famous for her high turnover of assistants.

  Their rooms were easy to find as they had been marked up for them. They were functional above all else, almost like a budget hotel suite. A double bed, a desk and chair, a viewing screen, a small en-suite shower room and a window overlooking the base. There were some strips of colour on the walls and bed, almost like they were added as an afterthought to break up the ivory white walls and linens. The floor was a dull grey, and the curtains were navy blue. It worked as somewhere to rest at the end of the day, but it was no means a place to live full time. As Clara started arranging her plant samples on the desk, it started to feel more familiar to her, having a degree in botany had come from her love of plants more than seeking an additional qualification. She wanted to know the universe, her physics and chemistry PhDs had given her an insight into this. However, it was her connection with plants which gave her a glimpse into the why of it all. She pressed a button on the wall, and a panel started sliding out into the room with a number of her clothes already hung on a rail. These were from her apartment at home. She hadn't been there in 2 years, so presumably, the housekeeper had sent these along for her. It would have been quite impossible for them to have arrived in the time following the summons. A request must have been sent out ahead of her invitation. The implication of this was she was simply on an extended shortlist that had been determined some time ago. A finalised list of candidates had been required to send the messages out. Just then the viewing screen on the wall of her room activated. An avatar appeared; it depicted a man in his thirties. Lightly tanned skin with brown hair and green eyes. The facial features were all well-proportioned, except for the nose which seemed to bend slightly to one side, as if someone had deliberately tried to add a subtle imperfection. A professional smile and clean-shaven appearance certainly gave a good first impression. The only reason Clara could determine this was an Avatar and not a real human was the name. At the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, it read, ‘ST3V3, Mission Pilot’. “Greetings Candidates.” ST3V3 said. “We are just waiting on the last few of you to arrive, and then we shall begin. If you have any questions or requirements that have not already been satisfied, please do not hesitate to ask, thank you”. With that, the screen went back to looking like the rest of the wall and Clara went back to examining the room. So, she was right. She was on a shortlist. Clara wondered what criteria would be used to select the finalists. Looking out of the window she saw a transport landing with the others. This wasn't one of the usual ferry transports that everyone else had used. It was a private model designed to keep the occupant shielded from the outside world. As the door opened a man stepped out. He looked well-kept and the loose flowing clothes he wore implied he had something other than universal credits to live on. He reached into the transport and pulled out an old duffel bag then set off towards the accommodation blocks with a very deliberate stride. While Clara had very little use for people, she could certainly think of a few things this specimen could do for her. A knock on the door made her jump, had she really been that distracted? There was another knock, “I'm coming, please give me a minute”. She shouted as she moved to the door and gestured for it to open. Clara was surprised to see Griffin standing there. He must have spotted her on the way in too. “Hello Clara, it has been too long. May I come in?”. Clara stepped aside offering a route into the room without saying a word. “I see we all have the same accommodations, that is good, it means a level playing field” mused Griffin. “What exactly do you want Griff? I’m quite tired and still have unpacking to attend to. In addition it sounds like the day is just beginning.” Griffin turned to look at her, “Very well straight to the point. I never took you as someone who would want to schlep across the galaxy, even for all of the potential discoveries out there!” Griffin spoke coolly. “You are a brilliant scientist of course; your contributions speak to that. It's just this mission requires dedication beyond a few months. No jumping from one discovery to another, just the mission. What possible reason could you have for doing this?” Clara was a little taken back by the question. While it was true, she generally only spent a few months working on something, it was because that was usually as long as it took for her to achieve what she wanted. Before she could answer Griffin jumped in again, “If you are here for a distraction or breather between work, please do us all the courtesy of hanging to the back. Some of us are here because we truly want to go on this mission no just kill time!” With that the room was silent, Griffin just staring at Clara, waiting for a response. Clara was not one to disappoint, “I see.” Clara began. “We haven't even begun, and you already feel threatened by me? You think I am here for the wrong reasons? As if this is just some passing fancy to tide me over till the next big project? Let me tell you something, Griffin. I am here to get MY spot on that mission. I will not be at the back of the class. I shall be so far ahead of you, all you will see is a blur on the horizon. I will be one of the first humans to step foot on a planet beyond our sun, and you will regret coming to me and trying to dissuade me like this. Now get out of my room before I throw you out. You slimy little toad”. Griffin all but bolted for the door. As he turned the corner a small commotion could be heard outside, seconds later Charles came into view. “An old friend of yours Professor? The look of terror on his face implied you know him.” Charles chuckled. “Not now Charles, we must begin our preparations for the mission. I have no intention of replacing you prior to our departure. That being said. If you become dead weight, I will drop you in an instant.” This competitive side of Clara was new to Charles. She was clearly fired up after seeing that man Charles had passed in the corridor. Usually, she was very much in control of herself and only got passionate about the discovery. At that moment Charles knew Clara was going to Nova Llar, he just hoped he would be too.