2120 Titus Page 3
“Have a seat,” O’Neil said with a mouthful of potato chips crunching with each syllable.
Dr. Mueller took a seat in the only chair facing the desk. The two guards flanked him and stood ready in case Dr. Mueller decided to go ballistic and take out the warden. Dr. Mueller just smiled and shook his head as if it the biggest joke he had ever seen. He didn’t think he belonged in prison in the first place let alone be treated like a threat. “You can put your guns away, I’m not going to hurt anyone,” Dr. Mueller said to the guard to his left. The guard didn’t reply. “Fine,” Dr. Mueller said under his breath and looked over at the warden who was now scooping out another handful of chips.
“I have a message from the Governor,” O’Neil said. Chips spat out of his mouth onto the table. “He wants to move up your execution date.”
“You called me down to tell me that?”
“Most people would want to know when they are about to die.”
“Fuck, do it today, I have nothing to live for.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” O’Neil replied like a pack a day smoker hacking and wheezing as he spoke. “I have another message. And this one is real important.”
“Cut to the chase, I want to get back to my cell,” Dr. Mueller replied. “I have things to do.”
“You just said you have nothing to live for.”
“I just want to be left alone, ok?”
O’Neil grinned like a kid with a secret to tell. “The President called, he wants you to go chase some damn asteroid.”
Now Dr. Mueller’s interest was perked. “What do you mean by ‘chase’? I thought they wanted me to make a phone call to the damn thing.”
“Nope, they have a rocket ship. Already in space ready for you to take a trip.”
“And he told you this on the phone?”
“Teleconference,” O’Neil replied.
“Why didn’t he teleconference me directly?”
“Because you’re a fucking murderer. You can’t expect the President of the United States to make calls to killers.”
“I do if he wants something from me.”
Warden O’Neil stopped chewing on his potato chips long enough to take a drink of his soda. He swished it around in his mouth and swallowed hard. He licked his lips and said, “Love that stuff, I drink ten bottles a day. Would drink twenty but my doctor tells me it will kill me.”
“Is that diet soda?” Dr. Mueller asked.
“Fuck no, I don’t drink that pussy stuff.”
“You diabetic?”
“Of course,” O’Neil replied looking over at his motorized scooter. “Lost my legs years ago, can’t see much anymore either.”
“You’re going to let yourself go blind just so you can drink regular soda?”
“And chips, don’t forget the chips,” O’Neil said laughing. “Everyone has to die of something, looks like you’re going to die from an asteroid impact. I should be dead before then. My father died of diabetes and hypertension when he was forty seven. I got four years to go.”
Annoyed, Dr. Mueller replied, “Back to the President’s call. What did he say exactly?”
“Says you can get out of prison free if you go up in space. He said they recalculated the trajectory, whatever that means.”
“It means the asteroid may be here before your forty seventh birthday. You might get to see the world blow up in person after all,” Dr. Mueller replied.
“Bullshit, I don’t put any stock in that science shit. When God wants me, he’ll come take me.”
“Either way, it looks like you and the rest of us for that matter, don’t have a lot of time left.”
“What does the President expect you to do anyway? What do you have to do with this Goddamn asteroid?”
“Nothing, but the President thinks I can talk with it and change its path, and maybe that’s his last best hope,” Dr. Mueller replied. He looked at the sauropod dinosaur model and asked, “What’s with the toy?”
“Belongs to my kid, he left it here a month ago,” the warden replied.
“What kind of dinosaur is it?”
“How the hell should I know, it’s a fucking kids toy.”
“It looks like an Apatosaurus, or maybe a Diplodocus.”
“Looks like plastic to me.”
“Don’t you think it’s a bit ironic?” Dr. Mueller asked.
“What are you talking about?” O’Neil asked.
“I’m being asked by the President to stop and asteroid, and an asteroid is what killed the dinosaurs. Just like the one on your desk.”
“It was the flood,” O’Neil stated as a matter of fact.
“Oh, no, don’t go there. I can fathom a random talking asteroid, but no, I do not accept that a flood killed the dinosaurs.”
“Are you saying I’m some sort of ignorant?” O’Neil asked.
“No, just the regular kind.”
Chapter 4
Space
The ride to the main space transport vehicle was worse than Dr. Mueller could imagine crammed into the Russian Soyuz capsule. He felt the shake and rattle and then a bang when the rescue system was jettisoned, then another bang when the four strap on boosters separated and finally another bang when the nose faring fell off. Then the windows were uncovered and light poured in from outside quickly turning to black as they entered space. From that point he felt another bang as the second stage separated and the g-load dropped. Eight and a half minutes after launch he heard another loud bang and then felt a jerk as the last section of the rocket was jettisoned from the spacecraft. And just like that, he was in space, heading for Plios 3, the ship that would rendezvous with 2120 Titus in ninety six days.
The other five astronauts were already aboard Plios 3 waiting for Dr. Mueller to join them. They were well aware of his background and safety measures had been put in place in case Dr. Mueller felt the need to do another experiment and add to his body count. Among the other five astronauts were three women and two men. He didn’t know the full crew make up but was told he would have a meeting with them as soon as he docked with the ship and transported over. He was told that no one other than the astronauts aboard and a few other higher ups knew that he would be a passenger aboard the ship. The last thing they needed was a P.R. problem.
The trip to Plios 3 was fast, much faster than Dr. Mueller anticipated since the large transport ship was placed in high orbit far from the prying eyes of most cheap telescopes. They were over three hundred miles higher in orbit than the International Space Station that hovered the Earth at two hundred and fifty two miles. Plios 3 was made up of five main sections. The forward (Bow) section was the smallest section, used mainly for steering the ship, storing and launching the drones, and some back up communication. The second section was the largest part and was used for science and the everyday workload of the mission. The third section was the habitat the astronauts used when not working on projects. It served like the living room space in a house. The forth section was for sleeping and housing the main computer, a wall separated the two compartments but they were housed in the same basic unit. The last section, the (Aft) rear was where the ion thruster was housed. Using an ion thruster, the ship could reach speeds of up to over 200,000 mph. In comparison, the Space Shuttle could reach speeds around 18,000 mph.
The unique thing about Plios 3 was the middle three sections rotated creating an artificial gravity. The bow and aft sections remained locked in place allowing for the ship to navigate and move as if it were one solid ship. There were no windows, but there were monitors that did show the outside from cameras mounted on the bow or aft sections of the ship. This was done to reduce the chances of the astronauts getting vertigo.
Completing docking maneuvers, Dr. Mueller transported over to Plios 3. The Soyuz transport separated and headed back down to Earth to be recovered and salvaged for scrap. The first thing Dr. Mueller encountered was the airlock. Without an airlock, the ship could accidently vent its entire atmosphere into deep space in a matter of minutes. He waited
briefly as the computer decided all seals were secure and opened the main door to the ship. With a whoosh of air, the air lock and the atmosphere of the ship equaled causing Dr. Mueller’s ears to clog temporarily.
He shook his head and moved his jaw back and forth until the pressure difference settled. It was then he noticed a woman walking down the hall towards him with her hand out as if to shake his.
“Hello Dr. Mueller, I’m Commander Humphry,” the Commander said.
Dr. Mueller extended his hand and shook hers. “Glad to meet you Commander Humphry, is that what I’m supposed to call you? Seems like a lot to say---and very formal.”
“You can call me Commander,” Humphry replied.
Dr. Mueller looked at her I.D. badge. “Says your name is Kate.”
“Yes it does,” Humphry replied. “We have a meeting, follow me,” she said and turned and walked back down the hall.
The ship seemed much bigger from the inside than it looked from the outside. It was well over one hundred yards long and fifty yards wide, but it felt like it went on for miles. Humphry led Dr. Mueller down the hall, made a right and waited for the door to open. It was sort of like Star Trek except there was no swooshing sound. Humphry stepped inside and Dr. Mueller followed her. He was met by two other women and two men who were sitting around a conference table waiting for them to arrive.
“Have a seat,” Humphry said motioning for Dr. Mueller to take the chair next to hers.
Dr. Mueller sat down and tried to fake a smile. He was great at one on one interactions, but the autistic in him detested groups of people.
“This is Dr. Mueller,” Humphry said. “As you know he will be joining us on the mission to 2120 Titus. I’m not sure why, but our government seems to think he can be of assistance.”
Dr. Mueller was taken aback by Humphry’s comment and attitude. “What the fuck?” he asked.
“I almost didn’t take this mission because they were bringing you along,” Humphry said. “I had family that knew some of the students you killed. I said I would only command this mission if you stayed way the fuck away from me. If you do anything that remotely resembles an attack on me, my crew or this ship, I will fry your ass, or worse, and send your corpse out the airlock into space. You hear me?” Humphry was livid.
“Yeah, I hear you,” Dr. Mueller replied.
“It’s my responsibility to introduce you to the rest of the crew. Starting on your right is Jessica Hart, Chief Science Officer.”
“Not Dr. Jessica Hart, or Dr. Hart?”
“No, she doesn’t have a degree, is that a problem?”
“No, just asking. Go on,” Dr. Mueller replied. He felt like a child being scolded by a parent.
“Next is Tom Yapchanyk, Chief Religious Officer.”
Dr. Mueller wasn’t sure he heard what she said correctly. “You’re kidding right?” Dr. Mueller asked.
“This ship was almost totally funded by the Holy Communion Church of Dallas Texas. Of course there is a Chief Religious Officer,” Humphry snapped back.
“Since when is a church interested in science?” Dr. Mueller asked.
“Catholic church has its own observatory,” Yapchanyk replied.
“What are they looking for? Angels?” Dr. Mueller asked joking.
Nobody laughed.
“Next to Tom is Mission Specialist Cara Lange. She will be doing a lot of the actual mission workload. You will be working close with her.”
Dr. Mueller kept his mouth shut and waited for the next name to be called.
“And this is Maintenance Specialist Jim Diller, and next to him is IBOT 2000, our work bot.”
“Work bot?” Dr. Mueller asked.
“It does shit we don’t want to do,” Humphry replied.
Dr. Mueller looked around and shrugged his shoulders. “Now what?” he asked.
“We’re left orbit twenty minutes ago, the ion engine takes a while to get us up to speed so if you want, you can go to your quarters and relax, or hang out in the lounge.”
“Lounge?”
“It’s what we call section three. You can have a beer and read, or watch movies or whatever.”
“That sounds fine, just point me in the direction.”
“Every room has a map, look for the X where it says ‘You are here.’” Humphry said. “And follow the lines until you get to where you want. Each section is its own color, the lounge is sky blue.”
Dr. Mueller stood and stepped out of the room into the hallway. He followed the color coded lines on the floor until he got to section three, the lounge. He felt that he wasn’t welcome by anyone on the crew and it was just better to get away for a while. Maybe after being on the ship a few days, they would warm up to him and treat him like he was crew.
“Doctor---wait up,” Yapchanyk called from behind.
Dr. Mueller slowed down and waited for Yapchanyk to catch up with him.
“If you don’t mind, I’d love to have a discussion with you.”
Dr. Mueller was annoyed by anything to do with religion. What a fucking waste of time. But he didn’t want to cause a problem right away and replied, “Sure, I’d love to chat with you.”
“Great, just go through that door and we can sit and have a talk. What would you like to drink?” Yapchanyk asked.
“I like expensive sugary coffee, I don’t suppose you have a Starbucks on board?”
“No, but we do have Cappuccino.”
“That will do,” Dr. Mueller replied as he found a seat. The lounge really was a lounge with plush leather seats that reclined and television monitors on every wall. There was a nice walnut table in the center of the room, a great place to set his Cappuccino while he watched reruns on the flat screen.
Yapchanyk filled a tall glass of Cappuccino for Dr. Mueller and brought over a diet soda for himself.
“Is there a pool table?” Dr. Mueller asked.
“No, but we do have a PlayStation and an X box.”
“I don’t care for video games.”
“At ten grand a pound, it would be far too expensive to haul up a pool table,” Yapchanyk replied.
“But you hauled up these chairs, and this walnut table.”
“That’s not walnut, and that’s not leather. These chairs don’t weigh much at all.”
“Oh, that makes sense,” Dr. Mueller replied taking a sip of Cappuccino. “This is good,” Dr. Mueller said. He wasn’t joking, he liked his sugary coffee even if this wasn’t coffee. “What do you want to talk about?”
“I’m glad you asked. I want to know about your personal relationship---with Jesus Christ.”
Dr. Mueller choked on his coffee. He didn’t have the heart to tell Yapchanyk what he really felt after bringing him the Cappuccino. But he did ask, so Dr. Mueller replied---once his throat cleared that is. --- “I don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.”
“Is that why you murdered all those kids?”
“What?” Dr. Mueller asked.
“Try not to be offended, but I feel the Devil has had his way with you. Would you say you’re an atheist Dr. Mueller?”
“I don’t care for labels, they don’t do anyone any good.”
“Then how did you feel as you mowed down those defenseless college students?”
Dr. Mueller had to think for a moment. He conducted the experiment for that very reason, to find out what he did feel as he killed his students. But he had never had anyone ever ask him before what his results were. “I felt exhilarated,” Dr. Mueller replied.
“You mean like catching a big fish? Or winning cash at Bingo?” Yapchanyk asked.
“Sorta, but better. As I was shooting, I felt like I had to get them all. As if by leaving any of them alive, I wasn’t doing it right.”
“You took it as a challenge,” Yapchanyk stated. Like he was a psychologist interviewing a patient in his office.
“Not at first, but it did become one as I saw them drop,” Dr. Mueller replied. He almost cracked a smile, but then it was gone.
“I don’t think ‘fun’ is the right word.”
“What would be the right word,” Yapchanyk asked.
Dr. Mueller blew on his Cappuccino and took a sip. He searched his analytical mind looking for just the perfect word to describe how it felt to shoot forty seven students in cold blood. “It was satisfying,” Dr. Mueller replied. “Yes, I do think that is the correct term.”
“Can you elaborate?”
“I felt like my experiment was a success. I can’t say I was thrilled that I killed anyone, but I was satisfied that I conducted my experiment the best I could and that my results were unique.”
“I don’t understand,” Yapchanyk said. “You were satisfied with your experiment, but you didn’t ‘feel’ anything. To me that is a failed experiment. Unless you felt something, an experiment done by the books is worthless.”
Dr. Mueller chewed on his lip. “Yes, I can see your point.”
“Are you telling me you felt nothing as you murdered those people?”
“I will say, for a brief moment, I did feel exhilarated. But then I wasn’t sure and I couldn’t repeat the experiment. Was I exhilarated that I killed all those kids, or was it because I managed to perform the experiment without any outside interruption? I think maybe my experiment was flawed to start with. I needed for it to be double blind, but I had no other person who would pull the trigger. I think I may have tainted my own findings.”
“So forty seven people died for nothing.”
“Yes, if you put it that way,” Dr. Mueller replied.
“What do you think Jesus thinks of you?” Yapchanyk asked.