PROJECT CODE NAME: T6
LEADING SCIENTIST: Dr. Ronald Leader
MAIN SCIENTISTS: Dr. Craig Cutting, Dr. Hayley Healer, Dr. Sally Staybright, Dr. Seymour Spacey, and Dr. Claire Bunsen-Burner
CHIEF ENGINEER: John Brown
DIARY OF DR. RONALD LEADER
June 23, 2030
Dr. Seymour Spacey was working away in the laboratory. I was with him and together we worked. Tests had shown that if we were to land on Venus, we need extremely powerful material to stop the ship and people turn into fried crisp. Claire¡¦s working at full capacity to find the right material for the spacesuits while Seymour and I were working on the rocket. I¡¦d made a testing chamber that was linked to a PC that had a special radio link to a satellite in Venus¡¦ orbit. Seymour was testing the armor that lines old spaceships. We¡¦d loaded one into the testing chamber and I¡¦d locked Venus¡¦ temperature into the PC. Then the testing chamber¡¦s inside should be like Venus. I¡¦d activate it¡K FRIZZAP!!!! There was a pretty explosion. Now the testing chamber¡¦s inside had been fried and the machine had broken down. The armor had also turned into molten metal. Oh well, time for some fixing.
June 24, 2030
This morning, I just finished fixing the testing chamber. Seymour had taken a sample of chemicals and a spacesuit prototype from Claire. I¡¦d loaded it into the testing chamber and time to lock in the temperature. BOOM!!!!! The computer was fired but still working. And STARS ABOVE!!!! The spacesuit was intact!!!! GREAT!!!!
***
In the afternoon, Seymour and I had the solution! We¡¦d just added bits of atoms to titanium to and make it strong!!!! I was loading it into the testing chamber. BOOM!!! The testing chamber I fired but the armor was intact!!!!!
June 25, 2030
Today I was watching over John Brown and his team of British Engineers from an observation deck. They were top engineers that built the Deep Space monitor 790 who ventured out of this solar system. But unfortunately the controller was an idiot and he made a typing mistake, causing the monitor to explode. They¡¦d got the designs and were working on the nuclear engine( The nuclear engine works by making energy using uranium). Everybody had to wear protective suits because there¡¦s high gamma radiation here. Seymour had spent the night doing astronomical calculations working out the path. All the equipment John¡¦s engineers got to put their hands of were state-of-the-art. I¡¦d checked everything. The cover story of a rocket to going to Mars was good enough and was only quarter true. Right now we and the scientists didn¡¦t have much to do so we passed the time by drinking coffee. I would soon have to go to the rocket. Tomorrow was the day when we launch.
June 26, 2030
Today was the day!!! We launched at midnight so we got to sleep the rest of the day. The entire Mission Control was a flurry of activity ¡V all the controllers were testing all the state-of-the-art equipment. A Mercedes-Benz S-class ferried us to the launch site in Texas. Patrol helicopters illuminated the sky with floodlights. Soon all of us were safely inside the rocket.
¡§Mission Control is ready. Helicopters are moving back. Stand by for Blast Off.¡¨
Then, after a few minutes, ¡§Mission Control has locked coordinates. Blast Off will generate automatically.¡¨
After five minutes, ¡§Please strap yourselves into the bunks. Blast Off in ten seconds.¡¨
We climbed into the bunks and pulled the safety belts across and strapped ourselves in.
¡§What have I done to get myself in entangled in this business?¡¨ Craig shakily said.
¡§Well Ronald old man, you¡¦ve survived through dozens of scientific adventures. But this may be your last!!¡¨ I said with fear.
¡§What am I doing here? Will everything blow up?¡¨ Claire said to herself.
¡§What did I do? How come I¡¦m now in this rocket?¡¨ thought Sally.
¡§What happened? Why am I here?¡¨ Hayley thought.
¡§Will my calculations be right? Or will we all die?¡¨ thought Seymour.
One minute later, ¡§Blast Off in ten seconds.¡¨
¡§10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1 ¡V BLAST OFF!!!!!¡¨ BOOM!!! The engines roared into life. Plasma was blasted out of the engines. The rocket was forced upward at 4,000 mph. The surrounding cars and trucks were reduced to ashes. X-FLRG 6 blasted in to the sky. It went past the atmosphere at unbelievable speed.
Everybody in the rocket soon awoke after passing out. I unstrapped myself and fiddled with the computer. After some desperate typing, the computer revealed that we were at 9,000 feet. The thermometer showed that the outside was at -273 K. Heart in mouth, Seymour inserted 3 keys into three keyholes in the control panel. He quickly turned them. X-FLR 6¡¦s nuclear reactor took over and the auxiliary engine stopped. Then he pulled a few levers back. X-FLRG 6¡¦s engine blasted a fireball out. The reactor¡¦s temperature grew to 2,000 ¢J. The speed increased to 20,000 mph.
***
Relaxing, Seymour glugged down a plastic cup of coffee, but troubles were about to start. When we were sipping Vodka from metal mugs and about to have some chocolates, a warning horn sounded, the emergency alarm. I immediately dropped my mug and crossed to the control panel. A monitor showed that micro-meteors were penetrating the solar panels. Then another computer monitor showed that power was losing. I quickly pulled the keys out of the panel and slowed the power leak out. Then I made contact with Mission Control.
¡§Hello. Hello. This is Mission Control. I repeat. This is Mission Control,¡¨ blared out of the speakers.
¡§Hello. This is X-FLRG 6. We have a problem. Micro-meteors have penetrated the panels, causing power almost to shut down. We will have to send Seymour Spacey out for a complete refit. The panels are damaged beyond repairs and our plan is to loosen the panels, attach dynamite explosives, set to explode in an hour, and let them float into space. Then we attach new panels,¡¨ I replied.
Then, suddenly, there was a blackout. Immediately we snatched halogen flashlights and welding torches and soldering irons to repair the ship. Meanwhile, Seymour dressed into his spacesuit. All of us had trained for 4 years in NASA, and we were faster than lightning. Craig Cutting rushed to the bank of controls that were controlling the open and close of the door and removed the bolts from the panel. Then he opened the panel so he would set work. Sally Staybright ripped a control panel from the wall to reveal the wires. Then she soldered a few wires together to link up power. I was in charge of the hardest mission of all: restart the nuclear reactor. I put on a bio-suit and gripped the welding torch. I slid my card into the scanner to unlock the door. Soon I was inside the nuclear reactor, a jumble of pipes. I expertly started welding the pipes that were loose together. Then I secured the pipes with a wrench. Suddenly Hayley Healer¡¦s voice sounded into the room.
¡§Dr. Leader!!! The temperature is 1,000 ¢J!!! If it reaches 2,000 ¢J, your bio-suit will melt along with you!!!¡¨
I reached for the pipes that pumped liquid helium. I grabbed my wrench and loosened them, spilling liquid helium all around the reactor. Then I leaked 100 liters of liquid helium into the reactor. My bio-suit was an amazing piece of technology, but if I stayed here any longer it wouldn¡¦t be able to save me. I opened the hatch, stepped outside, and closed it again in two seconds. I ripped of my smoking bio-suit and threw it away. Then I inserted keys into keyholes in the wall and turned them. The reactor started generating nuclear power and the ship started to move. But if we had to switch on the lights, only Seymour could help us. Seymour, dressed in a spacesuit, quietly opened the hatch to reveal space. Linking his spacesuit to the ship with a cable, he stepped into space. Then he pushed himself along the ship until he could spot the panels. The panels were a mess. Half of them had cracks and even one had a bit ripped of it. Using his wrench to loosen the bolts, he unattached the panels. Then he attached the dynamite chargers. Suddenly Craig¡¦s voice screamed in his ears.
¡§Red alarm!!! Asteroids are coming your way!!!¡¨
Three seconds after Craig spoke asteroids slammed into the ship. Seymour struggled to survive. An asteroid had pinned his cable to the ship, causing him to be pinned to the ship. He was a sitting duck.
Inside the safe control deck in the ship, I watched as the asteroid pinned Seymour. I would save him. I stepped into the Alpha pod and blasted out. I aimed the white-hot laser blaster at the steel cable. I fired. The laser melted through the cable and Seymour was free. Seymour immediately charged the panels. Smiling, I switched on the lights. Minutes later Seymour was relaxing in a bunk sipping hot sweet tea with a packet of Ibuprofen at his side.
¡§He is going to all right,¡¨ said Hayley. ¡§His heartbeat is normal, his breathing is normal and everything is normal.¡¨
June 27, 2030
At 6 o¡¦clock in earth-time, an alarm sounded. ¡§Speed is 30,000 mph!!! Increasing fast!! Your speed is now 40,000 mph!!! Collision with Adonis is predicted!!¡¨ blasted out of the speakers.
Seymour leapt out of bunk and ran to a locker. He unlocked the door with a key that hang beside it and swung it open. Then he grabbed a thin metal box and crossed to the control deck. He slid the box into a slot and swung the handles on two metal boxes nearby. Soon the long range telescope coughed into life. The rocket was speeding towards Adonis at 50,000 mph. A second later X-FLRG 6 would be destroyed. Seymour flicked a row of switches. Automatically the rocket swerved and narrowly missed Adonis. Then he inserted a card into a slot to activate automatic pilot.
***
After everything was fine, we set to work. Claire Bunsen-Burner went to the chemistry lab and switched on the Bunsen burner. Then she placed liquid helium over it for an experiment. Suddenly the engines stopped. I raced to the nuclear reactor and checked it. Liquid helium had frozen the reactor. I put on a bio-suit and raced into the room. First I shut down nuclear power. Then I flicked the switch that controlled the opening and closing of the emergency grate. Liquid helium went out of the reactor. At split second later the temperature was at 550 ¢J. I stepped out of the room and flung of my bio-suit. Then I swung the handles. The speed increased to 10,000 mph.
***
Hours later, Craig¡¦s voice ran out, ¡§Mars is in sight. Stand by.¡¨
I twisted the handle and the side rockets turned. The speed quickly decreased in a split second.
¡§Speed 1,900 mph, Burn out.¡¨ ¡§AC-60 unit has burned out. Still operational but will need extra energy.¡¨ The AC-60 unit was a tiny probe outside the rocket and it controlled the different rocket motors in the rocket.
¡§To cut the side rockets, stop all motors,¡¨ blasted out of the speakers.
¡§We are nine thousand feet above Mars. We will land and go out. All of us into the bunks!!!¡¨ I shouted.
We strapped ourselves into the bunks. Soon we started to be crushed into our bunks. Half a minute later we all blacked out. One minute later there was a large boom.
¡§Contact made.¡¨
We woke up and broke free of the straps and put on spacesuits. Hayley rushed to the control panel and slid the card she was holding into a slot. The AC-60 unit exploded. Hayley stumbled backward from shock.
¡§The override cord has burned out before,¡¨ I explained. I then opened a box to reveal a tiny probe inside. ¡§This will replace the AC-60 unit.¡¨
Seymour grabbed the unit and a wrench and stepped towards the door. I quickly inserted a thin metal bar into a slot. The door swung open and Seymour stepped out. Seymour walked to the AC-60 unit¡¦s clamp. He loosened the bolts and fitted the AC-60 unit. Suddenly Craig¡¦s voice ran into my ear.
¡§Martian!!¡¨
Seymour looked and gasped. A giant Mole like creature was coming!! I immediately flicked a row of switches and white-hot laser beams hit the creature. Seymour leapt into the rocket and we blasted off.
June 28, 2030
During the lunch time, a voice blared out of the speakers, ¡§Washington orders that we must ignore all the planets and focus on Europa.¡¨
I slid the hypersonic card into a slot. BOOM!!! The speed increased to six million mph in a second. Soon we were zooming past planets. One hour later we were nearing Jupiter. I ejected the hypersonic card out of its slot.
¡§Europa is fifty thousand miles away.¡¨ Seymour reported.
¡§Good. Slow down to 26,000 mph.¡¨
Seymour nodded and typed a command into the ship¡¦s computer. 20 minutes later, we were in Europa¡¦s orbit.
¡§Orbit commenced. Standby to launch submarine,¡¨ Craig reported.
I nodded and we walked to the submarine hangar. The submarine, T26, was a special modified nuclear submarine that had titanium walls 4 inches thick. It also had a rocket engine that ran on liquid oxygen instead of nuclear power because the nuclear reactor in T26 had to be used to power the propellers.
We climbed into T26 and I hit the launch button. T26 was ejected from X-FLRG 6 by a clever catapult perfected back in 2026. As T26 floated out of the hull, I ignited the rocket engines.T26 quickly speeded up to 1,900 mph. I moved the control stick a little bit and guided T26 towards Europa. Then the hard bit came: We had to follow a procedure to make sure T26 was intact.
I pressed a button and titanium plates came down to cover the windows. Then I reached up and activated the auto-radar-guidance system. We strapped ourselves into the seats.
¡§Impact in ten seconds,¡¨ blared out of the speakers.
¡§10¡K9¡K8¡K7¡K6¡K5¡K4¡K3¡K2¡K1 - impact.¡¨ BLAMMM!!!!!!!!!!!
T26 smashed though the thick ice. We were shaken by the vibrations, but we were still alive!!!! After we recovered, I pressed a button to open the titanium plates that covered the windows. Nothing prepared us for the breathtaking sight. In the blue water was a giant worm. Beside it were swimming reptiles that looked like prehistoric reptiles.
¡§Hello Mission Control. This is breath-taking. THERE IS LIFE ON EUROPA. THERE IS LIFE ON EUROPA.¡¨
¡§Hello T26, this is sensational!!!! Collect much information you can.¡¨ Mission Control replied.
Craig nodded and typed a dozen commands into the submarine¡¦s computer. Water was sucked into the submarine.
¡§Sensors say that there is sufficient oxygen in the water. Sensors also say that water is slightly salty, and very acidic.¡¨ Craig reported.
¡§Good. I¡¦ll be the first one to go out.¡¨ I replied.
Ten minutes later, after I had put on my state-of-art protective suit and swimming gear, I was waiting in the air lock.
¡§Are you ready?¡¨ Craig asked nervously.
¡§Yes, and open the door.¡¨
¡§Good. I¡¦m opening the door!!!¡¨
The door of the air lock opened, and I floated out- side. I climbed to the side and held on to T26 while I typed a dozen commands into the mini-computer in the suit.
¡§Water is getting more acidic every 10 minutes.¡¨ Craig reported.
¡§Let¡¦s go and get one of those worms!!!!¡¨ I nodded and switched on the propellers attached to my suit.
I than made my way to one of those worms. I quickly grabbed one. It struggled and suddenly squirted poison out. I dodged the poison and quickly put it into T26¡¦s compartment that contained a tank for life-forms. I quickly ripped my gear of and went to join the scientists. Craig pressed a button, and the windows became a screen. Information from the sensors was projected onto the screen.
¡§The worm breaths oxygen, filters the oxygen from the water like a fish, made out of the element silicon, squirts poison when is threatened, one squirt contains enough poison to kill 460 people, and eats micro-organisms in the water.¡¨ The computer blared out.
I typed a password and 6 CCTV cameras that surrounded the tank with the worm in it went into life. The worm was thrashing about and squirting poison everywhere. Soon it may get out and squirt poison onto everybody, so I pressed a button hidden by a cover and gave the worm a shock of six thousand volts and killed it. Then I pressed ¡§EJECT¡¨ and the carcass of the worm was ejected out of the tank. Suddenly there was a rumble and T26 shook about.
¡§What was that?¡¨ Hayley asked nervously.
I flicked a switch and the screen turned back to a window. What we could see was horrifying. A giant reptile-like creature with two heads was biting and attacking T26. Craig immediately checked the systems.
¡§Power banks are damaged.¡¨
¡§Quick!!!! Boost the sonar waves and direct the waves at the reptile!!!!!!¡¨ I shouted.
Craig nodded and flicked a switch. BRMMMAA!!!!!!!! The reptile shook about and stopped its assault on T26. Saved for the moment, but for how long? Craig pressed a few buttons. The sonar fired low-frequency sonar waves into the reptile¡¦s brain and knocked it unconscious. Craig then flicked a switch, and the reptile was slowly drawn into one of T26¡¦s giant observation tanks. Craig let out a sign of relief.
¡§Power banks are recharging. Enough power to continue.¡¨
¡§Good. Switch on the propellers.¡¨
T26 cruised through the water. Suddenly there was a flash of silver.
¡§WARNING! WARNING! Unknown intruder! Something has impaled itself into the ship!¡¨
I switched on all monitors. A shoal of slim silver fish with extremely sharp beaks were stabbing T26. Oxygen was slowly leaking out of T26.
¡§I will fix the leak. You keep T26 under control!¡¨
I put on a diving suit and went into the airlock. When I was out, I activated the propellers and made my way to the shoal of fish. When I reached the shoal of fish, I activated the weapons systems on my diving suit: A 5 mm multi-barreled launcher on my gloves that launched 10 titanium-projectiles at a time by using super-magnetic pulses. I killed all the fish, then took a piece of titanium and slowly welded them on.
Suddenly Craig cried out, ¡§WATCH OUT!¡¨
I turned and gasped. A 50-foot long monster with 5 foot long teeth was right behind me. I kept firing projectiles into its body. But it was unharmed. I suddenly had an idea. I drifted closer and closer to the monster¡¦s mouth. The monster immediately opened its mouth to swallow me. Then I fired a few projectiles into the monster¡¦s tongue. The monster roared with pain and tried to grab me. But then Craig came out in a diving suit and together we fired projectiles after projectiles into the monster while Claire and Hayley and Seymour fired low-frequency sonar waves into the monster¡¦s brain. After 20 seconds, the monster yelled and moved away. Just when it was 30 feet away from T26, the rest of the scientists went out in diving suits. Then we all kept firing projectiles into the monster¡¦s brain and liters of blue blood leaked out. Then, after we fired 80 projectiles into the monster¡¦s brain, it died. We went back to T26.
........ to be continued |
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