BOOK 1 . OLYMPUS . VANCE BLACK

  Preface

  The year was A.D. 2100, and Earth was on the brink of apocalypse. Whether the cause was nuclear proliferation, the poor condition of the environment, or overpopulation, the end seemed imminent.

  Decades before, NASA had initiated a space colony program called "Olympus," in which they provided space stations large enough for around two hundred people—men, women, and children alike. They planned on establishing a new Olympus colony every decade for as long as possible. Ships from Earth still needed to deliver fuel and supplies every six months or so, but the goal was to make the colonies less reliant on Earth as technology and sustainability increased. The ultimate goal was for the Olympus colonies to be 100% self-sufficient, requiring no help at all from Mother Earth.

  Another breakthrough at around this time was Ultra-Speed Spacecraft. NASA finally possessed the technology to send a spacecraft to the unknown reaches of our galaxy. Ultra-Speed wasn't instantaneous, but it was faster than light. It took about an hour to travel 20 Astronomical Units. This game-changer naturally began a new and very realistic search for habitable planets in the cosmos—and possibly even life.

  Chapter 1

  Olympus 1

  The crew gathered nervously in the Olympus 1 conference room, and quietly found their seats. The tensions on Earth were getting worse with every progress meeting, and the stress was palpable in the air. Captain Kat Leeto, however, remained positive, and greeted everyone with a warm smile as she powered up the Gramcast.

  A dedicated astronaut who made her people her top priority, the Captain was adored by the crew, because she took care of all the little things that went a long way toward making them feel at ease. She was a true alpha female: intelligent, gorgeous, athletic, and a born leader. At the moment, she wore a dark-purple bob hairstyle that went from super short in the back to shoulder-length in front. Her eyes were hazel, well-framed with thin, defining eyebrows. Her nose was sharp, and her lips were glossed; she made an effort to look her best, to ensure she maintained a professional demeanor that her crew could look to as a sign of strength.

  Leeto spoke to the holographic receiver in a firm, confident tone. "Olympus 1 reporting, 0900 hours GMT, 26 April 2100."

  "Olympus 2 reporting, 0900 hours GMT, 26 April 2100," replied Captain Lexy Asteria of their sister station, located in the stable L5 position in Earth's orbit. Olympus 1 occupied L4. Asteria's hologram flickered on. The two women looked almost like sisters; Leeto was thinner and more athletic, while Asteria was thicker, stronger, and more voluptuous. She had long, black wavy hair, tan skin, and a gold ring piercing her left nostril.

  "Copy that, Olympus 1 and Olympus 2," replied CapCom in Houston after a bit less than a second's delay. Director Johnson's hologram beamed in just to the right of Asteria. "Issues, concerns, questions?"

  "None for Olympus 1, sir. All fuel and supplies arrived on time. No damaged goods this round," Leeto replied.

  "O2 here. We had a few damaged boxes of med-packs, but that's it. We'll send you the report," Asteria followed up.

  "How's the Nerthus Mission going?" asked Johnson.

  "Harry and his crew have discovered three apparently inhabitable planets orbiting in the Goldilocks Zones of Proxima and Alpha Centauri A. Reports attached. The rovers are on the way. We're still too far from Proxima to get good views, but we're getting warmer. Reports to come," said Leeto.

  "Copy," Johnson answered. "The construction of Olympus 3 is ahead of schedule; we'll be sending the briefing documents later in the week. Please read them over, and we'll discuss them at the next meeting."

  The conference table was a semi-circle; the focal point was toward the front of the room, where Leeto was standing with the holograms. Behind them was a big glassteel port showing a panoramic view of Earth.

  "As you know, the situation on Earth remains grim, and things haven't gotten any better since our last meeting," Johnson continued. "In fact, things are worse. The two powers are beyond negotiation," he paused, "...and yesterday, the Global Allies nuked two cities in China."

  The crew, astonished, started looking around the room at each other, murmuring nervously.

  Leeto lifted a hand up towards her crew, in an attempt to restore order. "How many deaths?" she asked. There was a long pause. "Robert, how many?" asked Leeto again.

  Johnson's hologram started to flicker, and Leeto heard panic rising in the room. She saw the look of horror in the eyes of her crew, and one man pointed wordlessly to the glassteel port behind her. She slowly turned and saw a single shining white circle on the face of the Earth, near the center of North America. It began to widen and spread. Johnson's hologram continued to flicker. He spoke, but the transmission was cutting in and out so badly that nobody could make out what he was saying. Captain Asteria's hologram also turned toward the window, which was replicated in her conference room. Leeto saw another bright circle appear, this time in Europe; it spread just like the first one. Johnson looked to the left, then to the right, and then his holograph completely flickered off. Another circle blossomed like a flower in Africa, then others in South America and Greenland.

  One after another, the bright circles riddled the earth and cooled to gray, until almost everything was greyed out.

  "Director Johnson, do you copy? Houston, do you copy? Houston? Houston, do you read?" Asteria's voice seemed to fade into the background as the terrifying scenario unfolded.

  Moments later, Leeto and Asteria's hologram stood side by side, looking out the port. Between the two women blossomed the destruction of Mother Earth, a scene that would haunt them both for the rest of their lives.

  Chapter 2

  The Eve of the Return

  Six months later

  The conditions on Earth were far from ideal, particularly the air quality and radiation levels, but both Olympus colonies were down to the last of their supplies, and the crews needed to make a return to Earth. Captain Leeto and the commander of her Marine detachment, Colonel Levi Rogers, stood in a dark hallway and peered out a port at Earth. It was late, and most of the crew of Olympus 1 were in their sleeping quarters.

  "Big day tomorrow. Shouldn't the Captain be off to bed?" asked Rogers. He was a well-built man with golden-tan skin, the color natural rather than from exposure to the sun, a gift of his mixed-race heritage. His eyes were dark and comforting.

  "Something tells me I wouldn't fall asleep if I tried," Leeto replied.

  "You've done all you can, Cap," Rogers remarked. "You've always done all you can, for Olympus and for humanity. Or what's left of it. These people are so fortunate to have you, to have life, and I believe, we believe, that the future is in good hands... but all in good time. You need rest."

  Leeto listened, but her gaze was still fixed on Earth. She filled her lungs with air and exhaled slowly. "You're a good man, Colonel," she said as she finally looked at Rogers, "and I suppose we Olympians are the last of humanity as we know it." She paused. "That just doesn't sound real." But the last of the ham radio stations had faded more than two months before, and they hadn't been able to pick up a signal since. Not one. If any humans survived on Earth as the nuclear winter waned, they were isolated and had no time or ability to try to contact others.

  "I don't think anything will sound real for a very long time, Captain," the Colonel replied, "but once we get back to Earth, the challenge to survive will be very real indeed—and perhaps that's exactly what we need. Nothing's more real than survival."

  The two of them looked back at Earth, and shared a moment of silence, "Colonel Rogers, before we leave the station, I have one more task for you," Leeto said solemnly.

  "Ma'am?"

  "Will you join me in my cabin?" she asked quietly.

  Chapter 3

  Harry

  "Olympus 1 to Albatross 5, do you copy?" Colonel Rogers called. "Come in Albatross 5, do you copy?"

  The static roared for a moment, but became clearer and clearer until a voice was finally heard over the Q-com: "...tross 5 reads you five-by-five, over!" the voice said.

  "Captain Connor! How the hell are you?!" Rogers shouted excitedly.

  "Oh, you know, just cruisin' around space, looking for planets."

  "Good to hear your voice, Harry!" exclaimed Leeto. Harry Connor was still exploring beyond the solar system, but the quantum-entanglement communicator—the Q-com—made him sound like he was right next door.

  "Captain! It's good to hear from all of you. It's good to hear from anyone," replied Harry, "Communications with Mission Control have been down for months. What the hell happened?"

  Leeto and Rogers glanced at each other. "Harry, I'm not sure how to tell you this," said Leeto, "but there's been... an incident."

  "An incident?" Harry asked doubtfully.

  "We're not sure how bad it is, but as far as we know—" She paused. "Harry, there was a full-scale global nuclear war while you were away. Mission Control isn't even there anymore."

  Another pause.

  "Harry?" Leeto asked in a condoling tone.

  With a quick exhale he finally responded, "Yeah, I'm here."

  "Harry, you don't need to continue Nerthus. You can come home."

  "I, I'm not sure… where that is now," Harry said in a broken voice.

  Leeto was standing over the transmitter, her left hand on the communications desk. She truly felt for Harry, who'd had a wife and children on Earth, as did many others on the Olympus stations. She placed her right hand over her face and hunched over.

  "Oh, Harry…" she sighed.

  "Harry, list en," chimed in Rogers, "this is a lot for all of us, but nobody's in this alone. You're our family, Harry. The mission is over. We're going back to Earth today. We're out of any other options. Meet us in Florida at the Cape, Harry, and we can figure things out from there. We can do this together."

  Harry paused again.

  "No. No, we need to finish the mission—I mean, we should finish the mission. What if there's nothing left? We're so close, and I have enough fuel and charge to complete the survey."

  Leeto and Rogers looked at each other. "Harry, you're going into unprecedented territory, completely in the dark. We may not re-establish communications on Earth for months," explained Leeto.

  "Listen, this may be all we have. We need to do this. Otherwise, everything we've lost is in vain."

  Leeto felt torn. She took in a deep breath and sighed.

  "These are scary times, Harry. We don't want to lose any more than we already have," she said.

  "Trust me, Captain, please, just trust me," Harry insisted, "my crew and I will finish the mission. The Proxima planet looks like an excellent candidate for colonization."

  Leeto sighed again, while Rogers just leaned against the wall and stared into space.

  Finally, Leeto made the decision. "Very well, Harry. Charlie-Mike." Continue the mission.

  "Acknowledged. One last thing," Harry concluded. "if you find my family, tell them I'll be home before they can count the stars."

  Chapter 4

  The Return

  The first Osprey landed at what was left of Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida, to find utter desolation. Colonel Rogers, Officer Uri Utkin, and Herman 250 got off the shuttle first. The two men wore gas masks, gloves, and hazmat suits, while the robot wore only a NASA T-shirt. Utkin carried a device that hummed and beeped as he walked. His thick spectacles could be seen through the mask. In a heavy Russian accent, Utkin blurted, "Not bad," as he looked at the device.

  "Affirmative," Herman replied, "the levels aren't optimal, but the planet is habitable again."

  Everything around them was near-featureless and brownish gray, much like the surface of the moon. The sky was an overcast tan, the result of dust and smoke sent into the atmosphere by the nuclear weapons, and they could barely see the light of the sun. Not surprisingly, it was unseasonably cool for South Florida. Here and there stood the remains of buildings, but they were mostly reduced to deteriorated concrete and twisted steel and rebar.

  The three could hear the loud rattle of the second Osprey making its descent, but focused on their tasks. Utkin walked around the landing area for about an hour, entering data into his tablet every few minutes. When he finally circled back around to their original starting point, he looked at Rogers and pulled his mask off. It hissed as the pressure inside his suit equalized with the outside air.

  "It looks like the air is safe to breathe," he said with a geeky smirk. As usual, his brown troll-doll hair was sprouting in every direction. He pulled a denim baseball cap out of his inner suit pocket and covered his hair, so that it only stuck out the back. Meanwhile, Rogers signaled the Ospreys with his hands, and the passengers began to unload.

  Olympus 1 quickly made camp in a flat area beside the runway. Leeto sent small scouting groups in the four cardinal directions in search of food, clean water, and vegetation they could exploit. As far as they were concerned, this was the rebirth of Planet Earth as they knew it; there was much work to be done.

  Chapter 5

  Back to the Primitive

  Once a space colony, Olympus 1 was now more or less a fishing village. Surrounded by lakes, rivers, and ocean, the newly-established Floridian tribe had easy access to potable water, with little treatment required. They ate a steady diet of fish, crabs, and seaweed, the most common living things that had survived the destruction; almost everything terrestrial had been killed, though vegetation had begun to grow up through the cracks in the wasteland. The tribe had even started growing their own crops, from seeds brought down from the station.

  It was Month Two of the return to Earth. The sun had set, and the calm of dusk had engulfed the village. The post-apocalyptic twilight skies weren't just pink, but crimson red, as if Mother Earth herself was carrying her inhabitants in her womb. Leeto and Rogers lay entwined in their shelter. It was a humid summer night, and they had stripped down to their underwear.

  "I'm glad this isn't a secret anymore," Rogers said with a debonair grin.

  "I told you, this only started once the mission was over," teased Leeto.

  "Oh?"

  "Mmm hmm. What happened up there was me giving you orders."

  "Oh ho ho! Does the captain have any more orders tonight?"

  Leeto straddled Rogers, put her arms around his neck, and looked into his warm eyes. "You know, we've done pretty well down here. I think we're gonna be all right."

  Rogers caressed her lower back, and moved his hands down to her ass. He gave it a firm squeeze. "So we had our 'end of the world sex', or 'orders' as you called them," he chuckled, "and now that the world isn't going to completely end—"

  "Start of the world sex. Mmm hmm," she interrupted, "and your point is?"

  "I never asked you what color pill you took," he said.

  "Colonel Rogers, you know I don't like pills."

  He nodded. "So, no pill then."

  She ran her fingers through his light-brown curls. "Do you believe, perhaps, that there are some things we weren't meant to decide?"

  Rogers smiled as he pulled her in and kissed her. Then he looked her in the eyes and paused. "Let's get married." he said impulsively.

  She smiled. "Colonel Rogers, are you proposing to me?"

  Rogers jumped out of the NASA bedding and rummaged through a box of hardware in the tent.

  "Have you gone mad?" Leeto laughed.

  He unscrewed a nut off of a bolt, and presented it to Leeto. "Why yes, I am proposing," he chuckled, and got down on one knee, "Captain Kat Leeto, will you—"

  "Get up, you doofus!" she laughed. She pulled him up as he tried putting the "ring" on her finger, but it was far too small. They both laughed. "Yes, the answer is yes," she said, and they both continued to laugh.

  The two unorthodox lovers kissed again, and began to undress.

  Chapter 6

  The Dish

  "Captain, the radio receiver is complete," Herman 250 reported. "It's not large enough to reach Captain Conner and Albatross 5, even with the Q-com, but Olympus 2 is within proximity."

  "Good work, Herman. Lead the way," she replied.

  They hiked outside the village boundaries to a nearby clearing. A handful of engineers and scientists overseen by Rogers were gathered around a large satellite dish.

  "Good morning ladies and gentlemen," Leeto greeted.

  "We have a brief timeframe to contact Olympus 2, between six and nine AM. So now is as good a time as any," the robot said as he flipped a switch. The dish revolved to face a fixed point of the sky, and the radio speaker started to blare white noise. He turned a knob, and the noise started to crackle.

  "Olympus 1 radio check, Olympus 1 radio check. We are Code Yellow. Olympus 2, do you copy? Repeat, Olympus 2, do you copy?" Leeto called.

  Herman continued to fidget with the control panel while the receiver squealed and hissed. "Olympus 1 radio check. Olympus 2, do you copy? Captain Asteria, do you copy?"

  The receiver continued to pick up static, but a faint voice was barely audible, buried deep within the hissing. "I think we've got something," said Herman. He adjusted another knob, and the voice suddenly became crystal clear; only it wasn't Captain Asteria's voice, it was a man's.

  "Olympus 1, this is Olympus 2. We read you loud and clear, over," said the voice. Leeto felt a rush of adrenaline; she could feel the blood rush to her face. "Olympus 1, do you copy?" the voice asked.

  "Affirmative," Leeto replied. "To whom am I speaking?"

 

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