The Curse of Europa Read Free

the NFPS engines are reengaged to start the constant deceleration portion during the second half of the journey. At the half way point, as the ship is being rotated, there is zero-gravity. Likewise when the NFPS engines are cut off at the end of the journey, the crew loses its artificial gravity. The ships with this engine design, first used for the Mars missions, have cut inter-solar travel down from years and months to weeks and days.
     
“Time to batten down the hatches,” Hicks declares over the ship’s intercom to make sure everyone can hear him, as two of the scientists are not currently on the command deck.
He continues: “Ten minutes to engine shutdown… ten minutes to Zero-G. Doctors Huang and Fedoseev, please make your way to the command deck.” He is pleased he pronounced the scientist’s names right this time. Dr. Huang is simply said as ‘Wang’ and Dr. Fedoseev is simply as it looks: Fed-O-Seev. Dr. Fedoseev doesn’t really care if you mispronounce his name, but Dr. Huang gets pretty annoyed and will correct you every time.
Everyone looks around and starts to collect any loose articles that may start to float away, when they lose their gravity. Doctor Jeff Swygart, another mission specialist and scientist, is on his first ever space mission. This is actually his first trip into space ever, at 51 years old. With his balding scalp, wrinkled face, and more grey than brown in his goatee, he looks even older and sometimes the crew refers to him as “Gramps.” He was enjoying a little snack at his station and had food wrappers laying all over it. He quickly gathers up all the wrappers and tosses them into the trash receptacle.
The other two scientists from partner countries, Doctor Kirill Fedoseev and Doctor Shin-mu Huang, step off the circular elevator platform as it arrives at the command deck level with a swish. They quietly go to their stations and buckle up in their seats; ready to go to work.
The long black haired Dr. Huang is originally from China and is a space veteran with a visit to Mars, a year on the Moon, and 18 months on Cygnus Space Station. She is the principal investigator for the Space Experimentation Agency and is in charge of all of the equipment and experimentation kits for the mission.
Dr. Fedoseev is from Russia and will go down to Europa in the lander. He is an expert on Hydrothermal Vents and many other things for that matter. He likes to tell people that he almost pee’d his pants when he found out he was selected for this mission (and he is serious.) Needless to say, he is very excited to be here. If there were a picture next to the definition of ‘Geek’ in the dictionary it may just as well be his. He is 46 years old with fine sandy brown hair that blows around with the slightest of a breeze, a weathered yet boyish looking face, and a thin mustache that looks like it belongs on a 17 year old high school boy.
“This is Commander Hicks of White-Bull-2 at 288 hours, 29 minutes mission elapsed time,” Hicks can be heard making a broadcast, while plastering a cheesy smile on his ultra clean shaven face for the camera that he is looking into. Then he simply starts to monolog, as he knows it will be nearly 50 minutes before anyone at the Cygnus Space Station will actually receive the message, and another 50 minutes before they receive back any acknowledgment.
“Making final approach to Jupiter moon Europa. Mark five minutes and twelve seconds to Shutdown of NFPS engines. Completion of insertion orbit over targeted landing site expected in forty three minutes after engine shutdown. This is White-Bull-2, out”
“Mr. Tucker. Prepare for NFPS reactor shutdown,” Hicks commands.
“Is everyone buckled up? Are all your loose articles safely tucked away?”
“Yes,” the crew says in unison.
“How about you Turk?” Hicks asks and then injects a bit of rare sarcasm, “is your tray in its upright position?”
“Yes sir, commander! I’m all set,” Turk sarcastically