In Situ Read online

  In Situ

  a science fiction novel

  by David Samuel Frazier

  Copyright 2013 by David Samuel Frazier

  For my wife Jolanta.

  I can still hear the words ringing in my ears:

  “Baby, did ya finish the book yet?”

  Since it formed over 4.5 billion years ago, Earth

  has been hit many times by asteroids and comets whose

  orbits bring them into the inner solar system.

  These objects, collectively known as Near Earth Objects,

  or NEOs, still pose a danger to Earth today.

  Depending on the size of the impacting object, such a

  collision can cause massive damage on local to

  global scales. There is no doubt that sometime in the

  future the Earth will suffer another cosmic impact;

  the only question is when.

  Pan-STARRS

  Prologue

  Pan-STARRS

  The incessant beeping of her computer finally woke her. Anyway, it was just a short nap and her eyes had only been closed for a moment.

  Jennifer Daniels pushed her chair back from her desk, stretched her arms wide and yawned. Her shift was almost over, and she was looking forward to a hot bath, and afterwards, some good sleep. She had been working all night, detailing a series of images that had been taken by the Pan-STARRS telescope, a part of the most advanced technology ever devised for tracking asteroids and comets. The telescope was essentially just a huge digital camera that took hundreds of pictures of the heavens nightly, feeding the image data into a high performance computer for analysis. The beeping was normal, just a program Jen had set to signal her when information from a new analytic run had become available. The process had been going on all night—it could wait.

  She stood up, walked over to the door, and stepped outside onto a catwalk that surrounded the observatory to try to wake up. It was like stepping into a freezer, especially at this time of the morning. The temperature was not quite 0 degrees Celsius, with a brisk northwest breeze blowing about 15 knots. But the cold was misleading. Just down the mountain, a half an hour drive, the breezes were tropical, and the Pacific Ocean was warm to the touch. Jen pulled her lab coat tighter and glanced at her watch-4:13 a.m. Well, she thought, looking at the lights in the valley below, I’ll be heading that way soon enough.

  The starlight was just beginning to fade, and she could see the headlights of a line of cars snaking their way up the winding mountain road; tourists driving up to watch the Haleakala sunrise, which was invariably breathtaking. Jen was on top of one of most magnificent peaks on the planet in one of the most beautiful places in the world, Maui.

  She was accustomed to working the graveyard shift, although she had never really adjusted to that schedule. Her natural body clock demanded that she function during normal hours, but as she had told others so often, there was something just not appropriate about an astronomer working during the day. Even so, she occasionally took short naps just to recharge so she could totally focus on her work.

  Jen took great pride that she had been selected as the Chief Astronomer for the Pan-STARRS Observatory, and the fact that it was located in Hawaii was just a bonus. The telescope was designed to discover and catalogue never-before-seen asteroids and comets—Jen’s specialty. Some of her peers were into black holes or the births of distant galaxies, but Jen was more than content to count rocks speeding around in the solar system. In fact, she had achieved a certain degree of fame in her own, limited intellectual community, for her expertise in them.

  The Pan-STARRS darker—perhaps more primary purpose—was to identify any asteroids or comets that could possibly pose a threat to earth in the near future. Not that Jen or anyone else was seriously concerned. There had not been a globally significant impact event in over 65 million years, so the likelihood of another any time soon was remote at best. It would be like having the only losing ticket in the great cosmic lottery. Jen knew the odds of identifying a real risk to Earth even in her lifetime were miniscule.

  As the eastern horizon began to turn pink, she glimpsed the long trail of a shooting star streaking across the sky. Jen shivered, decided she was more than awake enough, and headed back inside to find a cup of something hot and to begin to evaluate the results of her latest run.

  “Bless you Jonathon,” she said, smiling at her assistant as she walked back in. He was standing just inside the door with a fresh cup of black coffee, steam still rising off of it. “Who needs Starbucks when I have you?” she asked him rhetorically, giving him a friendly wink as she took it from him. Jonathon was normally a pretty cheery guy, but he was not smiling back. Jen took a small sip, holding the cup with both hands to warm them. “What’s wrong Jonathon?” she finally asked.

  There was a look of deep concern on his face. “I put a few photos on your desk with the most recent data printouts. I’m not exactly sure, Doctor, but I think we might have a problem.”

  Jen looked back at him. Jonathon was just a graduate student, but he was sharp and knew his stuff. She was suddenly worried. He had dispensed with calling her “Doctor” long ago and he wasn’t known for beating around the bush. “What are you seeing?” she asked as they walked over to her work area.

  Jonathon held up a twelve-by-eighteen-inch image of the night sky. It was covered with countless dots of light in a rainbow of colors. He had placed a yellow sticky note near one of the brighter, pure white dots, and had drawn an arrow of red ink on the paper, pinpointing it specifically. “That little devil right there,” he said, drawing an invisible circle around it with the top of his pen. He let the photo slide onto the desktop and handed Jen the corresponding printout.

  Still preoccupied with the photo, Jen finally focused her attention on the paper. Her face, which had been rosy from the cold, suddenly went pale. Jen collapsed into her chair, clutching the report. “29 days?” she said, reading it again. “How many times have you run this Jonathon?”

  “After I found it in the general run, I ran it three more times, manually re-entering the data of just that NEO from last night’s images. Then one more time, calling up data from tonight’s observations-all with the same result,” he replied, ominously.

  Jen looked back down at the printout.

  NEO A 99962

  NAME NEW

  SIZE 2.9 KM

  IP 99.99 TSI 10

  EID 10.18.11 0733 ZULU

  “Impact probability of 99 percent? Torino Scale Integer:

  10!” she said, staring at the paper, her hands shaking. “Jesus, sweet Jesus! I’ve got to call the President.”

  Jonathon barely whispered, “I was hoping you would have a simple explanation.”

  Chapter 1

  64,196,324 BCE

  If the world was really coming to an end, then Mot wanted to see the evidence of it with his own eyes.

  The Astrologers were warning of a giant rock of fire that was coming, visible only in the night sky. When it finally arrived, they said, it would destroy the world in a cloud of fire and ash. The Great One had sent it, the Priests had said, punishment for their “atrocities.”

  But Mot had certainly never seen this giant fire rock, nor had he ever experienced the guilt of having committed any such thing as an atrocity. In fact, he was young enough that he hadn’t as yet even had his parents confirm the selection of his mate; an event that, prior to the announcement of the coming of the giant rock and the ensuing end of the world, he had very much been looking forward to.

  Besides, the Arzat Elders had been foretelling the “end of the world” since the “beginning of the world” as far as Mot could remember. Surely this was just another empty threat to get Mot and his young peers to show more respect and to better comply with their wishe
s and constant demands. In any case, he was determined to find out the truth of the matter for himself.

  Mot quietly moved aside the barricade that guarded the main entrance to the Arzat caves and stepped out into the warm night air, careful to immediately seal the opening behind him. He had assistance from the other side. His friend El had helped him open it and now helped him to move it carefully back into place. The barricade was essentially just a very large round stone, specifically cut to roll easily in and out of the entrance—easy, provided you had at least two strong Arzats to move it. Its operation was really quite simple, yet complicated enough to effectively confound the predators. They, so far, had never been able to figure out its workings. Even so, the clan always posted sentries just inside as a safeguard against any unwanted visitors, and particularly any stray Arzats from any other clans who might be foolish enough, or desperate enough, to be out wandering around looking for trouble.

  The caves were the most prized possession of the Zanta Clan and had to be constantly protected, not only from the large number of predators that lived in the Arzat world, but from other tribes of Arzats as well. Raids by other groups were seldom attempted in darkness due to the extreme danger, but every measure of security was taken nonetheless, day or night.

  Many of the other clans in the region were aware of the prime living conditions Mot’s own clan enjoyed, and would be more than pleased, were they able to accomplish it, to annihilate the current occupants and take the caves for themselves. There were minor skirmishes here and there among the various tribes, but most of the Arzat energies were expended on survival rather than war. None of the other clans, as yet, had ever mounted a successful attack.

  There was a distinct advantage in only having one entrance. It made the entire system of caves much easier to protect. The distinct disadvantage was that, if the entrance were ever to be breached by an enemy, there was no line of retreat.

  Tonight, it was Mot and El who had been assigned this very important duty of guarding the cave entrance, and Mot had wasted no time convincing his friend to cover his absence and to wait for his return. Mot had been waiting for this opportunity to sneak out after dark, his rare rotation to guard duty providing the only chance. Just a short trip, he had assured El, one torch of time, no more. His friend had reluctantly agreed, aware of the fact that he had put Mot up to the adventure in the first place, but not without reminding Mot that there would be severe repercussions if their plan were discovered.

  As he emerged from the cave, Mot’s senses immediately sharpened. Although the sun had only just set, its rays of red twilight were already rapidly fading into stars. A moon, half full, had just risen, and hung over the tops of the distant mountains. The sky was the color of embers dying-the deep blue of night swiftly washing over it. This was the most dangerous time to be out of the protective confines of the tunnels. The Elders had always forbidden venturing out past sunset for that very reason. Only the Astrologers and Priests were ever allowed out after dark, and never without the protection of a large contingent of capable and well-armed Hunters.

  Mot knew he could face severe and harsh punishment for his disobedience, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him, so he would probably have gone even if he hadn’t been dared to do so by some of the other adolescent males, his friend El being one of them. Anyway, he did not plan to get caught.

  As he stood with his back to the safe haven of the caves, he began to have second thoughts. Before him, the main path through the dense forest that was so familiar to him during the day had become dark and ominous. Despite his uncanny ability to see in low light, Mot now found that he could make out objects no more than a few sticks away. A torch would have been a comfort and would have helped him to see, but it would be a dead giveaway to every other creature in the forest of his exact location. Mot had reluctantly ruled out the idea of using one for that very reason.

  He thought again about turning and tapping a stone on the door of the great cave and having El let him back in, but what was he? A child? Besides, he would never hear the end of it from El or any of his peers if they caught wind of his early retreat. Worse than that, a certain young female by the name of Ara was sure to hear and think him a coward—and that would be a disaster. The mere thought of her caused his heart to race.

  Mot cautiously looked up, but was unable to get a completely clear view of the night sky from the entrance. The opening had been purposely and skillfully camouflaged with plants and trees to disguise it, so it blended perfectly into the thick foliage that surrounded it. Mot knew he would have to venture out to find a better vantage point in order to get a good look at the heavens, and he knew exactly where he needed to go.

  As he took his first steps, Mot concentrated all of his being on the dark world around him, and did his very best to bring all of his survival skills into play. His sight was good, but it was nothing compared to his excellent hearing and his ability to sense the vibrations of any kind of movement on the ground. He might be young and foolish, but even he knew that he was risking death. Most of the meals in Mot’s world were eaten at night, under the cover of the very dense forest where he now found himself.

  He took a few more strides, then stopped and stood perfectly still. Mot flicked his tongue several times, but there was nothing alarming in the air. It was clean and fresh, heavy with water from the afternoon rain, but nothing more. He listened and felt, but could discern no sounds or vibrations of potential threats or unusual movement in the earth. Somewhere, not far off, a large serpent was slithering around on the forest floor looking for prey, but other than that, he could sense no immediate danger close by.

  Mot reached to his side and silently slid his hunting stick from its scabbard. He was very proud of it, for had fashioned the weapon himself under the watchful eye of his father who had taught him all the skills necessary to create it. Mot had chosen the best hardwood in the forest, and had worked for more than half a season, painstakingly freeing the weapon’s shape from the tree that had grown it, carefully tempering the tip in the Great Fire of the cave. The hunting stick was long and straight, four digits thick on one end, tapering in slightly at the middle, extremely sharp on the other; and wrapped with animal skin in the center for grip. The stick came just to Mot’s shoulder when he stood it on its blunt end.

  Its scabbard was made from the hide of Mot’s first official kill, and allowed Mot to carry the weapon strapped across his back when not in use. His mother and some of the other females had helped him with the tanning process; but Mot had worked equally as hard on the scabbard as he had the hunting stick itself, sewing the pieces of hide together with his own hands, amazed that the texture of the animal skin was so similar to his own. Soon, Mot still hoped, the scabbard would be marked with a long line of kills that would stand as testimony to his great abilities as a Hunter.

  Only just this season had Mot finally reached an age that allowed him to fully participate in the hunts. His father, Url, one of the best Hunters in the clan, had been very proud when Mot had bravely led the effort to bring down a large four legged tree eater. When he had earned it, his father had assured him, the weapon would be taken to the Forgers and properly tipped with the blood red metal that they had so recently perfected. Only then, Mot knew, would he be fully recognized as an adult within the Clan; and perhaps more importantly, as a true Hunter.

  While he was perfectly able to gut a smaller animal with a swift kick of his leg if necessary, the hunting stick provided Mot with a very important advantage, the ability to keep some distance between himself and his prey. Often, whatever he was attacking might be just as deadly as he, hunting stick or no, perhaps even more so. Sometimes just a minor injury in a hunting skirmish could spell the eventual end for the wounded despite any efforts from the Medicine Men to repair them. Holding the stick now gave Mot courage, the weight of it a comfort, and the further he ventured the more he needed both on this dark night.

  Mot listened again, and then cautiously moved ahead, careful to
maintain total silence. Another pause, another check with all of his senses. There was a small plateau of solid rock one hundred steps from the caves that rose high above the thick forest canopy and had a large flat top. It was sheer on all sides and had been used for eons as the Arzat’s primary lookout. At night, it was the very place the Astrologers used to count the stars and forecast the seasons. Mot knew he would be able to get a completely clear view of the sky from there.

  With only a few more strides down the dark forest path he reached it and quickly crawled up one of its faces, using the sharp tips of his fingers and the toes of his feet to hold fast to the stone; his hunting stick safely back in its scabbard as he climbed.

  Mot remained in a crouched position as he reached the top, stopping again to feel for vibrations in the stone and to taste the air for danger, his sharp eyes scanning the dense forest below. Though the moon was only at half, its light cast a hundred degrees of shadow and color over the land. The scales of Mot’s skin became translucent blue and green under the glow. He had rarely seen such a sight, having almost never been out of the caves after dark. Mot unconsciously stood up, completely in awe, and looked deep into the night. Below, the dark canopy of the forest surrounded him, as if he were the only creature on earth.

  Despite the partial moon, the stars shone brightly, but one in particular lit the sky. It was not nearly as big as the moon, nor as friendly in color, for it glowed white-hot and angry like a coal from the Great Fire, and trailed white dust. Mot studied the fire rock for some time, completely mesmerized by the circle of flame that seemed to grow larger under his gaze. He held one hand over one eye and then switched, attempting to focus on the object. He watched for some time, trying to discern any movement across the sky, but could detect none. Still, while he had no way of knowing for sure, it did seem as if the rock was bearing down, heading directly toward him. Perhaps the Elders are right this time, he thought to himself uncomfortably. Mot sensed the truth of it to his bones, and it caused him to shiver despite the warm night. He needed to get back. He had promised El that he would only be gone one torch, and he realized that he had probably been out for two or three.