Eye of the Beholder

Part 1: Earth

Chapter 1.1

After spending a week at the newly launched space station, Newt and Sedna were back at WBI, Walden Biological Institute, filling in the folks around the dinner table while they dined on catfish and corn from the aquaponic farm.

As usual, it was Sedna's aunt Kore who started the questions.

"You said they're calling those space taxis 'sleds' now? What's that about?

"Well, I guess you know they look more like the old helicopters that rest on skids than the wheeled vehicles we still see on the roads. Without the rotors or the long tail of course," Sedna replied.

"And without the noise," added her mother Dema.

Sedna nodded. "I almost forgot about that part. Of course, they take off straight up, and it felt like we were going straight up the whole trip, right Newt?"

"Accelerating straight up, actually," he added. "The trip is planned so you're in pretty much constant acceleration the whole time."

"How do they manage that?" asked Xayna.

"It's a nice trick alright. But the orbiter is moving at over a thousand miles an hour, and if you want the shortest trip you launch before it is quite overhead, then intercept it at the exact point where you match its speed."

"How long did it take to get there?"

"About ten minutes."

"Zero to a thousand in ten minutes! How does that feel?"Xayna asked.

"Considering that we accelerate at only about a tenth of a g, not bad," said Newt.

"Like you've gained about 15 pounds," added Sedna.

"It's a wonder more people aren't making the trip."

Sedna grinned. "Believe me, they're showing up in droves. In just the week we were there, the number of visitors seemed to triple every day. Now most of them only get to stay long enough for a quick tour."

"And a sales pitch for donations toward the next home and garden can," added Newt.

"You're saying they're sold out already and planning for more? What kind of people are moving in?"

"Most of the visitors so far are short term, like we were. But some we talked to are older people who want to retire there."

"Really? What's the attraction, other than the view?"

"They like the constant stream of visitors, lots of new people to talk to."

"And the ground is only ten minutes away if they want to travel."

"And that means ten minutes to anyplace on the whole planet, of course."

"So it's a perfect home base for people who want to visit different places."

"Not that anyplace on the planet isn't about that easy to get to from anyplace else anymore. So maybe it does come back to the view. Everyone raves about that."

"And the simulated gravity. But people almost take that for granted."

"What else did you learn while you were there?" asked Dema.

"Mainly that it's about like living in any other dome, since the bola arrangement simulates Earth gravity so well," said Newt.

"Actually that was one of the complaints from some of the older retired people. They like the idea of reduced gravity," Sedna added.

"Are they lobbying for slower bolas?" Xayna asked.

"Some are. But more are asking for a bottle on the Moon," Newt replied.

"Is that going to happen?"

"Not likely. The moon has nice big lava tubes."

"Oh, yeah. I've heard about those. Better shielding even than the water shell around the space cans."

"That's right. At least in the deeper ones. But really it doesn't take many feet of moon rock to absorb all the space radiation hazards."

"So that's already happening, right?"

"No residents yet, I think, but plenty of venture companies with body drones there getting the construction done. Walling off good sized sections of tubes and getting ready to pump them full of air and install other facilities."

"So, are you planning to go there for a look?"

"Maybe. But it's beginning to sound like the Moon really will be mainly a hospital zone, for people who have become too feeble to handle Earth gravity well, but could live there okay. So we're more interested in Mars."

"Because it has enough gravity that people could stay fit for returns to Earth? Doesn't Mars have lava tubes too?"

"Yup. Not as big as the Moon ones, but bigger than here."

"You're going to Mars then?"

"That's the idea. But first we'll check out some lava tubes around here, to get an idea what to expect. There's a good one right here in Washington, on the southwest side of Mt. Saint Helens."

"Then Hawaii. The biggest lava tubes on Earth are in Hawaii. So we'll go there too."