Europa’s Child
Bruce Savage
About Bruce Savage Is the author of horror, thriller, science fiction, and fantasy adventure novels. Born dirt poor as the son of a taxi driver and the youngest child of 16 brothers and sisters he grew up spending hours and hours at the local public library reading the great stories of Stephen King, Clive Barker, H.G. Wells, Ray Bradbury and many other great authors as a way to entertain himself. These writers inspired Bruce to set out on a path to become a fiction writer and learn the craft. 35 years later he’s still as passionate about the craft as he was the day he was handed his first book to read. That was H.G. Well’s The Time Machine, a timeless classic that is inspiring and fuels the imagination and wonder of what will the human race become in the future? Over the years, Bruce developed a writing style that has been said to be a combination of Stephen King, James Patterson, and H.G.Well’s rolled up into one. You never know how far down the rabbit hole Bruce has brought you as the reader until it’s too late and he’s got you hooked and turning page after page. If you love a great story with a human element, suspense and imagination then you’ve chosen well choosing a book by Bruce Savage. Each of his novels is unique and packed with energy that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page. Bruce Savage – EUROPA’S CHILD
Books by Bruce Savage The Novels: GODS ASSASSIN NO MERCY FOR THE DEAD LEGEND OF THE DRAGON THE SKULL EUROPA'S CHILD RUSSIAN GAMES QUEST FOR THE TABLET ORIGIN SHORT SCARY STORIES PSYCHO CASUALTIES OF WAR For previews and information about the author: Visit www.brucesavage.com.
Disclaimer EUROPA’S CHILD By Bruce Savage Copyright © 2016 EUROPA’S CHILD eBook Edition This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite eBook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems without the express permission in writing by the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. First Edition 1.0 Bruce Savage – EUROPA’S CHILD
Copyright Copyright © 2016 www.brucesavage.com All rights reserved. ISBN-13: 978-1536883510 ISBN-10: 1536883514 Bruce Savage – EUROPA’S CHILD Visit: www.brucesavage.com or your favorite book seller to order additional copies. EUROPA’S CHILD – BRUCE SAVAGE
Quotes If we value the pursuit of knowledge, we must be free to follow wherever that search may lead us. The free mind is no barking dog to be tethered on a ten-foot chain. Adlai E. Stevenson Jr. (1900 - 1965) Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying. Arthur C Clarke All these worlds are yours‌except Europa. Attempt no landing there. From the novel 2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke.
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Prologue We are all fucking dead! LITERALLY…I mean that. Dead as dead can fucking be. Extinct! I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life. Soon billions of people and animals all over the world will starve to death and those that survive will suffocate from a lack of oxygen. Massive storms are going to form all over the globe and rain hell down on everyone everywhere. And if anyone or anything survives that hellish apocalypse will be literally fried like a hot pocket in a microwave oven by solar radiation when the Earth’s atmosphere and ozone finally collapse and our sun’s radiation bombards the planet with massive amounts of radioactive particles. We are all pretty much…gonna…fucking…die! What took nature and evolution billions of years to create, nurture and accomplish will be undone in a matter of months. Not millions of years or billions of years but mere months. It will be a very quick death as far as the Universe is concerned. A blink of the cosmic eye if you want to think of it that way. First, every living creature in all of the Earth’s ocean’s will die from toxic poisoning. Whales, fish. crustaceans, plankton you name it are going to be poisoned and die. Which will in turn cause a massive ecological disaster. Without life in the ocean anything on land has very little chance of surviving. There’s a very delicate balance for there to be life on Earth. A balance once disrupted effects everything else 1
EUROPA’S CHILD like a domino effect. One by one ecological system's will collapse. While this oceanic apocalypse is going on massive amounts of methane will be pumped into the atmosphere from the death and decay of those organisms and in turn decreasing Earth's oxygen level from 20% at its current life-sustaining level to practically zero. Massive and I mean massive storms will start to build like the Earth hasn’t seen since the beginning of life on our planet due to the warming of the ocean. Hurricanes and Typhoons with wind speeds of 300mph or more will sandblast anything in their path leveling any city, town, village, forest you name it, it will be wiped out. Tidal surges from these massive storms of at least 1000 ft. will occur flooding and wiping out coastal regions. Say goodbye to New York, Boston, D.C., Hong Kong, Miami and any place else along a coast. Cloud cover will increase from 30% to 100% as the storms increase in strength and frequency shutting out any light from the Sun. It’s going to get cold as Hell without the Sun. All vegetation will die soon from this because photosynthesis will stop completely. Every tree, flower, and plant will wither and die from lack of sunlight and that means no more oxygen production, adding to the problem of ammonia and methane being pumped into the atmosphere. Once all the oxygen is gone that’s it for the atmosphere. Little by little the ozone’s strength will decrease allowing solar radiation in more and more and that means the end of microscopic life of any kind. Our once beautiful and vibrant oceans will be exposed to solar flares that will evaporate them leaving the Earth just a big empty rock floating in the 2
BRUCE SAVAGE cosmos. Radiation levels on our planet will increase to an exponential level and the Earth…our home…will be left a lifeless rock floating in space. Barren, sterilized…dead. Just like Mars. How could this all happen you’re probably wondering? You’re probably thinking to yourself was it that global warming thing that the politicians and activists have been bitching about and pushing around like a political poker chip? I wish it were that simple. If fossil fuels and human pollution were the sinister culprits at least there would be time to do something about it. Time to turn the effects of global warming around and maybe save the Earth. But, sorry to say global warming isn’t the cause of Earth’s destruction. As bad as human pollution is and it’s pretty bad, it isn’t what caused our extinction. It was something much smaller and unbelievably more powerful than that. Something that under the right conditions caused the creation of life on our planet and other worlds. Who would have thought that by asking a simple innocent question, “Are we alone in the Universe?”, would lead to such unimaginable devastation? Most likely this is what happened to Mars. I think the best way for you to understand me is for me to start at the beginning. Not the beginning of life on Earth. That’s much too far back. Although the Archean period has quite a bit of relevance in what I’m talking about. We need to go back to the beginning. Back when the question was asked and…the answer was given.
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Chapter 1 Pilbara region, Western Australia. Ken Reagan took a drink of water from his canteen and adjusted his backpack as he headed for the coordinates on the map that was being displayed on his GPS. He was one of the world’s leading microbiologist and oceanographers and he was doing the one thing that all researchers and scientist like him loved to do. Research in the field. Although he was hundreds of miles away from the nearest human population he wasn’t alone in this remote region of the world. His son and only child Mike was with him. Ten years old and full of curiosity and questions just like his father was when he was his age. 5
EUROPA’S CHILD His father was a superhero to him. There wasn’t anything that his dad couldn’t do. Win a Nobel prize in microbiology? Done that. Discover the origin of life on Earth? Done that. Tell a bedtime story that will put him to sleep? Does that. His father’s superhuman abilities were limitless to Mike. Mike cheerfully chugged along behind his father with his backpack as they crossed the Australian landscape in search of the spot where his dad knew he would find the microfossils he was looking for. His father knew this region of Australia. He had been here several times before with and without him. It was here at this place and what he had discovered here that won his father that Nobel prize. Mike was accustom to the outdoor life. He loved camping and hiking and sleeping underneath the stars. It was a grand adventure for him. A perfect adventure for a ten-year-old boy. His father had taken him to almost every continent and ocean on Earth. His favorite place of all of them was the Bolivian salt flats. It was like walking on clouds during the day because the salt acted as a mirror reflecting the sky and at night it was like walking amongst the stars. It was amazing and beautiful. Not to say that where they were now was any less beautiful or amazing. The Pilbara region was a vast primitive region of Australia. There was an amazing variety of rock formations and plant and animal life that dated back billions of years to the beginning of life on Earth to be exact. It was like being on an alien planet. What ten-year-old boy wouldn’t want to go camping and hiking on an alien planet?
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BRUCE SAVAGE “We are here Mike!” Ken announced as he abruptly stopped walking and turned to his son and took off his backpack. “We can set up camp here. Over there, young man is what we have come so far to find.” Ken said as he pointed to a group of rock outcroppings. “That’s where the micro-fossils are?” Mike said as he followed his father’s cue and took off his own backpack. “Yes, it is. That’s where the good stuff is buried my boy. That group of rocks is where life began on our little blue planet. Millions of tiny microscopic life forms that over the course of millions of years of reproducing and dying and collecting at the bottom of the ocean created that group of rocks. Those rocks, young man, believe it or not, are the oldest rocks on our planet and all of this one day long ago was deep under water. We're standing on the bottom of what used to be an ancient ocean. Earth's first ocean in fact. We’ll camp here tonight and get a good night’s sleep and get to work first thing in the morning after breakfast.” “I’ll put up the tent,” Mike said as he untied the pack holding the two-man tent attached to his backpack. “And I will collect some wood for a fire and start cooking some dinner for us,” Ken said as he looked around. Suddenly, there was a musical tune coming from his backpack disrupting the peace and serenity of the Australian outback. A sound he knew. A sound he was determined to ignore. He hung his head down and shook it as the sound continued on and on relentlessly and
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EUROPA’S CHILD determined to interrupt his research and quality time with his son. “Are you going to answer that dad or what? It’s getting on my nerves.” Mike asked getting annoyed at the insistence of the ringing phone. “You get it, Mike. Whoever it is, tell them I’m not available. And I mean NOT AVAILABLE!” Ken said as he waved his hands around like a crazy person. Mike giggled at his father as he rummaged through his father’s backpack and found the satellite phone that they packed away in case of an emergency and took it out and answered it. “Hello?” Mike said as he put the phone to his ear. “Yes… I need to speak with Dr. Ken Reagan.” A man’s voice crackled and echoed in Mike’s ear. “Who is this?” Mike asked. “This is Ben Johnson. It’s important that I speak with Dr. Reagan.” “I’m sorry but my father is unavailable at the moment,” Mike replied. “Is this little Mike? Mike, it’s me, Ben. Do you remember me? I’m a colleague of your fathers. You met me a couple of times.” Ben asked. He had met Ken’s son several times before at conferences of various sorts. Ken always tried to bring Mike with him to further his education and help fan the flames of the scientist that was growing inside his son. “Wait…I think I do. You’re the guy in charge of NASA. I think I remember you.” Mike replied. “That’s right. I’m the guy in charge of NASA. Look…I’m very sorry to bother you guys. I know you’re 8
BRUCE SAVAGE on sabbatical and want to be alone to do your research but please Mike it is really important that I speak with your father.” Ben said pleading with Mike. “Just a second...” Mike said reluctantly as he took the phone from his ear. “Dad…it’s that guy in charge of NASA. He said it’s really important to speak with you.” Ken’s attitude changed from annoyed to intrigued upon hearing the word NASA. “Ben? Ben Johnson?” Ken said as he dropped the sticks he had collected and moved towards his son. If Ben Johnson was taking time out of his busy schedule to personally track him down, then it must be something very important Ken thought to himself. Important enough to interrupt his sabbatical. “Yeah…that guy,” Mike said as he handed the phone to his father. Ken took the phone and put it to his ear. “This had better be the most important thing on Earth Ben. I’m in the field doing research. I don’t like being bothered when I’m out in the field.” Ken said. “Ken, I’m truly sorry for the interruption but there’s something I need to talk to you about. Believe me, it will be well worth your time.” Ben said. “What? What is worth my time?” Ken asked. “That part I can’t discuss on the phone. National security reasons and all that. I need to speak with you in person. I have a proposition for you. Trust me, it will be well worth your time. You might even get a second Nobel Prize if everything goes right.”
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EUROPA’S CHILD “Well- it will have to wait Ken. I’m several hundred miles away from any trace of humanity. It will take days to hike back to the nearest city and catch a flight back to Florida.” Ken said. “Not days Ken…hours. I’ve already arranged your transportation.” Ben said. “Arranged?” Ken said confused as he noticed a flicker of light in the distance growing larger and brighter. It was the reflection from the windshield of an aircraft. A sound started to echo louder and louder off of the rocks and cliffs. It was a chopping sound. A sound he knew. As the craft came closer he could see the lettering on the side of it. It read NASA in big bold letters. It was a helicopter.
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Chapter 2 28 hours later…. Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Ken Reagan stepped out of the elevator on the top floor of the administration building for NASA at the Kennedy Space Center and found his way to Ben Johnson's office and entered. Sitting at a desk in the front of the office was Ben’s receptionist. A blonde woman about 29 years old and somewhat attractive Ken secretly thought to himself. “Should I find a place to park it or is the boss in?” Ken asked the receptionist who looked away from her computer screen to answer him.
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EUROPA’S CHILD “You can go right in Dr. Reagan. Mr. Johnson has been waiting for you.” She said giving Ken a big bright smile. “Thanks. If I’m not out in 30 minutes let my son know I loved him.” Ken replied joking as he gave her a wink and found his way to Ben Johnson’s door and opened it. Ben was sitting at his desk talking on the phone. He raised a finger to gesture to Ken to wait a minute while he finished his call. Ken found his way to a chair in front of his desk and made himself comfortable as Ben finished his call and hung up the phone. “KEN!!!” Ben said enthusiastically as he stood up and stretched out his hand for Ken to shake. Ken stood and shook his hand and then sat back down. “How long has it been 2-3 years since the Global warming summit in Paris?” Ben asked as he sat down. “That sounds about right. Unfortunately, China is still kicking out more greenhouse gasses than all other countries combined. A lot of good the summit did.” Ken said. “The Chinese have always done whatever they wanted. Can’t get it in their head to stop using so much fossil fuels.” Ben replied. “I’m sure you didn’t interrupt my sabbatical to talk about China Ben. Why am I here? Why drag me thousands of miles away from Australia?” Ken said. “One-word Ken…Europa!” “Europa? The moon Europa?” Ken said a little confused. “Yes, Europa the moon. We are going there and we want you to head the science end of the mission. I can’t 12
BRUCE SAVAGE think of anyone more qualified than you to find out if there is life there.” “I’m not an astronaut Ben and I have no ambition of being one,” Ken replied. “We’re not actually going, Ken. People that is. We’re sending a robotic probe to land on Europa and drill down under the ice and go into the ocean and collect samples and bring them back for us to analyze here on Earth or should I say the ISS. That’s the grand plan anyway. We want you to handle the science part of it.” “Sounds interesting. Europa does have the largest ocean in the solar system. Three times the size of Earth’s ocean. If there’s life there then it’s going to be deep in the ocean possibly near volcanic vents. I doubt there is anything more than primitive microscopic life because of Jupiter’s radiation.” Ken said. “That’s why we want you to handle the science part. I can’t think of anyone more qualified than you Ken. You are the guy! Say yes.” Ben said. “I won’t have to leave the planet?” Ken asked. “No. You’ll be working here and at JPL, Ames, and with SpaceX. Never going to have to leave Earth not even for a minute.” Ben said smiling. “I’ll talk it over with my son. See what he says. It’s just me and him now so I need to keep him in the loop of things. We’re a team.” Ken said. “How is Mike doing these days? He must be getting big.” Ben said. “Mike is great. I’m surprised he’s weathered losing his mother so well. But then again he was only five when
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EUROPA’S CHILD Caron died. I don’t think it will affect him that much if I stay close to him. He’s a pretty tough kid.” Ken said. “Yes. I’m sorry about Caron. Breast cancer wasn’t it?” Ken asked. “Yeah…Thankfully she went peacefully. No pain.” “Yes…thank God.” Ben replied. “Who else are you vetting for this mission?” Ken asked. “Right now we have Darren Wilson robotics expert from MIT, the team at SpaceX that is designing the launch vehicle, Richard Simson who is handling planetary science and Janis Zuckerman is our artificial intelligence expert. She’s bringing something to the game that has never been tried before.” “What’s that?” Ken asked. “She’s been developing for the mission an artificially intelligent mission computer for the probe we’re sending. Seeing how Europa is so far away, we needed something that can make decisions on the spot and handle emergencies. I’m going to be asking Congress for $4 billion dollars for the mission so I think it will make things easier for them to digest if there was a way to ensure that $4 billion dollars weren't going to be wasted if something happens out there that we can’t fix back here. This is the first time we’ve done a mission where we’re bringing back samples that could contain alien life. We’re going to need every penny we can squeeze out of them.” Ben said. “Sounds like it’s going to be one hell of a mission. I think I can work with the team you’ve put together and
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BRUCE SAVAGE come up with a science program that will get results for us.” “That’s why I personally chose you, Ken. This is the mission of all missions, Ken. This isn’t sending a telescope or probe into space to take pictures or sending someone to the moon or a dead planet like Mars in hopes of finding life that may or may not have existed. This is the one we’ve been waiting for. The one that will answer the question we’ve been asking ourselves every time a human being has looked up at the night sky and wondered if we were alone in the Universe. We are going to answer that question with this mission Ken.” “I never for a second believed we were alone Ben. It’s mathematically impossible. From a scientific point of view, the Universe is packed with the building blocks for life. It’s out there. We just have to find it.” Ken said. “And that’s exactly why we need you, Ken.” “It’s still up to what Mike wants. I’ll talk to him and see what he thinks.” Ken said as he got up from his chair. “Good. I’m sure he’ll be enthusiastic about you taking the position.” “I’ll give you a call tomorrow,” Ken said as he shook Ben’s hand and left the office. This was a once in a lifetime offer that he didn’t want to refuse. But he needed to discuss it with his son first. After his wife died it was just him and Mike and making sure Mike wasn’t left behind was the most important thing to him. Mike was all he had left. He was a part of Caron. A part that reminded him of all the good times and the life he had with her. Mike was the rock that kept him from falling apart.
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Chapter 3 Ken pulled into the driveway of his house in Boca Raton, Florida and sat there for a moment. What Ben offered him was the biggest job he had ever conceived before in his life. It was bigger than his research that led to his Nobel prize. It was finally answering a question that humans had been asking since humanity began. Are we alone? Three little words. It was the most profane question humans have ever asked and NASA wanted him to be a part of the team to answer it. He wanted this. It was a job that he was born to do. But he needed Mike to be on board first before he said yes. The job would mean bouncing back and forth between Florida, Texas and California for several years. Long hours and a lot of late nights. He had a son to raise. Mike needed to be in school and make friends and have a somewhat normal life. 17
EUROPA’S CHILD Mike would always go with him on expeditions whenever there was a school break or summer vacation. He made sure to plan things around Mike’s schedule. The last thing he needed to do was disrupt Mike’s life now that Caron was gone. He needed a sense of continuity, stability. This job, if he took it would definitely rock the boat. There was only one way to find out what Mike wanted to do and that was to explain things to him and ask him. He opened his car door and went inside his house. Mike was laying on the floor in the living room playing a game on his PlayStation when he came in. Lucy Morris Mike’s babysitter was sitting next to him struggling with the other game controller. She turned around as Ken came into the living room. “Mr. Reagan. Nobody called and nobody stopped by. Everything’s been fine.” Lucy reported. “Thanks, Lucy. You can go home if you want or stay for dinner. It’s up to you.” Ken said. “I’m gonna go home. Mike has been pummeling me again at Warcraft and I have homework and studying to do anyway. Finals are in 2 weeks.” Lucy said as she got up from the floor. “I only beat you because you’re a girl,” Mike said sarcastically. “Hey! Girls can do anything boys can do. Plus you cheat. You don’t think I know you’re cheating but I do.” Lucy scolded Mike. “Yeah, Mike. Some of the world's most accomplished and successful people are girls. You know better than that.” Ken said scolding his son.
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BRUCE SAVAGE “Sorry. It’s just that she keeps making the same mistakes over and over. That’s why I keep beating her.” “Only, for now, Mike. I’ll get better and then I’ll beat you at Warcraft.” Lucy said as she presented herself and put out her hand to Ken for payment for babysitting his son. Ken took out his wallet and handed her a twenty. “Don’t spend it all in one place,” Ken said as Lucy snatched the $20 bill from his hand and headed for the front door. “Call me if you need me again Mr. Reagan,” Lucy said as she jetted out the door. “Well, that just leaves you and me for dinner, young man. Why don’t you turn off the PlayStation for a little while? There is something I need to talk to you about.” Ken said to his son. “Talk about what?” Mike said as he turned his attention back towards the television and the Warcraft game. “Come on. Shut that off. Have a seat on the couch. This is important.” Ken said as he sat down on the couch. Mike shut off the television and joined him on the couch. “Ok. You have my full attention dad. What do you want to talk about?” Mike asked. “Thanks for your full attention. I appreciate it. What I want to talk to you about is a job that I’ve been offered. It’s a really big job.” “Is that why we came back from Australia?” Mike asked. “Yes. That’s why we came back from Australia.” “So what’s the job?” Mike asked as he fidgeted next to his father. 19
EUROPA’S CHILD “The job I have been offered is to be the head scientist for a NASA mission that is going to Europa to find life.” “Find life? Like E.T.?” Mike asked. “Well maybe like E.T. but I think what we will find will be much smaller. Microscopic.” Ken replied. “You mean like the fossils in Australia?” “Yes like the ones in Australia. But living not dead.” “Are we going on a rocket? Are we going to Europa?” Mike asked. “Ha Ha! No, we’re not going to Europa. But we will have to travel a little bit over the next couple of years. That might mean you’ll have to change schools and live in different places and I’ll be working long hours sometimes and won’t be around sometimes. How do you feel about that?” “Wherever you go I go, dad. We’re a team remember?” Mike said. “That’s right we’re a team. I just wanted to make sure you were OK with it before I tell Ben that I’ll take the job.” “How do you know life is on Europa?” Mike asked. “Well, we don’t. But we have high expectations that there is life there because we are pretty certain that Europa has an ocean. And if there’s water there’s a pretty good chance that there’s life. Remember the fossils from Australia?” Ken said. “Yeah. I remember. Billions of years ago basic elements combined to form simple enzymes and proteins which turned into single-celled life. After millions of 20
BRUCE SAVAGE years of reproducing and dying, they accumulated on the floor of the ocean forming sediments that turned into rocks.” “Very good. You have been paying attention to me haven’t you?” Ken said rubbing his son's head. “And that is what I suspect we will find on Europa. Simple single celled life. No big ugly monsters that breathe fire or spit acid.” Ken said. “That would be cool.” “Maybe for you. I’ll stick with microbes any day.” “Dad?” “What?” “What are we having for dinner? I’m kind of hungry?” Mike said. “How’s pizza sound?” “I get to order. I want Hawaiian pizza with extra pineapple.” “You make the call. I want a pepperoni and mushroom. And go wash your hands.” Ken said as he took out his cell phone and handed it to his son. This is where the first step was taken that led to the end of life on Earth. This is that moment. This is where the end began.
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Chapter 4 It was 8’o clock in the morning when Ken woke up. The first item on the agenda for the day was coffee. It was summer vacation so Mike didn’t have school. The original plan was to spend summer vacation with him in Australia but that changed. He could tell his son was already awake from the sound of the television in the living room. Cartoon Central was Mike’s morning ritual and a big bowl of cereal preferably peanut butter Captain Crunch. Ken crawled out of bed and went to the bathroom and splashed some water on his face and then headed for the kitchen giving Mike a kiss on the head and a good morning greeting that was ignored. Superman was on and nothing distracted Mike’s attention when Superman was on. The house could be on fire and he’d still be glued to the man of steel. 23
EUROPA’S CHILD Ken started the coffee maker and unplugged his cellphone from the charger and checked it for messages. There was one text message from Ben Johnson asking if he made a decision. Ken dialed his number and his receptionist put him through to his phone. “Ken! So what’s the word? Are you in?” Ben asked. “Yeah, it’s a go. Mike’s OK with everything so I’m in. When do we begin?” Ken asked. “Today if you want. There’s a meeting of department heads at 1 pm. here at Kennedy so everyone can meet and say hello and get a feel for each other. Bring Mike if you want he can take the tour while you’re in the meeting. What ten-year-old wouldn’t love that?” Ben said. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll be there.” Ken said as he hung up the phone. He reached for the coffee pot that was finished brewing and poured a cup of coffee before heading into the living room to talk to Mike. “Hey…how you feel about taking a tour of NASA today?” Ken said as he sat down on the couch and took a sip from his coffee. “You mean we’re going to see all the rockets and stuff?” Mike asked. “If you want. It’s up to you. What do you say?” Ken asked. “Yeah!” “Then it’s a plan. NASA it is and on the way back we can eat at that taco restaurant we had lunch at before. You liked the tacos remember?” Ken said. “Yeah I like the steak taco’s.” 24
BRUCE SAVAGE “Good. Go take a shower and get dressed and don’t forget to brush your teeth. I check your toothbrush you know. I know you haven’t been brushing regularly. Getting your brush wet isn’t the same as actually putting it in your mouth and moving it around.” Ken said. “Sorry dad…but I don’t like that toothpaste. It tastes funny.” “Well... we’ll pick up something different next time we do groceries. But for now, use it. That’s an order!” “Yes, sir,” Mike said as he got up from the floor and headed to the bathroom. Ken’s phone started to ring. He picked it up and looked at the caller I.D. It was a colleague and close friend of his from Oxford University Jimmy Whitehall Ph. D. in exobiology, quite a brilliant guy. “Jimmy? How you been?” Ken asked as he answered the phone. “I’ve been fine. Thought I’d give you a call and see how you’re doing. Haven’t heard from you in a while. So what’s new with you Ken?” Jimmy asked. “Oh, nothing much just got back from Australia with Mike. Just accepted an offer from NASA to head the mission to search for life on Europa. You know the usual stuff.” Ken said plugging at Jimmy. “Europa? Are you serious? They’re actually going to Europa to search for life?” Jimmy asked. “Yes and I’m going to be heading the science end of things. I need to come up with a bunch of test and procedures in case we find something there.” “They’re not thinking about bringing whatever they find back here to Earth are they Ken?” 25
EUROPA’S CHILD “No not to Earth but to the ISS. That’s where they plan on running test.” Ken replied as he took a sip from his coffee. “I don’t want to sound like a wet blanket but speaking professionally. It’s a really, really bad idea.” “What do you mean it’s a bad idea? Everything will be handled in an extremely controlled environment. You know how NASA is every process has a backup process. Every possible problem that could occur has been thought through and given a solution.” “Ken you heard of Murphy’s law. Whatever can go wrong probably will. I’m just saying that bringing any samples back here is just a risk that shouldn’t be taken. Who knows what effect an alien life-form could have on our environment if something should go wrong and it ends up on Earth. There are a million things that could go wrong.” Jimmy said. “And there’s a million things that could go right, Jimmy. I think you’ve seen the Andromeda strain a few too many times. This is the big one. The mission to finally answer whether we are alone or not in the Universe. Does life exist elsewhere? How long have we been looking at the stars and wondering what that answer is? For Christ sake, you’re in exobiology. This is your thing. You’d think you would show a little more enthusiasm.” “Some questions Ken…and I’m just saying…should not be answered. I’ve spent my life studying and theorizing what life would be like on other worlds. That’s what I do and I’m just giving you my professional opinion that there is a possibility and a strong one, that there are 26
BRUCE SAVAGE things out there that we just need to stay the hell away from.” Jimmy said. “Wow! I haven’t even finished my morning coffee and I’m getting the doom and dread lecture. I prefer to think positively Jimmy. It’s more constructive.” “Think any way you want. I’m just voicing my opinion.” Jimmy said. “Opinion noted and filed. When are you going to have some time off? Let’s get together for drinks.” Ken said. “Right now I’m wrapping up a lecture series I’m doing in Miami. I think next Friday I’ll be free finally.” “Good let’s get together. Just like old times.” Ken said. “I’ll mark it on my calendar. Say 8 o’clock Friday?” “Sounds good. Murphy’s pub. I’ll see you then.” Ken said as he hung up the phone. What Jimmy said kind of struck a nerve in Ken for a moment. He made a clear point that something could go wrong with the mission. What would happen if a living alien organism was introduced into Earth’s environment? Would it live? Would it die? What would its effect on Earth’s environment be? He put the thought out of his mind. He needed to focus on other things. The meeting with his teammates was what he needed to focus on for now.
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Chapter 5 Mike followed his father as he walked towards the administrative building at Kennedy and couldn’t stop looking around. There were jet’s and space vehicles of different designs all around. Each one of them had seen their day. Some broke the sound barrier others traveled to the moon. It was an amazing place to be for a ten-yearold with an imagination like Mikes. Ken held the door open for Mike and they headed to the security desk to get their identification cards. “Dr. Reagan we’ve been expecting you and your son. Your ID’S are ready.” A middle-aged security guard said as he handed the ID’S to Ken. Ken took Mikes and hung it on his shirt and Mike looked at it. In big letters it ready, “V.I.P.”
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EUROPA’S CHILD “Look dad I’m a V.I.P. your badge says, “STAFF” because you work here,” Mike said glowing at his father. “That’s right. Today you get to go on a special tour and see all the cool stuff. Come on let’s go upstairs.” Ken said as he started walking to the elevator. “Is it going to be a long meeting?” Mike asked as the elevator took them to the top floor. “I don’t know. That depends on what we talk about.” “You’re not going on the tour?” “No. I can’t. I have to work son.” Ken said as the elevator stopped and they got out. Ben Johnson’s receptionist was at her desk. She got up when she saw Ken and his son walking towards her. “Mr. Johnson is in Conference room A. I can take you there Dr. Reagan. I’m going to be giving your son the tour of the center.” “You see that Mike you get a personal escort to take you all over the place and see everything.” “She’s pretty. Are you single? My dad’s single.” Mike blurted out. Ken quickly covered his son's mouth and smiled embarrassingly at Ben’s receptionist. “Well thank you, Mike. That’s very sweet of you to say. Yes, I am single.” The receptionist said as she gave out a surprised laugh. “I apologize. He’s ten. He had too much sugar this morning for breakfast.” Ken said apologizing. “I understand. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to the conference room and then me and Mike can go see some spaceships. I’m Alice Hemsworth, by the way, Dr.
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BRUCE SAVAGE Reagan.” Alice said as she put out her hand to shake his. Ken shook her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Alice.” “The pleasure is all mine. You’re a Nobel prize winner in microbiology. I know all about you.” Alice said as they walked down a corridor to the conference room. “Well, there isn’t much to know,” Ken said in a shy tone. “My dad likes you. I can tell. His voice changes when he likes someone.” Mike blurted out. Alice gave Mike a wink and a smile as Ken’s face turned red from embarrassment. “And what about you Mike? Do you like spinning really fast?” Alice asked Mike. “Sometimes. But I get dizzy.” Mike replied. “We have a machine here that the astronauts use to train with that spins them around really, really fast. I’ll show it to you on the tour.” Alice said as they reached the conference room. “Well, here we are,” Ken said. “I’ll make sure your son has a good time on the tour, Dr. Reagan,” Alice said as Ken put his hand on the door knob. “Ken. You can call me Ken. And you Mike do what she tells you to do and stay with her at all times. No wondering off.” Ken said. “Yes, dad,” Mike said rolling his eyes. “OK, we’ll see you later…Ken.” Alice said with a smile as she and Mike headed off for the elevator. Ken opened the door to the conference room to find Ben sitting 31
EUROPA’S CHILD at the head of the table with the rest of the team spread out around the table with laptops and tablets. It was time to discuss how the answer to the question mankind has been asking for centuries was going to be found with some of the top minds in the world and he was one of them.
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